Scared To Dance are independent club night, film screening and live music promoters founded by Paul Richards in 2009.

The club plays post-punk, indiepop, new wave and art rock music in London, Berlin, Glasgow and Brighton and we have monthly residencies at The Shacklewell Arms and The Victoria. Those who have guest DJed at the club include former professional footballers Gaizka Mendieta and Pat Nevin, comedians James Acaster, Rose Matafeo, Nish Kumar, Lolly Adefope, Elis James, Josie Long, Ivo Graham, Sophie Duker, Robin Ince and Celya AB, broadcasters Gideon Coe and Colin Murray, writers Jon Ronson, Pete Paphides and Simon Price and poet laureate Simon Armitage.

Bands who have DJed include Franz Ferdinand, Belle and Sebastian, John Grant, Pond, Porridge Radio, Edwyn Collins, Big Joanie, Public Service Broadcasting, Warmduscher, Superorganism, Teleman, Heartworms, The Pastels, Girl Ray, The Goon Sax, Laetitia Sadier, Penelope Isles, Veronica Falls, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Holiday Ghosts, Slow Club and more.

We host music-related film screenings with Picturehouse Cinemas across their UK cinemas. We invite guests to curate an evening featuring their choice of film or documentary preceded by a Q&A with the host Paul Richards. Guests have included Blur, Manic Street Preachers’ Nicky Wire, Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller, Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos, Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch, John Grant, the writer Jon Ronson and comedians Rose Matafeo, Elis James, Josie Long, Ivo Graham, Sophie Duker and Robin Ince.

The current season includes screenings of Meet Me in the Bathroom, Dance Craze, Pretty in Pink, Tommy, The Harder They Come, Empire Records, Stop Making Sense, blur: To The End, Wings of Desire, God Help the Girl and Be Pure – Be Vigilant – Behave. The film night was previously at the independent arthouse Genesis Cinema with screenings of The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. Leonard Cohen, Head and Mistaken For Strangers.

We promote gigs across London with the best new and established artists at venues such as Moth Club, The Lexington, Oslo Hackney, The Shacklewell Arms, The Victoria, The Mildmay Club, St Matthias Church, St Pancras Old Church, Sebright Arms, Bermondsey Social Club and The Ivy House. Artists that have played at our shows include bdrmm, Allo Darlin’, Rozi Plain, The Wave Pictures, Whitelands, Peaness, Ex-Vöid, Laetitia Sadier, Sweet Baboo, The Tubs, Adwaith, The Surfing Magazines, Darren Hayman, The Spook School, Withered Hand, GHUM, Es, Stanley Brinks, CIEL, Tigercats and more.

We have also promoted book events, released monthly new music podcasts and have published several fanzines. We have been featured in The Guardian, The Times, VICE, The Athletic, ELLE, Time Out, NME, Evening Standard, DIY and many more publications.

We perform DJ sets at a variety of music festivals including Wide Awake Festival, South Facing Festival and Indietracks Festival. We have played DJ sets for brands such as Dr. Martens, The Totally Football Show, The Five Points Brewing Company and Signature Brew as well as DJing in New York, Oslo, Bergen, Edinburgh and Dublin.