Bush Hall (Music)

This is an listed venue, absolutely lovely, but with a leaky roof you have to be careful where you sit. I love this venue, I've been there for shows, for gigs, for dance classes. I just love the old decor and simplicity of this place. I just wish they had more events I could go to!

I was rather disapponted by my time here.

The place looks lovely inside - as others have said it's an old hall with lovely ceilings and the space feels good.

Sadly the acoustics are poor, the sound system equally poor and the bouncers rather on the unfriendly side. I was buying something from the merchandise table at the end of the gig and was hurried out by excessively enthusiastic security.

The band I went to see had a great light show but the management refused to take down a red curtain at the back of the stage so the projectors could be used properly, saying it would make the sound bad. The sound was very poor so I can't work out why they couldn't work with the band and allow a spectacular light show.

The bar is exceptionally bad. Totally packed it took an age to get served and there was no draught beer and the tins were worryingly expensive. 3 tins of Carlsberg was over £10 - if it had been on tap I might not have minded but the range was very limited and none of the tins I had were that cold.

I had high hopes for this place after reading so many good things about it but it was very far from the experienced I anticipated.

I was very impressed with Bush Hall on my first visit—it’s a beautiful room with high ceilings, chandeliers, plush carpets, and candle-lit tables. The crowd was so civilised that, far from having to get up from our table and move to the front in order to see the headlining act, we found ourselves sitting comfortably for the whole show, gazing over the heads of the audience that was mostly sitting cross-legged on the floor. The drinks are reasonable and the sound quality was pristine, even at higher volumes.

The only downside is the location: Uxbridge Road is pretty depressing and there are hardly any decent places to eat or have a drink before the doors open. Still, we did have quite a bit of time to sit around and chat before the first support act.

Oh, one other small complaint: I like to keep tickets to the gigs I attend, but having booked online they simply took my name at the door and let me in without issuing me with a ticket, so no souvenir for me. Oh well.

Bush Hall was originally a dance hall built at the start of the 1900's and has been a bingo hall in the forties and snooker club in the nineies, before it was reopened in 2001 as a music venue.

The original features of the hall seem to have survived its various incarnations making it an atmospheric and intimate venue for events and bands to perform at.

Many big names perform here, I think its used by promoters to showcase big name bands and their new material to the london press. This means there have been some great gigs here by upcoming musicians - but I sometimes find the crowd here contains a few too many "guestlisters" chattering at the back, rather than fans.

The listings are available at www.bushhallmusic.co.uk, and its worth noting that tickets may be available on the door, if people on the guestlist haven't turned up.

This venue is on Uxbridge Road, near to Queen’s Park Ranger’s home ground on Loftus Road. It appears to be a converted music hall or cinema and still sports some of the original Victorian fittings.

The main auditorium has a fairly small stage but is a standing venue. Sound is excellent and the venue overall has a great feel and atmosphere.

There is a small bar out front with excellent prices (for London) and friendly, efficient staff.

This place is a real gold mine. They venue have had some of the biggest bands on the planet playing here. REM are one to name many big bands. This is a really really small hall and is prefect for a gig. You really feel like you part of the band in this venue. The only problem with this place is there only a small bar and when you get a good act come to the venue it does get pretty busy, and if you go in the summer like I do most years, it does get really really hot.

Tiny, gorgeous dance hall room near Shepherd’s Bush that now sees intimate performances by eclectic artists. I saw Canadian folkie Sarah Harmer here, and I think many of the acts tend to the acoustic side. However, I also know they’ve booked in performances by Boy George and the Dresden Dolls.

It’s a single flat room, so if you’re short and get there late you may not see much. It can get pretty packed.

A really gorgeous venue in a sort of old school, 1920's Music Hall type way, with big plush curtains and ornate detail throughout the building.

As the other venues have mentioned it's perfect for an intimate feeling gig but they do pack a few hundred people in. Bush Hall also attracts some pretty sweet acts who are lured by the quirky intimacy of the venue. I think Ani di Franco played here about a week before playing the Empire down the road, I know which one I would've prefered. I didn't see either, but I bet the Bush Hall one was a bunch better.

I've also seen some BBC radio shows recorded here, which was very good and altogether rather civilised. The balcony bar upstairs is really cool (a bit VIP) and you can step outside to look out over the bustling Uxbridge Road. Great in summer when the scent of barbeques wafts over but very chilly at this time of year.

So head inside for some close quarters performances.

A beautiful venue that's large enough to get a decent number of people in yet small enough to keep a real feeling of intimacy.

The only reason I've knocked a star off the rating is because the bar can get incredibly overcrowded (more than at other venues).

Parking round here's reasonable enough, too - it was free to park in the residents' bays when I was there last.

Possibly the best gig venue in London:
Small enough to get intimate with the performers, Bush Hall always excels in their programming (check out their website to see how many chart-toppers have played there; from my own recollection, that’s where Ben Lee delivered one of his best performances ever, in May 2005).
The place’s burgundy dressing makes it really cosy.
And I know this is now out of context, but back in those public smoking days, they were already one of the few venues on ban policy.