This was a top night with three-song cover sets by The Loves, Git, Allo Darlin, The Grave Architects and the Escapologists plus a dancing set from the Fabulous Actionettes.

 

A proper rock'n'roll toilet.

Actionettes onstage.

 

 

 
The Grave Architects were forced to play the Bike Song!

Labels: bands, gigs

We went along to KoKo in Camden tonight to see three members of the Algerian band Tinariwen, collaborating with twisted pop-folkies Tunng onstage.

It was a great show and it was nice to see the old Camden Palace (or Music Machine if you're even older) in such fine condition - even if the drinks are well pricey.

The late Victorian theatre has been restored beautifully, with the dark red and gold interior looking immaculate.

Fact: the venue was the last place AC/DC's Bon Scott was seen drinking before his death from alcohol poisoning in 1980

Fact! I played the Camden palace several times with several (failed) bands

Fact! I saw Prince do a secret gig there once. There were wall-to-wall music celebs inside and his gig was quite probably one of the best shows I'd ever seen. He was amazing!

Labels: camden, gig, gigs

We had another rip roaring night of fun at the Brixton Albert on Friday. Here's a few photos from the drunken mayhem:


Offline fave Anchorsong, does his electronic wizardry.



There was certainly no lack of rock and roll attitude from The Tenets, with a somewhat volatile onstage interaction between the members adding a bit of extra grit to proceedings!











We've got some really amazing Offline nights coming up soon: check out the listings here

Labels: brixton, gigs, offline

Link

Well, that was a blast. We had the electronics whizz Anchorsong playing live on our lovely new stage (yes! a proper stage!) with the fantastic Danny Fontain and the Horns of Fury headlining. I can't remember what time we finished, but boy oh boy  it was a mighty long night o'fun!



















It's a real pain packing away all the millions of sound system cables at the end of the night, but with this cute kitten chasing after every lead, it almost becomes fun!

Labels: brixton, gigs, offline

Link

Thanks to a freebie ticket from IanW, I got to check out the comeback kids Swervedriver at the Scala at Kings Cross. First off, let me beef about the venue itself. The huge, slow moving queue outside was ridiculous, with some punters taking over half an hour to get in. Sort it out Scala!

Described as "one of the long-lost shoegazing bands" or even an "English Nirvana," the Oxford boys made a fairly roaring racket, with little in the way of communication to the crowd.

I rather enjoyed it in a nostalgic kind of way, and there's enough contemporary mileage in the sound to give the band prospects on the festie circuit. I imagine they'd do well Stateside too.

 
 
 

Labels: gigs, scala, swervedriver

I love this place. It's one of the very last old school live gigs left in central London and every time I've been there I've had a great night.

Tonight was exceptional fun: a mad, drunken, happy, cheery sing-along with a massively varied crowd and some absolutely nutbar bands. It was wild.  Do go.

Labels: gigs, london

This was a great way to spend a Tuesday night, with indie legends Stereolab playing an intimate gig in one of Brixton's finest venues, The Windmill.

Here's a few cameraphone snaps.

Labels: brixton, gigs

Had a top night at PlanB last night, checking out Brixton boys, The Thirst doing a live gig.

Here's some pics.

Labels: brixton, gigs, plan b

Some snapshots from a month in the Metropolis. 'Scure the quality - they were all taken on my itty bitty Palm Centro phone.


30th April Illicitly sneaking into the May listing is the Alabama3 anti-racism gig at the Brixton Academy - one of very favourite London venues.






Plastic glasses litter the dance floor at the end of the evening. The after-party beckons!


May 9th The fabulously lavish interior of the Shepherds Bush Empire, where we'd come to see Jonathan Richman.


It's a lovely looking venue, but the sightlines are shocking - it's the only standing venue I know where the floor appears to slope up to the stage.


After a lot of elbowing, shimmying and 'scuse me-ing, we finally bagged a half decent view.

Mind you, once we'd managed to grab a position with a view, there was no way we'd dare move to get a drink or - woe betide - try to pop off to the loo.

Jonathon Richman was fantastic, but the venue royally sucked.


15th May. The Left Outsides open up at the launch party for the debut album by Hayman, Watkins, Trout & Lee at the Gladstone in Borough.


The new album boys do their stuff. The Gladstone is a ruddy fantastic pub - warm, cosy, friendly and with some top real ale (I got stuck into the Hooky ale from Hook Norton).






16th May Cavendish Arms, Stockwell.

We loved how this little known boozer had been tarted up and the band room looked great, but the booking policy was so erratic that the place was empty and there was little empathy between the acts.

The venue has great potential though so we'll give it another go soon.


22nd May Launch party of Ivan's Retreat, Brixton Road.

This big, central Brixton boozer has struggled for ages under several names, but we went along to its latest relaunch, with the folks behind Camden's successful Lock Tavern pub now at the helm.

There was a lot of brown furniture going on, the music was indescribably bland (a bored looking DJ standing behind the decks with his arms closed hardly raised party spirits either) and the whole place felt like it should be shunted two miles up the road into Clapham.

The food looked like it might be pretty good, and the selection of the beers wasn't too shabby either, so we'll check it out again in a month or two.


22nd May Helen McCookeryBook at the Railway, Tulse Hill.

Now this is a mighty fine boozer, and well worth a visit. There's a small venue upstairs, a huge garden at the back (well, a sea of concrete mainly), good food and a lively downstairs bar.


There was some kind of super folky night going on at the Railway, and although some of the acts were quite enjoyable, when we being implored to clap along to some hippy tosh, we made our excuses.


22nd May The final gig of the night - The Amaylas at the Windmill.

The Windmill is rightly regarded as one of the finest small venues in London, and I was asked to DJ to a rather intimate crowd at an Oxfam benefit. Here's the view from the DJ decks.

I'm still not finished with the gigs yet - Friday night is Offline at the Brixton Albert, and Saturday I'm DJing at the Railway and then checking out the fabulous Actionettes at the Buffalo Bar.

Labels: brixton, gigs, london