Live music in Camden
Time Out's guide to the hottest live music venues in Camden
Camden Town has more than its fair share of iconic music venues. Up near Chalk Farm station, The Roundhouse has hosted Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix, and Koko (formerly Camden Palace) was the home of Britpop. But these days the best gigs in Camden tend to happen on small pub stages, at places like The Barfly, where up-and-coming indie bands keep the racket going seven nights a week. Here are the best places to catch gigs in Camden.
Camden's best gig venues
Roundhouse
A one-time railway turntable shed, the Roundhouse was used for experimental theatre and hippie happenings in the 1960s before becoming a rock venue in the '70s.
The Underworld
A dingy maze of pillars and bars below Camden, this subterranean oddity is an essential for metal and hardcore fans.
Jazz Café
A recent spruce up (new seat covers, lick of paint) has given this venue, formerly a Barclays Bank, a fresh face without changing its layout, or informal atmosphere.
Electric Ballroom
Still shamelessly dining out on its place in Camden's music history, Electric Ballroom likes nothing better than to revel in the roll-call of rockers that have graced the venue: Sid Vicious, U2, The Clash, Red Hot Chili Peppers… the list is indeed impressive.
The Enterprise
Describing itself as 'the one and only true pub left in Camden', this warm (there's a fire in winter), dark wood-dominated, shabbily chic venue is frequently packed.
Dingwalls (Lock 17)
Bringing Camden the delights of guitar music since 1973, this venue in Camden Lock might largely put on bands that tend towards the lesser known, but they still manage to pull off the odd coup.
Camden's best upcoming gigs
Barenaked Ladies
Canada’s playful college rock troupers roll into London to busk out their blend of pop, rap, folk and nerdy cabaret whimsy. Look forward to the so-catchy-it’s-irritating ‘One Week’ and the full version of their TV theme for ‘The Big Bang Theory’.
Jocelyn Brown
Best known for her ’80s dance anthem 'Somebody Else's Guy', this soul diva has also had hits with acts as diverse as John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen and Todd Terry.
Jimmy Webb
Best known as the writer rather than performer of his most famous songs – 'Wichita Lineman', 'MacArthur Park', 'By the Time I Get To Phoenix' and more – JW has nevertheless still carved out a quietly impressive and defiantly assured solo career. Here he sings some of his most famous hits, and tells the stories behind them.
Tony Christie
Yorkshire pop-soul belter Christie is now in his mid-70s, but still has a fine, emotionally expressive voice and offers much more than the Peter Kay-related albatross that is ‘Amarillo’.
Love this part of town.
One of the best nights ever was a private gig at Camden Guitars (opposite the entrance to The Market)
It was very special