Croydon club-goers can take a leap into the past on Leap Day later this month, when a new house music night pumps up the volume at a new venue.
Ac-eee-ddd: a new club night is coming to South Croydon later this month
Sick Notes begins a monthly residency at CR1 Bar and Lounge (what used to be the Fratellis Italian restaurant) on South End, where the promoters say you can “immerse yourself in the pulsating rhythms of house music” on the last Thursday of each month, starting on February 29.
“Music aficionados can revel in a night of beats and eats at CR1, igniting the vibrant nightlife scene,” they say.
It will be a welcome addition to the social calendar for Croydon, which has seen so many other much-loved clubs and live music venues wither and close in recent years, even before the dreadful impact of covid.
The promoters of Sick Notes acknowledge the area’s musical heritage, which they say once offered “a rich tapestry of pulsating basslines, infectious rhythms and clubs that have nurtured and exported an array of talent that continues to shape the electronic music landscape… through influential DJs, groundbreaking clubs, and the unique subgenres it birthed” [sic… perhaps they could call it “Sic Notes”?].
They reference, from the late 1980s, pioneering acid house DJs like “Fabio and Carl Cox (before their global acclaim)”, saying that they “honed their skills at clubs like The Clock End and The General Stores, laying the groundwork for Croydon’s house music identity”.
They say, “These spaces pulsated with the raw energy of early house, drawing crowds eager to escape the mundane and lose themselves in the hypnotic grooves.
“As the ’90s arrived, house music in Croydon continued to evolve. Clubs like The Roxy and The Club at The George became breeding grounds for a distinct sound – Croydon’s own brand of tech house. This subgenre, championed by Terry Francis and Liz Edwards of Swag Records, injected a funky, percussive edge into house, paving the way for future bass and UK funky.
Club nights: the late 1980s and 1990s are but a distant memory for some…
“Steve Parry, Rob Playford and The Murphy Brothers rose to prominence, gracing the decks of these hallowed venues and exporting Croydon’s sound across the UK and beyond.
“The turn of the Millennium witnessed a shift in focus, with dubstep emerging from the Croydon underground. Skream, a local lad who worked at Big Apple Records, became a pivotal figure, alongside Benga and Artwork, crafting the genre’s signature wobbly basslines and pulsating rhythms. Though dubstep eventually outgrew its Croydon roots, its origins within the house scene remain undeniable.
“Today, while it might not possess the same level of global recognition as in its heyday, Croydon’s house music scene still thrives, its spirit of innovation and inclusivity remains.”
Sick Notes is over 21s only. Entry is free, and its is open from 6pm to midnight on Thursday, February 29 (and the last Thursday of each month thereafter), where they will provide “a fusion of amapiano, deep, Afro and tech house, meticulously curated to ignite your soul and set the dance floor ablaze”.
Sick Notes’s resident DJs will be Cocoa Chantel, Gem DC and James Damian, plus a selection of guest DJs.
From 6pm, the venue offers half-price wings and burgers and 2-for-1 cocktails. There’s also Beer Bucket Specials…
CR1 is at 27–29 South End, CR0 1BE.
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Full marks to InsideCroydon for promoting this event. After reading this article, we went out for the opening Leap Day Sick Notes, and what a good time we had. Thanks Inside Croydon, thanks to CR1, thanks to James and the Sick Notes crew for making such a happy event. Still buzzing
Oh this is precious! All my preconceptions have been shattered. I thought IC’s hip young followers were into Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, Adele, Taylor Swift and the like. Turns out they’re into ‘eighties stuff. Whatever next for IC’s music scene coverage – Rod Steward and Jools Holland? The mind boggles.
Who is Rod Steward?
Was he the waiter on that cruise ship you were on, where they only ever played Sailing on the PA?
What IS wrong with IC’s speilchecker?- I’ve been complaining about it for years and nothing has been done. Just for the record, I have never been on a cruise. But friends tell me that Sir Rod’s gig in Kingston a few days ago was epic.
Bad workman and tools etc…
For the record, Stewart sold out the day he left the Faces.
“New technology baffles pissed old hack”
I know who you are, as Liam Neeson once famously said …