The Lexington, Islington Explained

The Lexington
Opened:2008
Coordinates:51.5317°N -0.1114°W
Location:96-98 Pentonville Rd
Islington
London
N1 9JB
Capacity:200

The Lexington is a pub and music venue on Pentonville Road in Islington, London that opened in 2008. The bar specialises in bourbon, as well as American craft beer.[1] The building it is in was built over 1875 to 1876 and was originally known as The Belvidere.[2]

The venue area is upstairs, with a raised back section by the bar. The front of this has bench seating, but facing away from the stage.[3]

On Monday evenings the pub has a music quiz, previously sponsored by Rough Trade, that is usually hosted by Paul Guided Missile.[4]

History

The building now housing The Lexington was erected in 1875–6. It was then known as the Belvidere, and was a new construction for the earlier tavern of that name on the same site. It was designed by the architect W. E. Williams and built by Robert Marr.[2]

The Lexington was particularly badly hit by a reform of London business rates in 2017, with a proposed increase of more than 200 percent (the average for London music venues being about 38 per cent). The venue challenged this and managed to get somewhat of a reduction to an increase of 118 percent.[5] [6]

The venue's existence has been threatened further by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lexington were among the beneficiaries of the Cultural Recovery Fund administered by Arts Council England, announced on October 12, 2020. The venue stated that those funds “will go some way in mitigating the financial damage and debt accumulated over the last seven months of closure” but that they are “still in serious peril” as they were only awarded 40% of the funding they applied for.[7] In November the Music Venue Trust announced a campaign which highlighted the 30 UK music venues deemed still in crisis, one of which is The Lexington. The venue had a crowdfunder to raise what was still needed.[8]

Notable performers

Recordings

Notes and References

  1. 23 September 2017. The Lexington, Islington, London. . . Wasted Talent Ltd . 13 April 2018.
  2. Book: Temple. Philip. Survey of London: Volume 47, Northern Clerkenwell and Pentonville. Pentonville Road. Yale University Press. 9780300139372.
  3. Web site: The gig venue guide: The Lexington, London. The Guardian. Hann. Michael. 11 February 2014. 13 April 2018.
  4. Web site: The Lexington: Time Out Says. Time Out London. Time Out. 21 July 2014. 13 April 2018.
  5. Web site: Treasury accused of discriminating over business rates for live music venues. Evening Standard. White. Megan. 9 January 2019. 1 February 2019.
  6. Web site: The fight to save London's live music scene. Financial Times. Nikkei Inc.. Hann. Michael. 10 November 2017. 13 April 2018.
  7. Web site: London's Lexington "still in serious peril" after receiving only 40% of the funding they applied for. NME. 13 October 2020. Moore. Sam.
  8. Web site: Here are the 30 UK music venues still in real danger of closing forever – and what you can do to help. NME. 11 November 2020. Trendell. Andrew.
  9. Web site: The Lexington Past concerts. Songkick. 13 April 2018.

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