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Union Chapel staff Pete Stapleton, Charlie Layton, Monica Wolff and Mette Skriver |
Chapel where stars take the stage
Building which doubles as place of worship bids for title of London’s top music venue
IT’S the music venue where Coldplay’s Chris Martin once made a surprise appearance on stage disguised as a cleaner and where the singer introduced as a shy new act turned out to be rock legend Bono.
Now, the Union Chapel, in Upper Street, Islington, has been nominated for the title of London’s best music venue by Smooth Radio listeners.
The Grade II*-listed chapel, which remains a place of worship, has built up a reputation for attracting folk legends, classical stars and breakthrough artists. In recent months it has played host to Fairport Convention, and Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan.
Project manager Pete Stapleton, who oversees the running of the chapel, said: “We’ve already won Time Out’s best venue of the year award. It doesn’t surprise us. This is the best music venue in London. Everyone who comes here tells us so.
“It’s a favourite for the artists. They love playing here. They tell their managers they want to play the Union Chapel because it’s got such a fantastic reputation. It’s a wonderfully intimate space, a brilliant setting for live music.
“Even though it was built as a church it lends itself perfectly as a concert venue. A good venue isn’t about size.”
Staff add to the venue’s moody Gothic atmosphere by painstakingly placing more than 100 candles around the chapel’s balcony before performances.
Mr Stapleton said: “We like to create an atmosphere. When people come in, it’s great to see their faces. Now we concentrate on acoustic performances. Because it’s so pure in there, you don’t need to whack the sound up. Because it’s a church, people respect the space. It chills people out.”
He added: “We always check the artists out because we’re quite choosy. Bjork did a concert here and she didn’t use any microphone. She just used the power of her voice and a string quartet.”
Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley has hailed the chapel as her favourite live music venue.
At her request, The Little Noise Sessions – staged for charity Mencap – have been held there for the past three years.
During last year’s sessions, Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell clambered on speakers to play unplugged after a technical fault and The Killers made a surprise appearance.
The Union Chapel is the base for a homeless project, Margins, which helps up to 150 people a week.
A week-long programme of events, Marginalised, is planned for October to raise money for the homeless.
The building has suffered wear and tear over the years. When bombs hit Highbury Corner during the war, all the stained glass windows smashed.
It’s been hit by lightning twice and the noses have fallen off some of the stone statues on the pulpit.
The clocktower is encased with scaffolding while major restoration work is completed.
English Heritage has given a £421,000 grant towards the £1.5million cost, leaving the chapel to make up the rest. Money is raised through donations, a busy programme of events and from bar profits.
The chapel hosts screenings of cult movies and TV shows, with Patrick McGoohan’s cult series The Prisoner being shown every Tuesday in March.
In October, there will be a horror season, with a showing of Dracula, brought to life by actors milling around the aisles.
There’s also a series of free lunchtime concerts every Saturday.
To donate to the Union Chapel restoration fund, to vote for the venue or to see what’s on, visit www.unionchapel.org.uk. |
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