The Camden Crawl: Day One

Oh it’s Camden Crawl time! Or do I mean #camdencrawl time. “W00t,” they tweet. And it’s joyous: the sun is out, the streets are amoc with fearless hedonists on their way to funtimes and well, you know how it is, the tantric joy of the festival with the added bonus of a bed at the end of it all.

Oh no, you don’t. That’s why you’re reading this. So it’s noon or thereabouts, and The First Pint has found its way into our light-emitting palm (and throat). Smooth. Pint two handily lives about two metres away, Eddie Argos (in a resplendent two-piece) away from us. Shame we’re on the bloody phone and unable to stop, get down on one knee and refuse to leave until he marries us, really.

We saunter up to The Good Mixer for a bit of background DJing, and then to The Spread Eagle to catch the tail-end of Hollyoaks’ soundtrack-botherers Broadcast 2000’s set, which is sunny and lovely, as it goes. Who knew that this tiny living room-space would go on to become the temporary home for one Mr Coxon the day after? … Continue Reading

Baroness, London The Underworld

Baroness' John Baizley

April 13th 2009

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The Tunics, London Dublin Castle

The Tunics

March 24th, 2009

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Camden Crawl 2009 – news!

Camden Crawl

Texas is so far away, especially when you’re here. And especially more so when it’s holding the most wondruous musical festival in the world evah, namely SXSW. They wish we could be there too, we’re sure. But fret not, it’s ok! Because our very own Camden Crawl is almost upon us. Maybe with a smidgeon more skinny jeans, dirty blondes, tees-adorned-with-unfunny-slogans and Hadouken!-botherers in a square mile than anywhere else on earth, it’s a small price for being a banana’s throw away from a multitude of acts performing on stages smaller than your average.

Last year was great for a number of reasons: we saw Wild Beasts in a tiny little pub, cottoned on to Official Secrets Act (album review here) before the masses, immersed ourselves in Los Campesinos!‘ thesaurical joy, went all grime (bruv) at a Toddla T rave-up and then straight after that headed down the road for a snippet of Future Of The Left. Hell, we even tried our hands at the Crystal Castles phenomenon, just because we could.

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Vivian Girls, London Proud Galleries

Vivian Girls

February 14th, 2009

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Amanda Palmer, Electric Ballroom

Amanda Palmer

Wednesday 4 January, 2009

Self-titled “Brechtian Punk Cabaret” originator Amanda Palmer, AFP to those in the know (we’ll leave the F to your imagination), returned to London to promote her first solo offering since the Dresden Dolls’ “indefinite hiatus”. Who Killed Amanda Palmer? an impressively dark affair with sleeve notes by none other than Neil Gaiman received its second London airing with a set at the Electric Ballroom, Camden. … Continue Reading

WIN tickets to New Year’s Eve at Proud Camden!

Proud Camden

We’re feeling pretty festive here, and have got another cracking competition for you lucky guys to enter.

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North London, England

Camden Market

Looking for something to do? Happen to be in England’s great capital? Well, in that case, head north of the river, ladies and gentlemen, to discover more than you could have ever bargained for. Whether you fancy a quiet nibble on some top quality nosh, a good old knees up watching your new favourite unsigned band or the perfect excuse to spend your hard-earned cash on the high street, North London just can’t fail.

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Shy Child, London Koko

July 6th 2007

In a city that never sleeps, for a 12.30am stage time you need an outfit that can create intrigue and give off energy in the same quantity and there is probably not a new band around today, as well qualified in those stakes as Brooklyn, New York duo Shy Child.

Incongruous, but energetic and captivating, skirting towards the funk disco rock of The Rapture and swinging back into a range of Whirlwind Heat musical spasticity and rawness, keeping the crowd on their toes. ‘Drop The Phone’ stands out for the lurking vocals of Pete Cafarella that have more than a hint of Eamonn Hamilton (Brakes) to them. The catchy Friday night flavour is conjured up with ease, ‘The Noise Won’t Stop’ and it is this number that will win over trendy folk, like many of those in attendance tonight.

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Operahouse – Born A Boy

This second single of The Pigeon Detectives-pitching Camden quartet Operahouse, as they seek to expand upon the attention of certain media bigwigs such as Zane Lowe and Jonathan Ross. This was gained from previously released debut single ‘Man Next Door’.

Drummer Ben Niblett controls the pace of the action with high profiled and slightly hollow pounding, building up the impact for the catchy and sordid chorus thrust:

“Bang bang Betty dressed like your mother/Caught you in the toilets catching eyes with your brother.”

A slower climb and a sprinkling of reflection create a bigger impact for the angular riffs concealing high points in B-side, ‘Telescopes’. Johnny Lloyd’s vocals take on a slower and worldly narrative while he puts sneaky urban life under the microscope.

This offering will help them climb on the melodic and seedy indie pedestal and there are signs early on that they could stay there for a while.

http://www.myspace.com/operahousehq