Mike-Columbia’s blog

Team Waterpolo : Camden Crawl, The Barfly, 19/04/08

2008-04-19T18:18:34Z

Opening the second night of the Crawl and playing to a roomfull of boys and girls still drunk from the night before. They have a sweet charm and in "Back To Square One" and Do You Wanna" undeniable hit songs. They certanily manage to keep the room full despite the whole of NW1 being full of indie temptation

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Twisted Wheel : ICA, 16/04/08

2008-04-19T16:44:02Z

Twisted Wheel 16 04 08

We head over to The ICA where Twisted Wheel are headlining. There is a good crowd down for them and it is so good to see them in a venue with such good sound after the Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes show the other week. They charge through the songs, utterly unforgiving, the sound remaniscent of early Oasis, that wall of noise. Never more so than on the new song that follows "Strife" The audience know most of the tunes already despite "She's a Weapon being the only tune out there. When they play "Racket" which a band of lads from Wolverhampton have been screaming for all night the place goes predictably mental

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Jersey Budd : Oxford Academy, 27/03/08

2008-04-12T16:57:55Z

Jersey Budd 27 03 08

We get to The Zodiac, which is now another Academy venue just as Jersey is going on. Walk into a room packed with Fred Perry’s in anticipation of headliners The Rifles. Jersey is great live, with a real feeling of Springsteen about him. His band are all excellent players. The sound they make is powerful uplifting stuff, real Thunder Road era Springsteen.

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The Ting Tings : Wimbledon Stadium Business Centre

2008-04-12T16:53:48Z

I head over to Wimbledon Stadium Business Centre where the Ting Tings are shooting their video. It is good to see them all again after their recent trip around America. It is an all white studio, the kind of videos I love. . They seem in good spirits and Jules recounts tales of travelling through Texas and the gnarled characters they met in the South. It is not difficult to see why Bush got a second term.

Ting Tings 26 03 08

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James Yuille : The Bush Hall 26/03/08

2008-03-26T10:18:15Z

James Yuille 25 03 08

I head over to The Bush Hall to catch James Yuille who is opening for Conrad Merz. He cuts an interesting figure, strikingly tall in spectacles and an oversized suit, telling us he "dressed for the occasion" refering to the imposing interior of the hall. His partner on the stage, Jess Bryant is much more understated, pulling electronic noises out of her Macbook and the variety of toys on the ironing board in front of her. Their voices work well together and the melodies James delivers over his acoustic guitar are charming and effective. Mix this in with the beats and crunches coming out of the little boxes that are remaniscent of Justice or Daft Punk and there is a sound that is beguilingly original and certainly wouldn't be out of place on a substantial advertising campaign down at the local cineplex

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The Coral / Ian Broudie : The Cobden Club, 17/03/08

2008-03-23T17:44:55Z

I head across London to see The Coral at the Cobden Club. I get into the venue; it is a Jamesons Irish Whiskey promotion for St Patrick’s Day. The girl who is organising it takes me up the back stairs to avoid the crowds pushing up the main stairs as soon as the Coral come on. I run into Florence on the stairs, she was performing earlier. Her face is covered in glitter like Natasha from Bat For Lashes. She is friendly, keen to talk, tells me she has finally found a sound. The top room is packed out. It is an acoustic set up which The Coral are particularly adapt at. Their sound is fabulous. They still bring out Ian Broudie to play guitar on a couple of numbers. James seems happier than I have seen him in a long time. They play a couple of new songs “Green Was the Colour of her Eyes” and another, more electric number . They play Bobby Darrin’s “dream Lover” and the Beverley’s “Bye Bye Love” which everyone goes crazy for and which feel quite timeless.

Ian Broudie 17 03 08

The Coral 17 03 08

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Julian Peretta : The Water Rats, 17/03/08

2008-03-23T17:41:46Z

Julian Peretta 17 03 08

Julian is playing tonight at The Water Rats. Inside Nick is chatting to a surly lad in his late twenties with a white afro, he is the keyboard player. Julian is pretty impressive, he is confident on the stage. The first and last song really work for me and he has the charisma to pull this off.

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The Ting Tings : Echoplex, Silverlake, Los Angeles, 11/03/08

2008-03-23T17:39:13Z

Ting Tings 11 03 08

Tim and I head over to Silverlake where the Ting Tings are playing a show prior to their few days in Texas for SXSW. It is in an art gallery which Tav asked Marty Diamond to find for them. We walk in as the band are finishing “Fruit Machine” I am thrilled the place is packed, sold out. Kids are singing the words to every song. They are playing so well, a really exciting performance. Afterwards Katie and Jules are on great form. I am so jealous that I am not joining them down in Texas where they have eight shows planned over the four days. Jules goes off to sit by this amazing gas fire that rises out of these crystals by the wall. I thought someone had started a fire by accident. When we head out to leave he is fast asleep on the couch.

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Heathrow Terminal 1 : 10/03/08

2008-03-23T17:35:59Z

Heathrow Terminal 1 10 03 08

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The Ting Tings : The Asiatic Warehouse, Harlesden, 07/03/08

2008-03-23T17:34:08Z

Ting Tings 07 03 08

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