The guest author of this article is a very special one. Rich NxT is not only a FUSE London resident but a key figure in London’s electronic music scene. This exclusive travel guide by Rich lists his very personal recommendations for England’s capital: The spots where he hangs out with friends, what he’s doing on Sundays, and much more insider tips for locals and tourists alike.
In October 2020, the debut album ‘Know the Score’ lands, his crowning career achievement. The 10-tracker spans the full breadth of the house genre and is the culmination of 20 years of production work, taking influence from his varied involvement in music as a DJ, raver, drummer in bands, and pirate radio devotee, devouring the sounds on Weekend Rush FM. Rich NxT’s ‘Know The Score’ is out now on FUSE London. Tune in while checking out his tips in this article.
Brick Lane
Home to 93 Feet East, where FUSE was first born, along with numerous curry houses and interesting shops and markets, the Brick Lane area still makes a great day out for shopping, eating, drinking and dancing. You can easily do a whole Sunday around the area and still have many things in the area left to do.
South Bank
Adjacent to the River Thames, the South Bank is home to the Royal Festival Hall, book markets, restaurants and street performers. It’s really just a stone’s throw across the river from East London where I would spend most of my time. I would so often would head down here as an alternative destination for Saturday or Sunday daytime.
London Fields
This park in Hackney is really popular in the summer for people hanging out, bringing picnics and street food from the adjacent Broadway Market. BBQs have been banned because people were ruining the grass but it is still one of the major spots to meet up with friends and enjoy the sunshine before heading into nearby Shoreditch for a night out at one of the many venues such as Village Underground.
Thames Clippers
The Thames river boats are a nice way to travel and make a welcome break from the underground trains. You get to see a lot from the river and get to put different places in perspective. You can get out on the deck and get the wind rushing past you for a trip down from the Millennium Dome to the London Eye. The river also plays host to numerous boat parties of which I have been to a good few. Boats always make a nice setting for music
Hackney Wick
This creative and vibrant area of Hackney just next to the new Olympic Park has been one of the neighbourhoods of choice for all types of artists for a number of years. The constant regeneration has changed the area, but it still has a buzz about it with venues such as Bar 90 and Grow regularly hosting nights as well as supplying the food and drinks for family day times out and about. This was my area for many years and I still head there a lot.
Epping Forest
It’s a few miles out of London toward the North East and is a huge piece of ancient forest, criss-crossed with loads of walk ways and cycle ways. You can get the train out 30 mins to Chingford from London Liverpool St and happily spend the day walking and getting a pub lunch. It borders Essex which has a rich history of parties and clubbing, and is near where I grew up. A very happy place!
City Airport
If you are visiting London, this is the best point of entry along with the Eurostar train service. It’s so much quicker to get to where you are going and the queues are so much shorter than the bigger airports. Not too far way are clubs like Studio 338, Fold and Printworks, so you can be off the plane checked into an Airbnb and in the queue for the club within an hour of landing!
Farringdon
Farringdon has lots of good bars and food outlets, though at the end for me all roads lead to the London super club, fabric. The line-ups are second-to-none and the soundsystem and layout work purely to give the ultimate big night out. I have fond memories of playing the day and night long FUSE event there last year which was part of fabrics 20th anniversary celebrations. As soon as we can, we’ll be back!
Car Boot Sales
Car boot sales rule London’s surrounding countryside at weekends, in the home counties of Essex, Surrey and others. Usually starting at 6am they can we quite a fun excursion after a night out if you have some energy left and fancy rummaging around and picking up a bargain. You’ll find clothes, vinyl, musical instruments, electronics and a lot more, so they can be surprisingly useful for musicians as well as collectors of fashion and furniture.
Camden
If you want to check out live music, Camden still has many venues. It has lost a few over the past few years, but you can still see gigs most nights of the week. If you’re up for heading to smaller venues to discover something now, then go for The Camden Assembly (formerly the Barfly), Fiddlers Elbow or Dublin Castle. On the other hand the Roundhouse, KOKO, Underworld and Dingwalls host higher capacity concerts and events.
Do you want to get more London tips? Check out our East London – Weekend t[rave]l Guide.