Have you been to High Green in search of the birthplace of the Arctic Monkeys, Burnage to find Mrs. Gallagher or enjoyed a pilgrimage to Bromley to find the inspiration of Bowie? For some of us, the place is as important as the music.
But how many of these iconic places have you actually travelled to? How would you feel about a UK tour? Taking in the sites, listening to the tracks? It may not be the rock & roll revelry of the days the bands themselves toured this route; but with a few tinnies and a plastic bag full of Ginsters you can give it a try. Rent yourselves a minibus and get the speakers ready.
Here are a few spots we think you should check out. Let’s start north and head down south.
- King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow If you’ve never been, you’ve got to go. NME have coined it “the best small music venue in the world”, but you’ve got to be here to really find it out. But on paper, it’s what small venues are all about. 300 people, sweaty bodies, grime and music history. Oasis were signed here, with the likes of Radiohead and Pulp also playing legendary shows.
- Salford Lads Club, Salford Crossing the border into northern England, we swing by the iconic Salford Lads Club, scene for the front cover of the 1986 Smiths album, The Queen is Dead.
- Homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Liverpool A quick stop in Liverpool will see you visiting the homes of John and Paul, (Mendips and 20 Forthlin Road, respectively), before maybe checking out the Beatles Story exhibition. Yes we know, it’s not really iconic, but it’s pretty cool nonetheless.
- Ulster Hall, Belfast Ok, so you may have to ditch the minibus for a return flight to Belfast and back from Liverpool John Lennon Airport (apt don’t you think?), but you can load up on “proper” Guinness for a night or two, so it’ll be well worth it. Head to Ulster Hall, in between pints (the scene where Led Zeppelin first showcased Stairway to Heaven) and pay a visit to Van Morrison’s birthplace; then it’s back on the plane and back to Liverpool.
- London Back in England, jump back in the minibus and head on down to London Town. The city really is your oyster. Here are some sites you may want to visit:
- Camden Town – favourite haunt of Amy Winehouse
- Abbey Road Studios – of course a must see being the studio where the Fab 4 recorded the likes of ‘All you need is Love’ and ‘Love me do’ and of course posed for that world famous picture. You know you’ll do the same
- 23 Heddon Street – Bowie posed here for the album cover for the legendary album, Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Very cool
What do you reckon? Where would you go?
