Blues Gig Last Night
I had a great time playing with The Black Diamonds at Ain’t Nothin But last night. Here’s a little clip:
Gigs
Gig at Clery’s Clock Bar In Colindale With The Groove Crew 5th Of November
I will be playing at Clery’s Clock Bar in Colindale with the Groove Crew, a new piano based soul/funk/pop/jazz trio featuring Norman on piano and vocals and with Rodrigo on bass. Admission is free and we should kick off around 21.30. We’ve had great fun playing at Clery’s Clock and this should be a great night out. Date: 5th of November Time: 21.30 Venue: Clery’s Clock Bar Address: 225-227 Edgware Road, London, London, United Kingdom
I Saw Tony Allen Play In London
So last Thursday I got to see Tony Allen at a venue in London called the Village Underground. I was very excited to see him play since I have a bit of a drum infatuation with his incredibly funky and unique drumming. The set comprised the songs on his new album Film Of Life and I felt very glad to go and see the great musician’s left foot in action in real life, so to speak. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really… Read More »I Saw Tony Allen Play In London
I Saw The Kinks Musical, Sunny Afternoon
Last week I got to see the musical Sunny Afternoon which is based on the story of the Kinks and features their music. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I’ve visited the theatre (and have a couple of fingers to spare) and I found it to be a very novel experience. The show is based on the fortunes of the Kinks from their early days as the Ravens to the summer of 1966… Read More »I Saw The Kinks Musical, Sunny Afternoon
Royal College Of Music Festival Of Percussion – With Gavin Harrison
The Royal College of Music Festival of Percussion takes place in London on the 6th of July. I attended last year’s event where I got to see the amazing John Riley, a clinic with Geoff Dugmore, a jazz trio, some classical percussionists, Nick Mason and a big band. It was a brilliant day out which I wrote about here and here. This year’s festival features the super-competent Gavin Harrison who has many notes to play, I imagine. It also features… Read More »Royal College Of Music Festival Of Percussion – With Gavin Harrison
Little Barrie Release Their New Album – Shadow
I had a great night on Tuesday at the famous 100 club watching Little Barrie deliver a great performance. The band’s vintage sound is brilliant, and the songs catchy and energetic. Drummer, Virgil Howe’s got great feel and a vocabulary straight out of the early 70’s classic rock scene. Visit the website – www.littlebarrie.com Their new album is called Shadow and you can preview it here:
The Real Last Waltz – Alternate Footage Posted on YouTube
Wow, this is brilliant. Someone’s posted alternate footage of the Last Waltz concert which shows the real performance before all the overdubs that Levon talks about so disparagingly in his book. The Band is one of my favourite rock music combos and Levon Helm is truly a master drummer. I love the movie and have watched it countless times but there is nothing to beat a real performance. Wonderful! First bit: Next bit: Last bit:
The Royal College of Music Festival of Percussion Part 2
So, where was I? Oh yes, John Riley. John Riley’s clinic was, for me, the highlight of the RCM’s Festivl of Percussion. It was a treat to see a talk by the guy who’s book is such an essential part of drumming education. The presentation was at core a walk through the history of the drumkit which was told very engagingly with the accompaniment of samples of the drumming of each era. We were introduced to the topic with the… Read More »The Royal College of Music Festival of Percussion Part 2
The Royal College of Music Festival of Percussion
This past Sunday I met up with my dad just behind the Albert Hall in Kensington and went to the RCM’s (Royal College of Music) Festival of Percussion. It was a brilliant day out with an amazingly broad range of percussion-related performances and activities. The styles on offer included rock and jazz drum kit, Western classical percussion, “World” music, “Latin” music, military snare drumming and that very important part of music, selling stuff. The packed schedule had enough in it… Read More »The Royal College of Music Festival of Percussion
Great Gig With The Apocryphalites
Had immense fun with the Apocryphalites on Saturday night, playing a birthday party. It was the perfect chance to try out some of the stuff I’ve been learning from a couple of great DVDs about Jamaican grooves (wot I plan to write about soon). Thanks to Ed and the band for inviting me to dep with them, in particular Bill and Mrs Bill who were kind enough to give me a lift.