Where to find good live music in London (part 1)

Want some recommendations for live music in London? Elephant Drums is here to direct you to a selected few of our favourite live music venues across the city.

In part one, we start (predictably) with the area of the city most people associate with London's live music scene, Camden Town.

This guide is for you if you are fairly new to London, or just visiting / on holiday, or perhaps you have lived here for a long time and want to branch out into some new music venues.

CAMDEN

After a great drumming session at our studio, jump on a tube and head north to Camden. This awesome part of London not only has a fantastic market, but a massive alternative music scene. From punk to pop, hard metal to Jazz, Camden has a lot to offer. You can walk around the streets dressed in whatever attire you want and no one will judge you. Camden is the place for all music lovers and here are just a few of the venues for you to check out:

The Fiddler's Elbow (Malden Road, Camden)

The Fiddlers Elbow is home to a huge range of music genres and the legendry Elephant Drums JamSocial sessions. This down-to-earth pub is a must. With friendly staff and a good pub vibe you really need to like them on Facebook and pay them a visit.
www.facebook.com/FiddlersElbowCamden

Green Note (Parkway, Camden)

Another legendary award-winning Camden venue specialising in roots, world, and acoustic music. Check out the events listings for drum and percussion workshops and drum circles presented by Elephant Drums at Green Note!
www.facebook.com/GreenNoteMusic

The Roundhouse (Chalk Farm Road, Camden)

With a huge range of entertainment, this venue doubles up as a charity that supports the talent of young artists. Check out their Facebook for a number of amazing events, from major gigs to live jam sessions there is so much on offer.
www.facebook.com/roundhouseLDN

Electric Ballroom (Camden High Street)

For over 70 years the Electric Ballroom has come to epitomise all that is Camden Town. Over the years it has played host to top musical talent such as The Clash, Phil Lynott, The Boomtown Rats, Joy Division, The Smiths, Madness, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Public Enemy, Blur, Supergrass, Garbage.. to name-drop just a few.
www.facebook.com/electricballroomcamden

The Enterprise (Haverstock Hill, Camden)

A popular gig venue and bar with a vibrant atmosphere. It's a small and intimate gig venue located above the pub. It plays host to a variety of music nights to suit all tastes. It can be hit-and-miss with some great surprises and hidden gems of up and coming bands. When the bands hit the right spot the springy dance floor goes crazy.

The Camden Assembly - formerly Barfly (Chalk Farm Road, Camden)

This may be a small bar, but the names that play here at huge. Open 7 days a week this is a venue not to be avoided. Barfly also supports upcoming talent for single acts and bands. Why not visit their Facebook page to entertain or be entertained.
www.facebook.com/camdenbarfly

Camden Crawl (All over Camden)

This annual weekend festival is a fantastic way to discover Camden’s great bars and an enormous amount of musical talent for a decent ticket price. By purchasing a wrist band, you will have access to some major acts as well as small acoustic sessions. Hasn't run for a couple of years, but hopefully it will return in the future.
www.facebook.com/thecamdencrawl

KOKO (Camden High Street)

A Saturday night at KOKO is a bit of a 'must-do' experience for a visitor to London. With a mainly indie-pop music policy, KOKO is more of a club and dance venue that also has live bands, which is great if you're up for a big night out. Take a look around at the architecture too, KOKO is an old theatre, which means there are multiple levels to view the stage from.
www.facebook.com/KOKOLondon

Map

Here's a handy map with the locations of the venues mentioned above:

View Live Music Venues in London (part 1: CAMDEN) in a larger map