A Summer Punch Up with Kotki Dwa

The last time I ventured into Homerton in Hackney was when I went for an interview to be an intern for Satoshi Date over 2 years ago. Reason this tone to head to this part of London this time round was that my friends band Kotki Dwa were performing in a National Trust building and launching their new album "Staycations". The timing of releasing this is perfect since 2012 in Britain has been very patriotic with the likes of the Queens Jubilee and now we have the London Olympics around the corner. 

I really love the concept behind it the album, as we are still in The Recession, many are penny conscious, so Staycations are the answer to the holiday getaways! They managed to get the National Trust to be associated with the album and the band recorded the album in various National Trust buildings to get the right feel for the music.It's really lovely to hear the band developing and growing with their music 

To be honest I didn't think London had any National Trust buildings but there's actually three! The venue that is Sutton House is quite a lovely Tudor building, a little gem 

buried in Hackney borough, it was just such a lovely building <3

In typical Kotki Dwa style, there was free food at their event consisting of lovely picnic foods - sandwiches, Scotch Eggs, pork pies and an array of cupcakes (-^.^-) there was also exciting beverage concoctions of Summer Punch relating the theme and mood of the event and the most exciting thing of all was the Ice cream with Pimms sauce!

Music was really good, bands playing folky electro music in the hall room of Sutton House with true Britshness decorations of the Staycation feel of hay bails, binoculars, flip flops little things that give a typical British holiday vibe, so eccentric but I love it! I found it funny when Alex was announcing the support bands were about to start in the 

court yard where majority of people were having their conversations, it felt like we were getting rounded up lol XD

A very lovely evening with good music and was quite intimate; catching up with friends 

and adding another piece of my London Mind Map

Radio1 Hackney Weekend

On the weekend I went to my first festival! I know right? But the thought of camping I don’t mind, but I just have trouble with justifying with the travel & ticket prices. However day festivals I’m ok with.

I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the Hackney weekend, when I asked my friend who also had tickets I asked her which day, she said Saturday…. Crap I had Sunday ticket, such a shame that Radio1 tickets you don’t have a +1 but oh well

I managed to find a friend to go with luckily, I’m fine with flying solo, but it’s more fun with company.

We didn’t get to the Hackney Marsh until 1.30pm and it only took us 40min to get in, better than some people who took 3hours to go through.

Saw so many bands and listened to quite a bit of Dub Step, which isn’t usually a choice I would go for, but I had a good time dancing and bouncing away to Skream & Benga

Santagold was entertaining, wish we stayed a bit longer to watch but wanted to see other acts, Shame when we were watching Plan B perform it started to pour for 10min, luckily I had my umbrella and jacket! Florence and the Machine I thing would have been good if we stood around a decent spot of the stage, the music from the sound systems let me down, which was a shame.

Azzelia Banks sent the Tent jumping with her final song “212” good tune!! Just Banging!!

Jessie J was really entertaining to watch a very good performer too! What made it better was the sun finally came out and there were very little clouds in the sky ^.^

Couldn’t believe we saw 14 different acts, I was exhausted at the end of the night and thighs were killing as we only sat down and rested for 10mins during Lana Del Rey. However Dizzee Rascal who was the special guest, perked us up with his tunes especially “fix up look” sharp & “Bonkers”

Finale was Rhianna, which was good and entertaining, was awesome that Jay Z showed up as well and did three songs with her, but not sure how much lip-syncing she did. All I can say was I loved her eye make up and she has some very toned thighs!!

Radio 1 Big Weekend festivals are definitely a great musical adventure and so cheap for so many acts!!

Salyu X Salyu

I was checking out FB a gig my friend was going to I decided to check out the music on Soundcloud and Youtube, and quite enjoyed it. So I decided to go along to with my gig buddy Adam to the Jazz cafe in Camden to check out this gig by Salyu x Salyu. This was the first time they've every played in England, all the way from Japan so was pretty exciting ^.^

I have to admit this was the most beautiful gigs I have ever attended, it was quite intimate, the voacals were so beautiful, my friends. I couldn't stop smiling and when they started singing Sail away, I was nearly in tears because it was so beautiful


The band sang so well very harmonised, and looked like sirens 


I loved how the instruments they used were so acoustic, ranging from flute, drums, chimes and a keyboard thing you play with your mouth (not the harmonica)


It just brought music to a whole other level that is just so different and was even better to hear and listen to live

Salyu who is the main front woman was so humble when she spoke it was just so lovely.


I will definitely look out for them again when they come back here to perform ^.^ 

Jazz, Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll

It started out last Sunday when spontaneously a friend of mine asked whether I was up for lunch at Ronnie Scott’s in Soho for her birthday as there was a spare ticket. I didn’t bat an eyelid to say no to the opportunity!! Very spontaneous, fortunately I was up from an evening out the night before and the clocks rolled forward!!

Was quite interesting and different in a good way to attend a Sunday lunch event in a Jazz Club; the venue is very dark, cozy and intimate plus the tickets are cheaper compared to a Friday or Saturday night (yay!).  Elaine Delmar with Brian Dee’s Quartet was the act for the afternoon; her voice is amazing, and easy listening. A very impressive songstress for 73 years old!

Near the end Elaine actually forgot the words to a song and shouted, “oh shit!!” absolute lol though I suppose accidents happen to the best of us! Fortunately there were no kids! This was my first time attending to a live Jazz gig, and personally I prefer the more up tempo tunes, the more slow soulful numbers were too smooth, I was drifting >.<

Next was Saturday night just gone, my good friend Mimi came down to London for the weekend. She wanted to go to a Jazz venue, I told her that these kind of venues are very niche and involve tickets in advanced for the gig, there aren’t many pop in sit in venues, (well I haven’t found any yet). I suggested this Blues club I keep passing on the way to work in Camden called The Blues Kitchen.

We went in with an open mind, only £5 entry after 9pm, which I find is quite reasonable, there’s a live band that plays covers, and DJ playing a mix of Blues, Soul and Rock “n” Roll. It was very fun, we all had a good time, drinks were not extortionate compared to Mayfair and good deal they had, Jagerbombs 3 for £10, Happy days!!! ^.^

Dancing the night away, with an eclectic mix of people and doing the twist, though Mimi said I danced like a Hamster (-.-“) oh well, I was having fun!! I was impressed with the band, with their lead guitarists rift solos and the Jazz player; very talented bunch

I would definitely recommend this place as a somewhere different away from the typical clubbing scene, a bit more relaxed and cheaper on the wallet!

K Pop United Cube Concert lands to London

Beginning of the week I joined friends to the first big Korea Pop concert in London. I only heard the about United Cube who is the label of 4 Minute, GNA, B2ST who performed, via friends FB statuses, so I spontaneously decided to get a fellow K pop lover to join me. Though the tickets were a pinch especially with the booking/service charge £72 a ticket >.<” (Birthday present treat for myself!) on the upside they were giving away quite a few freebies including a T-shirt! ^.^

Taking place in Brixton Academy, good venue in my opinion, capacity for 3000, and the floor is slanted, so everyone can see! Was quite surprised how many eager K pop lovers there were queuing to get in! Compared to my friend and I just easily slipped in via the ticket office! Haha! But did regret not going to eat at the Nandos across the road before the concert (fail)

The venue I suppose was half full, but Korean Pop is still quite a new genre that has come across the West. The audience at the concert – Orientals! LOL!!

I was just laughing at some of the fanatics who were already standing towards the front stage watching the Artist’s MVs and screaming in hysteria when certain MVs started showing

When the bands finally came on it was really exciting ^.^

4 Minute opened up the show which was pretty exciting, great to hear them live and surprised to see they’re actually not that tall & are a normal dress size (8-10) compared to seeing them on camera looking like 6-8. Their dancing was pretty good however HyunA fell I didn't see it as I’m too short >.< it was good to see that band interacting with the audience

GNA who was ok but lip synced to be honest we weren’t really a fan of hers, but were surprised how good her English was! 

Then finally B2ST who were just brilliant, love their choreography. But Seriously the hysteria in the room was unreal that 3 people fainted?! They were pretty funny, though not so interactive to the audience compared to 4 Minute. But when the Thank you video of their's was being projected with their song Fiction, I really thought they wouldn't sing the song, but they did! Was happy when the sung Lightless, Pretty song -^.^-

I will admit I really enjoyed the concert; definitely a good night thought would have been worth more like £60. Now I’m just waiting for 2NE1 & Big Bang to come over!!

Kotki Dwa's Late Lunch

It is nice going to quirky intimate gigs with a twist, which is what I got up to during the week.

A uni mate and I decided to catch up and go to a gig in Old Street at The Arts & Music Project, where the event was called Late Lunch - Kotki Dwa's Album launch. 

Not only there was good music being played, in the grungy venue, but there was also experimental food for everyone to try. I missed one course where there was bread with spread that glowed under UV Light, but didn't miss the sausage worms in the cumber decorated basket or the light liquid lunch, consisting of watery tomato soup with nutmeg & something else

I kind of forgot Kotki Dwa was my friend's band, electro happy music, very him ^.^ always optimistic and puts a smile on your face

Good music & good fun food always brings the like minded people together. In this case, it brought quite a few of my uni mates together, was really lovely catching up with them & reminded me of the times of Uni & where we had the movement that was the "Yellow Revolution", where all art specialisms got together and collaborated on projects.

Hence the style of the Band's music videos being very animated, as they were made by a few uni friends who specialised in graphic, animation/ illustration

It was a really fun evening where there was even a raffle where the winner won a bottle of bacon flavoured vodka.... I would be intrigued to taste what that would have been like. I think I remember on Jonathan Ross' show he had a bottle. However it did take 4 goes of the raffle to finally find a winner, haha! 

Good Times ^.^