The Astoria is now shut. Try The Borderline.

The big Mama of London gig venues. The Astoria has crowd pulling power to rival any of London's bigger places, but its intimate vibes make it feel far smaller than its 1600 capacity.

Most of the regular touring artists have graced the stage at one time or another and successful club nights such as G-A-Y, where chart topping popstars are a regular feature, keep the club in the headlines.

The bottom line is that if you like a strutting indie band and a warm red stripe you probably know the Astoria already. Every London resident with a musical bone in their body will see their favourite act pass through the Astoria at some point or other - this is an iconic stop on the rock and roll highway.

G-A-Y and The Astoria are now closed to make way for the Crossrail.