Festival Preview: Nail The Cross @ Shacklewell Arms

Dave Newbury
By Dave Newbury Last edited 137 months ago
Festival Preview: Nail The Cross @ Shacklewell Arms

Nail The Cross tickets

After five years of musical innovation Nail The Cross can safely boast the moniker of London’s ultimate tastemaker event – a festival so cutting edge it makes the future seem dated.

On a relatively quiet Dalston road sits the Shacklewell Arms, the home to Nail The Cross’ weekend of sonically crunching euphoria which this year features Peckham’s post-everything pioneer Deptford Goth and San Franciscan chillwave dragster oOoOO.

There is no point in pretending you've heard of everyone playing – you will be exposed as a liar – because that is not the point in Nail The Cross. You need to revel in the joys of discovering achingly exciting music, gifted to you by people with better taste than you: the wonderful No Pain in Pop folks.

Glasgow’s Dam Mantle brings his exhilarating beats, and Slackk drives his grime roots snare-ticking and sequencing into exciting new territories. Meanwhile, Friday night headliner Londoner Slime creates enthralling pulp-electro which washes alleyway sax with shadowy beats.

Previous festivals have boasted These New Puritans – who need to give us new material now please – and The XX and SBTRKT who are doing jolly well in the mainstream world, so expect this year’s selection to join their ranks.

Nail The Cross, 19-20 October at Shacklewell Arms, 71 Shacklewell Lane, E8 2EB. Tickets £8 per day, £12.50 weekend through shacklewellarms.com.

Last Updated 18 October 2012