WHAT WAS THE RED EYE?

Back in the 90s, Damim got their start there. Here’s your guide to a venue that spawned an entire underground scene…

Go on then – what was the red eye?

a small and unglamorous venue located between kings cross and angel islington. to quote spinal tap, “Don’t look for it; it’s not there anymore”, as it was closed early in the new millennium and converted into ‘luxury flats’ like much of london’s musical heritage. Before that, it was housed on the ground floor of a hotel that, as nathanael describes, “provided temporary privacy to couples that had not been formally introduced”. it was here that Damim/Dam played their very first show.

Why was it important for the British underground?

Back in the 90s, finding locations to play extreme metal was far less easy than today. as nathanael comments, “even though you could argue that there aren’t as many music venues today, there are nevertheless more music venues that will tolerate heavy metal and affiliated noise, and that means there’s actually more of a platform now.”

cheap to hire and to attend, the red eye allowed many bands from london and further afield to bring live shows to the dedicated fans. Being rather small, it was a natural home for newer bands who couldn’t access more famous venues such as the london astoria or Forum.

What’s the legacy of that scene?

the red eye helped launch many great english metal bands, perhaps most famously akercocke, whose association with the venue is fairly well documented. But also Damim, hecate enthroned, skaldic curse, heathen Deity, Brainchoke, as she screams, labrat and even electric Wizard and Dragonforce, who played their first show there under the name ‘Dragonheart’.