All of this weeks Live in London recommendations offer something a bit different, and a straight up kids rave.
Get Down to Shoreditch for Blues and Brass
London's The Blues Kitchen will be welcoming northern 9-piece Hyde Park Brass for you to boogy on down with this Friday. The band combine elements of New Orleans jazz, hip-hop, pop and everything in between, but they'll be joining revellers especially for a night of soul.
Hyde Park Brass fit right in to the Shoreditch scene will surely bring that touch of northern magic to the south. Watch this video of them covering Chaka Khan in preparation:
Classic DR. DRE
We'll admit we didn't really know what to think when we first saw XOYO's offering this week, but now we're convinced. 'An Orchestral Rendition of DR DRE 2001' is something we didn't know we needed.
If you find yourself at a loss this Saturday just know there is a venue celebrating Dre's return to his rap roots. The album is certified 6x platinum and features an incredible array of collaborations. Hopefully this orchestral rendition will encourage new and old listeners to embrace the album's legacy.
A Family Friendly Rave
You did read that correctly. BFLF Vauxhall are opening their doors to ravers of all ages this Saturday in celebration of Mother's Day. It is an afternoon event so the little ones won't be out too late, but they'll hopefully sleep well after a good dance.
DJ Eddy Temple-Morris is set to provide a dance/rock crossover in the LED ceilinged Lightbox, but promises to throw in some acid house, techno, and hip-hop for good measure.
The event is aimed at those with children between the ages of 0-8 and will be providing bubbles, balloons and glitter. There's also a licensed bar for all the parents out there.
Get Funky in Putney
On Saturday night City Funk Orchestra will play at the Half Moon in Putney. This quirky pub-style venue will play host to two of Britain’s most highly acclaimed Soul singers combined with what claims to be "the most exciting and accomplished Funk and Soul outfit in the land". This week punters can enjoy Imanni & Noel McCalla.
Imanni's soulful voice meant she was picked to represent Great Britain in the Eurovision song Contest in 1998 and has since produced several hits including "Where are You and "Freak Like Me".
Country to Country Festival at the 02
From the 9th to the 11th March the country music festival of the season comes to the UK at the 02 arena. Nashville legends such as Sugarland, Tim DeGraw and Faith Hill will all be appearing over the two day country celebration.
Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have been dominating the music charts since the early ‘90s. They began touring together in 1996 on McGraw’s Spontaneous Combustion tour. In 2000 they created the Soul2Soul franchise with their record-breaking “Soul2Soul” tour, becoming that year’s top grossing and most successful U.S. tour. It remains the highest grossing multi-year North American tour in country music history and has now come to the UK.
Words by Alex Goldsmith
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