Camden Town to Tinseltown

Blur, The Who and Elvis Presley are front-runners on a list of musicians to be honoured with Walk of Fame discs along a route in north London.
 
Camden Town is to be officially twinned with Tinseltown to create its very own Music Walk of Fame.

The first 30 discs will be laid down this summer, organisers said.

Here's my exclusive story.

We can't work it out

When international Beatles fans plan musical pilgrimages to the UK, day tripping to an industrial part of east London is probably not what they have in mind.

But that is where some of the Fab Four's followers have been buying a ticket to ride. 

I went to find out why so many are going on a - not so magical - mystery tour.

In the summer time

The festival season is upon us. But some of us aren't convinced.

For some, simply hearing the word Glastonbury, conjures up images of waking up in a mud-sinking tent with the prospect of a day's swamp fishing for one's worldly belongings.

If you're one of those people, then perhaps London's festivals are more appealing. You can see your favourite artists before catching the last tube home and wake-up fresh faced after a decent night's sleep.

Here's my BBC guide to the biggest and some of the more bizarre festival offerings this summer.

Travis talk

Dreadful band, but there's no denying their frontman's a nice bloke. I interviewed Fran Healy from Travis for BBC News.

X-Ray punk back at Roundhouse

Long before Pink and even Courtney Love there was another punk diva who made heads turn. In the 70s Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex wore tooth braces and a military helmet and was rumored to have shaved off her hair around Johnny Rotten’s flat.

X-Ray Spex last played at the London’s Camden Roundhouse thirty years ago, at the height of the punk-rock era.

Poly quit the band within three years and has since joined the Hare Krishna movement and had a child.

But she’s back with the band to play a one-off return gig at the Roundhouse on 6 September. I caught up with her…

Do you consider yourself a punk?

No, but the music I play is described as punk rock. I consider myself to be a spirit soul, a ghost in the machine.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

An actress. But I failed an audition at the Royal Academy and gave up. After that I did a bit of fringe theatre at the oval house but nothing major. I was also training to sing while contemplating being an actress.

Are you still mates with any 70s punk rockers like Johnny Rotten?

Not really. I got on the Pistols guest list last year with Tessa from the Slits. But I haven’t seen John since the 70s.

Are there enough females in rock music?

I don’t think so. You have to have a strong voice to sing rock. I think gender is a secondary consideration, but I would personally like to see more women rock stars.

How does your music differ from other punk bands?

I consider my music to be high energy and I think my lyrics are probably a bit different.

‘Bondage, Up Yours!’ certainly was. What was that about?

It is a cry for liberation from the material world.

Why did you decide to reform?

I was persuaded by the promoter and once I said yes there was no going back.

You lst played at Roundhouse 30 years ago. What can fans expect from your performance this time around?

A celebration of 30 years of Germfree Adolescents.

Can fans expect to hear any new songs at the gig?

We will be playing some songs from the second X-ray Spex album Conscious Consumer and one new one.

Any plans to head back to the recording studio?
Maybe…

You ran away from home at 15 to tour the rock festivals. Are you planning to go to any festivals this year?

Probably not here. I don’t like mud! But I am planning to play at a festival in Texas in November.

Who are your heroes?

Radha & Krishna.

Who are your favourite bands at the moment?

Goldblade. I like there song Psycho and their energy. I think John Robb puts a lot into his performance.

Who are your style icons?

Hollywood sirens from the 1940’s.

What’s the biggest fashion faux pas you’ve made?

A blue foam dress I wore with an army helmet, at the Brixton Academy in 1991.

Interesting outfit. Do you still have it?
I think it went to the charity shop.

You’re originally from Hastings. Do you prefer the city or the seaside?

I prefer the seaside because the air quality is better but I like Millennium Bridge as it is still by water.

How do you relax?

I swim; listen to spiritual music and light candles.

Are you still doing yoga?

I practice Bhakti yoga – a kind of meditation - everyday

If this one’s a success, do you think you’ll be doing any more gigs?

Maybe! We'll see..

Gallows humour

Band of the Year according to Kerrang, fronted by the Coolest Person in Rock, according to the NME, Gallows release their album ’Live At The 100 Club’ on the same date they return to perform at that venue, 3 March.

I caught up with their bassist Stu, who was on a tour bus somewhere between Boston and Canada.

Why the gruesome name?

It refers to a gallows sense of humour. I recently read an interview with the illustrator Quentin Blake, who said he and Roald Dahl worked well together was because they shared a gallows humour.

You’re rumoured to be big Phil Collins fans. Is this true?

He wrote some cool tunes. In fact, our drummer bought his greatest hits CD in Montreal yesterday. We were going to cover In The Air Tonight at one point. It hasn’t happened yet but we’ll see.

Your sound is quite heavy and punky. Are you fed up all of those clone chirpy indie bands on the circuit?

They’re doing us a favour by sounding as lame and bland as each other. It helps us stand out more. Our band was a reaction to that cheeky chappy crap indie stuff.

Tell me your thoughts on each of the following artists in a word.

Scouting for Girls?

Never heard of them.

Wombats?

No. I haven’t been home for two months so have no idea what’s going on.

Britney?

She’s alright actually. Britney has some good writers. I feel really sorry for her, the way she’s been hounded and persecuted by the press. I think she needs a helping hand.

You’ve worked with North London Rapper Lethal Bizzle. How was that?

We met him at South by Southwest festival in Texas then used one of his samples for a track. He came to the studio, laid down his stuff in about a minute and was really professional. We had a chat afterwards and would class him as a good friend now.

Who else would you like to work with?

Kate Nash would be cool. Phil Collins would be cool too. I’d personally like to do something with DJ Shadow too.

You’re songs confront social issues like date rape? Do you think music is a good way to confront these?

Yes, it’s better than taking it out on someone in the street. Music is a vehicle but it’s not the most direct form of communication as it’s open to so much interpretation. And people don’t always listen to what you’re saying. They just want to bang their heads.

Frank ranked #1 in NME magazine's 2007 edition of the 'Cool List'. Do you think he’s cool?

Yeah he’s alright.

Who’s the coolest band member?

Blatantly me. I’m the bassist and they’re always coolest.

Were you cool at school?

I was born cool.

Who would you rank as the Coolest Person in the world?

Anyone who fought in the First or Second World War. The old dudes. I think it’s pretty cool what they did when they were our age.

What about soldiers who are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan now?

Yeah they’re equally as deserving. I support our troops.

What’s the most recent tattoo you got?

I got Fuck You written along my tricep.

What’s your favourite tattoo?

That one because it’s my latest.

Why did you get that?

I just felt like it. I had a gap there and it fitted nicely.

Has Frank got his Fuck The NME Tattoo yet?

No, that comment was taken a bit too literally. I can’t see it happening anytime soon.

Do you have lots of fights within the band?

No we get on pretty well. You have to if you’re on tour with the amount of time you live in each others pockets.

Why did Frank leave the band four times before you were signed?

He couldn’t see it going anywhere and wanted to concentrate on being a tattooist.

How did it feel to get the Kerrang Best British Newcomer award?

We kind of expected it. Not in an arrogant way but there wasn’t another new British band around who had achieved quite as much as us so we knew it was coming. There was no way we weren’t going to win. But It’s nice to have on the mantle piece.

Do you like being in the US?

Yeah, when the band’s done I’ll probably move out here. I like the exchange rate. I like how everything is 24 hours and there’s more choice of food. Plus my fiancé is American.

How your US and UK fans differ?

They’re quite similar. Before we came to the States we heard they were more subdued but that certainly isn’t the case, luckily for us. We’ve been playing to all ages and they’ve been really into it and know all the words.

How do you relax on tour?

We sit around, surfing the web, playing video games or watching films.

What’s your favourite video game?

On the bus we play a lot of FIFA.

Who’s the best player?

Leo the drummer. He beats everyone at it.

What’s the best film you watched recently?

Itchy the Killer. It was gory.

Do you like gruesome movies?

If they’re well written. A lot of them are a bit shit.

Frank’s previously said the band won't last past 2009. Do you agree? How do you feel about him saying things like that?

That was taken a bit too literally too. We’re just concentrating on getting the next record done and we’re all on board for that so we’ll see.

Villainous Vincent

Vincent Vincent and the Villains' unfathomably infectious blend of modern rock 'n' roll has so far been showcased in late-night London dives and on limited indie pressings, but - as with all good things - word is spreading fast. With a hardcore live following, ever-growing fanbase, and new abum out early next year, the band are set for big things in 2008. I caught up with their frontman, um, Vincent.

Where does the name come from?

I’m Vincent Vincent. We were originally called the Vincents but it seemed like there were a lot of bands with Vincent in their name. We wanted something that sticks in the head. Our name’s catchy and a bit weird.

Who's your favourite villain of all time?

Vincent Cassell always played good villains. I also liked Vincent Price.

Any non-Vincent villains you like?

Not really.

What makes you stand out from all the other trilby-wearing guitar bands who hit the Camden circuit?

Our music is heavily influenced by early rock’n’roll. Our song writing’s about all aspects of life and not the same old trite subjects you get from other bands. The sound we make is a real punk din. We take rock’n’roll and bastardise it into a modern sound.

Do you think other bands are too concerned about image?

A band’s image is the first thing people see so all bands are concerned about it. The trouble is when the image overtakes what a band does. That’s something you have to live with. But stay true to what you think sounds good and hopefully in the end even fickle people will come around to it.

Your music is influenced by 50s rock’n’roll. How did you get into that style of music?

When I grew up as a spotty teenager with no social life I used to rummage through my Dad’s vinyl collection. I got myself a record player and started going to record shops and discovering more and more rock’n’roll. There’s so much stuff out there, things always surprise you.

Who are your favourite 50s musicians?

Bo Diddley… Chuck Berry… too many to name.

What about Elvis?

Of course. He’s a massive influence. But It doesn’t help when his estate release all his singles. They’re not releasing his good songs. What about ‘I Beg Of You’ or ‘Treat Me Nice’?

So which Elvis songs are your faves?

‘(You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care’. I also like ‘Trouble’, because of the rag time jazz band kicking in.

Are you a fan of Happy Days?

No. I hate it. It was made in the 70s. The only reason I get asked that is because it was set in the 50s.

Some of your lyrics refer to dead end jobs. What’s the worst job you’ve had?

I used to work as a cinema attendant. I may as well have been a wooden dummy with a spike for people to put tickets on. Cleaning up the crap after people left wasn’t too great either. But there’s always romance in it. I did it to follow my dreams so it was a worthwhile experience and I got a good song out of it.

Former frontman Charlie Waller left to join The Rumble Strips. Are you mates with him now?

Yes. We fell out for a bit. It was traumatic time. We got to a stage where people began taking notice of the band and then we hit a brick wall.

What do you think of The Rumble Strips?

That’s a contentious question. Are you looking for a controversial answer?

Naturally

No, I like them. I think Charlie’s a great singer.

Where would you like to be in 10 years time?

I’d like to still be writing songs. I’d probably be too old to be a viable frontman but I’d like to still be writing and recording.

Why should people come to see you live?

Our performance exciting, adventurous and theatrical.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? Barfly, 8 October 2007

I went to this gig expecting to be offended. After all, the band describe their sound as like "an arcade machine being thrown into a lake".
Not the most appealing description.

A lot of bands have jumped on the Electro rock bandwagon after the success of Klaxons and the Rapture but don’t have the tunes to back up the hype.

But the Barfly was packed with teenagers keen to catch DIOYY on the final night of their 23-date tour.

Their opening number had a sleazy base-line reminiscent of Justice and I expected the crowd to nod along coolly but instead the New Rave fashioned kids transformed the front of the crowd into a mosh-pit.

The band launched into Doomed Now which mashes the fervent Bloc Party-esque guitar rhythms with Daft Punk-style robotic vocals. Impressive stuff.

Cheeky grinned front man Morgan grabbed a cowbell and bounced all over the sound equipment as wild-eyed parka-wearing bassist James wildly sweated it out for the catchy Battle Royale.

Morgan invited a DIOYY T-shirt wearing fan to join the band onstage. Taking this as the signal for a stage invasion, half the crowd had joined the band by the end for their final song, doing all they could to immerse themselves in the music. One guy went for it with a drum stick on a can of Stella while another crashed two beer crates together.

Morgan made the best exit I’ve ever seen at a gig, crowd surfing all the way from the stage to the back of the room and onto the bar.

Ok, so some bands jump on bandwagons and don’t deserve the publicity. But DIOYY deserve every bit of hype they get. They’re touring again in the spring. Go see them. It would be offensive not to.