Photos: Robert Lamb , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Robert Lamb , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Camden's live music venues at soundcheck
Your local guide
Marcus Reid
View profile
Highlights
- A venue's booking process explained
- Soundcheck heard through a propped door
- What staff listen for before doors open
- Insider knowledge from working the venues
- Camden's music scene from the inside
About this tour
This session shows Camden's live music scene from the outside during the soundcheck hour, before the venues open their doors for the evening. It covers how a night's lineup usually comes together and what venue staff are listening for during soundcheck. It draws on time actually spent working sound at venues in the area.
We start at one venue's frontage with the booking process explained, then move to another for a contrast in scale. Questions about specific venues and their history come up steadily, and I answer from direct experience working in a couple of them. I close with a note on which nights tend to have the strongest lineups.
It suits music enthusiasts curious about how a venue actually operates. It also suits evening viewers deciding where to spend a night out later.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of London before heading out.
-
Venue frontage 15 min
The camera holds on the frontage of a well-known music venue, and I explain roughly how a night's booking schedule usually comes together between the venue and the acts playing.
-
Soundcheck noise 15 min
Through a propped door, you can sometimes hear a soundcheck in progress, and I explain what the venue staff are actually listening for before doors open.
-
Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about London: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Full English breakfast and Shoreditch, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in London time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through London, showing you Venue frontage and Soundcheck noise live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Is this suitable if I do not drink?
Yes. Say so when you book and the guide will focus on the atmosphere and venues rather than the drinks list.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We connect on a video call outside a couple of venues during their soundcheck hour, when the doors are still shut to the public.
Times shown in London time (GMT)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Sat 31 Oct · 8 seats left From 19,00 €
Book