Cadence Weapon: London Corsica Studios (22/5/08)

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.

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

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!

2 Unlimited officially trendy again

I knew it was just a matter of time.

Eddy Temple-Morris DJing before Pendulum last Sunday...

Spot on Chris Morris Pixies pisstake

Now, here's the real thing from '92, playing 'Planet Of Sound'

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.

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.