Any one else see Carole King and James Taylor performing together on BBC Four last night? Not only was it was incredible from a music point of view but they clearly, after all these years, still have such brilliant chemistry together. Here’s a much younger Taylor still with a full head of hair performing ‘Fire and Rain’ which never ceases to move me and is one of my all time top tunes.
You may have, in fact should’ve if you’re a regular reader, noticed a distinct lack of posting from myself over the past month. I’ve been doing exciting but gruelling tasks such as packing up the flat I’ve lived in for 3 years and moving in with the other half and quitting my day job(s) to follow my digital dream! After deciding it was time to whole heartedly chase what I wanted and that the new year was to be a perfect, un-jaded starting point for this pursuit, I’ve managed to get a new job that’s right up my street and completely the direction I want to head in and I start in a couple of weeks. As I mentioned, I’ve also moved abode, oddly and completely coincidentally back to the street I once lived on years ago. The move is going well (two weeks on I am still packing and unpacking boxes), especially considering the amount of time having been spent rearranging his kicks to make a smidgen of space for my paultry collection. Funnily, in hindsight (detect sarcasm?), my mate’s would always look around my flat and comment that I had a lot of stuff and that moving it one day would be no mean feat. I, on the other hand would always look around my flat and think I lived the simple life and aside from a few pairs of trainers, some clothes, two large shelves of DVDS, a couple crates of Vinyl, a 37″ monster of a TV, Decks a mixer and a stereo, some pots & pans, shoes, handbags and coats, that I really did have very few belongings. Turns out they were right and I’m left unsure as to when I became such a hoarder but what I am certain of is there’s a charity shop in Kentish Town that has done very well out of the enforced cull!
Any way, my simple explanation for the neglect I understand you must’ve been feeling is that due to these momentous upheavals, my lil brain has been fried and all the creativity zapped from it. Without the wonderful Darren and Kevin keeping the home fires burning with their fab posts, this blog would’ve been totally barren, so a big thank you to them. Now the dust has settled, almost, expect to hear my sultry tones on here with oomph and regularity once more!
We don’t communicate any more.
We tweet, read blogs (thanks) text, email, ‘Like’ things… But we no longer communicate, and in them rear moments when we try to, we still fail. We don’t think about what is being said, why we are saying it, so on and so forth. We’re just on autopilot, letting our mouths open and move, letting air in and out creating sounds, making noise.
Badu said it best: ” You don’t have to believe everything you think’
We just drone on, constantly contradicting and forgetting our promises. It’s deeper then that, we realise such things and still continue anyway causing mass damage with the things we should of, or didn’t say, did hear, or ignored. Heartless.
Do not let technology, gas you, magic exist in words, why wouldn’t you want to practice that? Get so good that you could challenge Merlin for his crown. Don’t take shortcuts while talking with loved ones. Do not ‘insert’ awkward jokes in moments of honesty. Do not pull faces like that guy from the peep show, and make funny hand gestures, there is no studio audience waiting to applaud your comic timing. This is real life. There are no BBM faces.
Do not dance around sudden pauses in conversation. Ask why. Ask what is wrong. Dig deeper when unsure of her personal meanings to a particular word. Debate. Argue. Most importantly discuss. Give your emotions and thoughts a physical body via voice and word.
Don’t avoid the sting of words that sometimes occurs while talking about serious matters. Your life will have uncountable awkward moments. It will always be this way. It will never change.
With that in mind why not then, get better at dealing with them? I just think without noticing it, with all the abbreviation and acronyms and ‘New talk’ we are dumbing down. This makes no sense because, from what I can see, most of you are too tall to act small.
Hi guys! Pardon me for my absence last week I was recovering from an amazing TOTR if you weren’t there you really missed out.
Anyway, the Museum of London has a great exhibition on at the moment, London Street photography. Photographs from 1810 – present day showing the development of the streets of London and its nature. It’s a free exhibition and is running at the museum of London all the way until September 4th 2011, so there’s no excuse not to go and see it!
Fancy a bite to eat this week then get yourself over Canteen, serving the best in British cuisine you cannot go wrong. With restaurants all over London there’s plenty of opportunities to indulge yourself with great food. My favourite location is Spitafields and I am a sucker for the Haddock, chips and tartare sauce it goes down lovely with a beer. Canteen (all locations) are open from 8am-11pm weekdays and 9am -10pm weekends, booking is advisable.
My pick of the week:
Tinie Tempah and Katy B at The Hammersmith Apollo, Fri 25th Feb 2011. Tickets are £17.50 and can be bought from here
I’ve been thinking that choice and option are the most important components of becoming noble men and woman. I also concluded choices and options are probably the most dangerous elements in life. This idea relates to all things..
I had a conversation with my friend Tyler the other day which kinda explains what I mean. I didn’t mean to be so profound when I said what I said, I guess the whole situation and this ‘philosophy’ had been nagging at me for a while. Tyler just happened to ask me the right thing at the right time.
Back story: There has been this situation between me and another Shirtlifer. We are very much alike, we have the same interests, we fight, argue, laugh at all the wrong things. The list goes on, the point is we are friends, just friends. Mutual friends around us keep asking what’s going on? Why are we not together, “if you two got that together” blah blah..
Tyler: “What’s going with you and ******”
Me: “Were talking again we had a long talk we’re really cool it’s good, I’m glad were friends again. Really glad.”
Tyler: “Yeah but when’s it gonna happen? I see the way you two are with each other there’s obviously love there”
Me: “Yes there is love there but its not like that…”
Tyler: “I don’t understand you, him, both of you, it..”
Me: “Fuck sake, Tyler you’re straight yes?”
Tyler in a New Zealand accent: “You better believe mate”
Me: “But I know that you love me in a slightly gay but not gay that’s
my brother from another mother way right?”
Tyler: “Mos def”
Me: “And I love you to, like you’re my boy. Now if you were gay and we
still were tight like we are, then what?”
Tyler smiles and says: “Yeah I see”
Me: “All it is with me and ****** is that we have more options, choice. But I think choice and options are what makes you into a man, you choose when to use them, you have to make sure you have some and also that you never lose them…
You get my drift? People choose wisely
Kevin Morosky’s Blog : http://morosky.tumblr.com/
What a week! How has everyone been? I hope you have all been enjoying my picks of the week so far.
The Tate Modern currently has a great exhibition by Gabriel Orozco on at the moment. It started January 19th and will continue until April 25th so there will be plenty of time to go and see it.
“Creative, playful and inventive, Gabriel Orozco creates art in the streets, his apartment or wherever he is inspired. Born in Mexico but working across the globe, Orozco is renowned for his endless experimentation with found objects, which he subtly alters.”
If you are a member of the Tate then the exhibition will be free but if not do not fret as admission is only £10, concessions are £8.50. The Tate Modern is open from 10am-6pm on weekdays and 10am-10pm at weekends.
More of a fine food person than a fine art person? Why don’t you treat yourself to a Byron burger, a “proper hamburger”. With restaurants located all over London, Byron are easily accessible and are fairly priced you will not be disappointed.
Byron, who pride themselves on their simple but delicious burgers source their beef from Scotland, mince it fresh everyday, cook it medium so it’s pink, juicy and succulent and place it in a soft, squishy bun (no sesame seed business) with minimum fuss and fanfare.
I highly recommend a Byron burger, with side fries and a root beer. Delicious!
My Pick of the week
TURN OFF THE RADIO, Friday 11th Feb, 2011 8pm-1am
Performing on the night is a flurry of UK talent that includes: Random Impulse, Mikill Pane, Fuzzy Logic, Mike Hough and Nathan Blueberry. Plus DJ sets from pop duo Chasing Pluto and soulful threesome Marcus & The Garvey’s.
A night not to be missed!
To get your self on the £3 guest list email names to info@turnofftheradio.co.uk
Toy Chess
General etiquette no longer exists. So it seems. Pissed
I witness this by the way men no longer hold doors. Give up seats. Adore one person. Give support, and more importantly, accept support. Make a choice and try with all his might to make it work. Leave in the correct manner when it’s dead.
Woman are guilty too. I’m all for ‘Girl power’ and such things, woman being respected and protected, made to feel special. Even as a gay man I don’t think there to be anything more beautiful then the females of the species. They are glorious. Tricky, but glorious. But such tags as “Im on my hoe shit” are ridiculous to me.
Let me get this straight (No pun intended). Rather then be the stronger half of the human species, Queens, you’d rather lower your standards, play games and keep scores with men who are still running away from being men. You are worth more.
Worth everything.
When I speak of men and women I am talking to all sexual orientations.
As this all continues we forget about souls, we treat em like gossip, songs we used to think were cool, like they are myths, like they are old-wives-tales…
This is not a religious post. I could give a fuckless if and what god you praise..
You have a religion? You believe in something that gives you calm? Leads you on a good principle fed path? I’m all for it.
Hi-5
We all have souls. Do not put yours in a box with mythical creatures such as the Unicorn or the Fairy. It is not a thing of your childhood that needs to be packed away.
When that boy/girl broke your heart, and you had that dull, numb pain that bobbed up and down in your chest, oval in shape. That was your soul hurting.
Let’s take time-out to clean and de-weed our spiritual gardens, forgive the things that need to be forgiven, move on, grow up, throw away. Decide on.
Stop damaging it.
We are no longer that age. Whether you like it or not, things have to change, you’ve grown, hence why the old things of ‘You’ no longer fit. It’s time to put childish things away.
This week’s ‘Kicking It’ is about one, actually three, wonderful things in my life:
1. My new Air Max 1 ACGs that I have relentlessly been banging on about wanting for the past month.
2. My new J-Dilla T-Shirt, designed by Oscar Wilson which you can get your mitts on at the J-Dilla Changed My Life event in London this Sunday. All ticket sales going to Lupus UK and the J-Dilla Foundation so put your money where your mouth is people.
3. The gent that not only put up with my relentless banging on about these but surprised me with them and my Jordan 3′s out of the blue last week.
Allo, allo it’s me again with my picks of the week and despite the cold weather I hope you all had a fun packed week last week. I know I did. For those who were at Mindie on Sunday what a cracking night that was too.
Are you a beer lover? Fancy drooling over an impressive selection of craft beers? Then get yourself over to Mayson & Taylor (above). Recently opened and at a fine location in-between the bottom of Redchurch St and the top of Brick Lane, Mayson & Taylor is a great addition to the already buzzing East-End social scene.
Brought to you by the same people who run the Duke of Wellington in Dalston, all the beers are independently brewed and direct from their country of origin. Mayson & Taylor also offer food during the day, with a roast on Sundays and they also have a late license.
Not into beer or have given up alcohol like me as a new years resolution? Then get yourself over to the National Portrait Gallery. There are a couple of weeks remaining to see the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize.
“The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2010 presents the very best in contemporary portrait photography, showcasing the work of talented young photographers and gifted amateurs alongside that of established professionals and photography students.”
The Taylor Wessing Prize started on the 11th November 2010 and will be ending on the 20th February 2011. So, get yourself over there pretty soon.
Saturday sees the LRR intra league Grand Finale: Lust For Blood. For those who are unfamiliar as to what this is, this is the Roller Derby final between The Voodoo Skulls Krushers and Goldie Lookin’ Chain Gang.
The venue will be York Hall, 5 Old Ford Rd, Bethnal Green. Doors open at 4pm with the battle commencing 5pm sharp. There will also be half-time entertainment.
J Dilla Changed My Life, Sun 6th Feb, The Scala CLICK
