The British music scene is booming: gigs are packed, orchestral halls are sold out, new bands are emerging and making an impact all the time and the many summer festivals always have the hottest acts from around the world.

You can go out on most weekend nights in most towns and find someone, somewhere playing live music that won’t be too bad.

Not only this, there is such a range of different genres that no matter what your taste there will be something for you.

If you are a particularly discerning individual or just a generally massive music fan and live music enthusiast you will definitely enjoy visiting these venues, as they are basically 5 of the most popular, best loved and highly recommended in the UK.

The Sage Gateshead

You really can’t miss it, even the eye catching BALTIC art gallery opposite and the lovely bridges beside it can’t remove your eyes from the astonishing shape and sheer shininess of The Sage. The entire stainless steel and glass structure was designed around the 3 music halls at its heart. This was so that maximum attention could be paid to getting the acoustics perfect, without having to forfeit anything. It has an incredibly eclectic mix of stars, bands, orchestras and more in a constant stream of cultural mind love.

Royal Northern College Of Music, Manchester

While this is indeed a place for study, it is also a fantastic location for gigs and concerts. Not only do new music teachers, PhD students and budding bands and musicians trying to make a break towards a career in music perform there, many international bands and orchestras perform there regularly, as do people like comedian Rob Brydon.

Stables, Milton Keynes

There is a concert at the Stables in the small village of Wavendon, pretty much every night of the year. This prolific venue has been around since the 70’s and has hosted everything from children’s matinee shows to high profile stars and big acts like the Bob Marley Experience. Its unique location in old stable block makes it a unique venue not to be missed.

King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow

Within its relatively short lifetime, ‘King Tuts’ has become one of the hottest music venues in the UK. Many bands even see playing there as one of the rights of passage into the music industry. Probably its most famous moment was when it hosted the gig which came during a period when both Radiohead and The Verve played there within a couple of weeks. It also led to the start of Oasis’ career when they were spotted by a record label.

Jazz Café, London

This smallish venue is one of the hottest and trendiest in London. It had a long tradition of jazz acts in its previous incarnation in Stoke Newington, before it moved to Camden Town in the 90’s. Now it hosts a lot of new and popular urban acts. Its most unique feature is its 1st floor restaurant from which you can watch the acts while eating. Yum!

What’s your favourite venue?

Hanson Black sells second hand guitars from his shop in London. He is however looking for music teacher jobs in his spare time.