Street artist Bambi has unveiled a new artwork honouring Amy Winehouse on the front of Camden’s Koko venue where she performed during the 2000s.
The picture, which appeared on the music venue a day before what would have been the singer’s 41st birthday, shows Winehouse sitting on a box of records alongside the quote “Camden Town ain’t burning down”.
Winehouse famously made the statement, when receiving five Grammys in 2008 and tying the then record for most received by a woman in one night, after a fire had broken out in Camden Lock the night before.
The 2008 Grammys saw Winehouse declare “this is for Camden” after taking home best new artist, best pop vocal album for Back To Black, and record of the year, song of the year and best female pop performance for Rehab.
Koko described the work as a “deliberate homage to NW1 amidst a crisis” and said the words “resonate more profoundly than ever” after the venue saw a major fire in 2020.
Speaking about her work, Bambi said: “Amy Winehouse was an extraordinary woman who challenged mainstream pop and inspired so many people.
“She represented the true spirit of Camden. Her subversive style and rebellious nature was felt around the world.
“It’s only fitting that I pay tribute to her on her birthday, at Koko, a venue where she used to hang out and perform, that carries the same rebellious spirit.”
Anonymous street artist Bambi, who has been dubbed “the female Banksy” and whose fans include Rihanna, Harry Styles, Robbie Williams and Adele, has more than 640,000 followers on Instagram.
The artist first gained attention for her Amy Jade work in Camden, sprayed in tribute to the star following her death in 2011.
Other well-known works by Bambi include Lie Lie Land, which shows Donald Trump and Theresa May dancing together in a similar style to the film La La Land, and Be As Naughty As You Want, which showed Diana, Princess of Wales as Mary Poppins, both of which were painted in London.
Koko has hosted the likes of The Rolling Stones, Prince and The Clash since opening as a music venue in 1977, and has also been known as The Music Machine and Camden Palace.
