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Camden Unlocked: Inside the return of Camden Market's open-air gigs

Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Live music is back in the capital, and even heavy rain, facemasks and the sting of anti-bac in the nostrils couldn’t stop its triumphant first weekend.

Crowds gathered on the steps of Stables Market Amphitheatre for the first of the Camden Unlocked series, with performances from singer-songwriters Miles Kane and Shaun Escoffery on July 25 and 26 respectively. On both drizzly afternoons, there were people wearing masks, standing on green markers to promote social distancing and entering into the spirit of the new Covid-secure age. More were peering over the balconies higher above, drawn like moths to the light, watching people enjoy themselves in a communal space for the first time in months.

For those of us who took part, there was a hint of magic in the air that only live music can summon up. The simple pleasure of being part of a passionate crowd was back, and for a brief moment, it felt like something close to normality. Even the awful British weather couldn’t take away from Miles Kane being the first musician to play an open air, socially-distanced music concert in the UK.

“The weather was a f***ing s*** show,” Kane laughs, telling us about the build-up to his set. “Beforehand, I thought, if one person turns up in this I’ll be honoured. And they did, they stood there in the rain, God bless them. So I’ve got massive respect for them.”

The singer-songwriter admits that there was a certain pride to being the first musician to get out there and play. It’s certainly something he didn’t expect after spending the last four months “watching This Morning and Judge Rinder” and being in the studio “less than you might think”.

“When I agreed to it, I didn’t really think about it being the first official gig back,” he says. “To be the first of anything is cool, but it felt more special afterwards once I’d done it. I thought, ‘Oh, that was a little moment there.’”

The series, set to run on weekends until August 16, was organised soon after the Government authorised outdoor concerts in the UK. There’s also been a Don Letts DJ set, as well as a free performance from Newton Faulkner, with Mae Muller and The Puppini Sisters yet to come.

It was definitely a different feeling when you looked out. It was a sea of masks, but after a couple of tunes you forgot about that

Miles Kane

The performers will probably need a little time to adapt to the new conditions – Kane certainly did. “It was definitely a different feeling when you looked out. It was a sea of masks, but after a couple of tunes you forgot about that,” he said. “I’m the guinea pig really, so there was a slight anxiety about trying something new like this. But you’re only going to find out what it’s like if you do it. I don’t think it could have gone any better really, in terms of the safety aspect.”

Escoffery, too, found it strange at first, taking a few songs to get used to the new environment.

“It is a bit weird. You feed off the reactions of the crowd, normally. Because they were all covered up, you’re thinking to yourself: “Oh God, do they like this?” he laughs. “It was a bit weird but after a while you get used to it. It’s a whole new world. I was happy just to get out on stage and just enjoy it for what it is.”

It was a thrilling moment for everyone to see it come together, especially the people in charge. “I’ve been involved in all sorts of events over the years and when you do it for the first time, that’s the most exciting part,” says music agent and promoter Neil O’Brien, one of the driving forces behind Camden Unlocked. He previously programmed Kew the Music and Greenwich Music Time and set up the new series with XFM founder Sammy Jacob, who now runs NME Radio and Camden station CDNX Radio.

The allure of “making it happen and not knowing quite how it is going to go” was something that drew him to the project, and O’Brien notes most musicians didn’t take much persuading to get playing again after lockdown.

“I talked to quite a lot of artists about doing it, and most of them really wanted to do something,” he says. “They’ve not been performing for four months and they jumped at the chance to play somewhere like Camden Market. It's got real music heritage.”

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

It’s not for everyone – some music fans might be a little nervous to get out and attend events at the moment, and the idea of being encouraged to wear masks might deter others too. “It's not a requirement,” O’Brien says about guests wearing PPE. “It's just we felt it was better if we erred on the side of caution at an event like this, rather than just letting people do whatever they wanted.”

If there’s anywhere that can make events like this work, it’s Camden. Traditionally one of the city’s cultural hubs, it feels like a centre of resurgence in these strange times. Round the corner from the amphitheatre, guests gather on the terrace by Dingwalls, which was recently bought by the music promoter Vince Power – another bold move from a major name in the industry during lockdown.

It’s not just concerts to look out for, either. O’Brien is running the Writing is on the Wall initiative with the Music Venues Trust, helping raise money by putting reproductions of classic gig posters on sale online and from a pop-up in Stables Market.

“To me, putting the poster campaign together was a way of creating a renewed interest for gigs that have happened before. It's keeping people's interest in live music and venues alive.”

After months of hardship, these are all positive signs for the industry. It was recently confirmed that the first chunk of money from the Government’s £1.57 cultural recovery package will be used to save grassroots music venues from closure. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced £2.25 million will go to help around 150 smaller venues across the country from having to close for good, with further grants from Arts Council England also available.

“I’m hoping that this is the new benchmark we can kick on from,” Escoffery adds, speaking about the opportunities for live performance after lockdown. “I’m always optimistic. In my heart I’m thinking things are looking good, and hopefully over the coming months things will keep opening up, even if it’s slowly. As long as small steps are being made, I’ll be happy. If we’re sensible and we can take the right precautions I think we can make it work.”

O’Brien, too, is optimistic. “Hopefully those venues can start to reopen quickly. Even if it's with 100 or 200 people at a time, that could be what makes a real difference,” he says.

“It feels like to me that the middle of autumn is the time when, fingers crossed, we’ll see more activity in terms of live music. I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

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