The Camden Assembly, Chalk Farm, NW1

Part of music's toilet venue circuit. As a pub it is pretty awful, with bland and overpriced beers, gloomy decor, uncomfortable seating. Only the weirdest member of the Camden weird brigade would find it appealing. The fact of the matter is that no-one goes here just for a drink (except the Camden weird brigade) but for the bands, who play in a tiny room upstairs with a bar serving an equally expensive and uninspiring choice of beers. The Barfly is today what the Marquee Club was in the 60's and 70's - a starting point on the road to riches for many a great band and a graveyard for several others. Many a great band has passed through, some on their way up, others on their way down. For a packed gig you won't see a thing but it is fine for the preverbial 2 people and a dog gig. The Barfly, like the old Marquee that I used to frequent regularly, is a dump. I love it.