Friday night at the Albert with the Royal Trumpets, The Hospital Bombers and Nigel of Bermondsey was fun.
Here's some photos!











More photos 

Labels: brixton, offline

Link

We had a great live show at the Brixton Albert on Saturday with the 12-strong Trans-Siberian March Band headlining. The band bravely started their set outside on Coldharbour Lane before packing out the dancefloor inside.



I was sound engineering for the night, and I had to keep my wits about me to mix clarinets, trumpets, a tuba, a sax, vocals, acoustic guitar, hand drum and trombone!



The band were a whole heap of fun, and I hope to have them back soon...

Labels: brixton, offline

Link

Sunset in Brixton, London.

Labels: brixton, photos

A quick big up for the GROSVENOR boozer at 17, Sidney Street, SW9 0TP (off Brixton Road, not far from JAMM)



It's a fabulous old school pub with two bars, a pool table and even a knees-up piano. There's large function room at the back with a growing reputation for putting on interesting rock, reggae and punk acts.

I was DJing there on Saturday night for a benefit event and quietly got happily drunk playing some thigh-slapping hillbilly/skiffle/big band tunes.

It's worth supporting venues like this, so if you're in the area, pop in for a pint!

Labels: brixton

This was one of the best Offline nights for ages - up to forty samba drummers, dancing go-go girls, comedy, dancing and more!













More pics here.

Labels: brixton, offline

Link

This was a great way to spend a Tuesday night, with indie legends Stereolab playing an intimate gig in one of Brixton's finest venues, The Windmill.

Here's a few cameraphone snaps.

Labels: brixton, gigs

Had a top night at PlanB last night, checking out Brixton boys, The Thirst doing a live gig.

Here's some pics.

Labels: brixton, gigs, plan b

The hangover's just about cleared after last night's Offline. Here's some pics:


Good chum Helen McCookeryBook plays her Offline Albert debut.


A welcome return for Mark Hibbett, blasting out his fab new single, 'Do The Indie Kid.'


The Boycott Coca Cola Experience - check out the bathtub drumkit!





Oh, I forgot to mention that the club got reviewed last week in The Londonist.

They described it as being "Like someone's friendly house party, opened up for the general public....Entertaining, friendly, and free."

Nice :)

Labels: brixton, offline

Link

Some snapshots from a month in the Metropolis. 'Scure the quality - they were all taken on my itty bitty Palm Centro phone.


30th April Illicitly sneaking into the May listing is the Alabama3 anti-racism gig at the Brixton Academy - one of very favourite London venues.






Plastic glasses litter the dance floor at the end of the evening. The after-party beckons!


May 9th The fabulously lavish interior of the Shepherds Bush Empire, where we'd come to see Jonathan Richman.


It's a lovely looking venue, but the sightlines are shocking - it's the only standing venue I know where the floor appears to slope up to the stage.


After a lot of elbowing, shimmying and 'scuse me-ing, we finally bagged a half decent view.

Mind you, once we'd managed to grab a position with a view, there was no way we'd dare move to get a drink or - woe betide - try to pop off to the loo.

Jonathon Richman was fantastic, but the venue royally sucked.


15th May. The Left Outsides open up at the launch party for the debut album by Hayman, Watkins, Trout & Lee at the Gladstone in Borough.


The new album boys do their stuff. The Gladstone is a ruddy fantastic pub - warm, cosy, friendly and with some top real ale (I got stuck into the Hooky ale from Hook Norton).






16th May Cavendish Arms, Stockwell.

We loved how this little known boozer had been tarted up and the band room looked great, but the booking policy was so erratic that the place was empty and there was little empathy between the acts.

The venue has great potential though so we'll give it another go soon.


22nd May Launch party of Ivan's Retreat, Brixton Road.

This big, central Brixton boozer has struggled for ages under several names, but we went along to its latest relaunch, with the folks behind Camden's successful Lock Tavern pub now at the helm.

There was a lot of brown furniture going on, the music was indescribably bland (a bored looking DJ standing behind the decks with his arms closed hardly raised party spirits either) and the whole place felt like it should be shunted two miles up the road into Clapham.

The food looked like it might be pretty good, and the selection of the beers wasn't too shabby either, so we'll check it out again in a month or two.


22nd May Helen McCookeryBook at the Railway, Tulse Hill.

Now this is a mighty fine boozer, and well worth a visit. There's a small venue upstairs, a huge garden at the back (well, a sea of concrete mainly), good food and a lively downstairs bar.


There was some kind of super folky night going on at the Railway, and although some of the acts were quite enjoyable, when we being implored to clap along to some hippy tosh, we made our excuses.


22nd May The final gig of the night - The Amaylas at the Windmill.

The Windmill is rightly regarded as one of the finest small venues in London, and I was asked to DJ to a rather intimate crowd at an Oxfam benefit. Here's the view from the DJ decks.

I'm still not finished with the gigs yet - Friday night is Offline at the Brixton Albert, and Saturday I'm DJing at the Railway and then checking out the fabulous Actionettes at the Buffalo Bar.

Labels: brixton, gigs, london

It seemed a crazy idea: host a new cabaret night on a pub's quietest night of the week, and choose the last Tuesday of the month (when wage packets have run out) and do it the day after a Bank Holiday.



So I was all prepared for a very intimate audience at Prince Albert, Brixton, but the Cabaret Special turned out to be a heap of fun, with an ace hurdy gurdy band, top comedy/poetry acts and a headliner that got the place rocking. And lots of people turned up!



Next one is this Friday at the Albert.
We've got some great acts so come along - it's going to be a big one!

Labels: brixton, offline

Link

Friday was one of the best Offline nights I've ever put on with two fantastic bands and a very lively crowd.


Welsh psychedelic rockers Radio Luxembourg were really incredible - imagine a mix of ELO, Super Furries, Gorkis, Syd Barrett and punk and you might get the idea (although that does sound a bit rubbish on paper!).

Check out some of their tunes on their MySpace site, or - even better - go check them out live.



Also on the bill was the rabble-rousing, horn driven madcap ska band, Danny Fontaine and the Horns of Fury, who got the dance floor moshing wildly.



Knees up!

Labels: albert, brixton, music, offline

Link

Phew. That was a long day yesterday.

After getting suitably beered up for the trip to Wembley to witness the mighty Cardiff heroically lose 1-0 in the FA Cup Final, I had to hot foot it back to Brixton to set up the PA and sort out an Offline live music night.

Luckily, I sobered up enough to keep control of the mixing deck and the night was a hoot. Here's some pics:


The excellent 0898s onstage.


I normally hate tribute bands, but the Brixton-flavoured I Wanna Be Sedated Ramones cover band are real moshpit-filling fun.







Next Offline club on Friday 23rd May is a *really* big special with two fantastic bands: Radio Luxembourg and Danny Fontaine and the Horns of Fury. Don't miss it!

Details: Offline Club

Labels: brixton, club, offline

Link

Phew! That was a whle heap of fun last night with a fantastic bill including Shazia Mirza, Gin Riots, Mark Hibbett, The Boycott Coca Cola Experience, Vic Lambrusco, Richard Allen and DJs Nipsla, Bluestreak, Torchsong and Editor.





Comedian Shazia Mirza was absolutely hilarious, managing to insult just about everyone in the venue - and quite probably the surrounding area - while keeping us in stitches of laughter.

Look out for the next Offline on May 17th at the Albert!

Offline website

Labels: brixton, offline

Link

Me: Hello Ken. I run the urban75 website where Paddick used to post
Livingstone: Is that the Anarchist website?
Me: No. The press made that up in an attempt to discredit Paddick - it's never claimed to be an 'anarchist website'
Livingstone: That should teach me not to believe what I read in the press!

Labels: brixton, ken livingstone, london, politics

Link

On Friday we headed south and up hills for an Offline gig back at the Alma, a friendly old school boozer on Church Road.



We had the No Frills Band playing a set and they were excellent as usual. You gotta love a band that packs mandolins, a tuba and a spoon player!

More pics here: Offline at the Alma



On Saturday, we grabbed a couple of beers at Mango Landing in Brixton. It's a nice, friendly bar but the service is mighty s-l-o-w.



We wrapped up the evening's drinking at the daftly named Hootananny, a large Brixton boozer which - despite some opposition from locals - has managed to get a bit of a good thing going, with free nights offering live acts.

Labels: brixton, offline, pubs

Pubs are still continuing to disappear from the area at a worrying rate of knots.

Today I took a look up Lyham Road, Brixton SW2, a road that has lost no less than four of its five pubs in the last five years or so.



I'd rushed up to catch the last rites of the Royal Oak at 2, Lyham Road - the pub was open for business only a couple of weeks ago, but the digger moved in late last week and had promptly set to work.


Attractive etched glass window on half-demolished wall. Judging by the destruction of the rest of the pub, I don't think any of these lovely windows are going to be preserved.



Another casualty was the Waggon and Horses at 206 Lyham Road, which, despite appearances, has been closed for some time.



The old Duke of Cornwall at 89, Lyham Road has had some rather bizarre alternations made to it, and the building looks quite ugly with its bolt on balconies..



There's barely anything left of the Red Lion at 191, Lyham Road, with the frontage being completely rebuilt.

Happily, the sole remaining boozer in Lyham Road, the Prince of Wales, appears to be in reasonable health for now.

See the ever growing list of closed Brixton pubs here: Lost pubs of Brixton

Labels: brixton, pubs london

Link

Last night's Offline at JAMM was a real treat with some great acts and a top atmosphere. Here's some pics:






Captain Hotknives was absolutely hilarious. We definitely want to get him back to Brixton soon!


Ukulele Gangsters sport their Slade-meets-ska image!

I later remembered that this was the 50th 'big' Offline night (so that's not including all the Albert, Alma, Charterhouse, Birkbeck College and NYC gigs). Blimey!

Labels: brixton, offline

Link

Some more photos from Friday's almighty mash-up!











Don't forget - the next Offline is this Thursday with top comedian Luke Toulson and three great live acts, plus cabaret.

More info here: Offline Club, 10th April

Labels: brixton, offline

Link

There was an almighty night at the Albert on Friday with two top bands - the DeBretts and I Wanna Be Sedated, a UK film premiere of the Last Days Of CBGBs and a stand up set from Vic Lambrusco. And it was my birthday party too!

Check out the mosh pit action!





We woke up to find a huge fire going on Brixton Road which resulted in some of our friends nearby being evacuated and the tube being closed.



Last night I was doing the sound and DJing at the Albert, with the excellent Petunia playing a live set. The (very mixed) crowd were a very lively bunch so me and Nipsla had to work hard on the decks to keep 'em entertained (and I got away with playing the mighty Welsh rockers Budgie again!)!



Best of all, woke up this morning to find Brixton covered in a layer of snow. Lovely!

Right now, London protesters are doing themselves proud turning the Olympic torch procession into a total PR farce, and we're getting ready to head off to Wembley to see the mighty, mighty Cardiff City play Barnsley in the FA Cup semi final.

Come on you Blooooobirds!

Labels: brixton, football, offline cardiff city, snow

OK, not a flake settled and it soon turned into bloody rain, but for a moment Brixton looked lovely and wintery.

I love snow. In fact, I love winter too, but the deep, thick, crisp snowfalls of my youth seem a far distant memory now.


One of my favourite memories was waiting for a train at Cefn Onn station in Cardiff after a big snowstorm:

During the winter of 1977, the snow was so bad that I found myself stood waist high in a snowdrift waiting for the morning train. Needless to say, the driver failed to see me as he hurtled past my platform, and I got blasted with a covering of snow for my troubles!

Seeing this as a sign from above to go home, put my feet up and stay in the warm, I called in sick!
Cefn Onn memories

When it comes to snow, Chicago knows how to dish up the stuff, and on my visit there in 1999 (to be a guest on the Jenny Jones Show), I was rewarded with some astonishingly beautiful snowscapes.

Chicago snow



We have been blessed with a few snowy days in Brixton over the years though, even if the snow didn't tarry for long. I miss snow.

Brixton snow 2003
Brixton snow 2004
Brixton snow 2007
Brixton snow 2007 (2)

Labels: brixton, snow

There's severe gales and heavy rain blowing in from the Atlantic tonight.



Here's the view over Brixton right now.

Labels: brixton, photos

Blimey. What a fantastic night this was. We had free freshly baked Welsh cakes, daffodils, Welsh music, Welsh video, two great bands and vast amounts of DJing till 4am.





I indulged my Welsh roots with a wildly erratic set of Welsh tunes, taking in the likes of Super Furries, Amen Corner, Manics, Gorkis, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Los Campesinos, Gene, Budgie, Julian Cope, Visage and the Automatic.



More photos here: St David's Day Party

Labels: brixton, offline, wales

Link

Woot! It was great to see urban75 being listed in Time Out's "Top 50 London Websites," especially as were number one in the 'communities' section. Nice!



Elsewhere on the site, I've been obsessively updating the Brixton History features, posting up old billboards and adverts and taking a modern day look:
2-4 Atlantic Road, Brixton
58 Atlantic Road, Brixton
80 Atlantic Road, Brixton
Walton Lodge, Brixton



There's also a big feature on Quin & Axtens, a long-gone grand department store in Brixton Road.



If proof were needed that perhaps my obsession is going a little too far, my recent feature on the Public Toilets in Tate Library Gardens could be it!



Sadly the Lost Pubs section keeps on growing, with new features on the Loughborough Hotel and the Hammerton Brewery.

Still to post up are pictures from the fabulous Actionettes night at the 100 Club, Oxford Street. I'll sort them soon - honest!

Labels: brixton, london, photos, pubs

I've just finished a photo feature on this quiet little street in the centre of London.



Rumoured to be named after Jonas Hanway - the man who introduced the umbrella to the streets of London and faced of a ton of grief from hackney cab drivers for his troubles - it's a fascinating little backstreet.

See: Hanway Street feature



On a sadder note, I've had to add another entry to my growing list of Lost Pubs Of Brixton.



The beautiful Loughborough Hotel at 39 Loughborough Road, Brixton, SW9 7TB had already lost its famous ballroom to developers, but it now looks like the pub has gone too.

Read the full story here: Loughborough Hotel, Brixton closes

Labels: brixton, london, photos, pubs

Despite falling foul of what seemed like a bona fide case of the lurgy on Thursday, I felt well enough on Friday to check out the Marquis Of Lorne pub with some friends.



It's definitely not a pub for thrill seekers, party heads or ravers, but it has a certain retro charm. See: Marquis of Lorne feature



Saturday night was our first Offline of the new year at the Albert and it was a fun night as usual.



The delightful Ms Feelgood DJ'd again and made the usual mess all over the decks!

Offline pics

Labels: brixton, offline, photos

I took a little wander today around some hitherto unwandered parts of Brixton - here's some snaps from my stroll:


I'd been here before, but not when this bizarre ship-meet-mushroom slap of designerdom had been built.


Here's what used to be here - a delightful Victorian pub called The Queen, full of interesting characters, eccentric locals and frenetic late night lock-ins.

See the full story here: The Queen, Brixton



Happily, I stumbled across this beautiful pub - Marquis of Lorne - on my travels. Despite it being less than a mile from my house, I'd never heard of it before.



The pub has almost all its original features intact - look at those lovely tiles!



The walk took me past Stockwell skate park, which is still undergoing restoration.



Currently flanked by Peter's Barber Shop and a mini-cab firm right next to the Astoria, the curved windows hint at a grander heritage for the entrance to the Stockwell Partnership at 205 Stockwell Road.

The building used to host the Brixtoria Ballroom Club, which was still offering 'practice and tuition' and 'private lessons' for 90 minutes at 5/- (25p) in April 1954.

See the full walk here: Brixton and Stockwell photos

Labels: brixton, pubs, walk

A big, mixed crowd turned out to pay their respects to Khalil Nasseri, exactly a week after his brutal murder.



Family members, customers, officials and friends gave short talks emphasising community, racial harmony and the positive aspects of Brixton. The crowd then took a short walk around the market where he worked.



It was very moving and very, very sad, but hopefully the family found some comfort in the size of the crowd who showed up.

Brixton stabbing

Labels: brixton, photos

This is hopelessly, desperately tragic.

Last Saturday a 24 year old man helping out in his cousin's shop in Brixton Market was stabbed to death by a gang of men in a 'revenge' attack - over a row about a 20p orange two days earlier.



The market traders are planning a vigil this Saturday (19th) on the corner of Atlantic Road and Electric Avenue at 6pm. We'll be there.

Fatal stabbing in Brixton Market

Labels: brixton, photos

Blimey. They've certainly done a really good job on the Prince of Wales/Dex boozer in Brixton.

Last night we saw the excellent 9-strong Top Cats knocking out a storming ska set. I found myself dancing next to the 2-tone legend Jerry Dammers (from The Specials)!

The full-on, old school crowd lapped it up, and I had one of the best nights I've had out in Brixton for a very, very long time. It was fucking brilliant!



The first floor venue looks absolutely fantastic since we visited it a few years ago, with loving attention ensuring that the original features have been restored and updated.

The venue also has two floors of outside galleries, complete with a daft hot tub that anyone could jump into if they felt like it. I wasn't drunk enough for that, but there were a few folks in there, supping drinks and oblivous to the winter rain.

Labels: brixton, ska

Blimey. The Offline party at the Albert last night was such a big one I've spent all day recovering. Here's some pics - more to follow when my head gets vaguely back to normal (I fear that may take some time).









Oh, and a Happy New Year to all my readers - if there are any out there!
(I suspect I'm talking to myself most of the time, but what the hell!).

Labels: brixton, offline, photos

This year's effort -both by the council and local shops - looks even worse than last years paltry offering.





Only Brixton Station Road looks in the least bit festive, while most shops haven't bothered at all (save for some Yuletide-themed, product shifting advert or another).

More Brixton Christmas photos



Check out how it looked a hundred years ago: Brixton, Christmas, 1908.

Labels: brixton, photos

This was a ton of fun - we managed to pack in two bands - including a 7-piece ukulele outfit - and a load of DJs in the Prince Albert for our party.





Offline Christmas Party, 21st December 2007

Labels: brixton, offline

There's been no less than four Offline Club nights since I last updated this blog. Here's a couple of snaps from the nights:





Nov 29th: JAMM, Brixton. Thirty samba drummers, Freddie Stevenson and more!
More club photos





Dec 8th: Boulevard Tavern, New York
More photos





Dec 14th: Alma, Crystal Palace, south London
More photos





Dec 15th: Punk Rock Special, Albert, Brixton, London
More photos

Next Offline is this Friday, 21st December at the Albert. It's our Christmas party and we've got a great punk/ska band and a nine piece ukulele orchestra!

Offline club website

Labels: brixton, club, new york, offline, photos

Formerly the Coach and Horses, Brixton's Living Bar was suddenly closed down yesterday.



It hasn't enjoyed the greatest of reputations with some locals, but it's a striking building and I hope it reopens as a pub soon.



Lost pubs of Brixton

Labels: brixton, photos

Been a bit slow updating my blog recently, so here's a bumper pack:

Sex Pistols at Brixton


It was fun but a bit odd. Johnny was brilliant - part pantomime dame, part Olivier's Richard III, part Norman Wisdom, part sneering punk and a total showman throughout.

Steve Jones looked like an over inflated inner tube, Paul Cook was lean and committed and Glen Matlock looked like he'd just stumbled in from a pub gig somewhere.



The band were tight and it was LOUD. Johnny looked fit, tanned and healthy, sang the songs with gusto, running through a wide variety of hilarious facial expressions and movements.

Viewed as a gig it was a bit strange, but as a piece of theatre it was well worth the money. And if nothing else, you can always bore people in the future by saying: "I saw the Pistols."

Fireworks, Brockwell Park



With t'local yoot relentlessly bombarding the 'hood with bazooka-style fireworks over the preceding three months, I have to admit that my appetite for going up the park to watch the display had diminished somewhat.



Thankfully, we have a great view from our balcony, so I grabbed a few shots.

Halloween



For Halloween, I went to a great party at a local squat/arts venue and saw a friend's Ramones tribute band.



Normally, I hate any kind of tribute band but this lot are my mates and they have a girl singer so it was fun to watch.

Talking of gigs, on Saturday I'm putting on a Rock'n'Roll/Big Band special at the Albert with 4 hot rocking ladies on the decks and the fantastic Hightown Crows playing live. Come on down - its free!

Saturday 17th Nov ROCK'N'ROLL SPECIAL, BRIXTON

Labels: brixton, offline, photos

I wish I'd been around when trams were rumbling through the streets - they look way cool and I like the way they ruled the roads, with cars having to get out of the way or get dented for their troubles. Nice.



Brixton used to have an extensive tram network - all gone by 1952, I'm afraid - including a San Francisco-style cable car up Brixton Hill.

Check out the full story here: Brixton trams: a history

Labels: brixton, trams

Recovering from another long night at the Albert in Brixton where we hosted one of our regular Offline nights.



I'd hired in a PA system for the first time and was feeding the CD/turntables via my shiny new Mackie mixer. It sounded great!

More photos

Labels: brixton, offline

Well, that was a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. And Mark Thomas was there too!



Urban Green Fair 2007, Brockwell Park, South London.

Labels: brixton, brockwell park, fair

Lined up outside Brixton Police station can be seen this strange selection of plant pots, all bearing bizarre, God-squad-tastic hand painted slogans. WTF?!!





Full feature here

Labels: brixton, photos

Blimey. What a week. Last Saturday I went to the Windmill, Brixton for the leaving bash of two of my friends, Scott and Jo. It was a fabulous night that involved a lot of drinking, although it's always a bit bitter sweet when your chums are leaving the country for good.

I'd prepared a special set of old time country bootstompers for Scott, but he spent most of the time lying on the floor drunk in front of the DJ booth.

His boots may not have stomped, but I'm sure I saw a few twitches...



The next afternoon I was DJing at the excellent Stumbleworthy event at the Duke of Sutherland Pub, Lorrimore Road, SE17.

I was still nursing a king size hangover, so all those buttons on the mixer confused me for quite a while, but I stayed on for a drink with some urbanites.

The Sutherland is a great, old-school boozer with cheap beer, pool table, Caribbean Soul food, board-games and a beer-garden. Well worth a visit.


On my beer-exuding walk over to the venue, I noticed this unusual sign, and posted up a page about it.

Thanks to the folks on the urban75 boards, I discovered the background to its unusual name:

"It's called the Onion Shed because until the early 1980's it was used by a group of Breton Onion sellers. You used to see them cycling round south London with their bicycles heavily laden with strings of onions and garlic. If I missed them in the street I would call round and buy my onions from the shed, where they would be stringing then together. I always suspected that they slept in the loft, although it was all fairly derelict."



Wandering around town today, I came across this lovely old Welsh chapel, Capel Bedyddwyr Cymreig. Find out more here.

I've finally made a start on the Brixton section and have posted up an all-new homepage which I think looks loads better.


I've posted up a piece about Brixton Water Lane which has some beautiful Regency and early Victorian villas, as well as a dark secret: MYSTERIOUS MURDER IN BRIXTON, May 1900

Other new features and updates on the site include:
Goodbye to the Hobgoblin boozer
Adam and Eve Court, London W1
London's narrowest alley
Vauxhall Cross Transport Interchange
Camberwell Submarine

Labels: brixton, london, photos

A few early shots from the free street festival.

We'll be DJing by the Albert from 5pm onwards!

See more photos here: Brixton Splash 2007

Labels: brixton, photos

Here's how you don't want to be woken up on early a Sunday morning after a very, very late night:

Labels: brixton, photos