Friday 16 January 2009

Pete Doherty in 24 Hours - EXCLUSIVE Preview



Went to watch a screening of the new MTV 'Pete Doherty in 24 hours' documentary last night, which was rather entertaining. I'm not one to buy into the 'Pete' celebrity fascination, though it's quite hard to avoid hearing about his alledged escapades in the press. But I do have an interest in how fantasy, enigma and romance are veiled upon personalities in the media - and with Pete's country manor, famous friends, enemies and drug problems, it can't he a hard job for them.

The film actually did a very good job of demystifying Mr Doherty, painting a picture of a shambolic life lived out by a rather charming man. Like when he suddenly comes across the letter box he's been searching for for weeks, and with it his unpaid rent bill, and an invitation from his neighbours to go horse rising. His reponse is to pull out a Lambert and Butler from an ever-present cumpled fag packet, and sit down at the first broken piano he finds to bash out some de-tuned melody. And it doesn't feel contrived. Perhaps a little sad, but we like him, not because he's a wreck, bot despite it. And it felt quite life affirming, in a strange way, that apart from a handful of great songs, it wasn't money, power or status that made everyone want to like him, it was just him being genuinely personable. Somehow this is more important to our society than all those other things, and I like it. Call me optimistic.

His manor was brilliant - like a mad old major's country pile meets a perpetual post-party mis en scene meets the fantasy house of a little boy who sleeps in a different room every night - over run by cats and wonderful little trinkets, from boxes of buttons to stuffed birds and old military legends, lost rooms and stumbled upon evidence of forgotten, drunken deeds.

He shows us his 'bed' - a hammock. "But I've only slept there once, I usually fall asleep in the chair" before adding, earnestly "it's much more than comfy than it looks, honestly".

Me and Guy had a good laugh at the Gio Gio designers (the premise, I perhaps should have said earlier, is that Pete's performing and modelling that evening for Gio Gio in Camden, though he's mostly unaware of this til the film crew arrive) - who all seem, for reasons unkown, to be big Mancs with big beards. Watch out for them if you catch the documentary - splendidly out of place, but entertaining none the less.

Fans of Pete will revel in seeing him talk candidly about past relationships and at the end being reuinted with Carl Barat on stage to sing 'Don't Look Back into the Sun', which gave even me, generally unmoved by the Libs, and a committed cynic, a slight emotional lurch in the gut.

There are of the course the obligatory MTV titles shoved into your face, alongside sound-of-now indie licks and funny angled montages (or was that the supply of free Becks?), reminding you of 24 hour countdown premise, I guess a neccesity. Despite this though, I was surprised to enjoy a picture of a gentle poet and artist, somehow at odds with the blood-paintings he shows us, meandering through the world, cartwheeling through fields, and yet swiching on grace and humanity as he hoovers the house in preperation for a visit from his mate the fashion show organiser, and then calls ex model girlfriends as a favour when Gio' Gio's are all double booked.

And there's not a spot of drug taking involved - not a trick of the editing the makers asured us. And I believe them.



So here's an exclusive preview into the doc, with Pete showing off his 13 or so cats. It's not profound, but it's fun.



The documentary is on MTV One on Sunday 25 Th Jan, 10pm.

Wednesday 14 January 2009

Lofi Hifi Service Pack volume 1


Right people - it's been a while since my last post - let's blame stilton, port and other festive sundries for that. But as it's a new year, let's kick off a new Lofi Hifi series, The Lofi Hifi Service Pack collection. The idea is to put together a handful of tracks that you need to have in your life right now. You might know most or none of them, but the idea is that you'll then have them all in one place, ready to play to a room of grateful punters, or to stick on in the car or gym, or to steal and make your own as a mixtape for that girl you met whilst trying on cardigans in Beyond Retro.
They won't be neccesarily new, or limited to one genre, though I'll no doubt play with themes in SPs to come. Yes this is basically a mixtape, but I've called it something else. Ok?

Without anymore jarring, digressed waffle, I present:

Lofi Hifi Service Pack Vol1




01 - Sebastian Tellier - Kilometer (Aeroplane 'Italo 84' Remix)
02 -
St. Francis - Love Love Love
03 - Daniel Johnston - Foolin'
04 - Poni Hoax - Hypercommunication (Alter Ego Remix)
05 - Armand Van Helden - Shake That Ass feat Team Facelift (Mowgli Remix)
06 - Daniel Haaksman - Who's Afraid Of Rio feat. MC Jennifer
07 - Phonat - Learn To Recycle
08 - Mark Stent - Waiting (The Bulgarian Mix)
09 - Mirror Mirror - New Horizons
10 - Player Player - Lonely
11 - Gentle Friendly - Ride Symbols
12 - Nite Jewel - What Did He
13 - Zombie Nation - Forza

Buy on itunes/amazon/beatport
www.myspace.com/stfrancisband
http://www.myspace.com/phonat
http://www.myspace.com/mirrormirrornyc
www.myspace.com/gentlefriendly
www.myspace.com/nitejewel

Also, for those who like their music a bit deeper, have been enjoying this from Glaswegian Milton Jackson:

The video seems to be about a guy in a suit getting hit with a lot of things - from bottles to guitars. Interpret any way you will.
Musically this revolves around one great synth pattern, and has a lightness to it, keeping it on the right side of seedy, though still wouldn't be out of place at any early morning house affair. Not revolutionary, but Milton keep it simple, moving and appropriately delicate.

Also check much played biggie 'Ghosts In My Machines'

The 'Crash' EP is out Feb 09





Milton Jackson on Myspace


Finally,

Check - enjoying very much:

http://www.myspace.com/notsquares