When attending the Camden Crawl it is always difficult to know where to start. With over 20 venues pumping out some of the best acts in the music scene one is really rather spoilt for choice.
From Mornington Crescent to Chalk Farm a whole part of the city is transformed into a music festival, though happily given the UK’s recent weather, without the mud, wellies and anorak to shelled from the predicted festival in a field weather.
On Day 1 our Journey on Saturday started in the afternoon at the Jazz Cafe to see Clement marfo and the frontline the only south-west London rock/rap crossover act who’s main aim is to get anywhere they play rocking and the crowd moshing,but what I loved is they pre-worn the crowd at the front in the middle of there set to move if they don’t want to participate in the madness that there about to create.(oh and anyone using any electric device it’s best to move and watch from afar)…
Next up from the madness of Clement marfo and the frontline was a trip across the road to cool bar The Black Heart to see O children performing upstairs squeezed into a humid and huddled dark lit venue ,very much fitting the vocals and sound of O Children’s frontman’s with the dark nature of the songs and vocals beautifully matching the décor of the black heart, thoroughly enjoyed set. And a great way to end day 1 of the crawl putting me in the mood to chill and get set for day 2 of the crawl.
Sunday Day 2 began at the wheelbarrow to check out Johnny foreigner, considering the level of chat in the venue they delivered a brilliant set of new and old hits.……then we strolled to see a very loud kids in glass houses at KOKO the Welsh rock band from Cardiff with there catchy slices of glossy yet impassioned pop-punk,had rock faces to young girls screaming through there set.
Then it was a venture through the mainia of what is Camden when the crawl is on to the Monarch to see Charlie XCX and a performance well worth the trek the cool beats and sheer synth-simplicity gets the crowd dancing musio included.
The final stop of the evening and a great way to end the crawl was seeing Gaz Coombes at the Cuban,only minutes from the Monarch after seeing Charlie XCX which was great on the feet. There’s an awful lot of love out there for Coombes’ former band Supergrass,with the love there the punters packing out The Cuban Bar in Camden’s Stables to see his amazing set and I think one or two hoped he may break out and start singing the much loved Supergrass classic “aright”.
So all crawled out but very musically satisfied it was one drink at the crawl aftershow party then, pasty and bed in mind!…another great Camden Crawl for Musio to remember.