| Location | Putney, London |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1960s |
| Capacity | 250 |
| Website | http://www.halfmoon.co.uk/ |
The Half Moon, Putney is a London music venue in London. Providing a stage for different kinds of music, it became a major venue for many name performers and bands, offering both lunchtime and evening performances. After being threatened with closure in 2009, the campaign to save the Halfmoon attracted many high profile supporters keen to save the Halfmoon from going the same way as venues like The Marquee, Eel Pie Island Hotel and Crawdaddy. In December 2009 it was announced that it was to be saved and remain in business as a live music venue
It is located in the London suburb of Putney and over-looking the Thames.
The famous Halfmoon Putney is one of London's longest running, and most respected live music venues. Since the early sixties some of the biggest names in the music world have performed here; The Rolling Stones, The Who, U2, and many, many more.
It all began with the folk and blues sessions started by Gerry Lockran, Royd Rivers and Cliff Aungier in 1963. 'Folksville', as the sessions were called, featured new British and European artists alongside established American blues-men. These included pioneering blues duo Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, the influential blues artist Champion Jack Dupree and Arthur Crudup (Elvis Presley covered three of Crudup's songs). British acts included a young Ralph McTell, John Martyn, Bert Jansch and Roy Harper, all now legends of the folk world.
This exciting birth of a new kind of music venue, at a time of musical revolution in London led to many memorable nights in the venue. John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Alexis Korner, The Yardbirds - anyone who was anyone in the emerging blues scene made an appearance here and at other South London venues such as The Eel Pie club and The Crawdaddy.
As blues and folk thrived bringing the likes of Fairport Convention and Van Morrison, so other genres began to appear. From the psychedelia of The Bonzo Dogg Doo Dah Band and Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band; to sixties mod groups The Pretty Things and Nashville Teens; to early pub-rock acts like Dr. Feelgood; the Halfmoon was the centre of not only the emerging music scenes but continued to host the big names.
It was never just a "passing through" venue. Residencies at the Halfmoon have included Elvis Costello and Steve Marriott of Small Faces fame. U2 played here four times during their first UK visit, which included their first ever sell-out gig. John Martyn returned decades after his first Halfmoon gigs to perform a week long residency, and both Tim Rose and Roy Harper did the same. On 24 July 2007, Welsh-language folk guitar legend Meic Stevens performed his first London gig in over 30 years at the Halfmoon. Other memorable gigs at the Halfmoon include K D Lang's first UK appearance, Kate Bush's first ever public performance and a surprise appearance by Nick Cave.
The Halfmoon has always been synonymous with a certain local band The Rolling Stones, whose most recent visit was at a private event held at the Halfmoon in May, 2000. As well as performing as the band, individual members of the Stones have appeared here in various side-projects, and have also used the venue for rehearsal space.
As well as music, the Halfmoon has seen great comedy acts, including Billy Connolly, Harry Hill and Al Murray Pub Landlord.
A small selection of artists that have performed or recorded at the venue since the mid-60s include the Rolling Stones, The Who, U2, The Small Faces, Kasabian, Ralph McTell, John Martyn, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Alexis Korner, The Yardbirds, Morrissey - Mullen - who had a residency there of several years' standing, Rocket 88, The De Luxe Blues Band, Fairport Convention, Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Roy Harper, Van Morrison, Dr. Feelgood, Elvis Costello, Meic Stevens, Finley Quaye, I Am Kloot, The Cutaway, Bo Diddley, John Otway, Amy McDonald, The Zarrs, as well as k.d. lang's first UK appearance, and Kate Bush's first public performance. It has also hosted comedy from the likes of Billy Connolly, Harry Hill, Rufus Hound, Shappi Khorsandi, Norman Lovett, Bob Mills, Milton Jones and Al Murray.