Itchy's Top 5 Moments of Camden Crawl 2012
From spontaneous dancing to indie rock.
Review
Karauke @ The Monarch
Itchy has often thought that it is impossible to be remotely sad in the presence of a ukulele, and Karauke at The Monarch made for excellent proof of this arbitrary theory. As eager participants took to the stage with the backing support of a charming group of ukulele players it was clear that this wasn’t your typical karaoke; the audience in the packed room all sang along in support even when the performances sounded more like gnarly barking than Gnarls Barkley. As the session ended they lifted up their ukuleles in unison as the crowd chanted along to Hey Jude, and shouted the names of the many friends they had made whilst performing across the afternoon. Often seen performing at different venues across London, have a look at their website to find future events.
The Two Men Dancing @ Camden Gardens (NB not advertised in line up)
Those fortunate enough to visit the beautiful stage underneath the railway bridge in the Camden Gardens were treated by two slightly older gentlemen dressed in 1970s leisure suits and golden sunglasses engaging in some hipbone threatening dancing throughout the weekend's sets. The real highlight was during the excellent set by Clement Marfo and The Frontline (an act that was already brilliant in itself) when the rapper pulled the two gentlemen and their equally adorable lady friend to dance up the front to their hip hop rock style. An excellent reminder of the fact that Camden is not just for the young things as well as a reminder that there is little more endearingly amusing than seeing those well past retirement “putting their hands up”.
Chew Lips @ The Jazz Café
The cool surroundings of the Jazz Café were perfectly matched by this poppy band on the brink of releasing their second album. Clever pop songs with an electro-influenced sound, the band were made all the more favourable by the attractive lead singer nicknamed “Tigs” who strutted the stage with all the prowess of a star who had gained her due success from their criminally underrated first album ‘Unicorn.’ With many songs off their new album being performed one can only hope they gained some new fans drawn in by the soaring hooks and catchy lyrics. For an excellent example of why this band should immediately be added to your playlist listen to 'Salt Air' below.
Musical Bingo @ The Grand Union
With a bingo card featuring different songs from all genres, bingo in this crowded room at The Grand Union was a raucous tongue-in-cheek affair with prizes between the rounds ranging from a bag of Refreshers to, well, more bingo! One of the best prizes offered up was one of Grand Union’s stunning burgers, especially the sumptuous Fully Loaded burger with lashings of cheese, strips of bacon and onion rings – the perfect remedy to soaking up all that alcohol involved in travelling between a multitude bars to find your favourite bands.
Bastille @ The Enterprise
This up and coming south London indie-pop band wowed the crowded room at The Enterprise in one of their three performances over the course of the weekend. Energetic and exciting, the evident talent in the band was demonstrated through such brilliant songs as their hit ‘Flaws’ and their new single ‘Overjoyed’ as well as the crowd pleasing cheesy cover of classic ‘Rhythm of The Night.’ He might have the coiffeur of sonic the hedgehog in a crack den, but the talented lead singer Dan Smith was in element showing off to the whole room who were suitably impressed with the efforts. Definitely a band to watch across 2012, especially as their fun and dance-laden tunes are sure to be a hit at festivals of the summer.
