Fabrik is a brilliant concert venue. The roof is so high that it feels like a cathedral, but…read moreactually I think it used to be a factory of some kind. There are (at least) three levels, but when I was there they had only opened up one and a half. Even so there was loads of space. I can't believe that it took me a year to finally get along to Fabrik - I'll definitely be back - I'd like to go for one of their club nights

Was there yesterday (second time) to see Black Seeds from NZ. Great gig and the choice of the venue…read morewas perfect: 1) it's relatively small (it was about 500 people yesterday and it was full) so the band can interact with public and pass on the energy. When you're close to the stage - you feel it! 2) very informal, relaxed atmosphere. Drinks are sold at the bar, also there is a snack bar in the corner. 3) there are also places to sit and inner balcony/gallery upstares - need to try it next time! Verdict: great music venue, will go again. Darjeeling

I had so few expectations of this place. I'd walked past this graffiti-clad monolith before and was…read morepretty convinced it was a smack den. So imagine my surprise when a band from back home came to town and announced they were playing a show there. What I found was a phenomenal space for music and art in general. Surprisingly decent acoustics, awesome DIY setup, cheap beer, relaxed door policy (feel free to pop in and out, check out the bowl outside if the weather's nice), cool staff happy to put up with my broken German...the whole place just had a great vibe. The fact they wanted to knock this place down is crazy. This place is nuts.

The Rote Flora is, in my opinion, a must-see when you come to Hamburg. Even though it's in the…read moreSchanze area, it seems to be tied with the Kiez as half of the cultural heart of St. Pauli. The place is basically the centre for left-wing politics and also anarchists. It's where the yearly riot happens, with the nearby Haspa bank getting continually destroyed. It used to be a theatre, but now you'll find practice areas for bands, a café-type-thing and a dirty dirty electro club. I still haven't been for one of the club nights, but I really want to. It's pretty high on my list of things to do in Hamburg

The Markthalle is a bit of a Hamburg metal mecca. If a metal band has been to Hamburg, they've…read morealmost certainly played the Markthalle. It's a mid-sized venue, which (I assume) holds a few thousand people. There's no seating, thankfully, but around the stage the standing area is tiered by quite high steps, meaning that even the smallest person will have a good chance of beign able to see the stage. Tip: The beer is reasonably priced (for a concert venue) at EUR3, but you can easily bring that price down by picking up a few cups which all have a EUR1 deposit, which metallers don't seem to care about so much. Without trying to find any cups, or even moving from my spot, I brought the beer price down to EUR2 per beer :)

Great gig venue just near the Hauptbahnhof in the centre of Hamburg. It's usually metal-focused, so…read morereading the posters with the names of all the upcoming acts is amusing to say the least. If Skelton Warfare or diediedie are your cup of team (I just made those names up), then here's your place. We were here to see the Black Rebel Motorcycle club, and even if you are really short, you can still see them, because it's all tiered standing down to the stage. Great sound quality, good service at the bar, and it's a free sauna too!

Very bizarre place, this is. We went to see Ladytron here last night (see separate review) and were…read moreonly allowed into the concert hall a full 40 minutes after doors open. Sound was horrible throughout the night and the 40 minute intermission between warm-up band and main act was almost unbearable (I don't have anything against Johnny Cash, but 40 minutes of him straight through during the wait for an electro concert?). I'm not sure I'd want to come back here to see a concert. I was disappointed by the setup and the way the evening was logistically handled.

This is a biased review because this is where I died and went to heaven. I have returned to the…read moreland of the living for my family (and to write this review) but I want it noted that this is the scene of my first departure from this Earth. Honestly, I don't know if I'm used to everything being so expensive in San Francisco but I found this place to be incredibly inexpensive. I saw a concert and had a drink for less than €25. My import beer was €4. That is just insanely cheap. How are they making money? I nursed my one beer for fear of having to go to the bathroom and missing out on ANYTHING. I was upstairs in the beautiful but small concert area and wasn't about to lose my spot near the stage. And then the concert started and then I died. Surrounded by a bunch of sort-of-likeminded fans, it was a great place to feel like, "OMG. Can anyone actually survive from being this happy?!" By the nights end, some lovely gal finally convinced me to put my coat back on before going outside and probably actually freezing to death. Could I really freeze to death, though? When one is so overly blissed out from chatting with Matthew Mole, the best singer in the whole entire world, who is super entirely nice, and omg, so sweet, and wonderful, and amazing, and is so worth everything it took to get here... oh, my heart. How the Prinzebar was able to contain all of this is beyond me. The guy at the coat check counter was also super lovely. Great intimate venue, insanely cheap prices, and filled with tons of really amazing feelings. Swoon!

This was a super vibey venue! The people who worked here were very nice.read more

SUPER DIVEY. AND I LOVE IT…read more Bouncers at the door, a dark hallway, upstairs, downstairs, and a tiny outdoor patio for beer and entertainment. Standing room only in a crowded venue might turn you off, but being outdoors while drinking beer and listening to live music offsets any discomfort one might suffer. Pins reminiscent of the 80s with the bar name and logo are given instead of coin to ensure the return of plastic beer cups. Cheesy? Not at all. This place has a little retro feel to it.

I saw three pop-punk/hardcore bands here and I really liked the venue. Anywhere in the main floor…read morewill give you a good view of the stage, and there's some space at the back for merch and sitting/hanging out. Cloakroom is 1€ per item, Astras are just 2€ a pop (2,50€ inc. deposit), bar staff are very friendly (and speak some English if you get stuck) and, amazingly, the toilets are actually very nice. A personal highlight for me was the fantastic view onto the harbour. It all added up to create a fantastic gig space. One thing I'd said, although it might not be the venue's fault, is the band mix wasn't perfect. In particular, the guitars needed to be a bit louder. Only really an issue for audiophiles though. Would definitely come back here, no questions.

one of the oldest punk rock clubs, if not the oldest- in Hamburg. Near the harbor, it is less than…read moreten minutes away from the Reeperbahn. it's a dingy bar, cheap drinks, great music on any given night. Sound can get a little rough, the floor a little sticky, and the room very hot when the club is backed. the bar is disconnected from the music side. as far as I Can tell, an all ages venue. english is commonly spoken in the entire area, and most of the staff speak it fluently. I have been to the club numerous times and always have a great time.

So much history here. Imagine this is where all the German greats have played. You are transported…read moreback to when classical music was king. Sophisticated and structured. Pure and clean. When you book a ticket through the Elbphilharmonie website make sure to pay attention to the location. They don't make it clear if the location is at the Elbphilharmonie opera house or the Laeiszhalle. Luckily it's only a 5 minute taxi ride if you make the same mistake that I did. Free concerts on the second Tuesday of the month. At noon but get there early as people scramble for the limited seats.

Here I am "watching" a concert by one of my favourite bands in a seat that cost EUR42 and I'm…read morewriting a review. Why is that? Well, I can't see 50% of the band for one. I can see the bassist, drummer and third guitarist. I can't see the singer, lead guitarist or keyboard player. I'm on the 3rd row in the first balcony. I'd say that perhaps 20% of the audience get a good view. A further 30% can see the entire stage, but from a far distance. 50% will get a very impaired-to-non-existent view (some seats are behind columns/walls). I just don't think that's acceptable for the prices. The sound is admittedly good and the place looks quite nice, but those are the only good points. Other negatives include a lack of atmosphere (due to it being all seated). It's uncomfortably hot as there is seemingly no ventilation if the doors are closed (which they always are during the performance). There's also just one choice of beer, so if you don't like König Pils you're out of luck. I'd say it's the worst concert venue in Hamburg - especially for watching rock concerts. Unfortunately, if the band you want to see is booked here there's not much you can do. I can give them a bad review though.

Haus 73 is the shit! Went here on a Saturday night and it was wav less packed the Katze across the…read morestreet. I mean seriously, so far this is my favorite bar in Hamburg. Awesome djs and music, and my favorite thing, NO SEATING AT THE BAR so you don't have to reach over someone to grab your drink. Hip crowd, sofas everywhere, i plopped down on the stairs and had a blast. Love this place.

This is the kind of bar you would go to just to chill, chat or have some pre-party drinks..No…read moreworries, its a good decision! The laidback athmosphere attracts all kinds of people, which creates the perfect opportunity to get to meet new, crazy (drunk?) people to have a fun night with. The way my Dutch friends described this place is the exact way how to put it : Something like a club sports house or squad. I love the retro/trashy decoration, especially the Kitty cat motive on the wall, in the hall that leads to the other (dance) room; crazy but fun. Prices are reasonable and the bartenders are just as easy going as the crowd. Downstairs, next to the toilets, theres another dancefloor which is only opened on special and/or crowded nights. Music is great; on fridays kind of hiphop/rnb/reggae, on saturdays more electronic sounds and on sundays jazz/lounge. During the week its not too crowded, so you can chill on the sofas, play some table football, have profound conversations or find yourself doing intellectual stuff on your laptop. You can even buy candy if you get hungry, at the bar just next to the entrance! Awesome!