One lifetime ambition done and dusted for everyone in the band, as we supported the Levellers at Brixton Jamm this weekend. Brixton Jamm is a very decent sized venue and it was totally packed out – one of the biggest shows we have played so far. Mark Chadwick was great and even talked to us before he went on stage (at 2am – rock n’ roll) – no signs of living legend status going to his head. Of course they played my favourite Levellers song ‘One Way’.
We played with some great bands too Guns of Pig Alley, Kenelis, The Tunics, Henry’s Children, Archie Wah Wah’s and Shakellers. It was a party atmosphere right from soundcheck at 4pm to climax at 4am.
OK back in London – yes I missed you. LA was lots of fun and I can’t wait to go back – London is home! And 2 days after I came back Carrie from New Cross Inn invited me to play at the Cariad. I did a solo acoustic show on my own acoustic guitar and it rocked! The New Cross army were out in force and Carrie was still speaking and not passed out on rum.
Other acts to mention were Damien Renouf, Adam Masterton and headliners Bogus Gasman all of whom got rid of any January blues, with hard rocking, both acoustic and electric.
Still in LA – went to the Viper Room this week and saw The Crash Kings – an amazing band – a 3 piece of keyboards, bass and drums. However when you close your eyes you think it’s a dirty rock guitar playing instead of keyboards and they have the energy of a super-charged rock band!! Tony on vocals and keyboard is a dynamic frontman.
I even saw another of my musical heroes Linda Perry in the audience and I discovered later that The Crash Kings are on her record label Custard Records (small world huh!) It was a magical and hot night (very hot in there no ventilation
).
Apart from that I have been hanging out on the beaches, mainly Santa Monica, Malibu and Venice (old haunt of Jim Morrison of The Doors) and learning the lingo including ‘rad’ which means great.
I have also met some amazing, creative and friendly people, including musicians, DJs, comedians, scriptwriters, make-up artists, bar tenders. The people I have met have been really lovely and driven me around (it is all car-based here as public transport has been dismantled) and let me stay with them even though I only just met them!!
Took part in a few of Open Mics at Rainbow Bar and Grill, The Park and Viva Cantina which was lots of fun – borrowing guitars and meeting some ace musicians along the way.
I made a quick stop to San Francisco on my way home and saw Alcatraz and Rasputin music store – pretty cool.
The other extreme of the temperature scale. I am spending this Christmas in Norway, with my sister-in-law’s family in Trondheim. Although it is not daylight for too long, when it is daylight – the sun is bright and all the snow glistens and looks like a million diamonds. I have been skating and sledging and building snowmen. Christmas is a huge deal here and is a big family event, with lots of scrumptious food. (Note scrumptious word of the month). The people here are very warm and I had lots of fun – snow also does not phase them and people drive and land/take-off planes on snow without a second thought, as everyone has snow tyres. I have also met an albino ferret and what looked suspiciously like a unicorn from a distance and just a few rounds of Aquavit (I was not drinking the Aquavit when I saw the unicorn – honest). Highlights included family singalongs to California Dreamin’ and ‘Let it Be’ around the organ.
On a personal note – Happy Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! Thank you everyone who has supported us this year. I can’t wait for you to hear the new material. With singles, album and a music video in the pipeline for release next year it’s going to be an amazing year!
Played an acoustic session with guest guitarist MaW and Djembe drummer Jeremy at Punk in Soho this week, first one since August, breaks up the electric gigs pretty well. I have also been songwriting this week and tried out new song ‘Hunger’ which had a great audience reaction. All the other bands played an electric set and were great – it’s a cosy venue again at the end of a bar and had a great little Orange amp (starting to get fond of these amps).
On the gig front went to see Arctic Monkeys at the O2, they were brilliant – full of energy and catchy tunes – great to see the boys take their songs to the next level with their arena show.
We went along to the heart of East London to take part in an acoustic session and interview with Propaganda Radio station, which broadcasts every Thursday between 7 and 8pm on the internet (Xstream East Radio). Again Matt, GreG and I armed with acoustic guitars and a cajon played three songs ‘Out of Control’, ‘Nobody’s Fool’ and new track ‘Undercover’.
Andy and Jamie were lots of fun and asked GreG all about his cajon and how we had all met. We also heard the sad news that The Rakes, a cool band who were also produced by Junk Scientist, had split up – but I’m sure the boys will move onto better things as individuals.
Back in London – it was our second outing on Balcony TV – we loved it so much first time round that we decided to do it again. This time we played ‘Dying Day’ a new acoustic track that we have been playing at our live gigs. Joined by Matt on guitar who did a nifty little solo and GreG on his cajon again it was lovely to be on Camden Lock Balcony in the midst of the summer sun.
Balcony TV is a really simple concept, musicians, acoustic instruments, a balcony, a small TV crew and a song or two which is broadcast on the internet for everyone to see – that’s why its so popular and from its humble start in Ireland has spread all over the world with Eastern Europe and Nashville being the most recent settings.
Ok festival season is here again and on July 4th I did three gigs in one day! I started off at the Dolphin Stage at 1030am in the morning outside the Dolphin Pub in Sydenham as part of the Sydenham Festival, then I played the Post Office stage further up the street at 1230pm and finished off with an acoustic set with the band at The Albany as part of the Today Deptford Festival in Deptford at 4pm.
It was hectic but fun and I saw Randolph Matthews at the Sydenham Festival who has a great voice. At the Albany I heard the dulcit tones and story-telling form Damien Renouf a popular local troubadour, Paintings of Ships and the Poetic Wizadry of Kate Tempest – that girl can slam.
The following Saturday it was our big festival slot at Lewisham People’s Day (25th anniversary) – it poured buckets – but we met some lovely people and we rocked out – We shared the bill on the Rocklands Stage headlined by the awesome Officer Kicks – another local band making big waves in the industry. Other bands we loved were Short Skirtz, Edit/Select, Jimmy and the Banned, Rawfox, End of Spectrum, The Kut and Sixty Second Silence. I have played with Short Skirtz before – they were finallists in the Surface Unsigned competition.
The local talent in the South East of London is amazing – so many talented and friendly bands and we are running into them at more and more gigs. Venues in the SouthEast include, The Albany, Bird’s Nest, Deptford Arms, Fox and Firkin, The Marlborough, The New Cross Inn. In fact the Music Tourist Board is a big collective of assorted music types based in the South East and the more I get to know them the more I love it. Propoganda Radio the local South East London radio station also featured Nobody’s Fool on their weekly Thursday night show.
Sydenham Festival called me back to end the festival in Mayow Park on Sunday and that was lovely – again met some lovely people there include festival organiser Juliette.
Maybe it’s because I’m a South Londoner – that I love London town doo do do do.
First TV appearance this week on internet TV station Balcony TV. Even though I video our gigs there is something about a camera being pointed at you and talking to a presenter which turns brains (or at least mine) to jelly. A strange phenomenon.
Otherwise it was loads of fun – Layla (the presenter) and Greg ( cameraman/producer) were lovely and made us feel at home. The Location just outside Yumchaa coffee shop over looking Camden Lock ( Camden again!) was lovely and it was a cool evening. We saw lots of bands perform and chilled out and played Nobody’s Fool. It was fun to do an acoustic version of the track and GreG brought his Cajon along.
We had our first radio show on www.playvybz.com this week and it was really fun. Having never been in a radio studio before – my thoughts were running wild as to what we would find – Maybe a Wossy/Russell Brand style radio host or a US Shock Jock DJ, The songs and interview would also be recorded live and broadcast immediately with instant feedback from the listeners- no pressure then!
With our acoustic instruments in tow we went along to Brixton and the studio. DJ Wayne Boucaud met us and was really friendly, Greg brought along his Cajon and then we set up for the interview. 45 minutes later we didn’t want to get off the radio! We played Don’t Forget Me and Nobody’s Fool and answered lots of questions about music and inspirations – one subject we can all talk for hours and hours and hours about. The radio interviewee that lives amongst us all came out kicking and screaming – what it is about microphones and music that just turns you into Barry White?
The full interview will be up on the site for you all to listen here- so let us know how we did till then here’s a photo for you
