Shepherds Bush Empire |
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| Location | Shepherds Bush, London, England |
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| Type | Live music, theatre |
| Genre(s) | Rock, indie, alternative rock, electro |
| Opened | 1903 |
| Owner | Academy Music Group |
| Capacity | 2,000 |
| Website | http://www.shepherds-bush-empire.co.uk/ |
The O2 Shepherds Bush Empire (the first word is sometimes spelled Shepherd's) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, run by the Academy Music Group. It was built in 1903, as a music hall, and in 1953 became the BBC Television Theatre. Since 1991, it has operated as a music venue.
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The Shepherd's Bush Empire was built in 1903 for impresario Oswald Stoll, designed by theatre architect Frank Matcham. Ashly's Circus performed at Shepherd's Bush empire theatre and presented to George Strong a trophy for riding The Bucking Mule "Sloper' on 8 September 1905. The first performers at the new theatre were The Fred Karno Troupe incl. Charlie Chaplin (1906). The Empire staged music-hall entertainments, such as variety performances and revues, until the early 1950s, by which time the popularity of these forms of entertainment was declining.[1]
In 1953, the Empire was sold to the BBC, which put it to use as a television studio–theatre, renaming it the BBC Television Theatre. Among the programmes produced there were Crackerjack, Hancock's Half Hour, The Old Grey Whistle Test, That's Life!, The Generation Game, The Basil Brush Show, Juke Box Jury, This is Your Life, Jim'll Fix It, almost all the BBC's light entertainment music shows, such as those starring Cliff Richard, Lulu, Cilla Black, Shirley Bassey, Vera Lynn, Harry Secombe, Petula Clark, as well as the UK's Eurovision Song Contest preliminary heat, A Song For Europe. In 1985, the theatre was turned over for exclusive use by Wogan, which was broadcast 3 nights a week from the theatre.[2]
The BBC vacated the building in 1991. It was taken over and, in 1994, again became the Shepherds Bush Empire.[2] Since then, it has become best known as a music venue.
Live performances filmed at the venue and released on DVD include a 2002 performance by punk rock/goth band The Damned, Opeth's first live DVD (Lamentations) recorded at the Shepherd's Bush Empire on Thursday 25 September 2003, a November 2005 concert by indie band The Wedding Present and The Only Ones comeback concert in June 2007. In addition to this, Transatlantic's third live release, "Whirld Tour 2010: Live in London", was recorded and filmed at the venue.
In the dance music community it is also known to host raves and hard dance events, such as Frantic or Heat.
The Empire has a capacity of only 2,000, but it has been chosen as a venue for small gigs.
The Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines made a famously controversial remark about George W. Bush at the club, in 2003.[3]
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