Playing host to mainstream heavyweights and unsigned talents alike, the O2 Academy is a generous yet unexpectedly cosy music venue.

On passing a rather misleading gaggle of high street stores, those unfamiliar to the Academy will find themselves guided by the tell-tale boom of live music. My first memorable visit to the Academy took place during 2008's Hellfire festival weekend which featured a vast number of heavy metal artists. While the main arena promised the most epic performances, a modest stage adjacent to it made for an intense, frequently barrier-less experience. Death metallers, The Rotted, took full advantage of these intimate surroundings, as frontman Ben McCrow leapt snarling into a pile of near-hysterical fans.

The main arena proved slightly more civilised, with the added bonus of two bars stocked with typically overpriced, though nonetheless essential refreshment. Having since returned to the venue for solo artist, Tarja's UK show, I found it crammed almost to full capacity. As a result, trails of people shoving their way toward the bar dampened my enjoyment of the show somewhat. However, the venue's atmospheric lighting and faultless acoustics far outweighed this minor detail.