The Rainbow Theatre (originally Astoria Theatre) is a Grade II*-listed building, in the Finsbury Park area of North London. Built as a cinema in 1930, it later became well known as a music venue and is now a Pentecostal church.
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When it opened in 1930, the Astoria Cinema was one of the largest in the world.[1] Standing at the junction of Isledon Road and Seven Sisters Road on an island site, it was the fourth of the famous London suburban Astoria Theatres built by film exhibitor Arthur Segal. It was opened on 29 September 1930: there were three other Astorias, Streatham, Old Kent Road and Brixton. It was in use as a cinema until September 1971 when it was permanently given over to live music - although rock concerts had been a feature throughout the 1960s.
The plain faience exterior, designed by Edward A. Stone, acted as a foil to a lavish 'atmospheric interior' by Somerford & Barr, with decoration carried out by Marc-Henri and G. Laverdet. A Moorish foyer with a goldfish-filled fountain (which survives today) led to an auditorium recalling an Andalucian village at night,[2] with seating for 3,040. The stage, 35 feet (11 m) deep and spanned by a 64-foot-wide (20 m) proscenium arch, was equipped with a twin-console Compton 3-manual/13-rank theatre organ (opened by G. T. Pattman). Backstage, there were 12 dressing rooms. The opening night, 29 September 1930, featured Ronald Colman in Condemned and a Gala Stage Spectacle, with artists from the other Astoria Theatres making a special engagement on the stage.
In December 1930, the Astoria was taken over by Paramount Pictures. It was taken over again, on 27 November 1939, by Oscar Deutsch's Odeon Theatres Ltd.
One-night concerts were held on the stage in the 1960s, with the building becoming one of the premier music venues in the capital.
It was at this theatre that Jimi Hendrix first burnt a guitar, with the collusion of his manager Chas Chandler and a journalist from NME. Press officer Anthony Garland was dispatched to purchase lighter fluid and Jimi proceeded to set fire to his Fender Stratocaster guitar on 31 March 1967 on the opening night of the Walker Brothers tour, resulting in a hospital appointment for Jimi's burnt fingers and a moment that set the precedent for rock performances. Jimi later repeated the stunt at Monterey. Despite press commentary that Frank Zappa was handed the burnt Astoria/Miami guitar it is highly unlikely that months after the stunt, the guitar was taken to Miami. When Jimi left the stage at The Finsbury Astoria, the guitar was intact apart from burns. The guitar handed to Frank Zappa in Miami was a burnt body without a neck. The Beach Boys' album, Live In London, was recorded here in 1968.
Re-named Odeon on 17 November 1970, it was closed by the Rank Organisation on 25 September 1971 with Bill Travers in Gorgo and Hayley Mills in Twisted Nerve. It was converted into the Rainbow Theatre from 4 November 1971, when The Who performed the first concert in the newly named theatre.[3]
Pink Floyd went for a four-night stand at the venue during the beginning of their Eclipsed Tour, on which its main set is mostly known as the "pre-Dark Side Of The Moon" set, from February 17 to 20, 1972. The last night performance was partially broadcast on BBC Radio. Also, on April 11, 1973 the band performed two concerts in order to promote their now ready Dark Side Of The Moon album.
Yes filmed their concerts on 15 and 16 December 1972 at the Rainbow for the 1975 film release "Yessongs". This is not necessarily the same recordings used for the triple live album Yessongs which was recorded from February through December of 1972, and released in 1973. However, the two performances that are the same on the album and the film are "Close to the Edge" and "Würm".
Queen recorded a concert in 1974 called Live At The Rainbow
Genesis performed many times at the Rainbow over their career. One of their most famous concerts was "Live at the Rainbow Theatre"; October 20, 1973. The concert recording was included on the first Genesis Archive set, released in 1998. On January 1, 1977; Genesis also performed Wot Gorilla?- a Track from Wind & Wuthering. The performance of this song on January 1, 1977 is the only known live recording of the song played on the 1977 tour.
The Sweet also appeared at the Rainbow Theatre on December 21st 1973 and subsequently released a live album called " Live At The Rainbow 1973". Uriah Heep also performed there in 1973.
Van Morrison performed two nights at this venue in July 1973, with his band at the time The Caledonia Soul Orchestra. The second of the performances was broadcast in May 1974, as the first ever simultaneous broadcast, on BBC 2 and Radio 2. The concert was voted by Q Magazine readers as one of the top live performances of all time.[4] Several of the songs featured in the two concerts were included in Morrison's 1974 double live album It's Too Late to Stop Now.[5]
Kool & The Gang recorded three live tracks at the Rainbow for their Love & Understanding album, released in 1976.
In 1977, the Ramones played a gig at the venue that was recorded and released as the It's Alive album.
August 1977 Little Feat played 4 nights there, 1st-4th, with the Tower of Power horn section. The concerts were recorded and some material was later released on "Waiting for Columbus". Mick Taylor was guest guitarist on night 3 and played on 2 songs, "A Apolitical Blues" & "Teenage Nervous Breakdown".
Bob Marley & The Wailers played on June 1,2,3 and 4 1977 in The Rainbow Theatre, as part of the Exodus Tour. The last show of the tour has been released as an album titled 'Bob Marley and the Wailers Live! at the Rainbow. Thanks largely to this album Bob Marley was established as the Third World's first superstar, a legacy that survives thirty years after the album's release. In the UK alone it stayed on the chart for 56 consecutive weeks and birthed 3 hit singles. Song list: Trench Town Rock; Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) I Shot The Sheriff; Rebel Music (3 O' Clock Roadblock); Lively Up Yourself; Crazy Baldhead; War/No More trouble; The Heathen;No Woman, No Cry Jamming; Get Up, Stand Up;ExodusIn 1991, the documentary 'Bob Marley and the Wailers Live!' at the Rainbow was released, directed by Keef.
Thin Lizzy recorded part of their "Live and Dangerous" album at the Rainbow in 1977. Classic Rock magazine readers voted Thin Lizzy's acclaimed 1978 album "Live and Dangerous" the best live rock album of all time.
Part of Stiff Little Fingers' first live album, Hanx! was recorded at the Rainbow in 1980.
The building had been the subject of a preservation order in the 1970s and the management company that operated the venue was unable to maintain it to the required standard. The building was closed permanently in 1982, although there were plans for its conversion to a bingo hall.
In 1995, the building was bought by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God and is now used for religious ceremonies.
Occasional films were screened, including "Jimi Plays Berkley in January 1972, the World Premiere of the Leonard Cohen film Bird on a Wire on 5 July 1974, and Paul McCartney's Wings, which was the last film to be screened at the Rainbow Theatre, on 10 August 1979.
The dramatic climax to the 1980 British film Breaking Glass was shot here. Directed by Brian Gibson, it starred Hazel O'Connor, Phil Daniels and Jonathan Pryce.
Following the closure of the Rainbow Theatre on 24 December 1981, it was designated a listed building, but lay empty and largely disused for the next 14 years. It was used occasionally in unlicenced boxing matches, most notably in April 1986 when Lenny McLean beat Roy Shaw in a dramatic first round knockout.
In 1995, the building was taken over by its current owners, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, a controversial Brazilian Pentecostal church. They began work restoring the building and turning it into a church. The auditorium restoration was the last phase to be completed, in 1999, and the theatre is now the main base for UCKG in the UK.