I’ve become a new convert to grime this year. More on that in due course but in the meantime do yourself a favour and go out and buy “Rules and Regulations” by Roll Deep and “Guns and Roses vol 2” by Ruff Sqwad, ok?

Both of these crews were playing at Dirty Canvas on Friday so I persuaded Martin to venture down. As things turned out, our time in the pub across the road proved to be just a memorable as the gig.

Dirty Canvas has cleverly navigated the metropolitan police’s ban on grime gigs by coming from an overly cultural angle – holding events in the Whitechapel gallery and the ICA. This was in a proper venue, though, the Rhythm Factory in Whitechapel, which I’d last been in to warm up the place for the UK-Dance 10th anniversary party with Paul Meme.

It was good, great in fact, to hear some of the tunes which have been the soundtrack to 2007 so far mashed up by DJs Magic and Plastician. Nice mixed crowd, hoxtonistas and hoodies rubbing along alright. Big fucking queues…

Unfortunately I had to leave at about 1:00am cos of some commitments next the next morning so I missed both Ruff Sqwad and Roll Deep… gutted is not the word, but I will be back.