New and improved KOKO re-opens: “This is great for London and for culture”

nme.com:

NME about the improvements made and what it means for music fans, artists and culture in the city.Before relaunching as a “50,000-square foot state-of-the-art live music venue and broadcasting house”, the venue (located on 1A Camden High Street) initially shut in 2019 for a planned one-year refurbishment.

Those plans were scuppered after a fire broke out at the venue in January 2020 with the coronavirus pandemic and “colossal water damage” further holding up progress.This week (Friday April 29) saw Arcade Fire play the first gig back at the newly renovated Camden venue to launch their upcoming album ‘WE‘, before Luciano headlined the first ‘KOKO Electronic’ night the following evening to celebrate the venue’s major £70million renovation.We had @arcadeFire open our theatre last night – a phenomenal, truly moving performance from one of the world’s best live acts. #KOKOLondon is #openPhotos 1-7 @levenephoto | 8-10 @AntAdamsUK#Arcadefire #Koko #WE pic.twitter.com/w4AugevBnI— KOKO (@KOKOLondon) April 30, 2022Olly Bengough founded KOKO in 2004 after transforming the venue from the Camden Palace.

Speaking to NME, he said that it the latest iteration “pieces together 222 years of London history” while “looking to the future” in taking in the neighbouring former Hope & Anchor pub at the rear (built in 1860) to become Cafe KOKO and a former piano factory from 1800 to become the new five-storey House Of KOKO members’ club.“In the ’60s you had the Stones play here, the ’70s it was The Clash and Sex Pistols, AC/DC and Iggy Pop, in the ’80s we had Madonna‘s first London show, Prince performed, we had the new romantics like Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran and Boy George, then in the ’90s it was the likes of Blur,” he said of the venue’s.