VLOGGING

Have I mentioned that I work in the media now?

Yeah so like I'm really into documenting everything to such dire lengths that I'm now recording conversations that I have with my friend Vanessa Kisuule because we find ourselves SO obnoxiously funny that we thought we'd grace the world with our hilarity.

So please feel free to enjoy us being fools and loving ourselves, I sincerely hope by the end you love yourselves a bit more too.

Here's our first video!

We are opening the series with:
Is It Just Me Or....Am I The Shit? 

This video came about because....Vanessa and I rate ourselves.

We think we're the shit. 

....................

Apparently that coming out of the mouth of anyone other than Kanye is just not acceptable (and even then, people have beef with it) Why is that?

We appreciate that in this life the journey to self acceptance can be a hard one. But we feel like as a British society we have accepted that self deprecation is an inevitable and even welcomed part of our rhetoric, particularly as young women. 

A female being happy with herself and saying so is seen as strange and even a bit obnoxious. Here we are chatting about that with our legs open. (But with our clothes on. Obvs. You absolute pervert.)

Let us know what you think and feel free to like our  Facebook page if you wish to view more of our ramblings.

Big love y'all xxx

Akua Naru - My Heart Is Broken

Akua Naru was at The Lantern last month - a spoken word artist that has been on my radar for only a year or so after a friend compared one of my songs to hers (massive compliment) but who I thought I'd never actually get to see live. Originally from Connecticut, US she now lives in Germany - after seeing her show I'm inclined to think it was an escape...

I wasn't sure what to expect of a live music show because I'd only heard her as a spoken word artist. I knew she played with a band but what would it be, instrumentals in-between poems? A slow, soulful, hip-hop vibe? Well, you never know until you get there.

On a pure performance vibe it was intense from the beginning. The set was put together mindfully, opening up with easily accessible hip-hop before moving on to her most popular song in the middle of the set 'How Does It Feel' - always a brave move. There's a danger as a performer that once you play your crowd pleaser, the crowd starts to peter out - but it didn't.

In fact when she played that song, the crowd changed. We evolved from shuffling, bum shaking, good timers to alertly thoughtful listeners. When she played this song such a huge wave of emotion went over me that before I knew it tears were streaming down my face.

That's how music affects me - it's so deeply connected with my emotions that sometimes I don't know I need to cry until something starts and I break. I recorded the whole thing even though I knew it was gonna be a long one (excuse the shaky hand - arm workout!) because I wanted to capture that moment.

That song changed the tone of the night - everyone was ready to listen a little harder, feel a little deeper.

Akua Naru started to explain the reasons for certain songs that she played from her new album The Miners Canary (click to buy her album off bandcamp - it's worth it) is political, musical and thoughtful. (Black &) Blues People is the song she sang straight after dropping some truth and spreading the word that America's problems are not new and they are not confined to America. Technology has forced the world to wake up and now blatant disrespect for life can no longer be ignored - things have to start to change.

Here's what she had to say:



I thought she might do a half hearted 45 minute show, I'd heard it had been a long tour, but Akua Naru stayed on that stage for a whole 2 hours and not once did her energy dwindle.

Initially I took the effort she put into connecting with audience as an 'Americanism' but by the end of the show it all made sense. She needed to open up that level of communication with the audience so that they trusted her. Trusted that she wasn't there to make anyone feel guilty but that equally what she was telling them was the truth, a truth that is too dangerous to ignore.

At the end of the set she said she would be outside with vinyls and merchandise (I always feel bad for artists when they say this because people generally tend to smile as they head straight towards the exit) and no sooner had the band finished playing, almost everyone was outside waiting to thank her for the experience she had brought to them.

I overheard a girl in front of me who was almost at the point of emotional explosion because she said it was the first time she had been made to fully understand the issue. It was a discussion she had always felt she couldn't be a part of and it made her turn a blind eye. Akua told her that the first step is to listen, listen to the stories to understand the experience and then form your opinion - but that she had already taken her first step by going to that concert and staying until the end.

I left that concert feeling like my heart had been torn and mended all in a two hour period - I laughed and cried, shared her pain but also glimpsed some hope. Because if you look past all the A List celebrities who are more interested in money than morals, you sometimes get to see those who are left. Using their gift to try and change the world - music never sounded so bittersweet.

Cat Lady at 25 - Say Nuttin

May I begin this post by saying - I am sure there are lots of lovely, respectful, wonderful men out there and this is not aimed at you normal people.

Now that's out the way I'd just like to ask a question - wtf is up with the males that I come into contact with?

It's really hard to not become jaded when the men who find me are either sex-crazed or terrified. Either way both teams start out the same...

"You're so beautiful and intelligent and funny and confident, I love that! Blah blah blah"

I'm not actually great at receiving compliments so this bit is always pretty awkward for me. I normally say thank you, then ask them questions about themselves so we're not stuck in this whirlpool of ego-stroking.

After that I'll excuse myself if I'm not interested or if they actually ask for my number I'll give it to them. I'm not that fussy about my number to be honest. It's been the same for about ten years and is on every business card/email I've sent out in that time so no nose skin sacrificed.

What they do with the number... This is the moment I find out whether the guy is:

a) A potential rapist
b) Terrified
c) Not interested

I have experienced many versions of the above.

Most recently:

Option A) Potential Rapist

Picture me minding my own business, listening to Chaka Khan whilst walking to work, trying to shake off a hangover when a car pulls up and a guy starts chatting to me.

I take out my headphones thinking he's looking for directions but am sadly mistaken. As I try to excuse myself he begins kerb crawling alongside me to the point where I begin worrying people will start to think I know him. In a moment of desperation (and boredom) I gave him my number. He called it immediately and I saved him as 'Reggie Road Man'.

Reggie Road Man then proceeded to harass me with dead chat texts for a month, refusing to take any hints (before you wonder why I didn't block him, I didn't know you could block whatsapp people..low me) before sending me a picture of his penis.

Now to ME that seems odd. Firstly it was was not of a bragging size so that's...brave. Secondly if someone hasn't reciprocated any of your dead chat, why would they want to see that? Thirdly WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SENDING ME A PICTURE OF YOUR DICK???!!!

Men, please. Do not send girls pictures of yourself unless they ask for them. NO-ONE is as into your dick as you are and surpriiiiiise it's not a turn on AT ALL to wake up to some strangers appendage at 8am in the morning. EURGH. Your mother has a lot to answer for.

A paraphrased version of the above is what I replied to him. I received 'Suck it', and thus my faith in the male species slipped a little further.

(at the bottom of this post you will find a chart outlining when it is OK to send a dickpic..it is rare)

Option B) The Terrified.

Don't get me wrong I think guys have a tough time when it comes to dating because it's expected that the guy has to be the one to walk over, make conversation, ask for the number, risk the rejection etc and that must be difficult if you're not confident.

And I am not exactly a wallflower - so if someone's come up to me I already think, kudos man, that can't have been easy. So it's not that people can be shy that annoys me, it's that when I'm actively trying to make you feel less afraid by having a conversation with you, and you ask me for my number which I then give to you to show that I'm a normal person and not some mythical being and you're still too terrified to use it... That annoys me.

Option C) The Not Interested.

I think these are the most common and you know what, not everyone is going to like you. We all have different preferences and there are characteristics that are attractive to some and not to others - not a problem.

Obviously there's the issue of the media brainwashing people into thinking what is or isn't attractive - but that's a different blog post.

However, what is particularly frustrating about the option c) people is that you don't realise until it's too late because they tell you the exact opposite. What are we, mind-readers?!

You can chat a bit maybe have a drink or five... Get a bit drunk, a little bit flirty, a little bit handsy... And in the midst of this excitement, they begin to declare all these futuristic statements "I'm so glad I've met you", "What an amazing night", "I can't wait to see you again" and so on and so forth and then...

CASPER BITCH!!!

Oh what, you thought that was real? Noooooo no no, just figured it was what you wanted to hear but actually I'm just not that into it so... Soweeeee

The confusion!! Suddenly it's like wait but...
I didn't want a relationship..?

You were the one saying you wanted to see me again.... I was just smiling and sipping my Long Island Iced Tea....

Why do I now feel like I've been shafted when I hadn't decided if I liked you....?

What's happening???!!

And we're back to square one. 

So in light of this I have got a kitten (pics to come) and am embracing my cat lady future xx

Time for a quickie?!

People sometimes ask me if I need glasses...
Of course I do #specshade lol

This is gonna be a super short post because I need to sort my life out instead of faffing around on melodylab...even though the latter is far more fun.

I just wanted to say a quick HOORAY!!! This has been a good week, hope your week has been equally fab. Why you ask? Well....

I got my mock results back for the exams I've been frying my brains with and I got a B in Court Reporting and an A in Essential Media Law which was a mahoooosive shock but a very happy one and it's definitely given me confidence to go into the exams in November.

I've started revising again already - no rest for the wicked!

I'm like so deep - look into those
thoughtful eyes...

On Friday I went round to me buddy Chris Munky's yig to get started on my EP which I'm aiming to have finished by next year. It's gonna be political, I can tell you that much - but that doesn't mean it's going to be dire. This year has really been an awakening for me regarding safety, institutionalised racism, how drastically different people's lives are depending on their background and the humility it takes to wake up to the fact that you may have been part of the problem...by not fully realising the problem.

I am SO excited for you guys to hear what I've been working on when it's finished... Here's a little snippet of the chorus to wet your whistle! 

If you like what you hear, pop over to my YouTube channel for me doing a minute of Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine, A Capella. I am totally addicted to melodylab. 

So much fun playing my selections :D

Lastly, on Saturday I was left to fly freeee on Ujima 98fm for The BodyShock Show. I normally produce it for Addison Groove (every Saturday 6-8pm just fyi...) with Titus12 but this week they wre both away so I was left to my own devices...mwaaahahahahaaa.

The first half hour was terrifying, then I started to get into it. If you fancy having a listen, follow the links:

Part 1: Ngaio Anyia presenting The Bodyshock Show Ujima98fm

Part 2: Ngaio Anyia presenting The Bodyshock Show Ujima98fm

So that's it from me! Told you I'd be quick. Also, as you may have noticed I've wandered over to the straight side for the week cause my next gig as an Afronaught isn't till the 19th (that's gonna be a wicked gig, will report on it when it comes round) and I needed to trim my hair. However the fro WILL be back and thicker than ever xxx

Life debrief

"So you wanna know what I've been up to?! Have a seat..."

You know when someone asks, "so what have you been up to?" I find myself having to judge that situation very quickly to avoid embarrassment because some people (normally close friends) genuinely want to know what I've been up to. It doesn't matter how long the list is or conversation because we are both engaged in the catch up.

Then there's people that used to be good friends but maybe you've drifted apart. Overall it's best not to go into the aches and pains because although they care, they aren't nearly as emotionally invested in you as you are (which actually I try to remember as a rule - only child syndrome).

These people want to hear the good bits with a slight mention of 'deeper stuff' so the conversation doesn't feel completely superficial (because you're better than that)
Ultimately: cliff-notes will suffice.

Then the acquaintances. These are hardest to judge due to the different levels of acquaintance but as a blanket term: they probably know what you're doing to a degree, but they just want to hear the highlights. No guts, all glory.

I outline these 'life people' because I think they might also apply to readers, so if you're an acquaintance reader - HELLO! Thanks for upping the click count, but I have no recipes or words of outrage for you today.

This is a purely self-indulgent post of my favourite style moments over the past couple of months and how they outline what I've been up to. If interested, please read on! If not, feel free to click away. I understand, no hard feelings.

Hair product: Beautiful Texures Curl Custard

This particularly good hair day happened in Birmingham where I had my last block of training for my journalism apprenticeship for BBC. Whilst there I passed my shorthand exam - writing 60wpm at 97% accuracy - YAY! I can now go and report from court...as long as they talk reeeaallllyyyy sloooowly.

And I did practice papers in Essential Media Law and Court Reporting Law to prep for mocks in September (still waiting to hear those results).

FYI: I have a new found, bursting love for boohoo.com

It's so frikkin cheap! The sizes are so random but I normally buy bigger and alter on the sewing machine. No big.

That red skirt cost £4 and is at the top of my most-loved list.

Also, super haps with body goals being reached after 3 months of doing Keaira LaShae workouts - click the link to get to her youtube page. Highly recommended for fun fitness.

Eva Lazarus in Kuccia, me in boohoo.com

And looky here - another boohoo purchase! The jumpsuit, not Eva.

This was taken at our FIRST festival performance - Shambala 2015!!!

It was SO much fun headlining at Mr Hungs Laundry backing singing for this absolute beauty. All original tracks by Eva Lazarus with me and Naomi - The Afronaughts -  backing her and Snareophobe on the decks.

Note to self: must not get over excited & start shocking out to every tune on stage.



And finally, the last festival of the year...
Tokyo World.

I can't lie, the whole thing went passed in a blur while I was running around getting interviews but the vibes were on point.

Spent most of my time down by main stage or the blast stage, tunes for days!

Even did my first piece to camera for Made In Bristol TV which was a thriller so big ups to everyone who took the time to chat to me.

Think this is my favourite outfit so far - jumpsuit from boohoo.com. The leather jacket I bought oversized from a vintage fair and altered - secret seamstress tiiiiing xxx

July - the month of food.

Eva's fabulous sushi and prawn rice rolls xxx

This (was) going to be a fairly short entry because I have SO much work to do at the moment. You know those times when sleeping feels like a waste of hours...

But before I forgot I wanted to put up a foodie blog post because I'm really excited about food again.

First up is a huge thank you to the diva don, Eva Lazarus for showing me the basics in Japanese food - I watched her whip up a feast in under an hour. What witchery is this...?

I had to try.

WaterSky in Eastville is good for sushi rice and seaweed wraps.

Sushi rice is easy to cook - (1 cup rice washed, top with 1.5 cups water, splash of rice vinegar and salt, bring to boil and turn heat down till all the waters absorbed. Turn off and leave stand for 10 mins)

While the rice was doing its thing I prepped far too much veg - be warned.

Mine aren't perfect but I was happy as a first attempt!
Dipped in duck sauce- NOM!

Then I put down a dishcloth, topped with a layer of clingfilm, and then the seaweed wrap. Spread on the rice evenly leaving roughly 1cm around the edges (in hindsight as you can see from the pics I got a wee bit over-excited with the filling, you really don't need much)

Then, wrap! The good thing about the cling film and dishcloth is it makes the rolling easier and leaves you with less clearing up after because the towel catches it all!

The next weekend I was craving pizza, which is rare but I know when it comes to wheat it's a slippery slope.

Enter... Sweet Potato Pizza crust (click link for the recipe) Oh. My. God. I can't actually explain how much I love this. I would go so far as to say I prefer it to regular pizza.

I got the recipe from Blissful Basil and adapte by using spelt flour instead of gluten free flour (because I didn't have any) and cornmeal instead of almond meal - but the results were still amazing.

Finally, a fabulous friend of mine gave me tickets for Grillstock. I wish I could say I tried the best pulled pork in the land...but in honesty I was only there for De La Soul .

I wasn't in the best of moods, but the energy they brought to the stage was infectious. I don't think anyone could have left feeling down. When you see performers who are there, not for money, but because they enjoy what they do it shows hard work and dedication can get you anywhere xxx

Song For Sandra

I would be surprised if you haven't heard the name Sandra Bland over the last few days.

Facebook has been rife with youtube videos, first of a clearly edited video of her 'arrest'.

Then an unedited version that showed just how unnecessary the whole ordeal was in the first place.

And then, possibly the most heartbreaking, her videos.

I can't express with words how deeply this has cut me, and people everywhere. This woman was not a racist, she was not aggressive, she was not a yob, she was an activist.

And she spoke the truth. And then on her way to a job interview she was pulled over, treated like shit, and reported dead three days later.

I have cried for her. Since the coroners inquest came back confirming a 'suicide', I haven't been able to think about much else.

So I wrote this for her. I wrote this song for Sandra because her life mattered. All life matters.

Rest in Peace Sista xxx

Friday Fuckery

White or Black?

Something happened this morning which has the high ability of ruining my day. I do not want it to ruin my day because it's just another occurance of every day racism. Normally I would brush it off, use it as an anecdote to laugh about ignorance - and not let in the hurt that comes with having to define and defend my heritage in regular day to day life... But I'm not going to do that this time. Because it's these small, insignificant, thoughtless acts that make it blindingly obvious that everyone is NOT seen the same.

Today I was filling out a form and I was working my way through it when I saw the ethnicity box. Tick whichever applies. I didn't tick any, because I don't feel like declaring my ethnicity is ever relevant. The woman behind the desk comes over to me and says she can't register me until I tick a box, so I tick White British and Black African. She comes back again and says in a very slow voice, "Yeah, you can't be both." 

I look at her. Avoiding my eyes she starts stuttering, "Well, what are you? I guess you'd be more black wouldn't you. I suppose you could tick white... But what are you, half and half?" and with that she signals towards a tiny box at the very bottom of the form that says 'other ethnic background'.

Now, some people will read that story and be filled with immediate rage (which I personally am still trying to shake off) whilst others will think, 'what's her problem? It's just a form, fill it out properly and she wouldn't have to ask you twice. Stop making a fuss'. So I'm going to break down that story from my point of view.

Firstly, I have been reading a book called The Pigment of Your Imagination: Mixed Race in Global Society (follow the link to Amazon - it's only £2!) which is one of the most relevant books I've read in an incredibly long time. An American woman travels to Britain, Kenya, Nairobi and Jamaica to talk to interracial couples and their mixed raced children about what race they consider themselves to be. I could talk about this book for days but for the sake of not rabbiting on I'll highlight one part. Joy Zarembka, the author, speaks to someone about what race they consider themselves and the woman says, (paraphrasing) "I do not define myself as a race, as an act of defiance whenever I get a form where I have to declare my race, I either tick no box or two, because I am not half of anything. And what business is it of theirs?"

As soon as I saw the registration form - this came to the forefront of my mind and I thought, what business is it of theirs? Will they treat me differently or file me differently if I declare myself white or black? I don't want to categorise myself for other people anymore, why can't I just be a human being? It may seem like a small activist act but, we all have a part to play. So I didn't tick the box.

When she came back and told me I had to tick a box I was annoyed because I always thought those boxes were voluntary but apparently I was not going to be given the service until I told them what ethnicity I was so I ticked White British and Black African because that is what I am. Not even going into the long list of White options that were listed - six in total - before the two options of Black African and Black Carribbean and how highly dismissive of culture that is, I thought OK. I caved. But at least I tried.

Then for her to come back a third time and tell me that I couldn't be both. I couldn't be both?

My hilarious parents

Just take a minute to think about what that means to me, or any mixed heritage person, for a second. This was a registration form that has to be filled out for help and I've been told that I cannot get a service unless I disregard one side of my heritage. And then for her to suggest and almost tick the Black African box for me (because I'm too stupid to do that myself) just showed her complete lack of understanding of what she was asking me to do. Eventually after a frankly embarrassing interaction where I stared at her and she made herself look even more foolish, she decided I would be better put in the 'other ethnic background' which was right at the bottom of the page. I didn't even see it when I first looked at the form.

As a 'race' us mixed folk are the fastest growing group in the world. Shock horror, it's true. Now as far as I'm concerned, unless you're an incest baby EVERYONE is mixed race. But for the sake of this, we'll consider mixed race as coming from two different racial backgrounds. So WHY is 'my' box at the very bottom of the list, why does it have no acknowledgment of my culture and why is it named other?

Like some reject spawn.

I am not an other. No-one is an 'other'. 

It may seem like making a mountain out of a molehill to some but the time is now. The time to start climbing that mountain is now. Because things are going to get worse before they get better, and by pretending a problem doesn't exist we are only prolonging the damage that is being done every day through casual racism.

LSTD 2015

I cannot believe how long it's taken me to write about Love Saves The Day. In my defence, I was up in Birmingham getting job training for the  month and only managed to shoot back for the long weekend before going back again - the fun never stops!

I have to say, I didn't manage to reach nearly enough on Saturday purely because I was working/knackered, but I did go down to get a lay of the land and prep my bearings. Had I of been attending as a punter, I wouldn't have bought a ticket for Saturday...and that would have been a mistake. Although Sunday had more of my kind of music in the billing, the vibe was undoubtedly better on the Saturday.

People generally felt a lot more willing to talk to strangers, possibly because a lot of the people I spoke to were from out of town and were there just to get involved and see where the day took them. Many a wedding was had at the inflatable circus.

Sunday was the one though, I can't lie. Sunday was Bristol's day - maybe that's why the vibe wasn't quite so happy/hype - because everyone knew each other! For me Sunday standardly started with a 'shit/fuck/bollocks' moment from myself. I'd been invited to back Eva Lazarus with fellow Afronaught Naomi Jeremy (keep your eye out for an Afronaught dedicated blog post in September...) as part of the Jus Now set.

For anyone that knows me, I am late to everything. So I arrive with twenty minutes until Jus Now takes the stage and I'm standing in the guestlist que which is NOT moving. Now, I only have myself to blame so I can't get toooo pissy about it but what upset me was that the general tickets que was speeeeeding past. When I shout conversed with friend much further up the que than me and explained I had to be on stage in what had ticked down to twelve minutes, she grabbed the first steward she saw and I was in! Thank you Gillian McKenzie - you are my saviour!

So, I ran to main stage and arrived sweaty and breathless - PERFECT conditions for singing. It was SO much fun though. The audience swelled from 40 to 200 at least in the space of ten minutes. On. Point.

After that I pretty much ran around catching people to interview and taking notes on all the different
acts I was seeing. It was exhaustingly exhilerating and I had no idea I was knackered until I hit a wall at 3am in the middle of motion. Body. Spent.

Here were my general notes for anyone that cares...

LoveSpecs:

Introduced to them by Eva, they are AMAZING. Even better, Miss Jess Farley glittered me up proper festival stylleeee - Blue Avatar vibes. Babe. Check her Instagram: @jessfarley

Raleigh Ritchie:

Haven't seen this guy in a hot minute apart from when I'm watching Game of Thrones with new people and happen to 'causually' drop into conversation, 'Oh yeah that's Jake, I went to school with him'. He is kicking ass, taking names and still an absolute sweetheart. The energy he gave on stage was wicked, when a musician also manages to be a performer the audience connects with it so much more and woiii - peeps were going ape. Girls screamed like their lives depended on it when he jumped off the stage. Lols.

DJ EZ:

You know there are those DJ's and you know you must have seen them before but you've got no idea when/why/what music they played, you just remember it was a good time. This can be due to overindulgence... Well, I know about this guy now, soon as he started playing I was like Oh yeeeeah, he's fucking siiiick. It's all coming back to me! Banger after banger got dropped on the old skl garage/grime/erryting worth listening to spectrum. Bossed it. That was the hardest I skanked out all day until I was shuffled out of backstage for the arrival of Skepta. Peak.

Skepta:

Now I can't lie, I didn't watch Skepta live because the crowd was SO TIGHT I chose oxygen instead. But I did see him before the show when we were all skanking to DJ EZ and he looked in high spirits. Gun fingers, smiles and laughter from his crew - it's always nice to see someone genuinely enjoying the vibe.

Redlight:

This is who I chose as my nights headliner and didn't he disappoint. The bangers that you expect executed well. There was a variety of genres and the crowd was as responsive as you'd expect. I've been a fan of Redlight from long time so there's not a whole lot I can say except, he's wicked. The set was live and it prepped me well for the next chapter of Motion.

Motion passed in a wave. Don't ask me about that. So yeah, LSTD essay in it's fullest! Can't wait for next year - Eastville park is a perfect place for it, I only hope the residents weren't kept up too late and all the hippy crack got cleared away before it went back to being family friendly.

'General vibe' interviews/discussions to come. I'm collecting over the summer and will be putting them up as a a series as remembrance to get us through those winter months...

13.5 Minute YouTube binge

I can't lie, this is a somewhat lazy blog post because I've got SO MUCH TO SAY and I can't be bothered to say it right now... BUT

I'm loving life, things are going well, and I have discovered some full-blown awesomeness over the past month+

I've started tentatively dipping my toe in spoken word, found a web series that I've fallen in love with, and eventually got wise to Little Simz.

All can be viewed below...

RBMA: Lonnie Liston Smith at The Planetarium

That would be me at the entrance...Eager Beaver.

Lonnie Liston Smith. In the At-Bristol Planetarium. Literally four rows in front of me. Being interviewed by Gilles Peterson about his life in music and casually talking about working with Ray Charles and John Coltrane and so many others... What? Is this my life?

That was what kept going through my mind as I sat there bathed in inspiration and awe. The whole evening felt like a dream. You don't even know the meaning of 'intimate gig' until you're within spitting distance of Lonnie Liston. Madness.

The evening started off with a discussion between Gilles Peterson and Lonnie Liston Smith about Lonnie's career and the journey that he's been on which as a musician was fascinating in itself. He spoke about the constant need to be able to improvise because Ray never wanted him to play the same thing twice. Apparently he never really wanted to have a band but was forced to when people wanted him to start releasing his music - he had to have people to play it!

Most memorable for me though was how he painted a picture of New York in the 1960s. The evolution of jazz and funk into this new genre that was all about mind expansion and taking yourself into a new reality.

He spoke of walking into his regular record/book shop and seeing his friends in there where they would all recommend books to each other from philosophy to astral projection and how that influenced his sound.

Now I know Lonnie Liston from hearing him as a child but I haven't listened to his albums from start to finish and in some ways I was so happy of that when him and his band began to play because my God.

Having Lonnie Liston Smith and his band playing my songs that I recognized from being sampled in so many songs for the very first time in a Planetarium is something I am unlikely to forget.

I was sat right in the middle so that when I looked up all the projections felt like they were breaking on top of my head whilst this music transported me into the images.

The whole thing was a trip - even the band were looking at the projections and the build up of every song seemed to partner perfectly with the ever changing images. Sometimes intergalactic, sometimes text, sometimes shapes moving in and out of each other with 'expand your mind' being sung in the background. It was hypnotic.

When it ended and we all made our way out of the Planetarium there was not one face that did not look blissfully changed. We really had experienced Lonnie Liston Smith in a way that can't really be described (despite me trying right now) and when I went to sleep that night all I could see was stars.

For everyone screaming in frustration at missing a pow wow of epic proportions, fear not. View below for words of wisdom and an insight into Mr Lonnit Liston Smith.... Cheers then RB.

There was, of course, a standing ovation

RBMA: Kings Weston House

If you have an over-active imagination like me, you could imagine pulling up to Kings Weston Hosue, built in the early 18th century, in a horse drawn carriage and stepping out in layers of unnecessary fabric for a civilized cup of Afternoon Tea. Olde English traditional beauty, perfect for wedding receptions or filming for period dramas.

When it got billed as one of the venue's for the Red Bull Music Academy where Novelist, Mumdance and Danny Brown would be playing to name but a few I was shocked. Grime rave in a Manor House? WHAT?! Are you NUTS??

The Square

Obviously it sold out. I think everyone was interested to see how the house would end up by the end of it.

Would there be sick on the nice carpet? Graffiti on the walls? Slashed leather sofas? That's what I was picturing in my worst case scenario.

Thankfully there was none of that, everyone was incredibly well behaved.

Mumdance

I can imagine this was mainly because the rooms hadn't been overfilled and there were security everywhere. Red Bull - 1 Carnage - 0

The atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed, maybe because of this. Everyone was smiling wandering around and generally soaking up the good vibes. 

I personally didn't see any altercations which is always nice because there is a common misconception that surrounds grime. That is always comes with aggression. And it doesn't. It comes with ENERGY.

There was a lot of that in the main room (can't say I really ventured into the other room so there may have been bucket loads in there too) from the audience and the performers.

You can't stand still watching Novelist and The Square getting hyped up on stage. The energy was high to the point that the floor had to be practically mopped after every song because of drinks flying about from the room bumping.

No-one saw Danny Brown before his set. He had a pimped out caravan out the back of back stage (VVVIP) and a personal portaloo - that's when you know you've made it kids.

The tension as he walked onto stage was palpable, all the people who had nipped out for 'just one more fag before Danny' were left pissed when the bouncers blocked the door once the room was full (but still with dancing room for us inside - win). 

Understandably the room erupted as soon as Danny kicked off and the bass blasted. I tried to take videos longer than 15 seconds but the excitement levels were too high.

As was to be expected as soon as Danny left, most people left. For the ones that did stay; we were treated to some old school jams. We got some Missy, OutKast, Dr Dre - all them classics. 

Overall I'd say raving in an 18th century Manor House was one of the more bizarre concepts I've heard in a while, but definitely worth the trek.

I also remembered as soon as I got there that it was where I'd had my prom almost a decade ago!


Thankfully I didn't fall down the front steps this time...

Denai Moore

You could be forgiven for thinking that Denai Moore is simply a beautiful voice.

If you know her from soundcloud (as I did) it is possible you listened to her electronic based music and assumed that she is another producer based artist - you would be wrong. I was wrong.

I love The Lantern at Colston Hall, it has the ability to feel intimate as well as spacious and the sound system isn't too shabby at all. I don't know what any of us were expecting in the wait for Denai to come up on stage but when Kendrick Lamar started booming out of the speakers I thought OK... Prepare to be surprised.

I don't know what it is about an artist jumping between instruments that makes them that much more interesting - maybe its because you can see their art form and visualize the music making process.

Beginning on the piano before moving to the electric and then acoustic guitar - at the risk of sounding about 20 years my senior, its so nice to see the younger generation still playing instruments! We get so drowned out in EDM culture and even though I love elements of electronic music, I have to say I respect musicians more. But hey - that's just one persons opinion, I've tried using Logic and there's definitely a skill there cause it ain't easy!

Denai is quite shy on stage, preferring to keep her head in the game which works for her sound as it keeps the audience in the songs with her. I would have liked a bit more chat, maybe just talking a bit about her songs and the inspiration behind them but then again she's only 21 and man - she's doing well for 21!

Her music CV is one to be admired having worked with SBTRKT, High Contrast, Fantastic Mr Fox to name just a few. For me her sound encapsulated the beauty of innocence and that isn't to be taken in a patronizing manner.

There is something ethereal about her music, it draws you in and is unapologetic in its simplicity with oohs and ahhs and harmonies that made me feel like I was in the middle of a vast space staring into the distance.

I spoke to Denai briefly before the gig about her sound and how she's got to where she has, as well as catching a few audience members post show.




After the gig I have to say I felt like I'd observed an artist at the beginning of their journey - I'm expecting big things from Denai. Her music is mature beyond her years.

My personal favourite of hers was No Light which almost made me cry. Even listening back to it after the gig I get shivers.

See below for your listening pleasure....

Mass

Do we still need religion? That's the question that was asked when I went to Mass.
Now this wasn't any normal kind of Mass.... I assume normal Mass doesn't have a pyre of Otis Reading and Aretha Franklin and kick off with free cider. If it did I may have attended before!

When I was invited down by Bristol Old Vic I thought it would be good to do a bit of background research (site blurb) which read...

"When the bus Amy Mason was travelling on ran two people over she found herself praying for the first time in years. The experience led her to think about life, faith, and the way we deal with tragedy in an increasingly secular society"

Now I don't know about you but when I read that I thought, 'this is going to be intense'. How wrong I was.
From the beginning Amy was talking to, not at, the audience which is a fairly difficult thing to do as a one woman show. To engage the audience, earn their respect and trust and then also manage to move through a structured production.

For all intent and purposes the play was blueprinted by a standard Mass. 

The song: Hallelujah (obviously)

1) Greeting: 'Hi guys, thanks for coming'

2) Confession: 'I'm sorry for anything mean I've done this week.'

3) Gratitude: Thank you friends and family and          colleagues. Even if you're a bit shit sometimes.'

4) Prayer: 'I hope all people's hopes come true'

5) Collection: For a charity chosen on the night by a person in the audience.

Each section was introduced by a bit of story from Amy about her experiences with religion and concluded by the audience shouting HOORAY!

We walked in not knowing what to expect and left laughing. I think everyone felt the soul grow a little bit lighter on exit because we'd been allowed to laugh at all the rules and regulations that religion holds whilst also being able to think about what religion actually means and how our society is doing without it.
I left thinking about some pretty big questions. 

As Amy highlighted, people are listening to things like The Secret which promotes positive thinking and the laws off attraction to encourage the universe to help their dreams come true but really... Isn't that prayer?

We're quickly growing into a society that has left religion behind, but has that left us lost?
If you are living atheist, who do you turn to in times of need? Is the lack of faith that there is a plan, a picture that is bigger than just us being sorted out by the big dawg in the sky making us more selfish?

Look at the world we live in now. Obsessed with how we look, how much money we have, how much individual power each person holds and really - we're all going to end up in the ground. If all we leave behind is a ravaged planet with all its life sucked out because humans had nothing to believe in except themselves... That's a pretty sorry affair.

Saying that, I wouldn't call myself religious. I've been christened because my Nan wanted it, and my mum's always been into meditation and I guess... Buddhist values which have likely rubbed off on me. But I wouldn't call myself devoted to any one thing, I'd say I'm spiritual and try to live by Christian values of morality and treating your neighbor how you'd want to be treated and all that jazz. 

I'm put off religion because of the judgement and arrogance. So many people have killed and died to prove they and only they are correct in what the believe. Or feel it's OK to tell someone their life choices will damn them because they've read an extract in a book that was written by some guy hundreds of years after the supposed Son of God said his piece.

So yes, lots of food for thought post Mass. It was nuts and beautiful in equal measure. I particularly enjoyed the almonds and plums that were given as a the substitute for bread and wine - which was better for me cause I was pretty pissed after the cider and bread makes me bloat.

Aretha bless you Amy Mason!

Abulations

Here's a question. When does a habit turn into an addiction?

If you have a couple of glasses of wine in the evening does that make you an alcoholic?

Followed by a couple of painkillers in the morning before work, are you an addict?

Abulations is a play based on a bar-tenders notes and outlines how addiction can creep up on you and the effect it has on the bystanders.

As someone that has worked in Hospitality a lot in my life let me tell you - it is not hard to become dependent on alcohol. You don't even have to like it, it just to be there. And free (or cheap).

It's shockingly hard to find a day-to-day middle ground. You're either sober or drunk, and drunk customers are far easier to deal with when you are also inebriated. In fact as anyone who saw me on my birthday can testify, I can seem perfectly sober when I'm shaking cocktails behind the bar, even if I can barely speak on the other side of it.

What I thought Abulations did well was by stripping the production back - no set or props - and having only four people it the production, it made the whole thing much more intimate.

The main character (played by Eoin Slattery) narrated to us throughout (he's not given a name in the novel) and managed to making the audience empathetic to his troubles despite his selfish and abusive actions.

Fiona Mikel and Harry Humberstone made up the cast and seemed to play roughly twenty characters between them.

Switching from person to person adapting their body language and dialect whilst also jumping on with the guitarist who played throughout to become a three man band (the jukebox) - pretty impressive stuff.

What I took from it personally was how happy I am to have moved away from hospitality for now.  

I've seen so many of my friends and colleagues slip into that trap of just one more drink, just one more hour until you find yourself up and wired at 7am on a Tuesday morning when you're back in work at 4pm the next day... And it all starts again.

The whirlwind is so intoxicating that you don't realize how far you've gone until you get out, or until it's too late. But all the while people around you have had to watch your decline.

I spoke to Jesse Meadows (Assistant Director and Creative Producer), Bertrand Lesca (Ablutions Director and FellSwoop Co-Artistic Director) and Eoin about the production.




Saying all this though, I do miss working on the bar sometimes. I love making cocktails and practically be paid to go out and socialize... But now I save it for the weekends. You might even find me at the pipe some time...