London’s House of Vans announces closure
London is losing another one of its most famous venues. Yesterday, on November 23rd, it was announced that House of Vans is closing its doors permanently in early December.
A short statement posted on the venue’s Instagram confirmed the news: “After 8 years of unforgettable memories, on December 10th House Of Vans London is closing its doors”.
The statement continued: “The time has come to grow our presence in other cities too and you will be hearing more from us soon. We have a packed schedule until then, so come and join us for one last dance.”
The small space, located in Waterloo’s Arches, is sponsored by the iconic skate brand Vans and has had a plethora of events take place there, from intimate, one-off gigs to fashion-oriented shows. Added to the live music, the venue also features a cinema area, gallery, cafe and bars. Aside from the live music, though, House of Vans is lauded as one of the hot spots of the London skate scene, drawing in skaters from the nearby Southbank skate park.
One of the venue’s most notable recent shows came this summer when Anderson .Paak played a free gig in celebration of his new collection with the brand. A host of other prominent artists have also played at the venue, including Foo Fighters in 2014 under the name The Holy Shits, which was one of three small UK club gigs. Then, in 2016, thrash metal pioneers Metallica played as part of the tour for their record Hardwired… To Self-Destruct.
Reacting to the Instagram post, skateboarder Marc Churchill said: “Absolutely gutted and saddened to see this. Thank you for having me involved on so many levels, and thank you to each and every member of staff who provided such a great service to all who ambled the arches.”
Meanwhile, Los Angeles punks Bad Religion commented simply with a crying emoji.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.