The pictures may have looked dramatic but it takes more than a few flames to stop Camden punters partying. The decadent North London district was ablaze in early February and yet their annual festival is set to go ahead unabashed, and better than ever.
Formerly a one-day affair, the Camden Crawl doubled in size last April and evolves again this time out, moving from midweek to a more punter-friendly Friday and Saturday slot. The stats are pretty much the same as in ’07, with 130 acts appearing at 25 different venues, from tiny pubs to venerable concert halls, but with an outdoor arena pitched into the mix this time too. Only one venue fell foul of the fire: the ravaged Hawley Arms.
Admittedly we don’t know who any of the artists actually are yet, but there are always a few eyebrow-raisingly high-profile acts playing at tiny venues. Last year’s was Amy Winehouse, who played the Dublin Castle pub, stormed off halfway through then was accosted by the usual phalanx of photographers outside.
Also new for this year are an extended series of daytime events, including film screenings, unsigned band competitions and the requisite pub quizzes, which is handy as you’ll need to get there early to start queuing for the sexier gigs. All Crawlers also receive a nice double CD packed with tracks from the various participants.
The Red Stripe Camden Crawl takes place on April 18th – 19th, and we’ve got two pairs of two-day passes to give away if you can answer the following question.
How many acts will be appearing at this year’s Camden Crawl?
