Live music and clubs - The Rough Guide to London - page 398

Bull & Gate 389 Kentish Town Rd, NW5 T 020 7704
0187, W bullandgate.co.uk; ! Kentish Town; map
pp.284-285. If you want to chance your hand at finding an
unsigned indie-rock band, the Bull and Gate 's back room
should be your first stop. Gigs nightly for about £5.
Dingwalls Middle Yard, Camden Lock, NW1 T 020 7428
5829, W dingwalls.com; ! Camden Town; map pp.284-
285. This split-level music/club venue is a good place to catch
new indie and rock, though views aren't always great.
Hope & Anchor 207 Upper St, N1 T 020 7354 1312,
W bugbearbookings.com; ! Angel; map pp.284-285.
This cramped venue is popular with punkish indie acts,
many playing their first gigs here.
Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen 2-4 Hoxton Square, N1
T 020 7613 0709, W mamacolive.com/thehoxtonplaza;
! Old Street; map pp.192-193. The bar is self-conscious
and unexceptional, but it gets some fine rock and electronic
talent through its doors, and the occasional secret gig.
KOKO 1a Camden High St, NW1 T 0870 432 5527,
W koko.uk.com; ! Mornington Crescent; map
pp.284-285. A Camden institution, hosting clubs (Fri &
Sat) and gigs (the rest of the time), with a cracking
assortment of indie-pop types dominating proceedings.
Lexington 96-98 Pentonville Rd, N2 T 020 7837
5371, W thelexington.co.uk; ! Angel; map pp.284-
285. Above the bourbon-packed downstairs lounge bar is a
two hundred-capacity venue with good sound, a hip but
relaxed vibe and a solid, indie-dominated roster.
Ì The Macbeth 70 Hoxton St, N1 T 020 7749 0600,
W themacbeth.co.uk; ! Old Street; map pp.192-193.
Beautiful venue, good soundsystem and great nights
programmed by those in the know, running across rock and
dance. Need a breather? Try their awesome roof terrace.
New Cross Inn 323A New Cross Rd, SE14 T 020 8691
7222, W newcrossinn.com; New Cross Gate Overground;
map pp.310-311. Relaxed boozer that's the best place to
see unsigned guitar bands in south London.
Sebright Arms 31-35 Coate St, E2 T 020 7729 0937,

W sebrightarms.co.uk; ! Bethnal Green; map p.190.
Basement venue to an east London boozer that hosted
everyone from The XX to Laura Marling before they made it.
Shacklewell Arms 71 Shacklewell Lane, E8 T 020
7249 0810, W shacklewellarms.com; Dalston Kingsland
Overground; map p.291. Cooler-than-thou genre-
bending venue that's worth a visit for the free gigs early in
the week.
Underworld 174 Camden High St, NW1 T 020 7482
1932, W theunderworldcamden.co.uk; ! Camden
Town; map pp.284-285. Shouty, scruffy, tattoo-packed
warren under the World's End pub that's a great place to
check out metal, hardcore and heavy rock bands.
Ì Village Underground 54 Holywell Lane, EC2
T 020 7422 7505, W villageunderground.co.uk; ! Old
Street; map pp.192-193. A more tasteful artsy line-up
than most places in this part of town, playing host in a truly
beautiful site - there are even abandoned tube carriages.
Windmill 22 Blenheim Gardens, SW2 T 020 8671 0700,
W windmillbrixton.co.uk; ! Brixton; map pp.310-
311. A fine, left-field mix of bands play at this pokey pub
halfway up Brixton Hill. Entry for everything from swirly
electronica to throbbing post-rock is rarely much over £5.

26

JAZZ
100 Club 100 Oxford St, W1 T 020 7636 0933,
W the100club.co.uk; ! Tottenham Court Road; map
p.97. Dinky club with a schedule evenly split between jazz
and rock; reasonable prices.
Jazz Cafe 5 Parkway, NW1 T 020 7485 6834,
W mamacolive.com/thejazzcafe; ! Camden Town;
map pp.284-285. There's the odd cheesy pop night here,
but a combination of big names (at big prices) and clubbier
jazz acts keep the dancefloor and balcony buzzing.
Jazz@ Pizza Express 10 Dean St, W1 T 0845 602 7017,
W pizzaexpresslive.com; ! Tottenham Court Road; map
p.100. Small basement of this branch of the pizza chain hosts
consistent quality, with established and new jazz artists.

LONDON'S MUSIC FESTIVALS
Want to experience the Great British music festival without trudging to the countryside? Then
head to London's parks. Several new festivals have come and gone in the last few years with
some notable disasters, so the following represent the tried, tested and trustworthy names.
Field Day May W fielddayfestivals.com. Victoria Park's hipster day out, where people are there
as much to be seen as to see Savages or TNGHT.
Hard Rock Calling June W hardrockcalling.co.uk. The first festival to relocate to post-Olympic
Stratford, with big-name acts such as Bruce Springsteen headlining.
Wireless July W wirelessfestival.co.uk. For the biggest names in international R&B, try Hyde
Park's Wireless, recently featuring Justin Timberlake and Snoop Lion.
Lovebox July W lovebox.net. Groove Armada are the big name behind the long-running
Lovebox bringing dance and urban music to East London's Victoria Park.
South West Four Aug W southwestfour.com. Head down south for DJs like Armin Van Buuren
and Eric Prydz making the most of the sunshine on Clapham Common.