brixtonbuzz | i a new independent Brixton listings mag FREE! brixton listings: xmas/nye guide bars • clubs • events • gigs 14th dec — 1st Jan 2013 ii | Coming Up In December Wed CODA, Lunatix, ChainSka Brassika 19th Brixton Jamms For Africa! Fri ALAN vs Jungle Syndicate 21st DJ Switch, More Like Trees, Equinox, Andy Skopes Sat Jungle Splash Presents... 22nd Digital Niya Binghi, Nicky Blackmarket, Ragga Twins Wed Congo Natty, Tenor Fly, Reggae Roast 26th Bass Heaven Fri Pete Doherty Live 28th Xmas Acoustic Show Tues Kerfuffle All-Dayer 1st New Years Day Party 2pm - 2am For more info & tickets - ed... www.brixtonjamm.org Just announc NYE Outlaw! Brixton Jamm ull Band 261 Brixton Road Alabama 3 F SW9 6LH Live Set + plenty of Outlaw shenanigans | 1 Photo: Clock tower of The Railway Hotel/Brady's pub, Atlantic Rd. Happy Christmas and welcome Happily, thanks to the enthusiasm and generosity of local businesses, a quick stroll up Coldharbour to the first edition of a new, Lane on a wet Tuesday night saw us managing to independent listings magazine sell all the advertising space we needed to make this for Brixton... issue viable. More ‘pop down the pub’ than ‘pop-up vintage Buoyed by such a positive reaction, we're hoping to lifestyle,’ we’re looking to provide accurate and start producing an extended monthly magazine from comprehensive coverage of Brixton events, while Feb 2013, and include features on local history, gigs doing our best to promote the places that are often and club nights, independent businesses, grassroots ignored elsewhere. campaigns and all the things that make Brixton such a great place to live. BrixtonBuzz was spawned from the non-profit Brixton community site, urban75.com, and we’ve If you'd like to contribute to future issues, please get been providing local listings online for over a year in touch. We're also keen to keep this local and avoid now. With web traffic growing fast, we decided to try getting involved with corporate sponsors, so if you’d out a pocket-sized print version. like to support this venture by advertising with us, please drop us a line. Printing 2,500 copies is a pricey business and as the magazine is entirely self-financed, we originally We’d love to hear what you think about our new feared that rustling up the cash would prove a mag, so please contact us with your ideas, criticism formidable task. and feedback. w brixtonbuzz.com m [email protected] L @brixtonbuzz f brixtonbuzz | 3 Photo: The happiest post box in Brixton, Coldharbour Lane/Somerleyton Road 4 | Best of Brixton: Got something to say about Celebrating south London’s finest... Brixton? Join our discussion boards and get involved! 5 | Local Heroes: Interview with local skiffle superstars, The Severed Limb Our sister site, urban75, has the busiest Brixton forum in the known 6 | Brixton listings: universe, with an active and passionate Twelve pages of clubs, events and gigs community. With over 200,000 posts about Brixton, the discussions cover 20 | The Barrier Block: local news and rumours, local politics, We take a look around a once-notorious Brixton landmark help and advice and, of course, much raging debate about the continuing 22 | Brixton bar, pub & club reviews: gentrification of Brixton. Comprehensive local guide with reviews If you want to be the first with the news about Brixton, this is the place to look!: 24 | Brixton 2012: u75.org/Brixton We take a look back at the big news of the year BrixtonBuzz is created in Brixton by Rich & Mike. No animals were harmed in the making of this magazine, but many beers were slaughtered. Magazine layout and design by Emerald & Mike. All original photos © urban75. A hearty thanks goes out to all the venues who were so quick to commit to advertising with us and making this possible, and even bigger thanks to Emerald for the production of the magazine. We hope to be back with a bigger and shinier BrixtonBuzz magazine in February 2013, but here’s to great Christmas and a wild new year. 4 | Photo: The Brixton Evangelist outside Brixton tube station, 2000 Cafe: Best of Phoenix, Coldharbour Lane. If this place closes, Brixton truly is finished. Brixton Also: Kaff, The Lounge, Cafe Sitifis. Late, late venue: Club 414, Coldharbour Lane Pubs: Apparently open forever on weekends, it’s the place Prince Albert, Coldharbour Lane. to be for the late party crew. Lively, friendly, mixed and often pleasingly random, Also: Brixton Bar & Grill, Queen’s Head. like every proper boozer should be. Also: Duke of Edinburgh, Effra, Grosvenor, Beehive, Most missed: Crown & Anchor, Hand In Hand. Cooltan Arts squat, Coldharbour Lane Now home to the hideous Brixton Square, Cooltan Live music venue: was once the beating heart of Brixton’s anarcho- Windmill, Blenheim Gardens. protest-art scene — and their parties were the stuff Consistently brilliant, down to earth pub venue with of legend! an endless supply of fabulously variable acts. Also: Bradys of Atlantic Rd, George IV, The Queen, Also: Hootanany, Grosvenor, Academy, Effra Tavern. Hamilton Arms. Club: Honourable mentions: JAMM, Brixton Road. Khans curry house, Brixton Station Road street It can be hit and miss but when it’s good,it’s very markets, A&C Deli, Nour cash & carry, the Electric good and well worth the walk up Brixton Road Avenue fruit & veg stalls, and Federation Coffee in Also: Plan B, Dogstar, Electric Social. the Villaaaaaage. * Disagree with our choices? Let's hear yours! Post on BrixtonBuzz.com | 5 Local Heroes Brixton-based contemporary skifflersThe Your favourite place to drink Severed Limb have been wowing the crowds in Brixton... across London - and they’ve already played the Charlie: Ha! There are loads! I’ll stick to pubs. Prince Albert Hall! Here’s some highlights from their Albert. Cheap drinks. Real Brixton. Good live music BrixtonBuzz interview: at the Offline nights. Duke of Edinburgh. Great big garden. Pool table. Creative management (free Your favourite Brixton gig... pasta Mondays, computer games, silent discos etc). Charlie (percussion): The Effra on a Thursday is The Queens Head. Den of iniquity. Real Brixton. Live always good for a fix of top quality Jamaican ska music. The Marquis of Lorne. Quiet old man pub. Pool flavoured jazz. We’re really lucky to be able to table. The Effra. Jamaican pub. Free live jazz. Ginger see such brilliant and illustrious musicians on our beer on tap. The Railway Tavern (Tulse Hill but what doorstep for free. Of course in the Academy, we other blog will they get in?). have the best live music venue in London for bigger bands. I saw Radiohead supporting James which was Your listening suggestions a great example of headliners being upstaged by their for Brixton... support. Seeing Kraftwerk live was fantastic and Charlie: The thing about Brixton is you can hear has to be the highlight. Bobby (vocals and guitar): great live music every night, often for free. Keep I always enjoy the Offline gigs at the Dogstar and going to The Windmill, Hootananny, Mango Landin’, Albert. But yeah, the Effra is incredible for the live The Grosvenor, Upstairs at the Ritzy, The Effra, The Jamaican Jazz. Way better than any Jazz club I’ve ever Railway and all the other venues in and around been to. Brixton and you’re bound to unearth some gems. Bobby: It’s almost like the European capital of Your favourite Brixton musician, reggae. It’s brilliant how you can walk through the band or song... market and hear roots stuff. We’re very lucky. I know Bobby: Linton Kwesi Johnson. Or Diz and the people who come from France who love Jamaican Doormen. Charlie: I’m a big Bowie fan so it’s music and culture and they just love Brixton, because nice to claim him for Brixton. Brixton has a not every country has somewhere like that. disproportionately rich musical heritage and there Charlie: The recent gentrification of Brixton is not are exciting current bands as well. Errol Linton plays responsible for Brixton’s creativity. It’s nice to be able brilliant blues harp and combines Chicago blues with get a decent coffee or a tasty crepe, but Brixton was reggae. Melodica, Melody and Me play beautiful dub a thriving creative hub long before Brixton Village. I tinged folk songs. And Alabama 3 are still ploughing worry that the amazing people who made Brixton the that glorious techno/country/hip hop furrow. You unique and vibrant place it is are being priced out of can hear in these bands’ music that they’re products the area. of Brixton. Bobby: The best song is Guns of Brixton though, obviously! theseveredlimb.co.uk * Read the full interview on BrixtonBuzz.com: tiny.cc/severed 6 | December Brixton listings FRI 14TH DECEMBER 80s, 90s, Electro, Indie, Hip Hop, Pop Christmas Party at The & Party Rock with the Choice Cuts Grosvenor: House Orbital at O2 Academy DJs & friends! 9pm — 2:30am. £3. Brixton: Electro/Dance Slip on some festive baubles and get 7pm — 11pm. £33. Club 414 presents Smash shimmying to DJs Photomachine, Torch-headed electro-dance titans Techno: Acid Techno Mojo Filter, David Agrella, Mark Orbital from the mighty Sevenoaks 11pm-7am, £5 b41am £10 after. James and Sean Gleeson. get ready to illuminate the Academy Dj’s Mobile Dog wash, Proton, Acid with their Everready-powered Steve, Birinight, Artur. The Official Orbital After- noggins. Expect satanic classics Party at Jamm: House, from yesteryear and a new set of Friday Christmas Market, Techno, Electro, Breaks expansive explorations to make Brixton Station Road 9pm — 5am. £10 adv. your weekend go a little bit ‘Wonky’.