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Camden Live Music Venues
by Carlo Piovano
We all know how annoying it is when you tell
a friend about your new favourite band and he looks back at
you like you've just landed from Mars and says "Oh, I've known
them since the beginning, before they sold out to a record
label, got big, and got onto a shelf at HMV. I used to see
them in this place in Camden." So if you want to one-up that
friend of yours, take yourself to the source, where indie
music is in the making, here's a hint and nudge to the right
places.
Barfly @ the Monarch
49 Chalk Farm Rd. NW1
tel: 0207 1049
For those who've argued angrily and lost friendships over
whether that cool live music venue in Camden is called Barfly
or Monarch, here are the facts: the Monarch is the name of
the pub and Barfly is the music company that owns it and organizes
the concerts. New names are the order of the day, even though
bands like Electric Six, the Vines, and Coldplay have been
known to pop by.
Camden Palace
1a Camden High St. NW1
tel: 09062 100 200
Generally attracting the glow stick rave crowd with its Peach
Club, the Camden Palace nevertheless provides what is considered
one of the best nights in live alternative/indie music: Tuesday
night's Feet First. Most bands you'll never have heard of,
but that won't stop the drunker portion of the audience from
a good mosh pit.
The Jazz Café
5 Parkway, Camden NW1
tel: 0207 916 6060
Adding a touch of class to Camden's team of dingy venues,
the Jazz Café offers live acts that combine music, dance,
and comedy cabaret. Big names imported from around the world
can be found on their events calendar, so keep an eye out.
A must for anyone wanting to catch quality Jazz in London.
The Bull and Gate
389 Kentish Town Rd. NW5
tel: 0207 485 5358
You'd never be able to tell that behind this sleepy pub's
façade lies a back room which packs in four bands almost every
night. The style brings together a punk/goth fan base which
is amusingly angry with the establishment, the government,
the police, bad music, and just about anything that isn't
branded with skulls and anarchy signs.
Underworld
174 Camden High St. NW1
tel: 0207 482 1932
The Underworld seems to be the favourite destination for many
of those who, stumbling out of the World's End pub, find they're
too drunk to walk anywhere and decide to try 'the loud place
downstairs'. The indie rock is great and gets everybody sweating
and swaying and the beers sloshing - you might think of bringing
a rain jacket.
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