![CBGB, New York: Synonymous with punk music in New York, CBGB has become a cult name for anyone interested in the history of the genre. Opening in 1973, it originally intended to host the music of it's namesake (Country, Blueglass and Blues), but quickly became the home of New York punk. Over the years it hosted the likes of The Ramones, Talking Heads, The Runaways, Television, The Strokes and Green Day until it's closure in 2006. The venue's final performance was fittingly by Patti Smith, one of the forerunners of modern alternative culture in New York.]()
CBGB, New York: Synonymous with punk music in New York, CBGB has become a cult name for anyone interested in the history of the genre. Opening in 1973, it originally intended to host the music of it's namesake (Country, Blueglass and Blues), but quickly became the home of New York punk. Over the years it hosted the likes of The Ramones, Talking Heads, The Runaways, Television, The Strokes and Green Day until it's closure in 2006. The venue's final performance was fittingly by Patti Smith, one of the forerunners of modern alternative culture in New York.
![The Cavern Club, Liverpool: The 'cradle of British pop music', The Cavern Club is renowned as the stomping ground for The Beatles in their early years. The venue opened in 1957, in a cellar inspired by the jazz district of Paris, and became a comfortable home field for the Fab Four, in fact, between 1961 to 1963 The Beatles made 292 appearances at the club.]()
The Cavern Club, Liverpool: The 'cradle of British pop music', The Cavern Club is renowned as the stomping ground for The Beatles in their early years. The venue opened in 1957, in a cellar inspired by the jazz district of Paris, and became a comfortable home field for the Fab Four, in fact, between 1961 to 1963 The Beatles made 292 appearances at the club.
![Apollo Theatre, Harlem:]()
Apollo Theatre, Harlem: "The Apollo probably exerted a greater influence upon popular culture than any other entertainment venue in the world." A place for the Black communities of New York to come explore art and culture, it was a regular venue for the now-considered legends. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Aretha Franklin, James Brown and BB King just to name a few. The building itself was constructed in 1914 and it may one day crumble, but the community and spirit of the Apollo is everlasting.
![The Troubadour, London: A primary venue for the British folk revival of the 50s and 60s, The Troubadour is one of the last coffee shop venues of it's era. Opening in 1954, it was a regular spot for Jimi Hendrix when he lived in London. Other artists that graced The Troubadour include Bob Dylan (under his moniker Blind Boy Grunt in 1962), Richard Harris, Paul Simon and Jimmy Page playing a come-down session after an Earl's Court performance.]()
The Troubadour, London: A primary venue for the British folk revival of the 50s and 60s, The Troubadour is one of the last coffee shop venues of it's era. Opening in 1954, it was a regular spot for Jimi Hendrix when he lived in London. Other artists that graced The Troubadour include Bob Dylan (under his moniker Blind Boy Grunt in 1962), Richard Harris, Paul Simon and Jimmy Page playing a come-down session after an Earl's Court performance.
![Madison Square Garden, New York: The world's most famous stadium, MSG signifies a peak in any artist's career that plays there. Opening in 1968, it's as much as a sports facility as it is a music venue but that doesn't mean it hasn't hosted some true moments of musical history. U2 have played it 17 times, Billy Joel has a residency, LCD Soundsystem played their final show there and Mick Jagger celebrated his 29th birthday onstage in 1972.]()
Madison Square Garden, New York: The world's most famous stadium, MSG signifies a peak in any artist's career that plays there. Opening in 1968, it's as much as a sports facility as it is a music venue but that doesn't mean it hasn't hosted some true moments of musical history. U2 have played it 17 times, Billy Joel has a residency, LCD Soundsystem played their final show there and Mick Jagger celebrated his 29th birthday onstage in 1972.
![The Gaslight Cafe, New York: Brought back into the spotlight by the Coen Brothers' 'Inside Llewyn Davis' in 2013, The Gaslight Cafe was a home of poetry and folk in the Greenwich Village between it's opening in 1958 to it's closure in 1971. The artists were unpaid but the venue operated a]()
The Gaslight Cafe, New York: Brought back into the spotlight by the Coen Brothers' 'Inside Llewyn Davis' in 2013, The Gaslight Cafe was a home of poetry and folk in the Greenwich Village between it's opening in 1958 to it's closure in 1971. The artists were unpaid but the venue operated a "basket house" policy not dissimilar to how we support buskers. During it's short-lived time open, The Gaslight Cafe played host to Bob Dylan, Son House, Bruce Springsteen and jazz musician Charles Mingus.
![The 9:30 Club, Washington DC: The home for alternative music in D.C in the early 80s, The 9:30 club became renowned for it's talents in discovering hot new bands. In the early days it staged The Ramones and Psychedelic Furs until it became more closely intwined with Dischord records (Fugazi, Minor Threat, Government Issue) and the more hardcore punk scene.]()
The 9:30 Club, Washington DC: The home for alternative music in D.C in the early 80s, The 9:30 club became renowned for it's talents in discovering hot new bands. In the early days it staged The Ramones and Psychedelic Furs until it became more closely intwined with Dischord records (Fugazi, Minor Threat, Government Issue) and the more hardcore punk scene.
![The Crocodile Cafe, Seattle: A haven for US alt-rock, The Croc looks unassuming on the outside but once you dig into it's history, the amount of amazing talent that played between 1991 and 2009 is astounding. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Sleater Kinney, REM, Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Dinosaur Jr, Death Cab For Cutie, Mudhoney and Neutral Milk Hotel.]()
The Crocodile Cafe, Seattle: A haven for US alt-rock, The Croc looks unassuming on the outside but once you dig into it's history, the amount of amazing talent that played between 1991 and 2009 is astounding. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Sleater Kinney, REM, Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Dinosaur Jr, Death Cab For Cutie, Mudhoney and Neutral Milk Hotel.
![Earl's Court, London: It was a big blow for live music in London when Earl's Court closed down last December. From hosting Pink Floyd in the early 70s to becoming the regular home for the BRIT awards, Earl's Court is the alternative to Wembley that we're sad to have seen gone.]()
Earl's Court, London: It was a big blow for live music in London when Earl's Court closed down last December. From hosting Pink Floyd in the early 70s to becoming the regular home for the BRIT awards, Earl's Court is the alternative to Wembley that we're sad to have seen gone.
![L'Olympia, Paris: The Olympia music hall was founded in 1888 by Joseph Oller, the creator of Moulin Rouge. Musically, it was the first venue on the Grateful Dead's first ever European tour in 1972, played host to the likes of Miles Davis and saw Jeff Buckley give what he considered the finest performance of his career there in 1995.]()
L'Olympia, Paris: The Olympia music hall was founded in 1888 by Joseph Oller, the creator of Moulin Rouge. Musically, it was the first venue on the Grateful Dead's first ever European tour in 1972, played host to the likes of Miles Davis and saw Jeff Buckley give what he considered the finest performance of his career there in 1995.
![SO36, Berlin: In the heart of Kreuzberg (South-East Berlin) SO36 became a home for punk rock and subculture in Germany. It was a regular spot for David Bowie and Iggy Pop and, after financial troubles, was rebranded in 1979 to rival CBGB as the best new-wave venue in the world. The venue still stands today and continues to give a platform for upcoming alternative artists.]()
SO36, Berlin: In the heart of Kreuzberg (South-East Berlin) SO36 became a home for punk rock and subculture in Germany. It was a regular spot for David Bowie and Iggy Pop and, after financial troubles, was rebranded in 1979 to rival CBGB as the best new-wave venue in the world. The venue still stands today and continues to give a platform for upcoming alternative artists.
![Razzmatazz, Barcelona: The city's only 'super club', Razzmatazz is a five roomed]()
Razzmatazz, Barcelona: The city's only 'super club', Razzmatazz is a five roomed "flagship of culture and leisure scene on the national and international scale". Big names and small names in both the dance, indie and hip-hop circles have played, at some point, Razzmatazz. Striving to be the definitive live music venue in Barcelona, Razzmatazz has earned legendary status on that merit alone.
![Alexandra Palace, London: Ally Pally, to the more acquainted, is maybe the most legendary venue in London. Spanning three centuries of history, the palace has seen performances from Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, Yoko Ono, Arctic Monkeys and literally every great musician that has played London since 1970. The sound quality is the best in the city and the site has an unparalleled majesty.]()
Alexandra Palace, London: Ally Pally, to the more acquainted, is maybe the most legendary venue in London. Spanning three centuries of history, the palace has seen performances from Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, Yoko Ono, Arctic Monkeys and literally every great musician that has played London since 1970. The sound quality is the best in the city and the site has an unparalleled majesty.
![Nippon Budokan, Tokyo: Now primarily a stadium for competitive martial arts, Budokan was the first venue in Japan to stage The Beatles in the summer of 1966. It became a popular venue for artists to release live albums, notably Cheap Trick, Eric Clapton, Diana Ross, Iron Maiden, Blur and Pearl Jam.]()
Nippon Budokan, Tokyo: Now primarily a stadium for competitive martial arts, Budokan was the first venue in Japan to stage The Beatles in the summer of 1966. It became a popular venue for artists to release live albums, notably Cheap Trick, Eric Clapton, Diana Ross, Iron Maiden, Blur and Pearl Jam.
