So long Astoria

Catching up on what friends have to say, and I find out from Darryl that there is a closing date for the Astoria, LA2, and Metro. The sites of some great gigs, key moments of my time in London probably. A shame. Think my first time there was to see Under Neath What in 1990* and what will obviously now turn out to have been my last was a Foo Fighters not at all secret gig in 2005. See my Astoria history with brief details of all the gigs I can remember being at there, if you are interested... 2005 does seem too long ago now I come to think about it... Other highlights, The Darkness obviously, Blur, Suede, Trail of Dead, The Revolting Cocks and lots and lots of NME Brats gigs, particularly the year some friends made fake passes and got lots of people in... Those were the best times, on our regular table upstairs with all our friends around us. I'm feeling a bit weepy about it actually. Lots missing I'm sure from my history page, can you remember any dates, or got any tickets?

Similar memories of the LA2, though that was more about odd daytime gigs, David Devant and foolishly drunken indie club nights.

Metro seems a bit later, but it was the location of a GREAT last minute Darkness gig (we decided to go at the last minute, they'd probably booked it in advance) where a good chum stole Justin's t-shirt, and gave it to me. I saw Kaiser Chiefs there too, when they were called something else (Parva). Ah, I'll find more time to reminisce later...

A chum in the pub was saying it'll be great if Indigo (in The O2, not Club Indigo in Folkestone) does fill the gap left by the Astoria, as it's practically in Kent, but for getting the train back after the gig the location of the Astoria was better. Who wants to be driving back from a gig? Maybe we will, now we are old and actually going to buy a car and things...

*An oft repeated story, queued up outside the venue (back in the day when I didn't know better and went to the gig before the doors open) I bought a fanzine off someone, who tipped me off that Metallica were playing at The Marquee down the road. But I was with friends, who were not interested in moving, so we didn't go along. It was a really secret secret gig, supporting someone else. I heard from someone else later who was there to see the real headliners that it was a surprise to them when Metallica played.

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