Old Street Art Pranks

Saw a wacky situationist prank at Old Street this morning, a breakfast table set up on top of a bus shelter, with bowls, cups, plates, milk jugs, the lot. Snapped a pic but can't get it off my phone until I get home. It's got a mention in London By London this morning too.



COOL weekend, a bit rock actually... Friday night a cheeky one in the Wetherspoons on Farringdon Road, then on to The Trolley Stop in Dalston to meet up with old FortuneCity chums. Wow going internal link crazy today. Anyway the pub was deserted, we were the only people there, though it looks like an alright place, Irish jukebox and pool table. Had some food next door, then late drinking at Dalston Jazz Bar, very crowded, tiny little student party type place.

Saturday we planned our shopping and more or less completed it, most of it without actually leaving the house... we watched more of the documentaries on Return of the King then headed into town to meet up with the best man and his wife, which turned into such an ace evening. Wasn't really planning a big one, just thought a few quiet drinks and a bit to eat, but it developed a life of it's own. Started in the Hogshead near Leicester Square (at last one that BITE have), then fairly disappointing food in Soho Spice then on to ROCK at the Intrepid Fox. Not been there for such a long time, but it's inspired us to head to an old hangout of ours - The Air Balloon in Portsmouth - next weekend. We should have called it a night there, the country mice ran back to the station and JUST made their train back to Fareham. But we didn't stop there, we tubed it back to Finsbury Park and stayed in the 12 Pins drinking cider until our money ran out and howling along to some Irish duo. Then we went home and howled along to Once More With Feeling, so we slept most of Sunday... Shopped a bit, baked a pie, and that's about it.

And I can't be the last to mention this, predictive google, how on earth does it work? I'm guessing on each key press some JS runs and checks if it needs to import some more JS that has the latest stats on... amazing, but similar to it's address book stuff in gmail.google.com.

Wow, even Paul Stanley has something to say (on www.kissonline.com) about the death of Dimebag Darrel

I'm stunned. The taking of Dimebag Darrell's life in this horrific murder is a senseless tragedy for his fans and an unfathomable loss for his family. I send my deepest condolences to Vinnie and the rest of his family. My thoughts are also with the families of all the other victims of this heinous act." -- Paul Stanley

2004 :: Comment / reply

lionel shell cool jazz trio

How can I contact them by phone?

sheila2005@SKNspeak.com

sheila2005@SKNspeak.com :: 2008 :: Comment / reply

RE: Could well be the guitarist who directed the music then

Hi Guys,

thanks for coming to the gig..hope the jazz didn't put you off! Re. your query..

(Just to clarify, certainly not snarky)

In terms of the jazz thing- not so much a new direction. I've actually been singing jazz for coming on ten years (ooh, just freaked myself out, I'm getting old!)..in various formats. I used to be in a jazz band, as pianist and singer, which someone else fronted years and years ago. I sang some at Uni, usually just sitting in or guesting.

Then I went to Chicago in 2001, which kind of cemented my love of the artform. I got to hear the amazing vocalist Kurt Elling, and his awesome quartet every week. I made an album out there with Kurt's bassist, the awesome Rob Amster, which had some standards, couple of more recent covers (The Police, Stevie Wonder) and two of my tunes on it. Rob wrote some beautiful arrangements for the album, and produced and played on it.

Since I returned from Chi in 2003, I've been doing lots and lots of things!

The act you are referring to (the Zepellin-y thing) is something I still do. I used to sing pop songs before I ever heard any jazz, and basically I'm just a fan of good writing.. If a song floats my boat, I'll sing it. I formed the duo (formerly called Tallow, now called Kid Charlemagne, which is also the name of the jazz duo and my five-piece band) in 2003, and we've been playing pubs, functions, restaurants, you name it, since then.

I play almost as many, if not more jazz gigs now as ever I did (which is cool with me, as it certainly stretches me as a vocalist)..Pizza Expresses, bistros, jazz clubs etc.. I used to do the KC Folk duo at The Chambers with Simon Bridgestock (bassist in the band), but since Chris (Smith, the owner) asked me for a regular jazz night, I've been doing that, with Sam Dunn (guiatrist in the band!- see, its all very cosy). It's not really a directional choice thing (I refuse to fall into one of those handy pigeonholes, which will certainly be my undoing!) or a 'someone else in charge' thing either..Everybody knows, I'm the Wiz, I'm the Wiz (sorry, obscure Seinfeld reference...no need.)

Rather..I guess I 'direct' the gigs (as I usually get them), but it doesn't really feel like that, ever. Whoever I'm playing with has as much say about what goes into our sets as I do (unless I say otherwise, in which case, my word is LAW...Nick Peck- I'm joking!)

The band itself is a forum for whatever we want to play; my originals, jazz tunes, folk tunes, funk tunes, soul tunes...literally whatever we want to do. It usually sounds pretty cool, I guess because its not about the type of music you play, but who is playing it..and how they interact with one another and the audience- what is the connection like? Does everyone seem to be having fun? 'Cause that's the whole point.

Hope that wasn't too ranty; it's just a query I seem to explain a lot (not surprisingly, as I do different music with different people, and that gets bamboozly). If you want to know anything else about me/the duos/the band you could hit my myspace site..

www.myspace.com/ninaclarkandkidcharlemagne

Thanks for your interest,

Nina Clark

Singer/Songwriter etc.

Nina :: 25 Feb :: 2006 :: Comment / reply