Where to Catch Live Music in Devon and Cornwall

Barrel House Ballroom

The Barrel House, a sweaty room lit up with disco balls above the Totnes Brewing Company, is a place where the floors literally bounce in time with bass and dancing feet. From Guilty Pleasures busting out the 90s classics, Caribbean dub DJs, and acoustic strum sessions, The Barrel House has hosted some great names in music, with Seth Lakeman and De La Soul frequently gracing the stage. Be sure to get tickets in advance, this place sells out fast!

The Barrel House, 59 High Street, Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom

Smashing it up in #Totnes for @driftseachange festival a couple of weekends back. #seachangefestival #barrelhousetotnes #totnes #punk

A post shared by BarCreeps (@barcreepsband) on Sep 6, 2016 at 8:23am PDT

Remember Feeder and their hit song Buck Rogers, where the lyrics go “drink cider from a lemon”? Well, rumour has it that they are talking about drinking cider at the Lemon Grove. This venue, attached to the University of Exeter is the stuff of legends. As it’s part of the university, the beer is cheap, which is great, but it also attracts a whole host of incredible acts. The Levellers, Frank Turner, Reel Big Fish, and Supergrass have all played recently, and there is a stellar lineup for the coming months.

Lusty Glaze Beach

This private beach down a set of steep steps carved out of the cliff is a pretty special place to catch some music. The Sundowner Sessions does exactly what they say on the tin, and throughout the summer you can dance to both up-and-coming musicians, as well as your favourite bands, with the sun sinking into the sea behind you. Newton Faulkner, Razorlight, John Butler Trio, and Feeder have all played on this idyllic beach.

Lusty Glaze, Lusty Glaze Road, Newquay, Cornwall, United Kingdom

Sunny Days Off ☀️😎#beach #picniconthebeach #sun #sea #sand #lustyglazebeach #newquay #cornwall #kernofornia #kernow

A post shared by Vikki Ferns (@vikkiferns) on May 22, 2017 at 10:04am PDT

The Cavern Club

Set to soon reopen after a devastating fire in 2016, The Cavern is a punk and indie institution. As the name would have you think, this club is located in the vaults of Exeter, and is a tiny bolthole which blasts out music, encourages crowd surfing, and has no barrier between the crowd and the bands. Mohawks and studs are almost a uniform here, but there ain’t no venue better than one filled with angsty punk rockers wanting to mosh down the establishment, is there?

The Cavern Club, 83-84 Queen Street, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom

Pigs Nose

Stuck out on a limb on Devon’s most southerly peninsula, the Pigs Nose is a weird and wonderful pub which makes a ton of noise and throws a hell of a good party. Things can get a bit wild in these parts of Devon, so be ready to dance all night and throw back beer after beer in the pub’s gig hall, which is festooned in UV decorations, fairy lights, and memorabilia from gigs gone by. The Yardbirds, Boomtown Rats, Wishbone Ash, Ten Pole Tudor, and The Animals have all played in this small but mighty village pub.

Pigs Nose Inn, East Prawle, Devon, United Kingdom

Studio Bar

You wouldn’t know Studio Bar was there, unless you knew Studio Bar was there. This little bar tucked behind an unassuming door in the backstreets of Penzance is small, loud, full of attitude, and almost always has a band rocking from the tiny stage. You don’t go to Studio Bar because it’s pretty (hessian sacks line the walls), but you do go to Studio Bar to drink good, cheap booze, dance like nobody’s watching, hang out with some interesting fellows, and watch some darn good music.

The Studio Bar, Bread Street, Penzance, Cornwall, United Kingdom

Saw @slaves , got drunk, went mental, said weird things, got more drunk, went mental. #slavesband #takecontrol

A post shared by Toran Raphael Cloke (@princeofpenzance) on Sep 25, 2016 at 6:00am PDT

The Watering Hole

There’s nothing much better than staying on the beach, drinking a Cornish cider or three, and not having to go anywhere to catch some live tunes. At The Watering Hole you can do just that — the crowd are often dusted with sand, have sea salt curled hair, and go barefoot. You can dance outside on the beach, or join the sweaty hordes inside. Local artists and international heroes all play at the UK’s one and only beach bar.

The Watering Hole, Perranporth Beach, Perranporth, Cornwall, United Kingdom