This was my first outing to what seems to be becoming South London's best underground venue and despite its unsalubrious location, tucked away behind the lovely Elephant and Castle shopping centre, its two small rooms and smokers' courtyard lived up to the hype. Even the door staff were cheery and helpful - unheard of!!
Canadian rapper Cadence Weapon, another new signing to the increasingly definitive Ninja Tune catalogue, was our quarry for the evening. Ever since his 'Afterparty Babies' album arrived on my doorstep at the start of the year I've been gagging to see him in action. Although the unknown DJ mixing Dizzee Rascal with Salt 'n' Pepa next door had me distracted for a while, I was soon watching him converting a whole heap of news fans with just a mic for amplification and a scratch DJ for musical support.
If you love sharp lyrics that don't take themselves too seriously and music that blends old skool electro pounding, booty bass bumping a la Spank Rock and scratchy, Diplo-style junk shop sampladelia to sound truly original and (which is rare in hip-hop these days) very modern, this is for you. Plus, his delivery is hilariously watchable...
Probably the last time you'll hear any Queen on this blog for a while, you'll be relieved to hear, but that's hip-hop for you.
Sunday 25 May 2008
Friday 23 May 2008
Happy birthday
As the birthday season is upon us - I've never figured out if it was just co-incidence that so many of my friends celebrate their birthday within a month of each other - here are two all time greats wishing us many happy returns in their own unique style.
The Beatles
The Ramones
The Beatles
The Ramones
Thursday 22 May 2008
Election update
Had to turn the radio off and immerse myself in You Tube before the by-election news came in - but this at least gave me some comfort. Have people really forgotten so soon?
It's not often the Moz is outquoted but here Tebbit trumps him with "writing my book was... pretty easy." Super-smug me!
It's not often the Moz is outquoted but here Tebbit trumps him with "writing my book was... pretty easy." Super-smug me!
2 Unlimited officially trendy again
I knew it was just a matter of time.
Eddy Temple-Morris DJing before Pendulum last Sunday...
Eddy Temple-Morris DJing before Pendulum last Sunday...
Monday 19 May 2008
Friday 16 May 2008
New Order: Elegia (live at Glastonbury 1987)
Not only my first Glastonbury, but the first song from the first set I saw when I arrived on the Friday night. After a hard day doing the last of my mock A levels, no less! In those days under 14s went in free, so half my mates just blagged it and got in for nothing. I think my ticket was something like £35 - which, obviously, you could buy a small Caribbean island with back then.
Can't find all of this online, alas. I know they did a wonderful 'Bizarre Love Triangle', 'Temptation' and a cover of the Velvets' 'Sister Ray' to finish. Amazed by how much Hooky looks like George Michael in this clip.
Can't find all of this online, alas. I know they did a wonderful 'Bizarre Love Triangle', 'Temptation' and a cover of the Velvets' 'Sister Ray' to finish. Amazed by how much Hooky looks like George Michael in this clip.
808 State vs A Guy Called Gerald: A Happy Ending
Interviewed Graham Massey of 808 State fame for a forthcoming iDJ article, specifically about their (about to be reissued) classic second album ‘Quadrastate’.
It turns out that the band’s much publicised row with former member A Guy Called Gerald…
(Love the lawyer – see the pound signs lighting up in his eyes when he says ‘grey area’)
…is now finally over. He even rejoined the legendary Mancunian acid/techno/electronica trailblazers for their recent gigs at Corsica Studios in London and the Warehouse Project in Manchester…
Gerald, now resident in Berlin, has his own plans though – a live band with Jungle Drummer, Diane Charlemagne (the singer on Goldie’s ‘Inner City Life’) and MC Stamina, who’s featured on records by London Elecktricity and the d&b chart anthem ‘Barcelona’ by D-Kay.
It turns out that the band’s much publicised row with former member A Guy Called Gerald…
(Love the lawyer – see the pound signs lighting up in his eyes when he says ‘grey area’)
…is now finally over. He even rejoined the legendary Mancunian acid/techno/electronica trailblazers for their recent gigs at Corsica Studios in London and the Warehouse Project in Manchester…
Gerald, now resident in Berlin, has his own plans though – a live band with Jungle Drummer, Diane Charlemagne (the singer on Goldie’s ‘Inner City Life’) and MC Stamina, who’s featured on records by London Elecktricity and the d&b chart anthem ‘Barcelona’ by D-Kay.
Thursday 15 May 2008
Battles: London Astoria
What an idiot. Convinced that the mighty Pendulum were playing the Astoria last night I rolled up to the venue to discover they're on Sunday instead. Doh! The tout outside who told me it was actually Warp-signed US math rock band Battles in residence couldn't believe his luck when I quickly parted with a tenner, determined to have a good night anyway.
With the drumkit and keyboards pushed right to the front of the stage and a set that began with several minutes of weird, wobbly guitar dissonance, I knew this wasn't going to be your average rock 'n' roll performance. To be frank, however, the first four or five songs (if you can call them that) left no impression beyond a big question mark above my head.
It sounded like they wanted to be like an electronic version of Miles Davis circa 'Bitches Brew' and 'Live Evil', forgetting that just because Miles buried his song structures deep in the improvisation didn't mean they weren't there. I was all ready to leave, and in fact if I'd been on the guest list like usual rather than paying, I probably would have done. But then it all started to take shape.
The collosal rhythmic momentum of 'Atlas'
was - judging by the ecstatic reaction anyway - what everyone had come to hear. Like the Glitter Band in full flow with Aphex-style gremlins sneaking into the circuit boards, it was still nicely messed up but sturdy enough beatswise to cause a mass outbreak of pogoing downstairs.
It was amazing to see that such off kilter music could entice such a bulgingly sold out audience, and with this gig coming exactly one year after the release of their debut album 'Mirrored', they would have had a lot to celebrate afterwards. I never really like math - or maths even - at school, but in the hands of Battles it all, eventually anyway, added up.
With the drumkit and keyboards pushed right to the front of the stage and a set that began with several minutes of weird, wobbly guitar dissonance, I knew this wasn't going to be your average rock 'n' roll performance. To be frank, however, the first four or five songs (if you can call them that) left no impression beyond a big question mark above my head.
It sounded like they wanted to be like an electronic version of Miles Davis circa 'Bitches Brew' and 'Live Evil', forgetting that just because Miles buried his song structures deep in the improvisation didn't mean they weren't there. I was all ready to leave, and in fact if I'd been on the guest list like usual rather than paying, I probably would have done. But then it all started to take shape.
The collosal rhythmic momentum of 'Atlas'
was - judging by the ecstatic reaction anyway - what everyone had come to hear. Like the Glitter Band in full flow with Aphex-style gremlins sneaking into the circuit boards, it was still nicely messed up but sturdy enough beatswise to cause a mass outbreak of pogoing downstairs.
It was amazing to see that such off kilter music could entice such a bulgingly sold out audience, and with this gig coming exactly one year after the release of their debut album 'Mirrored', they would have had a lot to celebrate afterwards. I never really like math - or maths even - at school, but in the hands of Battles it all, eventually anyway, added up.
Vampire Weekend: Camden Electric Ballroom
The truly exceptional New York four piece Vampire Weekend were in town this week, playing a triumphant sell out show at the Electric Ballroom in Camden to a crowd that simply couldn't get enough of their louche, lazy guitar moves.
Opening with 'Mansard Roof', blending lyrical alusions to the Falklands War and obscure architecture with Left Bank on speed-type baroque instrumentation,
even a premature guitar string snapping during the first guitar solo couldn't dampen the atmosphere of adoration.
They've been compared to Pavement and (at times) Paul Simon, but their frame of reference is much wider. You'd certainly have to add Teardrop Explodes, Devo, Elvis Costello, Bhundu Boys and a host of other things to that list. Take their most famous moment, 'Oxford Comma';
I'm sure that's the intro from 'Honky Tonk Woman' by the Stones with a (let's hope subconscious) steal from 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' by Bonnie Tyler(!)
Probably the best thing about them is that they're experts at sounding charmingly shambolic and loose when in fact everything's moving along quite effortlessly. There's tons of space in the songs, not a sign of the macho corporate punk bullshit that infects so many so called indie bands these days, and after just one listen you'll be humming these tunes for the rest of the day.
Opening with 'Mansard Roof', blending lyrical alusions to the Falklands War and obscure architecture with Left Bank on speed-type baroque instrumentation,
even a premature guitar string snapping during the first guitar solo couldn't dampen the atmosphere of adoration.
They've been compared to Pavement and (at times) Paul Simon, but their frame of reference is much wider. You'd certainly have to add Teardrop Explodes, Devo, Elvis Costello, Bhundu Boys and a host of other things to that list. Take their most famous moment, 'Oxford Comma';
I'm sure that's the intro from 'Honky Tonk Woman' by the Stones with a (let's hope subconscious) steal from 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' by Bonnie Tyler(!)
Probably the best thing about them is that they're experts at sounding charmingly shambolic and loose when in fact everything's moving along quite effortlessly. There's tons of space in the songs, not a sign of the macho corporate punk bullshit that infects so many so called indie bands these days, and after just one listen you'll be humming these tunes for the rest of the day.
Tuesday 13 May 2008
Pendulum live at Fabric
Those of you with tickets to see Pendulum at Brixton Academy and the Astoria this weekend are in for a real treat.
The Aussies unveiled the new show at a private party for superfans and industry types at Fabric last night. As well as a clutch of their hardest hitting tunes from 'Hold Your Colour' (including the already established live favourite, breakbeat ska knees up 'Fasten Your Seatbelts') and heaps from their new album 'In Silico', they even chucked in a version of their by now surely world famous mix of Prodigy's 'Voodoo People'. You can sense this will be the one that wins over the festival audiences this set is tailor made for.
With hints of Rage Against The Machine, The Prodigy and, obviously, the piercing, rupturing frequencies of drum and bass, perhaps the most amazing thing is the lack of programmed beats, with everything drums-wise being played live. That kind of move usually kills a live d&b act dead but this onslaught of Metallica-style double kick rolls and spot on backbeats was so comprehensively impressive it had just the opposite effect. With their new single 'Propane Nightmares' in the student radio play charts' top five (and rising), and the live firepower to reinforce it all summer, this looks like being Pendulum's year.
Propane Nightmares video
The Aussies unveiled the new show at a private party for superfans and industry types at Fabric last night. As well as a clutch of their hardest hitting tunes from 'Hold Your Colour' (including the already established live favourite, breakbeat ska knees up 'Fasten Your Seatbelts') and heaps from their new album 'In Silico', they even chucked in a version of their by now surely world famous mix of Prodigy's 'Voodoo People'. You can sense this will be the one that wins over the festival audiences this set is tailor made for.
With hints of Rage Against The Machine, The Prodigy and, obviously, the piercing, rupturing frequencies of drum and bass, perhaps the most amazing thing is the lack of programmed beats, with everything drums-wise being played live. That kind of move usually kills a live d&b act dead but this onslaught of Metallica-style double kick rolls and spot on backbeats was so comprehensively impressive it had just the opposite effect. With their new single 'Propane Nightmares' in the student radio play charts' top five (and rising), and the live firepower to reinforce it all summer, this looks like being Pendulum's year.
Propane Nightmares video
Monday 12 May 2008
The Bug
Great news - Kevin Martin and Justin from Godflesh's apocalyptic experiemntal ragga meets digtal hardcore act The Bug have signed to Ninja. Formerly known (and much loved) as Techno Animal and also responsible for the 'Macro Dub' compilations on Virgin, hopefully the time is nigh for them to become huge. They've certainly got the live act of necessarily awesome proportions.
There's a new single 'Angry' featuring Tippa Irie, backed with 'Ganja' on the flip with the vocals of Flow Dan from Roll Deep. Then the album 'London Zoo' drops, which also features Ricky Rankin, Roger Robinson, Killa P and their longtime singer Warrior Queen, who has also collaborated with MOBO winning garage act Sunship.
None of the new stuff seems to be up in vid form anyway, so in the meantime here's probably their greatest hour thus far performed live...
The Bug feat Warrior Queen: Almighty Father
There's a new single 'Angry' featuring Tippa Irie, backed with 'Ganja' on the flip with the vocals of Flow Dan from Roll Deep. Then the album 'London Zoo' drops, which also features Ricky Rankin, Roger Robinson, Killa P and their longtime singer Warrior Queen, who has also collaborated with MOBO winning garage act Sunship.
None of the new stuff seems to be up in vid form anyway, so in the meantime here's probably their greatest hour thus far performed live...
The Bug feat Warrior Queen: Almighty Father
Wiley: My Rolex
No proper video yet - as far as I know - but here's the tune of the summer anyway. Not claiming to be first one on this 4/4-led, old skool flavoured pounder by any means, as the brilliant Chantelle Fiddy Cent has been telling her readers to get their hands on a copy since before Christmas. I've only just pulled my finger out and checked it out, so if you haven't yet I'd advise you do so now...
Wednesday 7 May 2008
Thursday 1 May 2008
Rugby Clip
A thuggish game played my gentlemen, or so they say. Not in this case.
I absolutely hated rugby at school - where it was compulsory, needless to say - and this is just how I remember it. I only played for the (B) team once, an away match somewhere in Gloucestershire. Someone tried to give me a cauliflower ear in the scrum. I grabbed his finger and twisted it until it I felt it snap. He never told.
I absolutely hated rugby at school - where it was compulsory, needless to say - and this is just how I remember it. I only played for the (B) team once, an away match somewhere in Gloucestershire. Someone tried to give me a cauliflower ear in the scrum. I grabbed his finger and twisted it until it I felt it snap. He never told.
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