The story behind Finsbury Park's The Night Owl

The Night Owl will be celebrating its second birthday this month – Miriam Balanescu finds out more about the venue and its place in Finsbury Park’s live music tradition

When asked where the hub for live music is in the borough, many would say Harringay and Hornsey, where cheap rents in warehouses have allowed artistic communities to flourish. But, the real heart of Haringey for live music is arguably Finsbury Park, where a chain of fabled live music venues have made their home.

The Night Owl arrived in 2020 as the twin (of the same name) of another venue in Birmingham. “If we opened in London we could showcase there what we do to a bigger audience,” explains The Night Owl’s owner Arith Liyanage of the reasoning behind their plans. Finsbury Park was set to become the perfect location: “It’s not quite gentrified yet but it’s certainly got a bit of everything going on.

“It’s a mixture of every little bit of London in sort of the space of half a square mile.

“It’s a melting pot. It’s where three London boroughs meet.”

Its journey didn’t get off to an easy start, as, two days after the company was offered the lease, the UK headed into lockdown. By July 2021, however, things were in full swing – with local artists getting in on the action. “We pride ourselves on being a safe space,” Arith says. “We’re a grassroots music venue, so [we have] bands that are usually unsigned, making their way in the industry. [We are] always happy to have local bands.”

The venue is relatively small, space enough for 100 people, nestled within the former home of the legendary The Silver Bullet – a live music venue which closed down in June 2016, having hosted the likes of The Maccabees, Laura Marling, and Rudimental in the early days of their careers. “We get a lot of people coming in even now saying, ‘I remember when this was The Silver Bullet’,” says Arith. “We actually opened to try to retain some of that legacy.”

As a small venue, it’s the perfect stomping ground for fledgling musicians, including DJs like Joey Hill and Simon Drowner. “We tend to focus on retro or cool retro styles,” says Arith. “Our sweet spot used to be kind of motown but we expanded that to northern soul, ska, reggae, Britpop style, and I suppose indie style as well. We tend not to do R&B and techno and that sort of thing – although we’re open to different acts.”

Simon says the venue has been key in his career: “I’ve been DJing and promoting live events in London for over a decade, and, as a Finsbury Park resident, feel very lucky to have such a cool little venue on my doorstep. We need small music venues like The Night Owl to exist in London. Somewhere smaller bands can showcase their talent, at a very affordable price for the audience.

“It’s a welcoming place, the door staff and bar team always make you feel at home. Most importantly it is somewhere locals can go and enjoy good music a little different to the mainstream and have a drink until the early hours.”

Joey adds: “The Night Owl is one of my favourite venues to DJ at. The heart of their ethos is the best music from the best eras, from soul to two-tone, rock and roll, Britpop – it is always a party! It is also a great place to catch live music, grab a cocktail and dance with folk of all ages, all there to have a good time.”

This retro feel has spread to the venue’s decor too: old typewriters and vintage computers adorn the walls. Ultimately, Finsbury Park’s The Night Owl is about celebrating “that traditional Finsbury Park live music heritage”, with an event which has continued on from The Silver Bullet’s days, called ‘The Silver Bullet Jazz Jam’. Inspired by the struggle The Silver Bullet faced, Arith signed The Night Owl up to the Music Venues Alliance (MVA), for which they host a beer and roundtable every few months for the industry.

These troubles are far from over. “It’s been sort of a rollercoaster,” Arith says. “Everyone in hospitality is finding it very, very tough to cope with the massively increased energy costs that we’re faced with but we’re still pressing ahead with having live music.

“It’s important to keep the industry going. And people will come back. But it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster since Covid. But for various reasons, we’re still here, celebrating a second birthday.”

It’s not just the musicians who need live music venues like The Night Owl. “When you hear music live – it doesn’t matter whether it’s a world class band or a local band – there is a quality of the sound that you’re getting which is far superior to recorded music,” insists Arith. “It’s just something different and I think it’s important that people have that chance. I [also] think it’s important to give people the start in life in terms of performance.

“People who go on to massive careers, global careers, they all start in small venues like ours.”

After their second birthday this month, The Night Owl has hopes to organise comedy nights. The dream is to keep open their doors more often. Arith says: “I’d like to be open almost every day with something different.”

On Sunday, 27th August, The Night Owl is celebrating their 2nd birthday by hosting Owlstock Festival with performances from Pete Kosanovich, Wurlitzer and more. Visit finsburypark.thenightowl.club

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