Thursday, March 18, 2010

Where the streets have some names

Last Thursday Google Street View went national, covering an estimated 95% of the country. And yes, yes, privacy and all that, but what's a few loitering people and zooms into people's windows when it gives us the opportunity to accurately map out Britain in gig venues?

And it's all there somewhere, from Inverness Ironworks down to Southampton Joiners Arms and all points in between. Yeah, you could search out the O2 Arena or the MEN Arena, but that's no fun when also out there on sidestreets and next to takeaways are the great names from the touring longeurs. The former Oxford Zodiac had been turned into an Academy by the time the camera car and big tripod had visited, but some stand proud, and had you ever wondered, you now know what the locale is like around actual former public toilet Tunbridge Wells Forum, Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms, Northampton Roadmender or the daddy, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. The time it's taken to send this national also means a few that have just bitten the dust get in - here's Leicester Charlotte, finally closed Saturday just gone and about to become affordable student housing. (Although obviously it's at Firebug where everything happens in that city) And this is the less than cliche-welcoming location of Kingston-upon-Thames' celebrated New Slang nights.

Thanks to everyone on Drowned In Sound and Twitter (especially Eddie Another Form Of Relief for Tunbridge Wells) for locating some of these.
Any further, especially in London (or Bedford Esquires, for which Street View pointed to a chartered accountants, are welcomed. But if you're leaving comments, please use is.gd or tinyurl or something.

1 comment:

dunc said...

Don't forget The Jug :)

http://is.gd/aNPw5