Back in the swing of things

It’s been literally mental this past week and it was my busiest ever. For those of you who don't follow my/our Facebook updates we have a new live radio show on Shoreditch radio goes out live every Sunday at 4pm-5pm, and I’ve been DJing most weekends as well to add to all of the mayhem!

Anyway back to last weekend, actually it started last Wednesday. Goodness I can’t even remember where I was; I just remember it all started then... Oh yes, I was DJing at Lock 17 http://www.lovecamden.org/lock-17 and it was one of those last minute things that our Ant asked me to do, and with the Lock being of my favourite places to play of course said yes. It ended up being a quiet night but the staff there must have had a team meeting as it turned in to a night for them mostly. Before I knew it I was home and in bed by 2am, Thank goodness.

Work kept me busy again all through Thursday and by 6pm I was back in town at The Lexington meeting my good friend and radio co host Kate Cazenove... We were both very excited, although I think I was probably more so than Kate as we were going to see one of my favourite bands the Funeral Suits. I've been following these guys for over six months and it was the first time I had been able to catch them in London, super exciting! I had managed to have a pre-conversation with the manager to ask if we could meet the guys so it had all been arranged to have a good chat with them. Then Kate throws a big shiny spanner and the next thing I know we are on our way to ZigFrid Underbelly, Kate also needs to catch another artist Bella Takes Chase who I must say sounds as every bit beautiful as she looks.

Whilst there we collected another friend and then hot footed it back to The Lexington just in time to see Funeral Suits arrive on stage. I think by this time we had collected a few more friends but I was too mesmerised to really notice. The Funeral Suits were outstanding. More electro rock than pansy pop and I felt myself wanting to mosh, my head was certainly dipping to the guitarists beats and I found it really hard to keep my feet still and I wasn't the only one because when I looked up the whole crowd seemed just as mesmerised as I was. It was hypnotic and tense and then they played my favourite song and that was it, I couldn't contain myself any more and looked behind me to squeal with delight at Kate who was grinning from ear to ear. No sooner than it had started, it finished so I made a grab for Kate and pulled her in to the green room back stage to go and meet the guys. They were such gentlemen, polite, kind and down right cool cats. The rest of the night is a bit of a blur after that, most of that week is a blur apart from certain parts, the rest I have to keep looking back at my diary to check where I was.

Oh my goodness, how could I have forgotten Friday (the next day/night). It was Oxjam weekend and I was actually playing in my home town(ish) which doesn't happen very often as lets face it Camden V's Croydon. Camden wins hands down. Not that I don't like Croydon but it’s just not for me musically. My first stop was at a bar in South Croydon called The Edge, where several bands were playing and I was DJing. That was fun and a little weird at the same time but I left there at 11pm to then make my way to DJ at a private party in Wandsworth Common at the invite of my friend Kate. It was a gathering of sorts to showcase an artist called Toby Connor who I unfortunately didn't get to see due to my late arrival, however he had been a guest on one of our radio shows previously. As I arrived, I was hurried directly in to what seemed to be the basement but was a very large dining room/ entertaining room and ushered to the stage and asked kindly to play immediately, thankfully Kate remembered to also get me a drink, bless her, I think they had been listening to the same song about ten times on someone’s iPhone by the time I arrived. Within no time at all, the crowd were in full swing and the requests, yes I did requests, were in full flow. I spent the rest of the night being asked to dance as well as being thanked for the constant flow of music. I remember looking up at one point to see a very happy Phil Spencer from the TV show Location Location Location, dancing away, which I must say brought back fond memories of Lubstock Festival and thought - It really doesn't get much better than this - Then before you know it, its 4/5am Saturday morning and your home in your bed with a loud ringing in your ears hoping you pass out soon.

Ugh....Saturday...alive....but very tired by this point....and more DJing to do! This time, off to Chiswick Oxjam. (I'm feeling exhausted just writing this lol) I was playing after the headline band Some Velvet Morning finishing off the night and kicking off the staff party with a stomping Rock n Roll set. The bands were great and the room was full of ageing rockers like myself, who just didn't want to stop dancing. I was repeatedly told off by several people who claimed it was “well past their bed time” but that they couldn't leave because the music was pinning their feet to the dance floor. Honestly, I don't think I have ever seen so many men singing on the dance floor, it was one very big dad party!

I cant even remember what time I got in Sunday morning, but it was painful and I then had to be up to do the live radio show in London Sunday afternoon and worst of all I awoke with a very wet cold that just seemed to get wetter and runnier, ewwwww. After a quick dash and a large Bloody Mary with Kate in the pub next door to pull myself together we arrived at the studio with our special guests Little Night Terrors, who were absolute diamonds and even bought us a little studio pressie in the form of a Cactus which I have to say looked a little rude/naughty....but we won’t go in to that. You can however listen to us talking about it on the show here. Needless to say I went home and spent the next couple of days under the duvet nursing my cold...but I did have a big smile on my face and a bunch of wonderful memories from having such a great week/end.

I'm just about recovered now, although its Wednesday and its about to all start again…

Tweet