Restaurants

Best hip music

The capital's blistering music scene (Buffalo Bar)

Anything organised by Sean McLusky
Promoter McLusky is practically an institution in himself and, although he tends to put on rather too many shows to keep the quality super-high, you can’t fault the man’s enthusiasm for new music. He (with Arthur Baker) was behind the excellent Return to New York night at the Great Eastern Hotel a few years back; he promotes two or three club nights, such as Sonic Mook Experiment, with a nu-rock ’n’ roll emphasis and keeps opening up new venues to live music (the latest is the MacBeth). He still DJs out and about every week and he runs his own label, 1-2-3-4 Records.

Buffalo Bar
Within spitting distance of Highbury & Islington station, this sweaty hipster hangout is situated below the Famous Cock Tavern. It puts on mostly garage rock, no-wave and punk pop bands, with leather-clad rock ’n’ roll lovers Artrocker hosting every Tuesday night.
Buffalo Bar, 259 Upper St, N1 (020 7359 6191) Highbury & Islington tube/rail.
Feature continues

The Klinker
Home(s) of London’s most challenging nights out. Leftfield jazz and odd folk rub up against experimental electronica and underground cinema. You never really know what you’re going to get, or if you’ll necessarily enjoy it, but you’ll definitely leave with something to talk about.
Thursdays at the Ivy House, 40 Stuart Rd, SE15; Fridays at the Black Horse, 37 Wedmore St N19.

The Pigeon Hole
London’s best underground folk club, popular with established names (such as Martin Carthy) and new young alt-folkers (like Findlay Brown). It’s as itinerant as the music it represents, which means it’s never held in the same place twice, but it’s worth making the effort to track down.
See myspace.com/thepigeonholeclub for details.

RoTA
The RoTA session is every Saturday afternoon (4-8pm) at Notting Hill Arts Club. It’s been around for ages and continues to range far and wide musically. An unplugged Johnny Borell played there, back in the day. The music policy is wide open, And it’s free!
Notting Hill Arts Club, 21 Notting Hill Gate, W11 (020 7460 4459) Notting Hill Gate tube.

Upset The Rhythm
They rock! Mostly in an experimental, skronky and noisy stylee. A London promoters’ collective launched in 2003 and ‘run with a sense of fun and a DIY ethic’, dedicated to all things avant and cool in the music world, treating musicians well, and keeping ticket prices low. Plus it runs a record label of the same name.
Visit www.upsettherhythm.co.uk for gig news.