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Your support makes all the difference.A good Friday night is the Oasis Club, Roseberry Avenue, Dalston, London, E8. They play soul, rap, swing and reggae, and it's cheap: pounds 5 and pub prices. The age range is between 18 and 25, and you have to dress smart, but it's not a place to sit around posing.
I go into the West End a lot, and I like Club Circa, Berkeley Sq, W1 (071-499 7850) on a Saturday night, when it's brilliant if you like rap, and goes on to 3am. After that I go on to All Nations, London Fields, E8 (071-249 1488). It's one of the oldest clubs in the world, three floors - reggae, soul, and in the basement lovers' rock. It's massive, over 25s rather than a kiddies' place, and the prices are cheap. The decor is tacky - the odd picture on the wall . . . looks like somebody's dad did it up.
To eat I like Carib, off Stoke Newington High Street in the one-way system. There's a posh bar downstairs, but eat and have the rice and peas, followed by the curry chicken and a side salad.
The two great pubs are the Prince Of Wales, Kingsland High St, E8 (071-254 6788) which has a dance floor, loud music - soul, reggae, swingbeat - and a gambling area for dominoes, which the youth are getting into now. The other is The Swan, Clapton Common, E5 (081-800 6423). Half of it's on the outside, and they have speakers out front blasting the street.
Oh yeah, and Night Moves is a soul club in Shoreditch High Road, EC1 (071-739 6412). It's always ridiculously packed on a Sunday night - get in before 11pm, and wear a shirt - you'll need it to wipe the sweat on - pounds 5 in, racially mixed. All London comes.
Smiley and Shut Up And Dance's 'Say Party' is out on 18 Aug, on Shut Up And Dance Records
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