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March 29, 2007
Catching Up with Daily Blogging
Actually I have no intention of catching up with daily blogging, not ever; assume that if I miss a day I'm just off having a good time.
Last night we popped into The Elk in the Woods in Camden Passage for a quickish meal. On the whole, I prefer my gastropubs a little bit more like pubs and with slightly cheaper gastro, though there are reasonably priced meals here. My venison was really very tasty, and I adored the slightly toasted bread with parmesan oil that we had to start. But, honestly. Gastropubs ought to be required to serve good beer.
As, for that matter, should folk clubs. No real ale at the Magpie's Nest a monthly club in Islington that has been going a year and attracts an astonishing Grim Up North London crowd of slightly grungy 20 and 30 somethings. It's careful to advertise itself as nufolk, though the acts seem pretty consistent with any other club to me. Doors 7:30 with floor spots (being Islington, these are described as an open mic) followed by support and main act. Some seats and some standing, including sitting on the floor at the front for latecomers. The room is a lovely large upstairs pub room with a good sized stage and sofas.
The club is run slightly shambolically by a young folksinger called Sam, who has a fine voice and whose singing is far more trad than he lets on to his trendy crowd. However, his sense of timekeeping is that of someone who doesn't have to get to work on Thursday morning. Result was that by the time the very wonderful Faustus (Paul Sartin, Saul Rose, Benji Kirkpatrick) arrived on stage at 11pm, many people had already left. We very luckily got a lift back to Walthamstow, which probably saved our bacon in terms of this morning.
However, a splendid open mic with a very good mix of musical styles, a band I've wanted to see for ages, and lively support from the Groanbox Boys, all for six quid. Or three quid if you volunteer for a floorspot, for all that Sam couldn't actually fit me in. We'll be back next month. And the Groanbox Boys had a lagerphone! I've never seen one in the flesh before.
Posted by Alison Scott at March 29, 2007 09:13 PM