Uncommon treats
At last something to swing the great North versus South London debate...
It begins tomorrow evening with Latin Splash, featuring the Buena Vista Social Club's 73-year-old diva Omara Portuondo. Little Louie Vega's band Elements Of Life, who blend Afro and Latin jazz, salsa and samba, make their UK debut, and salsa's James Brown, Oscar D'Leon, also appears.
Gilles Peterson and soulful house producer Miguel Migs provide the DJ quotient. Saturday is Groove Armada's sold-out Lovebox love-in as the duo are joined by friends including DJ Marky, Norman Jay and Jon Carter. Sunday's Common Ground has Moloko headlining and more live music from The Bays and Ninja Tune's chill-king Bonobo, though the show-stealer could well be the madcap Cuban Brothers breakdancing (usually in G-strings) to the Dub Pistols. What was that, North London? Sarf London can't hear ya.
If the idea of daytime raving doesn't float your boat, there's 28 hours of non-stop clubbing on offer thanks to Return To New York. RTNY has never done things by halves but this is a clubbing marathon. RTNY joins the dots between dance music pioneers past and present with the old school represented by Junior Vasquez, Arthur Baker, the Hacienda's Mike Pickering and the Happy Mondays roadshow (Bez and Shaun Ryder). The present is in the capable hands of electro DJs Erol Alkan and Headman, and there's also a live room featuring the muchhyped Pink Grease. Cult after-hours night The Cock also hosts a room kicking off on Sunday afternoon with S'Express's Mark Moore and Trash's Jo Jo De Freq for the still-gurning post-Pride ravers. Booking Monday, at least, off work might be an idea.
One of the capital's oldest, most iconic and worst clubs, the Hippodrome, has been overhauled by the team behind Chinawhites. About time, too, as for aeons it's been a no-go zone, frequented by those without a clue of where to find a decent club. It's now Cirque, and the ancient venue's original features have been restored to create a plush environment replete with a voyeuristic mezzanine VIP level, a fine dine restaurant (serving Beluga caviar) and burlesque entertainment (trapeze artists, stiltwalkers). This weekend, Cirque's new Friday weekly Soul, aimed at a discerning, stylish clientele, takes off with hip hop, R'n'B and soul from DJ Swerve, Matt White and Firin' Squad. Still not convinced? Well, if it's good enough for 50 Cent, Damon Dash and Jay Z, it's good enough for us.
What happened to UK garage? Not the MC-led sound but the sexy, progressive soul music that blew up so spectacularly a few years back. Well, you can find out at Plan B's new monthly Prolific, which is the night of MJ Cole - UK garage's leading producer and one of the most talented urban producers around. This isn't going to be an old-school garage night - Cole's last LP, which featured Elephant Man and Jill Scott, took in hip-hop, soul, garage and ragga - but a platform for Cole's Prolific record label. Tonight Cole is joined by Karl Brown (ex-Tuff Jam) and Shea, who performs live. Rahul Verma
Tonight, Prolific, Plan B, 418 Brixton Road SW9, 8pm to 2am, free before 9pm, £5 after. Tel: 020 7733 0926. www.plan-brixton.co.uk Tube: Brixton
Tomorrow, Soul at Cirque, Leicester Square WC2, 10pm to 4am, £12, £10 concs. Tel: 020 7437 4311. Tube: Leicester Square
Tomorrow to Sun, The Clapham Weekender, Clapham Common SW4, Latin Splash tomorrow 5pm to 10.30pm, £15 adv, £20, Lovebox noon to 10pm, £25 (sold out), The Common Ground noon to 10pm, £20. Tel: 0870 1500541.
Tube: Clapham Common Sat/Sun,
Return To New York, SeOne, Weston Street, 9pm (Sat) to 1am (Mon), £28 adv, £35. Tel: 08700 600100. Tube: London Bridge
