the hope pub

The mid eighties however was a struggle for the Hope as it became a squat venue in the then burgeoning anarchist scene and dismal years of Thatcher and more militant revolt sometimes powered by candlelight as the electricity was cut.




Towards the end of 1985 a number of squatted venues were opened in London, which enhanced the gig scene to no end. The Hope and Anchor in North London lasted from September till end of November, an d had cafe, theater, and gigs in the evenings, including CONFLICT, DISORDER, and ANTISECT). It used to be a well-known rock venue until closed down and so was a ideal place. It was even featured on a TV programme about 'young people and homelessness'


Dabble I have vague memories of a gig when it was squatted. I think it was around 1985. The gig I went to was Conflict. The pub was absolutely rammed, you couldn't fit another person in the place if you tried. must've been about 400 squeezed into such a small venue. Colin Jerwood (Conflict vocalist) was standing on a table in the bar area, with baseball bat in hand, trying to calm the fighting punks down, as he did not want the cops entering the building - he got his wish. The gig was around the time of the Broadwater Farm riots in Tottenham, as Colin Jerwood, all through the Conflict set, kept making comments about the death PC Blakelock.







As for the pub itself, as a squat. Well, it just looked like a boarded up pub from the outside. Inside, there were bare live electrical wires running across the bar. The rooms upstairs only had mattresses in them and, if I remember, no lighting (I stayed in the pub all night after the gig, but I'm sure I was probably very pissed at the time). In the basement gig area, well, it probably looked no different from when the pub was trading and putting on legit gigs. It was very hard to tell, cos the place was so packed, and people were on top of each other on the stairs leading down to the basement. Talkpunk March 2009



In some perverse logic in contrast to the above Islington began to become gentrified during the late Eighties the Hope became of all things a wine bar. But all was not lost



three wheatsheaves collapse in upper street
However after a couple of years awaiting licences and good will Bugbear Bookings took the venue back into the frontline of the North London gig circuit in 1996 and has continued to host nights to this day, having previously showcased the likes of The Cooper Temple Clause, Hope of the States, The FutureHeads and Ash.



It also continues to have defining moment nights as manager Armstrong recalls about the night The Libertines played there.



I was assistant manager at the time and told my boss we needed more security but he was adamant it wasn’t going to be busy. I was waiting for it to go horribly wrong but it turned out alright, only the busiest we’ve ever been. People were queuing around the block and even trying to get in the dray hatch. This was even before Pete Doherty had turned up. He ambled in later on when everyone was getting to the point of massive irritation. www.thecnj.co.uk/review/040507/feat040507_01.html



The Hope is still going and long may that be so. The best description of a night there is one that's universal to any gig or musical event.



Andy S: A damned good Hope & Anchor gig happens down in the basement, just you and the rats it's a regular rat trap where it gets hot and sweaty and it's quite dark. A claustrophobic's nightmare with 300 punters sweating on you and grabbing your family tree and spilling their piss all over you but it ain't quite rape because Wilko Johnson's shoving his Telecaster in your face, the king of pub rock when pubs were king and the sweat rolls down the walls to the blistering feedback guitars. When it's over you climb up the steep narrow stairs back to the pub and sink a pint of cold black Irish piss. You lose a pint, you gain a pint right back. It's all about the body fluids, matey. www.yelp.co.uk/biz/hope-and-anchor-london-3





Location: Highbury

Address: 207 Upper Street, N1 1RL

Phone: 0871 984 1576*



Nearest stations:

Highbury and Islington (290m) - zone 2

Essex Road (570m) - zone 2

Caledonian Road and Barnsbury (740m)

Canonbury (990m)

Drayton Park (1Km)

How to find it:

From Angel, go out of the station and carry on along Upper Street past the Business Design Centre and the Green. It's about 15 minutes walk from the tube. Pass the Kings Head Theatre Club, and it's just down on the left side of Upper Street.



From Highbury and Islington, go out of the station and turn right towards Upper Street. The bar is only maybe 10-15 minutes walk down and on the right