The tradition of "the old pub piano" and "East End sing a long" is one that appears to have largely died out before I moved to east London some 10 years ago. .
Outside the east the Red Lion and Sun in Highgate features Anita's sing a long on Sunday evenings.
If anyone is aware of an East London pub - or another pub elsewhere - which still features this I would be very interested to know.
I recall a Marble Arch pub, on a triangular site, which had this on Sunday evening some 5 years ago, but cannot recall the name/location.
This sort of thing requires an entertainments license and to be specified in such a license. It also requires a piano - electric or acoustic ? - not an easy thing to find these days - intact, kept in tune - and not abused by beer and vandals - and a pianist or two and of course someone who can play and sing well... and probably also a singer/cheerleader with a bit of personality.
I imagine in London there is still a market for occasional Cockney sing songs or Cockney 19th/20th century music hall stuff, as long as it was well done. You could have themed nights - WWI or WW2 period songs or sea shanties or 50s or 60s songs>
Why not start your own old-fashioned pub sing-song? Find a pub (with said license for a piano); choose a night they can hold it; ask around and advertise for a local pianist and/or a singer; audition them; start the night; get the bar to agree some musician money and also plan to collect some money in a hat on the night... sell raffle tickets for an appropriate CD...
OTOH there are hundreds of folk and acoustic style sessions sing-a longs of songs and sessions specialising in tunes and some specialising in sub genres of folk, Celtic, bluegrass, country, Irish Scottish and English folk tunes and songs, pop and rock tunes. There are cod-Irish theme bars that play a steady diet of trad' jigs and reels (fast trad' dance music encourages faster drinking apparently).
It's all there if you look for it - or make it happen.
I haven't seen one of those for years now - the last was a whole Cockney themed evening (complete with drag act) in the White Swan, Vauxhall Bridge Road. It was organised by Chef & Brewer (or some similar pub chain) for its London managers.
Another was a Chas'n'Dave evening at some pub on Southwark Bridge Road (not sure but I think it used to be almost opposite The Goldsmiths).
Failing all else, it's not East End, but you could always try this:
The Golden Eagle in Marylebone Lane has a piano which gets played, but I don't know if it's ever singalong type stuff. Nor if it's survived the change in licensing regulations.
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