Crosstown Lightnin' "Werewolves of London" at the Black Velvet

A culture-rammed week began with Crosstown Lightnin' at the Black Velvet club in West Kensington last Saturday 18th May, supporting Bex Marshall and her band.

Here's Crosstown Lightnin's encore with special guest Stephen Dale Petit. Charles Shaar Murray, Buffalo Bill Smith, Marc Jefferies and Pete Miles play "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon.

Video by Anna Chen.

Crosstown Lightnin' and Bex Marshall at Black Velvet: pix

Crosstown Lightnin' played their first gig in a while, the first of many more the way things are looking.

Charles Shaar Murray, Buffalo Bll Smith, Marc Jefferies and Pete Miles were tight as a gnat's bum and rocked the swanky new W14 venue, Black Velvet, with their punky blues.

Bex Marshall headlined with her 4-piece blues band. She has an amazing textured voice — from gravelly and snarling to sweet and melodic, and she wields a mean resonator. It's an awesome full-blooded BIG sound from a home-grown Brit.

Special mention to her backing singer who gave a soaring gospelled up acapella "New York, New York".

Some pix here. Videos of Crosstown Lightnin' to come.

VIDEO: Bird Call Blues

St Ives poetry: Anna Chen reads Kicking A Dinosaur

Madam Miaow is back from St Ives ... and this time it's personal.

I had a delightful time in St Ives but it was an odd one. It got off to a disastrous start with me trashing my utterly reliable X-reg Ford Focus on the A30 on a foggy Bodmin Moor, aquaplaning into the back of a Jeep when the traffic came to a sudden stop due to an accident.

The damage was light enough for us to be able to complete the journey but the insurance declared it to be a write-off due to the age of the car — an estimated £1.500 repair bill for smashed bonnet and light plus suspected trouble with the suspension.

So, of course, unless we wanted to end up sitting on the street with a ton of luggage, our return required a hire-car which required both parts of the driving licence plus utility bill which, luckily, like everyone else, I always carry about my person. Only joking. Said paperwork was locked up in the filing cabinet at home in London which required my mailing keys to a friend who had to mail it back recorded delivery, and then there was the expense of the hire-car ... it was a right mess.

Sometimes, though, the universe requires a sacrifice in order for wonderful things to happen. Steve McIntosh got me a little gig at the new Café Art (see video above) on top of my regular appearances at Bob Devereux's Norway Square and the Big Frug, plus I did a lively set for Charles Shaar Murray and Buffalo Bill Smith at their St Ives Arts Club evening.

Another unusual element of the my stay was making a programme for BBC Radio 4 on the town: St Ives and Me. My lovely producer Chris Eldon-Lee stayed with us so we could record and show one aspect of what the town is about from the inside. It was great fun and I found out a few more facts I'd never heard in a lifetime of visiting and living there, all of which will be in the programme (broadcast 11.30am Thursday 1st Dec 2011).

I may not have had the R&R time on the beach relaxing and reading a book that I usually try to squeeze in, but there were plenty of activities to make up for it. I took part in the St Ives School of Painting all-night drawing marathon — a cabaret of talent from locals and professionals and professional locals, which we had to draw. Have you ever drawn moving subjects? I hadn't but I did a good enough job for one of my drawings to sell the next day in the art sale of the night's work. A whole tenner! I have officially sold in St Ives. Whoop!

I waded through a sea of balloons at the Tate, tried out the numerous local ciders competing for attention in some booze festival, fetched fish from Newlyn for a fish blow-out including one of Denise's awesome paellas and, best of all, hung out with dear friends. And, as the ultimate postcard, I'll have my radio programme sharing the experience to remind me of my stay.

I'll be posting pix soon.

St Ives Festival 2011 pix: Artists & Tate Balloons
St Ives Festival 2011 pix: The Island and St Nicholas Chapel
St Ives Festival 2011: "Big Society: on a conversation in the Foundling Museum" video
Steve McIntosh's festival blog and pix here.

Crosstown Lightnin' at Abbey Mills Blues Festival: punk jacket

First the important stuff. Last night, I finally gave my ancient punk jacket an outing after an absence of nearly 20 years.

Oh, and by the way, the grand occasion was Crosstown Lightnin's gig at the Colour House Theatre for the Abbey Mills Blues Festival.

Charles Shaar Murray, Buffalo Bill Smith, Marc Jefferies and special guest Dick Jude on drums (the Great Pete Miles is gigging in Poland) entertained us until the witching hour.

Here's Crosstown Lightnin' playing Muddy Waters' Can't Be Satisfied.

How I was reunited with my punk jacket here.

Crosstown Lightnin' On The Road Again

I enjoyed immensely last night's Crosstown Lightnin' gig, the first with new drummer Pete Myles who joined Charles Shaar Murray, Buffalo Bill Smith and Marc "The Exorcist" Jefferies for the Abbey festival weekend. Pete brought a sensitive interplay to the performance and a strong sense of dynamics making Canned Heat's On The Road Again a hypnotising mesmeric experience.

I managed to video proceedings despite being strangely drawn to the Caribbean food stall. Several times. The curried goat with rice and beans was delicious but incredibly bony. However, the jerk chicken was only £2 for a fat succulent grilled quarter. £6 with rice and beans. Go figure.

Had to miss out on the super-talented Peter Conway's gig tonight where I was to provide guest vocals on one song. Sadly, the stage at The Good Ship in Kilburn is minuscule and wouldn't hold Peter's band and guest musicians who were to include Phil Ryan and Charles Shaar Murray as well as myself.

It was the stages that got small! But we will do more.

So I stayed in and edited a backlog of videos instead for your pleasure. Others are going up on my Madam Miaow YouTube page.
Have a look at Crosstown Lightnin' play Bourbon, Beer and Barbecue at the same gig.

Poetry this coming Thursday at Farrago.

Crosstown Lightnin' On The Road Again

I enjoyed immensely last night's Crosstown Lightnin' gig, the first with new drummer Pete Myles who joined Charles Shaar Murray, Buffalo Bill Smith and Marc "The Exorcist" Jefferies for the Abbey festival weekend. Pete brought a sensitive interplay to the performance and a strong sense of dynamics making Canned Heat's On The Road Again a hypnotising mesmeric experience.

I managed to video proceedings despite being strangely drawn to the Caribbean food stall. Several times. The curried goat with rice and beans was delicious but incredibly bony. However, the jerk chicken was only £2 for a fat succulent grilled quarter. £6 with rice and beans. Go figure.

Had to miss out on the super-talented Peter Conway's gig tonight where I was to provide guest vocals on one song. Sadly, the stage at The Good Ship in Kilburn is minuscule and wouldn't hold Peter's band and guest musicians who were to include Phil Ryan and Charles Shaar Murray as well as myself.

It was the stages that got small! But we will do more.

So I stayed in and edited a backlog of videos instead for your pleasure. Others are going up on my Madam Miaow YouTube page.
Have a look at Crosstown Lightnin' play Bourbon, Beer and Barbecue at the same gig.

Poetry this coming Thursday at Farrago.

Anna May Wong Must Die! and Yellowface acoustic videos: Anna Chen at the St Ives Arts Festival

It's been unbelievably sunny and warm down here in Kernow for the St Ives Arts Festival while London shakes itself out like a drowned rat aprés le deluge.

Here are a couple of videos from the lunchtime sessions in Norway Square. I'm trying out Yellowface, one of the raps from Anna May Wong Must Die!, playing this coming Sunday at the St Ives Arts Club.

And there's also an acoustic version of the Anna May Wong Must Die rap, both accompanied by Charles Shaar Murray on slide guitar and Buffalo Bill Smith on harmonica.

Having a fab time. Wish you were here.

YELLOWFACE

ANNA MAY WONG MUST DIE!

Crosstown Lightnin' debut gig: Charles Shaar Murray plays blues

For all you NME babies and blues fans out there, Charles Shaar Murray's new band, Crosstown Lightnin', features the Cowboy, the Punk and the Queens of Funk: CSM on guitar and vocals, Buffalo Bill Smith on harmonica, the sublime Max Doray on bass and JoJo Ruocco bashing the hell out of her drumkit.

Following a 30 minute warm-up at Mitchum festival the other week, the band played two 45-minute sets at the Green Dragon in Croydon for their very first gig on Thursday 18th June 2009 and delighted all the old blues fans as well as assembled bright young things.

Here they are with their opening number, Freddy King's classic instrumental Hideaway.

More videos to follow.

Crosstown Lightnin' debut gig: Charles Shaar Murray plays blues

For all you NME babies and blues fans out there, Charles Shaar Murray's new band, Crosstown Lightnin', features the Cowboy, the Punk and the Queens of Funk: CSM on guitar and vocals, Buffalo Bill Smith on harmonica, the sublime Max Doray on bass and JoJo Ruocco bashing the hell out of her drumkit.

Following a 30 minute warm-up at Mitchum festival the other week, the band played two 45-minute sets at the Green Dragon in Croydon for their very first gig on Thursday 18th June 2009 and delighted all the old blues fans as well as assembled bright young things.

Here they are with their opening number, Freddy King's classic instrumental Hideaway.

More videos to follow.

How To Write A Blues Song: St Ives Literary Festival

What happens when a white man sings the blues? Here's the first of my videos of the St Ives Literary Festival that ends tonight (Saturday).

Rod Bullimore performs How To Write A Blues Song, accompanied by Charles Shaar Murray and Buffalo Bill Smith at the St Ives Arts Club on Thursday.

More about the St Ives Festivals including videos here

How To Write A Blues Song: St Ives Literary Festival

What happens when a white man sings the blues? Here's the first of my videos of the St Ives Literary Festival that ends tonight (Saturday).

Rod Bullimore performs How To Write A Blues Song, accompanied by Charles Shaar Murray and Buffalo Bill Smith at the St Ives Arts Club on Thursday.

More about the St Ives Festivals including videos here

John Sinclair, Charles Shaar Murray, Buffalo Bill: Crossroads

More John Sinclair ...

John Sinclair performs "The Crossroads", his poem about Tommy Johnson (not Robert) who is said to have acquired his mojo when he met a dark stranger at the Crossroads at midnight.

John was the visionary manager of the MC5 who founded the White Panthers when the Black Panthers called for support from the white population. Having caught the eye of the authorities, he was arrested for giving — not selling — two joints to an undercover cop, and served two and a half years of a draconian ten year prison sentence. John Lennon wrote a song about him (it's the one called "John Sinclair"), and a number of luminaries (including Stevie Wonder, Yoko Ono, Bob Seger, Allen Ginsberg, Abbie Hoffman and Bobby Seale) campaigned for his release which happened days after Lennon headlined a benefit Free John Now Rally.

He now lives and works in Amsterdam.

John is accompanied by Charles Shaar Murray on resonator guitar and Buffalo Bill Smith on harmonica. Recorded by Madam Miaow at the Café OTO in Dalston, North London, Saturday 14th March 2009.

UPDATE: New video from the same gig of John Sinclair reciting Twenty-One Days In Jail, accompanied by Gary Lammin and his band.

March 29th, Charles Shaar Murray article on John Sinclair in The Sunday Times:

John Sinclair, Charles Shaar Murray, Buffalo Bill: Crossroads

More John Sinclair ...

John Sinclair performs "The Crossroads", his poem about Tommy Johnson (not Robert) who is said to have acquired his mojo when he met a dark stranger at the Crossroads at midnight.

John was the visionary manager of the MC5 who founded the White Panthers when the Black Panthers called for support from the white population. Having caught the eye of the authorities, he was arrested for giving — not selling — two joints to an undercover cop, and served two and a half years of a draconian ten year prison sentence. John Lennon wrote a song about him (it's the one called "John Sinclair"), and a number of luminaries (including Stevie Wonder, Yoko Ono, Bob Seger, Allen Ginsberg, Abbie Hoffman and Bobby Seale) campaigned for his release which happened days after Lennon headlined a benefit Free John Now Rally.

He now lives and works in Amsterdam.

John is accompanied by Charles Shaar Murray on resonator guitar and Buffalo Bill Smith on harmonica. Recorded by Madam Miaow at the Café OTO in Dalston, North London, Saturday 14th March 2009.

UPDATE: New video from the same gig of John Sinclair reciting Twenty-One Days In Jail, accompanied by Gary Lammin and his band.

March 29th, Charles Shaar Murray article on John Sinclair in The Sunday Times:

John Sinclair, Charles Shaar Murray and Buffalo Bill Smith: The Delta Sound

Last night, Charles Shaar Murray and Buffalo Bill Smith played at The Oval Tavern, Croydon, UK (12th March 2009). With a special guest appearance by MC5 legend John Sinclair who recited his poem, The Delta Sound.

CSM playing slide guitar (a resonator and Telecaster), and Buffalo Bill on harp, recreate the Delta Blues experience for those of us too young and too British to have had much contact with the original. It was a great little gig; big on atmosphere and enjoyed by an appreciative audience.

John Sinclair, in town for a series of gigs, came to watch but stayed to play. And most welcome it was, too.

UPDATE: John Sinclair performs this afternoon in Dalston's Café OTO with various guests including Charles and Bill, and our good mate Gary Lammin. 2pm, Saturday 14th March 2009. 18-22 Ashwin Street, E8. Silverlink Rail: Dalston Kingsland

John Sinclair, Charles Shaar Murray and Buffalo Bill Smith: The Delta Sound

Last night, Charles Shaar Murray and Buffalo Bill Smith played at The Oval Tavern, Croydon, UK (12th March 2009). With a special guest appearance by MC5 legend John Sinclair who recited his poem, The Delta Sound.

CSM playing slide guitar (a resonator and Telecaster), and Buffalo Bill on harp, recreate the Delta Blues experience for those of us too young and too British to have had much contact with the original. It was a great little gig; big on atmosphere and enjoyed by an appreciative audience.

John Sinclair, in town for a series of gigs, came to watch but stayed to play. And most welcome it was, too.

UPDATE: John Sinclair performs this afternoon in Dalston's Café OTO with various guests including Charles and Bill, and our good mate Gary Lammin. 2pm, Saturday 14th March 2009. 18-22 Ashwin Street, E8. Silverlink Rail: Dalston Kingsland

Madam Miaow at the St Ives Arts Festival 2008: Photos 3

The third batch of photos from the St Ives Arts Festival, September 2008

Charles Shaar Murray and Julian at the Salthouse Gallery

Charles Shaar Murray and Bill Smith at Charles's Salthouse Gallery talk, Everything I Know About Rock and Roll

Charles Shaar Murray and Bill Smith at Charles's Salthouse Gallery talk, Everything I Know About Rock and Roll

Dorcas at the Salthouse Gallery for CSM's talk

A Midsummer Night's Dream on the Island

Titania enters on a horse at dusk

A Midsummer Night's Dream — the court

A Midsummer Night's Dream — rude mechanicals

Titania falls for Bottom

A Midsummer Night's Dream — rude mechanicals at play
With Dorcas McIntosh as Lion and Stephanie Moore as Wall

Bob Devereux, Norway Square

Bob Devereux and Paul Healy, Norway Square

Rod Bullimore in Norway Square

Buffalo Bill Smith's Blues Revue at the Lifeboat

Brenda, Keir and Jo dancing to Buffalo Bill's Blues Revue at the Lifeboat

Bob, Brenda, Jo and Buffalo Bill Smith's Blues Revue, the Lifeboat

Brunch — the daily Cornish pasty

Anna Chen asks, "Are you sure this is how Jeff Beck does it?"

Bob Devereux and Anna

The Sloop Cellar Bar
Where the locals got me rat-arsed at fifteen years old on five halves of Scrumpy after I'd bragged I couldn't get drunk. See the light above the door? I saw two of them.

Madam Miaow at the St Ives Arts Festival 2008: Photos 3

The third batch of photos from the St Ives Arts Festival, September 2008

Charles Shaar Murray and Julian at the Salthouse Gallery

Charles Shaar Murray and Bill Smith at Charles's Salthouse Gallery talk, Everything I Know About Rock and Roll

Charles Shaar Murray and Bill Smith at Charles's Salthouse Gallery talk, Everything I Know About Rock and Roll

Dorcas at the Salthouse Gallery for CSM's talk

A Midsummer Night's Dream on the Island

Titania enters on a horse at dusk

A Midsummer Night's Dream — the court

A Midsummer Night's Dream — rude mechanicals

Titania falls for Bottom

A Midsummer Night's Dream — rude mechanicals at play
With Dorcas McIntosh as Lion and Stephanie Moore as Wall

Bob Devereux, Norway Square

Bob Devereux and Paul Healy, Norway Square

Rod Bullimore in Norway Square

Buffalo Bill Smith's Blues Revue at the Lifeboat

Brenda, Keir and Jo dancing to Buffalo Bill's Blues Revue at the Lifeboat

Bob, Brenda, Jo and Buffalo Bill Smith's Blues Revue, the Lifeboat

Brunch — the daily Cornish pasty

Anna Chen asks, "Are you sure this is how Jeff Beck does it?"

Bob Devereux and Anna

The Sloop Cellar Bar
Where the locals got me rat-arsed at fifteen years old on five halves of Scrumpy after I'd bragged I couldn't get drunk. See the light above the door? I saw two of them.

St Ives Arts Festival heaven 2008: photos 1

So another St Ives Arts Festival draws to a close. And what a festival it was, taking place over the two weeks between Saturdays 6th - 20th September. As with the Edinburgh Festival, there's a plethora of events around the official one, and it's here that I like to hang out.

I got to play my second stand-up comedy gig at the Western's St Ives Comedy Club, MCd this time by the jolly Matt Price who keeps order with a steel fist of fun.

I also got to sing, recite poetry and even MCd the lunchtime poetry and music sessions in Norway Square while Bob Devereux was away, in between soaking up the sun on Porthmeor Beach and stuffing my face with Cornish pasties, Cornish clotted cream ice cream, and clotted cream. Did I mention there was clotted cream?

Anyway, here's a small selection of photos from a fabulous two weeks. I may have to post these in batches.

My video from the 2006 festival featuring Bob Devereux, Charles Shaar Murray, Buffalo Bill Smith, Rod Bullimore and others can be seen here

St Ives harbour at dusk

Just in case we forget St Ives is a working fishing harbour, here's a landing of mackerel



"The Old Fella", an old bull seal who follows the fishing boats and gets fed

Anna Chen MCs the final lunchtime poetry and music sessions in Norway Square, Friday 19th and Saturday 20th September

Isambarde

Paul Healy, Rod Bullimore and Charles Shaar Murray

Rod Bullimore

Pete Low

Rachel Smith



Martyn Barker and Paul Healy

Norway Square, St Ives

Weird Sleeping Kittens

Steve and Linda Jones, and Anna



Dorcas McIntosh (looking like Lauren Bacall) who recited a poem and appeared in A Midsummer Night's Dream on the Island during the festival

Paul Healy, Keir and Phil

Anna reads "Wreath Lecture"
(Wonder where all that clotted cream went ... If I hadn't been wearing such a stupid short top I wouldn't have had to crop the photo so ruthlessly)

Charles Shaar Murray and Buffalo Bill Smith

Steve Jones joined by Charles Shaar Murray

Anna's MC-eye-view of the lovely audience ...



Norway Square finale with all that day's musicians plus me and Linda