Shoreditch Twats

I went up to London at the weekend to bid farewell to Ms Bear before she went off on a years break from the city smoke. She is heading to Europe and then to volunteer on some organic farms on the Scottish isles. Leaving Brighton at eight o clock we didn't reach her place till midnight. This might seem an impossibly long journey time but thanks to good old rail engineering works, bus replacements and the notoriously unreliable (although sneakily free) 149 this is actually how long it took us. I might also give a little credit to a wonderful hotel shower in the financial district but I don't want to take the glory away from the British public transport.

Now, despite the fact that a few of my favourite haunts in Brighton have fully embraced the late licensing laws, midnight is still a bit too late to arrive for a few farewell drinks in our fair city. Not so along the Kingsland road it appears! We found Sarah and her entourage two doors down from her street in an unmarked building where we had been instructed to knock for admission. Nobody answered but we soon met a girl who advised us just to push the door. This place was soooooo cool. Now I know I'm totally showing my lack of city etiquette as I'm sure you're not supposed to rave about how great places are but just be casually seen hanging out there but frankly I don't care about all that crap.

The bar is run by some French folks and apparently serves as a market on the odd occasion but by night it was rather special. It had lovely big leather chairs that felt like thrones and light fittings embellished with bunches of flowers and generally resembled a very large, simple but artistic living room. the place was full of dancing people, and played a wonderfully eclectic mix, from eighties classics to reggae to New Orleans Jazz. Despite looking pretty street the DJ was amazingly un-arrogant. The bar doesn't have a name nor does it appear to have a licence which made it feel a little like I imagine a speakeasy might have felt.

To add to our enjoyment there was an abundance of (i quote the Greek), 'Shoreditch Twats' living out their art in their every move and highly ridiculous clothing. The highlights of which were some 19th underwear, a baggy white sweatshirt posing as a dress with penises scrawled on the back with a marker pen and one woman dressed as a maid (more of the Nora Batty variety than the sexy french kind). All very strange, highly pretentious and frankly, damn hilarious. There was also an abundance of people wearing cardboard masks of David Lynch, two of whom were kissing each other and I promise I wasn't on acid! When we inquired as to the meaning of these masks we were given the oh so honest answer by one guy that David lynch was his step dad. Personally i don't have a step dad, but I'm pretty sure its not normal practise to wear them as a mask when you go out dancing?

All in all it was a damn good evening and made me yearn for all the great things about city living.

Goddam she's gorgeous as well as ridiculously talented!

This woman is amazing, I think if I were to marry a woman she'd be the one.

That may be a little hasty going on one of her albums and an interview, but of course these predictions are pretty easy to make when you never intend to get married to anyone.

Anyways, I heard her voice on a sunny morning in London but it was frequently interupted by my dear friend who was finding it hard to stick with any one song for more than about ten seconds, her mind was elsewhere that day. To be honest I thought it sounded like one of those albums you reallly have to work at to enjoy.

But then, over a pint of dark star, another dear friend gave me a copy of her album. And with it, strict instructions as to the method of listening. Normally I would ignore such advice in my arrogant way but coming from him and already suspecting it might need a little more effort than most I followed them to the letter.

Ensuring the kids were sound asleep and not distracted by anything i dedicated my self to stillness and listening. But only one song at a time. Which took me a while, i don't have that many 20 minute slots of unintterupted self indulgence in my life, but these were worth reserving. I'm sure she's not to everyone's taste but this interview is so ultra cute that i don't see how you could not love her!