(2013-08-08)-2013-Local-History-Astoria-Rainbow

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OVER THE RAINBOWDown But Not OutIn 1974 the Rainbow was designated a Grade II listedbuilding (later elevated to II* status). However, the fabric ofthe venue had seen better days and none of the variousleasing companies who arranged the concerts or ownersRank were prepared to spend the sort of money necessaryto maintain the theatre in good order. The Spanish palacewas slowly becoming a slum.Over The RainbowConcerts continued for another year until the theatre raninto financial trouble. Following a show by Procol Harumon 16 March 1975, and billed as ‘Over the Rainbow’, thetheatre closed. Leaseholders Biffo were faced with a billfor £180,000 to keep the building in a preserved state,although the company claimed that they already had spent£60,000 on repairs to the building. For the remainder of1975 and throughout the whole of 1976, the theatre wasto remain dark and its future uncertain.Rock band Genesis to reopen the Rainbow in January 1977.Sounds,13 November 1976.Rainbow RepriseIn 1977 the Rainbow was to rise once more, launching onNew Year’s Day with shows by Genesis. For the next fiveyears, Strutworth Ltd, under the guidance of AllanSchaverien and partners, steered the Rainbow through arelatively unbroken run of rock concerts and other events,including a pantomime, boxing nights, film shoots andscreenings and a stage production of The Hitchhiker’sGuide to the Galaxy.It also began attracting artists from the emerging reggae,punk rock and new wave scenes, often with establishedacts being supported by up and coming bands and artists,themselves often going on to become household names.The Year Punk Rock ExplodedNot only was 1977 the year the Rainbow re-establisheditself as London leading rock venue but it was also hailedthe year that punk rock exploded, capturing the imaginationof many of the country’s youth. And, not to miss out, thetheatre was to witness the short-lived musical movementin all of its disaffected glory!Above: The Rainbow was a favoured venue for live recordings, both officialand bootleg. A selection of well-known ‘unofficial’ releases during the 1970s.Below: Major rock acts continued to play the Rainbow in the 1970s,including Queen and Rory Gallagher’s sold out concert in 1974 .Conventional Meets UnconventionalFor the first few months of ’77 conventional rock actsshared the Rainbow with the unconventional upstarts ofthe burgeoning punk rock scene. Genesis, The Kinks,Fleetwood Mac, The Small Faces, Eric Clapton, EltonJohn, Marc Bolan (his last London show before his deathlater in the year) and even legendary rock ‘n’ roller JerryLee Lewis all played to packed audiences. But, so did thelikes of Eddie and the Hot Rods, Ultravox, The Damned,The Stranglers and the Vibrators. The full energy of punkhowever finally exploded at the Rainbow when The Clashplayed the venue on 9 May 1977.The ‘Unconventional’. Eddie and the Hot Rods (1977)and the Stranglers (1979) at the Rainbow.
RIOT, REGGAE AND ROCKWhite Riot At The RainbowThe Clash’s White Riot Tour was the band’s first headlinetour. Support was provided by The Jam, The Buzzcocks,Subway Sect and The Prefects. This four-hour show wasto become a milestone in British punk history. Not only wasit the largest punk gig to be held in London to date but thesong White Riot led to fans tearing out 200 seats andthrowing the wreckage onstage.Natural ExuberanceIt was estimated that £1000 of damage was caused byClash fans but the Rainbow’s director, Allan Schaverien,remained philosophical about the incident:“It was not malicious damage but naturalexuberance…we expected some damage andarrangements were made to cover the cost of it…we shall have more punk concerts soon.”He was true to his word. With punk and new wave bandslike Johnny Thunder & The Heartbreakers, The Ramones,Blondie, Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Rezillos, Sham 69,Generation X and, again, The Clash all appearing beforethe end of the year.Above: Clash fans at the Rainbowenjoying the ‘riot’!Left: Joe Strummer of the Clashperforming at the Rainbow.Images from the Evening Standard, 10 May 1977.Exodus: Bob Marley & The WailersBy the time Bob Marley and his band, the Wailers, playedthe Rainbow (1-6 June 1977), the singer was in selfimposedexile in England - a decision taken after he wasshot in an assassination attempt at his home in Jamaicaseven months earlier.Marley’s Rainbow performances were hailed as his finest inLondon and amongst the most memorable witnessed at thetheatre. He performed several new songs from his latestalbum Exodus, which was recorded in the capital, includingNatural mystic, Jamming and the title track. He also playedestablished favourites such as Trenchtown rock, I shot thesheriff and No woman, no cry. The Rainbow shows wererecorded and released as a video, Bob Marley & theWailers Live! at the Rainbow.And The Music Played OnIn the next few years, and as the decade came to a close,a veritable who’s who in popular music played at theRainbow: Thin Lizzy, Burning Spear, The Who, Queen,The Grateful Dead, Mighty Sparrow, Third World, MuddyWaters, PIL, The Jacksons (with Michael Jackson), Wings,Dire Straits, Marvin Gaye, The Police, The Specials andBlack Uhuru, to name but a few.Bob Marley & the Wailers appearedat the Rainbow in June 1977. Thesix sell-out concerts were filmed andpassed into music folklore.Below: Marley at the Rainbow.On 29 September 1980, the theatre celebrated its50th anniversary with a concert by Elvis Costello & theAttractions. In a little over a year, a performance byCostello was to mark a sadder occasion in thebuilding’s history.
Page 1 and 2: FROM COLMAN TO COSTELLOA HISTORY OF
Page 3 and 4: THE WORLD’S MIGHTIESTWONDER THEAT
Page 5 and 6: BEATLEMANIABeatlemania In Finsbury
Page 7: RAINBOW RISINGBritain’s First Roc
Page 11: MUSIC HALL OF FAMEWith over 750 con

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