NEWS
EVENTS
5 London Companies Showcasing The Best New Music
Indie | Tuesday 4th March 2014 | Michael
eARmusic
Some big names have featured at these North London showcases, including Ellie Goulding, Newton Faulkner, Alex Clare, Frank Turner & Lucy Rose. Joel Armsden hosts the weekly Open Mic night at The Abbey Tavern in Kentish Town, a lovely venue which attracts a supportive crowd and offers decent audio recording for a reasonable price. Additionally, they host a number of other gig and club nights at venues including The Slaughtered Lamb, The Finsbury and The Old Queens Head. Their website showcases promising artists they have become involved more seriously with and is a great source to find emerging music that has not yet been tainted by the slurs of NME. The artists that feature on eARmusic’s website are clearly of a very high standard and perform in a range of genres, proof of what is an increasingly successful and incredibly professional collective.
Zarathustras
This strong, knowledgeable company has been active for over 12 years now, running both live band and acoustic nights around London. Venues include Proud Camden, Bar Vinyl, Bar Solo, The Green Man and Arch 365, covering a range of different venue vibes, always with a great sound system. The events are organised and run by Zaid Joseph; a real entertainer and a quality host to get crowds listening at these popular nights, occasionally even cracking out a cheeky cover of his own. Zarathustras promotes new talent and remains loyal to its regulars, attracting artists from all corners of the globe, in a variety of styles. Pete Doherty has been known to feature on the bill of their Camden Acoustic Club, though it shouldn’t be long until a few more of their artists are hitting it big too.
https://www.facebook.com/zarathustraslive
PressPlay
Launched in 2013, this young company dived straight in with a solid idea to cover all the bases of artist development, inviting their artists not only to perform live but to record a promotional video at sound-check and a sound-recording of their entire set. Their monthly night at Surya, near Kings Cross, features high quality artists attempting to prove themselves in three songs, followed by a quick Q&A to reveal a bit about their influences and aspirations. Soul, blues and indie feature heavily on their line-up - usually as stripped-down or acoustic acts rather than full band - and they are great events for post-show networking. Their new music blog launches later this year and promises to be invaluable to the artists they are involved with.
http://www.pressplaylive.co.uk/
Plugged In Switched On
These events are known primarily for their incredibly popular nights in the heart of Shoreditch; the Vibe Bar Open Mic on Brick Lane is usually booked up weeks in advance, though a new night has recently launched nearby at Café 1001. This popularity ensures the company’s ability to book some great performers, though walk-in performers are also usually welcome at the start of the nights - Emeli Sande can be seen performing an impromptu set on their website. Venues in Islington, Finsbury Park and Muswell Hill complete the selection of live nights, each with excellent quality sound, featuring full bands and solo acts in all categories. Considering the ever-popular location of Vibe and Café 1001, these Open Mic nights are ideal to get involved in and a great opportunity to perform in front of an audience who expect high standards.
http://www.pluggedinswitchedon.com/
Songwriters’ Circle
Held every Monday at The Alleycat on the famous Denmark Street, these nights are intimate and quiet, perfect for performers who wish to be heard rather than having to battle over crowds of cackling drunkards. As the name suggests, you’ll find new, original songs from budding singer-songwriters there. It is a great opportunity to really listen to the intricacies and detail within artists’ songs, in an environment that encourages experimentation and progress within the acoustic genre. Additionally, SongCircle Records provides a new recording studio and label based in Chelsea, inviting acoustic songwriters to get down some of their tracks professionally, to take onwards. The Songwriters’ Circle is a must for London-based solo acts.
https://www.facebook.com/londonsongcircle
Mike Pickering
