Covering an area of 1,572 square kilometres and hosting a total of 32,000 performances a year, London features an endless roster of venues. Indeed, the culture of live performances is more rooted in the city than anywhere else in Europe. In pubs, for instance, apart from having a pint and eating fish and chips, it is customary to listen to live music. And, this is nothing new. They’ve been doing it for decades and have never had to struggle against any municipal edict forcing them to keep noise levels down by installing limiters. The fact is that in London music is regarded as a cultural asset, on a par with Shakespearean theatre or a painting by Turner. That’s the long and the short of it.

So, in London, there is no end to the number of music venues. You can go out any day of the year and you are sure to find an interesting concert. If you pick up any music magazine – like Mojo, Uncut or NME, which is now free-of-charge – and peruse the listings, you are likely to balk at the myriad offerings. On a single night out, you can go and see anything from an emblematic 60s jazz band to a Jamaican ska combo from Tokyo, a gathering of a legendary 80s heavy metal band and all of the “next best things” on offer. In other words, there is everything for everybody.

One advantage that London has over other cities, particularly in southern Europe, is the concert times. There they start earlier, which is to be commended if you want to get home at a reasonable hour on a weekday. Before attending a concert, Londoners have to first pass through “Go” which, in this instance, means the pub. So, we recommend you wet your whistle at one of the pubs adjoining the concert halls, even though British beer is usually lukewarm.

For All Tastes

Here, then, is a selection of the venues that really got our attention on recent visits to London. See if you concur with us!

1. Eventim Apollo

If there is a classic venue it is the legendary Eventim Apollo. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace and was renamed the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962. Until very recently, it was known as the Hammersmith Apollo. It is located in West London and its acoustics are up with the great odeons, prompting many groups to record live there, notably Duran Duran, Dire Straits and Kate Bush. Seating capacity is flexible, an arrangement dating from 2003, although it can hold up to 5,000 people for some concerts.

2. O2 Academy Brixton

Also known as the Brixton Academy, this is another spot which is all the rage in London. For many musicians this is undoubtedly the best concert hall in the world. It opened in 1929 as the Astoria and went down in history as the venue for the last concert performed by The Smiths, on 12 December 1986. Currently, it also operates as a disco and comedy club. Upcoming event – Faithless (18/8).

3. Bush Hall

It is not one of the oldest venues, as it opened in 2001, but clearly one of the most appealing ones in town. Located in Hammersmith, Bush Hall is a very small venue, almost a classical type of private theatre. Apart from hosting concerts, they also hold dinners, photographic shoots and have even had Kate Moss parading through. Among the artists that have given concerts here are the illustrious Mark Knopfler, Nick Cave and Amy Winehouse.

4. Electric Ballroom

Camden is more seasoned as a venerable leisure-spot district, particularly since the 1960s. But, Electric Ballroom goes back even further. In fact, it has been open since the 1930s, although it was initially known as The Buffalo Club and operated as a pub. Of medium size, it is celebrated for its excellent acoustics. During the golden age of punk it hosted the likes of Sid Vicious and The Clash, in addition to big names in other genres such as U2, Paul McCartney, The Killers, The Smiths and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

5. Koko Club

Still in Camden, we also put in an appearance at Koko, a former theatre and the centre for BBC theatre programming after World War II. In the 1970s it was reconditioned as a concert hall. The building was known as Camden Palace from 1982 to 2004, but changed to its current name when it was taken over and completely restored by Oliver Bengough and Mint Entertainment.

6. Jazz Café

Jazz Café is undoubtedly one of the meccas of black music in London. Here you will find the best in jazz, hip-hop and more current trends like grime and trap. Take note of their programme, which is awesome. Here are the numbers due to be hosted on their premises in upcoming weeks: Sugarhill Gang (3/9), Pete Rock & CL Smooth (5/9), The Real Thing (24/9), Imagination (30/9) and The Herbaliser (14/10) – quite a treat!

7. Roundhouse

This erstwhile train engine shed has become one of the most important venues for concerts and the performing arts in London. Located in Chalk Farm, it is a Grade II listed building, that is, considered to be particularly important of or special interest. It was built in 1847 and, after the Second World War, was converted into a performing arts venue. The Roundhouse has gone down in history as the only place where The Doors performed in the United Kingdom, in 1968.

8. Heaven

Heaven is one of the greatest draws among London clubs at present. It is located under the Villiers Street arches in the heart of the city. The Feeling, Hurts, John Grant and Miles Kane are but a few of the groups that have been hosted in this club. Heaven opened in the 1970s, imbued with disco culture from the USA. It soon became a roller disco and subsequently a dance music club. There are several rooms on the premises and hetero-friendly gay parties have now become frequent.

9. Union Chapel

Located in Islington, Union Chapel is a huge surprise. This church reconditioned as a multi-space venue has amazing acoustics. Apart from gigs, concerts are also hosted. Performances are stylistically far more open. In the coming weeks you can see The AKA Trio (23/9) – on the occasion of the African Music Festival – Lloyd Cole (3/11) and Billy Bragg & Joe Henry (7 y 8/11).

10. The Camden Assembly

The club will be inaugurated in September this year, on the same premises where the legendary Barfly stood for years, a small, dark locale where it became frequent to get the soles of one’s footwear stuck to the floor. The new venue has not yet disclosed its genre affiliation, but it will clearly be one of the pleasant surprises of the season.

Tired of the poor acoustics at open-air festivals? Make haste and check out our flights to London, the cradle of live music shows.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Wikipedia Commons, Ewan Munro, Jamie Barras

By Michael Schurmann from easyhiker.co       

There is no shortage of attractive hiking destinations for day trips near Munich where you are during the Oktoberfest. Both the Goldsteig and the Altmühl-Panoramaweg “top trails” are just a train ride away, and of course, there are always the Alps.
But Lake Starnberg tops the list of day trip destinations because it is by far the easiest to reach and is the scene of a titillating piece of German royalty history. (More of that if you promise to read through.)

You can go there by City Rail (the S-Bahn) in 30 minutes from Munich Central Station, and the round trip is covered by the Munich day pass which gives you unlimited access to all the city’s public transport facilities (a steal at €20 for up to five persons).

Another reason why Lake Starnberg tops that list: it won’t take you long to reach it from Starnberg station.

On a clear day, you can even see the Alps at the far end.

This far end, it must be said, is quite a long way away. Lake Starnberg is about 20 km long, and although it is quite narrow (never more than 5 km wide), the whole tour around the big pond may easily come to about 50 km.

“Road leading to Possenhofen hiking trail in Starnberger See near Munich”

For a day trip, this is clearly off the scale. But thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives.

On the right side of the lake, for example, there are two more S-Bahn stations further down the track (Possenhofen and Tutzing), so in theory, you could take the train there and walk back to Starnberg (7 km and 14 km respectively).

This was, in fact, our original plan: a walk to Possenhofen, the childhood home and favourite retreat of the star-crossed empress Sissi.

But the road to Possenhofen was so busy (even used by trucks) and so far away from the actual lake – it was practically lined with residential homes, gardens and boat houses – that we broke off our trip after app. 1 mile and returned to Starnberg.

Fortunately for us, we then discovered that the “left” (or western) side of the lake provides a much more pleasant ambiente.

A recognized hiking trail, the “König Ludwig Weg”, runs down the entire length of the lake’s west bank. That should, at the very least, ensure that you are safe from truck traffic.

No S-Bahn trains circulate down this side of the lake, but ferries take you to several of the small towns that are scattered around, including Seehausen at the lake’s southern tip.
If you have a full day, this is what you could do: Hike all the way to Seehausen and return by boat.

We only had the time for one section of this trail, however, and decided to walk the 6 km from Starnberg to the town of Berg.

Out of the station and standing in front of the lake, turn left.

The first half mile takes you past a mix of residential and recreational buildings: homes, gardens, boat houses and a public swimming pool.

After the first of two wooden bridges, however, the scenery becomes far more idyllic: swans in the lake, groups of sturdily built Bavarian women training their Nordic walking skills, young families and students skipping a boring lecture.

When you return to the asphalted road, in the outskirts of Berg, you will see some of the most expensive real estate in Germany.

Lake Starnberg, so pretty and so near to Munich, Germany’s richest city, is very much the Alpine version of the Cote d’Azur (or Beverly Hills).

After walking about 15 minutes, you will find the boat pier on your right.

“Sign leading to Koenig Ludwig Weg hiking trail in Starnberger See in Munich”Check the arrival and departure times, because the traffic back to Starnberg is infrequent and somewhat irregular, and if you miss one boat, you may have to wait a couple of hours for the next one.

If you can, make time for an excursion to the Votivkapelle (just follow the signs) another 30 minutes away.

This chapel was erected to commemorate one of the great unsolved mysteries of German history.
It stands very near the place where the mad King Louis II of Bavaria, (builder of Neuschwanstein Castle and generous supporter of Richard Wagner’s operatic works), explored Lake Starnberg in a vertical direction. (A wooden cross in the water marks the spot.)

Was it an accident? Did he commit suicide? Or was some sort of jiggery pokery involved? (For a full round-up of events, go HERE.)

On the way to the chapel, you will come across a plaque on a boat house where it says that Ludwig often set out from there to meet with his “soul mate” Sissi on the other side of the lake.

I found it strange and almost touching to see that after all these years, the Bavarians still can’t quite seem to cope with the fact that their beloved “Kini” did not fancy girls all that much.

For a less shamefaced account of the king’s life, watch Ludwig II, directed by Luchino Visconti and featuring the male model Helmut Berger as the eponymous royal, one of the campiest movies ever made: the thinking man’s Wizard of Oz.

If you do not have the time to experience Mr. Visconti’s Magnum Opus in its full Wagnerian languor of 247 minutes, do yourself a favour: sample the director’s operatic ambition here.

The latter section also features here a must-watch Bavarian-style gay orgy with folk dancing, zither music and much mutual groping.

No wonder the locals hated the film so much that they tried to have it banned when it was first released in 1972.)

Now, return to the pier where – if there is still time – you can have a coffee or a beer on the terrace of the Hotel Berg before taking the boat back to Starnberg.
If you have started your day before 12, you can still be back at your favourite Oktoberfest beer tent before the evening rush begins – and won’t miss any of the action.

Why not take a trip to Munich? Have a look at our flights here!

http://easyhiker.co.uk/

By Mariana Calleja from TravelThirst | Illustration & Photography by Federico Rojas

Of course there is a lot about Florence. Such a rich city with tons of art, scenery, history and more to be seen and learned. But this time, we decided to go into a secret Florence within the same streets we all have visited some time.

Maybe you have done this before but there is always some more to discover. So take your map down and take this secret guide in hand, as you know you are already curious and going into this secret Florence we were able to find and sense for you.

1. Traces of a Roman Amphitheater

There a particular little street where you can sense a prominent curve, where buildings and homes are sitting today. But what it’s not known and told, even within its walls, is how this curve represents the place where an amphitheater was located back in Roman times!

Walking straight from Piazza Santa Croce, taking the narrow street called Via Torta. Keep walking until you surround it all! You will be able to notice and even imagine where this roman structure used to be located. No walls remain today.

2. Florence’s Floods

Arno River is a big part of Florence’s soul. Even though it seems steady nowadays, it wasn’t always like that. Did you know this river flooded up the city 3 different times in the past? Once even taking down the well known Ponte Vecchio back in 1333. Fortunately it was rebuilt and still standing.

But what travelers, locals or any curious person don’t get to know is that there are a few traces of these floods around town. And as an important part of history as it is, we want to share this tip with you.

The largest flood came in 1966, not long ago, when it reached 5 meters height. You can see commemorative plaques on this corner, recalling and remembering lost souls to the flood.

3. Thunderstorm Hits to the Duomo

In June 17th, 1600, Florence suffered a terrible thunderstorm, which had one lightning striking directly the copper-gold ball on the Brunelleschi’s cupola. It made the ball fall down hardly to the ground and fortunately not harming anyone. There was just a big hole in the ground which is featured today over a white circle on the same spot where the ball landed.

4. Bees of Ferdinand

At the Piazza Annunziata, there is a magnificent statue of Ferdinand di Medici, which if you get closer, you will see a large swarm of bees gathering around the queen bee,symbolizing Ferdinando’s coat of arms and the peaceful living they had at the time. It is said that bees are uncountable…but I believe that is untrue! We dare you to go count them. We got 91 bees!

5. San Zanobi’s Tree

Right on one side of the Baptistery in Florence, you can see a column standing all alone. Well, attached to this column there is a nice story of a very beloved bishop and the first one of the city of Florence.

One day San Zanobi passed away so the entire city threw a parade in his honor and buried him at San Lorenzo’s church. After a few years, they decided to move him to the ancient cathedral of Santa Reparata.

It was January on a dark winter day when the parade was held again. They took his body into the new location and it is said that when they passed by the Baptistery, the bishop’s bier brushed against the leafless branches of an elm tree, making it bloom right away. It was miraculous and beautiful as it is told.

In order to celebrate this, Florentines built up a column right on this spot, with a small iron detail of a tree full of leaves representing San Zanobi’s miracle. And it is celebrated every January on the 27th.

6. The Mysterious Portrait of Michelangelo

On a corner right next to Palazzo Vecchio’s main entrance, you can get to see a very small face carved into the same wall stone.

Exactly on the corner between Via della Nina and Piazzale degli Ufizzi, you will notice if you get close enough, a small carving the resembles a human face.

It is said it was sculpted by Michelangelo, maybe on a boring moment or on a rivalry moment. Legend says how Michelangelo might have been challenged by a sculptor friend mentioning how he was slow with his own works. Michelangelo, while listening and heading his back towards the wall, sculpted this face to prove his colleague wrong.

But another legend says instead, how Michelangelo was on the street when we has caught on a boring conversation with someone who approached him. In his boredom and once again, heading his back to the wall, he carved this figure on the corner stone.

Which one do you believe it was?

7. Former Jail and Today’s Apartment Building

At the Via Gibhellina, there is the Monastery delle Murate, best known for holding an important jail during 500 years. After it was closed and transferred to a new location, the infrastructure was used as a restaurant and recreational park for long time, until the 20th century. In this moment, a social project rescuing old structures for a better living, took this area in order to build a whole apartment and lifestyle project. Nowadays, you can still see and even visit the place, grab a coffee or just sit down on a bench and admire the incredible passing of time while whispering a story to your ear.

Inspiring and exemplar is what this is. One more great achievement of the city of Florence, moving towards better times and a better quality of life.

By Mariana Calleja from TravelThirst | Illustration & Photography by Federico Rojas

A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.

In effect, Dublin is an integral part of U2’s makeup. Just a few months back they released Songs of Innocence, which Bono describes as the most personal album they have ever recorded. This, the thirteenth studio production of the Irish band, is a journey to their beginnings, to their infancy and youth. It is a period of dreams waiting to come true, with The Ramones or The Clash as the soundtrack, and Dublin as the eternal, vital backdrop. Now is undoubtedly the best time ever to visit the Irish capital – even more so if we are grooved by the beat of these innocent songs – and stroll along the streets that have witnessed the evolution of one of the foremost bands in the history of rock.

Mount Temple Comprehensive School
This was where it all started. Larry Mullen Jr. put up a sign on the school noticeboard looking for musicians to form a rock group. The call was heeded by Bono, The Edge and his brother, Dick Evans (who would be replaced soon after by Adam Clayton). Thus was Feedback born, later becoming The Hype and, finally, U2. Malahide Road.

Bonavox
Paul David Hewson did not become Bono until his childhood friend, Derek “Guggi” Rowan, happened to give him that nickname. It comes from Bonavox (or “good voice”), the name of a business dealing in… hearing aids! Whether you are music lovers or merely wish to check your aural capacity, the fact is the shop is still open at 9 North Earl Street.

The Projects Arts Centre
In their early years, U2 used to perform in one of the auditoriums here. And, it was at one of these concerts that they met Paul McGuinness, the group’s manager until 2013 and a crucial figure in the quartet’s career. The Project Arts Centre now operates as an art exhibition gallery, and also hosts some of the city’s major festivals, including the Dublin Writers’ Festival, Dublin Theatre Festival, Dublin Fringe Festival and Dublin Dance Festival. 39 East Essex Street.

Windmill Lane Studios        
Understandably also known as the “U2 Studios”, as it was here they recorded their first EP,Three(1979) and the subsequent albums, Boy (1980), October (1981), War (1983), The Unforgettable Fire (1984) and The Joshua Tree (1987). The studios are located at 4 Windmill Lane, a street full of graffiti originally linked to the group; so much so that it is known as the U2 Graffiti Wall. It now features all kinds of street art. 4 Windmill Lane, Dublin 2.

Grand Canal Docks  
Dublin’s dockside is one of the city’s enclaves most closely related to U2 iconography. The setting, highly representative of the spirit of Dublin, has been used by the quartet throughout their career as a backdrop for their record covers (October), videos (Gloria) and photographic sessions (like one they had in 2000 with the Dutch photographer, Anton Corbijn. Hanover Quay.

The Clarence Hotel
In 1992, Bono and The Edge purchased The Clarence. Built in 1852, the originally 2-star hotel was revamped under their supervision, becoming one of the city’s most luxurious hotels. And, as the Irish singer asserts, “For The Edge to have somewhere to stay until later”, they turned the basement into The Kitchen, a disco which the leading lights of electronic music have made their port of call. 6-8 Wellington Quay.

Fitzwilliam Place
Bono once forgot Ali’s birthday. His wife was so upset she was on the verge of throwing him out. The singer made his apologies in the form of a song – The Sweetest Thing. Originally released as a B-side on the single, Where the Streets Have No Name, it later became the first single on the compilation album, The Best of 1980-1990. Recorded on 20 September 1998, the video moves along this central street of Dublin. The videos Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own and Pride (In the Name of Love) are also set in Dublin. Fitzwilliam Place.

Hanover Quay
After leaving Windmill Lane Studios, U2 set up their studios in Hanover Quay. Located in the harbour area, the complex comprises two buildings – one acts as a rehearsal space; the other, a recording studio and editing room. It was there that U2 developed their discs, Pop (1997), All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000), How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (2004) and No Line On The Horizon (2009). Interestingly enough, the Kilsaran Concrete cement factory located opposite the studios had a bench installed in their foyer for followers of the group to wait in comfort for their idols to appear. 18 Hanover Quay, Dublin 2.

Finnegan’s of Dalkey
Celebrated for its culinary offerings, Finnegan’s of Dalkey is Bono’s favourite pub. He is so fond of it that, whenever he gets a visit from a celebrity friend (Michelle Obama, Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Salman Rushdie…), he takes them to this typical Irish pub for a pint of Guinness. It was opened by Dan Finnegan, one of whose seven sons, Peter Finnegan, emigrated to Valencia where, in the central Plaza de la Reina, he opened a twin Finnegan’s Of Dublin pub. 2 Sorrento Road.

St. Stephen’s Green
In 2000, Bono and The Edge were awarded the title, “Freeman of the City of Dublin”. Among the privileges that go with this honour, they were authorised to graze sheep on St. Stephen’s Green – no mean feat! The day after receiving the award, the singer and guitarist made an appearance in this popular park in the city centre flanked by two sheep, which they christened “My Little Lamb” and “Michael Jackson”. St. Stephen’s Green.

Wall Of Fame
The Wall Of Fame, a tribute to the leading names in Irish music, stands at 20 Temple Lane Street, one of the liveliest and most crowded streets in Dublin. The wall displays photos of Van Morrison, Sinéad O’Connor, Thin Lizzy, Rory Gallagher, The Undertones, Bob Geldof, Boyzone… However, one shot which stands out above all of them and effectively steals the limelight shows the very young U2 band members on the beach at Sandymount Strand, another of their favourite spots. And, while you’re there, make sure you drop in at the historic Temple Bar with their live music every night and some delicious oysters. 20 Temple Lane South.

The Little Museum Of Dublin
Opposite St. Stephen’s Green and hard by Grafton Street stands The Little Museum Of Dublin, an art gallery which showcases Dublin’s modern history. Prominent among their permanent exhibitions is “U2 Made In Dublin”. Ranging from original posters from their earliest concerts, to a Trabant from the Zoo TV Tour era, this is one of the largest and best collections of objects related to the band, all of them gifted by the quartet’s fans. 15 St Stephen’s Green.

The company, Dublin Differently, offers guided tours of the most celebrated settings in the city, retracing U2’s career, from their studios to The Clarence Hotel. So, make haste! Come and discover a bit more about one of the best rock bands of all time. Check out our flights to Dublin here.

Text by Oriol Rodríguez for ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Matt McGee, Phil Romans, William Murphy, dronepicr