Each presenting their own challenges, not least in coming within days of each other, the Camden Crawl and Carling Live 24 are a double boon for a city that doesn't sleep (well, not much). For £20, the Crawl offers a wristband and a handy CD, which covers all the artists playing at the event. The CD inlay is a comprehensive guide to who's gigging where and when. Bargain! On the other hand, for anything from £6 to £26.50, Carling Live 24 offers a chance to "give 24 hours of your life to music." And to drinking. And, let's face it, to eating enough chocolate to stop you falling asleep! First stop for CL24 is Kaiser Chiefs, kicking off the event at 7pm at Brixton Academy.
After scouting out the VIP bar, we discover it offers two things: 1. A man doing a strange painting. (We don't know why, and the painting is, er, abstract, to say the least.) 2. A total lack of sound. We're out of there like a shot and into the crowd to catch first support act The Pipettes. dulcet harmonies
 | | Polka-dot pop from The Pipettes |
There's already a decent crowd and the Brighton belles are far more comfortably housed here than a week earlier on the poky G-Lounge stage at the Camden Crawl. They have plenty of space for their kitsch dance routines, topped off with their trademark polka-dot pinafores and dulcet harmonies. A grand Brixton stage is an ideal setting for a Pipettes newbie. Latest single Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me gets the biggest crowd reaction, then it's onwards to up-and-coming Londoners Captain. The five-piece show a delicate touch with new single Broke and have that covetable indie essential: a female vocalist. Perked up by The Pipettes, the crowd are itching for some action but unfortunately, Captain aren't the band to do it. They show some upbeat quirk and great potential, but this just isn't their moment. Kaiser Chiefs in comparison have been on a relentless roll since they last graced this stage. They're crowd-pleasers as always and even dish out three new tracks. We think we'd be cheeky to point out that the new tracks are even more derivative than the old ones, so we keep our traps shut and dance - forgetting that we have to be up at 5am tomorrow. Oops. pyjamas and dressing gowns 7am at Camden's Barfly. People slump listlessly on the pavement waiting for the doors to open, perhaps having interpreted Ricky Wilson's words - "This is a 24-hour drinking party!" - too literally. It's a long wait for The Holloways, who naughtily don't appear on stage till 8.15am. Do you know how much more sleep that could've been? The cheeky scamps are kitted out in pyjamas and dressing gowns and go on to deliver possibly the best gig of the whole event. Despite the expected indie flavour, there's a tinge of rockabilly and a smidgen of ska, all helped along by some expert fiddling thanks to Rob Skipper. Co-headliners Larrikin Love quite rightly cite themselves as a bluegrass/punk/reggae blend and should think about stealing The Holloways' Rob and his fiddle full time. It enriches their sound, which is why new single Edwould has us dosie doe-ing our partner while no-one's looking. We'll forgive their awful hair and strange clothes for their sheer brilliance.
 | | BKB go boating and rise to the occasion |
One dodgy sandwich and two crème eggs later, we've split ranks: two of us to board a Thames boat housing a dishy C4 presenter and Boy Kill Boy, and two of us to infiltrate the Islington Academy crowd for Dirty Pretty Things. cameras and cables Boy Kill Boy is ostensibly the better option - a sunny trip down the Thames and an intimate (sober) competition winners-only gig. Being broadcast live on C4, it follows a rather strange pattern, with two runs of Cheaper, a pause for an interview, and an obstacle course of cameras and cables. But a Thames boat is an inspired venue choice and BKB rise to the occasion. Upcoming single Suzie gets everyone singing along, but all of a sudden it's time to disembark at Cadogan pier in Chelsea. While we trek to the Kings Road for a carb-laden lunch, the others are coming to the end of their sojourn in Islington and we pool notes with friend Katie. First up, the 747s (a unique, eclectic vibe and a refreshing way with saucepans - really!) and then to Metro Riots (sporting Mighty Boosh-style haircuts and Zep-style riffery, they lose their way with over-zealous stage antics).
 | | Dirty Pretty Things: an undeniable bond onstage |
Headliners Dirty Pretty Things are a different proposition: a fantastic live act who will perhaps always be seen as torch carriers for The Libertines legacy. That said, there's an undeniable bond visible on stage, albeit through a fug of cigarette smoke. One Libertines tune is almost a given and rescues part of the audience from the edge of consciousness. By this stage in the day's proceedings some people have been going for nearly 20 hours! matching menacing stare While CL24 was the biggest challenge of stamina, the Camden Crawl had been a test of outsmarting the outsmarters. By which we mean we quickly learnt that you had to work out which gig you might get into, and then try to manage it. After a jaunt around most of the 11 participating Camden venues, the sound of a capacity clicker echoing in our ears, we slip into Underworld for 65 Days Of Static (rather like prog by numbers) and fail to see The Fratellis. | "Our marathon stint may have caused inconceivable fatigue, but if you're into music, the mini-festival is the coolest way to do it in London..." | | Shalinee Singh |
Instead we catch the last half of singer/songwriter Paolo Nutini. A sanctimonious blend of Jack Johnson, Jamie Cullum and, dare we say it, James Blunt, he seems oddly placed between The Automatic and The Pipettes. Nevertheless, he pulls off a very cool and calm set. And so it is that we spill out of The Pipettes at the G-Lounge gasping for air. Given that we've been drinking to keep out the cold, the realisation dawns that we can't bear to hear yet another bouncer growl 'One in, one out!' with matching menacing stare. We crawl home from Camden and into our beds for some good ol' hibernating. One clear benefit of The Crawl: we don't have to get up and go to more gigs. But then again, it's only a week till we do the same for CL24.... Our two marathon stints may have brought about inconceivable fatigue, but one thing's for sure, if you're into music, the mini-festival is the coolest way to do it in London. You may not see your favourite bands but you'll definitely come across some new favourites - and with future showcases such as the Wireless Festival, Hyde Park Calling and the City Showcase Music Festival coming up, I need some rest before putting my gig shoes back on...! RELATED LINKS: | 
