Postcards from Portobello Road #49

Leaving me. A poem for a fairytail punk.

She said don't jump

I said I can't jump

If I jumped

I'd rise

I'd rise above you

And the last thing I want to do

Is

Look down on you.

She said don't jump.

12 Bar Blues.

We fought

She left

guitily later I searched

the gold

the Star

Cock & Bottle

Ground Floor

Finches

Castle

Mau Mau

Muse Elgin

the Union

cow

& Westbourne

Of course I had a drink in each.

Now I've got the 12 bar blues & can't remember who I'm looking for.

The Van Susans at the 100 Club.

I hadn't been to the 100 club in years. My visit to the lavatory on Friday night went part of the way to explaining why.

I took along a friend I hadn't been to a gig with since our teens 40 years ago; the two support bands convinced us that nothing has changed in 40 years. We haven't grown up, Rock n roll hasn't aged but sometimes you wish it would die. I'm sure the band members were having fun and we were content to reminisc and wait for the Van Susans.

We were there for the launch of their EP 'We could be scenery', out on Beatnik Geek Records now. I'd not heard of them before but was told they were worth a listen. so we listened.

Described as a PopCore/indie band (no help to me but I'm not their target audience) Van Susans are a good looking sextet with a charismatic frontman Olly Andrews and a violin wielding woman, I'm partial to a violin in a band ever since the Velvet Underground. so far so good.

And well worth the smelly loos and indifferent generic support it was too. the band have some good songs with some intelligent narratives, harmonic melodies and a sense of fun. I'm not a musician, I'll leave that stuff up to other more qualified reviewers, I'm part of an audience and all I can write about is being there.

We will hear more from this band, they reminded me of someone or something but it may have been that they just reminded me to see them again.

BREAKING NEWS: Amy Winehouse, 27, found dead at her London flat

Amy Winehouse has been found dead. she was 27. 27. You have to make it past 27. R.I.P. Amy.

She probably is in peace for the first time in a long time.

In rehab at last.

Carl Gabriel, carnival artist.

I found Carl setting up some of his amazing carnival pieces at the Tabernacle today.

‘Live on Stage: Rock Photography from Dylan to Dubstep’

Dylan to Dubstep.

An exhibition by Ellen Doherty and Keith Baugh
at the West Bank Gallery, LondonAugust 12th. 2011

West Bank London is at 133 - 137 Westbourne Grove. W11.

Ashley Noot at the Tabernacle.

Ashley Noot is an american singer-songwriter. She is best known for her single "Oh no what" from her debut album "Throwing away your love songs."

Ashley Noot was sitting in the Tabernacle being interviewed on video to promote her debut album. I said hello... I said come back and do a show here. I hope she does.

http://ashleynoot.co.uk/

You can find her music on itunes at; http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/oh-no-what/id382683903

Old Commonwealth Institute on High Street Kensington.

Lithuania takes over the Tabernacle kitchen

Called in to the Tabernacle this afternoon to find the aesthetics of the kitchen improved considerably by a trio of Lithuanians preparing Cepelinai: a traditional dish.

I'm hanging around for the tasting.

Bicycle Shrine and westbourne Park Road Latin Dog.

cheesecake.

I'm researching cheesecake this month.