Monday 25 July 2011

THE DROP FIVE

Now for some music! The Drop Five are a relatively new band forming in 2010. I first saw them at last years Off Set festival 2010. You can get a free download and like them at their FB page The Drop Five  they really have their own look and sound but take reference from early Style Council and Northern Soul combined with their own unique take. 

A chance to see them on Saturday  30th July at The Victoria in Mile End, London  The Drop Five Revue ...
John Linger- Guitar, Vocals, Bonnie Carr- Vocals, Brandon Jacobs- Keyboards,Eli Saunders-Deutsch- Bass, Paul Linger- Drums

Friday 22 July 2011

RESTAURANT 88 by THE BISTROTHEQUE


It's a 'pop up' restaurant at Canary Wharf's Restaurants In Residence brought to us from the Bistrotheque team, (didn't they invent the idea of pop ups!?). '88' is only open for a week and I went last Wednesday via the champagne speedboat from Westminster Bridge Pier, David Waddington himself hosting and pouring the Mumm champagne in lavish quantities!


David Waddington - far right

It was a stormy evening, a torrential downpour ensued as we approached said destination and made our way up to the third floor of the Create building. One of the first offices to be built in this area in the 80's the Bistrotheque team managed to create an ambiance that kept tongues wagging with references.



Pink neons, palms and blinds, a newly installed bar for the occasion and black and white checkered flooring gives the space a suitable 80's modernistic feel. The menu itself comes from Bistrotheques Tom Collins and Jeremy Lee.

Rice & Peas
We had a jolly table of friends old and new and managed to scoff every course...
Catherine, Saranne, Anthony.
Mains came in the shape of baby chicken... coquelet dears to you, delicious, although it did remind me of an Eraserhead scene.
The Coquelet!
The Pavlova!



Wednesday 6 July 2011

VINTAGE AT SOUTHBANK CENTRE 29TH-31ST JULY


Coming up at the end of the month 'Vintage At Southbank Centre'. After a bit of research I found out I'm djing up at The Penthouse on Saturday 30th at 6pm with a few friends...



BLITZ (Saturday)
On Saturday it’s ‘back to the futurist’ as the New Romantics and Futurists that made The Blitz Club famous around the globe assemble once more. We’ll be joining the dots between the outlandish fashions, performance art and groundbreaking music as we celebrate the cult with no name.

The dj's... Paul Rae, Paul and Ralf Ralf Randell, Martin Degville, Princess Julia, Jeffrey Hinton and Mark Moore

I didn't actually dj at the Blitz itself, infact I did the coatcheck for a while and once Steve Strange actually asked me to do the door, which I was rubbish at! I did a spot of djing at the WAG club in the early 80's for designer Stephen Linard. The night was called Total Fashion Victims. Towards the end of the 80's I had another go at Djing at The Daisy Chain over at The Fridge in Brixton. It was a Tuesday gay night run by Jimmy Fox and djing came from Mark Lawrence and Jeffrey Hinton. I did a warm up spot and really that's how I started djing. I was working at Michael and Gerlinde Costiff's shop World and soon they started a night, Kinky Gerlinky's. I became resident there along with Rachel Auburn and Martin Confusion. 



I found this amusing TV exposé of Kinky Gerlinky!


Eventually I began to travel across the UK and further afield across Europe and beyond, djing at some of the most amazing nights! 


For Vintage at Southbank I think I'll play a mixture of music that has played a part in my dj career! It will range from post punk electronica, disco, retro pop, dance and anything else I find at the bottom of my handbag!







Sunday 3 July 2011

Justin 'Vivian' Bond... Mx Bond Has Got Pazazz!

Mx Bond, has been flying high throughout her/his career, I first met Justin as the delirious Kiki, a deranged and deluded character who with the help of Herb on piano relived a fictional life of theatrical hilarity. Later going solo with perceptive insights on a life well lived and those orbiting, I've kept apace with Justin Bond, who resides in New York and pays us regular visits with shows that with her unique rhetoric and song renditions never fails to tick all the boxes.
This month Justin is back after a two year sojourn (has it really been that long!) as Mx Justin Vivian Bond with a solo album and show 'Dendrophile' at the Soho Theatre . I popped down last week to catch up with the one and only. Her exposé shows somehow always take on a new angle. 'V', our very own Justin Bond is now somewhat of a lady of a certain age nowadays, he/she tells of her introduction into the NYC gay scene. It was hanging out at gay pride, she says, waiting for the float with the people who looked and acted like 'her people'. Every amazing moment of her life, which incidentally leads to apt songs dispersed through the show, is delivered with personal and intimate hysterical flourishes.
Justin Vivian Bond
Personal tales flip back and forth, I was most intriqued by Justin's childhood, which will be published in a forthcoming book. Justin read an excerpt revealing just what a naughty boy he was, sleeping with a neighbour, building a treehouse and then getting caught in the act by the boys mother... I can't wait to get a copy.

Justin Vivian Bond is on at the Soho Theatre till the 9th of July, it's so good I might try and see it again!
Justin Bond.com