By Wills Morgan
Karin F. and Andy Mitchell on strings: 'the dave' on djembe. This is the look of an authentic experiment evening
Jan 6, 2010. It is mid-winter. It's Bleak. And after a two week hiatus, the ISLAND EXPERIMENT is back.
My name is WILLS MORGAN. I am a writer who sings... as well as a singer who writes. I'll be writing about the mid-week phenomenon known as the ISLAND EXPERIMENT. If you are just about to join me, here are a few explanatory paragraphs:
For well over a year now the ISLAND EXPERIMENT sonic collective have been entertaining in the wilds of Kensal Green with songs and rhymes beyond compare. The atmosphere is legendary, and the vibes unique.
It's an acoustic night where the crowd dances, where rappers blend seamlessly with old folkies and stars are being born as if it's the big bang!
Jan 6, 2010. It is mid-winter. It's Bleak. And after a two week hiatus, the ISLAND EXPERIMENT is back.
The regular crew literally break a leg to get to the location: College Road. Annie (one of our featured female vocalists) didn't let a little damage to her lower back stop her from being where she needed to be. Her reward was an opportunity to do two numbers as opposed to her usual one. Her cover of Winehouse's YOU KNOW I'M NO GOOD was well worth waiting for.
Annie's set was one of twelve that made it to the EXPERIMENT bill during the night. As it turned out... songs from WADE BAYLISS began and ended the show (for those who are still catching up, Wade is the originator and facilitator of the EXPERIMENT).
Some where after the middle was my good self; I played my trance mash-up of PSYCHO KILLER and DON'T YOU WANT ME followed by a slower take on Out Kast's HEY YA! that gets the ladies to move. All good fun.
Annie and pals getting down on a regular night
The major talking point was this: which new act would open the new year (if not the new decade)? Here's who: OLLY and JOE are two young bohemians. One is light-haired. One is not. One wears a dark hat with feathers in it. One does not. Both of them sing and play guitars. The effect is mesmerising. Only one thing they lacked: and that was a name for their band.
I suggested that the name could be THE CROSS CURRENTS. They seemed to like this, so I said I wouldn't charge for the advice. They said 'thank you' and left quickly before I could charge them for anything. Lucky them.
THE CROSS CURRENTS were followed by a beautiful, cool and funky set by MARK FEATHERS. Three sets featured MATT who is the house saxophonist. LAURA and ROX were featured female vocalists (KARIN F had her own gig in snowy SW5: we missed ya!).
Phil on guitar, Matt on sax, Simeon on guitar, Ben Thomas Brown on the box and Wills Morgan on the chicken shakers.
Featured guitarists were CHRIS (who played for Laura), ORSON (who played an extended set including a cover of A CHANGE IS GONNA COME - blinding!) and the WONDERFUL WIG who opened with my favourite song throughout 2009 - SOMETHING IN MY BLOOD.
When SANDY gets to the gig, you know that the dancing is about to be done. And so it was. Every thing was set up for the urban groove thing. First up was the LONDON SOUND...slowly followed by I-MAN.
I-Man doing what he does naturally alongside Wade Bayliss
The BAR-BAR-BAR shakes with the BOOM-BOOM-BOOM. The rappers have everybody in the palm of their hands...naturally, they are rather reluctant to leave the stage. But it is rather late. And the plugs are un-plugged.
All that's left is the latest innovation; the acoustic farewell. Wade does this so well that nobody wants him to stop. But stop we must.
It's not my job to write about the after-show doings. All I will say is this...we don't need to broadcast what's going on, even if it is as legendary as the on-going, mid-week extravaganza known as...the ISLAND EXPERIMENT.
You can join us every Wednesday night from 8 of the clock onwards. When we stop doing our thing (one has to think of the neighbours) the bar goes on to midnite. There's also food available...good food.
You can find us on Myspace and Facebook. But be sure you don't go to the bar near Lancaster Gate tube. That's the wrong ISLAND, and we're not there. But we are at the HUB in York Way, Kings X on the 29th of Jan for a special winter outing. Just like those guys on Top Gear...but with music, and no cars.
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