Hello,

Saturday night was really rather jolly good. Murray James opened the evening with a strong set. There was some new material in there that sounds really interesting. Ball and Chain was my personal highlight and I'm looking forward to getting a recorded version off his manager soon. TF's crowd is quite tough for singer songwriter types, but he came across really well and got a warm reception. Though I did end up shouting at some hecklers afterward (I shouldn't be allowed a mic between sets).

It was weird starting a gig whilst it was still daylight. I guess it's now officially summer. Evening though it's sodding raining (again) outside.

Daniel Flay & The Irreparable Guilt followed. There was only to of them, so I guess it could have been Daniel Flay and the Nearly-Irreparable guilt, the Slightly Guilty, perhaps it could have been Daniel Flay and the bit Shifty? Anyhow, enough Michael-taking. His set was great.

Millionaire is one of my favourite songs and regularly features in my iTunes, as does The Antagonist which I hum a lot. As I raved on about that night, I find a really charming vulnerability in his music but real strength in its execution. (what am I on about?!?!?) But seriously, as a character, Daniel is quiet, reserved, possibly slightly introvert which is apparent on stage but the music expresses some really strong sentiments. The almost continuous two part harmony between Dan and Ellie Walker makes for engaging melodies and songwriting that works really well. Be sure to listen to both Daniels and Ellie's stuff. They finished the set with a really great Cyndi Lauper cover (bet you can't guess which). I hope they're doing some more London dates soon, if they are check them out.

Ched followed (I approve of the name change). The six string bass implied to me that it was going to be quite jazzy, or really frickin heavy. Jesus H Christ it was loud. There is a really strong reference to Rage Against the Machine in their style which is no bad thing. Lots of manic synchronised head banging interspersed with leaning back screaming vocals. Really taken aback by the performance and I was smiling the whole way through. At one point the bassist had his foot on the window sill to the left of the stage and was performing to his own little crowd gathering outside. Christian has real presence as a front man and knows how to grab a crowd by the goolies. They haven't got any gigs booked, which needs to change I think.

Occupying that uncomfortable space that followed Ched, Capisce? followed. Luckily their tight performance and stark contrast in style didn't highlight them as a lull in the evening's line up. I've never seen a guitar with a piercing before but that's exactly what I saw on Ian's instrument. Possibly early days for the band but Time Crisis 4 really stood out as a potential hit with moments of brilliance in its performance.

So, headlining the evening was Tough Love. I'd been looking forward to this literally all month. The only reason I got them booked is I've known the manager for 10 years and lived with him for a while. Otherwise I think this lot could have been an optimistic booking on my part. Because there's a lot going on stage-wise. I sound-checked them earlier in the evening. Two drummers, FIVE vocals, guitar and bass. Crazy sound. When listening to their stuff I hear Paul Simon (during the whole Ladysmith Black Mambazo thing), Adam and the Ants, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Scissor Scisters, and a whole heap of others. Getting Over It is another iTunes highlight of mine and I recently really started to get into Alpha Male which I think could be a hit for radio depending on the mix. They're currently working with a producer I'm familiar with and I'm really looking forward to hearing their new stuff. As mentioned before, they're really involved in the whole London burlesque scene and have picked up a lot of fans as a result. Their night White Mischief is eagerly anticipated and was described as the 'Event of the year' by Timeout last time. No dancers at my gig unfortunately. Hopefully this is something I can rectify in the future. Purely for artistic purposes. Anyhow, visit their page and say hello. Be sure to check them out at some point soon.

------

Apart from that, all in all a quiet weekend. I didn't get to bed until 7 on Sunday morning. I don't really get to enjoy the gigs as I'm too busy running about making sure everything is ok. Plus I'm filming n that. One day I'll just sit back and project manage, having my own 'people' for such things.

Will all this busyness I've lost track of time, and not been doing the excercise that I've meant to. Checking my diary my competition is 2 weeks away!!! :-s So I thought last night "Right, intense training, now! Nothing but training for the next two weeks" Then I looked at my diary and every night is booked up with something. As is the weekend. Hmm. Maybe I should use Condaleeza Rice as a role model (she gets up at 4am every day for the gym). Saying that, I get my bike tomorrow which Sony BMG has supplied me with. Hopefully I can take it off some sweet jumps.

Anyhow, hope all is sweet with you.

IBx

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Hello,

Ok, you lucky people. There is one of those wonderful gigs happening.

This is what I put in my 'offcial internal message' thing:

Burlesque-tribal-pop scenesters 'Tough Love' will be headlining the usual mixed bag of quality acts @ TEOC.

After recently selling out Scala, press and radio are starting to champion what could be on of the more unique signings of 2008:

"With a genuinely different sound and an entertaining live show, they look and sound like no other act we've seen."
- Record of the Day (awarded Record of the Week)

"Brilliant - packed with pop hits and charisma and fielding two drummers. Somebody sign them post haste"
- Music Week
http://www.toughloveband.com/

Opening the night will be Warner Chappell's most recent signing, Murray James. He's just finished his second UK tour and has been courting various corners of the industry with his pop huskiness.
http://www.myspace.com/murrayjamesmusic

Also joining the bill will be:
Daniel Flay and the Irreparable Guilt
The Cheddington Incident
Capisce

Doors are 7.30, entry £4 and will play through into the morning. Will be excellent if anyone fancies it.

Have a look at the acts if you get chance.

Anyhow, hope all is stress free with you.

IB

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Hello,

After much telling off from mum I'm back on the blog, who needs a boss when your mother reads your blog? (Hence why it's quite tame in places)

So where have I been? Some creek or other without a paddle would be a good description. Referring back to one of my first ever posts, I genuinely need to clone myself as I think I can pretty much do anything (which I can of course) however, I have recently given up sleep as one of my passtimes.

My recent time has been domniated by working on a couple of big film projects for internal and external use. I've just done a video with The Electric City who I'm well into so that was weekend before last and many spare moments over the past week or so taken up. I worked on an internal video at work, plus I have to get the podcast together. :-(

On top of that I'm still trying to get this whole process re-vamped and more straightforward as an A&R submissions process and also make life a bit easier for me :-)

Plus I'm still booking bands for the nights I've got coming up. As usual I have a couple of 11th hour slots for this Saturday should anyone want to get involved? Just send me an email/message.

Here's a low res version of one of the recent projects I've been working on. It looks amazing because my mate Tony put this one together, I just did the camerawork. I'm going to get a hi-res version up somewhere.

Hope all is well and easy going with you.

IB

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

... was the answer I gave my friend yesterday. She called to remind me of my promise to take her swimming.

I have never been so bruised, stiff and otherwise useless to the world as I was on Sunday. Why? Well, you may remember from my last post that I was going to give Roman-Greco wrestling a go. I did. I don't think I've ever done a more physically demanding sport in my life. Jujitsu is tough, but I don't do as much groundwork. This is INSANE. Saying that, the more experienced chaps know how to use the minimum amount of energy to maximum effect. Whereas I looked like I was somehow drowning with arms and legs flailing around. Most of the guys there are intimidatigly athletic and much fitter than me. One of the guys I met is an ex training partner of Chuck Liddell. Eek.

That said, I couldn't have met a bunch of more friendly, accomodating people. I was invited out to lunch afterwards and for a drink in the west end which was a really nice gesture. THere's no meat heads or ego's there. So I'll be going again.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Anyhow, just been over to phonogenic for a chat about this and that as I like to on Monday's sometimes. As mentioned before I really like heading over there as I always walk away with some new insight into the dark art of A&R. Was chatting about some new signings that have been happening here and there including a couple of acts that recently created a feeding frenzy amongst the majors.

I've just got a message from the CHAPMAN FAMILY, they've confirmed for the 22nd March. So that should be great fun. The 22nd will also see the return of THE LOST LEVELS, who I frickin love. In a purely professional manner of course. They've got some new stuff including a track called '5' which I really like. Still confirming acts so new submissions always welcome.

So what's happening out there? I haven't really got any news from any of you. Are you still out there? Are you doing wonderful things? I hope so. If so I want to hear about them. Big apologies to Stewart at Emsar as I haven't got back to you yet. Just got out the end of a horrible week. Will be in touch today.

Hope all is well with you.

IB

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

It's a bit rough around the edges but I now know what bits to polish for the filming tonight. :-) This is part one of two:

I'm setting up a page where you can get the hidef decent audio version. Part two is here.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Hello,

Looks like a may have a lineup for Saturday

Modernaire

The Dead Class

Momeraths

Death Can Dance

Melody Nelson

JB Newman

Just got a call from my best mate Tony who's editing the footage for the podcast. I s hould get the finished results today which I'm really excited about. I'll stick it up on youtube/here. :-)

MyMyspace

My organisatonal skills are possibly the worst on earth, hence the slap-dash methods of my gig organising. In fact if I were a little more organised it would probably be 'The End of Camden Festival' by now with big stage n that. However, for the first time in my life I now have a diary. For all the blackberries, cool software and jiggery pokery there is around here the most important piece of kit is my diary. Problem is, I'm now a slave to it. I feel naked without it, I start to panic. Is that normal?

My Life in Paper :-(

I think tomorrow's showcase is going to be excellent as the lineup (as always) is really good. It also see's the return of JB Newman which will be excellent. I want to get him in the podcast and his sort of stuff comes across really well. I hope you enjoy the results. Or even better, get yourself down and see the real thing. :-)

Anyway, I think this is quickly turning into a random and possibly crap post. So I'll head off, hope to see you on Saturday night.

Hope all is well with you.

IB

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Howdy,

Before I get to the gig I guess I should mention the whole big fire thing. Whilst the gig was getting into the full swing of things Camden Market and the Hawley Arms were burning down. You could probably smell the incense sticks and bamboo for miles. That's a horrible thing to say I know, just making light of it. Truth is it's a horrible state of affairs but no one was injured so the important thing. I'm sure insurance and such could handle the losses.

Gig-wise it was supaduper. I had two cameras running and the desk going into a DAT machine. So I'm hoping for a slightly more professional look this time.

Opened up the night with a new singer-songwriter called AJ who needed a gig. He hasn't got a page, myspace or anything. I think he has a phone number and that's about it. Don't think I should publish that. But I will get him to set up a page here.

Following that were 'Happy People Go Home' a last minute replacement who dished out some anthemic indie rock.

My personal highlight of the evening were The Knock. If I'm being honest, I found the recordings I heard a little lacklustre intitally but thought the songs were good and they sounded interesting. I wanted to see what they were like live. I was blown away to say the least.

It's rare that I see bands that have two singers that works. Rather than a frontman with backing. As musicians they were really tight. Toby's vocals were truely stunning and emotively performed. I heard elements of a heavyier version of Softcell, Blondie and Small Faces (bear with me). I definately hear some Steve Marriott in there somewhere. :-) Apparently Alan McGee has been championing these fellas for a while and have been getting bits and bobs of interest. I really like these fellas and think you'll be hearing a lot more from them soon. I'm going to be pushing them as best I can.

They're gigging all the time it seems so if you want to go to one of the best gigs you've seen in ages. Get yourself down. They even had me dancing down the front.

Sennah was loud. Let me say that again. Sennah was really really eyeball poppingly, teeth shatteringly LOUD!! But also great fun. Laura as a singer and performer is really engaging and certainly knows how to grab an audience by the knackers and back them against the wall with some intensely peformed metal. I think I managed to get good footage of her walking up and down the bar whilst belting out a tune. I forgot my lamp for the camera but hopefully I got some good shots.

Next on were the eagerly anticipated Clik Clik. I'd got a few people down to see these and I was glad I did. Really articulate and accessable DIY electro/hiphop stuff. I found them really charming as an act and they've got some very strong songs. They'll easily be getting decent radioplay in short order and I imagine getting a deal shouldn't be too difficult either. Whether it's with us/another major or they start taking the indie route is in the hands of fate I guess. Check out 'Done You Wrong' if you get chance.

Playing us through until the wee hours were Mano de Dios. An interesting Spanish/Flamenco influenced folk-rock out fit fronted by a fella called Jackson Scott. I didn't really know much about them as it was a recommendation from a friend. One of the girls in the crowd asked me "Is that Jackson Scott?" "Yes" I replied "You seen em before?" "Nope, I used to fancy him when he was dating Sadie Frost" Ahhh. You see, I have never kept up with whos dating who and I'm crap with any kind of celebrity, even the major ones. I'm crap at recognising anyone. Apparently I was chatting to Anna Friel for ages in my office. I didn't know who it was until it was explained to me three days later. I was ruthlessly taken the piss of for that.

All in all they were really good, but I was spangled by that point so camera work and cognitive thought proved difficult by 1am.

The place was crammed all night which considering I do very little promotion (apart from a mention on here) is pretty good. I want it to be a word of mouth thing really. :-)

After the gig me and Chalky went to have a look at the damage at the other end of Camden. Looked pretty bad and most of the other half of town was sealed off. I think it's going to be a long time before they get stuff sorted up there. The Hawley is probably going to be out of commission for a very long time.

I will get some previews of the video up asap. I'm quite excited to see how the footage turned out.

Hope all is well with you.

IBx

---------------------

YES MY KETTLEBELL HAS BEEN DELIVERED!!!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Hello,

OH MY GOD HOW AMAZINGLY GOOD WAS SATURDAY?!? I really enjoyed it and yet again all the acts went beyond all expectation. The place was packed out for most of the evening and I think everyone had a really good time.

I did the whole 'host' thing and announced each act which was good as people knew who to ask about the bands. Everyone got interest from the crowd which was really good to see.

The impishly lovely Lizzy opened the night with her delicate and insightful tunes. Certainly a candidate for the alternative folk night I want to start somewhere.

I'd been looking forward to seeing Young Husband for a while as I'd taken an interest in the scene surrounding Emmy the Great. He's been playing guitar for her for a while and had a gig literally right before mine at the Barfly. So he had to run down the road to get to TF's and perform. He must have been a bit gigged out by the end of it.

Rebbecca Jade was as quirky and emotive as I imagined. In her bespoke golden cocktail dress she wooed the audience with her combination of whimsical and darkly influenced songs. She certainly won over the crowd and I look forward to getting her involved in a bigger event. You must check her out at some point.

Daniel Flay and the Irreperable Guilt were all I hoped. TF's is possibly not quite the venue for his soft touch songwriting but once the set was in full swing the strength of his material was easy to hear. Really enjoyed the set and I'm looking forward to seeing how his material progresses over the coming months.

King Hermit were mental. Loud, very loud and reasonably mental. But also bloody good fun to watch. They were telling me their last gig had a bit of a moshpit thing going on, I said you don't get much of that from the usual Camden glitterati but there are venues/nights around London which are good for getting something like that going. Shame the Red Eye was knocked down.

Anyhow..... KOJO WERE AMAZING AND ONE OF THE BEST LIVE ACTS I'VE SEEN IN A WHILE. They were the first band I've put on that weren't allowed to leave the stage without an encore. People walking past the venue would stop, look through the window at what was going on, then come in the venue to see the band. That was a first for me aswell. You can hear a lot of influences in there and I heard Prince being mentioned in the crowd when people were chatting about them afterward. Plus I had several punters ask me for details of when they're next playing. The band dynamic/chemistry and a fantastic frontman make Kojo one of my personal 'one's to keep an eye on' for 2008 I think.

OK, video matters. I met up with a couple of people at the venue and discussed something slightly more professional in the way of video'ing. They're an independent company who specialise in music videos (I think) and said they're willing to start filming and editing these nights. All early stages yet but some months ago discussions were held in the blogs about establishing some kind of regular podcast/video podcast. So hopefully this could be the start. As regards the first one I filmed, thanks to Fooligan I have something to stick on here. Unfortunately, my poor skills as a cameraman were highlighted and he didn't have much to work with methinkgs. But please check out the below for a flavour of what the showcase nights are like.

Hope all is well with you.

IB

Read and post comments | Send to a friend