Live Music entertainment in London
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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 alternative international musicians. You’ll find lots of Japanese stars of experimental, jazz and pop music, as well as legendary 1960s folk and rock stars.
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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.
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Jazz Café
Though its name would have you think that jazz is this club’s main staple, its real speciality is the crossover of jazz into the mainstream. It’s a trendy industrial-style restaurant with jazz gigs around once a week, while the rest of the month is filled with Afro, funk, hip hop, R&B and soul styles with big-name acts and a faithful bohemian Camden crowd.
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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.
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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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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.
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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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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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Bardens Boudoir
The Dalston music scene is on the rise, and Bardens Boudoir is firmly at the forefront, hosting some fantastic nights. There are live gigs and DJ nights, so check the website for all the listings.
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Bull’s Head
This traditional pub dates from Tudor times and has hosted modern jazz concerts in its Jazz Room since 1959. It continues to offer some of the best British jazz nightly and at Sunday lunchtime.
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The Relentless Garage
A sweaty, indie-strong venue formerly known as The Garage.
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Fly
Sister venue to Barfly@the Monarch.
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O2
One of the city’s major concert venues, hosting all the biggies – the Rolling Stones, Britney Spears, Prince and many others inside the 20,000-capacity stadium. Ticket prices start at £25.
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Kenwood House
Attending an outdoor concert in the grounds of Hampstead’s Kenwood House has been a highlight of any good summer in London for years. These days the so-called Picnic Concerts sponsored by English Heritage focus as much on jazz (Ray Davies, Gypsy Kings, Jools Holland) and pop (Simply Red) as they do classical music and opera.
Concerts take place on Friday and Saturday evenings from late June to late August; bring your picnic and bubbles to make it a brilliant night. The last concert concludes with a massive fireworks display.
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12 Bar
Small, intimate, with a rough-and-ready feel, the 12 Bar is one of our favourite live music venues in town, with anything from solo acts to bands performing every night of the week. The emphasis is on songwriting and the music is very much indie rock, with anything from folk and jazzy influences to full-on punk and metal sounds. Admission is £7.
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O2 Academy Brixton
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 art deco theatre (holding 5000) always thrums with bonhomie. There’s a properly raked floor for good views, as well as plenty of bars. Massive acts show – including Madonna (once) and The Prodigy – but more likely artists are Band of Horses, Beady Eye or DJ Shadow.
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Luminaire
The Luminaire is one of London’s best small music venues. Compact but not crowded, it has a big emphasis on friendly service and silence while music is playing – but what’s really impressive is the list of people who’ve played here: Babyshambles, Bat For Lashes, Colleen, Editors, Dirty Pretty Things, Hanne Hukkelberg and Mark Eitzel of American Music Club are just a few.
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