The Fighting Cocks

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The Fighting Cocks
The Fighting Cocks Pub, Kingston-upon-Thames - London. (7704168466).jpg
The venue in 2016
The Fighting Cocks
Address57 Old London Rd
Kingston upon Thames
England
Coordinates 51°24′37″N0°17′58″W / 51.4103°N 0.2995°W / 51.4103; -0.2995
Public transit Kingston railway station – Travel Card Zone 6
Type Music hall
Production rock and roll, punk, metal, ska, alternative, rockabilly, electro, comedy and cabaret performances
Construction
Built1891
Years active1930 – present
Website
TheFightingCocks.co.uk

The Fighting Cocks is a music venue built prior to 1890 [1] [2] active since the 1930s and located in Kingston upon Thames, the administrative centre of the Royal Borough of Kingston, southwest London, England. [3] [4] [5] [6] It specializes in rock and roll, punk, metal, folk, [7] ska, alternative, rockabilly, electro, comedy, and cabaret performances. [8] It was conspicuous for hosting touring jazz acts [9] in the late 1930s and in the 1940s. [10] [11] [12] It is now a standard on the London live circuit. [13] It was a popular watering hole, and host to many jam sessions including such artists as Eric Clapton, Shirley Collins, [14] Frank Turner, Gallows, The Stupids, [15] June Tabor [16] and The Rolling Stones. Since 1992, it is also a live-audience training platform and term assessments venue for Kingston University's drama and music students. [17] [18] [19]

Contents

History

Unsigned, underground, as well as established artists have been invited to perform. The last management of the Cocks opened its doors in 2000. The Fighting Cocks is cooperating with Banquet Records promoters based a few minutes walk away in the town centre, formerly part of the Beggars Banquet Records retail chain. Banquet Records is also home to Gravity DIP music management. [20]

Comedy performers

The music venue has a long history of comedy performers especially since it has transformed into the award-winning Outside the Box comedy night on Mondays. [21] Comedians who have performed there include: [22]

Comedy couple Lucy Beaumont and Jon Richardson first met one another at the Kingston venue's weekly comedy night. [26]

Music performers

Past performers include:

PerformersCountryPerformersCountry
Andrew Koji Shiraki Flag of the United States.svg  : United States Polar Flag of Norway.svg  : Norway
Crossfaith Flag of Japan.svg  : Japan The Peacocks Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  : Switzerland
Cancer Bats Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  : Canada Fucked Up Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  : Canada
Gay for Johnny Depp Flag of the United States.svg  : United States New Found Glory Flag of the United States.svg  : United States
The Stupids Flag of England.svg  : England The Flatliners Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  : Canada
Frank Turner Flag of England.svg  : England Hundred Reasons Flag of England.svg  : England
Lower Than Atlantis Flag of England.svg  : England Rolo Tomassi Flag of England.svg  : England
Voodoo Glow Skulls Flag of the United States.svg  : United States Marmozets Flag of England.svg  : England
Guttermouth Flag of the United States.svg  : United States Johnny Foreigner Flag of England.svg  : England
Gnarwolves Flag of England.svg  : England Lonely The Brave Flag of England.svg  : England
The Menzingers Flag of the United States.svg  : United States The Skints Flag of England.svg  : England
Against Me! Flag of the United States.svg  : United States Every Time I Die Flag of the United States.svg  : United States
Polar Bear Club Flag of the United States.svg  : United States Strung Out Flag of the United States.svg  : United States
The Unseen Flag of the United States.svg  : United States Municipal Waste Flag of the United States.svg  : United States
Teenage Bottlerocket Flag of the United States.svg  : United States Star Fucking Hipsters Flag of the United States.svg  : United States
Four Year Strong Flag of the United States.svg  : United States Knuckle Puck Flag of the United States.svg  : United States
Cerebral Ballzy Flag of the United States.svg  : United States Walter Schreifels Flag of the United States.svg  : United States
H20 Flag of the United States.svg  : United States Letlive Flag of the United States.svg  : United States
Terror Flag of the United States.svg  : United States Madball Flag of the United States.svg  : United States
The Blackout Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  : Wales Time Again Flag of the United States.svg  : United States
Anti-Flag Flag of the United States.svg  : United States The Hard Ons Flag of Australia (converted).svg  : Australia
Hot Club De Paris Flag of England.svg  : England Gallows Flag of England.svg  : England
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly Flag of England.svg  : England The King Blues Flag of England.svg  : England
Jim Jones and The Righteous Mind Flag of England.svg  : England Young Guns Flag of England.svg  : England
Drenge Flag of England.svg  : England The Wedding Present Flag of England.svg  : England
Blood Red Shoes Flag of England.svg  : England Blitz Kids Flag of England.svg  : England
Capdown Flag of England.svg  : England Sonic Boom Six Flag of England.svg  : England
Wargasm Flag of England.svg  : England Therapy? Northern Ireland

[27]

The Fighting Cocks on film

The Fighting Cocks was featured as a filming location in Season 2 of Disney's Loki television series. In it, Hiddleston’s Loki catches up with his old star-crossed lover Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) to discuss a return to the Time Variance Agency. Regulars might be perplexed by the décor: the pub is actually standing in for a watering hole in 1980s Oklahoma – though the leopard print and pool table will ring some definite bells. The pub has put a plaque down to mark where the God of Mischief once propped up the bar and sipped a bourbon.  [28]

Sources

  1. A Pictorial and Descriptive Guide to London and Its Environs. Ward, Lock & Company, limited. 1913.
  2. The General Evening Post: 1758. 1758.
  3. Carr, Anne (11 August 2015). Linked: Stories from One of a Family's Parts. FriesenPress. ISBN   978-1-4602-6838-4.
  4. Finny, William Evelyn St Lawrence (1902). The Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames, Ancient and Modern, with Notes Upon Surbiton and Its Surroundings ... Homeland Association.
  5. Bibbings, Lois S. (26 March 2014). Binding Men: Stories About Violence and Law in Late Victorian England. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-135-30970-1.
  6. Ltd (Londres), Ward, Lock & Co (1819). A Pictorial and Descriptive Guide to London and Its Environs: With Two Large Section Plans of Central London... Ward, Lock & Company, Limited.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. The Folk Directory. English Folk Dance and Song Society. 1979.
  8. Sampson, June (1972). The Story of Kingston. Michael Lancet. ISBN   978-0-900245-04-6.
  9. Larkin, Colin (2004). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz. Virgin. ISBN   978-1-85227-183-1.
  10. The Folk Directory. English Folk Dance and Song Society. 1979.
  11. Briain, Dara O. (1 October 2009). Tickling the English. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN   978-0-14-193257-6.
  12. Howe, Zoe; Whitby, Michele; Platt, John; Way, Gina; Davis, Peter (3 December 2013). The British Beat Explosion: Rock 'n' Roll Island. Aurora Metro Publications Ltd. ISBN   978-1-906582-52-4.
  13. "Fighting Cocks pub: fears over its closure allayed as development plans reveal music venue will be even bigger". Surrey Comet. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  14. Collins, Shirley (2018). All in the Downs: Reflections on Life, Landscape and Song. MIT Press. ISBN   978-1-907222-41-2.
  15. Allen, Carl (15 April 2016). London Gig Venues. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN   978-1-4456-5820-9.
  16. Bean, J. P. (4 March 2014). Singing from the Floor: A History of British Folk Clubs. Faber & Faber. ISBN   978-0-571-30546-9.
  17. Richardson Andrews, Charlotte (10 June 2014). "The gig venue guide: the Fighting Cocks, Kingston upon Thames". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  18. Chilton, John (1 May 2004). Who's Who of British Jazz: 2nd Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   978-0-8264-2389-4.
  19. Larkin, Colin (2000). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Brown, Marion - Dilated Peoples. MUZE. ISBN   978-0-19-531373-4.
  20. Inc, Nielsen Business Media (28 September 1985). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  21. McGillivray, David (1994). McGillivray's Theatre Guide. Rebecca Books. ISBN   978-0-9518922-2-0.
  22. "Tim Vine: 'I sang karaoke in New Malden on my own' | Your Local Guardian". 26 September 2018. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  23. Briain, Dara O. (1 October 2009). Tickling the English. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN   978-0-14-193257-6.
  24. "Kingston Performers". OutsideTheBoxComedy.co.uk. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  25. "Reginald D Hunter to headline comedy night in Kingston as well as TWO New Year's Eve shows". Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  26. Bennett, Steve. "Lucy Beaumont: My bizarre first date with Jon Richardson : Punching Up 2021 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  27. Kevan (16 April 2018). "Fighting Cocks History". PubsHistory.com. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  28. Semlyen, Phil de (6 November 2023). "Tom Hiddleston has claimed this London pub for the Marvelverse". Time Out London. Retrieved 7 January 2024.

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