It was a chilly November night, Friday the 15th to be exact, in 2013 that The Water Rats in London's King's Cross opened its doors to what effectively would become the first edition of Malta Takes London (MTL). Born out of the idea of a two-band London gig that grew into a six-band line-up, MTL has not only continued to grow even further, but also become a regular showcase for Maltese talent; an annual fixture that brings Maltese bands - locally or elsewhere-based - together on the same stage in one of the most important music capitals in the world.
As the fourth edition draws closer - it will take place on Sunday, November 6 at Proud Camden - preparations for the big day are in full swing. The Maltese contingent flying over has been finalised, as has its UK-based counterpart, and while there are several familiar names in the line-up, there are at least five bands for whom this will be a first, namely Guildford-based Nbome and local acts Brodu, Bila, Beesqueeze and The Ranch; each of them diverse in style and collectively representative of the variety that exists within the Maltese music scene. The rest of the line-up features Federica, Rob Harbour, Fuzzhoneys, Berne, Yews and I Am Willow, all of whom have played in previous editions, as well as MTL mainstays NoSnow/NoAlps and Canvas Wall, whose Nick Morales and Craig Rogerson, respectively, are the core organizers behind the whole event. This year, the team has been boosted by the addition of Trackage Scheme's Ben Vincenti and Rachel Fenech. Ben Vincenti and Rockna's Michael Bugeja will also be playing DJ sets in between and after the bands.
Ahead of the London date, the locally-based artists will be getting together at The Funky Monkey in Gzira on Friday, October 28 for a night of music and mayhem courtesy of a 7-strong DJ line-up, namely Zizza, El Morales, Fuzzhoneys, Ben Vincenti, Michael Bugeja, Andrew Francica and Kriz Haze (more details here). Further to this 'pre-party', the MTL team has also set up a crowdfunding page (click here) in collaboration with Trackage Scheme, with various goodies available against a small donation, with all funds collected going towards covering the costs involved in staging the London concert. So make sure to drop by and help the cause! See you at the Funky Monkey!