THE CAMDEN CRAWL - HOW ARE THEY COPING AND WHY THE SUGABABES??

THE Post-its are flying all over the place and staff at the Camden Crawl HQ are slowly being buried under a pile of CDs.

We’re only weeks away from one of the biggest events in the music calendar (May 1 and 2) – and with the ever-expanding daytime programme, it’s beginning to give the Edinburgh Festival some serious competition.

There’s the big names: LostProphets, We Are Scientists, Calvin Harris and The Drums. The oldies: Teenage Fanclub, Babybird and Cornershop. The dubious pop choice: Sugababes. The cool- as-ice Dan le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip, The Delays, New Young Pony Club and the most important to me, Camden’s home-grown talent – Akala, Ms Dynamite and Man Like Me.


(Teenage Fanclub, who play this year's Camden Crawl)

The day starts early with impromptu gigs, theatre shows, countless quizzes to tax even the brainiest muso, mind-bending spoken word performances and real comedy from real comedians. On top of all this there’s a series of free events for residents with a street party in Hawley Crescent, and free gigs at the Hawley Arms and the Primrose Chill. There’s also a programme of free live music in four pubs: The Queens, The Lansdowne, The Engineer and the Princess of Wales.

But right now organisers are preoccupied with the Emerging Talent Awards (ETA). And they’ve had a huge task to whittle down 1,000 hopefuls with stars in their eyes to just 45. And now the work begins, picking the eight best bands to play the ETA stage at the Ice Wharf.

Event organiser Chris Jakubiak said: “If the weather’s good we’ll have the doors open. The standard’s been really high, much higher than we’ve anticipated. The prizes are amazing.”

The finalists will be announced on April 12.

Barring Madness’s takeover of Inverness Street last year, this will be the first time the Crawl’s put on an official street party.

Chris said: “There’ll be a road closure in Hawley Crescent, from Kentish Town to Stuckley Place. We’re putting a Red Bull stage at the Kentish Town Road end and the space on the street is licensed to hold 2,000 people. That part of the event is 14-plus and accessible to Crawl wristband holders and also a few local residents will be invited. We’re going to look after everyone.”

So why did they book the Sugababes for the Crawl?

Chris said: “What’s a typical Camden Crawl band? It’s about diversity. They’ve got new material, a new line-up, the show will be very interesting. Very special guests will be announced next month."

Each year there’s the odd surprise gig – last year Graham Coxon played The Spread Eagle and Chris hints there could be more to come: “I’m almost certain that there’ll be something like that, but we never know until close to the time.”

But right now, the Crawl staff are busy turning the cogs.
Chris said: "I’m covered in Post-it notes and I’ve got stacks of CDs I’m
listening to. We’re working late into the night but it’s always an
enjoyable experience."

WEEKLY GOSSIP - CAMDEN CRAWL PICKS, KISS, ROUGH SCIENCE, ROBOT DISASTER AND TWEET OF THE WEEK

ONLY two months to Camden’s answer to the marathon – a prolonged drunken stumble between 40 venues over two days, hell, it’s tougher than the pansy marathon, it’s the Camden Crawl. Get training.
The initial line-up was released this week but the big names are yet to come.

Here’s my pick so far – Sunshine Underground, The Drums, The Delays, Chew Lips, The Hundred in the Hands, Holly Miranda, Eliza Doolittle, Billy Childish, Best Coast, Speech Debelle (because she’s unpredictable) and Jamie Woon. Some from my uni days in there – Cornershop, Babybird and Teenage Fanclub. See the full line-up at www.camden newjournal.com and follow me on twitter @roisingadelrab

• Face paints ready, grandad rockers KISS play the humble 02 Academy Islington on March 2 – make-up guide’s on Wikipedia if you need help. The tickets sold out in seconds and now they're going for hundreds of pounds on eBay.

• Kentish Town’s Rough Science blend music from around the world to give you a wicked and unexpected night, full of Latin rhythms, hip-hop bass and beats with some London lyrical sensibility. (Bull and Gate, March 6).

• Too excited – former Record of the Week boys Robot Disaster play Camden Barfly on Saturday.

• Lightning Strikes the Empire State are ready to launch their first single. See them at the Water Rats on March 2.

• Tweet of the Week goes to @davejoyner in response to news Peckham rapper Giggs has had to cancel his tour – including a date at 02 Academy Islington on March 4 – due to security fears: “Nice of the Feds to help shut down that Giggs tour in case it got all stabby and/or shooty and ting.”