A long time ago on a laptop far far away I originally knocked up a blog about gigging in Shanghai, then accidentally wiped it before clicking publish. A month later and there's even more stuff to write about though I've got to that point where most of it seems to have slipped my mind.
Shanghai was as much a blur at the time as it is in my memory, what with jet lag, insomnia, that call me Al feeling of not knowing the language and a lack of anything but greens to eat as whatever I ordered seemed to come with pork no matter what it was. Luckily like true brits abroad we quickly found a Costa Coffee and an American diner with It's own 2-Tone throw back looking like Alton Ellis in full on 3 button suit and pork pie.
It's a fun city if ratty old markets, insect fights and knock off goods is your bag, it reminded me a lot of Peckham Rye in the 90's though a few thousand times bigger and decked in neon. I managed to procure a shady looking Louis Vuitton belt for about £3 which didn't fall apart til over a week after i got it home. The ace in the hole would've been an Aquascrotum jacket but alas someone may have tipped them off about the translation.
The gig was one of the more bizarre I've played, with the motley line up of Hard-Fi, Sasha, Tom Middleton and myself playing in a massive warehouse come sculpture space, made even more strange from my point of view as a t-totaler performing for Smirnoff. Sasha believe it or not didn't have any headphones and I'd love to have helped but the rest of us were off to play another set in a club on the other side of town (the last person who asked to borrow mine was Peaches Geldof a year or so back). Anyway here's some pics...
The big news since then is the Stoneleigh Mountain Rockers album is well underway and I'm currently in talks over it's release so more news on that front when it's all confirmed. It's a bit of a sham now though as I'll no longer be producing it aloft the mountain having made the move across the river, though the broadway will remain in my heart however far away. The move will probably stay with me for a little while too with the continuous dull ache from humping thousands of records across town, miraculously only one record got damaged and that was a galliano album so that's ok. Here follows some vinyl porn for those who may be interested...
For those who have tuned in previously, or maybe meant to but simply forgot, or even those who didn't even know they could, Mr Trick's gone and seperated the shows we've been doing together on Resonance FM and you can podcast them now so what are you waiting for? Go direct to itunes and type in Mr Trick & Wrongtom or go straight to
Mr Trick & Wrongtom on your radio if you're that way inclined. Also there's a facebook group for you to join if you're on there...
facebook yuhgetmayI've also joined a new band called
Coco Beware as percussionist so if you have a moment check em out.
Anyway I'm sure there was a load of other stuff i was gonna bang on about, you know, rubbing shoulders with the stars, rare art I've purchased etc but Electric Dreams is on the telly so I must bid you farewell.