Live music »

Is it possible to be too sugary, too saccharine? Certainly not on this evidence. After the initial overload of sweetness, the subtle layers reveal themselves, rich yet smooth. Finally when close to the end youre lost, lulled into an almost meditative state, a final burst of golden goodness hits sending the senses tingling. Say what you like about the music at Puregroove, but their Chocolate caramel shortbread is unbelievable.
At 2 quid 50p with a cup of tea, the transformation of Puregroove from a wonderful record store in unfashionable Archway to a Farringdon coffee shop, venue, record store and general hang out goes from strength to strength. Free instore gigs from the shops most tipped bands were always a PG speciality, but in its more central location by 1.30 the store is bustling with a mixture of students, music lovers and workers on their lunch break.

As lunchtime freebies go Musée Mécanique are a delight, serving up a beguiling mix of lush gentle folk pop, all laced with an air of nostalgia for the past, and perhaps the soon to be passed. Slimmed down to a 3 piece for this European jaunt, the lack of drummer and bass player doesn’t hamper their intricate sound. On either side of the singer an array of instruments, some seemingly homemade are strewn across two desks, with band members switching places at will. The clutter is added to by their decision to deconstruct the drum kit so upfront the singer operates the bass drum with his foot, the keyboard players toe flicks the high-hat, and stage left a spare tambourine is tied to a pedal under the desk of the guy with a melodica in his mouth.

Five years ago the core of the band moved to Portland, Oregon with a plan to write some songs. The resulting “Hold This Ghost” LP first emerged in late 2008 garnering praise from influential sites like Pitchfork. Theres a hint of pre Mr’s Robinson Simon & Garfunkel about some of the tunes although I dont recall Paul Simon playing a wood saw as vocalist Micah Rabwin does for their opening number.

As befitting a band named after a museum containing 200 coin-operated mechanical musical instruments and antique arcade machines the Musée sound is often wonderfully intricate.  Trinkets, xylophones, and ancient musical boxes layer upon each other momentarily transforming a sparse record store into a sepia tinged funfair. The audience listening while spinning on candycane stemmed horses from old merrygorounds .  It’s impossible to listen to “Our Changing Skins” without imagining a crackly old film containing some distant childhood memory played out in slo-motion.

They are equally effective when keeping it simple, “The Things That I Know“  begins with only a lovely plucked guitar line and Micah Rabwin’s sweet soft voice.  Its unusual to hear live music without the hum of people nattering at the bar but here there’s complete silence bar a clear guitar and voice. Exquisite.

Before making their exit the band reveal that their German record label thought it would be funny to book a big bright yellow 9 seater van for the tour. With only 3 members rattling around in it the band enquire if anyone fancies a trip to Brussels tomorrow? While I’d love to hear the album in full, I hear they do rotten caramel shortbread.

Musée Mécanique – Facebook / Twitter / Myspace

Listen: Musée Mécanique – “The Things That I Know” (MP3)

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Buy: Musée Mécanique – “Hold This Ghost”

HibOO d’Live : Musee Mecanique “Things that I know” from Le-HibOO.com on Vimeo.

Popularity: 1% [?]

TEN4SE7EN »

Ryan (StopMe): My God it’s been a long time since I did a TEN4SE7EN (Work commitments being the excuse). I’ve missed it and hopefully this post will be the first of many:

On a trip to HMV I found they were selling last year’s über-deluxe Chris Rea triple-cd/double-vinyl/book ‘The Return Of The Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes’ for the insane price of £8 English pounds. I’m never really listened to the guy before but at that price it was worth a punt. It’s chock full of classy Blues numbers and clever Shadows tributes. The smouldering Blues of ‘Talk To God, Act like The Devil’ is just one highlight.

I just got a copy of Archie Bronson Outfit’s new LP ‘Coconut’. As before, the new songs are ear destroyingly ferocious swamp-Blues cuts, like album opener ‘Magnetic Warrior’. The album comes with a bonus DVD with videos specially made for every song… bargain!

Aussie Bertie Blackman’s last LP is a brilliant delight for Florence Welch/Natasha Khan fans everywhere. The Glacial beauty of ‘Valentine’ is truly haunting.

It’s been a long wait since I was blown away by David E. Sugar live (When I saw him supporting Example), but his debut album is finally on the way. I just got it on promo and the unashamedly Kraftwerk cribbing ‘Also Moved’ is pure Robo-tastic majesty.

New album’s by the legendary Gil Scott-Heron don’t come along very often. So I was pretty damned excited by his new set which is packed by the kind of Socially conscious songs he’s famous for. It’s also got delightful love-songs like ‘I’ll Take Care Of You’, complete with gorgeous croaky voiced Soul vocals.

Last year I saw the mind-blowing Soul/Beatbox/Poetry/Rap/Comedy of Reggie Watts (Sell your Mother for tickets when he comes to town). Finally I found a live mp3 of my favourite song of the night, the Gangsta-Rap parody ‘Fuck Shit Stack’. Take note, every sound you hear comes from Reggie’s mouth, backing vocals, raps, beats and all!

Having enjoyed Keb Darge’s (And Cut Chemist’s) last ‘Lost & Found’ Rockabilly compilation I had to get the next entry in the series. This time he teams up with Paul Weller to bring us 28 rare Soul nuggets. The Tempos’ ‘(Countdown) Here I Come’ is just one magnificent example of what’s on the record.

Featuring the voice of Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner, ‘Gangs Of Rome’ was always going to be good. It’s taken from Ashley Beedle’s ‘Mavis’ project that also employees the talents of luminaries like Candi Staton, Cerys Matthews and Ed Harcourt.

I just watched the brilliant documentary ‘Dennis Wilson: The Real Beach Boy’ on BBC4 (It’s on iPlayer for a few more days). I then finally went out and got the deluxe re-issue of Dennis Wilson’s ‘Pacific Ocean Blue’. Bonus track ‘Holy Man’ was a sublime unfinished Instrumental until Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins stepped up to the mike to create something very lovely indeed. Taylor’s vocals and Dennis’ dreamy production bring to mind early Mark Everett at his best. (YouTube)

I recently saw Robert Glasper’s Jazz trio at Gilles Peterson’s superb Worldwide Awards show. Every bit of his set was exhilarating but the moment when I realised he had just gone into Radiohead’s ‘Everything In It’s Right Place’ was magical. This studio recording of the cover can be found on his first LP.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A ZIP CONTAINING ALL TEN MP3s

Archie Bronson Outfit MySpace / Purchase
Bertie Blackman MySpace / Purchase
Chris Rea Website / Purchase
David E. Sugar MySpace / Purchase
Dennis Wilson Website / Purchase
Gil Scott-Heron MySpace / Purchase
Ashley Beedle MySpace / Purchase
Reggie Watts MySpace / Purchase
Robert Glasper MySpace / Purchase
Keb Darge MySpace / Purchase

Popularity: 1% [?]

Live music »

Kings Cross hasn’t quite shaken off its seedy air entirely but Kings Place on York Way is a good example of just how much times have changed. Certainly different to 14/15 years ago when I did a nights work as a cross between security guard and Satellite truck technician. That evening outside an Antipodean pick up joint, not unlike the Walkabout but without its air of sophistication was beyond grim. LiveTV! were broadcasting a dating show from within the sawdust floored cesspit, while I did my best to fend off aggressively beered up rugby types. The trip to the nightbus was obstacle course of discarded needles and the unwanted attention of drug ravaged prostitutes.

In 2010 the scene is slightly different, Kings Place, the first new public concert hall in London for 25 years has swapped the syringes for studious sophistication. The Guardian newspaper appropriately shares the building.
No chance then of the usual shoe sticking to floor gig experience for this the fourth night of Arctic Circles Bubbly Blue & Green festival. Gliding down the escalator to the subterranean concert halls the events theme of  ‘water music’, shipwrecks, rivers, waves and lighthouses is quickly apparent. Cutout fishes dangle above, watery textures project up onto the ceiling and two people dressed as Eskimo’s dangle sweets on the end of fishing rods to tempt the punters below. The Sone Institute play live watery soundscapes as we relax on comfy chairs, cup of tea tea in hand.  People are making origami creatures on a table nearby and the fishing couple above have cleverly attached a cam to the end of their rod, throwing a shimmery image of those below onto one wall. I’m starting to feel a little drowsy or at least more so than crowding round the bar deciding whether to have warm Carling, Carling or Carling.

Click here for a free 13 track compilation of artists who performed at the festival
Hamilton Yarns – “Search for the underwater town” (MP3)

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It would be wonderfully dramatic to say the evenings performance is a once in a lifetime, one-off, never to be repeated experience, but strictly speaking its a two-off, (probably) never to be repeated which is special enough for me. Brighton based Willkommen records are cut from a similar cloth to Fifes celebrated Fence Collective, consisting of numerous bands, many with members in common who alongside their own LP’s seem to have the habit of interpreting each others work. The Willkommen Orchestra is made up of 20 musicians from four groups, The Miserable Rich, Shoreline, Sons of Noel & Adrian and The Climbers interpreting the songs of those groups en masse.
With a couple of dozen musicians on stage you’d be forgiven for expecting a battle of ego’s but the only evidence of such is a inadvertent slip of the tongue from The Miserable Rich’s lead singer James Malplaquet. Joking about the seething mass of ego’s present he introduced the section of Miserable Rich songs by saying “the next part of the evening features the music of MY group…” before swiftly correcting himself to a more “collective” description.

In truth the lack of arrogance seems at odds with the talent present, the 5 main vocalists take turns to spotlight their fabulously distinctive voices before shuffling off to shake a tambourine, provide backing vocals or guitar. The evening is a debut for The Climbers, the newest addition to the labels roster, although as is the Willkommen way they contain members of Sons Of Noel & Adrian, The Leisure Society and Miserable Rich. Tim West may be a low key front man but he’s assembled a cast of dozens to swell the anticipation for the May release of their 5 years in the making LP.

I’d been surprisingly underwhelmed by The Leisure Society supporting Alela Diane last year so it was a pleasure to hear Nick Hemming put his banjo aside for a moment and step up to the mic. Of the two tracks performed “In a Circle” (youtube) (if thats whats its called) was especially good.

The Climbers – Myspace / Facebook
Watch:
The Climbers / Willkommen Orchestra – “In a Circle” (Qik Video)
The Climbers / Willkommen Orchestra – “Anything” (Qik Video)
Listen:
The Climbers – “Uncommon” (MP3)

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We unfortunatly missed Shoreline due to the ramshackle nature of Kings Place with the only open bar a floor up without a PA system to tell you the next performance is underway.

Shoreline – “Shipwrecked” (MP3)

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I last saw The Miserable Rich completely accidently playing by the riverside under a Texan bridge as dusk fell and bats filled the sky, but this was the first time I’d heard their eagerly awaited new material. On the evidence of the four songs played the new songs are not as instant, less dark, but in the gorgeous at least “Oliver” may hold the promise of equalling one of the unsung albums of the last few years. James Malplaquet has an affecting voice at the best of times but when slowly intoning each word of “The… feast… of … Oliver” with the pin drop beautiful accompaniment of the choir its enough to make a grown man weep.

The sound produced by all present, brass, woodwind, string, piano, choir is at times overwhelming. Scanning the stage your eyes and ears pick out individual elements within the collective whole, whether that’s the ever present bearded Will Calderbank dashing between Cello and grand piano or the accordion player. The layers build and build into a glorious swell of sound but its the quieter moments that send tingles down the spine. The sweet voices of the choir softly sending out the lyrics with minimal accompaniment.

The Miserable Rich – Facebook / Twitter
Listen: The Miserbale Rich – “Knife Throwers Hand” (MP3)

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Watch: The Miserable Rich / Willkommen Orchestra – “Unknown” (Youtube)

My knowledge of The Sons of Noel and Adrian’s music was limited to their scene stealing covers of fellow Willkommen artists, but here they stole the show with their own material.  Jacob Richardson’s (above left) voice is no where near as gravelly as Joe Cocker, but its the closest comparison I have to get across the mixture of roughness and soul he brings to bare. That alone would be perfect enough but in the sweet angelic lilt of Catherine Cardin he has the perfect foil. A bit of googling after the gig reveals what I should have guessed, she’s got a solo project linked in to Willkommen, Redwood Red.
The evening ended all too soon with “Damian” bringing every musician and instrument on stage to play in a joyous wall of sound. The audience left Kings Place torn between preserving the privilege of hearing a rare never to be repeated performance, and the knowledge that it would be a criminal not to capture something this beautiful for posterity.

Sons of Noel & Adrian – Facebook
The Miserable Rich – “Boat Song (Sons of Noel & Adrian mix)” (MP3)

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Willkommen Collective – Facebook

Buy: Willkommen Records shop

Look: Just For A Short While’s superb flickr set of photo’s from the evening
Fionchadd has over 200 pictures in her Flickr set

Read:
The Line Of Best Fit has a review and some fabulous pics

Listen:
Download two excellent Willkommen compilations packed with covers and oneoffs – Willkommen Collective Vol 1 / Willkommen Christmas 2008
Laish Quartet – “In The Morning” (MP3)

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Laish Quartet – “The Sleeper” (MP3)

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The Leisure Society – “Pancake Day” (MP3)

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Watch:
The Leisure Society – Lovely fan made video

The London Snorkeling Team

The London Snorkeling Team create cocktail, crime, space music they imagine happened sometime in the 1950s at a party for experimental scientists with an obsession for cartoons. It sounds a bit like the theme music from Inspector Gadget as played by a cocktail band.

The Line Of Best Fit were less than impressed describing them as  “little more than a surrealist experiment in bad jazz, am-dram and overhead-projector storytelling, one has every right to feel blighted.”

The London Snorkeling Team – “Samuel Langoustine” (MP3)

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Myspace / Buy beautifully packaged Audio Recording and map

Popularity: 1% [?]

News and MP3s »

My initial slightly tongue in cheek tweet doesn’t really communicate just how depressing news that the BBC “could” be set to cut two of its digital stations really is.
The loss of BBC 6Music and The Asian Network may only directly effect around a million listeners but the decision would have huge ramifications on everything from the viability of up and coming new bands, the BBC’s relevance to ethnic minorities, and the future of DAB Digital Radio.

It would signal a betrayal by Mark Thompson of the very reasons the BBC exists, ie to represent and provide for EVERYONE irrespective of commercial cost, niche or minority. Perhaps its a sop to a potential incoming Conservative government or to the Murdoch press who broke the story describing the BBC as “Big, Bloated and Cunning“. If so its naive, Murdoch doesn’t dislike a “bloated BBC” its the BBC as a concept, as a public service that he considers disgusting. The idea that for around the price of a Sky Sports subscription people can get TV, national and local radio, iplayer, and a world respected website all without the proprietors enforced political bias is anathema to the man.
Snivelling cockwheasel Tory Shadow Culture minister Ed Vaizey greeted the closures as both “intelligent and sensible“. In 2009 The Sun switched its support to The Conservatives.

Jarvis Cocker’s Sunday Service – “Valentines Day Special” (MP3) 1hr 50mins

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The Divine Comedy – “A Lady Of A Certain Age” (6music Session) (MP3)

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DJ Cable – “BBC Asian Network Hype Mixtape Challenge” (MP3) / tracklist

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Listen below to Richard Bacon on 6music giving his views on the BBC axing a jewel in its crown… Amanda Holden’s Big Top comedy series

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As my earlier tweet hinted Im by no means an evangelical 6music listener but the station has carved out a niche particularly for unsigned and up and coming new acts.  Its live sessions in particular have provided a first breakthrough for countless bands who quite simply wouldn’t be heard without it.

The Asian Network is even more vital for acts with much less chance of exposure and by extension ability to earn a living.  The stations South Asian remit takes in everything from Bhangra to Bollywood and the British Asian Underground, all styles unlikely to trouble the airwaves anywhere other than on The Asian network.
And its not just about exposure, Performing Rights Society (PRS) money paid per play on stations like 1xtra and Asian Network provide financial support to artists. Pirate radio, and most commercial stations don’t pay out for plays in the same way the BBC stations do so its closure could end careers, and starve scenes of both exposure and an income.

The Asian Network also serves a section of licence fee payers arguably under-represented by Auntie. The cost per listener may be fairly high at the moment but the cost of its loss in terms of minority communities feeling any connection with the BBC could be even greater.

Leaving aside George Lamb, 6music has begun to fulfil the dreamed for potential of being the station John Peel would have wished for and less the one your middle of the road dad would appreciate. There’s a long way to go until Peel would truly have approved but recruiting people like Jarvis Cocker who’s a musically respected name, rather than just a name is a step in the right direction.  Take a listen to the Jarvis Cockers Valentines Day special for an example of a wonderfully diverse, intelligent piece of radio at its best.

In The Guardian Phil Jupitas explains how the stations eclectic output simply isnt available anywhere else on the dial. Particularly during the day commercial stations who lack the freedom afforded by licence fee backing have no option but to pump out the most popular mainstream music possible. Like any other station 6music has a playlist that forms the bedrock of its output but DJ’s on the channel are also allowed to play their own choices irrespective of style.

“I once bumped into one of my main competitors from commercial breakfast radio on a train. As we chatted, I bemoaned the fact that we only got nine free choices per show. He looked at me somewhat crestfallen and said “I get one … a week.” Phil Jupitas

As far as I’m concerned 6music is worth the 6 million pounds (or 10 x Chris Moyles paycheck) a year just for providing a home to Adam Buxton and Jake Cornish. I listen to the music free podcast rather than the live show, partly because if Im honest I find the music a little bland.  All I can say is whoever penned the old joke about “these arnt wrinkles, theyre laughter lines…. REPLY: Nothings that funny!” never subscribed to the A&J 6music podcast. Watch A&J NWA cover “Help The Police”.

“I was going to buy a digital radio next week. If they get rid of BBC 6music I might as well not fucking bother.” Charlie Brooker on Twitter

DAB Digital Radio will also be badly hit by the loss of two of its most high profile stations. How many people who bought digital radio’s would like Charlie Brooker of thought twice without particularly 6music.  As with TV, the government will no doubt be keen to sell off the analogue radio spectrum once the digital switchover is feasible at around the 50% take up point.  The figure has barely broken 20% as yet so DAB itself could be fatally undermined by this ill conceived plan.

When The Times leaked news of 6music’s possible closure SaveBBC6music immediately began trending in the top 10 Worldwide tweets and Facebook groups sprang up dedicated to demonstrating the strength of feeling among its 700,000 listeners.
Hopefully the thousands of “Save6music” campaigners will shout equally loudly for the Asian Network too. By demographic coincidence 6music’s largest listening type, 30something white middle class males happen to also be the type likely to spend inordinate amounts of time tweeting, blogging and updating their facebook status. I’m in no way knocking the wonderful outpouring of support 6music has received but DJ’s like Bobby Friction or Pathaan’s Musical Rickshaw on The Asian Network are as much musical champions of the unchampioned as Steve Lamacq on 6Music is.
Their survival is about fighting for musical diversity and as such the two stations are intertwined as a cause. Anyone who’s a truly a music lover should be equally passionate about the survival of both.

Twitter users: Add a SAVE 6 MUSIC & THE ASIAN NETWORK twibbon to your twitter picture here
Facebook SaveAsianNetwork / Save6music
Submit a complaint to the BBC

The Guardian – If the BBC closes 6Music it will be because it cares more about listening figures than fulfilling its public service remit
Phil Jupitas talks about his time on 6music and why its wrong to close it

As a BBC staff member I should to declare an interest, but my main interest is in musical diversity. An example being the new scheme set up by the BBC Introducing team who’ve given vital exposure to new bands across the nation. The volume of music uploaded to the Introducing website has been phenomenal, and as the BBC has a duty to listen to it all they’ve recruited music fans from any part of the BBC. The upshot, I’m assigned a local radio station area and while Im munching my baguette at lunchtime I can listen to anything uploaded from that location. You can’t fast forward or skip tracks but its a privilege to get to hear such a wide variety of music. If in my humble opinion I think a track is worthy of consideration for airplay I can click a button to forward the song on to the Introducing show for that part of the country. They are totally free to ignore my recommendations but it is to borrow The Times’ phrase “a cunning” way of ensuring as much music as possible gets listened to, and where possible given vital exposure.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Live music »

Back in 95 when Skee-Lo’s infectious wish that he was a “a little bit taller“ was flying up the charts, I couldn’t help but think if he actually was he might quickly wish to be diminutive once more. It’s true that at gigs being 6ft 6″ means unless Magic Johnson’s up the front you can pretty much see from wherever you choose to stand. The downside (apart from the guilt when someone 5ft stands behind you) is its difficult to blend in.

And so it proved at Jay Electronica’s first UK gig since “Exhibit C” transformed him from the internets hottest rapper to a Hot97 featuring, itunes destroying mainstream star. Oddly a lot of the publicity heralded the night as Jay’s UK live debut despite him playing here a number of times as far back as 2008.

(VIDEO BELOW From HigherPlane.net)

Looking dapper in an immaculately tailored suit, like Louis Farrakhan guesting on Mad Men, Electronica is witty, engaging and utterly at ease on stage. Early in the gig he jokingly asked if we’d mind if he had a Jack Daniels to ease his nerves. Pouring himself one he asked if anyone else wanted a glass to which an American on the balcony yelled down “Yes, Up here”. Later he admonishes him for asking for more, calling him a “rude American” while pouring him another anyway. After running out of glasses a girl at the side of the stage requests a swig to which Jay goes to enquire if she’s got cooties… before saying what the hell I’ll just catch whatever you’ve got.

All very amusing… until midway through he set Jay abruptly stops and staring straight at my head poking up above the throng declares “this guy here is the only person still making me nervous“. To general chuckles he wanders over and enquires my name, “Leon!!”…oh Neil he says when corrected.
“Neil, Why are you making me nervous?” he gently demanded. At which point Id love to say I came back with a witty retort, but no I just stood and let my cheeks cycle through a variety of purple tinged shades. “Are you here with your girl?” came the next question… “no“… “then why are you making me nervous…if it isn’t because you think Im going to steal your girl!?” Clearly by now he’d taken pity on me and in his best Dick Van Dyke accent declared “Im only joking… what a handsome bloke!“… clarifying as he walked away “but not in a gay way!“. And who says Americans don’t do sarcasm!

Enough of the stories you might say, what about the music?! Well, you can’t really describe Jay Electronica live without the stories, because frankly there are lots of them. He could clearly earn a crust as an after dinner speaker, but some might say they came to hear the man’s MUSIC not his anecdotes. Its difficult to criticise too much though when you look round and see a mass of smiling faces.

Also for a long time it seemed like Jay may not actually turn up. It was a thankless task for the two support acts in front of a crowd who clearly only wanted to see one person. Fatima at least tried, and her fine voice is worth seeking out in more favourable conditions, especially as she already has quality material with Floating Points, and her vocal on Shafiq Husayn’s wonderful “Lil Girl”.

DJ Benji B entertained the crowd with some choice tunes while the announcements that Jay was 10 minutes away, almost here or in the building became increasingly desperate as time ticked on. It was almost 11pm – the time the gig was supposed to finish! – before Jay finally appeared on the gantry above the stage to much applause and more than a little relief. Later it transpired that it was all Gilles Peterson’s fault as Electronica had been busy watching Arsenal lose, and Giles was responsible for switching Jay’s allegiance from Chelsea in Makalele’s days to the Gooners. Jay researched the crowds allegiances by measuring the boo’s as he mentioned London teams… obviously Chelsea received the largest chorus of disdain.

One of his numerous unreleased tracks “Dear Moleskine” got the evening started. Its typical of Jay’s leftfield nature that the track first leaked as part of a trailer for a supposed feature length film featuring Electronica exploring the globe talking to characters like Monks at the Bodinath Buddhist Temple in Kathmandu. Unreleased or not, the crowd knew every word, mouthing each one along with Jay.

Overall he performed surprisingly little of his own material, he rapped some Nas and early in the evening a heartfelt tribute to J Dilla.
Asking the crowd to imagine Dilla in hospital wired up to machines with doctors telling him by rights he should be already be dead. Such was Dilla’s love of working on his music, Jay said, that instead of feeling self pity he asked for his MPC to be hooked up by his bedside.
With the “Waves” beat playing he asked everyone to take out a lighter/mobile anything that shines and hold it up in respect of Dilla. For a minute or two he just zoned out as it played telling us to feel this beat is being communicated to you from his death bed. It might have been moving but unfortunately an argument was breaking out next to me between some girls up the front and a very young inebriated young black boy cruelly trapped in the body of a white boy from Surrey. They reasonably objected to his constant “brapping” and gesticulating with his hand onto their heads.

Next came one of the most memorable moments of the evening as Jay asked if anyone wanted to come up and try some rhymes over the Dilla beat. I think the look on Jay Electronica’s face in this photo says it all about how shocked he was at just how good the young guy (North London MC Mangaliso Asi) who volunteered from the side of the stage was (see this bit and the much more on HigherPlanes superb video Pt2).
As Jay said “Normally when you pull people up on stage they might be wack, but Gilles, Gilles Peterson you’re in the building you got a play this man on the BBC. Give me your scouts honour youll play him!”

One person posting on the Brownswood forum objected to the very idea of inviting “civilians” up on stage:
“If I wanted to be kept waiting, 25 quid lighter and shouted at by a member of the public, I’d buy crack round the back of Lidl“.

I have to say I’d have liked it if Electronica had performed more tracks, but I wouldn’t have swapped that for the genuine sense of not knowing what might happen next. Would he rap accapella, serve drinks, discuss politics, jump into the crowd, tell jokes? I’ve not seen a performer break down the barrier between Star and public as much as Jay did and that can’t be a bad thing.
In the picture above he announced he’d been writing his own opera, and began delivering lines in baritone Italian! I’m sure I was the only person who didn’t see it coming, but I remember for a split second thinking “jesus he’s got a great voice“. At that moment of course he moved the mic away from his mouth while the singing being played by DJ TJ the King continued. Does anyone know what the track was called?? Jay did say, and even asked if anyone spoke Italian and knew what it meant. A quick witted audience member replied “playo Exhibito C-o“.

It would be dishonest of me not to mention the one moment in the show that made me uneasy. When with grins on their faces Jay and his DJ said they had a theory they tested at every city on tour, and that is, its a fact that “every woman loves to be strangled during sex“. Some girls like to be strangled a bit, while others love to be really throttled! They then asked for all the ladies in the place who liked to be choked during sex to put their hands up and shout… a gaggle to the side of the stage thrust their hands up while the line of girls in front of me kept theirs firmly crossed.
Its not really for me to say whats right or wrong sexually, and frankly whether this particular music blogger either enjoys, has indulged in or is disgusted by a bit of rougher sex is not really relevant. All Im saying is it felt unpleasant, the atmosphere changed for a moment, and for what its worth I thought it both a wrong and degrading generalisation but hell thats just me! He did say he was only joking…

Back to the music! His production on “Queens Get The Money” gave Nas the “Electronica” sound, and he returned the favour here, performing a cover of Nas’s “My World” track. As usual he teased the audience asking if there were Nas fans in the building, hinting he might make an appearance… a trick he tried again later with Jay Z.

The “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind” sampling “Pledge“ that first brought Jay to everyones attention back in 2007 was another highlight. As he did on numerous occasions throughout the night he cut the music, slowed everything down and recited the lyrics crystal clear to little more than the sound of others in the audience whispering the words. It’s a pet hate of mine that HipHop, a genre that more than perhaps any other should be about the words is often lyrically unintelligible live.

Predictably it was Exhibit A & C that really had the Jazz Cafe jumping, C being so good he played it twice, but the gig never really ended in a traditional sense. Yes he said goodnight London, and thanked us all but instead of exiting stage left he told everyone to head to the afterparty at MoMo’s, and then stepped down into the audience. There he stayed for at least 45 minutes, posing for pictures, signing, giving advice, even asking if anyone wanted to rhyme over some more beats while he worked the crowd. The lady who took the mic gamely kept going for a minute or two but realising Jay wasnt going anywhere gave the mic back to the DJ after cheekily advertising her myspace.

There are artists with a 10th of Jay Electronica’s talent who wouldn’t even consider “wasting their time” mingling with the fans for a minute let alone an hour. A guy wearing a tie suggested swapping and within moments he had Electronica’s no doubt expensive tie round his neck while Jay carefully knotted his “new” one.

So mission accomplished, London charmed, hit record No.1 under the belt… now the tricky part, matching the hype and delivering that long promised, long delayed LP.

Jay Electronica – Twitter / Facebook

“Last night We SMASHED #LondonTown! Good Morning!”

Listen:
Jay Electronica – “Act 1: The Pledge” (MP3)

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and rather than post “Exhibit C” here’s the original track it samples:
Billy Stewart – “Cross My Heart” (MP3)

Watch:
Jay Electronica – “‘Dear Moleskine’, ‘Abracadabra’, ‘Dimethyltryptamine’ and ‘Exhibit A’ (HigherPlane.tv)” (Youtube)
Jay Electronica – “Part 2 of HigherPlane.tv’s compilation of the night”
Jay Electronica – “Eternal Sunshine (Live @ Jazz Cafe) (Youtube)
Jay Electronica – “Exhibit A (Live @ Jazz Cafe) (Youtube) / Alt Vid (lower quality)
Jay Electronica – “Exhibit C (Live @ Jazz Cafe) (Vimeo)
Jay Electronica – “Jay invites Mangaliso Asi to freestyle for him” (Youtube)

Look:
Absolutely fabulous pictures from Atribecallednext… Brilliant.
My Flickr set of pictures from the gig

Read:
Overrating The UnderRated’s comprehensive review (must read)
HigherPlane was called a “rude American” by Jay but got served Jack Daniels by the man too!
YinnYang posts a detailed gig review and a Vimeo video clip

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