The Brixton Academy is a mid-size live music venue (capacity around 5,000) housed in a 1929 theatre that still shows its origins in the ornate plasterwork visible above the crowd. The sloped floor gives reasonable sightlines even from the back of the standing area. It's one of the best rooms of its size in London for sound and atmosphere.
The list of artists who have played here covers most of the past four decades of popular music. It also runs large club nights, some running until 6am under a late licence.
Nearest tube: Brixton (Victoria Line).