The 2012 Camden Crawl, scheduled for Friday 4th – Sunday 6th May, will be one of Olympic proportion. Upon entering its 11th year, the festival will stretch to three days over the first bank holiday weekend of next year with the addition of its brand new opening night extravaganza hosted on Friday 4th May. Also launching in conjunction with the build up to the 2012 event is the festival’s new bi-weekly club night, VARIETY the same day that early bird weekend tickets for the festival go on sale on 26th October.

As a warm up to the full programme scheduled day and night across the extent of Camden’s infamous stretch of pubs and venues, the Crawl is pleased to announce that an opening night marathon will be held at the area’s historic KOKO venue. The event will feature six live acts including a soon to be announced special guest headliner from 5pm and culminate with a special edition of Club NME until 4am. Tickets for the Friday 4th May event and reduced early bird weekend passes for Camden Crawl will go on sale exclusively through www.thecamdencrawl.com at 9am on Wednesday 26th October. A limited amount of weekend ticket purchases will include the option to attend the festival’s opening night party at KOKO. As always, the full line up for the festival will be announced in early 2012. 

In addition to the Crawl’s renowned live music schedule in the evening, its extensive daytime arts festival showcases cutting-edge independent talent across a variety of disciplines. 2012 events will include comedy, storytelling & spoken word, fringe theatre, a fanzine, poster and record fair, independent film screenings, outdoor live music stages and more. The festival’s interactive events will continue to include pop quizzes, live karaoke and plans are afoot for an ‘alternative pub-Olympics’.

To coincide with next year’s festival launch on 26th October, Camden Crawl unveils the first of its new fortnightly free entry ‘VARIETY’ club. Far from a typical gig night, VARIETY is what it says on the tin. Described by organisers as “four great nights out in one”, Variety is an eclectic assortment of cutting edge comedy, London’s most competitive pop quizzes with guest DJs and a very special live music guest each week. Held at new venue Star of Kings (located next to Kings Place, London, N1), the debut will feature comedy from acclaimed actor and award winning comedian Phil Nichol, Rough Trade Shops legendary pop quiz, Good Girls Gone Bad DJs and guest live performance from acclaimed from Young Legionnaire and Two Wounded Birds.

Location: VARIETY at The Star Of Kings
126 York Way, London N1

Date: Wednesday, 26th October 2011
Entry: FREE ENTRY
6:00pm / 12:00am curfew
Line Up:

Rough Trade Shops Pop Quiz (7pm)
Hosted by Paul Guided Missile, this special edition of North London’s popular quiz features six exciting rounds including Catchphrase, Badly Drawing Boy, Blockbusters and the slightly rubbish live music round plus a multi-pack of crisps goes to the team with the best name.

Tiernan Douieb (8pm)
A professional comedian, qualified small person, honorary beard wearer, beverage heretic, action calligrapher, Tiernan is the compere for the evening. He invented the world’s first ever Twitter Comedy Club and is part of the highly acclaimed London Comedy Improv alongside Rufus Hound, Tara Flynn, Brendan Dempsey and Michael Legge. 

Phil Nichol (8:15pm)
An acclaimed actor, award winning comedian, producer, presenter, writer and musician, Phil Nichol is a truly unique performer. With a surreal edge to his mischievous rantings, his keen sense of fun and eye for the shocking and absurd has cemented his position as one of the best comedians on the circuit today. 

Two Wounded Birds (9pm)
A band with a fervent appreciation of melody and a deep reverence for ‘the song’, Two Wounded Birds have steeped themselves in the defining sounds of the last 60 years. Their new Moshi Moshi single ‘Together Forever’ will be released the week of the gig. This is the sound of well-crafted, timeless pop played by a group of unwavering, romantic, rock and roll obsessives….and they’re from Margate. Awesome! www.twowoundedbirds.com

Young Legionnaire (10pm)
When a band like Young Legionnaire comes along, it’s a reminder that the UK is the originator of pounding riffs, scorching guitars and sensory-grabbing rhythms. Formed by Paul Mullen formerly of yourcodenameis:milo and Gordon Moakes of Bloc Party, the band recently signed to Wichita Recordings to release their debut album, Crisis Works. 

Good Girls Gone Bad DJs (10:45pm)
The Round Our Gaff femme fatales and veteran Camden Crawl DJs, Good Girls Gone Bad blast out sounds from filthy electro to rock to hip hop until curfew. 

The 2012 Camden Crawl programme will feature more than 250 of next year’s brightest music talents from the UK and abroad across Camden Town’s two mile stretch of historic pubs and venues. Curated by a committee of the country’s most influential tastemakers the annual eclectic line up of groundbreaking new music straddles an array of genres alongside major special guests. 

The event kicks off with an opening night party featuring 6 live acts and a special edition of Club NME on Friday 4th May from 5pm at KOKO and full programme runs from midday on Saturday 5th May until the early hours of the following bank holiday Monday. Upon arrival ticket holders will receive an all access wristband (individual venue capacities permitting), programme guide, magazine and download album to help navigate their festival adventures.Line-ups are announced from January 2012 and, as always, venue schedules and surprise guest appearances remain under wraps until the event.

Tickets for the Camden Crawl 2012 go on sale 26th October