The Bell on Pentonville Road was the main attraction in the area for a certain type of queers, punks, goths, skinheads, and the likes, looking for good music and great fun. “This was King’s Cross, an insalubrious patch of north London, in the 1980s and 90s when it was a hub for LGBT people who lived, worked, campaigned and partied there“, quoting from an article in The Guardian last year.
The Smiths, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Associates, The Cult, and Kate Bush have all played here. During a Subway Sect‘s gig here one of The Clash‘s entourage, Henry Bowles, died after he was thrown through a window by the pub’s bouncers. Later, London Calling was dedicated to him (and Peter Evans). It’s now The Big Chill, a bar club with a busy and eclectic DJ programme, but – alas -no live music.
Address: 257-259 Pentonville Rd, Kings Cross, London N1 9NL
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