Published: 11 February, 2014

PRINCE played two nights at the Electric Ballroom, spending five hours on stage last Tuesday. Still a musical mecca, here ALINA POLIANSKAYA runs down Camden Town's top ten secret gigs.

1. Amy Winehouse – Dublin Castle, 2007

She was known for popping up behind the bar and serving customers at the Dublin Castle in Parkway, so where else would Amy Winehouse conduct one of her secret gigs? Rated by many critics as one of her greatest ever performances, Amy, pictured above on stage, was in the mood that night, even if she had arrived half an hour late. With a full band crammed onto the stage in the back room, she powered through most of her hits from her Back To Black album, fuelling her performance with a tequila shot halfway through. David Schwimmer – Ross from Friends – watched from the back row.

2. Prince – Koko, May 2007

Last week's gig at the Electric Ballroom was not the first time that Prince has graced Camden Town with a surprise appearance. He's more of less a regular. Damien Hirst, David Walliams and Pete Burns were there to witness him hit the stage at Koko seven years ago. Dressed in a knitted white beret, he teased fans with a selection of his hits and threw in some covers including Amy Winehouse's Love Is A Losing Game. Showing off his many talents, he rocked out a solo on the bass guitar, and even attempted a stage dive, in what was considered by many as the gig of the year.

3. Blur – Dublin Castle, May 1995

Blur performed to a packed-out Dublin Castle back in 1995 when Britpop was at its peak. The band put on quite a show, with the setlist featuring all-time classic Parklife and the debut performance of Stereotypes. The gig was held to mark the release of their album The Great Escape. Years later, Blur guitarist Graham Coxon would return to the venue to do a secret gig with his new band, playing songs from his album A + E in 2012.

4. Madness – Dublin Castle, June 2004

Another act who helped put Camden Town and the Dublin Castle in Parkway on London's music map, Madness turned up for a secret four-night spell, advertised under the fake name "The Danger Men". The lucky audience who rumbled the codename included Camden councillor Theo Blackwell and comics Harry Enfield and Phil Cornwall. The band had previously performed at the venue back 25 years earlier.

5. Madonna – Koko, November 2005

With a giant glitterball lighting up the stage behind her and a 1970s-style flashing dance floor beneath her feet, the original Material Girl kicked off her secret gig at what was once the Camden Palace – the scene of her very first London gig. Showcasing songs from her disco-themed album, Confessions on a Dancefloor, Madonna moved, grooved and clapped her way through a short but sweet five-song set, including Hung Up, and Everybody.

6. Sir Paul McCartney – Electric Ballroom, June 2007

Competition winners and special guests were in for a treat as one quarter of the awesome foursome performed a mash-up of new songs and Beatles classics. Stars in the expensive area, including Kate Moss, Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson, lulled away to an extended version of Hey Jude. In a touching moment, Sir Macca dedicated the track Here Today from his solo album Tug Of War to his former bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison, as well as his late wife Linda McCartney.

7. Pink – Dingwalls, March 2006

The feisty popstar showed off her powerhouse vocals with hits such as Stupid Girls and Get The Party Started, working up the squealing crowd, half-filled with competition winners. Pink strutted around the stage in a vintage red dress which showed off her many tattoos, and belted out songs old and new, from her album I'm Not Dead. Only 300 got to see it. As smoke billowed around her feet, the singer gleefully announced there was free alcohol and a stripper pole waiting for her backstage, courtesy of her record label.

8. Foo Fighters – Dingwalls, February 2011

Five-hundred lucky fans got to see the American rockers perform their entire album along with a few all-time classics as well. Just one night after lighting up Wembley Arena, the band took over the intimate venue for almost three hours in a gig that felt like it would go on forever. (They clearly had a soft spot for Dingwalls, as they had previously surprised fans with yet another secret gig there back in 2007.)

9. Babyshambles – Proud Galleries, February 2010

Indie rockers Babyshambles took over Proud Galleries in the heart of Camden Town in a secret gig that was announced just one night before on Twitter and MySpace. Pete Doherty's band of rebels treated the fans to a whole host of old hits, along with 5 new tracks in a set that got the crowd singing along at the top of their voices. The hitch-free show must have been a nice change for the band, who had recently been pelted with bagels after turning up late to a gig in Moscow the previous month.

10. Jake Bugg, Hawley Arms, October 2013

One of today's newest success stories, Jake Bugg took a break from all the chaos of his new-found fame to play an intimate acoustic set for just 100 lucky people at the Hawley Arms. After playing songs from his debut album, the young star stayed to meet and greet his fans. The secret gig was completely free and filled up the entire upstairs room in the venue.