Happy Mondays on a Saturday Night

I was in Greenpoint, Brooklyn Saturday night at my favorite bar away from home, Bar Matchless, when I noticed the usual Saturday night motown mix had changed to smashups of Brit pop remixes and 80's hip hop. Lo and behold Paul Davis, former keyboardist for the Happy Mondays was at the helm turning the place, or more like my seat at the bar, into a major dance party. My friend, Brian, and I had so much fun we had to immortalize the night by getting our photo with the legendary Madchester Brit popper. He will be in Los Angeles this week spinning at the Beauty Bar in Hollywood. Guaranteed good times ahead if you go. I'd seriously consider it if I didn't hate LA nightclubs so much.

Jason Statham Sighting

If you happen to watch the Superbowl next month look for me in the new big budget Audi commercial where Jason Statham steals my car. He was very nice to work with and a true English gentleman. He came right up to me on set and introduced himself. I'm pretty sure I turned beet red as he is one of my favorite English actors. Hopefully I won't get cut out of the commercial because mama needs a new pair of shoes. and pants. and culinary school tuition. and new headshots. and...

Fancy A Seat?

My friend Sandy found this. I have no idea where.
But I would like two, a matching couch and
Richard Ashcroft sprawling across,
while writing a song and offering me grapes.
Thanks.

Off To The Motherland...

Well, er, someone's motherland.

So, my Anglofiler friends, I leave this Sunday for a U.K./Ire-palooza that includes several days in Dublin (I must assuage my U2 fetish and visit the Guinness factory) then off to London to see My Bloody Valentine's first show since Kevin Shields went all J.D. Salinger and dropped off the face of the planet. I got some musician friends I might be meeting up with (two of whom fit right alongside - and probably played with - My Bloody Valentine)... then revisiting my old stomping ground of Brighton.

Brighton was seriously such an amazing place for me when I lived there in '97 then returned for a month in '99. A Brightonian friend once aptly described it thusly, "All the good bits of London without all the shit." I thought that was pretty astute.

When I was 21, I went to visit a friend at a bar he worked at on the Brighton seafront, drenched from the rain (which blows at you with hurricane force from the sea), I walked in to see no one in the dimly lit bar except my friend behind the counter... and Nick Cave with two of his friends. Wow.

I suspected my flamboyant friend wouldn't know who Cave was but silly me, he did a duet with Kylie so all the gays know who he is! My friend took one look at Nick and then my awe-struck face and promptly quipped, "Now don't you go run and over, sit in his lap and ask for a record contract." Ha. After Cave and his friends departed, we decided to eat his leftover french fries because we were broke, hungry and thought that it would make a funny story to say we ate Nick Cave's french fries.

Several years later, I interviewed Cave and regaled him with that tale. You can read about it here. Despite what I had heard about him being difficult with journalists, I found him to be charming, erudite and very kind. When I told him my friend was too terrified to ask him for an autograph despite being the publicist for his backing band (the Dirty Three), he promptly took his tea bag out of its cup and signed, "This is my tea bag. Nick Cave."

I was very thrilled that I could tell my friend that she had now officially been tea-bagged by Nick Cave.

Anyhow... yeah, U.K. ahoy. I have no idea what I'm in for, who I'm meeting or what will happen but - should be an adventure.

Swervedriver Doesn't Lose That Feeling

2008 has become the year of the 90's Brit rock reunions. After nearly a decade long absence, Swervedriver brought back the magic in a spot on hour and half set last night at the Hendry Fonda Theatre.

Strange to go to concerts these days where there's no one under 25. Nonetheless, these are my people. Thirty somethings wearing Fred Perry and goth girls who remind me of myself from high school just a little older and fatter. It felt like home last night. Anglofiles were up front and personal but, alas, Adam Franklin just isn't the eye candy Richard Ashcroft is so we didn't take many photos. Sonically we were in awe, though. It was a great set even though Tatiana didn't get to hear "She weaves a tender trap" and I didn't get "Never lose that feeling." We went home quite satisfied and with massively ringing ears. Rock!

More Verve, Verve, Verve New Songs

Alright lovelies -

2 things:

Here are 3 clips from the show. 2 are of their new songs! And the ten second clip of "Already There" is pretty special because I requested it of Ashcroft in the lobby, when he introduced it too early he said, "Oh I ruined the surprise." We didn't actually think he was playing my request...even though he said "I hear there's some Storm In Heaven fans in the audience".

But upon looking through our show photos now, Detective Tatiana just realized that the song IS NOT on the set list we have... so basically, he did take her request and it was a surprise! SNAP! W0W!


New song... set list said "Disco"... we say, Verve meets New Order = magic



Sit And Wonder



Already There... gone wild.


More photos added here...

We Met Richard Ashcroft!!!!!

Hells yes!

Let me tell you my friends - we got something even the NME don't have from the sweat pit that was Coachella and that is exclusive photos and...video of the Verve's show and 2 new songs (the last one which is a herculean jam that sounds like Verve meets New Order) from their kick ass show in Las Vegas. We'll put it up until we get busted and it has to come down. :) 1,600 capacity crowd + air conditioning = we rule.

Judita is going to be posting about the show but we had a blast. When Tati ran into Richard in the lobby she requested a number of cuts off A Storm In Heaven. She also jumped around like a fraggle after he walked away. Before he played her request, "Already There" that night he said, "This is 'Already There' and...I think we have some Storm in Heaven fans in the audience." Tati will pretend he meant her.

Here are some photos, expect more coming as well as our reenactment of meeting Ashcroft (as we didn't get photos or autographs and what have you)! We're classy! ...and didn't have cameras handy. Your faithful detectives are the fine ladies using chopsticks below.

xo
the AF