Union Chapel

The devil might have all the best tunes, but the Union Chapel is proof that him downstairs knows nothing about architecture. The grade I-listed gothic masterpiece, completed in 1877, is still a working church and a help centre for London’s homeless. Noble purposes, to be sure, but equally uplifting is the effect the environment has on performances – and performers. Put simply, bands raise their game when they’re playing the Union Chapel – it’d be sacrilege not to – and the spellbinding surroundings and acoustics mean it still beats the crap out of the most modern, purpose-built venues. While it made its name hosting folk, jazz and acoustic nights, the Union Chapel has since become a magnet for the thinking bands and their fans, and has recently expanded its programming to encompass comedy and live podcast recordings too. Only downside: because it’s a house of God, no alcoholic drinks are allowed in the performance space (though there is a bar).