Where it's at...I got two guitars, a djembe and a microphone

Uncovering the covers in Ltown 

So you live in London, want a night of pints, funky-folky cover tunes and don't know where to go? Conundrum! Fear not my local friends, I have some recommends for you.

I'm a firm believer that weekends start on a Thursday night. I mean, it's pretty much the end of the week anyway right? It makes the actual weekend feel longer and Friday's are almost always slack-ish. It just makes good sense.

To commence your Thursday evening festivities, look no further than the magical Poacher's Arms for the fabulous Fairmonts! They are a guitar and djembe duo with some sweet harp and vocals, and a little mando for good measure. Justin and Scotty serve up all sorts of folky-rock goodness for your entertainment pleasure including CCR, The Stones, Dylan, The Band and Wilco (to name a few). 

Wanna funk up your Friday nights? Make your way down to Barney's Lounge (yes, it has an 'inside') and check out a little Samurai Night Fever (formerly The Danslingers)! Justin, Dan and Ryan deliver the groove like nobody's business. Sexy jams, slammin' bass and gorgeous harmonies. What more could you ask for really? If you feel like shakin' your tail feather, or even rockin' the table sway, electric slide down to the Lounge for a fistful of funk. You'll be glad you did. 


Sidebar: In the summertime, when the weather is cooperating, SNF rocks the patio instead from 5ish to 8ish. A little somethin' for everyone. 

Speaking of options, if you're feelin' some 90's nostalgia, The Spoonmen have got you covered (see what I did there). This delightful trio rock the Poach on select Fridays (check listings here) and make you yearn for simpler - pre-internet, mp3, smart phone - times. Scotty, Glenn and Sherk kick out the classics and unplug them, in true 90's fashion. If this wasn't enough, Glenn bears an uncanny resemblance to my fave low-fi indie rocker Lou Barlow (Sebadoh, Folk Implosion, Dinosaur Jr), so that in itself is worth checking out. This may be the only reason I forgive him for covering Banditos. 

If that wasn't enough Friday night goodness, check out Rock'n'Roll monthly at Scot's Corner for some straight up jams. Scotty even breaks out the kit for this one, Danny gets all Manzarek on the keys, with Pat and Clay providing the sweet sweet solos. Ten minute renditions of Grapevine and Blue Sky, ohhhh yes, it's enough to make my hippie heart skip a beat. 

Missed the Fairmonts on Thursday? Not to worry. Saturday nights they're rockin' Barney's Lounge 'til Scotty's hair turns grey. This venue lends itself to dance floor groovin' quite nicely, and I highly recommend it. 

I hope this has been a helpful tool to guide your 'nothing to do' weekends into something fabulous to do. As always, thanks for reading and supporting local music!

PeaceandLove,Jdub