Kyle MacNeill

For Christmas of 2014, an antichrist was born. It expanded to over a metre long and was made from a cheap mix of plastic and metal. On one end, it had a simple clip at the end to attach your horizontal phone; on the other, a Bluetooth button to press with your thumb. Its name was the selfie stick, and it was ready to stretch our collective patience to breaking point. The selfie stick’s schtick was simple. For the first time in the history of humanity, you could take photos of yourself from a distance, without having to do the embarrassing dance of asking someone else or hyper-extending your arm to the point of tendon damage. Tourists could suddenly capture their every move. And you could barely move, as a tourist, without nearly being knocked in the face by one. It became the biggest craze of the festive season, with Amazon UK selling 301 percent more of them between September and November ahead of Christmas. When the big day arrived, millions of people across the world unwrapped the gadget, wielding it at office parties, tourist hotspots and NYE bashes.  Photograph: schankz / Shutterstock Technically, the ‘multi-axis omni-directional shooting extender’ wasn’t a totally novel invention. In the 1979 Czechoslovak sci-fi film I Killed Einstein, Gentleman, a character holds a sort-of selfie stick aloft. Then, in 1983, Ueda Hiroshi and Mimia Yujiro patented a telescopic pole for compact cameras. And in 1995, another kind-of selfie stick was featured in 101 Un-Useless Japanese In

Vinyl is back, baby. After decades in the dumps, records are now even more popular than CDs and are officially the best-selling of all physical music form. Suddenly your parents’ dusty Fleetwood Mac collection in the attic is looking a bit cooler, eh? London is one of the world’s best cities for crate-digging. Driven by stuff like dazzling vinyl-only editions and massive events like Record Store Day, this city’s independent record shops are thriving. Where, in the past, you’d have to head to Camden, Brixton, and Soho for your vinyl fix, these days, stores are flourishing all over the capital. Whatever your music taste, from reggae and hardcore to new wave and hip-hop, there’s a London record shop for you. Here are 30 of our absolute favourites. Get thumbin’ through those discs! RECOMMENDED:🛍️ The best markets in London.🎤 The best music festivals in London.👩‍🎤 The best London songs.🎸 The best shows and live gigs this month.

As maiden voyages go, Megabus’s isn’t exactly riveting. The budget blue-and-yellow bus enjoyed its inaugural journey in August 2003, with an exceptionally mundane trip from London to Oxford. Promising ‘a new concept in bus travel’, the milestone moment was commemorated much later in a terrifically clunky, droll press release: ‘Fifteen years ago, people who wanted to travel by coach stood in a queue at a coach station and waited to pay the same fare as everyone else.’ It’s not exactly Concorde, is it?While it may not have been all caviar and champagne, it was genuinely a moment. It signalled a new, cheap, cheerful and – crucially – functional British institution along the lines of Wetherspoons or Greggs. Before its arrival, the main option for non-drivers was the National Express, which cost at least a tenner for an intercity trip.  Photograph: Shutterstock This new ‘Ryanair of the roads’ promised even more routes at a smidgeon of the cost. ‘This seems too good to be true,’ said Chantal Kashma, one of the first passengers, about its nationwide launch. But it was true; tickets originally sold for a mere £1, the amount of coinage you might literally find behind a coach seat. Over the decades since then, Megabus has become a ride or die for cash-strapped students, long distance lovers, late-night ravers, low-income grafters and leftfield drifters. It enables four million Brits to chug across the UK every year. And it’s always been a trusty way to travel during the festive perio

Manchester, the Second City? Pah, no chance. I grew up in the First City – whisper it, London – and lived there for years. But after making a beeline for Manchester over five years ago, I’m adamant that MCR deserves the top spot. After all, it’s known the world over for its rich cultural currency. Footy, fashion, dance music – you name it, we’ve been there, done that and sold the promotional T-shirt.Most of all, I love the city’s grounded authenticity and gritty sense of humour. You’ll find friendly folk and fiendishly funny chat everywhere you turn, from smoking areas and sticky dancefloors to shops and food markets. I’m lucky enough to live in the Northern Quarter, but it’s not just about NQ; Manchester’s choc-a-bloc full of super suburbs and orbital hotspots. It is, please forgive me: a proper Oasis. Here are the best things to do in Manchester. How long do I need there? While a day is enough to get a feel of the city, you could happily spend a few nights bumbling around Manc. After all, there’s day trips, food tours and more to get round to – plus you might need a day or two to recover from your first Manchester-inflicted hangover.  RECOMMENDED:🍝 The best restaurants in Manchester📍 The best things to do in Manchester🍸 The best bars in Manchester🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Manchester Kyle MacNeill is a writer based in Manchester. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editori

I’m on a tour of the Real Good Chicken Company's headquarters and it’s frying my mind. Welcomed by a chirpy employee into a labyrinthine warehouse, a small group of us are taken to the first room, introducing us to RGC’s fast food plucky mascot Chicky Ricky. After a quick shift operating the ‘head remover’ machine inside the factory and visiting a museum of vintage RGC promotional merch, we witness Ricky’s tragic demise as he is deemed to be out-of-date by clinical big cheese The Boss. Off we go to a mausoleum to throw sachets of salt on his coffin. Consider Ricky’s bucket kicked and my head clucked.Except none of this, of course, is actually real. I’m in the make-believe fantasy of Sweet Dreams, the new immersive exhibition from Factory International in Manchester taking you behind the scenes of an imagined chicken conglomerate. Voiced by the likes of Munya Chawawa and Morgana Robinson and designed by motion graphics collective Marshmallow Laser Feast, it aims to change the way we think about fast food. Photograph: Sweet Dreams ‘We know chicken is adored. We didn't want to be judgy or preachy or moralistic. We just wanted to look at the cartoon mascots who are effectively spoon feeding us. It’s funny and tragic,’ says founder Robin McNicholas, before quoting RGC’s slogan: ‘Delicious Lies Within!’ The pecking order Sweet Dreams isn’t the only exhibition banging the drumstick for wings; there’s been a glut of showcases recently using the fried crispy stuff as a muse. Artist

You know the saying ‘you eat with your eyes first’? Well, we’d agree there’s something in that – and that extends from the plates to the dining rooms themselves. A great meal can taste even better in stunning surroundings. From chic, post-industrial interiors to all-neutral Japandi minimalism, lavish open kitchens, centuries-old dining rooms and seats with sweeping views over the sea, there’s no shortage of beautiful places to eat here in the UK. But we’re not about all style, no substance. A gorgeous restaurant needs to be more than just a pretty face – because what’s the use in spending your hard-earned cash on food which is fine, but a little bit ‘meh’? We reached out to our network of expert food and travel writers around the country to compile this list of stunning restos which don’t skimp on service. From the Scottish Highlands to the Cornish coast, here are the most picturesque restaurants in the country. Tuck in.  RECOMMENDED:The best restaurants in the UK right nowThe best restaurants in London you should be bookingThe UK’s most beautiful train stations Chiara Wilkinson is Time Out’s UK features editor, based in London. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

They’ve infiltrated the world of entertainment. They hide in plain sight at our gigs and plays, our concerts and comedy nights. They operate alone or with a single accomplice, probably wearing fresh merch to mask their identities. They laugh along at jokes from comedians they’ve never heard of and sing along to songs they’ve never heard before, with all the zeal of a real fan. They could even be sitting right next to you. Or, perhaps, you might be one already. Not that you would dare tell us. Because you, like the rest of them, have a vow of silence and a licence to... fill.Seats, that is.Time Out has not, regrettably, uncovered the spy conspiracy of the century. But it is time to shine a spotlight on the secretive world of seat-fillers: the people who fill spare, unsold seats for struggling events looking to avoid an empty venue. But they have to remain totally schtum that they’re doing just that – otherwise, it’s curtains.Anyone can join this inner circle; you just have to enlist online, scroll through a load of events priced anywhere from around zero to 15 quid, make your selection and turn up on time, solo or with a plus one. ‘I signed-up originally after my dad sent me a link and went to see a play for free with a booking fee,’ says Alice*, a 27-year-old teacher living in London. ‘I’d never heard of it before but it was a really good experience.’ Go to any gig that’s not sold out and, chances are, there will be at least a few members of the audience like Alice who are al

Remember your first Druidic Epiphany? Us neither, but artist Ben Edge does. ‘It was nine years ago. I was feeling a bit lost and not knowing where my life was going, taking long walks through London to reconnect with the folklore of the city,’ he says. On a ‘folkloric mission’ to the Tower of London to meet the Ravenmaster (that guy that looks after the ominous birds to ensure, as myth has it, the Crown doesn’t fall), Edge came across a procession of figures draped in white cloaks. The gaggle of magi, it turns out, were the Druid Order, seeing in the Spring Equinox and scattering seeds to bless the year ahead. It was a rite of passage for Edge that changed everything. ‘I felt so lost and urbanised and disconnected from the deeper human experience that something aligned with me. I reconnected with something profoundly human, with a new energy to research folk customs,’ he says. His project Frontline Folklore was born, taking him to clown conventions in Haggerston, hare pie scrambles in Leicestershire and flaming tar barrel runs in Ottery. He captured them all in a series of paintings and an accompanying shot-on-phone documentary. ‘I could tell the story of tradition in the same way that I would tell the story of someone’s life through a portrait. They connect us to the past,’ he says.  Image: Ben Edge But he wasn’t alone on his quest. Thousands of Brits from Devon to Dumfries are flocking to folk festivals, equinoxes, effigy burnings, stone circles and magical ceremonies, se

These aren’t your faithful friends. Instead, total strangers surround you at a table. Their searing eyes bore into your soul. Marble-sized beads of sweat cascade down your face. ‘I’m not a traitor, I swear!’ you whimper.  Yeah, right. That’s you banished. It’s an early cloakroom for you. Don’t panic, though. You haven’t just made yourself look like a tit on telly. You’re not in a castle in Scotland, you’re in a function room in The Castle down the road. The compère isn’t Claudia Winkleman — it’s an amateur comedian. And, thankfully, you don’t have to trick your new best mate into missing out on fifty-thousand quid. Instead, you’re at a ‘The Traitors’ spin-off shindig. Or so you could be very soon. Because a whole host of happenings inspired by the wildly successful BBC show are in the making, aiming to draw on the high drama (and high camp) of the latest series. While some events producers are still making finishing touches before revealing more, several have worked to a speedy turnaround to hop on ‘The Traitors’ train. Luckily for us, they’re every bit as chaotically theatrical as the real thing. The robes, the goblets, the catchphrases In case you’ve been living under a rock the size of the one Andrew from the latest series abseiled down, ‘The Traitors’ is a BBC game show which sees 22 strangers try to ascertain who is ‘faithful’ and who is ‘a traitor’. Along the way, the group has to complete a series of outdoorsy tasks that will probably give you flashbacks to when the zi

In a ranked list of what are objectively The Best Feelings in the World, hearing the doorbell ring and knowing that there is a lovely person on the other side of that door, holding your delicious dinner, has got to be in the top five. No doubt you’ve got your beloved spots that you return to time and time again: a comforting curry, a life-giving bowl of noodles, a waffle drizzled with chocolate sauce, possibly with some squirty cream on the top. But remember, it’s important to try new things, too. To give you a bit of inspiration for your next meal, we asked Time Out writers from London to Liverpool to tell us about their top picks when they’re hungry at home. Let’s dive right in, shall we?

Long before the Dantean hangover or crushing comedown comes another conundrum after a night out: how the hell am I going to get home? For the lucky few living in enviable digs, the answer might be as easy as a swift stumble down the road from bar to bed. For most of us, though, we’re going to have to rely on a set of wheels. And unless you’re a Wish version of Bradley Wiggins giving it the big ’un on a Lime bike, you’re probably going to need someone else to help control said wheels.  The journey back to our gaffs has never been more of a faff. Once the clock strikes double figures, a pre-planned route or some seriously thorough CityMapping is needed. The domino effect of these uprooted routes is fewer nights on the town – and it’s another nail in the coffers for late-night venues trying to stay open. And, even before midnight, public transport is properly mid – especially in cities outside of London. ‘After 11pm, businesses face a huge issue of dispersal,’ says Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industry Association (NTIA). ‘The night transport infrastructure in the majority of cities across the UK is very, very poor.’ The main nightmare? Councils across the UK threatening to stop night bus services. Photograph: ShutterstockLiverpool at night Over summer, Glasgow operator First Bus announced it was withdrawing its night buses due to there being ‘not enough appetite’ to justify running it. Luckily, thanks to pressure from local business owners, the NTIA and an agreement w

From the rain-soaked streets of London to the alleys of Portland, people love to complain about rain. But people the world over also love to sing about the rain. It's not all sadness and metaphors for weeping, either. Sure, you'll find some tears amid the 25 songs about rain below, but you'll also find psychedelic classics, joyful club bangers and wet-hot disco jams. Together, they constitute the ultimate rainy-day playlist. Don't worry about the rain, either. Rihanna brought her umbrella. Listen to these songs on Amazon Music RECOMMENDED:❄️  The best snow songs☀️  The best summer songs🎤  The best karaoke songs😭  The best sad songs😊  The best happy songs

What is it? A veritable feast of food vendors serving up incredible eats in a Victorian hall. Originally opened by Mayor Mackie in 1858 as a fresh produce market and then lying empty from 1974, the venue was reopened in 2017 after a fancy refurb (and clever reversal of its founders name). Since then, it’s become a wildly popular place for meeting mates and eating plates of whatever takes your fancy. What kind of food will I find there? OK, this is a big sentence to chew over but here goes, you can find: sizzling steak from Tender Cow; piquant tacos and margs from Pico's; sourdough pizza via Honest Crust; broths worth bathing in from New Wave Ramen; heavenly fried chicken from Mumma's; twisted Thai food from Chilli B; coffee and cake from Eagle St. Coffee; and craft beers and sodas from Blackjack Brewery. Preferably all eaten and drunk in that order. What are the prices like? Let's be honest here – not as cheap as we might hope but not horrendous enough to make your wallet sweat. Pad Thais range from £12 to £17, fried chicken burgers are around the £12 mark, pizzas will set you back just shy of £15 and pints are on the pricier side for Manchester. But you get what you pay for and all that and while you might be ambivalent about the prices the ambience is very nice indeed. What’s worth visiting nearby? You’re in the sweet spot between the end of the Northern Quarter and the start of Ancoats so you can pretty much do whatever the heck you want. If you’re looking for another pint

What is it?  Manc’s most esteemed collection of manuscripts and old-timey tomes in an outrageously ornate setting. Diana fans take note – the original collection was purchased by philanthropist Enriqueta Rylands from Di’s distant relative 2nd Earl Spencer. Rylands then commissioned a Victorian Gothic library to rival Oxford’s academic institutions and it opened on a pretty solid date indeed: 1 January 1900. After bagging listed status in 1952, it became part of the Manchester University Library and was renovated in 2003.  Is it worth visiting? Judge this one by its cover – if Victorian architecture and ornate academia is your thing, then Rylands is worth bookmarking. Once you’ve awed at the exquisite Arts and Crafts style exterior, head inside for a literary religious experience. Peaceful and reverent, the library contains 250,000 printed volumes and over one million manuscripts, including a first edition of Ulysses, a load of illustrious letters from Elizabeth Gaskell and potentially the oldest New Testament text. There are also regular exhibitions – which are set to be refurbed with the John Rylands Next Chapter project – and yes, a gift shop. Can anyone go to the library?  Yes! No ticket needed and you’re likely to be able to waltz straight in unless it’s really busy. Also, if you’re keen to study somewhere swanky, you can stick your head into a book (or laptop) in the very churchy main reading room; as long as you’re not distracted by the constant stream of visitors, that

What is it?  Sorry Fabric – if the UK still has a destination club, then this is it. Spin-off nights aside, WHP’s season runs from September to NYD and brings together 10,000 punters each night all under one roof raving to the most gigantic names in dance music. Who is the owner of the Warehouse Project? Started in 2006 by local nightlife overlord Sacha Lord, The Warehouse Project (or WHP) has become an iconic nocturnal institution. Rapidly relocating from Boddingtons Brewery to an air raid shelter under Manchester Piccadilly to Victoria Warehouse, it now calls huge industrial space Depot Mayfield its home. Is it worth visiting? If the idea of a big night out for you these days is a pub sesh (absolutely no judgement here) then WHP might be a bit much; students abound and there's no doubt Tom Wambsgans would describe Depot Mayfield as ludicrously capacious. But if you’re up for a rave you will be raving about for months after then it’s totally worth it. Literally every big DJ you can think of has played or continues to play WHP (there’s no point in listing them, we mean everyone) so save up some readies and energy for a night at Depot that will definitely deliver the goods. Anything I need to know? Tickets sell insanely quickly so if you’re keen for a specific night, make sure to lock it in as soon as the season goes on sale. Prices are usually around the £50 mark so it’s not a cheap thrill – but the bang for your buck is good when you consider the lineup. The door policy isn’

While the bar that sits above, Wringer + Mangle, is slick and chic, downstairs at Hangar you’ll find a proper basement without any need for fancy decor. Having been The Laundry and Mangle in the past, the space has been taken over by excellent London promoters Percolate. It's got a no-nonsense spaciousness that distinguishes it from other, more compact spots in east London. There's a new soundsystem incoming soon too, supplied by the same team who built Printworks’ rig. We’d be lying if we said that the bar above Mangle wasn’t pretty spenny (the Bubbles & Bottles menu is eyewatering rather than mouthwatering) – but in the basement you’ll fare much better with standard eastside prices for beers and the like. Strap in and prepare for take-off!

I actually do remember quite a few fifths of Novembers. As a kid, I’d head down almost every year with my family to Carshalton Park Fireworks in the depths of south London, queuing up for the kind of cheap burger that tastes of nothing but warmth, craning to look at the synthetic stars spidering out into the skies. Then, as a teenager, Carshalton’s fireworks display became a rite of passage of sorts: drinking far too much Glen’s Vodka, sharing awkwardly-illuminated kisses and lighting dodgily-rolled cigarettes. This year, though, Carshalton Park Fireworks have been cancelled due to ‘escalating costs’ and ‘insufficient support’ from the local council. What’s even more sad is that it’s far from the only show that’s had the plug pulled. In London, Tower Hamlets’ Bonfire Night celebrations at Victoria Park have been cancelled for the fifth year in a row and Blackheath’s event (once London's biggest free display, no less) has been called off due to ‘severe financial pressures’. Elsewhere in the UK, Manchester’s Heaton Park display has again been redlined; Sheffield’s Manor Fields Park show has been scrapped and Nottingham’s night at the Forest Recreation Ground has bitten the dust. Some of these shows haven’t been held since 2019, never recovering after they were called off due to the pandemic. Others, though, have never faced such troubles; Worthing Pier’s firework display has been cancelled for the first time in 25 years. Photograph: Shutterstock Why, then, are so many firewor

The fact is, Manchester’s Factory International is not yet finished. Head down Water Street in Salford and you’ll get the idea: there’s hi-vis everywhere and construction is still going strong. Builders carrying smouldering soldering guns are busy slaloming through a maze of cranes, diggers and trucks, trying to finish in time for its opening this October.  Thought to be the UK’s largest cultural project since the Tate Modern, the mega arts space got the go-ahead in 2017 and has cost a budget-blowing £210 million, made possible thanks to the government, Arts Council England and Manchester Council coughing up cash for its coffers.  Photograph: Pawel Paniczko Just last week, Factory signed a £35m sponsorship deal with insurance company Aviva, insuring against any funding issues and giving the building a new name: Aviva Studios. Unsurprisingly, the name change hasn’t been met with smiles all-round – but there seems to be a level of understanding considering the current creative climate.The project itself, though, is set to pay off: up to 1500 new jobs will be created, it will bring an expected £1.1 billion into the city’s economy every single year and Factory Academy will support young creatives via free training programmes. And, since the space is the new home of eighteen-day arts biennial Manchester International Festival (MIF) – which kicked off just last week – the venue has been partially opened. Time Out was invited along for a sneak preview of the space. 1500 new jobs

現在の世界的な危機のなか、多くの都市のクラブ、ライブハウス、レコード店が営業休止を余儀なくされている。しかし、音楽の世界を広げる方法は、まだいくつもあるのだ。ここでは、音楽にまつわる最高のドキュメンタリー作品を紹介したい。全て無料で視聴できるものばかりなので（Netflixなど「いつものサービス」は、一旦忘れて）、ぜひ楽しんでほしい。 『LDN』 (Nathan Miller, 2017) ロンドンにおける現代のグライム、ドリル、ヒップホップの広がりを決定的に捉えたドキュメンタリー。誤解されがちでもあるこれらのシーンだが、その熱量や盛り上がりをリアルに感じることができる。登場するのは、J Hus、Kojey Radical、67、Fredoなど。監督はドキュメンタリー映画作家、ネイサン・ミラー。彼はロンドンのエースホテルでアルバイトをしながら、この作品を作り上げた。 『The Burger and the King』 (BBC, 1995) 「エルビス・プレスリーと食べ物」との素晴らしく、少し不思議な関係性を伝えるドキュメンタリー。食べ物をこんなにも愛していた彼だからこそ、一生のうちにフライドピーナッツバターサンドをあんなに食べていたのだ、と納得させられる。 The Sound of Belgium (Director's cut) from Jozef Devillé on Vimeo. 『The Sound of Belgium』 (Visualantics, 2018) 伝統的なオルガン音楽からテクノ音楽へと時代を進めながら、ベルギーのダンスミュージック界の歴史に余すところなく迫り、紹介するドキュメンタリー。2020年4月5日（日）まで、ディレクターズカット版が無料で楽しめる。 『I Was There When House Took Over the World』 (Channel 4, 2017) ハウスミュージックの誕生をテーマにしたドキュメンタリー。2部構成となり、前半ではシカゴのシーンの始まり、後半では、世界での広がりにスポットを当てている。ナイル・ロジャース、マーシャル・ジェファーソン、ハニー・ディジョンなど、シーンの中心にいた人物から若手DJなどへのインタビューもたっぷり。 『Marc Bolan – The Final Word』 (BBC, 2007) T・レックスの音楽は、滑らかでクールなギターフレーズにあふれていた。BBCが制作したマーク・ボランの幼少期、名声、悲劇を描いたこのドキュメンタリーで、その魅力を改めて感じてみよう。1970年代の究極のミューズの姿も見ることができる。ナレーションを担当しているのはスージー・クアトロだ。 『Fantastic Man: A Film About William Onyeabor』 (Alldayeveryday, 2014) ナイジェリアのファンクアーティスト、ウィリアム・オニーバーについてのドキュメンタリー。監督のジェーク・サムナーは、デイモン・アルバーンやカリブー、フェミ・クティなどと語り合い、ナイジェリアを旅してこの作品を完成させた。魅力的で美しい光景を見ていると、自然にファンクの魔術師の物語に引き込まれるはずだ。 『Chas and Dave: Last Orders』 (BBC, 2012) 愛すべき悪ガキ二人組、クリスとデイブは、「ロックニー」と呼ばれる音楽スタイルを確立したことで知られる。ロックニーは、ロンドンのパブロックと古き良き時代の音楽を演芸

Despite the current global situation, there are still millions of ways to broaden your musical horizons whilst clubs, gig venues and record shops remain closed. Here’s our pick of some of the finest docs out there. Forget Netflix and the rest – these are all available to watch for free, baby! Enjoy!  ‘LDN’ (Nathan Miller, 2017). Watch here. The definitive document of London's modern grime-drill-hip hop explosion, which blesses this oft-misunderstood scene with the excitement and fervour it deserves. Featuring J Hus, Kojey Radical, 67, Fredo and more, ‘LDN’ was made by documentary filmmaker Nathan Miller, who was working part-time at the Ace Hotel at the time.  ‘The Burger and the King’ (BBC, 1995). Watch here. Elvis had a truly fascinating, slightly messed-up, relationship with food, which is told through this riveting doc. Only a man who used food as a proxy for love could stuff quite that many deep-fried peanut-butter sandwiches into himself in one lifetime.  ‘The Sound of Belgium’ (Visualantics, 2018). Watch here. Moving chronologically from old-school organs to techno, this rave-whistlestop tour takes in the whole history of Belgium’s dance music scene. Enjoy the extended cut for free, on isolation offer, until April 5. ‘I Was There When House Took Over the World’ (Channel 4, 2017). Watch here. Miniature two-parter on the birth of house music. Grooving through the beginnings of the scene in Chicago, there are lots of heavyweights lending their wisdom

We’re only a couple of weeks into 2020, but London’s nightlife has already been dealt a blow. This time, it’s Old Street’s Club Aquarium – a long-running venue which features an actual swimming pool – that’s under threat. Its licence has been suspended and is up for a full review later this month. The original incident that put Aquarium’s future in jeopardy happened after an afrobeat night in October. The Night Time Industry Association (NTIA) – a trade body which helped save Fabric and is now campaigning for Club Aquarium’s future – said of the incident: ‘No associated arrests or public disturbance complaints [were] reported.’ Instead, the NTIA says that a crowd was erroneously told that an afterparty was at Club Aquarium, and had to be dispersed. ‘Islington Police Licensing initially praised the club for the steps it had taken.’ The Islington Tribune reports that Club Aquarium was then implicated in a ‘bottle attack’ on New Year’s Eve, which saw a man hospitalised for head injuries consistent with being hit by a champagne bottle. Two men were also arrested at the club on New Year’s Day for possession of an offensive weapon and affray. The police response on this occasion has been more critical. ‘Unfortunately, this incident is not unique as the venue regularly comes to police attention owing to incidents of serious crime and disorder,’ Sergeant Neil Fraser has told Islington Council.  The police’s account of what happened on New Year’s Eve is very different from the version

The first headliner for Field Day 2020 has been announced – and it’s a proper flex. Belfast boys Bicep are bringing their big beats to London for an exclusive live set, meaning it’ll be the only festie in the capital that they’ll be hitting up. Strong stuff, indeed.  It’s a little bit bonkers how quickly Bicep have bulked up into a festival-topping mega name. They started just ten years ago as a blogger partnership, sharing dusted-down Italo, house and disco records. After turning to DJing they started producing retro-tinged tracks, before setting up the Feel My Bicep label in 2012. They only performed live for the first time four years ago, but their name on a poster has already become a surefire way to round-up ravers ready for a heady night out. Expect some big-room staples (‘Aura’, ‘Glue’) from their self-titled debut LP.  This is the first announcement for Field Day 2020, which returns to The Drumsheds in Meridian Water after breaking in the site last year. The vast warehouse spaces, including the new indoor main stage, will be popping off continuously from 3pm to 3am on Saturday July 11, making it a uniquely late finisher among London’s one-day festivals. Oh, and first release tickets are only £35 – almost the same price as Bicep’s sold-out March 2020 gigs at Brixton Academy, our Casios inform us. Get ready to muscle into the queue.  Bicep play Field Day at The Drumsheds on July 11 2020. Check out Time Out's music hub here.  

Club cloakrooms may be filling up with cosy clobber, but Printworks is looking into the future. With spring in its sights, the mega venue has announced the first acts of its SS20 season. A Printworks line-up drop is always exciting news: in just a few short years, the cavernous Canada Water club has become one of the definitive destinations in London for anyone after a dance. It's no surprise, then, that the former newspaper factory has scooped some headline names. It’s kicking off a whole month before spring officially starts, on February 1, with a party featuring Maribou State, Quantic, DJ Seinfeld, Lil Silva and Donna Leake, a line-up as eclectic as it is electric. This basis of savvily selected selectors sets a theme throughout the season. Take February 21, for example; you've got legendary minimal house and YouTube algorithm faves DJ Koze and Matthew Herbert, but also DJ and singer-songwriter Nabihah Iqbal. Basically the fresh-off-the-press hot take here is that Printwork's SS20 line-up is big news. Just maybe hold off the spring looks until a few months in, yeah? Printworks’ Spring/Summer 2020 listings so far:January 31 Holy GoofHoly Goof, Turno b2b Hendex.  February 1 Printworks PresentsMaribou State (DJ), (A-Z) DJ Seinfeld, Donna Leake/Folamour, Lil Silva, Quantic (solo live), SG Lewis (DJ).  February 7 GoldFishGoldFish, guests TBA.  February 21 Printworks Presents DJ KozeDJ Koze, (A-Z) Floating Points (DJ), Matthew Herbert (DJ), Max Cooper (live), Nabihah Iqbal, spe

Wireless is one of the most sussed festivals in the calendar. What began in 2005 as a random mix of indie and dance names (Hard-Fi! Mylo! James Blunt!) has mutated into the defining underground festival of a generation. Unlike many other fests out there, Wireless has found its niche: massive American hip hop stars and under celebrated, ignored-by-the-mainstream UK acts from the fertile worlds of grime, drill, hip hop and afrobeats. Nobody else puts this amount of urban UK talent on such a big platform, and it’s something to really celebrate – despite attempts by Haringey Council to curb the festival, including prohibiting artists from swearing and wearing ‘offensive clothing’ onstage. Regardless, the line-up just got announced, so let’s look at the high-profile Yanks and the local-ish legends playing Finsbury Park this year… Big-name Americans Headliners-wise, it’s an all-American takeover of N4. Travis Scott and A$AP Rocky bring their heady brands of hip hop across the pond, heading up Saturday and Sunday respectively. Friday’s shared headliners Cardi B and Migos (pictured) are a surprise – given Cardi’s on-off relationship with her hubby (aka Migos’s Offset). There’s also special guest Future bringing the Atlanta bangers, plus fellow statessiders Tory Lanez, Lil Uzi Vert, Rae Sremmurd, Ski Mask The Slump God, Young Thug and Californian megastar Tyga. Repping the UK Yanks but no thanks… honestly, there’s so much homegrown talent right now it’s hard to know how the American

Back in July, Hackney Council voted unanimously to impose a curfew on all new pubs, bars and clubs opening in the borough. The motion stated that venues would be forced to turn out their punters by 11pm on weeknights, and midnight at the weekend.  Predictably, this proved unpopular with local promoters. ‘With new businesses facing either shorter opening hours or [paying ] lawyers’ fees to fight for a late licence, it’s only going to be big chains that can afford to open in Hackney,’ VFD owner Lyall Hakaraia warned us in July. Now community group We Love Hackney (WLH) is heaping pressure on the council by taking them to court. ‘We’ve decided to launch a Judicial Review to have the new restrictions overturned,’ spokesperson Matt Sanders tells us. ‘We’re working with Leigh Day solicitors, who specialise in equalities cases, and Philip Kolvin QC, who successfully defended Fabric nightclub.’ The legal challenge hinges on the allegation that the council didn’t consider that its decision would disproportionately affect certain groups.  ‘The council are prioritising the cultural interests of older, more affluent people at the expense of everyone else,’ argues Sanders. ‘Legally, the council have to consider everyone’s needs when they make decisions. We think they have failed to do so here.’ WLH also contends that the decision could be especially detrimental for the area’s LGBT+ nightlife. ‘LGBT+ venues are far more likely to be small, independent and community-owned,’ says Sanders. W

There’s always an absolute cavalcade of stuff to do at Wilderness festival, the annual weekend Oxfordshire festival that takes place this weekend. So we’ve squeezed the programme of its juiciest events for you to sip on… RELAX It’s all well and good having a well large one at a festie, but it’s even better to feel well and good in yourself (between the hangovers, at least). Ace news, then, that there is a plethora of every yoga offshoot imaginable, from Rocket to Mandala Flow to our favourite: Paddleboard Yoga, which sees you stretching out downward dogs while floating along. The Lakeside Spa is there as per usual too, offering a zen hotspot in the form of the Full Tub (oh, and you can get a bottle of champers for your soak, too). LEARNYou learn something new every day – even if it’s early afternoon at a festival and your head feels like an unwashed NutriBullet. On Friday, The Forum stage is hosting the crew behind ‘No Such Thing as a Fish’, a podcast featuring writers from ‘QI’ and the head-spinning facts they uncover during their research. Plus, save your late-night epiphanies (and consequently, your friends’ time) for Wilderness Saves the World: you can pitch your best idea for global change to an expert panel, with the winner nabbing a free ticket to next year’s festival. EAT AND DRINKThe amount of munch on offer is outrageous: but our bite-sized review is that it’s really, really good. An exciting new space is The Counter, where you get to watch your food – from Som Sa

Whatever kind of dance music floats your boat, the newly announced event Red Bull Music Odyssey should be of interest to you. On June 30, six different party boats carrying 50 DJs and musicians take to the Thames, each dedicated to a different wave of UK dance music – from dancehall to D&B. Along with a ‘captain’ – a headline artist – each vessel will be bursting with both seasoned seadogs and young whippersnappers of the respective genres. The crews are shipshape. The house and techno boat has Scottish party-boy supreme Denis Sulta at the helm with support from deep house originator Larry Heard, while the jungle jetty will see timeless hero Goldie reeling in some fresh sea bass. Joining the fleet is the UK rap boat with ‘Bad’ star Steel Banglez as the skipper while the UK radio ship has a load of hands on deck(s) (Flohio, AJ Tracey, D Double E, Heartless crew). For the jazz and broken beat ship, Red Bull has lined up the blissful vocals of Peven Everett, and last but not least we’ve got the dancehall boat featuring Jubilee and Kranium. Blimey! Every boat will set sail at the same time, creating an armada of top DJs on the capital’s river. Not in London? Don’t fear, the whole event will be broadcast live on Red Bull Radio. Best bring your lifejackets – because these boats are going to get TURNT. Who's playing each boat? Line-ups for Red Bull Music Odyssey.  Boat name: The Forever DancerCaptain: Denis Sulta.Guests: Larry Heard (live), Jocelyn Brown, Jayda G, Jamie 3:26, HAAi.

FRIDAY m.A.A.d City – The Kendrick Lamar PartyFollowing his February stop-offs in London, K-Dot is back in the maad city. Well, sort of – it’s another instalment of the semi-regular night near Old Street beholden to all things Kendrick, with 1Xtra dons CJ Beatz and DJ Cable spinning tunes dedicated to the King. Trapeze Basement. SATURDAY Love Supreme at the RoundhouseA spin-off of the ace annual Love Supreme festival, this Camden one-dayer promises jazz, funk and soul by the pound. Three stages of music, talks, screenings and DJ sets run through the day, featuring Mr Jukes, Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles, Elli Ingram and more. Then, hopefully in a return to the venue’s ’60s roots as a bohemian rave shed, an afterparty runs till 3am, helmed by Tim Garcia and Henry Wu. Roundhouse. The Queen’s Yard Summer Party 2018More than 50 excellent selectors are set to play over a whopping 14 venues across Hackney Wick this weekend. The selection of spots is as dizzying as its line-up: one wristband will get you and your pals into a terrace, taproom, boat and a deli. Plus, there will be a load of food and bevs to keep you fuelled for 18 hours of adventures. Various Hackney Wick venues. Little Gay BrotherLGB is back at Omeara for another all-you-can-eat buffet of madness and hilarity. This voluminous party always lays on the good times thick – thanks to their gaggle of hosts and dancers, who are known for vibing a crowd while casually strutting on a travelator. Oh, and their promise of an