Some weeks ago I interviewed Tigs from Chew Lips and we talked about bands that are a bit boring on stage. I told her that I saw this American band called Crystal Stilts, whose performance was not really that exciting. Tigs' response was: 'Crystal Stilts? Everything is Crystal this year, have you noticed? Crystal Fighters, Crystal Antlers, Crystal Castles... Weird! How do they all get the same name at the same time?'
The article about Chew Lips is gonna be published in the April issue of Glamcult.
DID I ALREADY MENTION that THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS are playing at the AMSTERDAM PARADISO ON 29th APRIL and that I AM GOING to SEE THEM there and then. HAPPY days!!!
About a month ago I said farewell to The End. As it always goes clubs go and clubs come. Last Wednesday saw the opening of a new club/bar on Curtain Road called The Queen of Hoxton. The building where it is settled is not new, it used to be known as The Industry, which I always referred to as a yuppie bar. Ok, I have only been there once, but it was really full with London City yuppies. The QoH will be a place where art, music, fashion and everything hot and exciting that Shoreditch has to offer will meet. Also nice to know is that the late 19th century Sarah Lane was called The Queen of Hoxton when she lived in Hoxton and owned the Britannia Theatre (demolished). I guess that's where this new venue is named after. (website)
Other stuff... T-bar should be re-opening soon near Liverpool Street. I do not have any more details, but if you do, let me know. Then there is Pure Groove recordstore, which was closed during the whole of January. Why? They renovated the place and if you now give them a visit you can even buy a drink whilst browsing through the music and/or watch a band do an instore. Cool, cool! Then... the people behind The End have taken over a warehouse in Southwark to host lots of parties. It is called Shake It! That's all folks!!!
I only found out about Black Lips doing a bandstand gig 20 minutes before showtime. (Thank you, Facebook) Seeing that I have a week off and Arnold Circus where it all took place is only 15 minutes from where I live, I decided to come out and see what this band(stand) is all about.
I am not planning to go myself, but for those who do want to see The Rakes live, they play at Lexington next Friday. Tix can be bought from here. Lexington is a small venue, so that should be guaranteed fun.
Click your way to www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOrAuf74i10&fmt=18 for a new Tiga tune called 'Love Don't Dance Here Anymore'. Please, DO listen to the whole song, as it gets better and better after two minutes. Boom! Magic!
I must have seen every Small Faces video I could find on YouTube in the last hour or so. Ok, maybe not really every single one of them. I quite like the Swingin' London collage video below.
Who would have guessed that I was going to give White Heat a visit again after going there last week? It wasn't until Sunday that my plans for tonite suddenly changed. Klaxons changed those plans. I guess you can say that I was pretty excited when I read the bulletin as posted below. What is a better place to see the boys than during the same night where I once saw them for the first time three years ago. Yup! White Heat that is, which is also the band/club night where it all (sort of) started for Klaxons. Then it was them supporting Shit Disco, now they were the main act. Not only was I part of the audience tonite, but also Erol Alkan and (f*cking) Mark Ronson.
With a new album coming out soon, they premiered a lot of new songs. It is always hard to describe what the new songs are like when you hear them for the first them. They definitely have grown towards a more mature pop sound and live it sounds all damn well good. They have shaken their so called nu-rave image and sound away from them, although I am not sure what to say about Simon and Jamie wearing tights and a dress on stage. Let's hope that was just for one night only. Ok, cut the crap. They were brilliant and played a nice mix between old and new songs. It is good to have them back in business and I can not wait to hear the second album. I am convinced that it is gonna be a good produced no nonsense pop record that will take them to an even higher level.
