Live Performance entertainment in London
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A
Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club
This is a true rags-to-riches story: BGWMC was on the brink of bankruptcy, its working men about to become destitute and pintless, until a clever promoter spread the news of trashy burlesque nights taking place in the club’s main hall – sticky carpets, shimmery stage set ‘n’ all – and (literally) overnight, half of London stormed the venue, making it one of the most successful and popular clubs in the capital. There are regular burlesque bonanzas in addition to tassel-twirling contests, alternative Eurovision nights and many more sweet selections. Check the website for what’s on when you’re around.
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B
Wigmore Hall
This is one of the best concert venues in town, not only because of its fantastic acoustics, beautiful art nouveau hall and great variety of concerts and recitals, but also because of the sheer standard of the performances. Built in 1901 as the recital hall for Bechstein Pianos, it has remained one of the top places in the world for chamber music. The Sunday-morning coffee concerts (adult/concession £12/10) and the lunchtime concerts at 1pm on Monday (adult/senior £12/10) are both excellent value.
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C
Koko
Once the legendary Camden Palace, where Charlie Chaplin, the Goons, the Sex Pistols and Madonna have all performed in the past, Koko is keeping its reputation as one of London’s better gig venues – Madonna played a Confessions on a Dance Floor gig here in 2006 and Prince gave a surprise gig in 2007. The theatre has a dance floor and decadent balconies, and attracts an indie crowd with Club NME on Friday. There are live bands almost every night of the week.
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D
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is one of the best places for catching world-music artists and hosts the fantastic Meltdown festival. It reopened in Summer 2007 after two years of renovations. Allies and Morrison architects worked on the £91-million renovations by using the existing 1950s materials – concrete, leather and wood – to superb effect. The sound is fantastic, the programming impeccable and there are frequent free gigs in the wonderfully expansive foyer.
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E
Volupté
A gorgeous little cabaret venue in a small street off Fleet St, Volupté is where all of London’s lindy hop dancers come to practice their moves on weekend evenings. The once-monthly Black Cotton Club is a hark-back to the 1920s in terms of dress code and music choice. Saturday afternoon’s Afternoon Tease is a fab mix of, well, yes, afternoon tea and burlesque performances.
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F
Madame Jo Jo’s
The renowned subterranean crimson cabaret bar and all its sleazy fun kitsch comes into its own with London Burlesque Social Club on the first Thursday of the month, and there’s Kitsch Cabaret on Saturday. Keb Darge’s Deep Funk night on Friday is legendary, attracting a cool crew of breakers, jazz dancers and people just out to have a good time.
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G
Enterprise
A weekly writers’ Express Excess session is held at Enterprise. From small beginnings in 1996, the Express Excess evening has since managed to attract top names in British writing (John Cooper Clarke, John Hegley, Will Self and Murray Lachlan Young) to its cosy room at the top of a typically grungy Camden pub.
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H
Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre
The kind of large, soulless venue that gave stadium rock its bad name, Earl’s Court was where Justin Timberlake was famously photographed pawing Kylie Minogue’s bum and where most of the gigs you’ll see will be by massively expensive, high-flying stars, whose faces will be a dot in the distance.
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