The Fighting Cocks
The venue in 2016
Map
Address57 Old London Rd
Kingston upon Thames
England
Coordinates51°24′37″N 0°17′58″W / 51.4103°N 0.2995°W / 51.4103; -0.2995
Public transitKingston railway station – Travel Card Zone 6
TypeMusic hall
Productionrock and roll, punk, metal, ska, alternative, rockabilly, electro, comedy and cabaret performances
Construction
Built1891
Years active1930 – present
Website
TheFightingCocks.co.uk

The Fighting Cocks is a music venue built prior to 1890[1][2] active since the 1930s and located in Kingston upon Thames, the administrative centre of the Royal Borough of Kingston, southwest London, England.[3][4][5][6] It specializes in rock and roll, punk, metal, folk,[7] ska, alternative, rockabilly, electro, comedy, and cabaret performances.[8] It was conspicuous for hosting touring jazz acts[9] in the late 1930s and in the 1940s.[10][11][12] It is now a standard on the London live circuit.[13] It was a popular watering hole, and host to many jam sessions including such artists as Eric Clapton, Shirley Collins,[14] Frank Turner, Gallows, The Stupids,[15] June Tabor[16] and The Rolling Stones. Since 1992, it is also a live-audience training platform and term assessments venue for Kingston University's drama and music students.[17][18][19]

History

Unsigned, underground, as well as established artists have been invited to perform. The last management of the Cocks opened its doors in 2000. The Fighting Cocks is cooperating with Banquet Records promoters based a few minutes walk away in the town centre, formerly part of the Beggars Banquet Records retail chain. Banquet Records is also home to Gravity DIP music management.[20]

Comedy performers

The music venue has a long history of comedy performers especially since it has transformed into the award-winning Outside the Box comedy night on Mondays.[21] Comedians who have performed there include:[22]

Comedy couple Lucy Beaumont and Jon Richardson first met one another at the Kingston venue's weekly comedy night.[26]

Music performers

Past performers include:

Performers Country Performers Country
Andrew Koji Shiraki United States : United States Polar Norway : Norway
Crossfaith Japan : Japan The Peacocks Switzerland : Switzerland
Cancer Bats Canada : Canada Fucked Up Canada : Canada
Gay for Johnny Depp United States : United States New Found Glory United States : United States
The Stupids England : England The Flatliners Canada : Canada
Frank Turner England : England Hundred Reasons England : England
Lower Than Atlantis England : England Rolo Tomassi England : England
Voodoo Glow Skulls United States : United States Marmozets England : England
Guttermouth United States : United States Johnny Foreigner England : England
Gnarwolves England : England Lonely The Brave England : England
The Menzingers United States : United States The Skints England : England
Against Me! United States : United States Every Time I Die United States : United States
Polar Bear Club United States : United States Strung Out United States : United States
The Unseen United States : United States Municipal Waste United States : United States
Teenage Bottlerocket United States : United States Star Fucking Hipsters United States : United States
Four Year Strong United States : United States Knuckle Puck United States : United States
Cerebral Ballzy United States : United States Walter Schreifels United States : United States
H20 United States : United States Letlive United States : United States
Terror United States : United States Madball United States : United States
The Blackout Wales : Wales Time Again United States : United States
Anti-Flag United States : United States The Hard Ons Australia : Australia
Hot Club De Paris England : England Gallows England : England
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly England : England The King Blues England : England
Jim Jones and The Righteous Mind England : England Young Guns England : England
Drenge England : England The Wedding Present England : England
Blood Red Shoes England : England Blitz Kids England : England
Capdown England : England Sonic Boom Six England : England
Wargasm England : England Therapy? Northern Ireland

[27]

The Fighting Cocks on film

The Fighting Cocks was featured as a filming location in Season 2 of Disney's Loki television series. In it, Hiddleston’s Loki catches up with his old star-crossed lover Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) to discuss a return to the Time Variance Agency. Regulars might be perplexed by the décor: the pub is actually standing in for a watering hole in 1980s Oklahoma – though the leopard print and pool table will ring some definite bells. The pub has put a plaque down to mark where the God of Mischief once propped up the bar and sipped a bourbon. [28]

Sources

  1. ^ A Pictorial and Descriptive Guide to London and Its Environs. Ward, Lock & Company, limited. 1913.
  2. ^ The General Evening Post: 1758. 1758.
  3. ^ Carr, Anne (11 August 2015). Linked: Stories from One of a Family's Parts. FriesenPress. ISBN 978-1-4602-6838-4.
  4. ^ Finny, William Evelyn St Lawrence (1902). The Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames, Ancient and Modern, with Notes Upon Surbiton and Its Surroundings ... Homeland Association.
  5. ^ Bibbings, Lois S. (26 March 2014). Binding Men: Stories About Violence and Law in Late Victorian England. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-30970-1.
  6. ^ Ltd (Londres), Ward, Lock & Co (1819). A Pictorial and Descriptive Guide to London and Its Environs: With Two Large Section Plans of Central London... Ward, Lock & Company, Limited.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ The Folk Directory. English Folk Dance and Song Society. 1979.
  8. ^ Sampson, June (1972). The Story of Kingston. Michael Lancet. ISBN 978-0-900245-04-6.
  9. ^ Larkin, Colin (2004). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz. Virgin. ISBN 978-1-85227-183-1.
  10. ^ The Folk Directory. English Folk Dance and Song Society. 1979.
  11. ^ Briain, Dara O. (1 October 2009). Tickling the English. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-0-14-193257-6.
  12. ^ Howe, Zoe; Whitby, Michele; Platt, John; Way, Gina; Davis, Peter (3 December 2013). The British Beat Explosion: Rock 'n' Roll Island. Aurora Metro Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1-906582-52-4.
  13. ^ "Fighting Cocks pub: fears over its closure allayed as development plans reveal music venue will be even bigger". Surrey Comet. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  14. ^ Collins, Shirley (2018). All in the Downs: Reflections on Life, Landscape and Song. MIT Press. ISBN 978-1-907222-41-2.
  15. ^ Allen, Carl (15 April 2016). London Gig Venues. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-4456-5820-9.
  16. ^ Bean, J. P. (4 March 2014). Singing from the Floor: A History of British Folk Clubs. Faber & Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-30546-9.
  17. ^ Richardson Andrews, Charlotte (10 June 2014). "The gig venue guide: the Fighting Cocks, Kingston upon Thames". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  18. ^ Chilton, John (1 May 2004). Who's Who of British Jazz: 2nd Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8264-2389-4.
  19. ^ Larkin, Colin (2000). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Brown, Marion - Dilated Peoples. MUZE. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
  20. ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (28 September 1985). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ((cite book)): |last= has generic name (help)
  21. ^ McGillivray, David (1994). McGillivray's Theatre Guide. Rebecca Books. ISBN 978-0-9518922-2-0.
  22. ^ "Tim Vine: 'I sang karaoke in New Malden on my own' | Your Local Guardian". 26 September 2018. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  23. ^ Briain, Dara O. (1 October 2009). Tickling the English. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-0-14-193257-6.
  24. ^ "Kingston Performers". OutsideTheBoxComedy.co.uk. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  25. ^ "Reginald D Hunter to headline comedy night in Kingston as well as TWO New Year's Eve shows". Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  26. ^ Bennett, Steve. "Lucy Beaumont: My bizarre first date with Jon Richardson : Punching Up 2021 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  27. ^ Kevan (16 April 2018). "Fighting Cocks History". PubsHistory.com. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  28. ^ Semlyen, Phil de (6 November 2023). "Tom Hiddleston has claimed this London pub for the Marvelverse". Time Out London. Retrieved 7 January 2024.

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