Review

This is a firkin grimy pub, with a palpable perception of the dust, filth and dirt that resides on every surface and in every corner; the Firkin ethos seems to be an 'authentic' spit'n'sawdust feel, and the Fusilier & Firkin deviates little from the masterplan. Situated opposite Camden Lock market on Camden High Street, and a few steps past Regents Canal and its overt drug-dealers, the Fusilier & Firkin is evident from its traditional pub façade with an excess of flyers and posters advertising up-and-coming bands and events. Wooden floors abound here, as do cheap tables and equally cheap and wooden barstaff.

Once you've forced your way past the barrel-tables, clambered through the heaving throng of punters, avoided the 50-year-old punk who's pissed out of his mind, and managed to extract your foot from the unknown substance smeared across the room that is gluing your feet to the floor, you arrive at a pool table, which is usually surrounded by rough, bearded, tattooed, pony tailed men and women. A few steps further on brings you to the toilets that sport the standard Firkin quirk of replacing the 'men' and 'women' door signs with the Irish equivalents of Fir and Mna - a firking stupid idea! Not knowing if you're a Fir or a Mna makes no difference, as I'm sure they're both equally as scummy.

Drinks are expensive and suffer from poor service, and the overriding feeling of filth that clings to every pore means that your drinks could just as easily been dredged from off the floor behind the bar - they're that pleasing!

Catering to the rock, ska and general alternativeness of Camden's visitors - in addition to midweek acoustic sessions - the small, central stage, jutting out into the crowd, allows a good selection of bands to play here, dispersing their own brand of cover versions. The house band on Sundays includes Les Binks and Pete Friesen. Legendary Judas Priest drummer Les Binks played on the band's great albums from the latter part of the 1970, including performing on the track that took Judas Priest to a US courtroom when the unloving parents of two fans tried to blame the band for their sons' suicide pact; a loveless childhood and lack of parental interest results in 'problem' teenagers, not listening to the 'wrong' music! Canadian born Pete Friesen played in the Alice Cooper Band and The Almighty, and how many stars of Wayne's World can you see doing a gig in a Camden pub? Yes, it is he who features alongside Alice Cooper in the aforementioned movie during the classic We're not worthy, we're not worthy! scene!

An unmissable pub if you're in Camden to achieve the real Camden experience, and far enough between two pubs to necessitate a visit if you're on a Camden Town to Kentish Town pub-crawl, but unless you like grimy surroundings, equally grimy people and have a penchant for groupies or drunken women, then the Fusilier & Firkin is best left avoided.

Review by mr_psm