It's a balmy Friday night, and I'm walking around and around, trying to find a house. I have no idea whose house it is, nor who or what will be there. All I've been told is that I'll be welcomed, I'll discover exciting new musical talent, and I'll meet people from all walks of life. The event, known as Unlit, will be, according to its creator, "one of the most beautiful, magical nights you can possibly experience".
Part house party, part gig, each Unlit event is hosted by anyone willing to open their home to strangers, and is free to anyone wishing to attend. Over the past 10 years, Unlit has developed from an underground movement to a viral internet phenomenon, the results all taking place in the comfort of your very own living room (or, more likely, someone else's).
At the centre of it all is Jont, a 34-year-old modern-day beatnik who spent his student days putting out an underground poetry journal called The Mad Cow, before deciding to launch his own club night. "I was bored with being a poet and preferred playing," he says. "It seemed like a natural evolution and I liked the idea of playing my songs to 20 or 30 people. That way it could have the most effect. It was a minimalist thing."
And so Unlit began, the early nights hosted at the 12 Bar in London's West End, with performances by the likes of Tom Baxter and the Duke Spirit (then known as Solomon), both now successful acts. Still keen to keep his own songwriting going, Jont moved to LA in 2003 when he found a new manager. He took Unlit with him, and there it developed into the distinctive gig/party format that is now so popular. "For the first time, I had my own flat," says Jont. "I thought, 'What would I like to do with this space?' The answer was to make it a venue once a week and make the most beautiful and magical night. It's all very personal. Unlit is very reflective of myself, as well as the person hosting it."
One musician who performed frequently at the LA Unlit nights was Sam Sparro, now riding high in the UK charts. "Back then, I didn't have much of an outlet for singing my songs," Sparro says. "It gave me the opportunity to get my stuff heard, and hear other people sing as well. I met some amazing people."
Back to my search. I finally find the address in south London. Jont is there, clutching his guitar, dressed in a blue trilby, open-necked shirt, colourful beads and velvet blazer adorned with flowers. News about the party broke online just four days before, but the address - a 17th-century former stables and printworks, lent for the evening by film director Richard de Aragues and his wife Caroline - is packed out.
Jont closes his set with a few tracks from his new album Supernatural, and then it is all wide smiles and excited chatter as the night slips into another long party. Also on the bill tonight is Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier from Sudan, relating his experiences in quickfire rap, and singer Vanessa Brown. Around the house, strangers meet strangers, while friends who have not seen each other in months, even years, bump into each other and reflect on how even a city like London can be a small world. Others go up to Richard and Caroline with wine and chocolate, to thank them for hosting the night.
"It's amazing how people take this leap of faith and can be generous and respectful of each other," Jont says. "And it's taught me not to bother waiting around for things to happen to you. I've had so many deals and bands fall through. I know the best way to make things happen is to create them myself".
· For more Unlitdetails, see: jontnet.com
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