THE HORN REBORN is St Albans' premier live music venue and although the emphasis is more on tired covers acts these days, it's still the only place to see up-and-coming local acts.

The Victoria Street venue also plays hosts to an excellent weekly DJ night and occasional GetuptoGetdown funk nights which are not to be missed.

All of which contributes to its unique standing compared to most of St Albans' pubs and clubs.

I am old enough to remember the rows of motorbikes parked outside the back when it was simply the Horn of Plenty and while it may have lost its rawer side, it still has enough going for it to recommend a night there to any live music fan.

Inside, the bar is smaller than you would imagine but stretches round into the main hall, which on a packed night is big enough to hold several hundred sweaty bodies.

It's also popular with commuters walking home from the train station after a hard day's work in the city and if the weather's nice the garden is a nice place to while away an hour or two having been recently decorated.

I prefer the benches out front from where you can watch the traffic whizz past safe in the knowledge that you've escaped the rat run for a short while.

The Horn undoubtedly holds a special place in the hearts of many old-time Albanians who remember its former glory but the pace of standardisation is impossible to resist and with its predilection for covers bands The Horn can no longer be described as cutting edge.

But in a city devoid of live music venues, it's probably as good as it's going to get.

It's popular thanks to its late licence at the weekends.

If you like what you hear, check out The Monday Club, which is on every Monday night (obviously) or just stop in for one on your way to London.

AB