Friday – Secousse @ Favela Chic
Saturday – Love Fever @ The Nest
Sunday – Ice skating @ Canary Wharf
Monday – Viva Zapata @ Pogo Cafe
Tuesday – Busaba Eathai @ Old Street
Wednesday – Assembly @ Bearspace
Photo: Ana Bernando
Friday – Secousse @ Favela Chic
The Secousse NYE party scored highly in our end of year party list. So highly in fact, that it makes the cut again here.
The Secousse crew have been throwing great parties out in the west-end for ages now, their monthly residency at Notting Hill Arts club bringing a much needed dose of tropical twist ‘n shout to W11.
They move east on NYE with a heady line-up sure to make the dance sweat; the Secousse All Stars (headed by famed production duo Radioclit) line up alongside Maringah Band playing live.
Expect many kuduro, kwaito, baille funk, secousse and hi-life jams to be dropped in rapid succession alongside cheeky electro and house tones that the All Stars always bring.
Sure to be sweltering, guaranteed to blow up. £20 on the door ain’t too bad for one which will be rammed but, ultimately, very fun.
Favela Chic, 91-93 Great Eastern ST, EC2, 8pm – 4am
Saturday – Love Fever New Year’s Day Soiree
Hangover? What Hangover! And while we don’t condone excessive drinking, we do promote excessive dancing… So, get on the train and head over to the Love Fever NYD Soiree.
Rolling from 4pm – 4am at the Nest in Dalston, Love Fever take over the first day of 2011 with a solid 12 hours of deep house and disco. The faint of heart turn away now; anyone still up for celebrating the New Year read on.
Confirmed so far are this year’s hit Motor City Drum Ensemble, Bicep and Love Fever residents, plus a slew of promised special guests.
£10 advance, perfect to heal those New Year’s Eve hurts.
The Nest, 36 Stoke Newington RD, Dalston, N16
Sunday – Canary Wharf Ice Rink
Ice skating is a bit of an opinion divider, but if you love racing around at breakneck speeds (or hanging onto the barrier for dear life) with little more than a comfy scarf and mittens for protection, hit the rink at Canary Wharf.
Prices start at £9 with family deals also available and the site is open from early morning ‘til late at night, with a viewing gallery and bar.
The rink itself is pretty big and surrounded by the glittering tower blocks of the city.
Good for a Sunday slide about and a real winter winner if you haven’t already been yet.
Monday – Viva Zapata Screening
Hit a screening of Viva Zapata, the story of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, at the long running and much loved Pogo Cafe in Hackney.
The film stars Marlon Brando as the lead and tells a true tale of revolution, one which inspired the much more recent Zapatista movement in Mexico.
The screening is free and vegan, organic food is on sale, as standard. One to warm your heart, soothe your belly and prepare your mind for the coming anti-cuts battles!
Pogo Cafe, 76 Clarence RD, Hackney, E5, 7.30pm, Free
Photo: Beppovox
Tuesday – Eat at Busaba Eathai
Famished readers should check out the latest branch of Busaba Eathai opened up a little while back in the heart of Shoreditch.
Busaba Eathai specialise in Thai food and the communal eating style that comes with it; kind of like Wagamama but way, way better.
Their Soho branch is consistently good, with a vibrant atmosphere and delicious food. It’s no secret either, as a seat after 6pm is only obtained by sticking a wait out in a not inconsiderable queue.
Their Shoreditch venue looks set to carry on a worthy tradition of super tasty Thai dishes at extremely reasonable prices. The quality at Busaba Eathai goes way beyond its mid-range price tag. If you didn’t already know, get stuck in.
319 Old Street, EC1, All day
Wednesday – Assembly at Bearspace
Take a trip down to Deptford high street and visit Bearspace, a little independent gallery that never fails to offer up some most excellent contemporary art.
On at the moment is a group show entitled Assembly, featuring a range of artists who have all contributed pieces of sculpture to the exhibition.
As is the norm with Bearspace, the submissions are pretty far out. You can definitely make a day trip out of a visit to the space by hitting up some of Deptford’s other galleries or just wandering the high street.
SE8 is your oyster, as they say.
152 Deptford High ST, SE8, 10am-6pm, Free
