The Capital is renowned the world over for its vibrant music scene, with hundreds of gigs happening each and every night of the week. Obviously, there are illustrious venues, such as Koko, Shepherd’s Bush Empire and Brixton Academy, that have been serving London’s music lovers for generation upon generation, but without the smaller venues, the pubs and clubs that every neighborhood harbors, the music scene we know and love would surely dissapear.

There are a couple of interesting gigs taking place in the coming weeks and months that see bands and artists swapping larger stages for much more intimate environments. First off, Nick Mulvey, best known as the Portico Quartet’s hang man, will be picking up his acoustic guitar and heading to one of Clapton’s best kept secrets. Formerly a builders merchants on the Lower Clapton Road, Biddle Brothers is now a rather laid back bar that still maintains the outwardly appearance of a hardware store. Leaving the hang behind, Nick will be performing his own songs, which are largely informed by his musical travels. Adopting various different playing styles, Nick also sings in English, Congolese and Swahili, although the feel of his music is truly universal. Joining Mr Mulvey will be long time friend and Portico associate Jamie Woon, another formidable young artist who, like Nick and the rest of the Quartet, is involved in South London’s One Taste Collective. They’ll be appearing at Biddle Brothers on Thursday 19th November.

Given Portico’s rich history of busking, it’s not entirely unusual to see members performing in a pub as small as Biddle Brothers. One band who haven’t played in the back room of a boozer for a long while is The Maccabees. After a celebrated second album and massive UK tour, on which they performed to thousands of loyal fans, the band will be doing something a little more low key for a forthcoming show. They’ve decided to unplug the amplifiers and play an acoustic set in the upstairs room of their favourite local pub. Times and dates are yet to be decided, but to start the guessing going the pub is somewhere in Borough and has been a favourite haunt of the band for some time. Keep an eye on Barclaycard Mercury Prize Recommends for news of this exciting event.