JON MCCLURE'S PARTY ALBUM

I MET Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure at Islington’s Union Chapel on Monday. Usually preoccupied with bigger world issues, he told me he’s branching out into lighter things: “I’m working on Reverend Soundsystem. I’m making my electronic music with five of my old songs and five new songs with Kano and Roots Manuva and others. It’s pure party music. I’ve done kitchen sink drama, hip-hop, now I’m doing party. It’s coming out this summer. I deserve to make a party record. I’m very proud of it.”

I know it's old now but here's a reminder of why Reverend and the Makers first caught my attention.

• UK fusion band Dreadzone celebrated the launch of ninth album Eye on the Horizon with a party at Cargo on Wednesday. Legendary punk filmmaker Don Letts made a special DJ appearance. Single Gangster is out on May 23.

•The JD Set’s remake of Human League’s album Dare is at Dingwalls (May 5). Shy Child, Infadels, Zoot Woman, The Shortwave Set and Kids on Bridges spent a week rehashing the tunes.

• Rizz Promotions is running a special night of Camden acts including Mark Perrin ft Crony and Blues Tattoo at Camden Rock, Kentish Town Road on May 5. There’s an open mic invite to all political candidates.

THE COURTEENERS' CORRIE BID + ELECTION PLANS + LIAM FRAY PAYS TRIBUTE TO LAURA MARLING

LIAM Fray's got a plan.

He's only minutes away from playing Q The Music Club Live at Hard Rock Cafe London with his band The Courteeners but the future of his country's at stake.

So he's determined to do his election homework.

We're sitting in Hard Rock Cafe's rock vault on a church pew once owned by Jimi Hendrix and Liam is in a reflective mood.
He said: “I’ve Sky+ the (leaders') debate. I’ve not watched it yet, I’m going to have a marathon. I’m going to watch them all, it’s like 24 I’m going to get the box set out.”
He didn't vote last time around but this time it's different.
“You’ve got to get involved but there’s so much swindling going on it’s difficult for people. You need to be properly informed before you make a judgement. The problem is a lot of people aren’t informed. I’m going to do all three hours. I didn’t vote last time. But you should do. If you get the vote you should use it.”

The Courteeners have just released their second album Falcon and Liam's already thrown himself into writing new material.
He said: “We’ve been in the rehearsal room, writing new stuff. I seem to be in a very rich vein of thought. When we did (first album) St Jude we were in the very stages of infancy, we’d only been together for about a year. We were only little babies, we didn’t really know what we were doing so it was good to have (Blur and The Smiths
producer) Stephen Street there because he definitely oversaw things.
If we were with someone who wasn’t maybe as focused as he was we would have got into a lot of trouble trying out different stuff but we were pretty down the line. This time I’m a lot more confident with my songwriting.”




He credits folk singer Laura Marling as his latest inspiration: “I got Laura Marling’s album the other day. It’s the first time I've emotionally invested myself in an album in a long time because nothing’s really grabbed my attention. I really liked her first single New Romantic. I went and bought it and it was really good and I was like you know what, I’m going to start writing again.”

The band, who hail from Manchester, once featured in a plotline for Coronation Street and Liam has revealed he's in talks for a cameo appearance.
He said: “They asked do you mind being written into the script, I was like thanks can I have a walk on part? I’ve asked them, it’s in the pipeline. Morrissey got a walk on part in Brookside.”

And speaking of the north, he once had a run-in with Greater Manchester's finest – over a wrongly discarded bus ticket.
He said: “I was fined £60 for throwing a “missile” out of a moving vehicle - a bus ticket. I rolled it up, it was literally a quarter of the size of my little fingernail. There was a bus next to me and I was in a taxi and the bus window was open.”
So he tried a bit of target practice: “It hit the window, you couldn’t even see it and then sirens were going. It was cops. I thought something’s wrong with the taxi drivers boot lights or something. It was funny because the two officers were both arguing. One was like it’s only a £30 fine and the other was like no it’s not it’s £60 and
they had like a row about it.”

But he's not one to shy away from challenging abuses of power, as can be seen during a gig in Chester.
He said: “I actually stopped a gig because a bouncer kicked this kid out. It was at the university I think. This kid was dancing down the front and the bouncer grabbed him by the neck and threw him out. It was halfway through Acrylic and I put the guitar down, went through the crowd and got him back in, somebody was abusing his power.”

With his long sideburns and Noel Gallagher-type haircut, Liam may look like he's modelled himself on Oasis but he admits he's not too distraught at their demise.
He said: “They were a massive, massive thing, it was a full movement, you only have to look at Italy and Japan and people are dressed in their parkas and whatever. But I think it’s good that they’ve finished, not good that they've split up, but they probably have a lot of different things they both want to do and get out of their system.
They were a massive export.”

For now, they're just enjoying their own success and have a European tour to look forward to.

Liam said: “We’ve done bits and bobs in Europe but we’re going out fully in May. Munich’s pretty nice, it’s beautiful, Rome’s alright, Amsterdam has its benefits but I’m not a smoker so not for me. “It’s just so exciting to be able to go to these wonderful places to play songs you’ve written in your bedroom. It’s very humbling to be
honest with you. The fact that people, well at at least one promoter, thinks maybe there's a little bit of demand there for us, it’s a very nice feeling. Because we never take it for granted but it’s weird you forget there’s a whole world out there you can go play songs to.”

RECORD OF THE WEEK - HURTS, Better Than Love

AFTER falling for Hurts’ atmospheric early tracks Wonderful Life and Blood Tears and Gold, this switch to such an up-tempo dance track for their official debut single was surprising.
It still has an eighties ring, while maintaining a contemporary electro feel. 
The hooky question “Does it Feel Better Than Love?” forms a strong chorus but at times there’s too much going on. I suspect Better Than Love, though appealing to club audiences, doesn’t quite hold the same attraction that drew initial murmurings of great things for this synth duo.
Won't stop me going to see them at Koko on May 10 - supported by my new favourite Darwin Deez.
READ MY INTERVIEW WITH HURTS HERE - http://tutankarbon.blogspot.com/2010/04/hurts-on-shoestring-suffering-for-their.html

NO MORE SOFA SURFING - THE DRUMS TAKE ON THE CAMDEN CRAWL

JUST five months ago fledgling Brooklyn band The Drums were crashing on a friend’s couch in Camden, playing their debut European show at Kentish Town’s tiny cult venue, The Flowerpot.

This weekend the very same New York four-piece will be the crowning glory of the borough’s biggest festival – the Camden Crawl.

                                           (The Drums)

Weary frontman Jonathan Pierce spoke to me from Berlin, at the end of an 11-hour stretch of interviews.

He said: “It’s been a little void of adventures. The only adventure we’ve had is seeing if we can stay awake.”

The band were this week forced to cancel their show at Highbury’s Relentless Garage thanks to volcano-induced flight delays, but Crawl organisers are confident they’ll make it to Camden in time.

Jon said: “I know we’re playing the Crawl but we’re not familiar with it. Us American lads are still brushing up on our UK education. We used to stay in a friend’s house in Camden Place when we were in London. The Flowerpot was our first show in Europe so it was a really special time for us. Camden really does hold some significance for The Drums. We just went and grabbed coffee all day long.”

Jon first met bandmate Jacob Graham at Christian summer camp. He said: “I was raised in a Christian household and so was Jacob. It’s normal in America for kids to be shipped off to summer camp and ours just happened to be Christian.”

But it looks like the boys are struggling with the trappings of fame.

He said: “Our least favourite thing in the world is photo shoots. When you start a band you don’t realise everything it entails. You have ideas that it’s about making songs you really love for the next 40 years and here we are in Berlin and we’ve had three photo shoots today and we just hate having our picture taken.”

Their meteoric rise to fame has meant at times their newfound status has overtaken them.
They once played to a crowd of 10 at Santa Barbara University then minutes later posed for an NME cover shoot.

Jon said: "There were 10 kids there all wearing university sweatshirts and had never heard of us. We really go for it when we're playing live, we don't hold back no matter what the situation, so there was a weird awkward dynamic. We played our last song and found out a band has to play for 50 minutes or we don't get paid. 

"We were really broke at the time and didn't have another song. So we ended up playing Kiss And Make Up that St Etienne covered off our i-Pod. We all just danced on the stage and met our quota and got paid. The next thing we did was jump in a van and drive through the beach and did a photo shoot for the cover of NME. It was weird doing a cover shoot five minutes after we played in front of absolutely no-one."

They may have found success but Jon admits he’s still not quite content. 

He said: "It’s not that I’m complaining – it’s just I’m confused. You have these dreams and then your dreams come true and you realise you still are just as confused and probably even more confused because it didn’t solve all your problems.
"There’s this eternal questioning about what is going to make me happy. If this doesn’t make me happy then what will? But it lends to good songwriting. I learned early in my life that money doesn't make me happy and the lack of money doesn't make me happy either. If we had all the answers life might be more... I don't know, so I'm happy to be miserable at this point."

He’s a harsh self-critic, and keeps strict quality control on his songs.
He added: “Nothing really drives me to write anything. It’s never really a conscious thing. I write all the songs and my rule is they have to come naturally. If it feels laboured over then I throw it out. It goes for the lyrics as well. 

“A song might sound happy at first listen but if you listen to the lyrics they often sound a little bit sad or hopeless. We have our own sensitive brand of rock ‘n’ roll. We’re definitely not a typical sex drugs and rock’n’roll type of band. There’s more delicate blood running through our veins. The most exciting thing to us isn’t cocaine it’s writing a beautiful pop song and that’s the honest truth.”

CAMDEN CRAWL - BEAT THE SYSTEM, AND BEST OF THE REST

THEY love to keep us in suspense don’t they? But even though the Camden Crawl’s timetable is a tightly-guarded secret until the day of the event, organisers can’t keep a lid on all the bands.

So here’s how to beat the system – check out individual band websites and most importantly keep an eye on twitter.  That should cover most of them. Expect word of surprise appearances to spread like wildfire on the Twitter grapevine so if you’ve got an iPhone, now’s the time to make use of it.

                                          (New Young Pony Club)

But for a more unpredictable experience, manage your own expectations and take a scattergun approach. Pick out bands, singers or acts you like, expect to be beaten by the queues and look forward to checking out the band that follows, which is inevitably the point where you’ll finally be let into the venue. But if you really want to be certain to catch something, camp out from ages before. 

Here’s a few events I’ll be checking out:

ISLAND Records Boat Party, The Constitution (Sunday, 1pm-6pm): Off the beaten track, this is where the insiders hang out. Expect to see some of Island Records’ bright new stars.

A party boat with onboard bar and resident Island Djs will ferry fans from Camden High Street to The Constitution pub, where the likes of Essex 15-year-old rising star Daisy Dares You will be performing, along with Zimbabwean singer-songwriter (the dude with the cool giant glasses) Tinashe, Dagenham MC Devlin, Welsh singer-songwriter Pete Lawrie, Tennessee soloist Lauren Pritchard and the grit-laden man with soul in his core, Jonathan Jeremiah.

OUTDOOR Stage, Hawley Crescent: I’ve said it before but any carnival-type event isn’t complete without the high-spirited, hilarious choreography of Man Like Me. Their catchy nu-ska sounds have party written all over them. Catch them at the Hawley Crescent outdoor stage along with Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Chew Lips and Skepta – anyone with an NW1 postcode who applied online can get in for free.

                                          (Man Like Me)

PRIMROSE Chill: If you haven’t got a ticket, don’t despair. The Primrose Chill has lined up some below-the-radar acts to play four of the area’s most prized pubs. You can sort of pretend to be part of the Crawl – never mind you’re across the canal with the posh people, miles from the carnage, and you didn’t have to spend a penny.

ELIZA Doolittle: A singer-songwriter with folky undertones, she’s already caught the tabloids’ attention – for wearing short shorts. Her single Skinny Genes was released on April 12 and she’s been touted as one to watch.

DELAYS: This is one band we’ll actually be getting there early for. A must.

VILLAGERS: Rated sixth in The Irish Times’ 50 Best Irish Acts Right Now, well last year, Malahide’s Villagers have been compared to The Frames, U2 and Leonard Cohen. Low key, wordy, literate and dark – I imagine Tim Burton would be a fan. Tipped by Bob Harris on his radio show last week.

PLAN B and Pendulum, Roundhouse, Friday: The only show of the Roundhouse headliners I’ll be checking out. Plan B just because there’s always room for a little East London rap and Pendulum, known for their high-energy live shows, are a definite way to wake up after the long trawl through the day’s guitar offerings.

PUB Quizzes, various venues during the day: A chance to further your education or just show off – the battle for the title of king/queen muso begins.

Best of the Rest: Shy Child, The Sunshine Underground, The Drums, Akala, Joe Gideon and the Shark, The Hundred in the Hands, New Young Pony Club, Holly Miranda, Billy Childish, Best Coast, Speech Debelle (because she’s unpredictable) and Roots Manuva. 

For the 30-something sentimentalists – Cornershop, Babybird, Stereo MCs and Teenage Fanclub.

TO ARMS ETC - MISBELIEVING

WHAT can I say?
I like this song.
I like this video.
I particularly like the bit where the teacher-type frontman claps at 01.59.
And his wolverine howls.
I grew up with the bassist, though I haven't seen him in years and he's to thank for some hazy New Year's parties.

There's a real Royal Tenebaums flavour to the video and the track could easily fit on a similar American indie movie. Misbelieving was released last year as a double A side with Lucky but the video is new.
Watch this space.


Untitled from Art.War.Entertainment on Vimeo.

THE COURTEENERS' ELECTION MARATHON

LIAM Fray, frontman of The Courteeners is taking his electoral freedoms seriously.
Speaking about the televised leaders debates before he hit the stage at Hard Rock Cafe's Q The Music Club gig last week, he told me: "I’ve Sky+ the debate. I’ve not watched it yet. I’m going to have a marathon. I’m going to watch them all, it’s like 24, I’m going to get the box set out."
He added: "You’ve got to get involved but there’s so much swindling going on it’s difficult for people as well. You need to be properly informed before you make a judgement. The problem is a lot of people aren’t informed. I’m going to do all three hours. It’s such a strange thing isn’t it. I didn’t vote last time. But you should do if you get the vote you should use it."
But with The Courteeners being so in demand at the moment, I wonder if he really will get round to watching them...

COMMON PEOPLE - ACCORDING TO DAVID CAMERON

Time for some election-themed posts.
Here's an anti-Tory take on Pulp's Common People.
I'd like to give more credit to whoever came up with it but all I know is that they're listed as commonpeople2010 on YouTube.
Sing along: "There's some things the proles won't like..."



Next post - when I get around to it, will be The Courteeners' Liam Fray's plans for a leaders' debate marathon.

ARCHIVE MOMENT - LOVE, Forever Changes

This is just for those who may not have had the fortune of hearing Love, Forever Changes or seeing enigmatic frontman Arthur Lee perform live.
There's so much to say about them, but just for now, turn it up loud, listen out for the sublime guitar solos and instrumentals and make what you will of the lyrics.



It's all about the guitar solo.



You Set the Scene, the 11th and final track has my favourite lyric: "Everything I've seen needs rearranging."
It encapsulates Lee's genius - multiple songs wrapped into one, makes full use of the orchestral capacity, is distinctly 60s in places and the words are darkly optimistic.



There are so many more that need a mention but for anyone who doesn't already know about Love, there's plenty to discover on your own.

MALCOLM MCLAREN'S BOX OF PUNKS

MALCOLM McLaren's funeral cortege came by yesterday.
The road was lined with more journalists and photographers from Camden Town tube to Camden Lock than civilians and punks.
There were a few Sex Pistols T-shirts, the odd bit of tartan and a few hairsprayed mohicans but the punk spirit is now a minority breed in Camden.
So I bet old Malcolm was chuckling from on high when the journos were fooled by some other poor soul's funeral that just happened to take the same route at the precise time McLaren was due to go by.
The tiny procession of just three cars was unable to slip past quietly and crowds craned their necks to get a good look while reporters filmed and paps snapped the black cars.
Not the kind of reception a bereaved family might expect but I hope the curious situation gave them some moments of lightness.
One journalist later confessed she had been utterly fooled by the first funeral and had completed her entire on-camera report before realising McLaren was yet to pass by.
As we waited it began to feel like nearly every car in London was now shiny and black. We took to peering into every car in case we missed him.
But we should have known better.
Fashionably late, McLaren's horse-drawn carriage eventually took its damn sweet time down the high street.
His coffin was emblazoned with the words "Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die."
An ashen-faced Dame Vivienne Westwood followed but the most memorable vision was the crushed box of punks on wheels, clawing at the windows, cheering and throwing scraps of paper out of the crumbling green double-decker bus that followed.

Leering, jeering faces peered from every inch of window space and they trailed off leaving a very big but glaringly obvious pink message - "Malcom Was Here".
Malcolm may have been a little disappointed by the lack of an apparent "minute of mayhem" instead of the usual minute's silence.
But I'm sure his portable punks will have brought a smile to his resting face.

THIS ONE'S FOR THE LOCALS + CAMDEN CRAWL EMERGING TALENT WINNERS

I'VE been talking about the Camden Crawl for months – a time when hundreds of dedicated music lovers make the annual trek to Camden Town to enjoy our most beloved of festivals.
But what if you live in Camden and you want in on the action without having to shell out for tickets?
This year, the Crawl is taking over Hawley Crescent – the scene of many a celeb walk of shame after a heady night at the Hawley Arms – and anyone with an NW1 postcode can get in for free.

(Dan le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip will play the outdoor stage)

Yes, NW1 residents can enjoy the likes of Man Like Me, Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Chew Lips, Kasms and Skepta, who will take to the Red Bull Bedroom Jam Arena outdoor stage on Saturday and Sunday (May 1 and 2) for absolutely nothing. And if live music’s not for you, a separate stage will host DJs all day.
It is the only stage giving teenagers aged 14-17 the chance to join in the fun.
Expect a carnival-style atmosphere with food and fully-licensed drink stalls from 12pm-7pm.
All you have to do is register online at www. redbullbedroomjam.com and www.thecamden crawl.com/camden and bring proof of address on the day.
Camden Crawl wristband holders can also apply for entry via the same link.

And when the fun stops at 7pm each day, locals can continue the party over at the totally free Primrose Chill, where bands are taking over four Primrose Hill pubs – The Queens, The Lansdowne, The Engineer and The Princess of Wales.

For those who want to take part in the full Crawl, don’t forget a weekend wristband gives entry to 40 venues, featuring 200 acts over the course of two days. Pendulum and Plan B are the latest to have been announced as Roundhouse headliners and separate tickets must be bought for these.

The winners of the Emerging Talent Awards have now been revealed – to see tomorrow’s stars today, head down to the Ice Wharf stage. They are: Best New Band – Gaggle; Best Live Act – The Stow; Best Solo Artist – Truth; People’s Choice – The October Game; DIY Award – Motion Picture Soundtrack; Best Visual Impact – No Fixed Abode; Innovation Award – Creatures of Love. A special mention goes to Shiv Lizzy, who won Best Song. She tragically was killed in a road accident last month.

It’s tough to choose what to see when there’s so much on the bill so the Crawl compilation album, which was released digitally to ticket holders on Monday, can help separate the howlingly terrible from the hidden gems.

Ticket holders just need to go to www.7digital.com/camden crawl using their unique code and can download the album for free.

VOLCANO MADNESS AND GIGS FOR POLITICS

ANYTHING can happen in the streets of Camden. We’ve had Madness on a double-decker bus, Reverend and the Makers’ Jon McClure playing outside Morrisons and now it’s the turn of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

To appease fans waiting outside the Electric Ballroom last week – their gig began late due to volcano-induced equipment delays – frontman Robert Levon Been came out and played a medley before returning inside and carrying on with borrowed equipment.

Resourceful musicians elsewhere have also been finding ways to occupy themselves while stranded.
Dub Pistols had to cancel their Budapest gig, but good news for London fans, they play a special DJ set at InSpiral lounge in Camden Town on Friday (April 23), free before 11pm.
Nas and Damian Marley’s Electric Ballroom gig on Wednesday was also cancelled.
Ronnie Scott’s has been deluged with calls from musicians with too much free time on their hands, hoping to replace vacant spaces where others have cancelled. In place of US trumpeter Wallace Roney, who couldn’t travel to the UK, two-time Grammy winner Dee Dee Bridgewater, stuck here since performing at the Barbican on Friday, was drafted in to perform in his place.

- If you can get hold of tickets for Instigate Debate at Islington’s Union Chapel (April 26) – this is one pre-election event not to miss. Instigate Debate is a counterculture project formed by a collective of musicians including Carl Barat and Jon McClure, plus journalist Mark Donne and John O’Sullivan. The likes of Vivienne Westwood and Peter Tatchell will be debating “Is the Party Over?”, with performances from The Magic Numbers and Rose Elinor. The audience member who writes the best 100-word argument on the topic wins a free gig in their own home from a surprise line-up of exciting musicians.

RECORD OF THE WEEK - DARWIN DEEZ, Radar Detector PLUS SPRING DANCE REVIVAL

OK I'm a bit slow on the uptake with this one and it's been out for at least two weeks but it just can't be ignored.
Gangly Darwin Deez' bizarre video is the equivalent of opening up a paintbox when you were four - a messy discovery that brought grins, imagination and a whole lot of unrealistic possibilities.
The song has an innocent ring, with an indescribable New York quality and the video is devoid of all serious pretentious posing.
The band's supporting Hurts, alongside Everything Everything at Camden's Koko on May 10.
That will be one show not to miss - prepare for a memorable night.



Also, in the interest of the sunny climes I thought it's time to resurrect Deez' The Spring Dance video from last year.
I challenge readers to bring this to UK dance floors now and when perfected, take the moves on holiday - spread the word.
It's set to an instrumental edit of the Thompson Twins' In The Name of Love.
Enjoy!

HURTS ON A SHOESTRING - SUFFERING FOR THEIR ART

STANDING over his friends scrapping outside a Manchester nightclub, Theo Hutchcraft found himself in a dilemma.
Does he dive in and punch someone for no reason or does he just stand and watch? Next to him, Adam Anderson, who was friends with the opposing side, was thinking the same.


Happily for the world of music, they chose the path of peace, got chatting about music, decided they wanted to form a band and duo Hurts was born.
But even though they swapped numbers, they remained wary of each other.

Theo said: “Our friends were not the kind of people that would get on with each other. We thought, ‘we both want to be in a band but all our friends don’t like each other for some reason so we might not like each other’. We lived in Manchester but we didn’t see each other for a very long time, we just used to speak on the internet. We thought let’s try and make music first, found a common ground through music and that made everything clear.

“We’re initially very different people but we’ve spent so much time together that we moulded into a grey kind of area.”

The duo, who are close to finishing their first album, play Koko alongside Darwin Deez and Everything Everything on May 10. They have already made huge waves among critics.
But their heads have not been turned and they prefer to suffer for their art.

Theo said: “Our first ever London show was the Dublin Castle. We drove all the way down in a Fiesta with five people and all of our equipment to play to 10 people. But it kept us going, it spurred us on, we were never dejected because one person’s enough.

“We played the Purple Turtle once. Again a disaster, but a beautiful disaster.
“The great thing about it was it keeps us level. We’ve got so much experience of things like that, playing to one person. We’ve seen it all first hand and that gives us the drive.

“I always worry about getting too comfortable, I always think we have to put ourselves through hardship. We still do it now, we didn’t buy enough equipment, we got less on purpose so we had to make do. Our studio is really grim, it’s underground, it’s got no windows. To write hopeful music you have to come from that point of need.”

And so far it’s all been on a shoestring.
They shot their first two videos themselves. Blood, Tears and Gold cost nothing, while celebrated single Wonderful Life cost £20 – which all went to the dancer.
Both can be seen on YouTube.



Theo said: “With the videos, it’s a lot to do with making do. How do you make the strongest idea possible? How can you say as much as possible with as simple a video as you can. There’s only so many times you can look through the lens, press record then run round the front, which is what we’ve been doing. It means one’s filming the other so you never get a moving camera shot of the two of us together.”

Both Theo, 23, and Adam, 25, have a distinctive smart dress sense and severe hairstyles.
Theo said: “I’ve always dressed smart but it kind of heightened a bit, there was a period about a year ago where we were at the end of our tether. We were on the dole, Adam was homeless, moved in my house, it got really bad. It kind of heightens itself when you’ve got nothing.

“To dress smart makes you feel important, you can look the world in the face and people take note of you.”

SPOILT FOR CHOICE AT THE CAMDEN CRAWL - NAS + DAMIAN MARLEY'S "TINY" CAMDEN SHOW

SUNDAY Times columnist India Knight has a dilemma – she’s coming to the Camden Crawl but refuses to attend the “gittish” gigs her sons like. Tough call. Any suggestions?
Plan B and Pendulum have just been announced as the final headliners - should be just enough to push the last of the ticket sales.
The Emerging Talent Awards-winners have also now been announced.
Best Song went to Shiv Lizzy – a bittersweet triumph, and fitting tribute to the talented musician who died recently.
Winners’ details and the Crawl’s Hawley Crescent outdoor stage line-up at www.thecamdencrawl.com

•l Hip hop legend Nas and Damian Marley (youngest son of Bob) bring their Distant Relatives tour to the Electric Ballroom (April 21). Tickets are extremely limited. Promoters promise it’s “the most intimate performance anyone will get of these two iconic musicians”. For once the hype may be true.

• Hip hop duo Gianni and Viper’s new single, Boom Boom, is out next week, and album out next month. Catch them this weekend at the opening of West Hampstead’s milkshake bar Shaketastic.

• Folky cellist Laura Victoria launched her debut EP at the Green Note on Tuesday – by all accounts it was a summery success.

• Wolf People play a charity gig for Refuge at the 02 Academy Islington (April 22). Also playing are 50ft Woman, Velvetines and Patrick is Silvercub.

FIRST HE BREAKS HIS SHOULDER, NOW JON MCCLURE IS ROBBED - NOT A GOOD WEEK

I'M not quite sure what this is all about yet but I'm sure it'll become apparent in the next few hours.
Reverend and the Makers' frontman Jon McClure appears to have been robbed.
He put out a Twitter plea yesterday for equipment donors to come to their aid in time for Amsterdam gig tonight.
He said: "Help gig in Amsterdam we have been robbed. we need a Nord electro 3 in Amsterdam tomorrow. Plz RT help!!!!!"
Can anyone help?

Jon McClure's Snowy Break

JON MCCLURE'S SNOWY BREAKS, CHARLIE SLOTH AND DAPPY TALK GRUESOME DISCOVERIES AND ARE THE RUMBLE STRIPS SERVING PINTS?

MY spies tell me Charlie Waller, frontman of The Rumble Strips, was seen serving pints at a Dalston pub last week. Does anyone know if it’s true? And, if so, is it because they need to make ends meet or just an Amy-Winehouse-behind-the-Dublin-Castle-bar kind of favour to a fave venue? Although there’s nothing wrong with having a day – or in this case night – job, I only hope it’s the latter. It’s a long way from playing the Roundhouse with Mark Ronson.

• Archive moment, for any who haven’t seen Charlie Sloth’s Guided Tour of Camden, here’s a reminder – look out for our favourite Greek restaurant – Andy's Taverna - scene of many awkward office Christmas parties.
There's also a reference to where Camden Ripper Anthony Hardy's victims' bodies were found - timely in light of Dappy from N-Dubz' claims in his biography that he witnessed the body parts dumped in a bin bag at the back of his flats.


• Gleeks unite! Camden Jazz Café’s Hairbrush Heroes Glee night is next week (April 16). Dress as a US teen and belt out those tunes – hard to believe this comes from the same people behind Feeling Gloomy.

• Get well soon to Reverend and the Makers’ Jon McClure. He’s just broken his shoulder on the slopes at Snowbombing but was able to tweet all about it while lying on a stretcher waiting for his operation.

THE FEATURES - THANKS FOR THE HELP KINGS OF LEON BUT WE LIKE THE SMALL GIGS!

MATT Pelham’s thinking of coffee and cigarettes.
The lead singer of The Features – such a favourite of Kings of Leon that they’re the first to be signed to KoL’s label – is struggling to sound awake as they hit the final reaches of a six-week US tour.


He’s managed one interview this morning from his New Jersey hotel and he’s putting off his vices until after he speaks to me.
The Features, who recently played three dates in Camden Town, are returning this month to play the Barfly (April 19), before supporting KoL at Hyde Park on June 30.

But Matt’s not so interested in the Hyde Park gig. He said: “I prefer playing smaller, more intimate venues. Outdoor shows seem really impersonal and people are just kind of walking around – I’m sure it’ll be fun but I won’t be the most excited person there.

“I’ll be more excited about (playing Barfly). If there’s 100 people at that show I’ll be way more happy than playing in front of 65,000 at Hyde Park.”

A past experience playing in Memphis contributed to his dislike of outdoor gigs, but he said: “I hated them way before that. We played this outdoor show at a college and it was freezing outside. Our hands were frozen, the set was awful. Everything was compromised by the weather. It was probably the most stupid show we’ve ever played.”

Although the Press are repeatedly reminded of Kings of Leon’s decision to sign The Features to their Serpents and Snakes label, Matt’s not one to hype up the connection.

They may go for the odd drink if touring together, he said, but added: “It’s been really nice knowing these guys for a while. They’re fans of ours and wanted to help us out. We don’t really talk a lot. They’re gone a lot and doing their own thing.”

The Features spent a good week in Camden in February, where Matt managed a bit of detective work.

“I headed straight for the market,” he says. “A good friend of ours did a lot of T-shirt designing for Threadless and there was some booth there that had bootlegged two or three of his shirts. It was pretty funny. I’ve been meaning to tell him, I took a pic of it so we could show him.”

Matt's looking forward to returning home to his eight-year-old twin daughters, his wife, chickens and home just outside Nashville.

He said: “We’re going back down the east coast towards home which is nice. I really like playing live and touring but don’t like doing it for a really long stretch with no breaks and not being able to go home.”

And they’re not averse to playing the odd trick on bands they tour with, the most recent victim being the lead singer of Manchester Orchestra.

Matt said: “Our drummer has been taking these dried shrimp we got at a gas station, they look pretty gross and placing them where Andy, the singer will find them. He stuck a dried shrimp on his pillow. Then put a dried shrimp in a paper bag and had a girl in the front row hand him the dried shrimp in the middle of a show and he didn’t know what it was – it was pretty funny.”

RECORD OF THE WEEK - DEAD TOWN RADIO Hey

I WAS looking for a big tune and Dead Town Radio delivered. Single Hey (out April 12), produced by Dmitri Tikovoi (Placebo,The Horrors, John Cale) steers a little away from conventional indie with a tiny touch of The Cure in their happier days. And they’ve built up a pretty big following in Camden.
Dead Town Radio play Death Disco in Notting Hill on April 14.

SHY CHILD v VAMPIRE WEEKEND - REVEREND AND THE MAKERS FRONTMAN JON MCCLURE HEARS DOUBLE

NEW York electro-pop duo Shy Child may not be as immediately well known as their fellow citymen Vampire Weekend but that doesn't mean they've escaped notice.
Reverend and The Makers and Mongrel frontman Jon McClure clearly knows who they are and he's fighting their corner, whether they want him to or not.
He recently complained on Twitter that Vampire Weekend's new single Giving Up The Gun sounds like it's been "borrowed" heavily from Shy Child's 2007 release Summer.
In his actual words, posted on April 1: "Vampire weekend r robbing f****. New single is summer by shychild virtually!"
I'm not so sure.
What do you think?



Sound familiar??