London's Raven Records to host The Musicians Coven event

Musician looking for other people to play with but not sure where to start? Then head along to Raven Records in Camden this week for a special social event aimed at helping musical folk get together.

On November 23, the shop and alcohol-free bar will host The Musicians Coven, a mixer where anyone, but especially sober metal fans, women, minority fans and LGBTQI+ musicians, can get together to break the ice and chat about playing music.

"I found that as a woman and also as a sober person it was quite hard for me to go up to random people at gigs and ask them if they played any instruments," says organiser Giulia Tommasi. "So when I found out about a sober space for metalheads, Raven Records, I thought it would be the perfect space to host a meet up in the hope of finding like-minded musicians and helping other people in the same position as me.

"The event is open to everyone but it's important for me that we aim to make it a safe space for women, members of the LGBTQI community and ethnic minorities, as they are often overlooked due to the lack of diversity in the scene."

The event will also serve as a gallery showcasing Giulia's art, which take in her Italian heritage as well as elements of UK folklore.

"The sculptures reflect on folklore and my dual cultural identity as an immigrant," she explains. "I grew up in a city in Italy called Viareggio which hosts the biggest carnival in Europe, where huge paper mache sculptures parade though the city during the weeks leading to lent. The masks are also influenced by my exposure to UK folklore in the last 15 years and horror movies such as Pumpkinghead. Eventually I would like to incorporate similar props in my future music project, so I hope I meet someone who is into theatrics at The Musicians Coven!"

The Musicians Coven runs at Raven Records, Camden Town, from 6-8pm on November 23