London’s historic sites are hotbeds of musical invention and creativity.
The musicians that have lived and worked in and around them, and been inspired by them have stimulated the emotions of millions at home and in the wider world.
1. The Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is one of England’s most recognisable concert venues.
It was built between 1867 and 1871 to designs by the engineers Captain Fowke and Major General Henry Young Darracott Scott. It has an elliptical plan, is faced in red brick, and has an overall Italian Renaissance style.
The Hall was named to commemorate Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s late consort, who died before his vision of ‘Albertopolis’, a complex of buildings to house exhibits from the 1851 Great Exhibition and to study art, science and industry, could be completed.
The Royal Albert Hall has played host to scores of internationally famous artists, from Richard Wagner to Marin Alsop, from Cream to Kate Bush.
The Hall’s first concert was held on 25 February 1871. The audience of 7,000 comprised workers and their families, officials and invited members of the public.
An enduring presence has been the BBC Sir Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, known as ‘The Proms’, held here since the end of the Second World War.
The Royal Albert Hall has been more than just a concert venue. It has held exhibitions, conventions, boxing contests and political party conferences, and between 1908 and 1918 it hosted over 20 women’s suffrage meetings.
2. The Roundhouse
Camden’s Roundhouse became one of England’s most happening performing arts venues when it opened in 1964.
The launch of the radical underground newspaper ‘The International Times’ in 1966, with a performance by Pink Floyd, helped further establish the Roundhouse as a major new arts and performance venue.
The building’s life had begun a long time before. It was built between 1846 and 1847 as a goods locomotive shed and later became a liquor store.
The transformation of the Victorian industrial building to an arts venue resulted in some of the 1960s and 70s most celebrated performers thrilling audiences in this unique setting.
Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, the Who, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Patti Smith, the Sex Pistols, and Blondie have all played here.
Theatrical performances included Peter Brook’s ‘Themes on the Tempest’ and Steven Berkhoff’s ‘Metamorphosis’.
Financial difficulties led to closure in 1983, but the Roundhouse reopened in 1996 and again in 2006 following a significant refurbishment.
3. Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road will forever be associated with the Beatles. They made Studio 2 their own, and the studios were even renamed after their 11th album, ‘Abbey Road’, the last album to include all 4 band members.
The zebra crossing immortalised on the album cover is listed in its own right and visited by over 300,000 people every year.
But the studios are so much more than the Beatles. Since being converted into a studio in 1931, the site has been the recording place of choice for a diverse range of artists and music styles, including classical, jazz, blues, rock and roll, and even serialism and minimalism.
From the pioneering jazz singer and key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, Adelaide Hall, to Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Duran Duran, Radiohead, Coldplay, Oasis, and Kanye West, Abbey Road has been a temple of pop music throughout the 20th century.
4. The Union Chapel
The Union Chapel is one of England’s outstanding Nonconformist buildings of the 19th century.
It was built between 1876 and 1877 by architect William Cubitt, replacing an earlier chapel. Its octagonal design was inspired by the church of Santa Fosca at Torcello near Venice.
The chapel’s membership declined after the Second World War and was threatened with demolition in 1981. Since the 1990s, however, it has seen increasing use as a performing arts venue, with the resulting funds used to finance repair projects.
Since opening as a music venue in 1992, the Union Chapel has been voted London’s best music venue by readers of ‘Time Out’ magazine.
Many renowned performers have stepped on stage here, including Björk, Tori Amos, Beck, Amy Winehouse, Spiritualized, Patti Smith, and Elton John.
5. Where Handel meets Hendrix
Remarkably, 2 of history’s great musical talents lived next door to each other, albeit separated by 200 years.
From 1723 until he died in 1759, the German-born composer George Frideric Handel lived at 25 Brook Street in London’s Mayfair district.
Next door, in the upper floor flat of 23 Brook Street, the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix lived briefly from July 1968 to March 1969.
Both properties are now looked after by the Handel House Trust, which was formed in the 1990s to purchase and restore Handel’s home. It was opened to the public in 2001, with Hendrix’s flat following in 2016.
6. The 100 Club
The 100 Club started life as the Feldman Swing Club in 1942 and has been putting on live music ever since, making it one of the world’s longest-surviving live music venues.
Working life continued in the capital during World War II, and people needed to keep their spirits up on the home front.
It was in 1942 that a Jewish garment worker called Robert Feldman passed a basement restaurant named ‘Mac’s’ on his way home, stopped for a cup of tea, and decided it would make a great music venue.
It was the socially liberal door policy that made the jazz-swing club such a melting pot. Social and racial prejudices were left at the door, and people went to dance and forget about war for the night.
This humble basement became the jewel of London’s jazz scene after the Second World War. Once, BB King jumped on stage for an impromptu jam, and even Louis Armstrong dropped by for a visit.
In the 70s, still at the forefront of the music scene, it hosted the first ever UK punk festival featuring the Sex Pistols and the Clash. Later decades saw legendary gigs by the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and Bob Dylan.
7. Denmark Street
Named after Prince George of Denmark, Denmark Street in Camden was developed in the late 17th century.
The street has been associated with the popular entertainment and the music industry since the early 20th century, and particularly from the 1950s. As a result, it has been considered the London equivalent of New York’s Tin Pan Alley.
It has been home to music publishers, record shops, musical instrument shops and recording studios. The ‘New Musical Express’ and ‘Melody Maker’ newspapers had offices here.
Many famous musicians worked and socialised in the street’s studios and cafes, including David Bowie, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and the Sex Pistols.
Further reading
I would add the Royal College of Music, behind the Albert Hall. Interesting building, some great student and staff performances, and a wonderful museum.