Camden Town

Camden Town has always been a bit scruffy, a bit noisy and a bit cool, much like the people you will find there.
It has been a centre of alternative culture since the early 1960s, when playwright Arnold Wesker established an arts centre, called Centre 42, at the Roundhouse, which at the time was an old Victorian train-repair shed.

Today it is one of the busiest street markets in Europe and the location of London’s alternative music, fashion and media scenes. It has the UK’s most fashionable small scale live music venues and an endless parade of bars and restaurants as well as some of the city’s best nightclubs.

Camden Market

Camden Market is actually 6 different markets connected together along Chalk Farm Road, with Camden Town Underground Station at one end and Chalk Farm Underground Station at the other.

The markets are called Camden Stables, Camden Lock, Camden Canal, Camden Buck Street, Inverness Street and Main Street. They are a mixture of open-air and enclosed markets and each one has its own individuality and style.

This is not the kind of place you would go to buy yourself the latest pair of designer shoes, it’s flavours are usually quite alternative with shops selling unique fashion, jewellery, art, crafts, music and furniture. It is also where you will find the latest in fetish wear, tattoo art and body piercing.

All of this makes Camden a favourite destination for Britain’s many Goths and Punks as-well as the 1000s of other people who flock to Camden on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year. You’ll find them wearing their tight leather trousers and looking miserable over a pint in the Devonshire Tavern on Kentish Town Road.

Running through the middle of Camden Market is Regent’s Canal; the bridge that runs over the canal is where you will see Camden Lock. From here you can catch a boat ride up towards Regent’s Park and London Zoo, alternatively you can save your money and walk along the towpath instead.

Music fans might be interested to know that this is also where MTV’s London studios are located, so if you are lucky you might spot a few pop stars.

Live Music

All struggling British bands attempt to get to play in one of Camden’s live music venues, where they dream of being snapped up by one of the many record companies who have their offices here. The different venues have all hosted a handful of musicians who went on to become internationally famous and about another 500,000 who didn’t.

This is all part of Camden’s unique charm and character and anyone who ever loved loud music needs to head out to see a band or two while they are here. Here’s a list of venues worth visiting for a look, you probably won’t know the name of the bands that are playing, but that is kind of the point in Camden. Bring ear plugs.

Barfly (49 Chalk Farm Road, London NW1) is a slightly pretentious indie venue. The atmosphere is usually great which makes up for the expensive drinks; bands that play here usually think that they’re on the cusp of greatness, thanks to slick marketing by the venue, and generally this place has played host to some really famous acts.

Underworld (174 Camden High Street, London NW1) is underneath the World’s End pub, one of the area’s oldest and biggest bars. Many great bands have played here down the years including Radiohead, Foo Fighters and Soundgarden; it’s a favourite place for established acts to put on secret warm up gigs before a tour and remains an established Camden institution.

The Dublin Castle (94 Parkway London NW1) is a pub with a tiny music venue crammed into the back of it. But don’t be fooled by the scruffy appearance, this place has been the springboard for many a great band and still provides a great atmosphere at weekends.

There are other less established places opening and closing all the time, so if you are walking along and see something that looks interesting by all means go and investigate. That’s the great thing about Camden, you just never know...

Clubs

There are some big clubs in Camden that host different events throughout the week, as club nights change regularly it is worth contacting the venue yourself to find what’s on, but here are the details.

Electric Ballroom (184 Camden High Street NW1) – Usually the venue of Goth club Sin City, it’s a great little club with some real character. Huge crowds at the weekend however mean that getting there early is a must.

Koko (1a Camden High Street NW1) - This used to be called the Camden Palace and dates back to the middle of the 19th century when it was a popular music hall. It now hosts some of London’s most popular club nights with a heavy preference for indie music.

Jazz Cafe (Camden Town NW1) – This is a slightly different venue for Camden; it’s painted white instead of black and plays host to Latin, soul, funk and hip hop acts. It’s also an excellent live music venue that puts on gigs by some of the world’s leading artists. If that’s your kind of music then this is definitely the place for you.

Camden remains one of London’s many centres for art, media, fashion and music; a place of individual character and unique people, any trip to London is incomplete unless you have taken a bit of time to have a look around this part of town.
 
John HIllman