The London Calypso Tent

The annual London Calypso Tent returns on Friday 30th July and runs on every Friday up until the Notting Hill Carnival at the end of August.

The London Calypso Tent has been running for the past 18 years, firstly at The Yaa Centre and now at the Tabernacle. Performing, will be members of the Association of British Calypsonians (ABC), such as The Mighty Tiger, Lord Cloak, Brown Sugar and Giselle. The Groovy Soca Competition is on 20th August and the Monarch Competition takes place on 26th August.

As well as members of the ABC, there will also be appearances from an international calypso artiste from the Caribbean, the Junior Calypso Monarch from Trinidad and Tobago, and the Calypso Monarch from Canada. The final line-up will be confirmed nearer the event.

Carnival Village presents The London Calypso Tent
@ The Tabernacle
34-35 Powis Square, Talbot Road, London, W11 2AY
(020) 7221 9700

www.tabernaclelive.co.uk

Recommended gigs in July & August

Here's a list of some exciting sounding gigs coming up over the next month. Follow the links for more information. I've not seen Manteca or Solomon Burke live in concert before myself, but regular readers of this blog will know that I cannot recommend Mud Morganfield or James Hunter highly enough.

Wednesday 21st July
Mud Morganfield (eldest son of Muddy Waters) live @ The Jazz Cafe
www.jazzcafelive.com

Thursday 22nd - Friday 23rd July
James Hunter live @ Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club
www.ronniescotts.co.uk

Sunday 25th July
Solomon Burke live @ The Jazz Cafe
www.jazzcafelive.com

Friday 20th August
Manteca live @ The 606 Club
www.606club.co.uk

You Are Here: The best places to meet & work in London

When not DJing at The Stag O Lee Club, Ben Olins is working for Herb Lester Associates finding ways for organisations to talk to their customers through books, magazines, pamphlets and broadsides. His latest brain child is this excellent little map of Central London, showing the best venues to meet and work.

Tired of meeting in faceless coffee bars like Caffé Nero and Starbucks, Herb Lester Associates decided to compile a list of places that seemed ideal for a meeting; some chosen for their charm, others for their convenience.

With artwork by Michael Newhouse, You Are Here is a very attractive and useful pocket guide to some of the best places to meet in London: whether for business or pleasure.

Available for just £3 including postage, the map can be bought online from Herb Lester Associates website via Paypal.

I am told that there are more maps in the works too, including an historical one of London's 1960s hotspots.

Find out more from:
http://herblester.com/you-are-here/

The Black Cat club - Sat 10 July

Promising sounding night coming up on Saturday 10th July at intimate new "pop-up" bar, The Silver Bullet, in Finsbury Park.

DJs Dean Chalkley, Si Cheeba and special guest Snowboy promise a mix of rhythm and blues, soul, ska, boogaloo and "other hipster treats".