GHOSTPOET - A PRIZED SPECTRE

AFTER a heavy night out, when the sun and moon were at war and thoughts were pleasantly hazy, Tricky’s Maxinquaye album filled the silence with an intense cosy wooziness.
Sixteen years later the same foggy evenings are now smothered in Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam, the debut album from Ghostpoet.

One of Mike Skinner’s favourite MCs, and hailed as one of the most exciting new hip-hop talents in the UK, Ghostpoet aka Obaro Ejimiwe, was recently nominated for a Mercury Music Prize.

 We last saw him solo, accompanied by a complex-looking console of laptops at Barfly for the Camden Crawl. Next week, after his nomination for one of the industry’s prestigious music prizes, he plays Scala (Oct 13), with an entourage of musicians, promising a number of surprise guests.

Although he had never met Mike Skinner, The Streets’ frontman – on temporarily taking over the Guardian music page – nailed his colours to Ghostpoet’s flag, citing him as one of his favourite MCs and streaming his album on the website.

Obaro said: “It was really amazing because I’ve been a fan of his music for so long. The idea of him bigging our music up is really out of this world.”

Less verbose than his songs, his blog reveals some curious insights, like his appreciation for Haribo wine gums: “It’s one of these comfort things that sometimes you need in your life. It’s kind of fundamental on tour life to have a few sweets you can eat so Haribo is the sweet of choice at the moment.”



Food is important to Obaro, explaining how his album was named after household spreads: “I needed a title that encapsulated the feeling of the album to me personally. I never listened to it as a whole piece until it was finished. For me it was quite a lot of melancholy in there and the idea of being a bit down, a bit out, a bit grey, the idea of not having a great day but still hope for the future. That was where I was getting the melancholy...I like comfort eating when I feel under the weather so I like peanut butter, I like jam so I thought I’d put it together.”

He’s not as morose as his album, swearing he’s like any normal person: “Like everyone else I guess, (I have) good days and bad days. Some days I don’t want to get out of bed, I want to stay in and wallow, other days I want to enjoy the sunshine, whatever works. Up and down good and bad, left and right, round and round.”

Obaro, who is engaged but coy about how he proposed, is more reserved than expected, saving his innermost insights for his music: “It’s connected to emotions. I try to pour into the emotion and feelings I get out of the music I create, it’s about tapping into that and letting the music tell me what to write. I guess the lyrics are a combination of the things I come across over a period of time, it could be from my life, from someone else’s life, from something I come across on the road and I try to shape it around a particular tune that I’ve made.”

His mild superstitions prevent him from revealing any unrecorded lyrics: “I couldn’t do that, I’m really bad with stuff like that. I don’t like saying lyrics until they’re recorded, they may change if I say it out loud it may jinx it, can’t say anything until it’s recoded...I don’t like saying much about potential things, rather wait until its set in stone before I announce stuff.”

He harbours a plan to one day open a dog farm: “It’s not an easy task starting a farm for dogs. But I think it could potentially happen if I have the means and the finances. I have one, I wish I had four. I never really was into dogs when I was a kid. I got one about three years ago and they’re just great companions, no matter what kind of mood you’re in they’re always there for you.”

While the glare is all on Obaro, his reaction couldn’t be more understated.
He said: “I’ve become slightly busier... people who may have never heard of my stuff before have been exposed to it a bit more I guess and that’s great, kind of what I wanted from the Mercury if anything so I was grateful to get that awareness, pick up a fanbase and cement a career of sorts...to be part of the Mercury was a complete shock to me.”

He added: “It’s definitely a case of more doors are opening because of the position I got myself into now and I’m really pleased with how things are going.”

AMY WINEHOUSE - OUR TARNISHED CHANTEUSE

Here's a piece I wrote for the Camden New Journal. I took the picture at Amy's Snakehips DJ night, The Monarch, 2008.

AMY Winehouse, our treasured, tarnished chanteuse whose talent lay as much in the heart-shattering cracks in her vocals as her ability to bare her darkest moments in song, soul laid bare on the kitchen floor, has left us too soon. Camden without Amy is muted, the loss immense. Such was her omnipresence that the void is even greater.

I saw her at her best – The Dublin Castle, Camden Crawl 2008, entrancing as her aching vocals beguiled observers into feeling her pain, and her worst – oblivious, lost, transformed into a museum piece during her Snakehips DJ night at The Monarch as, roped off like an exhibit, Blake brooch in her hair and blinded by a constellation of camera flashes, she barely played a disc. Instead she painted her nails. I last saw her at The Dublin Castle, Camden Crawl 2010. A combination of brassy barmaid and vulnerable child, she pulled pints, enjoying every delicious second of her semblance of normality.

Some mourn Camden of old, before the market mushroomed into a mall of trinkets, when punks were more than just a curiosity carrying a sign to the nearest tattoo shop.

But Amy saw past this. She exposed the lure of Camden to a new crowd, each eagerly mimicking her style with backcombed punctuations on every corner.

While tabloids leapt in excitement every time Amy made a surprise appearance, Camden barely raised an eyelid. She was a fixture, part of the furniture, and one that was expected to turn up any moment. This knowledge was a comfort.

Amy showed her fierce loyalty to her beloved borough by not becoming precious, visiting her favoured kebab shops, newsagents and pubs regardless of the 24/7 media glare.

As she showed her allegiance to Camden, the borough returned the favour. When spotted in the street at night, it wasn’t the locals who followed Amy but the paparazzi. Her attraction to the area could well be put down to the safe familiarity of the characters and venues that went out of their way to protect her.

She saw the positive side of Camden while others were busy pointing out the dark side.

Her troubles were widely known and while the sorry end to this tiny girl with the exquisitely loaded voice was somewhat inevitable, there was the always hope that another surprise appearance was imminent and this time, those troubles would have melted away.

SHE BECAME A MASCOT FOR CAMDEN - IT IS A QUIETER PLACE TODAY [Amy Winehouse tribute in today's Times]

AMY Winehouse was synonymous with Camden. Here is a piece I wrote for today's Times.

IF HOME is where the heart is, then Amy Winehouse’s heart — larger than most and perhaps more prone to bleeds and breakage — was in Camden Town in North London.

Her fierce loyalty to the place was made obvious in 2008 when she was at the height of her success. Thousands of miles away, having heard that she’d won a Grammy Award for Back to Black, a stunned Winehouse dedicated her award to London “because Camden Town ain’t burning down”.

She was referring to the infamous fire that razed half of Camden Market, taking with it her drinking headquarters, the Hawley Arms.

Asking what the appeal of Camden was to Winehouse is a bit like asking about the private habits of bears in the woods. It doesn’t require interrogation. She was attracted to its intimate villagey community but also to its excess. The vibrant market centre, which sits between the commercial district of Westminster and the cosy affluence of Hampstead, has a long history of this. In the early 1800s, the influx of Irish railway workers brought with it a legacy of institutionalised alcoholism that lives on today. Added to that today is a lively drugs scene.

More recently, the Britpop heyday brought the first generation of the celebrated “Camden caners”. Blur and Oasis drank in the Good Mixer, an unreconstructed drinking hole that focuses more on fun than on pretty decor. The second wave of Camden caners — including actress Kirsten Dunst, Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell, Kelly Osbourne, Mischa Barton and Paris Hilton — was headed up by Winehouse. Their home was the Hawley Arms, right in the heart of the market. Messy-haired, vested bar staff in skinny jeans kept the beer flowing, and then it was back to someone’s house for a party.

Musicians love the place. Name any act, from the Killers to Supergrass, from Madness to the Specials, and they will have played the darkened stage of the Dublin Castle, one of the borough’s most iconic music pubs. And this is why the tastemakers will always be here. Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq can often be found at the Barfly checking out the latest talent, or curating a night at The Bull and Gate. The Camden Crawl — a two-day festival bringing together more than 100 acts in as many venues — has become known as one of the few places you might get to see a superstar act in a tiny venue.

Winehouse and Camden were mutually dependent. She helped make it cool again after Britpop faded; after the glorious downfall of the Primrose Hill set and later the huge redevelopment of the market. She became a mascot for the borough.

No matter where you were, Winehouse’s influence, in music and style, shaped Camden’s culture. Take a walk down Camden High Street tomorrow and count the backcombed hairdos and ballet shoes. Although her minders were a necessary accompaniment, there were no airs and graces or presumptions about her. She didn’t demand special treatment, and no matter how infamous she grew, she was more likely to be seen eating kebabs at Marathon Kebab House, than sipping cocktails at the Met Bar.

Winehouse loved playing the Dublin Castle backroom and told the landlord, Henry Conlon, as much. Once, she was waiting to be served and Conlon told her to come around and serve herself. She stayed three hours and came back again and again. She craved the interaction and chat with the locals, but needed the safety of the bar between her and them.

Winehouse’s addictive character extended to more than substance abuse. She was hooked on music and the jazz and soul records she grew up with. In Rehab she says she’d rather be at home with Ray and Mr Hathaway, a reference to Ray Charles and Donny Hathaway. But she was addicted to her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil too, and to drink and drugs and to Camden. No matter how often she moved away, to Barnet, a calmer more suburban area at the end of the Northern line, or St Lucia, her home from home, she always came back.

I became used to seeing the tip of the diminutive Winehouse’s beehive as she made her way through the crowds, sandwiched by 6ft tall, 6ft-wide minders. Her catalogue of performing appearances included a spellbinding set at the Dublin Castle, an unforgettable evening during which I witnessed the raw beauty of her voice, up close and away from the drama surrounding her.

Most telling was the night in July 2008 when she was due to DJ at the Monarch, but turned up looking vacant. With a “Blake” brooch in her hair, she painted her nails while someone else took over the decks. Events took a bizarre twist when the crowd spent two hours photographing her rather than dancing, as she became a real-life waxwork.

Now her neighbours and fans will have to go to Madame Tussauds to see her. Camden is a quieter place today. We miss her very much.

Roísín Gadelrab is music editor of the Camden New Journal

THE VACCINES DRUMMER PETE ROBERTSON ON TATTOOS, TAYLOR SWIFT AND HOW NIRVANA CHANGED HIS LIFE

A YEAR ago Pete Robertson was doing the usual rounds as a session drummer, convinced he’d reached his childhood rock musician dreams had reached their pinnacle.
Then along came The Vaccines, critical recognition, a top 5 album (What Did You Expect from The Vaccines) and an awful lot of fuss.

“(Radio 1 DJ) Zane Lowe asked us “How did this happen? You survived. We tried to destroy you with our hype and yet you’ve managed to make a great debut album.” Part of us that was like yeah you’re kind of putting us in quite a difficult position with this. But I feel like we’ve overcome it and hopefully proved some people right,” said Pete.



In little under 12 months, the band has gone from non-existence to attracting the world’s attention at SXSW – and they can chart the turning point in their supersonic rise to one night in Camden.

Pete said: “We loved The Flowerpot. It was kind of a landmark for us. We’d done a couple of gigs around the country playing to about 10 people. We were opening to school bands, playing to them and their parents.”
But they were noticed by the music media and a demo was championed by Lowe.
“We got to The Flowerpot and no-one was there. We thought, it’s just one of those shows. We went up to the dressing room, hung out till it was time to go onstage, went downstairs and they were queuing out the door.”

The word was out, the muso crowd had shown up and the likes of Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand) and Nick Hodgson (Kaiser Chiefs) crammed into the former Kentish Town venue to see them.
“It was a very special gig for us. When we were writing and rehearsing even when we were playing our little toilets we still felt like we were doing something, we could connect to people, we just thought it might take a little longer.”

The Vaccines play Electric Ballroom next week (April 7 and 8) and are planning a bit of an experiment.
Said Pete: “We’ve done it once or twice but it’s not really taken on for us – the last track on the album Family Friend turns into a noise fest at the end. We’ve only dabbled with playing that live before it’s so sparse at the top for the first half that it’s right on a knife edge but we will be doing that at the Electric Ballroom.”

Unable to describe his own character, except to say he questions himself regularly, Pete kindly summed up his bandmates: “Justin’s got an incredible mind, an amazing way of thinking, incredibly intelligent and thoughtful. Freddie is in a similar way a bit of a geek. He knows his music inside out, it’s pretty encyclopaedic. He’s got a wicked sense of humour as well. Arni (from Kilburn) is like a typical Scandinavian. I guess he’s quite quiet but when he has odd days he gets very passionate about it.”

Coming up with the band name was difficult he said, adding: “We had a few good names we weren’t allowed to use because they were a bit inflammatory. We did one gig as The Catholics. But we were told it would probably cause a bit of outrage in about half the world. We’re not Catholics. We were Red Indians as well for a while – apparently that’s racist.”


His own music preferences vary dramatically.
Pete said: “I don’t really go in for hero worship. There’s an awful lot of drummers I admire. The drummer who put me on to wanting to play drums, my first inspiration was probably Dave Grohl.
"Nirvana basically changed my life as it did for most kids at that time – that was a proper landmark. Dave Grohl’s drumming is brilliant but I think it was that whole band and that whole ethos they had that was so inspiring to people of that generation.”

He has time for the softer side too: “I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. I find music snobbery like wine snobbery. I’ve been derided for liking one of Taylor Swift’s songs the Romeo and Juliet one – it’s such a good song.”

He believes drumming keeps him fit: “I’ve got quite skinny arms but I think it must be (good exercise) because I’m not fat and I should be, I eat and drink quite a lot. The most impressive muscle I have is in my hand, no-one ever sees it, it’s my thumb muscle. Most drummers if you have really massive biceps it’s because you have bad technique. I don’t get much love for that (thumb).”

They’re due to tour the US with the Arctic Monkeys although they haven’t met yet, and have already devised coping techniques for touring.
Pete said: “We entertain each other by basically taking the piss out of each other to the point that we end up fighting and then fighting for fun and watching fights for fun. We’re in a bit of a pressure cooker at the moment. It gets pretty full on, the gripes are bound to happen. Fortunately we know each other well enough to chill it and then it’s over – no grudges or anything.”

They recently caused a fuss at SXSW, where they caught the ears of the US media, but Pete had a more important mission on his agenda.
He said: “I got my first tattoo. I kind of knew what I wanted but I was still wondering if I was still going to have the guts. I met this guy and he was a tattoo artist and drew me one and I loved it so thought why not drill me with needles repeatedly so I now have a rising sun stamped on my arm forever.

“All the guys came down and I thought they were going to help talk me through a difficult period but they just laughed and drank cocktails. They say it’s addictive. I was halfway through getting it done when I already had an idea for the next one. You never know, by next year I’ll be a painted man.”

Recalling the band’s beginnings, while still a session drummer, he said: “It’s great to be able to make a living doing music but I thought that was it and the dream you have as a kid was fading fast. I realised I needed something more from my music, some creativity and everyone else was kind of in the same boat so when we got together there was a real energy and enthusiasm. It felt like we were escaping and it was really great. The first rehearsal we had together you could kind of feel something there.

“We’re all fans of depth and meaning through simplicity. Listening to I guess brave music – stuff that’s laying the character and soul completely bare for everyone to see. “

And for now, life looks rosy for The Vaccines.

Pete said: “I’ve never been busier in life but it doesn’t really feel like work it’s something we want to do. It’s all really exciting and fun. I’ve yet to experience getting bored with playing music. I’m sure it happens but I can’t imagine what that would feel like.

“It doesn’t feel like a rush, it’s been quite a steady and natural progression. There are odd moments when you kind of pinch yourself but the majority you just kind of get on with it and enjoy the moment.”

STICK YOUR NECK OUT FOR ST PATRICK

FORGET the green Guinness for a minute – there are more important considerations on St Patrick’s Day.


Apart from honouring the man who drove the snakes out of Ireland, there’s the important business of finding the best live rowdy Irish band to properly mark the night.


So who better than London Irish “psycho-Ceilidh” punks Neck, led by a former member of Shane MacGowan’s Popes, who have already got themselves a worldwide reputation for their rocking ways.

So if you’re anywhere near Tufnell Park head down to The Boston Arms, Junction Road, on Thursday (March 17), where Neck, Calico Street Riots and The Muleskinners will be filling the void for those unable to make the parade this year.

RECORD OF THE WEEK - YOUNG BUFFALO, Catapilah

HERE’S another gem from the Mississippi. There’s a lot going on in trio Young Buffalo’s debut download single Catapilah – imaginative lyrics, an absorbing structure and an intense mesh of melodious energies. Although the prevailing chorus teeters on the edge of plain old teenage indie rock, the disjointed harmonies and manic overlaid affirming vocals, like an overeager friend tapping you on the shoulder, lift it into another class. (Out now).

RECORD OF THE WEEK - WRETCH 32 feat Example, Unorthodox

THERE are two ways of looking at this.
One - that Wretch 32 has taken a classic Stone Roses hook (from Fools Gold) and presented it to a "Landan"-centric generation that will never realise or understand the fundamental importance of its Manchester indie roots.
Or, two - that he has just confirmed the greatness and enduring mass appeal of the Roses and introduced it to a crop of pop aficionados who may then go on to discover the real thing.
I prefer the latter.
Either way, this is a one-listen-don't-forget kinda tune gilded by Example's popular touch that's unlikely to escape chart popularity.

ROUNDHOUSE RISING'S UN-CONVENTIONAL WEEKEND

LISTEN up struggling musicians.
You work hard, gig every venue, and often come home with less money than you left with at the start of the evening.
But it’s worth it and those who have done it before are here to give you faith.
Un-Convention, on Saturday, is part of the Roundhouse Rising Festival, which has filled the past week with masterclasses in band photography, sound engineering and music video masterclasses for youngsters.
But Saturday is for all ages. While top artists scramble to record an album in 10 hours, the timetable is heaving under the musical wisdom from panels of veterans, gurus and experts keen to share their insights.

Highlights include ‘Music as a Tool for Social Change’ – featuring figures from music projects in Sri Lanka, Brazil, Colombia and the UK, ‘Sustainable careers in music’ with Jon McClure (Reverend and the Makers), ‘The Politicisation of Music’ and ‘Women in Music’ with Viv Albertine and Zoe Street Howe. Guests include Green Man Festival’s Fiona Stewar, John Dyer from Domino Records and BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson.

There are also speed networking sessions, workshops and demos.
The festival wouldn’t be complete without some great live new music, see Ghost Eyes, Teeth of the Sea and Prizes, curated by Eat Your Own Ears (EYOE) on (Thursday), Swimming, DT, Beaty Heart and Chicago DJ Brenmar tomorrow (Friday) and EKO, DELS, Sampha and RoxXxan on Saturday.

More info from www.roundhouse.org.uk/rising

RECORD OF THE WEEK- IRON & WINE, Tree by the River

IRON & Wine.
Oh Iron & Wine.
This is just the soundtrack to carry us through the coldest days - more than a touch of James Taylor and some beautiful harmonies.
The beardy ones look and sound like they stowed away in Marty McFly's Delorean when he stopped off for fuel in the 70s (not strictly sticking to the script but it could have happened).
And sound all the better for it.
Iron & Wine play Camden Roundhouse on March 8.

THE POLYMATHS OF MELODICA, MELODY AND ME

THERE’S a lot to learn about Melodica, Melody and Me.
The Brixton six-piece have as many assorted facets as the eclectic range of instruments they employ.
Take singer Huw Williams.
On face, he’s a polite singer and musician who formed a band with his schoolmates – a band which has progressed to touring with Mumford and Sons, Laura Marling and Bombay Bicycle Club among others.
Inquire further and you find he’s a philosophy graduate and special needs teaching assistant.
But it’s not until much later that Huw reveals he’s just completed his tree surgeon qualification, is a bit of an environmentalist and used to grow vegetables on his own allotment – all at just 23.



He’s not unique, among the group are a mental health worker and a sports journalist student who’s somehow managed to rope eminent political philosopher Noam Chomsky into an email exchange on his thesis on the socialist nature of American sports.

Not a simple lot, Melodica, Melody and Me are tough to define.
They have at times referred to their music as folk-step “but it never stuck”, said Huw.
Central to their sound is the melodica, but the Kora and the Charango (a Latin American lute) are also in there as their harmonies and folk finger-picking are laid over Andean sounds, reggae skanks and African rhythms.

The work of legendary dub producer Augustus Pablo shaped their use of the melodica said Huw: “He plays it on dub and reggae tracks, that’s what defined our sound at the start. We played acoustic instruments but with the melodica playing reggae-ish melodies or sort of skank.
“When we first got the melodica we thought it was special but it turns out they’re used all over the world to teach kids how to play the piano. So in some parts of the country it’s like the most annoying instrument in the world – the equivalent of the recorder.”

They’re haunted by their choice of band name, inspired by Roald Dahl’s The Giraffe The Pelly and Me.
They wanted to use the word melodica and liked the alliteration but it seems no-one can get it right: “The amount of times we’ve had it in reviews and billings as something completely different like Medolica, Medallions and Me. They’re coming up with better ones!”

They’re lucky enough to be able to record in guitarist Rudi’s old bedroom, which has been converted into a home studio, with the help of Rudi’s father, Bafta-winning sound editor of The King’s Speech, André Schmidt.
Huw said: “It’s good we’ve got access to good equipment but without having to pay the hourly rate at a studio – it’d bankrupt the whole thing.”
The four boys only really began playing instruments aged 17, later bringing in Rudi’s sister Anna (vocals) and drummer Greta – they all attended the same school.

They’ve played Camden a few times: “Whenever we play there, we always try and find food first, struggle really badly, eat those cheap pizzas and end up feeling really ill. And we get enticed by the Chinese foods – it always seems like such a good idea.”

How does he compare the scene here with Brixton?: “Brixton’s a good place to come for music, there’s the Hootenanny and The Windmill, it’s one of the few places in South London where you get to see live bands play. Camden’s really good but there’s a bit more relaxed, gritty, grimy atmosphere I suppose in South London. But it’s changing. Brixton is getting so trendy these days that it kind of feels like east London sometimes.”
Growing up in Brixton “inspired us to be more open to exploring different types of music. There’s so much noise and vibrancy,” said Huw.



They’ve just toured with Johnny Flynn: “We did an acoustic line up with only four of us so we all crammed into one car and were driving round the country. Luckily in every town we had a friend of a friend who let us sleep on their floor. It was in the height of the winter and the snow and we were sleeping on kitchen floors, having the worst night sleep but it was good. I don’t think it’s ever glamorous – the most glamorous it gets is staying at the Holiday Inn. I think I prefer to be at a mate’s house.”

They also forged friendships with Bombay Bicycle Club with whom they toured in July: “We hung out with them quite a lot, they’re really young as well, really nice, quite not shy but quite quiet, they’re really gentle guys. The funny thing about touring is you get very few windows to actually hang out and get drunk because you’re always driving on to the next gig but we did our best. On the last night of the tour we had a big party at one of their houses.”

The band are working on their debut album but haven’t picked a name yet.
Said Huw: “That’ll be a big discussion, that might lead to a fight. You don’t want to name it after one of the tracks or maybe you do but then you don’t a name you’re embarrassed about for the rest of your life. Our band name gets derided enough, we’ll have to balance it out with a good name for the album.”
Melodica Melody and Me play the Lock Tavern on February 22.

COCKNBULLKID'S POP THERAPY

COCKNBULLKID – that’s it, that’s her name now.
Dropping the prefix “the” is the first sign something’s different about Anita Blay.
Known for her electro tunes of the past, Anita’s turned to pop for her debut album.
Single Hold on To Your Misery (out March 7) is every bit the snappy pop song to which she aspires.



Anita – as CocknBullKid – is part of talent-pushing festival HMV Next Big Thing, a concentrated chance to see the picks of the future – across venues including Camden Barfly, Jazz Cafe and Relentless Garage for the flat rate of £10.
She plays Upstairs at the Garage alongside James Yuill, Trophy Wife and Visions of Trees (Feb 10).

Also chalked up at various venues are Jessie J, The Airborne Toxic Event, Skepta, The Chakras, and Chilly Gonzales (full line-up – www.hmvnextbigthing.com).
In fact, Anita has just settled in a deli after recording vocals for the eclectic Canadian musician Gonzales – who worked on her album – when she speaks to Grooves.
She said: “He’s charismatic, good fun to work with, very much an artist and quite independent. He pretty much makes things happen for himself so he’s good at giving tips and advice on how to make sure everything is yours. It’s becoming harder for people to control what they do. He’s quite old school in the sense that he takes care of every aspect of his career.”

While Anita absorbs his advice, she is well aware of the fortunate position she is in: “Although I’m signed to a big label (Island) I’m with an independent (subsidiary Moshi Moshi). It’s not like everything has to be turned up to 11 and have bells and whistles on. I’ve got the best of both worlds, the muscle of a major but the creativity of an independent.”

Album Adulthood touches on life as a Londoner of Ghanaian descent and some good old teenage angst – to an upbeat soundtrack.
She said: “My parents split up at a very early age and I was separated from my mum when I was about 12 so I grew up with a male patriarchal figure. I wasn’t raised by a woman in the most important times in my youth. While he was doing a stellar job – I love my dad to bits – there are certain quirks/things you can’t help but sometimes attribute to not having a female figure.”

Her father, a bus driver, is so proud of Anita’s work that he keeps all her cuttings.
She said: “Considering he was from a different background, from Ghana, quite traditional, he’s still quite open-minded and I think that’s shaped me.”

Anita grew up in Hackney, torn between where to ally herself – and her confusion over her origins –is detailed on the album.
She said: “The older you get it’s less of a clash and more of a fusion. There’s good and bad but I’ve learned to straddle both, be proud that I’m British and proud to be Ghanaian.”

An explanation of her stage name is also on the album: “A lot of people ask why I called myself Cocknbullkid. I’m not talking about anatomy I‘m referring to a cockerel and bull – it’s another way of saying to spin a yarn, tell a tale, bullshit someone. Something I’m fascinated with.”
At the moment it’s all about pop: “It is a craft writing a pop song – it’s a lot easier to be experimental and waffle on for nine minutes. Now three minutes, there’s something very satisfying about a pop song.”

Making the album has doubled as therapy. Said Anita: “If you’re old enough to be honest about how you feel and put it on a record, hopefully you feel better for it – almost exorcising your demons. I do feel a lot better. I listen back to songs and think wow I don’t feel like that anymore. I’m happy I’ve been honest about it. “

She added: “My dad’s really proud. I’m definitely a hard worker when it comes to music. That’s the only way you can feel any sense of achievement for something because you work for it. My dad’s a bloody hard worker. That’s part of the reason I’m so ambitious because I want to make him and my family proud. I want them to be comfortable, he struggled for so long.”
• CocknBullKid’s website is www.cocknbullkid.com and twitter name is @cocknbullkid

GABBY YOUNG'S NO ORDINARY REDHEAD, SHE'S A BARBICAN-SINGING CIRCUS SWING-ER

GABBY Young sounds like she’s smiling over the phone.
Every story she tells has a happy ending and she sees the brightest side of the very darkest tales.
The eccentric flame-haired singer’s positive nature casts an effective veil over a history that could have ended her singing career before she even began.
At just 22, Gabby’s fledgling path was halted for a year as she fought thyroid cancer in her throat, while medics warned her she may lose her voice.

You wouldn’t know it now.
Gabby’s rich vocals are stronger than ever – so strong in fact that she, and her band Other Animals, share the bill with 10-piece ‘performance orchestra’ The Irrepressibles at The Barbican on Saturday for Disruption – a fashion and music performance inspired by the gallery’s exhibition Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion and the diversity of East London.
It is the culmination of a three-month project by 50 young people aged 14-19 working with the Barbican, London College of Fashion and Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

Purveyors of “circus swing”, Gabby Young and Other Animals are emerging from their underground lair as a live phenomena.
Said Gabby, who will be wearing a dress made entirely from newspapers: “We’ve definitely got a spectacle planned. We always try and do something different each show...There’ll be a bang and the end of our set.”
Look at her pictures and you’d never guess Gabby grew up “in the sticks” in Wiltshire, to a horsey life “my mother trained racehorses”, at times sharing a home with the Australian equestrian team.
She even went to boarding school.

Instead, Gabby rejected the outdoors in favour of singing and the piano.
She said: “From the start I rebelled against any kind of sport and always wanted to be the musician. We had a little upright pink piano and my sister and I would write songs. Whenever mum and dad had friends over, we’d insist on giving them a concert, make them queue outside and pay to see us. That’s probably my earliest musical memory.”
Her parents now run her label, while Gabby lives in Kentish Town with boyfriend Stephen Ellis, frontman of band Revere and dog Hobbes (named after the comic strip stuffed tiger).
She said: “I absolutely love north London. We live right next to Hampstead Heath and I’m obsessed with the place. I’ve lived in lots of different parts of London, west, south, Chelsea for a bit, which I didn’t like, but the moment I got up north I thought this is where London is for me. I love the creativeness, you can do your own thing, don’t have to worry about being judged, everyone seems helpful and friendly. I love all my neighbours.”

She met Stephen when still travelling from Wiltshire to play gigs at Monkey Chews.
She said: “I didn’t know many musicians. The other band on the bill was Revere, I’d never heard of them before and never seen a band that made me just want to follow them around. They blew me away. I remember seeing Stephen and thinking he’s so cool I want him to be my friend but now I live with him.”
As well as her music, Gabby’s become something of a fashion icon and writes a style blog as well as running pop-up store Gabbydashery.

She said: “Gabbydashery mainly has accessories, hairpieces, bags, everything we sell is something I’d wear or have on my wall, it’s all got to be inspired by or for the music. People expect me to have made the stuff but I’m not very good with a sewing machine and glue. My first ever art report said do not let Gabby near glitter or glue.”
Fashion is definitely an important element to Gabby’s persona.
“I’ve always loved dressing up and every time I did a gig I would make an effort because I never liked seeing bands standing around in their jeans. I love the spectacle behind big stage shows, love what Bjork wears, the fact she plays with her outfits when onstage and it becomes part of the theatre of it, that is really important for me.
“I’ve always loved vintage clothes from much further back. I’ve loved Victorian clothes for so long. I’ve got bright red hair but that’s not actually that different anymore because so do all the female artists out there so I’ve got to find a way to stand out.”
Her memories of being diagnosed with cancer are still raw but she’s grateful for what it brought: “It was a huge life-changing experience to be on a path with my band, knowing my goal and to have a huge stop sign on that. But I’m so thankful for it because everything that has happened to me that’s been positive has been almost a direct result from that. Moving to London was a catalyst – I had to change my life to do what I wanted. The most terrifying thing was the operation. To be told as a singer that you might lose your voice that is a fate worse than death in a way.”
She added: “I’ve written some material about that which I’m really proud of – Too Young to Die on the album is about it. It’s changed the way I think about absolutely everything in my life. I’m a lot happier because I feel I’ve got a get out of jail free card and a real chance to do something different and have a story that might help people through hard times.”

ANA SILVERA'S ROUNDHOUSE ORACLES

ANA Silvera’s tough to pin down.
A former squatter who now lives in Primrose Hill, she’s classical but indie, listens to Bartok and Grizzly Bear in equal measure and uses the fantasy of fairy tales to reflect her own reality.
She’s constantly late, devoted to making music and relies on the intense heat of Bikram yoga to relax.

At the moment, the 27-year-old singer’s life has been taken over by her new work Oracles, to be debuted at the Roundhouse (Feb 2 – 4).

She said: “My days, which I love, are a round of rehearsals and writing. It’s like putting a huge patchwork quilt together of musicians, a choir, and the piece itself. It’s definitely the biggest thing I’ve ever done. It’s amazing to do three nights because I’ve never had the opportunity to refine the performance as I go along, see how everyone grows with the piece.”

The Roundhouse chief executive and artistic director Marcus Davey offered Ana the use of The Roundhouse Experimental Choir.

She said: “He’s a huge supporter of what I do. I could’ve made my life easy, done my normal set and arranged some songs for the choir but I thought this is such an amazing opportunity, I’ve been writing for a long time with a choir in my head, why not write a whole new suite of songs.”
The volume of work is such that it’s the first time Ana’s had to learn the words to her own songs.
As is her style, Oracles takes the form of a story.

She said: “My music so far isn’t necessarily personal in a confessional sense, it is obviously personal to me but I filter it through stories or folk tales to bring my own personal story out. This is very much like that. I’ve taken the arc of a fairy story which starts with a dark kingdom and something’s gone wrong, someone’s died, lost something hugely important and picks up the trajectory of that loss to a kind of redemption and acceptance. It’s got that traditional story arc, along the way the falling in love, re-emergence of self, but starts off with grief. It sort of connects to my own personal experience over the years of grief and loss but it’s also an archetypal story.”

The grief Ana alludes to is the loss of both her mother and brother in a short time.
She grew up in a single parent family and Ana’s relationship with her mother and brother was close. It was her English teacher mother who first sparked her interest in words, Ana’s early ambition was to be a writer, and enrolled her in a choir as a child.
She auditioned for the English National Opera aged 13 and was soon singing for them, although opera was never her real passion.

Instead, Ana was attracted to folk songwriters and classical music, both of which have heavily influenced her own work.
At 15, she decided to live in a squat, still going to school and singing with the ENO, but returning home to live with this anarchic, eclectic community.
She said: “My mum was surprisingly cool about it. There was a very colourful scene at the time. I met a nice group of people I wanted to hang out with, I didn’t really want to be at home and I was still singing at the opera house so that was quite weird.”

More recently she recorded single My Home Town with members of Antony and the Johnsons in Brooklyn – another hive of musical activity her mother suggested visiting.
She said: “There’s a whole scene of classical indie musicians. Being away from London allowed me to write in a more personal way, something about being away from yourself, kind of freed me a lot. I immediately felt so at home and loved it, it’s so vibrant, people were so collaborative.”

Her impressions of living in Berlin were not quite so inspiring.
She said: “What I took away from Berlin was an appreciation of London. It made me realise how much I have here.”
And here she remains – at least until Oracles is over.
More information from www.anasilvera.com and www.roundhouse.org.uk

ROCK 'N ROLL MAYOR'S A HIT, SHHHH FOR THE MUSIC + MILES KANE AT XFM ALL-DAYER

SOUNDS like Mayor of Camden Jonathan Simpson and his consort Amy Lamé were such a hit as guest DJs at Barfly’s Casino Royale birthday celebrations that there are already talks to bring them back. Casino Royal promoter and DJ Jeff Automatic was so impressed with their talents that he’s also considering taking them on tour to clubs around Europe – as ambassadors of Camden – you heard it here first.

What did they play on the night? The Smiths, The Beastie Boys, Suede, Iggy and the Stooges and much more. Apparently the band room – more used to groupies – was packed with councillors pre-set, not so rock ‘n roll.

• Saturday’s such a busy day it’s almost impossible to decide what to do.
Admirers of quiet music bite your tongue for the Shhh Festival at Cecil Sharp House. The bands are not always low key, but the audience is expected to keep schtum and a special team of shushers will be there to ensure hush. The all-day programme features more than 20 acts including a rare appearance from Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite, Still Corners and Lewis & Clarke.
More info from www.thelineofbestfit.com/2010/01/shhh-cecil-sharp-house-london

• Another feast of music on Saturday is Barfly’s XfM X-Posure all-dayer, featuring the wonderful Miles Kane, Clock Opera, The Brute Chorus, Lail Arad and many more promising acts, handpicked by DJ John Kennedy. Worth a visit.



• For something a little more far out, geographically and musically, how about Stoke Newington International Airport. A night of heavy experimental music from members of a bunch of bands including Red Snapper, Three Trapped Tigers, The Heritage Orchestra, and Kandinsky – all for £5.

• I would love Bruno Mars to leave my radio alone but for those who don’t feel the same, the Brit nominee plays Cafe de Paris on Monday (Jan 24) and Koko (March 13 & 14).

MYSPACE FAIL, PRIMROSE HILL'S MYSTERY GIRLBAND, SILVER BULLET'S GOOD NEWS AND MORE

IS IT wrong to dislike MySpace? I know it’s supposed to be a forum for the great unsigned but seriously, it’s impossible to navigate, takes an age to load and seems to be a graveyard for spam.

I’d rather check a band out for real, see their shaky YouTube uploads, or go to their official websites, where it doesn’t take a year to work out where their next gig is.
No offence MySpace but can’t you redesign – again?

• So much to look forward to this year – Pulp at Wireless, Two Door Cinema Club at Roundhouse and my guilty pleasure...Linkin Park at the Roundhouse for the iTunes festival – don’t judge me.



• What’s this about an emerging girl band called Primrose Hill? Have I missed out on the next big thing? Checked them out on MySpace – aside from “snippet” to single LOL, only info is they are three 13-year-olds, loads of spam messages – case in point. Don’t sound bad given their youth.

• Slightly old news but haven’t had a column to mention this – Nambucca, which burned down in a great Islington musical tragedy, but which then inspired The Flowerpot – has reopened and has an overflowing list of live gigs coming up – time to return to Holloway Road.

• Brilliant news for Finsbury Park’s coolest “pop-up” venue. Looks like it will have to drop the “pop-up”, after its lease was unexpectedly renewed. Still, nothing’s permanent so make the most of it while it’s still here.

• My digital radio is stuck on a channel that only plays ‘90s music – good memories but confusing – only bought it for 6 Music, XfM and Radio 4.

NEW YEAR PARTIES IN CENTRAL AND NORTH LONDON - THE SOCIAL MINEFIELD THAT CUTS ACROSS CAMDEN, ISLINGTON AND WESTMINSTER

BY NOW you're probably just about ready to contemplate New Year’s Eve's social minefield.
Here's my ultimate list of parties across Camden, Islington and Westminster.
Burlesque, fancy dress and circus prevails, what’s the plan next year?

FOR THE MYSTERIOUS
The Eve of Tomorrow (Boom Boom Club + White Mischief), secret location (Russell Square tube), 8pm-5am, £45.99
Inspired by 1930s World Fairs and industrial obsession, a large scale production, with theatre, cabaret, circus, electro swing, vintage jazz, rock ‘n roll, and more – my personal fave. Dress – ‘30s glam, grand evening wear, aristocrats, socialites and industrialists.

INDIE KIDS
The Flowerpot presents Foals + Trophy Wife + Chad Valley, HMV Forum (Kentish Town tube), 8pm, sold out
The Flowerpot promised one helluva NY Party –Foals, great acts and DJs. Camden’s in-crowd were on to it months ago but there’s always the chance of doorstep spares sales. AND The Wheelbarrow, Camden High Street has just announced it has 100 tickets left to sell, must buy from the bar.



Club NME Ball, British Sea Power + Joe & Will Ask + Fiction, Koko (Mornington Crescent tube), 9pm, £32
Koko knows how to throw a proper rock party – in stunning theatre surrounds.

SHAMELESS NOSTALGICS

Ultimate Power, Scala (Kings Cross tube), 9pm – 6am, £20adv
Nine hours of power ballads – Meatloaf, Phil Collins, Queen – sing your heart out.

Naughty Forties NY Party, The Old Queen’s Head (Angel tube), 8pm-4am, £20
Tweed, corsets and wartime waves.

NEW YOIKERS
To the 5 Boroughs NYE Party ft Man Like Me (full live band) + Mouthwash, Barfly Camden (Chalk Farm tube), 8pm, early bird £15
New York theme – trip from CBGBs to Brooklyn loft to the Bronx and dress accordingly – 50s gangsters, 60s beatniks, 70s punks and 80s sportswear.

DEPRESSIVES
Feeling Gloomy vs Club de Fromage, 02 Academy Islington (Angel tube), 9pm-4am, £20
Wallow in misery with Feeling Gloomy’s morose tunes then clamber from the depths of despair to Club de Fromage’s cheesy hits.

AIRHEADS AND PIRATES
Barbie Girls and Salty Sea Dogs ft Diaphragm Failure + Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons + Spacewasters, The Dublin Castle (Camden Town tube), 7.45pm-2am, £10 on door, £5 adv, or free before 9pm for fancy dress
Truly eccentric, dress as your favourite plastic doll or try out the Jack Sparrow look.

MOVIE BUFFS
Soundtracks, The Monarch (Chalk Farm Road), 8pm, £10
Blockbuster hits from fave movies, Dirty Dancing, Pulp Fiction, The Breakfast Club etc. Dress as your movie idol.

WARBLERS
Live band Karaoke, The Enterprise (Chalk Farm tube), 7pm-3am, £5
Feel what it’s like to front your own band – karaoke classics and new hits.

THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
Proud Camden’s NYE Burlesque Ball, Proud Camden (Chalk Farm tube), 7.30pm – 4am, general ticket £30
Proud attracts cool kids, aloof waifs, geek chic boys, and voluptuous burlesque beauties but there’s room for everyone, the music never fails and it’s always full of surprises. Captain Dangerous + The TV Night Jam Band live + burlesque shows.

CHEESY (AND SLIGHTLY TOWNY WE FEAR)
Shake NYE, 70s, 80s, 90s disco +dance party anthems, Electric Ballroom (Camden Town tube), £30adv, 9pm-4am
Rarely a good sign when a Camden Town venue feels the need to warn no trainers or sportswear. But this could be a fun cheesy night out in a big enough venue to avoid inevitable NY suffocation. Or it could be just like a night at The Ritzy.

SOUL, FUNK AND DANCE LOVERS
DJ Joey Negro and The Sunburst Band, Jazz Cafe (Camden Town tube), 7pm, £40 adv
Jazz Cafe’s marathon session with DJ Joey Negro brings a dash of sunshine with The Sunburst Band’s take on modern soul. Acoustic support from laid back Nathan Watson.

CARNIVAL TYPES
Good Times ft Norman Jay + Gilles Peterson + Ladybugz + Crate Diggers, Relentless Garage (Highbury & Islington tube), £30
Bringing Notting Hill vibes to Islington.

THE FANTASTICAL
Proud @ Matter – Cirque ft Shaun Ryder, DJ Yoda and The Maccabees (DJ set), 02 Arena, 7.30pm-6am, £20 adv
Yes it’s a trek but Proud has put on buses for those brave enough to venture that far east. Think 1950s Vegas, circus and burlesque and dress accordingly.

Cirque de la Nuit, The Winchester (Angel tube), 7pm-4am, £25/£15 adv
Shape shifting cage fighters, clowns, and guest DJs.

FOR THE MTV GENERATION
BLOGGER’S Delight presents Video Kills the Radio Star, The Lock Tavern (Chalk Farm tube), 8pm-4am, £10 adv/with regular's card or £15
DJs – Casper C, Skull Juice, Stopmakingme, Arveene, The Beeny Royston Experience, Gino Silano, Miss Odd Kidd, NikNikNik –disco, house and party faves upstairs, pop pop pop downstairs, get nostalgic, think 1984 MTV launch, Michael Jackson, Madonna and dance your way through to the end of the noughties. Come as your favourite tribute to the art of the music video – shouldn’t be too hard to find the garb across the road at Camden market.

DIE-HARD GLAM PUNKS
RACHEL Stamp + Conspirators + Spiderbaby + Et Tu Bruce + Deeds of the Nameless + Otherness, Monto Water Rats (King’s Cross tube), 6pm, £13
Glam punks Rachel Stamp rarely get together to play live anymore so witness this one-off show, grab a free signed copy of their latest album (first 50 arrivals), get your eyeliner on and dress the part for what promises to be a raucous party.

GARAGE DUBSTEP AND HIP-HOP
REGGAE Roast with EL-B & MC Rolla, Channel One, Daddy Skitz, Moodie, Excel + more, The Big Chill House, (Kings Cross tube), 9pm-5am, £15 earlybird/£20 adv
Reggae Roast’s first ever NYE party, Room one – UK Garage/dubstep pioneer EL-B ft MC Roll and Channel One Sound System with Rastafarian chants from Mikey Dread, Room II - UK Hip Hop legend Daddy Skitz party blend of Hip Hop, Drum and Bass, Dancehall and Reggae.

FOR THE MAD HATTERS
SAM and The Womp's NYE Hat Party with Sam and The Womp live, Senor Migan, DJ Cous Cous, Aaron Audio, Bobby Gandolf, Camino, (Kings Cross tube), 9pm-4am, £15earlybird, £20 adv, £60 restaurant ticket
High-energy Balkan, ska, dub, Latin and gypsy-dubstep with Sam’s six-piece band The Whompers, wear your most extravagant hat – prizes for best.

FOR THE CROONERS
Mitch Winehouse, The Pigalle Club (Picadilly Circus), 7pm-late, dinner, admission and champagne – £95, non-dining guests – £25
Crooner/cabbie/celeb dad Mitch Winehouse hosts a classy evening of jazz and swing – Amy’s been known to join him onstage but we hear she may be in Moscow.

COOL AND CASH-STRAPPED
The Wheelbarrow (Mornington Crescent tube), open till late, free
Top tunes, nice faces and an extended late licence – and you don’t have to pay a penny to get in.

LOWKEY'S FRONT PAGE + THE HEARTBREAKS SPECIAL APPEARANCE + SLIMELIGHT GOES LIGHT + CHRISTMAS SHOPPING WITH THE CLASH

THE police issued a rogues gallery of wanted anti-fees protesters this week.
What, might you ask, has this to do with music?
Those who studied the pictures carefully may just have recognised one particularly vocal young rapper – Lowkey – featured on this page some time back.
Known for his eloquent campaigns for Palestinian rights – Lowkey – is a man of conviction. Last week he promised to visit occupying students and did just that – passing by our own Camden School for Girls.
But for those wondering if he had anything to do with Camilla being poked with a stick or other protest-related mischief, he had this to say on twitter: “(Lowkey ) is NOT wanted. I have already been questioned regarding these matters, so please STOP buying into the hype. Thank you. "Last night he warned: “Prepare for a smear campaign, however they attempt to discredit me, always know the only thing I stand for is equality. Peace + Love.”
Watch this space.



• Finsbury Park’s coolest club The Silver Bullet’s got a special appearance from The Heartbreaks at Ronnkie Pop’s Christmas party next week (Dec 23). Also playing, Two Wounded Birds + The Guilty Hands. These guys have been tipped for the top - get along asap.
• Angel’s Electrowerks, more usually associated with pasty-faced Goth night Slimelight is hosting an altogether more pleasant artist by the name of Lucy Rose (Dec 17). She’s a little pasty herself but in a waiflike folky ethereal kind of way. Beautiful voice too.
• Nina, Davina Lee, Rocketeer, Evryone and Olly Chamberlain all play at least one Christmas cover at The Monarch’s Christmas show (Dec 22).
• Everyone’s oh so busy Christmas shopping but duck out of the Camden Market chaos for a second and into Proud Camden to check out London Calling: TheClash by Adrian Boot, music photographer extraordinaire (ends Jan 23).

THE BEES ARE BACK

THE Bees have been quietly plugging away for some years now.
But just because the former Mercury Prize nominees are not crazed tabloid headline-grabbers doesn’t mean they haven’t got something worth listening to.
In fact, it is this very reason, their understated nature, which has attracted just the right amount of attention from those who know what they are looking for.
Take the fact that they have just come off tour supporting Paul Weller at a series of venues that almost all seem to have “arena” in the title.
That’s the kind of gig a good band wants and they got it.



And as with all good bands, there has to be a bit of drama, a label change, a long gap between albums and a few utterances about new freedoms and so they have returned, having fulfilled these important clichés.
It’s been three years since their last album Octopus and the band, which headlines Koko tomorrow (Friday), is sounding very pleased with their decision to work with label Fiction.

Fourth album, Every Step’s A Yes, was released on Fiction in October and has been nominated for the iTunes editor’s Album of the Year.
According to singer and songwriter Paul Butler, the label is in touch daily with new ideas and ways of doing things.
Aaron Fletcher another of the band’s multi talents (songwriter, guitarist, bass player), said: “It’s like starting all over again. Only now we’ve got loads of fans and people who love us. And our own studio. And an amazing label.”

The album’s a smiley, happy effort, mainly made up of uplifting guitars, psychedelic sitar twists and folksy harmonies – a cosy antidote to December’s freeze, with a more mature feel than previous efforts.
This may be something to do with how they have spent their time over the past three years.
Paul and Aaron stopped sharing a house, which seems to have sparked a new wave of enthusiasm and inspiration, they have played alongside Pink Floyd and Paul spent some time in LA working with eclectic – and definitely eccentric – folk-singer/artist Devendra Banhart.

This summer they played Glastonbury, naturally hailed among the best gigs they’ve ever done, but it’s really the decision to split from former label that they credit with their new creativity.
Since breaking from the traditional write, rehearse, record, tour routine, they have had the time to work at their own speed, which seems to have given their brains some time to ferment.

The result was that everything slowed down, the boys chilled out and the band found the confidence to really develop the kind of songs they had always wanted to write.
“The last two albums were exercises in creative writing,” said Paul. “These songs are all much more emotionally direct. I was thinking of those Joe Boyd productions – Nick Drake and Fairport Convention, Incredible String Band, John and Beverley Martyn.”
You get the picture.
I leave you with a little-known fact – The Bees are known as A Band of Bees in America.
The Bees single Winter Rose is out on December 20.

TROUBLE FINDING A WEDDING DJ PRINCE WILLIAM, HOW ABOUT SAM YOUNG?

HE HANGS out with The Killers and Usher, DJs for royalty, and Kasabian owe him a favour.
DJ Sam Young gets around and has the tales to prove it.
As we speak (on the phone), he’s just waking up at his St John’s Wood home after another late night and is preparing for Damien Hirst’s Christmas party later.

“Kasabian’s doing their entertainment,” he says. “I helped get their record deal. I used to work for a record company. The label I was with didn’t want to sign them, they were oohing and ahing. A friend of mine just started doing A & R at Sony BMG so I took their demo in and then yeah, that was it.”

Young, 31, is best known for regular spots at celeb hangouts Chinawhites and Boujis, which may seem far removed from the Camden scene but he begs to differ.

He said: “I’ve had my own nights at Hoxton Pony and Proud Camden. The crowd is different, they probably think they’re a bit cooler in Camden, same in east London they may think because they’re partying in Hoxton they’re cool but actually there’s no difference musically – unless you’re going to a specialist night. You’re more likely to get a tip in the West End from some rich Arab dude for playing a song while some guy in Camden might buy you a beer.”

He’s reputed to be one of Prince William’s favourite DJs and, has drawn up a personal top five of stag do hits for the soon-to-be married royal, in case he gets the call.
He said: “If he asked me to DJ at the wedding I would definitely.”

The Prince has been known to request a tune or two: “He likes the classic dance music. He’s current, not cheesy at all. All the times I’ve met him he’s liked stuff that was big at the time, like Outkast Hey Ya and Shakedown at Night. I’ve seen him dance – and the girlfriend.”

SAM Young’s top 5 tunes for Prince William's stag do: 

                                                                                 1. Ludacris - Area Codes

                                                                                 2. Snoop Dogg - Ain't no Fun

                                                                                 3. Katy Perry - I kissed a girl

                                                                                 4. LMFAO - I'm not a whore

                                                                                 5. RUN DMC - Down with the King

Sam once attracted the attention of The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers for playing a bootleg of Somebody Told Me.
But instead of telling him off, Brandon said it was “a pretty cool mix”.
Last week, he was asked to look after Usher, who passed by Boujis after the X-Factor.
He said: “He needed to fly really early so we were killing time. I wasn’t djing, I’d finished my set. We were having crack-babies – a shot they do in Boujis, champagne, vodka, strawberry and passionfruit.”

He once played a party for gangsters in Scunthorpe: “It was full on. Howard Marks did a talk. It was the who’s who of the UK crime scene. The police were outside, really nervous of all these people getting together. A lot of the guys had their own little stalls, selling their own DVDs and books. It was a bit weird. The only time I saw the guy that booked me again was at the premiere for the film about Bronson and that was full of heavies.”

The son of A-list photographer Richard Young, Sam stumbled into Djing on a whim: “When I was about 13 we used to get Christmas money and my brother said let’s buy some turntables so we can be DJs so I said OK fine.”
When his brother went to college, Sam was left with them and the rest is West End clubland history.
It’s not always an easy job: “It can be hard if the crowd are difficult. If they’re not receptive to what you’re playing or if you read the crowd wrong they can make it harder. It’s all digital nowadays so I have every type of music on me at all times. It’s not like the old days where you have one or two bags of records and you’re screwed if you didn’t have what they want.”

His secret dancefloor-filling weapon? “Play some Michael Jackson, or Prince or Stevie Wonder. I’m a sucker for the obvious people. In a wedding or office party you put one of those on, you’re on to a winner – usually.”
He uses alter ago Sam Roqwell less and less, but returns to it when releasing his underground work.
He’s well-placed to witness excess: “You see people always spending a silly amount of money. Specially in the current time – I’ve seen it a lot.”
The secret to being a successful DJ, he says: “Work hard, keep your head down, it’s a lot of how you go about who you know, you need the talent as well, you can’t just wing it. If you’re not as good as you think you are, you’ll soon get found out.”

•     Sam Young has residencies at Boujis on Thursdays and Sundays, Chinawhite Wednesdays and Fridays, and regularly appears at Bungalow 8, Covent Garden, Vendome Mayfair and The Hoxton Pony.

ARCHIVE MOMENT - THE RASCALS, I'll Give you Sympathy

THIS song is just one reason why Miles Kane, who supports The Courteeners at Camden's HMV Forum, is so fantastic.
The Rascals are truly cheeky scamps - I can vouch for that, I've got the interview tape with anecdotes of foiled customs searches following a trip to Amsterdam - to prove it.
But they had a stroke of creative genius, stemming from Kane.
They managed to give what could have been straightforward northern rock just a tiny glow of psychedelic guitars and muted 60s beats and I loved them for it.
Live, they strayed down untraceable guitar solo paths and sounded all the more attractive for it.
Then Miles excelled himself when he went and teamed up with bessie mate Alex Turner (are they still) to create The Last Shadow Puppets - will we ever see them again?
And now Miles is doing his solo thing, supporting The Courteeners and I hear teaming up with Noel Gallagher.
I'm positively overdosing on all this luscious northern talent.
More please.
But in the meantime, remember The Rascals.