One Drop, Plough Studios, Clapham
Sunday 8th February
Left With Pictures & Johnny Flynn
‘I wanted to create something social that would not revolve around alcohol.’ This is what one of the organisers of a new fixture, ‘One Drop’, explained to me as we waited in the queue for the only toilet in Plough Studios in Clapham on Sunday.
The event, which fused holistic therapies, spiritual demonstrations, delicious organic food and live music, took place in the light, airy gallery space and was filled to the brim with Londoners seeking some Sunday ‘down-time’.
The atmosphere was certainly social and throughout the day, just about every type of person walked through the door. During daylight hours, one portion of the space was given over to professionals performing therapies from Craniosacral Massage to Ear Acupuncture. The gallery next door was devoted to a Reiki-share and a Mediumship demonstration.
This reviewer paid the princely sum of £4 for five well-placed needles stuck in each ear, and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening feeling thoroughly Zen, although this could also be to do with a few cups of herbal tea and two fantastic sets from London-based Left with Pictures and Johnny Flynn. The former, a four-piece band who toured with Peggy Sue in 2008, played a few of their brilliantly original songs, with a fiddle, banjo, stylophone and keyboard. Their mesmerising tunes and harmonies (sung without mics) were perfectly in line with the whole day and in particular, their cover of a Richard Thompson track captivated the audience.
Then came Johnny, who played tracks from ‘A Larum’ and revealed a brand new song which was triumphed by his enthusiastic audience. Having also spent the day partaking in all that One Drop had to offer, he charmingly muddled his words, but did manage to plug his other current venture, a theatrical turn at The Shunt Lounge, London Bridge which can be seen from Wednesday 11 Feb to Saturday 14 Feb and is absolutely worth a look!
One Drop was like a mini-holiday; great food, great people, and above all, great music. My advice? Watch out for the next one…
Words: Alice Turner