South East London - the capital's festival town.
#SELondon the credible artist development live music circuit gift that keeps on giving. Local brewery, Meantime, are staging a series of free gigs in their Beer Box venue at The 02 (North Greenwich) throughout June and July, including some fave up n comers like Bad For Lazarus, Hollie Cook and DeLooze. More details here.
(video; Bad For Lazarus made the live recording video for their latest release, '7 Minute Itch' at Number3London warehouse gallery in Deptford with Liela Moss of The Duke Spirit on guest vocals).
South East London is an arts wonderland where degentrification is just as important as the impending gentrification.
It's Brockley Max community festival right now, then People's Day Festival (30,000 peace and party lovers come together for funshine in July), August has Crossfest at New Cross Inn . In September NXD (New Cross Deptford) has the wild and wonderful free festival Party In the Park while London gets its own big name weekend with Manic Street Preachers, Laura Mvula, the aforementioned Bad For Lazarus – played a total blinder for us at The Great Escape recently (and our own DJ, Gavin Black) in a massive mix of big names at On Blackheath.
Never know who you will bump into up Amersham Arms these days, aside from the many TV comedians (for a fiver!) at Happy Mondays club, its an industry/media hub. Last night, Laurie from Slaves was on the decks at Whip It! Club and coming soon, Toy return to play live (June 13th) at 1965 Records monthly night 'Unlock Your Mind', and The Strokes producer, multi talented Gordon Raphael, brings the party as our DJ on June 19th. On New Year's eve, This Feeling (the UK's top rock'n'roll club) kicked off its events with the first Carl Barât And The Jackals gig (back in the venue where the band auditions were held). Across the road from New Cross station, its all happening.
Recently The Zine staged an alternative arts expo pop up - http://hyperurl.co/No3Expo - in Number3London (Menace & McNaughty heyday, what a ride!). Locally associated bands The Homosexuals, Nova Twins, Little Death Machine and Cat Bear Tree played live - across the road from punky pub venue, The Birds Nest and a lorry container that has had everything from Fat White Family and The Trailer TV to a one day festival (!), BigRedStock, behind the double decker bus pizzeria.
(Image; Amy of Nova Twins at #No3Expo photographed by South East London's own Polstar Photography)
Down the road from Creekside, one way The Duke hosts ace reggae, dub n jazz nights, and the other way The Bunker (original home of the award winning Little Nan's cocktail bar touring pop-up art circus) is where the coolest kids are dancing until the early hours to all kinds of beats.
That is just a few steps from the psychaedelic and groovy Vinyl Record Store / cafe / venue / bar!
The Old Police Station, home of Optical Radio, is exactly that and The Job Centre (where Don Letts recently spun discs at the New Cross Deptford Free Film Festival finale) is a bar.
London SE8 is bonkersville with added clown glamour (see My Bad Sister and crew for more details).
Studios and musical institutions a plenty all short distances from these locations and there is a circuit, within the circuit, for all genres of the arts.
The great thing about South East London is that there was 15 minutes of New Cross Scene a decade ago, then when the fad faded and the community were left to their own creative means, things got even better. Its ace to see faces from the small bars making their name locally, nationally and internationally. Underground, under exposed and just under radar doesn't curb ambition. Our live events department ("Rocklands"), additionally, has transported the local vibe to various official festivals, in some wicked places, who kindly supported the artists that we believe in.
An eternal punky reggae party with a massive musicians and students population there's never a dull moment.
The live music circuit of Lewisham, Greenwich and Southwark boroughs over the river from Docklands – nicknamed Costa del Thames by Rocklands - has The 02 at one end of the South East Bank and The Coronet, Corsica Studios and South Bank.
Not just amazing views, history/scenery, dining, art, education etc but the best fair ground ride public transports (river, DLR AND cable car) and regular 24 hour buses, but, importantly, the people, the talent, the ideas and the the co-collaboration that gave birth to Uniqulture as an alternative creative artist development.
And yes, we are calling you all to join in personally, or on line, at the next Zine sessions and live music socials.
The Zine team came together in the back bar of Amersham Arms in 2013, became a publication in 2014, and haven't stopped having new ideas and adventures together, ever since...
Stay tuned. Stay united.