Column: Gordon Raphael #7, April 2002
By: Gordon Raphael
Thanks to The Strokes, I was smuggled into the Brit Awards rehearsal and show for this year's event. Yup, snuck right in there with my video camera, filming their run-through on a great stage in front of a huge Warhol-like projection screen subdivided into little images of the band members while they played; it looked epic and grandly artistic.
There were many famous groups and celebrity-types in attendance - even foxy little models hanging out backstage - and the free food and drinks were delicious, well appreciated by a party-crasher like myself. That day at the Brits, my mobile-phone began to ring with actual people from record companies, promotion teams and bands asking to meet with me to discuss future projects. I mainly wanted to show off the cool bands from New York whose music I had recorded and brought with me in the hope of getting them signed to good homes in England. The top bands I was pushing were: Anna Mercedes, Soundtrack (not Of Our Lives!), Van Der Meer (Berlin), The Satellites (Mallorca) Ritual Licks (NYC), my solo album 'I Lick the Moog', and Unisex Salon.
The Brits really was a two-day party, and aside from the fact that we were the only rockers there - albeit with loud electric guitars! - it was as wild and fun as anything - especially when The Strokes performed a full-tilt version of Last Nite, and then won an award in front of 60 trillion music fans watching their TV's around the UK.
The next party though was with The Libertines, as they toured to Leeds and Birmingham, opening the show for The Strokes - with me running the sound for them. It was quite perfect, being with two of my favorite bands in the world, and even better as The Strokes got along quite well with The Libertines, and really dug their show as well; bodes well for the future now dunnit!
After the mini tour were the Brat awards given by the 'NME' magazine. Once again, The Strokes' security men Danny and Colin (The Love Police) snuck me past the barricades. I stole a chair from one table for myself, and created a little space just in time for a yucky dinner and to watch my pals from New York win three awards. Rather proud of them. Drummer Fabrizio Moretti, after winning
three Brat awards, looked rather sad and said, 'I really don't feel like a rock star; why am I here?' Poor dude, I'm not sure if that's the way to really cut loose, y'know?
The Brats turned into a chaotic alcohol-fueled debauchery, made intolerable by ten DJ's playing earsplitting records all within a confined area that allowed your head to be pummeled by one crappy song, while three different ones hurt your left ear, leaving the DJ down the hall to upset your stomach with his bass notes. Next! So, I split to use the internet terminals at Charing Cross's Easy Everything center.
My weeks were filled with meetings at Prolifica records, regarding The Servant, at BMG, meeting Per Kviman, who said he actually liked two of my bands!, Independiente Records, meeting the charming Charlie there, as well as Rough Trade. From such meetings with bands and labels during the day, parties were had by all with The Libertines and the happy crew most evenings, peppered with a nightly series of rock and roll shows at the Monarch, Enterprise, 333 Mother Bar, Pop, Filthy McNasty's, Water Rats, and other cool-ass venues. The benefit was always seeing some good bands - every night! Which is definitely not the case in New York or anywhere in America I've ever been.
Most days would start with a tasty café latte on Neal Street and a lunch at Food For Thought. Then, I'd be straight off to the National Gallery to see hundreds of gorgeous mind-altering paintings by Fra Angelico, Criveli, Bosch, Manet, Monet, Renoir... I went so often that I became very familiar with many artists, themes, and paintings I'd never experienced before. I really liked the old religious Christian works, views of the 17th century French countryside and the feeling of seeing ancient Venice. Old paintings were a great balance and inspiration in the modern, exhilarating London, and the heady super-charged world of the new bands and music I was immersed in there. I really feel that the spirit of the early 1960's and, oddly enough, the late 1970's/ early 1980's, are really lifting off right now in the UK. I was in Seattle watching and listening the first time around, but now I detect a very powerful and creative energy in the London, Liverpool, Dublin, Brighton, and Bristol scenes. Also, it's clear- judging from the feeling of community and closeness, that people are sharing around the music as well. For instance, The Libertines spend much of their non-band practice/performing time actually singing songs with each other, merely accompanied by acoustic guitar, playing all kinds of songs, everyone (friends) joining in, remarkably knowing all the words, sporting lovely voices all in tune together.
From the first nite on, I was receiving CDs from bands, meeting managers and musicians who were interested in working with me... I listened to as much as I could, and - during my last eleven days in London - worked in the studio with Hoodlum UK, D.U.N.E (a sensational band managed by Danny -
The Strokes security dude), El Hula, NPB (Dublin), and wrote a song with a new artist named Kate Aumonier. A band from Liverpool called Without Walls, drove down for a meeting which may bring me to their town for some new songs in April. I also heard a band called Ripe at the practice studio Roos on Old Street; I simply knocked on their door and said, 'Hi - you sound great! I'm a recording guy - here's my phone number!' Their singer Kirsten is "saucy" as Carl from the Libertines informed me, and quite a cool singer and songwriter as I found out. I will hopefully record some demos with them when I return to the UK. Oh, did I mention I'm returning back there? Oh, yes - it really feels like the right place for this muso-synth gearhead!
After the last all-nite rock-n-roll-playing bash at 333, where I ran into Ian McCulloch from Echo and the Bunnymen (who I toured with when I was in the Psychedelic Furs last Christmas), I headed home to Drury Lane to pack my bags for the New York City. Yes, I felt compelled to leave simply because there are a few bands here in NYC that need some finishing touches on songs, and some Gordon vibes on their recordings... They were wondering why I was gone so long, thus I took a little break from the party of London life, to come home for a short US visit...
See you soon again, though.