For anyone in the loop, the name Scarlett O’Malley is synonymous with an electric fusion of deep soul and an energy as infectious as her magnetic personality. Born and raised in Perivale, this West London DJ, producer, and broadcaster has built a world entirely on her own terms. One profoundly nourished in a deep-seated love for 60s and 70s soul, old-school subcultures, and the sort of dancefloors where you start as a dancer and end up going B2B with the DJ.
When she isn’t hosting her monthly residency on Rinse FM, interviewing legends, or steering her thriving Club Cowgirl label and party series, she’s digging through the city’s dustiest crates or pushing for working-class representation in the music industry. Her London is quite diligently shaped by these spaces that keep the city’s subcultural heart alive, so, for this edition of the All Day All Night series, she takes us on a ride through her personal capital.
The Blue Posts
My favourite pub in the entire world and has been for about 10 years. This place is just so charming. In a nutshell, it’s exactly what London is about: heritage, cool characters and having a soul. I quite literally take all my first dates here… none have worked out, though, so maybe I should stop? The decor, the essence and the life of this place will always have an extremely special place in my heart.
Jelly Records
I am a newish Clapton resident, and it is true what they say: Chatsworth Road is the place to be. I love taking a wander down there every couple of weeks, and have done a few Saturday digs at Jelly Records. I can always find something good; it’s great quality and cheap-ish to buy. They also have a nice selection of 7s there too, but the dance music section is really where it’s at. A nice vibe really keeps this place’s aura 10/10!
📍22 Chatsworth Rd, Lower Clapton
Museum of Youth Culture
My heart has swelled with pride for the Museum of Youth Culture, as they’ve finally found their own permanent home! I started working with them in 2019/2020 during lockdown by making their first-ever podcast, ‘Youth Club Podcast’ (they were formally called the Youth Club Archive). I am currently working with them on an ‘Irish Stories in Camden’ project, so having seen them grow and move from space to space, to now visiting their real long-life home in Camden, it’s AMAZING!
The exhibitions are so eye-catching and interactive, you could spend half a day in there just looking through all the pictures, adding your own memory to the memory telephone box and reading about all the different youth cultures that have been part of its making. If you’re only in London for a day, you have to stop by this place!
📍 51 St Pancras Way, Camden Town
Gerry’s
Late-night jazz ‘members’-only club, but if you’re cocky enough, they’ll let you pay to get in. And if you’re really cocky enough, you’ll wrangle your way in for free. Either way, I’ve spent many a late night in here drinking rum and cokes, chatting endlessly to all the varying characters and listening to late-night live jazz. I even saw Paloma Faith get up to do a rendition of Etta James’ ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ in here once; another Soho haunt for the people who love to metaphorically enter a time machine and get a flavour of Soho from years gone by.
Sounds of the Suburbs
Maybe a fraction out of bounds if you only have a few days in London, but if you’re staying in West London, it is well worth travelling to the end of the Central Line to hit up Sounds of the Suburbs. A real collection of every genre from the 50s to the 00s I’d say, mainly punk and indie records, but because no one really goes looking in there for dance stuff. When you do, all the electronic records are mainly from the 90s and untouched. This one feels like a real hidden gem, so maybe I’m making a mistake by putting it in this list, but I have to give the shop its flowers!
The Carpet Shop
The Carpet Shop is run by the same crew as Corsica Studios. They’ve always felt like the baby that Corsica gave birth to, and it has also been the home to my imprint Club Cowgirl for the last couple of years, so it holds a really special place in my heart. There is something to be said for the one-room, 250ish-cap venues; I’ve personally always loved an intimate club setting over a massive warehouse, that paired with a great soundsystem and frozen margs in the summertime, this club really does have it all.
📍Arch 164, 115 Rye Ln, Peckham
Sirac
This Turkish in my area has been my absolute lifeline since moving to Clapton. This place is 10/10, absolutely no notes. Every time I get my order of chicken shish with tomato couscous, cacık and a Greek salad… I feel like it’s the first time I’ve ever eaten. I can’t put my finger on why it’s so great, but it truly is the best Turkish I have ever had in my home city.
📍2 Southwold Rd, Lower Clapton
Lazy Oaf
I am a Lazy Oaf STAN! Maybe their biggest fan. And I can always manage to find something great when I visit their shop just off of Carnaby Street. I love the outside-of-the-box designs and themes. There is always something with a cat on it, which I always have to buy, and the size range is INCLUSIVE! Other brands should really learn from them, because curvy girls want to dress fun too. The best!
The Cause
I always used to jokingly call The Cause my ‘second home’ when it was based in Tottenham; I was pretty much there on a weekly basis. That turned into me being named one of their residents in 2021. And to be honest, even now, having moved to the Docklands in the East, it is definitely the club I go to most in London.
You’ve got nice big dancefloors like the Warehouse and the Hot House, so many nooks and crannies around the whole venue that make the place a rave maze. The opportunities to stumble upon a different room and a different sound are endless. I will, and forever will be, team The Cause!
Sounds of the Universe
My favourite record shop in Soho, and conveniently next door to The Blue Posts, so maybe even more of a reason as to why I love it. I feel like every time I have an album in mind that I want to buy, Sounds of the Universe stocks it. A really nice selection of LPs and 45s and great soulful stuff, which is pretty much all I listen to in my downtime. This place knows exactly what it’s doing. My most recent purchase being Donny Hathaway’s ‘Extension of a Man’, is yet to leave my turntable.
Electric Ballroom
Such an elite venue, it literally has not changed since the 80s (from what I’ve been told) and is a real quirky ballroom. I go quarterly for an event called Bop-a-Lenas, which is all 50s rockabilly/ rock n roll/ doo-wop; the venue matches the music perfectly.
Nothing scratches an itch in my soul like a vintage spot. I am a history nerd, so after being in places and hearing stories about clubs that have been around for decades, I love thinking about all the different tribes and subcultures that formed identities with these places. The Electric Ballroom is truly old skool and has a balcony overlooking the main dance floor: it still has a wooden one, which is extremely important (IYKYK) and is the perfect time capsule. If there’s a night on there or an all-dayer that takes your fancy, do it!
📍184 Camden High St, Camden
100 Club
A very close second to The Cause for my favourite venue in London. And for completely different reasons! The 100 Club has been around for over 80 years, remains the world’s oldest independently run venue and has been run by the same family for most of that time. Now owned by Jeff Horton and run by his daughter Ruby, both of whom I consider friends of mine, the whole place is underground Oxford Street, red painted walls and covered in photos from all the people who have graced their stage.
I started going when I was 18 for the 6TS Rhythm and Soul all-nighters to get my fix of real rare underground soul music and continue to go to this night when touring permits. But one of my most treasured memories in this place will always be when I managed to finagle my way into The Specials gig in 2019. I didn’t have a ticket but was a regular, so I think that’s how I managed to get in; by asking very nicely if I could come in (lol).
I still am a massive The Specials fan, so seeing them in their original form playing songs that mean so much to me whilst sharing a vape with an actor from one of my favourite series (who will remain unnamed) blew my tiny mind. What blew my tiny mind even more was when Saffiyah Khan began to DJ, but her USBs had corrupted, so I asked her what she was trying to play. She replied with ‘Northern Soul’, and I just so happened to have USBs full of Northern Soul, proceeding to going b2b on my USBs, drinking pints. I got a ‘thank you’ and a handshake from Terry Hall. I will never, ever, ever forget that night and woke up the next morning physically buzzing from how special it was. Long live the 100 Club and long live The Specials!
📍100 Oxford St, Central London
And That’s a Wrap on London’s Hidden Gems!
Let’s be honest, London is a city of layers. The version you see in travel brochures barely scratches the surface of the subcultures (from mod to rave) that keep the culture alive. The real magic happens in the grassroots spaces where communities gather week after week to keep the dance scene thriving.
Guided by Scarlett O’Malley, you’ve just had a look at a fiercely independent London, fueled by a genuine love of music. Ready to dive deeper into the city’s nightlife? Explore what’s actually happening on the ground with XCEED.
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