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Adams Arms (London - Camden)

Contains 3 collection items, 13 performances, 16 in total. Currently showing 16 in total.

4 Conway Street, London W1T 6BB

Apples and Snakes' first venue (Oct-Dec 1982). A&S sprang from the activities of a South London writers' collective called Worthless Words, who had staged shows (featuring group-members) at various venues from the late 1970s onwards. The change to Apples and Snakes was accompanied by two new policies: to use just one venue - preferably in central London - and to concentrate on booking poets who were not part of the collective. The upstairs room of the Adams Arms initially seemed ideal, although it only took three months for attendance to outgrow capacity, and A&S moved to the Roebuck.

The Adams Arms is now called The Lukin. You can read more about its exciting history on the Darkest London website.

  • Attila the Stockbroker, Pete Murry, Ian Reid, Glenn Smith, Outbar Squeek

    Attila the Stockbroker, Pete Murry, Ian Reid, Glenn Smith, Outbar Squeek

    Sat 2 Oct 1982 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
    The first Apples and Snakes show. Headlined by probably the then-best-known name on the live poetry circuit, supported by various alumni of Worthless Words, the writers’ collective that spawned A&S in the first place. Glenn Smith later performed under the name Markus Jahn.
  • Benjamin Zephaniah, Belinda Blanchard, Emile Sercombe, Take It

    Benjamin Zephaniah, Belinda Blanchard, Emile Sercombe, Take It

    Sat 9 Oct 1982 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
    The second A&S show, and the first to feature the already-established Zephaniah. Also the first to feature Belinda Blanchard, who was destined to be something of an early A&S favourite; and Emile Sercombe, a member of the pre-A&S collective Worthless Words and another cornerstone of these early bills.
  • Fran Landesman, Patric Cunnane, Berni Cunnane, Sonia Pascall, Martin Brown

    Fran Landesman, Patric Cunnane, Berni Cunnane, Sonia Pascall, Martin Brown

    Sat 16 Oct 1982 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
    Contrary to the wording of the flyer, the Cunnanes were not performing as a Carpenteresque brother-sister act. They did separate sets.
  • Staunch Poets & Players, Chris Cardale, Julian Pearce

    Staunch Poets & Players, Chris Cardale, Julian Pearce

    Sat 23 Oct 1982 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
  • Controlled Attack, Mark Steel, In and Out

    Controlled Attack, Mark Steel, In and Out

    Sat 30 Oct 1982 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
    This is the Mark Steel. He was a member of Worthless Words, the precursors of Apples and Snakes. Controlled Attack included later A&S solo performer Alan Gilbey.
  • Kevin Coyne, Owen O'Neill, Spartacus R, Sheri Laizer

    Kevin Coyne, Owen O'Neill, Spartacus R, Sheri Laizer

    6 Nov 1982 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
    Apparently a memorable night, thanks to a typically frenetic performance by Kevin Coyne.
  • Joolz, Patrik Fitzgerald, Michael Belbin, Slade the Leveller

    Joolz, Patrik Fitzgerald, Michael Belbin, Slade the Leveller

    Sat 13 Nov 1982 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
    Debuts by future A&S regulars Joolz and Slade, and a welcome appearance by punk maverick Fitzgerald.
  • African Dawn, Tilt, Knife in the Light

    African Dawn, Tilt, Knife in the Light

    Sat 20 Nov 1982 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
  • Seething Wells, Little Dave, Anne Clark, Kevin Hewick

    Seething Wells, Little Dave, Anne Clark, Kevin Hewick

    Sat 27 Nov 1982 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
  • Heathcote Williams, Tongue Circus, Rory McLeod

    Heathcote Williams, Tongue Circus, Rory McLeod

    Sat 4 Dec 1982 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
  • Michèle Roberts, Michelene Wandor, Barbara Beckmann, Ana & the Allsorts

    Michèle Roberts, Michelene Wandor, Barbara Beckmann, Ana & the Allsorts

    11 December 1982 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
  • Little Brother, Andy P, Pete Zero, Stace the Face

    Little Brother, Andy P, Pete Zero, Stace the Face

    18 December 1982 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
  • Birthday Party

    Birthday Party

    15 November 2003 at 
    Adams Arms (London - Camden) (16)
  • Video recording of A&S 21st Birthday Party pt I

    Video recording of A&S 21st Birthday Party pt I

    15 November 2003
    Mini-DV tape of first part of multi-poet performance at the Adams Arms, in celebration of Apples & Snakes’ 21st birthday.
  • Video recording of A&S 21st Birthday Party pt II

    Video recording of A&S 21st Birthday Party pt II

    15 November 2003
    Mini-DV tape of second part of multi-poet performance at the Adams Arms, in celebration of Apples & Snakes’ 21st birthday.
  • Video recording of A&S 21st Birthday Party pt III

    Video recording of A&S 21st Birthday Party pt III

    15 November 2003
    Mini-DV tape of third part of multi-poet performance at the Adams Arms, in celebration of Apples & Snakes’ 21st birthday.
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