Bull & Gate

The Bull & Gate
Map
General information
Location389 Kentish Town Rd,
Kentish Town,
London, NW5
Opened1871
OwnerMargaret and Pat Lynskey (1979 - 2013)
Young's Brewery (2013 - present)
Designations
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated23 Aug 2005
Reference no.1391501

The Bull & Gate is a Grade II listed public house and former music venue at 389 Kentish Town Road, Kentish Town, London.[1] The pub had a long history as music venue, with bands such as The Pogues, Coldplay, Blur, and Suede playing there towards the start of their careers.[2][3]

History

It was built in 1871.[1]

In 1979 Margaret and Pat Lynskey took over the pub.[4]

From the 1980s to the early 2000s the music events in the backroom were run by a promoter called Jon Beast who ran events under the name Timebox.[4] During this time the venue saw performances by Blur, Suede, My Bloody Valentine,[5] Huggy Bear,[6] Jesus Jones, Pop Will Eat Itself, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, The Pogues, The Housemartins, PJ Harvey, Ash, The Darkness, The Libertines, Muse, Manic Street Preachers, Keane, and more.[4]

From 2010 to 2013 Club Fandango booked events at the pub. This was co-run by Simon Williams, co-founder of independent record label Fierce Panda Records, and Andy MacLeod, founder of Pointy Records.[7]

It ceased operations as a venue in 2013, after being sold by previous owners to the Young's pub chain.[7]

Some of the music video for the Taylor Swift song End Game was shot at the pub in October 2017.[8]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bull and Gate, Kentish Town.
  1. ^ a b Historic England. "The Bull & Gate public house (1391501)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  2. ^ Rock Family Trees: The Birth of Cool Britannia (BBC Britpop Documentary), retrieved 27 April 2023
  3. ^ Merrick, Joe (2001). Shane MacGowan: London Irish Punk Life and Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780711976535."
  4. ^ a b c "I grew up above the Bull & Gate". Kentish Towner. 13 July 2015.
  5. ^ Metzger, Richard (8 November 2014). "Earliest live footage of My Bloody Valentine?". Dangerous Minds. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  6. ^ Swan, Ethan, ed. (2024). Killed (of Kids): A Book by Huggy Bear. The Grass Is Green In The Fields For You. p. 146. ISBN 9781068776311.
  7. ^ a b Bryant, Miranda (13 February 2016). "Music fans' sadness as Kentish Town gig venue Bull and Gate is closed". Evening Standard. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  8. ^ Fletcher, Harry (12 January 2018). "Taylor Swift End Game video: Your definitive guide to the London locations". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 4 October 2024.

51°33′06″N 0°08′30″W / 51.55174°N 0.14156°W / 51.55174; -0.14156