'Fear & Loathing at the ROXY' talk: Photos and review

This was a good night!

Huge thanks to Senior Archivist Tudor Allen and all staff at the wonderful Camden Archives for kindly hosting and welcoming an interesting array of ROXY goers (of old), Punks and those interested in Camden history. Guests who came down to hear me wax lyrical on the legendary club (and who also told some fascinating stories themselves), included the great Ray Stevenson, Steve Micalef and Helen Elwes, Shanne Bradley (Nipple Erectors), Kevin Shepherd (The Damned Fan Club) and Andy Riff (The Dark). A big thank you to a Mr. Andrew Czezowski and a Ms Susan Carrington for sending down lots of free ROXY books for everyone to take away. Very kind and people loved them.

So below are a few photos from the nights proceedings and a lovely review of my talk from Mr. Edwin Munt Esq. Thanks for that Edwin.

‘If one could pin a Blue Plaque to Jane Palm-Gold, without causing offence and getting a clip around the ear, then one should be attached post-haste. Jane is one of our most eloquent chroniclers of those parts of London that are usually treated with suspicion by the mainstream, thankfully, and generally estranged from sunlight.

Not for the first time Jane delivered a brilliantly dissected narrative journey, this time shining torchlight on the shrouded magic of the original punky seed bed that was the Roxy Club.

Andrew R P Czezowski and Susan Carrington generously donated copies of their handsomely presented recent tomes about their club; the books record the short but luminous existence of their punk petri dish; a mid 70s avant garde nexus for ambitious outsiders.

Lucky audience members paid nowt to enter Holborn Library’s Camden Archive, listen to Jane, drink vino from plastic cups; with a further option available to walk away with these fabulous books. For free.

The audience, a mixture of eclectic survivors, historians and the curious enjoyed tales of amphetamine fuelled fear and loathing and, in my opinion, a moment in time for those who can claim to have witnessed a paradigm shift in culture, music and self-expression.

People speak of the punk rock wars. This was a dispatch from an advanced trench.

One knows when one is on to something good when the canteen-medal-stained school uniform of Gary Crowley is one of a hundred footnotes in an evening rich in old London lore.’

Photo credits: Chris Raeburn & Andy Riff