The vinyl revolution is well underway in London. Walking around Hackney it’s hard to miss the endless record stalls and shops lining the streets. Love vinyl one of these Hackney record shops. It has a small, but carefully chosen, selection covering genres including funk, soul, afrobeat, rock and pop, and smaller electro and techno sections. They offer both new releases and older records, some of which are rare collectors’ items.

Not being a huge record collector myself, the reason that I like this spot is mainly their evenings of live music. The place is so tiny that, when I arrived at my first gig there, I wondered how a band would fit. Somehow, they managed, the three-member group plus instruments in a corner with the audience eagerly crowding around them, making for a beautifully intimate gig. These are the kind of events where chatting to the artists is well within the realms of possibility. If you’re out to mingle, these are the gigs for you. Listings on facebook page.