Notting Hill Carnival 2023

[ska invita]

Eyes on the weather forecast right now

thinking to mix it up this year and give some sounds ive never checked before a try - round here basically

 

[Numbers]

Missing it this year
We’ll be on a beach in Greece instead
I will bring a Minirig and bust some choons tho’.

Last year was the best for me in years, I went on my own so only had to think of myself.

Enjoy.

 

[klang]

Eyes on the weather forecast right now

thinking to mix it up this year and give some sounds ive never checked before a try - round here basically

View attachment 387467

Bare in mind this is the busiest area....too much for me. Think I'll stick with the usual Aba - Gladdy shuffle, if i go.

 

[klang]

https://ra.co/events/1756687

Just sticking this here

 

[ska invita]

Solution Sound carnival playlist on Spotify

Solution Sound System NHC 2023

Playlist · Solution Sound System · 20 items · 24 likes

ymlps7.com

my original free Spotify account is basically blocked these days, cant justify paying for it as I dont use it (and its expensive)...am very curious to read the tracklist though!
If anyone can do a screengrab Id appreciate it

 

[Sweet FA]

Solution Sound carnival playlist on Spotify

Solution Sound System NHC 2023

Playlist · Solution Sound System · 20 items · 24 likes

ymlps7.com

my original free Spotify account is basically blocked these days, cant justify paying for it as I dont use it (and its expensive)...am very curious to read the tracklist though!
If anyone can do a screengrab Id appreciate it

 

[danski]

Solution Sound carnival playlist on Spotify

Solution Sound System NHC 2023

Playlist · Solution Sound System · 20 items · 24 likes

ymlps7.com

my original free Spotify account is basically blocked these days, cant justify paying for it as I dont use it (and its expensive)...am very curious to read the tracklist though!
If anyone can do a screengrab Id appreciate it

 

[danski]

View attachment 388396

Oh, lah di dah, Mr one-screenshot-not fumbling-with-yer-phone-in-bed

 

[rutabowa]

Eyes on the weather forecast right now

thinking to mix it up this year and give some sounds ive never checked before a try - round here basically

View attachment 387467

that is my usual (well I haven't been for a few years) territory, but I'm going to gladdy wax end this time as we hosted him a few months ago... what is the best station/route to get there? kensal rise and then walk is it?

 

[Sweet FA]

Oh, lah di dah, Mr one-screenshot-not fumbling-with-yer-phone-in-bed

I did have a little snigger to myself seeing your post after having screenshat 3 times and thinking 'there must be a way of making the screen size smaller'...

 

[ska invita]

that is my usual (well I haven't been for a few years) territory, but I'm going to gladdy wax end this time as we hosted him a few months ago... what is the best station/route to get there? kensal rise and then walk is it?

depends on the time of day but for me its kensal rise for aba shanti and the northern end sounds, but everything else including Gladdy Wax surprisingly easy from notting hill or even bayswater, though IIRC you have to be on the circle or district line as Central line doesnt stop at NH.

Top Tip never go to Westbourne Park tube as in my experience there were road closures and you get stuck on the main carnival procession route

thanks for the screengrabs!!

 

[rutabowa]

depends on the time of day but for me its kensal rise for aba shanti and the northern end sounds, but everything else including Gladdy Wax surprisingly easy from notting hill or better still bayswater, though IIRC you have to be on the circle or district line as Central line doesnt stop at NH.

Top Tip never go to Westbourne Park tube as in my experience there were road closures and you get stuck on the main carnival procession route

thanks for the screengrabs!!

I've always got off at westbourne park every time I've been to carnival and never ever got blocked in or stuck on the procession! It is def the one you want to get off at if you want Channel 1 etc.

 

[rutabowa]

(Channel 1 seems to have a habit of not starting playing till about 4pm on Sunday the last few years)

 

[klang]

that is my usual (well I haven't been for a few years) territory, but I'm going to gladdy wax end this time as we hosted him a few months ago... what is the best station/route to get there? kensal rise and then walk is it?

Love Gladdy's spot. Might see you there.
I'd Kensal.
But I usually cycle to Carnival....easiest way in and out, and I can't be asked with party crowds on trains.

 

[ska invita]

what i find with coming from kensal rise is this bit with the red arrows can be a horrible pinched roadbloack as thats the carnival route bottlenecked...if you turn towards aba etc at the rows (green arrows) its okay, but heading south can be hard

 

[klang]

Yes, I'd avoid the red arrows but go via Abas (or the Teletubby Park) towards Trellic and then head down Golborne.
I like the Kensal approach as walking down towards Harrow Road is sort of downhill and I can see / smell / hear the carnival getting closer and closer.

But if people prefer to come in another way I'm cool with that, just about

 

[ska invita]

Yes, I'd avoid the red arrows but go via Abas (or the Teletubby Park) towards Trellic and then head down Golborne.
I like the Kensal approach as walking down towards Harrow Road is sort of downhill and I can see / smell / hear the carnival getting closer and closer.

But if people prefer to come in another way I'm cool with that, just about

Do you mean cross the bridge where it says Maramia Cafe on the map?

 

[ska invita]

Something I've long thought would be nice is to walk along the canal in/out...

 

[klang]

Do you mean cross the bridge where it says Maramia Cafe on the map?

exactly. That bridge is a good spot for catching a bit of the float too. Slightly elevated, room to breathe, yet in the middle of a crowd. Great sound and backdrop too, not too echo-y, in front of Trellic

 

[klang]

Something I've long thought would be nice is to walk along the canal in/out...

I cycle along the canal from / via little venice.

 

[klang]

Maramia Cafe

on non-carnival days it's a cozy little Palestinian cafe with cheap and very tasty food, btw.

 

[ska invita]

exactly. That bridge is a good spot for catching a bit of the float too. Slightly elevated, room to breathe, yet in the middle of a crowd. Great sound and backdrop too, not too echo-y, in front of Trellic

Ah great , in that case yeah I think you're right that that is the best for gladdy wax then.
I don't think I've ever crossed that bridge.... Am curious now, need to Street view it later

 

[ska invita]

This is the official Google map with sounds

NHC2023 – Google My Maps

NHC2023

www.google.com

Any idea what the blue lines signify? I thought maybe road closures but that doesn't make sense

ETA: Traders / food etc

 

[ohmyliver]

I'm going on the Monday, rather than my usual Sunday. I really want to have a bit of a dance* at Sir Lloyd's as it will be Shy FX and friends. I can't see a line up this year for that. Which might be a sign of big names, or internet searching failure.

I normally head up from the south, but I'm very tempted to enter carnival from the north and make my way south via Aba/Gladdywax.

*crowd crush permitting

 

[ska invita]

I'm going on the Monday, rather than my usual Sunday. I really want to have a bit of a dance* at Sir Lloyd's as it will be Shy FX and friends. I can't see a line up this year for that. Which might be a sign of big names, or internet searching failure.

I normally head up from the south, but I'm very tempted to enter carnival from the north and make my way south via Aba/Gladdywax.

*crowd crush permitting

If you come across that line up please share

 

[ohmyliver]

If you come across that line up please share

Of course. He’s been playing alongside people like Sherelle in recent months.

crosses fingers

 

[ska invita]

More warm up mix with tracklist

Listen to our guest Channel One Soundsystem mix ahead of Notting Hill Carnival

Mikey Dread joins us for a special guest mix centred around the Down In The Dub Vaults compilation and Channel One's vaults.

thevinylfactory.com

 

[mango5]

This is my preferred carnival celebration these days... In the presence of royalty
ACASA CALYPSO TENT Season 2023 — The Tabernacle the coronation is this evening, BTW.

 

[ska invita]

a couple of really great posts from Tom Vague about carnival here, the first one going back over years in the decade-format of our album threads

Notting Hill Carnival 1973-1983-1993-2003-2013-2023. In 1973 the first Westway trust director Anthony Perry called a public meeting about the future of the Carnival in the Westway Theatre, at which Rhaune Laslett’s successor, Leslie Palmer, arrived on the scene. Palmer came up with the plan to expand the hippy festival into the modern Caribbean Notting Hill Carnival and Perry set him up in an office on Acklam Road. Under the administration of Les Palmer, the Notting Hill People’s Carnival turned into ‘an urban festival of black music incorporating all aspects of Trinidad’s Carnival.’ Palmer established the blueprint of the modern Carnival, getting sponsorship, recruiting more steel bands, reggae groups and sound-systems, introducing generators and extending the route. The ‘Carnival ’73 Mas in the Ghetto’ consisted of a festival on Portobello Green, 6 steel bands including Ebony, 6 mas bands including the Ladbroke Grove Jailbirds on Remand, 6 sound-systems and 6 funk/Afro bands including Black Slate.

In 1983 Viv Goldman reported pre-Carnival tension brewing: ‘among problem professionals, who’ve been hanging around on the street corner outside the Apollo pub, closed for months, that used to be a happening centre for all forms of social exchange, till Bass Charrington closed it down after too many horra shocka stories in the Sunday Nasty. They watch the police going by in 2s like the animals in the ark, at 5-minute intervals, cursing them and sucking their teeth in annoyance, vowing vengeance for this hampering of their street sales, come Carnival.” 1983 turned out to be the most commercial yet, with body-popping, baseball caps, tracksuits and trainers succeeding skanking, dreadlocks and combat gear, and: ‘police this year picked for their wimpish manner, with beards whenever possible.’ Nevertheless, when Emotion sound-system outside the Apollo shut down on the Monday night, there was another riot.

Aswad were recorded ‘Live and Direct’ from the 1983 Carnival in Meanwhile Gardens alongside the canal. Wikipedia has 1982 but it’s got recorded in 1983 on the album. On Portobello Green, Rip Rig & Panic, featuring Andrea Oliver and Neneh Cherry, played their last gig, filmed by JB of the Portobello Film Festival. As rap first challenged reggae’s Carnival dominance, Viv Goldman compared Ladbroke Grove and Acklam Road with ‘Brooklyn and the Bronx, home of rap’, noting that: ‘Intergalactic Sound under the Westway by the footbridge over the railway track felt like New York’s Paradise Garage.’ At this point though, reggae still held sway: ‘All down Acklam Road, Jah Love Sound and Shaka reverberated the Westway with roots, amidst stalls bedecked with icons of Marcus G and Selassie I.’

Before the 1993 Carnival a crack dealer was shot 8 times on All Saints Road in a yardie gang feud, causing ‘Crack War Shooting’ and ‘Arming Police is what we need’ headlines in the local press. Another Carnival riot was predicted after ragga riots at Hammersmith Palais but 1993 turned out to be the most peaceful since the early 70s. Although ragga was considered to be reggae’s more violent younger cousin, the only culture clash it caused on the streets was of garish lycra and customised denim.

In 2003 Amy Winehouse appeared on All Saints Road for the Time Out Carnival Guide cover photo shoot. Shortly after signing to Island and a showcase appearance at the Cobden Club on Kensal Road, during the 2003 Carnival she appeared at the Mastermind sound-system on Canal Way off Ladbroke Grove. So Solid Crew were under Trellick Tower on the cover of the Time Out Carnival issue; inside Ben Watt of Everything but the Girl was pictured on the roof of Westbourne Studios. Sharleen Spiteri of Texas’s ‘Carnival Girl’ video was shot on Portobello Road at the Tavistock Road junction with prop rubbish before the Carnival. The Station bar on Bramley Road hosted a Dub Pistols v Leftfield sound-system Carnival clash. As the new, Council-friendly London Notting Hill Carnival Ltd group was accused, not only by the former chair Claire Holder, of selling out to corporate sponsorship, the attendance figures were down and the crime level was average.

In 2013 the Notting Hill Carnival Pioneers community festival was launched by the 1973 Carnival organiser Les Palmer, at Portobello Green and the Inn on the Green under the Westway featuring the 1973 Mas in the Ghetto film by Anthony Perry. The 2013 Carnival itself was a washout; the arrests total was the lowest and the clean-up operation the best in years. Cara Delevingne, being filmed in Kids in Love at the Acklam Village Red Bull Carnival event, was upstaged by a dancing policeman on YouTube. The Tabernacle Carnival Village arts centre was relaunched, as Matthew Phillip of the Mangrove steel band became the new director, with Powis Square and Carnival photo exhibitions and appearances by Les Palmer, Russ Henderson, Lenora Crichlow from Being Human and Vee Davis from Off Their Rockers.

 

[Callie]

I think I will do my usual. Get there later than planned, wander around aimlessly, get lost, shuffle dance when the feeling takes me!