Live music and clubs - The Rough Guide to London - page 397

Clubs and venues tend to cluster together, but despite its hedonistic reputation, Soho is
surprisingly sparse for live music and straight clubs, so it's best to venture out of zone 1
to find decent gigs. Camden is still the place to rock; the once-cool Shoreditch still has
its moments but is generally going mainstream, chasing the best club nights up the road
to Dalston; or you can head to Brixton, Peckham and New Cross for something edgier.

LIVE MUSIC
From grimy pub back rooms, through O2's franchise and on to the mega-stadiums, talent can play out their entire careers
in London's venues. If you are after those that have already made it, check the listings for Wembley ( W wembley.co.uk) and
the O2 Dome ( W theo2.co.uk). The Royal Albert Hall ( W royalalberthall.com) - traditionally a classical music venue - and
summer concerts in the beautiful courtyard at Somerset House ( W somerset-house.org.uk) are more atmospheric
alternatives. Pricewise, you might get in free to see an unknown band or pay £80 for a visiting legend. Most acts will set
you back £10-30. Booking tickets online for anything but the smallest gigs is standard - the biggest websites are
W seetickets.com, W ticketweb.co.uk, W ticketmaster.co.uk and W wegottickets.com.

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Flaming Lips with more eclectic choices, but whatever the
act, they always make a hell of a show.
Ì Union Chapel Compton Terrace, N1 T 020 7226
1686, W unionchapel.org.uk; ! Highbury & Islington;
map pp.284-285. Intimate venue that doubles as a
church, hence the pew-style seating; the array of artists
ranges from contemporary stars to world-music legends,
and there are regular free Saturday-lunchtime sessions.

GENERAL VENUES
Ì Academy Brixton 211 Stockwell Rd, SW9 T 020
7771 3000, W o2academybrixton.co.uk; ! Brixton;
map pp.310-311. Balancing its size with some classy
curation, the Academy has seen them all, from mods and
rockers to Chase and Status. The 4900-capacity Victorian
hall's sound quality isn't immaculate, but it makes up for it
with great atmosphere and good local bars for before and
after the gig.
Academy Islington N1 Centre, N1 T 020 7288 4400,
W o2academyislington.co.uk; ! Angel; map pp.284-
285. One of the better O2 venues, despite being wedged in
a shopping centre, with two rooms showcasing a guitar-led
programme of good up-and-coming bands. Also home to
Saturday night cheesy club triumph, Club De Fromage.
Cargo 83 Rivington St, EC2 T 020 7739 3440, W cargo
-london.com; ! Old Street or Shoreditch High Street
Overground; map pp.192-193. Mixed line-up of live acts,
including jazz, hip-hop, indie and folk.
Forum 9-17 Highgate Rd, NW5 T 020 7428 4099,
W mamacolive.com/theforum; ! Kentish Town; map
pp.284-285. Mid-sized venue. The programming has
moved towards a reliance on nostalgia acts, but it still
occasionally surprises with special events.
Hammersmith Apollo 45 Queen Caroline St, W6 T 0844
249 1000, W hammersmithapollo.com; ! Hammersmith;
map pp.250-251. The former Hammersmith Odeon is a
cavernous space (downstairs can be seating or standing), with
the nostalgia circuit sharing the bill with the arts.
O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire Shepherd's Bush Green,
W12 T 020 8354 3300, W O2shepherdsbushempire
.co.uk; ! Shepherd's Bush; map pp.274-275. Great mid-
league bands play here. Good news if you want to watch from
seating in the vertigo-inducing balconies, but downstairs
lacks atmosphere if you're not right down the front.
Roundhouse Chalk Farm Rd, NW1 T 0844 482 8008,
W roundhouse.org.uk; ! Chalk Farm; map pp.284-
285. Magnificent Victorian-era steam engine shed turned
performing arts centre. It pulls in huge names like the

ROCK, BLUES AND INDIE
12 Bar Club Denmark St, WC2 T 020 7240 2622,
W 12barclub.com; ! Tottenham Court Road; map
p.100. Central London has haemorrhaged good venues but
12 Bar remains firmly in Tin Pan Alley: expect cheap,
intimate indie/blues/rock gigs aplenty.
Ì Amersham Arms 388 New Cross Rd, SE14 T 020
8469 1499, W theamershamarms.com; ! New Cross;
map pp.310-311. T The backroom line-up covers
everything from guitary album launches to cabaret and
club nights, catering for whatever takes the whims of the
local art student crowd .
Barfly 49 Chalk Farm Rd, NW1 T 020 7688 8994,
W barflyclub.com; ! Chalk Farm; map pp.284-285.
Barfly offers a relentless roster of gigs (three nightly), typically
indie, rock, punk and metal, in its simple upstairs space.
The Book Club 100-106 Leonard St, EC2 T 020 7684
8618, W wearetbc.com; ! Old Street; map pp.192-
193. Artfully selected line-up in the cute and popular
basement, covering DJs, bands and more.
Borderline Orange Yard, Manette St, W1 T 020 7734
5547, W mamacolive.com/theborderline; ! Tottenham
Court Road; map p.100. Small and slightly ramshackle
basement joint with awkward pillars but good sound and
diverse music policy.
Ì Buffalo Bar 259 Upper St, N1 T 020 7359 6191,
W buffalobar.co.uk; ! Highbury & Islington; map
pp.284-285. Friendly basement bar with great
soundsystem and excellent scheduling, focused on guitar
music. Look out for the rocking Wrongpop nights as well.