Morning Tour – voted most popular tour for 2018

Rock Roots! This tour covers past and present Rock landmarks in bohemian Soho and the North London neighbourhoods of Camden Town, Islington and St John’s Wood. Neighbourhoods steeped in Mod, Hippie and Punk culture, and where tomorrow’s legends are creating today’s music! In addition to a collection of Beatle-related sites, including the Abbey Road crossing, discover locations bringing to life the colourful histories of classic, progressive, punk and Brit-Rock acts.

Rock music was born and raised in the tiny backstreets and alleys of Soho. It’s here you find basement clubs, rehearsal rooms, pubs and recording studios where the bands made their first tentative steps towards stardom. Legendary places such as the Marquee, the Roxy, Ronnie Scott’s Club, The Vortex and UFO. Studios like Trident and De Lane Lea where Queen, Stones, Bowie, Bolan and others made seminal albums. Beatles fans will enjoy seeing Macca’s office, the theatre the Beatles owned jointly, early NEMS office, and where Ringo bought his famed Ludwig drum kit. On ‘Tin Pan Alley’ where the the Stones made their very first recording, where Elton John worked, where the Sex Pistols rehearsed and lived, where Bob Dylan played his first London gig, and where Hendrix and Phil Lynott, amongst many past and present guitar heroes, bought and continue to buy their instruments.

See where Bill Haley launched rock’n’roll onto London and where Cliff Richard, Tommy Steel, Marty Wilde, Billy Fury and others followed his lead; see where Pink Floyd cut ‘The Wall’ and Joy Division made ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’; where U2 played one of their first London gigs. See where Jimmy Page cut his first disc and learn about Joe Meek, a pioneer of electronic music. Also go by where Elton John had a life changing moment. Long before Amy Winehouse made this area of London her playground, here was the stomping ground for hippie London, The Clash, then Madness in the 80s, Oasis and their Brit Pop rivals in the 90s. Glimpse the world-famous Camden Markets and canal – this is an area known for street art, where a guy called Banksy started.

As with all our tours, you’re accompanied by a specialist rock’n’roll guide who’ll bring the history of these locations vividly to life with music and photographs.

Departure Details:

Duration: 9am - 12.30pm

Departs from:  Duke of York Column Monument, St. James's, London SW1Y 5AJ, Junction of Waterloo Place and Carlton House Terrace

Nearest Underground Station: Piccadilly Circus or Charing Cross