Scene & Heard: London, England
posted in: Features
We’ve taken you from coast to coast in the United States. We’ve seen everything from the dance parties of Miami to the rock clubs of Austin to the indie vibes of Seattle. So, where do we go from here? Well, this week Scene & Heard is heading overseas to one of the most famous rock markets in the entire world: London.
Rather than trying to think of all the ways we can describe London’s music scene, we’ll just list some big name acts: The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Police, The Who, Coldplay. Maybe you’ve heard of them? It’s no secret that England is a heavyweight in the music world (e.g., The Beatles), but London itself has a typical local music market to offer, just like those in the States.
London also offers quite the selection of live music spots. However, just like with New York City, to mention every venue that is worthwhile would make for a huge list. So, we’ll outline just a few. To start, The Barfly is a venue brand that hosts several rooms across the UK. The one of interest to us is the Barfly Camden. This venue offers one-off live shows of up-and-coming bands as well as series and night festivals (including DJ sets as well as an iTunes Festival Late Bar). Another place to find a diverse lineup is at Dingwalls. The club hosted the Lockstock Festival this year and offers a little bit heavier of a lineup than the Barfly.
Don’t take just our word for it though. The dark yet poppy sounds of OurStage band Trail pay homage to the true London vibe. They’re pretty familiar with London’s live circuit, too. There is no shortage of venues . . . [but] the Indig02 is probably the best [one] we’ve played at, comments singer Charlie Afif. It has an enormous stage and PA . . . and there is a fridge full of beer backstage, which is always a bonus. Indig02 aside, the band recommends Dingwalls as well as the Borderline as places where under-the-radar bands normally play.
Charlie does acknowledge that some bands can become discouraged by the scene because many times the bookings are run directly by promoters that may not have the bands’/music’s best interest in mind. Who you are on the bill with is probably more important than the venue. Check out bands [online]. If they are interactive with their fans, they’re likely to promote [the show] well and ensure you play in front of a decent crowd.
Trail have shared the stage with acts like Fiction Plan and Ghosts, making a strong regional name for themselves. Their catchy, evolving rock songs were heard during an O’Neil surfing competition this summer (televised throughout all the UK). Stay tuned for their new single Killing Sun, scheduled to be released this Halloween.