Standing adjacent to Islington Academy, Bar Academy is the venue's toddler sister, holding a cosy 250 punters. Small may prove more impressive in this case as, rather than the often tacky club nights hosted by its more substantial sibling, Bar Academy lays on an array of exciting new bands, indie showcases and the odd indie-focused club night.
The O2 Academy 2 Islington is a very intimate venue with a capacity of about 250 people. It's a great venue for a gig, with my only criticism being that if you are right at the back of the room, you can barely see the stage as it's quite a long and narrow room. The quality of acts who frequent the venue is good and it's well worth a visit if one of your favourites plays there.