"Wrong Side of Town"

6 March 2024

4 mins 44s

Wrong Side of Town

Part music video, part documentary, 'Wrong Side of Town' is a joint effort between Joe Armon-Jones, Hak Baker, and directors Broken Antenna. Baker grew up in East London, where gentrification has run amok. Has the Isle of Dogs gone to the dogs? The musician jumps on his bike to find out.

He takes us on a whirlwind tour of his home turf, and only gets off his bike to use the Docklands Light Railway. The result is a blur of new builds, old haunts, life, and death (once flowers have been tied to a lamp-post in Camberwell for a time, they get chucked in the bin).

What makes this promo stand out is the time given to local concerns like Aberfeldy Boxing Club—whose motto is, "Stop the stabbing, stick to jabbing"—and Pellicci's café in Bethnal Green. Owner Nev speaks for those tired of empty promises and change for change's sake: “If you want to come in and do that, don’t bother.”

UK

Promos