Norman Jay MBE on the Good Times bus at Carnival 2006. Photograph: Getty/Miles Willis
I spotted an advert the other day for Tesco at Notting Hill Carnival. No it's not a soundsystem featuring a hybrid of techno and disco but the supermarket chain. They had a little map of the carnival route dotted with little Tesco Metros attempting to lure you away from curried goat and jerk chicken with the promise of scotch eggs and tubes of Pringles.
Thankfully the soundsystems outnumber the Tesco Metros 38 to four. The most famous features a DJ in his forties who rides around on a Chopper bike and has been garlanded by the Queen with an MBE. Yes, Norman Jay's Good Times roadshow (Southern/West Row) is the obvious choice if you want a heady mix of rare groove, disco, 'funky' house and dancing in rush hour crowds. The other established big one is Rampage (Colville Gardens) who, having been at Carnival since 1990, can now consider themselves old school (nearly as good as an MBE) and this year will feature the Mercury gong-winning pair of Dizzee Rascal and Ms Dynamite.
If you want some jolly ska played by gents with impressive nom de stages then Gaz's Rockin' Blues Super Heroes (Talbot Road) features Count Cassavubu, Sir Bunny and the Ramjam Brothers. I wonder if they wear capes and attempt to fly after a few too many Red Stripes? If you fancy something more niche there's a Latin Rave Street Jam on Portobello Road (expect Latin, but not Klaxons). Mangrove Sound (All Saints Rd) is all about soca, soca, soca and if you are after something more synthetic then Sancho Panza (Middle Row/Conlan Street) have provided a techno alternative for the last 13 years.
Other than New Year's Eve, Carnival is the only time of the year pubs can get away with charging a tenner on entrance and most of them offer a variant on techno and house. The Westbury (Kilburn High Rd) has Ed from the Chemical Brothers DJing with his pals; Mancunian soul brothers The Unabombers take over the Metropolitan for the weekend alongside disco aficiandos Idjut Boys. There's also a Garden Party (Masons Arms, Harrow Road) now in its fifth year with acid house veterans Justin Robertson, Ashley Beedle and some near naked dancing from the Cuban Brothers on the Sunday.
The best thing about Carnival, as with any festival really, is leaving the beaten track and the Tesco Metro route to find something altogether different. The sun is likely to be sporting a natty hat this weekend so where will you be heading when you arrive in W11?
