Conference City Sites: Soho
Not far from the Hilton London Metropole-site of the 2013 ICA Conference in London-are the major entertainment and tourist districts of the metropolis. Collectively, these are known as London's West End, as discussed in the March issue of the ICA Newsletter. There is, however, a distinct area of London which, while certainly an entertainment district, has long been known as a residence and hangout for artists, writers, and bohemians of all stripes-so well known, in fact, that similar districts in other world cities have appropriated its name. That name, of course, is Soho, located about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) southeast of the Hilton.
Soho was once Soho Fields-a hunting grounds for the Palace of Whitehall, then the primary residence for the monarchy. (The name Soho comes from an old hunter's call, similar to "Tally-ho.") However, Charles II included it in a large land grant to the Earl of St. Albans, who leased it for development. The intention of the developers was to create a luxurious residential settlement for aristocrats and other wealthy citizens. Instead, though, it became home to a wave of Huguenot refugees who had fled France because of religious persecution. By the 1690s, Soho was known as London's French quarter.
This wave, however, drove away most of the aristocrats who had bought property there, and the lesser resources of the Huguenot exiles (despite the extensive craft trade they built in Soho) meant that the district fell into decay by about 1720. Into the squalor came brothels, prostitutes, and street hustlers, as well as cheap music halls, theaters, and pubs, making Soho the entertainment hub for the common people of London. It was in the 19th century that the area became a home for bohemian artists and thinkers: Percy Shelley took lodgings on Poland Street after his 1811 expulsion from Oxford, and Franz Liszt and Karl Marx both lived in Soho in midcentury. Also during that time came an increasingly diverse group of new immigrants, making Soho one of the most multicultural areas of London.
In the 20th century, Soho became the locus of both the city's music scene and its gay culture, which it retains today-along with the densest concentration of bars, pubs, restaurants, and nightclubs in Great Britain. It is the city's cosmopolitan heart.
One holdout from the early days of Soho remains intact. Soho Square, near the district's northeastern corner, was built in the 1670s; the statue of King Charles II that was added shortly afterward still stands there, alongside a gardening shed built in the Elizabethan style. The grassy public park is a small reminder of the pasture land that Soho once was…and yet, the new Soho embraces it. The square hosts public concerts on summer days, and the buildings surrounding it house such offices as 20th Century Fox and Paul McCartney's holding company, MPL Communications. On the west side of Soho is another public square from the same era, but more evocative of the opulence with which the district was developed. Golden Square is a paved, Restoration-era plaza, probably designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the 1670s, but similarly fills every day with crowds of tourists and local workers. Like Soho Square it is now surrounded by modern media companies: Clear Channel, Sony Europe, and M&C Saatchi.
Between the squares, London arts and culture thrive. A block north of Golden Square is the foot of Carnaby Street. The pedestrianized street was the face of 1960s "Swinging London," and continues to be among the nerve centers of fashion in the city. Levi's, Diesel, and other international apparel outlets can be found there, along with British clothiers Merc and Pepe Jeans. (The Ben Sherman flagship store is at 50 Carnaby Street.) That said, the corridor is also a feast of small, independent clothing and accessory boutiques and design houses. Many of these are not on Carnaby itself, but the in alleys, courtyards, and backstreets that intersect with it, such as Ganton Street and Lowndes Court. It's best to walk Carnaby Street with a sharp eye.
The real high street of Soho, however, is Old Compton Street. A four-block, east-west route near the lower boundary of the district, it is lined from end to end with shops, bars, pubs, clubs, cafes, and restaurants of all varieties and ethnicities. Many of the clubs and bars are gay-oriented-Old Compton Street is also the epicenter of London's gay scene. (Don't worry about knowing which are the gay clubs: Most display rainbow-striped pride flags, and one of the most popular bears the subtle name of G-A-Y.) The most famous of these is the Admiral Duncan, a pub at 54 Old Compton Street. The venerable pub is considered an institution in the gay community, all the more since a right-wing terrorist's nail bomb exploded there in April 1999.
Still, it's the arts and entertainment community in Soho that gives the district its special character. Many of London's most successful and beloved theaters are in Soho, including perhaps the most famous in the entire United Kingdom, the London Palladium. Opened in 1910, it was the location of a highly successful TV program in the 1950s and '60s; the Beatles' 1963 appearance there was considered the beginning of "Beatlemania." Currently it is hosting production of A Chorus Line. On Old Compton Street is Prince Edward Theatre, a 1930 building that has also served as the London Casino and a cinema. The world premiere of Evita occurred there in 1978; the UK Jersey Boys has been running there since 2008. On Shaftesbury Avenue you'll find the Gielgud Theatre, built in 1906 and known as the Globe until 1994 when it was renamed for the legendary British actor Sir John Gielgud (and so as not to compete with Shakespeare's then-in-renovation venue). The 986-seat theatre has seen several historic productions, including many of Gielgud's, and is regarded as among the most beautiful in Britain. The day after ICA's conference ends, Saturday 22 June, the Gielgud opens a new production of Noel Coward's comedy Private Lives. These are merely the best known of the many, many theatres within the area.
Still, Soho gets most of its mileage from the music scene there. Denmark Street alone has enough musical outposts to be called "The British Tin Pan Alley." It was once the home of the famous Marquee Club, where bands like the Rolling Stones performed in their early days. Today, the best-known venue in Soho is probably Ronnie Scott's jazz club (more about which in the next issue of the Newsletter). But there are several other major landmarks for music in Soho. The 12 Bar Club, located on Denmark Street near the district's eastern flank, is a true hole-in-the-wall-a beloved one. It's also tiny, with a capacity of 100 patrons, creating an intimate atmosphere, and its palette is legendarily vast. On a night-to-night basis, one can see R&B, punk rock, folk singer-songwriters, indie-pop, dance deejays, and even chamber classical music. Another eclectic venue, The 100 Club, has sat on Oxford Street for over 70 years, and during that time has hosted a gamut of artists ranging from Louis Armstrong to the Clash.
Nearby, just off Soho Square, is The Borderline, another well-loved club best known as a country and folk music venue. That's folk music of all kinds, though American and British folk are particularly popular there, with REM and Billy Bragg both being among its past performers. For hard rock fans, the best bet is The Intrepid Fox. It's a pub first and foremost-but a rocking one, a grungy room filled with heavy metal and goth décor, including staffers in all-black clothes and makeup. But the drinks are well stocked, and the music is loud and fun.
In spite of all this, however, it's the people who live, work, and move about Soho that make the district. As this article was being prepared, ICA Executive Director Michael Haley, in London to finalize details of the conference, noted that he had spent part of an evening in Soho. "You can find a café on one of the back streets there," he says, "and be incredibly entertained and fascinated just by sitting down and watching the people going by." Surely, Soho needs no greater endorsement.