The Hammersmith Apollo, located in Hammersmith, London, England, opened in 1932, and was known as "Gaumont Palace Hammersmith" until 1962. In this year, the venue was re-named the Hammersmith Odeon - the name many people still use for the venue, often shortened to "Hammy-O". The venue was later refurbished and re-named the Labatt's Apollo following a new sponsorship deal with Labatt's. Musical Theatre Star Michael Ball was the last person to play Hammersmith when it was named 'Odeon' and the first person to play Hammersmith when it was named 'Apollo'. This was during his sell out 1993 Tour. The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is a west London borough. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, approximately 5 miles (8km) west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen (King) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... Labatt Brewing Company Ltd. ...

Later, it was again re-named The Hammersmith Apollo, and played host to a number of stage productions, notably Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Doctor Dolittle, both starring Phillip Schofield. In 2002 the venue was again re-named, this time to the Carling Apollo after another brewery struck a deal with the owners, US-based Clear Channel Entertainment (spun off as Live Nation (Venues) UK Ltd in 2005). Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was the second musical theatre show written by the team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. ... Doctor Dolittle is the central character of a series of childrens books by Hugh Lofting. ... Phillip Schofield (born on April 1, 1962 in Oldham, Lancashire, England) is a British TV presenter and occasional actor and singer. ... For other uses, see Carling (disambiguation). ... Clear channel stations are AM radio stations that are designated as such so that only one or two 50,000 watt powerhouses operate at night on each designated frequency, covering a wide area via sky wave propagation. ...

In 2006, the venue reverted back to its former name, and is currently known as the Hammersmith Apollo.

Performances

It is as the Hammersmith Odeon that the venue is best known internationally, especially since Motörhead's 1981 live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith. Many rock and pop stars have performed at the Hammersmith Odeon, including Radiohead ,Kate Bush, Queen, Tori Amos, The Cult, The Tubes, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, The Cure, Tool, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Iggy and the Stooges,Status Quo, Elkie Brooks, Metallica, Marillion, The Who, Ozzy Osbourne, Rainbow, Deep Purple, Rush, Dire Straits, Venom, ABC (band), Nik Kershaw, Dream Theater and Duran Duran. David Bowie performed his final concert as Ziggy Stardust at the venue in July 1973. Bruce Springsteen's performances there in 1975 are also well known, as is Neil Young's performance there in the same year, when part of the venue caught fire. Johnny Cash performed at the venue in 1966. In late 1964 and early 1965 the Beatles played 38 shows over 21 nights. Special guests on the bill included the original Yardbirds featuring Eric Clapton. Also, Frank Zappa recorded parts of his 1979 album, Sheik Yerbouti, at the venue. Motörhead are a Grammy award-winning British heavy metal band formed in 1975 by bassist, singer and songwriter Lemmy (real name Ian Kilmister) after his ejection from the space-rock band Hawkwind. ... A live album is a musical recording containing recorded concert performances. ... No Sleep til Hammersmith was Motörheads first live album. ... Radiohead are an English alternative rock band formed in Oxfordshire in 1986. ... Kate Bush (born Catherine Bush 30 July 1958, Bexleyheath, Greater London) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. ... Queen are an English rock band, formed in 1970 in London by Brian May, Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor, with John Deacon joining the following year. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Cult are an English rock band. ... The Tubes are a San Francisco-based theatre rock band, popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s, known for their live performances that combined lewd quasi-pornography with wild satires of media, consumerism and politics. ... Thin Lizzy are a hard rock band who formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1969. ... AC/DC are a hard rock band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, Sussex in 1976, widely seen as one of the leading pioneers of the British alternative rock scene of the 1980s. ... Tool is an American progressive rock band, formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California, when drummer Danny Carey joined the rehearsal of his neighbor, singer Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones and bassist Paul dAmour, when nobody else would show up. ... Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from east London. ... For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... The Stooges 1969 debut Not to be confused with The Three Stooges. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder, 25 February 1945, in Salford) is a British singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. ... Metallica is a Grammy Award-winning American heavy metal band, formed in 1981,[1] which has become one of the most commercially successful musical acts of recent decades. ... Marillion are a British Rock group. ... It has been suggested that Bob Pridden be merged into this article or section. ... Ozzy Osbourne (born John Michael Osbourne, December 3, 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, England) is the lead vocalist of the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, a popular solo artist, and the star of the reality show, The Osbournes. ... Full featured double rainbow in Wrangell-St. ... This article is about the rock band. ... Rush is a Canadian rock band comprising bassist, keyboardist, and vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... ABC is an English New Romantic band that charted eleven Top 40 singles between 1981 and 1990. ... Nik Kershaw Nik Kershaw (born Nicholas David Kershaw on March 1, 1958) is an English singer-songwriter, popular during the 1980s. ... Dream Theater is a progressive metal band formed by three students at the Berklee College of Music in 1985. ... Duran Duran is a British pop/rock band notable for a long series of popular, hit singles and vivid music videos. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars is a 1972 concept album by David Bowie, praised as the definitive album of the 1970s by Melody Maker magazine. ... Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Neil Percival Young[1] OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and film director from Toronto, Ontario and Winnipeg, Manitoba. ... Johnny Cash (born J. R. Cash, February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American, multi Grammy Award-winning influential American country and rock and roll singer and songwriter. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... Yardbirds album cover The Yardbirds were an early British rock band, noted for spawning the careers of several of rock musics most famous guitarists, including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. ... Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945), nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award winning English guitarist, singer and composer, who is one of the most successful musicians of the 20th century,[1] garnering an unprecedented three inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... Frank Vincent Zappa[1] (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, guitarist, singer, film director, and satirist. ... Sheik Yerbouti is a double vinyl live album by Frank Zappa featuring material recorded in 1977 and 1978, released on March 3, 1979 (see 1979 in music) and re-issued on May 9, 1995 (see 1995 in music). ...

Randy Rhoads performed one of his first shows with new musical soulmate Ozzy Osbourne on the Blizzard of Ozz tour in 1980. Randall William Randy Rhoads (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982) was an American heavy metal guitarist who is best known for playing with Ozzy Osbourne. ... Ozzy Osbourne (born John Michael Osbourne, December 3, 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, England) is the lead vocalist of the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, a popular solo artist, and the star of the reality show, The Osbournes. ...

Venom accidentally burned Hammersmith's ceiling during performance, which event can be clearly seen in the 7 dates of hell concert video (during Countess Bathory). As a result, Venom was banned from Hammersmith for a year.

Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour performed three sold out shows at this venue on his 1984 About Face solo tour which was documented on the concert video David Gilmour Live 1984. Pink Floyd are an English rock band that earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their avant-garde progressive rock music. ... For the Canadian writer and television journalist, see David Gilmour (writer), for the British politician see David Gillmore. ... About Face is the second solo album of the Pink Floyd guitarist, David Gilmour, released in March 1984. ... David Gilmour Live 1984 is a film by David Gilmour from his tour from the album About Face for Europe. ...

Queen played several concerts at the Hammersmith, including their Christmas concerts in 1975 and 1979. In fact, the Hammersmith Odeon hosted the 4-night Concerts for the People of Kampuchea, a benefit concert to raise money for Cambodian residents who were victims of the tyrannical reign of dictator Pol Pot of which Queen played the first night. Queen are an English rock band, formed in 1970 in London by Brian May, Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor, with John Deacon joining the following year. ... Concerts for the People of Kampuchea was a series of concert and also is a double album from Wings, The Who, Queen, Elvis Costello, The Pretenders, The Clash and many more artists of the higlights from series of concerts in Hammersmith Odeon to raise money for the victims of Pol... A benefit concert is a concert featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. ... This page is about the religious concept of Tyranny. ... Dictator is originally the title of a magistrate in ancient Rome appointed by the Senate to rule the state in times of emergency. ... Saloth Sar (May 19, 1925–April 15, 1998), better known as Pol Pot (short for Politique Potentielle, French for potential politic), was the leader of the Khmer Rouge and the Prime Minister of Cambodia (officially renamed the Democratic Kampuchea during his rule) from 1976 to 1979, having been de facto...

Many bands have released live CDs or DVDs of concerts held at the Apollo, like pop-star Sophie Ellis-Bextor or Robbie Williams, and Kylie Minogue & Girls Aloud released DVDs of their concerts at the Apollo in 2004 and 2005 respectively, and a DVD of a Bruce Springsteen concert held there in 1975 was released as part of the Born to Run 30th Anniversary Edition package; later the CD Hammersmith Odeon London '75 was released. Melodic death metal band In Flames also released a DVD that featured footage of a December 2004 performance there. Comedian and actor Eddie Izzard's show Glorious was also released as a DVD. Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is a multi-platinum selling English pop singer and songwriter. ... Robbie Williams (born Robert Peter Williams on February 13, 1974) is a Grammy Award-nominated and fifteen time BRIT Award-winning English singer/songwriter. ... Kylie Ann Minogue (born 28 May 1968) is an Australian dance-pop singer-songwriter and occasional actress. ... Girls Aloud are a Smash Hits Poll Winners, TMF award-winning and BRIT Award-nominated English girl group created on ITV1 talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. ... Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Born to Run is a rock album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released in 1975 (see 1975 in music). ... Hammersmith Odeon London 75 is the fourth live album by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, released in 2006 (see 2006 in music). ... Melodic death metal, (also referred to as Gothenburg metal, melodeath, Scandinavian metal, and post-death) is a subgenre of death metal. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Edward John Eddie Izzard (born February 7, 1962) is an English[1] stand-up comedian and actor, known for his cross-dressing. ... Eddie Izzard performing live on Glorious. ...

In the early 1960s, many of the top American stars performed at the Odeon, including Tony Bennett with Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Woody Herman and the Herd. For other persons named Tony Bennett, see Tony Bennett (disambiguation). ... Ella Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), also known as Lady Ella and the First Lady of Song, is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century. ... Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (April 29, 1899–May 24, 1974) was an American jazz composer, pianist, and band leader who has been one of the most influential figures in jazz, if not in all American music. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ...

The Hammersmith Apollo is seen in the American romantic comedy film Just My Luck where McFly perform in which, in the movie, is the Hard Rock Cafe. It is also the location in The Football Factory where the Chelsea fans board the bus for Liverpool away. Just My Luck is a romantic comedy film starring Lindsay Lohan (The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday, and Mean Girls) and Chris Pine (The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement) released in the US on May 12th, 2006. ... McFly can refer to: McFly (band) Marty McFly, fictional character from the Back to the Future film trilogy, and his family, the McFly family. ... Promotional poster for The Football Factory The Football Factory is a 2004 English film, directed by Nick Love and starring Danny Dyer and Frank Harper. ...

Musical Theatre Star Michael Ball has performed at the Hammersmith Apollo on five occasions- each time selling out. His concerts in December 1993 and December 1994 were recorded by BBC Radio 2. He has also recorded his 2003 and 2007 concerts for DVD release.

External links

• Guide to events at Hammersmith Apollo