Live music in Singapore: 5 great gig spots

In no particular order, we pick 5 of our favorite venues for live music in Singapore.

Full of timber, graffiti and loud music, Crazy Elephant serves up a stream of rock music blended with blues tunes. Live band performances are held nightly except Mondays, while Sundays are Jam nights where anyone can join a blues rock jam. The stage has been home to some excellent local and regional guitarists, as well as international names in blues such as Rick Derringer, Eric Burdon, and Walter Trout.

3E River Valley Rd, Singapore, tel +65 6337 7859
www.crazyelephant.com

It's outdoors, often a little muggy, but THE breeding ground for up-and-coming local bands and singers, such as Goodfellas and Reverie and Rene, who continue to draw in crowds of fans and groupies. The brews and food are great, which makes for some genuine nighttime entertainment. The formula's so successful that the owners have followed up with 2 other live music in Singapore establishments since -- one at The Arts House and the other in Old School at Mt. Emily.

45 Armenian St, Singapore, tel +65 6338 8277
www.timbre.com.sg

Bar None at the Mariott (now re-branded as Bar:One) has never been the same after live wire veteran Douglas Olivero, better known as Douglas O, moved off and started fronting the music scene at Le Baroque with his band Satellite. What we love about this hotspot at CHIJMES is the European food and some of the best live music in town. Olivero may be catching up on the years, but he's still quite the presence on stage.

30 Victoria Street #B1-07 CHIJMES Fountain Court, Singapore, tel +65 6339 6696
www.lebaroque.com.sg

There's a real nice busker/ garage band vibe to this place, which isn't surprising considering the pub's location almost in the heart of Backpackerville at Dunlop Street in Little India (Prince of Wales doubles as a backpacker's lodge upstairs). The music's a bit of hit-and-miss, since  the acts are all amateur efforts, most of them just honing their live set skills, but once in a while a real music gem is unearthed. Good or bad, the music's loud and the beers are cheap (about S$10 for a pint of imported brew). Aussies love this place especially, with the tap of Gippsland Gold and Brewers Pilsener shipped in directly from the Australian state of Victoria.

101 Dunlop Street, Singapore, tel +65 6299 0130
www.pow.com.sg

Durty Nelly's is a Irish pub to the core -- as with all Gaelic Inns pubs in Singapore, Durty Nelly's was designed and built entirely to scale in Ireland, and shipped lock, stock and (of course) barrel to Singapore. It's located right across the street from yuppie-packed Balaclava, but the surprising thing is that this particular Irish bar has some really great acoustics, which is great for the live music session on Fridays. There are eight beers on tap, including Guinness (obviously) and Old Speckled Hen, while the finger foods are quite decent as well.

6 Raffles Boulevard, #01-01/02/03, Marina Square, Singapore, tel +65 6338 8023
www.durtynellys.com.sg