Like many other industries, the music sector has been hit hard during the pandemic. And it's arguably the case that music venues and festivals took the hardest blows of all, to the point where they couldn't keep up financially. What a shame! Because behind those closed doors lie great memories, which we can no longer physically relive!

Therefore, we decided to look back at the most amazing venues the UK had to offer (and what we are missing out on..)!

Were you able to visit one last gig here?

5. The Borderline, London

Against The Current at The Borderline, London 2017

The Borderline was a much-loved music venue among Soho music fanatics. The small basement was part of the restaurant ‘Break For The Border’ and was known for the great atmosphere and wide range of acts including Blur, REM, Oasis, John Mellencamp, Jeff Buckley, Muse, Mumford & Sons, Amy Winehouse, The 1975 and Catfish & the Bottlemen.

Unfortunately, not so long ago (2019) the club had to close its doors for good after 30 years due to rising rents.

4. The Boardwalk, Sheffield

Since the 1960s, Sheffield's Boardwalk has hosted many major touring bands. The audience got to see AC/DC, Genisis, The Clash, Sex Pistols and Buzzcocks, while they enjoyed a pint, tapped by none other than Alex Turner!

Alex Turner at the BOK Center, Oklahoma 2012

Yes, you read that right! The Arctic Monkeys foreman was a bartender on the Boardwalk in late 2004 and took full advantage of it when the club started hosting nights for local up-and-coming bands.

That is exactly how the name of their first demo, Beneath the Boardwalk, was born!

3. The Haçienda, Manchester

The world famous Manchester nightclub made a name for itself in the 80s with their legendary house nights. It was the first club outside of the U.S. to adopt the genre in 1986 and is said to have set the stage for the development of acid house as we know it today.

At the time it had become an indispensable part of Manchester nightlife!

Unfortunately, financial mismanagement and many problems with drug dealers resulted in the club closing its doors to make way for apartments...

2. The Marquee Club, London

The Marquee was the starting point of a successful career for many bands. These bands were therefore more than happy to return for a second or even third performance on the tiny stage of the club. Names such as The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pinkfloyd, The Police, The Jam and The Cure were often on the line-up more than once. But not always under these names...

Why?

The Marquee was known for their incognito performances. For example, The Jam performed as 'John's Boys', Genenis as 'Garden Wall', Iron Maiden guest appearance was billed as 'A Fun Night With The Entire Population of Hackney’ and Metallica supported Metal Church under the moniker 'Vertigo'.

According to The Marquee, the latter band would only have performed in public a few times.

1. The Astoria, London

Located in the heart of London, Astoria has served as a warehouse, cinema, ballroom and theatre, but became especially successful as a nightclub and music venue. Bands like Radiohead, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana have been featured on the lineup.

Many bands, including all of the above, often recorded their performance here because the acoustics were fantastic! Curious? Unfortunately! Because in 2009 the building was demolished to make way for London's Crossrail System...

What is Gigit!?

Gigit! is your concert and festival app in which you can save, review and share all of the concerts you go to.

Start your Gigit Liveline and share all your live music memories with your friends and all the other music lovers out there. Connect with like-minded people or discuss with dissenters: share the love for live music all round and be inspired for new gigs and glory.

And guess what? You’ll find all this in one app: Gigit!

Join the live music community today!