OPEN BARS (27)
Rocka Rolla
🇺🇸New York, United States
Williamsburg dive with giant beer chalices, frozen coffee drinks and a hard-rock jukebox.
Franklin Music Hall (formerly Electric Factory)
🇺🇸Philadelphia, United States
Originally opened as the Electric Factory in 1968 at 22nd and Arch (hosting Jimi Hendrix, The Who), reopened at current location in 1995. Renamed Franklin Music Hall in 2018 after sale to The Bowery Presents. Capacity 2,500-3,000. Named 16th best venue in US by Consequence in 2016. Past headliners include David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Coldplay.
Webster Hall
🇺🇸New York, United States
A historic large nightclub and concert venue in the East Village. Webster Hall was originally built in 1886 as a ballroom. In rock history, it's famed for its 1980s stint as The Ritz, one of NYC's top rock clubs. Today, Webster Hall (capacity ~1,400) remains a prime venue for live music and dance nights.
Franklin Music Hall
🇺🇸Philadelphia, United States
Steeped in Philadelphia music lore, this venue has hosted iconic rock, punk, and metal acts for decades. Its storied past as the Electric Factory (from 1968) is legendary, and the venue remains a city staple for major touring rock and alternative bands.
Otto's Shrunken Head
🇺🇸New York, United States
Tiki-punk bar mixing rum cocktails with nightly rockabilly, punk, surf and metal shows.
Scruffy Murphy's
🇬🇧Birmingham, United Kingdom
A dedicated rock and metal pub with a focus on live music, DJ nights, and a wide selection of beers.
The Asylum
🇬🇧Birmingham, United Kingdom
One of Birmingham's premier live music venues, hosting a wide range of rock, metal, and alternative acts, from established international bands to upcoming local artists.
Revolution Hall
🇺🇸Portland, United States
Located in former Washington High School. Hosts broad range of rock acts from indie to metal to punk.
Irving Plaza
🇺🇸New York, United States
A historic ballroom-style venue with capacity of ~1,200. Irving Plaza has served many identities: a 1940s ballroom, a Polish community center, and from the late '70s onward, a crucial rock concert hall. Known for hosting diverse genres – punk, new wave, metal, alternative, pop – over different eras.
The World's End
🇬🇧London, United Kingdom
A world-famous pub and a North London landmark, reflecting the eclectic nature of Camden itself. Located just south of Camden Town tube station. Boasts two bars and a mezzanine balcony seating area. The central area is designed to reflect the open marketplace that once inhabited the location. The pub itself is a large, atmospheric space for drinkers, separate from The Underworld music venue located beneath it.
Crystal Ballroom
🇺🇸Portland, United States
Historic venue known for its unique wood floor that bounces with the crowd. Hosted numerous national and local rock acts.
Project Orange
🇬🇧London, United Kingdom
A modern rock bar located in Battersea near Clapham Junction. Project Orange is a trendy bar known for its rock/alternative theme, offering craft beers, a jukebox/DJ setup, and games (pool, foosball, arcade machines) in a relaxed atmosphere. Known for late opening hours and filling a niche as a dedicated rock bar in South West London.
Duff's Brooklyn
🇺🇸New York, United States
Iconic Williamsburg heavy-metal dive packed with memorabilia and a legendary metal jukebox.
The Masonic Temple
🇺🇸Detroit, United States
The Masonic Temple is the largest Masonic Temple in the world and a prominent venue for live music in Detroit. It has hosted numerous rock concerts and is an important venue for the local music scene, including rock and alternative genres.
The Central Saloon
🇺🇸Seattle, United States
Seattle's oldest surviving saloon, established 1892. Located in Pioneer Square, Victorian-era rebuilding post-Great Fire of 1889. Long, narrow "shotgun" style room with high ceilings, exposed brick walls. Brick reflects high frequencies, wooden floors/bar absorb low end—created "live" room that demanded volume.
Exit/In
🇺🇸Nashville, United States
Legendary Nashville venue deeply ingrained in rock history. Hosting premier cutting-edge acts for over 50 years.
Mercy Lounge
🇺🇸Nashville, United States
Part of Cannery complex. Strong presence in rock, alternative, and indie scenes with energetic shows.
The Flapper
🇬🇧Birmingham, United Kingdom
Independent live music venue and pub, known for its canalside location and support for local and touring rock/metal bands.
Slim Jim's Liquor Store
🇬🇧London, United Kingdom
The Masterful Purveyor of Good Times, a late-night rock'n'roll dive bar and grassroots live music venue. LA-style dive bar vibe with neon lights, music posters, red leather bar stools, and booths. Ambiance is electric, with well-worn leather and aged oak. Features an award-winning jukebox loaded with classics from Led Zeppelin to Guns N' Roses. Extensive stock of whiskies (over 90 from around the world), liquor, classic cocktails, and cold craft beer.
Hell Awaits
🇪🇸Barcelona, Spain
Old-school metal bar with metal-themed décor, foosball and pool tables.
The Devonshire Arms
🇬🇧London, United Kingdom
Affectionately known as "The Dev," it is Camden Town's devoted home to the musical underground and one of London's leading goth and metal venues. Features a mock-Tudor façade and a buzzy and dark interior. It's described as a goth pub with serious attitude and a haven for goths and metalheads. A place where lovers of rock, goth, punk, and metal congregate.
The Gryphon
🇬🇧Bristol, United Kingdom
Independent heavy metal and real ale pub with an intimate 50-capacity live room upstairs.
The Crown
🇬🇧Bristol, United Kingdom
Historic market-area pub with rock/metal soundtrack upstairs and 300-cap basement venue for gigs and club nights.
Modrá Vopice
🇨🇿Prague, Czech Republic
Located in wooden shack away from city center—"last true punk hole" in Prague. Hosts grittiest underground bands: crust, grind, hardcore that don't fit polished stages.
Lucky 13 Saloon
🇺🇸New York, United States
Brooklyn's first dedicated metal bar featuring go-go dancers, live shows and a famed jukebox.
Big Red
🇬🇧London, United Kingdom
An institution for the North London rocker. Designed as an American dive bar with booths and neon signs, Big Red is a late-night hub for the biker and rock community.
El Corazon (The Off Ramp)
🇺🇸Seattle, United States
Definitive "grunge" club in aesthetics and atmosphere. Located beneath I-5 overpass—dark, dingy, notoriously hard to park. Architecture was functional bunker. Constant rumble from interstate combined with sonic assault inside created hermetically sealed noise environment.
CLOSED BARS (10)
Costermonger
🇬🇧Birmingham, United Kingdom
Pub that hosted rock and metal gigs.
The Channel
🇺🇸Boston, United States
1,700-cap South Boston rock bar where U2, Ramones, Metallica played early tours.
Palace of Auburn Hills
🇺🇸Detroit, United States
Although primarily an arena, it was an iconic venue in the Detroit metro area, hosting notable rock concerts such as Bob Seger and others. Its scale was different from smaller clubs but significant nonetheless for rock touring history in the area.
Doug Fir Lounge
🇺🇸Portland, United States
Known for log-cabin and rocket-ship aesthetics. Celebrated for booking touring indie and alternative rock bands.
Gorilla Gardens
🇺🇸Seattle, United States
Twin-room punk/metal bar where early Soundgarden, Nirvana and Black Flag shared sticky floors.
Saint Vitus Bar
🇺🇸New York, United States
Spiritual successor to L'Amour for a different era. 2,500-square-foot venue prioritizing atmosphere over capacity—black-on-black aesthetic, cathedral-like lighting, 250 capacity. One of most respected metal bars in the world.
The Country Club
🇺🇸Los Angeles, United States
A massive 1,000-seat venue in a former Sav-On drug store in the San Fernando Valley. During pay-to-play Strip era, The Country Club was the Valley's major concert hall.
The Crobar
🇬🇧London, United Kingdom
An iconic Soho rock and metal bar, affectionately dubbed the "beer-soaked jewel of London's metal community". It was located on Manette Street. Known for its endearingly grubby décor, a killer jukebox (which even spawned a compilation album), an extensive bourbon collection, and a welcoming, unpretentious atmosphere that felt like home even when it was brand new. It was a quintessential dive bar for metalheads and rock fans.
Lismar Lounge
🇺🇸New York, United States
Notorious graffiti-covered punk-metal bar in the East Village.
Chestnut Cabaret
🇺🇸Philadelphia, United States
A midsize rock club that hosted up-and-coming national acts in the rock, punk, and metal scenes in the late 20th century, supporting touring bands and local crews alike.