The spirit of rave is well and truly alive in this city, if you know where to look. And this festive season, our south London tip-off is that you head for a disused 1970s social housing block just behind Brixton Academy.
There you’ll find pop-up cultural space Brixton Bloc, which launches a seasonal Carnival of Colours on Friday 27th November, running through to a New Psychedelia’s Eve event on 31st December.
The month of events, in association with cross-platform music and art collective Noise of Art, draws inspiration from the light art, musical experimentation and avant-garde dance and theatre that pre-figured psychedelia back in 1966.
The events are named after The Beatles first fully electronic song, Carnival of Colour, which was only ever performed once, at what was London’s first ever electronic music festival, held at Camden’s iconic Roundhouse.
The events will include live music, sound pieces, DJ sets, projected art, installations, street art, pop-up restaurants and street food stalls, and a Christmas market.
Horse Meat Disco man Severino kicks things off on the 27th alongside Noise of Art honcho Ben Osborne, and look out for the Acid Test Weekender (10th-14th December), which brings together DJs legends Danny Rampling and Justin Robertson, two key figures in the 1980’s acid house explosion. They were original residents at the music’s early epicentres: Danny at London’s Shoom and Justin at Manchester’s Hacienda. Meanwhile the early Balearic darlings, The Woodentops, will be playing tracks from their seminal Giant LP.
Things culminate on NYE with a mind-expanding bash thoroughly suitable for welcoming in the 50th anniversary of the birth of psychedelic music events proper (with DJs and acts to be revealed shortly).
Time to break out the swirly fluro-gear and head for Brixton’s party hotspot, that claims to be “sort of like that festival tent you heard about but could not find.” Well, now you know where it is, and it only to you ’till Xmas to find it.
143 Stockwell Road, SW9. £5-£15 Thurs-Sat from 5,30pm. Closing times vary, so check the website for full listings info.
