Poor old Ally Pally: this landmark hilltop venue (with some of London’s best views) opened in 1873 as The People’s Palace, but it’s been devastated by fire twice – once, just 16 days after first opening its doors to the masses, and again in 1980, when the central Great Hall was destroyed.
It’s almost as if the Masonic sculptures and frescoes that adorn its interior were somehow tempting a supernatural higher power. Bar and toilet provision for some of the big shows remains patchy thanks to the layout, but the soundsystem is beloved of audiophiles – the Pixies chose it for the first London shows of their re-formation, and James Murphy for the last UK appearances for LCD Soundsystem.