Scala (club)
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| Scala | |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | King's Cross, London |
| Type | Nightclub |
| Years active | 1999 — present |
| Capacity | 1,145 |
| Website | www.scala-london.co.uk |
Scala is a nightclub in London, England, near King's Cross railway station.
The Scala was originally built as a Cinema to the designs of H Courtney Constantine, but construction was interrupted by the First World War and it spent some time being used to manufacture aircraft parts, and as a labour exchange for demobilised troops before opening in 1920 as the King's Cross Cinema.[1] The cinema changed hands and names several times through its life and also changed focus, ranging from main-stream to art-house to adult film over 70 years, as well as spending a short time a a primatarium.
In the summer of 1972, the Scala (then known as the King's Cross Cinema) played host to the one and only UK concert by Iggy & The Stooges (who were in London recording the album Raw Power.) All photographs later featured in the Raw Power album sleeve (including the famous cover shot) were taken that night during the show.
In the early 1990s London's popular Scala Film Club showed the film "A Clockwork Orange" without permission from Stanley Kubrick or Warner Brothers. At Kubrick's insistence Warners sued and won. As a result the Scala was almost bankrupt and closed in 1993, however, the club was re-opened in 1999. The cinema had been refitted, with the lower seating area incorporating the new stage, DJ booth and dancefloor, while the upper seating area incorporated a second room and a DJ booth.
In 2006 Daniel Ross was shot and killed on the dance floor, only a couple of the ~1000 patrons came forward as witnesses. [2]
Scala now plays host to many eclectic club nights, including Popstarz, and has featured live music acts including Deftones, Outlandish, London Elektricity, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Moby, Wheatus, Sheryl Crow, Super Furry Animals, The Chemical Brothers and Avril Lavigne.
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[edit] External links
| Major London nightclub venues |
|---|
|
Astoria • Astoria 2 • Electric Ballroom • The End • Fabric • The Fridge • KOKO • Marquee Club • Ministry of Sound • Scala • Turnmills |
