Keepin' It Real

...at the Micky Ds in Shorditch with my Senegalese friend Chris (see "British Joker" and
"East End Yo!" for background).

Cous Cous

For Jen's last proper meal in London we went to Cous Cous, a Morrocan place in Notting Hill. We had a very nice cozy meal here and then walked home through several nice neighborhoods.

London Eye

The London eye was the largest farris wheel in the world for several years, but I understand there is a larger one now in China. It was still VERY high up, as you can see the tiny size of the barges on the Thames below. It was really fantastic to get this vantage point because London is quite flat, and the roads twist and turn, so you really don't get many broad vistas. It wasn't that scary to be on because it moves very slowly so you're able to get used to the height. Also, its completely enclosed so you don't feel as exposed. We were lucky to have such a clear day.

Last Gig in London?

This gig was at the Troy Bar in Hoxton, a gritty jazz/soul themed bar not too far afield from the beloved Village in East Atlanta. We played a few songs in between the set break of the fastastic house band. Their bass player, Rick James (seriously) is one of the best I've ever witnessed live. Jen lent me her shoestring so I was able to secure my strap on my bass and stand for the set - it was kinda romantic! Later after our set I waited around to see if I could sit in with the house band, but there were already several bassist waiting to join in, so I took my bass and amp on the bus and went home. It was nearly 2am and I was beat.

I did enjoy playing with David's even though the music is more mellow than what I typically go for. He wants to come to Atlanta sometime in the future and do a gig or two there, with the help of local musicans, which would be great. Also, Jen and I certainly plan on coming back to London again, and then maybe I'll catch up with these guys again and play another one. I had to buy a little bass amp wired for England (they are 220 volts) which I'm leaving with David in case that next London gig comes to pass...

Hoxton Square

Hanging out at a coffee house in Hoxton Square called Macondo Cafe
getting fueled up for the gig later on tonight.

Middle-Aged White Men

Earlier in the week I caught up with some classmates from Choate again, this time at a swank restaurant in Mayfair called the Guinea Grill. Starting from my left are John Lasala, Owen Jones, Chris Lodge and Pat Stanton. Everyone seems to be doing just fine.

Second Gig in London

Played again last night with the David Halpern Quartet at a cool venue in West London called Cogden Club. It was a much more spacious place, with more people in the attendance, and most of the other acts had soul or neo-soul elements. One girl from Glasgow was particularly good.

We lost our French drummer since the first gig - he left for better compensation - so we had to break in a new guy. He did a pretty good job considering we just had one practice. Overall it was a bit sloppier than the first gig, but actually got a better reception from the crowd.

I appear to be transfixed by the Kama Sutra-inspired painting behind the stage.

Life Imitates Art

We had fun imitating this Banksy after a few beers in Brighton. Its so popular (and valuable) the property owner put up some clear plastic vinyl to protect it from being damaged or stolen.

More from Brighton

Hey everyone! Sorry to be out of touch...internet access is few and far between for me. The clock is ticking right now....As Hutch mentioned, we went to Brighton this past weekend and had a great time. Matt and Kate were great hosts...the short trip included catching a couple of bands along the boardwalk, a trip out to the pier for a little gambling (well, throwing money away really!), a scary-as-hell ride for Hutch, killer graffiti (coming soon on my flickr), and good times at the pub! Gotta run. Just a couple of minutes left on my internet access, and they are now playing Bryan Adams's "Summer of '69" for the second time here at the coffee shop...

-Jen

Brighton Beach

Jen and I spent Saturday and the first part of Sunday in Brighton Beach, which is an hour train ride south of London. Its a fantastically quirky place, and I had a really hard time deciding which photo to post. Jen will post more on her flickr account, which I'll link to. Anyway, these guys on stilts played a fairly convincing version of Hendrix's Voodoo Child despite strong gusty winds off the English Channel. How they managed to stay upright on those stilts is a mystery. At the end of the pier is an amusement park and I went on one of the rides where they bring you a 100 feet up into the air and then let you free fall. I was scared shitless!

Back in the Pub

Jen, Aruna, Aurea, Andy and Diane in a Colliers Wood pub watching the European Championship quarter-finals last night. Germany beat Portugal 3 to 2.

The Globe

This is a historically faithful reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare's plays were performed during the early 1600s. The reconstucted one is just a few blocks from the original, which burned down in 1613 after a live cannon used in a performace of Henry VII set the thatched roof on fire.

The reconstruction was the life work of Chicago-born actor Sam Wanamaker, who came to Britian fleeing McCarthyism in the 1950s and was surprised to see that only a small plaque commemorated the original Globe. After several decades of pressing the British government, work began on the project, and it was completed in 1997. Its been a huge success ever since.

Last night Jen and I and a few other friends saw a performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor, a comedy first published in 1602. The first act was a bit slow and confusing (the Brits felt this way as well) but the second was jovial and fun. The fact that it was performed in the open air (there is no roof) and with no amplification added to the ambiance. There was also a band on top of the set that played traditional lutes, drums, and other instruments of the Elizabethan period.

Don't you feel smarter now?

Potemkin

Last night we had a very tasty Russian dinner at Potemkin in the Clerkenwell district with my colleague Natasha, who is from St. Petersberg, and her husband Anton. The food was simple but very well prepared. It started with a plate of pickled vegetables and dense bread, along with a shot of the smoothest vodka I've ever had. Even Jen liked it. The brand is Russian Standard, and its considered the finest in Russia, in part because of the very soft water its made from in St. Pete. http://www.russianstandardvodka.com/

For the main course I had a pork dish called "shashlyk". Jen had the chicken shashlyk. Dessert was a chocolate truffle cake. Neither Jen nor I had ever eaten Russian food before and we really enjoyed it.

Acoustic Music at Source Below

On recommendation of a fellow music buff, Jen and I went to this club in Soho called Source Below to see a night of acoustic music. It was a tiny room in the basement that was completely packed. The first act (left to right above) was Cecelia de Lisle, who sang in the style of Jewel with nice finger picking accompanyment. http://www.myspace.com/ceceliadelisle

The second was The Boy Who Trapped the Sun, from Scotland, who was a bit shy at first but did a good job overall. A distinctive voice was in his favor. http://www.myspace.com/theboywhotrappedthesun

Finally, the featured performer of the night, AA Bondy from Alabama, was a fantastic guitar and harmonica player with dark eerie songs and a rugged voice, clearly influenced by Bob Dylan, but with gothic Southern, Faulkner-esque colors. http://www.myspace.com/aabondy

If you click on the photo it will enlarge for more detail.

My Girl Can Hit

After our visit to Southbank (see below) we went to the CNN Thrashers' softball practice in Regents Field. It was very nice out, and the team really needed the practice as we've lost a few in a row. Jen did more than hold her own even though she hadn't played in years.

Southbank Skatepark

On Saturday Jen and I went down to the Southbank district, which is on the other side of the Thames from where we are staying. It has a completely different look than most of London - all mid-century modern, large steel and concrete buildings, some of which reminded me of John Portman's buildings in downtown Atlanta. The area has lots of modern art museums and gallerys. We went to the Hayward Gallery and saw a really cool exhibit called Psycho-Buildings, in which cutting edge artists created temporary living spaces and related sculptures. Afterwards, we came outside and saw all these Brits on BMXs and skatboards tearing up this graffiti wall/skate park. Jen took many more photos, which can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/genesse/

Choaties Reunite

On Friday night, Jen and I caught up with some of my friends from Choate. We met up for drinks at Chris (far left in photo) and Annie Lodge's beautiful home in Chelsea (Patrick Stanton is in the middle; his wife Katie also joined), and then had a terrific meal at a nearby gastro-pub called the Pig's Ear. It was great fun to catch up on all the Class of 1987 stories that I had completely forgotten about!

Social Again

I had to go back to The Social with Jen to have a go at their excellent meat pies. Jen and I had chicken and Adrian had the beef and cheddar. We shared a table with a Londoner who attended Georgia Tech, and who took this shaky picture of us. He really loved his time in Atlanta, but didn't finish his degree at Tech.

40th Birthday Party

It was great to celebrate my 40th birthday at the White Horse pub in Soho. Its the regular spot for Turner House revelers after work when the weather is nice, as it was yesterday. In addition to the friends and co-workers pictured here (including John Malone from Atlanta to my immediate left), Mark and Aurea came by, as well as my old friend from high school, Patrick Stanton, which was nice. After a few hours here, a few of us went into Chinatown for a tasty, late-night dinner. Good Times!

Jen's Arrived !

Jen arrived on Saturday afternoon, and we've had a blast since. After taking a 2 hour nap, we headed off to the East End for a beer and some Indian food, then we took the tube to Finsbury Park to see a friend's band play (called the Whole Schabang, they were good). The next day was nice and sunny, and we went to Hyde Park and met up with my old friend from boarding school, Patrick Stanton. From there we went to a free city festival called StokeFest, which was fun, but too crowded. So we headed east again where we bumped into this cool graffiti exhibit on retired tube cars, which was up on the roof of a building in Shoreditch. Here is the link if you want to see more: http://www.flickr.com/photos/endoftheline/

The Tailors

On Friday night I went to this club called the Windmill in the Brixton
area of South London. It was a endearing dive bar with a surprisingly
decent sound system for bands. They get some pretty good bands coming
through there considering its small size - I saw that Sterolab was scheduled to play this week. For those in Atlanta, it was a blend between the Earl and El Myr, with a
similar "slapped together" vibe. Here is their website: http://www.windmillbrixton.co.uk/

The band pictured above is The Tailors, some of whom live around the
corner from the club. They play a compelling blend of alt-country, with
good harmonies and very catchy tunes. I've gotten to know guitarist
Chad and singer/guitarist Adam fairly well over the last two months.
Here is their myspace page - check them out:
http://www.myspace.com/thetailors

Treecreeper

Treecreeper is another London-based band that impressed me on Friday night at the Windmill. I've gotten to know the lead singer and guitarist Will Burns and his brother Greg, who plays bass. They sound like a blend of Dinosaur jr. and Uncle Tupelo. Very good live playing. Here is their myspace page so you can listen for yourself:
http://www.myspace.com/treecreepermusic

My First Gig in London

So, the gig went well. It was a nice, intimate room with tables, sofas and lounge chairs, and we had a decent number of people come out to see us, about 30 I'd guess. Except for a few minor slips, I feel it was a good performance. Our Greek pianist has a large, extended family living in London, and about a dozen of them came. They were all very vocal and supportive.

A decent singer-songwriter had the warm up slot, then a solid but VERY loud hard rock band played and drove many people outside due to their volume and intensity - it wasn't the right venue for them. We had to go on after them around 11pm and try to bring everyone back inside, which we did. The lighting made it very difficult to get good photos of any of the bands - this one is the best taken, and unfortunately David is in the dark. Still, you can get a flavor of the evening. I've never played a gig on a stool, but my strap was not very secure on this bass, so it was best to sit.

Introducing Adrian

Adrian, to my immediate left, is a proper English gentlemen that has
greatly assisted me in finding and exploiting recreational
opportunities. To his left is another good English chap whose name I
have forgotten, or possibly never knew. We are pictured at the Hope &
Anchor pub in Brixton, which has a lovely beer garden.

Rehearsal

I've been playing with this singer songwriter David Halpern for the last few weeks, and we have a gig coming up on Thursday night at a club in West London called Number Ten. Our style is mellow jazz/soul, and we recently picked up a Greek pianist and a French drummer. Verbal communication can be a challenge but musically we are all speaking the same language. This is a photo of David and pianist Nikos from our last rehearsal. In London most of the practice spaces are booked in 4 hour periods and come with a drum set, amps, and a PA. The room we got costs about £30, or $60.

New Posse

Chad, Dan, Molly, and Kimberly (above) and a bunch of others like Jessica, Adam, Adrian, and Charlie (not shown)are part of a new group of friends that have taken me in and shown me some good times. They are all welcome in Atlanta if they take me up on the offer. They
are also ready to meet Jen when she comes in a week. I can hardly wait!