After Hours

I'm a north London boy, now living in Finchley, but I go out a lot in the West End. I like Bar Circa, Lansdowne Hse, Berkeley Square, W1 (071-499 7850), which is a club with several floors. On Fridays they play some good hip hop and rare grooves, and it's quite a smart, relaxed place, and musicians can jam upstairs on a Saturday. Some of my friends are into house, so we might go to Iceni, 11 White Horse St, W1 (071- 495 5333), another good night club, but the drone, you know, it's hard work, I'm more into proper tunes.

Clubs only have a lifespan of about two years. I tend to follow DJs and party organisers like Boys Own and Pushka, who just do one-off events. In Glasgow I go to The Tunnel Club (041-204 1000), which is just a trendy club, nothing to do with tunnels as far as I can see. Glasgow has quite a vibrant scene, and they play a lot of good garage music here. The men's toilets are strange - you have to go against a waterfall running down a mirror.

I go to a lot of gigs - you might as well take the opportunity when they're free - and the Jazz Cafe, 5 Parkway, Camden NW1 (071-916 6000) is a good place. Carleen Anderson a few weeks ago was one of the best things I've ever heard. If my friends are playing, I'll go to The Cricketers, Kenninton Oval, London SE1 (071- 735 3059) where a lot of new bands start out.

I'm not a great man for pubs and wine bars, I'm not into that getting-trashed vibe. But a couple of stylish bars I like are Beach Blanket Babylon, 45 Ledbury Rd, W11 (071-229 2907) in Notting Hill, which has really interesting metal chairs, and the Dry Bar, 28-30 Oldham St, Manchester M1 (061-236 5920). For eating in Manchester, JW Johnson, 78 Deansgate M3 (061-831 7772) is great. Have the bangers and mash.

Kenny Thomas's current album is 'Wait for Me'

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