ADAM Masterson

Roll up for The Gold Bug Club this Thursday July 8th at The Boogaloo. With guest appearances from Gaoler’s Daughter and Alan Wass from Lipstick melodies playing solo. I’ll be playing a set from 9.30 onwards. John Paul Pryor is at the decks so expect pschedelic, boogie-woogie times late into the night.

Doors are at 8pm and advisable to get there early as Gold Bug Club is getting busy now and seats go fast! Still free admission, and The Boogaloo is at 312 Archway Road near Highgate tube.

Also anyone in the south-London area this weekend? I’m playing a house-concert in Purley, near Croyden, and there are still some seats left. These are always great fun with plenty of home cooked food, fine wine and good cheer. I’ll be playing a two hour set, it’s £10 contribution at the door. If interested please contact Fionna who’s hosting the event at Fiona_Lipscombe@yahoo.com

Still buzzin from Hop Farm, lovely event, lovely people. Will certainly be nagging Vince Power for a slot on the bill next year.

Saw Van Morrison for the first time. First time for everything and counter-point to some of the reveiws I’ve read which dismissed him as gruff, I was moved. He finished with my favourite Van the man track ‘In The Garden’ from ‘No guru, no method, no teacher.’ The man’s magic.

Excited about a four-week residency I’m starting July 30th at The Gallery Hendon will be happening every Friday till August 20th more news on this very soon.

Hope to see some of you at the gold bug

AM

I’m gonna be playing tomorrow May 26th at the Andrew Cole Golf Classic supporting The Princes Trust and Sport United. All happening at The Grove Hertfordshire.

I’ll be playing a set between 7 and 8 at the reception, also on the bill Alesha Dixon, Diversity, and Dionne Bromfield.

For more info contact Princes trust events team on 020 7543 1389 or events@princes-trust.org.uk

Went to the Here We Go Magic show at the Electric Ballroom in Camden last night. Hypnotic set. They were opening for New Pornographers sell out gig.

First time I’ve seen Here we go magic. Mighty impressed. Dug their last track ‘Tunnelvision’. Listen to it here http://www.myspace.com/herewegomagic

Got to hang out with their bass player Jen Turner which is always a beautiful thing. She took me an a pal backstage and we pinched crackers and cheese from the New Pornographers dressing room and a few beers too.

Jen said she was reading Henry Miller ‘On Writing’ I thought I’d read it too, but when I looked at the cover I thought… nah i aint read that… thought i had… keep meaning too. No! Time of the Assasins, that’s the one I read, you should read it too. Jen noted this in her notepad and drew an ink picture of me in one line without looking at the page, turned out pretty good, a perfect Mattise, only she drew me with one eye missing.

Jen played guitar, acoustic blues thing, I wish I was in a band with her… I had another beer and decided I wanted to serenade her. Played some new songs and some half finished ones in the small echoey rooms. It was good to play new stuff and get out of my box a little. Had an attack of the spleen in April and it put me in my box too much! But getting better now

A few friends of mine come over from New York this week and they took me for a ride into the countryside, for a little holiday in Bath. They had to interview the singer of Elbow at a music studio and asked me if I didn’t mind tagging along before we headed out to the hills.

While they went off to do their thing, I took a walk around the grounds, then found my way to the lunch hall. The cook had obviously been slaving away, as an enticing set of aromas greeted me. ‘Grubs up,’ I thought ‘Super!’

I was pouring myself a bowl of soup when who should walk in but Tom Jones. ‘Hi’ he said in his rich deep voice, ‘Hi’ I replied in my very best deep voice.

I took a seat at a table and he wasn’t long following me over. Can you imagine?? There I was, a stow away, having lunch with Tom Jones!

His entourage soon followed, a welsh chap who looked and spoke just like him… must have been his manager, and is it Alan Yentop? attended by a gaggle of BBC people, I gathered they were interveiwing him for the day. Tom was warm and cordial in his lunch hour, but soon fell quiet. The two of us sat there and ate our soup in silence, like monks do.

Damn fine soup it was too. I overheard one of the BBC peeps saying it was Carrot and Butternut squash, but at the end unlike monks do, I didn’t lick my plate

Adam

Big thankyou to everyone who came out to the gold bug club last week, we had a grand time and thanks for the ace sets from Sam McCarthy and The Nights.

Caught Keith Richards favourite band the Dirty Strangers last Friday night for their weekly shindig at The Inn On The Green, ladbroke Grove. Great night. The legendary John Sinclair was there and called up to improvise his spoken word over the grinding blues rythms, inspiring stuff, he started rapping this number about original delta bluesman Tommy Johnston, reminded me of that Jim Morrison record when he spoke his poetry over the band.

I got to shake his hand at the bar and said I was a big MC5 fan, he said ‘I’m a big MC5 fan too!’. My pals couldn’t understand why I was so excited to meet this man, I told them he was the leader of the white panthers and none other than John Lennon wrote a song about him ‘John Sinclaire’ to free him from jail when he was locked up and sentanced to 10 years for having one spliff on him. They got a bit wide eyed when I said the John Lennon bit.

Off to Camden tonight to see my pals band ‘Here we go magic!’. There opening for The New Porographers at The Electric Ballroom. I’ll tell you how it goes.

More Gold Bug dates added at Boogaloo June 10th and July8th.

See you soon

Adam

Gold bug time again: I’m getting ready for my set tomorrow night at The Boogaloo. I can really feel the night growing, two more dates have been added June 10th and July 8th.

Last month saw Steve Mahoney and Nat Jenkins play sets that held the audience rapt, a super sweet atmosphere and I ended up singing a few requests.

DJ’s Meerkuts and small went down a real hit and they’ll be adding their own special flavour again tomorrow.

This months bill includes my band mate Graham knight he’ll be fronting his own combo ‘The Nights’ and Camden favourite Sam McCarthy will be joining us too, I’m excited a real treat is in store.

Same deal as before, free on the door, Night starts at 8pm, boogaloo open into the small hours, boogie times.

Hi to everyone I met at The Gallery in Hendon on Saturday night, great playing to you folks, enjoyed the session! Hope to see some of you again.

See you at the goldbug!

Adam

With the success of Gold Bug Clubs 1 & 2, and the fantastic sets from Gaolers Daughter and The Wild Wolves, Gold Bug Club #3 has another mega line up in store for us tonight, 8pm, at The Boogaloo in Highgate.

Strummerville favourite Nat Jenkins will be headlining the night, and we also have New York based Songwriter Steve Mahoney on the bill, originally from London, Steve’s only in town for a short trip, so tonight is not to be missed!

We also welcome DJs Meerkuts & Small to The Gold Bug Club for the first time, spinning discs in the late night, juke joint boogie bar from 10.30 till 1am

Here’s tonights running order…

8.00 Doors
9.00 Steve Mahoney http://www.myspace.com/stevemahoneymusic
9.30 Adam Masterson http://www.myspace.com/adammasterson
10.00 Nat Jenkins http://www.myspace.com/natjenkins
10.30 till 1am DJ’s Meerkuts & Small

The Boogaloo is at 312 Archway Rd N6 5A1 nearest tube Highgate

Admission is Free: We’re in it to win it

Lots of Love the Gold Bugs x

It was a fine day out and I’d just had my haircut round a friends house on Caledonian Road.  Made a dash from Holborne to Bloomsbury Square, I was running a little late, but the haircut and the weather had me in a fine mood.

I made my way into The Bloomsbury Ballroom. Sound-check was already underway for Mummy Rocks 2010. The Ballroom looked elegantly swelegent each table decked out in Flowers.

Rehearsals at Jones productions had gone well.  Me and Jamie Hince decided we’d do Waterloo Sunset together and I was gonna play piano for Bobby Gillespie and Sharleen Spiteri who were dueting on The High Society musical song ‘What a swell party this is’ made famous by Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby.

Sharleen and Bobby beckoned me up, they were sound checking this one now! I had just enough time to jump onstage, get behind the piano, and do my best not to do my Les Dawson.  

Actually we sounded good!  It had been a bit tentative in rehearsals, but the three of us had gone away figured it out and now it sounded like fun.

At the end of the sound check me and Jamie got a chance to go over Waterloo Sunset a couple of times we were gonna do it just the two of us acoustic.  People started filing in after that and I went off to find a drink.

Saw a few faces in reception Rufus Wainwright  was there and Natalie Imbruglia, a waiter handed me a glass of Champagne and I found the band at the bar writing out a set-list.  Jamie and I were gonna go on first and start the night and I thought that was grand.

At dinner I was sat next to the charming and very glamourous actress Sarah Barrand, and jeweler Stephen webster hosting the night from the stage told us all a little more about the charity and introduced a young patient who spoke about her experiences at Great Ormond street hospital.  In the end I think the night raised £95,000 for G.O.S.H

An auction then followed and I headed backstage to have a play on my guitar. I found Jamie Hince back there we found a couple of seats in a back room and jammed through the song.  It sounded mighty, Jamie had all the harmony notes in the guitar.  He was playing an old 40’s Guild and I had my 60’s Gibson SJ, we even had matching jackets by chance so we looked the part.

Mick Jones soon came round and told us we were going on, we waited in the wings while he went on to introduce us.

Everybody loves Waterloo Sunset you can see it in their faces when you start singing it.  The film producer Julian Temple was right down the front and started filming it on his phone, he jumped up on stage at one point and started filming round us.  I think he’s a big Kinks fan. I saw him afterwards and he said ‘I’m gonna show it to Ray!’

‘Bloody hell’  I thought ‘ I didn’t know I was under that much pressure!’

Jamie and I bowed to our applause, we’d kicked off the night and headed backstage for a cold beer.  We found Sharleen and Bobby back there, and we all sat down in the corridor waiting to go on again.  

We started talking about songs with only a few chords, Bobby said those songs are the hardest to write and have the best melodies.  Sharleen said the song ‘Dreams’ had only two chords in it the whole way through.  I started trying to wrack my brains, I thought of the Roy Orbison song ‘Dreams’ but that had loads of chords, I then thought of the Everly Brothers but that had at least three Chords.  I gave Sharleen my guitar and she did a great version of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’ sat on the floor.  Bobby then picked up the guitar and played ‘Go Your Own Way’.

It was cool sat there listening to them talk about simple songs.  They all started complimenting me about the guitar, it’s Southern Jumbo guitar that Rambling Jack Elliot used to play in the 60’s. It’s got his signature scratched into it, but I’ve nearly scratched that off from playing it so much and catching it with the pick.

Guitars are a bit like kids, you reason with them, you struggle with them, you get frustrated with them, then you take them out some place, and someone reminds you what a miracle they are, and you fall in love with them all over again.

Sharleen was called onstage, and I started talking to Bobby about Alex Chiltern the Box Tops and Big Star singer who had recently passed away.  I knew he was a fan and he picked up the guitar and played me The Box Tops hit ‘Letter’ which was pretty cool.   I still haven’t got round to listening to Big Star properly.  Bobby said start with the third album.

I then joined the band on Keyboards for the Texas hit ‘I Don’t Wanna Lover’.  The place was really swinging around, the audience were loving it.

Then Mick called Bobby onstage and I began playing ‘What a swell Party This Is’… No fluffs!  The tricky bit out of the way, the rest of the night was a blast.

Jamie came back on with an electric guitar, along with Barrie Cadogan from Primal Scream. There were now four electric guitar players onstage, and we launched into a high-tempo ‘Rocks’.

Bobby and Mick then ripped through a version of The Trogg’s hit ‘Wild Thing’ and the place went off. 

It was pretty peaceful at the side there, playing keyboards, much less involved than being up front. I found it really relaxing, but it’s weird you look out into the audience and no one’s looking back at you.  I finally had some understanding why the rest of the band always ends up hating the lead singer!  But its tough up there man… and if you ask me it’s an easier ride at the back.

The night came to it’s finale, everyone got involved onstage, and Mick Jones lead the crowd singing ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go?’.  Even Kate Moss grabbed the mic and sung a few lines.

A grand night indeed.

Adam

Arrived back in London it was raining. The first thing I noticed was I had holes in my boots. (Why do I notice things like this in London and never in New York?). I was in Acton and I was early, navigating my way through the rain, with my guitar and bag of tricks… Stopped in a Moroccan bakery to kill a little time and had a mint tea… decided I’d make my way, try and find my destination and be one of the early ones.

I had a vague recollection of where I was going but as I approached the industrial centre I drew a blank. I went to ask in a nearby studio for a clue, and saw Sharleen Spiteri of Texas at the counter. I knew we were going to the same place so I said ‘Jones Productions?’ She said ‘Yeah!’ and we went off in search. ‘I’m Sharleen’ she said putting her hand out. ‘I’m Adam’ I replied and we made our way into the matrix of the Acton business centre.

Strange little place. a real labyrinth of moroccan bakeries, catering units, and rooms with bands thrashing away with loud guitars. Each one of these we’d pass, stop and put our ears to the door and say ‘do you think it’s this one?’ listen for a bit and go ‘naahh’,

I’d been here once before round the time Mick was producing Babyshambles, he said I should check it out as a rehearsal space, but for the life of me now I couldn’t retrace my steps.

I kept saying ‘You go up a bit, then a bit more, then you turn right, then you’re there’ but this wasn’t helping. Every time we followed my instructions we came to two padlocked doors with steel shutters and not a sign of life inside.

We peeped inside one of these bakery catering places and found a stout little man with a moustache and a chef hat! He’d have given his right hand to help us out.

‘Yes I know it!’ he said ‘it’s just around the corner!’ (but there were many corners and we’d tried each one) I think he was an Italian, a real stromboli. When Sharleen asked if he knew Mick? with a guitar? he waved his arms around like an excited little windmill ‘Yes I know guitar… Mick… yes! just around the corner! right, then left then zig-zag… I’m sure!’ But I wasn’t so sure. his instructions were more confused than mine. He followed after us bless him, he was persistent. at one point I thought he’d drop his rolling pin, run back inside, and fetch a map.

We begun dialing our phones but no one was picking up.

At a loss we made our way back into the rain. Sharleen recognised a chap in a blue blazer called Jamie, they seemed to know each other and when I saw he had a guitar I knew we had another ally.

He seemed to have a better idea and pointed to another Moroccan cafe with people smoking Hookah’s on a veranda. We went inside and found Mick’s missus Miranda, her friend Tiggy and Primal Screams Bobby Gillespie.

Kisses and hello’s and the troupe made it’s way round the back to the very same padlocks and steel shutters I’d found myself at earlier but this time they were open. I’d been right all along. Happy my intuitions were still intact we went in side. Being a good time keepers a noble quality but not always necessary in a musician.

Had a good one at The Free style life launch party last week. Played a short set around 9ish. Albert Hammond Jr was there his video for song ‘101′ was the featured video up on the screens. I met him briefly he stuck around for my set which was cool.

I told the story in my set, about flying in with Neil Armstrong and not being able to land… it got quite a few laughs, but when I was hanging out at the after party people were like… ‘Hey liked your story about the flight with Neil Armstrong’ and ‘I don’t care if this dude’s making it all up, he’s like Mr Smooth’. But I can assure you I never make anything up, besides the truth is always more bizarre than the untruth, that’s why they keep it from us. And double-besides I only wish Mr smooth had smoother landings.

I had a last drink in Peter Mcmanus cafe in Chelsea before I left for London, a place where I used to come on thanksgiving day when i knew no one in this town. They used to give me a free thanks giving day Turkey and all the works, from the buffet, now I know lots of people in this town.

I wondered about my return to London? It’s been a rocky start to the year but turbulence was always on the cards. Things came to an uncertain end with my management twenty-first artists at the end of last year. 2009 was a frustrating year that held a lot of promise and much more could have been made of it. Elton owns and is managed by the company, although he pretty much manages himself. Someone in the company pointed out I was the only artist among a large rooster who hadn’t opened a show for Elton and asked me why? Good question: it’s not that I hadn’t asked.

I thought all the people there were fabulous, I have no quarrel, I learnt much from being in their company… but a button that could of been pressed wasn’t pressed, it’s not the first time this has happened, and me and a growing number of people can’t understand why? Next time that button comes round, and it will, I’ll be the one to bloody press it!

Much of my attention in Jan and Feb was spent trying to keep up my rent in Hackney, but here I was a little too ambitious, and by March I was out. This trip to New York has been a blessing, but now the real fun begins as I return to London as Adam Masterson of ‘no fixed abode’. (What a highway of neglect!)… No a more charming way of putting it is I’m living in the unknown or sweeter still… I’m living in the true magic of life.

I’m fearless of what’s ahead, and excited!

I’m starting to collect a lot of unreleased material, I’ve lobed a bunch of it up on myspace for the time being, some records some demos, please stop by and have a listen… it’s out there for free, all I ask in return is you come out to my gigs, especially my ‘Gold Bug’ nights at The Boogaloo, which are also for free by the way. We’re running this thing on Love baby.

And love was what I got at the freestyle life launch party, thanks to everyone who came up with kind words to say. Thanks to Tommy Swanhaus for inviting me and having me over, and Anna Gabriel and Will Stern for letting me share a great bill. I met a gentleman and his wife who were very enthusiastic, I asked him what he did and he said he was a lawyer, I told him my visa needed to be renewed end of April he said ‘We’ll hook all that up, no problem, we’ll get you back in, we like you here.’

You may ask why I’m coming back to London, if things are so swell in New York? Because I’ve got a point to prove.

Thanks to everyone who came out to Lakeside Lounge last night and at such short notice! Lot of love in the room thank you.

Playing at the Roger Smith Hotel tonight 501 Lexington Ave, the main reason why I’m in town. It’s the launch party of the freestyle life.. a multi-media platform for music, art and film a place for artists to showcase.

Tonight they’ll be a photo exhibition by Will Stern which includes shots taken on the road with The Strokes. A preview of Anna Gabriel’s documentary ‘The Manin Project’ a story of a cambodian orphan’s quest for a better education and an eventual scholarship at Oxford university, and a performance from me. All happening around 7.30ish on the 2nd floor of the hotel.

Friends back in London i’ll be back Friday and headlining Saturday night at The Enterprise in Camden on the Chalk Farm Road for the ‘Curious Generation Presents Series’… I’m on after 10pm.

Hoping to catch the end of the parade in mid-town before my set… Happy St Paddy’s day!

Adam