The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo
for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in
Hammersmith, London, it is an
art deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...
Grade II*
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...
.
The venue has hosted numerous concerts by major stars, including
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...
,
Queen,
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
,
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
,
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
,
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
,
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
,
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, i ...
and
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was ba ...
amongst many others.
History
Designed by Robert Cromie, who also renovated the
Prince of Wales Theatre,
in the
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...
style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace, with a seating capacity of nearly 3,500 people, being renamed the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962. It has had a string of names and owners, most recently
AEG Live and
Eventim UK.
It became a Grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...
in 1990. The venue was later refurbished and renamed Labatt's Apollo following a sponsorship deal with
Labatt Brewing Company (1993 or 1994).
In 2002, the venue was again renamed, this time to Carling Apollo after
Carling brewery struck a deal with the owners, US-based
Clear Channel Entertainment, now
iHeartMedia, inc. The event was marked by rock band
AC/DC playing a one-off concert. All 5,000 tickets sold out in 4 minutes. In 2003, the stalls seats were made removable and now some concerts have full seating whilst others have standing-only in the stalls. In the latter format, the venue can accommodate around 5,000 people. The venue's listing was upgraded to Grade II* status in 2005. In 2006, the venue reverted to its former name, the Hammersmith Apollo. In 2007, the original 1932 Compton pipe organ, still present from the building's days as a cinema, was restored. The building was then bought by the MAMA Group.
On 14 January 2009, a placing announcement by
HMV Group revealed that by selling additional shares, the company would raise money to fund a joint venture with the MAMA Group, to run eleven live music venues across the United Kingdom, including the Hammersmith Apollo. As a result, the venue was named HMV Apollo from 2009 until 2012. Other venues purchased include The Forum in London's Kentish Town, the Birmingham Institute and Aberdeen's Moshulu.
The venue was sold by HMV Group in May 2012 to
AEG Live and
CTS Eventim. In 2013, the venue was closed for an extensive refurbishment which was carried out by architect Foster Wilson. The venue reopened as the Eventim Apollo on 7 September 2013, with a concert performance by
Selena Gomez.
The Compton pipe organ
The original 1932
Compton pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''rank ...
remains installed at the Apollo and was fully restored to playing condition in 2007.
It has a four-manual console which rises through the stage on a new lift and about 1,200 organ pipes housed in large chambers above the front stalls ceiling. Having fallen into disrepair, the organ was disconnected in the 1990s and the console removed from the building. At the insistence of
English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.
The charity states that i ...
and the local council, however, it was reinstated and the entire organ restored. At a launch party, on 25 July 2007, an invited audience and media representatives witnessed a recital by Richard Hills.
In popular culture
Many bands have released live albums, videos or DVDs of concerts held at the Apollo, such as
Queen,
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped de ...
,
Rush,
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including ha ...
,
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
,
Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost () was a Swiss extreme metal band from Zürich. They are known for their strong influence on the development of extreme metalBukszpan, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal''. Barnes & Noble Publishing, 2003. p.43 and avant-gard ...
,
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill, and their cousin Matthew Followill.
The band's early music was a blend of Southern rock and ...
,
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new w ...
,
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums and pe ...
,
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity and satire of A ...
,
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded Ellis-Bextor went solo and ach ...
,
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
,
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
and the
E Street Band
The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...
,
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
,
Erasure,
Spear of Destiny,
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a prec ...
, and
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stu ...
. In September 1979
Gary Numan
Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two albums with the band, he released his ...
recorded his
Touring Principle show at the venue.
Kate Bush
Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single " Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female ...
released a video and record EP of her concerts at the Odeon from her first tour in 1979.
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger Taylor the following year the band wen ...
recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon on 16 November 1982 and released ''
Live at Hammersmith '82!
''Live at Hammersmith '82!'' is a live album by the band Duran Duran. Originally recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon on , it was released by EMI Records on ( in the U.S.) as a CD/DVD double pack.
The set was the third of three nights at the Ha ...
''.
Depeche Mode made one of its first concert videos for a Danish television at the Hammersmith on 25 October 1982.
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums and pe ...
played the final two concerts of their eight-month long
Love Over Gold Tour at the Odeon on 22–23 July 1983, and the resulting album ''
Alchemy: Dire Straits Live'' was released the following year.
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
performed a
one-off concert in the venue in 2003 and released a
DVD of the performance in 2004. Minogue also performed the last show of her
Anti Tour in the venue on 3 April 2012.
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud were an pop girl group that was created through the ITV talent show '' Popstars: The Rivals'' in 2002. The group comprised singers Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. The group achieved a ...
released a DVD of their concert at the Apollo in 2005. A DVD of a Bruce Springsteen concert held there in 1975 was released as part of the ''
Born to Run 30th Anniversary Edition'' package; later the CD ''
Hammersmith Odeon London '75'' was released.
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavi ...
band
In Flames also released a DVD that featured footage of a December 2004 performance there. Comedian and actor
Eddie Izzard's show ''
Glorious
Glorious may refer to:
Music
* Glorious (music group), a French Christian rock and worship band
Albums
* ''Glorious'' (Arty album) or the title song, 2015
* ''Glorious'' (Bonfire album), 2015
* ''Glorious'' (Foxes album) or the title song (se ...
'' was also released as a DVD.
Rush recorded their 1978 performance and later included it in their three-disc set, ''
Different Stages''. American musician
Tori Amos
Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
released a series of six live albums in 2005 known as ''
The Original Bootlegs'', one of which was recorded at the Apollo. Photographs of
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are conside ...
outside the Hammersmith Odeon appear on their 1973 album ''
Quadrophenia''.
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...
guitarist
David Gilmour performed three nights at the venue in April 1984 which was documented on the ''
David Gilmour Live 1984'' concert film. These shows are of note as
Roy Harper Roy Harper may refer to:
* Roy Harper (character), DC Comics character
*Roy Harper (footballer) (born 1929), Australian footballer
*Roy Harper (referee) (died 1969), English football referee
* Roy Harper (singer) (born 1941), English musician
* Roy ...
guested on "Short and Sweet" and Gilmour's Pink Floyd bandmate
Nick Mason
Nicholas Berkeley Mason, (born 27 January 1944) is an English drummer and a founder member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. He is the only member to feature on every Pink Floyd album, and the only constant member since its formation in ...
played drums on "
Comfortably Numb". In 1984 the London-based heavy metal band Iron Maiden recorded side 4 of their double live album 'Live After Death' at the venue. Iron Maiden's affection for the Hammersmith Odeon also resulted in the filming of a 1982 performance which was subsequently released as ''Beast over Hammersmith''.
Other acts have made music videos featuring clips from performances at the Apollo;
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of '' American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her de ...
made a special version of her "
Breakaway" video using clips from her concert at the Apollo in 2006.
The Hammersmith Apollo is seen in the American romantic comedy film ''
Just My Luck'' where
McFly
McFly are an English pop rock music, pop rock band formed in London in 2003. The band took their name from the ''Back to the Future (franchise), Back to the Future'' character Marty McFly. The band consists of Tom Fletcher (lead vocals, guita ...
perform. In the movie, the venue stands-in for the Hard Rock Café. It is also the location in ''
The Football Factory'' where the Chelsea fans board the bus for Liverpool. It is mentioned in the poem "Glam Rock: The Poem" by the poet
Robert Archambeau. The exterior of the (then) Gaumont Palace was used as the "Grand" cinema in the 1957 British film ''
The Smallest Show on Earth''.
Noteworthy performances
1950s
* On 25 March 1958,
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...
performed two shows at the venue. After the first show, a scuffle with Joe B Mauldin knocked the caps off Holly's two front teeth; Holly repaired the damage with chewing gum and performed the second show with the gum spread over his front teeth. These were his last shows in the United Kingdom.
1960s
* In the early 1960s, many American acts performed at the Odeon, including
Tony Bennett
Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his bir ...
,
Count Basie
William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and th ...
,
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, i ...
with
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was ba ...
,
Louis Armstrong and
Woody Herman and the Herd. In 1966,
Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American Country music, country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later s ...
performed at the venue.
* In late 1964 and early 1965,
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...
played 38 shows over 21 nights. Special guests on the bill included
Elkie Brooks and the original
Yardbirds, featuring
Eric Clapton.
1970s
* The photo booklet that forms part of
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are conside ...
's ''
Quadrophenia'' album features pictures of the venue (particularly within the centre spread;) the photos of the main character (Jimmy) waiting, kneeling beside his GS Scooter outside the venue as the members of the band take their groupies to a limo were taken during a photo shoot.
* On 28 October 1972, the "Giants of Jazz", a group consisting of jazz musicians
Dizzy Gillespie,
Kai Winding,
Sonny Stitt
Edward Hammond Boatner Jr. (February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982), known professionally as Sonny Stitt, was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/ hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of hi ...
,
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...
,
Al McKibbon and
Art Blakey
Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s.
Blakey made a name for himself in the ...
– played two concerts at the Hammersmith at 6:30 and 9:30 P.M.
* In July 1973,
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
performed his final concert as
Ziggy Stardust at the venue. The concert was filmed by American documentary filmmaker
D. A. Pennebaker, who intercut scenes of fans outside the venue, Bowie in the dressing room, with the concert footage. The film was not released until 1979, and is now available on DVD as ''
Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars''.
* In December 1974,
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
played a televised Christmas concert for the BBC's ''
Old Grey Whistle Test''.
* In November and December 1975,
Queen performed several shows at the Hammersmith Odeon during the
''A Night at the Opera'' Tour. The show of 24 December was broadcast by the BBC and released in 2015 on CD, Vinyl and DVD/Blu-ray as ''
A Night at the Odeon – Hammersmith 1975''.
* On 15–16 May 1976,
KISS made their first UK appearances, supported by UK rockers Stray; tickets sold out in 2 hours for their two-night stay.
* In 1976, much of
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or s ...
's live album ''
Live and Dangerous'' was recorded at the Hammersmith on the Johnny The Fox Tour. Again in 1981, Lynott and his gang appeared in the venue for the recording of the BBC's ''In Concert''. The disc are released as a part of the Box Set ''At The BBC'', in 2011. Some of this tracks also appeared in the deluxe editions of ''
Chinatown'' and ''
Thunder and Lightning''. Finally, the double live album ''Life/Live'' was recorded in the venue in 1981 and 1983, with the participation of guitarists
Eric Bell
Eric Robin Bell (born 3 September 1947 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish rock and blues musician, best known as a founding member and the original guitarist of the rock group Thin Lizzy from 1969 to 1973. After his time in Th ...
,
Brian Robertson and
Gary Moore
Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz ...
. The guitarist
Snowy White participated on three tracks recorded in 1981 in the same venue.
* The progressive rock band
Camel
A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. ...
recorded some tracks in 1976 for the release of a future live album. The album was released in 1978, and is called ''A Live Record''. The entire concert was released and made part of the deluxe edition of ''Moonmadness''. The same concert was broadcast by the BBC and released in DVD format. The DVD was called ''Moondances''.
* In November 1977,
The Tubes played 10 shows and recorded the live double album ''
What Do You Want from Live'' at the Hammersmith. The album was released in February 1978.
* In 1978,
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped de ...
, with
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
still a member, held concerts celebrating 10 years of career in the venue. The opening band was
Van Halen
Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...
. The concert was recorded and released on video and later on DVD, with the name ''Never Say Die: A Decade of Black Sabbath''. In 30–31 December 1981, the band now with Dio recorded their concerts at this venue. The gig was released on disc and vinyl in 2007, and later as part of the Deluxe edition of ''Mob Rules''. In 1994 the show in Apollo was recorded and released one year later titled ''Cross Purposes Live''.
* On 24 February 1978,
Sweet played their first concert at Hammersmith Odeon. It was to be their last British show featuring singer
Brian Connolly.
* On 20 February 1978,
Rush recorded 11 tracks from their "
A Farewell to Kings" tour, including tracks from all of their first five albums. These tracks were not released at the time. They were included as a bonus disc on their 10 November 1998 release of ''
Different Stages Live
''Different Stages'' is a live album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1998. The bulk of the first and second discs were recorded at the World Music Theatre in Tinley Park, Illinois during the 1997 ''Test for Echo'' tour. Five other songs ...
'' which included recordings from both their 1994 ''
Counterparts'' and 1997 ''
Test for Echo'' tours.
*
Whitesnake recorded tracks for their live album ''
Live...in the Heart of the City'' on 23 November 1978. The album also included tracks that were later recorded (also at the Hammersmith Odeon) on 23 and 24 June 1980. Years later, David Coverdale and this gang appears in Hammersmith for the recorded of ''Live... In the Still of the Night'' album and DVD set.
* The albums ''
461 Ocean Boulevard'' and ''
Slowhand'' of the guitarist
Eric Clapton were reissued in double CD deluxe format accompanied with a live album recorded at the venue, depicting tours of 1974 and 1976.
*
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity and satire of A ...
also recorded parts of his 1979 album, ''
Sheik Yerbouti'', at the venue. Zappa's triple album ''
Hammersmith Odeon'' was released posthumously in 2010 by the Zappa Family Trust.
*
Kate Bush
Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single " Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female ...
also performed the same year, and released a
live video
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
*'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD)
Music
* Live (band), American alternative rock band
* List of album ...
and
record EP of her 1979 concerts.
* On 13–15 December 1979,
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...
played at the Hammersmith Odeon during the Rock`n`Roll Juvenile Tour.
* In December 1979,
Queen,
The Clash
The Clash were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave music, new wave moveme ...
,
Elvis Costello,
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are conside ...
,
The Pretenders
Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Fa ...
and
Paul McCartney and Wings and many more artists played several nights. The Hammersmith Odeon hosted the four-night
Concerts for the People of Kampuchea
Concerts for the People of Kampuchea was a series of concerts featuring Queen, The Clash, The Pretenders, The Who, Elvis Costello, Wings, and many more artists which took place at the Hammersmith Odeon in London during December 1979 to r ...
, a
benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate h ...
to raise money for Cambodian victims of the dictator
Pol Pot
Pol Pot; (born Saloth Sâr;; 19 May 1925 – 15 April 1998) was a Cambodian revolutionary, dictator, and politician who ruled Cambodia as Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea between 1976 and 1979. Ideologically a Marxist–Lenini ...
, of which Queen played the first night.
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. On ...
and
Kurt Waldheim organised the event.
*
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Poli ...
played three shows at Hammersmith Odeon in late 1979 promoting their
Reggatta de Blanc album (1979-09-22, 1979-09-23 and 1979-12-18).
1980s
* In 1980, the rock band
UFO, without
Michael Schenker, recorded the BBC programme ''In Concert''. In 1981, they again played in the venue for the same programme. These two discs are in the ''UFO on Air: At the BBC'', released in 2013.
* British heavy metal group,
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
, played at Hammersmith Odeon 24 times between 1980 - 2005. In 1980, Iron Maiden played two consecutive nights opening for
Judas Priest. In 1981 the band played here their a very first headline show with French band Trust as the support act. Iron Maiden show from 1982 was recorded and published as the ''
Beast over Hammersmith'' double live CD being a part of ''
Eddie's Archive'' box released in 2002. The clips from that night were used as a part of ''
12 Wasted Years
''12 Wasted Years'' is a video documentary of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, focusing on the history of the band from 1975 to 1987. It includes several rare videos and interviews from the band's career, some of which were later included on the 20 ...
'' (1987) documentary and ''
The History of Iron Maiden – Part 1: The Early Days'' DVD released in 2004. Between 1983 and 1988, the band played multiple sold out nights, including six shows in 1986 as a part of
Somewhere on Tour 1986/87. The fourth side of double live album ''
Live After Death'' was recorded during the four nights played by the band as a part of
World Slavery Tour. In 1990 Iron Maiden played here their first show in London with a new member, the guitarist
Janick Gers.
*
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...
played in 1982 with his Jazz fusion band. The concert was released some years later in DVD.
*
Def Leppard recorded the videos of ''Let It Go'', ''High & Dry (Saturday Night),'' and ''Bringing on the Heartbreak'' at the venue.
* In December 1985,
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including ha ...
filmed a concert from their ''
Chronicle of the Black Sword'' tour. The recordings were subsequently released as the ''
Live Chronicles'' album and ''
The Chronicle of the Black Sword'' video.
* In 1983,
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums and pe ...
recorded the concerts for a future release. Finished launching in 1984 the double album ''
Alchemy
Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim world ...
'' and a video with the same name. The video was remastered and released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2009, in its full version.
* The black metal band
Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a ...
released a double album in 1985 called ''Eine Kleine Nachtmusik''. One of the discs was recorded in the venue. The band was banned in 1984 because they ruined the ceiling of the theatre with a show of fireworks (during the track Countess Bathory). The show was recorded and released on video in 1984 with the name Seven Dates to Hell, with opening by the young Metallica. The following year, the band recorded the concert at this venue for a television special, named Live from London. Both shows were released on DVD in the decade of 2000.
* In 1980,
Blondie performed one of their most famous shows.
Robert Fripp joined them on guitar, and their live cover of "
Heroes" (which was later used as a B-Side) was recorded there. In addition, some more live tracks recorded were later used as bonus tracks on the 2001 rerelease of the ''
Eat to the Beat'' album.
* On 20 September 1980,
Randy Rhoads
Randall William Rhoads (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982) was an American guitarist. He was the co-founder and original guitarist of the heavy metal band Quiet Riot, and the guitarist and co-songwriter for Ozzy Osbourne's first two solo a ...
performed one of his first shows, with new musical soulmate
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
, on the
Blizzard of Ozz Tour
The Blizzard of Ozz Tour was the debut concert tour as a solo artist by British vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, who had been fired from the English group Black Sabbath a year prior. The tour started on September 12, 1980 and concluded on September 13, 19 ...
, they returned on 26 October.
* In 1982,
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger Taylor the following year the band wen ...
performed during promotion for their ''
Rio'' album. The concert was filmed and released as ''
Live at Hammersmith '82!
''Live at Hammersmith '82!'' is a live album by the band Duran Duran. Originally recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon on , it was released by EMI Records on ( in the U.S.) as a CD/DVD double pack.
The set was the third of three nights at the Ha ...
'' in 2009, as a CD-DVD combo pack.
* On 25 October 1982,
Depeche Mode performed there as part of their A Broken Frame Tour. The concert was filmed and parts were released as ''Live at Hammersmith Odeon London'' in 2006, as a DVD included in the remastered album, ''
A Broken Frame''.
* In 1982,
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
performed a series of concerts with his reunited "Classic" band, promoting his albums ''
The Fox'' and ''
Jump Up!''. A concert on Christmas Eve featured a medley of
Christmas carols and a rare live duet of "
Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with
Kiki Dee.
* In 1982,
Japan played a six-night residency from 17 to 22 November. These were the band's final performances in the UK and the final night's performance was recorded and then released in 1983 on VHS and audio as ''
Oil on Canvas''.
* In 1983,
Marillion performed the final date of their tour supporting their debut album, ''
Script for a Jester's Tear''. This also marked the final performance with drummer
Mick Pointer. The performance was filmed and released as ''
Recital of the Script''.
* In 1984,
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...
guitarist
David Gilmour performed three shows at the venue on his ''
About Face'' solo tour, which was documented on the concert video ''
David Gilmour Live 1984''.
* On 21 September 1986,
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instru ...
performed at the Odeon during their Master of Puppets Tour. This is one of the band's last performances with bassist
Cliff Burton, who was killed in a bus crash, six days later and also featured guitarist
John Marshall as James Hetfield was recovering from a skateboard accident. This performance formed the basis for the Hammersmith Apollo's appearance in video game ''
Guitar Hero: Metallica'' in 2009, complete with ''Master of Puppets''-themed stage.
* Between 15 and 20 December 1986, the
Norwegian band
a-ha
A-ha (usually stylised as ''a-''h''a''; ) is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars and vocals), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitars and vocals), and Morten Harket (lead vocals), the band ...
held 6 concerts at the Hammersmith Odeon.
* At the start of the seminal
Public Enemy
"Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...
album, ''
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back'', they are heard addressing the Hammersmith Odeon crowd at a concert there in 1987. Due to trouble outside the venue before and after the show, the Hammersmith Odeon refused to host any rap groups for several years afterwards.
* On 10 July 1987, the first Soviet rock musicians ever to perform in Britain
Autograph
An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
and
Dialogue
Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literary and theatrical form that depicts such an exchange. As a philosophical or didactic device, it is ...
at ''Russian Rock Gala'' during ''Capital Music Festival''.
* On February 23, 1987,
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
performed at Hammersmith Odeon in part of ''The Final Countdown World Tour''. The performance was filmed and released as ''Europe : The Final Countdown World Tour 1987 (Live in Hammersmith Odeon)''
1990s
* During the early 1990s, the venue played host to stage productions such as ''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. Th ...
''.
* In summer of 1992,
Erasure played 8 consecutive nights at the Hammersmith Odeon on the opening of their "Phantasmagorical Entertainment Tour".
*
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wi ...
Recorded their Performance on September 30, 1992, for a Concert DVD in support for their album ''
Countdown to Extinction''
* Musical theatre star
Michael Ball has performed at the Hammersmith Apollo on nine occasions—each time selling out. His concerts in December 1993 and 1994, were recorded by
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content ...
. He also recorded his 2003, 2007 and 2013 concerts for DVD release.
*
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped de ...
recorded their ''
Cross Purposes Live'' album/video, with singer
Tony Martin, on Wednesday 13 April 1994.
* In July 1995, ''
Riverdance
''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions ...
'' made its UK debut at the Apollo, selling out its initial four-week run and returning in the fall for another 19 weeks, breaking box office records in the process.
* In November 1997, Scottish comedian Billy Connolly performed five sold out nights.
* On 14 July 1998, ''
Doctor Dolittle'', a musical by
Leslie Bricusse
Leslie Bricusse OBE (; 29 January 1931 – 19 October 2021) was a British composer, lyricist, and playwright who worked on theatre musicals and wrote theme music for films. He was best known for writing the music and lyrics for the films '' D ...
(based on his
1967 film and the
Hugh Lofting children's books
A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...
) made its world premiere starring
Phillip Schofield. The production closed on 26 June 1999.
*On 14 December 1999, ''
Blast!'' a new musical based on American Drum and Bugle Corps premiered at the Hamersmith Apollo. A PBS special of the London production aired on August 5, 2000.
2000s
* In October 2002, Prince played 3 nights of his ‘
One Nite Alone... Tour’.
* On 21 October 2003, rock band
AC/DC performed at the Apollo. The event sold out online in just four minutes. The lead singer
Brian Johnson was suffering from a lung infection on the night of the gig.
* On 15 November 2003,
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
launched her studio album ''
Body Language
Body language is a type of communication in which physical behaviors, as opposed to words, are used to express or convey information. Such behavior includes facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch and the use of space. Th ...
'' with a press conference and a one-off show entitled
Money Can't Buy
Money Can't Buy was a one-off, 75-minute concert show held on 15 November 2003 at Carling Apollo in London to promote Australian singer Kylie Minogue's ninth studio album '' Body Language'' (2003). Its title alludes to the fact that tickets w ...
, no tickets were offered for sale publicly and only invited guests and competition winners attended the show.
* In 2004, the venue was part of the ''
Carling Live 24'' event, which saw
Feeder play their only date of that year. The venue also spawned the
BBC television series ''
Live at the Apollo'', originally titled ''Jack Dee Live at the Apollo''
* On November 15, 2004
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
filmed their performance called ''Live From The Dark''
* On 2 September 2005, Iron Maiden performed a special fund raising sold-out show during their
Eddie Rips Up the World Tour for former drummer
Clive Burr, who was suffering from
multiple sclerosis.
* On 25 November 2006,
Video Games Live presented the first ever UK video game concert at the Hammersmith Apollo as part of their 2006 World Tour. A parody of the Hammersmith Odeon was made for ''
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock'', called ''Ye Olde Royal Odeon''. The game ''
Guitar Hero: Metallica'' features the real Hammersmith Apollo as a playable venue.
*On December 18 and 19, comedy rock duo
Tenacious D performed on their
Pick of Destiny Tour,
Neil Hamburger opened on both dates.
* On 19 June 2007, OMD filmed their Architecture & Morality and more comeback-tour in this theatre.
* In September 2008, comedian
Michael McIntyre performed shows around theatres in the UK and his filmed performance at the Hammersmith Apollo became the best selling debut comedy DVD of all time.
* In March 2009, ''
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American Animated series, animated Television comedy, comedy Television show, television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It ...
: The Musical (
The Sponge Who Could Fly)'' premiered at the Apollo.
* On 11 July 2009,
Thunder played their last concert in a sold out Hammersmith Apollo, as being the last stop on their ''20 Years & Out'' tour. The show was also filmed and recorded for a last Thunder live DVD.
* On 29 November 2009, British Christian rock band
Delirious? played their farewell concert at the venue. The show was sold out and was recorded for a live album and DVD.
* On 15 December 2009, the Apollo hosted the UK premiere of ''
It Might Get Loud'', a documentary film that covers the careers of guitarists
The Edge
David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is an English-born Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing voca ...
,
Jimmy Page, and
Jack White. Page was the only star of the film to attend the UK premiere.
2010s
* On 8 April 2010, ''
The Infidel'', a comedy film directed by
David Baddiel and starring
Omid Djalili, was premiered. The organ was played by Richard Hills as the audience arrived and in the interval. This was the first film premiere at the Apollo for more than 20 years.
* On 4 May 2010, the Italian songwriter
Vasco Rossi, had a sold-out concert during his "
Tour Europe indoor
Vasco Rossi (born 7 February 1952), also known mononymously as Vasco or with the nickname Il Blasco, is an Italian singer-songwriter and poet. During his career, he has published 30 albums (not including unofficial releases) and has written over ...
". The whole concert was recorded and issued on 22 June under the name ''Vasco London Instant Live 04.05.2010''.
* On 14–18 July 2010, American magicians and comedians
Penn & Teller performed, their first UK performance in more than 16 years.
*
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
performed three concerts, ending his
2011 Never Ending Tour with
Mark Knopfler
Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Born in Scotland and raised in England, he was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits. He pursued a s ...
. These three dates brings to total of Dylan performances at the venue to twenty-four. He performed there six times in 1990, eight times in 1991, six times in 1993, once in 2003 and three times in 2011.
* On 26 May 2012,
Judas Priest performed the last show of their
Epitaph World Tour, and it was filmed for later
DVD release.
* On 21 December 2012,
Brian Cox and
Robin Ince hosted a show containing performances by scientists, comedians, actors and other apocalypse sceptics for a show to coincide with the predicted Mayan apocalypse entitled "The End of the World Show".
* On 24–26 February 2013,
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
played three shows as a part of a small European tour which tested a new setup which featured surround vision visuals. The shows featured West wearing a white sci-fi straitjacket, a glittering, skin-tight crystal bondage mask obscuring his face. The theme of the shows centered on icy, glacial environmental visuals.
* On 15–16 March 2013, the original line-up of
Status Quo played two sold-out shows on their Reunion Tour, after being apart for 32 years. These concerts were released on CD.
* On 19–20 May 2013,
Lana Del Rey
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, Glamour (presentation), glamour, and melan ...
played two sold-out shows during her
Paradise Tour
The Paradise Tour was the second concert tour by American singer, Lana Del Rey, in support of her third extended play, '' Paradise''. The tour kicked off on April 3, 2013 at Galaxie Mega Hall in Amnéville, France and visited many major Europ ...
, performing her biggest hits, including her new single,
Young and Beautiful.
* On 7 September 2013,
Selena Gomez opened the newly renovated theatre on her
Stars Dance Tour, the only performance in the UK for the tour. The date also commissioned the venue's new name, Eventim Apollo.
* From August to October 2014,
Kate Bush
Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single " Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female ...
undertook a 22 date residency called ''
Before the Dawn'' at the Apollo. These performances were her first live shows in nearly 35 years.
* On 3 February 2015, the venue was chosen by the
EBU/BBC as host for the
Eurovision Song Contest's
60-year celebration event, presented by
Graham Norton
Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), better known by his stage name Graham Norton, is an Irish actor, author, comedian, commentator, and presenter. Well known for his work in the UK, he is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for his come ...
and
Petra Mede, and televised across Europe and Australia via the
Eurovision network
Eurovision is a pan-European television telecommunications network owned and operated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). It was founded 1954 in Geneva, Switzerland, and its first official transmission took place on 6 June 1954.
Major te ...
.
Conchita Wurst
Thomas Neuwirth (born 6 November 1988) is an Austrian singer and drag queen who is known for his stage persona Conchita Wurst (or simply Conchita). Neuwirth came to international attention after winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 as with ...
,
Herreys and
Natasha St-Pier were the first confirmed acts. The event took place on 31 March 2015.
* On 20 and 21 September 2015, British singer Morrissey performed what he dubbed his 'last UK shows ever' at the venue.
* On 6 December 2016, the venue hosted the
Royal Variety Performance which was later televised by
ITV.
* On 27 January 2017, the venue hosted ''
Eurovision: You Decide'', the UK's national selection show for the
Eurovision Song Contest 2017
The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 was the 62nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Kyiv, Ukraine, following the country's victory at the with the song "1944" by Jamala.
Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and ...
and aired live on
BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream ...
.
* On 17 March 2017,
St Patrick's Day,
Devin Townsend made a complete play through of the album
Ocean Machine, twenty years after its first release; supported by
Leprous and
Tesseract.
*On 17 February 2018, Cumbrian indie band
Wild Beasts played their final "farewell" show dubbed "End Come Too Soon".
* In April 2018, it was confirmed that the venue would host the live shows of ''
Britain's Got Talent'' that year. The live shows returned to the venue the following year.
* On 17 June 2018,
Monsta X had
The Connect World Tour in London.
* On 16 July 2018, the film ''
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again'' was premiered.
2020s
* On 17 February 2020,
Eric Clapton performed a tribute concert to former
Cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
and
Blind Faith
Blind Faith were an English supergroup featuring Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech. They were eagerly anticipated by the music press following on the success of each of the member's former bands, including Clapton ...
bandmate
Ginger Baker who had died the previous year. His special guests included
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. In 1965, he co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters initially served as the bassist, but following the departure of singer-so ...
,
Nile Rodgers,
Ronnie Wood
Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as an official member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group.
Wood began his career in 1964, playing guitar with a ...
,
Kenney Jones and Blind Faith bandmate
Steve Winwood. The performance included Cream songs not performed since the 60s and a near complete performance of the ''
Blind Faith
Blind Faith were an English supergroup featuring Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech. They were eagerly anticipated by the music press following on the success of each of the member's former bands, including Clapton ...
'' album.
* On 21–22 February 2020, progressive metal band
Dream Theater played two concerts to promote their fourteenth album
Distance over Time
''Distance Over Time'' is the fourteenth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on February 22, 2019, and the band's first release on Inside Out Music. ''Distance over Time'' was announced alongside a tour of Nor ...
, also recording both concerts that were later released as
Distant Memories – Live in London
''Distant Memories – Live in London'' is the ninth live album and video by progressive metal band Dream Theater. Recorded on February 21 and 22, 2020, at the Hammersmith Eventim Apollo Theatre during their Distance over Time Tour, the setlist c ...
live DVD.
* On 3 October 2022, comedian
Louis C.K. performed at the Hammersmith Apollo, his first show in the UK since the controversy surrounding his sexual misconduct in 2017.
See also
*
''Live at the Apollo'' (TV series)
References
External links
*
Flickr photo set of the Apollo organ
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hammersmith Apollo
Music venues in London
Theatres in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Grade II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Art Deco architecture in London
Former cinemas in London
Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
Music venues completed in 1932
Theatres completed in 1932
20th-century architecture in the United Kingdom
1932 establishments in England