London is brimming with places for music artists to practice and play, especially in West London. If you are an aspiring musician or a seasoned performer about to go on tour, you can find loads of unique places in West London to practice and play, including busking spots, local studio spaces, and pubs supporting grassroots acts.
Busking in West London
Busking is a long-standing tradition in a city like London with many spots perfect to practice your guitar solo where listening audiences may walk past. Busking is free without a license on public property if you are over the age of 14, otherwise, musicians need to acquire a license at a pitch, which is a designated area specifically for buskers. Pitches can include popular tourist locations such as Notting Hill, parks, and even the Tube.
To get a license, you will need to apply and possibly pay a charge. You will most likely need to audition and if you receive a license, you’ll be given a specific pitch and time to perform. To find out more information about busking in West London, you can find out more by searching for your postcode. Kensington and Chelsea are working to increase their number of pitches and you can find out more on their website.
Studio Spaces in West London
One such space for everything creative in West London is Pirate, who offer 24-hour affordable standard and pro studios for vocalists, DJs, producers, dancers, podcasters, and bands. With twenty four creative studios in West London alone and over 700 studios worldwide, Pirate welcomes creatives of all types and builds communities and opportunities for new talent trying to make it in the industry.
Bands can rent our practice space which includes a drum kit, mixer, speakers, microphones, and bass and guitar combo amps. DJs can rent out space for solo mixing sessions that include a two-deck Pioneer setup, and musicians can even record in spaces with an audio interface, headphones, monitors, microphones, and a MIDI keyboard.
Music Venues in West London
As a musical artist, sometimes the best way to practise is to perform in front of an attentive audience. The energy of a crowd vying for music and the opportunity to receive feedback is the quickest way to grow as a musical artist and make connections for more gigs and even more fans.
Throughout West London, there are venues geared to various acts, from jazz bands to solo acoustic sets. West London’s famous café culture lends well to aspiring musicians and some UK artists even got their start in this scene, including Jessie Ware and Lily Allen.
One standout West London venue is the Notting Hill Arts Club. They accept music samples through their email contact. There’s also Hammersmith Ram which hosts a ‘Showcase At The Ram’ every Wednesday night dedicated to aspiring musicians. Luckily, in West London, there are loads of amazing live music venues for artists to perform.
