Dan Ickowitz-Seidler and Richard Buck

THE Camden Assembly, the long-standing 200-capacity music venue, has new owners.

The Victorian ex-pub, formerly known as The Barfly and originally The Monarch, will remain a grassroots space dedicated to emerging artists and local audiences.

Its legacy includes early shows by Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Florence and The Machine, Yungblud, Muse, The Libertines and Oasis.

Dan Ickowitz-Seidler, who has taken over the site in Chalk Farm Road with business partner Richard Buck with their company Propaganda Independent Venues, described the purchase as deeply personal.

He said: “I have a lot of love for Camden Assembly and the Barfly as it was previously known. I grew up in Hackney and went to school in Camden.

“I’ve seen some incredible gigs at the venue over the years and celebrated my 18th birthday there.”

Camden Assembly [Ethan Doyle White]

Mr Ickowitz-Seidler added: “I started the indie club night Propaganda and we used to promote a weekly Saturday club night at The Barfly.

“We promoted the very last night there which I DJ’d before it closed and became the Camden Assembly.”

Investment is planned for early next year, with a possible return to the Barfly name.

“We are planning to invest into the venue early next year and we’d love to return it back to Barfly, which has so much history,” said Mr Ickowitz-Seidler.

The downstairs pub is already open daily, staying open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays with DJs, karaoke and frequent free live music.

Conditions are tough for grassroots venues, he said: “It is currently a very challenging time for grassroots music venues and hospitality, especially after the recent budget.”

However, he said the opportunity was impossible to ignore.

Mr Ickowitz-Seidler said: “We were offered the opportunity to buy the venue and we didn’t want to turn it down despite the current challenges or have it fall into the wrong hands. We’re dedicated to preserving grassroots venues and keeping live music thriving.”

Mr Ickowitz-Seidler said the venue remains a key part of London’s music ecosystem.

“Historically, so many artists played that venue on their way up… It really is the definition of a grassroots venue that we collectively need to save and preserve.”