from the crowd (in your face all the time), and the sound is condensed within the four walls creating a totally awesome live music experience that sweeps everyone into a frenzy. Glasgow audiences are amongst the toughest to please but the most rewarding when you do, and when this happens in The Barrowland the result is electric. At number two there is no doubt the Brixton Academy (www.brixton-academy.co.uk) is as good a venue for a gig as you will get anywhere in the world. A favourite for Ian Dury and more recently, Madonna, this jewel in London’s crown creates an explosive and urban atmosphere, so that people continue to snap tickets up for gigs there faster than Linford Christie does 100m. The venue, run by Carling, has spread into other cities too, with replicas of the interior being constructed to capitalise on the successful layout the building affords. It’s a simple philosophy; create a classic look but with modern facilities, and slope the crowd as far as they can go towards the stage. In third place is a pub backroom that tops all small venues, purely because of its history and openness to introduce new acts to the music scene: The Dublin Castle (www.bugbearbookings.com/pages/dc.htm). Found in Camden Town’s Parkway, this pub is perhaps most famous for being the home of Madness, but it has also been the heart of a Camden musical enterprise that has seen the likes of Oasis and Blur stake a claim. The Dublin Castle stage is small, but its impact on the British music scene proves it has punched over its weight for many years. Catch a gig there if you can some night – a single ticket will get you at least three bands for under a tenner, and the beer is half bad either. From the smallest to the largest now, and the title of best arena venue in the UK goes to the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle (www.metroradioarena.co.uk). Highly adaptable and with superb facilities, this arena is a must-play venue to the hottest live music acts on the go, as well as sporting occasions and stand-up comedy acts. It always guarantees an energetic and enthusiastic crowd of up to 10,000 people, with superb views and sound quality, whether standing, seated, in the expensive boxes, or the rear balcony. It’s as good a venue on this scale for performing acts as it is for the paying public. Last but not least on the list of top five best UK concert venues goes to a much forgotten centre of musical and artistic excellence - another Camden classic - The Roundhouse (www.roundhouse.org.uk).
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