Hammersmith Apollo

Last updated

Hammersmith Apollo
Eventim Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo 03.JPG
The venue during its 2013 re-opening
Hammersmith Apollo
Former namesGaumont Palace (1932–1962)
Hammersmith Odeon (1962–1993)
Labatt's Apollo (1993–2002)
Carling Apollo (2002–2009)
HMV Apollo (2009–2012)
Location Hammersmith
London, W6
England
Coordinates 51°29′27″N0°13′28″W / 51.490747°N 0.224458°W / 51.490747; -0.224458 :
Public transit District line roundel (no text).svg Piccadilly line roundel (no text).svg Hammersmith
Circle line roundel (no text).svg H&c line roundel (no text).svg Hammersmith
Owner AEG Presents
Eventim UK
Designation Grade II*
Capacity 3,487 (1932–2003)
5,039 (Open seating)
3,632 (Reserved seating)
Construction
Built1930–1932
Opened28 March 1932;91 years ago (1932-03-28)
Renovated2013
Construction cost £5 million (2013 renovation)
ArchitectRobert Cromie
Website
eventimapollo.com

The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo [1] for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Hammersmith, London, it is an art deco Grade II* listed building. [2]

Contents

The venue has hosted numerous concerts by major stars, including the Beatles, [1] Queen, [1] The Rolling Stones, [1] David Bowie, [1] Iron Maiden, [3] Bruce Springsteen, [1] Bob Marley, [1] Ella Fitzgerald [1] and Duke Ellington [1] amongst many others.

History

Designed by Robert Cromie, who also renovated the Prince of Wales Theatre, [1] in the Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace, with a seating capacity of nearly 3,500 people, being renamed the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962. It has had a string of names and owners, most recently AEG Live and Eventim UK. [4] [5] It became a Grade II listed building in 1990. The venue was later refurbished and renamed Labatt's Apollo following a sponsorship deal with Labatt Brewing Company (1993 or 1994).

Hammersmith Apollo, 2008 Hammersmith Apollo 2008 06 19.jpg
Hammersmith Apollo, 2008

In 2002, the venue was again renamed, this time to Carling Apollo after Carling brewery struck a deal with the owners, US-based Clear Channel Entertainment, now iHeartMedia, inc. The event was marked by rock band AC/DC playing a one-off concert. All 5,000 tickets sold out in 4 minutes. In 2003, the stalls seats were made removable and now some concerts have full seating whilst others have standing-only in the stalls. In the latter format, the venue can accommodate around 5,000 people. The venue's listing was upgraded to Grade II* status in 2005. In 2006, the venue reverted to its former name, the Hammersmith Apollo. In 2007, the original 1932 Compton pipe organ, still present from the building's days as a cinema, was restored. The building was then bought by the MAMA Group.

On 14 January 2009, a placing announcement by HMV Group revealed that by selling additional shares, the company would raise money to fund a joint venture with the MAMA Group, to run eleven live music venues across the United Kingdom, including the Hammersmith Apollo. As a result, the venue was named HMV Apollo from 2009 until 2012. Other venues purchased include The Forum in London's Kentish Town, the Birmingham Institute and Aberdeen's Moshulu. [6] The venue was sold by HMV Group in May 2012 to AEG Live and CTS Eventim. [7] In 2013, the venue was closed for an extensive refurbishment which was carried out by architect Foster Wilson. [8] The venue reopened as the Eventim Apollo on 7 September 2013, with a concert performance by Selena Gomez. [1] [9]

The Compton pipe organ

Restored organ console, 2007 Apollo organ console small.jpg
Restored organ console, 2007

The original 1932 Compton pipe organ remains installed at the Apollo and was fully restored to playing condition in 2007. [10] It has a four-manual console which rises through the stage on a new lift and about 1,200 organ pipes housed in large chambers above the front stalls ceiling. Having fallen into disrepair, the organ was disconnected in the 1990s and the console removed from the building. At the insistence of English Heritage and the local council, however, it was reinstated and the entire organ restored. At a launch party, on 25 July 2007, an invited audience and media representatives witnessed a recital by Richard Hills. [11]

View of the stage and proscenium, 2007 Auditorium showing stage.jpg
View of the stage and proscenium, 2007

Many bands have released live albums, videos or DVDs of concerts held at the Apollo, such as Queen, Black Sabbath, Rush, DIO, Hawkwind, Iron Maiden, Celtic Frost, Kings of Leon, Tears for Fears, Bananarama, Dire Straits, Frank Zappa, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Europe, Japan, Erasure, Spear of Destiny, Motörhead, and Robbie Williams. In September 1979 Gary Numan recorded his Touring Principle show at the venue. Kate Bush released a video and record EP of her concerts at the Odeon from her first tour in 1979. Duran Duran recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon on 16 November 1982 and released Live at Hammersmith '82! . Depeche Mode made one of its first concert videos for a Danish television at the Hammersmith on 25 October 1982. Dire Straits played the final two concerts of their eight-month long Love Over Gold Tour at the Odeon on 22–23 July 1983, and the resulting album Alchemy: Dire Straits Live was released the following year.

Kylie Minogue performed a one-off concert in the venue in 2003 and released a DVD of the performance in 2004. Minogue also performed the last show of her Anti Tour in the venue on 3 April 2012. Girls Aloud released a DVD of their concert at the Apollo in 2005. A DVD of a Bruce Springsteen concert held there in 1975 was released as part of the Born to Run 30th Anniversary Edition package; later the CD Hammersmith Odeon London '75 was released. Melodic death metal band In Flames also released a DVD that featured footage of a December 2004 performance there. Comedian and actor Eddie Izzard's show Glorious was also released as a DVD. Rush recorded their 1978 performance and later included it in their three-disc set, Different Stages . American musician Tori Amos released a series of six live albums in 2005 known as The Original Bootlegs , one of which was recorded at the Apollo. Photographs of The Who outside the Hammersmith Odeon appear on their 1973 album Quadrophenia . Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour performed three nights at the venue in April 1984 which was documented on the David Gilmour Live 1984 concert film. These shows are of note as Roy Harper guested on "Short and Sweet" and Gilmour's Pink Floyd bandmate Nick Mason played drums on "Comfortably Numb". In 1984 the London-based band Iron Maiden recorded side 4 of their double live album 'Live After Death' at the venue. Iron Maiden's affection for the Hammersmith Odeon previously resulted in the filming of a 1982 performance which was subsequently released as Beast over Hammersmith. [12]

Other acts have made music videos featuring clips from performances at the Apollo; Kelly Clarkson made a special version of her "Breakaway" video using clips from her concert at the Apollo in 2006.

The Hammersmith Apollo is seen in the American romantic comedy film Just My Luck where McFly perform. In the movie, the venue stands-in for the Hard Rock Café. It is also the location in The Football Factory where the Chelsea fans board the bus for Liverpool. It is mentioned in the poem "Glam Rock: The Poem" by the poet Robert Archambeau. The exterior of the (then) Gaumont Palace was used as the "Grand" cinema in the 1957 British film The Smallest Show on Earth .

Noteworthy performances

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Led Zeppelin answering questions at a press conference for the premiere of Celebration Day at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2012 Led Zeppelin answering questions, 2012.jpg
Led Zeppelin answering questions at a press conference for the premiere of Celebration Day at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2012
Kate Bush - Before the Dawn, Hammersmith Apollo Hammersmith Apollo, London 05.JPG
Kate BushBefore the Dawn, Hammersmith Apollo

2020s

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mott the Hoople</span> British rock band

Mott the Hoople were an English rock band formed in Herefordshire. Originally named the Doc Thomas Group, the band changed their name after signing with Island Records in 1969. The band released albums at the beginning of the 1970s but failed to find any success. On the verge of breaking up, the band were encouraged by David Bowie to stay together. Bowie wrote their glam-style signature song "All the Young Dudes" for them, which became their first hit in 1972. Bowie subsequently produced their album of the same name, which added to their success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron Maiden</span> English heavy metal band

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most of the band's history has consisted of Harris, lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain, and guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers. As pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, Iron Maiden released a series of UK and US Platinum and Gold albums, including 1980's debut album, 1981's Killers, and 1982's The Number of the Beast – its first album with Bruce Dickinson, who replaced Paul Di'Anno as lead singer. The addition of Dickinson was a turning point in their career, establishing them as one of heavy metal's most important bands ever. The Number of the Beast is among the most popular heavy metal albums of all time, having sold almost 20 million copies worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Rocks Amphitheatre</span> Concert venue near Morrison, Colorado, U.S.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre is an open-air amphitheatre in the western United States near Morrison, Colorado, approximately ten miles (16 km) southwest of Denver, which owns and operates it. In addition to several other large sandstone formations nearby, the venue is best recognized by its two massive monoliths, named "Ship Rock" and "Creation Rock", as well as the smaller "Stage Rock", which together flank it's 9,525 capacity seating area and naturally form the amphitheater. While the venue is primarily known for hosting concerts and music festivals, other events of various types and sizes are held throughout the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Astoria</span> Former music venue in London, England

The London Astoria was a music venue at 157 Charing Cross Road, in London, England, that operated from 1976 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brixton Academy</span> Music venue in London, a former cinema

Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South West London, in the Lambeth district of Brixton.

<i>Live After Death</i> 1985 live album by Iron Maiden

Live After Death is a live album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, originally released in October 1985 on EMI in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records in the US. It was recorded at Long Beach Arena, California and Hammersmith Odeon, London during the band's World Slavery Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FM (British band)</span> British rock band

FM are a British rock band. They have released thirteen studio albums to date. Three of those, Indiscreet, Tough It Out and 2015's Heroes and Villains reached the UK Albums Chart, whilst five of the band's singles made inroads into the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shepherd's Bush Empire</span> Music venue in West London, England

Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was originally built in 1903 as a music hall for impresario Oswald Stoll, designed by theatre architect Frank Matcham; among its early performers was Charlie Chaplin. In 1953 it became the BBC Television Theatre. Since 1994, it has operated as a music venue. It is a Grade II listed building.

<i>Beast over Hammersmith</i> 2002 live album by Iron Maiden

Beast over Hammersmith is a live album by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 4 November 2002. Recorded 20 years previously, during The Beast on the Road tour at the Hammersmith Odeon, the footage was specially co-produced and mixed by Steve Harris and Doug Hall to be a part of the Eddie's Archive box set. Even though this album contains material from The Number of the Beast, it was actually recorded two days prior to its release, although "Run to the Hills" had already been released as a single. The album became officially available for the very first time on vinyl as part of the Number of the Beast 40th anniversary special edition on 18 November 2022.

<i>Hammersmith Odeon, London 75</i> 2006 live album by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 is a concert video and the fourth live album by Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, released in 2006. It is a full-length recording of their performance on November 18, 1975, at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, during their Born to Run tours. It was first released as a DVD on November 14, 2005, as part of the Born to Run 30th Anniversary Edition package, and then several months later on February 28, 2006, released as an audio CD. The album was reissued on vinyl for the first time for Record Store Day on April 22, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Born to Run tours</span> 1974–77 series of concert tours by Bruce Springsteen

The Born to Run tours were the unofficially-named concert tours surrounding the release of Bruce Springsteen's 1975 album Born to Run which occurred between 1974 and 1977. The album represented Springsteen's commercial breakthrough, and was marked by a grueling and meticulous recording process. To make ends meet Springsteen and the E Street Band toured constantly during the first set of recording sessions for it, performing his new songs as he developed them. Financial success was short-lived, however, as he was soon plunged into legal battles with his former manager Mike Appel and enjoined from further studio recording. Touring continued as a means of making a living, long after the conventional period of playing in connection with an album's release was over; only when his legal issues were finally resolved in 1977 did these tours conclude.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tour of Life</span> 1979 concert tour by Kate Bush

The Tour of Life was the first and only concert tour by English singer-songwriter and musician Kate Bush. Starting in April 1979, the tour lasted just over one month. Consisting of 24 performances from Bush's first two studio albums The Kick Inside and Lionheart, it was acclaimed for its incorporation of mime, magic, and readings during costume changes. The tour is also renowned for its use of new technology; because of Bush's determination to dance as she sang, her stage sound engineer Gordon Paterson developed the wireless headset microphone using a wire clothes hanger, making her the first singer to use such a device on stage. The simple staging also involved rear-screen projection and the accompaniment of two male dancers. The tour was notable for the death of Bush's lighting engineer, Bill Duffield, to whom one of the London shows was dedicated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somewhere Back in Time World Tour</span> 2008–2009 concert tour by Iron Maiden

Somewhere Back in Time World Tour was a concert tour by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden in 2008 and 2009, focused on the band's 1980s material, in particular songs from Powerslave, Somewhere in Time and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. The tour tied in with the second part of the DVD series, entitled "The History of Iron Maiden", and prompted the release of a new greatest hits compilation, Somewhere Back in Time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow Theatre</span> Grade II* listed theatre in London, England

The Rainbow Theatre, originally known as the Finsbury Park Astoria, then the Finsbury Park Paramount Astoria, and then the Finsbury Park Odeon, is a Grade II*-listed building in Finsbury Park, London. The theatre was built in 1930 as an "atmospheric cinema", to house entertainment extravaganzas which included a film show. It later became an ordinary cinema, then a music venue, as which it is best known, and then an occasional unlicensed boxing venue. Today, the building is used by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, an Evangelical church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Down 'n' Outz</span> English rock band

Down 'n' Outz are an English rock band featuring members from Def Leppard, The Quireboys, and Raw Glory. The group covers bands and artists related to Mott the Hoople including Mott, British Lions, and Ian Hunter. Their debut album, My ReGeneration, was released in 2010, and was followed by a DVD release of the band's show at Hammersmith Odeon. The band's second studio album, The Further Adventures Of... was released in April 2014. The band's third studio album, This Is How We Roll was released in October 2019.

<i>Big Country at the BBC</i> 2013 box set by Big Country

Big Country at the BBC is a box set compilation comprising Big Country's recordings and sessions for the BBC between 1982 and 1990. It includes performances from Wembley Stadium, Reading Festival, Hammersmith Palais and London's Soviet Embassy as well as all of the band's appearances on television shows such as Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test and The Oxford Road Show.

<i>London 1986</i> 1999 live album by Talk Talk

London 1986 is a live album by the English group Talk Talk, released in Europe by Pond Life Records on compact disc in 1999. It was recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on 8 May 1986 near the end of their European tour to promote their 1986 studio album The Colour of Spring. This show was the band's last in the UK, and the tour would be the band's final live performances, although they went on to release two more studio albums in 1988 and 1991. Promotional copies released in 1998 were titled Hammersmith.

<i>A Night at the Odeon – Hammersmith 1975</i> 2015 live album by Queen

A Night at the Odeon is a live album by the British rock band Queen. The album is the first official release of the band's Christmas Eve performance at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1975, filmed by the BBC. The show was broadcast on BBC2 and BBC Radio 1, and included one of the first live performances of "Bohemian Rhapsody". It is the band's most popular bootleg.

<i>Tour de Force: Live in London</i> 2013 video by Joe Bonamassa

Tour de Force: Live in London is a series of videos and live albums by American blues-rock musician Joe Bonamassa. Produced by Kevin Shirley and directed by Philippe Klose, the albums document the guitarist and vocalist's four performances at four venues in London, England in March 2013. Each of the four shows were initially released as videos on October 28, 2013 in Europe by Provogue Records, and the following day in North America by J&R Adventures, with a box set featuring all four shows and a special collector's edition hardback book also issued at the same time. All four shows were issued as live albums on May 19, 2014.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Introducing the Eventim Apollo". Eventim Ticketnews. 2013. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  2. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1252993)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  3. "Tours". ironmaiden.com. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  4. "HMV sells Hammersmith Apollo for £32m". Financial Times. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  5. "Hammersmith Apollo". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  6. "HMV to snap up some Zavvi stores". BBC News. 14 January 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2009.
  7. "Hammersmith Apollo in London sold by HMV to Stage C". BBC. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  8. "Foster Wilson completes Hammersmith Apollo revamp". bdonline.co.uk. 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  9. "The Eventim Apollo is unveiled". Music Week. 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  10. "Project - The Apollo". HWS Associates LLP. 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  11. "Youtube video of organ launch party". YouTube. 26 July 2007. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  12. Iron Maiden 'Live After Death' – released 1985 on EMI records. Iron Maiden 'The Early Days DVD – disc one: Beast over Hammersmith released by EMI records 2004
  13. Spencer Leigh (10 January 2019). Buddy Holly: Learning the Game. McNidder & Grace. p. 139. ISBN   9780857161895.
  14. "Hammersmith Odeon, London, England Concert Setlists | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  15. "YouTube video of Elton John Christmas concert". YouTube. Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  16. "Hammersmith Odeon, London, England Concert Setlists | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  17. "Whitesnake – Live... In The Heart of the City – Blogcritics Music". Blogcritics.org. 18 August 2002. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  18. "Tours 1980". ironmaiden.com. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  19. "Tours 1981". ironmaiden.com. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  20. "Tours 1982". ironmaiden.com. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  21. "Tours 1986". ironmaiden.com. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  22. "Tours 1988". ironmaiden.com. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  23. "Tours 1983". ironmaiden.com. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  24. "Tours 1984". ironmaiden.com. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  25. "Tours 1990". ironmaiden.com. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  26. "Tour | The Official Website of a-ha". A-ha.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  27. "AC/DC Live at the Carling Apollo Hammersmith 2003". Acdczone.com. 21 October 2011. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  28. Cowen, Nick (22 October 2003). "AC/DC". Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  29. "News 2009 – Delirious? Farewell 'History Makers' Tour + Final Concert Confirmed". Delirious.org.uk. 30 April 2009. Archived from the original on 24 December 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  30. McCormick, Neil (25 February 2013). "Kanye West, Hammersmith Apollo, review" . Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  31. "Gig Review: STATUS QUO, Hammersmith Apollo, London, 15 March 2013". getreadytorock.me.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  32. Roxburgh, Gordon (3 February 2015). "Official: London to host Eurovision's 60th Anniversary Event". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  33. "2016, LONDON EVENTIM APOLLO HAMMERSMITH".
  34. "The spotlight's on, the stage is set – Eurovision: You Decide is back". BBC Media Centre. 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  35. "2018 MONSTA X WORLD TOUR "THE CONNECT" in London". Eventim Apollo. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  36. "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again premiere: Lily James, Meryl Streep, Cher and more hit the blue carpet for eagerly awaited sequel".
  37. "Olivia Rodrigo at the Eventim Apollo review".
  38. "Home (Gang Show 90)".
  39. Trendell, Andrew (26 July 2023). "Blur debut new songs live and perform rare deep cuts for first time at intimate Hammersmith gig". NME. Retrieved 17 December 2023.