London Paper 28

ON THE SCENE: CHANTELLE FIDDY

Banish your hair straighteners, neon jeans or day glow vest. It’s time to get dark up in this bitch (ok, City). This week we need eyeliner and lots of it. Stereotyping aside, It’s still fair to say most people associate clubbing with the banging beats of straight up dance music or more typically commercial sounds. I’m guilty as charged. But there are scores of Londoners who can be found kicking up dust on the dance floor at some of the most (head) banging nights across the capital. If you want it wild and you want it now, then air guitars are where it’s at.

If you’re new to the rock game then a good place to start is Dungaree High, Saturday 16th at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes, WC1. The work of Hustler Squad, who claim to be young, gifted and usually drunk, they’re also a collection of uncompromising promoters and musicians who’ve been involved in nights including Karate Boots, Smell The Glove, Vinyl Tap and Dirtfest. Jaded by a city drowning in ironic haircuts and pretentiousness, they resolved to be shining beacons who’d restore faith in those who’d lost their way. They say to expect “a night of fist-punching, ear-bleeding rock, garage, punk, metal and glam carnage shaken up with mass inebriation and boisterous party action for boys and girls with tight lips and loose morals.” What this means to us novices (yes, I’m guilty as charged), is “the kind of rock ‘n’ roll that leaves you on your knees.” On a typical set expect to hear the likes of Motley Crue, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Thin Lizzy, Billy Idol and Skid Row as well as the best from the class of 2007. Delivering the goods this weekend are guest DJ Nicky Borg (Backyard Babies) and residents Stiletto, Nina and Danne. Lives sets come from Lucifer Star Machine, Love And A .45 and Skin-tight Jaguars. It’s £7 entry and runs from 8pm-3am, but you can check www.myspace.com/hustlersquad for more.

Also paving the rocky road this weekend is Sin City, which takes place most Friday nights at Electric Ballroom, Camden. Spread over three floors is everything from hard rock, metal, ska and punk to the latest brutal riffs and underground sounds. Marilyn Manson, My Chemical Romance, Pantera and System Of The Down can be heard on Level 1 with Level 2 boasting the classics. DJs include Stevie C (Sanctum), Tony Madball (Vanity), Riyad (Wakizashi), Demonic (Santum) Shuff (Decadence) and Vixxxen (Sanctum). If you go to the website www.electric-ballroom.co.uk and take a long a printed version of the listing page, you even get a discount on the £7 entry fee. Given my rant last week about the need for more hoodies, hats and trainers in clubs, I can’t deny how excited I am that punters are advised to dress to depress. I don’t like brushing my hair anyway.

A version of this article appeared in The London Paper (June 2007)