Attic Jam iTunes album launch
Pigalle Club - Piccadilly Circus, London - February 12, 2007
Pete Townshend - Drowned, Acid Queen
Rachel Fuller - Blue, It's a Motherfucker
Ed Harcourt - Last Cigarette
Rose Hill Drive - Brain Novocaine
The Magic Numbers - Take a Chance, Long Legs
The Kooks - Sofa, Full of Love, Ooh La, Pretty Petticoat
Review by Ross Halfin
Headed to Picaddilly today for an In The Attic launch party, hosted by Rachel Fuller and Pete Townshend, her other half. It was at the Pigalle Club. I originally thought it was a trip to Paris - oh well...
It is a quite civilised affair. Pete opens playing Drowned followed by Ed Harcourt and his wife Geeta on violin. Ed is breathtaking. I'm serious. He stopped me taking photos, it was a pleasure to listen.
Rose Hill Drive next (opened for The Who in America) were dull, really dull and boring. Gary Hurley said they were like an acoustic Led Zeppelin. Trust me they were not. It would have been more fun watching them being tortured, preferably slowly. Rachel Fuller played Blue by Joni Mitchell and The Eels' It's A Motherfucker. I'd never seen her perform. She has a great voice.
The Magic Numbers came on, everybody seemed to love them. I thought it was okay, bit like a pub singalong, not my thing at all. Pete came back to do Acid Queen, followed by The Kooks. Now I'm showing my age 'cos I didn't have a clue, photographer Danny Clifford told me they'd had a number one single. One of them looked about five the other about twelve. The now drunken crowd loved them. Pete got up berated the nonstop-talking, ligging audience and played Oh La with them. I think sometimes I'm just not indie enough...
Did some photos after with Pete, Rachel, The Magic Numbers and The Kooks. The one who looked about five proclaimed he was from South London. 'Oh yeah, where?' 'South Clapham,' he slurred in a public schoolboy accent. 'I'm from the South too, Wimbledon,' I told him, trying to hide my regional accent. 'I'm actually from the good part of Clapham and yes I'm posh,' he said. At least he's honest. The Kooks were very polite. Nice to see musicians with a good education, not the riffraff I've hung out with.
Danny Clifford made a point to me - 'I've known you a long time, yet I don't know you.' I like that, and it's true.
Many thanks to Ross Halfin for providing the photos. Visit his Facebook page here!
Review by Melissa and Gary Hurley
Hello fellow Campers!
We just got home from the Launch of Attic Jam the album party at the Pigalle Club. It was an old style American supper club on the corner of Piccadilly Circus. The invite was for 7 p.m., but doors opened 7.30 for a 8.45 kick off. We where one of the first people through the door and head down to a front table. We where directly across from the Royal Box. We got the first table on the side and shared the table with Ross Halfin, Nicola Joss, David Starck and a few other friends.
Rachel hit the stage only to announce Pete was up first. He played Drowned. He changed alot of the lyrics and was interesting. He was in good form on the acoustic guitar.
Then Rachel introduced Ed Harcourt and wife Geeta. They played 3 songs including Last cigarette. Geeta played great violin whilst Ed played piano and a distorted vocal sound on the second tune.
Next up was Rose Hill Drive. They need haircuts. The lads played 2 tunes. I think one was Brain Novocaine. They sounded like an acoustic Led Zep.
Next was the hostess-Rachel. She played Blue by Joni Mitchell at the end of that tune Rachel said "We like a few bum notes, It's real". Then she played Motherfucker. Jerry Hall screamed out in appreciation for that song from her front centre seat.
The Magic Numbers where next. There was only the 2 girls and the singer (the drummer sat in the audience). They played Take a Chance, Long Legs, and the song called A new number.
Then Pete performed the Acid Queen. He said "I already owe a million (English) pounds, dead loss for me tonight". Then he commented that after playing Greyhound girl 17 times on the last tour, he wanted to play something completely different but he decided to play something from Tommy.
Then the final act was The Kooks. There where only 2 Kooks. Are there any more Kooks out there? They played Sofa, Hat full of love, ooh la and Pretty Petticoat (?). Unfortunately, the crowd was pretty pissed and was very noisy and chatty by this stage of the show. Then our Host Pete joined the Kooks for the final number. He was a bit angry/joking at the same time when he said to the audience that "It's good that your drinking MY beer for free", but please be quite!
Rachel then closed the evening with her special thanks to everyone. Please go and by the ITunes now!
Mikey, Rene and Shaun (Mikey's older brother) where in the audience. Mikey did not perform. All in all a one and half hour set to highlight this new download album went down without a hitch. Thanks again to Pete and Rachel.