Hughes Family Travels: Day 6: The London Music Scene

After the crazy day that was yesterday, we were hoping for something a bit less busy today. As most people know I am a big fan of classic rock and also of history. Today I had the unique opportunity to combine the two with a London Rock Music tour.

We met our tour in Trafalgar Square. Our tour guide and driver, Ian, was an obvious holdover from rock music's 70's heydey with his long mane and tiny dark glasses. He was modest, but I did manage to find out he was the former tour manager for many bands including Paul Rogers of Free and Bad Company. He's also good friends with Roger Daltrey.

London on a Sunday morning was the polar opposite of a London Saturday night. The streets were empty, even serene, with nobody out except a few streetsweepers and erstwhile tourists. And us on the tour bus. We toured through Soho, including Wardour St. This is also the home of Chinatown as referenced in Warren Zevon's "Werevolves of London". In Soho we saw the famous Trident Studios, tucked away in a back lane. An incredible number of classic artists recorded here, including David Bowie, Free, Genesis, Ring Starr and many others.

After Soho we were off to see the famous Marquee Club, the starting place for The Who among others, and then to Camden Town, the home of the British Punk scene. The Roundhouse in Camden continues to feature cutting edge acts in what was once a train turntable building.

After Camden Town we were off to the highlight - Abbey Road. Abbey Road is in what appears to be a very well-to-do neighbourhood with leafy streets and young families. Abbey Road studios has been in business since the 1930's and have been involved in many historical events, incluing being the recording place for the famous "King's Speech". Of course today it is better known as the recording studio most associated with The Beatles. We had to walk across the famous cross walk , following in the footsteps of the Fab Four. (The whole thing was a bit anti-climactic, to be honest.)

One last stop at the Apple Records office in Savile Row to see where the Beatles performed their famous rooftop concert, and we were back at Trafalgar Square.

After the tour we had lunch at The Admiralty Pub followed by a shopping (well, mostly just looking) excursion at the famously expensive Harrod's in Knightsbridge. Later on we stopped for pizza at a little place in Portobello Road which, like Soho, was much more pleasant on a Sunday.

All in all an excellent day.

In the 70's this was London's version of the Whiskey-a-gogo and before that the Flamingo Club. David Bowie was a regular here and recorded his Blue Jean video onsite.

The 2 photos above are of the unassuming entrance to Trident Studios. Note the small round sigh shaped like a record with a "T". You can see a list of who has recorded here in the second photo.