The Hope & Anchor in Islington
This particular place on Upper Street used to be the official hangout for the artists on Stiff Records. Other acts such as the Stranglers, the Damned and the Clash also appeared here. Following a recession and gentrification, it was taken over by a wine bar. Fortunately for live music lovers, it was reborn in 1996 and has since gone on to host such bands as Ash and the Futureheads, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Tortoise. On Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays you can enjoy three bands each night.
New Cross Inn in New Cross
The New Cross a questionable Irish dive bar. It has since gone on to ride the rise of NuRave and embraced a new image. Today this alt pub offers visitors music every night courtesy of both bands and platter pushers.
It has a generally friendly local crowd and its modern-day decor comes complete with a somewhat disturbing mural of a red-lipped lady with no other facial features. It has all-ages shows during the yearly South London music festival known as Rocklands. Six nights a week admission is free until 2 am.
All images courtesy of original owners
[…] London, England has a lot going for it in the winter. Shopaholics will be happy to know that the shopping is world-class even in the winter. The iconic tourist stops remain remarkable and some travel journalists say there is something quite “British” about a walk through Hyde Park when your breath steams out into the air and the grass is crisp beneath your feet. The friendly little pubs and intimate eateries emit a soft amber glow as the locals step out onto the streets swaddled in caps and scarves. […]