Marques Toliver at the Tabernacle.

Some reviews are a joy to write. Some performers defy the laws of probability. Sometimes the Tabernacle buzzes. sometimes all these things collide to create a memorable event.

The Art Explosion opening, attended by the Mayor, in the Gallery combined with a late start to the sell out show in the auditorium ensured that the place was rammed. There had been a lot of buzz about this one. time out had made it one of their picks for theweek and tickets had sold out in advance.

Mr Toliver is impossible to categorize; a classically trained violinist with bucket loads of sass and showmanship who also happens to write and sing a kind of soul. Backed by a happy band comprising a string quartet, drums, a couple of keyboards and a pair of backing singers he produce something pretty cool and totally unexpected. He produced an auto harp for one number, referencing P.J. Harvey as he introduced the instrument. Rock n Roll.

Photographs: Thomas Pegoraro.

I noticed a number of music industry bods in the audience; an indication that this man is hot!

A great show, a great night at the Tabernacle and a joy to write about.

MARQUES TOLIVER - WHITE SAILS.

Stalked and poetry.

Stalked

I am being stalked by the coolhunter
How cool is that

She is good
she frightens death
and chills out hell

She can stalk in high summer 
without working up a sweat
she can stalk on the ice pack
invisibly
while casually clubbing seal cubs

She can stalk you at truck stops
or at Soho house
she is just too cool to be noticed.

Except by Phil Spector



And she dealt with him.

Poetry defined.

A friend calls from canada and asks: '

What are you doing?'
and I say I am drinking milk and reading Bukowski
and she laughs and it is that laugh, 

you know, 
the laugh of someone you really like
and straight away you want to make her laugh again
not to make her happy so much
as to make her laugh again
so you can listen to it.

And when she hangs up I think of poetry
and what defines poetry
It is not as if
writing a shopping list of metaphors is enough

to make a poem!

Confusion.

I find these signs a little confusing!

You know you want to go... But where to go? My advice: Piss on the lamppost.

Gateway Women Coaching group.

Dear Friends,

There are still 6 places left on the Gateway Women Coaching Group which takes place on Saturday mornings 10-11am in Notting Hill.

All the info is in the flyer below and if you click on the image it will take you to the Gateway Women website - or use this link to take you directly to the page:http://wp.me/PssHp-2W

I would be so grateful if you could forward this email to any women you know who would have liked to have had a family (or who are still hoping it will work out).

The Group is intimate, friendly and safe and completely groundbreaking.

I am now a qualified counsellor and am part way through my training to be a psychotherapist - so it's is a safe, fun and supportive space. We'll be doing exercises to help us uncover some of our unconscious issues around motherhood, and techniques for finding our missing mojo. The first week was last Saturday and the Group will be running for another 9 weeks till Saturday 26th November.

Please don't hesitate to contact me for further info jody@gateway-women.com

Thanks for your help in spreading this important work - with 1 in 5 women now not having children, there's a lot of work to be done changing attitudes around being childless -- or childfree as I prefer to term it!

Thanks again, Jody x

JODY DAY
Founder: Gateway Women

jody@gateway-women.com
www.gateway-women.com

Loco Cabaret, Jono, Wig, Rob Alder and Delphi Newman.

I'm assured it was the best night at Loco to date. I cannot possibly comment as I was part of it. It was certainly fun. Dancing took place which must be a good sign.

5 X 15 Unbound, Alan Yentob and fish pie.

The Tabernacle took a literary turn yesterday. Alan Yentob, armed with a BBC film crew, was interviewing Kate Mosse in the conservatory during the afternoon prior to a special, one off, 5 X 15 Unbound, in the auditorium.

I managed to have a chat with Alan during a break, on the theme of the evenings event; the future of the book. The word Kindle featured quite prominently. I suggested that Kindle may indeed be the way forward until we hit the post I.T. winter. It occurred to me that one day storytelling will return to it's natural medium; spoken narrative. Curious how we seem to have forgotten that books, certainly books

available to the general public, are quite a recent arrival.

5 X 15 Unbound: Here's the idea: you will be treated to an evening of riotous literary entertainment as 10 authors go head-to-head pitching ideas for books they would really like to write.

Authors include the international bestselling novelist Kate Mosse, Booker shortlisted comic novelist Tibor Fischer and creator of cult 90s TV show This Life, Amy Jenkins. Robert Llewellyn (Red Dwarf, Scrapheap Challenge, Carpool) will be presenting his utopian fantasy, News from Gardenia. Graham Smith will offer up We Can Be Heroes - a lavishly illustrated insider's account of London's club scene in the early 80s.

Vitali Vitaliev, the Russian Bill Bryson, presentsCattivo Recordo, a journey through italy in search of a bad meal. Keith Kahn-Harris, a sociologist and expert on Jewish heavy metal shares Big Fish, Small Ponds, his attempt to find obscure heroes (like the best waterskier in Luxembourg). George Chopping, former Sainsbury's 'shelf replenishment technician' now performance poet unleashes Shelf-stacker Blues. Elliot Rose (aka awarding winner novelist Will Davis) reads fromDemonica, his chilling tale of a woman who loses her face (and also performs an aerial trapeze display piece). And sensational Oxford band Little Fish unveil The New Official Little Fish Paper Club Handbook, a guide to starting modern rock band and perform their new single. After they've all delivered their pitches we'll be gathering everyone's (silent) pledges.

The auditorium was packed, with a peppering of literary names and the odd rock star in attendance. It was a light hearted affair and made a change from the usual 5 x 15 format.

Chef Mark Richardson Knocked up a fish pie for the event which I can assure you was splendid.

The next 5 X 15, back in it's usual guise will be on Monday September 19th with AS Byatt, Misha Glenny, Simon Baron Cohen, Lucy Worsley and Alexander Masters

Alan Yentob's telly thing will be shown in November on the BBC.

High tide in Porchester Gardens. W2.

Actually it is yet another burst water main. details HERE

The nurse.

A year ago I was admitted to St Mary's Hospital Paddington; they got my lungs going again. the staff were great, the food not great but to misquote the fabulous furry freak Brothers:

Good nursing will get you through times of lousy food better than lousy nursing in times of good food.

I was looking through my notebook for that time. I found this:

The nurse

She leans in

and for one moment

supplements my weak breath

with hers

then whispers

Elephants graveyard, Back view and Italian sports cars. Portobello scenes!

Actually more like telephones graveyard.
I wondering if perhaps she had the dress on back to front.

The Hurlingham comes to All Saint's Road.

I'm not joking either.

I really do not understand the thinking behind the naming of a new 'nightclub' in All Saint's road. You know the place; heart of Notting hill, flash point for the riots, home to Mangrove. surely not the ideal place for a venue named after that toff's sporting club in Fulham.

It was very quiet last night, I did however get to chat with the door people. they were bored.

I guess I'll look in one of these days and report back but for the time being I shall just look on in amazement.

Charity Auction? Portobello.

I'm confused.

There is an event calling itself a charity auction today. When I asked the organizer how much of the proceeds were going to charity I was told: "30%". yet there is no indication of this on the publicity material.

Surely the bidders should be informed that the majority of the sale price will not be going to any charity.

People tend to be generous at such auctions because they assume the money is going to a good cause.

Clarification please.

Maison du Chien returns to the bumpkin, Westbourne Park road.

From the 28th of september Maison du Chien begins a residency on the top floor of Bumpkin. Expect the unusual as usual. I'll post more information as and when I get it.

Read more HERE