Brixton Academy

The interior was originally designed in the 1920s to mimic an Italian garden at night, though the "Atmospheric" styling is usually obscured by light rigs and haze these days. What remains visible is the massive proscenium arch – one of the widest in Europe – framing the stage. For the crowd, however, the most important feature is the floor itself. The stalls are heavily raked, sloping downward so effectively that you can see the band even from the very back of the room. It solves the usual concert issue of standing behind someone tall, though the trade-off is often the heat. The building lacks modern climate control, and during a sold-out gig, the room generates its own weather. It is common to see security guards passing plastic cups of water over the barrier to keep the crushed front rows hydrated. The structure has survived since 1929, shifting from a cinema to a disco before being bought for £1 in the 1980s and cemented as a dedicated music venue. Bars are distributed across the levels to split the halftime rush, and while the entry queue often wraps around the corner, the line tends to move with surprising speed.