The Stranglers have honoured the 400-year-old pub where their music first reached an adoring audience.
Band members themselves have called their early shows “a pivotal moment in British music history”.
Days before Christmas in 1974, the influential punk four-piece were given a chance to perform at their local pub in Guildford.
The Star Inn gave the band their break, and in a string of performances at the Surrey pub a fanbase for the newly-formed group – originally called The Guildford Stranglers – began to emerge.
Returning to their first venue, band members have bestowed a PRS Heritage Award on the pub, marking it a spot of significance in live music history.
In a statement, The Stranglers said: “The space that the Star Inn has created here is incredibly valuable to British music culture, they’ve played a huge role in giving emerging acts, like us at the time, a stage, helping them to thrive.
We’re thrilled to be in Guildford to award @StarBackroom & The Stranglers with the prestigious #PRSHeritageAward pic.twitter.com/GDnGuyosBz
— PRS for Music (@PRSforMusic) January 31, 2019
“They definitely deserve to be acknowledged with the PRS for Music Heritage Award to mark this pivotal moment in British music history.”
Queen, Sir Elton John and Dire Straits have all had a PRS Award dedicated to a venue which played an important role in their development as world famous acts.
The Star Inn has become the latest venue to be honoured, for taking a chance on young punk rockers.
Georgina Baker, owner of the Star Inn, said: “We feel very much part of the fabric of The Stranglers’ history and so it’s an honour to receive this award.
“We pride ourselves on investing in emerging talent and giving them the platform they deserve and plan to do so for a very long time to come.”
Previously, The Dublin Castle pub in Camden was given the award for the part the venue played in launching Madness.