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7 Places in London Musicians Must Visit
Some of the most legendary bands have come from London. Names like Queen, David Bowie, Coldplay, and The Rolling Stones are just some. Even the famous Abbey Road that was featured on The Beatles album cover was captured in London. It's the ultimate holiday and tourist destination for musicians and people passionate about music.
There is a rich history, especially in the name of rock n' roll that London is home to, and whether you are a fan of a different genre or not, this is one of the best places where the greatest music in the world has been recorded. Let's look at seven of the top places every musician needs to go past at least once.
Honest Jon's in Notting Hill
Honest Jon's is one of the most popular record stores still in business today. It has a massive collection of every artist, genre, and band a person can think of. The shop is doing so well it has opened a second branch in London. It's got an amazingly cool history too. Before Honest Jon's was a record shop in 1974, it was a butcher's shop. You can still see meat hooks in the back room and the same marble slab that was used to cut the meat. Some customers have even been seen paying for their record collection with a healthy supply of raw meat for the owner.
The independent British record shop prides itself on having a multitude of genres, from jazz to reggae and even unconventional folk music. Its diverse collection has the most unique songs and bands from all around the world.
34 Montagu Square in Marylebone
This location is unique because it has been declared an English Heritage building. It was once home to John Lennon and Yoko Ono before John's assassination. The couple even took a picture that would become the cover for their featured Two Virgins album release. The flat was also the place where Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney from The Beatles spent sleepless nights recording the famous "Eleanor Rigby", and "I'm Looking Through You" songs.
At one point when Ringo owned the flat, he rented it out to Jimi Hendrix, who composed his iconic tune The Wind Cries Mary. Jimi Hendrix would go on to become voted the greatest guitarist that ever lived. He won out of 50 of the most skillful guitarists.
The Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall was originally built as a concert area for Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband who had a great passion for arts and sciences. While it was being built, the Royal Albert Hall was known for having a terrible echo with poor acoustics. In the 1960s this was fixed and now the venue is used to host the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It's said that the acoustics now bring a beautiful ambiance to any performance.
As one of the largest concert halls in the world, this is the perfect place for musicians to enjoy a jazz evening or even Cirque du Soleil. This historic building has seen the likes of Adele, Shirley Bassey, Led Zeppelin, and Abba performing over the years, and still hosts evening performances to this day.
Dalston
The town of Dalston in the East area of London is known for its annual music festivals and public events. It hosts hundreds of music performances and is a big part of the nightlife in London. For any musician looking to record or just visit a famous place, check out the studio space Dalston with Pirate. You have the choice of four different studio types with Pirate depending on your artistic vision. Rehearsal studios, recording stations, and podcast equipment are provided 24/7 because Pirate believes that every artist needs a creative space to work.
Brook Street
Another place where Jimi Hendrix composed most of his music, 25 Brook Street has been home to other famous artists like the great German composer George Frideric Handel. Handel occupied the space in the early 1700s where he would go on to create some of the most well-known opera concertos. Jimi Hendrix lived in the flat just next to Handel. Number 25 and 26 Brook Street has since been turned into the Handel House Museum where music lovers can visit the place where these great minds worked their magic.
There are guided tours available and some live performances are still held in this building. The original printed material, manuscripts, and music sheets of these two performers can also be viewed at the museum.
Hard Rock Café
No music-loving person would dare visit London without enjoying at least a cup of coffee at the Hard Rock Café. It might sound like a cheesy location for musicians to visit, but it has so much priceless memorabilia from the great rock bands that it's hard to ignore. You don't just go to this café to enjoy the food. You can see autographed guitars signed by Eric Clapton and behind the locked vault are various costumes worn during performances.
Elton John's infamous silver star suit worn at the 1986 Tour de France is one of the valuable items Hard Rock Café is keeping safe. For any musician, this is the ultimate place to get as close as possible to the best bands and singers in the world. Even Katy Perry has an orange dress locked up as a memorable item of value.
Spice of Life
This idyllic pub placed in the center of Soho used to get live performances from Cat Stevens and Bob Dylan back in its early days. In the 70s, Spice of Life was a regular hangout for The Sex Pistols and was popular for punk rock in the early era. The pub is still a well-known location to spot some famous singers and composers. Jamie Cullum is one of the people you are likely to run into where you can enjoy a live performance.
London is home to a rich musical history with priceless items held by the most famous artists in the world. Artifacts that defined the music we all listen to today are a part of London's heritage, and it's truly an exciting place for any musician to visit.
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