REMEMBER the Police Academy cop with the bendy voice who could mimic anything? I always thought Michael Winslow aka Officer Larvelle Jones was aided by sound effects. Turns out I was wrong – he’s a world famous beatboxer and comedian who can imitate more than 1,000 sounds from recreating Hendrix to the roar of a jet plane. He was also in Spaceballs and voiced a Gremlin – got to be worth leaving your cosy homes for this one. He plays the Jazz Cafe on Dec 8.
(check out the guitar solo at 1.30)
But the best collection of his Police Academy talents can be seen here Officer Larvelle Jones, Police Academy
• More noteable events at the Jazz Cafe include US dreamboat (some might say) John Legend & The Roots on Sunday (Nov 28), Botown – the soul band of Bollywood (curious) (Nov 27) and Ninja Tunes darling The Herbaliser (Nov 3).
• There’s so much to say about Mencap Little Noise Sessions that you’ll have to look online for our full reviews. I just need to remind you they’ve managed to convince the loony Scissor Sisters to play an acoustic set at Bush Hall (Dec 4) and the Pet Shop Boys to headline the Big Noise Session at Hammersmith Apollo, (Dec 8).
• If you don’t recognise Fistful of Mercy in our listings (Dec 3), it’s actually a supergroup of sorts – Ben Harper, Dhani Harrison (son of Beatle George) and troubadour Joseph Arthur –wonder how Koko will cope with all those music heads on one stage.
• Islington’s Union Chapel may be hidden in a quiet Islington terrace but it’s not to be underestimated. The latest coup? Sir Elton John tonight (Thursday).
• Feel like sharing the Christmas spirit? Musicians and choirs are being sought to busk on Hampstead High Street. Email emsmagnus@btinternet.com for info.
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Friday, 19 November 2010
PALOMA'S BATHTIME REVELATIONS
“IS IT a girl?” Paloma Faith asks as the call is put through for our interview.
“I’m glad it’s a girl because I’m in the bath,” she says. “I was trying to rush and then I thought let’s take a gamble. It’s 50-50 chance it’s going to be a man and if it is I’ll slowly edge out of the bath and try not to make any water noises. They might think I was flirting or something.”
Paloma’s insuppressible personality is apparent from her first words.
The former Islington Green pupil is due to play a gala show of her collaboration with trumpeter/arranger/composer Guy Barker – Down at the End of Lonely Street – alongside a full orchestra at the Barbican on December 10.
She said: “The Barbican’s like the cultural centre of the area I was brought up in. As a kid I always saw it as somewhere quite posh where rich people go. Now I’m playing there it feels like a breakthrough.”
She says the show’s about loss and loneliness, adding: “There’s a few of my songs but mainly songs that have influenced me by the great queens of tragedy and torch singers.”
Renowned as a flamboyant performer, Paloma’s happily aware of her past limits.
“I wanted to perform from quite a young age but I knew I wasn’t very good. I was about 10 when I did my first dance performance. I loved the excitement and adrenaline but didn’t know what I was doing. When they went right I went left and when they went up I went down, I totally stood out. My mum said it was hilarious that I stood out like a sore thumb because I was wrong all the time.
“For years after, I had the enthusiasm but not the ability. I think people thought I was a bit of a laughing stock…but I guess I found my way.”
A choreographer once told her he’d have to give her a lead role as she was hypnotic but “not very good” and was doing something different to everyone else.
Realising she wasn’t going to be a dancer was a “big setback”, so she began singing in bars while studying theatre hoping to work behind the scenes.
But she began attracting attention for her voice.
“I started to do it to my own surprise because I hadn’t really sung that much. Because the people I admired were so amazing I put myself beneath them and didn’t feel good enough but through this last year touring this album I think my voice has improved so much. I’ve sort of learned on the job. In a way my voice is better now than when I recorded my album. When I listen to the album I think oh a bit shit but I now play live and people say I’m so much better live.”
Paloma’s style has often attracted the attention of the Fashion Police: “Sometimes I end up walking out in something I haven’t really thought about. I look at it in pictures and think what was I doing? I know it’s dressing up. I find it difficult to get dressed on a day off because I don’t actually remember what I think looks nice. I take pride in taking risks and being a bit funny with it. People put me in those columns “what was she thinking?” Well I wasn’t. When I’m serious and when I know I look good it’s vintage inspired stuff. I think I’m very good at dressing like a Hollywood starlet.”
SEE the second part of this interview here - Paloma Faith on moaning music moguls, cash-strapped students + old school teachers
“I’m glad it’s a girl because I’m in the bath,” she says. “I was trying to rush and then I thought let’s take a gamble. It’s 50-50 chance it’s going to be a man and if it is I’ll slowly edge out of the bath and try not to make any water noises. They might think I was flirting or something.”
Paloma’s insuppressible personality is apparent from her first words.
The former Islington Green pupil is due to play a gala show of her collaboration with trumpeter/arranger/composer Guy Barker – Down at the End of Lonely Street – alongside a full orchestra at the Barbican on December 10.
She said: “The Barbican’s like the cultural centre of the area I was brought up in. As a kid I always saw it as somewhere quite posh where rich people go. Now I’m playing there it feels like a breakthrough.”
She says the show’s about loss and loneliness, adding: “There’s a few of my songs but mainly songs that have influenced me by the great queens of tragedy and torch singers.”
Renowned as a flamboyant performer, Paloma’s happily aware of her past limits.
“I wanted to perform from quite a young age but I knew I wasn’t very good. I was about 10 when I did my first dance performance. I loved the excitement and adrenaline but didn’t know what I was doing. When they went right I went left and when they went up I went down, I totally stood out. My mum said it was hilarious that I stood out like a sore thumb because I was wrong all the time.
“For years after, I had the enthusiasm but not the ability. I think people thought I was a bit of a laughing stock…but I guess I found my way.”
A choreographer once told her he’d have to give her a lead role as she was hypnotic but “not very good” and was doing something different to everyone else.
Realising she wasn’t going to be a dancer was a “big setback”, so she began singing in bars while studying theatre hoping to work behind the scenes.
But she began attracting attention for her voice.
“I started to do it to my own surprise because I hadn’t really sung that much. Because the people I admired were so amazing I put myself beneath them and didn’t feel good enough but through this last year touring this album I think my voice has improved so much. I’ve sort of learned on the job. In a way my voice is better now than when I recorded my album. When I listen to the album I think oh a bit shit but I now play live and people say I’m so much better live.”
Paloma’s style has often attracted the attention of the Fashion Police: “Sometimes I end up walking out in something I haven’t really thought about. I look at it in pictures and think what was I doing? I know it’s dressing up. I find it difficult to get dressed on a day off because I don’t actually remember what I think looks nice. I take pride in taking risks and being a bit funny with it. People put me in those columns “what was she thinking?” Well I wasn’t. When I’m serious and when I know I look good it’s vintage inspired stuff. I think I’m very good at dressing like a Hollywood starlet.”
SEE the second part of this interview here - Paloma Faith on moaning music moguls, cash-strapped students + old school teachers
RECORD OF THE WEEK - BEADY EYE, Bring The Light
I KNOW it's the obvious choise but this blog wouldn't be complete without a glance at Liam Gallagher's latest effort (with most of Oasis) - as Beady Eye.
I listened three times. When I say three, I mean twice and a half, by which time my attention moved to a passing spider. Not sure about the Jerry Lee Lewis piano, Noel's more poetic approach is missed and Liam's given up the snarly drawl. Not bad '60s vibe but needs more work to distract me from errant arachnids.
I listened three times. When I say three, I mean twice and a half, by which time my attention moved to a passing spider. Not sure about the Jerry Lee Lewis piano, Noel's more poetic approach is missed and Liam's given up the snarly drawl. Not bad '60s vibe but needs more work to distract me from errant arachnids.
TOM JONES' ALTAR STAGE INVASION FEATURING JO WHILEY'S MUM + PULP'S BEST. NEWS. EVER. + BRAINY AKALA + THE REVENGE OF D:REAM
TOM Jones set ageing pulses racing at Islington’s Union Chapel on Monday night as he headlined the first night of the magical Mencap Little Noise Sessions.
At Paolo Nutini’s gig the next night, my spies tell me Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley confessed her mum stormed the stage when the irresistible Mr Jones was playing – bear in mind the stage is an altar – these Jones fans are wild.
Here's Mr Jones with Green Green Grass of Home, his encore.
• My fave up-and-comers, quirky, Louis le Prince play cult venue The Lexington (Nov 24). If you’re looking for one new band to adopt, this is it.
• The Electric Ballroom’s got a mighty list of gigs on its way – Kele (Bloc Party) plays Friday, The Fall (Nov 23) and The Tallest Man on Earth (Nov 24).
• In case you’ve been living on another planet I’d like to point out that Pulp are reforming and headline Wireless next year – Best. News. Ever. My fave song’s Babies, what’s yours? PS 02 Academy Islington’s great club night Feeling Gloomy hosts Pulp’s Wireless launch party on Saturday – prizes, surprises and rare Pulp records played early.
• Akala’s sooo brainy and a good guy, not like those bad rappers you read about in the papers. He’s been teaching schoolkids hip-hop Shakespeare – check out his cerebral lyrical dexterity at the British Library (Nov 26).
• I’ve not been complimentary about D:Ream in the past and it seems they’re taking revenge. The checky-trousered dance act, which I hold personally responsible for the birth of Blair, (Tony, not the one-hit-wonder of Have Fun Go Mad obscurity), have managed to convince former keyboarder Brian Cox now a widely respected physicist to abandon sanity and reform – songs from new album “In Memory Of...” (I’d stop there) will be performed at 02 Academy Islington (Dec 1).
At Paolo Nutini’s gig the next night, my spies tell me Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley confessed her mum stormed the stage when the irresistible Mr Jones was playing – bear in mind the stage is an altar – these Jones fans are wild.
Here's Mr Jones with Green Green Grass of Home, his encore.
• My fave up-and-comers, quirky, Louis le Prince play cult venue The Lexington (Nov 24). If you’re looking for one new band to adopt, this is it.
• The Electric Ballroom’s got a mighty list of gigs on its way – Kele (Bloc Party) plays Friday, The Fall (Nov 23) and The Tallest Man on Earth (Nov 24).
• In case you’ve been living on another planet I’d like to point out that Pulp are reforming and headline Wireless next year – Best. News. Ever. My fave song’s Babies, what’s yours? PS 02 Academy Islington’s great club night Feeling Gloomy hosts Pulp’s Wireless launch party on Saturday – prizes, surprises and rare Pulp records played early.
• Akala’s sooo brainy and a good guy, not like those bad rappers you read about in the papers. He’s been teaching schoolkids hip-hop Shakespeare – check out his cerebral lyrical dexterity at the British Library (Nov 26).
• I’ve not been complimentary about D:Ream in the past and it seems they’re taking revenge. The checky-trousered dance act, which I hold personally responsible for the birth of Blair, (Tony, not the one-hit-wonder of Have Fun Go Mad obscurity), have managed to convince former keyboarder Brian Cox now a widely respected physicist to abandon sanity and reform – songs from new album “In Memory Of...” (I’d stop there) will be performed at 02 Academy Islington (Dec 1).
PALOMA FAITH ON MOANING MUSIC MOGULS, CASH-STRAPPED STUDENTS AND HER OLD SCHOOL
SINGER Paloma Faith has praised the teachers at her former school for doing an incredible job in the face of adversity and thrown her support behind the recent student protests
Speaking from her bathtub, the eccentric performer – a former pupil of Islington Green School – also criticised wealthy music industry figures for complaining about suffering during the recession.
Paloma, who is due to play a gala show of her collaboration with trumpeter/arranger/composer Guy Barker – Down at the End of Lonely Street – alongside a full orchestra at the Barbican on December 10, said: “When you look at world news, I think we’re really well off, maybe not as well off as in the 80’s and maybe that’ll never happen again.
"From the small perspective of being in the music industry I work with a lot of people who were in the music business when they earned shedloads of money and now they’re all complaining. Well they look pretty well off to me, I’ll be honest. I think a lot of people are rich people complaining they’re not as rich, but they’re still rich.”
Paloma, who is working on her second album, took a minute to praise her former teachers at Islington Green School.
She said: “I had an amazing education there. It’s funny because at the time I did my exams it was one of the schools that had one of the worst reputations in the country but I have to say the teachers were incredible.”
Now a bestselling artist, Paloma recalled appearing in school productions but never scoring the coveted main role.
Recalling one production of Little Shop of Horrors, she said: “I was never one of the leads I was always one of the dancers because at that time I was really into dance.”
Paloma also took the opportunity to voice support for students protesting against the coalition government’s plans to increase university fees.
She said: “It’s a shame the (protests) went violent because it reflects badly on their argument. If they’re protesting and saying all this stuff about being the future, what kind of impression does that give if they’re smashing things up? It's a shame for the students that genuinely are the future and are wonderful and have a lot to contribute because it gets them down as well. But I understand their reasoning because I do think that kind of debt is really intimidating to people specially people from poorer backgrounds.”
She added: “To a person who’s working, £9k is not that bad but if you look at that figure from the perspective of someone who comes from nothing and whose mother and father never in their lives can conceive of £9k or let alone earn it then I think that figure can be seen as extremely threatening and intimidating. It’s really sad and awful. It's great that students are protesting. For years I came from a really non political generation."
It is not the first time Paloma has commented on the British education system in the Press.
She appeared on This Week alongside Michael Portillo to discuss education in October last year.
The singer confessed to looking forward to her Barbican show, a venue she admired when growing up.
She said: “It's always been this place that was like the cultural centre of the area I was brought up in. The Barbican was quite close so it feels quite exciting to be part of it.
As a kid growing up I always saw it as somewhere quite posh and where rich people go from the perspective of a young kid in Islington and Hackney. But now I’m playing there it feels like a breakthrough for me.”
SEE the first part of this interview here - Paloma's Bathtime Revelations
Speaking from her bathtub, the eccentric performer – a former pupil of Islington Green School – also criticised wealthy music industry figures for complaining about suffering during the recession.
Paloma, who is due to play a gala show of her collaboration with trumpeter/arranger/composer Guy Barker – Down at the End of Lonely Street – alongside a full orchestra at the Barbican on December 10, said: “When you look at world news, I think we’re really well off, maybe not as well off as in the 80’s and maybe that’ll never happen again.
"From the small perspective of being in the music industry I work with a lot of people who were in the music business when they earned shedloads of money and now they’re all complaining. Well they look pretty well off to me, I’ll be honest. I think a lot of people are rich people complaining they’re not as rich, but they’re still rich.”
Paloma, who is working on her second album, took a minute to praise her former teachers at Islington Green School.
She said: “I had an amazing education there. It’s funny because at the time I did my exams it was one of the schools that had one of the worst reputations in the country but I have to say the teachers were incredible.”
Now a bestselling artist, Paloma recalled appearing in school productions but never scoring the coveted main role.
Recalling one production of Little Shop of Horrors, she said: “I was never one of the leads I was always one of the dancers because at that time I was really into dance.”
Paloma also took the opportunity to voice support for students protesting against the coalition government’s plans to increase university fees.
She said: “It’s a shame the (protests) went violent because it reflects badly on their argument. If they’re protesting and saying all this stuff about being the future, what kind of impression does that give if they’re smashing things up? It's a shame for the students that genuinely are the future and are wonderful and have a lot to contribute because it gets them down as well. But I understand their reasoning because I do think that kind of debt is really intimidating to people specially people from poorer backgrounds.”
She added: “To a person who’s working, £9k is not that bad but if you look at that figure from the perspective of someone who comes from nothing and whose mother and father never in their lives can conceive of £9k or let alone earn it then I think that figure can be seen as extremely threatening and intimidating. It’s really sad and awful. It's great that students are protesting. For years I came from a really non political generation."
It is not the first time Paloma has commented on the British education system in the Press.
She appeared on This Week alongside Michael Portillo to discuss education in October last year.
The singer confessed to looking forward to her Barbican show, a venue she admired when growing up.
She said: “It's always been this place that was like the cultural centre of the area I was brought up in. The Barbican was quite close so it feels quite exciting to be part of it.
As a kid growing up I always saw it as somewhere quite posh and where rich people go from the perspective of a young kid in Islington and Hackney. But now I’m playing there it feels like a breakthrough for me.”
SEE the first part of this interview here - Paloma's Bathtime Revelations
Thursday, 11 November 2010
RECORD OF THE WEEK - THE NARCOLEPTIC DANCERS, Not Evident
THE advertising world has a lot to answer to. It may be able to make an artist but it's also succeeded in destroying an entire genre of kooky, quirky, lightweight indie pop through overkill (see Peter Bjorn and John ad infinitum).
The Narcoleptic Dancers have previously been victim to this. Latest single Not Evident has so far escaped, but if an ad exec gets wind of this cloud-tripping, happy clappy ditty, it will be the end. Lovely long-fringed Darwin-Deez-esque video.
The Narcoleptic Dancers have previously been victim to this. Latest single Not Evident has so far escaped, but if an ad exec gets wind of this cloud-tripping, happy clappy ditty, it will be the end. Lovely long-fringed Darwin-Deez-esque video.
STORNOWAY - A LOT MORE GOING ON THAN THE AVERAGE FOLKY BAND
THEIR foundation was based on a lie, they inherited a “wanted” van from a fugitive stalker and their musical background ranges from Zulu singing to traditional choirboy.
Not your average young folky band you might say.
Stornoway may be one of the most intelligent bands in the UK (PhD in Ornithology, MA in Russian Lit, doctor, chemist), and claim to be “timid” but these guys are anything but dull.
Six years junior to founder members Brian Briggs and Jonathan Ouin, who met at a freshers’ fair at Oxford Uni, bassist Ollie Steadman conned his way into an audition.
He said: “There was an ad for a bassist for an Oxford band. I replied by lying about my age which felt really silly in retrospect. It was a lie that took two years to kind of fade out. It was a gradual realisation, I never came clean with the truth. It’s a topic we never discuss because it basically means my first encounter with them was based on a lie and they will never trust me again.”
A while later, his younger brother drummer Rob followed, wowing the band with his adept knowledge of their songs – he’d been secretly eavesdropping when Ollie practiced at home.
Stornoway, tipped as next big indie nu-folk band, play Mencap ‘s Little Noise Sessions at Islington’s Union Chapel alongside Ellie Goulding and Tinashe (Nov 20).
The acclaimed set of gigs running from Nov 15 – 20 also features Tom Jones, Hurts, The Kooks, Paolo Nutini and Example.
Ollie said: “We really like that they limit the gig to 85 decibels. Our whole philosophy is to play as close to unplugged as possible.”
The same calm reigns on tour: “Everyone’s really cordial, we’ve never put face paint on someone who’s sleeping or be noisy. It’s all very polite. We’re all basically timid and don’t want to anger each other because in the past we used to be a bit more crazy.”
Ollie and Rob moved to England from South Africa when Ollie was 15. They grew up listening to traditional Zulu songs, and Afrikaans, classical and US chart music.
So Ollie had a lot of catching up to do when he moved over.
He said: “My friends started saying what about Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd? I’d never heard music by any of those. Seven years later I’m still catching up.”
He owes his affection for bass to an Oxford phenomenon, which has entered local legend status: “Rob’s drum teacher suddenly said “I don’t like drums anymore, buy yourself a bass or don’t turn up to the next lesson”. He bought the bass and it was lying around at home so I decided to pick it up. Two years later I joined Stornoway.
“We discovered the teacher said the same to all kids having drum lessons at the time. There’s a brief generation of kids in all the big Oxford bands who have the same story about how they started bass.”
The boys can be spotted driving around Oxford in a dodgy-looking van, that has attracted the attention of the police: “We have this van that was given to us by this strange man who slightly stalked us and fled the country to go to Saudi Arabia. It’s got tiger seat covers and strange markings inside as in maybe he was a criminal and the van was a cover–up, an accessory to a crime and maybe he wanted to get rid of it.”
Naturally they’ve been pulled over and it was impounded by the police for some time.
So anymore plans to educate yourself Mr Steadman? “I just finished my chemistry degree and that was four years of wasted time because it was time not spent on music. That’s my attitude to life, if I’m awake and not touching an instrument then I feel really quite empty. I basically depend on music and nothing else. I crave music all the time.”
• Info and tickets for Mencap Little Noise Sessions from www.littlenoisesessions.org.uk
Not your average young folky band you might say.
Stornoway may be one of the most intelligent bands in the UK (PhD in Ornithology, MA in Russian Lit, doctor, chemist), and claim to be “timid” but these guys are anything but dull.
Six years junior to founder members Brian Briggs and Jonathan Ouin, who met at a freshers’ fair at Oxford Uni, bassist Ollie Steadman conned his way into an audition.
He said: “There was an ad for a bassist for an Oxford band. I replied by lying about my age which felt really silly in retrospect. It was a lie that took two years to kind of fade out. It was a gradual realisation, I never came clean with the truth. It’s a topic we never discuss because it basically means my first encounter with them was based on a lie and they will never trust me again.”
A while later, his younger brother drummer Rob followed, wowing the band with his adept knowledge of their songs – he’d been secretly eavesdropping when Ollie practiced at home.
Stornoway, tipped as next big indie nu-folk band, play Mencap ‘s Little Noise Sessions at Islington’s Union Chapel alongside Ellie Goulding and Tinashe (Nov 20).
The acclaimed set of gigs running from Nov 15 – 20 also features Tom Jones, Hurts, The Kooks, Paolo Nutini and Example.
Ollie said: “We really like that they limit the gig to 85 decibels. Our whole philosophy is to play as close to unplugged as possible.”
The same calm reigns on tour: “Everyone’s really cordial, we’ve never put face paint on someone who’s sleeping or be noisy. It’s all very polite. We’re all basically timid and don’t want to anger each other because in the past we used to be a bit more crazy.”
Ollie and Rob moved to England from South Africa when Ollie was 15. They grew up listening to traditional Zulu songs, and Afrikaans, classical and US chart music.
So Ollie had a lot of catching up to do when he moved over.
He said: “My friends started saying what about Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd? I’d never heard music by any of those. Seven years later I’m still catching up.”
He owes his affection for bass to an Oxford phenomenon, which has entered local legend status: “Rob’s drum teacher suddenly said “I don’t like drums anymore, buy yourself a bass or don’t turn up to the next lesson”. He bought the bass and it was lying around at home so I decided to pick it up. Two years later I joined Stornoway.
“We discovered the teacher said the same to all kids having drum lessons at the time. There’s a brief generation of kids in all the big Oxford bands who have the same story about how they started bass.”
The boys can be spotted driving around Oxford in a dodgy-looking van, that has attracted the attention of the police: “We have this van that was given to us by this strange man who slightly stalked us and fled the country to go to Saudi Arabia. It’s got tiger seat covers and strange markings inside as in maybe he was a criminal and the van was a cover–up, an accessory to a crime and maybe he wanted to get rid of it.”
Naturally they’ve been pulled over and it was impounded by the police for some time.
So anymore plans to educate yourself Mr Steadman? “I just finished my chemistry degree and that was four years of wasted time because it was time not spent on music. That’s my attitude to life, if I’m awake and not touching an instrument then I feel really quite empty. I basically depend on music and nothing else. I crave music all the time.”
• Info and tickets for Mencap Little Noise Sessions from www.littlenoisesessions.org.uk
FLOWERPOT'S NEW HOME, REPRODUCING ENDTRODUCING, HOWARD MARKS, MAYORS, MIGHTY BOOSH AND ZAPPA
THE Flowerpot's demise hadn’t reached the ears of Stornoway’s Ollie Steadman when I spoke to him on Friday. He sounded crestfallen on learning it had closed, saying it was one of Camden’s best venues. He soon came up with a generous idea – offering to play the venue’s launch when they find a new home. It might be sooner than we think. If rumours are true, we may find a Flowerpot residency at Johnny Flynn’s soon.
• Wonder what Howard Marks is like when he’s not regaling with tales of his misdeeds? See him on the decks at The Old Queen’s Head, Essex Road (Nov 12) – think he’s got Cypress Hill’s Mary Jane in there?
• Lovely to see Camden’s musical mayor Jonathan Simpson doing his bit for the borough’s music scene – he was a volunteer usher at the Roundhouse, hanging out with Noel Fielding (a mate I’m told) and Julian Barratt at The Mighty Boosh play Zappa on Saturday. He told me they need more volunteers – interested?
• Who else relied on DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing for their uni house party chill-out room? See 10-piece band Introducing reproduce every note of this essential album completely live at Koko (Nov 19) – a serious must.
Here's the original man in action.
• Judge just how close Diana Vickers’ single is to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Under the Bridge, when she plays Koko (Nov 12) – I say very.
• Highgate’s The Boogaloo has a novel twist on the acoustic open mic night – proving a bit of an underground hit. At the monthly Under the Influence night, acts sing two songs of their own and one cover of the month’s featured artist – Nina Simone on Nov 22. Line-up includes The Joker and the Thief, Betty Steeles, Meow and Belle Humble. Entry only £2.
• Wonder what Howard Marks is like when he’s not regaling with tales of his misdeeds? See him on the decks at The Old Queen’s Head, Essex Road (Nov 12) – think he’s got Cypress Hill’s Mary Jane in there?
• Lovely to see Camden’s musical mayor Jonathan Simpson doing his bit for the borough’s music scene – he was a volunteer usher at the Roundhouse, hanging out with Noel Fielding (a mate I’m told) and Julian Barratt at The Mighty Boosh play Zappa on Saturday. He told me they need more volunteers – interested?
• Who else relied on DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing for their uni house party chill-out room? See 10-piece band Introducing reproduce every note of this essential album completely live at Koko (Nov 19) – a serious must.
Here's the original man in action.
• Judge just how close Diana Vickers’ single is to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Under the Bridge, when she plays Koko (Nov 12) – I say very.
• Highgate’s The Boogaloo has a novel twist on the acoustic open mic night – proving a bit of an underground hit. At the monthly Under the Influence night, acts sing two songs of their own and one cover of the month’s featured artist – Nina Simone on Nov 22. Line-up includes The Joker and the Thief, Betty Steeles, Meow and Belle Humble. Entry only £2.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
RECORD OF THE WEEK - RIZZLE KICKS, Down With The Trumpets
AS THE cold dark nights draw in here's a little bit of sunshine to throw off the clouds.
Brighton duo Rizzle Kicks have come up with a lively, groovy tune about...brass (until now, my least favourite instrument group). Down With the Trumpets has a ring of Man Like Me - another reason I like this one. A tea tray features heavily in the video - why not? They're unsigned but not for long - check them out on Youtube now.
Brighton duo Rizzle Kicks have come up with a lively, groovy tune about...brass (until now, my least favourite instrument group). Down With the Trumpets has a ring of Man Like Me - another reason I like this one. A tea tray features heavily in the video - why not? They're unsigned but not for long - check them out on Youtube now.
THE FLOWERPOT'S DEMISE + LITTLE NOISE SECRETS + CHESNEY HAWKES SAY NO MORE
DESPITE management being “gutted” at shutting down, The Flowerpot’s final night on Sunday was one hell of a party. Shame Camden loses such an important venue in the year Mayor Jonathan Simpson has worked so hard to champion the borough’s musical heritage. Luckily they’re already working on a new home.
• Now’s the time to speculate on which special guests are going to pop up at the Union Chapel’s Mencap Little Noise Sessions. I’m thinking the Pet Shop Boys, who are playing the Big Noise Sessions, may just pop in on Hurts night (Nov 17). Or how about Kylie? She recently recorded a song with Hurts, is she due in the UK around then...Course I’m still hoping to see Paolo Nutini team up with Amy Winehouse. She’s played her fair share of secret gigs lately, so maybe she’ll joins our Scottish Italian darling on Nov 16.
• Atlanta soul artist Anthony David who played the Jazz Cafe last Thursday may have a brief insight into what it's like to be inside the President of the USA's mind. Apparently, he’s on Barak Obama’s iPod (a recommendation from the wife), as well as being cousins with Shawn Stockman of Boys II Men.
• My spies at the Camden Crawl launch party at the Bull and Gate last week have tipped Jon and Jehn as a defo must when planning your crawl route next year. Early bird tickets on sale now.
• Chesney Hawkes played The Luminaire last week – yes he is still going.
• The Constitution on St Pancras Way may be off the beaten track but hey, that’s where you find rough gems. Their sideline in decent gigs is a reasonably-guarded secret, see for yourself next time you're on the hunt for a good unsigned act,
• Now’s the time to speculate on which special guests are going to pop up at the Union Chapel’s Mencap Little Noise Sessions. I’m thinking the Pet Shop Boys, who are playing the Big Noise Sessions, may just pop in on Hurts night (Nov 17). Or how about Kylie? She recently recorded a song with Hurts, is she due in the UK around then...Course I’m still hoping to see Paolo Nutini team up with Amy Winehouse. She’s played her fair share of secret gigs lately, so maybe she’ll joins our Scottish Italian darling on Nov 16.
• Atlanta soul artist Anthony David who played the Jazz Cafe last Thursday may have a brief insight into what it's like to be inside the President of the USA's mind. Apparently, he’s on Barak Obama’s iPod (a recommendation from the wife), as well as being cousins with Shawn Stockman of Boys II Men.
• My spies at the Camden Crawl launch party at the Bull and Gate last week have tipped Jon and Jehn as a defo must when planning your crawl route next year. Early bird tickets on sale now.
• Chesney Hawkes played The Luminaire last week – yes he is still going.
• The Constitution on St Pancras Way may be off the beaten track but hey, that’s where you find rough gems. Their sideline in decent gigs is a reasonably-guarded secret, see for yourself next time you're on the hunt for a good unsigned act,
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