Shepherds Bush Empire, Shepherds Bush, London

Love it.

Go level 1 if you want relaxed seats and a good bar. Even better if there is an after party and you can blag an invite.

Standing is ace - my fave spot is to left, near bar (so easy for my round) slightly to rear. Mosh pit accessible if needed and an ace view…

Scene of so many favourite gigs, going back to Wheezer/Echobelly double header in 96

Great venue with old-school decor and good acoustics. Its facing onto a bit of a park area so its a great place to chill after a gig. Not impressed with the Guinness-outta-a-can setup they got goin though. Perhaps a heavily-biased opinion!

Shepherds Bush Empire commands some great acts to come and perform here, and inside it’s comfortingly retro. Maybe retro is not the right word, rather it has not been redecorated so has really lovely, plush, comfy old seats you can melt into.

For standing, though, the floor can get sticky with all the drinks people drop, but that’s the same anywhere really.

Drinks are average price for this sort of venue, and are decanted into plastic cups before you’re allowed to take them away.

The toilets are ok; nothing wonderful but not too bad. The stewarding staff are provided by a company who has been there for years and they know the place inside out; their customer service could be friendlier though.

The atmosphere is electric and intimate when the audience is fully loaded into the seats/floor and the artist is on stage, and there is not a single bad view in the building.

It’s easy to get home from here, with bus stops literally outside, and the 2 Shepherds Bush tube stations 5 minutes walk away. Buses go both into town and into Middlesex from here.

I really enjoyed my first visit to Shepherds Bush Empire on Sunday night. It was a very intimate welcoming venue and wherever you sit or stand you are never too far from the stage. It has not been modernised or decorated for quite some time but for me this just added to the charm. I will definitely be looking at their line-up for any more good gigs.

Shepherd’s Bush Empire is another nice, intimate music venue in London along with Hammersmith Apollo and Brixton Academy.

I find that it is a bit awkward to get to on the tubes though, personally. The venue itself, however, is very nice. The sound’s good and you have a great view from everywhere, though I always prefer to stand on the floor and be right in the middle of it.

There are lots of places to eat around Shepherd’s Bush green which is very convenient.

Overall, Shepherd’s Bush Empire is a great music venue, but I’m not too keen on the location. It’s worth going for the right artist though!

A surprisingly small venue but with great views from almost everywhere. Get the upstairs seating for a comfy view, or be down with the crowd to groove.

Nice venue though a bit small and squashy. Decent sound and a good atmosphere. Certainly conveniently located though do use public transport as the traffic is a nightmare round here.

This is a nice venue to go and see a band, get views from where ever you sit or stand, and the atmostphere is normally very good.

This is a great venue. I think it is our favourite in London. We work in the music industry and can honestly say that if you want decent sound this is the place to go. They have good quality sound equipment which is rigged perfectly for the venue.

There is always a good range of events and artists playing.

The seating is a little crowded, but this is an old theatre so you expect a little of that. If you are very tall though I would advise getting and end of aisle seat.

Probably my favourite music venue. It is large but still very intimate! =D

One of the better music venues in London. It is snub but more importantly it doesn’t charge stupid prices for its concerts, making it an ideal venue for music lovers on a tight budget. I continue to see acts here, so guys keep up the good work!

This is the greatest venue in London it’s the perfect place to see your favourite bands. It’s small intimate and the sound is great. if you hear of a band you like playing here make sure you get yourself a ticket.

This is probably my least favourite music venue in London, but I still frequent it, as a lot of the bands I like, seem to play here once they’ve graduated from The Scala or other smaller venues.

I mostly dislike Shepherds Bush because it’s a tad too big for my tastes (lacking a certain intimacy with the band), and is not laid out in the most user friendly fashion. Making your way from the stage area to the toilets or bar is quite a chore indeed.
I’ll actually put down Brixton Academy as a better venue despite its greater size, due to the easier access to toilets and bar. It’s also a bit out of the way, and some friends have had trouble getting connecting trains from Shepherds Bush out of London after a gig has finished late.

While Shepherds Bush is probably my least favourite of the music venues in London, it certainly isn’t a terrible place. The sound is good, I recall drinks aren’t exorbitant, and it’s quite pleasant to spend the evening on Shepherds Bush Green before going in to watch a gig.

The venue itself is a bit dilapidated, but I guess the focus is on seeing the music really, and I’ve seen some great acts here like; My Morning Jacket, The Shins, Modest Mouse, Bright Eyes, Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth, J Mascis…

Pros
- lots of great bands choose this venue
- drinks aren’t overpriced
- Shepherds Bush Green
- good choice of pre-gig drink/food around the green

Cons
- is a bit out of the way, location wise
- not the greatest layout
- lacks a bit of intimacy
- slightly dilapidated building

Shepherd’s Bush Empire is a popular spot for mid-size music acts. Like many music halls, it’s an old theatre with levels of seating (in this case, 3 of them) raised above an open standing/dance floor.

Shepherd’s Bush is approximately the same capacity as the Astoria. It’s better-kept, too (it was non-smoking long before it became the law). However, it doesn’t feel as “rock ‘n’ roll” to me. If you’re not fond of the scuzzier side of live music, though, you might like it fine here.

The bar facilities are good, but I find the downstairs toilet facilities a little smaller than they should be.

Like many old theatres, the upstairs seats are very small, and if you’re tall expect to jam your knees in uncomfortably. Also, if you’re seated upstairs, your ticket will specify on which level you’re seated.

I’ve seen acts like The Black Keys, Asia, Lucinda Williams, The Tragically Hip, Gomez, the Cowboy Junkies, and Ronnie Wood there.