The Bandwagon Heavy Metal Soundhouse

ABOUT

The Bandwagon was a rock disco in the Prince of Wales pub at Kingsbury Circle, north-west London, where DJ Neal Kay played heavy metal records from 1975 and renamed the club the Heavy Metal Soundhouse. Kay moved the Soundhouse to the Music Machine in Camden in November 1980. The pub closed in 2004 and was demolished; a Tesco with flats above now stands on the site.

SIGNIFICANCE

Iron Maiden gave Neal Kay the demo they recorded on 30 and 31 December 1978, and he put 'Prowler' at the top of the club's heavy metal chart, which brought the band to the attention of Sounds. In November 1979 the band released three songs from the demo as The Soundhouse Tapes, naming the EP after the club.

MUSIC & CHARACTER

SOURCES

Details compiled from public sources. Run this venue? Get in touch to confirm or correct the listing.

1. https://camra.org.uk/pubs/prince-of-wales-kingsbury-125396 (official website)Supports: The pub closed in 2004, was demolished in 2007 and was replaced by a building with a Tesco on the ground floor and flats above.
2. https://democracy.brent.gov.uk/Data/Executive/20070312/Agenda/E%26C%20LDF%20Site%20Specific%20Allocations%20App.pdf (official website)Supports: By March 2007 the Prince of Wales at Kingsbury Circle had been demolished, with permission granted in 2005/06 for a 4-5 storey building of 44 flats.
3. https://pocketmags.com/metal-hammer-magazine/issue-344/articles/the-birth-of-nwobhm (news article)Supports: From 1975 DJ Neal Kay ran a heavy metal disco at the Bandwagon in the Prince of Wales pub in Kingsbury, which he renamed the Heavy Metal Soundhouse; the main room held about 700 people.
4. https://www.loudersound.com/features/iron-maiden-story-behind-soundhouse-tapes-ep-1979 (news article)Supports: Iron Maiden recorded a demo on 30 and 31 December 1978 and gave it first to Neal Kay, who put 'Prowler' at the top of the club's heavy metal chart, which brought the band to the attention of Sounds.
5. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Sounds/80s/80/Sounds-1980-11-08-S-OCR.pdf (news article)Supports: Neal Kay moved the Heavy Metal Soundhouse from Kingsbury to the Music Machine, Camden High Street, opening there on 9 November 1980; the Bandwagon carried on with other promoters.