The event is held in Shoreditch Park (head North from Old Street towards Essex Road junction with New North Road and you’ll see it on the right hand side before Gainsborough Studios/Gainsborough wanky flats).

Thanks to 1234shoreditch.com for the photo of their scenester-fest of 2007.

25th July is the date and with early bird tickets still worth a peck at £15 (including entry to 10 afterparties – obviously all running concurrently so not as ideal as it sounds) – so what you waiting for?

With the Horrors and Final Fantasy both at Field Day this year, I might be going for the East London high-jinx hattrick of Lovebox, Field Day and 1234.

This will eventually be a permanent link somewhere on the site.

Best Bars & Clubs in North & East London

East London, not wanting to be outdone by it’s well-heeled neighbours, has come up with an alternative.

Thanks to the excellent Made In England blog for putting us on to the Oxford & Cambridge Goat Race and for the image above. The event which is in aid of the worthy cause of Spitalfields City Farm, needs no dressing up, it is a race between two goats, one named Oxford and one named Cambridge. My money is on Cambridge as my friend’s sister’s hairdresser is casually dating Oxford (he doesn’t believe in commitment) and apparently he’s partying like it’s 1945 this Saturday at The Blitz Party in the railway arches near Shoreditch High Street.

vvvvvvvvvvv

Casio Kids are Norwegian vikings of synthy minimalism. Their stand out track ‘Fot I Hose’ has a beat which will thrill you from now til summer – and annoy you by August. Enjoy it while it lasts. Video lulz indeed.

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Florence and the Machine – Kiss With a Fist
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Florence and the Machine – My Boy Builds Coffins (live)

Simply the shit. Nothing else needs to be said. Brit awards were right. She’s stunning, she’s red, she’s raving, she’s manic, she’s a maniac, she’s enchanting, she’s vocally gifted, she’s crazy – anti-folk never saw this coming. Even after accidentally seeing 3 of her shows over the last year, there are no signs of laurels being rested upon; the sound and experience just gets better. Totally mesmerizing, captivating and bewitching – catch her live now or regret it when your friends go before you.

Continuing the electro-folk vibes of plenty Moshi label mates, James Yuill blends the melancholy of his words and acoustic strumming with a musical recipe book borrowed from Tom Vek. It grows on you over time and the boy is unfortunate that he is, well, a boy, in a genre dominated by ladies like the above.

[See post to listen to audio]
James Yuill – No Suprise

So thank you Moshi Moshi, keep coming up strong. You can catch the labels latest and not-quite-yet-the greatest acts at regular live nights at the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, lots of fun and generally awesome sounds for a recession busting fiver entry. We like.

Thanks to Art of the State for the image of Dragon Bar, as was on Leonard Street.

Whilst the arrival of more South West London remedials won’t warm the cockles of the ditch’s faithful, the return of an old friend should more than counteract the negative vibes.

Dragon bar is like a brother that was sent away as a shabbily dressed yet lovable rogue during an unnamed war to an unnamed land (read the old Dragon Bar was demolished in March last year to facilitate the redevelopment near Old Street roundabout). Just as the memories and heartache began to fade, in jaunts said toerag having undergone a spivish makeover. Whilst the red, perma pulled-closed curtains give the impression that the seedy allure of the original Dragon Bar remains, a sharp yank on the curtain shows that the new interior is more Oliver Letwin than Oliver Reed. As per the review of “local” Fred here (Fred appears to be a hot blonde (who’s reviewed pretty much everywhere in East London) rather than a rotund 50yr old, as the name may conjure), the DIY, “fuck you” attitude of the Dragon’s residency on Leonard Street seems to have been replaced by that oft-replicated, never convincing, high-end yet “eccentric” look which the Grand Union chain has officially raped, pillaged and killed over the last 5 years or so. However, out of respect and love for the old Dragon Bar, I’m willing to put my neck out and say that this place will, over time, have ditch-doers carving “I heart Dragon Bar” in trees around Hackney once again. The original Dragon Bar evolved around those that frequented it, Darwin would have been proud. The new Dragon Bar may have that “shiny new shoes” feel at the moment, but if they can ward of the cunts and find the magicians and miscreants that formally called it home, they’ll be staving St. George off for a fair while yet.

Mark my words; this guy is going to be molesting your eyes and ears in 2009 and for once, you’re going to be thankful for the molestation. We were saying after the gig that he’ll be upstaging acts left, right and centre across the festival scene this summer and getting your motors burning.

PS. The support act were Lesser Panda. We instantly wanted less of Panda.

“We would also like to call an end to just plain stupid fashion pages”.

Click here and skip to page 2 & 3 (which precede said statement)…we agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments Jack.

drums of death

Image courtesy (well at least via) Pinglewood.

From financial meltdown to dancefloor meltdown, we can’t recommend Drums of Death’s free gig at Cargo tonight more highly. We saw DOD at the Macbeth around November time and firstly he had everyone looking around thinking it was time for Jeremy Beadle to jump out due to his crazy on-stage antics, next he rocked the place to it’s dirty Hoxton Street foundations.

Check out his BBC Maida Vale sessions below…

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Whilst perusing the nether-regions of the internet, I stumbled across such a specimen. Please take the time to read his butthurt rant about Shoreditch and how a “Shoreditch Tart” doesn’t exist. Obviously this chap is from the Gradgrind school of thought. Clearly the little preppy boy came all the way down from Warwick in his skinny jeans to meet the cool kids of Shoreditch and they all but told him to fuck off, so now he’s bitching about it…boo hoo little man, boo hoo!

Whilst everyone in Shoreditch may be wankers, has anyone ever made a song to that end? Well, not yet. Whilst ‘Student Wankers’ was a catchy ditty by Peter and the Test Tube Babies…the lyrics of which are;

See those student wankers walking down the street,
their clothes so smart and clean, their hair well kept and neat.
Who wants to die with knowledge you can’t use ?
spend all day quoting Freud, but can’t do up their shoes.

Student Wankers ..

See those student wankers in the student bar,
complaining to each other other that their grants don’t go far.
With their silly student ties and their silly student scarves,
drinking draught real ale not in pints but halves.

Take heed Mr Hopwood…

PS. We remain firm fans of the Horse & Groom and it’s growing reputation, recently featured in London Lite don’t you know!? Big up my man Charles!