Minor Delays, But In A Good Way

Yesterday was a very good day. After arriving in London, AS Abroad headed to Harrod's for some much needed rock 'n roll history. Yes, that Harrod's, the paragon of lavish consumerism. Right now they're off the hook, as they're sporting a fascinating exhibit called Born to Rock. In addition to holding the first guitar available for public purchase, nicknamed the "Frying Pan," the collection boasts six and four-string guitars from such axe icons as Jimi Hendrix, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, Neil Young, Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, and Brian Jones. Not a bad roster, eh? In addition, there are a number of custom guitars that have been designed by artists from all over the world. Contributors include music video director and photographer David LaChappelle, Bono, fashion label A Bathing Ape, and musician turned photographer Brian Adams. Sorry for the tangent, but who remembers this:


Gotta love the Japanese karoake format. Damn guilty pleasures.

Back to the topic at hand. The collection is clearly awesome, and I will post some pics as soon as my computer creeps out of the Jurrasic Period. If you are in the area, definitely stop by. Did I mention it's free?

After scouring the exhibit, we stopped by the Camden district, where we perused some markets and record stores. There was some serious vinyl going on--one cavernous store comes to mind--but I distanced myself, as I knew I had plans. Big Plans.

What were those plans? Acquiring entry to last night's segment of the NME concert series, featuring Kings of Leon, The Hold Steady, 120 Days, and Cajun Dance Party. The main object of my desire to get inside was to see The Hold Steady, who, until last night, I had never seen. I also wanted to check out the new KOL material from their upcoming album, Because of the Times. Thanks to a bit of fundilation, both goals came to fruition.

Expect a big review today, but here's a summary for now.
Cajun Dance party was a healthy dose of British post-punk. 120 Days was way out there, groovin' it krautrock style. The Hold Steady killed it as usual, and picked up some new fans along the way. And Kings of Leon. Well, let's just say the garage days are over. The new stuff is arena-ready.

So that's what the delays are all about. There's a lot on the platter right now. Decemberists, Junior Boys, Explosions in the Sky, NME. It might take a little while to get the reviews up, but it'll be worth it. And don't think I won't provide some entertainment for the wait.

In honor of New Musical Express and the UK's most famous band, here's a video of the Beatles performing "Ticket to Ride" at an early NME showcase. Tops.



Oh, and by the way, when I use "We", dont think I've gone crazy over here. It's not me, myself and I. My cousin Tillery Johnson has been trekking around with me. He's got some good vids that we're going to post. And, he's a bit like Cousin Eddie, at least in the unpredicability category. It's about time I introduced him. Here is his first vid. It's from a reggae fest that we went to in Salamanca on Bob Marley's birthday. The fest consisted of some DJ's and vocalists, and really wasn't much to speak of, which is why I didn't make a lenghthy post about it. But this guy had some crazy flow, though I have no idea what he is saying. I think it's French. Anybody care to translate?