Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall

June 25, 2008 6:03 PM

Tell me some indie/punk shows/venues I MUST see in England/Amsterdam/France/Spain (but mainly England) this fall (mid-August through October).

I am most interested in small to midsize shows (bands that haven't broke through in the U.S. would be great) and venues that I might not necessarily find unless I am looking for them specifically on Pollstar or something similar. I know this is a very open ended question, but so is my trip. Thanks. Oh, and, As great fun as they may (or may not) be I am too old in body (if not mind and spirit) for the giant festival scenes.

posted by holdkris99 to media & arts (7 comments total)

If you stop in Madrid, check out Moby Dick and La Riviera.
posted by infinityjinx at 7:07 PM on June 25, 2008

For England, start following NME and Drowned in Sound.

Also, "small to midsize" and "haven't broken through in the U.S." are really vague and relative. It's not unheard of for a band to be playing 200+ venues on the club circuit in the US and England to play in 2000+ venues in London.
posted by Martin E. at 7:45 PM on June 25, 2008

James.

Also, I don't know what the hell you are talking about with "small to midsize bands". Is that a band that can seat 4 people but doesnt have as much cargo room as a sedan?

Good luck.
posted by hal_c_on at 9:00 PM on June 25, 2008

For the England leg, why don't you book tickets for the Reading Festival (easily accessed from London), and something you like the look of at Brixton Academy (my favourite London venue), plus maybe something at Koko or the Roundhouse so you get a bit of the legendary Camden scene. For smaller venues. just scan the NME listings for stuff you like the look of.
posted by roofus at 2:01 AM on June 26, 2008

The Windmill is a pub venue in Brixton (Hill). Definitely small but well known on the up and coming band circuit. They put on 4/5 bands a night, most nights except Mondays, for around a fiver (10$).
posted by tallus at 5:51 AM on June 26, 2008

Anything promoted by the good people at atp will be worthwhile: here are their upcoming UK concerts.

You could also consider popping over to Ireland for Electric Picnic. Here's the lineup. Officially it's sold out, but tickets will be getable, I think. Also, it's not a giant festival - it's fairly small and user-friendly; around 30,000 people, with four or five stages, plus a lot of other cool stuff. It's trying to be civilised, child friendly etc.
posted by tiny crocodile at 6:06 AM on June 26, 2008

I'd stay away from the bigger venues and the Reading festival unless you like big corporate gigs, drunken kids, and flaming piles of litter. Whereabouts in England will you be going? Just London?

ATP is a good recommendation. Gets a more mature crowd than the other festivals, and you don't have to camp.

In Leeds, there's a lively DIY scene promoted through Cops and Robbers, and the other major listing is Leeds gig guide. My favourite venue at the moment is the Brudenell Social Club, but you get small gigs upstairs in various pubs (the Fenton and the Packhorse) and in all sorts of other places around town. I'd imagine most cities in the UK have similar scenes, although Leeds does have quite an indie/emo/goth heritage.
posted by handee at 7:35 AM on June 26, 2008