HOOOOAAAAAH!!!!

5 days to go, only 4 more sleeps…

I hope you’re all listing and categorising your own crushes in preparation for The Crush List at Ladybird (Fbook Event).

Remember, you make your own rules!

To get y’all in the mood, here’s my extra special Spotify playlist which will (if I can get it to work at the bar) be played between acts on Friday night: The Crush List. Ask questions if you have them!

Patches are uploaded, lyrics are (almost) learnt, trainers are packed, glamorous assistants and I are ready to dance! See everyone there.

x

(photo by Emily Webber at London Shop Fronts)

LINE UP ANNOUNCED:

Something Beginning with L (acoustic) http://www.myspace.com/somethingbeginningwithl

Anna Madeleine http://annamadeleine.co.uk

John John Slave http://www.myspace.com/johnjohnslave

Melanie Clifford http://www.melanieclifford.net

and Special Guest Jimboeth AKA DJ Rize MC

Anna Madeleine and friends invite you to come and celebrate all things Crush-related. We have brought together some of my very favourite electronic and acoustic acts for ONE NIGHT ONLY.

Venue to be announced.

Here’s a link to the Facebook event page. Please invite all your friends and help us to spread the word.

To be kept up to date follow @annamadeleine or email anna@annamadeleine.co.uk

Welcome to two thousand and freakin’ ten!

It snowed, a lot.

I have spent the last few weeks writing some BRAND NEW MATERIAL which you will be able to hear samples of if you come to either my gig at Blang on 8th February or to…

…The Party Of The Decade on Friday 19th February, I’ll be playing alongside some of my favourite people, drinking and dancing till dawn.

Amazing New Zealand based artist, Jimmy Misanthrope has done a picture of me! It is in a similar style to his webcomic Agents of the Endtimes, which I follow avidly each week. Here is the picture on his deviant art page

I’ve caught a lot of cool stuff online too, mostly at Zombiehamster (especially the wonderful Mad Monster Party film) and over at  Fuck Yeah Horror where there’s an ace Spotify playlist to accompany their top 10 list.

Off to Brighton this weekend for Midwinter Picnic 2 – can’t wait, it’s gonna be an awesome day filled with yummy cake, great music, and good times. I’m running the raffle!

Here’s to the Future.

xx

Top 5 gigs of 2009:

1. PJ Harvey & John Parish at Brighton Corn Exchange
2. Something Beginning with L at Buffalo Bar (Overcoat single launch)
3. Akira the Don at the Natural History Museum
4. (joint place) Carter USM at Brixton Academy/all of the afterparty at Jamm
5. Filthy Dukes at Dingwalls

This doesn’t take into account everything I saw at Swn Festival which was the best thing I went to all year or Lexapalooza Lite which would definitely have made the list had I not played

Top 5 TV shows (of 2009):

1. The Wire
2. True Blood
3. Fringe
4. Torchwood – Children of Earth
5. Bones

Special mention for Misfits which I haven’t seen yet but am DEFINITELY GONNA LOVE

Best films I saw for the first time in 2009:

Waltz With Bashir, District 9, Kung Fu Hustle, Gran Turino, He’s Just Not That Into You, Star Trek, Push, The Hangover, The September Issue, Don’t Look Now, A Serious Man, Milk, A Streetcar Named Desire, Shaolin Soccer, Role Models, The Good The Bad The Weird, Cronos, Wolverine

(I haven’t yet seen Moon, Up, WTWTA, Coco Before Chanel, Avatar, LTROI, Nine or 500 Days of Summer)

Most Disappointing films I saw in 2009:

Watchmen, Blood the last Vampire (live action), Fast and Furious, Party Monster, Bound, Wolverine (yes, that’s right)

The best 5 Welsh people of 2009:

1. Hannah Humphreys
2. Akira the Don
3. Huw Stephens
4. James Anthony
5. Eirian Rees

Top 5 websites of 2009:

1. www.akirathedon.com
2. www.zombiehamster.com
3. www.londonshopfronts.com
4. www.timmaughanbooks.com
5. www.comicsalliance.com

Top 5 bars of 2009:

1. the Flowerpot, Kentish Town
2. KU Bar, Soho
3. all of the Swn venues, Cardiff
4. Biddle Bros, Hackney
5. Queen of Hoxton, Shoreditch

A massive Merry Merry Christmas and Hanukkah and all the other things you celebrate.

2009 has been an amazing journey. It’s truly been a rollercoaster of ups and downs professionally/personally and I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who’s supported me, come to gigs, bought my CD, cooked meals for me, danced with me, carried equipment for me, drove me places or just hung out with me…you are all awesome!

I’ve met many amazing, inspiring people and had many weird and wonderful conversations.

I was really lucky to be on the same bill as some ace artists particularly at:

• West Hill Hall opening for Chris T-T and The Indelicates
• Lexapalooza Lite with loads of amazing artists including Frank Turner, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Ben Marwood and The Leano
• Blind Baby Animal at the Marie Lloyd Bar with the Applicants and others
• Blang! at the 12 Bar Club with Kinkajou, Sergeant Buzfuz and Steve Espinola

Working on a proper round-up of 2009 which will be up here shortly along with a lovely Christmas-themed playlist for your listening pleasure. Hope you’re all tucking into a mince pie and dancing in the snow (or sun!)

x

HELLLLLOOOOOOOOO everyone!

Officially just over halfway through the two-week birthday extravaganza and I’m not flagging at all (although I have drunk my weight in alcohol and eaten more food than they have in Costcutter)

So far, I have:

• enjoyed a luscious Thanksgiving meal cooked by Hannah and Aubrey
• DJed at BBA for the quiet and non-dancing crowd at the Marie Lloyd Bar (although we danced enough for everyone!)
• written new crush lists
• seen some performance art in a warehouse in Stoke Newington
• chatted up beautiful artists
• had Advent Tea and played with my nieces
• watched Milk and A Streetcar Named Desire
• hidden from huge storms and eaten pizza
• gone to Biddles with all of my Hackney family
• worn Sandi’s dress as a top
• learned about measuring social impact
• attended my first ever Beer Festival (and tried some Welsh perry)
• chatted on the phone to Nathan in India
• cried into my vodka and watched Akira the ultimate collection

TONIGHT ALL THE COOL KIDS ARE GOING TO THIS

As it turns out, I’ve completely backed up on myself with my blogging. So I’ve decided to skip through the last week and a half or so with a quick summary…

On Saturday 14th November I moved home, I saw Carter USM (who were absolutely awesome, can’t wait to see some of Jim Bob’s upcoming solo stuff), I stormed the stage during the Hoodrats’ set at the afterparty – like their own personal Bez, I found my way back to East London through a storm at 5am…

On 15th woke to find I had already (in less than 24 hours) earned a ‘partygirl’ label by my new flatmates and received an amazing gift of groceries from my gorgeous sister (she knows me so well!)…

A lovely dinner with Hannah and Aubrey on 17th, helped us all compile our latest crush lists…

I met with fantastic and inspiring artist Melanie in Hackney Wick on 19th, who taught me about my addiction to an Intermittent Reward Schedule as well as gave me lots of ideas for future work…

Had an amazing time in Brighton playing at the gorgeous West Hill Hall in a huge storm, opening for Chris T-T who was supported by The Indelicates on 21st November…

Sunday 22nd November (one of the best hangovers ever) – woke up in Brighton, went for lush fry-up with 2/4 hoodrats, went to conceptual exhibition by Beatabet Collective at the Phoenix Gallery, got train to London, was cooked a massive gorgeous roast dinner. Slept well…

On 25th November, I saw the Filthy Dukes album launch gig (mindblowing how good they are, hot too, really know how to put on a show, got lovely fans as well) and hung out with lovely Emily at The Flowerpot…

Today is Thanksgiving, I am celebrating with my gorgeous theme-loving American friend and her sexy culinarily-gifted flatmate…

As it is my birthday soon and because I think I’m much more important than I really am, my friends and I are celebrating with 2 weeks of parties, seeing performances, gigs, AtD’s boat party, shopping, and more! The two-week mayhem kicks off with my guest DJ spot at the BBA Thanksgiving Party at the Marie Lloyd Bar tomorrow night, free entry – come along, dance, sing and say hello.

Wow! Where was I?! I love Autumn, November is my very favourite month.

On Wednesday 11th November, I had another wonderful night out in London seeing Chilly ‘Gonzo’ Gonzales with his special guests Akira the Don and Marawa Cup.

From what I’d seen online, I wasn’t that keen on Gonzo from some of his skits on youtube and other than the famous piano battle (which I confess to not watching all of), I hadn’t heard his playing really either.

I WAS WRONG! Chilly Gonzales is an awesome pianist. His songs are hilarious and his new work-in-progress Opera of his own life is of a high technical quality and at the same time brilliant humour. His arrogance and love of women/drink/himself onstage persona work because of his musical skill.

Of course the highlight of the evening was when AtD joined him onstage for a little chat and rendition of his old hit Thanks For All The Aids – which was the best version of the song I’d heard, just piano and two voices. They then did a rap battle to a metronome which was a lot messy, funny and bitchy all wrapped in one.

I know you thought that I was a fan-girl (I am not ashamed) but until you have met my new real friend Katharina from Frankfurt, you do not know the effect someone’s music can have. A few months ago Katharina, who took the photo at the top of this, went along (for a laugh, not really knowing Gonzo’s music at all prior) to Chilly Gonzales’s 27 hour long record-breaking piano extravaganza.

…She stayed for the whole 27 hours.

THEN, she flew for one night only to London (for the first ever time) to accompany me to this show!

To top off all of this excitement I also discovered my new hero: Marawa Cup, hoola-hooper extraordinaire. She is incredible. Marawa came on stage disguised as an unsuspecting audience member, dowdy and uncoordinated. Awkward in the high high heels she was told to wear. As she twirled some hoops she gradually became more coordinated and slowly stripped ~_^ to reveal a lycra catsuit in leopard-print and took her massive curly hair out of its tie. She twisted and twirled hoops round her waist, hoops on her arms and legs, hoops on her neck and hoops in the air all at once. Perfect end to the evening.

After putting Katharina into her cab (to who-knows-where) I walked past old haunts to get the bus (had to visit my potential new home the next day and didn’t get back till 4am!)

Massive thanks to Chilly for putting us on the list and for making Katharina’s long journey worth it.  Huge thanks to Akira for talking to us like we’re human beings (not super-fans). It was also great to finally meet Twitter-friend Sophie without whom I wouldn’t know that I shouldn’t fancy Morten Harkett.

I’m getting a bit behind with my blogging because I’ve been so effing busy lately doing loads of stuff I want to blog about but don’t have the time to *vicious circle* – if you feel the urge to keep up to date (and I know you do) then follow me on Twitter

After spending Friday night seeing some art and pretending I knew what I was talking about, Saturday night was spent watching two bands.

Magnets played a rare London gig at the Wilmington Arms. This Folkestone band is great, the songs are strong and they are all very talented musicians. It’s core two members are the same two guys who run Club Buff and promote live gigs as well as club nights around Kent.

I really enjoyed their set. They have good onstage chemistry and aren’t trying too hard to ‘be’ anything. They opened with what should be their single release if they have one: Here Be Monsters. It is a storming track with a strong catchy chorus and is definitely my favourite of their current material.

The only downside watching them on stage was the layout of the band. This band stands out because of the distinctive lead vocals, lush harmonies mixed with solid songs and long jam sections in each track. I would place the vocalist in the middle of the stage and the newest member of the band who plays guitar with props such as a bow and a drumstick more to one side or further back – they wouldn’t have to do anything differently as performers. As an audience this would reduce any feeling that the props were a gimmick or trend and the band would seem more led by their strongest asset, the vocals.

Otherwise, the gig was storming. There’s a real current following for Kent based artists so I hope Magnets break out and let more people hear them.

Next was a dash to Pangea Project, it’s a tiny artsy cafe/bar in Stoke Newington (very poetry night/alternative artists kind of a place).

I was there to see John John Slave. This electro disco pop group consists of two guys doing electronics – a mixture of synths, laptops and other stuff – and a girl doing dancing and vocals. Their stuff is cool and fits nicely with the trend for upbeat electro pop. Their singer has a good voice which you can hear clearly when she’s not dancing (but I loved the dancing!) and I really like their tracks. The two guys are very skilled and rush about swapping from one bit of kit to another which creates more energy than your usual laptop musicians. I’d like to see them again in a different venue with a larger crowd and without any costumes or props.

Will tell you soon about the rest of my week…

With Welsh blood flowing through my veins and a passion for stormy weather, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go to THE  super-cool music festival in Cardiff curated by none other than the Prince of Wales himself Huw Stephens (Adam W, you’re the king of course and Bethan can be whatever she likes cos she is a goddess).

Because I basically have NO time at the moment at all and the memories of swn festival although will stay with me forever are not as clear as they were when I got back last Sunday, here is a very brief summary and links.

Winners:

Islet – This Cardiff based band with near to no web presence and a retro view of mailing lists (they are sending out a paper newsletter!) are brilliant. The four-piece have superb musicianship and a real hard-to-find chemistry on stage. I loved them and would travel far to see them play again. They also curated the night under the banner of their own indie label and have truly eclectic tastes. This was an amazing start to the weekend. I am now a massive fan of them. Some guys have set up a fansite which is here.

Envy – lovely Envy. This young star rapper is brilliant. She has sponteneity and confidence far beyond her age. Her lyrical flow and ability to improvise and adapt will make her one to watch in the coming years. I was really looking forward to seeing her play and was disappointed when the set was messed up by timings and by lack of a proper audience. Despite these issues, Envy did two storming sets and her energy on stage was not effected.

Soft Toy Emergency – I caught this really great band between Envy’s two sets. They are freakin’ awesome. Proper good rock band with a girl frontwoman, something we don’t really see that often at the moment. I didn’t catch their whole set but I loved their performance and the tunes I heard were really good – I will definitely look to see them again some time soon, (especially since having a look at their online stuff which is quite heavily styled not in a good way, they are surprisingly good live).

Chris T-T – as you know, I am biased when it comes to Chris’s stuff. I can say though, that this was the best I’d ever seen him as a solo performer. He appeared calm and collected (without losing the lovely down-to-earth bimbly personality that his fans admire). He used two guitars and a keyboard which all gave the set a variety not usual for a solo act. The new songs are really really good and my favourite was Nintendo.

Gideon Conn – I really liked this guy, he’s quirky and his songs are good. It took me a while to warm to him as his onstage character appeared to be a bit ‘mannered’ and a bit false. I would have liked to have spoken to him in person to see whether this was a genuine portrayal of himself and he was just nervous or whether it was a ‘put-on’ caricature. A friend who had had a conversation with him previously assured me that he was genuinely a bit weird, which is great!

Internet Forever – this band is definitely gonna be massive soon. I love their quirky rocky keyboardy masky fucked up sound. They could definitely have mainstream success and draw big crowds. I couldn’t hear some of the vocals and I’m not sure if this was the sound they were going for or whether it was technical issues. I’m gonna check them out again. They seem really likeable and really talented.

Pulled Apart By Horses – definitely would have been amazing had I seen them properly. The tiny room was rammed full and the energy from the stage emanated in waves. Unfortunately we were right at the back behind a whole load of tall people who were not dancing and didn’t seem to be enjoying themselves. I was quickly frustrated at not being in the heart of the action and at not being able to see the band so we didn’t catch much of the set.

Meh or Unsure:

Girls – we were some of the lucky few who managed to get to the end of the rainsoaked queue to see this much-hyped band. I hadn’t heard any of their backstory or anything and to start with the music sounded a bit too much acid-60s/70s -throw-back for my tastes. However, the drumming was some of the best I’ve seen and as the set progressed the music developed into more Spiritualized-esque white noise sounds which was great. Due to some good songs and honest-looking stage awkwardness by the lead two members, this band came across well and are clearly very good at what they do.

Los Campesinos! – I love a couple of their songs and the energy was of course brilliant for their headlining set. The room was so hot we had to sit down and fan ourselves (not very rock n roll) and the bars were not kitted out with the right booze and were impossible to get to. The band were good. Having not seen them before I’m glad I went but I heard that they had been better at other gigs. Hilarious stage dives and guest spots from the other bands added to the fun but I was gutted I had missed my last opportunity to see Broken Family Band perform as the timings clashed.

Losers:

I didn’t like Johnny Foreigner, I have to be honest. I thought they were unoriginal and derived, mostly from early 90s indie. This was evident in their songs as well as their stage performance (and even their hair). I sulked until my friends agreed to leave during their set.

Allo Darlin’ – I could see the appeal of this female-led folky/poppy group doing quite sweet twee songs. I didn’t really like it and thought that some of the songs could have been better written.

—

A massive thanks to Hannah and Mr and Mrs Pagan Wanderer Lu who were lovely hosts and looked after us even when we rolled in at 4am very drunk.

I’ll definitely be at swn next year – one way or another.

x

« Older Entries

Newer Entries »