The Gang's All Here! : Day 3 [Part 8]

London Day 3

Wednesday. The plan was to get up and try to do something, anything before band rehearsal at 6:30pm. Well that was not in the cards. Tuesday was such a long day and we were just beat. Jeff and I kept saying we were going to get a move on and it just never happened. Well the only move we made was back to the phone store to top up my cell phone, which I was beginning to see was going to cost me a grip by the end of the trip, and to Sainsbury’s the local supermarket to buy some food so that we wouldn't eat out all the time.

Note: I really love that the supermarket is called Sainsbury’s. There is something about that name that makes the food seem royal. LOL!

I have to tell you that I really love food shopping in London. I think I mentioned this last time I was there, but the food is just so much better. There isn’t one thing on the shelf with high fructose corn syrup in it. The things that the supermarkets here call “organic” and charge us more money for are just standard fare over there. Folks just because something doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup in it, doesn’t mean it’s organic. Know that!

Sainsbury’s also has a great bakery department. As we were looking over the breads and figuring out what to buy I couldn’t help but comment to Jeff on how fresh the bread was and the many varieties. One of the women who worked there jumped right in to tell me that their oven had been down for a while and people in the neighborhood were really upset that they couldn’t get their Sainsbury’s bread and were waiting basically with baited breath to get their hands on a loaf as soon as the oven was up and running. She said it made her feel good to know that they were appreciated. There was a gleam in her eye of pride. That moment reminded me that sometimes all you need to give people is a Thank You and it will make their whole day.

We left the supermarket and headed back to the house to make some late lunch. Sometime during the day I got a call or text from LyricL asking if I would like her to pick up some snacks for the band for rehearsal. Well that sounded great! Cool. She also reminded me to reach out to everyone to make sure that they were clear about where rehearsal was and the time. If LyricL wasn’t such a masterful emcee, she would make an amazing tour manager.

Let me back up a little bit and tell you about this band I put together with the help of the Creator before we get into rehearsal details. Truly they were a band of angles. I have to take you back to NY for you to understand a bit better the process of pulling this whole thing together.

When I decided that I would take the plunge and go to London after Paris I was fully prepared to go alone as I stated in the first blog. Jeff soon told me that he was on board to come from New York. Okay cool. So now I just needed to figure out the rest of the of the band in London. I decided that I would only do one full band show because that’s all I could afford and really I couldn’t afford that, but I kept moving forward. As for what I wanted to do in London, the main focus was to be able to perform the “blaK Girls” remix live because I would be there with LyricL who is the emcee on the track. So if nothing else I needed at least two horns to make it sound like something since the remix is afrobeat.

I reached out to LyricL about folks to play in the band and she hit me with a bunch of names. I already had a drummer, Tim, who played with me when I went to London the first time. That is my man, hundred-grand for real. He was on board already. So I needed bass, maybe another guitar, and two horns. After talking to a few people, LyricL’s bassist John came on board. I reached out to one guitarist, but he couldn’t make the date and his price was way out of budget. John said his roommate Alam played sax so he would ask him to get on board. LyricL also told me to reach out to her friend Scott who plays trumpet to see if he would be down. I got in touch, he was free and he was down. Cool! Okay so we had John (bass), Jeff (guitar), Tim (drums), Alam (sax), Scott (trumpet) LyricL (emcee) and me. Cool! I have to add that all these folks said they would do the show for a split of the door! Blessings.

Now I’m thinking I’m all good. I have the band together and I’m about to move forward. Then I get three more emails. The first is from my friend Yillis who is in school in New Castle, UK. She informs me that her and my girl (and hers) Hannabiell, who is also in school in New Castle, are going to come down to London to see my show while I’m in town. Great! I was so excited about that because since they started going to school out there I don’t get to see them much. Funny thing is that I was so excited at the thought of just seeing them that it took a day or two before it clicked that I should ask Hannabiell to play with me on my shows.

Hannabiell is a trombone and percussion player. I met her about 3 or 4 years ago through my girl Hanifah. Hanifah tapped Hannabiell to play with her at Michfest when she had her band Hanfiah Walidah & the Fuckin’ Ladies. Hannabiell is a master drummer and a killer trombonist. So I reached out to her about playing the Thursday gig at the Mau Mau Bar and the Friday gig at Native Tongue and she was down!

The next email came from LyricL who put me in touch with her percussionist Tuca. Tuca is an incredible drummer/percussionist from Brazil who now lives in London. LyricL let Tuca hear my music and she was down as well!

Finally I got an email from Scott (trumpet) who told me that he is really good friends with another sax player named Max. He had asked Max if he wanted to play and Max said he would be down! Wow!

Now the band has 4 horns, percussion, drums, bass, guitar, and emcee and me on vocals. LyricL was also helping me out with some of the backgrounds. Amazing! I was truly blessed. Now back to Wednesday.

I was still having a hard time getting used to just how long it was taking us to get to our destinations in London. So I would think I was giving myself enough time and I was always late. That day was no exception. I also think that Jeff and I were so tired that it was hard to walk out of the house sometimes because it was so cozy.

Earlier in the day I asked John if I could play his bass at rehearsal and he agreed so I didn’t have to carry mine that day, which was a plus because my girl is heavy. Soon we were off on another train journey.

If I’m remembering correctly Jeff and I walked to Kent House station to take the train to Victoria. When we got to Victoria we took that line Oxford Circus. Then we switched for the Central Line toward Ealing Broadway to North Acton. We were rehearsing at Survival Studios and really that studio looked like it was doing all it could to survive. HA!

Sign at the Survival Studios front desk. It seems that amphibians can get break in London

We got off the train and we were late. So I called LyricL to express my apologies and to let the folks know who were there that I was close by. Survival Studios is bare bones to say the least. I really wanted to rehearsal at the other spot called Panic Music that was at the same stop, but the other way down the road, but I waited too long and they were booked. In the end though, rehearsal space is rehearsal space, it was in the budget and I know how to make it do what it do. It’s really about being in the same room. All the rest is gravy. I was thankful.

When I got to the spot Tuca, John and LyricL were there. I knew Tim would be a little late, but we could work the rhythm section with Jeff, John and Tuca until he arrived. We were about to get things started when Tim arrived a little early.  Hannabiell got to studio really early and was waiting for us,  but she was directly to a pub to chill until we arrived.  I told the horns not to come until 7 or 7:30 so she early, but by the time she got back she was right on time.

Tuca, Jeff & Tim

We jumped into rehearsal and little by little the horns started to arrive. First Hannabiell, then Alam then Max and Scott. By the time we all got in the room it was really sounding great. The horns were making up lines on the spot along with things that had already been charted out.

Video Clip of "blaK Girls" remix in Rehearsal

I felt really comfortable with everyone and had complete confidence in them from the moment we started playing. We only had one day to rehearse before we hit the stage the next day at the Mau Mau Bar, but I knew it would be great. I tell you, if we’d had two day to rehearse, they would have had to call the fire department to the club because as it was the show was FIRE!

Video Clip of "Give It To Me" in Rehearsal

John, Alam, Scott, Max & Hannabiell

By the time rehearsal was over I felt really good about what was ahead. So we closed up shop, I paid for rehearsal and got ready for the long haul back to Anerley. Before I could even start really contemplating that journey Jeff and I needed to eat. Max suggested that we go up to the bar/restaurant where he has a gig that looks out over the Thames river. Now that sounded good! It also turned out that Max lives in Crystal Palace, which is right next to Anerley so he said he would drive us home. Wow! [Angel #10]. So Jeff, Hannabiell and I piled into Max’s car and we headed to the spot. LyricL had to do something so she said she would take the Tube and meet us there.

We made out way out of North Acton and headed toward central London. We drove through Piccadilly Circus, by Westminster Abbey and Big Ben over Thames and headed toward where we were going to pick up LyricL once she got off the Tube. We beat her there so Max just drove us around for a bit pointing out the sights. It was a beautiful clear night.

When LyricL got off the train we couldn’t quite figure out where she was. So she thought it would be better for her to just walk to the spot and meet us there. Okay. So we drove over to the area where the restaurant was, found a parking spot and headed up. I immediately knew we were going to a somewhat fancy spot because there were a few cars with divers sitting outside. Okay boys, we’re going in. LOL!

The spot was called the OXO restaurant as it was the OXO building. Yes that is the same OXO that makes kitchen utensils at Crate & Barrel, Bed, Bath & Beyond and various other spots. The company is based in London. We took the elevator up to the restaurant and it was very beautiful. Since Max plays there he knew everyone and that was cool. They gave us a nice table in the bar area and then Jeff, LyricL and I went on the terrace to check out the view. It was just beautiful. We were right next to the London Eye, which lights up everything in that area. It was amazing to see London from that vantage point. Jeff and I were going to order a dish to split, but Max said he could take us someplace a little less expensive when we left. So we just ordered drinks and talked New World Order with our Parisian waiter. It seemed like he was waiting all day for us. Meaning he had a lot get off his chest and clearly the more conservative usual clientele was not trying to hear it from him. LOL!

The after rehearsal hang

In the end our long chat with the waiter paid off. He only charged us for 2 or maybe 3 of the 5 drinks we ordered and he let us take all the Harvey Nichols chocolates we stuff in our pockets! Ha! Chocolate is always the best way to end an evening.

Before we left the spot I headed to the ladies room. The bathroom was off the hook in that spot. I wish I had taken a photo of that. On my way back to the table I noticed the posters lining the hallway wall. There was a great one of James Brown Live at the Apollo. To me that was a subtle nod to Paris and made me smile. Almost like James was giving the thumbs up to my London trip.

A little throw back to my days in Paris

We headed out, back past the car and drivers to Max’s ride. We all piled in just long enough to drop LyricL at the Tube so she could get back to her place since she was going in a totally opposite direction than the rest of us.

Hannabiell was staying in Peckham, which was on the way south so Max said he would drop her off too. Before getting there we stopped at a kebab spot to get some late night eats and then headed home in earnest. We dropped Hannabiell and headed one more time to Anerley. Max graciously dropped us off at the house and bid us farewell. Another great night in London down. Tomorrow is the big show!

NOTE:  There are more videos of the rehearsals in London, but they are just too small and grainy to post through the blogger. So if you want to check them out just go to my YouTube Channel. There is a fill clip of the Rufus cover "I'm a Woman (I'm a Backbone)" and more goodies. Enjoy!