The Kashmir Klub

The Kashmir Klub was a non-profit making, live music club housed in the basement of a restaurant and bar called "Fabrizio" at the "Baker and Oven" located at No 6 Nottingham Place, central London, England. It was open from 1997 to 2003.

The club was started in November 1997 by musician and early Iron Maiden member Tony Moore to provide a different approach to discovering, developing and promoting the best signed and unsigned artists available, and to create a "fertile, creative and spontaneous" atmosphere. The name was inspired by the Led Zeppelin track "Kashmir". Moore loved the track and also the band. He said "It seemed to me that Led Zeppelin covered nearly every genre of music in their time, from rock to acoustic. So I thought "The Kashmir Klub" would be perfect."

No one paid an entrance fee, no artists were paid for their performance, or had to pay to play, and the organisers were not paid a wage for doing it, except for a sound engineer whose pay was funded by a 10% cut of bar takings. The equipment in the club was sponsored and given by commercial companies. There was also a strict "No talking during the music" policy. Moore, who hosted the events, commenced each show with the statement "As you've noticed there's no cover charge. All you have to pay is attention."

Originally open on Tuesday nights, the club expanded to run from Tuesday through Friday nights, as well as occasional Monday and Saturday evenings for special events. It was described by The Sunday Times in 2000 as "the coolest club in town."

The shows had a set format, with the artist performing two songs in the first set, followed by another two in a second set later in the evening. Sets would be acoustic and 'stripped back'.

On Tuesday, January 25, 2000 The Kashmir Klub, in conjunction with BMI, also began a monthly webcast showcase of BMI writers and artists live from London.

The club was known for championing artists early in their career, and various singers such as Paolo Nutini, KT Tunstall and Damien Rice. The club had famous artists ‘drop in’ and play unannounced including Sheryl Crow, Belinda Carlisle, Kiki Dee and Muse.

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Wikipedia