Notting Hill is finally getting it's mojo back.... At Maison du Chien.

I've spent the last eight years, grumpy as fuck, bitching about the lack of anything in Notting Hill other than the desire to yack around in pubs bars and clubs snivvelling up cocaine. I write poems about it, I alienate more people than you can shake a straw at,  and you know what! I was right.


But now. At last. Notting Hill is finally finding it's mojo.

I went up to Maison du Chien, above the Bumkin in Westbourne Park Road tonight. I went up because Piers Thompson was celebrating Tanya's birthday (it is a bit like that in the Thompson household) by DJ ing in his inimitable style (new verb: to Piers) and making a happening in his wake.What I found was a mini cabaret; just two acts: Earl Okin (a bloke I've seen around for ever but never knew he could do what he did) and Kalki; the best hula hoopist on the planet who even Piers couldn't faze. I went home after this, I'm elderly and need my sleep but apparantly stuff happens into the early hours.


Maison du Chien is Mat Whitley's baby, born of Medium Rare, and I think interesting because it doesn't try to be anything other than good fun. and that is what it is. Good fun! A little bit of Burlesque type nudity always helps.


It is a long climb up to the top floor at Bumkin. It is a climb well worth attempting without assistance.


Maison du Chien is happening until it stops (I'll try to find a link) but until then go.

Failing that go to Medium Rare at the Tabernacle... Feel the mojo rising!

Keith Richards at Proud Chelsea. Oh and the Beatles, Hendrix and Dylan too.

A busy day yesterday.


Lunch at the Tabernacle with the delightful singer/songwriter Rebecca Poole; more about her in later blogs.


Then off to Proud Chelsea: http://www.proud.co.uk in the Kings Road for the opening of an exhibition of photographs by Michael Joseph of a baby faced Keith from the 60's and early 70's.  It is a small show but contains some iconic pictures.

                                           Photo: Michael Joseph


A real bonus was the various images of  Dylan, Hendrix, and Beatles also on show in the gallery; well worth a visit if only for the cover shot for 'Rubber Soul' and the naked ladies from 'Electric Ladyland'.


I managed a little schmoozing before dinner at the Stockpot: http://stockpotchelsea.com/ a place I have not visited for years. Glad it is still there though; a rare reminder of the Kings Road of old.

First Wednesdays in Notting Hill

http://www.firstwednesdays.co.uk/

Channel 4's Seven Days; Weak.

I accidentally caught the Channel 4 reality show Seven Days last night, if you must know I had been watching something called Desperate Housewives (I don't own a TV so this was something of a novelty), and wish I hadn't but am glad I did.


Seven Days is typical of the sort of TV that causes me to not own a television; there is nothing remotely resembling reality in the show, it is merely a collection of smug, egoists (or is it egotists) serendipitously bumping into each other in the land of trite happen chance, talking about themselves in a seriously 'bigmeup' kind of way and the only reference point seems to be earlier episodes of the show.


This is television well and truly disappearing up it's own arsehole.


If you want to know about Notting Hill and the incredible cross section of people who inhabit it do not expect to learn anything from Seven Days.


Seven Days can only be seen to be attempting to follow (and failing miserably) in the footsteps of great shows such as Noddy, Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Postman Pat!


Seven Days..... Weak.


I am tempted to believe that aforementioned housewives desperation stemmed from having to watch the damn thing.

What is Roughler TV?

I put that question to Piers Thompson (one of Roughler's movers and shakers) and as luck would have it, he had an answer:


The magazine was Sniffing Glue meets Tatler. The TV incarnation is a Rantblog meeting BBC4. It celebrates life in the shadow of the Westway. We try to rouse the ghosts of the past who made Notting Hill the most subculturally significant neighbourhood in the World, so they can inspire the young in the spirit of Rock n Roll rebellion. The channel started in 2007 during Portobello Film Festival in tandem with Roughler Gallery where you can buy yesterday's memories at today's prices. We have covered subjects as diverse as Unicycle Hockey under the Westway, to the opening of Poundland on Portobello Road; from Lily Allen's return to the Tabernacle to the Class War march on David Cameron's house; music includes Nick Laird-Clowes Greenpeace anthem Mayday, to Ray Roughler Jones' Recession Glee or John Bindon to Gaz Mayall and The Trojans. Interviews have included John Maybury, Peter Richardson, Tony Benn, Ian Bone of Class War, Molly Parkin, Jake Arnott and Rusty Egan.

Here's one they made earlier:

Street critcism

Criticism before the artist has time to wipe the smile off his face.

Banksy Film at the Pop up Cinema W11.(Banksy has aerosoled out) And the Rotting Hill Gang.

Oi Banksy! The place for street art is on the street not in the cinema.


The minute you place Plexiglas over a wall painting is the moment you condemn it to mediocrity. The minute you put it on celuloid (or video) the same.  Street art IS because of it's ephemeral nature not because of it's self importance.


I started to watch a film narrated by someone pretending to be Banksy about an extremely boring bloke with a video camera. The high point for me was a length of green rope about 15 minutes into the video... Sorry Fillum.


PHEW!


Having said that, the pop up Cinema under the Westway is Great and should be celebrated.


Pop up Cinema 10 - Banksy 0


There was a great tribute to Ari Up beforehand though.


Do I get an award for reviewing this before the thing has ended...No.  But I got to meet Gary from the Rotten Hill Gang outside the Muse in Portobello Road who asked me along to a gig up the road which is just up my graffiti bedecked street!

The young satellites.

http://www.atomrooms.com/2010/10/the-young-satellites/

Postcards from Portobello Road. 1

Roughler Guide to Rotten Hill Bar & Grill 2

Just arrived in my inbox courtesy of Piers Thompson and Roughler TV.


A splendid afternoon in the heart of Notting Hill.

Ari Up. R.I.P.

Ari Up, frontwoman for pioneering British punk band the Slits, died Wednesday (Oct. 20).

LES TWINS "Rug Dealers" | YAK FILMS | WORLD OF DANCE TOUR | NEW STYLE HI...

5X15 at the Tabernacle. Howard Jacobson and the Booker prize.

How do you humanise a writer?

 

Photo: Christopher Scholey:

 http://www.christopherscholey.com

In Howard Jacobson's case you give him (desevedly) the Booker prize then get him on the stage at 5X15 at the Tabernacle a couple of days later.To a layman such as myself; I am not a 'completist' of the Jacobson Canon by a country mile, Jacobson came across as a Man pleasantly surprised by the award and pleased as punch to boot... A joy to listen to and an incitement to buy his books.


5X15 have got it right; 5 literary types are each given 15 minutes in which to talk, not read but talk to (from what I could see) a healthy looking knowledgeable audience.  15 minutes is spot on; short enough to leave you wanting more but not long enough to allow for waffling induced boredom. The auditorium at the Tabernacle is the perfect venue in being neither too small or too large with a sense of being somewhere special.


Jacobson was preceeded by Rachel Johnson, Alexander Masters, Diane Athill; an absolute delight and Alex Bellow; a sum greater than his parts (this is a very clever joke designed to get me invited to take part in 5X15) talking about numbers and keeping every ones attention, even at the back!


5X15 is a regular event at The Tabernacle and a high point in the calendar.