Culture
The Best Cities For Live Music
Whether you’re looking for rock, reggae or Afrobeat, in venues large or small, you’ll find it in these pitch-perfect cities that know how to do live music right
Is music an essential part of your travels? Do you plan entire holidays around gigs, festivals and bucket-list experiences? Add these destinations to your itinerary to make live music part and parcel of your upcoming city trips. Each place has its own rich music history, a buzzing live music scene and big-ticket gigs to keep you entertained.
For Jazz: Tokyo, Japan
New Orleans may be the first city that comes to mind, but Tokyo has a healthy jazz scene, made up of reputable, internationally known local musicians and touring artists playing a handful of mid-sized to large venues. In addition, the city is lousy with tiny jazz bars and kissaten (cafes) where hardcore hobbyists dedicate themselves to the lifestyle, from funky fashion and fancy drinks to obscure records and highly specialised bands. These places can be hard to find, but are exceptionally welcoming and well worth the search, whether you enjoy jazz or not. Alternatively, explore the city’s other niche music scenes for every possible taste, from Irish folk and kawaiicore to death metal and hardcore punk.
[Image: Paper Moon Jazz Bar via isado/Flickr]
For Techno: Berlin, Germany
Your personal rating of Berlin on this list will depend on what you consider “live” music. The German capital’s reputation rests heavily on its thriving club scene where DJs play records, not instruments. But even if you prefer singers to record-slingers, you’ll find plenty to keep your head bobbing. Home-grown talent and expat residents like Iggy Pop and David Bowie – who made the partitioned city their home during the turbulent Cold War years – have all left their mark on the local music scene. Today, you can still catch a glimpse of Berlin’s slowly disappearing wild side in improvised bars across Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain.
[Image courtesy of Festsaal Kreuzberg]
For Folk Music: Cork City
Dublin may have more of a reputation for live music, from street busking and pub sessions to global superstars like U2 playing at the Gaelic football stadium, Croke Park. Recently, the city has been thoroughly taken over by the tech industry, which squeezed out creative spaces, so musicians are moving elsewhere. In Cork, Ireland’s second city, bands have a wealth of live music pubs, mid-sized clubs and large venues to choose from, with a robust, supportive scene surrounding them. Plus, scenic West Cork – with legendary venues like De Barra’s of Clonakilty and Connolly’s of Leap – is just a short bus journey away.
[Image courtesy of De Barra Folk Club]
For Pop: London, UK
London is one of the cities most referenced in pop songs, home to perhaps the most famous recording studio in the world, Abbey Road, as well as the most iconic stadium venue, Wembley, and one of the most revered music halls, Albert Hall. Beginning in the swinging sixties, one internationally successful music craze after another rolled out of the British capital, back in the day when pop music was born and musical trends originated from just a few epicentres on either side of the Atlantic. Camden and Soho look back on decades of musical heritage, from The Clash and Amy Winehouse to The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix, while Brixton and Shoreditch have become global centres for urban, hip-hop, grime and electronic dance music, respectively.
For Rock: Los Angeles, USA
For decades, bands and solo musicians have flocked to the entertainment capital of the world seeking fame and fortune. Along with Hollywood’s film studios, the city is home to a sizeable music recording industry, which can make or break a career on stage or on screen. For a nostalgic experience, head to the Sunset Strip to catch a band at Viper Room or the Roxy. Feel like a 1970s and ‘80s rock star, and pour one out for Lemmy Kilmister at Rainbow Bar. Seasoned professionals, from back-up singers for some of the world’s biggest stars to up-and-coming talents, grace the stage at Whisky a Go Go’s weekly jam session. For the hottest bands of the moment, head to Silver Lake, Echo Park or Downtown.
For Country: Nashville, USA
While Memphis is the home of soul and rhythm and blues, Nashville prides itself on being the birthplace of America’s other original style of music: country. All country music greats past and present either cut their teeth in the city or recorded and performed there. While in “Music City”, retrace the footsteps of Johnny Cash or pay tribute at the Country Music Hall of Fame. At night, visit iconic venues like the Ryman Auditorium or the Grand Ole Opry, home to the longest-running live radio broadcast in the world. You’ll find local musicians playing in any number of bars and honky tonks up and down Broadway seven days a week.
For Reggae: Kingston, Jamaica
Bob Marley’s influence looms large, so head to the Trench Town Culture Yard and the Peter Tosh Museum for the history, then immerse yourself in the contemporary music scene. From the streets and the clubs to the beach and the waterfront, the entire island is alive with reggae, dub and dancehall sounds, as well as the old-school ska, rocksteady and mento music they were based on. Big festivals during the main season are a great way to catch a major line-up, but you can see well-known acts and local up-and-comers play all year round.
[Image courtesy of the Wickie Wackie Music Fest]
For Samba: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Brazil and its barefoot capital, Rio, are known for several distinct styles of music that reflect the country’s multicultural heritage. The city’s most famous 24-hour open-air concert comes early each year, when carnival takes over the streets, bars, homes and the giant Sambadrome, but you can visit the rehearsals of the samba schools or neighbourhood street parties with live music throughout the year. For something more laid-back, head to the beach, where easy-breezy local styles were minted in the 1950s. Plus, you can still enjoy live music in the Copacabana bars where the Bossa Nova originated.
For Afrobeat(s): Lagos, Nigeria
Every African region has its own traditional sounds and modern music crazes, where instruments blend with modern electronic beats and Western influences. Afrobeats, an umbrella term for a wide array of these styles, includes music produced in Nigeria, but also from the diaspora. In Lagos, a melting pot of West African cultures, you’ll find a variety of sounds played live. Perhaps the most influential and enduring of all the African fusion genres is Afrobeat (without the ‘s’), pioneered here in the 1960s by Fela Kuti. Today, Kuti’s children cultivate his heritage at the New Afrika Shrine, where Femi and Seun Kuti play live regularly.
For Indie: Melbourne, Australia
Australia’s second (or premier, depending on who you ask) city prides itself on its underground scenes, originating from the laneway culture that encompassed hidden restaurants, dive bars and boutiques, as well as the former industrial areas surrounding the docklands that have given way to warehouse raves and concerts. Publicly funded national radio station Triple J is dedicated to uncovering new talent and, with a local music quota, has a decades-long track record of unearthing artists that go on to huge international careers. Of late, many of them have hailed from Melbourne. See them play anywhere from stunning Art Deco theatres and former grand picture palaces to cosy clubs and dingy bars. By some counts, the city is home to one of the highest numbers of music venues per capita anywhere in the world.
[Image courtesy of The Drunken Poet, Melbourne]
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