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In this issue
Cover image
The Fringe...
...the Festival
Martin Rowson
News in Brief
Readers Letters
Park Life
News in Brief
Dissent
Tapas Time
Back to the Fringe
Straight to the Point
Royal Bengal
Handy Contacts
Summertime Blues
Summery Justice
Up the Junction
Books/Poetry
The Factory
Summer Allergies
Farmers Market
The Arts
Away Days
A Royal Visit
Coffee Corner
Surfing N16
Man in North Bank
XWord
View from the Lane
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They say the second time around is never as good as the first. Well, the second N16 Fringe Festival disproved that old adage in triumphant style over the weekend of 13-15 June, with the bars and restaurants of Stoke Newington crammed with merry musos and punters grooving away to the best in contemporary and traditional music
the fringe
Time Out’s listings were virtually devoted to the Fringe on the preceding Wednesday. London’s free newspaper Metro previewed the event on the Friday, giving the Fringe pride of place in its weekend round-up under the heading ‘The master Stoke’ and describing it as ‘a weekend of free gigs steeped in a defiant spirit of making music for the sheer simple love of it…got to be worth a journey on the 73 bus’. And so it proved.
The main venue, The Eye on Stoke Newington High Street,
managed to evict the electricians, builders and decorators moments before it opened, and
by 10pm it was heaving with over 500 people lapping up the sounds of Little Barrie, Garlic
and Duke Spirit. Local favourites – including The Nazarites, Monkey Island and Gin
Palace –filled the new venue again on Saturday night, while top Irish outfit The
Greenbacks flew in for their only UK gig before jetting off to New York to play
CBGB’s. The local flavour continued with Moses and Johnny 4 on Sunday, while Rough
Trade rockers The Toes headlined.
Elsewhere the buzz was just as vibrant. Ryan’s entered into the
spirit of the weekend with a non-stop programme of nearly thirty bands, with A.R.M.O.U.R.,
It’s Jo and Danny and Lincoln producing particularly memorable sets.
The other major venue, the Shillelagh, displayed its usual
maverick and innovative style with Carry On Drinking, the legendary Frank’s Back! and
Tad Da Dub spinning rare ska records in the garden on Saturday afternoon. Ex-Massive
Attack saxophonist Tony Wrafter accompanied the sweet and poignant voice of Katus on the
Sunday afternoon. The Tup also joined the party, putting on a number of bands, led by
Plakka, on the Saturday evening and hosting a short films festival during the day, while
on Sunday Comedy Store regular Angie McEvoy compered a comedy evening at the pub.
The
Vortex was completely sold out for the Fringe/Mean Country night on Friday
when the inimitable Hank Wangford and the Lonesome Cowboys, supported by US trio Mary
Lee’s Corvette, prompted owner David Mossman to question the wisdom of his jazz-only
policy. Hank’s plaintive vocals and melodies – brilliantly aided by guitarist
The Big Man, sounding like a note-perfect cross between Duane Eddy and Mark Knopfler
– sent the crowds home with wide Texan grins on their faces.
Other venues included the Daniel Defoe, with an energetic acoustic guitar
and sax
act; Booth’s, who paraded duo
Short People on the garden steps, entertaining the sun worshippers with their soul and pop
classics for four hours; The Prince, with ex-Van de Graaf Generator
drummer and the haunting flute of Reconnaisance, and acoustic harmonies of Glow; Barracuda,
whose basement featured world-renowned, ex-Soft Machine guitarist John Etheridge duetting
with keyboards man Johnny Miller in a packed, electric atmosphere; Testi,
who kept their diners entertained with top local Turkish vocalist and guitarist Fatma; and
Clicia, whose blend of Turkish, Greek and acoustic melodies drifted onto
Church Street, adding to the festive air with hundreds of people strolling along in the
evening sunshine as Stoke Newington celebrated its cultural and ethnic uniqueness.
The Fringe is fast becoming a special event in the London music and arts scene. Watch out
for next year…
The Fringe Committee is Debs Butler (musical director), David Knight (Auld Shillelagh),
Rab MacWilliam (programme and coordination), Mathew Priest (musical director) and Mike
Roberts (photography and online editor).