Desert Penguins Crimbo Bash

Desert Penguins are playing The Horn on Friday 11 December, their Crimbo Bash party. It's a covers night, but not the kind where you'll hear the same few pub staples on repeat. They take noughties pop songs and rework them into full-band rock numbers, so the set is built from familiar melodies played with a louder, heavier edge than the originals.

They describe the whole thing as a Christmas party rather than a straight gig, and that's a useful distinction for how the night is set up. Instead of a standard concert, it's framed as a party around the music, with the band playing as the main feature. The songs they're working with come from the 2000s, so if you spent any time listening to pop from that decade, you'll recognise the tunes they're pulling from.

It's a late one, so you'll want to plan your evening around the timings. Doors open at 20:00, but the band doesn't take the stage until 22:30, with the night running on until 02:00. That gives you plenty of time to get in and settle before the music starts, and plenty of room to stay on afterwards. The venue is The Horn on Victoria Street in St Albans, AL1 3TE.

There's no entry fee, so you can just turn up on the night. One thing to keep in mind: it's strictly 18+, so you'll need to be of age to get in. Between the late start and the 02:00 finish, it's more of a night out than a quick trip to a show.