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| Still angry after all these
years |
REVIEW - Public Enemy
The Forum By Daire Stewart
THANKFULLY the association between public disorder and Public
Enemy gigs is now long in the past.
However, memories of the riots in Hammersmith following a PE performance
eight years ago presumably remain in the minds of many who braved
the harsh weather to catch these old dukes of hip hop at the Forum.
The set was one stomping classic after another, interrupted occasionally
by a sprinkling of the group’s new material from their greatest
hits Power To The People and the Beats and their studio album New
Whirl Order.
This was released on a restricted basis to 700 selected stores in
October.
Talent still remains the cornerstone of the group. The timing and
lyrical abilities of Chuck D and Flava Flav stayed perfectly in
sync and strong throughout.
Flav managing all this while sporting probably the largest time-piece
of his long career. The gig had the lot: a five-minute masterclass
in scratching by the DJ raised the roof. Both veterans of the game
pulled off stage dives into the appreciative and lively crowd.
Flav chose an anti-drug stance for his message to the crowd. In
this he warned against the evil that is crystal meth, clearly from
a degree of personal experience.
In 2005, when hip hop has become so meaninglessly repetitive, it
was excellent to get down to a bit of Old Skool.
Don’t, don’t, don’t believe the hype.
The Prophet laid down the law at the
Lock
REVIEW - ROOTS, ROCK, REGGAE
LOCK 17 By Mark Brewin
CLOSELY following the Skatalites run at the Jazz Café,
Camden was treated to another superstar billing. However as seems
to be the fashion with reggae events, the originally advertised
Eek-a-Mouse was replaced by the might of Michael Prophet at Lock
17 last Thursday.
At first I had been disappointed by the change but only momentarily
as it dawned on me that Michael Prophet had more than enough killer
tunes in his locker to rock the house.
In addition to this, either would be the warm-up act to the legendary
Johnny ‘King in the Arena’ Clarke. With a spring in my
step, I entered the gates.
The Dub Asante band provided the backing and though the horn section
was synthesised, the rhythm was tight – although the sound
system lacked the bottom heaviness that is inherent in the sounds
of Jamaica.
Michael Prophet bounded through such classics as ‘Gunman’
and ‘You been talkin’ as he paved the way for one of the
most popular singers of the 1970s dancehall.
Clarke has an infectious happiness and lyrical artistry that gives
you an extra buzz.
The assembled mass was treated to many of his classics late into
the night and he proved indeed why he remains one of the greats
alongside the likes of Dennis Brown and Gregory Isaacs.
Interest kept up during long set
REVIEW - Nada Surf + John Vanderslice
Scala By Catherine Etoe
ACCORDING to his press blurb, former London student John Vanderslice
is “climbing the cool tastemaker charts” back home in
America.
Means nothing to me either, but he’s doing okay here too judging
by the way the clapometer flew off its scale when the singer songwriter
finished his set.
Not without reason; this contemporary of rising American indie bands
like Death Cab For Cutie was flogging a best of from his five solo
records and as tasters go, it’s not half bad. Particular stand-outs
include Time Travel Is Lonely, with its Bluetones-esque chorus,
and the quirky Bill Gates Must Die, with its thumping drums and
jagged guitar.
Despite the reception though, Vanderslice did not encore. Probably
because headliners Nada Surf had a set list planned that was as
long as footballer Peter Crouch’s right leg and almost as erratic.
It was a best of in itself, but of the New York trio’s 25-plus
song set we could have done without the handful of plodding slowies
epitomised by Imaginary Friends.
Who needs them when you can watch Matthew Caws shake his mop top
to the stomping chorus of Fruit Fly, bassist Daniel Lorca pull off
Peter Hook-like flourishes to the bouncy Happy Kid and boy band
lookey likey Ira Elliot pound us to a crescendo through the epic
Killians Red? A best of? Has to go down as one of them.
DJ exposes myth of £1m set
INTERVIEW - Erick Morillo
ERICK Morillo has won every DJ award under the sun, worked and
partied with Puff Daddy, and is opening his own nightclub, Club
Pacha NY, in New York. He will be presenting an award at the House
Music Awards at Hammersmith Palais on November 17, and is nominated
for six.
• What do you think of the house music scene?
It’s a global scene, it’s a healthy one. There’s
lots of different DJs playing different stuff. But house needs to
go more mainstream. The ‘too cool for school’ thing doesn’t
help the industry. It should have an underground and overground
stage. DJs have this attitude where as soon as a records get too
commercial they won’t play it anymore and that should change.
• Is Ibiza fading?
The island’s as popular as ever but as an industry, house music’s
been affected by the internet. Clubbers and big records have never
been better. Sales are fading but people still go and support records
they like.
• Why do women fancy DJs?
DJs are the modern rock stars. They make lots of money, travel the
world...and some are even cute. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t
taken advantage of the girls and DJ thing.
• Who do you admire?
Roger Sanchez and Carl Cox. The movie star I fancy is Charlize Theron.
From a business perspective I admire Puff Daddy a lot.
• What do you think of the drugs associated with dance music?
People do drugs but it’s not as common as the trance scene
where 16 year olds wouldn’t listen to the music if they weren’t
f****d.
• What do you say if someone asks for an embarrassing record
that you would never play?
If I don’t play it straight away, I’m not going to play
it.
• What’s the worst record you’ve been asked to
play at a celeb party?
At Naomi Campbell’s party in St Tropez Kid Rock (Pamela Anderson’s
ex and singer) asked for Sweet Home Alabama.
He couldn’t believe I didn’t have it, and said it was
the best record of all time. That just shows what a hick he is.
• What’s the most amount of money you’ve been
paid for one set? A million pounds?
No one’s ever been paid that! (Half a million?) In that region
but I would never tell. The more money people have, the less money
they want to spend. When you have everything you get everything
for free.
• Who’s your favourite celebrity?
Naomi Campbell’s a smart businesswoman. She took me under her
wing. She’s very misunderstood.
She’s an incredible human being but she’s not allowed
to have an off day.
Madness on decks
SUGGS and Chas Smash (right) from Camden Town’s Madness
were spinning the tunes while El Presidente performed at Alex Proud’s
old gallery on Greenland Street, to launch an exhibition on rock
legends.
Three photographers who have toured with The Rolling Stones, David
Bowie and Iggy Pop are showing 25 years’ worth of work. The
show, at Sony Walkman Gallery at 10 Greenland Street, run until
December 3.
CLICK HERE FOR LISTINGS |
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Angelino's finest are put to the test
WE came across Angelino Wines, sandwiched between two colourful and
aggressively self-promoting Australian wine sellers, at Islington’s
London Wine Event at the end of October.
Its owner is Farrell Anglin, whose imagination was caught by a lecture
on the history of wine making at Southgate College.
FULL STORY
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