Prince LIVES!

The Grammy Award winning Purple Rain singer recently revealed his plans to perform one-of-a-kind concerts in iconic music venues around the capital. What better way to do that, than in Lianne La Havas' flat, Croydon?

As unorthodox as he is, Prince did not announce the venues in a press conference, but just started his tour without any promotion, as guerrilla marketing makes a comeback a trend amongst A list entertainers.

Leaving work at 6pm, not deterred by the Tube strike, I snuck in behind the early birds at the doors of Electric Ballroom, Camden at waited for a mere 40 mins amongst fans that had been there since midday. Easy as pie and £10 later, I calmly walked through the door and RAN to the stage. Front row, but eventually shoved slightly stage left, it sunk in: I am actually going to see Prince perform LIVE! *internal scream*

  

His group, precision-built heavy rock band, 3RDEYEGIRL, introduced him with a funk melody and Prince bounced on to the stage, grabbed the mic and addressed the audience: "Let's get crazy London!"

With the venue holding a capacity of only 100 people, each person could see the curl in his 'fro, moisturised with unadulterated funk. 

His first performance of Let's Get Crazy set the tone of the intimate gig, not doing the well-known classics of the 80's and 90's but what was a treat for die-hard Prince fans. All of the new material is incredible and sounds as rich as any of the many life-punctuating tracks that led us here. In saying this, this was the perfect exposure for 3RDEYEGIRL. Armed with electric guitars and a three piece drum set, the ladies almost on their knees, they (almost!) manage to play Prince off the stage with virtuosity. Rockin' and literally rolling over the stage, this new creative relationship seems to be paying dividends for everyone, as every second of tonight’s set erupts and implodes perfectly. There were many moments when you could really hear the Hendrix influence come to the front in both the tone of the guitar and the way lead lines stretched into the ether.

Unfortunately, I was unable to take pictures, as security made it their life's aim to confiscate all recording devices and promptly remove anyone from the venue that dared breach. 

There are many reasons why Prince is a musical LEGEND, royal by name, he plays a surplus of instruments, performs in octaves the greats could only admire and his penmanship to craft timeless, life-changing music is second-to-none. To further emphasise this, he threw carelessly handed his guitar to an unsuspecting audience member while he went to rock the keys. Who does that?

In his two hour sets my favourites were: Something in the Water, Play That Funky Music, Housequake and I Would Die for You.

But, as I am fully aware, you have NOT lived until you have heard the man himself sing Purple Rain - and that he did!

My guess is that he'll play Ronnie Scott's, The 02 Brixton Academy, Roundhouse and maybe even Jazz Cafe?

Reign on!

The Bodyguard

The Bodyguard made an extravagant entrance on the Adelphi Theatre stage when I caught Beverley Knight and newcomer, Tristan Gemmill take the lead in the West End musical.

 


Bright lights sharply introduced the matinee  Queen of the Night, startling the audience into a state of awe as Beverley Knight began to showcase Thea Sharrock's rendition of the 1992 thriller romance film.|

Gemmill made a superb transition from screen to stage and proved himself in his strong-and-silent type role,“ I have the best job in the world,” says Tristan. "It’s an honour to stand there opposite her and just watch and listen.”  allowing Beverley to fully shine in the limelight.

The West End performance adapted the original storyline to develop and explore the main character's relationship with her family, especially her sister, Nicki, which accentuated Rachel's spoilt personality in a subtle manner, complimented by the use of dramatic levels and clever sophoclean irony.

Knight's voice was no surprise, crafted in the gospel choirs of Wolverhampton, with more than two decades experience of selling millions of records, it was almost as if her diaphragm was a blood relation to Houston herself; however, the issue remains that when you hear a Whitney song, you expecting Whitney riffs. Heather Headley was originally cast for the West End show and I wonder if she would have tackled it in the same way. Knight has a huge voice, astounding, in comparison to her small frame but at times I was disappointed that Whitney riffs were missed, but my gosh - can that woman belt! Her vocal performance was very polished and not a note out of place. I'm sure it would have been fantastic if there was a live band - Oh, I relish at the thought! 

Call me harsh critic, as this is may be reminiscent of my Thriller review, but the dancing... was not worthy.
In a performance, an audience member should be able to take a picture in mid-routine with each dancer captured in the exact same position as the next. Even from as far up as I was, there were dancers that were two beats behind and it hurt my eyes, not to mention my soul.

An impressive element of this production was the set design, props to Tim Hatley (symbol clash). The traverse-like settings for the club scenes and the cabin scenes in the beautifully crafted and detailed house were phenomenal. There was almost no design budget in sight - so it was most definitely a highlight for me! The stalker scenes were tasteful and dramatically effective. The artistic elements and use of strobe lighting with a mix of slow motion lighting heightened the tension perfectly.

Although i'm not a fan of American accents in West End shows, especially if it supposed to be a thick east coast accent that sounds like it's from New Orleans, but it the set really superseded all elements of dislike. Another highlight was the set of Knight's One Moment in Time performance! The use of lights that perfectly reflected off her carefully selected sequin lights was atmospheric! I sat in my upper circle seat and took in every single ounce of awesomeness that was there for me to be engulfed in. Then Knight got everyone on their feet for I Wanna Dance With Somebody, ready and in place for a well deserved standing ovation for the everyone involved.

Thriller Live...Dangerous For Your Eyes

Abba, Queen and Jersey Boys fade behind the curtain for the King of Pop to moonwalk into the West End stage spotlight...

...And falls flat.

As I took my seat in the Lyric Theatre, I was vastly underwhelmed by lack of brilliance I had paid to see. An hour beforehand, I prepared myself to see Michael Jackson's life in music, highlighted by the big achievements that carved him in to the Hall of Fame. However, the high-school-music-production masquerading as an award winning musical was a mere tribute by actors that were directed by a person that clearly was not enthused by Jackson's passion (which is really no surprise as Producer Adrian Grant was a simple a Jackson fan who started his career by staging tribute shows).

The show opens with a showcase form the Jackson 5 with a young Michael, backed by his brothers in a retro, 70's performance of all the classic hits including I Want You Back  and ABC, an opening that sets the tone of the show. Very "Ahh that's nice! *Smile*Prod-mum-nod*light round of applause."

What also cremated the show was the cheese-loving museum tour guide narrator that felt it necessary to chime in with countless reminders of how many units Dangerous sold in 1991 as though the five ft LED screen failed to catch our attention with the neon flashing figures. 

As a former professionally trained dancer, I take this expression of art seriously. Additionally as a human being, I take Michael Jackson impersonators to heart - I mean, it actually hurts, so the combination of the two for the most part was a catastrophe in a pair of metal taps. Although the technical choreography of the performances were satisfactory with Smooth Criminal being a highlight,  it was the lack of passion that outshone the big red title sign. The lack of life hanging on the edge of the arm and the unpointed toes and unstraight legs in the chorus of Beat It was abysmal and will make you personally want to get out your seat and show them how it's done.

However amongst the concrete if you look hard enough you will find roses, and it was the actors that bloomed through the production. The young Michael promises to be a rising star and female lead Samantha Johnson carried the show in her own right. Her mid alto and soprano rendition of The Way You Make Me Feel and I Just Cant Stop Loving You were attention grabbing and literally show saving.

It confirms that not everyone can do Michael Jackson, just leave him alone.

'Ye & Jay go H.A.M in the 02

Hip-hop heavyweights brought the heat to the 02 Arena with a 5 day date for Watch the Throne.

The first stint of their European tour saw an epic 2 hour+ experience blazing up London city. 

With no opening acts, their first performance introduced what they came to do. Rising from the ground on illuminated cubes either side of the Arena, Kanye West and Jay Z squared up with the audience 20 ft. in to the air. 

After the orchestral grand-opening, repeated bursts of flames and lasers filled the Arena and predators came onto the screen and welcomed you into the Jungle.

West and Jay Z both wore all black and 'Ye rocked a black cone studded T-shirt that gave me LIFE! I wanted that T-shirt! But what was not to be missed was their big ass chains that could be seen a mile off!

As I've said before, West is a real performer and he didn't disappoint - jumping around, arms waving off the stage - I was actually expecting him to fall of the stage and end up crowd surfing. 

Alone, and as a pair, they performed back catalogues, including All Falls Down, Big Pimpin', IZZO and Power. 'Ye's energy is unbeatable by far, but Jay Z's confidence was comfortable, nothing could stop the powerhouse.

"If this is your first concert, it's all downhill from here! Ha-ha" - West 

My favourite tracks performed were Who Gon' Stop Me, Otis, 99 Problems and all the Jackson interludes. I never knew how much Jay Z songs I knew, I felt Brooklyn-born schunn - I wanted to jump on stage and rap right next to them.

The show was unbelievable and they knew how to work the crowd, N****ga's in Paris reloaded 6 times and each time the audience got more and more hyped. The atmosphere was outstanding, the crowd were hysterical and the show was SOLD OUT. 

BEST HIP HOP CONCERT!

The ORIGINAL Ms. Hill

YES! I doubted Lauryn Hill's return and lived to sallow my pride and my words. I heard she was real dope. I avoided Twitter for most of the night as there were constant tweets from the Indig02.

I sat in my house kicking myself, wishing that I didn't wait til the last hour to get tickets, so I guess I didn't really doubt her!


Just to make me feel better... or even worse - the clips from the Indig02 14th April 2012, Lauryn Hill.

Sh*t, Damn, D'Angelo...

After his twelve year hititus, fans eagerly waited for his two night show at the Brixton 02 Academy. Ques stretched around the venue, starting behind people who had been outside in the minus temperatures from 1pm that day in order to get the top spot.

Even the most cynical of fans doubted he would come back reminiscent of the Voodoo guy we once knew, but the soul sensation who changed the game back in 1995 came with one thing to prove.


The stage was equipped with a full drum kit for Chris Dave, two backing vocalists, one multi-keyboard player, three guitarists, the lead one being Jesse Johnson of Prince and The Time, Pino Palladino and an additional one for the man himself.

Looking like Jimmy Hendrix from where I was sitting, which was FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR, he was on the stage with some uncombed hair, leather jacket (which he did take off to reveal those rather firm biceps) and these... these baggy, trouser/pant combustion which was just beyond me!


Before he got on stage the crowd were sweating with anticipation, giving a stand ovation five minutes before he even got to the stage. And after that first note.... sighs and cheers of relief to hear that D'Angelo's still got it!  Some women,  people may have set their visual standards too high expecting him to come out with his shirt off and make the "gained weight" gossips eat their words (pun intended), but he's not 21 any more!
But he is the talented, multi-instrumental singer/songwriter that we remember. He still has the Barry baritones and the Prince falsettos and opened the show with his new music.


Now, this was not the concert of D'Angelo: Live at the Jazz Cafe album I was hoping for, but this was D'Angelo revamping himself and being a aggressor of the blues/funk era. With his iconic band member firmly planted in that genre and being blossomed from Minneapolis they FUNKED UP the venue! They had people dancing, not one seat was sat on for the first hour of his performance and for his cover of Parliement's I've Been Watching You.


What he did, and his talent was immense to say the least, BUT... he was tooo self indulgent. In trying exhort all the funk and the Prince-like elements of his music, he didnt give the audience what they wanted enough, with many leaving before his unoriginal version of Brown Sugar!!! YOU CARRRRNT DO THAT! One of his most iconic tunes, you have do a version that equates the tone of the original- at least at the beginning, especially as it was the finale show, causing many leave dissapointed without staying for the encore. 

If he incorporated his signature sound with his specialised band, I'm sure it would have been more than welcomed to experiment with the arrangements and be a side of Prince with an undertone of Rick James if that's what he wants to be these days. But as it's so rare for people to see him, he needs to remind them with a just a few tastes of why they bought the tickets playing things a bit like they were, especially if he wants to bond with a fan base for any new music coming. 


In saying that, his 15 minute keyboard solo set was stunning. Almost worth it in itself. But you heard the reaction to the way too short snippet of How Does It Feel...the roof lifted off!!! And with only a verse and a half of Crusin', can you imagine if he did just that one song with the full band...the crowd would have gone home happy securing his legend status and he could have played rock funk for the rest of the set. Instead many didn't get what they came for.


Personally, I thought it was a tad selfish to pull a whole concert like that when you take so long to do a concert. If you went to for the soul, i hope you had a seated ticket. But if funk is your thing, make sure you get one of those tickets at the door for tonight! 

Grammy Award Winning Legends: Boyz II Men

Saturday 28th January saw the record breaking, most successful R&B group of all time grace the stage of the Brixton Carling Academy, Brixton.
Fans of all ages and all nationalities qued around the block, down the road and along the back roads to get the best unreserved seat for their one night performance.
Recognisably quoted as the Most Successful musical group of the 1990's by Billboard, Boyz II Men opened the show in true 90's style: black trousers, white shirts, waistcoats and black ties with nothing but a mic and a chair each.

As much as I love Boyz II Men, I was disappointed at the lack of production for their gig. There were no instruments, no on stage production, no live band :( Just singing to a backing track.
In saying that, this is Boyz II Men, the group to have the longest number one of 14 weeks on the US Bilboard Charts, so they have their voices to compensate.
The crowd didn't mind AT ALL, with Shawn Stockman as their "spokesman" for the night, Boyz II Men were able to connect with audience show their appreciation, even though the crowd's roar were too loud for the group to hear the music through their ear mics. With that being said, I can see how that would have caused a problem for the mediocre cats in the industry today, but they encouraged the jungle of cheers and continued to harmonise perfectly.

Best known for their soulful ballads and a cappella harmonies, romance filled the air as they performed ground breaking classics such as, I'll Make Love To You, On Bended Knee, Doing Just Fine, Four Seasons of Loneliness, End of The Road  and covering Take That's Back For Good pitch perfect. They also tributed their signing namesake Motown and showcased songs from their 2007 album Hitsville USA, covering the Four Tops I'll Be There/Reach Out and Barrett Strong's Money (That's What I Want). 


Boyz II Men delighted the crowd, explaining the release of their new album, signifying "20" years in the business, performing new tracks and handing out long steamed roses to the audience before running(man)  into I Can't Let Her Go and my favourite Motownphilly. 


With every seat and isle of the Brixton Academy packed with loyal fans, each person left grudgingly left with satisfaction and some even left with personalized gifts from them....

Coldplay at the 02

Yellow chart toppers Coldplay absolutely sold out the 02 Arena this weekend.
The arena saw almost 20,000 fans gather to watch the seven-time Grammy award winning alternative rock band perform worldwide hits including Viva La Vida, Paradise, The Scientist and my personal favourite When I Ruled  The World.
The thing that impressed me most about this concert, was the stage production and the band's energy. 
The set was amazingly vibrant was portrayed the theme of their current album Mylo Xyloto. Bright flashing lights infused with colour made the artwork backdrop the most creative sets I have ever seen!

For every song, the production element stole the moment - there was always something new to look at! Giant brightly coloured balloons descended from the rafters bouncing among the audience, plumes rose from the ground shooting confetti into the air, laser beams, band played on a satellite stage, the lighting rig swayed and shifted, video screens flickered. And then there were those wristbands:
Each person was given a wristband as they entered the concert. I thought it was a free souvenir, however, at the touch of a button by the tech guys, each wristband flashed to the rhythm of the song that was playing! Imagine- at any given moment in the dark arena 20,000 multi-coloured lights flash at the beginning of your favourite track! 

Ahh - I love it!
I think that set the group off, because lead singer Chris Martin was drenched with sweat and fell on stage- and who could blame him? He ran up and down from stage to stage, the band moved on a giant X at the centre of the arena where they played the new gem Up In Flames, the classic Don’t Panic and the touchy Us Against The World, down with his face to the keyboard and finally a smash of a guitar! You know how long i've been waiting to see that at a live concert! 
What was also quite impressive, although it may be down to my shameful lack of knowledge of the band, is that the other members of the group can also sing and were commendably applauded by the fans!

The festival-like atmosphere that filled the 02 made this the concert of the year!

Miguel at Forum, Kentish Town

Last week saw the welcoming of LA rising star Miguel to London’s HMV’s Forum, Kentish Town.
Although Miguel was signed to Jive Records in 2007, his debut album was only released in November 2010, only to be prompted by J Cole’s single All I Want is You.
A year later, he headlines his own gig, supported by the UK’s own CleoSol and Bluey Robinson.I’ve been a fan of CleoSol since her days of performing at iLuvLive, so now it’s great to see her really coming into her own. I really loved the way she saluted Jill Scott’s presence by opening her set to “The Way”, which really complimented her soulful jazz sound. Even though she soared through Free My Mind, it’s a shame her band out-noised her. She definitely increased her fan base that night, but it was apparent that

Bluey Robinson had a much stronger fan-base. Surprisingly, this is the first time I’ve managed to catch Bluey Robinson and I got a warm welcome as he open up with an acoustic version of Luther Vandross’ Never Too Much.

With just him and his guitar man, he also covered Craig David’s Fill Me In and Frank Ocean’s We All Try before performing his own track Show Girl. I love this dude; his sound reminded me of Justin Timberlake at his peak. Understandably, all the girls loved him.

The girls were on absolute heat at this concert as Miguel entered the stage in a grey fitted suit and approached his red-lit mic stand. His energy is very Monae-like! Although his dance moves are questionable (thank God, he’s stagnant in his videos), it is clear to see that he is inspired by Prince and made sure that it was evident in the musical arrangement of his band and his stage production. Although he puts on a great show, this may be the first time I’ve seen a show that does not give stage time to the band, or even have backing vocalists! I was disappointed by this as is this is usually the highlight of a show for me, but admittedly his energy and connection with the crowd pleased his audience – not forgetting his female fans, who were clearly aroused by his various display of “talents” that even Trey Songz would have been shocked at. But evidently, his biggest track Sure Thing is now big enough of a song to carry without having a great display of vocals.

Ready to Indulge with G.R.E.Ed.S

I've only seen this guy a couple times, but he is certified of living Outside the Blog.
Presenting Ready, a reflection of the work he has crafted within the London poetry scene.
Support the poet and storyteller on his one-man journey through internal fantasies and external realities, the album ‘Volume In Silence’ combines honest, detailed storytelling.

Support on the night - Joel Culpepper & Kal Lavelle

Hosts on the night - Critically acclaimed poets, Dean Atta & Deanna Rodger

Date - 3rd December 2011 @ 7pm

Venue - Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, 2-4 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU (seet here!)

Price - £10, or email: Natalie@purple-hill.co.uk

Be sure to check out a favourite of mine at the event too, Alim Kamara with his Griot Collection merchandise.

He Couldn't Hear Me Over the Music: Eric Roberson

10 year veteran, Grammy-nominated Eric Roberson graced the Indig02 to reunite once again with his loyal fans.
Arguably named as the God-father of Neo Soul, Eric Roberson has consistently produced quality music, ensuring that his fans are never disappointed.
As no stranger to the scene, being a writer and vocalist for Musiq Soulchild, Jill Scott and Dwele he was anxious to ignite the stage with his one-night shown at the 02's sister venue, coinciding the release of his 8th album Mister Nice Guy.
Starting promptly at 9pm, he opened the show, looking sharp in his suit with Newness and immediately got the crowd excited, filling in for Phonte.
He also performed his impressive back catalogue including Been In Love, Dealing, She and my favourite from him thus far, Howard Girls.

I was more than impressed with his innovative 70's, go-go and OutKast sets! He rocked out with his band, and actually tried to dance (looking like someone's dad... #sustained).
But, he really enjoyed performing to his loyal fan, taking the time to connect with the audience, and signing autographs after the show. He proved his excellence once more by doing a freestyle and nailing the damn thing by taking random words from the audience.
Me and my girl @ri_starc5 enjoyed the hell out of ourselves, no way we were gonna miss this!


"saltfish", "expalidoscious", "toothpaste", "octopus" & "breastmilk"

ERRO, I SALUTE YOU!

More Music, Less Noise

More Music, Less Noise presented a brilliant night with full of eclectic live talent, complete with an in-house band and after party.

My girl Emma (@officialmusicjunkie) and I love seeking new talent - it's in our blood, and embedded in our  career.
Last night we went to More Music, Less Noise, which was one of the best events i've been to in a long time!
Situated at Adam's St Members Bar, it was the perfect location for a sleek event with a very relaxed vibe.
Unbeknownst to me, I ended up talking with the host of the event, Alim Kamara. Alim is also an hip hop artist from the UK. What attracted me to him was his merchandising.
I tend to be drawn to all sorts of creativity, but I have never been handed a bottle of Poetry!
A bottle!
Sorry, I was intrigued by that!
Anyways, performance-wise, i was very impressed with the set from AKS. He gave a very strong performance and his stage presence was eccentric. The house band complimented his sound and gave an accented soul to his set which very much emphasised the vibe of the night.
I also managed to catch my one of my favourite singers of the moment, Nadine Charles,who I discovered at the Glenn Lewis gig  and always makes her performance seem so effortless.

All acts were able to encompass the vibe of the event by providing an acoustic sound that the audience enjoyed.
I personally have never been at a party where Common and Talib Kweli is played in the same mix as old skool funky house, but Less Is More Music made it work, and made it work very well!

Definitely a must-go to event!

This event was brought to you by Less Is More Music, primary organisers and promoters of More Music Less Noise.
For more information  on upcoming events, please visit the OnIt! website

Glenn Lewis is Back for More!

That's right peeps! The Canadian soulstar is back after 10 years of being off the scene!
Last year, I was able to meet him for my birthday (seet here!), and promised me he would be back with some promising material.

Set in Toronto, his new song, Good One

One Day It'll All Make Sense, The story of an uncommon life

"What story does a kid from the south side of Chicago have to tell?"

Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr aka Common, (aka, one of the most beautiful men on Earth, aka, my husband.. yes, that's right!) will be releasing his memoirs, to be in shops this week!

The highly respected (and well groomed) rapper/actor will now add 'author' to his title as his first book gets published by Atria Bookas.
The autobiography explores his upbringing  in Chicago as well as the relationships closest to him.

Interestingly, the contextually aware artist  begins each chapter with a letter to those important people whom have made a print in his life. Thankfully, it also delves into the critically acclaimed performance at the White House, his experiences within social politics and his romantic relationships (bet she's ringing down Tyrone's phone now!).

"I’ve written this book, so that I can show myself as a man in full. That means telling some tough truths, revealing my faults and vulnerabilities. But it also means showing the true strength of my character"

I hope this letter finds you in the place where you are

".willing and ready to progress in your life. I hope this book not only entertains you but also helps you grow in a spirit of openness. I write to you wishing, praying, and sending the best love to you. This is my story, the story of an uncommon life.

Love,

Common

The Younger Brothers, The Trailer

In the Spring, I blogged the upcoming Angie Lemar theatre adaptation, the Younger Brothers.(seet here!)
The cast have been hard at work and now have produced the trailer for the new series.
The Younger Brothers is an adaptation of the successful play written by Angie Lemar. Since it's days of being a radio drama, it has gone on to be the fastest selling show at the Hackney Empire within a 10 year stretch.

This adaptation starts Aaron Fontaine, Elysha Mylton and Travis Jay - Take a likkul look!

Debbie Aramide

--BEGINS---

Introducing Debbie Aramide: A fresh faced singer/songwriter from North London, determined to make her stamp in the UK’s music scene.

From the age of six she has been crafting her talent, attending theatre school, trained by Tameka Epsom and has become a regular performer at Somerset House, now as 22 year old law graduate, she has performed at LoveBox Festival, opening for artists such as US chart sensation Aloe Blacc and Dionne Bromfield for over 3000 people.

Running From Fear (Live) by Debbie Aramide

“Trying to balance being a law student and a performer is very difficult, if I’m not in the exam room, I’m in the studio. My passion is always knocking on the door, I’m writing constantly, singing along the road, whenever it comes to me, it comes.”

As a critically acclaimed upcoming artist after the recognition of her self-produced mixtape Breaking Point (2009), Debbie is now preparing to promote her new EP, The Tide. Being influenced by Toni Braxton, Beyonce and Coldplay, Debbie describes her sound as being indie meets soul.

“This EP definitely shows my growth, not just as a person, but as an artist. My first self produced song had more of a pop, soulful house beat; the material on The Tide is an influx of new energy, that’s elements of a soulful/indie vibe. There’s more thought into the lyrics now, a definitely more mature sound from my previous work.”

The Tide is available in Autumn 2011.

--END--

For more information
Reverb nation http://www.reverbnation.com/debbiearamide
Twitter www.twitter.com/DebbieAramide
Facebook www.facebook.com/DebbieAramide
YouTube www.youtube.com/DebbieAramideTV
SoundCloud http://soundcloud.com/debbie-aramide
MySpace www.myspace.com/deboraharamide

[Note to editors: Debbie Aramide is available for performances and interviews. Contact msdebbiearamide@googlemail.com]

Ola Delights (All of the Lights)

“I don’t care if you’re offended, you’ll still find it funny!"

Various jobs allow me to make great friendships with a lot of talented people.
One being Ola the Comedian, that I first met at the Choice FM Comedy Club who ended up following me home, or because, as he says, he also lives in the same area... *side eye. Coincidently, four years later, I’m able to walk around the corner and say hi, congratulate him on becoming a fiancé and intrude on his wedding ideas! So to me, he’s just Ola, I don’t know Ola the Comedian to well, so I just had to ask...


What makes you Ola the Comedian and not just a comedian?

Good question, wow! I’m just me. I don’t wanna be ill conceived, you know me! But I’ve learnt that you have to be yourself! You could try to be someone else, but you’re always gonna be beaten doing that. No one can be you, but you!
You have to make your material stand out. Some people may think my material may come across smarter than other comedians that they’ve seen, but it depends on the individual; it depends how lively you wanna be, how controversial that you want to be, the key is finding your own unique setting.

So when did you find your own setting and thought, ‘I can do this, not as a hobby, but as a living?’
I had been doing stand up comedy for about a year; at that point, everything was going wrong for me. I failed a year at LSE, I didn’t get any of the internships that I applied for, I tried to get into investment banking and all I got from the employers is that I didn’t give them the impression that it was the field I had passion for. And they were right. What I wanted to do, is the thing I’m doing now. The final push the thought was on my 21^st birthday when I had a show, and thought, this is just a small element of what I want to do. 

 So now you’re a signed, agent- represented comedian, what’s the difference?

You can’t get gassed up on being signed, but it’s great being managed by a company established in the comedy scene that sees your talent and has as much passion as you do, and also, they’re much the wiser – they have the knowledge from working with various, and bigger clients to get me in regular, nationwide sets, whereas in stand-up comedy, you’re doing the same stages for a long time catering to the same people.

So now you’re aspiring to be more mainstream, how would you say it’s different, with regards to the way they receive your material?
Mainstream crowds are more open, they don’t like the same topics being joked about, they want to hear something different – they seem to know more about comedy. It seems that they are more about the content of comedy whether it be politics or current affairs , rather than how loud you can make the crowd roar.

The content of your comedy is acclaimed to be quite controversial, has it ever been more of an issue than what how you first thought it would be?
Not really, I always have an idea about a crowd to try and figure out how the audience may react to certain things. As a stand-up you read the crowd. But I still say it, knowing that this could be the joke that potentially ends the show for me, or the joke that looses them! I do it with the thought that they’re not going to like it or someone will be offended, so if they love it, it’s even better. So now, I don’t care, and I’ve found that when you don’t care, they find it even funnier!

Go on...

I did my joke on my views of homosexuality, based on my Christian beliefs. As it was a joke, there was some ‘funny’ in there, but kit was way too much hassle for what it was worth, because it wasn’t productive, but it was a hot topic issue, not to be taken lightly because it’s easy to be labelled as a homophobic, and that’s nothing I care to associate myself with.

When you writing, do you isolate yourself, or let it come naturally?
Normally it’s natural, but there have been a few instances of a stroke of genius when I have sat and put my head down. They may be two different points from two different days, but I can build on the potential from that.I may find something hilarious, whereas someone else thinks otherwise; it’s all about perspective and potential. Like when I saw a dude on the tube with a pint glass, which may be normal to some, but in my head I’m thinking ‘it’s 7.30pm, how much of an alcoholic are you to have your own glass on your way out?’, and I ran on that.



So you have an agent, do shows nationwide and abroad, have a DVD, what’s next?
More shows across Europe and establish myself as a headliner, rather than an opening act and maybe do more TV, more sketch writing, perhaps some comedy writing.

More TV...?
 I did the FHM talent competition on ITV4 ‘Search for a stand up hero, in which I came third and also on Kojo’s Comedy Fun House on MTV Base, and also The Jason Lewis Experience.
I haven’t done any formalised writing but have written with Jason Lewis, which is more of me giving ideas. I met him while working together in retail and learnt that we both had a passion for comedy and therefore was able to bounce ideas and views off each other – it was a meeting of the minds and he asked me to jump on board.

Any one else you’d like to work with? Top two?
Dave Chapelle and Steven Colberg

Favourite film?
Coming to America, without a doubt.  The comedy element is great, it’s timeless, and it’s a film that shows Africa in a good light. Eddie Murphy is my favourite actor. And Soul Gro its self is iconic! You know it! Everyone’s sung the song!
But why Coming to America?
Are you genuinely questioning my love for Coming to America? From the first scene where he’s in the bathroom, getting cleaned?? That right there is iconic! SEXUAL CHOCOLATE!
So if you had a once in a lifetime chance of remaking, or even changing the film in the slightest, what would you change?
Ah man.... I couldn’t! It’s art! I wouldn’t touch it! It would be almost disrespectful – it’s timeless!