Musical Youth?

So...Sunday sees me having to be in London for an early-starting conference the next day.

S lives tolerably close to the Big Smoke so he consented to keep me entertained.

We had a good wander up the canal, then into Regent's Park. Thence to Camden and the markets, therein.

Most of them were selling t-shirts whose slogans would get old pretty quick but there was plenty there to induce smiles.

Naturally, we then found ourselves in a pub with decent beer (Deuchars IPA on draught, for anyone who's interested) and we sat and nattered in the sun, as is our wont.

Then more walking around the market to slightly more varied and interesting stalls (old pianos, old vinyl, a school desk full of cheap and cheerful film cameras) and then we decieded to get something to eat.

The old Horse Hospital part of the market has a stunning array of food stalls. Every style of cooking, from every continent and all housed in a series of what amounts to wooden sheds.

In the centre of the area are sturdy tables and benches for communal eating.

If you examine what was there it has the same components as the typical food plaza in a mall and yet I would rather have my left arm pulled off than eat in a mall.

One foil container of chickpea curry and rice, and another of chicken curry and rice cost us less than a tenner and left us feeling full. So we sat amongst the varied array of people and had what was the just about the nicest eating-out experience I've had in a while (OK, Zazu comes about equal).

How can malls get this thing so wrong? Or is it about the clientele? Or was it just my frame of mind? Who knows...all I can say is next time you're deciding where to eat in London, seriously consider visiting Camden.

After eating, and wandering a bit more we decided on an impromptu gig visit at the adjoining Proud venue. We were both miffed to find that, not only was there no real beer on offer, but the wine was marked up to rates that approached daylight robbery. Still the gig was, in fact, free so maybe we should have taken that on the chin.

What a fantastically quirky venue!

Horse stables have been turned into small lounge areas all in different styles and the main "hall" is a decent size with a small stage.

From our chosen stable we could hear the various acts doing their thing. Mostly they were fine, but not mind-blowing but then we went in to hear the "main" act...Tim Ten Yen.

A revelation.

This is not music I would normally be willing to listen to and yet his natural charm and fine-line treading between taking it seriously and being a total parody of...something...was utterly captivating.

I put it down to the liquor and the convivial company and almost wrote it off.

Then S sent me a link to his MySpace page and by early this afternoon I'd bought the album from iTunes.

Another revelation, then...taking a flyer on music you've never heard of can sometimes pay off.

OK - there are hardened gig-goers reading this and saying "well, like, duh..." but the last gig I went to was Nitin Sawhney and I was willing to put up with having to stand because I knew his music. Before that it was David Byrne and there were comfy seats, too.

I fully expect the next gig I go to will be rubbish, but I know that there are gems out there to be had so the only question is "where next?"


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