SAN FRANCISCO LIFE, CARNIVAL WITH MAN LIKE ME, WIN TICKETS FOR BRANDON FLOWERS & TRICKY HITS KOKO

“IF YOU’RE going to San Francisco...,” you must be me! Sorry I can’t bring you any deeply thought-out Alistair Cooke type Letter From America – I’m more like Sesame Street’s Alistair Cookie.
So far all I’ve discovered musically in SF is, there are a lot of open-air jazz bands around and I hear Snoop Dogg played somewhere near on Sunday. Smoking is violently disapproved of here, the smell of cannabis is everywhere but so far the hippies have evaded me.

• One of the finest live bands around, Camden’s smile-inspiring Man Like Me, join an all-day cast of live music at The Old Queen’s Head, Essex Road, on Sunday (3pm-3am). King Charles, Josh Weller and
SixNationState complete the bill and it’s free before 8pm.
• Fans of The Killers might like to know frontman Brandon Flowers plays a special gig at Relentless Garage (Sept 8). The only catch is there are only 200 tickets and you have to pre-order his album from HMV through the venue’s website by Wednesday (Sept 1). Good luck.
• Ready for Carnival? What about the vital after-party? Reggae Roast is promising to throw the biggest Roots Reggae party in the capital at the Big Chill House (Aug 29) with BBQ and Carnival vibes through the night with Manasseh feat Charjan, Moodie & Exel, Ramon Judah, Louis Slipperz and Dub Hunter. Course that’s just till 3am, you’ve still got the rest of the night to play with.
• Tricky – responsible for one of my all time favourite albums, Maxinquaye – plays Koko (Sept 22) to promote album Mixed Race. Ever evolving, I don’t expect a return to the suffocating headiness of
Maxinquaye but it’s sure to be an unpredictable evening.

ROBERT PLANT'S BAND OF JOY ON THE PROWL IN KENTISH TOWN

LOOK at that lion's mane.
How could anyone resist catching a glimpse of the all-powerful one when he's lurking so close by?
Lay out the red carpet, bow your heads and soak up the glory – Robert Plant, big cat of rock, is coming to Camden and bringing his Band of Joy along for the ride.

Plant, the one with the lungs from Led Zeppelin, plays a rare live show at HMV Forum in Kentish Town on September 2.
The gig precedes the release of Plant’s hotly anticipated 10th solo album Band Of Joy, recorded in Tennessee and co-produced by Nashville legend Buddy Miller.

It is his first album since the six times Grammy winning Raising Sand in 2007.
So tickets are a little pricey, up to £50, but these occasions are rare and it’s always wise to catch a legend while they’ve retained their flowing locks.
Of course it won’t be the original Band of Joy line-up, which included the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.

Plant formed Band of Joy in 1967 with Bonham, later getting together with guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones to become The New Yardbirds, an early incarnation of Led Zeppelin – before they became great.
Years of explosive, guitar-driven, lung-busting, blues-rock followed as Led Zeppelin worked their way to becoming the biggest band in the world.

Guitarists across the world spent their waking hours trying to emulate Plant’s intricate riffs, to the point where Stairway to Heaven became a joke in the 1992 movie Wayne’s World – remember it being banned in
the guitar shop scene?
After the Led Zep era ended with Bonham’s death in 1980 neither Page nor Plant were ready to hang up their instruments and they went off to record with a wide range of artists, as well as performing as a duo and working on their own solo projects.

And then came Band of Joy.
Although rock is always present, Band of Joy seem to err on the folk side, reinterpreting old songs and not be solely focused on Plant as frontman.
He said: “I really wanted this record to be A Band of Joy – you hear voices all around my voice.”

And he’s got no qualms about any confusion caused by the resurrection of his old band name: “In the Band of Joy, when I was 17, I was playing everybody else’s stuff and moving it around, and it’s kind of…time to reinvoke that attitude and sentiment.”

Band of Joy is Darrell Scott (acoustic guitar, mandolin, octave mandolin, banjo, accordion, pedal steel and lap steel guitar), Byron House (bass), Marco Giovino (drums and percussion), and Buddy Miller (electric guitar, baritone, 6-string bass, mandoguitar).

Album Band of Joy is released on September 15.

RECORD OF THE WEEK - EMINEM ft RIHANNA, Love the Way You Lie

WHOEVER thought Scottish hobbit/Lost actor/Flashforward scientist Dominic Monaghan would look good alongside Megan Fox in the violent, passionate, tempestuous video for Love the Way You Lie, was inspired.
A menacing, heavily tattooed Monaghan fits the role precisely, while incredible shots capture every minute facial motion as he and Fox clash in this tale of a couple who thrive on manipulation, mind-games, and pushing each other to mutual violence.
Is this how Eminem - in trad wife-beater vest - sees himself?
The close-ups of Rihanna, who duets with Eminem on this single, are intense and frightening, inner torment etched across her pained visage, reliving a subject all too uncomfortably familiar.
Love, love, love this video.

TRAGEDY FOR CAMDEN BAND OU EST LE SWIMMING POOL - EXAMPLE POSTS TRIBUTE TO SINGER CHARLIE HADDON ON BLOG

CHARLES Haddon, singer with Camden band Ou Est Le Swimming Pool has reported taken his own life.
The news spread across twitter late Friday evening and was later confirmed on blogs and music news websites.

Rapper Example has posted a tribute on his own website - http://www.trythisforexample.com/2010/08/rip-charlie-haddon.html
According to reports on a Dutch website, Charlie took his life yesterday, (Friday) after performing at Belgian festival Pukkelpop.
Friends in Camden have joined fans across the world in expressing their sadness.

SHIPWRECKED TIM ROBBINS SAILS INTO THE UNION CHAPEL, MORRISSEY'S CHEERY EFFECT, SHED SEVEN RAKE UP OLD MEMORIES & ANTE UP FOR M.O.P. AT THE JAZZ CAFE

HOLLYWOOD actor Tim Robbins told Desert Island Discs his mid-life crisis inspired his new album. See Tim Robbins & the Rogues Gallery Band at the Union Chapel (September 30). Incidentally, his emergency collection includes Nina Simone’s Sinnerman, Johnny Cash’s In Your Mind, and Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You and a matchbook as his book – cheating?

• The Smiths’ There is a Light That Never Goes Out has been ringing in my head ever since my landlady decided to evict me – “I never ever want to go home, because I haven’t got one anymore”, has been cheering me up. Shame Morrissey didn't turn up to The Dublin Castle on Monday like he was rumoured to.

• John Otway’s been around for some time, an old regular at The Dublin Castle. He returns on Saturday along with The Quirky.

• Shed Seven play 02 Academy Islington on Friday – I remember being a fan (pre Going for Gold – bleugh!), so revisited them on YouTube. Dolphin aside, some musical memories are best not revisited.

• Cellist and singer Izzi Dunn (Jazz Café, Friday) may have been classically trained but she won’t be pigeonholed. Her work spans hip-hop, soul and indie, and she’s collaborated with Gorillaz, Oasis, George Harrison and Mark Ronson.

• Remember the gruff vocals of hardcore rappers M.O.P., of Ante Up and Cold As Ice fame? Hear Lil’ Fame and Billy Danzenie in the flesh at the Jazz Café on Wednesday.

IN THE MOSHPIT WITH JAMIE CULLUM

IF EVER there was a night for curling up in pyjamas and pretending the world doesn't exist, it was the eve of Saturday, August 16.
Kenwood House was enveloped in a cloud of mist as thousands of hardy Jamie Cullum fans broke out of their comfortable living rooms, and traipsed through the marsh-like grass to see him play.

The lucky ones who lounged in deckchairs looked strangely out of place in the August dusk disguised as November.
But Cullum didn't care.
If you're cold, dance around like me, was his advice and, judging by his relentless, uncorkable effervescence, he was probably right.
However the brie-eating crowd was too wrapped up in blankets and waterproofs to budge.

Cullum ran through the favourites, played the odd adapted cover – Radiohead's High and Dry, Rihanna's Please Don't Stop the Music – and dedicated Moon River to his wife's (Sophie Dahl), recently departed grandmother actress Patricia Neal.

He brought his brother Ben on for a couple of tracks, a singer with an almost equally attractive tone to his voice and they jazzed up a few more tunes, adding a comic edge with lyrics like “we may be middle class white boys from Wiltshire but we've still got the blues”.

Cullum, newly married, adapted the lyrics to Twentysomething, to reflect the fact that he's graduated to his 31st year on this earth. 

I never expected a Jamie Cullum gig to end with a mosh pit at the front, but, after he and band did their encore party piece of taking their instruments into the crowd for a quick busking sessions, the cheese knives and picnic baskets went haywire, the wine glasses shot up into the air and the multi-generation moshing began.
An eccentric evening, made all the more enjoyable by Cullum's infectious enthusiasm and self-deprecating stories.
BLOB The final concert of the season – The Last Night of the Kenwood Proms – takes place on Saturday with classical teen sensation and Britain’s Got Talent star, Faryl Smith and acclaimed tenor and star of the Go Compare adverts, Wynne Evans. Accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra, this performance will be conducted by Anthony Inglis, featuring all of the usual Last Night favourites and culminating in a dramatic firework finale.

RECORD OF THE WEEK - EGYPTIAN HIP HOP, Moon Crooner

A BIT of plinky synth, ailing indie boy vocals and some beats here and there – this seems to be the formula for what the cool kids are listening to. Egyptian Hip Hop (who are neither of these things) have seized upon this. It’s easy to imagine hearing this on the Barfly dancefloor, though I fear the synth section, while the best feature, is at risk of being particularly annoy ing. Moon Crooner EP is out September 20.

FIND THE FLOWERPOT AND YOU WON'T WANT TO LEAVE

IT LOOKS like the dream student living room – couches and lamps, arcade machines with space invaders, table football, and a bar on one wall.
But how many students get to play host to Mumford and Sons, Laura Marling, Reverend and the Makers and The Drums?

In the 18 months The Flowerpot's been in Kentish Town, it’s become the unofficial social club for Camden musicians, creating a niche for itself quite possibly unrivalled in London – a respected bill of new and established acts every night totally free.

Although it’s known to those who know, in some ways it’s Camden’s best kept secret, just enough off the beaten track to avoid the paparazzi attention given to Proud and The Hawley Arms, yet with the pulling power to attract Madness, Jamie T and Florence and the Machine. 

You get the sense they want to keep it that way. 

The website is as low-key as it gets and getting manager and promoter Jay Sensible to gossip about the acts is tough.

“I’m not really a namedropper,” he said. “It’s more about looking after bands than promoters.”
Even so, Eliza Doolittle’s has told us she likes to hang out there, Kate Nash has spun records on a Saturday night and Damien Rice has dropped by for a quick jam.

Born from the disaster that was the great fire of Nambucca, bar staff, musicians and the remnants of those who lived over the fashionable Holloway Road pub clubbed together and moved into Camden.
Jay said: “People were homeless and jobless. We rooted around and got hold of the club.”
The staff live above the bar and do much more than serve drinks.
Jay said: “Seven of us live there. We DJ, book bands and promote it. We’ve a wicked back line, we provide guitars, drum kits and amps so bands can just turn up.”

Their listings boast an ambitious line-up from the newest talent to surprise appearances, after-show gigs and established acts – and the punters never have to pay for the privilege.
Most of the staff are in bands or have had some involvement with the music industry and it is these connections that form the heart and soul of the venue – and explain how they scoop the big names.

Jay said: “If you do nice things, nice things happen. We try and help out other bands by putting things on for free. All of us have worked with bands in the past and say we put on early gigs when they were small, now they’re selling records and doing better, they come back and repay the favour.”
He added: “We didn’t want to be a standard music venue. People trust that we’re going to put good bands on. We try and make it as welcoming as possible. Because the bar staff all know each other it’s got a kind of community atmosphere. Our crowd are young, fun, arty...and drunk. They like Jaegerbombs.”

Recently Mumford and Sons, Kill it Kid, The Joker and the Thief and others transformed the venue into a studio for a week-long project writing and recording tracks from start to finish, for a Communion Records compilation. Singer Damien Rice turned up to jam with them at one point.
Jay said: “The whole thing will to be put on vinyl and released in autumn. People had to write the songs here, it was all pretty off the wall. We’ve definitely got some exciting things coming up and New Year at HMV The Forum again with some big bands.”

• US indie girl band The Like play a pre Reading and Leeds Festival warm-up gig at The Flowerpot next week (Wednesday).

MOODY MOMSEN'S MEDICINE

YOU know her face (or maybe not, if you're over 18).
She's the one who turned from the innocent little J to the bad girl hairband-wearing queen of mean in Gossip Girl.
She's the barely out-of-school face of Madonna and daughter Lourdes' new fashion range. But right now, she's the heavily made-up rock star that fronts The Pretty Reckless.

Taylor Momsen, who plays a one-off show at the 02 Academy Islington next week (Thursday, Aug 19) has accomplished a huge amount during her short 17 year years on this earth – and happily divided opinion amongst critics.

(No official video, this odd clip dubs the album recording over the live performance)

Right now, her eyeshadow is so black and limbs so spindly that The Corpse Bride would be jealous, while her hair's that trashy blonde that draws comparisons to the other, older dame of grunge Courtney Love.
But although her gruff vocals and moody attitude ring truly familiar, Momsen's having none of it.

She's carving out a reputation of her own and distancing herself from hints that she's anything like Love.

And this could well be true. Momsen claims to have been writing songs since she was five years old, and has been acting since the age of three, later going on to performing arts school. Love was into her 20s before entering the entertainment world – as Nancy Spungen in biopic Sid and Nancy, and only formed Hole at the age of 25.

Perhaps it's all that arts school training, but Momsen doesn't look the least bit uncomfortable squeezed between her unlikely band of relatively older, darker, hairier men during sofa interviews – that's bassist Mark Damon, percussionist Jamie Perkins and guitarist Ben Phillips, who co-writes songs with Momsen.
Aside from playing this year's V festival, the band's Islington appearance is their only scheduled show on these shores this month.

And while this talk of child actors and arts school probably jars with the grunge image, it's worth trying to forget this while listening to the music for the first time.
Album track My Medicine reveals the depth of soul that lies behind the cloud of celebrity obscuring the young musician's genuine talent, while Make Me Wanna Die is the teenage angst theme of the Gossip Girl generation.

So, if the following quote coming from the mouth of a 17-year-old is hard to swallow, then try to forget it when listening to the songs.
Here's Momsen's description of her debut album as an honest chronicle of her experiences: “The record is about life. It covers everything: love, death and music itself. It’s rock and roll. It’s sex. It’s drugs. It’s religion. It’s politics. Each song tells a story about the trials and tribulations and emotional struggles that I’ve experienced or observed. It’s not a happy pop record, but it’s not Satan-worshiping either. The lyrics aren’t meant to be taken literally, they are open to interpretation.”
It'll be good to judge them on their merit when they reach Islington next week.

• Light Me Up, the debut album from The Pretty Reckless, is released on August 30 and single Miss Nothing comes out on August 23.

TAYLOR MOMSEN'S UK TRIP, SMALL FACES AND THE WHO IN SENTIMENTAL MOD SEASON, AIR ROADIES ARE REAL, FOALS FOR THE YOUNG, TWEETING LIBERTINES + SCARY ALICE COOPER

I KNOW Taylor Momsen’s moody teenage act fronting The Pretty Reckless is a bit much for some, but I’m hoping to judge for myself when she plays 02 Academy Islington next week (August 19). I like what I’ve heard so far. Plus, she’s the only person I know who wears more eyeshadow than me.

• Congratulations Eddie Six Strings, the first-ever female winner of the UK Air Guitar World Championships at Islington Academy on Friday. A close inspection of the rules reveals air roadies are allowed. Are there air amps to carry?

• Is it the season for Mod sentimentality? We already know about The Who’s convention at Dingwalls (October 3) but it seems the scooter brigade will be stopping off at Relentless Garage (August 15) for the Small Faces convention – billed as seven hours of 100 per cent Small Faces “Mod paradise”. As well as the usual collectable merchandise, there are six bands, some very special guests and screenings of rare footage.

• Here’s a nice touch. Foals are playing a special MTV Presents show for 14 to 18-year-olds at Dingwalls (August 25) – shame I’m a teenage lifetime away from being let in.

• I wonder how many twitter followers Carl Barat had before promising to announce a reunion date “for a little London four-piece” (hint – The Libertines) at HMV Forum on August 25 on his account this week. When I last checked, he had 2,637.

• On Tuesday, Alice Cooper hosted the scariest talent contest at London Dungeon, where he selected the great est sideshows and freaks. But why? So he can scare the hell out of ticketholders heading to his Halloween Night of Fear at Camden Roundhouse (October 31, November 1).

RECORD OF THE WEEK - GABBY YOUNG AND OTHER ANIMALS, We're All In This Together

NOW that Florence has gone mainstream, there's a gap in the market for an underground quirky redhead with a powerhouse voice - and here she is.
Gabby Young's an imaginative storyteller with fragile yet potent vocals and an incredible range of multi-instrumentalists completing the mix.
Album We're All in this Together, is a collection of masterpieces, at times haunting, soulful, tinged with a circus feel, or with a hint of old school jazz, and there's the proverbial deathly folk ballad.

But as I don't believe this video truly does Gabby's truly eccentric persona justice, here's another one.

HARAJUKU HITS PROUD CAMDEN

P!NK had two on her Carnival tour, while a troupe of them followed Gwen Stefani’s every step, before she transformed them into a range of perfume bottles – the Harajuku Girls have certainly permeated western culture.
Harajuku – named after the Japanese district where youngsters dress up in cult clothing – hits Proud Camden on August 24. 

Seven themed rooms will celebrate everything Japanese – geishas, comics, origami, karaoke, Manga and art – while a mix of live bands and JPOP provide the soundtrack. 

(Couldn't find an official video but you get the picture!)

Expect to find the venue packed with the edgiest young things competing to be the best-dressed character as Proud is filled with idols and looks adopted from Anime to Gothic Lolita.

And no cult Japanese night would be complete without the gamers, who will be battling it out in Proud’s Gaming Zone on a choice of PS3 and Wii games – they can even bring their own handheld consoles to play in their own private area.

Manga films will play all night, there’s a bring-your-own MP3 player listening party and the Karaoke Zone.
Acts include all-female darke indie band The Cut, 60s-inspired electro rock and hip-hop force Capelle, eight-piece experi mental combo Mataniu, indie pop band Iraq and London indie three-piece Fuzz Valentine.

• August 24, Proud Camden, Stables Market, NW1, 020 7482 3867

CAMDEN LIFE FOR ELIZA DOOLITTLE - A FEAR OF CANALS, MISSING MARATHON AND THE HUNT FOR A RECORD SHOP

SINGER Eliza Doolittle has mourned the loss of record shops in Camden and called for her favourite Marathon kebab house to have its late licence returned.
Eliza, whose single Pack Up recently made Top 5 in the charts, also revealed her surprise technique to avoid being attacked when walking home by the canal and praised the redevelopment of Camden Market.

The 22-year-old singer, who was born in Camden Square but now lives in Primrose Hill, said: “One of my worst fears is walking along the canal and falling in. I always walk right along by the edge. Sometimes if I have to walk there at night I start acting like a crazy person so if someone wants to attack
me they think I’m crazy.”
She said she was happy when lights were put up near Morrisons supermarket but said: “They should have lights all the way along. It would be cool if they were neon.”
Eliza said she looked forward to ending a night out at the legendary Marathon kebab house in Chalk Farm Road – also a favourite of Amy Winehouse – and was dismayed when she discovered it had lost its late licence.
She said: “Sometimes you would find me at the Marathon bar at 2.30am. That was the only reason people went there. I'm on Marathon's side. I wish it still opened later.”
She also praised the redevelopment of Camden Market: “At first I wasn’t so keen for the market to change. I thought it was hard on the stalls but now I think what they’ve done with it is quite nice. I’m
happy someone’s done it and got a bit of taste and not stuck a huge Westfield place there.”
But, she said: “The one thing I miss about Camden is the record stores. There used to be Tower Records and there's nowhere to buy CDs. We call this the capital of music in London but now we have to go to
Oxford Street for CDs.”
She loves living in Camden, and, apart from her fears walking along the canal, has few qualms about her own safety.
She said: “I feel safe but I don’t know if it’s an illusion in my brain. When it’s home and you’re familiar with it you feel you know where you are and you can run somewhere. I’ve always felt like that in Camden.”

DEATH BECOMES HIM - A RARE INTERVIEW WITH ELUSIVE FRENCH HOUSE DJ KAVINSKY

SEARCH for French house DJ Kavinsky online and you'll find thousands of results but interviews with the elusive artist are rare.
Not that this was a stumbling block for Tutankarbon, who has managed to pin down this mysterious musician for an exclusive chat about his forthcoming appearance at Koko, touring with Daft Punk and his zombie alter-ego.

The story goes that Kavinsky died when his Ferarri Testarossa crashed in 1986. His resurrection as a zombie nine years later began his stellar house music career.

But behind this persona – a creation of a mind obsessed with animation, B-movies, comics and their soundtracks – is a shy man, who doesn't like his face in the Press.

Don't let his mad enthusiasm for life, his talk of owning a Testarossa or the fact that he speaks a million miles a second fool you.

In real life, Kavinsky has simple tastes: “I don’t want a Testarossa. It’s too expensive – not even for the car, just for the gas it’s too crazy to move the 500m I do each day. It’s not very useful. I have a vespa. It’s night blue. I'm very simple.”

The zombie story was more a product of an overactive imagination and a life watching movies than real-life experience.
He said: “I never actually had an accident, it’s just a story I imagined. I don’t want to put myself on magazines or internet blogs. I’m not a big fan of when you present an artist and put his face between his music.”

Images of Kavinsky are rare, Press pics are comic-style drawings – he prefers listeners to pay attention to his music.
He said: “It's not my style. That’s why I want to create a character, to not be that kind of stupid thing that I really don’t like. Even for interviews...I feel quite shy a little bit.”

The small portrait that can be gleaned of Kavinsky's real-life story is that he was born Vincent Belorgey in 1975, in a suburb outside Paris, and has two siblings. At school he was the outsider, gave his teachers a bit of trouble, and was addicted to computer games.
He said: “I used to do a lot of it when I was 15. I’d spend three days with windows closed, no eating, just playing. I'd be like a very crazy man. Now I’m finished. I just go out with my friends.”

So is he well-behaved? “I’m trying, if you ask my friends they can say no but I’m trying to be safe each day. It’s tough work. I’m not very calm, I’m very speed.”

Kavinsky plays Koko on August 15, at The Playground, alongside Kap Bambino, Autokratz, Is Tropical, TeenagersinTokyo, Punx Soundcheck and Rubicks.
But now he's finishing his first album.
He said: “I'm never satisfied. I'm fed up. The worst is the end. I dream about these last minutes when I can say it’s finished. I’m trying to do an album which is like a soundtrack for a fake movie which doesn’t exist. Each track is like a movie, a story about the zombie. I discovered the music of some soundtracks from Dario Argento like Phenomena and that’s what made me try to do this for myself.”

He recently toured with Daft Punk. He said: “What I learned from them is modesty, just seeing how famous they are and how modest they are at the same time. They are completely not divas, very talented. The two
most great people I’ve met for now. Thomas is always saying something. He always has good advice about music, he knows a lot about everything, which is always cool to hear. Guy-Manuel is more shy. After that we decided to do a track, it’s very good working with them.”
He added: “I’m happy to come back to London and I’m quite curious to see Koko.”

WEDDING DJ PERIL, KASABIAN KICKABOUT CONTINUES & FARIS BADWAN MOONLIGHTS

I PITY the DJ who played at my friend’s wedding last weekend. He had carefully planned out every single track. But a wedding DJ can never please everyone. And this poor guy was bullied and manhandled for most of the night by one particularly boozy, choosy guest. At least he didn’t end up nearly being beaten up by a big scary uncle, which is what happened at my cousin’s wedding when said uncle objected to the volume – dangerous business being a DJ!

• Be careful what you ask for. I said some time ago we should forget these pitiful World Cup anthem attempts and let Kasabian continue as the unofficial soundtrack for British football. Turns out they’ve signed a deal with the Premier League to use Fire for the next three years. I take it back – overkill is a bad thing. At least I don’t watch too much football and it’ll give those who do a break from incessant playing of Club Foot.

Although if this is the future for the next three years I won't be complaining!

Here's the original:

• The Horrors’ frontman Faris Badwan, an ex-St Martin’s College student, presents an exhibition of his art and projections at The Book Club, Leonard Street, Finsbury (Aug 11-29). His work has already adorned the sleeves of The Horrors’ records, T-Shirts and fanzines, and he has also created sleeves for records by Hatcham Social and The Charlatans. This show features 100 new pieces for the first time. The private view’s on August 11, with a line-up of special guest DJs, including Faris, and limited edition signed prints will be on sale.

• I like the sound of these guys and their YouTube videos – go see Avenge Vulture Attack at Monto Water Rats on Monday.

EARL CAN CROSS ME OFF HIS LIST NOW - JOHN PRINE, DAY IS DONE MADE MY DAY

JUST heard this on My Name is Earl and thought it was so lovely I had to add it here.
Turns out everyone else who saw the show sought it out too.
See the comments on the bottom of the Youtube video.



I hadn't heard of John Prine before this.
So thanks Earl you can cross me off your list.

YOUTUBE TRAWL - A SUPER COOL HANDSHAKE - DOPES!

THANKS to Eliza Doolittle for posting this on her blog, otherwise I'd probably never have stumbled across it.

WHAT'S THAT VOICE COMING THROUGH MY WINDOW? IT'S ONLY BROOKE SHARKEY BUSKER EXTRAORDINAIRE

BROOKE Sharkey’s life is one big tour. As a child she would travel the country with her father in his orange Mini, and join him as he busked.
At 16, he gave her a guitar and she’s been writing songs ever since.

The bilingual folk singer – she’s fluent in French, a feature of many of her songs – was discovered busking in Carnaby Street, when her unique voice invaded the studio of music producer Mike Connaris through an open window.

Speaking between sets at the weekend’s Secret Garden Party in Cambridgeshire, she said: “Mike heard me singing and was really excited. He came running down the stairs. Many people think they can work magic and do favours but Mike’s really honest. He’s been fantastic. I’m doing what I’ve always done but he made me see the bigger picture.”

She describes new EP A Taste of Truth, launched earlier this month, as having an “intimate, chilled vibe”, adding: “It’s about life and feelings. I’m quite a sociable person but there’s probably things I don’t express so much as a person. Some things that are harder to say and easier to sing, and that’s what my music’s about. Some things you can’t say out loud.”

As a child Brooke used to sing with her dad at weekends.
She said: “My dad had lots of friends in Camden. I sang with him but it wasn’t really serious, more like a social thing. I remember the beautiful colours, the punks, the barges, it was a very atmospheric place. Because we have family dotted around, we had an orange Mini called ‘Emma’ and we did lots of road trips.”
She moved to France when she was nine, returning to England at 16.
“We moved around quite a lot,” said Brooke. “My mum wanted a change of life and she saw the benefits of us knowing a second language. She put us in a French school.
“At the time we really wanted stability but I look back and think it was a really good thing. We got to see so much more.”

Brooke still writes some lyrics in French but says this is less likely the longer she stays away from France.
“My lyrics are a bit more obscure normally,” said Brooke. “French is nicer to the ear. It makes it more interesting to me. I always write about real things, quite intimate. Each song has a different influence. It’s folk with blues, reggae and jazz.”

She started learning guitar in sixth form in Norfolk, busking in Diss at lunchtimes.
“That would make me a bit of pocket money,” said Brooke. “The school didn’t know. I finished sixth form and realised that was where I wanted to be heading.”

She has since played across Europe, as well as India and Central America.
“I learned everything,” said Brooke. “I was really shy. Central America was a really different way of busking. I was walking into bars with no amplification doing five or six songs then passing a hat around. That was really hard but amazing. The response you get is really honest because you’re not put on a pedestal.”

NOT QUITE THE FINAL COUNTDOWN FOR EUROPE + CHAKA DEMUS AND PLIERS RETURN + N-DUBZ WEDDING SINGERS?

FOR some time, long-haired bandana-wearing air-guitar-playing crowds have gathered at The Monarch for some collective classic rock worship with metal covers band Metalworks.
So imagine the shock when Europe guitarist John Norum and bassist John Leven were spotted walking past the Chalk Farm Road pub after their Roundhouse iTunes festival gig on Sunday.
After some convincing they joined the band onstage and Norum grabbed Monarch bar supervisor Gabor Dudas’ guitar to play their big hit The Final Countdown. A moment of rock bonding ensued as the pair saluted each other in a Wayne’s World-style bull-horns salute.
In the past, members of Iron Maiden, Sisters of Mercy and Judas Priest have dropped by – defo the place to be for ageing rocker-spotters.
Can't find a clip of their Monarch show but here's how it went down minutes earlier at The Roundhouse


• Here’s an amusing vision from the past - Chaka Demus and Pliers played the Jazz Cafe last week – I still have their album on cassette tape – brings back memories of some fave road trips!
• Spotted a guy asking N-Dubz on twitter how much it would cost for them to play at his wedding. Any guesses? Which twitter-active band would you ask?
• Former Record of the Week contenders Trench City play a charity gig at Charlotte Street Blues Bar on August 14 – could be fun.