The Colourful History of the King's Road

Event information

The King's Road in Chelsea was at the epicentre of not one, but two worldwide cultural shifts. In the mid-sixties, it became a focal point and shop window for the new 'swinging' London, encompassing music, theatre, the visual arts, fashion and much more. It remained at the forefront of developing trends throughout the following decade until it became the breeding-ground for punk rock, whose sound, look and attitudes continue to shape global notions of youthful rebellion almost fifty years later, covered in depth in Max Décharné’s acclaimed book, “King’s Road – The Rise and Fall of the Hippest Street in the World”.

Highlights of the walk led by Max will include the locations where “Look Back in Anger” and the “Rocky Horror Show” were first performed, Mary Quant opened her first boutique, the Beatles posed for the cover of “Sgt Pepper”, Billie Holiday sang live on television and Duke Ellington made records, where Germaine Greer lived while writing “The Female Eunuch”, occultist Aleister Crowley wrote “Diary of a Drug Fiend”, where the Sex Pistols formed and the shop from which Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood sold their iconic punk clothing.


Writer and musician Max Décharné is the author of ten books—his most recent being “Teddy Boys: Post-War Britain and the First Youth Revolution”. He was the drummer of the band Gallon Drunk, and has been the singer and songwriter of the band The Flaming Stars since 1994. His other books include “Vulgar Tongues: An Alternative History of English Slang”, “A Rocket in My Pocket”, and “Hardboiled Hollywood”.