Exploring London's Hidden Music Landmarks To Visit
01 July 2025
London's diverse and rich music scene and legacy is something that is still celebrated and revered the world over. Of course, everyone knows about its many famous venues - The O2, Royal Albert Hall - and the wealth of iconic artists that have emanated from the capital and onto the world's stage; think The Rolling Stones, The Clash, Amy Winehouse.
But what about those lesser travelled destinations that have also had their part to play in the vibrant tapestry of London's - and, by extension - British music and culture? Join us now, as we explore some hidden gems that you can discover for yourself and immerse in the heritage behind these places…
- All That Jazz at Ronnie Scott's
Founded in 1959 in Soho, Ronnie Scott's is a byword of its own for jazz aficionados. Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club - to give it its full title - originally started in a basement on 39 Gerard Street by the aforementioned renowned jazz musician and Pete King. Within six years, it had moved a couple of streets away to 47 Frith Street, where it is still based today.
Many UK based jazz musicians were either part of the house band or had regular slots here, with the likes of Dick Morrissey and Tubby Hayes putting on jam sessions with touring or visiting artists.
But it was also a hotspot - and still is - for a wealth of up and coming talent who got their break here. Numerous legendary international jazz stars have recorded live albums here as well; everyone from Sarah Vaughan and Nina Simone, to Stan Getz and Curtis Mayfield.
- Raw Power at Scala
There's not many original venues in and around the capital that haven't succumbed to redevelopment or the expansion of schemes like Crossrail - the much missed Astoria being one. But somehow, you name it, and Scala has seen it all and overcome it in its lifetime.
Originally opening as the King's Cross Cinema in 1920, its name was really put on the map in the summer of 1972, when Iggy Pop and his band The Stooges played their only UK concert, which was recorded for their live album, Raw Power.
The cover artwork of that album was taken by the much lauded rock photographer Mick Rock, who also shot Lou Reed for the cover of his acclaimed Transformer album at the venue that same year.
Host to regular club nights and live gigs, it was reopened with a new stage and a new refitting in 1999. Amongst the many notable artists who have taken to its stage, there's been Coldplay, Kaiser Chiefs, Gorillaz and Bastille, as well as international artists such as Moby, Sheryl Crow and The Killers.
- Girl Power at St Pancras
A short 5 minute walk from Scala's location on Pentonville Road, lies King's Cross station. And next door to it, is the St Pancras Grand Hotel - formerly the Midland Grand Hotel - on Euston Road. This magnificent Gothic Revival building, which had opened in 1873 and closed as a hotel in 1935, had then been railway offices, but had laid dormant after it closed due to failed fire safety regulations in the 1980s.
That was, until five loud, Buffalo booted and wildly dressed girls came crashing through its then crumbling, derelict hallways in April 1996, chanting "Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want…" For the hotel was the famous setting of the music video that heralded the arrival of one of the biggest girl groups of all time: the Spice Girls.
With the hotel now fully restored and open again as of 2011, many fans of Ginger, Posh, Baby, Sporty and Scary from the world over still pay a visit here today to recreate their iconic dance routine to "Wannabe" on its staircase, and put a little bit of Spice and "zig-a-zig-ah" into their lives!
- Carnival Vibes at Notting Hill
Although its use in Richard Curtis' romcom of the same name in 1999 did give rise to its gentrification in the 21st century, Notting Hill indisputably remains one of London's most cosmopolitan and multicultural areas, many parts of which have been the site of or inspired a wealth of musical talent.
Ladbroke Grove, for instance, was the site of Sarm West Studios, where Queen recorded parts of their classic "Bohemian Rhapsody" in 1975. All Saints Road, the road the studios was based on, gave the British-Canadian 90s girl group All Saints their name, and it was also where they were formed. More recently, Brit rapper AJ Tracey paid homage to the area in his single "Ladbroke Grove", which was a massive hit in 2019.
Of course, owing to the area's large Caribbean, African and West Indian community, it's also home to the annual Notting Hill Carnival on the August bank holiday weekend, which sees around two million visitors each year, and is a vibrant celebration representing the five 'disciplines' of carnival: masquerade, soca, calypso, steelpan and sound systems.
- A Banquet for Vinyl Lovers in Kingston
Venturing a little further out to Kingston-upon-Thames, on the border where the north west of the city meets Surrey, is one of the capital's most celebrated record shops - Banquet Records. Founded in 2002 on 52 Eden Street, it was originally part of the Beggars Banquet chain of record stores, but became fully independent in that same year, and was taken over by its current owners, Jon Tolley and Mike Smith, in 2005.
In recent years, thanks to the resurgence of interest in vinyl records, it has become a go-to destination for vinyl lovers and collectors, particularly on the annual Record Store Day event held every April. As a result, it has won the title of Independent Retailer of the Year for four years out of the last decade by trade publication Music Week in their annual awards, in 2013, 2017, 2020 and 2021.
Banquet also hosts a number of live shows including PAs and signing events in-store, by artists as diverse as The Libertines, Noel Gallagher, Jessie Ware and Craig David, as well as specially curated events at nearby venues in Kingston such as PRYZM and St John's Church, with artists such as Stormzy, The Who, The Specials and Johnny Marr.
If our exploration of London's hidden music destinations has inspired your curiosity, why not take a look at our collection of Gifts for Music Lovers, which includes Walking Tours celebrating The Beatles and David Bowie, and our All Singing All Dancing experience gifts which may inspire you to follow in their footsteps, whatever your tastes are.
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