Five Carnival Alternatives This Bank Holiday…

Well not too long now until the August Bank Holiday and the extended music and culture celebrations around Carnival weekend in London begin.
 
From celebrating independent music and culture at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen and 15 years of the venue, to diverse and cutting edge music and artists from all corners of the globe, these music-led events are guaranteed to make you dance, smile and CELEBRATE the good things about being a human and living in London.
 
1.) Soul Food Carnival Special at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen – Saturday 27th August
Tickets: £5 in advance (including FREE Bachata dance class) / MOTD
 
If you want to celebrate carnival this year but can’t face the crowds or transport challenges, head to Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen for blissed-out Brazilian bangers, afrobeat treats, samba and full on carnival vibes, as Soul Food return to the venue for their carnival bonanza. With a Carnival Special DJ set from O’Flynn (Blip Discs), a performance from Nana Y La Esencia and her Cuban band (fresh from playing Secret Garden Party, Glastonbury, WOMAD) and much more music to boot. Come drink as many rum-based drinks as you like, without having to pay £1 to use the toilet at some random dude’s house.

Ticket includes a FREE ‘Bachata’ dance lesson from 8pm – 9pm, where you can learn to shake your hips like you’re in the Dominican Republic.

Ticket Link: http://www.hoxtonsquarebar.com/listings/whats-on-late/25206/soul-food-ca…
 
 2.) A Summer Affair at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen – Bank Holiday Sunday 28th August
Tickets: £10 in advance for live and club (£5 for club only) / MOTD
Independent Label Market and Photography exhibition: FREE
 
Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, one of East London’s most vital small music venues and cultural hotspots invite you a day-to-night summer party, celebrating independent music and culture this bank holiday Sunday 28th August.

Kicking off from 1pm, the event includes a photography exhibition and an independent label market (with donations from labels including Moshi Moshi, R&S, Domino, Phantasy, Ninja Tune) in aid of refugee charity initiative Support Act. UK band Frankie & The Heartstrings will be headlining the 300 capacity live room (supported by Johnny Foreigner), and Raw Meat will be hosting an after-party running until 3am with a DJ set from Everything Everything and residents.

Spanning live, club and culture the party also marks fifteen years of the venue, which in the wake of countless club and venue closures is a solid reason to celebrate.
 
Ticket Link: http://www.hoxtonsquarebar.com/listings/just-announced/25025/a-summer-af…
 
3.) Room4Movement at The Book Club with Seiji and Dego – Bank Holiday Sunday 28th August
Tickets: £4 in advance / MOTD

Jazz re:freshed return East to present a Room4Movement Bank Holiday Sunday Special as they continue to join the dots between Jazz, Soul, Electronica, broken beat, hip-hop and more, putting jazz related music back onto the dance floor.
 
Dego (2000Black/4hero) is one of London’s current and most relevant musical pioneers and has had an immeasurable influence on the UK dance and electronica music scene spanning the 90s and early noughties.

Japan’s Seiji is one of the founding fathers of broken beat legends Bugz in the Attic, and famed for his incredible remixes of Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu and Quantic as well as fusing a host of soulful sounds with hard beats.

Ticket Link: https://thebookclub.eventcube.io/events/4390/jazz-refreshed-presents-roo…  
 
Out of town/ Brighton…
 
4.) Quantic (DJ Set) at Patterns, Brighton – Saturday 27th August
Tickets: £6 in advance /MOTD
 
With Will Holland (AKA Quantic) spending seven years in Columbia, it comes as no surprise to hear how culturally rich his output is. Residing more permanently in Brighton where he runs his influential label Tru Thoughts from, an imprint that’s bought Bonobo, The Hot 8 Brass Band, Maddslinky & Quantic’s various projects into the limelight.

Sitting on a wealth of collected, and self-produced music that most musicians only dream of, Holland has positioned himself comfortably alongside global music aficionados like Gilles Peterson & Damon Albarn so if you’re into your world music, it’s well worth making the journey down to Brighton for this one.
 
Ticket Link: https://patterns.tickettannoy.com/event/my3dx9tMAk6adqeQjPkq8w
 
5.) Disco Deviant Bank Holiday Belter with The Reflex at Patterns, Brighton – Bank Holiday Sunday 28th August
Tickets: £5.50 in advance / MOTD
 
French producer The Reflex has been heavily championed by BBC6 Music’s Craig Charles and has clearly established himself as being one of the best remixers out there with The Reflex Revisions amassing over 50 weeks of radio play in just two years on this number one rated show. They have also found their way onto the playlists of tastemakers like Rob Da Bank, and Gilles Peterson, who last year sent the Michael Jackson ‘Rock With You’ Revision spinning around the globe.
 
Nicolas has also been applying his stems-only formula to contemporary tracks, showing off the strength of his ‘less is more’ approach on production over 35 official remixes for Noel Gallagher, Cerrone, The Kooks, Seun Kuti, Roy Ayers, Simply Red and Nile Rodgers. Come join the Disco Deviant crew at Patterns to see what all the fuss is about.

Ticket Link: https://discodeviant.ticketabc.com/events/reflex-pablo-contrab/