It's a sad fact that most of us will never get to walk on stage at Wembley Stadium to the sound of thousands of people chanting our name. Not while we're awake, anyway.

However, pretty much every guitarist will at least make it as far as playing a few pubs with his mates. Some will even get to tour the glorious smaller venues that crisscross the nation, kicking out the jams on stages that have formed a vital staging post for every invasion into the annals of rock legend.

But before any of that, you'll need an amp that can do the business. The difference between a piece of equipment that sounds beautiful and looks pretty in the confines of your bedroom, and one that will withstand all the knocks, drops and spillages that accompany even the smallest of pub gigs is enormous.

But fear not, young warrior of the road. We've scoured our extensive reviews archive and picked the amps best suited for smaller venues, the amps that will sound good and keep working no matter how many times it's thrown into the back of the van.