Nathan Haines @ Neighbourhood

How lucky am I.

On Sunday night we went to Neighbourhood, in Notting Hill. Cept that you couldn't even find the place as there is no signage and it's under a freaking bridge. The only way you would know is the big guy in black standing outside. But OH MY GOD. Guess what happened... Guess who was playing... Nathan Haines.

Ok. So Nathan Haines is like my favourite musician in the whole wide world. And he is super talented and his music is freakin awesome. So how lucky am I to hear him perform live, in London?!?!?! Not only that. The best part... The best part is yet to come...

As I said before, Nathan Haines is by far my favourite musician of all time. So I got a photo of him and printed it out, for him to sign. But of course I am too shy to ask him, so my mate Oscar, from LCCM, went up to him before the performance and said something to him, and next thing you know, Nathan Haines is walking over to me. Yes. He did. And he sat down in front of me and goes, "Hi Jess!". Oh my god!!! And he shook my hand!!! Can you believe it? The same hand that skillfully plays that soprano sax of his. How lucky am I??? And so we had a quick chat and he signed on his photo for me! I am so freakin lucky I can't believe it. I was this close to Nathan Haines! Wow! Thanks Oscar!!! :)

I mean, Nathan Haines is a freakin amazing musician, and so down-to-earth as well. How rare is that? The set was so awesome. Where do I even begin? Check this out. Vanessa Freeman was there. I mean, you hear the tracks on the album and think, wow this is amazing. And to see it live? I am still walking on air. She did "Wonderful Thing" from Sound Travels. It's so awesome going to Nathan Haines' performances because he does different renditions of his tracks. Needless to say the rendition of "Wonderful Thing" done on Sunday was top class. Vanessa Freeman is truly amazing. And Nathan Haines is freakin amazing!!! I love London!

Royal China

I was 30 minutes early for lunch today at Royal China in Canary Wharf. I wasn't sure how long it would take to get there, and Canary Wharf is awhile away! Dang.

Royal China is a yum char place, and it's funny that when you go to a yum char joint anywhere in the world, Auckland, New York, London, it is always the same. You always have people at the reception area, waiting for tables with their arms crossed. Hehehe...

Anyways luckily I had my iPod with me and kept myself entertained whilst listening to Rio Mania. Track 06 is "The Boy from Ipanema". Yup, Peggy Lee sings about the boy, not about the girl! Someone very talented and very sexy once told me that this would be "diseased opposites". Isn't that gorgeous. Did you know that this is the second most recorded track after "My Way"?

Food was 7.5/10 at Royal China. In London they don't really have the push trolleys for you to pick your yum cha from. Those are so awesome. I don't know why the two girls I was with laughed really hard when I said that yum cha in Auckland rocks? Sunshine Restaurant (by the Auckland waterfront) rocks big time. It really does!

I'll leave you with a sign I saw at a tube stop on the way to Royal China today. London is so lovely like that.

Flat White

Finally made my way to Flat White yesterday. It's a kiwi-owned cafe on Berwick Street just off Oxford Street. If you've been to London you will know it's hard pressed to find coffee like those in Australia/New Zealand. However! Flat White is pretty awesome if you miss good, strong coffee. And if you used to get yours from Brazil on Karangahape Road, you might want to ask for triple (or quad) shots here. I even suspect they sometimes only do half (or quarter!) shots here. Help...

Writing this blog really makes me want a coffee. Right now. From Aaron's Cafe in Chancery Lane. So if you are reading this and live in Auckland, do go there and get one! He is honestly the best barista ever, in this whole wide world.

Saturday afternoons are the best. Especially with the way weather's been in London! I hear it's a rarity so I better cherish it while it lasts. Went to the Megastore on Tot Court Rd to get a ProKeys 88SX.

It is sexy! And it only weights 17lbs. Can you believe that. I can lift it up with one hand. Ok maybe I exaggerate. But nearly! Can't wait for it to arrive next week.

Went to U.L.U to watch some mates play bball. It's great to see guys hit other guys' bum-bum. Feels so much like being in the rec centre at Auck Uni. Heheh. Isn't bball wicked! Heat RULES!!!

Yest night was awesome! Went to a mate's BBQ and did an OPEN-CLOSE hand demonstration. It is awesome! What you do is you get the "volunteer" to relax their arm, and you say "OPEN"... or "CLOSE"... and they will do just that with their hand. It's like magic... :)

ARK!!! This got my really REALLY excited yesterday for a good 15 minutes!!! (More excited than I usually am). Nathan Haines is performing, IN LONDON, tonight!!! Who's the stalker!?!?!

SpiceJazz

Last night we were at SpiceJazz again. There was a CD launch and the frontman was a tutor at the jazz course I did at LCCM (London College of Contemporary Music). Needless to say, the band was amazing. Herbie Hancock, rearranged. Couldn't have had a better Thursday night. :)

The pianist was doing his solo, and he had some sheet music on the piano. It must have got in the way, cos he ripped the music off the piano and the crowd flipped! That was cool. Dawn reckons he looks like Elvis... then later changed her mind to Elton John. I thought he looked like neither.

The London Drawing Club must've been there last night too, because there was a group of people doing sketches of the musicians, and even one guy with his paints.


The next morning I got tickets to Jamie Cullum. His only London date this year! He's performing at the Tower Hill Festival and it's already sold out in two blocks! Can't wait.

London

Portabello Markets rates tops in London Markets! They have the best bagels. You can get half a dozen for one quid (I still haven't figured out an easy way to get the pound sign on my New Zealand keyboard). And you get get salmon and cream cheese bagel ones. They are SO good.



They also have these CD stalls that sells jazz cds, 4 for 10 quid. Awesome! I've been to Portabello two Saturdays in a row now. No guesses why.

Today they had West End Live, where they had short performances from West End musicals like Lion King, Mamma Mia, Blue Man Group, etc. It's a festival they have once a year. London is so good like that.

I found this CD place at the bottom of a clothes store with the most awesome import CDs. I got this CD called Rio Mania... It has the most awesome tracks on it. Cover tracks, but done like nothing you have ever heard before! Bille Jean in Bossa Nova style? Amazing... I can't wait for next weekend.