TWEETING ELIZA DOOLITTLE'S JAMAICAN JOLLY

AS SHE relaxes into her seat in a Camden coffee shop’s secret garden, Eliza Doolittle takes out her phone for a vital bit of tweeting.
Camden Square-born singer @eliza1doolittle’s got 4,792 twitter followers but after her album launch on Monday – it was this Selfridges appearance that her chipped multi-coloured nails were tapping out as a tweet – those numbers will no doubt multiply.

Single Pack Up is Top five and her eponymous debut album has won critical praise and numerous recommendations as the summer album of 2010 – and, judging by the happy Jamaica-filmed video for Pack-Up, it’s clear why.
But it’s not all about the smiles insists Eliza, who these days lives in Primrose Hill: “I like to think people will play it when it rains to cheer them up. People say it’s very happy and positive. It is but not happy, happy all the way through. It’s got thoughtful messages and some that are not the happiest topics.”

Just 22, she’s been writing since age 12, is signed to Parlophone and plays MTV presents at Dingwalls tonight (Thursday) and Club NME at Koko (July 23).

She may have gone to posh private school Channing in Highgate, “I didn’t like it very much”, and be the granddaughter of Sylvia Young, daughter of director John Caird and singer Frances Ruffelle but she doesn’t come across with a privileged air.
Eliza left school at 16, knowing all she wanted to do was make music and has been working at it ever since.
She said: “When I was about 12 I said to my mum I want to be a singer. She said start writing because that’s where the money’s at.”

Not yet a teen, Eliza copied Destiny’s Child and listened to UK garage: “I just wanted to fit in with my friends and then I grew up. I just found stuff myself...The first person I was like wow about was Stevie Wonder. It was like seeing a different colour that didn’t exist.”

Eliza celebrated her new album on Wednesday night at Highgate’s Boogaloo with family and friends.
She said on the eve of her album launch: “I was up at 12.54 and I thought Oh My God my album’s out – that was the moment I actually felt it. It feels amazing, like my whole life’s built up for this moment, I’ve been working towards it for so long.”
Eliza’s colourful album cover is a reflection of herself.

She said: “I really wanted it to be me in my world and my world’s London so there’s a lot of landmarks in there and all sorts of other things from my imagination and things I love.”
Her ideas were then interpreted by professional artists.

She was only in Jamaica for three days while shooting Pack Up. 

She said: “I thought it was so cute the idea of me coming out of a suitcase and it wasn’t too like ‘let’s try and make a really cool video with loads of effects’. (Director Paul Minor’s) references felt right, they were all from French movies and stuff. I thought it was quite sweet and romantic. It was in a war veteran bar, and all these kids and everyone came and danced. We tried to create that romantic happy vibe and Jamaica was perfect for it. I was there for three days. I didn’t really get to see everything but what I saw was so beautiful, white sand, turquoise water – like the ideal screen saver.”

Eliza can be spotted hanging out in the most “in” venues in Camden – the Lock Tavern and the Flowerpot but is sad the famous Marathon Kebab House in Chalk Farm Road no longer has a late licence.
She said: ““Sometimes you would find me at the Marathon bar at 2.30am. That was the only reason people went there. I’m on Marathon’s side. I wish it still opened later.”

She only has modest requests of water and beer (for the boys) when she when she plays gigs, mischievously promising: “I’ll wait for my moment to get divaish”, and admits she doesn’t take her wardrobe too seriously, adding: “I just have fun with it. I like lots of different colours. It gets me in the “what were you thinking” pages.”

A tour with Alphabeat appears to have left Eliza disappointed but her experiences touring with Jamie Cullum soon after were inspiring.
She said: “I went from Alphabeat where we didn’t really see them to Jamie Cullum where he was saying guys I really want you to come onstage, (afterwards) his saxophonist was knocking on the door saying come and have a drink with them. Every night I watched him play I learned new things. He was unbelievable.”

And there are big ambitions for her forthcoming Koko show: “I’m trying to make it bigger onstage we’ve got drums but it’s quite sparse. We use double bass, guitar and drums but I’m working on extending the band and bringing in someone who plays the extra, a bit of violin, flute, brass, I don’t know if that kind of person exists but i’ll try and bring him in.”

POLITE PEARL JAM + STEVIE WONDER'S JEUNESSE ECLIPSE MCCARTNEY

IT'S a sign of the respect grunge hero Eddie Vedder commands that even when playing to a 50,000-strong crowd at Hyde Park, he could inspire a hush when he spoke.
Hard Rock Calling was a weekend of reminiscences – three very different, generous headliners set the tone for memorable days in the scorching sun.



Pearl Jam was looked upon with such reverence that at one point veteran frontman Vedder convinced the huge crowd to take three steps back for safety, just by asking politely. He earnestly promised to replay any songs he would have to stop if there were any crowd management problems.
Yeah, this doesn't sound like the kind of rock icon we've come to expect but it one we've come to love.
From the early evening, with Vedder joining Ben Harper's set for a powerful cover of Under Pressure, the tone was set for a special night.

The duet was not unexpected – Vedder and Harper have been known to team up on occasion and their duet of Indifference is a Youtube favourite.
But it was a treat all the same and one Harper reciprocated during Pearl Jam's set, with an incredible instrumental on encore Red Mosquito.
It was touching to see Vedder in trademark grunge lumberjack shirt of old, running through tracks old and new, classics and a tribute to Joe Strummer with a cover of Arms Aloft in Aberdeen, with the same molasses-quality voice we idolised as teens. Entrancing.
By most standards, Hard Rock Calling was a success – bar a timetabling clash pitting Elvis Costello against World Cup disappointment on Sunday.
We were eager to hear how Gomez had got on more than a decade after soaraway debut album Bring it On but only lovers of sauna-type conditions could bring themselves to step inside the sweltering Pepsi Max tent for the full set and there was a minor exodus after biggest hit Whippin' Picadilly.
For Stevie Wonder's set on Saturday it felt like the numbers had doubled. Kids, grandparents and everyone in-between piled in to see the legend in action and they were not disappointed.
Wonder's success was almost his failing. His set was a bonanza of every hit you would ever wish to hear, his cheeky, cheery disposition kept the mood light, but the sheer numbers made it at times uncomfortable.
As people later eased into their spaces, it was a historic sight to see the mass human carpet become one giant funky dance show of moves through the ages.
Stevie – whose inability to contain his joy was infectious – played an ambitious back catalogue of everything from Sir Duke to Ma Cherie Amour to I Just Called To Say I Love You, and Happy Birthday – a reminder that this man, whose life-work is so extensive and influential, is still only 60.
Paul McCartney on day three took a little time to warm up, but something changed when the sun went down.
As if a spirit had suddenly possessed him, he came alive – helped by electrifying fireworks during Live and Let Die and the second half of the set was stunning.
The sounds of Hey Jude echoed across the park as every single person joined in the mass singalong – na na na nana na naaa – did N-Dubz learn it from these guys?

HARD ROCK'S CALLING - STEVIE WONDER, PEARL JAM AND PAUL MCCARTNEY TAKE OVER HYDE PARK

HARD Rock Calling is days away and we’re praying for the beautiful climes of last year as we prepare to head to Hyde Park for three days of glory  from giants Pearl Jam, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and the like.

Taking place from June 25-27, Hard Rock Calling is generally aimed at the more mature crowd – you probably won’t have to worry about being caught up in crushing mosh-pits or frantic raves.

You probably will, however, see more than one generation jointly nodding along in shared appreciation of the fact that there’s at least something they can agree on – a musical bonding session for parent and child/grown-up offspring.

This year’s highlight has to be Stevie Wonder (pictured), whose Saturday show is expected to be heralded by a mass rendition of Happy Birthday, to mark the singer’s 60th birthday.

This is a rare chance to catch him in full glory, and Wonder’s was naturally the first night to sell out.

Supporting will be Jamiroquai (more recently seen lending his talents to a Japanese noodle advert), James Morrison and Corinne Bailey Rae, while Melissa Etheridge, Alejandro Escovedo, Florence Rawlings, Rox, Rumer, Diane Birch and Maria Mena play the Pepsi Max stage.

Last year we had Seasick Steve’s joyous veranda anecdotes, The Killers’ messianic conversion of Hyde Park, some wholesome stonewashed rock from the Boss, and Neil Young being a bit dull.

To be fair, the last observation was thanks to my own prejudices and Young attracted all sorts of praise at the time.

This year, Friday’s line-up – headlined by Pearl Jam – should have included Wolfmother, who mysteriously cancelled due to illness some time back – a real loss as they were one of the must-see picks of the weekend.

In those years of being part of the pack of grungy teens in DMs and cardigans riddled with holes, I never got to see either Nirvana or Pearl Jam live, so this could be the resolution of some unfulfilled youthful dream.

But now Eddie Vedder’s cut his hair, will he still have his powers?

Supporting the “Jam” are Ben Harper & Relentless 7 (last year’s performance was a little too worthy), The Hives, The Gaslight Anthem and Robert Francis.

No stranger to Hyde Park appearances, McCartney headlines on Sunday. Last year, he helped double the dad-rock factor when he joined Bruce Springsteen on stage for the finale. This year, he’s keeping the spotlight to himself.

Supporting are Crosby, Stills & Nash, Crowded House and Elvis Costello.

Over on the second stage are Joshua Radin, Tiffany Page, Little Steven’s Underground Garage Revue featuring The Breakers, The Cocktail Slippers, and The Len Price 3, hosted by Little Steven Van Zandt.