The Bridge House returns!

A return of The Bridge House? Yes! The famous old venue, best known to Depeche fans as one of the bands starting points, is being brought back to life as BH2.

BEST news of the year so far is that one of the most famous names in east London musical history, The Bridge House, Canning Town, is back.Some 25 years after shutting its doors, the famous old venue is being brought back to life as BH2 (Bridge House 2), just 500m behind where the original was, in Bidder Street.

The Bridge House, by the flyover, was the pub that gave U2 their first London gig, boasted Depeche Mode as a resident band and featured seminal gigs from the likes of Rory Gallagher, Iron Maiden, The Damned and Secret Affair to name but a few.

Celebrated in style by last year’s book, written by “guvnor” Terry Murphy, it is perfect timing to relaunch the Bridge House name and to bring live music “back to the Bridge” and east London as a whole.

The new version will open its doors on Thursday at a special launch gig featuring old Bridge House favourites Remus Down Boulevard, whose members include former Iron Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton and his longtime partner in crime Dave Edwards.As Tony Cook, company director of BH2 owners Screensports, puts it: “It promises to be a special night for those two as they are real heroes of The Bridge House. It is the hope of the new owners to live up to the legend that The Bridge House was and still is to this day.”Support act are rising all-girl rockers Joan Of Arc, who have been whipping up a storm through a series of shows on the punk and rock circuits in 2007.Welcome back The Bridge House.