Live Music entertainment in England
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Borderline
Through the Tex-Mex entrance off Orange Yard and down into the basement you’ll find a packed, 275-capacity venue that really punches above its weight. Read the writing on the walls (literally, there’s a gig list) : Crowded House, REM, Blur, Counting Crows, PJ Harvey, Lenny Kravitz, Debbie Harry, plus many anonymous indie outfits, have all played here. The crowd’s equally diverse but full of music journos and talent-spotting record-company A&Rs.
reviewed
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B
Rainbow
Somehow this rambling venue manages to be both counterculture and cosy at the same time. Battered bench tables and etched-glass windows lend the bar a traditional vibe, while a covered courtyard, an intimate garden and a roomy warehouse host everything from established artists and cutting edge DJs to up-and-coming bands – The Prodigy, Joss Stone and UB40 have all turned up here. It’s worn, warm, funky and a whole lot of fun.
reviewed
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Café Oto
Café Oto is one of London’s most idiosyncratic and interesting music venues. Set in a converted print warehouse and run by a Japanese-British couple, this place dedicates itself to promoting experimental and off-mainstream international musicians. You’ll find lots of Japanese stars of experimental, jazz and pop music, as well as legendary 1960s folk and rock stars. During the day it’s a lovely cafe.
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D
Carling Academy Islington
Many complain about Islington Academy's lack of atmosphere - it is, after all, set in a shopping centre - but all agree that the artists' line-up is pretty top class: Franz Ferdinand, Kings of Leon, and even Tom Jones have played here. The acoustics are excellent and the discerning crowd is serious about their music. The adjacent Bar Academy hosts up-and-coming groups and can be a great place to see new talent.
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Brixton Academy
It’s hard to have a bad night at the Brixton Academy, even if you leave with your soles sticky with beer, as this cavernous former theatre (holding 5000) always thrums with bonhomie. There’s a properly raked floor for good views, as well as plenty of bars. You can catch international acts of the ilk of Madonna (once), but more likely artists are Amy Winehouse, Basement Jaxx or DJ Shadow.
reviewed
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Barfly@the Monarch
Barfly, Charles Bukowski, lounge lizards – you get the picture. This typically grungy, indie-rock Camden venue is full of small-time artists looking for their big break. The focus is on rock from the US and UK, with alternative-music radio station Xfm hosting regular nights. There’s a new sister venue, the Fly, with a similar set up.
reviewed
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G
Zodiac
Oxford's best live music venue is a wonderfully grubby place that attracts an eclectic crowd with its proudly indie vibe and unpretentious attitude. Live gigs upstairs feature anything from singer-songwriters to guitar-thrashing rockers, while the club downstairs plays anything from funk, soul and disco to reggae, glam rock and punk.
reviewed
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Black Gardenia
A fantastic Soho dive, Black Gardenia is tiny, red-walled, shabby and underground. Run by rockabillies and people with tattoos and 1950s dress sense, it offers a variety of gigs, from lesbian bands, to rock’n’roll bonanzas and schmoozy piano music accompanied by a crooning, middle-aged Soho character.
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Forum
You can find your way to the Forum – once the famous Town & Country Club – by the ticket touts that line the way from Kentish Town tube. It’s a really popular venue for seeing new big bands, and the medium-sized hall, with stalls and a mezzanine, is spacious enough and perfectly intimate.
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At Proud
It’s very trendy indeed at Proud, with gorgeous Camdenites heading to the sunset-watching terrace for outdoor gigs in summer or indoor booths in winter. Proud is a great venue in North London that combines live music and exhibitions, and it’s really best in summer, when the terrace is open.
reviewed
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Moles
Bath's historic music club has hosted some big names down the years, and it's still the place to catch the hottest breaking acts.
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Jericho Tavern
Chilled out and super cool with big leather sofas, tasselled standard lamps and boldly patterned wallpaper, this hip bar also has a live music venue upstairs. Adorned with giant portraits of John Peel, Supergrass and Radiohead, it's supposedly where the Abingdon boys played their first gig.
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Sunflower Lounge
A quirky little mod bar tucked away on the dual carriageway near New St train station, with a great alternative soundtrack and a regular program of live gigs and DJ nights.
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Downstairs at the King’s Head
A club that hails from the 1980s, with success stories of launching the careers of Eddie Izzard and Mark Lamarr in its busy and intimate room. It hosts newbies and biggies in equal proportions. Check the website for the different nights and admission prices.
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The o2
The former Millennium Dome has been reinvented as ‘The O2’, a massive leisure complex with a multiplex cinema, the O2 Bubble exhibition space, and the Indigo2 and O2 Arena concert halls, hosting famous names like James Blunt and Tina Turner.
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Charlotte
Leicester's legendary venue has staged Oasis and the Stone Roses, among others, before they became megastars. With a late licence and club nights, it's grungy, it's lively, it caters for all sorts of musical tastes - and it keeps packing 'em in.
reviewed
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Barfly
Recently opened, this place is a grooming stable for up-and-coming indie bands, spawned by the success of a London-based night. It is warming up now - the bands are getting bigger, and the crowds are getting thicker. The entrance is on Milk St.
reviewed
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O2 Academy
Replacing the defunct Carling Academy at Dale End, this is Birmingham's leading venue for big-name rockers and tribute bands.
reviewed
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Cavern Club
Reconstruction of 'world's most famous club'; good selection of local bands.
reviewed
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Looking Glass
If you hadn't sussed it from the name, this is the place to see and be seen on Braunstone Gate. Funky mirror-decked walls, beautiful young things and a basement with decent live acoustic music make this well worth a visit.
reviewed
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Mojo
This buzzing café-bar has a terrace overlooking Tor Bay. Inside it's all huge leather sofas and photos of jazz stars on the walls. Music is a mix of live bands, R&B and Latino with cheesy disco at the weekends.
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Bull & Gate
The best place to see unsigned-but-promising talent, the legendary Bull & Gate’s old-school music venue still pulls in the punters eager to see guitar bands that might just turn out to be the next big thing.
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Rich Mix
Founded in 2006 in a converted garment factory, this modern cultural centre contains a three-screen cinema, a bar and a live-music venue. The movies are pretty mainstream, but the music events can be interesting.
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Porter Cellar Bar
Run by the folk at Moles, this student favourite lays on the acts who aren't yet big enough to play the main venue: it's Bath's only veggie pub, too.
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Shepherd’s Bush Empire
An iconic London gig venue, attracting big-name international artists. It’s outside the main Kensington–Knightsbridge– Chelsea triangle, but worth the trip for its diverse line-up.
reviewed
