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 Tavern.[2]

History

18th and 19th centuries

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, which had been there since about 1780.[3] It was designed by the architect W. E. Williams and built by Robert Marr.[2] Writing about the older tavern in 1882 in Notes and Queries, Edward Spencer refers to a discussion society "held there weekly, and some of our greatest ornaments of the bar and legal profession have there tested their oratorical skill" and that "in the parlour of an evening were once seen many of the authors, painters, artists, and literary men of the period."[4]

20th century

In the 1940s the pub, now called The Belvedere, was used as a venue for auctions by Henry Butcher & Co.[5] [6]

In the 1990s it was a tapas bar called La Finca which held salsa classes and nights upstairs.[7] [8] [10]

The Lexington opened as a pub and music venue in 2008. The bar specialises in bourbon, as well as American craft beer.[1] 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.[11]

On Monday evenings the pub has a music quiz, previously sponsored by Rough Trade, that is usually hosted by Paul Guided Missile.[12]

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.[13] [14]

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.[15] 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.[16]

The current manager is Delia Sparrow of Mambo Taxi, Ye Nuns and Phantom Pregnancies.[17]

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. 2008 . Yale University Press. 9780300139372.
  3. Book: The London Pleasure Gardens of the Eighteenth Century. The Belvidere Tea Gardens, Pentonville Road. Warwick William. Wroth. Arthur Edgar. Wroth. Macmillan. 1896. New York. 146.
  4. Notes and Queries. 6. 6 September 1882. 181. Memorable Residents at Islington, Barnsbury, and Pentonville. Edward. Spencer.
  5. Henry Butcher & Co announce... the following Auction Sale. Machinery Market. 1945.
  6. Henry Butcher & Co announce... the following Auction Sale. The Accountant. 109. 1943.
  7. Web site: London with a Latin Beat. Los Angeles Times. 12 October 1997. 31 October 2024. William. Santiago.
  8. Web site: Clockwork Music Venue 2007 November - Drum & Bass flyers. Phatmedia. 1 July 2020. 1 November 2024.
  9. Web site: After hours: Night and play. The Independent. 24 August 1994. 31 October 2024. Charlie. Bain.

    21st century

    In the mid-2000s it was a bar called Clockwork that hosted drum and bass DJ nights, and the occasional rock gig.[8]

  10. Web site: FEATURED VENUE ARCHIVE - Club Fandango @ Clockwork. Club Fandango. 1 November 2024.
  11. Web site: The gig venue guide: The Lexington, London. The Guardian. Hann. Michael. 11 February 2014. 13 April 2018.
  12. Web site: The Lexington: Time Out Says. Time Out London. Time Out. 21 July 2014. 13 April 2018.
  13. Web site: Treasury accused of discriminating over business rates for live music venues. Evening Standard. White. Megan. 9 January 2019. 1 February 2019.
  14. Web site: The fight to save London's live music scene. Financial Times. Nikkei Inc.. Hann. Michael. 10 November 2017. 13 April 2018.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. Web site: Music Venue Trust . Understanding small music venues . 62.
  18. Web site: The Lexington Past concerts. Songkick. 13 April 2018.
  19. Web site: Live At The Lexington - Jodie Marie. Spotify.
  20. Web site: Live At The Lexington - Maverick Sabre. Spotify.
  21. Web site: The House Of Love: Live At The Lexington 13.11.13, CD/DVD. Cherry Red Records.
  22. Web site: Sincerely, Doe: Live at The Lexington - Doe. Bandcamp.
  23. Web site: Sincerely, Doe: Live at The Lexington (Farewell Show). YouTube. 22 March 2021 .
  24. Web site: Live at The Lexington - The Complete Collection - Owen. Bandcamp.
  25. Web site: Owen – Live at The Lexington 7". Big Scary Monsters.
  26. Web site: His Lordship 'Live At The Lexington' Vinyl LP. His Lordship Official Merchandise Store.

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