Camden Crawler

Camden Crawl 2008: Friday

2008-04-21T09:59:06Z

The Vertically-Challenged Editor's View Friday 18th April By Katie Spain 3:00pm The line-up snaking its way up Kentish Town Road is already mammoth... we started earlier last year but the delay hasn't improved. More than one punter debates "Popping into the pub for forty-five minutes" to wait for the queue to die down. They do. It doesn�t. A man paints a table, oblivious to the madness around him. Meanwhile, we brave the cold and watch as a photographer snaps girls and their fashion choices. One poor girl is so disinterested; the photographer has to manually spin her around to get a good shot of her gigantic, buckle-endowed clompers. The snapper doesn�t approach us; I guess bright multi-coloured dresses don�t fit the �Camden look�. Luckily, this isn�t a fashion parade, it�s the Camden Crawl and that means rushing between venues, packed crowds, sweat laced beer baths and toilets with no loo paper. Did you bring your wet wipes? ]]> 3.30pm We�re finally nearing the tickets booth. The guys behind us have already done two Sainsbury�s beer runs and have pondered the �pull� of the Camden Crawl. �Do you think people come to the Crawl once for specific bands or head down here every year?� By the looks of the booze consumption, it�s more of an excuse for Indie buffs to get a day off, get pissed and wake up the next morning with no idea what great bands they saw the night before. 4:00pm Sparkly red wrist-band firmly tightened, we trundle down Camden High Street. The cops are out in force; so too are the politicians. A cameraman tails Brian Paddick as he mingles with the �yoof�. In the background, two policemen search a suspected drug dealer. We meet reviewer Peter Coultson at the InSpiral Lounge on Camden Lock. Green tea and chocolate guarana balls are an initial attempt at energy levels; the healthy way. Our intentions are good and the seats are comfy (for now). The timetable reveals that Koko is a safe bet � but sitting it out in one big venue makes us softer than your average marshmallow so we decide to split up and give the little-uns a go. 4:10pm A group of lads in fluro Hadouken! T-s walk out of the new H&M looking pleased. The store has band signings all day so we investigate. There�s no Hadouken! but two sexy clowns spin old Swing tracks for shoppers. Classic. Perhaps it was the amount of nu-rave garb in here that gave the boys a facial hard-on. Bar Vinyl is packed. It�s one in, one out; a definite sign of things to come. 4.30pm The Bucks Head has a hefty line-up, most of which we miss. They�re hosting �Bloody Awful Poetry� featuring J Fox & The radio, Rosie Oddie & The Odd Squad (acoustic), and my pick of the session, Beans On Toast. The line-up is unbreakable so we press noses to the window until they turn to ice and head towards Mornington Crescent. 5:00pm A Folk band is playing to a packed crowd in an Irish pub. It�s not an official Crawl venue but you can�t blame them for grabbing a slice of the pie. We listen and enjoy from the doorway. A sparkly red shawl catches my eye in the second-hand stall next door. �That�d make a great flag for our festival tent�� 5.30pm The doors at Koko are set to open now but we give the Purple Turtle a punt first, walk in on a sound check and are promptly asked to turn tail. Thirst is becoming an issue so we kill it with red wine in the pub across the road. Two drunk guys spill a drink on another not-so-drunk punter then spit on the floor when asked to leave. �Bloody Scousers� mutters the barman. I hedge a bet they�ve gone straight to Koko. I begin to regret purchasing the shiny shawl... sequins and music fests don't mix. 6:00pm A vocal barter with the Koko doorman and still he won�t let us take our baguette inside. They confiscate my Redbull and a whole unopened carton of Celebrations. No wonder the sods are so rotund. They put the chocolate restrictions down to new carpets, but I�m convinced they just want a feast. If they let the two drunken lunatics in earlier, they�ve got more to worry about than choccies below their feet. 6.45pm Ida Maria hits the stage first. I�ve heard big things about this feisty feline. The Norwegian�s performances have resulted in cracked ribs and gushing head wounds that�d make your average Viking wince. Tonight however, we get an impressive but reserved performance. Sure, she writhes on the floor and swings the mic like a lasso, but by Ida terms, it disappoints. We order more drinks and put it down to an early time slot in a big venue. Check her out in a smaller setting and you�ll be gob-smacked. 8.00pm The intoxicated Liverpool buffoons are indeed in our midst. One threatens to crowd surf his way from the gents to an unsuspecting group of girls. Unfortunately, there's nothing but empty floor space in front of him. We take this as a cue to hit the dance floor for Does It Offend You Yeah?. The crowd is heaving, the Electro Rock from Reading is on form and the place erupts in frenzied jumping. The wine kicks in and I start to feel like a �yoof� myself. We stick to the edges because the after-set effect is like taking the plug out of a bath. In amongst the madness we stumble upon Seatwave's Gennaro and Joan (doing it for the Italian and Spanish kids). Things are looking up. 9.15pm The lads whip out the shots, us ladies whip out the glitter and we come out of the experience looking like space-aged �Does It Offend You Zebras�. Sam Isaac is on stage now. It seems to be a strange decision to plonk him between before The Fratellis and Robyn; he usually plays beautiful solo acoustic sets, but is joined by backup tonight. We�re on the upper levels now, but it�s obvious the mass of Fratellis fans are happy with what they hear. You can catch Sam Isaac at the Great Escape � although Koko is no doubt a buzz for this UK artist, intimacy would suit him better. Either that, or an outdoor session under the sun. A quick trip to the ladies reveals what the punters are really thinking of the gig: �I can�t be bothered running all over Camden, f*** Metronomy, I�m going to stay and watch The Fratellis� �My mates went to see Lightspeed Champion � boring� �Bet you a pound I can get both feet up on that washbasin without falling� 10.30 We have a decision to make; a big one. Stay here for the duration, or bite the musical bullet and try our luck elsewhere. When we exit and see the line for the Purple Turtle we realise our mistake. There�s no hope of squeezing in to Crystal Castle�s set so off to Proud it is. I�ve been impressed by the venue recently and Lykke Li, Kid Harpoon, The Clik Clik, Kennedy and The-O are billed for tonight�s Don�t Panic Dance event. Jodie Harsh and Styleslut VS Cage The Elephant are DJing. Space for Crawlers is limited so early is the only option. We succeed (blagging will get you everywhere) and settle in for a surreal and eclectic evening of Folk tunes, dimmed lights, old classics, sambucca, portraits drawn by simple-minded farmhands with bad teeth, feather boas, dancing, smoking under the stars and two of the most entertaining semi-naked men we've ever come across. It�s amazing what you can do with a stage, lashes of tomato sauce, bare flesh and a libido. Check out the video: The aftermath - time unknown We partied out the rest of the evening at Proud. I woke up in an ice-cold bath at 4am. I resembled a clean but wrinkly raisin but since it was my own bath, in my own flat, I�ve signed it off as a sign of a very good night. Saturday involved a countryside birthday lunch with relatives; you�ll understand then, why I left Saturday�s reporting to Editorial tart, Zarina. Bring on The Great Escape� as much as we love Camden, nothing beats the Brighton bash. Make sure you keep an eye on our Great Escape Uncut coverage.

Camden Crawl 2008: Friday

2008-04-21T09:37:58Z

CAMDEN CRAWL 2008 Were You There? By Peter Coulston I certainly hope that the answer to the question in the title is �yes� in lots of cases, because it was quite a party, on Friday anyway. Despite the bitterly cold weather, hoards of live music lovers made their presence felt from midday onwards, and the party continued until the early hours of Saturday. A few politicians, hoping for our votes in the forthcoming London elections, showed their faces but received a reception that was even colder than the weather. I have no intention of giving any of them any free publicity, so let�s move on to the real issues of the day; music, music, music. Coming a close second to that, of course, is beer as supplied in generous quantities by the event sponsors, Red Stripe Jamaican Lager. With that brilliant combination, a good day was guaranteed from wherever you started, which for me turned out to be The World�s End. This venue always has some great rock bands on during the day and was veritably heaving for that reason. I took in The Bad Robots, a local pop/punk/indie band with great vocals and songs. For some reason, they were not included in the little book in the reception pack that claims to list �every bloody last one of them�. Never mind, they did a good set, the lead singer has a great beard and you should listen to �4 Reasons� on www.myspace.co/thebadrobots to see what I mean. ]]> Cage The Elephant, a great band from Bowling Green, Kentucky who opened for Ida Maria at the Barfly back in March. By the time they hit the stage the band and the punters were in surfing mode, and I am not talking about the Beach Boys. Some of the audience were getting seriously silly, and the lead singer joined in by singing standing on the bar before engaging in a little crowd surfing himself. Regardless of all this reckless behaviour, the band were spot on with songs like �No Peace For The Wicked� and �Sell Yourself�. www.myspace.com/cagetheelephant is where they can be found. I began thinking that, if this is what it�s like at 7pm, what�s it gonna be like by half ten? Well, no need to worry; all the surfers moved on to another venue and were replaced by far more stable and responsible folk before The Rushes took to the stage. This London based, keyboard enhanced indie four piece were subdued by comparison, but solid all the same with their very listenable, well performed songs. I particularly enjoyed the last song �Wasted� and you can hear �Stop It� from their new EP �Corners� on www.myspace.com/therushes, and buy it on itunes and amazon. Ladyhawke is from New Zealand and makes a pretty good job of her classic/electro music which mixes 80�s pop with 90�s dance through a rounded electro sound and understated vocals. �Professional Suicide� was a good example of her melodic work and you can download her album �Back Of The Van� for free on www.myspace.com/ladyhawkerock. My evening and day closed with Boy Kill Boy, the Leytonstone indie/pop/rock band that are making a name for themselves in rather larger venues than this. But that�s what the Camden Crawl is all about, right? The have incredibly diverse influences (Prince, Blur, Supergrass to name a few), which is probably why it is so hard to define them. Everytime you think you have them sused, the next song shows another side of them. And they do it all so well. We were all pretty wasted by the time they came on, but they held our attention right to the end with great songs like their new single, �Promises�, �A OK�, which is also single material, and �Suzie�, which you can hear on www.myspace.com/boykillboy, where you can also download their album, �Stars and the Sea�. After a great show and an amazing day, it was time to brave the arctic temperatures out side the pub. Funny, it didn�t seem as cold as it did earlier, wonder why that was. Were you there? What musical gems did you stumble across? tell all in the comments section.

Camden Crawl 2008: Saturday

2008-04-19T17:52:20Z

Camden Crawl 2008 Saturday 19th April By Zarina Raja It was another dreary and over-cast day in London as I tumbled out of Camden Tube station following the reams of people trudging towards various venues in Camden, all tagged by a glittery red wrist band and a stupid hair cut. Day two of the Camden Crawl and I was itching to see a good band. Friday was - although a lot of fun - disappointing in terms of gigs. The choice of bands for Friday was well varied. Most venues had a couple of bands that were definately worth a look. Lykke Li, Make Model, Lady Hawke, Slow Club, Operator Please, Crystal Castles, Ipso Facto, Ida Maria and Does it Offend You, Yeah? would have made for great viewing, but this is easier said than done. It was the astounding queue for Crystal Castles an hour before they were even due to play at the Purple Turtle that has etched a bitter tone to my thoughts on the Camden Crawl. If you brave it and �crawl� Camden, then you are in for a lot of queuing, and if you stay at the same venue all night, which is the sensible thing to do, then you have to put up with the likes of Sam Isaac and The Fratellis. ]]> Day Two 7pm After weaving our way through various day time activities including a gander at the Red Stripe Busking Sessions, a taste of Indie Idle and a couple of Pop quizzes, we were ready to hit the gig circuit again. 7:40 pm Get in line at the Monster Bar to see Dead Kids. 8pm Girl in a funny looking, furry coat bounces up to us and takes a picture of my �geek-sheek� mate for her website. �I work in denim� she says, �I love the fact that you are wearing pale denim and I�m like totally in to cats at the moment,� she coos, pointing at my friend's t-shirt. We swap a bemused look as the girl runs off to harass someone else. 8:05pm We discuss what it might mean for someone to �work� in denim. 8:15pm Leave the queue after missing half of the Dead Kids set and head towards Dingwalls. 8:20pm We sidle down the steps, annoyed at missing Dead Kids but thinking that the move was a good idea. Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, Ida Maria and Crystal Castles are all at Dingwalls tonight. Maybe I will get to see Crystal Castles after all? 8:30pm We see that Drew McConnell from Babyshambles is (or has already) playing with the Jing Jang Jong boys replacing Joe Lean. The queue is f***** huge. 8: 40pm We finally seek shelter in the Electric Ballroom and catch White Lies, a band with a damn good drummer (apparently, as my �geek-sheek� mate pointed out) and an array of Editors inspired songs. They certainly caught the attention of the crowd and managed to fill the echoing venue with their sound. Even with little knowledge of the White Lies, they are still a band that manage to entertain you despite not knowing any of their songs. White Lies steer well clear of predictable Indie like The Wombats, The Enemy, The Kooks and The Fratellis. They lean towards creating a sound not far from Interpol and the Editors and they even have a slight dash of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. 9: 05pm As we try to leave the Electric Ballroom, the doors are rammed shut with desperate fans trying to get in to see The Wombats (hence our quick exit). We are ushered out of a back door for safety reasons � we all know what those Wombats fans are like. 9:15pm The trusty Purple Turtle pulls though for us as we enter, queue free, for our second gig of the night, Sky Larkin. Sky Larkin are an Indie/Rock band from Leeds. The lead singer, Katie, is what Kate Nash would be if she belted her lyrics out over out of a distorted guitar and lost that nice-as-pie, girl-next-door image. The gig didn't blow me away, but it suggested promising things for Sky Larkin. Katie's voice successfully transceneded the battering of guitars resulting in a mixed set of Pop/Indie songs and a few rockier tracks. 10:40pm Buttoned Down Disco at the Koko looks enticing as does Robots in Disguise at Black Cap. Realising the error of our ways by not getting into a big venue early on in the evening, the night comes to a slow end. 11:00pm A girl walks past me and projectile vomits near my boot. Nice. In conclusion, the Camden Crawl is great for catching a few bands, as long as you are not particularly fussed about which bands you see. It is a great way to hear some new music but I guarantee you that you probably won�t see the bands that you set out to see. All in all, we rate the Camden Crawl at 6 � out of 10.

CRAWLER DIARY: It's here

2008-04-18T12:38:29Z

So, the event is sold out, the sky is overcast and we're running late - as uaual. Camden Crawl is about to launch its delightful fury over North London's venues. Last year we came out of the experience with beer stained trainers, lopsided grins and music in our ears. Our Editor waited hours on end to get a front row view of Miss Winehouse at The Dublin Castle and came out of the episode with a permanently stretched bladder. She's now like a camel... only smaller. So, hitch up your skirts, adjust your skinny jeans and get ready to scramble your way into some of the best venues in London, for a sneak peek at some of the best bands of today (and tomorrow). If you missed out on a wrist band, tough luck suckers. Report back here for pics, reviews and quotes from the fans. Operator Please, Chik Budo, Youthmovies, Ida Maria and Natty are on our 'must see' list. The lads from Simple Plan recommended we catch Cage The Elephant too - they've taken a couple of days out of their support slot to take part. Righto, we're off to get those shiny bands and down a few chocolate salty guarana balls at the Spiral Cafe. God's gift to fatigued Entertainment Editors and their cronies. Here's the Friday line-up. Agaskodo Teliverek / The Bad Robots / Blackhole / Bombay Bicycle Club / Chik Budo / Cutting Pink with Knives / Eastern Conference Champions / Esser / Eugene McGuinness / The Fratellis / The Ghost Frequency / Hadouken! / Hatcham Social / In Case Of Fire / JME / The King Blues / Ladyhawke / Lightspeed Champion / Lowline / Lucy and the Caterpillar / Pete Molinari / Natty / The Noisettes / Post War Years / Robyn / Rolo Tomassi / The Rushes / S.C.U.M / Sergeant / Shut Your Eyes And You'll Burst Into Flames / Simone White / SixNationState / Soko / Toddla T / Tronik Youth / Vinny Vinny / Jeremy Warmsley / William / Yoav / Youthmovies See you down there!

CAMDEN CRAWL: Amy Winehouse

2007-04-24T09:35:27Z

Amy Winehouse, The Dublin Castle - 19th April 2007 By Katie Spain It's well past the scheduled time for Amy Winehouse to hit the stage. The crowd's chanting bounces off the walls - "Where's the wino, where's the wino?" The Dublin Castle is full to the gills with Camden Crawl revellers; all keen and a little apprehensive about whether she'll even show up. There's nothing like an evening of suspense in a little North London pub. Earlier, as I lined up to get in, I'd read a report about a gig she'd done today in Bristol. Unsurprisingly, it focussed on her backstage beverage requests. That's the thing about Amy; she's the modern-day jazz chick with enough raw edge and public troubles to make her media's most interesting darling. Why follow pop princesses around when you can hound a semi-slaughtered, dishevelled, loud-mouthed waif with an attitude? Add her even gobbier rock-star mates into the equation and you've got yourself a journo's dream date. That's exactly why we all love her... but let's not forget - the woman has a gut-wrenchingly amazing voice. And tonight, that's what we're here for.]]> Have you seen Amy live in concert? What was it like? Do you have a message for her? Spill the beans in our comments section.

CAMDEN CRAWL : The Electric Ballroom

2007-04-24T09:08:02Z

THE CAMDEN CRAWL : The Electric Ballroom Thursday 19 April By Peter Coulston So here I am, on part two of the music marathon that is the Camden Crawl. Having parted company with my colleague, Katie Spain, who was heading for the Dublin Castle for a heavy session (in more ways than one no doubt) with Amy Winehouse, I prepared myself for the more sober company of Ash. This was one of the earlier starts (6:15pm), which meant that my craving for a burger caused me to miss half the set by Cajun Dance Party, due to there being no food at the venue. What I heard of the band I enjoyed very much, so I must try to catch them again. ]]> Kid Harpoon, who is a bloke, not a band. Let me tell you, this guy had the audience singing and dancing with him from the beginning, with his cheeky songs about rats, reincarnation and, of course, love. Some of the material would not be out of place in a musical and he has such stage presence. He was joined by Kate Nash for one very nice number, and left the audience needing more. Jack Penate is an artist who has progressed through the same circuit as James Morrison and Paulo Nutini this year, though he is very different from both of them. He opened with a bit of �Got My Mojo Working� followed by some good songs, frantically performed. He threw in a ballad and some reggae for good measure and pleased the audience no end. Air Traffic are a piano based indie band from Bournemouth who took their name from the days when they were rehearsing in an abandoned warehouse and the signals from air traffic control nearby kept messing up their amps. They�ve come a long way since then and the amps were certainly working on Thursday. Very competent performance that featured their current material; I particularly liked �I Like That�. So did the punters. It seemed like forever until Ash came on, but they were worth the wait. Now down to three, with Tim Wheeler taking the solos, they covered old and new, including their new single �You Can�t Have It All�, old stuff like �Orpheus� and a new number �Polaris�. They have apparently changed direction a bit, but I can�t say I noticed; then again, I had been living off Marshall Amps since 2pm. Someone on the radio the other night said they sounded like Hawkwind, whoever they are. You old guys; what are you like? On Friday morning I listened to �Meltdown� in its entirety and have to say, it�s not the same without Charlotte Hatherley�s awesome solos. Sorry Tim, but a great set anyway.

CAMDEN CRAWL : The Spread Eagle

2007-04-24T08:43:52Z

The Spread Eagle Thursday 19 April By Peter Coulston Hi everyone, welcome to the Camden Crawl. You read about it on the website; this is the real thing. Despite something of a hassle picking up the tickets, the atmosphere was amazing. I arrived just before midday, and everyone was looking forward to the festivities. By 2:30pm the daytime venues had started their live sets and we opted to begin at the Spread Eagle on Parkway. A big, old fashioned pub opposite the Dublin Castle, it was a nice place to be listening to some acoustic, even if the room it was being played in was a little small and inaccessible. Kat Flint was on stage when we arrived and I heard quite a lot of her songs. She moved from gentle to hard very easily and had a strong voice that carried into the bar area with no problem. No complaints there. ]]> Natalie Ross, who chose to use her sound check as a starter for her set. Her songs were very gutsy with fine guitar support by the lady herself. She was ably assisted on backing vocals by Betty Kane and they both knew how to work an audience. They were with a band called the Renegades until recently and seemed to work mostly in the Surrey area. �Shipwreck� and It�s Easy� were both nice songs and I have no doubt that our paths will cross again. The next act included a huge digerydoo (I bet I�ve misspelt it) in the instrument department, which may or may not have been a factor in our decision to move on to hear some bands at the World�s End. It�s �didgeridoo� by the way (and an all-round amazing instrument) - Ed

CAMDEN CRAWL: Dublin Castle line-up

2007-04-20T13:48:48Z

7.30pm After much deliberation, I decide to head to the Dublin Castle for a night of music in the intimacy of a pub soaked in history. It�s my first Camden Crawl and this is where the event kicked off some ten years ago. It�s a bit of a gamble� I�m not particularly familiar with the first three bands and there�s always a chance that headliner Amy Winehouse won�t turn up. If the tabloids are anything to go by (which they�re not), she�s doing a gig in Birmingham beforehand� and has requested a shed-load of booze. Her crew, however, have been asked to stay sober. This could be very interesting. ]]> Later� The people in front of me can�t decide where to head next. They�re lining up for Winehouse but there�s a good three-hours until she hits the stage. �In that time we could see STACKS of others� they bleat. �Or, we could end up at the end of an even longer line�. They�re playing indecision ping-pong and the rally is exhausting. If they don�t decide soon I�ll do it for them � �Go see NYPC� at least that means I�m four people closer to the door!� Behind me, two men call their friend, �Mate get your arse in a cab and get down here pronto� we�re not gonna wait!� Obviously friendships are made and friendships are broken� if there�s one thing I�ve learnt, it�s to follow your gut instinct and don�t worry about accompanying friends � you�ll only miss out on a band you want to see, and you�ll make random new friends anyway. And� I�m in! Two bands to go before Amy hits the stage and my feet have to endure 3 hours of standing if I�m going to get a spot up the front (and keep it). Intimate gigs with big name artists don�t happen every day� and the jazz vixens� latest gigs sold out quicker than sale items in Primark. This front row spot is mine I tell you� all mine.

CAMDEN CRAWL: The Priscillas

2007-04-20T11:32:23Z

By Katie Spain As we enter the World's End we catch the last song by Mower� the crowd is thick so I struggle to see the guys on stage. There�s no mistaking however, the wall of sound that hits us. Fast, furious and annoyingly addictive� annoying only because we�ve arrived on the tail of what has all the signs of a great set. �I want to sleep with you� rings in my ears and I vow to make an effort to check out their MySpace� any Alt-Rock that gets my feet moving and makes me want to dance rather than tear my hair out is a good thing. Above us, in the �band section� (aka indoor balcony), I catch a glimpse of high heels and the tell-tale movements associated with mascara application. The Priscillas are preparing to hit the stage� it�s time for that first glass of wine - I have a feeling the joints need loosening. ]]>

2007-04-20T11:21:37Z

One of the most difficult things about the Camden Crawl is deciding who to see. The line-up this year is a stonker� so much so, there�s too much talent to choose from. Luckily, we�ve got most of the afternoon to mull it over. Local venues have provided us with enough daytime entertainment to set the mood for the big acts later on. The choices are: The Crescent: Fallout Pre Party Featuring New young Pony Club and live guests The Spread Eagle: Camden Crawl Unplugged Eclectic acoustic performances every hour on the hour Lock 17 Market Bar: I Predict a Pop Quiz Bar Vinyl: Indie Idle Round 1: Demo clash featuring 10 short listed acts from online knock out competition World�s End: Turning Worm Presents �The Good Stuff� � five of the best bands they�ve booked this year. We opt for acoustic... ]]> Natalie Ross as she takes the stage with a fiery redhead songstress. I�m not sure of the mystery partner�s name� maybe Peter�s memory will prove more fruitful. Natalie is like a foxy little earth mother with a hard edge, an impish grin and a funky look. The banter on stage seems to err on nervousness at first but as the gig progresses; it�s evident that this is just Natalie�s quirky way. There�s no feigned sultry and silent musician behaviour here. Miss Ross (or is it Mrs?!) is anything but a wallflower and her rambling between songs reflects an openness with the audience around her. The real talent comes when she sings� I know Peter will write more about this so I won�t steal his show. She�s worth checking out though � that�s what this crawl is all about. Discovering new talent at a rate of knots. The sun soon draws us back into the outside world� not for long though. It�s time for a trip to World�s End. One of the Camden pubs I most frequently end up in. I�m not sure why� stumbling distance from the tube maybe?

CAMDEN CRAWLER: Ticket collection

2007-04-20T10:24:11Z

12.00 noon Whoa... the line-up for the cash machine is huge. Hang on, it's not for the cash machine - it's for wrist band and ticket collection. This is going to be one hell of a wait. At least the sun is shining. This is the first decent chance for some tan action for the year. I've managed to find Seatwave music reviewer Peter Coulston and we speculate about who will play where. People are in good spirits, even the policemen are chatty. "Who are you here to see?" one asks. To be perfectly honest, I still haven't decided. ]]> 1.00pm You have GOT to be joking! We've finally reached the ticket collection point... apparently there are two lines - one for people with tickets and one for the people who need to collect them. I didn't need my card after all and now that I've collected it, I need to go back to the end of the mammoth line I just spent the last 45 minutes in. The poor sods around me have found themselves with the same dilemma. Peter, who already has his wrist band does the gallant thing and waits with me - AGAIN. At least this time we have the programme with us. The CD looks good too... some nice tracks from the participating acts. Like I said, lucky it's a beautiful day. NOTE FOR FRAIDAY PEOPLE: If you're heading to the Crawl today, don't make the same mistake I did. Check that you're in the correct line. It's your beer time at stake.

CAMDEN CRAWL: Day one - the journey

2007-04-20T09:34:51Z

Thursday 10.30am - Bus 98 By Katie Spain And so it begins. As I start my journey towards the not-so dark depths of Camden (the sun is shining its rays out today), I see the stirrings of excitement. Indie kids, rockers, oldies, youngsters and music's elite have dragged their sleepy butts out of bed early today. City workers have called in sick and I bet there's a few high-flying execs who have are giving the office the flick. They're all heading for the Northern Line... and it ain't Morden they've got their sights set on; it's Camden. Yes, home of London�s biggest and most eclectic new-music festival. ]]> I've gone for the bus option today... not by choice, I had to make a mad dash from home, to work and back again. You see, they couldn't send out the last lot of tickets so we have to head to the Electric Ballroom's car park - armed with a print-out and a credit card. yep, you guessed it... I forgot the credit card bit. All is well now though... I'm armed with a map, a rough game plan, the TimeOut Camden Issue (a bit of light reading for what I'm sure will be long line-up endurance marathons), water, lippy (who knows... a run in with a Rock god may await), food and booze dosh, a camera and a liver prepared for battle. I've also packed a realistic attitude; today is going to be long, hard and fast. I'm sure to be disappointed when I don't squeeze in to see the artists I want and I'll be jaw-droppingly surprised when I see someone new. I know full well that I'll have some impossible decisions to make... Koko of the Jazz Cafe? Barfly of the Enterprise? Drink break or no drink break? The Camden Crawlers are boarding the bus now... clad in striped tops, glitter pumps, piercings, tatts, shaggy hair, no hair - you name it. We're all squirming with anticipation - it's 11.30am and wristbands are available at noon. The hard-core and desperate have probably been there since the roosters came out to crow. I�m not sure there even are any roosters in London... most them are probably turning on the spit at 'Krispy Fried Chicken'. You get my drift. As a Camden Crawl first-timer, I'm not sure what to expect. I've been told of mad-dash venue marathons, impromptu parties and new talent spread like a cloak across North London's sweat-soaked back. The most common description tends to be4 a unanimous "One giant piss up". I've vowed not to drink 'til after six. Today's a work day... and my camera skills go from 'crap' to 'dire' in the space of one pint. Then again, Camden Crawl without booze would have to be like Woodstock in the 60s without the cheeky hallucinogenic. We'll see how the afternoon progresses. For now, Chalk Farm is in sight. I've got to make it over Camden Lock and into the safe embrace of the ticket desk. Somehow I think it'll be more like a Rugby scrum than a welcoming hug. Thank gawd I sharpened my talons this morning.

HOT NEWS: Secret guests added!

2007-04-13T09:29:50Z

And you thought it couldn't get any better... Amy Winehouse and Ash have joined the Camden Crawl on Thursday 19th and Biffy Clyro on Friday 20th. We're now officially bursting with excitement... roll out that black carpet Camden, we're a comin'! The only question now is - will Winehouse actually front up?

Babyshambles Secret Show

2007-04-11T15:51:28Z

Quick... this news is hot off the press. We bet Pete Doherty doesn't even know yet! MYSPACE TO HOST BABYSHAMBLES SECRET SHOW AT THE CAMDEN CRAWL Babyshambles are to kick off this year�s Camden Crawl festival with a one-off MySpace Secret Show for a select group of fans on Thursday 19th April. If you ain't a fan... you certainly ain't getting in because only the band�s MySpace friends will be able to gain entry. ]]> www.myspace.com/secretshowsuk, and to the Babyshambles profile at www.myspace.com/babyshamblesofficial, and put both profiles in their MySpace �Top 8� friends. Fans then need to show a print out of their MySpace profile to staff at the Camden Crawl ticket exchange when the pick up their wristband for the festival. Entry is on a first come, first served basis so pack a thermos and be there early. It'll be worth the wait. We were kidding about the thermos bit guys...

Camden Crawl - promo video

2007-04-05T08:34:01Z