“The basement had the punks, the ground floor used to be the skins, and outside was mods,” says Duncan Armstrong and is interrupted by a jukebox exploding to life next to him.

He reaches across to shut it off, and continues. “Everyone had to go to the bar en masse, or you got lynched. There was chicken wire on the bar in the basement to stop the bar staff getting killed. It’s much more conducive to a fun environment now!”

Armstrong is the manager of the Hope and Anchor, the unchanging landmark on Upper Street. He’s worked at the pub for ten years, and has been manager for five. He’s part of the history of the venue, but he’s got a lot to compete against.

There’s a signed Specials poster above the fruit machines in the ground floor pub, and listening to Armstrong name-check the bands who came through the doors, it’s hardly a surprising artefact.

“U2 and Joy Division had their first ever London gigs here,” says Armstrong (U2 was misnamed The U2s in the flyers - bet they loved that...). “The Specials, the Buzzcocks, Joe Strummer and the 101ers. The Stranglers recorded an album down here. Annie Lennox. The Tourists. Ian Drury and the Blockheads…”

The pub has been around since 1883, but despite its 1970s punk heritage – and its position as a leading venue for ‘pub rock’ - it lost its music license and became a squat. Reopened in the 90s, it has quickly established itself once again as a live rock venue.

Armstrong takes us downstairs, the stairwells covered with punk memorabilia and signed photos. It’s hard to believe the basement – you could charitably call it intimate and less charitably, tiny – has been host to such landmark gigs. In its heyday, it had no fire door, and a photo above the bar shows it completely packed out.

“The Blockheads – minus Ian Drury, obviously, was pretty good, says Armstrong when asked to name some favourite gigs. “The Libertines a few years back, which was fairly shambolic. Pete Doherty on his own – that was mayhem! People were breaking open the cellar doors to get in! He left his guitar here when he was totally hammered.”
Sounds about right.

Where? 207 Upper Street N1 1RL 020 7354 1312
Web? http://www.bugbearbookings.com/pages/ha.htm
How? Tube: Highbury and Islington (Victoria Line) Buses: 4, 19, 30, 43, N19, N41
Founded? 1883
Atmosphere? Pub above, punk below
Pint? £2.80