Since 2010, Police Dog Hogan have fused country-roots-Americana with a wholly British sensibility. Banjo player Tim Dowling’s Guardian column highlights their comic touring tales, but their music remains emotionally powerful, featuring driving country-rock with guitar, fiddle, banjo, accordion, and trumpet.
The band have spent early 2025 touring to promote their 6th studio album, Lightning Strike, recorded over a single weekend at Middle Farm Studios in Devon. Lightning Strike followed on the heels of 2022’s success with Overground, which spent 4 weeks on the UK Folk album chart.
PDH have played dozens of festivals, many of them repeatedly, including Glastonbury, Latitude, Cropredy, Cornbury, Beautiful Days, Kendall Calling and the Sidmouth Folk Festival. The band have played sold out shows at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Union Chapel, Scala, and Cadogan Hall, and have performed in Nashville, Ireland and France.
In 2018, their song Devon Brigade was nominated for best original song at the AMA-UK Awards. The album it came from, Wild By The Side of the Road, spent several weeks in the Official UK Americana charts.
Late 2024 saw Police Dog Hogan release a Christmas single, Pull Away, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the RNLI. Previously the band released another single, My First Christmas Alone, in winter of 2020 that helped to raise over £50k for Crisis and reached No. 1 in the iTunes country charts.
Police Dog Hogan are: James Studholme (guitar vocals), Eddie Bishop (fiddle, mandolin), Tim Dowling (banjo, steel guitar), Emily Norris (trumpet), Shahen Galichian (accordion, piano), Don Bowen (bass), Alistair Hamer (drums)
‘They manage to fuse bluegrass, folk, country and more in a way that few others can match.’
RNR MAGAZINE
‘Since they made their album debut back in 2010, Police Dog Hogan have been building a reputation as one of the country’s finest live bands and folk-country acts… Overground is their finest hour yet.’
FOLK RADIO
‘A good night out guaranteed.’
MARK RADCLIFFE, BBC RADIO 2 FOLK SHOW

Description

Islington Assembly Hall stands as a distinguished Grade II listed cultural asset, integral to the fabric of Upper Street and London's broader events landscape. Forming part of the Islington Town Hall complex, its refurbishment in 2010 revitalised a space originally envisioned to be at the heart of borough life, now serving as a significant hub for both local engagement and national-scale events.

Within its walls, the venue retains much of its original Art Deco character, offering an atmosphere that speaks to its 1930s origins. Guests arriving often note the luxurious red carpet underfoot, leading into a main hall where the original sprung dance floor invites movement. The acoustics are generally well-regarded, contributing to a crisp and clear auditory experience for attendees.

Practical considerations are well-addressed, with step-free access available to the main auditorium and accessible toilet facilities on the ground floor. While the balcony is accessed via stairs, the main hall ensures ease of movement. Bars are conveniently located within the hall, with a preference for contactless payment.

The hall hosts a diverse calendar of engagements, ranging from live music performances and public meetings to community gatherings, awards ceremonies, and private celebrations. Its adaptable nature allows for a spectrum of events, honouring its heritage of variety shows and tea dances while embracing contemporary programming.