Prince Albert is a figure who had an incredible influence on the cultural output of the United Kingdom. It was his vision to bring the previously elite spaces of science, the arts and music to a much wider general population during the reign of Queen Victoria. The Kensington neighbourhood was even dubbed Albertopolis due to his patronage here and his legacy remains with the superb Royal Albert Hall undoubtedly being the greatest example. Fuelled by his own love of the Enlightenment and its works, Albert wanted the country to try and match its undoubted commercial and industrial power with a similar cultural might and Kensington was his playground.
Since then, there have been a wealth of music venues, big and small, in Kensington that chart every important global musical happening from the swinging sixties through to a punk rock explosion and onto the all-conquering swagger of Britpop.
Here is a guide to the live music venues in the area that continue this legacy today.
The Troubadour
The Troubadour on Old Brompton Road began in the early 1950s as a west London version of the developing European Café Culture, where new scenes of poetry and music were being explored by young people. It remains a driving force of new and innovative performances and art, holding an important status for London’s counterculture. This place was a hub for the British Folk revival of the 1960s and has seen gigs by legends such as Paul Simon, Jimi Hendrix, Elton John and Bob Dylan over the years.
It was also a key landmark for jazz, reggae and experimental compositions during the 1970s and 1980s as London continued its journey into the blurring of music boundaries and genres. The venue has not changed a great deal from the converted Victorian townhouse, full of low ceilings and hidden corners of its heyday. All of the mismatched furniture and original wood panelling deliver an atmosphere of intimate alchemy that stays true to its spirit as a platform for musicians to express themselves to the fullest. This is no museum however, with live music every night ranging from indie rock to blues and jazz, all carefully balanced with its menus of craft drinks and Modern European lunches. The Troubadour is where the sounds of the past rhyme with those of the present and the future in perfect harmony.
Hux
The Live Lounge at the Hux boutique hotel on Kensington High Street is earning a promising reputation as a venue from up and coming musical artists. The Vibefrequency sessions in particular deliver a well-curated lineup of different genres that encourage acts to make the most of a relatively stripped-down stage to workshop their songs and overall performance styles. This is all in the fine tradition of West London spaces where many careers have been allowed to evolve and develop in front of knowledgeable and responsive audiences to great effect.
The distinctly cocktail bar feel that the Live Lounge has from Thursday to Saturday nights benefits from the theatrical design and decor throughout. With low lighting, layered textures and private booths, this is a sophisticated speakeasy style of venue that favours singer-songwriters and jazz trios over any larger or more complex productions. Excellent PA and AV projection facilities allow for an immersive experience where gigs effortlessly build towards an electric atmosphere. The capacity set for around 60 seated and 120 standing does mean that there are plenty of sellout shows, so advance tickets are always well-advised. The Live Lounge at Hux is an opportunity to see stars in their ascendancy and that is always a thrill for any music lover.
Piano Kensington
The 5-star surroundings of The Royal Garden Hotel on Kensington High Street are home to Piano Kensington, a live music evening that runs here from Tuesday to Saturday. The experience harks back to a different time of entertainment where engaging and able musicians would work through a repertoire of standards and classics before taking requests from the audience. All of this gives Piano Kensington a unique position in the Kensington live music scene.
An evening here can move through a number of different atmospheres and experiences in a matter of hours. It begins with the laid-back energy of an intimate performance, accompanied by a great selection of cocktails and casual dining options. As the set progresses, it becomes much more interactive, with the audience requests leading to crowd sing-alongs and ad-libbed interactions between the performer and the crowd. Often this leads to dancing and a higher energy that all feels masterfully conducted by the act with positivity and joy for all involved. Booking for Piano Kensington is essential to reserve a table and ensure that all parties are accommodated in the best way. Piano Kensington is an opportunity to get involved in live music in a pleasing and unique way for Kensington residents and visitors.
The Royal Albert Hall
It would be difficult to conceive of a list of live music venues in Kensington without mentioning the grandfather of them all, The Royal Albert Hall. This is a place so steeped in the cultural life of not just London but the entire country to an extent that it is often referred to as ‘the nation’s Village Hall’. Since 1871, it has proved to be one of the most prestigious and versatile spaces for live music anywhere in the world. Its familiar Victorian Italianate style of redbrick and terracotta has become synonymous with British institutions such as the BBC Proms that have been held here every year since 1941.
With a capacity of just over 5000 people, this is a venue built for large-scale concerts and performances that have seen artists ranging from Pavarotti to Pink Floyd, the Beatles to Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder to Amy Winehouse. Over time, renovations and upgrades have been made to address the acoustic challenges presented by its iconic dome shape, but now The Royal Albert Hall is in better shape than ever. The recent residency from the experimental post-rock Icelandic group Sigur Rós with the London Contemporary Orchestra demonstrates how important this venue still is for the city and Kensington in particular.
In every note played and every resounding chord heard, these venues each celebrate the tradition of live music in Kensington in their own way. They work in concert with each other to ensure that this neighbourhood remains a vital and pioneering neighbourhood for culture in the capital, and well beyond.
