Photo: Carsten Windhorst
Two days, 40 venues, 150 acts, no mud, rain or controversial line-up. Get it right and the Camden Crawl is one of the best urban festivals going, provided you’re prepared for leg-work, queuing and potential disappointment.
The music might not kick-start proper until 6 pm, but there’s plenty to see from the off and a saunter through the Hawley Arms rewards with a sun-drenched mix of acoustic covers and original material including ‘Cherry Tree’ and ‘The Lovers’ from Sam McCarthy, who receives justified appreciation from a music hungry crowd with bemused enjoyment.
Bypassing a stash of street dealers, down at Underworld East London trio Bleech are plying their dirty home-grown grunge to an older than expected crowd, who sedately bask in the UV light soaked glory of ‘The Worthing Song’ and ‘Dancing Without You’. Despite the pop leanings of ‘Is It True That Boys Don’t Cry’ a measured abundance of back-combed attitude underlines an emphatic three-way partnership of harmony, chorus and breakneck drumming. The Camden Crawl is officially on.
Venue number three and the tiny stage space at The Black Cap is hardly big enough for much at all, yet Danny And The Champions Of The World manage to squeeze on a ten member ensemble which includes members of Brakes, Electric Soft Parade and Neal Casal of Ryan Adams fame. It’s a stunning, raw and captivating performance of which the ‘The Truest Kind’, ‘Red Tree Song’, ‘These Days’ and ‘Still Believe’ inspire airborne handclaps both on and off stage amid an eclectic assortment of instruments more than warranting their champion of the world moniker.
Where there’s a song there’s a crowd - and at the Earl of Camden a huge queue are waiting for the bleached hair and black spangled jacket of Tommy Sparks to play that one particular song. Unfortunately they have to endure a largely uninspired and disappointing twenty-five minute set which exposes an artist made for radio. But all is nearly forgiven just for that one song: ‘She’s Got Me Dancing’ doing what it says on the tin and transforming the pub into a seedy nightclub of spuriously vogue freeze frame poses.
Back towards Chalk Farm and the floorboards of The Enterprise are being bent to their bendable limits through the gurning overindulgence of those witnessing the mathematical mind of James Yuill at work. With a six string slung over his shoulder and a table full of wizardry at his disposal, the unassuming solo artist’s occasionally nervous appearance is musically deceptive. Allowing himself intermittent grins, ‘No Pins Allowed’ and ‘Over The Hills’ even get the on-stage security guard tapping his foot as the crowd are brought to a finely tuned cathartic comedown courtesy of new track ‘The Ghost’.
With the evening nearly finished but far from over, Gigwise wraps things up at the Dublin Castle. In the words of onstage compere Steve Lamacq, Goldheart Assembly are “one of the best bands I’ve seen this year who don’t have a record deal”. Going on tonight’s performance he’s not wrong, it might be an over-spilling drip-tray of carnage off stage but on stage their unkempt brilliance is immediately apparent. The focus and harmonies that permeate ‘Jesus Wheel’ and ‘Wolves And Thieves’ are beyond compare and their full smiles and red wine swigging enjoyment completely made defensible by ‘So Long St Christopher’, ‘Last Decade’ and ‘Oh Really’. Apparently this is the biggest crowd they’ve played to, but after tonight they’re surely destined for much bigger and much better.
Day one might be finished but the Camden Crawl most certainly isn’t and a Northern Line full of shit eating grins and hangovers in the making are testament to its ongoing success.
CLICK HERE to see photos from day one and here to continue reading our Camden Crawl review...
“I’m like a Sunday morning fry up” says Adam Ficek of Roses Kings Castles at The Spread Eagle; after the excess of yesterday, he’s not far off the mark as he holds an affably astute and acoustic court to just 35 people. Peppered with whispers of “who’s this guy on stage” the set is a mix of old and new with ‘Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid’, ‘I Killed You’, ‘Sparkling Boots’ and ‘Brass Winter’ satisfying the tiny audience far more than any full English could.
Back towards the heart of Camden and The Good Mixer is bursting with the dirty country shenanigans of Moon Music Orchestra. It's all cider smiles, or rather that of a hip-flask being passed around the seven strong band who play a Ho-Down of a set that fuses multiple guitars with the psychedelic pace-keeping of a well used Hammond as ‘Baby On My Mind’, ‘Round Tripping’, ‘Nothing I Do’ and ‘News From Nowhere’ whip the crowd into a mid-day frenzy.
Back at The Spread Eagle and it’s strictly one in one out (or rather no-one out no-one in) and you have to ask yourself why until three security guards usher him in. He of course is Graham Coxon - but even he has to fight for space to make it to the stage. It’s like a greenhouse in here, some punters are suffering from heat exhaustion as are the light fittings which start to pop out of the fixtures and fittings as Coxon, sat very low on the stage, swaps between acoustic guitar, electric guitar and clarinet to play ‘This House’, ‘Sorrows Army’ and ‘Perfect Love’. The only you know what reference is made by a crowd shout of “you’re better than Blur”; Coxon’s reaction is to burp before wrapping up his surprise appearance with ‘If You Want Me’.
It’s as equally sweaty at The Earl Of Camden as new soul sensation Elviin plays like his life depends on it. Sat at a red piano with two backing singers, a bass player and drummer for company, he has complete control of the crowd and his incredible vocal, opening his set, aptly, with ‘Control’. In fact his vocal is the only thing in the room with space to move as his articulate rendition of ‘Paraphernalia’, ‘Worth Getting Arrested For’ and ‘In Colour’ stun a crowd fighting for space.
The Black Cap is more like a holding area than a pub as Sportsday Megaphone holds his own with an enthusiastic albeit perfunctory performance for those waiting to see the following act. ‘Meet Me In The Middle’, ‘Adventures After Hours’, ‘LA’ and ‘Black Plastic’ are played out well but his bedroom based electro-pop is no match for Golden Silvers who kick start with ‘Shakes’ - a fitting reflection of a so far debauched weekend. To say they’re incredible would be an understatement as ‘Magic Touch’, ‘The Seed’ and ‘Queen Of The 21st Century’ and ‘Arrows Of Eros’ override the promise of their debut album and the capacity crowd, intent on dancing, jump on any elevated surface they can find, to do just that.
A Fall gig is a unique experience; no two are the same, as Mark E Smith makes up the rules, his rules as he goes along. Tonight at the Electric Ballroom is no exception. Wearing a support belt around his waist, he looks, old, tired and out of shape. (He rarely looks much better.) The audience, a mix of hardcore and plain curious collectively marvel at the legendary front-man and his predictable unpredictability. He’s off stage, on stage, sat behind amps, as his band play a tight and fast paced set with ‘Strange Town’, ‘Wolf Kidult’, ‘Cowboy George’ and ’50 Yr Old Man’ delivered and absorbed with fanatical frenzy. ‘Over Over’ and ‘Latch Key Kid’ finish the set as MES throws two microphones to a crowd who daren’t touch let alone attempt to use them as he limps off the stage; a fitting end to a cracking weekend.
CLICK HERE to see photos from day two.
