pop

Whatever next. Come nightfall, Camden Town metamorphoses into a business school for the aspiring professional indie band. Wanna be the next Blur or Elastica?

In Camden, learn which crucial days to schmooze (Monday at Dublin Castle's Club Spangle, Saturday at the Laurel Tree's Blow Up night), how to get a pop star (preferably someone in Blur) to buy your drinks in The Good Mixer and how to win that £100,000 record-deal price-tag, with the help of ever-present publicists and journos. Success stories? Elastica's number one album, Menswear on TOTP with a 5,000 limited-edition single, and a Sunday Express feature for Powder long before their debut record. It should be fun, but it's damn depressing. Thankfully, it's not the whole story. Real indie frisson sizzled at Dublin Castle last 5 November, in the guise of a six-band line-up for a Bonfire Blow Up night, headlined by hardcore Londoners, Fabric. And now Lisa Pulon, who organised the sell-out show, is at it again.

This time, the event is the Easter Egg-splosion, and is held at Dingwalls. "The media always focuses around what's trendy in Britain at the moment, while there's loads of great, creative bands and labels that aren't getting focused upon," she explains. On the bill are Scot pop femmes Lung Leg, Nottingham hardcore wonders Bob Tilton, fuzz lovers Quickspace Supersport, racket-blazers Snuff and Elevate and dysfunctional pop masters Prolapse (right). All comers get a free single featuring the six bands as well as other Easter surprises.

Easter Egg-splosion, Sun, Dingwalls, NW1 (0171 267 1999)