Music venues: Living archives of culture

Rendezvous Projects is committed to uncovering and celebrating the rich social and cultural histories of places and communities. With our current project, Sound Waves: Music in Newham, we’re exploring the borough’s vibrant musical heritage through its music venues—spaces that have shaped lives, fostered creativity, and built community connections for decades.

Music venues serve as living archives of community memory, platforms for cultural expression, and incubators of artistic talent. Yet across the UK, their future is uncertain. According to the Music Venue Trust, over a third of grassroots venues are loss-making, with 125 closing or ceasing live music in 2023 alone. Losing these spaces means losing places where creativity thrives, memories are made, and communities come together.

Creating communities

Music venues have always been spaces where identities are formed, challenged, and celebrated. Take Bentley’s in Canning Town, a soul club that operated from 1982 to 1986. Located in an area with the UK’s highest concentration of National Front voters, Bentley’s was a bold celebration of Black culture. Hosting the Black-led pirate radio station LWR and an all-Black lineup of DJs, it provided a safe and inclusive space for dancing, self-expression, and connection. The friendships and collaborations forged there continue to inspire new creative ventures today.

Bentley’s, c.1986, courtesy of Mark Homer

“I thought I’ve got to make a detour to Bentley’s because I’ve heard about Bentley’s so much, everyone was talking about it. Now Canning Town to me was quite a racist area, so I had no intention of going up there but music drove me there because Derek (Boland) was playing.” Trevor Nelson, MBE 

Similarly, Stratford’s The Two Puddings became a cornerstone of Newham’s music scene from the 1960s to 2000. More than a venue for live music, it brought together people from diverse backgrounds, offering a space where stories and experiences were reflected in the performances.

Image from Flickr

Innovation at the grassroots

Small venues have long been breeding grounds for musical innovation. De Underground Records in Forest Gate, played a key role in shaping jungle and drum and bass. Beyond selling records, it became a hub of creativity, where musicians, producers, and fans from all backgrounds collaborated and pushed musical boundaries.

“On a good day there’s 10, 15 of the biggest UK DJs, producers holding court outside. DJs with their girlfriends, cars parked, music’s blaring. The shop’s packed, the smell of weed, and clothes—it was just a vibe. You’re seeing all your favorite record labels and DJs there. It was a place you just wanted to be part of.” MC Rage / Rebel Clash

De Underground, 1996. Image courtesy of Eddie Otchere

Extract from a 6-part audio walk around Sebert Road area of Forest Gate as part of Newham Heritage Month, 2021. See Soundcloud for the full playlist.

Grassroots venues are also where legends begin. The Ruskin Arms in East Ham hosted early performances by The Small Faces and Iron Maiden, giving emerging artists a platform to experiment and build their careers. These spaces are vital not only for nurturing talent but for creating cultural milestones that communities take pride in and share with the world.

Newham’s musical legacy

Music venues also shape collective memory. The Granada Theatre in East Ham hosted legendary acts like The Beatles and Stevie Wonder, while The Upper Cut in Forest Gate welcomed icons such as Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and Otis Redding. Events like reggae sound system clashes at The Upper Cut connected diasporic communities, bridging cultural and generational divides.

Whilst many of these venues have closed, The Red House—also known as St Anthony’s Catholic Club in Forest Gate—continues to offer live music sessions for jazz lovers. Claire Terry, who books top-tier musicians for venues like Ronnie Scott’s, runs this popular evening. It’s here that local legend John Withers, a 95-year-old drummer whose career has spanned over 80 years, still plays classic jazz, often surprising audiences with breathtaking solos.

John’s connection to Newham’s music scene is significant:
“I first heard jazz at the Duke of Fife in Katherine Road [Forest Gate] in around ‘45. I used to work there for the band. The governor took a liking to me and I asked to run a jazz club there. That was the start, and I’ve been playing ever since.”

Music and political activism: Rock Against Racism at the Princess Alice

In November 1976, the Princess Alice pub in Forest Gate hosted the first-ever Rock Against Racism (RAR) gig. It marked the start of a movement that fused music with political resistance. Organised in response to rising racism in Britain, and a summer which included several racist murders and sparked by inflammatory comments from figures like Eric Clapton, the gig featured Carol Grimes and the London Boogie Band. As Roger Huddle, one of RAR’s founders, explained, “We needed to do gigs in East London, where the National Front were. So, we booked the Princess Alice.”

This unremarkable pub became the setting for a bold act of defiance, using music to confront racism in the heart of an area claimed by far-right groups. With support from local socialists and dockers’ unions providing security, the gig was a success and laid the groundwork for future RAR events, proving that music could inspire resistance and bring communities together.

“We had about 300 people so it was heaving, really hot. I remember negotiating with the publican about what time it would finish, he started panicking because he realised it was against the National Front. But that was the start, it was always done as a guerilla action.” Roger Huddle, co-founder of Rock Against Racism

Help Preserve Musical Heritage

Through Sound Waves: Music in Newham, we are collecting oral histories from community members, musicians and venue owners to capture the borough’s rich musical heritage since its formation in 1965.

We share our work through publications, exhibitions, events, and sound archives, with the aim of finding innovative ways to engage people in social history, connecting present and past. With support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Sound Waves will feature a touring exhibition across Newham’s libraries, a publication, and a series of events.

Get in touch

If you have memories, stories, photographs, or other ephemera, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch via phone Jan 07865 782 976, Rose 07880 399 420 or email info@rendezvousprojects.org.uk to help us celebrate and preserve Newham’s vibrant musical history.