Electric Ballroom

At the glorious Electric Ballroom in 1978, was held the Sid Sods Off party to bid farewell to Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen, who were about to leave for New York to never return.

Kilburn National Ballroom

Many famous musicians including Killing Joke, New Order, Echo and The Bunnymen, Johnny Cash, David Bowie (with Tin Machine), The Smiths (the live album Rank was recorded here on the 23rd of October 1986), Cocteau Twins, The Pogues, Jesus and Mary Chain, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (on July 14th, 1988), the Sonic Youth (on March 23, 1989, with Mudhoney as support act), Pixies (on July 5th, 1989), Primal Scream, The Fall, Fugazi (September 19th, 1990), Blur and even Nirvana (on December 5th, 1991) played the legendary Kilburn National!

Paddington Kitchen

Here, in the basement of the restaurant Paddington Kitchen (now Peking – Seoul), Mick Jones (later in The Clash) and Tony James (later in Generation X) worked on their London SS project in late 1975.

Among the respondents to an ad placed by them in Melody Maker, looking for people who were “into The Dolls, Stooges, and MC5” who wanted to start a band, was the young Steven Morrissey (later just Morrissey, singer of The Smiths) from Manchester.

Lyceum Theatre

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Lyceum Theatre hosted the likes of The Grateful Dead, The Clash, Bob Marley and The Wailers (their Live! album was recorded here on 18–19 July 1975), Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Police, The Who, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Genesis, Deep Purple, Sex Pistols, Joy Division, The Smiths, U2, and Culture Club.

The Fridge/Electric Brixton

The Fridge was at the heart of the New Romantic movement, and booked such acts as Eurythmics and Pet Shop Boys before they were well known, later becoming particularly famous for its Africa Centre nights, playing hip hop and funk, hosted by legendary group Soul II Soul (in the late 80s).

Rock Garden

Opened in 1976, a basement venue in this Covent Garden corner – back then called the Rock Garden – hosted a wide variety of new wave and indie bands including U2, XTC, Adam and The Ants, and Suede. The Smiths played their first London gig here in March 1983.

The Bell

The Bell on Pentonville Road was the main attraction in the area for a certain type of queers, punks, goths, skinheads, and the likes, looking for good music and great fun. The Smiths, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Associates, The Cult, and Kate Bush have all played here.

The Venue

The Venue, owned by Virgin Records, was active on 160-162 Victoria Street, between the 1st of November 1978 and August 1984.

Captain Beefheart, Bauhaus, Duran Duran, Iggy Pop (with Nico), the Ramones, XTC, The Smiths, U2, The Fall, John Cale, Devo, and Depeche Mode played here in those years.