Where: Camden Crawl
When: 18/4/08
Those cynical of the current indie scene becoming too mainstream would do well to visit the Camden Crawl. Although Camden has become a scenesters paradise, dominated by indie clones tarted up in skinny jeans and preppy hair, the music on offer is a refreshing peek into the future of alternative music. While it is easy to be tempted by the better known artists, the real fun is in finding the hidden gems. A hyped band might be worth seeing in an intimate venue before they break (eg Crystal Castles) and a secret show by an established band may be an enticing prospect (Enter Shikari), but stick with instinct and your night may be more rewarding.
From Graham Coxon in the Good Mixer a decade ago to Amy winehouse practically living in the Hawley Arms, Camden is a common haunt for many indie stars and the night was often spent spotting ‘him off the telly’ in the toilets! Who would have thought Matthew Thorne from Gavin and Stacey fame liked Metronomy? Their low-budget lightshow and infectious electropop certainly got the crowd dancing. ‘You Could Easily Have Me’ and ‘Trick Or Treatz’ are dancefloor classics of the highest calibre and deserve to be heard live.
Ignoring the competition of 25 venues, stubborn London landlords refused to sell their wares at a reasonable price. Even a mugging wouldn’t leave you as poor as the crawl. Fortunately, this had not prevented a steady flow of alcohol and the search was on for a party. Those lucky enough to arrive early to rising Grime artist JME’s set at the Cuban Bar, were treated to a secret gig by eskibeat pioneer Wiley. Both kept the gig-goers on their toes with heavy beats and catchy hooks. JME’s honest and witty signature tune ‘Serious’ gives American superstar rappers a run for their money, whilst Wiley’s ‘Wearing My Rolex’ highlights the genre’s innovative progression that will hopefully soon become accepted into mainstream music.
Despite keeping its roots in indie music; Camden Crawl offers much more than just guitar orientated pop. Along with comics, performance art, exhibitions and such like, the crawl has become the UK’s answer to SXSW and gives you the chance to meet like-minded music lovers and search for bands to see in the forthcoming festivals. Next year the event will surely be as good as ever, but make sure you form a band!