Camden on Disney Plus is a music docuseries executive-produced by and featuring singer Dua Lipa. It hears from some of the biggest artists in the world whose careers were made or broken in that tiny part of north London. Featuring the likes of Suggs from Madness, Chris Martin, Little Simz, Nile Rodgers, Yungblud, Boy George and many more, the four-part series tells the untold stories about how their lives were forever changed by the special place.
Dua Lipa says: “Executive producing the new original documentary series that celebrates the very place I started all of this is such a major full circle moment for me! Camden will always have a special place in my heart and I'm humbled to share that with some absolute icons.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Camden on Disney Plus…
Camden release date
Camden is a four-part series that premieres on Disney Plus from Wednesday May 29 2024. Enjoy!
Is there a trailer?
Yes Disney Plus has now released a Camden trailer, which you can watch below. which gives you an idea of how many famous musicians will be appearing. Also watch the Back To Back trailer below it for a glimpse at the recent 2024 biopic movie about the late British singer Amy Winehouse, much of which is set in an around Camden...
Camden — premise, musicians and what's shown
The music documentary series Camden brings together many of the artists whose careers were launched in Camden, north London. It includes interviews with Dua Lipa, Suggs from Madness, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Pete Doherty, Mark Ronson, Questlove, Little Simz, Nile Rodgers, Boy George, Yungblud, Black Eyed Peas, Jazzie B, Bob Vylan, Chuck D and Sister Bliss as they all reveal how the borough changed their life. And there are some stars who explain how their careers were broken there too. More musicians confirmed to feature in the series are Pete Doherty and Carl Barat of The Libertines, Mark Ronson, Questlove, Black Eyed Peas, Soul II Soul’s Jazzie B, Chuck D and Sister Bliss from Faithless.
Camden is a celebration of this distinctive corner of north London that is home to iconic music venues the Jazz Cafe, the Roundhouse, Dingwalls, the Electric Ballroom and Koko (formerly the Camden Palace and the Music Machine), as well as a host of pubs where up-and-coming acts cut their teeth playing live. One of those pubs is the famous Dublin Castle, inside which, as seen in the series, there are many pictures of ska band Madness, who emerged from the back streets of Camden and owe a huge debt to the historic Irish venue.
As lead singer Suggs recalls in episode one, Madness, formerly known as the North London Invaders, secured their first gig there by being economical with the truth about what sort of band they were.
"That’s where we got our first residency in the late 1970s by pretending we were a country and western band, because all the pubs were Irish," recalls the 63-year-old. "That meant we slowly started to build up a following until there was a queue round the block. There used to be about 15 pubs in Camden when I was a kid, and most of them have gone, and that’s why the Dublin Castle is this beacon of hope."
He adds that, as well as giving bands like Madness the chance to perform, the Camden pub scene enabled music fans to enjoy going to gigs without paying a hefty admission price.
"You’d go out every night, and you’d see a band," says Suggs, who played a homecoming show with Madness at Camden’s Koko last year. "Nobody knew who was going to make it and who wasn’t, but everyone was at it. There was music every single night, and it was free. As long as you could afford a pint of beer, you could go out. It was amazing."
In the early days of Madness gigs, the north London borough was full of memorable characters. ‘It was very poor,’ recalls Suggs. ‘There were squats all over the place, and people who had dropped out of society. They liked music and dancing, and they liked a drink, laughing and romance. So all these things were completely intertwined.’
Another band synonymous with Camden, and also featured in the series, is The Libertines. "Camden was the ultimate mecca for misfits. We made flyers and went round the pubs inviting everyone in Camden," recalls Carl Barat, who lived there with bandmate Pete Doherty, and even used to stage impromptu Libertines gigs in the basement flat they shared.
"‘I’d say to everyone: 'We’re doing a gig in the front room in about half an hour,”’ adds Doherty. ‘And Carl would be fuming, saying: “What are you talking about? I’ve got my washing drying in the bathroom!”’
Behind the scenes and more on DIsney Plus docuseries Camden
Camden is produced by Lightbox in association with Day One Pictures and Dua Lipa’s production company Radical22, whose lives were changed forever by this tiny part of London. The series director is Academy-Award-winner Asif Kapadia. Dua Lipa stars in the documentary Camden and serves as its executive producer.
All about singer Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa is headlining Glastonbury in 2024, having found fame with songs such as Be The One, IDGAF, Hotter Than Hell, Levitating and New Rules. She also made her acting debut in the 2023 film Barbie and provided the song Dance the Night for the soundtrack.
