Ruby's Wine Bar

Well it used to be called Blasé and it is in Walton on thames in Surrey. I started playing there every wednesday night at the beginning of 2000. The owner was pretty non plussed to begin with but after a while we had a big regular following and I accumulated a collection of songs which people could come up and sing to. A kind of open mic/karaoke evening. It became a real party night . I loved it and met so many friends, girlfriends , musicians there - the real centre of my social life for six years. I went through three owners and finally when I moved to soho I stopped doing the regular wednesday Red Stripe night. However I go back once a year to do a Xmas special with xmas songs and snogs and mulled wine and mince pies and that was last wednesday.

It was rammed - I saw loads of people I hadn't seen for a year - really lovely evening - xmas songs - people joining in with the music - what a party !
I take my own piano but there used to be an old acoustic piano in the bar which was a pile of firewood - the photo above is me sitting at it probably around 2001- I used to kick it whilst playing and eventually it got taken away. But I miss the bar - nothing lasts forever - and I will NEVER forget the nights and experiences and friends I met there.................

Miller's Academy

When we were booked for this private party I had no idea what Miller's Academy was. That's one of the things I like about the life of a musician - you never quite know where you are going to be playing, what the audience will be like, how well you are going to get looked after - it can go from the sublime to the ridiculous. One day fois gras and champagne and the next curled up sandwiches and awful coffee !
Well thankfully Miller's Academy was leaning well towards the former rather than the latter.
Nestling in Notting Hill on the junction of Westbourne Grove and Hereford Road, stands this impressive building. Starbucks has taken the corner spot but behind an inconsequential red door is hidden a real gem of bohemia. The rooms are adorned with bookcases, sculptures, curtains , chez longs, and more cushions than DFS !!!
It almost could be excused for being slightly middle eastern but it isn't.
There were rows of pews in the "Lecture theatre" on the ground floor which is where we set up for this small birthday party.
The picture above is of the upstairs dining room and you can see from the decor what a hugely comfortable and pleasant place it is.
Our audience was very very appreciative and as soon as we played the first note they were all up on the floor dancing !!!

It was a very enjoyable boozy party night - I am truly thankful to be able to earn a modest crust in this way whilst at the same time giving a bunch of people a really good time - who could ask for anything more..................?

Maison Bertaux

I don't want to head up the majority of my posts with the name of a Soho eat or drinkery but I guess I am surrounded by them so it is where I go! In fact it is the principle reason why I rarely venture to other areas of London
Before entering Maison Bertaux territory I must just recount last night's revelry which was a lovely pizza once again at Lorelei. I have also discovered what that word means - there was a clue in the restaurant - a ten foot square mural on the wall depicting a mermaid alongside a river!
The Lorelei is a mythical creature thought to have been responsible for luring sailors and boatmen to their deaths at a certain point along the Rhine. Mermaid like or at least female in appearance. I only found out coz it was the answer to yesterday's 19 down in the Daily Telegraph Cryptic crossword!
So this morning I ventured to Maison Bertaux - just across Old Compton Street and to the south part of Greek Street. It always has the old rustic tables outside with blue check tablecloths. It is another time capsule inside with a melee of trinkets, champagne bottles , an old piano , peeling paint - just like your grandmother's front room (although not my grandmother's front room which was demolished with the rest of her house to make way for the car park to a large office block!) A very charming experience with the pastry chef bringing down tray after tray of beautiful smelling croissants and cakes - a true cholesterolfest of a place. I had a cup of tea - served in a pot with a strainer - that's the way - with a lovely butter croissant - delicious.
On the subject of Champagne Bottles, I am somewhat intrigued as to the various names for the different sizes - so I think it is time I learned them :
Magnum - two bottles
Jeroboam - four bottles
Rehoboam - six bottles
Methusela - eight bottles
Salmanazar - twelve bottles
Balthazar - sixteen bottles
Nebuchadnezzar - twenty bottles
My Judy Really Makes Splendid Belching Noises - is the way to remember the names (apparently!)
And I know in Kettners (champagne rooms round the corner in Romilly Street) they have a Nebuchadnezzar on the menu - about £1,000 as I recall - can't remember the brand (not as in Russell...)
Last night before dinner I put together some old footage of the horn section miming on a beach in Scotland to Red Stripe Boogie. We were playing at the Kirkcudbright Jazz Festival in the summer of 2007 - it was raining but between the drops we did a little bit of filming - it has come out quite well as you will see - obviously subject to your opinion.................
If I hadn't been at Lorelei last night I would have probably been at the Sebastian Horsley Appreciation Society's night out having now finished his book and seen the youtube video of his crucifixion (yes I did use the right word!)
So anyway back to work now - looks like we are going to be returning to some festivals we played at a few years ago and Marlborough Jazz Festival has just been confirmed which is nice. Enjoy the vid.........

Atypical morning in Soho

I have purposely made the title ambiguous. Well this morning, I was just on the way out for my swim and bumped into an old friend of mine who was passing by for a coffee. So we made our way to Bar Italia - I am not over keen with Bar Italia - but during the day the staff seem a little more happy so we sat down. Within seconds Suggs was sitting next to us - I know that he is very fond of Soho. Then as I returned home to pick up my phone charger to lend to my mate, I saw soho resident Sebastian Horsley whose book I am right in the middle of reading ! Coincidence ! It is called "Dandy in the Underworld" and I am enjoying it. I like to read books written by people I know. My last one was "The Great Hedge of India" by Roy Moxham - interesting.

You can't miss Sebastian if he is out and about -in recent weeks he has taken to wearing a black top hat with his long velvet jacket etc ( we all know about Velvet jackets - I wore a red one on stage with the band for years - it has now been "retired" and hangs in my little clothes cupboard - well it isn't really a cupboard - more of an alcove with a blind which covers it) Anyway I digress. We had coffee - had a quick chat with Suggs and then went for a not unpleasant lunch at the little spanish restaurant at the end of Old Compton Street on the left as you are heading towards Wardour Street. Can't remember its name but the avocado salad was good as was the chicken.

My swim had to wait until after sun down and on a day like today, I love arriving at the outdoor pool and seeing the steam rising from the water - nice !!!

I organised a local radio interview the week before last for myself and Gemma and we have a little video of the second half which I will post below. I managed to get the sound track from the producer and (just) sync it up with the video footage.

Last week we played "My Brazilian Neighbour" - a brand new tune - only in rehearsal but it sounded very good - I think somehow Tim Riggin's horn arrangements always seem to give my songs a real lift - he is a very talented guy.

I need to dash now but please enjoy the vid

Groucho Club

Well I have just returned from a very enjoyable bottle of wine at the Groucho Club courtesy of an old business colleague. Had a BRILLIANT session last saturday with Martin (tenor sax) writing songs for our next album. We really got loads done. We started with a very pleasant lunch at L'orolei which is one of those very typical Soho restaurants which tourists wouldn't look at twice. It is on Bateman Street which runs between Greek Street and cuts across Frith and Dean Streets. From the outside you just see condensation and rubber plants... it isn't clear what sort of restaurant it is and when you get inside - unless you already know- you have to bring your own wine so tourists immediately will leave when they see the non-alcoholic menu ( apart from a bottle of beer) It is Italian and you can eat a LOVELY pizza and side salad and perhaps have an avocado or smoked salmon starter.

A real 70s feel- tables and chairs from the 70s and mural to match but that is fine with me and even a Luncheon Vouchers sign - you don't see those any more.

I only found out about it from a fellow resident of Soho. Otherwise I would never have ventured in there.

Anyway we then returned to my studio in Old Compton Street and forged ahead with "Bad Wine" . "Paint the Town Red" "Mr Dynamite" and "You Ain't Got the Blues".

These will be tracks on the next Red Stripe Band album.........so keep reading this blog and you will be able to follow the progress thereof.

I can let you into a secret that we are planning to do a Madonna cover- "Hanky Panky" from 1990 - a real goodtime song - suits us down to the ground

I must add a photo to make this blog complete and it is one from our second visit to the Kirkcudbright Jazz Festival which we will return to this year

I had just jumped off the bar and hence the state of my hair !!!!!

Must dash I have some fat free yoghurts waiting.......

In Somnia

No - it's not where I went on holiday to Eastern Europe last year - that was Lithuania! And actually I wouldn't say I have ever been to Somnia but sometimes when I am awoken by a crash in the alley next door to my bedroom window I stay awake for a couple of hours and get busy.
So I have embellished the Red Stripe Band Facebook page which can be found at : http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Red-Stripe-Band/30160044451

You can also see a fan video from our Pizza Express Gig last week which really captures the mood of the night. We played last Saturday night at the Canterbury Festival which was a riot - our third time there and I am sure it won't be the last. (Photos and an artist's impression to follow)

I should really add a photo to give this entry a bit of colour - it's just that I am on the wrong pc coz all my photos are on the other one so instead I will stick a video up . I have just started to download some clips from my camcorder. This piece was recorded at Marlborough Jazz Festival by a willing fan and shows the delightful dancing by "Red's Angels" to Tequila which then seamlessly (doesn't look as if that is spelt right?) makes a transition into Red Stripe Boogie

I've started so I'd better carry on......

Well the evenings are drawing in now and as I type there is no sign of our sun (not son!). Clocks go forward on Saturday night.

We played to a sell out crowd last Sunday night at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho - a great gig and I look forward to our next one there.

Gemma had just flown in from Los Angeles and must have been exhausted after an 11 hour flight.

More later............