Play with the city - London

…and it is. My good friend Andy Newcombe puts on a splendid party. disco-tastic, friendly faces and lots of tunes to throw your hand in the air to. Andy’s got fingers in many pies; DIAL, It’s All Good (I designed the flyer by the way) & Discobox (next one’s Friday 27TH FEB @ East Village with special guest Leon Mayes-The Off Key Hat). Every Party’s a gudun. Last time I went to discobox I heard a blinding set by Bill Brewster & had to be restrained after trying to find out what track Leon Mayes ended his set on. Turned out it was one of his productions & he sent it me. Check it here (Emergency Calling).

Brilliant. Pop down to The Haggerston for plenty more of the Good stuff. The line up for friday includes Jonty Kenton, described by Time Out as “the DJ most likely to play anything”, Damo, a contributor to the Bright Times compilation series on the London Fixed-Gear & Single-Speed forum, plus residents Andy Newcombe & Festus Williams. If you like feeding your ears & moving your feet, pop along & say hello. It’s All Good.

PARTY INFO:
Friday 6th February 2009 7pm - 2am
Guest DJs: Jonty Kenton (Traficante Records) & Damo (Bright Times)
Resident DJs: Andy Newcombe (Discobox),  Festus Williams (Multigrooves)
Music policy / File Under: Party! Funk, Soul, Latin, Boogie, Disco, Latin, Hip Hop
Cost: FREE!
Where: The Haggerston, 438 Kingsland Road, Hackney, E8 4AA Tel: 020 7275 0105
Nearest station: Dalston Kingsland
Buses: 149

www.itsallgoodmusic.co.uk

To but it simply, Portasound Blazed the Social. They Created a frenzy of arm waving through their electrically gifted bass jazz, and most importantly had a very good time of it. The social itself was rammed full of slanty haircuts, with young filly’s strewn over bearded manlads. It was youth all the way. I became more aware of this as I ventured to the front to do my leg dance and the air con above me kept blowing my comb-over the wrong way. hey ho, bobby charlton here I come…. Back to the Portasound…Speaking to Mr James Dow (one third of portasound) after the gig he told me two things. He had been approached by his first groupie and Huw Stephens from Radio 1 had come upto them after the gig and asked them to go go Maida vale & record a special Portasound show for his radio show. Bingo?

Me? well I found an impressively large frisbee on my way to the Qash Qai. Winners all round me thinks. I’ll post the link to the show when it’s out there. Exciting stuff eh?

Definitely worth a gander. I bought their new album “Welcome to Mali” for my Dad for Chrimbo (buying stuff you want for Christmas in my family is a long running custom). It’s reet good. Innit Dad?

Amadou & Miriam
7:00pm - Wed 25th Feb 2009
Koko, Camden
http://www.koko.uk.com/gigs.php?event=702

Bug is a film night dedicated to championing cutting edge music videos, featuring new shizzle from up and coming directors. It’s presented by Adam Buxton, from Adam & Joe, so should be muchas entertaining.

Have a gander at this blog run by Bug curator/producer David Knight to sample some of the videos on offer. http://www.promonews.tv/

BUG 11, Thursday 22nd and Wednesday 28th January 2009, 8:45pm, BFI Southbank NFT1
http://www.bugvideos.co.uk/

My good pal’s Portasound are playing this Tuesday (20th Jan) @ The Social, with a host of new bands & dj’s for the Team Kruger Launch Party. Portasound are a blazing electric biscuit blaze of electro misfits, who turn out Sonic the hedgehog style bass bumping gem’s and a really good party too. They’ve been championed by Rob da bank on radio 1, played the secret garden party last year and are pipped to be the next Metronomy. Come down and check out the cool kids I say. Me tinks it’s their year to crank it up.

Team Kruger Launch Party @ The Social
20th Jan 2009, 8pm onwards.

http://www.myspace.com/portasoundband
http://www.krugermagazine.com/

It may well be a Manchester run outfit, but surely everyone who enjoys free dj mix downloads will appreciate this badboy music blog. Cracking Best of 2008 mix, plus many more by Spinster’s such as Bill Brewster, who I saw play @ DiscoBox in the SeaBright Arms, East London. Look out for Discobox.

Cosmic Disco, Manchester
Discobox, London

Oh You Want More…
I’m a massive fan of TY. So much so, that I think I weird him out when he spots me in the crowd, like a crackpot fan. TY, London born & bred, is possibly the most eloquent rapper about. He doesn’t mince his words and always has an interesting point to make. Plus he’s got some amazing bangers in his artillery.

He’s playing sweatbox Cargo in at the start of Feb & Soho Theatre at the end of Feb. Check Check.

7th Feb 2009 20:00
TY & DJ @ SCENARIO @ CARGO
CARGO, RIVINGTON STREET , London and South East
Cost: £10 adv, 6 before 9, £12 after

TY Biography
http://www.myspace.com/tyandupwards

You’ve got to check out Alan Aldridge’s life’s work at the Design Museum. utterly Wonderful. A rich trip into a fantastical world. He’s illustrated album artwork for the Beatles, Elton and was Art Director for Penguin Books. The exhibition is on til the 25th.

The Design Museum

Last satursnacks we took the south london crew way out of their comfort zone to the new All Star Lanes on Brick lane. Brick lane’s got everything now hasn’t it? Bagels, Bowling, Big Chill Bar, Curry, Dirt, Bricks…. Anyway, we had milkshakes, beers, chips and bowled away in their fancy velcro shoes, all in honour of Mr Pete Sale. Snazzy place, lots of easyjet orange chairs, some nu wave rockabilly’s loitering in the corners as well as some very sexy waitress outfits. A good blend of Agent Provocateur & Amy Winehouse before she met David Blaine or whatever that scabby dude’s name is.

http://www.allstarlanes.co.uk/bricklane/