The Nashville Rooms

ABOUT

The Nashville Rooms was a music room in a pub at 171 North End Road, West Kensington. It opened in March 1969 as a country music venue, booked rock bands from 1975 and closed as a music venue in July 1980. The building is now The Famous Three Kings, a sports pub.

SIGNIFICANCE

On 3 April 1976 the Sex Pistols supported Joe Strummer's band the 101ers there; Strummer later said that after seeing the Sex Pistols he realised the 101ers were 'yesterday's papers', and his next band was The Clash. Later that April a fight at a Sex Pistols gig at the Nashville, involving Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, made the front cover of Melody Maker.

MUSIC & CHARACTER

SOURCES

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

1. https://democracy.lbhf.gov.uk/documents/g6525/Public%20reports%20pack%2012th-Feb-2019%2019.00%20Finance%20Commercial%20Revenue%20and%20Contracts%20Policy%20Account.pdf?T=10 (official website)Supports: The site of the Nashville Rooms is now The Famous Three Kings pub.
2. https://famousthreekings.co.uk/ (official website)Supports: The pub was rebuilt in 1902 as The Three Kings and is now The Famous Three Kings sports pub at 171 North End Road, W14 9NL.
3. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-summer-of-sex-284145.html (news article)Supports: In April 1976 a photograph of a fight at a Sex Pistols gig at the Nashville, involving Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm McLaren, audience members and all four band members, was on the front cover of Melody Maker.
4. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/music-from-joe-strummers-preclash-days-to-be-released-530906.html (news article)Supports: Strummer said that after seeing the Sex Pistols he realised the 101ers were 'yesterday's papers'; his next band was The Clash.
5. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/06/sex-pistols-early-photographs-pt-madden (news article)Supports: On 3 April 1976 the Sex Pistols supported Joe Strummer's band the 101ers at the Nashville; it was the Pistols' second appearance there.
6. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1971/Billboard%201971-11-13.pdf (news article)Supports: The Nashville Room opened in March 1969 as a country music venue.
7. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Melody-Maker/80s/80/Melody-Maker-1980-07-19.pdf (news article)Supports: The Albion Agency booked rock at the Nashville from 1975, when it stopped being a country music venue; the Nashville closed as a music venue in July 1980, with Wilko Johnson's Solid Senders as the last band.