Promoter and band manager Dan Maiden has put the Fiddler’s Elbow up for sale for £1.75 million after deciding to retire.
He took over the Kentish Town venue in 2009 with his partner Nancy Wise and over a 29-year involvement with the venue reckons he’s put on “thousands and thousands of bands”.
As the Fiddler’s Elbow, and under its previous name The Old Mother Shipton, the Grade II listed Victorian pub has been a launch pad for emerging artists – as well as a platform for bands of every musical stripe with The Pogues, The Damned, Imelda May, Frank Turner and James Bay among those who have played there.
“We are selling because we are retiring,” said Dan.
“It’s been the most amazing journey ever but we are getting old and we’ve been doing this a long time.
“We have never done it for the money but because we were passionate about importance of grassroots venues like ours to give musicians a platform, but also to allow sound and lighting technicians and promotors and door staff to learn their craft.”
He added that the upper two floors, which include five rooms and a large office, would be a potential opportunity to convert into flats while the downstairs could remain a music venue allowing someone new to “live their dream”.
Estate agent Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) is selling the venue at the corner of Malden Road and Prince of Wales Road and seeking “community minded investors, and supporters of grassroots culture to come together to protect its future”.
It is encouraging buyers who “share the community’s desire to see the venue retained as a cultural or social asset” – but add that The Fiddler’s could revert to being a regular pub.
George Gilpin of LSH said: “We expect strong interest in this iconic music venue from individuals eager to embark on an exciting new venture, whether continuing its current use, or converting it back into a traditional public house, with the opportunity presented by the upper floors.”
Dating back to 1846 the pub was originally called the Old Mother Shipton and became a 150 capacity music venue in the 1970s.
It was renamed in the 1990s, and is decked out with music posters, old vinyl records, and has a back bar with two-tone décor and a vintage 60s jukebox.
LHS say while the ground floor is home to the music venue “that plays a vital role in the local cultural scene” the “generous upper floors present a significant opportunity for refurbishment offering added commercial potential without compromising the venue’s identity”.
They say interest from developers considering a full-site redevelopment would need to consider local engagement from those who wish to see the building’s cultural legacy protected.
