The best nights out in London this week
Last Friday, I went on a night out to Phonox and saw Saoirse DJ (who was incredible, by the way). I checked my step count the next day and it was well over 20,000 – an impressive improvement on my embarrassing average of 8,000-ish. Moral of the story? Dancing is a pretty decent workout. If you fancy getting your step count up this week, take a look at Time Out’s pick of the best nights out in London.
The South London Soul Train
Nothing quite compares to live brass – and no, I’m not talking about the hands-over-your-ears amateur squeaky stuff. I’m talking about polished, infectious live brass, the sort that makes your toes curl up and spurs you to consider taking up the trombone as a hobby. Fat Brass – a band of horn players and drummers – play the latter, and they’re performing at Omeara alongside some funk-fuelled vinyl DJs for a night of rare grooves, jazz funk, Motown and soul. You’ll have to get down early to secure one of the 100 on-the-door tickets, but I’d say it’ll be worth the effort.
Omeara, SE1 1TE. Sat Jan 22, 10.30pm-4am. £15.
India Jordan b2b Finn
Two of the most exciting forces in underground electronic music are coming together for a leisurely back-to-back boogie this Saturday. We’ve got India Jordan (they produced that excellent housey track, ‘For You’), and Finn, who’s been up to equally exciting stuff with bangers like ‘Do What You Want Forever’ and ‘Sometimes the Going Gets a Little Tough’. A perfect pair to soundtrack your evening.
NT’s Loft, E8 3RL. Sat Jan 22, 5.30pm-2.30am. Free before 9pm, £3-£8 after.
Exit Records 18th Birthday
For a hefty dose of drum ’n’ bass, head over to Exit Records’ eighteenth birthday party where noteworthy names will be exuding raw warehouse energy from the floor to the ceiling. With sets from iconic bass music personalities like Chimp, Fracture and Dub Phizix, with SP:MC on mic, and the likes of Om Unit and Neil Landstrumm powering room two, this is looking like a landmark sesh that bass heads won’t want to miss.
E1, E1W 2BB. Fri Jan 21, 10pm-6am. From £17.50.
BPM presents Xadi
If you’re after a break from excessive ‘unts unts’, check out this new event series from BPM Music Collective that looks to spotlight emerging artists in the hip hop, R&B, and garage scenes. The first edition on Friday evening will see a live performance from west London rapper Xadi, who’s been making moves with his lo-fi sound and honest, complex lyrics. It’s super intimate, with spaces for only 150 guests, so worth copping a ticket if you want to get up close and personal with some exciting fresh talent.
The Social, W1W 7JD. Fri Jan 21, 7.30pm-midnight. £10-£15.
Percolate presents Oneman
The vibes at Percolate’s parties tend to be next-level, and this night looks no different. Rinse FM’s stellar disc jockey Oneman will be mixing his way through genres like hip hop, UK funky, UKG, grime and dubstep, for a seven-hour set that should shake every cell in your body. Not one to miss.
Pickle Factory, E2 9DU. Fri Jan 21, 11pm-6am. £10-£15.
