baublebauble

It was a meeting of two crazily different worlds last night. I intended to go for Alec Empire's gig at Underworld in Camden with my friend who used to be into Atari Teenage Riot when they were still around. Remembering the whole saga I had back home in Singapore, where Alec Empire played his set at 1.10am and I left at 1am because of my French exam the next day (doors opened at 7pm, we went at 10pm!), I decided to go later as I thought Alec would play late as usual. But noooooo, apparently when we got there, he was already playing on stage and we were right at the back! No wonder I thought how come the "2 supporting bands" sounded so good from the outside when I read that they were quite shit on lastfm!

Anyway, my friend and I made ourselves look like total spazzes in 2 ways: 1) Asking a guy who was absolutely off-his-face where the entrance to Underworld was, when it was right next to us (he managed to point it out though, because it was so obvious). 2) Asking the person at the merchandise stall who was playing onstage to which she replied, "It's Alec Empire!"


I was really thankful that I wore my super killer red satin heels that night as I actually got to see things on stage above all these big, tall people. Nic Endo looked pretty skinny though but after all these years she was still rocking that Japanese war makeup so well. I'm honestly wondering why Alec isn't dating her this very instant. I didn't manage to take any pictures or videos as we were quite far behind, but I would have LOVED to as guess who joined in the show later on? The man was none other than Mr Patrick Wolf himself, live in the flesh and feathers! He did a performance of the single that he and Alec worked on, Vulture, and it was electrifying with Alec cranking up the stereo and electric guitar noise and the buzz and screeches of digital hardcore!


The set was as great as I would've imagined it to be and Alec & The Hellish Vortex were incredible. They had so much energy in their music. Tons of people were clambering their way onto the stage and bodysurfing on top of the crowd. Alec went on some rant about how in Berlin when he listens to the music in London it's all this "whiny indie shit" and everything sounds the same. I couldn't stop laughing because that was so typical of him to say that. And he stated that people like Patrick Wolf and Zan Lyons gave him hope for future music audiences. AHHHH! I'm dying to ask Zan Lyons now about his work with Alec Empire as Zan is currently helping out with the Underdrome project and we have to "respond" to his songs (basically improvise) as a choir. I have ingrained a mental note to do that for the next rehearsal.

After the gig which ended relatively early, I felt strangely invigorated and decided that I would venture to Elephant & Castle alone to attend the Neon Noise Project thing at Coronet Theatre. I definitely needed to party attempting 4 gruelling questions in my Contract Law exam and being unable to think about anything later becase I was so tired! My friend however, was more than willing to come along and I was pleasantly surprised but also VERY happy for the company. We managed to get there after a few wrong turns and getting lost but at least it helped us to get to know the place better. Plus I have gotten over my fear of the area though it is still rather dodgy.

In the queue, we met up with these random guys who were students but aspiring DJs and they suggested that we party together to Fischerspooner who was playing live in the venue. They were quite friendly with no airs about them so we agreed and danced, chatted and drank along. It was quite weird but hilarious coming to watch people like Fischerspooner, Yuksek, Autokratz and SebastiAn right after coming from an Alec Empire gig. As you know, Alec dislikes the fact that German people only know about Justice and Ed Banger (SebastiAn) when they're asked about French music. And I'm pretty sure he probably doesn't like those artistes I mentioned above. But who cares, I have a variety of music tastes that clash!


Coronet Theatre had 3 rooms, the main one was this huge hall where the live acts were and upstairs, there was a dance room filled with Don't Panic DJs and the other was a dark, chillout, minimal room with comfy sofas and of course Nuke Them All! DJs, VJ Alex Sedano and regulars. I even saw Erin (Teen Symmetry) partying and drinking with The Plastic Hearts. He really needs to get his tunes out! All in all, it was some massive party started here and we clearly enjoyed ourselves with our new-found friends. Though I would've enjoyed it better if I actually had a change of shoes with me as my feet were hurting like hell from those painful killer heels. Try dancing to dirty electro in that, boys!


Fischerspooner was absolutely amazing! His theatrics, installation videos, costumes and dancers really added to the whole aural experience. And he was terribly funny. I loved it when he talked about how the whole ritual of begging the performers for an encore was tiring. The music was as good as it could get and to put it in his words, "Now that's what I call a fucking show!"


Yuksek was lovely as well. I couldn't stop dancing to his tunes and wow his electronic set-up was fabulous with the use of darkness and blinking billboard lights! French electro has a new addition to its high horses. Electro music is one of those things where you need to hear it live simply because it's so much better that way. The rawness, energy and vibe really affects how you listen to the songs and another thing is that the DJ himself has more leeway in doing whatever he likes with it, changing it to fit the mood of us 24-hour party people.


I would've gladly stayed til 5am or whenever the place shut as it was such a GREAT night but my friend was feeling rather tired, so we went off after Yuksek's set. Unfortunately, we lost the boys in the crowd when we were leaving and didn't get to exchange contacts, as they wanted to invite us to their DJ set somewhere in Notting Hill sometime in summer. Although I try my very best not to do this at all times, I had to walk home barefooted but it was definitely worth it for this excellent May Day!

I caught the Yeah Yeah Yeahs live today at Shepherd's Bush Empire, which is beginning to be one of the few music venues that I embrace here in London. So far, I've seen CSS and Bat For Lashes at this place as well, and each time the music acts have never failed to impress. The atmosphere and the sound system is not bad at all, though it does remind me a bit of KOKO, whose crowd should probably have the worst rating in history, ever. Including which, are kids who paid less than you to get in for a cheap student Friday night and have zero interest in the bands playing, but still hog front row space. The other majority is made up of leery men who try their luck, perhaps a bit too hard for a tacky fling/shag.

As per usual, Yeah Yeah Yeahs were brilliant. I wouldn't have expected anything less though. They've been around for quite awhile but are still rocking the same aggressive vibe of New York's dirty underbelly, even though they have mellowed down in general, with each progressive album. The 5-track EP Is Is did knock us off-balance (in a good way), by sending dark shivers that recalled their earlier material. It was definitely made for hot summer nights.


Let's recount the routine of a typical Yeah Yeah Yeah's gig.
1) You must have your picture taken by Nick.
2) Karen O should be popping the entire mic in her mouth, hands-free and leaning backwards as she screams into it like some possessed banshee.
3) Brian would be the one waving to you the most.
4) You will hardly see Nick's face since he hids it all under his wild, distressed hair (ingredients include air and water only), as he slinks back and forth into the darkness with his signature angular guitar look.
5) Karen O changes her clothes every 5 minutes.
6) Uh.. what does Brian do again? Oh yeah, perfect rhythm timing.
7) Be prepared to be sprinkled in a mass of Y-shaped confetti (careful of the red stains it can do to your shirt!).



What would one give to have a friend like Karen O's Christian Joy to design clothes specially tailored for you and your artistic tendencies! As you can see, Karen O has her own customised punk leather jacket sporting a "KO" at the back and her own warrior kimono suit. Everything's so colourful and my face is green with envy!


I would obviously liken Karen O to Lovefoxxx from CSS, both in their charismatic stage personalities and the ability to rock-out comfortably in smashing costumes that act as trend-setters for the public to follow suit. But of course, Nick Zinner is my favourite out of the 3, mainly because he's 35 but he still looks like 19! Plus I admire his photography and his waif-like appearance which simply reeks of arty-ness. A la trendy underground scene of the NYC. He was also one of the first few guitarists I recognised who had the amazing ability to accompany Karen O's distinct vocals, which is quite a feat to achieve!

Ok, I'll stop gushing now!

My friend and I had this crazy idea of just taking the Eurostar straight for Paris on Saturday evening, just in time for Ponystep to party out to Gareth Pugh. I asked her where we would be staying over and she replied blankly that we wouldn't need anywhere since we'll be partying the whole night. And then we might find somewhere nice on the street or the station to rest a bit before heading home in the morning. We were actually quite serious about the whole thing until we checked that the train ticket prices had risen exponentially because of our delayed reaction in deciding. Perhaps next time then, when we have extra hours to shop for Repettos and everything they have in the fashion city of Paris. Someone said we'd be just like the bohemians in Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London.

I managed to find the APC dress I was talking about in the previous post on the net. Here's how it looks like..


On the day's events, after much hesitation (we always seem to do this!), we decided to give the Double Club a go. This is the funny story of how we managed to get into this strictly "guest-list only" event. My friend went up to the bouncer who had turned away the group of people in front of us and stated that she was with me. He asked her if we were on the guest list. Now I'm not very sure how to get onto this guest-list, all I did was RSVP on Facebook, which obviously doesn't mean anything. But then again, there were never any instructions on what to do in this case and they didn't indicate that it was a private party, though it did sound like one by the looks of it! Anyway, she told him that we were here for the LOVE mag thingy and he asked if it was just the 2 of us (to which we nodded), before letting us in. Weird, very weird ... and which tells me that I NEED to find out the legitimate way of entering. Although pretentious, I guess they have good reason for wanting to avoid having the wrong crowd.

Maybe the bouncer liked our shoes. Haha, we hope! Well, apart from the fact that they're from the amazingly fresh street-wear brand KTZ, my friend's bone-crushing pair cost £300 (she claims they're white heat killer heels and I can only simply agree), so they better damn well let us in!!

Mine vs Hers (in respective order)


The club had a great atmosphere but rather abysmal music; I shall come to that in a second. There were 3 rooms to get lost in and a clinical white hallway connecting them. Apparently this club was done up as an art project of sorts. Feeling a sudden sense of hunger, we headed to the restaurant room where we treated ourselves to cocktails, salads and deserts.


Heading out to the bar room after to sit and chat, this was probably the most arty of all rooms, plus they served BBQ grills as well! I really liked the openness of the space, though my friend liked the spaceship drawings on the wall.


Here's where the lousy music comes in. The club room itself was small, but that was no matter, as I already know that small rooms can beat big rooms in tons of fun. As indicated in the Facebook event page, they got the LOVE team on the decks to spin, so I guess it would be unfair to expect DJ-quality material. But what they played, my gosh, flabbergasted! It was a mish-mash of random music from slow Jamaican tunes to a screaming 20th Century Boy? They were switching and exchanging Ipods all over the place. See, this is what you get for putting Lily Allen in your issue!


In any case, I'm still glad we got into the club through luck, the right words and being there at the right time in satiable outfits. And being as much of a student as I am, it was FREE too! Last spot-age of the day - a girl in the restrooms wearing this tasty Beyond the Valley jacket.

My Punk bubble has been burst. Last week of Smash & Grab at this place and next it moves on to good old Camden. What can I say? A night of commercial electro and little pop ditties with fun and games and silly balloons. I even bumped into my friend and fellow stage manager of mine from the UCL Modo Fashion Society. Well, at least I don't feel too bad about the amount of work I could've done tonight, as I was pretty tired from my library stint today. 
 
I spotted one of the DJs wearing the APC S/S '08 collection, this silvery metallic dress which I have as well. Coolio! I bet she bought it at the late-Maison Bertaux. Though mine's a size too big since it was the last piece left but it was going for more than 50% off and again I couldn't stop myself from taking out the cash bag. That said, there were a couple of glitches with the DJs today, with couple of abrupt changes and stops, both accidental and intentional. I think they were enjoying themselves a bit too much!

It's trash, baby!

So I spent a night talking trash and parties and fashion to a friend, whilst I had guilty pleasure and fun doing it, my work has evidently suffered. Ok, so I could've done a chapter of Contract Law, say Frustration of Contracts, but no, I decided to help my friend search for tickets of the next Kitsune event instead! Oh well, shall hit the libraries tomorrow.. and then there comes the decision of whether I should head out to the last Smash & Grab at Punk (before it launches at Proud Galleries Camden next week onwards) after the Underdrome rehearsals at the Roundhouse. Yes, I'm THAT crazy by trying to engage myself in experimental music and live art performances during the exam period!

See here for more info http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/productions/holger-czukay-2967
If you haven't heard of Holger or legendary German Krautrock band CAN, google them now!! This was such a rare opportunity that I couldn't resist, even though I have a Property exam the next day, boo to that.

Anyway, back to Kitsune, there's a Neon Noise Project that's happening on May Day if you didn't already know. Tickets are still available via TicketWeb, but considering the line-up which includes none other than Fischerspooner, Autokratz, Sebastian, etc and the lovely boys from Nukes, it'll sell out very soon, most definitely.


I'm soooo very tempted to go for this but in the midst of exams, plus the fact that I'm going for the Alec Empire gig that day as well, this would have to be considered greatly. Knowing Alec, his gig would probably start in the deep recesses of night and end at the same time this Neon Noise Project ends. Or maybe my said friend can convince me to go for both, since she loves Kitsune to death!

Nonetheless, there's another event, so nothing to fear if I miss the above I guess, or maybe there is. Kitsune and the gang will be performing at Scala on 20 June in celebration of their 7th compilation yet! Check out the teaser trailer below.


Happy? Oh yes, and I want some yummy clothes too.

And then of course, we come back to the present where I am currently deciding whether or not to go to Punk. Thankfully, I have pretty much sorted out what to wear to that though my friend is having a bit of trouble in that area. Though she shouldn't worry as I think it's rather casual and there's a Beyond Retro dress-up box there to top it all off!

There's another event that catches my eye but we don't feel like heading all the way to Hackney for a relatively weird night. It's a Merlin Glozier private arts exhibition and after-party (hint, hint!).
A mix-mash of decadent art, cool DJs and stunning makeup/outfits (as expected from the East London crowd) is hard to go wrong. But I shall save that for another day.

Well I guess the title says it all doesn't it? As always.

Teen Symmetry was an accidental discovery, but an amazing one at that. I was planning to attend Nuke Them All! on a usual Saturday night out but alas, nausea and stomach sickness got the better of me, one of the very annoying traits of my bodily functions.

Anyway, I have been kicking myself ever since, because I simply missed the opportunity to catch this prodigy of a DJ artist live in the action, right in the heart of Hackney where anything goes, along with our favourite male nudist in tinsel, of course.

So why am I taking time off studying (yeah, right) to create my virgin post on LiveJournal again? Obviously you just have to check this dude out. His sound is insane, crazy, mental, I LOVE IT! It's the kind of music I would dance to 24/7. Turn it on at any frickin' party and it's bound to change the mood, for the better.

I wouldn't blabber on about his history and whatnot, you can simply view it for yourself at his myspace under his blog entry of "Nice things people have said" plus listen to his tunes on the player. They'll get you dancing like a kid on ADD..

http://www.myspace.com/teensymmetry

If you like what you hear, and have a facebook, he's got a group on it and you can download his mixes, cuts and edits all for free! His OH MY GOD ITS A TECHNO MIXTAPE just keeps getting hotter and hotter even halfway in.

Now, if only he'd come down to London again for another set.. Tis isn't too tricky especially since his residency at Bournemouth isn't too far off! I actually wanted to see if I could book him for my birthday in May, but again procrastination and the thought of having to arrange a venue along with tons of invitations has put it off, especially since my exams are just next week onwards! The thought hasn't completely evaded my mind though, please.. hopefully.. sometime.. in the near future.. one can dream.

Anyway, for those who are mighty interested and TRES TRES lucky, you can make a DJ booking through his facebook or email teensymmetry@googlemail.com and he'll be all yours for the night. And then, you can go ahead and invite me!

 

You just can't say no to dirty dirty electro...