Genesis locations in Surrey

  • Certain groups are synonymous with different locations -obvious examples are The Beatles and Liverpool, near to where I live. When we think of Genesis it's the rural idyll and rolling hills of Surrey. After all, that's where they were brought up and schooled in their early lives, the location of The Farm studio and where Mike and Tony have lived for many years. I'm thinking of a cycling tour with a friend next year to stop off at locations like Charterhouse, FLF at Chiddingfold, Christmas Cottage near Dorking - anyone know of other locations for a Genesis tour?

  • Peter Gabriels childhood home and his grandfather's home too - or is that too far away?

    "She looks at me and gently smiles, as if she knew I'd ask her all the time..."

  • Peter Gabriels childhood home and his grandfather's home too - or is that too far away?

    Chobham is a good cycling distance from the other locations mentioned. With a well worked out route, it could make for a pleasant journey. Isn't Chobham also the location of what's accepted as the first paid Genesis gig? At Mrs Balmes's "dance" in their garden, her being described as "neighbours" of the Gabriels?


    Farnham Maltings, now renovated into an arts centre, should be on the itinerary.


    How about Send Barns? They rehearsed there before the Balmes Dance and according to the Genesis Archive wrote parts of The Musical Box there. And Anthony Phillips lived/recorded there during his solo work. It's on Send Barns Lane.


    You can probably find locations of other early Genesis gigs in Surrey too. By the way, often mistakenly listed as "Surrey" (they're not) there are some venues near where I grew up that accommodated Genesis gigs. Two of them are also former workplaces of mine: Kingston Polytechnic (where I also studied) and St Mary's College, both now universities. One of the Kingston Polytechnic gigs features in a pic in the first edition of the Gallo book, showing one of the early appearances of the fox head mask. The hall where they and other bands played can still be seen facing on to Penrhyn Road, it's now a lecture hall above the cafeteria. I'm not sure where within St Mary's the venue would have been.


    There was also the Toby Jug pub in Tolworth, just by the A3 roundabout, but that's sadly long gone. The roll call of bands that played at these venues is astonishing, and it wasn't only during their early days. The Toby Jug played host to ELO, Quo, Tull, Yes, Zeppelin, John Mayall, Beefheart, Crimson, Earth Band - Bowie on the Ziggy tour! This, I remind you, was a pub. Genesis played there in January 1972 on the Nursery Cryme tour.

    Abandon all reason

    Edited 2 times, last by Backdrifter ().