Camden Crawl

 

CamdenCrawl takes place in the London borough of the same name; a yearly tradition of traipsing from venue to venue taking in the spring pick of the past years breaking acts. Centred around the magnificent and recently refurbished Camden Roundhouse and taking in venues as steeped in indie folklore as the Hawley Arms and Enterprise. I've been to shows in Camden before, but nothing can prepare you for the atmosphere that descends on Camden High Street as a sunny Friday morning breaks through into day, casting it's rays over gaggle after gaggle of Ray-Ban clad girls in The Virgin's t-shirts or hipster boys dressed to the hilt in American Apparel. It's not just a scenester fest though, there's a palatable air of excitement with a stench of Gin & Tonic in the air. After a four hour spell working the VIP wristband exchange and dashing the length of the Crawl with messages and parcels it was off to sample the first act and drink of the day.

 

Squeezing into the crowded interior of the Good Mixer on Inverness Street, I bear witness to the delicate tones of Alessi's Ark. Softly bridging a divide between the vocal quirks of Devendra Banhart or Joanna Newsom and the velvet touch of Marissa Nadler, Alessi takes the suitably impressed bar by soft storm armed with nothing more than a carefully played acoustic guitar. Her recent album has received very warm reviews and judging by her short set this late afternoon, it's no surprise. Not having been blessed with a listen to her LP myself I can't comment on it's ability to transfer her transcendental tone and raw beauty out of the live setting, but maybe it's a beauty best enjoyed gently from close range in an intimate setting. Even with Madness setting up for a special surprise show in the street outside Alessi kept her crowd to the last breath.

 

Drifting across to Dingwalls, set deep in Camden Market right near the canal, I experienced my second live show from Essex's Baddies. Strutting their stuff with an angular post-punk vibe, tight matching blue shirts done up to the collar, twin brothers Michael and Jim Webster carry the band through a sharp edged set of what can only be described as absolutely storming tracks. Potential single after potential single follow the early outing of breakthrough 7” “Battleships”, the three-pronged call/response vocals viciously dragging the rhythm section along in a constant tug of war for attention. Fantastically styled and brilliantly executed angular dancefloor rhythms.

 

It's at this point that the main failing of Camden Crawl becomes apparent, the timetabling. The problem is that over the evening of each day, there are only really four time slots where acts perform. All the acts are spread over a large number of venues instead of a large amount of time, so despite there being this huge wealth of talent, you're only ever going to feasibly see and enjoy four acts each night. So after a brief stop off at Cuban Bar to check out the situation for Marina & The Diamonds set later in the evening, it's over to Enterprise to take in a performance from Peggy Sue & The Pirates. Having seen them support Jeremy Warmsley back in October, I was suitably enthralled once again by their ramshackle stories of love and loss. Apparently the Enterprise had been recently refurbished, now containing a stage high up near the front of the venue and the bar, while the rear held a complex of booths and dark corners. Fantastic stuff! Unfortunately it seemed that the majority of Peggy Sue's set didn't translate that well to an already quite well lubricated Camden audience. Instead of capturing the attention of the venue their soft voices became lost in a haze of lager and laughter, a real shame.

 

At last the potential highlight of the weekend was within sight, the fantastic pop designs of Marina & The Diamonds at the afore mentioned Cuban Bar back in Camden Market. Marina first came to my attention when she released her debut single on Neon Gold Records back in February. The remarkably catchy and heartfelt spring of Obsessions was the soundtrack to an otherwise dreary early 2009. With it's fabulous b-side Mowgli's Road, it's up there with my top 7” releases of the year so far. I was rather doubtful of Marina's ability to translate into a live setting though, but I needn't have worried. Back by her Diamonds on drums, guitar and keyboard, she infused Cuban with a perfect blend of pop and style; believable and genuine yet not taking herself too seriously and endangering her pure pop sensibilities. Layering hyperactive vocal lines over intense instrumentation, she's a live force to be reckoned with. Catching a glimpse of her forthcoming album material is also a rare treat, and naturally it is saturated with the rich depth and infectious hooks that separate Marina from other female songstresses emerging at the moment. Some shuffled feet and stomped heels on the battered dancefloor of Jazz Cafe later and it's back to Hampstead for a solid nights sleep and anticipative dreaming.

 

Saturday is greeted with the same dazzling sunshine as the morning before as Camden quickly becomes saturated with that vibe that permeates any outdoor environment come the first glimpses of summer. First port of call this time is the glorious Camden Roundhouse to catch sets from Little Boots and The Maccabees, both releasing highly anticipated albums in the coming months. Little Boots feddles this seemingly fashionable blend of 80's grooves with a dash of electro. Catchy stuff, as her recent soft releases of 'Meddle' and 'Stuck On Repeat' testify. Indeed forthcoming (and potentially popular consciousness breakthrough single) New In Town is an absolute killer tune if ever there was one. A constantly ducking and diving mass of synth hooks and infectious vocal lines; the previously unwritten soundtrack to a remake of Tron set in L.A. Unmissable in her potential for dancefloor mayhem, Little Boots is a clear contender for La Roux's currently held synth-pop queen of 2009 crown.

 

Following on after a remarkably short break are The Maccabees, returning with an avalanche of new material by launching into previous free download and lead single from their new album, No Kind Words. A strong chorus surround by loops of punchy, rhythmic verses; it's a prefect opener. With the band apparently trying to shake their previous “Thamesbeat” scene association, tonight seems to be all about a second chance at innovation. Despite the new material seeming solid it also fits in alongside their old stuff well, perhaps too well. I'm in no doubt that their second LP is indeed a progression away from the ramshackle yet charming sound of their debut, but live this is less apparent. I can't help that feel that by trying to mature The Maccabees may also isolate and alienate their previous audience, the Emmy The Great idolising and Jeremy Warmsley fancying girls who seemed so previously sucked into the aesthetic of a band steeped in casual approval for the cuter things in life. A shamelessly sweeping statement I know, but one that just seems to ring true tonight with an audience that seems to desperately want to recapture a previous golden age when NME was all about boys who play guitars and girls who fuck them to the tune of a 4-song myspace player.

 

And it is unfortunately at this point that my Camden Crawl experience came to an end, struck down my some rather vicious food poisoning. I'm sure I'd have loved the ethereal jams of The XX or been sufficiently blown away by The Big Pink, maybe even returned for a second dose of Marina. But it was not to be. Camden Crawl certainly failed to fulfil my expectations of a hive of undiscovered music, instead coming across as a booking agent approval fest, a showcase of pre-determined big-hitters for the coming year. Maybe not a bad thing, but certainly not a selection of bands on show that wouldn't otherwise be experienced by anyone who attends shows regularly. Still, soaking up the atmosphere of venue after venue of music lovers, basking in the first calls of a summer surely equally filled with great music is nothing to frown at.

 

by Liam Haynes