Entertainment For Lively Minds
Worst venue in London?
I have to qualify.
Went to the Sheperds Bush Empire last night to see Teenage Fan Club who, I think, were really good.
The venue killed it though.
The sound was diabolical - far to quiet, confined to odd pockets around the venue (I was trying to find a good spot). The sightlines were awful, It was clearly oversold for downstairs as the staircases were packed solid, meaning no access to the bog or bar. Upstairs is like watching a poor quality DVD with hardly any sound.
Its not the first time - Ive seen a few bands there and it is always poor. The only exception being Gillian Welch who, being understated and gentle, suited a sit down in the gods but, rock bands and that place just do not work. Add to that foul drink options and that's it for me. Not again
Contrast with Bush hall round the corner where i saw Hope Sandoval last week. Gorgeous place, perfect size, good acoustics and sight lines .
So...Any takers?
Oh, best venues? For rock bands - never had a bad experience at Kentish Town Forum, love the Rythm Factory in Whitechapel for smaller gigs and Brixton Academy(poor sound) Hammersmith Odeon(downstairs) are ok as far as Enormodomes go.
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I would have to second Shepherd's Bush Empire
Low stage + flat floor = naff view
Approximately a third of the floor space is behind the bar which means there's an awful lot of people with a bad (worse) view. Which leads to people clogging up the stairways. I don't think it's any coincidence that the gigs I have enjoyed most at the Empire have been the ones I have sat in the balcony (The National and Iron & Wine).
Mark Ellen's favourite venue....
....but then he's tall. I've enjoyed many shows perching upstairs at the side and found the sound fine. Downstairs a shortarse like me has got no chance of seeing anything.
Some
of the best gigs I've been to have been at the Empire. I try to get a seat in the balcony (it's an age thing). What I dislike is the rip-off fee that comes with the ticket so I only go to the Empire if there is no other option.
I love the Empire.
No, the worst venues in London are all the little fleapits in Soho where unsigned bands have to play. They're sodding awful. I know: I've played in most of them. There's one in Dean Street whose name escapes me. I think it's usually a bit of a goth dive, and it's in a basement opposite the Pizza Express Jazz place, under a pub.
It has crimson walls, presumably as a result of punters vomiting blood at the sound quality and beer prices.
i've played there as well, I think
Think it's defunct now, though, having gone under as part of the Crossrail redevelopment. There's a new ticket hall being built there. The rather good Italian pizzeria up the road has also closed, which personally I find to be rather more of a loss.
I think the problem with the
I think the problem with the Empire is that it's flat rather than raked. When you're by one of the bars by the side, you're in a real hole and can't see a thing.
Best venues in London - for actually seeing and hearing bands, as opposed to for sentimental reasons - have to be …
ICA
Hoxton Square Bar And Kitchen
Roundhouse
What they all have in common is that they're basically well-appointed dark rooms with nice high stages, and great sound.
Wembley Arena
Nowt to recommend it
Shepherds Bush Empire
Is the worst venue I have been to anywhere, never mind just London. Saw Amy Macdonald there in April, and I have never seen so many people desperate to get some sort of view of the stage. Standing area totally cramped with no place to escape the crush. God only knows what it is like for an act whose crowd like to move during the set!
don't care for the empire that much
especially upstairs the leg room is painfully sparse and a bit vertigous. I refuse to go to Hammersmith Odeaon (or whatever it's called this week the one next to the flyover) it seems to suck the atmosphere out of gigs it's too big and is in poxy west london aka wales without the nice people.
Upstairs at Brixton academy is rotten too.
As to good Union Chapel, somerset house court yard, bush hall, the astoris before it got knocked down and don't mind koko (although the access is shocking and a worry in a crush).Oh and the roundhouse have nice staff and nice food.
DComparing the medium sized Empire to tiny Bush Hall
is hardly fair.
I despise Koko as I find it a sterile hole despite its history and have always found the Electric Ballroom has poor sound, sightlines and bars, again despite its history
Best? - Union Chapel and Kentish Town Forum. The rarely used Troxy is pretty cool too. Oh and the 'no talking you dull bastards' Luminaire
I disagree about the Troxy
Unless you can get yourself there very early and get into the pit at the front then it has the same problem as Shepherds Bush - a low stage and level floor. Impossible to see anything if your a short arse.
Also not being able to get back in the pit area after going to the bar or toilet is a big downside.
There's nothing stopping you getting
from pit to bar and back again at all the gigs I been there to see.
And of course if you turn up close to stage time you'll have a shitty view. Same as any other venue
My first visit there last week
and I thought it was really good.
I was on the flat bit behind the pit and thought it was fine.
Would like to see more bands playing there rather than, say, Brixton.
There were security guards blocking my route back..
..when I saw Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds there. I wasn't aware there was going to be a problem when I left for the toilet but when I returned they wouldn't let me back in.
My friends had my bag and my phone in the pit so I had to shout to get their attention to prove to the guard that i wasn't trying to trick him into letting me in. Even then he was pretty reluctant.
I think I got lucky, it could've been a lot worse.
..and it was nowhere near stage time.
rant over.
And the price of drinks there is an absolute nonsense
The last time I was at the Empire was for Dinosaur Jr. and Built To Spill. I thought I'd misheard the barman when he informed I was due him £4.20 for my pint of flat and watery Tuborg.
Actually, I'm struggling to think of an O2 sponsored venue I don't despise. I haven't been to the Dome yet, mind.
My favourite is probably the Roundhouse. The BBC Radiophonic Workshop were a delight there last year.
At either end of the scale
The O2 Academy in Islington is hideous and the massive O2 in Greenwich is a ludicrous barn. If you don't have one of the very best seats you can't see anything and the sound is utterly atrocious. Will not go to either venue again.
What's wrong with it?
I've heard a few complaints about Islington Academy without hearing any reasons. I think it's one of the best in London. Reasonable size, nice high stage so everyone can see, sound OK. What's not to like?
Koko
and Shepherds Bush I avoid at all costs. Awful venues.
O2?...Oh poo! more like.
Wouldn't go to the Greenwich 02 again, if you paid me. "Sucks the life out of..." i think the term was. Quite apart from the often crap views of the stage and poor acoustics, there's the general feeling that any act at the venue is playing a poor second fiddle to all the other extraneous tatt and vaguely concealed commercial press gang, encircling the venue. Shite on an expensive O2 endorsed stick!
Forgive me, Islington Acadamey is of course truly awful and
I havent been to the Roundhouse yet. The Astoria was great for atmosphere and I forgot the Union chapel which is sublime but with limited use for 'RAWK' bands.
Not RAWKing?
You obviously missed Cradle Of Filth's residency there
Phew.
Ahem.
Surely more contenders
I've not had any problems at the SBE, but I've usually had reasonable tickets (ie on the first balcony).
The place I can't stand and won't go to again is Earl's Court. Oh, it's fine if you like the ambience of aircraft hangers. Not too keen on the O2 either.
Earl Court - Shudder
Forgot about the Troxy too - Agree with post above, terrible.
Do any venues anywhere
have pleasant toilets? I am slowly coming round to the idea that outdoor festival toilets at least have the advantage of limitless fresh air. Where as most venue's bogs are just bleak and let's not get onto the grim places where some poor soul spends the entire night stuck in the bathroom handing out towels and trying to sell squirts of knock off CK1 to embarrassed punters *shudders*
Was impressed
by last weeks first visit to Troxy for the mighty Pixies. Staff were unusually pleasant, I even received a compliment on my 'on trend' t-shirt from the ticket checker. Audience were friendly, talkative and not predominantly metropolitan sophisticates. Sightlines from the balcony were brilliant, sound was fair and drinks were taken care of by visiting the 24 hour off license next door for a couple of chilled Polish lagers. And the total price for a ticket was twenty of your English pounds.
Throw in the spectacle of my coolasfuck friend Xian almost wetting himself when he saw Jude Law made it the best night out since Todd.
Personally I love the Empire
but I can't stand the Hammersmith Apollo and flatly refuse to go there.
Even when my favourite bands are playing. I missed Crowded House for that very reason...
Cutting off my nose to spite my face somewhat, I know.
Alexandra Palace
Thankfully doesn't seem to be doing much business these days, atrocious sound, no atmosphere, poor visibility and it takes forever to get there, will never go there again.