Gig Alert: Corinne Bailey Rae @ Bush Empire (24.02.2010)

If you don’t know by now Corinne Bailey Rae is making a comeback in 2010 you must have been hiding under some rock (or the same place I was hiding when Sade announced a comeback – only found that out Xmas eve).

She’s playing Bush Empire on Wednesday Feb, 24th and after the reviews from her Tabernacle show in December this is not to be missed.  Tickets are (a rather steep) £22.50 (+ fees) however I’m sure she’ll be worth every penny.  You can pick em up from here (SeeTickets).

Soulside Funk

Song of the Week: Lost Where I Belong

Andreya Triana – Lost Where I Belong

Heard this track on Saturday and it stopped me in my tracks.  Andreya Triana has been guest vocalist on a number of  tracks recently, yet this is her first ’solo’ venture.

What she’s made is a warm, dreamy, Neo-Soul cut that once again proves the British soul scene can match anything the US has to offer.  I just love the raw sounding drums.  The video is cute too, loving the little animated treats littered around her flat (which looks pretty cool too).

I think I’m in love.

Soulside Funk

Formatting

My Thoughts… Why Tiger Woods should become a rockstar

How the Tiger Woods story is still news I have no idea.  However as more women come out from every conceivable hiding place something has become abundantly clear.  Tiger Woods really should have been a rock star.

The problem about golf and golfing is that it’s boring.  Unless you play the sport, golf is about a much fun as eating a bowl of Brussel Sprouts.  Golfers themselves are even more lifeless, spending all day in plaid jumpers and not even celebrating when they win, just holding their stick (sorry club) aloft and nonchalantly nodding.

Golf and golfers are mind-numbing.  However Tiger dropping his boxer shorts at every given opportunity (regardless of his or their marital status) is captivating entertainment and reading about it has become an international hobby.  It’s more fun than Christmas and New Year combined!

The problem for Tiger is this; when you put so much fun into something as dreary and downright depressing as golf, people lose their minds… and he loses his pus*y as everyone passes judgement (and his ‘playthings’ realise they’ve been treated like sh*t).

However, if Tiger were a rockstar he would not have had this problem…

• It’s expected from musicians. If Tiger was a rock star no one would have batted an eyelid at this story – shoot infidelity is damn near celebrated in some music circles!  He could have his trail of women in relative peace and quiet, and would probably still be enjoying that peace and quiet right now
• His actions would have boosted record sales. In golf these shenanigans lose you money as sponsors walk away.  In music it would have shifted some units – the first story about him cheating would have sent Tiger Gold.  After this whole string of women came out he would have gone quadruple Platinum
• He would have got more women. 92.61% of golf fans are middle-aged and bald.  Rock groupies however = 80% young and hot!  If Tiger has been a rockstar potentially 0.72% of all mixed race babies born in the western world would have had his genetics.

Tiger, it’s not too late.  You too can become a rockstar and you don’t even need talent these days (ref T-Pain, autotune, autotune, autotune).  This is in your best interests because if you continue to be a ‘golfer’ that cheats on his wife you’re probably going to be a very broke golfer without a wife by May 2010.

Release an album however, and I’m sure someone somewhere will call it a classic and you will have more money and more scantily clad rock-chicks than you ever dreamed of!

Soulside Funk

Mpho @ River Island Secret Sessions (11.12.2009)

This was the last gig of the year, and it was a nice one, a little acoustic mini-session from Mpho in the River Island press office (really original location for a ’secret venue’ – in your own-back-yard, simpliciaty at its best).  There were about 30 people there so it made for a really nice vibe.

The last time I saw Mpho she had a bit of a cold, so the performance while passionate, was not where she may have wanted it to be.  This time out, the vocal chords were working and the songs sounded nice.  Her cover of Running Up That Hill was the best I’ve heard her sing it, and if I block out certain bits of Box ‘n’ Locks I really liked it when played live and stripped down.  See Me Now, stood out as a thunderous record that really deserves more airplay.

The more I see Mpho, the more I fall in love with her because she seems like such a lovely soul… ya know just doing the music thang and really enjoying it.  She has a lot of time for her fans too which is always a blessing.

If all you’ve heard is Box ‘n’ Locks, you really need to check out her myspace, see her gig, Spotify maybe because she is so much more than that record (to be fair the song isn’t that bad, I’m just being an arse over it, the Remi Nicole-esque thing… anyways she always gonna get a million + one blys because she sung the hook on my favourite Ty record… “wait a minute we got some problems”).

The whole brands messing with music thing has given me another good showcase and it’s probably given River Island the opportunity to build some brand affinity (and given the PR team the chance to have a bit of fun) so it’s a win win all round.

Mpho’s presence has certainly enriched my gigging this year, long may it continue into 2010 and beyond.

Soulside Funk

Gig Alert: Marina & The Diamonds, Rox & Stricken City @ Dingwalls (26.01.2010)

I could lie and say this was the Soulside Funk ones to watch concert because both Marina & the Diamonds, and Rox have long been featured on this website and are both in my list for 2010 (just editing it now – thought I’d post this first though).

This gig should be immense because it features three of my favourite discoveries from 2009 (Stricken City’s Tak-O-Tak is madness, even if I cannot understand a word the girl says!).  We have to thank MTV for this gig, and tickets are £10 (+ change).  It’s at Dingwalls in Camden and on January 26th. Tickets are only available from SeatWave.

WARNING!!!!  SeatWave automatically add Ticket Protection to your order (which adds another £1.05 on top of the already exorbitant fees – not much, however its the principal).  I didn’t notice so got stung… don’t say I didn’t warn ya!

So it looks like 2010 definitely is starting with real potential and dream gigs seem to be falling out of the sky.  Hmmm… wouldn’t it be nice if Mamas Gun, Beverley Knight, Zarif, Mpho, The Ting Tings, The Roots, Speech Debelle, Eliza Doolittle and Mike Posner all played LoveBox this summer… on the same day – oh a BlackStar reunion would be nice too???? ps. I had to cut that list very short

Soulside Funk

Gig Alert: Corneille @ The Jazz Cafe (11.01.2010)

Oh my days, dreams can actually come true!  Just two weeks ago I was saying wouldn’t it be great if Corneille came to London.  Low and behold, two weeks later at 8:32am I discover he will be playing London’s Jazz Cafe on January 11th 2010.

This is absolutely massive.  I’ve loved Corneille forever and a day and waited about 7 years for this gig! If ya don’t know he sings sweet sounding R&B and I’m told by my French friends he is a superstar the other side of the Channel, so to see him play in such an intimate setting is not to be sniffed at.  Tickets were only £15 (+ change for fees) and available from TicketMaster (the rip-off merchants – £2.25 just to e-mail me a ticket!!!!).

My expectations may be a little too high for this one, however I don’t care.  If 2010 continues like this… ya know what, I don’t even wanna think about it.

Wouldn’t it be nice if Jill Scott played The Lexington this spring?

Soulside Funk

Song of the Week: Deep Sleep

Nabiha – Deep Sleep

Bubble-gum bouncy skip-a-long pop/soul from this Danish newbie.

This is a song I can really relate to – not getting enough sleep!  I miss my sleep.  It’s got catchy lyrics and one of those quick step beats and yes its pure, cheese, however it’s of that nice, almost credible, kind of cheese.

Unfortunately the song is not available in the UK last time I checked (God bless youtube)… shame, because I really like it.

Soulside Funk

Formatting

Pink @ The O2 (10.12.2009)

Like when you are trying to get around abroad and start to miss London Underground, some things are so good you don’t really notice them until their missing.  Pink is like that, for over a decade she has been making fantastic music and I have never really noticed her – just bought all her albums and listened to that tunes.  That was until Thursday night, because that was the first time I really noticed how good she is.

The show was one of those big production events; dancers, acrobats, videos, two giant inflatable clowns, costume changes, strings, smoke, mirrors, magical sofas.  At times it was so high-octane you never knew where to look or what to do!  It was full of colour and vibrancy more like going to a cabaret show than a concert.

The music was the special bit as she fired off tune after tune, Please Don’t Leave Me, U + Ur Hand, Like A Pill, Who Knew… it was like listening to a greatest hits CD!  In the middle she stripped it down to sing a few slower numbers accompanied by guitar, cello and violin.

The whole show was a visual and sonic treat and she barely put a foot wrong.  There was the scene where she was ‘pleasured’ by hands coming out of a couch; close-ups plastered on the big screen.  It was comedy when just after she asked “is everyone having fun?” – I don’t think anyone was having as much fun as her at that particular moment!

This was a good way to end off the year and recommend catching her live when she returns next summer.  As I stood in the O2 singing every word to (almost) every song I realised how important an artist Pink really is; from her early days with Babyface to here quasi-rock-chick status now, she’s magic!  I am now proud to say I am a fan… thing is, I’ve been a fan for the last eleven years, just I didn’t know it.

Soulside Funk

More Pics from The Saturdays

Promised the guys at The Sats forum I would post some extra pics for them there… so thought I’d share a few more here too!

Soulside Funk

Gig Alert: Ellie Goulding (15.04.2010)

The first gig alert for 2010 and for me it’s somewhat an unknown factor.  Ellie Goulding is set to have a massive 2010 and already has a tour planned.  She has made almost every ‘one’s to watch’ list under the sun (and may even make mine) with her folk-tinged electro.

She plays Heaven on April 15th, and travels the nation throughout April (and in March with Passion Pit).

Tickets are £10 so not bad if she fulfils her potential (however SeeTickets adds £6 in fees – bloody rip-off merchants!).  Available here – SeeTickets

No idea what to expect – which makes this exciting.

Soulside Funk