POLL RESULTS

🛴 Towards transport utopia?

We had the biggest reader reaction for some time to the recent poll in this email posing the question ‘how would you solve the problem of eBikes cluttering our pavements?’

This being an era where all discourse is coloured in the style of social media platforms, suggestions were typically polarised, but ultimately with many of you leaning on the side of better access to cycling for young people.

Others clearly felt it was totally fine to use the poll as a way to pronounce casual death threats to all cyclists. 😱

It makes for a fascinating read regardless, so check out the results in all their glory here, and join the ongoing debate.

HERITAGE

⭐ Are plaques what our local music scene really needs?

Ambitious plans were announced last week for 11 new plaques to be added to Camden Town’s fledgling Music Walk of Fame.

A new Camden Music Festival will also run at multiple venues and outdoor stages in the area alongside the unveiling ceremonies in early September, too.

It’s a lovely chance to celebrate the broad talent that has come from these streets - great that former local lad Eddie Grant is getting a plaque this time - alongside, somewhat more confusingly, the likes of Birmingham’s UB40 and Barking’s Billy Bragg.

But by looking back at musical heritage, the acts being honoured (and playing the headline gigs) are, by definition, heroes of a previous era.

There’s a tendency for the Roundhouse love-ins of the 60s or the Britpop heyday of the 90s to still define Camden’s musical identity, stifling the thoroughly different sounds and scenes emerging locally today.

With a somewhat patchwork approach to who gets the MWOF stones (promoter Harvey Goldsmith alongside 70s American R&B group Shalamar, anyone?), is this upcoming high profile love-in what Camden needs to stay relevant and support its future music-makers?

Opinions, no doubt, will be plentiful - so we’re making it this week’s poll question.

As ever, you can leave comments with your vote, and we’d love to hear your thoughts.

📊 1-CLICK POLL

CAMDEN FRINGE

Interviews & previews

Read these Camdenist show previews and interviews, then go see them!

FREE RIDES

MUSIC

Live music this week + a free ticket grab (inc. drinks)!

As a warm-up for Notting Hill Carnival, soundsystems from across the UK including Black Obsidian (Brixton), Daddy Turbo, Ashanti & RastaYard (Ipswich), Open Src Music presents OGR (Ital Rockers - Leeds) join host DJ Ben Osborne (Noise of Art) at EartH in Hackney next Saturday - and we’ve got a chance to grab free tickets for you +5 mates, including welcome drinks for you all.

UK Reggae pioneers Aswad (pictured) will be headlining the event, to celebrate 40 Years of their seminal 1983 LP, Live and Direct, (recorded at Carnival that year) by unveiling new 3D live recordings on EartH’s unique immersive sound system.

The party kicks off the London leg of Woodbridge Festival, which will bring more musical legends to perform in Suffolk in September.

To be in with chance of grabbing the 6 free tix and drinks for next Saturday’s sound system showdown, simply email [email protected] with ‘Woodbridge Festival’ as the subject line. We’ll draw a name at random and be in touch by Monday morning so you can plan your Carnival weekend accordingly.

• 🎶 The latest alldayer at The Fiddler’s Elbow on Sunday (20th) sees The New Nostalgia, Pigeon Dog, Quiet Tongues (Acoustic) and The Truth About Charlie Cohle (Charles Adey) play A Gathering curated by the New Nostalgia with a percentage of profits being donated to The Outside Project.

• 🎷 Jazz at the Parakeet continues on Monday (21st) with recent winner of the 2023 Parliamentary Jazz Awards Album of the Year, Jo Harrop, performing soulful jazz, blues and original music, joined by two of London’s finest, Lorenzo Morabito on bass and Artie Zaitz on guitar.

• 🎗️ Award-winning Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Carlos Reyes – aka Farruko – is at the O2 Forum Kentish Town on Wednesday (23rd), famed for his major league collaborations and his global hit Pepas topping charts worldwide.

Gig highlights in association with the fabulous Halibuts.com

MORE GOSSIP & THINGS TO DO

• ➡️ Free street party of the week is Peckfest, which will be celebrating 50 years of the NW5 Community Play Project at the Peckwater Estate on Saturday afternoon.

• ➡️ Kilburn High Road’s iconic pub the North London Tavern has just reopened after a full refurb.

• ➡️ The latest addition to Covent Garden’s The Yards is new Italian bakery Luci, with takeout pastries, coffee, gelatos, ciabattas and wood-fired pizza by the slice downstairs, plus pastas and cocktails on the sit-down upper floor.

• ➡️ Next in the Camden Inspire free event series is a panel discussion about diversity in the performing arts this Thursday (24th) at Camden Collective.

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