Casper Clark is Waiting for The Drop

Casper Clark is Waiting for The Drop

08 March, 2012
by: Johny Chhetri

We chat to the promoter behind Lanzarote, Field Day and The Lock Tavern about his new North London adventure.

For a small basement under a pub in North London, The Drop in Stoke Newington has a lot going on. Famous for hosting rad little indie nights like So Tough, So Cute and Playhouse, over the last few years this tiny little venue nestled underneath the Three Crowns has even played host to Joy Orbison secret shows and Odd Future's first ever London gig. Pretty historic if you ask us.

However all is set to change. With the long decline of Shoreditch into the playground of city boys and over-excited tourists now reaching its end game, it’s absolutely no news to anyone that East London’s DIY party scene has been slowly edging its way up the A10. First it was the Russian Bar, then it was the Alibi and Dalston Superstore, and now it seems it’s starting to make its first real encroachment into the safe, nappies-and-cider world of Stoke Newington.
 
With this in mind, 580 Limited, the dudes behind the Lock Tavern in Camden and the nearby Shacklewell Arms, have take the reigns of  Three Crowns Pub, signalling the end of The Drop and the birth of The Waiting Room. It’s not a complete overhaul – you’ll still be able to get your Sunday roast and Belgian lager, but now there'll be even more reason to go there.

With hot acts like French Kissing, Ghostpoet and Gilles Peterson all set to take to the stage there in the coming weeks, Spoonfed had a little chat with newly appointed events manager and promoter Casper Clark to see what he’s got in store for us.
 
For those who don't know, please tell them who you are and what you do.

My name's Casper Clark. I manage bookings and promotions for Lanzarote, the new name for the team behind 580 Limited. My days are spent booking The Lock Tavern, and our new place The Waiting Room, as well as working alongside Paul 'Sexbeat' Lilley on the Shacklewell Arms, and Tom 'Eat Your Own Ears' Baker on Field Day.

What's the reason behind the changing the name?

We renamed the Drop, not because it wasn't a perfectly good name already, but simply because we wanted to put the message out that things were going to be done differently with us at the helm, and to kick off a new era for the venue.

What happened to The Amersham Arms and The Rest Is Noise?

Do you want the long story or the short story? We had some fantastic times in both venues. I think we really tried to make something happen with the Amersham Arms, and were up against it in lots of ways. Looking back over the early flyers, I have nothing but fond memories of our time programming that venue, it was a special place!  
 
As for The Rest Is Noise, Paul Lilley put some amazing stuff on down there, and it was a genuine alternative to what was going on in elsewhere in Brixton. Unfortunately, the freeholder of the venue sold up, and that was that!

Tell us about Lanzarote and BleeD, who have you got coming up?

We promote Lanzarote gigs and club shows as a collective, comprised of myself, Paul Lilley and Ben Chapman, who curates Take Courage, and the gallery space above the Shacklewell Arms. We put on some ambitious events under that name, for instance Salem at Shoreditch Church, a HEALTH club show and Nail The Cross festival, with No Pain In Pop. BleeD's my extra-curricular concern, under which I promote the electronic music I'm most passionate about.  
 
I've been lucky enough to host UK début shows for Oni Ayhun, Balam Acab, Maria Minerva and Roly Porter, as well as large-scale showcases for labels such as Blackest Ever Black, Tri Angle and 100% Silk. BleeD and Lanzarote will also be cooperatively hosting a 1,500 capacity stage at Field Day this year, with Fennesz, Zomby, Peaking Lights, Kassem Mosse, Laurel Halo, Com Truise and Julia Holter.

How excited are you for Field Day 2012?

I'm really looking forward to it, as ever. We had to move two months earlier this year, because of the Olympics, but fortunately that doesn't seem to have blown us off course, and if anything, it felt good to get it all confirmed much earlier than usual. We've taken some feedback on board, and this year's site will be our best ever. I'm just crossing my fingers for sunshine now!

What can we expect from you and The Waiting Room in the future?

Our objective for The Waiting Room is to provide an interesting and varied creative space for Stoke Newington and the surrounding areas. We don't want to limit ourselves to any one type of person, as we feel it's a culturally rich enclave with its own proclivities and quirks. We hope there'll be some really memorable gigs and parties going on, week in week out.

Any words of advice for the youth of today?

Don't talk to strangers!

http://580limited.tumblr.com/

Johny Chhetri