I am looking for places related to history or music (rock/pop) in London and Dublin that are off the beaten path.
This may not be offbeat enough, but I always recommend the Little Museum of Dublin. It really is little - two rooms, they may have opened a third since I was last there - but it’s jammed from floor to ceiling with stuff from the last hundred years of Dublin. Plenty of musical bits and pieces, loads of historical. Basically, their selection criterion appears to be ‘cool shit we could get our hands on’.
I’ve been to Davy Byrne’s pub, a stop on the way of Leopold Bloom’s wanderings in Ulysses. It was pretty disappointing as it looked like a damn fern bar when I was there, not the dingy Irish pub I was hoping for.
You can pay your respects at the statue of Phil Lynott.
The London Dungeon.
That’s bang ON the beaten path. More like a theme park than anything else in London.
OP, check out Dennis Severs House in London. It’s an 18th century townhouse that’s been converted to look, smell and sound like it has over several centuries. It’s in Whitechapel of Jack the Ripper infamy, very atmospheric. Book ahead.
Try to go to a céilí [pronounced “kaylee”], for both the history and the music combo! They are so great: good music, great atmosphere and dancing. Don’t be scared about the dancing: sure you can’t do it, but with everybody else moving together you can’t but do it right. It’s been a while since I was in Dublin, so I can’t recommend where to go. I’d just ask around.
Say hello to Dublin from me. I love it!
The Handel House Museum on Brook Street.
What’s that got to do with rock music? Well, Handel had a noisy neighbor…
Also not sure how offbeat (was pretty quiet when we went) but speaking of Dublin museums - the Chester Beatty Library was amazing. Full of old books and manuscripts etc (including some of the earliest known biblical fragments)
The Hope & Anchor pub in Upper Street, Islington was one of the early venues for ‘Pub Rock’, a precursor to ‘Punk Rock’.
Not too far away is 304, Holloway Road, where Joe Meek recorded a lot of his hits. AFAIK, you can’t go in at the moment, but there are plans to open it up to the public. The film Telstar was shot there at the original location.
When I was there in 81 it was a little more off the path. I read now they have moved it. And probably ruined it, if I know how these things go.
It hasn’t moved. It’s just enormously popular - queues round the block just like at madam tussauds. And rather cheesy.
St. Michan’s Crypt in Dublin has mummified bodies that are 100s of years old, you can even go in and shake one of their hands. It’s a short tour and the church is very close to the main drag, doesn’t cost an arm and a leg either (no pun intended). I enjoyed it immensely as has anyone else I’ve known who went.
Seconding eclectic wench on the Little Museum Of Dublin. There are no outstanding rock/pop landmarks I can think of at the minute in Dublin other than the statue **black rabbit **suggested. There are things directly related to U2’s history that are pretty boring to casual fans and non-fans.
If you are into checking out new music there are a number of music venues that have gigs every night of the week, in various genres. Whelans of Wexford St., The Sweeney Mongrel on Dame St., The Mercantile also on Dame St., all have shows every night, many free in, so might be worth a punt.
If you want Irish traditional music in a non-cornball setting there’s always the venerable Cobblestone pub in Smithfield. Tends to have informal sessions in the front bar every evening and more elaborate performances in the back bar. http://www.Entertainment.ie should have listings for any of these places. By the way don’t hesitate to PM me if you have any specific questions you need answer to.
Yes it has, but only just - the new premises over by the London Eye opened on 1 March. They’ve been turfed out due to the renovation of London Bridge Station.
ETA: Some enterprising souls have set up a London Dungeon-lookalike nearby under London Bridge (the bridge itself), obviously bent on capturing unwary tourists. I’ve been in those vaults when it was a restaurant (several iterations ago) and it’s a pretty small space. Caveat emptor and all that.
Denmark Street in London is very close to Tottenham Court Road tube station. As an added bonus, it’s just around the corner from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foyles books.
There’s always the Musical Museum out by Kew Bridge. It’s right next door to the Steam Museum which is best visited on a weekend.
Like Gyrate says, it has very recently moved, but it’s former location was hardly remote.
I second Handel House Museum. The musical instruments museum is interesting, but doesn’t have much about rock or pop.
You could try the rock guided tour of London; it’s on very well-beaten paths but it’ll highlight to a visitor places that they probably wouldn’t have noticed.
Various graveyards are worth a visit in their own right and some have rock legends buried in them. Highgate Cemetery is one to start with.
If you’re in Dublin on a Sunday night, and want to experience a true Irish Session, go to:
*****Eoin Dillon’s **********Sunday Session ***
**Seisiún Domhnaigh Eoin ****Bowes. Fleet Street
http://www.kila.ie/media/Image/bowes.jpg
Throughout the year, Eoin Dillon hosts a wonderful session, in Bowe’s pub on Fleet Street, a stone’s throw from the Liffey, deep in the heart of Dublin. It is a session rooted firmly in music and song. It starts at around 9pm and is on every Sunday evening…
Also, check www.kila.ie to see if they’re playing int he area while you’re there. Always a fantastic show.
TruCelt, that pub had a fire a while back. I think it’s open again though. Didn’t know they had trad sessions. I go for the dozens of types of whiskey they sell. 
The Clissold Arms pub in Fortis Green, London, has a lot of Kinks memorabilia (The Davies brothers came from the area) - and while you’re there, pay a visit to Fairport, original home of the Convention of that ilk.