The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited the iconic 100 Club, London’s oldest grassroots music venue, to learn more about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected musicians and the music industry.
As part of their cultural tour of London on December 3rd, the royal couple spent the day learning how the pandemic has affected the arts and music industries, first with a visit to Soho Theatre and then the 100 Club.
During their visit to the 100 Club, the royal couple met with its owner and manager Jeff Horton, and co-manager Ruby Horton, and other music industry professionals. They then paid a visit to the Green Room, where musicians who have performed at the club have signed the walls there, and where they eventually added their own autographs.
The royal couple were also treated to a performance by Emily Capell and drummer Matt Cowley.
“It seems we really do get people from all walks of life down here at the venue,” the 100 Club wrote on their Facebook page. “We had our first official Royal Visit today from Prince Charles and Camilla to talk about the impact the Culture Recovery Fund has had across the UK.
“We were fortunate enough to receive funding from this package, but not every venue was. Music Venue Trust has highlighted those that need support during this time. We are looking forward to being able to reopen for a continuous run of gigs from the 11th of December with new and emerging artists as well as some classics too. A big thank you to our brilliant team for coming down today to talk about their perspective during the pandemic, and to the crew who make all of these events possible.”
The 100 Club has been the hub of grassroots music in London, run by four generations of the Horton Family, and has seen performances by iconic performers including Oasis, The Clash and BB King.
Since the pandemic, it has been highlighted by the Culture at Risk programme and has worked with London’s Night Czar to negotiate a “unique status for the venue with the council, reduce business rates to zero, and has also helped to keep rents down through direct liaison with the landlord.”
