The last white man in Hammersmith Palais

It holds a place at the heart of rock and roll mythology. The Hammersmith Palais has hosted shows by acts ranging from Bill Haley to U2, Elton John and The Rolling Stones, but its greatest claim to notoriety is that it was immortalised in song by The Clash.

Now, fittingly, one of the band's stars will bring the curtain down on the venue when it finally closes its doors later this month. Paul Simonon, The Clash's former bass player, will play a farewell to the Palais - which is to be demolished and the site redeveloped - with his new band, the supergroup The Good, the Bad and the Queen, led by Damon Albarn.



The Palais earned its place in rock lore when Clash frontman Joe Strummer wrote "(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais", after a gig he attended there in 1976. Released in 1978, it become one of the band's anthems and was played at Strummer's funeral in 2002.

Albarn said of the final show: "It's one for Paul because he and Hammersmith Palais go back a long way." There is speculation that Clash guitarist Mick Jones may join the band on stage on 31 March. Film-maker and producer Don Letts, another key figure in Clash mythology, will DJ on the night.

Hammersmith Palais was also the venue for a rich young toffs event where the late photographer Bob Carlos Clarke took this very NSFW series of photos.