Catch Don and Reg’s Age Against The Machine at 229 in Great Portland Street on New Year’s Eve
LOOKING for a ska party, some slow r ‘n b jams, a big old blues jam, a safe space for over 30s looking to party away from the kids, a queer disco, live music, a house rave, a comedian hosted hip-hop night or a whole lot of rock, pop and indie? There’s something for everyone in our New Year’s round-up. Here are our picks:
DECEMBER 30
• TJ Johnson and his band promise to get the party swinging at the 100 Club’s Pre-New Year’s Eve Bash.
NEW YEAR’S EVE
• Seek out your finest fancy dress for Romesh Ranganathan’s podcast-inspired Hip Hop Saved My NYE at Lafayette. Romesh is joined by Jaguar Skills, Martin 2 Smoove, DJ Miss Candy – non-compulsory “dress code”: old school HipHop fancy dress, think chains, Adidas Tracksuits and throwback sneakers … or just dress your best (9.30pm-4am) – photographic ID (driving licence / passport) mandatory.
• Over 30 and looking to party away from the Tik Tok generation? Don and Reg’s Age Against The Machine night has been attracting the dad dancers and slightly more mature crowd in a basement venue for several years. So, bring your ID and join the middling oldies at 229 for a night of indie, souls, disco, rock, ska and the rest from across the decades plus confetti cannon, retro visuals and a big old countdown.
• Wind your way through two floors of hip-hop, r ‘n’b and afrobeat at The Old Queen’s Head this NYE.
• There’s live music, ska, reggae and soul at The Dublin Castle NYE Vintage Ska Party!
• Electrowerkz promises London’s hottest queer disco rave with their House of Trash New Year’s Eve party (9pm-5am).
• Norwegian duo Kream, rising talent Eden Prince, Warboy, Aldanya, Kyle E, Sommé Farris, Hyzteria and Wax Wings lead the NYE celebrations at EGG LDN (9pm-4am).
• Camden Rocks Club DJs will be spinning indie rock hits and more at The Underworld (9pm-4am – last entry 3am).
• Alabama 3, Mr Bruce and Sir Funk join Craig Charles’s Funk & Soul Club at The Forum NYE Spectacular (10pm-4am).
• Jazz Café can be relied on to line up some quality live music with Reuben James, Zebede and special guest TBA and DJs playing late into the night (9pm-4am).
• It says something about David Bowie that the 100 Club can hold an entire Absolute Bowie New Year’s party by only playing tunes from Ziggie himself (8.30pm-1am).
• See in the New Year Blues Kitchen-style with three live sets of classic soul and funk and DJs playing timeless dance floor grooves until 3am. Note: no entry between 11.30pm and 12am so as not to spoil the countdown.
• If disco and house are more your thing, check out The Lucky Club’s NYE Disco Ball where you can dance the night away under the sparkle of giant disco balls – and try your luck with the ice-carved mezcal-luge.
• Martin 2 Smoove returns with the Holler Back 90s vs 00s NYE House Party with Hollerback London resident DJs and special guest at Islington Academy.
• Why choose when you can have Freak Like Me’s hip-hop and r’n b in one room and Propaganda’s indie and alternative hits in the other at Camden Assembly? (9pm-3am)
• Jayda G returns to see out KOKO Electronic’s inaugural year with special guests Dan Shake and Ruby Savage.
• Taking over two floors, White Heat New Year’s Eve Party will fill The Lexington with indie, new wave, post-punk, leftfield pop, new romantic and 80s bangers.
• True house original Maurice Fulton is joined by Sean Johnston (A Love From Outer Space); Deb Grant; Stuart D Alexander; Carl Gosling and The Social DJs for The Social’s NYE party of everything from disco, P-funk, soul, 80s boogie and early rap to left field electronica (8pm-4am).
• It’s all about the pop tunes at Pop Juice NYE where DJs at Electric Ballroom will be playing tunes from the noughties to now plus some throwback classics from the 80s & 90s and possibly further back (9pm-3am).
• Live at The Camden Club Presents: New Year’s Eve with Tony Moore, Hello Amnesia, The Molotovs and Special Guests. 7pm
NEW YEAR’S DAY
• Begin 2023 with a big farewell as, after 21 years, Bugged Out hosts its final all-dayer at The Old Queen’s Head with an epic line-up ft Erol Alkan (Party Mix), Lemmy Ashton, Tayo, Sophie Lloyd, Jonjo Jury, Ben Pistor, Grainger, Flamingo KG, 80s Lunchbox Orchestra & Johnno (with Africa and You’re The Voice readied for the last time).
• Musicians bring your instruments to the Blues Kitchen for the New Year’s Day Blues Jam – you never know what magic will emerge! Free entry, music from 8pm.
• Start the year with a r ‘n’b singalong with Huckie and Tazer’s r ‘n’b slow jams NYD karaoke special at Jazz Café.
• Dancehall London New Year’s Day All White Party – old Skool vs New Skool. Scala, 11pm-5am.
Upcoming gigs:
• JAN 2 – Jon Cleary, Jazz Café
• JAN 4-5 – Art of Noise, Revision, VJ set, Jazz Café
• JAN 5 – Live at The Camden Club ft Lilla Shy + Evey + Pseudonym + Storry
• JAN 7 – Gabrielle Aplin, Union Chapel;
• JAN 8 – Errol Dunkley, Jazz Café;
• JAN 11 – Big Joanie, The Garage;
• JAN 14-15 – Van Morrison, Electric Ballroom.
