Having closed in 2019 and surviving a fire in January 2020, KOKO—which opened in 1900 and has been a theatre, cinema, filming location and music venue in the intervening years—will reopen its doors next week with a big Arcade Fire show.
It has been a refurbishment of monstrous proportions: £70m has gone into restoring the performance space, while a secret jazz bar and new 'Fly Tower' (once a secret store for pulleys and ropes) will stage further acts. A four-story members club, pizzeria and broadcasting area complete the space.
It's a shame that so much of the exquisite décor to be seen across the members-only House of KOKO will be enjoyed by the select few who can afford it, but the KOKO Foundation will at least donate 5% of profits made at the venue to local charities.
A big chunk of that elephantine budget must have surely gone into installing some of the best-respected staff at the location: Andreas Engberg moves to KOKO from La Petite Maison as Head Chef while the breathtaking art and photography collection has been curated by Katie Heller, formerly of Sotheby's and Soho House.
Head of Music Nick Lewis has much the same pedrigree: having spent the past fifteen years at Ronnie Scott's, he'll now head up programming for KOKO's main theatre, and its new jazz bar and Fly Tower.
Booked for its opening months so far are, among others: Central Cee, Lianne La Havas, Kim Gordon, Honey Dijon, Remi Wolf and Moses Sumney.
We caught up with Nick to hear more about how music is going to feed into KOKO's reopening...
Gigwise: What are some of your memories from Koko?
Nick Lewis: KOKO has always been a very important aspect of the independent music calendar. I've seen so many legendary gigs at KOKO over the years, from Quantic & Alice Russell, to Thundercat, to the late great Prince. Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards is a show I would never miss so I’m delighted it’s returning as one of our first relaunch events.
GW: What has your impression been of the community's love for the venue?
NL: Whether I'm talking to music industry colleagues, musicians, friends or Camden locals it’s always the same - the level of love for the venue is staggering (if unsurprising). Everyone has a story about seeing one of their favourite acts or having one of the best nights at KOKO – lots of unforgettable friendships and lifelong memories have been formed at the venue (like many independent venues around the country), which is why it’s more important than ever to protect these cultural spaces from closure.
GW: Obviously there will be a nod to the venue's history with The Goon Bar—how will you be honouring the history through the music programme and areas?
NL: It’s true there’s a rich artistic history that lives within this building from The Goon Show to Monty Python to Charlie Chaplin. We have hosted performances from some of the most iconic artists of our time: The Rolling Stones to Madonna, Kanye West to Dua Lipa to name a few. But there’s also a rich local history: Camden is synonymous with independent music so we have to honour that by supporting the hottest emerging and local talent in the main room as well as our new smaller stages.
GW: What are the priorities for the music team?
NL: We are working on a mix of eclectic and quality programming across all genres and we want to ensure we’re working with the local community and doing justice to the rich history of Camden.
GW: What kind of genres and acts will you be prioritising.
NL: We are booking a variety of acts across genres, however you will certainly find the best in indie/alternative, club culture and Black music within our programming, as well as heritage acts—as we always have done. Obviously, that doesn’t discount other genres but I think that’s the core of KOKO's spirit and ethos.
GW: What will you bring from your experience at Ronnie Scott's?
NL: The culture and community around jazz and improvised music in recent years has been inspirational, the young artists who have come out of that scene have supported each other on their way up and done it with style and a DIY ethic – many of those artists went from small support gigs to headline tours worldwide and prominent festival slots. It was a real privilege to be able to support that scene at Ronnie Scott's, and in the same vein I want to ensure KOKO helps nurture emerging and independent artists in our new spaces.
Giving acts key support slots and helping them to find their voice and grow their fan bases is an important part of my job. If KOKO can be a place where musicians feel comfortable to come and hang out then we’ll be fulfilling a very important purpose and can hopefully help spearhead future music movements.
GW: Where do you see KOKO in 50 years time?
NL: This is a building which has been through so many transitions over its 120-year history from Victorian theatre to the cinema to iconic club to iconic venue. I would hope that in 50 years' time it has continued to evolve as a leader in the live music space, a market leader in entertainment content online, and hopefully there’ll be extension of the brand into other territories.
I’m very interested in the future of hybrid events: we have probably seen 10 years evolution of hybrid events over the last two years with the pandemic and I think we’re not far off being able to offer a remote gig experience that rivals the real thing. Not long from now, I would be very surprised if someone in Hawaii couldn't logon and watch the KOKO show tonight in Camden remotely with their friends, purchase the limited-edition hoodie, have an interactive experience with the artist and do things not even possible at the physical gig.
GW: What are your favourite new elements and locations in KOKO?
NL: The main theatre is looking stunning after it’s meticulous restoration in consultation with Heritage England and the Victorian Society, it's exciting to give it back to the public. In the members' areas, the vinyl listening booths are a unique concept and as a vinyl junkie (nerd!) I can’t wait to drop the needle on a favourite album in there with a glass of something strong. The Dome cocktail bar is stunning and doesn’t fail to impress and lastly, shout out to Ellen’s: a live music room with a classic lounge feel...it will host the best local live music and DJ’s as well as impromptu artist shows.
KOKO reopens with a show by Arcade Fire on 29 April 2022.
