RIGHT ON! returns - Saturday 17th February, 2018

RIGHT ON! @ Hanway Social - Saturday 17th February

After more than 10 years' absence, London's much-missed vintage black music club night returns next month for a one-off 15th anniversary dance. Back in the West End where it all started, the night's new venue is an authentic old-school basement club with late-night bar and separate dancefloor. Expect nothing but the best vintage sounds from the all-star DJ line-up, which features some of the UK's top selectors:

JEAN-PAUL SÉCULAIRE (Right On!),
MARK NORTON (Gene Drayton Unit / The Fantastics),
TEXAS RANGER (Unique Radio / Trojan Explosion / Heritage Inn),
NATTY BO (Gaz's Rockin' Blues / Ska Cubano / Top Cats),
and the mighty GLADDY WAX (Notting Hill Carnival / Wax Unlimited).

DOORS: 9pm - 2am
ADMISSION: £10
VENUE: Hanway Social (basement)
ADDRESS: 20 Hanway Street, London, W1T 1UG
NEAREST TUBE: Tottenham Court Road

For more information visit www.right-on.org

Tropical Lounge launch party - Sunday 6th July 2014

Check out this new night of vintage Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin music and dance! The launch party takes place on Sunday 6th July with myself, Coco Girl, and the inimitable Natty Bo and all joining hostess DJ Lady Kamikaze on the decks for a mix of mambo, cumbia, boogaloo, calypso, mento, ska, samba, bossa nova, son and more. What better way to spend a Summer's Sunday evening?!

Admission is FREE and the event runs from 7pm until 1am.

Tropical Lounge @ Floripa,
91-93 Great Eastern Street,
Shoreditch,
London,
EC2A 3HZ

http://floripalondon.com/
https://www.facebook.com/tropicalyard

MODern History SE1 - Saturday 14th September 2013

A fabulous sounding street festival called MODern History SE1 takes place in Lower Marsh in Waterloo this Saturday, 14th September from noon until 7 pm. It is billed as "a celebration of music, art, fashion and culture... by spinning the clock back 50 years, Lower Marsh will be taken right back to it's 60's heyday and the market's most successful era".

The event will feature:

• Vintage scooter rally across London's bridges, from Tower to Westminster: https://www.facebook.com/events/561292677268866/
• Vintage market featuring vintage clothes, scooter spares and a host of other themed stalls.
• Vintage food - Pie 'n' Mash, toffee apples and old ice-cream vans.
• Vintage shop fronts - Shops will be dressed as they were in the 60's with a reproduction of newspapers and magazines.
• Live music stage on the piazza at the end of Lower Marsh mapping the influence of black music on British artists.

There will also be a number of well-known DJs playing a variety of genres from blues and ska through to reggae to indie. Venues and set times as follows:

Train to Skaville @ CARRIAGE, 34 Lower Marsh

Noon - Dave Edwards
1 pm - Smiler
2 pm - Chad
2:30 - Big Bob
3:30 - Dave Edwards
4 pm - Jerry Dammers
6 pm - Surprise guest

Blues x 6 @ WALRUS, 172 Westminster Bridge Road

Noon - Big Bob
1 pm - Nikki Shaw
2 pm - Rob Messer
3 pm - Smiler
4 pm - Dave Edwards
5 pm - Ryan B
6 pm - Guy Joseph

Kool Britannia @ HORSE, 124 Westminster Bridge Road

Noon - Miss Wicked
1 pm - Ian Punter
2 pm - Jerry Dammers
4 pm - Paul Tunkin
5 pm - Ian Punter
6:30 - Miss Wicked

London's best vintage club nights

As promised, I've now added a page listing my favourite vintage music club nights. I've also uploaded all of the remaining content from the old site, and reorganised it slightly. Hope you find the new website useful and easy to navigate!

Slim silk knitted ties from T.M. Lewin

I popped into T.M. Lewin today and to my great delight found they are currently stocking the holy grail of men's neckwear: slim knitted ties made of 100% pure silk. And what's more, they are currently part of one of Lewin's famous half-price sales. Known colloquially as Slim Jims, these are quite simply the ultimate, classic, 1960s mod style ties. They should be a staple in any well-dressed man's wardrobe, but are sadly as rare as hen's teeth these days. To be perfectly honest, I haven't seen such nice ties in London since Soho tailor John Pearce made up a batch a few years ago.

The ties are 5cm (approximately 2 inches) at their widest point and have a length of 150cm (approximately 59 inches). They also have a reinforced neck band. Being silk, they knot and drape beautifully and hold a dimple particularly well.

The ties have been slashed in price from £79 to £39.50 and are also part of a 3 for £99 deal. They are available from T.M. Lewin branches, subject to availability (the branch I was in had only one colour in stock) but are also available to buy online. Standard UK shipping is just £3.95 and they even ship internationally.

So take my advice and snap these up before it's too late! If you don't, I guarantee you will regret it when they are discontinued.

For more information, or to buy online, visit the T.M. Lewin website

The Three Degrees live in Islington - 10th October

AGMP presents Philly Soul vocal group, The Three Degrees, live at The Union Chapel in Islington on Monday 10th October.

Although their line-up has changed over the years, The Three Degrees have existed continuously for almost four decades, and now lay claim to being the longest running female vocal group in history. Today, the trio consists of Valerie Holiday (who first joined in 1967), Helen Scott (who first joined in 1963) and Freddie Pool, who replaced Cynthia Garrison at the end of 2010.

Initially formed in 1963 by manager Richard Barrett, it is arguably their three year stint with Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia International label in the 1970s for which The Three Degrees are best remembered. It was during this era that the threesome had some of their biggest hits, such as "Dirty Ol' Man", "TSOP" and "When Will I See You Again". They also gained a great deal of attention from the fact that Prince Charles publicly acclaimed them as his favourite group (they performed live at Buckingham Palace for Prince Charles's 30th birthday party in 1978).

To read more about the group visit: www.thethreedegrees.com

To find out more about The Union Chapel visit: www.unionchapel.org.uk

The Three Degrees live at The Union Chapel
Date: Monday 10th October, 2011
Doors: 7pm
Address: Compton Avenue, Islington, N1 2XD
Tickets: £28.50 in advance from https://agmp.ticketabc.com/events/three-degrees/

Owen Gray live in concert - 19th October

Legendary Jamaican singer Owen Gray performs live on Wednesday 19th October at The Phoenix City Social Club, backed by The Sidewalk Doctors.

Owen Gray is a true veteran of the Jamaican music scene, being one of the country's first home-grown stars. He began his singing career as a teenager in the mid-1950s after attending the Alpha Boys School, which is well known for training many of Jamaica's finest musicians. With his soulful voice, he effortlessly recorded in a variety of styles over the years, from rhythm & blues and soul through to ska, rocksteady and roots reggae. Many of his tracks also became popular in the UK, released on labels such as Starlite, Island, Blue Beat, Dice and Pama. He moved to England in the 1960s, where he still lives to this day.

The Phoenix City Social Club is a new midweek session in a great, 200 capacity, basement venue, promoted by the man behind the London International Ska Festival. Musically, the night promises "ska, rocksteady, soul and 2 Tone" from well-known DJs and live bands. Guest DJ on the 19th October is Cello from the Coast To Coast club.

Advance tickets are available from londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk/tickets

Venue: The Queen of Hoxton (basement)
Address: 1-5 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3JX
Times: 7pm - midnight
Admission: £10
Website: www.facebook.com/PhoenixCityRecCo
Venue website: www.thequeenofhoxton.co.uk

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975

Directed by Göran Hugo Olsson, The Black Power Mixtape is a fascinating documentary about the Black Power movement in America between 1967 and 1975. It is due for general release in UK cinemas on 21st October, but I was lucky enough to see a preview screening of the film last month.

Running at just over an hour and a half, the film is primarily a compilation of long-lost footage which was found buried in a Swedish Television archive - unseen by the public for 30 years. On top of this are added contemporary audio interviews from leading African-American artists, activists, musicians and scholars.

So far, release dates include:

Curzon Soho / 21st - 27th October
The Ritzy, Brixton / 21st - 27th October
The Lexi Cinema, Kilburn / 28th October - 3rd November

This list of screenings is expected to grow however, so keep your eyes open for other cinemas across London.

Right On! meets Bande À Part - Sat 4 June

After the success of our encounter in 2010, I've been invited back to Shoreditch's premier vintage black music night, Bande À Part, to play another Right On! style set.

You can expect a fantastic mix of jukejoint sounds from the 1950s, 1960s and beyond, aimed firmly at the dancefloor, from myself and resident DJs Cousin Benson and Kimihiro Oue: RHYTHM & BLUES, DOO WOP, BLACK ROCK 'n' ROLL, SOUL, SKA, REGGAE, BOOGALOO and more - all on original vinyl.

Located just off the main Shoreditch strip of Old Street, The Troy Bar is an atmospheric, one-floor venue with tucked-away booths and a separate bar area, leaving dancers all the space they need to shake a leg on the wooden dancefloor.

Right On! meets Bande À Part
@ Troy Bar, 10 Hoxton Street, London, N1 6NG
Saturday 4th June, 2011. 8pm - 2am
FREE before 11pm; £3 afterwards

To find out more about Right On! visit www.right-on.org

If you'd like to RSVP to the event on Facebook visit:
www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=213982018621214

The Impressions live in London - 10 June

AGMP & Jazz FM present the first ever UK performance of one of the most important soul groups of all time - The Impressions. The band will be performing all of their hits and the songs of Curtis Mayfield with backing from the Curtom Orchestra. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience one of the greatest soul groups in person. The exact line-up of the group has not been advertised, but I would assume it to consist of Sam Gooden (who originally joined in 1958), Fred Cash (who originally joined in 1960) and Reggie Torian (who originally joined in 1973 after Curtis Mayfield's departure).

UK funk band, Speedometer, have been confirmed as the support act for this concert, with Andy Fairclough (The Root Source / The Organism) sitting in on piano/organ.

The Soul of Curtis Mayfield
Featuring The Impressions & the Curtom Orchestra + Speedometer
Friday 10th June, 2011. 7.30pm
The Barbican Hall, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
Tickets: £22.50 - £35

For more info and to book tickets, visit:
www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=12057

London Maps from Herb Lester Associates

Back in July 2010, I wrote about the excellent You Are Here map from Herb Lester Associates and mentioned that they were working on other London guides.

Though I've not gotten around to reviewing them until now, they actually brought out two other excellent maps late last year, with each map being even more beautifully designed than the last.

The second in the series is entitled May We Help You? and lives up to its promise of being a guide to "The best specialist suppliers in London". Though it covers such unusual services as bulletproofing, Japanese knife sharpening and taxidermy, this guide is more than a mere curiosity, offering as it does details of far more essential suppliers - from the sartorial (tailoring alterations, invisible mending, buttons, cobbler) to the practical (locksmith, umbrellas, stationery).

The third map in the trilogy, and the largest to date (at twice the size of the others), is an historic guide to London's lost gems of the 1960s. Billed as "a retrospective guide to London's shops, clubs, boutiques and sundry diversions, 1960-66", Wish you were there is a fascinating and extremely well researched insight into the era of Swinging London, when the city was perceived to lead the world in fashion and nightlife.

For more information on these maps, see the following links:

http://herblester.com/may-we-help-you/
http://herblester.com/wish-you-were-there

All three pocket guides are available to buy from select stockists, or online from the Herb Lester Associates website for just £3 (£4 for Wish you were there): http://herblester.com/buy-the-map/

Do yourself a favour and order your copies today!

John Simons and The Ivy Look

2010 will surely be remembered as the year that the Ivy League look returned to menswear in London. Penny loafers, Harrington jackets, Oxford button-down shirts, knitted ties and herringbone tweed suits are all over the high street and have had numerous mentions in the press this year.

The man who first championed the look in the UK in the late 50s, John Simons, opens his new shop on Tuesday 7th December. The address is: 46 Chiltern Street, London, W1U 7QR

For further information on this legendary modernist and Ivy League gentleman's outfitter, check out his website: http://johnsimons.co.uk/

To find out more about the Ivy League style and its connection to the modernist look of the 1950s and 1960s, I would highly recommend you check out The Ivy Look, which was published this Autumn and serves as an excellent introduction to the style, with many great period illustrations, photos and advertisements. Written by well-known mods about town, Graham Marsh and JP Gaul, this pocket-size book focuses on the Ivy look as interpreted and adopted by London modernists over the years.

The Ivy Look: Classic American Clothing - An Illustrated Pocket Guideis currently available to buy brand new from Amazon for just £6.50 (including free UK postage).

Spirit of Soul @ Cafe de Paris - Fri 5th November

The next Spirit Of Soul club night takes place on Friday 5th November, 2010. Resident DJs Paul Leney and Jerome Anderson (Jazzcotech Dancers) are joined by guest selectors Jean-Paul Séculaire (Right On!) and Retro Russ (Unknown FM) for a session of classic and rare soul, disco, boogie, jazz-funk, Latin rhythms and club classics from the 1960s to the present day. The action takes place in the VIP Room (aka The Soul Room) of the exquisite Cafe de Paris, located just off of Leicester Square. To find the Soul Room, enter the main room, go downstairs and through the far right-hand corner door.

Admission on the night is £10, but email paul@right-on.org in advance with full names to get on my exclusive half-price discounted guestlist.

Times: 10pm - 3am
Admission: £10 (£5 with guestlist)
Address: Cafe de Paris (VIP Room), 3-4 Coventry Street, W1D 6BL
Website: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=135416139834101
Venue website: www.cafedeparis.com

Note: Cafe de Paris operates a strict "over 21s" door policy and smart dress code. Sportswear is not permitted.

P. P. Arnold live at The Pigalle - Sat 9 Oct

60s soul legend P. P. Arnold is playing live at The Pigalle Club this Saturday, 9th October.

In this brand new show, P. P. Arnold joins Digby Fairweather and his Half Dozen for a "cocktail of Pat's hits and her favourite songs ranging from soul, jazz/funk and R&B to ballads".

Best known for her hit "The First Cut is the Deepest", P. P.'s beautiful singing voice and soulful interpretation of the song led Cat Stevens to say that hers was the definitive version.

Tickets: £10.00 (without dinner)
Doors: 6:30pm. Show: 9pm.

The Pigalle Club
215-217 Piccadilly
Westminster
London
W1J 9HN

For table reservations contact - 0800 988 5470 | reservations@vpmg.net

For more info check out: www.thepigalleclub.com

Film listings - September 2010

Soulboy (certificate 15)

New release Soulboy is a good fun film based around the English Northern soul scene of the 1970s. It has a great 60s soul soundtrack and some excellent dancing. The plot is basically a typical coming-of-age romance story, but the believable acting, interesting backdrops and sub-plots maintain interest. The ending lets the film down slightly, being predictable and rather cheesy, but over all this is an enjoyable film and worth seeing - especially if you have an interest in 60s soul, 70s England or the Northern soul scene.

Soulboy is showing at the Empire Cinema Leicester Square until Thursday 23rd September

Empire Cinema
5-6 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7NA
http://www.empirecinemas.co.uk/

http://www.soulboythefilm.com/

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Metropolis - restored and reconstructed (certificate PG)

Fritz Lang's much-lauded 1920s film Metropolis is currently showing in a restored and reconstructed version - the longest since its first release. Visually, this film is as impressive today as it must have been in the 1920s. The design, filming, special effects and scenery are generally breathtaking. Most of this can be admired early on however, and at around two and half hours in length, Metropolis is hard work and feels rather too long. Much of the acting has dated badly too and borders on the ridiculous at times. What redeems it however, is Brigitte Helm's astounding performance as the Maschinenmensch (machine-human). The film is well worth sitting through just to see Helm take on this exciting and erotic role toward the end of the story. Although the soundtrack has its moments, it does not always complement the action and becomes tedious after a while. It has too little variation, coming back for example to a reptitive Marseillaise-esque theme later in the film. It is definitely worth seeing Metropolis on the big screen though and marvelling at its visual impact that easily puts many of today's films to shame.

Metropolis is showing at the ICA until Thursday 30th September

Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Mall, London, SW1Y 5AH
http://www.ica.org.uk/

Bande À Part club night - Sat 2nd Oct

I'm really pleased to be DJing at the Bande À Part club night on Saturday 2nd October.

This is a fantastic session with a music policy not dissimilar to my Right On! club. Expect some great jukejoint sounds from the 1950s and 1960s aimed at the dancefloor. Think rhythm & blues, black rock 'n' roll, soul, ska, reggae, calypso, mento and Afro-Latin rhythms. I'll be joining resident DJs Cousin Benson and Vinyl Warrior on the decks to showcase some of my latest vinyl finds alongside some old Right On! favourites.

Located just off the main Shoreditch strip of Old Street, The Troy Bar is a cosy, one-floor venue with a great layout. Booths offer tucked-away seating and the bar area is separate from the wooden dancefloor, allowing dancers space to shake a leg. This is a session not to be missed!

Bande À Part @ The Troy Bar
10 Hoxton Street, London, N1 6NG. (020) 7739 6695‎
8pm - 3am
FREE before 10.30pm, then £3

To find out more about the club check out: www.myspace.com/bandeapartlondon

You Are Here: The best places to meet & work in London

When not DJing at The Stag O Lee Club, Ben Olins is working for Herb Lester Associates finding ways for organisations to talk to their customers through books, magazines, pamphlets and broadsides. His latest brain child is this excellent little map of Central London, showing the best venues to meet and work.

Tired of meeting in faceless coffee bars like Caffé Nero and Starbucks, Herb Lester Associates decided to compile a list of places that seemed ideal for a meeting; some chosen for their charm, others for their convenience.

With artwork by Michael Newhouse, You Are Here is a very attractive and useful pocket guide to some of the best places to meet in London: whether for business or pleasure.

Available for just £3 including postage, the map can be bought online from Herb Lester Associates website via Paypal.

I am told that there are more maps in the works too, including an historical one of London's 1960s hotspots.

Find out more from:
http://herblester.com/you-are-here/

Sonny Rollins @ The Barbican - 20th November

A long way off still, but believe me, this is likely to sell out months in advance, so I thought I'd better give you plenty of notice. In fact, many of the best seats have already gone! Legendary post-bebop saxophonist Sonny Rollins returns to the London Jazz Festival in November to celebrate his 80th birthday. I was fortunate enough to catch him when he played at The Barbican in 2006 and can highly recommend seeing him live.

Sonny Rollins live @ The Barbican
Saturday 20th November 2010
Doors: 7.30pm
Tickets priced between £10 and £75
Info / booking: www.barbican.org.uk

If his performance in 2006 was anything to go by, Rollins is still on incredible form, with the energy of a man half his age. Playing with a new band, Rollins will be selecting material from his six decades in jazz (during which time he has recorded for labels as revered as Blue Note, Prestige, Riverside and Milestone). This will undoubtedly be another magical night and I would expect a calypso or two in his repertoire.

You can find out more about Sonny Rollins from his website: www.sonnyrollins.com

Derrick Morgan live in London

Legendary Jamaican ska/reggae singer Derrick Morgan will be performing live in concert in both North and South London over the coming few weeks.

Expect to hear all his classics from the early r&b and ska days through to the rocksteady and reggae stompers that made him so popular with the original skinhead movement.

I saw him live last year at his sell-out concert at The Hootananny Brixton and believe me he was phenomenal. If you haven't seen him before then don't miss this chance! Derrick Morgan is one of the original "Kings of Ska" along with Prince Buster, Owen Gray and Laurel Aitken (RIP).

First up is his gig in Holloway, promoted by Club Ska:

Saturday 29th May 2010

Club Ska presents DERRICK MORGAN
@ The Gaff (formerly The Old King's Head)
382 Holloway Road, N7 6PN

Info: www.clubska.com
Venue website: www.myspace.com/thegaffclub

This is followed by a return to Brixton's fabulous Hootananny in June:

Friday 25th June 2010

DERRICK MORGAN backed by the Ruff Cutt Band
The Hootananny, 95 Effra Road, Brixton, SW2 1DF
(020) 773 772 73

Tickets: £12 advance
Doors: 8pm - 3am

Info: www.hootanannybrixton.co.uk

Goodbye Deep Funk... Hello The Good Foot

After 15 years, Keb Darge's legendary Deep Funk club comes to an end this month. The last ever night of this groundbreaking session takes place on Friday 28th May.

Starting in June, the night will be replaced by a new weekly session called The Good Foot featuring DJs Snowboy and Healer Selecta.

Not one to mince words, here's the lowdown from the great Keb Darge himself:

"That Keb Darge has gone all fifties, and rockabilly. So we thought it best to get two of the best sixties and seventies men on the planet to replace the senile old twat... Looks like it will be a great night."

This new night promises a music policy of "original and authentic Sixties and Seventies Deep Funk, Soul, Rare Groove, Boogaloo, Mambo and R&B"

You can be sure that the final Deep Funk will be a roadblock session, so I can only advise arriving before the doors open and joining the queue! Alternatively, you may want to get down there this Friday for the penultimate session.

Deep Funk @ Madame JoJo's
8-10 Brewer Street, W1F 0SE. (020) 7734 3040
Times: 10pm - 3am
Admission: £8 (£6 before 11pm)
Venue website: http://www.madamejojos.com/