Royal Festival Hall
Info
Train: Waterloo (5 mins) Waterloo East (7 mins) Charing Cross (8 mins)
Tube: Waterloo (3 mins)
Reviewed Events
The Flaming Lips at London Royal Festival Hall, Fri 12 May
We’re “gong” to have a ball. Ok, ok I know it’s an excruciatingly bad pun but I’m sure the ‘Lips won’t mind in the slightest, especially as there is a very large circular bit of bronze hanging behind singer Wayne Coyne. What’s more tonight is a night to leave conventionality at the door. Whilst most bands believe that»
15-50-75, Pere Ubu, Wayne Kramer at London Royal Festival Hall, Wed 27 Sep
This year the artistic director of the South Bank Centre, David Sefton, is leaving, and as a send off, has basically booked all his favourite bands to play in a season called 'Outtro' before going off to be the artistic director at UCLA. The Fall played last week, but I had the misfortune to miss that, and Faust are»
Faust at London Royal Festival Hall, Wed 25 Oct
Back in the late sixties and early seventies the german music scene was very big on experimentation, so much so that a lot of styles that we currently accept as established genres...well those guys invented them, for instance Kraftwerk started around this time.
Faust are one of the inventors of 'industria»
David Gilmour at London Royal Festival Hall, Wed 25 Jul
I tried to ring my brother from here so he could hear it but there was no signal. Anyway... the Royal Festival Hall is a weird venue. The site of Oasis' Unplugged farce. Blur's final gig. Radiohead’s bizarre return to UK shores. And now this, David Gilmour's first solo gig since 1984 (who? the quiet one from Pink Flo»
Brian Wilson at London Royal Festival Hall, Mon 28 Jan
It’s hard to know what to say about Brian Wilson by way of introduction - labelling him a genius seems clichéd, and yet it seems the only appropriate title for him. Plagued by personal difficulties, Wilson ceased touring with the Beach Boys in 1964 before starting work on Pet Sounds, the album tha»
Six By Seven, Mercury Rev, David Kitt, The (International) Noise Conspiracy at Royal Festival Hall, Lambeth, Thu 27 Jun
Seating gigs. What’s all that about, eh? Not only that, but seating gigs where people ACTUALLY STAY SEATED. And so Bowie’s Meltdown festival continues, and what a good lineup it is tonight. David Kitt plays his semi-acoustic tales of woe and so forth, looking pretty terrified while doing so. The venue give»
The Boredoms at London Royal Festival Hall, Sat 13 Jul
An explosive, ballistic, shamanistic, hypnotic, chaotic, magnetic, irreverent, indulgent, mental, experimental non-stop rhythm fest, ranging from patter like raindrops to the thunder of a runaway stampede. DJ and mad shaman-scientist Eye stood close up and face to face with his three percussive disciples, origin»
Ryan Adams, Jesse Malin at London Royal Festival Hall, Mon 11 Nov
Something's a bit odd here. We've just just walked in to a music venue with no bag or body search, and there's no bomber-jacket bouncer in sight. A polite notice informs us that there will be an "interval" between the two acts, AND we may buy ice cream cartons from the foyer. I feel I'm on parole when a swanky bl»
Arthur Lee at London Royal Festival Hall, Wed 15 Jan
Arthur Lee is a fucking legend. The prime mover behind late sixties LA crew Love he perfected that dark psychedelic pop sound that has been an influence on so many bands over the past quarter of a century that I could clog up this review yakking on about them. Love's music, ostensibly pretty, »
Eels, MC Honky at London Royal Festival Hall, Wed 02 Jul
If opener MC Honky really is an alter-ego of Eels mastermind Mark ‘E’ Everett then boy does he make an effort to persuade us otherwise. There’s the elaborate Abe Lincoln-style costume (complete with apparently authentic bald patch), coupled with his re-appearance with the band after the encore, tha»
Dexys Midnight Runners at London Royal Festival Hall, Mon 10 Nov
It’s highly unlikely Kevin Rowland leads his band in jogging sessions before rehearsals these days. But these aren’t the young soul rebels anymore; Dexys Midnight Runners have changed with the times yet again. And fortunately tonight, Lucy Morgan is the only one onstage wearing a dress...»
Brian Wilson at London Royal Festival Hall, Sun 25 Jul
Tonight was not only the unveiling of an album that has laid in ruin for the best part of half a century, but also a complete celebration of the genius behind its creation...»
Comets On Fire at London Royal Festival Hall, Fri 21 Jan
How does one stop the rock, when the rock’s sole intention is to come screaming down from the stars, tear your head off and sh*t asteroids (comets?) down your neck?»
Patti Smith at Royal Festival Hall, Lambeth, Sun 26 Jun
'Horses', then – not “the first fusion of punk and poetry” or “an inspiration to a generation” as the broadsheets have been salivating ever since, just a f*cking great album with some astonishing tunes, delivered with utter conviction by an artist untainted by even the slightest hint of commercialism.»
Frank Turner at London Royal Festival Hall, Sat 09 Jun
As part of the lavish reopening of the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank, someone with extremely good taste booked Frank Turner to play an acoustic set. Unfortunately, he’s playing in a hallway on the fifth floor...»
Regina Spektor, Eugene McGuinness at London Royal Festival Hall, Fri 07 Sep
Though tonight doesn't ever reach the heart-stopping heights of one year ago, few people will have reason to leave feeling anything other than satisfied - they have, after all, witnessed a couple of solo acts nearing the top of their game...»
Yo La Tengo at London Royal Festival Hall, Sun 09 Sep
Tonight's performance sees that unlikeliest of pairings - wildlife documentaries and the music of Yo La Tengo - blossom under the auspices of London's Royal Festival Hall.»
Eels at London Royal Festival Hall, Mon 25 Feb
Highlights are expectedly numerous – a boisterous take on ‘Novocaine For The Soul’ is welcomed, as is a cover of ‘Good Times, Bad Times’, but it’s Eels' moments of intense introspection that leave emotions truly scorched»
Tindersticks at London Royal Festival Hall, Sat 03 May
The spooked 'Introduction' begins a complete playing of Tindersticks' new record, The Hungry Saw. The majority of this, it must be said, is fantastic»
MC5, Primal Scream at London Royal Festival Hall, Tue 24 Jun
When they push themselves into exotic directions, Primal Scream are undeniably one of the most visceral bands we've produced in the past two decades»
Life Along the Borderline - A Tribute to Nico at Royal Festival Hall, Lambeth, Sat 11 Oct
The effort put into this tribute is stunning, the RFH looks splendid, but the best tribute it pays is in showing how reluctant most people are to touch what’s at the core of Nico.»
Fever Ray at Royal Festival Hall, Lambeth, Sat 11 Apr
The Royal Festival Hall is perhaps just half full when two white lasers lance through the darkness, a two-note metallic drone thrums into life and, fully two minutes later, Fever Ray (aka Karin Dreijer Andersson) takes to the lampshade-strewn stage in a ceremonial headdress that would keep her face obscured even if there was light to see by.»
David Byrne at Royal Festival Hall, Lambeth, Mon 13 Apr
David Byrne pulls off something devilishly sly tonight with his David Byrne Presents The Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno concert.»
Plaid at Royal Festival Hall, Lambeth, Fri 17 Apr
Ahead of the highly anticipated release of Scintilli, the first studio album from Warp stalwarts Plaid since 2003’s Spokes, comes their collaboration with Javanese gamelan musician Rahayu Supanggah as part of the Ether 09 festival. »
Squarepusher, BLK JKS @ Royal Festival Hall, Fri 24 Apr
There's always something not quite right about Squarepusher shows. Whether it's the bizarre mix of people, or the sight of a bearded, middle-aged Essex man making an unholy racket in such a peculiar manner, there are very few artists to rival this man.»
Tortoise at Royal Festival Hall, Lambeth, Sun 22 Nov
The two members of Cluster may have a combined age of 140 but they haven't come to the UK on a Saga holiday; no, the influential »
Joanna Newsom at Royal Festival Hall, Lambeth, Wed 12 May
It’s probably a hotly contested opinion, especially for those who found the gradual change in her voice a relief after the sharp»
Os Mutantes at Royal Festival Hall, Lambeth, Sun 18 Jul
It's hard to think of a better showcase for alternative Brazilian music than this. Os Mutantes, tied to the Tropicalia movement that revolutionised Brazil in the 1960s, are perhaps, along with Tom Zé, the only artists from that era that have managed to maintain the spirit of experimentation and of regurgatating pop music, as well, even better, fresher pop than it was in the first place. »
Sufjan Stevens at Royal Festival Hall, Lambeth, Thu 12 May
While this should be goofy, it’s not. It’s just glorious.»
Twitter
Facebook
Last.fm
SoundCloud
MySpace
Friendster
RSS
