The Rock Garden was a music venue located at 6/9 The Piazza, Covent Garden in London.
Opening in 1976, the basement venue hosted thousands of live music acts and became popular with up-and-coming punk rock and new wave artists of the time.[1] It has been widely reported that U2 played their first London gig at the venue and that Dire Straits had a weekly residency at the club for a number of months.[2] The Smiths played their first ever London show at the Rock Garden on the 23 March 1983.[3] Talking Heads played the band’s first UK gig at the Rock Garden on 13 May 1977.[1] Other artists that performed at the venue include: The Faces of Murpy, Iron Maiden, Symposium, The Police, XTC, Legacy of Lies, Adam and The Ants, Patti Smith[1] and Suede.[4]
In 1990s it become a nightclub and music venue called The Gardening Club.[5] In August 2010, Apple opened an Apple Store across 1-7 The Piazza, Covent Garden on the former site of the Rock Garden restaurant and the Gardening Club.[6] [7]