Forum Topic

Hammersmith Palais to close

Not before time in my view. The amount of times I passed by in the evening to see police cars outside was too numerous to count.

Paul Corcoran ● 6754d26 Comments

I think there may be a restaurant as well but I agree in general that it would have been good to try and reinvigorate this stretch of the Shepherd's Bush Road.

Paul Corcoran ● 6726d

Do we really need more offices? Surely not. How boring.

Rosemary Pettit ● 6726d

I'm told the Council made the final decision yesterday to allow the redevelopment of the Palais. Can anyone confirm?

Ellen Kearney ● 6729d

I think it would be a shame to have such a long established music venue replaced by yet another office block - there's more than enough office space of all levels in Hammersmith already, much of it vacant.  However, I think the Palais is run very irresponsibly with little respect for either punters or local residents and it's probably this that has contributed to the problems with security and traffic congestion and created local opposition.  I'd like to see it continue as a venue but under better more responsible venue management. Sorting out booking policy and ticketing would be a good start!

Frances McAllister ● 6730d

Presumably the building is not listed, unlike the frontage of the old fire station?

Carol Burge ● 6730d

It is lost on me, because I don't see what you're driving at. I was talking about the comparison you made between the Red Lion and the Palais - I don't think the Red Lion had much in the way of 'heritage' worth saving, so I didn't shed a tear when it went, while the Palais does has 'heritage'.I don't think that the Red Lion was significant historically - all the bands that played there played elsewhere, and in my opinion it was a bit of a dump - without any redeeming features, other than the fact that it hosted live music.There are reasons other than music why it would be nice to save and refurbish the Palais, and I'd be pleased to see the Hammersmith Palais stay.

Andrew Jones ● 6735d

Andrew,    Didn't say it wasn't a dump...just tried to make a point about heritage ,obviously lost on you.

Keith Iddon ● 6735d

Caroline, whoever has banned you has no sense of fun and adventure..........I think you should totally ignore them and enjoy yourself.......we only live once and are a long time dead!  Go girl!

Carol Burge ● 6737d

I have now been banned from venturing out in my old school uniform.  Boo.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6737d

Photo please, Caroline!!!!!!!!!!!Gigs at the palais?  I went there once or twice but it was to dance - in Joe Loss's time - which really and truly dates me!

Ann S. Allridge ● 6737d

Not sure that the comparison is valid - I'm sure that you saw some brilliant gigs there, I didn't, the few times I went there I think it must have lost its drawing potential, and actually I thought that the Red Lion was a dump. At the time I was glad to see the Red Lion go, though seeing how the rest of Brentford has developed, maybe I was wrong!

Andrew Jones ● 6742d

Better shake out the moth balls, dust it down and head off down to the Palais before its too late.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6742d

Caroline, I think the idea is the smaller the uniform the better, so think you have the perfect outfit!

Carol Burge ● 6742d

No, pink PVC

Edward Noel ● 6742d

Is it Navy?

Caroline MacMillan ● 6742d

You can borrow the schoolgirl's outfit that I wear on weekends, if you like.

Edward Noel ● 6742d

Trouble is I've grown out of my school tunic and lost my tie.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6742d

Well, Caroline, you'd better get yourself round there for School Disco night on Saturday - you don't know what you've been missing.

Edward Noel ● 6742d

They can't pull it down!  I have never been there.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6742d

Alas,exactly what happened to the Red Lion Brentford...Stones,Who,Kinks all played there in their early years(they all would have been a sight to see then I'm sure)I saw brilliant gigs there by the late,great Steve Marriott ,the late,great Desmond Dekker and the not late not great but pretty good Paul Young.It's a MacDonalds now....

Keith Iddon ● 6743d

But why demolish this building just because somebody won't spend money on it to turn it into a decent venue? As you say if it is only known for "School Disco" nights then it will have a bad reputation.......I bet when they are on that is when the police are in attendance????It is such a shame that something that has so much history attached to it can be wiped off the map without a thought.

Carol Burge ● 6743d

Wow, a discussion about gigs on the Hammersmith Today forum....great!!! (Sorry, I've only just noticed.)The only gig I ever went to at the Hammersmith Palais was The Kinks back in the mid-eighties. It was strange, because the band only just managed to keep the music together, despite having been playing for years. There's no theatre seating...in fact, no seating at all, as far as I remember, so the venue was neither comfortable nor had much atmosphere, so I won't miss it as a music venue, and certainly not as a School Disco venue!We're incredibly lucky in H&F to have some of the best music venues in London: Hammersmith Apollo for big gigs, Shepherd's Bush Empire for medium-sized and Bush Hall for "intimate" (Sean Lennon & Brett Anderson both coming up soon).Any one else got any gig stories/memories/reviews?

Edward Noel ● 6743d

Worst as in the opposite of best.Tuneless,nay all the 'songs' the same tune,incoherant and drunk singer(and crowd).Hitler too got his 'audience going'.That is no sign of quality....

Keith Iddon ● 6748d

Worst?  As in what way?  Well apart from the fact that Shane can just about stand and you can't understand a word he says!!I have seen them 3 times at Brixton Academy (did not see them this time as tickets getting a bit too pricey!) but they certainly get the audience going.

Carol Burge ● 6751d

Saw The Pogues there.Definitely the worst gig I have ever seen,bar none.

Keith Iddon ● 6752d

It is still a shame to see a building that has so much history attached to it closed down, the fact the clientele are a problem is the fault of the management.  I saw Gary Numan there a few months ago and there was no trouble.

Carol Burge ● 6754d