The return of Poundcake to VFD launches Thursday, 30th March. We caught up with the crew for a Q&A in advance of the relaunch of the tastiest night in Dalston to see what's in store.
Q: For the uninitiated, can you please tell us a little bit about your collective and how you came together?
A: Shade, the collective, is all about trying to put cultural work at the centre of intellectual production. For us, thinking around culture still doesn't take a lot of contemporary cultural work, particularly that created by people of colour, at all seriously. It's also especially tough for people of colour to do this kind of work in institutional spaces, where they feel free both to make mistakes and be more playful with their ideas. So, in essence, we're trying to create a platform for such intellectual and cultural work, but in less formal spaces and in more mischievous ways.
As for how we came together as a squad, we're all friends, so it happened pretty organically. Taio and Remi have this radio show, so they'd invite us down to the studio in West London to listen, eat and hang out while they're recording it. To be honest, it was mainly to make fun of Taio's 'radio' voice - and hear that boisterous laugh of his, live and in real time! Some of us have also studied together, so we've spent many a night arguing, writing and just drinking together.
Q: We've enjoyed a couple of your nights previously at VFD and fell in love with you and your crowd. What is it about Poundcake that makes everyone so friendly and positive?
A: First of all, THANK YOU! You guys have been so good to us - so positive and supportive. For our night, we really wanted to make sure that the crowd reflected how we wanted to get down. Also, considering the sounds of the night, we wanted to get to a point where the vibe was much more convivial - more reflective of this city than we felt we were experiencing in other spots.
Q: Thursday is the new Friday. Discuss!
A: Yes! Exactly. We always like going out on Thursdays. It sets you straight for the weekend - and gives you something to look forward to during the week. If you're having a dope Thursday night out somewhere, the rest of your weekend is going to be nice, guaranteed. It also works the other way, too - where you can just let go on a Thursday and have a few extra days to recover and chill. All in all, we're big believers in Thursday nights out.
Q: A traditional poundcake recipe is a pound each of flour, butter, eggs and sugar. If you could make a musical poundcake, which four tracks would you blend into the recipe?
A: Barrington Levy - Black Roses
Missy Elliot - Hot Boyz
Khia - My Neck, My Back
Cakes Da Killa - Living Gud, Eating Gud
Poundcake
Thu 30 Mar :: 7.30pm - late