Londons absolut bedste koncertsted ligger i Brixton. Brixton Academy var teater og Astoria biograf tilbage i 1920’erne og lukkede dørene i 1972. Der var planer om at rive den gamle bygning ned, men det blev heldigvis ikke til noget, og i starten af 80’erne genåbnede den som spillested.
Der er mange grunde til at elske Brixton Academy: først og fremmest det skrånende gulv, der gør at undermålere som mig ikke behøver hoppe op og ned for at stjæle et glimt af performernes hårtoppe. Størrelsen er helt perfekt (rummer 4700) og så er der noget magisk over art deco indretningen. Rundt om scenen har man nemlig bevaret den oprindelige proscenium dekoration, der skulle give folk indtryk af at stå i tusmørket i en søjleindrammet italiensk have.
Brixton Academy er kendt for rockkoncerter. Vi var der i sidste uge for at se Placebo, og så har vi heldigvis lommerne fyldt med billetter til fremtidige koncerter sammesteds, bl.a. til The National, Deftones og Band of Horses. Hvis du skal købe billet, så husk at det skal være til “stalls standing” ikke til “unreserved circle” da du så kommer til at sidde oppe på balkonen (og det er altså for kedeligt + lyden er dårlig).
Her er et par billeder:
My absolute favourite concert venue in London is Brixton Academy. It was built as a theatre/Astoria cinema back in the 1920s and it closed its doors in 1972. Plans were made to demolish the building but luckily they were scrapped and instead the building reopened its doors as a rock venue in the 80s.
There are a number of reasons for loving Brixton Academy. First of all the sloping floors that make all us undersized people able to see more than the top of the hair of the band members without having to jump up and down or stand on the tip of our toes for two hours. The size (around 4700 people) is perfect, the art deco interior is lovely and best of all is the old proscenium piece designed to give the cinema audience the impression of sitting in a moonlit italian garden, surrounded by white pillars and vine-clad buildings.
Last week we went to see Placebo and enjoyed every moment of it. Luckily we’ve secured tickets for quite a few upcoming concerts, including The National, Deftones and Band of Horses. Remember always to buy tickets for “stalls standing” not “unreserved circle” as you end up sitting grand-ma style upstairs on the balcony where the sound is beyond crappy.
Here’s a few pics:
Mette Bassett 
I loved the Brixton Academy (especially the disgustingly sticky floor!) and am very jealous you saw Placebo there. I keep missing chances to see them live (although I did meet them briefly in a record store in 2001).
I was unfortunately in the seated part when I went to see Marilyn Manson last year, but he got us all on our feet, much to the horror of the security staff =P
ahhhh, the deliciously sticky floor that I totally forgot to mention it in my ode to the academy. good thing is it prevents you from falling.
I was at the Manson concert as well, nice one! glad you didn’t have to sit down all the way through it – that would just have been too odd 🙂