What's happening at the Ivy House

[Nunhead Matt]

I see it's under new management - again. Has there been a refurb? Please tell me the gold lam? curtains are still there

[Huggers]

lame curtains still there, theatre still there but painted a deep edwardian plush red, with the addition of a glamorous dressing room for the thespians and musicians and the pool room has lovely cosy sofa and chairs.

[skidmarks]

This was posted on the Nunhead forum over the weekend

Hello Nunhead!

I'm Charlie, I have taken over The Ivy House. The rumours are true - most of them. My brothers and I have come from The Alma in Crystal Palace, and our aim is to restore The Ivy House to its former glory as a prestigious live music and events venue.

Apologies for the silence so far - there's been a lot to do, but it is certainly not our intention to neglect the indigenous Nunheadites ( or is it Nunheadians? Nunheadonists?).

The Pull The Other One comedy night is safe - it's the best comedy and cabaret night in South London and we'd be mad to scrap it. Stewart Lee is appearing at the next one on Friday 28th May about which I'm very excited.

We have scheduled a programme of events which is intended to offer something for most. Highlights include Sunday Best signed, spoken word young starlet Kate Tempest's new band The Sound of Rum. Also booked is an 18 piece traditional big band - King Groovy and the Hornstars with support from two 15 person choirs. Anarchic Brixton band Alabama 3 (of The Sopranos theme tune fame) are also booked for the end of May.

I tried to attach our listings poster for May here but it's a little too big for the forum. Our new website is going live any day now www.ivyhouselondon.com and will have up to date listings and news, or there'll be a poster on the outside of the pub.

Initially it is our intention to open only for events. The thinking behind this is that we want to have a definite break from what went before. We went to several events before we took over and decided that the pub had a slightly conflicted personality. It had an amazing stage and function room but anyone brave enough to attempt to do something interesting with it had to brave the front bar where people were there for a traditional pub and didn't always welcome the distraction.

If the pub was working, and there were enough regulars to sustain it, then I wouldn't be writing this now and The Ivy House would work as a local's pub. As we see it though, the special thing about The Ivy House is the stage and space in the live room. This is why, for the first month at least, we will only open for events. When it is understood that the unique space at The Ivy House is its reason for being and not just a back room stuck on the front bar, then we will open daily to regulars who are sympathetic to events.

In the meantime there's an amazing space available during the week for local community events / rehearsals / meetings. If anyone's interested in using it, please get in touch. And if any local promoters want to put on a night, we're very receptive to ideas.

Lastly but most importantly, I'd like to apologise to any near neighbours who were disturbed by the music from our launch night yesterday. We are part way through a sound insulation project to contain noise break out. We are acutely aware that if this venture is to be a success, then we need the support of the local community and upsetting anyone on our first proper night is the last thing we wanted to do.

We've already put a lobby on the back fire escape to contain the noise. We are also going to secondary glaze all the windows on the front and back of the pub. We are going to build a smoking shelter specifically designed to contain the sound from smokers and limit their congregation by not allowing them to take drinks out after a certain time. For any events that take place before the sound insulating is complete, I will personally do a walk around the entire building at regular intervals to ensure noise breakout is at a minimum.

I intend to check this forum regularly, and if the moderators don't object, post listings information.

Bye for now,

Charlie

[dennis]

Nice one Charlie, this was my dream for when I won the lottery.

Good luck hope you can make it work it could be fantastic.

[alice]

couldn't you get another entry door for the club - used to be my local when i worked round the corner.

[skidmarks]

This is the thread you need to post your questions to

http://nunheadforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?2,824

[Sue]

Really pleased to see this, we considered the Ivy House for The Goose Is Out! when we were kicked out of the EDT, but the noise from the punters in the front bar would have been a problem during quiet sets.

It's a great venue, lots of luck with it.

[pablogrande]

skidmarks Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> This is the thread you need to post your questions

> to

>

> http://nunheadforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?2,824

yeah go and play up your own end

[vivienne]

Pull The Other One's Monthly Comedy club specializing in Variety and Extravagance has been running for two years now At THE IVY HOUSE,40 Stuart Rd SE15 3BE

This Varietous evening held on the final Friday of each month is the comedy love child of a local couple who bill themselves as Pierrette S'Cobaz and The Invisible Man ..

They have, without the aid of a budget or safety net, committed themselves to creating an evenings entertainment that they themselves would wish to attend. It appears their taste is widely shared.

To date,purely through good old fashioned word of mouth and some rather ingenious (if not slightly Edwardian) advertizing including dedicated leafleting of local commuters, use of cycles and van hoardings. The "Pull The Other One" variety night has attracted a healthy local audience who have had the pleasure of experiencing over the last two years:

Arthur Smith,

Omid Djahlili,

Simon Munnery,

Felix Dexter

Boothby Graffoe

Owen O'Neill,

Earl Okin

Kevin Eldon as Paul hamilton

John Hegley & Andrew Bailey

Tom Binns as Ivan Brackenbury

Oram and Meeten

Phil Nichol,

Nick Revell,

Otiz Cannelloni

Wingnut

Dominic Holland

Inder Manocha

The Great Voltini

all performing amongst a myriad of Speciality, Variety and Downright pure New Talent (most of it local).

Next Month on the 28th May Stewart Lee, one of the finest comedians this country's ever produced, Mr Time Out Top Ten himself, the creator of ?Jerry Springer: The Opera? will be performing alongside Matthew Robins' delicate episodic operatic shadow puppet act "Flyboy contemplates his own death"

In July Arthur Smith will be returning and after the summer break John Hegley has accepted an invitation to return in September by popular demand. contact [email protected] for more info and reservations:)-D

[nikkis]

In answer to the question What's Happening at the Ivy House - the answer is dancing! - well this Saturday night anyway.

Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet! ( www.haventstoppeddancingyet.co.uk ) - is a new South London club night featuring 70's & 80's soul,funk and disco - for people who remember the tunes first time round and still want to party.

We had a fabulous launch night over in Greenwich back in March and we are so looking forward to strutting our funky stuff in the newly re-opened Ivy House this weekend.

Our nights are much more than just a disco with a dance line-up at 9pm to get you into the groove plus a live set from our own divine Ms Hebe Jones .. Oh and you get retro sweets too!

Tickets are ?10 in advance ( from Wegottickets.com - available until 6pm on Sat - or call 0796 716 3247 ) and ?15 on the door.

Hope to see you on the dancefloor,

Nikki

[h1981]

I've checked out the "new" Ivy House a couple of times since its re-opening. Two excellent nights of music. One a dynamic one-man-blues-band called Dollar Bill (free on a Sunday), and another, last Friday, the Egyptian Bop (four quid), featuring a couple of indie/garage type bands, a big-sounding duo from France via East London called Helium and Eggs and an all-girl trio from Japan via Hackney called No Cars. Very friendly new management too. With good publicity (a la the "Pull the other one" comedy night) and continuing good music, the opportunity really is there for the Ivy House to revisit past live music glories.

Oh, anyone know if Hugh Metcalfe's monthly Klinker evening survived the cut...or had he already curtailed his trips south of the river prior to new management?