Rowans Tenpin Bowl

Rowans Tenpin Bowl is a London event promoter operating from its tenpin bowling venue in Finsbury Park. The building opened as a 24-lane bowling centre in 1988; before that, it had been used as a tram shed, cinema, dancehall, bingo hall and snooker club. Its name came from the owners’ John Rowan bookmakers business. The promoter is based at 10 Stroud Green Road in Finsbury Park.

DJs were introduced in 1999, when Big Daddy Johnson became the venue’s first. Resident DJ Skid learned to mix there, while Big Daddy Johnson also played for visiting artists including Wookie. He also performed for members of the Backstreet Boys. The club programme has covered drum and bass, jungle, house and garage, with Void and Funktion-One systems used in its spaces. A garden fitted with a Funktion-One system is part of the venue. Its music policy has also encompassed R&B, bashment, dancehall, Afro and disco.

Named nights include “Upstairs to the Underground”, with resident and guest DJs, and “Reggae Sundays”, held in the main room and garden. Line-ups have included Flowidus and ADUKEN. The venue also has karaoke rooms, pool tables and an arcade, alongside its bowling lanes. Terence Harrison joined Rowans as an accountant in 1988, became office manager in 1993 and general manager in 1995. The family who own the building display American memorabilia and motorbikes at the venue.