Sweet Memory Sounds, Nottinghill Arts Club

About me:

Sweet Memory Sounds is a monthly club night at the Nottinghill Arts Club in West London with residents DJ Derek and Adam Callan, it runs the 2nd Saturday every month...

Sweet Memory Sounds started over 5 years ago, originally playing host to London legend and Jamaican music champion Gaz Mayall, supporting 'the legend' and holder of pensioner-status DJ Derek, as well as a number of classic Ska, Reggae and Bluebeat bands coming through such as No.1 Station, The Trojans, and regular DJ spots from Jamaican Soundsystem legend Duke Vin and The Top Cats' own King Natty Bo.

Promoter Adam Callan then steered the night towards being a vehicle for a lot of the exciting music that was happening in West London at the time, and it turned from being an exclusively Jamaican music night to being an eclectic, inclusive and truly vibrant party that was both the best place to hear vintage black music and dance, as well as hear the best of London's up-and-coming young bands.

The combination proved a successful one, with continual support from Time Out, The Guardian Guide and many London based publications all giving successive Critics Choice listings and a string of sold out parties twice a month.

In the mean time, DJ Derek steadily became a national treasure, with the BBC making a documentary about him, Daddy G from Massive Attack citing him as one of his great influences, and perhaps most noteworthy, the hugely important Trojan Records released a compilation of songs selected by Derek which was put out under the name of the night, Sweet Memory Sounds.

The nights became a home for party-goers, musicians, DJs and several regular acts as well as seeing sets from many bands who are now some of London's best known young artists: Mumford and Sons, Paloma Faith, VV Brown, The King Blues, and Natty, to name but a few.

In 2009, deciding it was time to call it a day on the live front for a while, promoter Adam Callan distilled the essence of Sweet Memory Sounds to a Saturday night party that still runs the 2nd Saturday of every month at the Nottinghill Arts Club and consists of himself warming up the place for what are always legendary sets from Mr DJ Derek.

..

Still going strong!