Monday 30 January 2012

Montreal Snow..

Our flight to Montreal was delayed for 3 hours :( but we got there in the end and when we did it was snowing!!! In London we do get snow, but most of the time it's a bit of sleet or some hail stones that we just pretend is snow to make winter seem more bearable.


I really wanted to try the traditional Quebecan dish that is Poutine (not ot be confused with Putain which means whore in French or Putin the Russain Politician), Which is chips and gravy and cheese, but unfortunately didn't get round to it but here's a picture anyway>>>


In soundcheck I met the lovely Akua who has a magical voice, and reminded me of a Corinne Baily Rae/Quadron/Erykah badu Love child. She opened up beautifully :)





The gig was a great end to the tour! The audience were bashing the stage and making lots of noise just how we like it!

I even met Jacques Greene, Montreal resident that remixed 'Broken Record' Which is one of my favourite remixes ever!!! It really sounds like that vocal was made for that beat.. talented geezer!



Anyway! North American Tour Was amazing, had sooo much fun, thank you to everyone who joined me!

Keeps your eyes on this page as i will be giving you a present soon to say thank you :D

K
xx

Saturday 28 January 2012

Big Apple Munching

New York has to be the best city in the world (apart from London of course!). I like it cause it's so busy and gives you the feeling like you're being swept up in to some hectic whirlwind. When i'm there, people are always asking 'What's the biggest culture shock' and apart from having maple syrup on their chicken and no baked beans for breakfast, it's a lot like London.

When we got there it was Chinese New Year so i thought it would be cool to check out the celebrations. I remember one year in Peckham i must have been about 13, my friend and I were shopping in a shop called Atlantic Clothing (Peckham girls will know this shop), buying a £3 top when we heard gun shots every single person got down on the floor i think i hid in between the rails until we realised it was the fire crackers from the Chinese supermarket opposite. I thought i was gonna die man that was some scary shit. Hoping to relive my Chinese new year firecracker experience i read on a website they were letting off 600,000 of the buggers so I dragged Johnny and Tippa off to some place near China town, but all there was was a Chinese man singing a Celine Dion Song. We waited for about 15 minutes but it was quite dry so we went for fried chicken in Williamsburg. On the subway we came across 2 men playing some amazing instrument almost like a harp which had hip hop sample all over it.


That night my publicist invited us to go to Jim Jones' Studio as Tippa is a massive fan of the TV show 'Love and Hip Hop'. On our way to his studio we saw a couple sights.....

The Empire State Building>>> Don't know what goes on in there!


The Museum of Sex>>> Don't know what goes on in there either!


Jim Jones' studio was amazing. You could see the Empire State Building from the vocal booth. He also has a mini film set in there! where he's put bricks on the walls and made a shop front from the shutter of the elevator. Complete with a payphone, a street lamp, a bench and a mural for his friend. He said it's what his street in Harlem looks like, i was very impressed! He was very hospitable, the perfect gentleman.



The show was sick! I do love a New York crowd, I played at a venue called 'The Drom' which was a really good space and very intimate. A lovely lady named Shyvonne opened up and really enjoyed her music, gonna download it today, she even had two dancers for the last song and it went off.

Follow her: @shyvonne


Was amazing to see some familiar faces from the last time i was there. One lovely lady even made me some earrings in the shape of New York State! Which i will treasure forever.


Afterwards we met up with some of Tippa's friends and went to see Louie Vega play some house, and sung a long to 'I touch the sky, sky, skyhiiiiiyeah i touch the Skyeeeeyighhhh' good times.


On my day off i went to see some of my family in Harlem, got on the C train bricking it that i was gonna end up somewhere random but thankfully i got there!

Anyway, Love to New York! Hope i'm able to come back soon!!!

K

xx

Monday 23 January 2012

New Favourite Song #1


Im gonna be letting you know what i'm listening to! hopefully at least once a week. Kicking off with this tune from Donaeo, makes me giggle can't wait to dance to it in a club and drink two drinks coz it's my biiiirthday...



It's free to download on his website http://www.donaeo.com/ as part of the 'Move To The Gyal Dem' package, packed with remixes and instrumentals
http://www.donaeo.com/

Denver Dubstep

Our next stop was Denver, Colorado. Apparently it has lots of snow and 360 days a year of sunshine, so the people are quite happy, everyone there was so friendly and laid back, which could have something to do with the sunshine and snow or maybe the fact that you can buy weed legally there (for medical reasons) and they have more weed stores than Starbucks.

Now we also know what other behaviour is a side effect of bunnin it down... conspiracy theories, the guy who was driving us from the airport told us that there are rumours that there is a secret city underneath the airport and the artwork within the airport gives clues that the New World Order are going commit a massive genocide soon>>



We stayed in this mad hotel called The Curtis and each floor was themed. Tippa was on a fighting floor (lots of pics of rocky), Dan was on the dance floor! which i was extremely jealous about and what flippin floor did I have to get? The flippin 13th floor!! Yes unlucky number 13 :( when the lift stopped I heard a voice say 'Iiiiit's Jooohnnny' the doors open and i just see Jack Nicholsons big old face staring at me, then a nice silhouette of Freddie Kruger.


The night we played at was called Submission, the lovely Nicole runs it who is a legend. The venue was the Ballroom in five points back in the 1920's and had an amazing Jazz and soul scene. Some amazing artists have performed there from Tina Turner, to Miles Davis. There was a cool Mural thing in the dressing room telling me all this. Now it's run by hippies, so it has a bit of a psychedelic feel and smelled of hash.



Now they love their Dubstep in Denver, it was sick to play to such an appreciative crowd so far away from home. On stage they had these amazing white robots that they projected visuals on to, I'd never seen anything like it.


We dusted off a nice bottle of spiced rum and felt niiiice.

Love to Denver!

<3 s: Am I the only one who finds this slightly ironic 'Organic Blue Corn?????' P


Sunday 22 January 2012

Orange County Smogging

I've only ever heard of Orange County because of the T.V show with lots of pretty people in it, last night there were lots of pretty people also but doing mad bass screw face expressions to the music.


I played at a night called SMOG in Santa Ana and it was pretty intense, the venue was sick it was like a mini amphitheater. DJ craze went on before us and i really enjoyed his set, especially when he dropped in a bit of Dr Dre, got me hyped up, i was jumping around backstage.


Tippa decided to lead Dan up the wrong path with his Champagne and Rum cocktail, which obviously resulted in them feeling very merry!

The show was heavy, the audience were sick, gave so much energy and the sound was epic, lots of bass, I was running up and down the stage like i was doing a P.E drill.

Then Benga went on and the energy went up even higher. On the mic as usual. Highlights definitely included him stage diving, inviting all the girls on the stage with him with which they kindly accepted and Tippa pulling back 26 basslines which is a regular occurrence when he's had some champagne and spirits.


Benga also broke the mixer in the middle of his set which is never ideal.


Met some really cool people and was good to catch up with some friendly faces (12th planet and Danny United). Much love to California.

<3

Saturday 21 January 2012

San Francissccooo

So I was in San Francisco for all of less than 24 hrs but they were some good hours. We arrived at The Phoenix Hotel which had a really Rock N Roll vibe, Lots of vintage (second hand) furniture and a colourful shower curtain. I loved it! very cosy, on the other hand Tippa didn't he said he felt like he was in the movie 'Baby Boy' or 'Psycho' coz it kind of had that vibe of one of those motels someone would go to off the motorway and get murdered.


We then sound checked at the venue where we met badboy dog Jackson, which Johnny described as a rope dog cause it would only be right to have a bandana and a piece of rope attached to it, a lead would not be suitable. Looking like something straight out off Snatch, too much game. He bullied us in to playing fetch for about 3 hours.


We then went for some tasty food at a place called Brenda's which was incredible. We had these strange things called Hushpuppies which I can only describe as Deep fried cake in some kind of batter or something, in a kind of thousand islands sauce which was actually very tasty. Then i had some ginormous Ribs, collared greens and Mac n Cheese. Apparently Brenda draws on 'craft honed in French and Creole kitchens of New Orleans and San Francisco' so i came to the right place.


The show was also very tasty, I played at a night called Popscene at The Rickshaw Stop, fellow British band The Good Natured played as well who I thought were really cool, the lead singer also has a great pair of legs. The audience were amazing, so lively and a great start to the tour!


In the morning I learned that for some reason in California, Limos are the same price as getting a taxi to the airport so when we ordered a taxi from the hotel reception we were a little surprised to see a white limo outside! Our driver even played Frank Sinatra 'I left my heart in San Francisco' as we approached the airport, Gangster.

Friday 20 January 2012

R.I.P Etta James


I remember when i was about 13, I had a big bumper sheet music book of soul songs.'I Would Rather Go Blind' was one of them I had never heard it but started playing it and trying to work out the melody. When my dad heard me singing it he was like 'That's Etta James she is amazing', he then played her CD to me and I adored it! Her pain and her feeling was just so raw in the way she told a story and that will be remembered forever.

R.I.P Etta

Thursday 19 January 2012

North America Miniature Tour!

I am happy to say I am doing a miniature tour of North America. I get out of my bed tomorrow, in to a cab at 6am to take me to the airport (really should find out which one) and will be flying to San Francisco. I've heard that It's a bit like Brighton but more hilly, but also a bit like Croydon coz it's got trams fam.

It kicks of tomorrow night in San Fran and includes stops in Denver, New York City & Montreal. I'm bloody excited i tell you that.

I will be travelling with my right hand man Tippa who helps me hype up the rave. Follow him on twitter; @Tippademus for his version of events, i'm sure they will be much more x-rated than mine, also check out his blog but i just want to say as a disclaimer it does not reflect any of my own personal views!!!! It's not for the faint hearted, you know what i'm not even posting the link on here, go find it on his twitter and follow him whilst you're there coz he is a funny fellow.




I will also be travelling with the man that is Johnny Dodkin. He's my sound egineer and in my opinion the best in the bloody business so make sure you follow him too @johnnydodkin for his also probably x-rated version of events.




Also joining us is DJ Dan Oh, follow him @DanielOh he's a very cool guy




If you're in the states and you like to shake a leg, make sure you come down and say Ello.

1/19 San Fransico, CA Rickshow Stop
1/20 Santa Ana, CA The Galaxy Theatre
1/21 Denver, CO Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
1/25 New York, NY Drom
1/27 Montreal, CA Le Belmont
3/23 Miami, FL Ultra Music Festival


I will also be hopefully coming back for SXSW in Austin. I absolutely fell in love with Austin on my last trip to the states, I love how there is just so much live music and I got to see 9th Wonder DJing who is my favourite producers just in some random bar that i ended up at just wandering down the street, so yeah love to Austin!

I will be informing you of my American adventures!

So Larrng

K

Monday 16 January 2012

Rinse FM - Christmas Day Takeover

Hello people them of the internet. Happy new Year. This is my blog. I did have a Tumblr but it was really dry so i thought let me start again on here where i can write more and show you lots of photos and videos of whats going on. My record label bought me a sick camera for christmas (which has a ginormous lens and actually quite scares me just looking at it) so i intend on capturing lots of material on my travels, whilst also showing you some of my favourite tunes and stuff from my every day life that makes me feel something.

On Christmas day just passed, I took over Rinse FM for the whole day i did a show from 8-11am (which is on the player below), then some of my favourtie DJs; Zinc, Oneman, Funk Butcher, Plastician and Circle did special shows you can here their podcasts here.

I even popped down to Circle @ Aquarium that night, 'Raving on Xmas day' I hear you gasp, yes by then my mama and pops were tucked up in bed and it was sick, Boxing day at Fabric was also emotional.

I hope you had a ravey Xmas period and ate and drank as much as i did

Thank you for dropping by, i hope you come back soon.

Katy Bizzle




xx