When The Pogues came to Skehans

Incredible scenes at Skehans pub (Kitto Road SE14) last week when the surprize musical guests turned out to be... The Pogues. Yes I know Pogues singer Shane MacGowan is two year's gone, but this line up included key founding members Spider Stacey and Jem Finer, and some amazing guest musicians including Darragh Lynch from Lankum and Iona Zajac

(photo from Pogues bassist Holly Mullineaux insta)

The event on 10 December 2025 was actually the Christmas party for food pop up Pears for Lunch, founded by food writer and cook Ben Lippett with the party sponsored by Jameson's whiskey. The place was absolutely packed, as you might expect.

(for people who don't know the pub I should point out that it's not one of those pubs with a big back room for gigs etc - the Pogues were right in the public bar)

Save SILO SE8 Studio

Silo SE8 music collective have been operating out of a railway arch in Deptford for many years, but like many other arch users are facing increasing rents following the transfer of railway arches from National Rail to private landlord the Arch Company. Facing a big bill for a backdated rent increase they have launched a crowdfunder to raise funds. They say:

'Silo SE8 Musicians Collective is a non profit organisation that morphed out of the South East London Musicians Collective (SELMC) in the 1980s. Founding members Rabbit and The Balloons are still actively involved in the collective whilst other members have come and gone.

Over the years there has been a fairly consistent membership of about 25 musicians. The collective is run by the members on a voluntary basis and no one is paid a salary. Silo SE8 Musicians Collective offers local musicians a shared studio space in which to practice our instruments, rehearse material and store equipment.

We are active in the local community putting on concerts, reviving the centuries old May Day Jack in the Green Deptford procession and running Skronk, an improvisation night open to all at The Endeavour in Deptford. We have worked with artist Sue Lawes running the “Give us back our Bloomin’ Anchor” campaign and were successful in securing the return of our Deptford High Street landmark.

Silo SE8 members were involved in the organisation of the Fordham Park festivals, as well as performing at them. We have also been involved in Lewisham People’s Day, Deptford X, Deptford Festival, Party in the Park and Lewisham: London Borough of Culture 2022. We have organised benefit shows for Survivors Poetry, ALD Life and MAD Pride. We supported the visit of the MS Stubnitz from Hamburg, Germany where it is now a permanently moored arts venue. Silo SE8 members have performed in all of these.

In 2019 the management of leases of all railway arches in London were transferred from National Rail to a private company. In 2020 that company invoked a rent review as per the lease, for all tenants. They increased the rent “in line with market rates”, which was about double what we had been paying previously. Silo SE8 entered into dialogue with our new landlord requesting a concessionary discount as we are not a commercial entity. These conversations were protracted, partially due to the COVID pandemic. In February 2024 both Silo SE8 and the landlord agreed a new rent at just under a 70% increase. All members are now paying an increased monthly rent. What we did not expect was that this increase would be backdated to the 2020 rent review date, landing us with a £12,200 bill'

You can donate to their crowdfunder here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/silose8

You can also support them by buying compilation albums from their bandcamp: https://silo-se8.bandcamp.com

Last month David Aylward from Silo SE8 presented a special edition of the Bad Punk show on Resonance FM. He talks about its origins in the South East London Musicians Collective (SELMC) operating out of TUC unemployed centre in Catford in the 1980s/early 1990s with gigs at the Lewisham Labour Club and elsewhere. Then on to Music City in New Cross, Mumford Mills and Seagar Distillery in Deptford, and the Merryweather fire engine factory in Greenwich. Most of these places have been lost to successive waves of development, but the railway arch in Resolution Way remains as long as they can pay the rent...

Music in Telegraph Hill Festival 2018

There's already been lots of music in this year's Telegraph Hill Festival, not least last weekend's community production of West Side Story with an all ages cast of 250 and some fantastic singing from the leads including Lucinda Freeburn (playing Maria) and Xavier Starr (playing Tony) - pictured below.

More music to come including:


Friday March 17th

The Commie Faggots and The Four Fathers

'The Commie Faggots and The Four Fathers return to The Telegraph for a night of marvellous music, mayhem and singalong fun. Frustrated by Brexit? Furious with Boris? Singing about it makes you feel so much better! Both political protest bands have had a busy year, appearing together in front of a lorry at The Arms Fair Blockade and a Housing Benefit Gig at The Birds Nest. The Faggots bring anarchic, cross-dressing comedy and cabaret to the political party. The Fathers vent their spleen through punky, folky reggae and rock'

https://thefourfathers.bandcamp.com/
https://www.commiefaggots.com/

The Telegraph, Dennett’s Road, SE14 5LW, 8:00-10:00pm

Saturday March 18th


BRÅK #6 – An Evening of Improvised Music

BRÅK is a regular improvised music night which takes place in Telegraph Hill beer shop waterintobeer, where local improvisers Cath Roberts, Colin Webster and Tom Ward pair with musicians from around the country to create spontaneous compositions. March’s evening is the sixth in the series and features the following pairings: Cath Roberts & Seth Bennett/Tom Ward & John Macedo/Colin Webster & David Birchall

waterintobeer Unit 2, Mantle Court, 209-211 Mantle Road, SE4 2EW, 6:30-10:00pm, £5

St Patrick’s Day at Skehans

Pop along during the day for a free bowl of Irish Stew with Soda Bread (while stocks last). From 9pm The Clarkes will rock the joint in their customary style. It’s going to be a good day, and a lovely evening. Please join us.

Skehans, Kitto Road, 8 pm - FREE

 

Telegraph Hill Sings

An evening of local choirs singing everything from pop to gospel, jazz to protest songs, and classics to soul standards. Participating choirs include The Hasty Nymphs, Trade Winds,  Nunhead Community Choir and Highfield Community Choir

St Catherine’s Church, Doors open at 7:30pm), 8:00-10:00pm £6 (£3)

Wednesday March 21st

Sonic Imperfections

'Sonic Imperfections returns to The Telegraph Hill Festival with another line up of stunning musicians working in the experimental area.

Charles Hayward - This local boy needs no introduction, An endlessly inventive musician who has spent decades at the forefront of the cutting edge music scene. There are simply too many songs, groups, recordings, gigs to mention. This will be a truly special performance.
 

Extext - Renowned Harpist Serafina Steer and singer Catherine Carter bring their improvised Operetta to The Telegraph Hill festival.

Rotten Bliss - Cellist Jasmine Pender plays a unique brand of darkly brooding weird-folk and drones. It is our absolute pleasure to welcome her to The Telegraph Hill Festival.
 

Nostalgia Blocks - Mark Browne (Reeds and Percussion) is one of the most striking improvising musicians working today. Richard Sanderson is fast becoming one of the most influential people in the South East's experimental music scene. A record label owner, a promoter and a musician. Tonight he plays Amplified Melodeon and Electronics in a duo with Mark. Two musicians at the top of their game, expect 100% commitment, invention and a few surprises'.

St Catherine's Church, £8/£4.

Friday March 23rd


The Collective – Local Record Label Error 343 & Friends

'Come listen to the collective which includes record Label Error 343, The Vintage Group, Blakie & Cellar Door amongst others talk about how they are forging their way into the music industry. From the DIY route and the infamous Shed Studio hear all about the label and its first Album Release, to touring and Music Video making and the sheer dedication and determination to follow their creative passion. This event will include visuals and headphone listening on three channels, as well as a chance to get those burning questions answered'

The Hill Station, 8:00-10:30pm £3

Punk Rock Karaoke at The Five Bells

'Back again, but this time at The Five Bells, punk vagabonds My Midlife Crisis provide the adrenalin charged accompaniment for any budding delinquent troubadours.  Join our Punk Rock Karaoke page on Facebook to view latest news and choose your song in advance of the night'

The Five Bells, New Cross Road, SE14 5DJ, 8:30-11:30pm £5 (Venue until 2:00am)

Tickets for events and further details at:

http://telegraphhillfestival.org.uk/

Independent Label Market in Greenwich

This Friday night (May 5th 2017), a free night of music at Greenwich Market:

'Independent Label Market, supported by Sound Performance are excited to announce the launch of their debut Night Market, South of The River at the historical Greenwich Market! As usual we'll be joined by London Brewers' Market providing refreshment from some of your favourite breweries so make sure you don't miss out!

INITIAL LIST OF LABELS & PARTNERS:

!K7 Records

37 Adventures

Accidental Records

Africa Seven

BBE Music

Bella Union

Be With Records

Bit-Phalanx

Bureau B

Cadiz Music

Casbah Records SE10

Discrepant

Earth Recordings

Emotional Response

Far Out Recordings

Fire Records

First Word Records

Gare du Nord

HEAVENLY RECORDINGS

Hospital Records

NXRecords

Pie & Vinyl Records

Recards - The Record Playing Birthday Card

Secretly Group

Slowfoot Records

Sound Performance

squareglass

Strut Records

tapete records

Unit 137

White Peach Records

Wiaiwya

DJs:

6:30 Heavenly

7:30 Profusion (First Word Records)

8:30 Squareglass

9:30 Rising Sun Collective

Brewers:

The Five Points Brewing Company

Partizan Brewing

Orbit Beers

Bullfinch Brewery & Tap Room

The Gipsy Hill Brewing Co.

The London Beer Factory

Canopy Beer Company

The Brockley Brewing Company

Bianca Road Brew Co

Villages'

I have written a short article for the programme on the history of independent labels in South East London, so look out for that.

Deptford Sounds Today

A couple of interesting musical events in Deptford this afternoon/evening (Saturday 19  November):

First up from 5 pm at Vinyl Deptford (cafe/record shop at 4 Tanners Hill),  there's a progamme of 'live experimental, electronic and improvised music presented by Hither Green's foremost underground label Linear Obsessional Recordings'

Line up includes:

UNNAMABLE TRIO - A new trio brought together for this show, featuring Oli Barrett (cello/electronics) who records exquisite, halucinatory drone, noise albums as Petrels, Linear Obsessional boss, Richard Sanderson (amplified melodeon) and the singular Irish electro-acoustic explorer Michael Speers

RODDART (Daniel James Ross- Live Electronics, Jake Stoddart - Trumpet) - 'Mind expanding duo... Expect mutations and instant transformations and transfixions'.

PLASTIGLOMERATE - Thomas Tyler - Tape Loops and Electronics 'dense, tangible structures of sculpted noise

SEAN DOWER (Bow Gamelan/Death Magazine 52/Sonofapup) presents new work exploring "intervention into systems of autogeneration"

JAMES O'SULLIVAN 'Probably the most inventive electric guitarist on the scene at the moment, O'Sullivan comes at the guitar from a new angle, with extended techniques and bricolage, he explores the physical weight of the instruments heritage with dynamism and wit' 

Admission is a suggested donation of £5

Deptford Dub Club

Later at the Duke (125 Creek Road SE8) from 8 pm to 12:30, Deptford Dub Club return with regular DJ Soft Wax joined by guest David Katz: 

'David is an internationally renowned author and broadcaster on all things reggaematic; he’s also a wicked selector. He can be relied upon to present upbeat, up tempo selections for your dancing feet. 

They will be joined by the fabulous Laura Trombone, who will be gracing us with her space echo pedal work again...  joined on clarinet by the accomplished Jas. We will also be enjoying the distinctive vocal stylings of Ras Darun and Ant’one Setondji.

David will have some of his excellent books available at a specally reduced price too, he’ll sign and dedicate them as required' 

Thurston Moore at Goldsmiths

Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore is playing a night of improvised music with David Toop and Tania Chen at Goldsmiths in New Cross next month. The performance on 4 November 2016 takes place in Goldsmiths Great Hall  described by Goldsmiths as 'a place with strong experimental energy'. Well John Cage played there (in 1980) and so did John Cale (in 1963), so I guess so.

Further details here.

117 Lewisham Way Revisited

Ten years ago a rather grand but decaying house at 117 Lewisham Way, near to Goldsmiths College in New Cross, was demolished. The house had an interesting history, including a brief period as home for New Cross synagogue and a space for artists to live and work in. In its last days it was squatted and known as the Elephant House (see full history in previous post here).

At the nearby Lewisham ArtHouse this weeked (Friday - Sunday, 16-18 September) there's an event to celebrate the memory of 117 with films, music and a play linked to the house.

"117oneoneseven" is a devised play from Kyoto-based theatre company BRDG, based on memories of growing up in the house told by a British woman living in Japan.

"Ghost House, Gone House" is a pair of films made in the house before it was demolished, and will be shown side by side accompanied by an improvised soundtrack from the film makers and musicians David Aylward and Tom Scott (who perform as Rabbit). Tom grew up in the house, and he and David used to rehearse there. Others performing on Saturday include Nick Doyne-Ditmas (Bass/Brass) and Adam Bohman (Prepared Strings and Amplified Objects).

full details including tickets at Lewisham ArtHouse site

Test Dept:Redux - Return to New Cross

Test Dept are surely one of the most influential bands to emerge from the local area, starting out in New Cross in the early 1980s (some band members lived at 8 Nettleton Road) and pioneering a politically committed industrial sound. 

In the last couple of years members of the band, who have remained active across musical and other cultural fields, have been involved in a number of events commemorating the  30th anniversary of the miners strike in which the band were very involved - during the strike they played benefits at the Albany in Deptford among other places.  I went to a great event at the Ritzy in Brixton last April which included the band presenting and discussing the film  DS30, a collage documenting that period.

This Saturday September 10th at the Amersham Arms sees a rare live performance:

'An intimate immersion into the Test Dept machine on our return to New Cross, South London with support from Feral Five and DJs providing an eclectic mix of Dub Sub Punk Noise Electro Industrial.

Live:
Test Dept:Redux
Feral Five

DJ
Elena Colombi (NTS Radio)
Amélie Ravalec and Travis Collins (Industrial Soundtrack For The Urban Decay)
Satellitic (Test Dept)
GrayC (Test Dept)

Roof Terrace BBQ Tickets £10 + booking fee available in advance from Eventbrite; £10 or £8 Concession on the door' (facebook details here)

A little while ago I played a set of music from the miners strike at am Agitdisco benefit for Housmans bookshop, and met Paul Jamrozy from Test Dept who was also playing. Here's my mix which of course includes some Test Dept.

Zoe Konez - Bones

Zoe Konez, singer with Cat Bear Tree (featured here previously), has a new solo single out this week. The video for Bones was filmed by Gareth Gray at  Antenna Studios in Crystal Palace (where, among others, Florence and The Machine started out rehearsing).

Camberwell-based Zoe will be launching Bones this Wednesday 20th July at The Green Note, Camden, NW1 7AN with 'A Night Of Musical Collaboration With Guests' including Kimberly Anne, Antonio Lulic and Adrian Roye. 

Telegraph Hill Festival 2016

It's the 22nd annual  Telegraph Hill Festival next month, with more than 120 events taking place from 5 – 20 March 2016 at various venues in the New Cross/Brockley border zone.  You can check out the full programme here, but for now here's a few of the events that caught my ere.

Red and Pink

'Painting & Sound Improvised Performance – audio - visual action - interaction. First meeting of reknowned painter and performer Pauline Amos and English experimental improvising musicians Mark Browne and Richard Sanderson.

PAULINE AMOS - (painting and sounds) Pauline Amos is an internationally renowned artist. She has collaborated with William Orbit, Poppy Jackson and dancer Anna-mi Fredriksson amongst others. She says of her work: “The paintings are documents and a recording of an event that happened - the action, the performance, the life, the improvised and impulsive moment is the work.” Her work is dramatic, her subjects: the female body, feminism, war, global politics, the environment, women, sex and relationships – the human condition.  She has featured on YouTube and bill boards around the UK using her naked painted body to promote democracy.

British improvising musicians Mark Browne (saxophones and collected objects and Richard Sanderson (amplified melodeon and small instruments) have been playing together off and on for some 20 years, including in the quartet Fraction and the trio Browne/Thompson/Sanderson - creating instant and constantly changing music from instruments, objects and debris described as probing, adventurous, and uniquely textured exploration, haunting and fascinating. Together with Amos they will craft a totally immersive show.

This unique collaboration is presented as part of the Telegraph Hill Festival. The evening will include a discussion with Pauline Amos of her work. Admission £5 on the door.

Photos at The Hill Station Cafe

Punk Rock Karaoke

At the Montague Arms on Saturday 19 March, band My Midlife Crisis will be backing various singers having a go at songs from the golden age of punk. As they didn't have any Crass songs on the list, I have gone for 'Boys don't cry'.

Prefab Walking Tour -  Saturday 12 March 12 noon-1.00pm 'Meet at Brockley Station exit, Mantle Road Free but donation to museum funds gratefully received This moderate walk visits post war prefab locations past and present, derelict and inhabited. Finishing at the Ivy House, London’s first community-owned pub. Booking essential, email elisabethblanchet@hotmail.com'

Saint Patrick’s Day (17 March) 8.00pm-11.00pm Skehan’s, Kitto Road (Free) 'Skehans is proud to invite you along for bowl of our delicious Irish Stew with soda bread (while stocks last and daytime only). From 9pm The Clarkes will rock the joint in their customary style'

Trelawney album launch at Montague Arms

'Imagine Scott Walker fronting The Associates and then covering David Bowie’s Cat People, but straight outta  Kernow' (The West Briton)

South London's number one Cornish band Trelawney have been featured at Transpontine before - their song Beast of Blackheath is partly a reference to the crushing of the 1497 Cornish revolt which came to a bloody end in a battle at Deptford Bridge after camping out on the heath.

The band, who hail from Cornwall but now mostly live around New Cross/Brockley and surrounds, have a new album out tomorrow and will be launching it on Saturday 30th January  at the Montague Arms

The album is entitled United Downs. Ben Trelawney, speaking about the album said, “It’s named after a neighbouring village to where I grew up in Cornwall. It used to be a tin mine, or copper mine, I forget, but since I was a child it was the local rubbish dump. This for me conjures up the mood of the album, and the Cornwall that I grew up in. Remnants of its industrial heyday surround you, you can’t escape them. But it’s bleak, it’s run down, and there’s a real beauty in that.”

Check out album preview track What’s the Rush here 

Trelawney launch United Downs at the Montague Arms, 289 Queens Road, SE15  on 30 January. Doors at 7pm, tickets on the door. Support: Fake Teak

Open the Window: soundscapes from South London to the World

For the third Christmas Eve in succession, Hither Green-based experimental/improvisational music label Linear Obsessional has released a compilation based on inviting submissions in line with a chosen theme. This year's premise was simple: 'open your window and record two minutes of what you can hear. Interacting with it live if you wish, or editing and processing the recordings later. From this concept has emerged this 85 track, 2 hour 50 minute compilation of extraordinary recordings from all over the world'.

There are many remarkable recordings on this global smorgasbord of soundscapes,  includes several recorded in South London:

Richard Sanderson - Playing - Hither Green features the Linear Obsessional founder playing melodeon over the sounds of children playing outside.

Anthony Osborne - The Story Of A Panic - Ladywell includes some rather scary sounding crows.

Steven Ball - Go From My Window - New Cross - the traditional folk song sung over the sound of the New Cross rain.

Phil Julian - 3 November 2015 - South Norwood - the familar South London sonic sweep of birdsong and airplanes.

Argument Club - Shipping Forecast - Lewisham - traffic noise and radio sounds.

Chris Jones - Drill_Byt - Peckham - processed drill noise.

Sean Dower - Taxi Argument - Bermondsey - the title says it all.

Neil Gordon​-​Orr - Gellatly Road 1940​/​1915 - New Cross - traffic, drone and the names of people killed in the street in World War Two - 'Gellatly Road is a short but busy street in London SE14. 75 years ago, bombs were landing on it. Recalling memories of those terrible times, the sound of today's traffic - usually annoying -appears vaguely heroic: the victory of the everyday over terror and horror'.

Steve Scutt - Somehow Window - Camberwell

Clare and Arthur Wood - Bedtime Background With Oompa Loompa Song- Lewisham




You can download the album, with  62 page booklet, at Linear Obsessional

Ghostpoet in Nunhead - more Mercury Prize news

Mentioned earlier this week  the nomination of Lewisham's Eska for this year's Mercury Music Prize, alongside Camberwell/Kennington's Florence Welch. Somebody has since pointed me in the direction of Nunhead's Shrunken Head Studios, who noted that another contender, Ghostpoet, recorded his nominated album 'Shedding Skin' there at 40 Nunhead Green

Up from Downstairs

Coming up on Friday 4th September in Deptford, a night of improvisational music and performance featuring Lia Mazzari and Jonas Gustafsson, Bridget Scott (Butoh and traditional Japanese dance), and Rabbit ((David Aylward and Tom Scott-Kendrick). All happening at Vinyl (record shop/cafe/gallery, 4 Tanners Hill, SE8, 7:30 to 9:30 (£5/£3 concessions).

New Cross Independent Label Fair

'Let's celebrate summer and sunshine one of the longest days of the year! On Saturday the 20th of June we're calling out to all you record collectors and music enthusiasts. New Cross Inn transforms for ONE DAY ONLY bringing you a handful of London's finest independent music labels.

Expect a wide variety of musical genres, some of the freshest vinyl LP's, 45's, tapes, CD's, fanzines and exclusive merchandise whilst also getting the chance to chat with the friendly label staff. Guest DJ performances from Dom Servini & Scrimshire (WahWah45's)Tom Central (KeepUp! Records) & Charo (WotNot / HoxtonFM).

Starts 12pm –5pm. Free Entry. Indoors / Outdoor seating for sunshine boozing. Cocktails & Cheap Beer all day. Featuring:

Accidental Records
MïLK
Mukatsuku Records
NXRecords
Rocket Girl
Slowfoot Records
Spotty Vinyl Records
squareglass
Unwork Records
Upset The Rhythm - http://www.upsettherhythm.co.uk/
Wah Wah 45s
WotNot - http://music.wotnot.tv/

After all the daytime excitement, from 7pm twe're putting together a great line up of live music.

Performances from:
Slowcoaches
Tense Men
Gloss Rejection
Ruiners

Follow the link below for more info on the evening event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1591081154482265/

Deptford Nestival

Deptford Nestival - five days/nights of free music at the Birds Nest, Church Street SE8 - starts tomorrow, Thursday 23rd August. I had a quick glance down the line up and spotted highlights including Elephants and Castles on Thursday and Kate Tempest on Monday 27th.

Long Blondes in New Cross 2004

Is it really ten years since the Angular New Cross summer of 2004? Well, yes obviously, but it doesn't seem that long ago that the music press was full of tales of the 'New Cross Scene' (like this one from the NME in May 2004), and then locally-based label Angular Recording Corporation was getting some of the best new bands of the period to play early gigs at the Paradise Bar in New Cross (now the Royal Albert) - Art Brut, Bloc Party, The Violets, The Swear, Vichy Government... good times.

Angular was was founded by two ex-Goldsmiths students - Joe Margetts (who I recall used to work at Toads Mouth Too in Brockley, now the Gantry) and Joe Daniel (who played with The Violets, as well as with the Klaxons for a while). As described at 'As you are', 'Their first release was ‘The New Cross’ compilation album, featuring the first recorded appearances from future stars Bloc Party and the Rough Trade re-released Art Brut track ‘Formed A Band’. This album of local talent went on to win ‘Compilation of the Year 2004’ in NME, and spawn the media hyped ‘New Cross Scene’.. th e label continued to grow, releasing debut singles and EPs by The Long Blondes, Klaxons, The Violets, The Lodger, and These New Puritans. Joe D also found time to coin the joke genre ‘New Rave’ while in Deptford library with Klaxons songwriter Jamie Reynolds'. And of course there was the trig point on Hilly Fields that they christened ARC001.

The Long Blondes hailed from Sheffield,  with their first London gig  being an Angular night at the Windmill in Brixton on 4 June 2004 (supporting The Rakes and The Boyfriends) and their second at the Paradise Bar on Saturday June 12, where Angular were launching their second compilation, 'Rip off your labels'. A quick search of my hard drive, and here's an actual archive email:

From: "angularrecords"  Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 5:07 PM

Subject: [Angular Mailing List] Thanks !

Thanks to all of you who came to 'London Triangulation : An Angular Festival' last week. It was much fun, and a great success... The Angular Fun does not end there. It is the launch party for the next Angular compilation on this Saturday at the Paradise bar in New Cross. Four bands will be playing your your delight: luxembourg, The Long Blondes, The Fucks, and Mark Sampson, and there is a strong possibility of an angular cake and party bags being given away! 

So yes, I was there, and it was good. And the other night I stumbled across footage from that very night on youtube. Here they are playing an early, fairly shambolic version of what was to be their first, great single - Giddy Stratospheres.

The band split up in 2008, with one of their last gigs back in New Cross a the Amersham Arms (Darryl 853 was there)

The Long Blondes at the Paradise Bar in June 2004
-the stage backed on to what is now the front wall of the Royal Albert

Grapes of Wrath Anniversary Party in New Cross

Tomorrow night (Friday 2nd May ) at Cafe Crema they are celebrating the 75th birthday of John Steinbeck;s The Grapes of Wrath 'and also supporting Hope not Hate's campaign against UKIP and the BNP - with a gig and piano jam hoedown. 8 'til late. £3. Please bring tapping toes and antifascist sentiments'. 

Music from Reverand Casy and The Devout Sceptics, at Cafe Crema 306 New Cross Road SE14 6AF. Text 07905 961 876 to book. 

John Steinbeck lived in London in the summer of 1943, working as a war reporter for the New York Herald Tribune (his pieces were later collected in the book 'Once there was a War'). Not sure if he ever came down the New Cross Road though.

Ceri James album launch at the Duke

Ceri James has been a key part of the SE London live music scene for as long as this blog has been going, and over the years we have featured some of his songs here (including 'Blythe Hill Fields', 'Deptford Broadway' and the New Cross cultural history of 'The Real Coffee Shop'). Recently he has playing regularly at the Wickham Arms in Brockley as part of the Wickham Songwriters Circle.

Tomorrow night (Thursday 10 April) he is launching his fourth album, Songs from the Saloon, at the Duke in Deptford, with some good support. Admission is free, with the line up as follows:

- Dai Herbert - start 8pm

- Jimmy Lyons - start 8.20pm

- Dan Raza - start 8.45pm

- Ceri James (Band) and guests 9.10 pm

Further details on facebook

Ceri James - Songs from the Saloon album cover
(photograph taken in the Ivy House)

Skateboards and Sound Systems in Telegraph Hill Festival Final Weekend

[Update Sunday 6th April - because of the wet weather, the SKAM festival has been cancelled, and will be rearranged later in the summer. The Sound System RUMBQ won't be happening in the park either but WILL be taking place indoors instead - in the Narthex building at St Catherine's Church (Kitto Rd, SE14).

A few more days to go in this year's Telegraph Hill Festival, with highlights of the final weekend including open studios, SKAM 3 skate festival in Telegraph Hill Park and alongside the latter Unit 137 Sound System's RUMBQ (the latter two linked events taking part on Sunday 6th April).

Last weekend was very busy in the area around the park. In the upper park, Bark in the Park attracted more than a hundred dogs plus their human companions - think they should call it Woofstock next year. 

Outside the Hill Station Cafe (Kitto Road SE14) there was an old routemaster bus donated by New Cross bus garage emanating strange sounds and hosting events including a performance of New Cross Park Life - a year in the life of Telegraph Hill Park in haiku.

 Nunhead Municipal Museum and Art Gallery displayed some of their fictive treasures outside, including this model of the shark-limbed dancing 'Gellatly Girls'-

Saturday night (29th March) the area outside St Catherine's Church was briefly transformed by Gellatly Motion Pictures with nine projectors simultaneously beaming different films onto sheets suspended from the trees accompanied by music. There were clips from Belle et La Bete, Barbarella, Sweet Charity,  State Fair,  Bullit, and Annie Get Your Gun, among others. The latter was the Hollywood version of the musical performed the previous weekend by the 200 strong cast and crew if the Telegraph Hill Community Show and the film event finished with people singing the show's big number- 'there's no business like show business'.