A Night at Steam Down in Photos
“Imagine the rhythms of Dubstep & Grime and the inventiveness of Hip-Hop or Future Soul,”
I talked a little bit in my previous post about documenting Steam Down!
Finally, here are the full set of photos from last week!
I really love the wide angle shots of the whole room, which show the unity between the musicians and the crowd, which is really what Steam Down is all about.
For those yet to experience Steam Down, it’s a weekly live music night at Matchstick Theatre, a co-operative space occupying a railway arch in Deptford.
Set up by Ahnansé, Steam Down is the name of both the night and a collective of musicians that gather there to improvise and jam.
Ahnansé
Playing brass, drums, percussion, keys and strings alongside singers, poets and spoken word artists, the sound is often categorised as part of London’s new Jazz scene.
As Ahnansé described on last week’s Jools Holland, the music encompasses so many sounds and styles - including Grime, Dubstep, Hip-hop and Soul; that it’s difficult to classify it as anything except brilliant.
Crucially and like all great new music scenes, it’s not just a night or a sound but a community that extends to visual artists, sound engineers, photographers, videographers and dancers.
Wumzum flying the Steam Down flag that he designed
The weekly line-up consists of a core crew of players, some of whom you might have seen in this week’s Time Out,with a variety of guests adding their own magic each week.
Last week was a particularly spectacular evening as not only was it the release of Steam Down’s first single “Free My Skin,” but also the first time that keys player Dominic performed his own music under the name Doom Cannon.
This meant there were at least 20 musicians in the room - including a steel pan player, a cellist & at one point, a 6 piece brass section on the balcony. It was literally a blast.
Thanks again to the Steam Down crew for giving me their blessing to document the night, such an honour!
View from the Balcony