A More Than Helpful Nudge Awake...

If this blog were a workplace, then I would currently be walking in to the office hanging my head in shame. I’ve been unfeasibly absent from these pages for unreasonably long and I thought it about time I rectified this situation before it got out of hand.

Exploding me out of my stupor have been two on-going projects from two excellent friends of mine that I have had the privilege of witnessing in recent days and, to be honest, it would have been outright rude of me to not have mentioned them on here.

The first is the Oikos Project, which is currently still taking shape on a playground down near London Bridge as Martin Kaltwasser and his team of hardy volunteers put the last touches to a unique building in London, a theatre made entirely from reused and salvaged materials.

Project-managed by our very own Ben Melchiors, this is one of the most beautiful projects I have seen in recent memory. The idea is a holistic one as builders, playwrights and producers all collaborate to make the whole concept bloom as one.

Once this ode to the humble pallet crate is complete it will house two plays and an audience of around 120 people at each performance. The two plays by Simon Wu and Kay Adshead, Oikos and Protozoa, both examine the ways our society would adapt and survive if or when the worst happens. As a juxtaposition to the landscape and buildings around it, both the theatre and the plays should be a stark reminder of the unsustainability of current times and the dangers lurking should we ignore this.

Oikos will run from 26th August - 18th September with Protozoa on from the 23rd September - 9th October. Tickety things here...

Talking of stark reminders, there are few people out there at the moment more passionate to hold that mirror up to us or more lyrically equipped to get her message across, than the incredible Kate Tempest.

Possibly the hardest working poet/MC in London at the moment, every performance I catch of hers touches a nerve and fills the heart. Having travelled the country playing pretty much every British festival known to mankind, she is returned and has just released an accompanying video to her poem, Line In The Sand, which premiered at Rich Mix this week.

Despite her nervousness at how the words would deliver on film rather than through her electric live performances, the tone of both the direction of Joe Roberts and the aesthetic atmosphere matched the touching truth and passionate belief of her poem and I am reminded one more of her awesome talent and how it deserves a wider and wider audience.

The film will hopefully gain a small release around about the same time as the much anticipated Sound of Rum album. The world generally will feel a slightly better place when they do...

Update: Some Deep Throat style, anonymous reader has given us the link to Kate's film so without further ado...

Prom Diddly Om Prom Prom

 Phew. Well, that was another hiatus from these here musings but not in any normal sense of the word.

Having spent the last 3 weeks at Glastonbury and then at the unmatchable beauty of Nowhere, I am now returned less than refreshed physically but more than rejuvenated in all other ways. Some exciting new beginnings on the job front are only adding to my sense of all round well-being right now.

To delicately put the cherry on this moist and delicious iced cake, I have returned just as the 2010 Proms are beginning.

Running until the 11th September, the Proms is always filled with incredible performances housed in that stable of classical concerts, The Royal Albert Hall. Furthermore, most of these performances can be seen for the bargain price of 5 English pounds, if you turn up early enough on the evening.

This would place you way up in the gods but once you bring a little something to lie on and a decent bottle with you, the joy of spreading out and surrendering to the union of so many amazing musicians as you float high above the arena is more than apparent.

The list of performances is easily found on the BBC website and you might even find a surprising amount of performances from other backgrounds and talents beyond the usual so why not take yourself beyond the usual?

Summer Hiatus

Well, it all went a bit silent and dark out there on my cultural radio for a bit.

I can only apologise for the delay in my most recent updates but I have begun a small hiatus from working life and took initial advantage of such time to maneouvre by surrounding myself with beauty in scenary and company up in the Lake District.

Rejuventated and returned, I feel like I have a veritable cultural artillery to unleash, before I head once again to a dusty plain in Spain, and, to begin at the beginning, I will start with a free festival coming up this very weekend.

Celebrating Sanctuary is an event that is at the heart of Refugee Week. Despite rabid tabloid headlines regarding immigration this and asylum seekers that, the reality is that the majority of refugees bring massive contributions to our society, especially in this epicentre of multiculturalism we call London. Refugee Week is about considering this and celebrating this.

Celebrating Sanctuary brings a whole host of amazing musicians, performers and poets together on one bill. Many of these will be acts you've yet to be conscious of but will soon be blown away by.

Headlining are Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars whose story is one of triumph through adversity and whose music is a manifestation of the positivity that courses through these incredible musician's veins.

Alongside them are musicians from as far afield as Somalia, Tibet, Afghanistanand Bosnia and, from much closer to home, the incredibly talented wordsmith, a cappella lyricist and all round phenomenon that is Kate Tempest.

If you haven't seen the girl in action yet, be prepared to be astonished.

All of this and more will be happening right by the Oxo Tower in Bernie Spain Gardens and is, thankfully for my broke ass, FREE.

Velocipede Venture

I don't know about you but, as a cyclist in London, I can't help but notice the explosion of fellow two-wheeled commuters and travellers. I've even begun to experience bicycle traffic jams on my route to work.

This, however, is not to denigrate such things as more dashing velocipedes on our streets but to celebrate and revel in this happy happenstance and pedalled pleasure...

In recognition of this, I thought I'd tell you about The Pleasant Revolution. They have been taking epic, not to mention heroic, bicycle tours of Northern and Central America and are currently on their beautifully slow-paced way to our shores as they pedal across Europe.

Not only this, but since the very literal moniker for their journey would indicate, The Pleasant Revolution Bicycle Music Festival Tour: Europe 2010 are carrying a 1200 watt pedal-powered PA system and a motley crew of outstanding musicians with them.

Scheduled to arrive in this city of Faster, Bigger, More on the 5th June they will be taking a brief hiatus from the trip to show the ways of Slower, Less and Quality.

They will be holding a series of events as they move around East London, all of them for FREE and featuring bands including The Ginger Ninjas, CelloJoe and The Genie.

They have released their schedule as follows...

Saturday 5th June

9:00 - 10:00 Look Mum No Hands Bicycle Cafe - Smallish venue mainly for the press.

11:00 - 13:00 London Fields - Huge loads of space and lots of Bikes

14:00 - 16:00 Stepping Stones Farm Stepney

17:00 - 19:00 Surrey Docks City Farm

21:00 - late Pangea Project Stamford Hill

Sunday June 6th

12:00 - 19:00 Camden Green Fair Regents Park

It'll cost you nada and I hereby offer my own personal guarantee that the sun will be shining. I know it will because I won't be working and me and the guy with his hat on up there have an 'understanding'...

What excuse do you have? Join the Revolution...

Jamming at Jamboree

                              Photo by Pascale Yebgui

One of the things we are most blessed with, living in this fair old city, is the amazing amount of music from all corners of the world that resonate through the boroughs every day.

From huge and world-renowned venues to the dark and dingy nooks and crannies, aural delights seep out of every pore.

Down towards the nook and cranny end of the spectrum is a little-know bar tucked away in Cable Street Studios. Stepping through a giant, heavy curtain into Jamboree helps build the anticipation and one then steps into a beautifully atmospheric bar where all manner of performers come and display their talents throughout the week.

Regular nights here include 'Red Sky At Night' on Mondays, featuring a myriad of Bluegrass and Americana-inflected music hosted by the man known as Jim, and 'Magic Swirling Ships' on a Thursday with the finest selection of Garage Rock bands around.

In my humble opinion, the best venues are the ones that aren't on the tip of everyone's tongue. The kind of places that people who do know, often keep to themselves.

Well, today I'm breaking rank. Just for you guys...

Romper Causing a Rumpus

Now, being more of a culcha whore than a party whore these days, it is not often that I am moved to write on this page regarding another 'fundraiser'.

So I'm not going to start now. What I am going to write about though is an event that has been bubbling under the surface for a while now in the braincheese of some of our most respected compadres.

Brought to you by the estimable Mr Genochio, the irrepresible DJ Malaka and the irreplaceable Drusus Germanicus, Rumpus avoids the usual fuss and bluster and cuts straight to the chase.

Featuring a stream of performers from all parts of the artistic spectrum including the full-on swing powerhouse that is The Smoky Taps, the searing roundhouse kick of mayhem and mystery that is Reverend Zero's Medicine Show and those dashing gentlemen of action, Flay and DeVille.

This is without even mentioning the veritable ukulele hero Desmond O'Connor and chillout space designed by and featuring the kings (and queens) of Kitsch, The Immaculate Extremists.

If you're not bloated from indulging in all this then the gluttony will continue into the night with a range of DJs playing anything from Gypsy to Electroswing to Dubstep.

Taking place at Cable, near London Bridge, and for the unreasonably affordable price of £8, let the wild rumpus begin!

Je t'aime the Thames

There's been a noticable radio silence over the last week and I can only mitigate this by asking you to take a look out your window and remind yourself as to how fortunate our recent meteorological circumstances have been.

Daytime is the new nighttime and I, for one, have certainly been making hay.

With such conditions in mind, there is an exceptional opportunity to make the most of such clement weather this weekend. Not only is it, of course, a bank holiday, but one amongst our midst has squirreled out an opportunity to celebrate on the fair waters of our Thames river.

Launching this Sunday, Je Thames is going to be a new regular river boat party located on the Embankment. This weeks instalment, monikered "Our Frenz Electric", sees a stellar line-up from live bands such as Braindead Collective and Gobsausage to some deep and dirty DJ sets from Dan Donovan (Dreadzone) and Tom Parker (Deptford Noise Team).

Covering two decks, plus a barbeque to feed the masses on the (hopefully) sun-drenched open deck, there will also be a liberal sprinkling of performance art for you to enjoy in-between nourishing your electrosoul.

Located on the North side of the river, right near Temple station or a short walk from Embankment station, and at the absolute bargain price of £3 (before 6pm) and £5 after, it'd be an honour to sit out on the deck with you and relax while the waves and varying floating body parts wash gently up against the hull of this good ship Electric.

Electro Retro

So, there appears to be a new scent trail in the air, a smell, a sound that is attracting many of my peers and spreading like wildfire. Incorporating many things dear to mine own heart, including dapperness, swing music and modern electro.

Yes pop-pickers, it's electroswing. As far as I can tell, this all seems to have grown out of Mr Scruff's signature tune, Get A Move On and spawned a whole movement of such.

At the forefront of this, one of the spearheads if you like, are The Correspondents, spreading this vintage gospel to all four corners of London.

They will next be popping their heads above the pulpit at Jamm in Brixton as part of an evening being run by those old festival stagers, the Chai Wallahs and I am reliably informed by one of my most eminent and esteemed colleagues that "you'd be a fool to miss it, I is tellin' ya!".

Appearing alongside this formidable tour de force are South London's finest Rodney P and DJ Skitz. These veritable godfathers of British hiphop would be worth the admission fee on their own but added to the aforementioned and backed up by the likes of the explosive Molotov Jukebox and the slick and unstoppable King Porter Stomp this could be an evening to tempt even the most hardened Hackneyite out of the East and to head down South...

Have a Butchers...

                                          Photo by George Best

Ah, London's East End. Culturally and historically one of the most interesting, vibrant and diverse bits of Europe and many of us are fortunate enough to call this our home.

I am constantly reminded of this fact by the sheer amount of opportunities and new avenues to explore that pop all around us. Just when I thought I had my finger on the pulse, another previously unknown and untapped vein ruptures in my face.

Just such a spurt, is the East End Film Festival which has previously avoided my gaze and looks to be a veritable treasure trove of cinematic delights. A showcase for new stars pushing through and homegrown, independent releases, films will be shown, events will happen and music will be played all round some of East London's institutions including The Genesis in Mile End, The Rio in Dalston, Spitalfields Market and The Whitechapel Gallery.

Also taking in some of the shinier venues including Rich Mix and Vibe Gallery, this aims to be a forum and exposure for those who have created and an inspiration to those who aspire to and all within walking distance of many of our doorsteps.

How could one resist?

22nd - 30th April
EAST END INNIT

Music For Your Faces!

 

 I've been lagging a little with my sporadic digests of lyrical, rhythmical and, indeed, musical delectations but with the new season upon us and after a weekend of opening all the windows and blaring out the years first King Tubby, it seemed appropriate to pick up the aural baton once more and cover it in advisory post-it notes of what I have been feeding my ears recently.

The Books - The Lemon of Pink.
The Books have been around for a little while now yet their experimentations always manage to sound fresh and innovative. This is a beautiful song, from the album of the same name, that incorporates some old-style country vibes into a wonky, beguiling and heady mix. A perfect accompaniment for any sunny day.

The Hot 8 Brass Band - Sexual Healing.
Now this is by no means a new tune, having been hardily blasted out and celebrated at the Hot 8 Brass Band's much talked about Cargo gig. Hailing from that boiling hotpot of jazz, New Orleans, this band were propelled into consciousness after Hurricane Katrina and Spike Lee's subsequent documentary When the Levees Broke, featuring them. This is a cover of the Marvin Gaye classic that, in my humble opinion, puts the original in the shade. All blaring horns and soulful, hiphop basslines.

Little Dragon - Twice
Hailing from Sweden and fronted by a Swedish-Japanese singer. Sounds like my kind of band already. This is the first track from their recent eponymous album and although the album has it's peaks and troughs, this is one of the most beautifully elegant songs I have heard in a good long while. The music video ain't bad either...

Susanna and The Magical Orchestra - Enjoy The Silence.
Unwittingly, I seem to be following a thread here. Another band of Scandinavian origins and another interpreted cover song. Susanna and The Magical Orchestra seem to make songs that run for no-one. Time seems to slow and grow and every note played or sung is deliberated over and perfected. This very personal cover will bring you a whole new dimension to the Depeche Mode classic...

Lambchop - Up With People
This will, undoubtedly, be extremely familiar to some of you already. In fact, I know it is. However, this is one of THE summer soundtracks and if I can turn just a couple of those unaware of it's presence, over to the genius of Kurt Wagner, then it'll surely put an extra half inch spring into my step today. Oh, yes...

Piece of Cake

So, it turns out sunshine makes everything better and, being in an unfeasibly good mood for a Monday, the week brings yet more excitement which I am, in turn, excited to write about.

This very Wednesday evening sees the return of The Cakewalk Cafe, featuring everyone's favourite pub-based musical genius, Ewan Bleach and his incredible Smokey Taps band.

The evening will further unfold with the genial and horrendously talented Jim Ydstie on double bass or perhaps accordian, accompanied by a hullaballoo of jazzmen and surely many troupes of you willing dancers.

Where else will you find all this for the small charge of £5 or the even smaller charge of £3.50 if appropriately dressed? Nowhere, that's where...

Wed 14th April
7:30pm
Passing Clouds, Richmond Road, Dalston

Chiddy Chiddy Bang Bang

What a beautiful morning to wake up to today! Suddenly everything seems right and good with a little more Vitamin D in the world.

And to cheer the mood yet further, it appears that one of my 'new favourite bands' Chiddy Bang are bringing their (shockhorror!) original and good hiphop to London! Ah, good times...

For those who are uninitiated in the talents of this Philadelphia duo, make sure to grab yourself a copy of their debut Opposite of Adults EP, and prepare yourself to revel in some superbly choice samples and cuts.

If this should so tickle-your-fancy, then these few words to the wise.

Scala. 27th May. 7:30pm. £10.

Who's in?

Hope for Haiti

It's all flooding out after a weeks absence and the news keeps rolling in.

This time it's a little something for all those kids who are south of the river, y'poor souls ye...

Although it might be out of the headlines, Haiti is by no means out of the woods. Not by a long shot. Total worldwide donations are hovering around the 750 million dollar mark which is an incredible response but still far short of the estimated billions of dollars it will take to rebuild this most stricken of countries.

Every small bit counts.

With this in mind, I know there have been a myriad of events towards this goal but given that they have all been, on their own merits, excellent evenings, what excuse is there, if you're in the area, not to go?

The Hope For Haiti Sunday Session will take place at the superbly monikered establishment, The Jackdaw and Rook on Balham High Road and will feature a whole day of aural pleasures with the likes of ToyFace, Kabuki Mono and Zac Rogers plus a raffle and an auction with super things for you to win and money raised for those without such opportunities.

Enjoy and play your small part.

Two birds, one stone.

2pm Sunday 18th April
FREE entry

Rise of The Jabberwocky

With the days stretching out ever longer and the sun rising higher and clearer in the sky, one can't help but cast at least one eye to the summer. And summer, as we all know, means festivals.

One such festival that I guess would come under the 'boutique' umbrella is the cute and welcoming GocStock. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend last year and it was evident that the seed of friends gathering and enjoying surroundings, company and music had been cultivated and bloomed here.

This year, having outgrown their previous site, KitKaboodle, the organisers, have picked out a beautiful new venue in Kent, Eridge Park. Set against a backdrop that spreads over 1000 acres and under a canopy of royal oaks and beech trees, GocStock will be bringing it's all pervading sense of fun, silliness and escapism to this corner of England's garden.

The theme for this year is the Lewis Carroll nonsense poem, Jabberwocky and costuming, mudlarking, fairy-hunting, prancing, dancing, lollapaloozing and hullaballozing are all suitably encouraged.

I know how many of you prefer getting your hands dirty when it comes to festivals, both metaphorically and, well, actually and GocStock seems to embrace such kind's of do-ocracys. Ideas for performances, projects and pieces embraced and welcomed by she with the moniker Goc.

For those of an impatient nature or for those who simply might wish to get a taster of what's to come, there will also be a GocStock warm-up party at the Amersham Arms in the much underrated area of New Cross.

GocStock Warm-up party - 29th May
£5 in advance, £6 on the door

GocStock Festival - 18th -19th June
£35 (£30 for concessions)

Go, be merry. And for less than the cost of a decent bottle of single malt...

Resuming Radio Contact

Ah, now that's better. Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated not just with the advent of Spring but after a superbly relaxing and excellent time in that bastion of inexpensive and effortless krautcool, Berlin and a memorable weekend to welcome me home to that centre of expensive and try-hard britcool, London.

So, to get the ball rolling again here I thought I'd indulge a little passion of mine that, well, I know is not everyone's bag. Jazz.

Controversial.

Nice.

Arriving on our shores in June though is a ever-rising legend on the jazz scene and using the opportunity to have the first major Jazz residency at the Barbican, Wynton Marsalis will celebrate 80 years of American Big Band with a series of concerts that should entice even the hardest of indiekid hearts.

The standout evening of this run should be the opportunity to check out some of the best swing bands and dancing from both the US and the UK at A Midsummer Night's Swing, in the newly renovated and revitalised Stoke Newington Town Hall.

If nothing else, it is a grand opportunity to get out there looking like the goddamn money...

Hot Off The Press

This very moment, I have just received word of the annual series of gigs that take place within the courtyard of that oft underused building, Somerset House.

The home of the Taxman, this building and it's open air square are increasingly being used for more inspiring means. A staple of this is the opportunity every summer for Somerset House to make for a superb music venue. I am often want to recall seeing Orbital there in what ranks right up there in my favourite all time musical experiences.

Having said that, the line-up for Somerset House is often mixed, and toppling towards disappointing. However, this year, they must have employed at least one person with a half-decent taste in music as there are sporadic highlights.

These are...

Friday 9th July Air

Tuesday 13th July The xx

Sunday 18th July Soul II Soul

If any of you imagined throngs out there in webland fancy a jaunt along and a singalong, then I am able to get priority booking if you get off your behind by Friday.

Come along now...

Folksy Antifolk

                                                        Photo by Sarah Cass

I'm not sure I've ever really understood the use of the term 'Antifolk', although I am aware that Kimya Dawson and Jeffrey Lewis are two bastions of this particular institution.

I am also aware that they make funny, touching and acutely self-aware music that I personally feel is almost impossible not to relate to, so frankly their genre could be called 'Antijew' and I would still love it.

In one of those happy happenstances, they are both playing, together with The Bundles, at one of my all time favourite London music venues, The Union Chapel and at the eminently reasonable fiscal subtraction of 15 English pounds.

I'll be there gladly paying Kimya Dawson for being Kimya Dawson. If you're sat next to me, it could hardly make it worse now, could it...?

19th May 7pm
The Union Chapel
£15 + unavoidable bastard tax of £1.50

Bach To Life

Apologies for the pun above but since we are also approaching the season of mystery bunnies and chocolate eggs it did seem somewhat appropriate.

To prepare us for such, there is a free performance of the fairly intense Bach piece, St John Passion at St. Pauls Cathedral. Religious overtones, I know but, sung by the Cathedral Choir, it will be undoubtedly beautiful.

FREE

Summer Follows Spring

Having been ruminating about Spring, it is natural that my thoughts then turn to Summer. Ah, Summer. Tempting us in June with your sunny ways, full of hope and potential...only to shower us with rainy British ineptitude in July and August. Shame on you.

It doesn't stop me thinking that maybe this year it'll be different though. Maybe this year will be the year the sun puts it's hat on over our capital.

Thus to tempt fate, I thought I would mention a small summer festival happening in Victoria Park.

Field Day festival returns to the green plains of Tower Hamlets with just the kind of eclectic and well-monikered line up that I like, featuring the likes of Mouse on Mars, Caribou, the outrageously talented Chilly Gonzales and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.

Cheap as chips at £33.33 for this amount of good, and not a little interesting, sounds and tunes.

Occuring as it does on the 31st July, it is surely a formality that the weather will be clement. Right?

Etherial Brilliance

I don't know about you but I have definitely been smelling some Spring in the air in the last week or two. Certainly there is light at the end of the bitter winter tunnel we've had so far this year and the first buds of colour and light are in the ether.

On such a note, it seems appropriate to highlight the annual return of the Southbank Centre's Ether Festival which this year features an absolutely stellar line-up plus takes the opportunity to hand out some major musical kudos to Edgard Varese, oft referred to as 'The Father of Electronic Music'.

The Ether festival is no mere list of normal gigs and always injects a level of individualism that is seemingly beyond most other London festivals.

Amongst the cast of musicians such as Gil-Scott Heron, Stereo MCs, Chrome Hoof and Lou Reed there are also re-workings of Varese's small body of surviving music with a whole raft of different interpretations, as well as theremin workshops, short films and a rare opportunity to see and hear a live performance from acclaimed video artist/film director/deliciously warped mind, Chris Cunningham.

Frankly, I want to go to ALL of these but if anyone of you out there has a preference and would enjoy my esteemed company then hit us up and let's get out into the ether...