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).

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,

ELIZA DOOLITTLE'S DRINKS BLAG, BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB'S ACOUSTIC MAGIC + ROCK ART COLLECTORS HEAVEN AT PROUD CAMDEN

POVERTY-stricken singers take note – Eliza Doolitle told me of a trick she stumbled across when playing the Cuban Bar at this year’s Camden Crawl. She mentioned her love of their apple crumble cocktails during her set, jokingly asking if anyone wanted to buy her a drink, and the bar staff promptly made one for her. Now she’s wondering how many other bars she can try it on with. I doubt she’ll need to use it for long, as she’s going to be able to command anything she wants on her rider soon.

• One of the most memorable moments of last year’s Mencap Little Noise Sessions at Islington’s Union Chapel was hearing the vulnerable cracked vocals and stripped-down acoustics of Bombay Bicycle Club. They plugged back in soon after, but I’ve played that acoustic show back in my head over and over since. Now there’s a chance to repeat the experience. Their acoustic album was released on Monday and their tour of cinemas and churches comes to the Union Chapel on July 22 and 23. It will be stunning.
I couldn't find any acoustic footage of Magnet on Youtube so here's Ivy and Gold at the Union Chapel last year.

• The Kenwood concerts are well under way and so far the weather’s been impeccable. But the climes are wavering so let’s hope it holds out for Will Young on Saturday and Jamie Cullum (August 14).

• Rock art collectors head down to Proud Camden on Wednesday for a live and online Teenage Cancer Trust charity live and online auction of prints shot by six of the world’s leading music photographers. Captive subjects Dave Grohl, The Libertines, Muse and many more have signed the work. Live music and the official launch of the gallery’s biggest ever exhibition Six Shooters complete the night.