London
Venues
Over the past decade London has established itself
as the nightlife capital of not just Europe, but the
World. Since the acid house explosion and subsequent
boom in British-born dance music, London has never
looked back with a pocket full of all-night clubs
and venues.
Live music options are varied, encompassing all variations
of rock, blues, roots and world music. There’s
a highly individual scene of home-based artists supplemented
by top-name visiting players. Major bands on world
tours always stop off in London, being hard to beat
for its musical mix. Entry prices range from a few
pounds for an unknown band thrashing about in a pub
up to fifty pounds for a big-name act at a larger
concert venue.
Venues once used exclusively by performing bands
now pepper the week with club nights, and you often
find dance sessions starting as soon as the band has
stopped playing. There is an overlap between venues
and clubs as many of these establishments serve as
a double function. What follows are various concert
venues in London.
The mega-venues:
Earls Court – Warwick Rd, SW5. T: 0207 385
1200. Earls Court tube.
Singers like David Grey and Kylie Minogue and bands
such as Pink Floyd and Oasis play here on their world
tours; smaller outfits would find it more difficult
to fill this enormous venue.
London Arena - Limeharbour, E14. T: 0207 538 1212.
Crossharbour DLR.
Another huge mainstream venue, atmospheric and often
outrageously priced, but it does attract big names
like Destiny’s Child.
London Hammersmith Apollo – Queen Caroline
Street, W6. T: 0207 416 6022. Hammersmith tube.
Hammersmith Odeon is a cavernous, theatre-style venue,
which tends to host safe, middle-of-the-road bands.
An adequate sized venue that contributes to a club-like
atmosphere.
Royal Albert Hall – Kensington Gore, SW7. T:
0207 589 8212. South Kensington tube.
A colossal Victorian concert hall with a style and
glamour that’s hard to match. Best known for
the BBC Proms, it’s also sporadically home to
showmen young and old, from Robbie Williams to Eric
Clapton.
Wembley Arena – Empire Way, Wembley, Middlesex.
T: 0208 902 0902. Wembley Park or Wembley Central
tube.
It may be the main indoor venue for mega-bands and
singers, be they UK pop quartet Blue or US hip-hop
superstar Jay-Z, but rip-off prices, poor sound quality
and a severe shortage of atmosphere make a generally
disappointing experience.
General venues
Astoria – 157 Charing Cross Rd, WC2. T: 0207
454 9592. Tottenham Court Road tube.
One of London’s best and most central medium
sized venues, this large balconied one-time theatre
tends to host slightly alternative bands (from underground
US hip-hop to thrashing rock), usually from Monday
to Thursday, and club nights on Friday and Saturday.
It is considered more adventurous than other big venues.
Brixton Academy – 211 Stockwell Rd, SW9. T:
0207 771 2000. Brixton tube.
The Academy has seen them all, from mods and rockers
to punks and hippies. Its refurbished Victorian hall,
complete with Roman decorations, can hold four thousand
and usually does, but still manages to seem small
and friendly, probably because no one is forced to
sit down. Hosts mainly mid-league bands.
Forum – 9-17 Highgate Rd, NW5. T: 0207 344
0044. Kentish Town tube.
This is one of the capital’s best medium sized
venues – large enough to attract established
bands, and with great views and good bars. Previously
keen to promote newer talent, it now seems to rely
on more and more safer acts.
Ocean – 270 Mare St, Hackney, E8. T: 0208 533
0111. Hackney Downs train station from Liverpool Street.
In the centre of Hackneys evolving high street, Ocean
is a smart modern venue that bridges the gap between
spacious club and live venue, with plenty of bars.
Expect everything from live broken beats to indie
rock, as well as the London Jazz Festival during November.
Shepherds Bush Empire – Shepherds Bush Green,
W12. T: 0208 771 2000. Shepherds Bush tube.
Yet another grand old theatre, the Empire now plays
host to probably the finest cross-section of mid-league
UK and US bands in the capital, from R&B trio
N*E*R*D to The Polyphonic Spree. Intimate with a great
atmosphere downstairs. Upstairs, balconies provide
some of the best stage views around.
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