Roundhouse, Chalk Farm
Throughout the late Sixties and Seventies, Camden’s Roundhouse was synonymous with underground music. Then it fell on hard times, disappeared, and was reborn in the Noughties as a performing arts centre with comedy, dance, theatre, cabaret and all. The iTunes fest takes up residency in the summer, with Boston Irish bruisers Dropkick Murphys (below, Feb 10), Brooklyn pretty boys The Drums (Feb 27) and Band Of Skulls (Mar 6) playing in the meantime.
£20
Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH
roundhouse.org.uk
Tube: Chalk Farm
Barfly Camden, Camden
The Killers, The Strokes and Muse took the stage here, so you never know – you could be seeing the arena stars of tomorrow. At one of six venues hosting the Next Big Thing tour, the eclectically weird Francois and The Atlas Mountains (Feb 3), sugar-bomb pop punk metallers Sonic Boom Six (above, Feb 9) and Brighton noisesmiths Eagulls all take to the stage this month.
£5
49 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AN
barflyclub.com
Tube: Chalk Farm
Electric Ballroom, Camden
Camden’s hard rock home is a refuge for those shaggy of hair and leather of jacket. Leeds %u2028alt-rockers Pulled Apart by Horses (Feb 23); indie-surprises LOS CAMPESINOS! (Mar 22); party-rock knucklehead Andrew %u2028WK (Apr 12); and sonic asssaulters Sleigh Bells %u2028(Mar 1) take a bow here.
£8
184 Camden High Street, NW1 8QP
electricballroom.co.uk
Tube: Camden Town
XOYO, Old Street
Brooklyn’s Friends (Feb 8); Glasgow’s post-rock unconventionalists Errors (Feb 16); and hardcore purveyors Ceremony (Mar 20) hit this East End art and culture hub.
£10
32-37 Cowper St, EC2A 4AW
xoyo.co.uk
Tube: Old Street
Roundhouse, Chalk Farm
Throughout the late Sixties and Seventies, Camden’s Roundhouse was synonymous with underground music. Then it fell on hard times, disappeared, and was reborn in the Noughties as a performing arts centre with comedy, dance, theatre, cabaret and all. The iTunes fest takes up residency in the summer, with Boston Irish bruisers Dropkick Murphys (below, Feb 10), Brooklyn pretty boys The Drums (Feb 27) and Band Of Skulls (Mar 6) playing in the meantime.
£20
Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH
roundhouse.org.uk
Tube: Chalk Farm
Barfly Camden, Camden
The Killers, The Strokes and Muse took the stage here, so you never know – you could be seeing the arena stars of tomorrow. At one of six venues hosting the Next Big Thing tour, the eclectically weird Francois and The Atlas Mountains (Feb 3), sugar-bomb pop punk metallers Sonic Boom Six (below, Feb 9) and Brighton noisesmiths Eagulls all take to the stage this month.
£5+
49 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AN
barflyclub.com
Tube: Chalk Farm
Sonic Boom Six
Electric Ballroom, Camden
Camden’s hard rock home is a refuge for those shaggy of hair and leather of jacket. Leeds alt-rockers Pulled Apart by Horses (Feb 23); indie-surprises LOS CAMPESINOS! (Mar 22); party-rock knucklehead Andrew WK (Apr 12); and sonic asssaulters Sleigh Bells (Mar 1) take a bow here.
£8+
184 Camden High Street, NW1 8QP
electricballroom.co.uk
Tube: Camden Town
XOYO, Old Street
Brooklyn’s Friends (Feb 8); Glasgow’s post-rock unconventionalists Errors (Feb 16); and hardcore purveyors Ceremony (Mar 20) hit this East End art and culture hub.
£10+
32-37 Cowper St, EC2A 4AW
xoyo.co.uk
Tube: Old Street
Azealia Banks
Heaven, Charing Cross
A club that now moonlights as a live music venue, Heaven attracts only the very top, hippest acts. Azealia Banks headlines (above, Feb 27); the fantastically named Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs rock out (Feb 16); and the ace emo-indie outfit WU LYF bring their not- discernible bag of aural tricks to the club under the arches during the forthcoming eight weeks.
£11+
Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG
heaven-live.co.uk
Tube: Embankment
The Dome, Greenwich
The millenium abomination that became one of the world’s finest venues. Snow Patrol (Feb 10-12) and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds take the stage soon.
£25
SE10 0DX
theo2.co.uk
Tube: North Greenwich
Snow Patrol
Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Shepherd’s Bush
A music hall since 1903 and live venue since 1991, the Empire plays host to established acts and fast-rising stars. Case in point: the next month has the likes of ozone-breaking ascender M83; emo-pop-punk front-combers Angels and Airwaves; and Britpop survivors Lightning Seeds.
£15+
Shep Bush Green, W12 8TT
o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk
Tube: Shepherd’s Bush
Borderline, Charing Cross
In the heart of London, just off Charing Cross Road, The Borderline is dripping with the sort of history that oozes from every brick of its build: from gobbing punks, through post-punk invention, and latterly the rise of Britpop, indie and beyond. Today, it is a shelter for up-and-coming acts keen to make a name for themselves and is a perfect roadstop for NBT. 2012 alumnis include Sweet Billy Pilgrim (Feb 6); DIY-infused precision of El Khatib (Feb 4); Lianne La Havas (she’s everywhere, you can’t help miss her – Feb 8); Emile Sando (Feb 9); hard rockers, with a hint of emo Young Guns (Feb 10); and Reading’s metalcore five-piece Exit Ten (Feb 11).
£5+
Orange Yard, W1D 4JB
venues.meanfiddler.com
Tube: Tottenham Court Road
The Garage, Highbury
This north London indie and rock home has seen but the very finest bands of today – Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Moby – grace its stage over its 20-odd year career. Electro-indie Hadouken! bring their latest hit, Oxygen, to the NBT tour (Feb 3), with synth-rocker and Stateside stars AWOLNATION (Feb 10) and garage rockers The Virginmarys tearing it up, too. Songstress Delilah takes things down a notch before the The Big Pink unload their catchy-chorus-laden latest long player, Future This, later in the month (Feb 20).
£12+
20-22 Highbury Corner, N5 1RD
venues.meanfiddler.com
Tube: Highbury and Islington
Click below for even more events >>>
–
Cargo, Old Street
East End hip pervades this classy venue, which even has a restaurant for those who like the roll to go with their rock. ‘Too cool for the mainstream’ and ‘fervant cult following’ typifies the bands that stop here, and it’s a regular for record release bashes, too. Scot-rockers The Twilight Sad (Feb 14) and the energetic pop-punk-whatever Will And People (Feb 11) are up soon.
£10
83 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY
cargo-london.com
Tube: Old Street
Dublin Castle, Camden
A live music legend; the birthplace of Madness and Blur and countless others; a fave haunt of the late Amy Winehouse; an indie rock institution; epicentre of May’s Camden Crawl – Dublin Castle is all of these. With four bands a night, there is always someone to check out, with wall-adorning posters of the venue’s biggest names reminding you of its prestigious history. A must-return-to for rising or established acts. The band here tonight could be the superstar of tomorrow.
£5+
94 Parkway, NW1 7AN
thedublincastle.com
Tube: Camden Town
~
Justice
Brixton Academy, Brixton
One of the capital’s largest non-arena venues, the just shy of 5000-capacity Brixton Academy is steeped in history (and hosted numerous live albums) since it opened its doors as a live music venue in the early Eighties (first act – UB40, it’s moved on since then). Post-rockers Explosions in the Sky play Jan 27, bro-core upstart Skrillex drops in Feb 17 & 18, Justice (above) headlines Feb 10, with Two Door Cinema Club and Azealia Banks on Feb 25.
£20+
SW9 9SL
o2academybrixton.co.uk
Tube: Brixton Academy
100 Club, Oxford Street
The oldest live music venue in the city, saved from closure by Paul McCartney, and key player in the Seventies punk scene, the 100 club has seen it all (Oasis, Sex Pistols) and lived to tell the tale. Guitar solo rock gods DragonForce (Feb 16); and indie new boys Spector (Mar 1 & 7) are set to keep the spirit alive.
£10+
100 Oxford Street, W1D 1LL
the100club.co.uk
Tube: Tottenham Court Road
Jazz Cafe, Camden
Camden outpost, with indie songsters Two Wounded Birds, Lucy Rose, soulful singer Jay James Picton, and The Boxettes among the NBT talent heading its way.
£5+
7 Parkway, NW1 7PJ
venues.meanfiddler.com/jazz
-cafe
Tube: Camden Town
Scala, King’s Cross
A small club with impressive pedigree, the Scala is the musical jewel in King’s Cross’s crown, a regular for upcoming bands about to smash, and ‘secret’ gigs. Upcoming shows include The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (Mar 8); soul star and woman of the moment Lianne LaHavas (Mar 13); and US new-wave dancers Future Islands (Mar 6).
£8+
275-277 Pentonville Rd, N1 9NL
scala-london.co.uk
Tube: King’s Cross
The Forum, Kentish Town
Formerly the Kentish Town Forum, now shorn of its localising precursor, the Forum is one of London’s longstanding live music homes and has been in operation for donkey’s years, or, more specificaly, since 1993. It’s seen its share of class – from straight-edge activisits Fugazi, Coldplay, and Deftones to current indie poster boys The Vaccines, and ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic. Up next in the pantheon of history is a returning – and maybe no longer lump-ridden – The Presidents Of The United States Of America (Mar 16); Portland acoustic indie stars and Zach Braff faves The Shins (above right, Mar 22); hip hop’s Talib Kweli (Mar 20); and Irish proto-punks Stiff Little Fingers (Mar 30).
£15+
9-17 Highgate Road, NW5 1JY
meanfiddler.com
Tube: Kentish Town
The Presidents Of The United States Of America
Koko, Camden
Deep breath: alt-rockers Feeder (Jan 31); alt-stars Nada Surf (Feb 8); Mercury ‘11 nominee Ghostpoet (left, Feb 15); Australia’s own The Jezabels (Feb 22); unfeasibily cool and eclectic The Duke Spirit (Mar 7); and dubstep debaser SBTRKT (Mar 1), whose self-titled debut was one of last year’s finest, and that’s just the next few weeks. No shortage of quality here.
£10+
NW1 7JE
koko.uk.com
Tube: Mornington Crescent
Windmill, Brixton
This local venue’s laidback attitude, praised by DJs and critics, has won it many admirers. The cheap (or free) entrance doesn’t hurt.
£5+
22 Blenheim Gdns, SW2 5BZ
windmillbrixton.co.uk
Tube: Brixton
