Week Commencing: 14/6/04
By: Toby L
Good day,
I'd just like to say thank you to all those that reserved entry in advance for our impending club-bash next Thursday (24th); it sold out in just a manner of hours.
When we first launched The Basement Club, there were high hopes - Gordon R and myself spent days and days musing over it, pondering how we could create the ultimate live-music club-experience for jaded Londoners and stupidly enthusiastic music-obsessives like ourselves - setting a different standard, as it were.
(OK, that's a lie. Gordon declared, 'We should start a night in London'; I concurred; he phoned his favourite new venue of the time - 'a red brick basement with unreal sound' (Highbury's Buffalo Bar); the venue was viewed 30 minutes later; we walked out having booked the fourth Thursday of every month; and that was it: a club was born).
But who to book? It's the hardest, most draining and financially unrewarding job, promoting, and - what's more - it bears stupidly high risks no matter how well-organised (you may think) an event is. So, little wonder it took us an age to finally assemble a line-up we were happy with and thought would actually be of interest.
The first ever Basement Club occurred on Thursday October 24th 2002. One of rockfeedback's favourite solo-performers - Ed Harcourt - somehow allowed us to bend his arm into doing a stupidly low-key, late-night performance for us following a gig of his earlier that night playing with Beth Orton on the other side of London. Despite the seeming easiness, it still had its turbulence; the PA broke down in the mid-set of Ed's performance. The blighter continued, though - inviting the attendees closer to the piano, and magic occurred; 50 minutes that those who were present will never forget: miniature sing-alongs; mock piano-trashings; and DJ for the night - a famously inebriated Boy George - spinning a tune right in the middle of Ed speaking to the room.
Since then, the night's continued as we intended it - discerning, music first, and - thankfully, to all your support - serving as a bloody busy evening. Even still, every month feels like a celebration, and we truly appreciate your presence if you've ever managed to pop along for the eve... If not, why not try us in July?
The Issue: London bands - we asked you last week if the current hyperbole over the capital of the UK is truly warranted, or if it's just more of the snooty music-press' nonsensical way of lumping up together unrelated musical rumbles in the ease of blanket coverage? Your views:
'It is true that the standard of live-bands in London has risen in the last year or so... And unlike before, it's not just Camden that's the focal-point of new talent - travel to Brixton's Windmill, the Arts Cafe in Aldgate, or Highbury's Buffalo Bar (yay - Promoter Ed) and you're likely to make discoveries and potential additions to your record-collection on regular occasions. I only hope the 'build 'em up/known 'em down' media-arseholes don't ruin it for us by proclaiming it dead in a year's time.' Dan Thomas, Richmond, UK
Nice name-checks - we're with you on all those 'hot-spots', Dan; what some of the venues may lack in glamour, they sure as hell make up for in good gig-bookers and admirably 'rustic'-seeming toilets.
'I don't get it. Sure, you mention bands like Art Brut, The Others, etc. - but where will these bands be in a year's time? I think that everyone is so intent on raving over what's sensational and fantastic about music at the moment (don't get me wrong, there are loads of great new bands out there) that they're starting to count anything mildly OK as part of a superior breed... I mean, come on, are Razorlight really on the same par as The Libertines?' Derek Taplin, Ealing, UK
Ooh, (adopts camp tone) controversial. That highlighted subjectivity over certain bands aside, we take your point, Derek - we do see the troubles of the present London 'scene' (sorry, hate that f**king word) being represented by several exceptional names, and then a glut of crap-wads cashing in on the whole zeitgeist. But you have to have the tosh to appreciate the genius. It's just how it is.
Thanks for all your contributions; sorry we can't publish more this week (clue: include more than one-sentenced opinions in order to possibly get featured...). Next week, The Issue will be having a week off, so stay tuned for a future Weekly Editorial in order to unearth the next subject-matter you can sink your teeth into, music-wise.
Gigs this week, London: if you could only manage one - it should be Regina Spektor at the Spitz, E1 (Weds 16th; £6:00), who returns to London for her first headline show since performing at rockfeedback's unofficial third anniversary shindig in September last year, as well as a mesmerising showing at The Basement later that month; similarly, past Basement Clubbers Dogs Die In Hot Cars are back in town, supporting The Ordinary Boys at London's Kings College (Tues 15h; sold out); more Basement faves (OK, we'll stop celebrating ourselves now) Bloc Party are doing a show at the Islington Academy, following the official signing today of their deal with Wichita (14th; sold out); The Divine Comedy are doing a residency at the Bloomsbury (14-16th; sold out); Kings Of Convenience are at the ICA on Saturday (19th; sold out); and a reformed New York Dolls (complete with The Libertines' Gary Powell in tow on drums) hit Morrissey's Meltdown festival on the South Bank (Weds 16th; £22:50).
Alt UK Chart-action: Twisted X - the Euro '04 novelty-hit conjurors: featuring members of Delays, The Libertines and Supergrass, and 500 footy-fans (as masterminded by Xfm nutcase DJ Christian O' Connell) - went in at number 9 with their effort, 'Born In England' (charting, ironically, the same day England lost 2-1 to France in the first leg of the tournament); Scissor Sisters nabbed the 12 spot with their silly 'Laura' 45; Chikinki are 50 with 'Ether Radio'; The Veils enter at 63 with 'The Tide That Left & Never Came Back'; and The Distillers managed 74 with 'Beat Your Heart Out'. US commercial-rock titans Linkin Park commanded a lowly #39 with 'Breaking The Habit', meanwhile, while Incubus scored 43 with 'Talk Shows On Mute'. Albums - Supergrass' greatest hits collection goes in at number-four; The Killers' debut 'Hot Fuss' is six, and Velvet Revolver are number 11.
See you next week, young cherubs.