Dozens of bars, caf?s, clubs and restaurants are situated in Soho and
Covent Garden; the best way to explore is to cruise around on foot,
although a few venues stand out. Bar Rumba ,
one of the best dance clubs in town, plays host to a series of
excellent one-nighters: Monday has jazz, funk and drum ‘n’ bass;
Tuesday, Latin; it’s deep house on Wednesday; drum ‘n’ bass on
Thursday; New Skool beats on Friday; and garage on Saturday. Each night
is among the best of its type. Equally popular is The Wag , a
stylish club on three floors that similarly plays host to a wide
variety of music. Midweek sees indie-rock nights; Friday, an ’80s retro
session; while ‘Blow Up’ is one of the best parties around on Saturday,
a night that takes its inspiration from ’60s soul and pop, but that
plays all kinds of ‘lounge’ tunes and big beat too.
The Velvet Room ,
on Charing Cross Road, is a luxuriously appointed ‘club bar’ that also
hosts an excellent drum ‘n’ bass Wednesday-nighter (‘Swerve’) and a
great techno and deep house night on Thursdays (‘Ultimate BASE’).
Stylish ‘club’ clothes should normally guarantee admission. Nearby,
opposite the Centrepoint building, is LA2 , home to ‘Carwash’ on
Saturdays, the best disco night in town but one for which you must
dress the part (ie like an extra from Saturday Night Fever).
July 30, 2010
Soho & Covent Garden clubs
July 23, 2010
Martin Sexton
Sexton’s constant touring and dynamic live show is starting to win him a highly devoted core of fans, and his dramatic, funny and lovingly crafted folk-rock songs deserve it. Like most of his recordings, his most recent album ‘Wonder Bar’ is a hit-and-miss affair, but live he sets the songs afire with a voice that is unmatched in contemporary pop and that’s part of his appeal. Once you hear him sing, you want to repeat the pleasure over and over.
March 8, 2010
March 2, 2010
Patrick McMullan
Budapest’s resident Irish musician Patrick McMullan has been drawing crowds in local venues for years with his band, the Irish Rovers of Budapest. McMullan has also cut a solo album, ‘Down and Out in Belfast and Budapest’. His music features traditional arrangements of old Irish tunes, as well as his own compositions inspired by Irish folk. While the Rovers sometimes strayed toward a rock sound, McMullan’s solo act seems more likely to please folk purists.
