The best things in life are free

There was a time when clubbing was free. Or, to be more precise, raving was free. Someone would provide the sound system, another chap would break into a disused warehouse or set up camp in a farmer's field, the word would go out and pretty soon you had a full-on dance-music event on your hands.

The toilets would be overflowing, of course, and there was always the chance that a mounted policeman would charge at you and knock you over, as happened to me at one of the infamous Blackburn raves back in the day. Free raving peaked with the Castlemorton three-day field party, after which the Government decided hundreds of thousands of people running amok in the English countryside wasn't really conducive to good social order.

You can sort of see their point. No one wants a bloke who hasn't slept for three days wandering round their village with an air horn asking passers-by whether they can "feel the rush". Or worse, trying to hug them. Castlemorton and the Criminal Justice Bill that followed it, outlawing free outdoor events which were characterised by "repetitive beats", looked like putting the nail in the coffin for cashless clubbers. Thankfully though, there are still a number of options for the perennially impecunious in our city.

Your best bet is the newly reopened T Bar in Shoreditch which is free every night of the week. Tonight is the consistently excellent Ditched Disco, with DJs Gower Ramsey and Ludovic Vendi dropping hardcore acid electro sounds. Tomorrow at the T is similarly strong, as Bodyclap sees Touche and Phones battle it for techy house supremacy on the dancefloor. Also worth checking out tonight is the free bash at trendy Hoxton pub The Old Blue Last. Nu rave champs Tapedeck join live band Gay Against You for an eclectic mix of grime, hip hop, electro rock and dark pop. The 1am bar and pub prices should ensure the crowd are suitably refreshed come closing time.

If you're keeping it east tonight there's another free do at Catch on Kingsland Road. Blame It On Berlin sees DJ K-Starr joined by All You Can Eat's Naomi for a mash-up of dubstep, ghettotech, dancehall and punk pop. This is an experimental session which, translated, means you'll probably hate some of the tunes but, equally, others will totally blow you away. Basically, it's about as far from cheesy funky house as you can possibly get.

On Saturday, check out Foreign, at Bar Music Hall, on Shoreditch's Curtain Road. Cabaret superstar Booby Tuesday leads the charge at this artcore riot, where your sartorial style is at least as important as what's on offer musically. And if the weekend's excesses have left you out of pocket, then head up Camden way to the Hi Sushi Salsa bar, at Camden Wharf, this Sunday. From 1pm the Laser Magnetic boys run a fantastic free party on the newly opened sun terrace overlooking the canal. With deep beats and cheap eats (food is half price this month), it's the perfect spot to say goodbye to the weekend.