Camden Barfly
Info
Capacity: 200
Nearest tubes: Camden or Chalk Farm Road
The Barfly club used to be at a tiny venue called the Falcon. The Monarch, where it is housed now, isn't an awful lot bigger. Well, the bar is. You will enter a bar and then have to climb some stairs to get to see the bands, so god help you if you're drunk. There is a small bar upstairs too. Be warned: pints cost £3 at the weekend.
Has seen recent secret gigs by JJ72 and Puressence. Also played host to The Barfly Sessions (Channel 4 TV) and Coldplay played among others. Grrrate.
Every small band wants to play here. On a good night, the sound is great and there will be a decent atmosphere. Can get really stuffy and cramped on a busy night though.
You will get your hand stamped with INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH ink when you enter. This will not wash off for at least a week, so you might get away without paying again in that time. ;-)
Reviewed Events
Remote Control, Mika Bomb at London Camden Barfly, Mon 23 Oct
Goths, cyber kids, and wayward teens cram their way into the tiny backroom as the first catatonic chord crashes out in a wall of distortion and hormones. Remote Control appear as a four piece glam punk band with Michael Stipe fronting in a cowboy hat. The rock monoliths of much of their set drive home, usually with ton»
International Jetset at London Camden Barfly, Sat 18 Nov
It was a very bad idea for International Jetset’s lead singer to wear a pair of black PVC trousers when the Monarch’s air conditioning was having a few fits and there were a 150 people standing in a venue the size of a broom cupboard. “I’m auctioning my shorts off when this finishes, anybody who wants a drink just has »
International Jetset at London Camden Barfly, Sat 18 Nov
It was a very bad idea for International Jetset’s lead singer to wear a pair of black PVC trousers when the Monarch’s air conditioning was having a few fits and there were a 150 people standing in a venue the size of a broom cupboard. “I’m auctioning my shorts off when this finishes, anybody who wants a drink just has »
Serafin at London Camden Barfly, Wed 14 Mar
Serafin are unsigned, which proves more than anything else how little justice there is in the music world. With the rock scene apparently emerging in the mainstream more and more this year, we can only hope that there’s a place in it for Serafin. Serafin are made up of a Canadian, two New Zealanders, and most im»
Biffy Clyro, Haven, The Bigger The God at London Camden Barfly, Mon 09 Apr
“This one’s for the Llama Farmers!”- Biffy Clyro It’s Monday- the first day of my holiday… it’s a warm and occasionally sunny day (very rare!) London is buzzing and we’re just about to go to my second home (The Monarch) to see one of the bands I literally won’t shut up about… Biffy Clyro! - (Their d»
Interpol, Mum And Dad, Joel Plaskett at London Camden Barfly, Thu 19 Apr
Being a Mogwai fan, I was devastated at a lack of funding making me unable to attend their gig. Therefore in an attempt to console myself, I toddled down to the Monarch for the X-Posure evening and London debut from one of the current flavours of the New York scene, Interpol. But several starters wo»
Goldrush at London Camden Barfly, Wed 13 Jun
...didn't really go to review this gig, but I was so impressed that I felt I had to give Goldrush
the big UP. Given that a certain Steve Lamacq was dancing to pretty much
the whole show somewhere to the left of me, I can only
infer that the stars are shining favourably on this likeable bunch.
....enough»
The Moldy Peaches at London Camden Barfly, Thu 21 Jun
This was The Moldy Peaches first ever British show, on the lead-in to their tour supporting The Strokes.
For those who haven’t yet heard of them, The Moldy Peaches are the living, breathing embodiment of lo-fi. The album sounds almost as if it was recorded live into a tape recorder, which is a»
The Electric Soft Parade at London Camden Barfly, Thu 19 Jul
Soft Parade are pretty much everything that is bad about the NME and its hype at the present time. With so much emphasis being put onto these young sprogsters as something really unique, the burden was likely to be too much, but one would hope that the press had at least heard something before heaping this prai»
Black Nielson, A.R.E. Weapons, Superstring at London Camden Barfly, Tue 31 Jul
The original excitement of attending gigs may have left my inner soul sometime ago, but tonight brought just that little twinge of interest that bore away from the mundanity of recent encounters. Oxford's Black Nielson lacerated the sparse venue with the songs Grandaddy must have forgotten to write. The v»
Billy Mahonie, Caretaker, 2nd Gen at London Camden Barfly, Thu 09 Aug
We arrive at venue to see that Caretaker have already taken to stage. Bugger! Dunno how many songs they’ve play so far, but we to catch the last um… 4 songs. Haven’t had the money to buy their self titled mini album for Fierce Panda yet, so ‘Safe As Houses’ is the only song I recognise. They’ve not reall»
Aereogramme, The Rock Of Travolta at London Camden Barfly, Fri 14 Sep
Breath deeply. Visualise. You’re no longer sat reading this, you’re with me in the Barfly. The Barfly is not a good place to breath deeply because it smells a bit. Taste the air there. Now, six people fill the stage. There are two bass players, sometimes two guitarists, sometimes just one, there’s also a drummer, a cel»
Halo at London Camden Barfly, Mon 05 Nov
Tonight is a very good night to go on a killing spree. Well, it’s firework night and a gunshot would be hidden in the relentless traditional blasts shaking the city skyline. Then there’s the thought in the back of my mind that every bonfire could be a pile of bodies cremated amongst worn-out mattresses. Maybe it is tha»
Queen Adreena at London Camden Barfly, Tue 11 Dec
A woman with two bandaged feet - one of them in a plaster cast - eases herself onto the stage, helped by two men. Once onstage she is handed her crutches and she hops carefully across to a chair placed in front of the central microphone. As the other band members take their places, she starts to sing slowly, un»
Ben Kweller at London Camden Barfly, Tue 26 Feb
There are a couple of specific things I find rather unnerving.
1) Cult movie conventions where people queue up in the relevant tee-shirts so that someone who dressed up as robot can sign some of their prized dusty memorabilia – dunno about you but I find that strange..
2) Tribute bands »
Span at London Camden Barfly, Wed 27 Feb
"The Strokes are the coolest band in the world," proclaimed Luella Bartley, as Julian and his nonchalant crew of thrift-clad scruffs posed louchely on selected stages either side of the pond. "The Hives will save your life!!!" blared enraptured music publications as five identically-suited men from Scandinavia wroug»
The Libertines, The Vines at London Camden Barfly, Thu 07 Mar
Of course, some people will have you believe that Rock 'n' Roll is dead. That the guitar as a creative instrument finished around 1978. That the current music scene is like the 70's before punk. Well, on the evidence of tonight, it's like the 70's during punk. I really can't tell you how much I loved this »
Reuben, Scare Electric, The D4 at London Camden Barfly, Wed 03 Apr
“Scalextric!” Where! Oh, it’s the name of the band – misheard, of course. Scare Electric sound like a metal band with at least two rappers and a scratch DJ thrown in for good (?) measure. Sound familiar? Stop groaning…keep reading. This band actually perform the rap-metal affair pro»
Span at London Camden Barfly, Wed 10 Jul
Right here, right now, you might as well pour orange juice all over me and find the five bestest bimbos in Norway to lick it off and give me the key to their chastity belts. I’d not even blink - it just doesn’t get better than this! …Sorry, I’m over excited, smiling, deaf and not caring one bit. I’ll now »
Reuben, thisgirl, Kinesis at London Camden Barfly, Tue 03 Sep
Have you noticed that the nights are beginning to draw in already? After reading it seems like the summer dies. But not everything falls to the ground. ROCKtober is coming and I’m pretty confident it’ll bear the fruits of a great few years for rock (which even the Times tell the world is back!). So, with the sun grinni»
(Review of nothing)
Trekking across London on a day that started with absinthe and pizza for breakfast to see an unsigned band I’d only heard of, over DJ Shadow and Too Many DJs may seem a tad strange to the average music lover. And when I arrive to find pints at £3, a first band that sounds like a sinfully caustic
Buffseeds, Vega 4 at London Camden Barfly, Tue 22 Oct
When the oft-bought but rarely-read Aldous Huxley wrote his novel, 'The Doors of Perception', he hardly thought that I'd be alluding to it in a short review of two bands on the Camden circuit. But I am, albeit tenuously. You see, its all about perception. How you perceive yourself, how other people perceive yo»
Last Days Of April at London Camden Barfly, Fri 25 Oct
Its Friday night at the Monarch a notorious night on the bands circuit. As
someone confided to me recently: "don't bother going out on a Friday night,
that's when the out of town bands come in".
"That", I countered, "Is where you're wrong".
Well, h»
Thoria at London Camden Barfly, Mon 04 Nov
Catchy. Catchy. Catchy. That’s what a decent record to dance to needs to be. Thoria have catchiness. They have oodles. Oodles and oodles. After releasing their self-financed debut album this summer to joyous praise and engulfing»
The Parkinsons, Young Knives, V-Twin at London Camden Barfly, Sun 24 Nov
You could call this X-FM EXPOSURE night bill quite an interesting mix. In fact, walking into the first band's set, "interesting" is a good word to start off with...Oxford band The Young Knives definitely look it. And their in-between song banter is a bit like the three Ronnies doing the Mark & Lard show, in a so»
Fonda 500, They Came From The Stars I Saw Them at London Camden Barfly, Thu 12 Dec
Christmas. Joy To The World and all that. Rock and Christmas don't generally mix, because rock, with its dark shades and leather jackets, is about cool. Christmas is about JOY - uncontrollable, screaming, leaping up and down on the balls of your feet, waving your hands in the air IDIOT JOY, and it's »
Gold Chains at London Camden Barfly, Thu 12 Dec
Someone had betta give that honky chubby little whitebwoy Gold Chains a proper review, and I can see that the task is gonna fall to me. Good. Now perhaps I was unfairly prepped for this gig, having spent a most enjoyable half-hour downstairs by the fag machine interviewing the bespectacled man himself, hearing h»
Mew, Venus Hum at London Camden Barfly, Tue 17 Dec
Tonight's gig is a bit of a weird one. People are queuing from about 7 onwards, and the stage is empty until 9pm. Everyone's here to see Mew, Scandinavian songbirds who've been making waves across several countries lately. However things get interesting long before they step onstage. Nashville's Venus Hum, th»
The Thrills at London Camden Barfly, Mon 17 Feb
The Thrills know it’s not where you're from, it's where you're at. They appear to have lost their hearts in West Coast America rather than their native Dublin, and could scarcely appear more Yankophile if they arrived tonight wearing 'I Love NYC' t-shirts and 'Don’t Mess With Texas' baseball caps. The band co»
The Dopamine Theory at London Camden Barfly, Tue 18 Mar
There's a whiff of promise about these four lads. It's hard to say what it is; it's not just the songs, or the performance, or the look... it's something else. They seem... ready. Someone at EMI Music Publishing obviously thinks so as well, seeing as they saw fit to give the band 3 days worth of recording time, w»
Aereogramme at London Camden Barfly, Fri 21 Mar
Something about Aereogramme has never quite clicked. Their speciality is self-destruction; fragile, awkward songs smashed to pieces by monster riffs and inhuman vocal purging. Brilliant stuff, but something has always gotten in the way - until tonight. It's a treat to see them back in the (small, awkwardly shape»
Ludes at London Camden Barfly, Fri 18 Apr
I promised a good friend of mine that I would not mention The Coral in this review, so here goes.... This new wave of "garage punk" is truly played out at this stage. It will take another 6 months or so to find out which of these new gems will still shine after the inevitable backlash has tarnished the rest.»
The Futureheads, Franz Ferdinand at London Camden Barfly, Wed 07 May
Is anyone out there not bored of retro yet? Garage-rock is coiled in a shrivelled heap at our feet, its mangy tail tucked between its crippled legs, dying a wretched, whimpering death. And then Franz Ferdinand get onstage and begin to beat out a new-wave racket that, fuck me, sounds like a skewed, creepy Supe»
The Bookoo Movement, The Vanities, Undertow at London Camden Barfly, Fri 16 May
They say variety is the spice of life. Certainly, on this moody friday evening [translation: it's cold outside and pissing it down] the types at the Monarch have managed to put together a suitably eclectic bill. Undertow are Tool fans. You can tell this from their name; but just in case it's not alt»
Dirty Three at London Camden Barfly, Sat 17 May
Warren Ellis does all the right things for all the wrong reasons. In an interview, the Dirty Three's violin-mangling maestro claims he only managed to master his instrument in the vain hope that women might want him. So when he wanders onstage like some long-haired Australian Amadeus, you realise that »
Mahumodo at London Camden Barfly, Sun 15 Jun
We're all responsible. If you didn't already, you should have given the time of day to this band. I should have written about them before this. The press should have given the coverage deserved by a massively promising new band. And Mahumodo should have gotten their shit together and progressed beyond this - the»
The Crimea, Clarkesville at London Camden Barfly, Wed 18 Jun
There’s a queue a bloody mile long snaking round the downstairs pub bit of Camden’s matchbox-sized Barfly Club. I think about two people paid to get in and the rest are music biz guest-list scum like the Doc and me… first up are The Koreans, whom I'm banned from reviewing, owing to DiS's vested interes»
Razorlight at London Camden Barfly, Mon 14 Jul
The fact that the rising spearheads of London’s rock scene play a packed Barfly on the hottest day of the year so far, is very apt indeed. Razorlight are as exciting and strangely invigorating as dipping your bits into an ice bucket after a long day in the sun. Championed by, amongst others, John Kennedy and »
Dogs Die In Hot Cars at London Camden Barfly, Tue 05 Aug
With half the music industry squelched at the back of the Barfly, a band take the stage whose name is a warning to canine owners across the country – especially considering it’s 98 degrees outside. Whether you think the name sucks ass or you think it’s the best moniker since ‘A Box of Fish with Tartar Sauce’, Dog»
Jackson at London Camden Barfly, Thu 21 Aug
There are too many bands. When you get all the bands fighting for gigs in the same venues, sometimes a new and genuinely exciting band will miss out because they can’t pull in the punters, or whatever other reason. Then there’s the problem that people don’t know which bands to go and see – hence the lack of punters at »
Martin Grech, Cherryfalls at London Camden Barfly, Wed 03 Sep
Dear Cherryfalls, Whatever in god's name makes you think that it's even remotely interesting to be yet another trainee Thom/child of Coldplay?? What is this dour faced bollocks that I see and hear far too often these days? How can bands so thoroughly lacking in ambition »
The Red Chord, Beyond The Sixth Seal, Burning Skies at Camden Barfly, Camden Town, Sun 14 Sep
The Red Chord have found themselves proclaimed as one of the brightest lights in the hardcore scene right now. Given the often unjustified hype that tends to surround any band endowed with such recommendations, one could be forgiven for trotting along to KBY tonight with some degree of cynicism. I mean, hot youn»
Kid Symphony at London Camden Barfly, Thu 02 Oct
With anthemic choruses and harmony guitar solos currently occupying the upper escholons of the charts, Kid Symphony’s set of soaring sonics may have arrived at just the right time.»
The Fiery Furnaces at London Camden Barfly, Tue 14 Oct
...this brother/sister duo from Brooklyn, display not only a ruthless take on churning New York punk rhythms, but run through a slew of cleverly crafted lyrical jaunts, all delivered with rasping elegance.»
Turn, My Red Cell at London Camden Barfly, Thu 16 Oct
This band meant everything to me. Had I ever had any money, I would’ve crossed the land afar to see Turn.»
B-Movie Heroes, Right Turn Clyde, The Killerest Expression, Planet Of Women at Camden Barfly, Camden Town, Sat 25 Oct
This was a night showcasing promise, showcasing embryonic versions of future trailblazing outfits poised to take the world by storm. But while the promise is there, there's evidently a lot more work to be done.»
Archie Bronson Outfit at London Camden Barfly, Tue 02 Dec
Constantly gritty and pleasurably loud, Archie Bronson Outfit prove that whatever is shot across the Atlantic, we can fire back with something much, much better.»
Hal at London Camden Barfly, Thu 11 Dec
Although influenced and inspired by this fairly obvious cast of 60’s/70’s songwriters, HAL inhabit a rare space – a band starting out with songs that are as memorable on first hearing as they are charming when performed live, even in freezing December...»
Mclusky, The Fall, Jarcrew at London Camden Barfly, Mon 02 Feb
To be painfully honest with you I wasn’t here to see McClusky tonight, and I wasn’t here to see The Fall headline possibly the smallest venue of their 60-year career. Yes, the air is bristling with excitement at such a rare, intimate ho-down with the crazed mentalcase legend that is Mark E. Smith but to be honest, I’m more excited about tonight’s opening band.»
Bright Eyes at London Camden Barfly, Wed 23 Jun
Conor Oberst will have his work cut out to top something this personal...»
Bitch Alert at London Camden Barfly, Mon 28 Jun
We came wanting a riot.»
The Rocks at London Camden Barfly, Fri 16 Jul
Chris has his leg in a plaster: being sick of telling everyone what happened, he's printed business cards saying "I fell off a wall. Yes, it does hurt."»
Tigermoth at London Camden Barfly, Sat 07 Aug
Tigermoth are very good at playing three-minute pop songs...»
Kaiser Chiefs at London Camden Barfly, Mon 09 Aug
Kaiser Chiefs demand your attention...»
Editors, Echelon at London Camden Barfly, Wed 01 Dec
Two great new live acts from Essex and Birmingham. The E generation is back. Welcome Echelon and Editors.»
Battle at London Camden Barfly, Mon 13 Dec
'...Brimming over with potential, already Killing Moon may just be the best new band of next year.'»
Ricky at London Camden Barfly, Tue 18 Jan
A football crowd, jingle-jangle sound and a harmonious park filled with Summer. DiS enters the almost contradictory world of Ricky at Camden's Barfly.»
Hal, Brinkman at London Camden Barfly, Wed 26 Jan
Remember The Vessels? A bunch of young hopefuls who were so ripe and ready for the picking, even Jonathon Ross seized the moment to include them on his show. Sadly, despite their great potential, the filthy evils and harsh reality of the music industry led to an unfortunate split -telling a tale of only what could have been.»
The Rocks at London Camden Barfly, Tue 01 Feb
Perhaps he should’ve stayed in with a weepy movie and a bottle of plonk insead of braving a chilly Tuesday night in Camden. For frontman James has evidently been dumped...»
Neils Children, Bloc Party, Battle at London Camden Barfly, Wed 16 Feb
A success story: Band slogs around for two years, hands demo to Scottish band on brink of success, gets invited to join tour with them, slowly but surely become the biggest new band in the country. It’s a mini adventure.»
Dead Meadow at London Camden Barfly, Tue 15 Mar
...we’re in stoner rock territory, and the stoners are making their presence smelt.»
British Sea Power, Alterkicks at London Camden Barfly, Mon 04 Apr
"Tonight British Sea Power play impressively, if somewhat detached. Like a well-oiled machine they expertly roll through their practiced set without incident.."»
Kubb at London Camden Barfly, Mon 11 Apr
Oh the sweetness of forbidden fruit - the ambrosial delight of the things we shouldn't enjoy. And so it is with the tight treacle textures of Kubb. They charm the taste buds, but we know they could spell ruin for our credibility waistlines.»
Leaves at London Camden Barfly, Mon 11 Apr
Leaves are back! Back with a major-label contract, a bunch of new band members and a new sound which suggests they've finally lost the struggle with some particularly dark demons.»
Sleater-Kinney at London Camden Barfly, Tue 26 Apr
They tinker with leads and tune up and then, with barely a howdy or hello, slam straight into ‘The Fox’, the opener on new LP The Woods. The tune is indescribably heavy - it’s like treacle tart. It’s like 10 million pounds of sludge from New York and New Jersey. It’s Zeppelin heavy.»
Jeremy Warmsley, The Pipettes, Duels at London Camden Barfly, Tue 10 May
Duels seem to be a succinct summation of the past forty years of UK pop, ranging from Bowie to the Beatles to indeed, the current crop of wannabes.»
Martin Grech, Weapons of Mass Belief at London Camden Barfly, Mon 16 May
"...Unholy talent is definitely something he has in abundance for an artist of his age, it’s a shame he chooses cloak it with layers of diet-industrial beats and guitars, masking the man behind it all. Once again, we’re left wondering just who Martin Grech is."»
White Rose Movement at London Camden Barfly, Tue 21 Jun
White Rose Movement's first single was a near-perfect debut. I guess it was expecting too much to hope that the live show might be quite so compelling. As it is, WRM disappoint heavily.»
The Organ at London Camden Barfly, Sat 06 Aug
You see, to be enthralling and at the same time virtually emotionless (let alone motionless) is a talent possessed by few, but to do all of this and combine it with some of the most pertinently enchanting songs around is something to be savoured and celebrated.»
Send More Paramedics at London Camden Barfly, Sun 14 Aug
After-dark Camden’s hellish enough as it is without having to tolerate the rabid screams of the cursed undead. Send More Paramedics twitch and jerk, flail limbs left ‘n’ right, and talk much of brain-munching and midnight snacking on the young and the hopeless... and play punk rock real good.»
Oceansize at London Camden Barfly, Mon 15 Aug
Have Oceansize lost their mojo? Their live sets thus far have been utterly spellbinding. What happened? Tonight the time drags, the songs stretch out ahead like eternal tasks that never end; nowhere are the sparkling, intricate melodies that we've seen colouring their powerhouse riffs.»
Millionaire at London Camden Barfly, Mon 12 Sep
Tim Vanhamel's uber heavy stoner funk punk band chew up the Barfly and leave it cheering for more...»
Milburn at London Camden Barfly, Sat 12 Nov
Milburn cause complete crowd chaos...the kids are alright»
Constantines at London Camden Barfly, Sun 13 Nov
Fists are pumped and hands are clapped with a kind of joyful enthusiasm rarely seen at London shows – few present assume the Crossed Arms, Unimpressed Frown position favoured by the standard gig-goer round these parts...»
Broken Social Scene at London Camden Barfly, Tue 29 Nov
If you want to make sure you’re never going to be reminiscing through old photographs and find yourself sporting a Flock of Seagulls haircut and wearing Crockett’s suits from Miami Vice, then it’d be wise to be very leery of the latest trends. What's h»
BSM Christmas Party at London Camden Barfly, Sun 11 Dec
You know you’ve been to the Barfly when...»
XFM Exposure at London Camden Barfly, Thu 15 Dec
The Chalets: girl/boy pop geniuses or child-burning psychos with warty legs? Tom Edwards investigates...»
X-Posure All Dayer at London Camden Barfly, Sat 21 Jan
It's a familiar sight to behold 65daysofstatic jittering and spasming their way across a stage in amongst various swathes of immense musical architecture. However, it's just gone 5pm and this is not the end of a tour. One can only assume that the level of consumption of illegal substances is not as high as they may be able to muster after a couple months on the road.»
Jeremy Warmsley, Jim Noir, The Seal Cub Clubbing Club, Kill The Young at Camden Barfly, Camden Town, Tue 24 Jan
How many people do you know that can single-handedly silence a full Barfly?»
Rogue Wave at London Camden Barfly, Thu 26 Jan
Rogue Wave are the antidote to the math/prog overload that many of us have accidentally fallen into. Josh Rogue has pulled together a live performance to match the understated yet opulent-of-character records he's delivered to date.»
Fickle Public, Exit Ten at London Camden Barfly, Mon 30 Jan
Fickle Public (nee Purple Munkie) are your typical indie punk band. Think Jetplane Landing or Fugazi style attitude mixed with a healthy sprinkling of sharp Rough Trade style pop rock leanings and, of course, this band is Scottish and that never fails to add a bit of spice to proceedings.»
Exit Ten, Devil Sold His Soul at London Camden Barfly, Mon 13 Feb
Devil Sold His Soul are the kind of band that relax me and make my ears bleed at the same time. Understandably, most people can only appreciate the latter part of their effect on me. DSHS play in vast swathes of atmospheric metal, accompanied by rapid-fire drumwork and harsh vocals. With a batch of clearly distinguisable songs with an unearthly pedigree, Devil Sold His Soul might be a band you hear a little bit more of in the future.»
Television Personalities at London Camden Barfly, Wed 22 Mar
supported by Dirty Little Faces and Dustin’s Bar Mitzvah
Barfly Camden 22.03.06
On the District Line home there was a pissed Eastern European woman with a fucking parrot. I’m not kidding. The parrot spoke more English than she did. Other »
Quasi at London Camden Barfly, Mon 28 Aug
As an advertisement for the musical benefits of divorce, tonight is pretty effective...»
Disco Ensemble, The Scare at London Camden Barfly, Wed 30 Aug
Disco Ensemble are coming toward the end of their first UK headline tour and, after playing to just four people in Leicester due to the gig-going crowd presumably being in Reading or Leeds, are clearly grateful for a decent crowd in the Barfly tonight...»
Murder By Death at London Camden Barfly, Mon 02 Oct
Nothing polite ever creeps its way from Murder By Death. Like their name wasn’t a large-enough clue, this is a bloody, visceral experience; it’s the sound of Two Gallants’ murderous lamentations shrink-wrapped by Tim Kasher and shipped to a Korean film studio, ready for implementation in some 18-certificate flick or other...»
Charger, The Abominable Iron Sloth at London Camden Barfly, Sat 14 Oct
As you walk home you wonder to yourself, “Where are my ears… where have they gone?” The Abominable Iron Sloth will obliterate everything before them. They will gobble you up and spit you out again and again. They will shit down your throat and make you sing along. You will enjoy it...»
Todd, Enablers at London Camden Barfly, Sun 05 Nov
Enablers’ albums to date – 2004’s End Note and this year’s Output Negative Space – are rarely-sighted sons of dog-eared poetry books and well-thumbed LP sleeves: Slint, The Birthday Party, Shellac, you get the intensity-and-control, the balance of, idea perfectly well...»
DiSCover Club @ The Barfly at London Camden Barfly, Fri 17 Nov
Avoiding hyperbole in this review is going to be tough. Los Campesinos! are very, very exciting. Based in Cardiff, this seven-piec»
The Dykeenies, I Was A Cub Scout at London Camden Barfly, Tue 05 Dec
The Dykeenies were amazing the sound these guys got out of that shity old room was imense. These guys are going to be huge they ar»
Futon at London Camden Barfly, Thu 18 Jan
This is Futon’s final date on their mini London tour before jet-setting it back to their Bangkok home for more live antics, and it turns out to be their best 2007 show so far...»
Trencher, Rolo Tomassi, Cutting Pink With Knives at Camden Barfly, Camden Town, Sun 11 Feb
Rolo Tomassi are a mighty gust of brilliantly fresh air in a scene that breeds too many a carbon-copy of The Locust or Trencher; they enjoy themselves and don’t take their very seriously good music too seriously for its own good, and we reciprocate...»
Headlines at London Camden Barfly, Thu 22 Mar
It’s hard not to get drawn in by a band that have as much fun onstage as The Headlines – five young men whose ID, frankly, you’d want to check out before taking home...»
I Was A Cub Scout, Lets Bitter Cinema, The Social, Data.Select.Party at Camden Barfly, Camden Town, Wed 28 Mar
Appearing on stage largely unnoticed, the two members of I Was A Cub Scout are, in age and attire, entirely indistinguishable from their audience (with the very notable exception of a huge old Scottish man on crutches, who unexpectedly appears at the front midway through latest single ‘I Hate Nightclubs’ to attempt a hysterical pogo shuffle, before retreating just as suddenly)...»
Twisted Charm, Chik Budo, James Chance & The Contortions at Camden Barfly, Camden Town, Tue 01 May
A night of sax rock was guaranteed at the Camden Barfly as some clever promoter decided to have jazz punk stalwarts James Chance &»
Mohair at London Camden Barfly, Thu 24 May
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX»
We Are The Physics, Chow Chow at London Camden Barfly, Thu 21 Jun
We Are The Physics. Make them your new favourite band and tell your friends. Together, you and they can rule the world.»
Tellison, Encyclopedia, The Xcerts, Gavin Osborn at Camden Barfly, Camden Town, Mon 23 Jul
Tonight witnesses excellent sets from two aspiring young live bands who might not be about to rewrite the musical history books, but who remind us what it is to take music on face value and enjoy it simply because it feels damn good. Here’s to that...»
Down I Go, Yeasayer, Home Videos at London Camden Barfly, Mon 13 Aug
Yeasayer haven’t been here before, but they’re making the most of their debut visit to London – tonight marks the first of the Brooklyn-spawned four-piece’s seven shows in this nation’s capital...»
The Ghost Of A Thousand at London Camden Barfly, Wed 15 Aug
Climbing the Barfly stairs at 8.30pm on a Wednesday night, it’s easy to assume you’re heading for an empty room, just a couple of early arrivers nodding gently along to the first band of the night. Bollocks to that, sir. This is a Kerrang! show, with a rotating line-up on a week-long tour. »
Jairus, Meet Me In St. Louis, DiS DJs at London Camden Barfly, Thu 30 Aug
Widdly guitars and befuddling breakdowns all the way home, ears singing an echo of the night’s best gig in town…»
Levi's One To Watch at London Camden Barfly, Tue 04 Sep
'Your mom' jokes, lewd microphone comparisons, music. Just a few of the things Johnny Foreigner impress me with during their set.»
CHARLES LIVE REVIEW TO FIX
Someone once said, “There ain’t no party like a disco party”. It’s been repeatedly pounded into our heads in recent years via a few now well-flogged horses. Electroclash begat disco-punk, disco-punk begat nu-rave, nu-rave begat... well, let’s stop connecting the dots here and get to the point»
Effi Briest at London Camden Barfly, Tue 22 Apr
NYC's Effi Briest peddle the kind of bizarre, gothic drone-folk (yep, drone-folk, folks) that enraptures many present, presumably baffling others»
Late Of The Pier, The Displacements, A Place To Bury Strangers, Collapsing Cities at Camden Barfly, Camden Town, Wed 07 May
Tonight is an interesting experiment in human nature - and just how much bullshit we're happy to believe. It’s a gig that, by its end, forces any objective observer to ask exactly those two questions, as two of the most hotly tipped bands du jour head up this crammed showcase»
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