THE VACCINES PAY TRIBUTE TO THE FLOWERPOT + KENTISH TOWN'S CAMDEN CRAWL COUP + RIGHT SAID FRED - FOR REAL

THE Vaccines’ drummer Pete Robertson had plenty to say when I spoke to him last week – not least high praise for the guys behind The Flowerpot, now The Wheelbarrow on Camden High Street.


He told me: “The best thing about The Flowerpot was the promoters. They’re obviously incredibly passionate – they’re part of the industry’s good guys. The venue’s possibly secondary to the people that organised it and I’m sure they’ll do really well.”
See Pete’s SXSW first tattoo revelations, his secret admiration for a Taylor Swift love song and his belief that Nirvana changed his life – in my full interview above.



• Camden Crawl Update – there won’t be that much crawling while the sublime Miles Kane, Villagers and Frankie & the Heartstrings all perform at HMV Forum. Kentish Town may just dominate our route this year. The King Blues will headline the Red Bull Outdoor stage so pray for good weather.

• Each member of The Dum Dums has the words Dum Dum tattooed on a finger. See for yourself when they play Dingwalls on Tuesday (April 5).

• Plan B, Katy B, Eliza Doolittle and Devlin play a free gig at Proud Camden tonight (March 31) for Sony's Music Unlimited new music streaming service – will it be better than Spotify?

• Former Record of the Week pick The Chakras play the Bull & Gate (April 7) – looks like Kentish Town’s fighting Camden for the live music crown.

• If you’re too young to remember Right Said Fred, head to 02 Academy Islington (April 27) – your life will not be complete without hearing “I’m Too Sexy” at least once.

• Soul singer Lemar’s so far departed from the reality show that made him that it’s hard to remember he was ever a product of Fame Academy. He sings at Shaka Zulu tonight (Thursday) supported by Daniel Debourg.

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.

FLOWERPOTS, WHEELBARROWS AND THE END OF AN ERA FOR THE LUMINAIRE + 100 CLUB CAMPAIGN HOTS UP

MIXED fortunes in our musical microcosm this week.
Good news first. The rumours – reported here first three weeks ago – are true. The Flowerpot has taken over Tommy Flynn’s in Camden High Street (though in my haste, I may have accidentally referred to it as Johnny Flynn’s, yes, I know, he’s a singer, see clip below).


Keeping up the gardening theme The Flowerpot (in its new location) has been renamed The Wheelbarrow and has kept the winning format, permanent free entry to top live gigs. The big launch is tomorrow (Friday) with HoodIums, I just hope the distinctive muso character isn’t eroded by the new, central location.

• Bad news for lovers of The Luminaire, in Kilburn, which has announced it is shutting in January. Sad to read the final listings email this week.

• At the same time the starry-eyed campaign to save the 100 Club from closing has gathered pace, maybe they can spare a few celebs for The Luminaire.
Kentish Town rockabilly family Kitty, Daisy and Lewis and hot young things The Cut Outs feature in this special campaign documentary.



• Finley Quaye did his bit for homeless charity The Connection when he played an exclusive live gig at Proud Camden on Tuesday.

• I hear Liam Gallagher was gracious and amiable at the launch of his Pretty Green label at Relentless Garage last week – though he would be if he’s raking in £30 for scarves and £35 for T-shirts. Good reports of headliners Exit Calm too.

• Catch a glimpse of what Elton’s wedding was like at The Castle, Finchley Road, tomorrow (Friday). Elton loved sixties band The Overtures so much they played at his civil partnership.

• Looking for rock with roots? See The Manic Shine at The Purple Turtle on Saturday.
• Richard Ashcroft plays Islington’s Union Chapel on Tuesday, good luck getting a ticket though – most are reserved for his fan club.

• Flavour of the Month, Mona, play Hoxton bar and Kitchen (Dec 7).

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.

MOURNING THE FLOWERPOT + ALICE COOPER'S FREAKY HALLOWEEN + TALIB KWELI'S BAD LUCK

MUSIC lovers of Camden Town are upset – favourite Kentish Town hangout The Flowerpot closes on Monday.

Born from the fire which turned Holloway Road muso-magnet Nambucca to cinders, it has become the real Camden music scene – a free gig every night, quality guaranteed. Musicians ran it, worked the bar and kept the dream alive but sadly, they say they’re gutted their lease has been sold. No more secret gigs from Jamie T and Reverend and the Makers. While they look for a new home at least New Year’s party with Foals at HMV Forum is still on.



Here's a recent interview with the guys who ran the place - before we knew it was closing Find The Flowerpot and You Won't Want to Leave.

• The saga of Talib Kweli’s bad luck continues. Last week I told you he raged at the plug being pulled on his Roundhouse set – see proof here. This week he tweeted his frustration that he wants to work with The Noisettes frontwoman Shingai Shoniwa but one of her people doesn’t know him so won’t put him in touch – ouch, ego dent x2. Sure Shingai would jump at the chance – if she gets it.

• If you don’t recognise Big Boi from HMV Forum's listings (November 1), he’s from Outkast – maybe you want a ticket now.

• A whole lotta music’s going on in Kentish Town’s Bull and Gate on Saturday at the Emergenza Festival. See the acts before they’re famous.
• Fans of Halloween horror may enjoy Alice Cooper’s Halloween Night of Fear (Sun and Mon) at the Roundhouse – too much freakiness for me.
 
• Feeling Gloomy’s Halloween Party at 02 Academy Islington (Oct 30) features Depeche Mode tribute act Speak and Spell – can’t get more scary than that.

FIND THE FLOWERPOT AND YOU WON'T WANT TO LEAVE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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