Then and Now: Old posters and handbills
Archive material from Brixton's past


Concert, Brixton Ace, 1983
Wisdom, Dance on a Telephone, Mikey Dread at the Brixton Ace, July 11th 1983.

Originally known as the Palladium Cinema, this large Brixton Hill venue has been entertaining Brixtonians since 1914.

In the 1980s the building went under the name of the Brixton Ace, putting on major gigs such as The Smiths, The Clash, New Order, Sisters of Mercy and, err, The Flock of Seagulls.

I was fortunate enough to play there once with my obscurity-bound electro-pop band, Dance on a Telephone.

We'd been on Peter Powell's Radio One show every day for a week and confidently expected the gig to be a sell out.

We were actually headlining the bill, but because the gig was all about schmoozing record companies execs we had to go on earlier - I don't think they fancied being on the 'edgy' Brixton streets late at night!

Sadly, things didn't go quite to plan and it's fair to say that there were no problems finding a space on the dance floor that night. Or at the bar. Or anywhere, really. But Peter Powell was there! And Paul Gambaccini! Radio One-tastic!

I elected to take the get wasted and forget about the disastrous turn-out approach and spent an enjoyable time smoking with the other acts.

It worked. Now, I really can't remember anything about the gig at all. Apart from the spliffs. Oh, the monster spliffs...!

The venue has been known as the Fridge since the late 1980s.

» Fridge history, archive photos
» 'Then and Now' photos of the Brixton Fridge



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