Thursday, Oct. 02, 2008
10. Barfly and Roundhouse
If you get claustrophobic at the Hollywood Bowl or Madison Square Garden, then neither of the live music venues I'm about to recommend is for you. The Barfly, above a pub in Camden, is tiny, but that doesn't stop punters from piling through the doors and turning the whole room into a mosh pit. It's a regular staging post for new bands tipped for greatness: Oasis and Coldplay both performed here. But don't let that deter you; other alumni include Blur and the Young Knives. Across the road, the Roundhouse shows it knows the meaning of eclectic, with a program that includes big-name musicians, left-field comedians and even circus acts, in a converted 19th-century steam-engine repair shed.