Well, I was in London for the Forty Licks tour but wasn't able to score tickets for the Astoria.

Since I couldn't be at the show, I didn't worry much about seeing the venue, but I happened upon it and saw that crowd Wednesday afternoon while walking about sightseeing.
Heck, I might even be in that pic Ade posted.

I wasn't entirely unlucky, though. I made the Mick Taylor show at the 100 Club on Thursday and an excellent Stones show at Wembley Arena on Friday.

I saw it that same week. I had to make due with Twickenham that tour. No club, no arena, no happy!

'Save The Keith Moon Bar'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/news/20090114_astoria.shtml

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1323/1222843898_5c70eabaaa.jpgv=0

Astoria's end
Bands wave goodbye to music venue The Astoria as final orders are called
14 January 2009 - The last ever gig at the historic venue takes place tonight (Wednesday 14 Jan), with Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. The Automatic, My Vitriol, The King Blues and VV Brown.

London's iconic gig site, The Astoria, is due to be demolished in the coming weeks to make way for a new £10bn Crossrail project, linking East and West London via the West End.

Since it was built in 1976, it has played host to the Rolling Stones, Prince, U2, Foo Fighters, Eminem, David Bowie, Nirvana, Radiohead, Alice Cooper, Black Crowes and Black Sabbath.

The Enemy, who hail from Coventry, have played there many times.

Tom Clarke, frontman of the trio, said it would be a “tragedy” if the venue is closed.
"For anybody who goes to gigs in London, it's a staple venue. It's the end of an era."
Frank Turner

As for why he loves the space, he told 6 Music: “I’ve never seen a gig there where people are sat down upstairs not caring. It’s one of the most small, big venues you can play and it’s just the most amazing feeling.”

A place of firsts

One of the performers on the final night’s bill is the folk singer-songwriter Frank Turner.

He revealed they are planning a fitting, if a little “emotional” send off to the venue, where he watched his first huge gig.

“I bunked out of school and went to see Foo Fighters play in 1995,” Turner recalled. I was really excited because it was the first big show I’d ever been to.

“I did my first ever crowd surf and since then I shudder to think about the number of times I’ve been to the Astoria. For anybody who goes to gigs in London, it’s a staple venue. It’s the end of an era”

Save the bar

The news has even prompted Robin Turner from Heavenly Records - who look after Doves, St Etienne and the Manic Street Preachers - to launch a campaign to save the Keith Moon Bar, which is currently housed within the venue.

“It’s a slightly wistful campaign,” he explained. “Because obviously it’s something that can’t be saved but the Keith Moon bar was just one of those great hang outs, probably the epicentre of a million and one nights out and a million and one fantastic hangovers.”

Take a look

In the run up to its final days, we were guided through The Astoria by Ivor Wilkins, who has a 30 year history with the venue and is a manager at Festival Republic, the UK music promoters.

Wilkins reminisced: “One of my best memories was seeing Iggy Pop her and seeing the audience going absolutely mad and people stage diving, and then towards the end of his set Iggy Pop actually diving in there himself.”

Oh, I think it's sad... It's an important piece of music history...

Great little venue. Seeing the Stones there was something else. An unforgettable evening. First 20 minutes was the wildest crowd I've ever been in. I must have thumped about three people. One of them though, must have been about 6'7 and he probably didnt even notice my displeasure at his insistence in charging into me and everyone else. Maybe it's just as well!

http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/42088

The London Astoria hosted its final ever night yesterday (January 14), with a host of bands played the venue's iconic stage one last time.

The venue is being closed and the building demolished to make way for the new Crossrail project linking the centre of London to the east and west of the city.

Mystery Jets, And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, The Automatic, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Drew McConnell's side-project Helsinki, VV Brown and Frank Turner were among the acts who played at yesterday's 'Destruction Ball'.

The event, organised by Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly's Sam Duckworth, also raised money for Love Music Hate Racism and Jail Guitar Doors.

Most of the bands on the bill voiced their disapproval at the fate of the venue, which has hosted legendary shows by Nirvana, The Strokes and the Manic Street Preachers in its 30-year history.

Babyshambles' bassist Drew McConnell (playing with his band Helsinki) launched a verbal attack on London mayor Boris Johnson for allowing the venue to be knocked down - although the decision was made during his predecessor Ken Livingstone's tenure.

"I can't believe they're gonna knock this place down. Boris Johnson…what a c*nt," McConnell said from the stage. He then coaxed the crowd into chanting "Boris Johnson - what a c*nt", over and over.

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, who had flown in for the gig earlier that afternoon, said the venue held special memories for them. Singer Conrad Keely told NME.COM: "For us, we filmed our first video here. Our first London shows were here and it was a big deal. We were like 'Whoa! This is a @#$%& cool place!'

"I remember we played here with The Strokes too, for an NME Awards Show I think (the 2001 NME Awards Show also featured Rocket From The Crypt and Peaches). What a gig that was. It's a shame, what's happening to this place."

Mystery Jets went onstage shortly after 11pm (GMT), playing a rapturously received set that included fan-favourites 'Flakes' and 'Young Love', while The Automatic paid tribute to the Astoria for letting them play alongside The Cribs and The Long Blondes at another NME Awards Show, in 2006.

"Who remembers that gig, eh?" said frontman Robin Hawkins. "I can't believe this is the last night here."

Not everything on the night went smoothly though. The Enemy had been due to play, only to be denied entry by the venue's door staff. After arguing with the bouncers, bassist Liam Watts was finally allowed into the venue, although by that time his bandmates had given up and left.

The night also saw some older faces returning to the Astoria. Mansun's Paul Draper appeared onstage briefly to sing his band's 1996 classic 'Wide Open Space' with My Vitriol, who also premiered a host of new songs in their set. JJ72's Mark Greaney also played a short set.

For the final ever song played at The Astoria, King Blues singer Fruitbag, VV Brown, Sam Duckworth, And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead and Drew McConnell performed a cover of Bob Marley's 'Three Little Birds'.

Despite the fact that the venue had long surpassed its live music curfew, the makeshift band were reluctant to stop playing, turning the song into a 15-minute singalong.

The final gig in its small hall, Astoria 2, takes place tonight (January 15) with club night PUSH hosting proceedings.

The Astoria is reportedly being demolished this weekend.

Zack wrote on Jan 15^th, 2009 at 8:33am:


Joey, i presume. 

i fear not, Joeykins. 

Hazy recollections, of countless evenings of drunken debauchery,
are all we have left, as of this weekend. 

I am reliably informed, your absence, was greatly missed, last night.

" one of my contacts, who was at the Astoria, last night, has informed me, on the old hush-hush,
that a heavily disguised Keith Moon (fedora, shades,  purple silk scarf),
made a whistle-stop, last ever, appearance at the legendary bar, named after him last night.

  As 'And They Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead', hit the stage,
Keith raised a large glass of Cognac, with the sobbing masses, but insisted, to all those gathered, that this wasn't the end..... but a new beginning, and the bar would rise from the ashes,
phoenix like, in the very near future.

He also passed on his regards, to you,Joey, and promises to be in Omaha, in the not too distant future . "


Lovely .

Usually whenever Keith shows up at the Brazen Head he does not even bother with a disguise .

www.BRAZENHEADPUB.com

" Hit Me Ronnie ! "


J. " Snuggles " Fly ! ™

" At least the trains will run on time !!! "



!!!!!

have we had oneof those fabled and legendary 'triple Coleman's', in 2009, yet?