World Tour # 22 - Live Music Venues
Sun Never Sets On Music's World Tour series now takes you on a tour-within-a-tour - a ten-venue whip-around to visit some of the world's most interesting live music venues - at least, those with interesting YouTube channels.
A globally iconic venue that balances prestige programming with a strong commitment to contemporary, cross-genre, and experimental work - spanning classical, electronic, indie, First Nations performance, and avant-garde music.
Here's Thom Yorke playing recently at the Forecourt, the spectacular outside venue on the steps to the Opera House.
The Southbank Centre is a major arts complex on the south bank of the River Thames in central London, United Kingdom. It is one of Europe’s largest cultural centers, hosting year-round programs of music, visual arts, literature, and performance. Its riverside location and mid-20th-century architecture make it a landmark of postwar British cultural life.
Here's a recent video of performance artist and living art project Pandemonia and Hayward Gallery chief curator Rachel Thomas as they explore the symbols, humanity, colour and scale of Gilbert & George: 21ST CENTURY PICTURES.
3 Cafe Oto, London
Founded in 2008 by Hamish Dunbar and Keiko Yamamoto, Cafe OTO is located at 18–22 Ashwin Street in Dalston, London and was conceived as a home for “creative new music that exists outside the mainstream.” Its program, curated by the non-profit Community Interest Company OTOProjects. It is recognized internationally as a hub for experimental and avant-garde music, presenting an eclectic mix of live performances nearly every night of the week. It hosts artists across genres such as free jazz, improvisation, drone, noise, minimalism, and contemporary composition. By day, it serves as a relaxed café and community meeting place.
Here is a recent video of artists Thurston Moore, Shabaka and Evan Parker performing at Cafe Oto.
4 Blue Note - New York / London / Tokyo / Rio de Janeiro / Los Angeles / Tokyo / Rio de Janeiro / São Paulo / Milano / Beijing / Shanghai / Waikiki
"Blue Note" is a name that is synonymous with jazz itself, through Blue Note Records, the label founded in 1939 that gave to the world such genre-forming artists as ile Davis, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan and so on. The legendary bassist and record producer Don Was was named President of Blue Note in 2012, succeeding Bruce Lundvall. Was has maintained the label's historic legacy while expanding its roster to include both traditional jazz purists and modern crossover artists.
However, Blue Note is also the name of an international chain of jazz clubs and restaurants founded in New York City in 1981. Its founder, Danny Bensusan explicitly licensed the iconic "Blue Note" name and visual branding from the record label to create a live music venue that captured the high-calibre artistic spirit of the historic label. Originally opening in Greenwich Village, Blue Note has since expanded into a global brand with multiple venues across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. While the flagship location remains at 131 West 3rd Street in New York City, Blue Note also operates in cities including New York, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Milano, Beijing, Shanghai, Waikiki. Blue Note's most recent club recently opened in London's Covent Garden
Here's a recording of the marvellous Butcher Brown, from a recent appearance at Blue Note, Tokyo.
Not a venue, but a curated video platform and YouTube archive dedicated to documenting Berlin’s live experimental music scene. It operates more like a roving documentarian + tastemaker than a presenter - capturing performances across clubs, festivals, and DIY spaces. At its heart, berta.berlin exists to provide an “insider view on outstanding performances happening in Berlin”, focusing on authenticity and artistic intensity rather than polish or commercial framing.
Here's a recent video from berta.berlin, of Tyshawn Sorey Trio performing at Stadtgarden, Koln during Cologne Jazzweek.
DR (Danish Radio) Koncerthuset is a major concert hall complex located in Copenhagen, Denmark, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. Opened in 2009, it serves as the home of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and is part of the national broadcaster DR Byen headquarters. The venue is renowned for its striking blue façade and world-class acoustics.
Here's a recent performance of "Caminho Vivo" composed by Donny McCaslin and The Danish Radio Big Band: conducted and arranged by Jochen Neuffer.
The Elbphilharmonie Hamburg is a landmark concert hall located in Hamburg, Germany, known for its striking glass architecture rising above a historic brick warehouse. Opened in 2017, it serves as a major cultural venue and symbol of the city’s modern identity and musical heritage. The Elbphilharmonie quickly became one of Europe’s premier concert venues, attracting world-class orchestras and performers. Beyond its music programming, it is a major tourist destination, symbolizing Hamburg’s transformation of its port area, HafenCity, into a vibrant urban quarter.
Here's a video of a recent concert by Australian artist Derek Gee, who is Artist In Residence for 2024-25 at The Elbphilharmonie, that includes glimpses of this fabulous architectural masterpiece, designed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, and opened in 2017.
The Philharmonie de Paris is a major cultural complex and concert hall in Paris, France, dedicated primarily to symphonic music. Opened in 2015 in the Parc de la Villette, it serves as a central hub for musical performance, education, and outreach in the French capital.
The Philharmonie de Paris was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, known for his bold, sculptural forms. Its distinctive aluminum-clad exterior resembles a large, interlocking landscape of avian shapes. The centerpiece, the Grande Salle Pierre Boulez, features a “vineyard” seating configuration, bringing audiences closer to performers for improved acoustics and intimacy.
Below is a snippet of a recent exhibition that celebrates music for video games
AND CLICK HERE TO LINK INTO THE CORRESPONDING SPOTIFY PLAYLIST.
9 Metro El Madina - Beirut, Lebanon
Founded in 2012 by artist Hisham Jaber, Metro Al Madina is an independent, subterranean music venue and cabaret-theatre in Beirut. Self-funded through box-office independence, it serves as a creative sanctuary for progressive Levantine music, satirical Arabic cabaret, experimental indie-rock, and radical reinterpretations of classical Middle Eastern soundscapes.
Here is a captivating performance at the Metro Al Madina, by vocalist Sandy Chamoun delivering a striking rendition of Sheikh Imam’s classic, "I Repent from Loving You." Channeling the original's fiery, political spirit, her expressive voice reinterprets the iconic Egyptian protest song through a modern, progressive Levantine lens alongside rich acoustic instrumentation.
10 Instrumental Sesc Brasil, São Paulo
Housed inside Teatro Anchieta at Sesc Consolação in São Paulo, Instrumental Sesc Brasil is a historic, non-profit musical institution. Operating with dedicated acoustic seating and state-of-the-art production, it offers a world-class venue for progressive instrumentalists, modern Afro-Brazilian jazz, complex fusion, and exploratory acoustic-electric music.
From their YouTube channel, we have selected the"Passagem de Som (Soundcheck)" by Yaniel Matos Trio, which offers an intimate behind-the-scenes portrait of the Cuban-born pianist and cellist, alongside his trio. Combining rehearsal footage, artistic interviews, and live performance, it explores his signature synthesis of Afro-Cuban polyrhythms, classical cello textures, and modern Brazilian progressive jazz.
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