With just a few days to go until the Oxjam Brixton takeover, Jonathan Falcone looks forward to a day of music and performance as diverse and exciting as Brixton itself.
This Saturday Brixton will open up many of its most treasured venues to a stampede of bands as selected by local residents and music enthusiasts who become professional promoters for the day. We’ve provided a quick recommendation for each venue, as a humble £10 gets you access to all the venues for the whole day.
The Prince of Wales
Cooly G
Brixton raised songstress Merrissa Campbell built a strong fan base of critics with her debut album, ‘Playin’ Me’, last year, which built on a series of Dub and drum’n’bass EPs and added smooth melodies and sophisticated production. Her sound is the culmination of house, dubstep and soul. Her performance at the Prince of Wales gives will see her playing a venue filled with high calibre house and electronica acts at the central venue for the day. She’ll be joined on the bill by Horsemeat Disco DJ’s and Youth of Killing Joke.
Upstairs At The Ritzy
Mangoseed
The Ritzy puts on the excellent and eclectic vinyl night, C.R.A.T.E.S. So it’s line up for Oxjam Takeover is suitably diverse. Mangoseed are one of the most intriguing bands performing on the day. A trio, they blast an energetic mix that blends rock, reggae and dub, a combination that’s in part the power of Bad Brains and in part the soul of Trojan Records reggae.
Effra Social
Poeticat
Local band Poeticat bring together spoken word and poetry with a powerful mix of world music and urban rhythms. Having received an arts grant the band have held a residency at the Brixton Windmill this year (you can read their guest posts about their residency here), but for Oxjam they make a short journey Brockwell-bound to takeover and add to the liberalisation of the former Conservative Club that is now the superb Effra Social. Poeticat use their residency at the Windmill to try new things, and their Effra performance is sure to be just as unexpected and refreshing.
Psycho Delia
Psycho Delia, aka Dee Plume, aka one half of former indie darlings Robots In Disguise is a restless musical force, and Psycho Delia is her art-pop meets Euro-trash incarnation. As much Chicks On Speed as she is Bikini Kill, Psycho Delia is a punk rock troubadour of the highest calibre and her trashy neon pop will fit perfectly with the Windmill’s dive bar aesthetic and excellent sound system.
DJ Bailey
DJ Bailey is a drum and bass DJ and producer of the highest quality. A former Radio 1Xtra DJ and current Ministry of Sound presenter, he’s worked with the best labels in D’n’B (Full Cycle, Metalheadz, Protechshon). He’ll be bringing his beatz to the always-ready-to-party White Horse. You can find out more about the unique atmosphere at the White Horse in our recent profile of the venue here
Kaff Bar
DJ Shefitza
DJ Shefitza is the queen of the Balkan Beats. Having started in June 2002 with the KoKoLo parties, her set has developed and now includes Electro Swing and buckets of energy. She accordingly arranges nights at Brixton’s home of live world music, the Hootananny. For Oxjam she’ll bring her ferocious mix to the Kaff Bar, where’s she’ll be getting the party in a bill that also includes acrobatics and burlesque.
Commenting on the event, Becky King, Oxjam Takeover Brixton Manager is as excited as anyone involved, “This will be the fourth Oxjam festival in Brixton and promises to be the biggest yet. Brixton has such a rich musical history and a really vibrant music scene so we were spoilt for choice in our line-up; the event is a great way to showcase exciting local talent. We’re expecting to hear everything and anything. There has been a great response so far so it’s shaping up to be a great day and night.”
Advance tickets cost £10 and are available from: http://www.wegottickets.
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