South East London Journal - Issue No.11 by South East London Journal

SE LONDON JOURNAL

No.11 T h e M U SIC I ssu e 1

SE LONDON JOURNAL

ACK ONCE AGAI WITH THE ALE BE BACK ALE BEHAVIOUR Don’t hate us for mentioning the C word... but Hop Burns & Black’s famous Big Beery Advent Calendars have returned for 2017. You get 24 mind-blowing beers, a £10 voucher for HB&B’s online shop plus free shipping* and a promise that you won’t find a better beer advent calendar out there.

SHOP · TASTING ROOM · ONLINE DELIVERY Head to shop.hopburnsblack.co.uk or scan the QR code to learn more. *UK mainland only

38 East Dulwich Road, London SE22 9AX 020 7450 0284, hopburnsblack.co.uk, @hopburnsblack

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W E LCO M E N OT E Welcome to the eleventh edition of South East London Journal — The Music Issue. It felt about time to dedicate a whole Journal to showcasing some of the new music coming out of the area, including Puma Blue, Tony Njoku, Jamie Issac, Art School Girlfriend, Goat Girl and Ms Banks. We were also lucky enough to have Orlando Weeks add an illustrative flourish to the issue as he celebrates the release of his first book The Gritterman. We've posted highlights of musical content from the last 10 issues up on our website; these include chats with the likes of CKtrl, Nabihah Iqbal (a.k.a Throwing Shade), Rhythm Section and Kwabs — as well as a brilliant musical history of South East London that is definitely worth a read! As ever, a huge thank you to everyone who has advertised in our pages, keeping the 10,000 Journals we print free for everyone to enjoy!

SOUTH E A ST LO N D O N J O U R N A L A free local culture journal Issue No.11 — The Music Issue E D I T O R + C R E AT I V E DIRECTOR Jessica Miller jessica@selondonjournal.co.uk DESIGN Polly Mackey polly@selondonjournal.co.uk SUB-EDITOR Fleur Treglown I L LU ST R AT O R Orlando Weeks ADV ERTISING advertising@selondonjournal.co.uk

We hope you enjoy the issue. COV E R PHOT O G R A PH Alex Reyto

See you in 2018 x

info@selondonjournal.co.uk www.selondonjournal.co.uk @selondonjournal Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, South East London Journal does not accept liability for any errors or omissions within this issue. Reprinting of any article or original images from South East London Journal without express permission of the Editor is expressly forbidden. © South East London Journal 2017

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COME AND SEE US AT 11A STATION WAY, SE15 4RX - RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO PECKHAM RYE STATION WWW.COALROOMS.COM HELLO@COALROOMS.COM

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W EE K E N D W A N D E R —Camberwell

H ere a r e few of o u r fa v o u r i te pl a c e s w e l i ke to h e a d to o n c e t h e w e eken d a r r i v e s .

H a v e br u n c h at Fowlds — a cosy co-operatively owned cafe on Addington Square which is a great spot for people-watching. There's Spike + Earl, a new all-day eatery set up by the great team behind Old Spike Roastery. Lumberjack is perfect for breakfasts — they're also an employment charity, training young people up and reinvesting 100% of their profits. You can grab a pastry and coffee at Daily Goods, where the tables and hot food have made way for a brand new skate shop. Head to Datchelor Place for locally-sourced, handmade fare at Pigeon Hole Cafe.

H a v e a m o o c h around all the great delis and food shops; there's the wonderfully traditional Cruson Greengrocers, as well as TFC Supermarket — a favourite for unusual pickles and hot sauces. Take a dip in Camberwell Leisure Centre's beautifully restored Victorian swimming pool, or browse the shelves at Camberwell Library.

G ra b a pi nt at one of the many pubs on offer: Hermit's Cave, The Sun of Camberwell, Tiger, Camberwell Arms, Stormbird, The Crooked Well... the list goes on.

Ta ke a w a l k in one of the numerous green spaces the Victorians kindly left for us. There's the busy Camberwell Green, the quiet oasis of Lucas Gardens or the community-centric Sceaux Gardens. If it's sports space you're after, head to Brunswick Park, the much-loved Burgess Park or go west towards Myatt's Field Park.

Sto p for d i n n er at the Camberwell Arms for a delicious roast that will leave your belly full but your pockets a little emptier, FM Mangal for the best Turkish this side of the river, Zeret Kitchen for modern Ethiopian cooking, Silk Road for the most authentic Chinese you'll ever have, Theo's for sourdough pizza and the taverna-style Vineyard for Greek.

CHAPTER No.1 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

FOOD EDIT â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Hamper!

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e st . 2 0 1 5

CAT FORD

Good Food is an organic grocery store and fine foods deli, crowdfunded by over 350 local residents and businesses Organic Fruit + Veg • Neals Yard Cheese • Cured Meats Craft Beer • Italian Wine • Store Cupboard • Sourdough Cakes + Pastries • Local Lunch options • Coffee + Tea

Christmas launch night: Thursday 23rd November Browse, booze and gingerbread men Build-your-own-Hamper nights: Every Thursday! 30th November - 21st December

7 Sandhurst Market, London, SE6 1DL Open Mon/Wed: 9 - 5 • Thur/Sat: 9 - 7 • Sun: 9 - 3 @goodfoodcatford

POP IN AND WARM UP THIS WINTER #homemade #fresh #organic

FOOD EDIT A ro u n d - u p of l o c a l l y so u r c e d i n d u l g ent g o o d s p er fe c t for a h a m p er or a l i t t l e sel f - g i f t i n g t re a t ! Panbriacone, panettone with raisins, soaked in a sweet dessert wine syrup — made by Bonci. The LaRder, SE13

White chocolate wreath with cranberries and pistachio nuts — made my Hotel Chocolat. Hotel Chocolat, SE1

Spicy mango, habanero and jalapeño chipotle hot sauce — made by Bloody Hell Hot Sauce. Hop Burns & Black, SE22

Amontillado sherry — made by Callejuela. L’Oculto, SE13 Seasonal blend granola with cloves, cinnamon and ginger — made by Rock my Bowl (made in Brockley) rockmybowl.com

Shortbread with aromatic lavender — made by Shortbread House of Edinburgh. The Hill Bakery, SE5 Biscotti with pistachios and almonds — made by Antonio Mattei. The LaRder, SE13

Winter puddings chocolate sleekster selection — made by hotel chocolat. Hotel Chocolat, SE1

Christmas pudding with salted caramel vodka liqueur — made by Hotel Chocolat. Hotel Chocolat, SE1

Pilgrim fermented sparking wine — made by Westwell wines of Kent. The LaRder, SE13

Soft Italian nougat — made by Rococo Chocolate. Rococo Chocolate, SE21

Down in Mexigose beer with golden kiwifruit, passion fruit and lime — made by Elusive Brewing in collaboration with Hop Burns & Black. Hop Burns & Black, SE22

British blackberry CASSIS — made by White Heron. The Hill Bakery, SE5

Lemon drop chilli jam — made by Single Variety. Jones of Brockley, SE4

Roasted red peppers — made by Pelagonia. Good Food, SE6

Partridge Pate — made by Arte Monte. The LaRder, SE13

Hazelnut and chocolate spread — made by Papa dei Boschi. Jones of Brockley, SE4 Fennel pork salami — made by Perinelli Salami (in Penge). Good Food, SE6

Porter — made by Anspach & Hobday (in Southwark) The Beer Shop, SE15

Pomegranate ketchup — made by Aphrodite’s Food. The Hill Bakery, SE5

Oak-smoked four and red chilli crackers — made by Miller’s Element’s. Good Food, SE6

Hoptimo zesty garlic hot sauce — made by Hop Burns & Black and Slow Richies. Hop Burns & Black, SE22

Fig and orange 70% dark chocolate — made by Ocelot Chocolate. The LaRder, SE13

A S I D E

Located on Peckham’s Goldsmith Road, Aside is a new neighbourhood restaurant from the team behind Old Spike Roaster y. Headed up by Matthew Wright, formerly of St John’s Tavern and Christian Taylor, formerly of Heirloom, the kitchen champions local, seasonal produce through a shor t day menu, evening sharing plates, brunch and Sunday roasts. Meats are sourced from local independent butcheries Flock & Herd and Proud Sow, vegetables from Southwark-based Natoora and cheeses from family-run Jones of Brockley. Matthew and Christian have put together a warming celeriac soup recipe per fect for supper on a chilly winter’s evening.

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Ingredients 1 medium celeriac 50g fresh chestnuts Olive oil 200ml good quality chicken stock 50g butter 3 Borettane onions or any baby onion Nasturium or any peppery leaf for garnish 600ml milk 50ml double cream to finish 1 shallot 100ml white wine vinegar or another white vinegar

Use a serrated knife to peel and cube the celeriac, taking off any knobbly bits and any crevices. Roast the cubed celeriac in the butter and a touch of vegetable oil in the oven until it’s golden and dark; you’ll want to turn every so often so it doesn't burn

First roast the chestnuts on a tray covered with tin foil and place into a medium heated oven to crack the shells. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down. Once the chestnuts have cooled, peel away the outer layer.

Once roasted, transfer the celeriac to a pan with the milk and shallots. Don’t sweat the shallots, just chop roughly and add them raw, then cook until the milk has infused and reduced a little.

For the onions, take a tiny slice off the top and place into a boiling mixture of 100ml water and 100ml vinegar. Add the onions and cook on high for one minute. Take the onions off the heat and remove them from the water. Ensure during this process that you only part-cook the onions. Once removed, leave to cool slightly and then cut into four pieces and start removing the petals from the onion. Once this is done, set the petals aside for later.

Transfer to a blender and blitz with the chicken stock, then pass through a sieve to remove any lumps. If it’s too thick, loosen it up with a touch of water or chicken stock. To reheat add the puree and cream together, and season to taste. Garnish with the onions, olive oil, chestnuts and nasturtium.

WINTER MARKETS + OPEN STUDIOS W H ET H ER Y O U WANT TO G O ICE S KATIN G B E S IDE T H E T H A M E S OR J U S T P ER U S E T H E LOCALLY - M ADE WARE S W IT H M U LLED W INE IN H AND , T H E S E W INTER M ARKET S H AVE Y O U S ORTED. B LACK H EAT H C H RI S T M A S

S O U T H B ANK W INTER M ARKET

— 19 November 52 specially selected artisans, designers, food makers and independent traders, many from the local area, South London and Kent, are selling a wide range of wonderful gifts. Activities for children, a tombola, a raffle and elephant mascot naming competition also feature.

— 10 November - 04 January This year sees a Nordic theme complete with Finnish Rooftop Sauna on the roof garden of the Queen Elizabeth Hall, as well as an immersive ABBA exhibition. Stroll through the wooden chalet markets, with festive food,drink, gifts and treats,

B LACK H EAT H H ALL S , S E 3

S O U T H B ANK , S E 1

T H E S CANDINAVIAN C H RI S T M A S M ARKET

CRA F T Y F O X M ARKET

— 24-26 November With a feast of imported rye breads, gravadlax, cloudberry jam, Fazer chocolate and a wide variety of Scandi gifts, arts and crafts, experience the Nordic Christmas atmosphere at the annual Scandinavian Christmas Market in Rotherhithe.

— 24- 26 November With more than fifty carefully selected designer makers at Craft Fox Market, you can even make your own gifts in the hands-on workshops. Grab a mulled wine from the bar and enjoy the mix of DJs playing throughout the day.

AL B ION S TREET, S E 1 6 C H RI S T M A S B Y T H E RIVER

— 30 November - 03 January With stunning views of Tower Bridge, The Tower of London and the iconic City skyline, Christmas by the River is the perfect setting for the market which boasts 68 pop-up food stalls and bars serving Christmas cocktails, mulled wine, hot cider and craft beers. There will also be a programme of festive workshops in a cosy, chalet-style event space. O U T S IDE CIT Y H ALL , S E 1 G REEN W IC H W INTER TI M E F E S TIVAL

— 01 - 31 December With views of the Cutty Sark, Thames and twinkling lights of the City, this winter market at the beautiful Old Royal Naval Cottage may well win most picturesque setting of this year's markets. Add an ice rink, food and drink and contemporary gift stalls and you have the perfect Christmas market. OLD RO YAL NAVAL COLLE G E , S E 1 0

B U S S E Y B U ILDIN G , S E 1 5 Havelock Walk Winter Weekend

— 25 - 26 November Havelock Walk artists open their studios to the public plus host a crafts market with stalls by other designers, makers and illustrators from around South East London. There will also be live music, carol singers, personalised cherubs, Christmas lights and festive food and drink. H av e l o c k Wa l k , S E 2 3 COCK P IT ART S O P EN S T U DIO S

— 01 - 03 December The perfect opportunity to buy festive gifts direct from independent makers – from craftspeople and artist-makers as well as a selected group of Cockpit Arts alumni. CREEK S IDE , DE P T F ORD , S E 8

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EA S T D U LW IC H C H RI S T M A S CRACKER

P E X M A S F E S TIVE

— 02 December Lordship Lane and North Cross Road host the annual Christmas Cracker with local businesses and traders o f f e r i n g t h e i r g i f t s a n d w a re s a l o n g s i d e f a m i l y entertainment and festive food.

— 02 December The famous Peckham festive extravaganza is back once again in Warwick Gardens, providing all your festive s h o p p i n g i n o n e p l a c e . T h e re ' l l b e i n d e p e n d e n t designers, makers, crafters, foodies, as well as a hefty dollop of carols, street food and mulled wine on the side.

LORD S H I P LANE + NORT H CRO S S ROAD , S E 2 2

WAR W ICK G ARDEN S , S E 1 5 H ORNI M AN C H IR S T M A S F AIR

— 16 December Join in the festivities and get into the spirit of the season at Horniman's Christmas Fair. Pick up your seasonal produce at our Farmers’ Market, take part in festive themed craft workshops, and enjoy a carol concert with mince pies and mulled wine. H ORNI M AN M U S E U M & G ARDEN S , S E 2 3

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CHAPTER No.2 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

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T h e I mpact of J azz : D ancing and N ig h tlif e in I nt e rwar B ritain 11 NOVEMBER

Dr James Nott and Professor Theresa Buckland explore the explosion in Britain’s nightlife after the First World War, in which jazz formed an accompaniment to innovative styles of social dance in newly constructed venues. SO U TH B A N K C ENTR E, S E 1

c u l t u r e

L I P S C H O I R A N D F R I E N D S P R E S E N T... A T R I B U T E T O A M Y W I N EH O U S E 18 NOVEMBER

Join London's favourite women's pop choir and friends for a night of music celebrating the city’s ultimate heroine of jazz and soul at the Amersham Arms in New Cross. Fresh from a sold-out gig at the Jewish Museum, Lips will be bringing to life a unique set of beloved Amy Winehouse songs. A M ER S H A M A R M S , S E 14

B L A C K HE A T H G O E S G O S P E L 18 NOVEMBER

Come and hear Blackheath Halls resident magical, marvellous Gospel Choirs sing alongside pupils from St Margaret’s Lee Primary School at this uplifting concert. B L AC K HE ATH H A LL S , S E 3

TOURIST

22 NOVEMBER Tourist is the musical moniker of London born Will Phillips. Combining emotive, melodic sensibilities with innovative production values, Will incorporates his love for analogue tapes and field recordings with his passion for synthesizers and sampling to create a euphoric, melancholic sound that plays equally well on the dance floor as it does in more intimate environments. CO R S I C A S T U D IOS , S E 1

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BL ACK LIPS: MEGA PIT PART Y

24 NOVEMBER

Black Lips will be performing in the round at the iconic Old Coronet Theatre in Elephant & Castle to celebrate the launch of their new LP. They’ve invited some friends along too: live sets from Future Of The Left, supergroup Warmduscher (Fat White Family / Childhood), Madonnatron and DJ sets by Bo Ningen and PINS. CO RO N E T THE ATR E S E 1

Catch the legendary Philadelphia group in Greenwich - they recorded a remarkable ten straight-top ten hits during the early 1970s including the Grammy nominated hit ‘You Make Me Feel Brand New’. I N D I G O AT THE 02, S E 10

M O O M I N W I N T E R W EE K E N D

15-17 DEC EM B ER

Dulwich Picture Gallery will host a Moomin Winter Weekend in celebration of its major retrospective of Tove Jansson, bringing to life the magical tales of the Moomin characters with an alternative festive expereience. Highlights include the Moomin Winter's Eve featuring Moomin personality tests, candlelit storytelling and performances in the Gallery Mausoleum. D U LWI C H PI C T U R E G A LLERY, S E 21

A V intag e N e w Y e ar ' s Ev e P arty

31 DECEMBER

Usher in the New Year at the annual vintage nightclub as Royal Festival Hall transforms into five floors of immersive entertainment, with music from the1920s through to the 90s, and swing, rock’n'roll, soul, disco, house and cabaret all thrown in for good measure. There's stylish dining and a private terrace overlooking the Thames to watch the NYE fireworks from. ROYA L FE S TI VA L H A LL , S E 1

c a l e n d a r

F I F T Y Y E A R S O F T HE S T Y L I S T I C S

30 NOVEMBER

JAMIE

I S A AC

MILKWOOD candle making workshops 26.11.17 apotheca, faversham 04.12.17 forest, deptford 05.12.17 bunch london, peckham

puchase your ticket at www.milkwood.co

We will guide you through an exploration into the world of how scent stimulates the olfactory and limbic systems within the brain, evoking old memories and helping to create new ones. Join us to explore the world of natural scent, making your bespoke blend and hand pouring your own candle to take home.

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Hailing from Croydon and currently residing in Peckam, multi-instrumentalist Jamie Isaac released his debut album Couch Baby in 2014. A graduate from BRIT School where he met room-mate and longtime collaborator King Krule, Jamie's production is sparse, ambient and soulful. Signed to Marathon Records — the label currently releasing music from Cour tney Barnett, Kur t Vile and Jen Cloher — his second album is due for release next year.

H o w i s t h e n e w a l bum coming along?

It’s definitely going; it’s taken its toll on me a bit. It’s been good so far. I’ve been writing out in LA quite a bit, working with some cool people – I got back to London a few weeks ago. Did you feel the need t o ta k e y o u r s e l f away f r o m h o m e t o f e e l m o r e i n sp i r e d ?

I needed to perhaps distance myself slightly… Most people who do their second album already have about 10 or 11 songs left over from their first album, but I wanted to write this album quickly and completely from scratch. I wanted to go somewhere that has a completely different feel from where I had been writing, I was feeling a bit stunted here. D o y o u t h i n k g r o w i n g up i n C r o y d o n h e l p e d sh a p e y o u a s a n a rt i s t ?

It’s a weird one. Where I was in Croydon, it’s half really suburban, and half built up. I think that had an impact on my music – a type of detachment in terms of being really kind of spacious, but also for me, it has that kind of weird industrial feel – which, actually most people say that can’t hear [laughs].

NEWFERN CA R P E N T RY & J OI N E RY

Established in 1990, Newfern is a family business originating in the north of England. Josh Heffernan who now lives in London and has 10 years of experience in carpentry, joinery and building, set up in London 5 years ago. From kitchens, fitted wardrobes, flooring, doors, windows, shelving, 1st fix, 2nd fix, roofing, staircases to all other aspects of carpentry and joinery. www.newfern.co.uk / joshheffernan@outlook.com

You ’re based in Peckha m now; do you think

any more in the pipeline?

you ’ll be there for a long ti m e? It ’s ch a ng -

There’s this guy called Cornelius who’s a massive influence, it’s kind of a band, a Japanese band. When I was younger I was a huge fan, sonically they’re incredible. They really influenced the way I make music. Hopefully this guy is going to be in one of my songs. I normally collaborate with people in London, especially South London – you don’t have to go too far to meet people. But for this album, instead of feeling so restricted to London, I wanted it to feel like the music’s progressed and that I don’t have to just be looking around the corner for stuff, I can go out and search for it and find it. It was more of a challenge for myself.

i n g a l o t…

It’s really hard to say. It’s a weird one with London… some places don’t really have a community, but as soon as you go to areas like Peckham, there’s a huge community here. I still have a shit load of friends here who I grew up wi th, a n d it ’s h a rd t o se e my se lf moving away. It’s definitely a changing area, and there are a lot of cons about that… it feels like a bunch of posh kids moving into the area and ruining it a bit. I don’t know really. It just upsets me , it’s loads of people wearing FILA and shit. Do you know what I mean? Wearing tracksuit bottoms ‘cos they think it’s mad cool… but I still love the area, it’s so nice . Especially on sunny days like today. I o n c e r e a d a b o u t yo u r d a d’s i n f lu e n c e o n y o u r mus i c …

Yeah it was great, he took me to my first ever gig – I can’t remember where it was, I think it was in a park in Beckenham. It was a Roy Ayres show, it was one of the most amazing things, I kept running to the front and I just loved it. My dad is a massive soul and rare-groove guy. He’s a cab driver and he always used to tap the steering wheel like a drum. He’d turn it up and tell me to listen to individual parts and make me dissect the music – even though he wasn’t a musician himself, he had such a love for it, that it made me love it. And that’s the sort of music I DJ now, so it’s come full circle.

W h e r e a r e y o u r fav o u r i t e p l ac e s t o h a n g o u t ?

I like Peckham Rye park; it’s a place I go to chill and have a good time. It’s where I go when I need to just relax a bit. It reminds me of where I was back in Croydon, very leafy. That’s what I like about this area of London – loads of trees, you don’t have to go too far to find a bit of nature. That’s what I like about London in general actually, loads of huge parks – we have so much green space here. A n y o t h e r S E L o n d o n a r t i s t s w e sh o u l d listen to?

There are loads! Jerkcurb, a band called Horsey (which has Jerkcurb as their frontman). Horsey have this amazing sound that’s kind of like a dark musical mixed with weird indie music – it’s great.

C o l l a b o r at i o n s e e ms l i k e a m a j o r t h r e a d r u n n i n g t h o ugh y o u r o u t pu t. D o y o u h av e

jamieisaac.co.uk

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Writer and illustrator Orlando Weeks spent years based in Elephant & Castle with his band The Maccabees. His most recent project, The Gritterman, sees him combining music, writing and illustration. The book is accompanied by a hauntingly beautiful piano-based album alongside narration from Paul Whitehouse and was release by Penguin imprint, Par ticular Books earlier this year. (We are also lucky enough to have Orlando as this issue's illustrator!)

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C a n y o u t e l l us a l i t t l e b i t a b o u t y o u r

Y o u w o r k e d w i t h Pau l W h i t e h o us e o n t h e r e -

c u r r e n t p r o j e c t, Th e G r i t t e r m a n ?

c o r d e d s e c t i o n o f t h e p r o j e c t. H o w d i d y o u

The Gritterman is an illustrated book and an album of music. The album contains the text from the book narrated by the brilliant Paul Whitehouse. In the story we follow The Gritterman on his final night doing the job that he loves. He is ostensibly an uncomplicated character, but through the songs you get a sense of the romanticism he feels towards a job that might be considered lonely, cold and thankless.

g e t h i m i n v o lv e d a n d wh at wa s t h e r e c o r d i n g p r o c e ss l i k e ?

Paul was a friend of a friend of a friend and through those friends I managed to get him a rough of the book and a couple of the songs. We met and had a coffee and talked about what I was trying to make and Paul said that he’d come onboard. He was brilliant to work with – diligent and enthusiastic . Once I’d finished recording the music with Markus Dravs he came down to the studio and we got everything recorded over a few days. The Gritterman isn’t a comedic piece and so perhaps to some folk, Paul was a strange choice. But I think a lot of Paul’s characters are tragically comic. So what I hear in Paul’s delivery is a poignancy and a heartfelt-ness but with a twinkle in the eye. They say don’t meet your heroes but it turns out that working with them is fine. In fact, it’s a total pleasure and I highly recommend it.

Th e G r i t t e r m a n h a s w r i t t e n , i l l us t r at i v e a n d mus i c a l c o mp o n e n t s – wh at wa s y o u r work ing m ethod a nd how did you b a l a nce the three?

After the Maccabees called it a day I moved to Berlin. I wanted to use the year we had between the announcement and the final shows to make something that used the three disciplines. When I write music I quite often get stuck. A song will refuse to have a new section or a lyric will won’t be written. So I thought that by having a couple of other elements on the go I’d avoid the block. Most of the time it worked. If the piano was doing my head in then I’d spend the day drawing, and if the drawing wasn’t feeling good then I’d go and find a cafe or a kneipe to write in. It meant that it was a strangely collaborative process with each element helping inform the development of the other two.

Wa s Th e G r i t t e r m a n c h a r a c t e r i n f o r m e d by anyone you know ?

No he wasn’t, but with hindsight he does look quite a lot like my Grandad Bill. Grandad died with a full head of hair but both he and Gritterman have that look of proud older men who have lost a little of the broadness across their shoulders. There are other similari-

FRIENDS GO FREE

Tove Jansson, Illustration for the book Moominland Midwinter (detail), c. 1956, scrape drawing, 13 x 18.5 cm, Private Collection. Photo: Finnish National Gallery / Ainur Nasretdin, © Moomin Characters™

ties too – Gritterman ha s hi s i ce-cream van-come-road gritter and my Grandad was forever repairing an ancient Traction Engine. Gritterman is economical with his words and Grandad was by no means a chatty m a n . B u t i t w a s n ’t until after I’d finished the book that I realised there were any similarities.

bit more about your i n v o lv e m e n t i n t h e d o c um e n ta r y ?

Around 2011, the Maccabees were looking for a room that we could use to as a rehearsal space. Very near where I was living on the Walworth Road we stumbled across a room advertised as office space. When we went to have a look we couldn't believe our luck. The space was in fact a defunct recording studio – very unloved, but a studio space nonetheless. It turned out to have belonged to The Jesus and Mar y Chain in the 80s and early 90s. The space became the Maccabees HQ. Ever yone was living south – Kennington, Peckham, Old Kent Road – but E&C was where we met ever y day to write and rehearse. When we began work on the fourth record, we had it in our minds to make a film that would complement the record and root it in the area around the studio. A document that showed E&C in all its glor y. We had hoped that the record and the film would be released simultaneously, but sadly this didn’t happen. James Caddick, the director, documented characters and groups from area. In the end the film is less about the E&C and more about pride – whether that be through working as a team, caring for the community, making pies or writing a pop record.

Raymond Briggs is a hero. And Edward Bawden, Eric Ravillious, Edward Ardizzone – all the gooduns.

n a l wh o a r e y o u l i s t e n i n g t o at t h e m o m e n t ?

Th e

book

t r i umph i n f i n d i n g rom ance

a m o n gs t

s a d n e ss – i s t h i s a theme

you

enjoy

e xp l o r i n g ?

I think they are themes that I enjoy and I certainly respond to them in other people’s work. I’ve thought about whether I am a wallower. But I’ve decided to look at it like this: that when something in my life is joyful and happy, I want to revel in that joy or that happiness. I don’t really want to question it. But when something is tricky or confusing, it makes sense to me to try and unpick it a bit. In truth it’s probably just harder to write a totally happy song. Sad or otherwise I’ll take ‘triumph’ – thank you, that’s very kind. I wanted to make something touching, but my worry was that it would be overly sentimental. I hope it isn’t that. I don’t think it is. Whose

work

you

admire

t e r ms

a rt i s t s a n d i l l us t r at o r s ?

Th e

brilliant

d o c um e n t a r y

' E l e ph a n t

D a ys ' t r a c k e d t h e r e c o r d i n g o f t h e l a s t

G i v e n t h at t h i s i s t h e M us i c Issu e o f t h e J o u r -

I love the new Baxter Dury record. Art School Girlfriend’s EP, Nadine Shah’s record and Baltimore by Nina Simone have all been keeping me company.

M ac c a b e e s a l bum , M a r k s T o P r o v e I t, w o v e n t o g e t h e r w i t h f i v e d i ff e r e n t s t o r i e s f r o m

W h e r e a r e y o u r fav o u r i t e p l a c e s i n s o u t h

E l e ph a n t & C a s t l e i n c lu d i n g t h e P e c k h a m

e ast London?

P r i d e s y o u t h b a s k e t b a l l t e a m , t h e 1 0 0 -y e a r o l d l o c a l i n s t i t u t i o n A r m e n t s P i e a n d M a sh

Anywhere on the top deck of the number 35. The fickle mistress.

sh o p, a n d fa i t h h e a l e r B B . C a n y o u t e l l us a

orlandoweeks.co.uk

TONY NJOKU Based in Deptford, Tony Njoku's self-penned and produced songs have been described as "strikingly evocative soundscapes" that “fuse abstract beats with his angelic tones”. His new single, Drifting Off In a Care Powered Balloon —which he describes as a modern-day folk hymn — is out 8th December on Silent Kit Records.

C a n you tell us more a bou t your new single ‘Drifting Off In A C a re Pow ered B a lloon ’?

This song carries on from what I was trying to do with ‘In All Its Glory’. Combining definite and more abstract emotions and ideas, trying to get a glimpse of what I actually am. I think if Glory is me during a period of deep rumination then Drifting is me just coming outside of that, me around a more positive feeling. And you know feelings are facts really and truly, especially in the art world. And with Drifting there was this idea of emotions being physical and measurable phenomena in the world. Like asking how much ‘care’ does it take to power a city, or how much 'love’ does it take to destroy one. On the surface it seems like some abstract rambling but really I think there’s some value in that. Imagine a care powered economy or destroying an ideology with love. W h at i s y o u r w r i t i n g p r o c e ss ?

I’m not very meticulous when initially writing and recording new songs. That all happens sporadically and for the most part I’m not very conscious of where it’ll go, I’m just trying to bring out whatever needs to come out of me. The attention to detail comes after all the parts are recorded in during the arranging and editing phase which mainly happens on my laptop. W h o wo u l d yo u c i t e a s yo u r m a i n i n f lu e n c e s ?

I think I just really love any artist that has their own unique musical language. I love hearing a random new track and immediately knowing who was involved in making it, being able to recognise an artist based on a sound. So not any one person in particular, just those with that mindset really speak to me; that’s what I adhere to. D o e s D e p t f o r d i n sp i r e y o u ?

Yeah I’m sure it does. I spend so much time on the High Street now. It feels like there’s a great sense of community, the people feel real here. I love the markets on Wednesdays and Fridays, I get all my coloured tees from there. H o w d o e s y o u r e n v i r o n m e n t e ff e c t y o u r mus i c ?

I have been lucky enough to live on three different continents. I grew up in between Lagos and London, and spent a short amount of time in the US as well. I visit Lagos frequently and I love so many traditional musics of Nigeria. My approach to music is really psychodynamic. My motivations to create are as subconscious as they are conscious, if not more. It’s mainly about

SO UTH E A ST LOND ON JO URNAL

excavating the psyche. So I’m sure my travels and environments have affected the way I view/write music but I think answering this question precisely would be a much lengthier/therapeutic discussion. W h at d o e s 2 0 1 8 h o l d f o r y o u ?

Bigger shows, lots of festivals, lots of new and better music, good health, stronger relationships, thicker pockets and so on! W h e r e a r e y o u r fav o u r i t e p l ac e s t o h a n g o u t ?

I find my self at the Job Centre so much now as my partner is a regular there, and on Thursdays Pie Eye Collective is always playing something needed. The Montague Arms on Queens Road is another spot for me, great for live music. Watsons General Telegraph in Forest Hill. Basically I like pubs! A n y o t h e r S o u t h E a s t L o n d o n b a s e d a rt i s t s w e sh o u l d l i s t e n t o ?

Yeah there’s this guy called Boss (fka Bossola) which I’m enjoying a lot. tonynjoku.com

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SO UTH E A ST LOND ON JO URNAL

CHILDHOOD After releasing the sun-drenched nineties-influenced debut album Lacuna in 2014, Childhood returned the more soulful Universal High earlier this year. Frontman Ben Romans-Hopcraft moved back with his mum in West Nor wood to write the album then upped sticks to Atlanta to record with Ben Allen (Deerhunter, Gnarls Barkley, Animal Collective). P H OTO : ALE X M CL U CKIE

D o y o u f e e l i t â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s h a r d e r b e i n g a mus i c i a n i n

C a n y o u t e l l us a l i t t l e b i t a b o u t Y O U R S IDE

Lon d on now th a n ev e n a f ew y e a r s ago?

P RO J ECT, I n s e c u r e M e n ?

Definitely harder, as the money gets less and less. It's much easier to get stuff out there and noticed, especially if you are from south London these days. No-one used to give a shit about what's was going on in south.

It's a project I've been working with Saul Adamczewski on for a while now. He came to me with these songs, which were a real change in style to what he's typically associated with. We recorded the album, with help from the Saoudi brothers, early this year.

read

your

pa r e n t s i n v o lv e d

are in

W h at does 2018

mus i c TOO â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

hold for yoU?

More writing and gigs. I'm trying collaborate as much as possible so that will be something I'll try and do. Apart from new Childhood material and gigging, one of my other projects called Warmduscher are releasing an album in the new year too.

can you tell us m o r e ?

Yeah my dad is a trumpet player and has been doing it as a profession all his life . He often plays at the Effra pub in Brixton with his band Soothsayers most weeks! My mum isn't directly involved in music but is responsible or a lot of my current tastes. She used to be a contemporary dancer and now works lecturing dance.

W h e r e a r e y o u r fav o u r i t e p l ac e s t o h a n g o u t ?

Probably my local pubs the Windmill and the Effra... been going there for years and will continue for years yet.

W h at a r e y o u r b i gg e s t i n f l u e n c e s ? M us i c , l i t e r at u r e o r o t h e r w i s e ?

Music is my biggest influence. For me Todd Rundgren and Marvin Gaye are crucial influences. I guess Todd Rundgren stands as a master collaborator of rock and soul ideas. Where Marvin Gaye's social commentary has always been something relatable to me. Other than that I'm listening to a lot of American song writers like Randy Newman and Harry Nillsson at the moment.

A n y o t h e r S o u t h E a s t L o n d o n b a s e d a rt i s t s w e sh o u l d l i s t e n t o ?

Sorry are a band that play at the Windmill a lot. They are coming on tour with us they're great. Shame are a good local band, I also really like a band called Horsey. childhoodband.com

SPEC. simple modern websites www.specwebdesign.co.uk

d Mark

HOUSEHOLD GOODS

FR E I G H T H H G / N E W S H O P O PE N LEWES & LONDON

9 6 K I R K DA L E / F O R E S T H I L L / S E 26 4 B G T H U R S D AY - S AT U R D AY 10A M - 5 P M

F R E I G H T S T O R E .CO.U K 38

ART SCHOOL GIRLFRIEND Back in September, we caught Ar t School Girlfriend onstage at The Nines in Peckham where she was launching her debut EP 'Measures'. As the most recent signing to Wolf Tone - the record label set up by legendar y producer Paul Epwor th - her music explores "themes of lust, queer identity and disillusionment".

Where are you based?

I used to live in Honor Oak Park, but my rent just kept going up and up, so now I split my time between Peckham and Margate — I'm lucky enough to have a generous friend with a spare room, otherwise it wouldn't be possible! When I first moved to London in 2011, you could work in a bar four nights a week and be a musician or artist the rest of your time; I took it for granted for the first few years, then soon realised living in London gets accumulatively harder. You w r ite a nd produce ev ery thing your s elf?

The production goes hand in hand with writing to me. I’ll work on a beat or find an interesting sound on keys and go from there. It’s rare I sit down at my guitar or piano and write something, though I’m trying to more and more. I have to work out the sonics and vibe pretty early on in the process to know if the track is worth pursuing.

B EE

H a s y o u r p e r c e p t i o n o f t h e mus i c i n d us t r y c h a n g e d s i n c e y o u f i r s t s ta rt e d ?

I’ve been in playing music for ten years; my band before going solo was a shoe gaze band and we used to tour all the time, but never really growing. For this project, I got involved with a label before even playing live. I guess that shows how much music has changed in the last decade. It’s become democratised in one way — anyone with the privilege of accessing a laptop can make music and get it to sound good enough to release to the world. Wolf Tone are quite unique — the label is in the same building as their studios — meaning that the label, engineers, mixers, producers and artists are all right there, like one big supportive family. W h at a r e y o u c u r r e n t ly l i s t e n i n g t o o r r e a d i n g ?

I was raised a lot of noise and new wave which I always dip back into — The Velvet Underground, Magazine, PJ Harvey, Nick Cave. At the moment I'm mostly listening to radio mixes on the Balamii app; I find things like Spotify overwhelming so I like the idea of a human picking the music, but I can still stream it. I'm enjoying the new records by Moses Sumney, Aldous Harding and Torres. The last book I read was The Descent of Man by Grayson Perry, I’m currently reading Chelsea Girls by Eileen Myles. W h e r e a r e y o u r fav o u r i t e p l a c e s t o h a n g o u t ?

Peckham Rye park will always be my favourite place in South East London, whatever the weather. One Tree Hill to start the day by looking out at the view. I love going to The Mayflower in Rotherhithe in the winter. A ghost once threw a beer mat at my girlfriend there. The Ivy House pub, St David's Coffee, Peckham Springs and South London Gallery. W h at d o e s 2 0 1 8 h o l d f o r y o u ?

I have a second EP coming out in February; I’ll be doing a launch show somewhere in south east. Then a tour and festivals. A n y o t h e r S E a rt i s t s w e sh o u l d l i s t e n t o ?

I really love Puma Blue, he makes woozy, opiatic night time music and his voice reminds me of Jeff Buckley. There’s also The Rhythm Method; I saw them at Great Escape in a village hall style-setting at about 2.30am and thought they were brilliant — I'm looking forward to playing with them in January. I’m listening to the new Mount Kimbie album a lot at the moment. My keys player Louis has a band called Brazen Head who are great. ar tschoolgirlfriend.co.uk

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Ms Banks — Day Ones Loski Teddy — Brukshot Suspect — FBG Giggs — Lingo Alicai Harley — Gold Santandave — Wanna Know Carnshill — Check Dis Krept & Konan ft Stormzy — Ask Flipz Harlem Spartans — Kennington Where It Started Mamy Dope — Dats Dead SP17 — Moscow Juvie — Quick Tale Fekky — Billi Karnage — Bare Noise Ms Banks — Behind Barz Growing up on Walwor th Road and now based in Bermondsey, Ms Banks has been called "one of the most impor tant women in UK rap" by i-D Magazine. Having collaborated with the likes of Stormzy, JME, Naughty Boy and Stefflon Don, it was her Radio 1 'Fire In The Booth' earlier this year that has ramped up the momentum for the 22 year-old. We asked her to make us a mixtape of some of her favourite tracks with a few of her own thrown in for good measure. soundcloud.com /msbanks94

SO UTH E A ST LOND ON JO URNAL

Puma Blue is the ar tistic alias of Jacob Allen, a self-confessed crooner who makes woozy jazz-inflected music. His debut EP, Swum Baby came out this summer and has been greatly recieved by the music press for its low-fi yet shimmering production.

Where are you based?

I grew up just south of Croydon, but I’m based in Crofton Park / Honor Oak these days. W h at i s y o u r w r i t i n g p r o c e ss ?

E ve r y t i m e a s o n g c o m e s t o m e i t fe e l s l i ke a miracle. I don’t really have one. I write a lot of poetry, so there’s always lyrics, and I’m making music all the time whether it’s hip hop or something else. Sometimes they become songs. When I want to write I usually mess around on guitar or make beats, and sometimes if I’m into it enough I can wish it into existence, but mostly it feels like tracks just come from the ether when they feel to. I find writing with friends for their projects way easier. Y o u ’ r e p l ay i n g at C o r s i c a St u d i o s i n E l e ph a n t & C a st l e o n 3 0 t h N o VE M B ER . wh o d o y o u c o l l a b o r at e w i t h f o r y o u r l i v e sh o w ?

Sometimes I’ll collaborate with visual artists to make the venue feel like the guts of a Lynch film or something. Like for the EP launch, I worked with a couple friends and we had an old sofa on stage, this big old red carpet that filled the room and flowers everywhere. But my biggest collaborators for shows are my guys in the live band. They allow for so much more improvisation and energy. There’s me, and then Lloyd plays guitar as well, Harvey on sax and sometimes keys, Rudi on bass and Ellis plays drums.

biggest influences though, and I always come back to John Frusciante, J Dilla and Radiohead. I’m always finding inspiration in film (‘Paris, Texas’, ‘Chungking Express’, ‘Drive’) or just things I see and things people say. W hy d o y o u t h i n k t h e i n f l u e n c e o f j a z z i s h av i n g su c h a r e n a i ss a n c e i n e l e c t r o n i c mus i c a n d p r o d u c t i o n i n r e c e n t y e a r s ?

W h at a r e y o u r b i gg e s t i n f l u e n c e s ? M us i c , l i t e r at u r e o r o t h e r w i s e ?

Dub sounds have been really rubbing off on my production over the last year, guys like Max Romeo and Joe Gibbs. Then just recently got back into Julie London and Portishead. Burial, Shellac, Mount Kimbie’s new record and Clam Casino’s Rainforest EP have been on heavy rotation lately as well. Jeff Buckley and D’Angelo have always been my

I think it’s always been there ready to be sampled from and explored. Hip hop has never stopped referencing jazz. But I think people that didn’t clock it before are maybe clocking it now because they see the freedom of expression and they’re drawn to that. Or maybe they just like the colours in jazz chords. I guess if artists feel something is mostly untouched, they want to touch it and be the person to make something unique, I think jazz kind of became that thing.

D o e s l i v i n g i n S o u t h L o n d o n m a k e c r e at i v e o u t pu t e a s i e r ? O r a r e y o u w o r r i e d f o r t h e

W h at d o e s 2 0 1 8 h o l d f o r y o u ?

I’m working on another EP and doing my first headline tour in February, which I’m announcing soon. Last date is on my birthday so, that might get messy. Gonna keep collaborating next year as well… got some stuff in the works. W h e r e a r e y o u r f av o u r i t e p l a c e s t o h a n g o u t ?

Ellis’s shed (where the band rehearses), Montague Arms in New Cross when there’s a good band playing, and Telegraph Hill park but I haven’t been there in ages. WHO ELSE IN South East London should WE listen to?

If you haven’t heard Maxwell Owin’s music yet, you need to. His music is like what a collaboration between Burial and Bill Evans could’ve sounded like. My best friend is releasing an EP soon under the name Lucy Lu and that’s gonna be some smoothness, so watch for that. My friend Honey Stretton has this EP as well called Wail which is one of the most hauntingly beautiful recordings I’ve ever heard. pum a b lu e mus i c . b a n d c a mp.c o m

PP U UM MA A B B LLU U EE

fu t u r e o f L o n d o n ’ s c r e at i v i t y ?

I think people are being more creative than ever here, yeah. I feel like so many more people who dream about making music and art are just deciding to do it, rather than just think about it. Sometimes people with the least knowledge for music make the best shit. I think people can only continue to be inspired and keep making, so I don’t worry about that burning out. I worry a bit for copycats though — not being yourself is dull man.

LIVE MUSIC IN LEWISHAM P H O T O S B Y A L EX R E Y T O

SO UTH E A ST LOND ON JO URNAL

Adult Learning Lewisham

Day and evening courses Classes ten minutes from Grove Park, Lewisham and Honor Oak Park stations. www.lewisham.gov.uk/adultlearning

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T h e L e wis h am and G r e e nwic h N H S C h oir The Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir is composed of people from across the NHS work force including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, por ters and administrators. The choir was first seen on Gareth Malone's BBC2 show, Sing While You Work. Since then, the choir has gone on to scoop a Christmas number one and per form on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbur y, at the Royal Alber t Hall and OnBlackheath festival, and alongside Deptford legends Squeeze. We found out a bit more from two choir members.

— C aroline Harbord: I am a Senior NHS physiotherapist and I run a pulmonar y rehab programme for people with lung disease in Lewisham borough. I have been in the choir since it star ted in 2012 and I sing alto. I am a Lymphoma sur vivor, and buddy for the Lymphoma Association. I first got into music as a teenager in a punk band playing bass guitar, violin and lead vocals.

W h at wa s i t l i k e t o b e i n v o lv e d i n G a r e t h M a l o n e ’ s sh o w, S i n g W h i l e Y o u W o r k ?

It was a mixture of very exciting and at times quite boring – I learnt that there is a lot of hanging around in TV! It was great getting to know people from all over the hospital and community, and I loved singing again. The final of the programme at Llangollen music festival was particularly fun and exciting, even though we lost! H o w d o e s i t f e e l t o h av e a n umb e r o n e ?

H o w d i d y o u g e t i n v o lv e d i n t h e c h o i r ?

An email went out to all staff at what was then Lewisham NHS Trust, about the Gareth Malone Sing While You Work programme. It sounded like a really fun opportunity, so I auditioned on camera (terrifying!) and to my amazement got in!

I still can't really believe it. Every now and then I hear it mentioned on the TV or radio and it feels kind of miraculous that I was part of it. My official charts number one trophy has pride of place in my house though! I was particularly proud to have been able to highlight how much we in the choir and the public care about the NHS.

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W h at h a s b e e n y o u r f av o u r i t e c h o i r m o m e n t

your life?

s o fa r ?

It has been an experience I couldn't possibly have imagined. We have had such amazing opportunities and sung with some incredible artists. Recently we sang with Squeeze on their latest album, and I have been a fan for years. Singing is also very cathartic for me and has helped me overcome serious ill health and difficult times.

That’s a really tricky question, as there have been so many unbelievable experiences. Main stage Glastonbury and the Royal Albert Hall were absolutely incredible, but probably for me, performing with Squeeze to all their fans at the OnBlackheath festival in 2016. And of course – being number one at Christmas! W h e r e a r e y o u r f av o u r i t e p l a c e s i n S o u t h

Is it tricky to balance work and choir commitments?

E ast London?

Yes, sometimes. Until very recently I was running all the choir's social media and it took up a huge amount of my time. We all work in the NHS so when we perform, it is usually in our own free time, which can be a bit of a juggle – we sometimes have to take annual leave.

Again so many, as I love south London. If I have to list some though, the Rivoli Ballroom, Little Nan's bar, Beckenham Place Park and the underground arches at Crystal Palace Subway.

signing the record deal — MIKE: I am the Immunisation Clinical Coordinator for Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, advising on immunisation, vaccination and communicable disease across the two hospitals (University Hospital Lewisham and Queen Elizabeth in Woolwich) and Lewisham Community Health. I live in Petts Wood. I moved here after 12 years working in healthcare overseas, where I met a Bromley lass at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine whilst studying for a masters degree in Public Health and International Community Health. We married, had two gorgeous daughters and moved into the south east to her home town of Bromley. Although I still love my home town of Bolton I can’t see me wanting to move away from south east London.

H o w d i d y o u g e t i n v o lv e d i n t h e c h o i r ?

I have sung Barbershop for over 30 years and for the last 11 years of that, was the musical director for the Bromley Barbershop Harmony Club. But I missed singing! When you are directing and arm-waving, you get to shape the music to tell the story and the emotion of the song, but you don’t get to sing. So when the Malone circus moved into the hospital, I thought “wow, this is it – a chance to sing again!” It was time to hand over the Barbershop baton anyway so when I passed the SWYW audition I changed camps and joined the choir. W h at wa s i t l i k e t o b e i n v o lv e d i n G a r e t h M a l o n e ’ s sh o w, S i n g W h i l e Y o u W o r k ?

Thrilling. After the choir was gathered together, it was great to have NHS staff from every part of the work of the Trust – community health, support services, medicine and acute services. Rarely would

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such a disparate group of people get together on such a level, non-judgemental playing field. The competitions were exciting, right up to the final in the Eisteddfod In Llangollen, when ‘we was robbed’. But every step of the way with the singing coaches, the TV cameras and the interminable ‘hurry up and wait’ that is a part of TV work was fun and the choir grew closer. There were of course times of stress – which was to be expected – but overall we had a huge laugh and learned so much, and made some great contacts that would be so useful over the next four years. H o w d o e s i t f e e l t o h av e a n umb e r o n e ?

It’s quite surreal. Hard to either believe or understand, but eventually you get your head around it. For the number one, we had a superb arrangement of the mash-up of Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge over Troubled Water and Coldplay’s Fix You. Our musical director at the time, Pete Mitchell, was our accompanist during SWYW and we got on with him so well that he agreed to lead the choir after the TV shenanigans had ended. His arrangement was so gorgeous and the songs’ messages so relevant to the troubles the NHS was having – and continues to have – that it was adopted by the national Love you NHS campaign. 137,000 sales and downloads made the song the Christmas number one, but it was the social media campaign that carried the song there and the message that millions of people do love and respect the NHS and the we do. Justin Bieber’s support certainly helped but that Christmas, he was never going to out-sell our song! What happened next is the is the stuff of dreams and musical bucket lists. H o w d o e s b e i n g pa rt o f t h e c h o i r e n r i c h your life?

No matter what sort of rubbish or difficult day you’ve had at work, rehearsal night ends up being good for the mind, heart, soul and lungs. The performances on many TV programmes, at Glastonbury, Chris Evans’s Carfest, OnBlackheath, Royal Albert Hall, FA Cup Final, the O2, Manchester Bridgewater Hall and Excel Centre, Birmingham Symphony Hall are all hugely enriching. So many

musicians can only dream of appearing at some of the places and events that we have been privileged to sing at. We’ve sung with huge names like Elbow, Boy George, Russel Watson, Callabro, Reef, to name but a few. Not to mention singing and making a short film with Ridley Scott! Then we were signed up to DECCA and made an album. The most amazing has been our relationship with south east London’s heroes, Squeeze. Is i t t r i c k y t o b a l a n c e w o r k a n d c h o i r c o mm i t m e n t s ?

It is quite hard work. Getting time out of work is never easy and you need to be very organized – use your annual leave to attend gigs during the working week, balance shift work with rehearsal time and call in lots of favours at home! W h at h a s b e e n y o u r f av o u r i t e c h o i r m o m e n t s o fa r ?

It’s difficult to say. The incredible feeling of walking on to the pitch at the Cup Final with 80,000 people singing and chanting was mind-blowing. Glastonbury was a dream. Singing on stage with Squeeze and the acoustic set with Glenn Tillbrook and his son for the family’s school was hugely rewarding. And we sang on the latest Squeeze album. We are so fortunate to have another superb musical arranger, Phil Mitchell – yes, brother of the first Mitchell – to direct the choir and keep us supplied with excellent arrangements that really suit us. We just keep making favourite moments! W h e r e a r e y o u r f av o u r i t e p l a c e s i n S o u t h E ast London?

I love Petts Wood. Ten minutes drive to get to the peace, rolling green fields and country pubs of the countryside and the Downs and only 25 minutes from London. Over the past few years the choir has spent so much time singing in the south east for charities and local causes – in the Royal Naval Chapel, the Cutty Sark and the Christmas pantomime horse race – that Greenwich with the river, the parks and its history has become one of my favourite SEL places to eat, drink and chill. lewishamandgreenwich.nhs.uk/the-trust-choir

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G O AT G I R L Signing to Rough Trade after releasing just one single, Goat Girl's debut album is schelduled for next year. We find out more from Lottie and Rosy. D o y o u f e e l p a r t o f a p a r t i c u l a r mus i c m o v e m e n t i n S o u t h L o n d o n at t h e m o m e n t, o r d o e s i t f r us t r at e y o u t h at t h e p r e ss a r e s o q u i c k t o sp e a k o f ‘ s c e n e s ’ ?

It annoys me that the press or whoever they are think that there is some magical scene that has miraculously appeared – it’s always been here, people forget about the music that was before. I guess, however, within society and especially in London right now, there is a greater feeling of disillusionment amongst the youth due to all the pressures in earning less yet ever ything costing more. No-one's ever going to be able to buy their own property, to live independently and of course art and music moves with this as a chain reaction. And I think the press’s attempt to commodify something so honest into a ‘scene’ that they can sell is distasteful yet inevitable. Do you think growing up h e r e h a s i n f l u e n c e d the

political

themes

w i t h i n y o u r mus i c ?

Yes – politics and social change are catalysts for feeling helpless and annoyed, which I guess musical songwriting can be a saviour for. I reckon that there’s a percentage of my music that comes under this theme, I feel it is unavoidable to talk about your surroundings if you are a responsible human being. However, this doesn’t mean to say all music should follow suit in order to have meaning. Meaning comes through all other elements that make up a song, it’s not just the lyrics.

duction with the set designs and colours. Literature, I'm reading a Kurt Vonnegut book called Mother Night, about a man who ever yone thinks is a Nazi war criminal but is actually a spy for the Americans. I find influence from all areas of art but these are three creations that have inspired me recently. H a s b e i n g s i g n e d t o R o ugh T r a d e c h a n g e d a n y t h i n g a b o u t t h e way y o u f e e l a b o u t t h e i n d us t r y ?

It’s changed my naivety about being signed in that everything is plain sailing once you’ve ‘made it’ in that sense. There’s a lot that you have to think about, and also take control of, otherwise people will make decisions for you. I think this is a good thing though, it’s allowed us to think more carefully about how we want to be portrayed, how we can develop. Being signed also grants us the abilities to reach people and create in ways we couldn’t before. As i d e f ro m b e i n g i n t h e b a n d, wh at e l s e d o y o u d o o r a r e i n t e r e st e d i n ?

I love to film and photograph, it’s been a passion of mine for a few years now. I develop my own black and white photography that I set up scenes for in a kind of Gregory Crewdson-inspired way. I also like making weird little films, some with cohesive story lines, others just random ideas I've come up with. I recently exhibited in my friends Holly and Fran’s exhibition called FLOP – check it out, other great artists were on the lineup.

W h at a r e y o u r b i gg e s t i n f l u e n c e s ? M us i c ,

W h e r e a r e y o u r fav o u r i t e p l ac e s t o h a n g o u t ?

l i t e r at u r e o r o t h e r w i s e .

I thoroughly enjoy having a good browse in Poundland – they have a great DVD selection. The Royal Observatory is a nice place to go too.

Right now I'm listening to a lot of weird music from the label Tasty Morsels which is a big influence for my songwriting. There’s a guy called Naran Ratan who released a concept album about trees, each song has a different tree feel. I also recently watched Bronson

WORDS: CHLOE SPENCER

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CHAPTER No.3 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

INSIDE A B L A C K HE A T H HOME

We caught up with Blackheath local Nikki who lives in what can only be described as a wonderful example of a Span house. Span Developments Limited was a property development company formed in the late 1950s by Geoffrey Townsend and consultant architect Eric Lyons â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the focus was on light and space with open plan areas, carefully landscaped gardens and communal areas that encouraged neighbours to interact. They were considered radical and still inspire today. Nikki lives there with her husband Mike and eighteen month old son Jack.

How long have you lived in your home for? We bought the proper ty in May 2012 and then spent the rest of that year doing the design and then construction work to the property. We moved in just before Christmas that year, (a little later than planned, particularly as we were hosting the whole extended family that year! Â Did you have an interest in Span houses and this period of architecture before you lived here? Yes, Mike lived in the Barbican for a few years before we met and I sold him the idea of Span flats as being a bit like a slice of the Barbican, put in a really nice garden. We are both passionate about architecture and our love of Mid-century design has grown over the course of the last five years. Â Your home feels very authentic to the period in which it was designed. What state was the house in when you got it, what have you added and was keeping it authentic a priority? We were very lucky in that when we bought our flat, it was the last one to be sold by an original resident. Therefore, while there had been a few decorative bits and bobs done to the property over the years there were still lots of original features. The kitchen was entirely original and so we were able to basically

rebuild it, updated for modern living. We salvaged everything that we could, including all interior doors, the kitchen cabinets, interior partitions and – much to our electrician’s horror – the Span-grey light switches and plug sockets! We worked with David Fern, a brilliant local architect who lives in a Span house just down the road, and the elements that we brought in largely took inspiration from research we did together into Span, Eric Lyons and Mid-century interiors – such as the flooring and the cork wall in the study. No one ever believes us that the flooring is new, which we take as a compliment! It was very important to us to retain authenticity, without ever being kitsch or retro. We are big believers that the interior style of a home should respect the era and style of the building, rather than shoehorning a style in that clashes with the integrity of the space. Your home is full of beautiful furniture, objects and art, can you tell me about your collections? We sourced a lot of our Mid-century pieces from the excellent Modern Shows, which we make a pilgrimage to every time they are on. We got to know Gary of Dad Design particularly well and he sourced most of our key furniture pieces for us. The shows are also a great place to source smaller dressing items; we try (and fail) to not buy too many more vases each time we visit. In terms of furniture we have tried to combine vintage pieces with modern items so that we don’t end up looking like we live in a Mid-century museum. Our dining table is by Unto This Last – they are excellent and even ended up building the table in situ as Span hallways are not that wide. Uncommon Projects built all of Jack’s nursery furniture which we absolutely love, and Dovetail Joint built our kitchen and ‘life wall’. Do you think the design of your home has stood the test of time – does it make for a good contemporary home? Absolutely. The flats were designed based on the key principles of good living: light, space and community

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– themes that will never date. The dual aspect means that we get amazing light in the lounge all day, and the way that the space flows is very well considered and works brilliantly. Having a large, lateral space all on one level is absolutely perfect when you have a small child; not only is it advantageous for getting prams etc in and out, it means that now Jack is mobile it gives him loads of space to run around and different areas to discover, all while still being in earshot! Eric Lyons’ designed properties with communal areas that encourage residents to mix. Do you feel part of a community, and do you think Lyons’s design plays a part in this? Absolutely, we feel so lucky to live close to central London yet be part of such a bona fide community. Both the way that the flats and gardens are laid out and the management structure means that you naturally get to know your neighbours, many of whom

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have become genuine friends who we spend time with by choice, as well as being there for each other in times of need. More and more families have moved in since we bought our home and the kids genuinely do go in and out of each other’s houses and play outside together. I think that communities, particularly in large cities, are a rarity and we feel very lucky to live where we do. What are your favourite SE places and local haunts? Blackheath Village is a lovely mix of independent eateries combined with some of the better chains – we love Bianco 43 for a family pizza night, Handmade Food for lunch (or picnic supplies) and Gail’s for bread and treats. The farmer’s market is fantastic and we regularly head there on a Sunday morning to stock up on ingredients for the week ahead. The Model Market in Lewisham is a great place for a Summer night out and we love walking over the heath to Greenwich for Sunday lunch at The Cutty Sark or to pop into The Picturehouse (the Big Scream baby-friendly movies are a godsend when you have a small person!)

The test of good housing is not whether it can be built easily, but whether it can be lived in easily. — Eric Lyons

Photographs by ALEX REY TO

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W h at ’ s

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Early Introductions: Tove Jansson 17 N o v e m b er

Children and families are invited to invent and play games with artist Natalie Zervou who has transformed the Clore Studio into a playful space filled with many balls of all different shapes and sizes. Families will be invited to construct new shapes to add to the space and invent games and experiments.

Explore the Tove Jansson (1914–2001) exhibition with your little ones — buggies, roaming toddlers and excited squeals encouraged. Enjoy a flower garland-making activity and a Moomin playhouse during this relaxed, family-friendly day.

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Ugly Duckling

Nutcracker Suite

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Meet the most unusual duckling the pond has ever seen! In their nest at the edge of a pond, the baby ducklings wait impatiently for an enormous egg to hatch. But their new brother doesn’t look like everyone else — he doesn’t even quack like a proper duckling! A charming production of Hans Christian Andersen’s well known tale.

See Tomorrow’s Warriors Youth Orchestra perform The Nutcracker Suite by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, along with some classic festive big band tunes, in a special 25th anniversary performance launching Wintertime. TWYO features young musicians aged 15 – 19 and is led by long-time MOBO Award-winning musician and composer, Binker Golding.

Inspired by William Shakespeare’s great tragedy, this is a modern, funny and inspired play by Belgian playwright Ignace Cornelissen brings the story of Othello to life for younger audiences and reflects on the nature of relationships, friendships and how our flaws and feelings can blind us to the truth.

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