Cargo Summer Yard Party

Tucked away under the railway arches in the heart of Shoreditch, amongst the images of Banksy art, is Cargo.

Its hip interior, chilled out atmosphere and reputation for putting on the best up-and-coming bands has made it a favourite Hoxton hangout. Wednesday saw the Cargo team hale the start of the summer with the first of this year’s Summer Yard Parties.

The Yard Partys’ reputation precedes them, and it seems they have become a bit of an East London institution. As one of Cargo’s free events, you need to arrive early to make sure you bag a place! The event was in full swing by 7pm, the funky decked yard area buzzing with chatter and the sound of clinking glasses as the champagne flowed.

Friendly and unpretentious, there was a real summer party vibe with the revellers varying from skinny-jeaned musos to those still suited, straight from work, but everyone was there to chill out with friends.

The BBQ was cooking all sorts of tasty treats: burgers, chorizo and corn on the cob, and for afters there were the famous ice cream specials. OK the food might have been a little over-priced but the evening was free, they have to make their money somehow, right?  And it’s not all about the food and the champagne cocktails either. The walls of the yard were covered in huge murals as graffiti  art was created in front of our eyes.

Inside, Parisian 4-piece Koko Von Napoo kicked-off the live music, but they had to play their quirky set of indie-pop to a sparse crowd whilst the majority of revellers made the most of the warm weather outside. It’s a shame there was no streaming of the sound into the yard because those outside really missed out. They were followed by Morgan Quaintance’s (Does It Offend You, Yeah?) electro 3-piece Plugs and finally Freeland, which saw electro DJ extraordinaire Adam Freeland turn his hand to a live set.

Rounding off the evening was the Horsemeat Disco DJs James Hillard and Jim Stanton who warmed up for their Glastonbury set this weekend by playing their brilliant mix of disco and funk. It would seem the rumours are true; Cargo’s Yard parties are indeed legendary and possibly one of the best free parties in town.

Cargo
83 Rivington Street
Shoreditch
EC2A 3AY

Tel: 020 7749 7844

www.cargo-london.com