This unassuming former council-estate pub near Brixton Hill has been a fixture of London’s underground music scene since the early 2000s. In recent years, it’s become an incubator of sorts for a new wave of bands coming out of South London, hosting early gigs by shame, black midi, and Goat Girl. It’s no-frills, unpretentious, and truly beloved: During the early days of the pandemic, Fontaines D.C., Anna Calvi, Sleaford Mods and others helped raise funds to save it from closure.

An ex-servicemen’s members’ club, Hackney’s MOTH club has become one of London’s best places to catch emerging talent (you can also pop in for karaoke, bingo, and comedy). Make your way through the quieter members’ bar, where East London locals drop in for a pint, and head toward the dancehall; on big show nights, it fills with twentysomethings eager to see buzzy bands play in front of the iconic gold tinsel curtain. Dave Grohl and Lady Gaga have stopped by to perform surprise shows.

This busy, casual spot in Dalston hosts high-octane indie and alternative shows in its small but spirited back room. It’s part DIY venue, part pub (the front bar serves ales, street food, and shows football on TV) and was one of the first among a growing number of East London venues to cater to the area’s young alternative fans. It’s all about rising talent here, although The Horrors, Solange, and Skrillex have done one-off shows. The stage is low, so arrive early to secure a good view.

Located between Angel and Kings Cross, this lounge and concert space is a split-level hangout in which guests ping-pong between floors. Mingle in the grand downstairs bar (which serves signature cocktails and great food) before heading upstairs to get up close and personal with bands, songwriters, and occasional DJs. The crowd is fairly music-savvy, the bookings are expectedly hip, and weekends feature indie disco or ’80s-themed club nights that thump into the wee hours.

The bar at Shoreditch’s Old Blue Last has existed since 1700, and before that was a theater and hangout frequented by Shakespeare. After a stint as a brothel in the ’70s, it was bought by Vice in 2004 and become a magnet for scenesters and hard-partying bands (it’s now independent). The beloved watering hole has hosted scores of raucous gigs (at mid-2000s shows by The Horrors and Arctic Monkeys, the ceiling actually caved in). The vibe today is less reckless, but bands still give it their all.

This legendary venue on Oxford Street has been at the forefront of London’s music scenes since it opened in the 1940s: first, it was a jazz club popular among American GIs, then a blues haunt (Muddy Waters and BB King performed here), and then a pivotal supporter of UK punk in the 1970s. The club has been owned by same family since 1964, and in 2010, Paul McCartney raised money to keep it in their hands. Bands still clamor to play the same low-slung stage as Oasis, The Clash, and Sex Pistols.

Initially built to serve Irish railway workers in the 1850s, this family-run pub and DIY indie venue is one of North London’s longest-running live music spots. It all began back in 1979 when Madness secured a weekly residency by pretending to be a jazz ensemble, only to become so popular they scored a record deal. Ever since, playing here has been a rite of passage for Blur, The Killers, Muse and many others (Amy Winehouse used to be a regular). Expect multiple acts several nights of the week.

The Tufnell Park Dome sits away from the chaos of central Camden, but is very much in keeping with the area’s indie spirit. The 600-capacity space, set in a historic Victorian building from 1884, is a great spot to catch international groups already on the rise. Shows often skew towards heavier guitar bands, but not always: Florence + the Machine, Lily Allen, Khalid, Giggs, and The 1975 have all been on the bill.