The London Astoria

The London Astoria does not exist anymore. So I can understand if you think that me writing this review is pointless. But, even though I only went to the Astoria once, I want to share that experience because it was truly a great night at a venue which has been graced by so much musical talent since it first opened. I won't be doing what I usually do for stadiums and arenas and tell you about travel and crowds. What is the point in that if the Astoria does not exist anymore? I am going to share with you what made the Astoria special. First a bit of background. The Astoria was a venue in Charing Cross London and opened in 1927 solely as a cinema. It became a ...  Read the complete review

The Astoria. Well. I have been there once, to see Sepultura. And it was a gig I will never forget. The first thing that surprised me, was the size. It isn't like Wembley Arena, which has like 8 entrances on one side, and massive office areas, etc. It was a front on the Charing Cross Road, which looked a bit odd. I queued up from 6:10 (doors were at seven), down the side alley, because already, the line was fairly long. There I met a good few interesting people, bought a t-shirt and a hoodie (now customary, £5 and £10 respectively), and got handed out the usual plethora of leaflets (roughly 150 and I didn't get them all!). At 7:00, the doors ...  Read the complete review