Rescue Rooms

You know you're in for a good night when you walk down those stairs into what feels like music venue perfection. The sound system here is genuinely excellent – none of that muddy bass that plagues half the venues in town – and the sightlines work from pretty much anywhere you stand. The bar staff know their way around a pint without the attitude you get at some places. This is where bands on their way up play when they've outgrown the tiny rooms but aren't quite ready for Rock City. You'll catch brilliant acts here months before they're selling out arenas, and the crowd usually knows it. The atmosphere hits that sweet spot between intimate and electric.