Rave On

After a mini work-related celebratory dance under the Tonic disco-ball a couple of weeks ago, we made the communal decision to venture onto Fabric.

I have to confess; I have only ever been to Fabric a handful of times in my life during it’s 10 ½ years of existence. I put this down to the following - having friends that put on regular nights at various other clubs in London, a previous lack of stamina to ‘rave-on’ that I have developed and embraced in more recent years and finally, down to the emergence of clubs in pubs aka. my ideal atmosphere & place to dance.

Here are my most favored pub/club nights...

First up is Tayo’s tracksuit party held at the Paradise pub in Kensal Green.This is one night when I can shamelessly scramble through my wardrobe and pull out my old-school (literally) Adidas tracksuit top and dance the night away in trainers = bliss.

Alongside the free-for-all staging of Have A Go Hip Hop Karaoke there is always a great collective of DJ’s that play Tayo’s Tracksuit party’s. Including the man himself, I have danced away to a fantastical mix of hip-hop (new & old) the likes of Frank Tope, Felix B, Ben Westbeach and most excitedly (but admittedly outside of a pub) Grandmaster Flash at Snowbombing 2009.

Paradise

The Lock Tavern in Camden is another legendary pub for it’s creative mix of DJ’s and club nights. The independent label Sunday Best, music & art online publication Fact Magazine and Clash Magazine all put on their own nights down at the Lock. DJ’s lined up to play there in the next two weeks include Andrew Weatherall, Rob Da Bank, Mike Cuban, Robbie Furze (The Big Pink) MJ Cole & Rustie.

LockTavern

The Shacklewell Arms have recently had a series of emerging bands playing – inc. Chapel Club who ran a weekly gig residency for a month. Once the bell rings in the front bar there is BG’s - an attached venue that has a host of great DJ’s and events from soca music parties to all-night raves.

Further nights/venues to venture for a spot of pub-dance-offs include – The Westbury, The Queen's Head and the Amersham Arms, Star of Bethnal Green, Tropicana at the Horse and Groom.

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