Rusco, do you mean the Underworld? If so it still is, but they do all sorts, so it really depends who's playing.
Camden used to be really good, I don't personally like it anymore these days and hardly ever go there - but I suppose if you've never been it's still something worth seeing.
Record shops are disappearing fast unfortunately (apart from the slight revival caused by the hipsters) as more and more people get their stuff online. When I'm in Central London (rarely) I always put in a visit to Sister Ray, on Berwick Street in Soho (off Oxford Street). On the same street you also have Reckless Records, which only sells second-hand vinyl and CD and where I found lots of good stuff over the years, and at least one Music & Video Exchange (a chain of also second-hand stuff, there should still be one on Camden High Street too, and a bunch on or around Notting Hill).
Rough Trade's original shop is till open on Talbot Road (just off Portobello Road, almost on the corner with it) AFAIK, and for years now they've opened Rough Trade East on Brick Lane (which is one of the places to go for curry, the historical curry street in London in fact, although sadly some of the older restaurants have shut now). Just last week somebody told me that Sister Ray have also opened a second shop somewhere in Shoreditch (nearby, and hipster central!) that only sells vinyl (I told you it was hipster central!)
Other than the Devonshire Arms mentioned by Rusco there are a number of 'rock' pubs (The Crobar, The Big Red, 12 Bar) scattered around, although to be honest I tend to prefer normal pubs with character and good beer these days. Let us know when you're over, if I'm around I'll be happy to join you and JC for curry and/or a few beers and have a look at what's around alternative-wise.
