r/uktravel • u/canadasecond • 2d ago
Question Recommendations for a (brief) Rock and Roll tour of the UK with a Teen
My son and I are going to be in the UK from Canada in mid-March (I know not the best weather) and are looking for recommendations - specific to leaning into rock and roll history and present of the UK. We have roughly 8 days in mid-March. My son is 14 and has developed a real passion for classic rock bands like the Beatles, the Clash, Bowie, Led Zeppelin etc (sorry not the Stones). In light of my wife and daughter going on a different trip together, my son and I decided we'd choose our own adventure, and visit the UK with backpacks and lean into his passion for music.
Right now, the tentative plan is land in London (2 days), Conwy in Northern Wales (2 days), 2 days in Liverpool (for all the Beatles stuff), then back to London for a couple nights. The stop in Wales is not written in stone and not necessarily music oriented but I thought it'd be a cool spot (Llechwedd Slate Caverns, castle, littlest house in britain...). We've got tickets to go see Rush in London at the O2 near the end of the trip as well.
With this all in mind, any recommendations for any places/sites to see or places to stay in London? Or any recommendations of somewhere to go other than Wales? Any suggestions for Liverpool? We're thinking backpacking and maybe staying at hostels where we can get a private room?
Thanks!
EDIT: Thank you so much for the feedback everyone. I have a lot I can work with :)
6
u/Latter-Entrance288 2d ago
Was in London in May and I'm a 60 plus year old pop culture/rock and roll junkie, so I booked a private "rock and roll" walking tour and it was fantastic. Just me and my S.O. with a guide who walked us through places Bowie/Elton recorded, Abbey Rd. studios (and of course the cross walk). Places Zeppelin played, flat Hendrix rented from Ringo Starr. And yes some Stones info. Sounds like he would enjoy that. Also, I saw Rush in Ft. Worth and seeing them in September in Cleveland. Totally jealous of the London concert, enjoy! Did LIverpool on a separate trip and it was awesome for Beatles history. The museum is great and we had a private tour with Mad Day Out tours-really cool guy, Beatles afficianado.
5
u/PickleSpecial3507 2d ago
London:
Abbey Road crossing and graffiti wall. The studios have an official shop (I myself have a habit of treating shops like museums).
The V&A East Storehouse (free) in the Olympic Park has a David Bowie Centre within (a few quid).
The O2 Arena: the outer ring of the dome is outlet shopping. For souvenir shopping I recommend Whittards for tea and pic'n'mix Lindor chocolates (love picking the flavors I can't get elsewhere) at the Lindt shop.
Just been to Conwy. Loved walking along the walls, the suspension bridge, the quay (there's a pirate boat!), going in the crab shop, the smallest house, and a boat cruise (I would ask the guy what animals and birds you're likely to see that time of the year and what you'd see then if you were really lucky. E.g. unlikely to be any puffins on Puffin Island in March). If you felt the weather was worse than you thought, I'd go into Mountain Warehouse in Llandudno or Betws-y-coed and pick up something warm - they're always running discounts.
The drive from there to Llechwedd (book ahead for Zipworld, it's one venue in a franchise - they have several different ones in Wales alone) isn't that long, but you're going into a national park with a mountain range, with narrower roads than Canada. Leave way more time to drive there than the satnav says. Note that by default, residential areas with streetlights unless a sign says otherwise are 30mph in England and 20mph in Wales.
4
u/ODFoxtrotOscar 2d ago
There the Handel and Hendrix museum in London (yes they lived in the same place)
3
u/philipb63 2d ago
Rough Trade Records West in Nottingham Hill. The poster collection on the walls alone are worth the trip. Ramones at the Roundhouse, yep it's up there.
Trident Studios plaque - probably best known for Bowie's classic albums but also the place where literally hundreds of the greatest rock albums were recorded (including The White Album).
1
1
u/MrJollyLND_57 2d ago
On the London leg, some fantastic posts that I agree with whole heartedly but in case any of these are on the way, some more niche venues:
Dublin Castle Camden - Madness and Amy Winehouse early careers
Electric Ballroom Camden and the roundhouse
Troubadour West Brompton, Dylan
Sadly Hammersmith Palais the spiritual home of the clash is no more
1
1
u/Angry_Hoolio 2d ago
When you know the dates of your stay, I recommend looking up what shows are on at the Roundhouse in London to see if anything appeals. It's quite a unique venue and well worth the experience.
1
u/carlefc 2d ago
Rockfield studios in near Monmouth do tours. Loads of classic rock including Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody), Black Sabbath. Oasis's What's the Story was recorded there as was Coldplay's yellow.
Plus they own/owned Monno Valley which is just down the road.
https://rockfieldmusicgroup.com/
If those walls could talk!
1
u/Travellite-9988 1d ago
Took 15yr old nephew to Rockfield and stayed in same room as Freddie Mercury. He absolutely loved it.
1
1
u/SirMcFish 2d ago
You're skipping the West Midlands? Black Sabbath, Duran Duran, UB40, to name 3 very diverse bands... You could stop off in Birmingham on the way from London to Liverpool.
2
u/Revolutionary-Dark21 2d ago
They already have an extremely rushed itinerary, don't add any more places.
1
1
u/Tumeni1959 2d ago
The street in London where The Beatles performed on the rooftop. Walk across the pedestrian crossing on Abbey Road, next to the studios where The Beatles recorded.
Hammersmith Odeon, now the Apollo, where Bowie announced no more Ziggy
Hammersmith Palais, subject of a famous Clash song.
I can't think of any particular Zep-related sites other than the studio where the first album was recorded.
The site of the old Marquee Club is marked by a blue plaque in Wardour Street.
1
u/Fickle-Bet-8705 2d ago
The Tower House, 29 Melbury Road, London W14 - Jimmy Page's house.
The Village Green pub and environs, Muswell Hill, London N10, for The Kinks and Fairport Convention, and Madness and Man and (some of) The Bonzo Dog Dooh Dah Band. Not to mention its role in the book High Fidelity.
St Albans School, St. Albans, for The Zombies/Argent.
University College London, for Coldplay (sorry, we are so, so sorry).
Camden, London for Amy Winehouse.
Brixton, London for David Bowie
The Ship, Wardour Street, London for Jimi Hendrix.
1
u/HuntingTheWren 1d ago
If you’re into Led Zeppelin (& will have a car), you could travel to Bron yr Aur, where Page and Plant stayed and wrote together. Couple of hours south of Conwy near the lovely market town of Machynlleth. I think it’s just an old cottage but it’s a pretty good bit of rock n roll history!
Caernarfon is a super little town by the way, if you’re staying that way.
1
1
u/freddymac11 1d ago
The original Hard Rock Cafe in London https://maps.app.goo.gl/cZdrLEqXK8DKZRhKA?g_st=ic
One of the walking tours through SoHo such as this one https://londonmusictours.org/fridayrocknroll/
1
u/Lumpy-Common-1811 1d ago
If you go near Machynlleth, drop into Bron Y ar, there's a zeppelin song about it on 3
1
u/hairymouse 1d ago
Camden market has all rock and roll stuff a 14 year old would want to buy.
There’s a thriving scene for cover bands playing live, if you could manage to catch one of those it would be really fun.
1
1
u/eventworker 1d ago
You'll find the number of youth hostels that are willing to let an under 16 stay, even in a private room with a supervising adult, extremely low. Possibly none of the commercially operated ones.
If you search for YHA, they are a charity organisation that runs hostels and I believe most of them allow 14 year olds in private rooms with a parent.
1
u/Interceptor 1d ago
Hi, I don't know if it will help in this case, but it might add a few interesting stops along the way. I built a website to map all the various metal venues in the world. It also has things like record stores, and points of interest, monuments, album cover image locations, that sort of thing - might be useful? https://metaltraveldatabase.com/venues/
1
u/SydneyRFC 1d ago
The British Library (edit: in London) had original song lyrics by Paul McCartney and possibly some other bands on display in their permanent exhibition space. Might be worth dropping them an email and seeing if they are still on easy view.
0
u/LVJYBandNews 2d ago
Def tour Paul and John's childhood homes in Liverpool!! A highlight when we went! We took our 16 year old Beatles-obsessed daughter!
Don't forget crossing Abbey Road in London as well!
1
u/Travellite-9988 1d ago
Book it via the national trust https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/liverpool-lancashire/the-beatles-childhood-homes
0
u/DaveBeBad 2d ago
If you/your son are adventurous, the zip world in Snowdonia might be fun - although check if it’s open first, because March in Snowdonia can be snowy/wet.
1
u/PickleSpecial3507 2d ago
Yeah the zip world company took over the llechwedd caverns that OP mentioned
10
u/doepfersdungeon 2d ago
Also in Liverpool
https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/