"Pub where Britpop born closes down
The Laurel Tree, the backstreet pub in Camden Town that was at the centre of the Britpop explosion of the early '90s, has closed.
The spit-and-sawdust venue in Bay-ham Street, a former favourite of bands like Blur, Elastica, Suede and Pulp, attracted round-the-corner queues in the early '90s for its regular northern soul and Mod night, Blow Up. Entire coachloads of Mods from Southend would visit on a weekly basis.
The Laurel Tree's fortunes began to wane when Blow Up moved to a larger, more central venue, the Wag Club in Soho, and last year Camden Council's safety inspectors ruled that the narrow stairs to its upstairs room were a danger and could not be used. The council's licensing committee also reduced its opening hours, after complaints about noise from local residents."