How should we express ourselves when we get together en masse?

One debate I see people thrashing out daily online concerns the stupefying impact that smartphones have had on many music crowds.

There’s a stream of videos (seemingly shot without irony!) depicting all kinds of gigs, festivals and events where the audience are clearly more interested in holding their devices unshakingly aloft than doing anything in-the-moment such as actual dancing.

The accompanying comments then descend into a blistering critique of ‘young people today’ and bland wannabe influencer culture, plus a guaranteed pile-on of ‘it was better back in my day’ bores.

But perhaps you’ve never seen or read any of that stuff; your own brainrot timeline instead stuffed with football memes, cookery hacks or wellbeing grifters hawking all-natural potions, depending on which particular rabbit hole you’ve tumbled down.

Apologies if I bang on about this here quite a bit, but the nefarious social ripples of attention-driven algorithmic media continue to shock and amaze, and it’s not just the more obvious upending of global politics from your common-or-garden echo chambers and filter bubbles, either.

In recent weeks, I’ve heard how young black Londoners are unwittingly turning their backs on the once racially unifying experience of the dancefloor as the algorithms passively steer them into defined 'Black music’ social silos. (Who’d have thought that tech designed to sell us more gadgets and garms would end up impacting the delicate but glorious organic multiculturalism of places like Camden?)

I’ve seen how young boys are getting swamped with a steadily ratcheting drum-beat of violent crime footage, often circulated by questionable media outlets chasing outrage and hate, that skews their whole idea of what urban life is actually like. For them, London ‘news’ becomes a mixed-up vision of fear and lawlessness, layered with monetisation options for those that post the most outrageous criminality as entertainment.

Did you, perhaps, learn this week that the recent uptick in crappy tagging of underground trains is largely being driven by perpetrators seeking to share their vandalism online for clout? Or was your particular influence du jour TikTok dances to a sped-up remix of The La’s 1990 hit ‘There She Goes’ or something your kids keep guffawing over to do with Moonbeam Ice Cream?

We’re all so stuck in our silos, seeing life filtered only by our desires and characteristics, that huge trends you’ve never heard of, and multiple layers of unintended consequences (or at least I really hope they’re that), are driving changes at every level of our lives, and pretty much nobody knows what’s actually going on - or this will all lead next.

You can see trust in all media breaking down (even further) in real time, as synthetic AI photo and video content taps into whatever shocking or cute fake nonsense it takes to stop us scrolling for a second or two - and you know this slop is just the beginning of the next wave.

We’ve also witnessed the seemingly unfathomable delusions of politicians who clearly spend waaaay too much time on X being brought up as actually relevant in the actual House of Commons and White House press briefings.

How many poor outcomes are being supercharged by all this? How many opportunities for pleasing, perhaps essential, human interactions are being missed?

That’s why the things that can draw us out of our bubbles, which offer the chance to make merry with people from other tribes, generations and viewpoints, are now more powerful than ever.

This weekend, with 32 °C predicted on Saturday, the local summer festival scene reaches its own joyful boil. There are masses of things to go out and do, where you’ll be rubbing shoulders with the full spectrum of people and personalities, and creating all-too-rare collective stories and experiences together.

To me, our festivals are the energetic embodiment of all we should aspire our neighbourhoods and communities to look and feel like every day of the year.

So, stick on a hat and sunscreen, but otherwise dive in with your defenses very much down, ready to soak up difference, revel in the unexpected and remove the damn digital blinkers - there’s more going on out there than any of us can comprehend.

FESTIVALS

🥳 Blimey, what a big, festive week ahead

🚲 The VIA Criterium and London Cycle Festival kick off the busy weekend today, with 1k competitors and up to 92k spectators watching urban cycling races through Coal Drops Yard. New for 2025 is the full-throttle Solstice 3k running race, joining the elite Friday night cycling and mixed ability races through the weekend too.

🧑🏼‍🎨 A week of free Fitzrovia Arts Festival events starts tomorrow, Sat 21st Jun, with live music, workshops, wellbeing classes plus loads of art centered around the theme 'Fitzrovia is a Muse' to highlight the many artists and writers who have taken inspiration from this beloved area of London. It’s also the final week of the London Festival of Architecture events in the area, too.

⛲ Highgate Festival celebrates another of the boroughs village neighbourhoods with a week of exhibitions, live music events, creative workshops and community gatherings starting from today until Sun 29th Jun.

🏡 The Hampstead Summer Festival begins this Sun 22nd Jun, with the famous Arts Fair at Keats House gardens, and a programme of open air theatre, parties and more right into July.

🛹 There’s a mini-festival in a pub today at Camden Road Arms as legendary local skate shop the Three Amigos bring a pop-up shop, three bands, plus indoor skating(!) to this big boozer from 4pm onwards.

🍰 Personally, I’ll be soaking it all up at the mighty Alma Street Fair which is back in Kentish Town this Sat 21st Jun, with top notch live music stages, over 100 stalls and bountiful things to eat/drink plus unmatched quirky NW5 community vibes.

 🚢 Then just round the corner at Talacre Gardens on Sun 22nd Jun is the return of the really rather good Windrush Homecoming Celebration 2025, which sees the Council celebrate the many creatives, innovators, artists, musicians and disruptors who have changed the face of modern Britain from their homes in Camden and beyond. Queen of Lovers Rock Janet Kay, Trojan pioneers the Skatician Band and reggae royalty Winston Reedy are among the performers on the main stage.

🏳️‍🌈 Or just down the road, join the Black Cap community picnic celebrating the long-awaited referbishment of the famous Camden LGBTQ+ venue that they’ve fought tireless for a decade to get reopened. There will be music and the latest news on what’s happening at the venue.

🤡 London Clown Festival continues its season of contemporary clowning performances until 4th Jul up at Jackson’s Lane after the final Shows at Soho Theatre this weekend.

🍖 The weather gods are smiling on Taste of London in Regent’s Park this year, with over 40 chefs currently serving up 120 delicious dishes from 34 London restaurants in the Park, plus 150 artisan producers and live entertainment every day. Until Sun 22nd.

MUSIC

Last night I had the pleasure of hosting an Instagram Live chat with all round electronic music legend, Laurent Garnier, and Voltaire, his exciting techno protégé. It was to discuss the excellent debut LP from Voltaire on Laurent’s Cod3 QR label, blending electro and techno, even orchestral influences for a forward-looking collection of tracks that’s thoroughly recommended if you like that kind of listening tackle.

You can play back the full half hour chat here and do go stream/buy Voltaire’s fantastic Echoes, now up on Bandcamp, too.

Meanwhile, talking of DJs, the sensation that is DJ AG just continues to thoroughly blow up the local streets each and every week. Check him getting Camden High Street moving in sync below, or dive in to footage of the eek-incredible General Levy smashing it out at King’s Cross on Monday for pure joyful music, sunshine and smiles vibes.

Popular links you might have missed

🔗 Last week’s most clicked link: Ask For Janice opens at Tileyard Studios

🎞️ Offer: remember cinema history buff, Nigel Smith, is offering 20% off all cinema tours to Camdenist readers at his Memory Palaces website. Just use the promo code CAMDENIST at the checkout before 30th June.

🎼 The future of music in Camden as the INTRA charity give young people a stunning platform from which to shine.

We’re still experimenting with expanding the regular Music and Stage listings, which will return bigger and better, soon…

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