|
|
 |
| |
Fire-damaged Nambucca in Holloway Road |
BANDS LEFT HOMELESS BY PUB FIRE
‘It feels like I’ve lost a friend,’ says musician after blaze guts venue
A BLAZE which ripped through one of Islington’s top music venues on Tuesday night left 15 people homeless and destroyed valuable recordings and musical equipment.
The fire which gutted the bar and basement at Nambucca in Holloway is a major blow for indie band The Holloways, which was formed there and lost equipment worth £20,000 in the blaze.
The Holloways’ bassist Bryn Fowler said: “What’s happened is a very tragic accident. I’ve spent a lot of time in there and it feels like I’ve lost a friend.
“We stored every last thing at Nambucca. We’ve been recording new demos and we had just left all our equipment there. We’ve lost the only recordings of three or four new songs. Every single song on our second album was written there.”
Babyshambles, James, Noah and the Whale and Hadouken! are among bands who have appeared at the Holloway Road pub.
More than 75 firefighters fought the blaze for four hours. Businesses and flats on either side of the pub, built in 1881, were evacuated.
On Wednesday morning, passers-by were still being kept away from the area amid fears that gas cylinders might explode in the basement. The all-clear was given at 10am.
On Wednesday night, pub regulars, musicians and Nambucca staff gathered at The Crown pub in Holloway Road to mourn the loss of the venue and plan the future.
As fans exchanged messages about the blaze on the internet, rumours spread that the venue had changed hands in recent weeks.
Mr Fowler has taken in two people who lived in the flats above the pub but are now homeless.
“Luckily no one’s been hurt,” he said. “There’s 15 homeless people now, who lived upstairs. I knew every single one. Two of them are staying on my sofa.”
He said the fire broke out in the basement, where the band rehearse. “As far as I’m aware the entire basement has been destroyed,” he said. “The bar is gutted, the roof over the stage is gone, the flats are all smoke and fire damaged.”
The damage was worse than at the Hawley Arms, in Camden Town, which burned down last year, he believed.
The band has lost souvenirs brought back from world tours and original artwork for an album cover.
“There’s things that insurance money can’t replace immediately,” he said.
“I’m not going to be able to buy a bass guitar or amps tomorrow. It does affect us in terms of being a band.
“Everyone’s been really good. There’s been a real outpouring. People have been offering to lend us equipment. Nambucca created this sort of community – so many people phoned to ask if I needed to borrow a bass for a gig.”
Drummer Dave Danger had moved out of Nambucca only six weeks ago. Mr Fowler said: “I’ve never seen him as gutted as he was today. It’s a very painful subject for everyone.”
The venue has become a key part of the north London music scene. “Nambucca was the escape from Camden and Hoxton,” he said. “I’ve always believed it’s a breeding ground for creativity. The amount of bands that have played there is immeasurable.
“It’s going to make people in Holloway more determined. People are talking about doing more – pushing towards getting an identity for it.”
Promoters and bands are now planning to stage benefit nights in January. The Holloways were due to headline Nambucca’s Christmas party last night but, in the spirit of showbiz, moved the event to Rooz Studios in Finsbury.
Dirty Pretty Things and DJ Jodie Harsh had been due to play at Nambucca’s New Year’s Eve party.
The bar and the basement storage area at the pub were completely gutted, according to firefighters at the scene.
London Fire Brigade spokesman Peter Critchell said the cause of the blaze was being investigated. “Fortunately, there were no injuries and everyone inside the pub escaped unharmed,” he said.
Neighbour Anne-Marie Snow, 24, saw firefighters struggle to contain the blaze in the early hours. “It was difficult to sleep with all the noise and activity so we watched it from our window,” she said. Another resident, who would not give her name, said customers had a reputation for drunkenness and causing a nuisance. She added: “I’d be glad if the pub is not rebuilt. It’s just a place for heavy drinkers, who vandalise the area.” |
 |
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
