It’s normally a given that when any piece of writing starts with a dictionary definition you can use it to line your hamster cage.

In the case of Hoochinoo, a hip-hop night rocking the Vibe Bar on 13 March, it’s actually rather illuminating. The OED defines ‘hoochinoo’ as ‘a type of distilled liquor made by Alaskan Indians (Orig.: name of a Tlingit village on Admiralty Island).’

This is awfully handy if you’re on University Challenge [and aren’t cheating, Corpus Christi – topical Ed], but perhaps less useful when previewing a hip-hop night in London. Of course, no one told Arved Colvin-Smith, one half of the team that have put Hoochinoo together for the past five years. We’ve just asked him what the last night was like (we missed it – slap on wrist) and in a manner of which the Tlingit would no doubt approve, declares, “it was really good. I was a bit wasted.”

This prompts a laugh from Theo Docherty, his partner sitting across from him in the pub, who nurses a pint while Colvin-Smith swigs an orange juice. “We were dancing and mucking about,” says Theo. “It was a busy night. We get a lot of girls, funnily enough, and that’s something that sets us apart from other hip-hop nights, and it’s strange because more men are into hip-hop than girls. The live band part of it opens it up a bit more. It’s harder to get people into a battle night than a live music night – I don’t know if that puts girls off but the eclectic crowd draws them in.”
Colvin-Smith: “It’s a party first, a hip-hop night second. A lot of nights are just moody. It’s more a party vibe.”
Docherty: “It’s accessible to a non-hip-hop audience.”

It goes almost without saying that booze and women are staples of hip-hop, and there are doubtless several clubs that would object noisily to the idea that they don’t attract enough members of the fairer sex. But in fairness to these guys, theirs is not your regular hip-hop night. It has earned a reputation for taking risks on acts that more conventional club nights don’t. Colvin-Smith and Docherty throw around the words ‘eclectic’ and ‘different’ a lot – a bit played out, but if any night in London is going to claim it then Hoochinoo would be it.

When challenged to explain why exactly the discerning punter should pick Hoochinoo over, say, the Doctors Orders or Friends and Family or Scenario, Docherty emphasises the diverse acts he and Colvin-Smith bring to the table. “People should pick Hoochino because you’ve got established hip-hop artists plus you’ll get the alternative side of things. People like Thre from Underground Alliance, who’ll rap but then pick up a trumpet and do a trumpet solo, people like Flutebox and Bellatrix (both ill beatboxers), street magicians…you’re gonna see something different. It’s a nice crowd, people feel at home. It’s not a moody gig at all. We don’t like that kind of atmosphere.”

He continues: “We push the alternative angle and get a different mix of crowd. People who like live music. You don’t have to be into hip-hop to go, but the hip-hoppers know they can come and see some good, live underground music.”

Planning this kind of event takes time. Hip-hop events in London are often hamstrung by the usual litany of things going wrong: rappers arriving late, equipment malfunctioning and fickle audiences. Other genres suffer these two, but the mercurial nature of MCs, not to mention the crews they roll with, exacerbates the problem. To keep a night going for five years, as Hoochinoo has done, takes some work.

Colvin-Smith explains the process of putting together a night – which, unsurprisingly, starts at the bar. “We go out for a few drinks, have a chat. We’ve established ourselves with Vibe Bar, and that’s one of the big headaches out of the way. They definitely support us. We work out what acts are around and go from there” Docherty chimes in: “We have a PO Box that people send demos to as well, and we keep in touch with everyone we put on. I mean, it took us four hours to do the last flyer. We work hard!”

Hearing the two of them talk enthusiastically about their night, it seems strange that given the amount of time and effort they put into it, they don’t personally make any serious profit off it. They maintain that they do it for love more than anything else; they reckon they’ve got enough money after expenses for a curry and a cab home at the end of the night.

This is doubly strange when you consider how big live music is getting. It seems a far cry from the pub we’re in, but Ticketmaster have just merged with Live Nation (home of Madonna and Jay-Z) to create an industrial live music colossus. Things like music downloading may or may not be affecting sales, but they’re certainly changing the face of live music. The duo maintains that, despite the changes, they’re still happy rocking the night for little profit.

“Where we are now,” says Colvin-Smith, “it pays for itself. We’re trying to bring the music out, not line our pockets. It’s a good thing that artists are making money off live shows. Downloads are good for live music! And hearing it live makes you get into it a bit more.”

Docherty agrees: “Cats give you a download of their EP but are like, check us live! The great thing is, no artist in the UK scene is unapproachable. That’s how we get established artists in.”

The jam at the Vibe Bar this month looks to be a typical Hoochinoo. Nemesis, Arrogance, Def.D.Fires, Hoochinoo regular Madman Speakz and Snuff the Ablist on the cuts. That, plus hosting from Nutty P. It’s looking pretty dope – though whether there will be any moonshine floating around is anyone’s guess. Hey, Theo does keep calling it an eclectic night.

Hoochinoo is at the Vibe Bar on 13 March. For ticket info call 020 7247 3479.