Hello to all my fellow North Londoner’s!

Janelle Monae will be performing at Alexandra Palace on December 3rd with Vampire Weekend!

It seems like Miss Monae can’t stay away from London, having already performed a sold out show this year and gearing for another sold out gig in September at KoKo – she’s back for a third time – this time on a bigger scale. While I can’t say I’m the biggest Vampire Weekend fan, their Contra album was pretty special – undeniably so. But I guess for me, it’s obviously more about seeing Janelle Monae at this historic and beauitful venue. And again, it’s in Norf. Bonus.

Tickets are on sale now via seetickets for £22.50. Go get em’ before they (inevitably) sell out.

Shouts to Danny for the heads up.

If you missed Janelle Monae while she was in London last month, don’t worry – she’s coming back!  According to gigsandtours.com, this time she’ll be headlining KOKO (one of my favourite venues in the city) in Camden Town on September 8th. This will, without doubt, be a very special night. Tickets go on sale on August 30th – make sure you buy  yours FAST because if her last gig was anything to go buy – these will sell out QUICK TIME!

PinBoard will undoubtedly be in the house for this one.

Previous: PinBoard Exclusive: Janelle Monae Interview

Shouts to MisterAnd

He’s been in London for a minute now but hasn’t done a headline show. Well, come August 10th – that’s all set to change. Jay Electronica will be headlining his own show at London’s Cargo next month. Tickets are on sale now for £20 (which is a bit steep in my opinion, considering he hasn’t even got an album out) and will most likely sell out quite quickly – so cop them now.

See you there.

P.s WE NEED AN ALBUM ALREADY!!!

Shouts to James

New Zealand was well and truly in the house last night as Electric Wire Hustle took to the stage at Deviation.

The ambience EWH brought was something quite special, captured perfectly by the crowd in attendance and aesthetics of the venue. Performing tracks such as ‘Waters’,  ‘Perception’ & ‘Again’ off their debut album, they displayed their musicianship in all it’s glory; From Mara’s smooth, yet haunting vocals, Taay’s funk on keyboards and Myele’s impeccable drumming – it’s safe to say: we were all captivated. Their sound truly comes alive on a stage and I have to credit Deviation’s trademark sound system once again for capturing it so brilliantly.

These three guys, who are three of the nicest guys, have such a clear and distinct chemistry between them – it really is ‘electric’ (and believe me, such a pun is not taken lightly). Their love for music is abundantly apparent – clearly inspired by a variety of different musical genres, they bring their sound together so well that it’s almost certainly unique to them.

I could ramble on for hours as to why and how these guys are so great – but I won’t. Instead I will simply implore each and every person reading this review to, if you haven’t already, discover the world of Electric Wire Hustle. I bet you £50* you won’t find a better nu-soul-hip-hop-funk-electro album around. Trust me.

Oh and I have to biggup Joy Orbison who took to the decks just after EWH – dropping ol’ skool garage tunes like it was nothing. My goodness. I wasn’t expecting to rave that ‘aaard. We didn’t get to stay til’ the end of his set but the 45 minutes we heard – Joy Orbison = the future.

Shouts once again to Benji B, Judah, Zainab, Alice & the whole team for another great night. Deviation Part 2 with Bilal & Fatima next week at Fabric. It’s on. Enter to win tickets for that show here!

Stay tuned for something special from Electric Wire Hustle right here on PinBoard soon.

Photography courtesy of Danny Wood

Love Soul music? You’ll love this…

PinBoard is giving away TWO pairs of tickets to see Soul sensation YahZarah & UK songstress Terri Walker live in London on July 1st.

YahZarah (Foreign Exchange), who just released her stunning album The Ballad of Purple St. James will be performing in London Town for the very first time, along side UK Soul veteran Terri Walker who is currently readying her new album on Roc-A-Fella records. This show is going to be something quite special, something you really won’t want to miss and something you probably won’t see again any time soon.

All you need to do to be in with a chance to win is email competition@pinboardblog.com, with the subject title ‘YahZarah & Terri Walker Competition’ with your name, number and full postal address.

The show is in London, so please only enter if you can be at the gig on July 1st at Vibe Bar.

Competition ends Tuesday 29th June – Winners will be contacted via email.

P.s Next week we have a competition for the Hip Hop heads. Hol’ tight.

Written by Tosin Adeniji

Entering the Rhythm Factory just after sunset last Thursday, it was clear there was an anticipation for the long awaited Remedy Night. As old friends and twitter friends mingled and got chatting, it felt like a family was reunited. The pressure was on but as expected the Remedy team delivered and then some.

Kicking off with soulful charmer Wilson with his powerhouse vocals, he immediately captured the crowd. His Anthony Hamilton-esque sound got the mood going and his ode to his mother was nothing less than sweet. Yep, he got the ladies with that one!

Beginner in the game, Sharika Medla really held her own and is a great addition to the Remedy family. I am sure we are going to see more of her on the scene soon.

The multi talented, multi shocking, word smith Dean Atta, pushed the crowd with edgy lyrics. The cool beat of the band backing him also gave his spoken words that something extra, providing a few gasps and laughs throughout.

Paving the way for the giant that is XO Man. One of my personal favourites of the night, got everyone jumping and on their feet. His punchy lyrics and crispness of the beat made it almost feel like the middle of a festival, rather than late at night in the heart of East London.

Remedy veteran, Kaana Ellie ripped the stage and gave us that power we so love. Totally under rated in my opinion but any doubters left in the venue, she definitely won them over last night. Her performance of ‘Traffic’ live, turns most to convert straightaway.

Lastly, the man of the moment, Ed Sheeran took to the stage for the first (and possibly last time) with a live band. After years of riding solo with a loop pedal in hand, who better to take to the stage with, than The Remedies. Seeing Ed Sheeran perform before, I was apprehensive as to how he would deliver with a band. Any queries were crushed. The band added to the magic and reworked with reggae drum beats and saxophone additions, taking the well loved tracks to new heights. His heartwarming cover executed with such conviction and soul once again assured me this guy is going far and quickly. Highlight of the night was the free for all (literally) for MCs in the crowd to add their verse to a 20 minute long version of his underground hit ‘You Need Me’. The night ended in the same family vibe we began the night with, as Ed jumped off the stage, sang his last piece with no mic, no band, in the middle of the crowd.

The night was left with just the music and us.

Watch:

PinBoard Presents: Remedy Rehearsal Rooms w/ Kaana Ellie

PinBoard Presents: Remedy Rehearsal Rooms w/ Ed Sheeran

Note: Tosin (our newest contributor) wrote this review last weekend, I messed up and only just now posted it. My bad.

Click images to view larger

Tonight (Nov 16th), what seemed like the entire British music industry descended onto Brixton to attend Rihanna’s one-off ‘secret’ gig. The Brixton Academy was packed out with lucky fans who won (or hustled) tickets and VIP’s (you know how we roll) – it was an entirely free concert.

While not a lengthy affair, Rihanna did her damn thing. She looked incredible and performed new material off her latest album Rated R. Opening with the album’s intro “Madhouse”, she went straight into “Wait Is Ova”, and then into “Russian Roulette”. Surrounded by mannequins and broken TV’s, the pop stars comeback was in full swing.

Young Jeezy joined Rihanna on stage while she performed “Hard” – that track is too serious. Yeezy’s appearance definitely pleased the crowd (I have dope footage, but no access to it at the moment. Will do in the AM I hope!). Ri-Ri also delved into her back catalogue singing “Take A Bow” (which now, has a whole different meaning), “Disturbia” and “Please Don’t Stop the Music”.

Hova then rolled up on stage for a performance of his number 1 collaborative hit “Run This Town”. I don’t need to tell you what happened in the crowd. Ha. It was crazy. It was a moment. (Again, I have crazy footage, but not til’ the AM).  After that it was time for the final song which of course was…”Umbrella”. Jay took care of the opening bars and then left the stage for Rihanna to end the evening.

Having not been a fan of hers up and until now, I have to say I was impressed. Don’t get me wrong, Rihanna is not the best singer, nor is she the best dancer or performer. BUT what she is, is a (pop) star. She works whatever she has and works it well. Her fashion, her edginess, her…Swagger (for lack of a better word) is so on point. You can’t knock that. I’ve said it time and time again, the best thing that Rihanna could have done is: Get Angry.

Many people complained that the show was too short. That it was lacklustre. That the sound was rubbish (which truesay, could have been a lot better, but I always find that venue has crap sound). I say: stop moaning, it was a FREE gig!

I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. It was great seeing so many friendly faces, catching up with those I haven’t seen in a minute. And breaking bread (Nando’s of course) with the extended crew/family.

Peace, Love & Rihanna

Speeakz

More pictures after the jump…

You know where you need to be November 9th, right? Do the right thing people, do the right thing!

Peace, Love & Souls of Mischief

Speeakz

Deviation are killlllllllllin’ it at the moment. This time, Sa-Ra along with the normal Deviation crew turn our bog standard Wednesday’s into something rather special.

You know where I’ll be.

Peace, Love & Deviation

Speeakz

Jay-Z took over Camden Town last night.

Blueprint 3 flags and billboards, dominated the Camden skyline – even the Roundhouse was decorated with the 3 stripes. To have a ticket was to have gold dust in your mitts. Peoples lined the street in hopes of scooping a last minute ticket (I was offered cash-money for my ticket in Nando’s). And the hustlers were shotting tickets like they were ‘music’s number 1 supplier’.

What was great was that people were genuinely excited to be involved and to have the chance to see Hova in such an ‘intimate’ setting.

One thing I noticed, even before the gig started, was the crowd. Put it down to Glastonbury, or the fact Rihanna & KanYe West are two of the world’s biggest Pop stars (and that they’re all over each others tracks), but, last night, the place was filled with people I doubt own Reasonable Doubt, Blueprint 1 or 2 or any Jigga back catalogue before The Black Album. And that’s cool, I’m not an elitist, but when drunk folk start grinding and lip locking in front of me – something’s up. Anyways, I digress…

10 minutes before Jay stepped on stage, a countdown timer appeared on the huge screen. Waiting 10 minutes, and watching 10 minutes pass are two very different things. It felt like the longest time…but as promised, once the time hit 00:00 – the beat dropped and Jigga burst onto the stage performing “D.O.A (Death of Auto-tune)”. To say the crowd were hyped would be an understatement. The Roundhouse sound system is most certainly well equipped for this type of gig and Jay’s beats echoed through the venue and pulsated through us.

Without pause, Jay dropped hit after hit, like his life was depending on it. “99 Problems”, “Heart of the City”, “Big Pimpin’”, “Hard Knock Life”, “Dirt Off Your Shoulders” – the list goes on. The classics kept coming, demonstrating just how many hits this man has had and how long he’s sat – comfortably – at the top.

But if I’m being real, I wanted to hear more Blueprint 3 material. “Run This Town” was played, which was cool, but having seen him perform this with KanYe and Rihanna stateside so many times, it didn’t have the impact it should have. The fact is, the song is dope, but due in part to the other two collaborators.

Hov then went in on “Empire State of Mind” – again, without his collaborator Alicia Keys. This on the other hand, sounded epic. Undeniably, as one of the stand-out tracks on the new album, “Empire State of Mind” is a new Jay-Z classic. Fact.

…That was it as far as new material goes. No “Venus Vs Mars”, no “Hate”, no “Thank You”, “Star is Born” or “Off That”. Understandable but a little disappointing none the less. The album only dropped in the UK three days before the show; therefore I assume he didn’t want a silent audience who didn’t know any of the tunes .  Yo, Hov – the album leaked 2 weeks ago.. I was on those lyrics!!

Don’t get me wrong, watching Jay-Z perform classic material is always a good look. Even on a bad day, Hova is undoubtedly superior to most rappers around today. Not only musically, but also in terms of sheer stage presence.  Jay-Z is a rare Hip Hop artist who can actually work a stage. His energy and demeanour while performing is second to none.

Artist. Brand. Icon. Three words synonymous with Mr Shawn Carter. 

Peace, Love & Jay-Z

Speeakz

This review comes courtesy of Barclaycard who kindly hooked me up with a VIP ticket.  So props to them and be sure to check out www.barclaycardunwind.com to find out about access to reserved tickets, one-off exclusive gigs, VIP treatment and ticket competitions etc – and to make sure they keep hooking PBB up with free tickets and ish – lol!

Last week we dropped part 1, now enjoy part 2!

We continue our open interview with Marsha Ambrosius who gave us her most frank interview yet. This second segment (make sure you’ve seen part 1 first!) focuses on mixtape releases, the 5 producers picked for her forthcoming solo LP, self-assertion, womanhood, the future and her relationship with the late Michael Jackson & the hours after he passed.

Our interview also includes exclusive live footage from her July gig at the Jazz Cafe in London, including a tear jerking rendition of “Butterflies” and a song Marsha wrote for Michael but never got to record called “Cry”.

Peace, Love & Marsha Ambrosius

Speeakz

Note: I have to say, a biiiiiiiig thank you to Marsha for being so cool and forthcoming. And a MASSIVE shout out to my crew – you guys surpassed yourselves with this feature. I’m extremely proud of this.

Disclaimer: Apologies for the background noise – as the Q&A was taking place the crew were taking down the stage. This was all so very last minute, we had no time to prepare. Best watched using external (computer) speakers.

Last week we had the pleasure of attending Erykah Badu’s gig in Paris, which was, to say the least, très fantastique! After the show we were invited backstage for an intimate Q&A with the lady herself. Watch our exclusive footage of her discussing various topics ranging from her inspirations, Hip Hop, the Internet, Michael Jackson & much more…

She is a God.

Peace, Love & Erykah Badu

Speeakz

P.s Check our review of Badu’s Paris gig, plus some exclusive images of the Q&A

3 days ago, while in Paris, PinBoard had the distinct pleasure of meeting one of the most innovative and exciting artists around today. Erykah Badu’s style, creativity, vision and movement is unparalleled. And so, to have had the opportunity to not only see her live in Paris, but also to meet her, speak with her and gain insight into who she really is, as a person – was truly an honour.

I’ve seen Erykah Badu live many times, but her show in Paris topped them all. The location, the vibe, the excitement and her performance made it a truly special gig. One I won’t be forgetting in a hurry. Performing a vast selection of new and old material, spanning all her albums, Badu with all her might, sang “On & On”, “Didn’t Cha Know”, “Healer”, “Soldier”, “Orange Moon”, “Other side of the Game” & “Me”, ending perfectly with “The Light” and…”A Milli”. And shouts to all our Parisian readers out there: ya’ll sure know how to get down! The energy was palpable.

But it’s the randomness of all of this which still feels quite surreal. From discovering that day Erykah was playing Paris; to finding out that the only tickets left were €60 (a large chunk of our 4 day budget); deciding we’d try an alternative route i.e. the hookup; Sending a couple emails around; hearing back from a contact in Dallas, Texas informing us that we not only had tickets but also backstage passes; finding the venue (a minute outside of the centre of Paris); to realising that ‘backstage’ really meant an intimate Q&A with the lady herself! Er, surreal to say the least! Completely unprepared, we frusiouly tried to remain cool, calm and collected. After all, we were repping London hard that night! Haha!

We got a few solid questions in, recorded most of the session. The footage is dope, and the pictures we have are incredible. I’m planning to roll of all of this out, along side our Sean Paul interview and Marsha Ambrosius (video) interview in the coming week or so.

Trust me, you’re gonna love, love, love, love, love it!

Peace, Love & Erykah Badu

Speeakz & Crew

Shouts to Carla & Mike

Yesterday/Lastnight (Sunday 5th July) was insane.

Jumping between Hyde Park/Wireless and Camden/Jazz Cafe was, er, interesting to say the least.

Wireless of course was off the chain for all types of reasons which I will go into on another post (coming soon), but Jazz Cafe and more specifically Marsha Ambrosius was stupendous.

I’ve waited a long, long, long time to catch this lady sing live. Never got a chance to see her during the Floetry days and while they were dope as a group, it was always Marsha’s voice that got me locked in. Her vocals are like no one else’s, soon as you hear it, you know it’s her. Soulful, yet so Hip Hop.

So yea, arrived at the Jazz Cafe for about 10pm, listened to a couple of UKSOULJAM‘s warm up acts and waited for the headliner to arrive. Once she did the audience was 100% locked in. A mass of people who knew lyric-by-lyric, adlib-by-adlib, all  eager to see this home grown star return to the London stage. Lord knows it’s been too long!

She came on and opened with “Co-Star” off her insanely dope (cannotstoplisteningto) “Yours Truly” mixtape. A great way to start the evening, it’s one of the illest cuts off that tape. While the set was only short (about an hour) she covered a lot of ground and did the tunes everyone wanted to hear. As soon as she sang ‘baby’  from “Getting Late” – that was it. The crowd erupted into a shattering sonic scream, literally blowing Marsha back. She continued to perform one of her most stunningly beautiful tracks, in the most…Stunningly beautiful way. Her voice, I will say over and over, is mind blowing. She then went into “Say Yes”.  Ha, you can only imagine the reaction of the soul-hungry crowd, right? Yup, everyone went mental [again]. She loved it, she knew it was the song everyone was waiting on. Easily one of Floetry’s best (and biggest) tracks – written of course, by Marsha. A sultry, sexy, meaningful and deep song that everyone soul fan references. She sang is perfectly.

Aside from “Say Yes”, the track I think we all, unanimously wanted to see her perform, was “Butterflies”. Marsha famously wrote the song for Michael Jackson which subsequently ended up on his Invincible album. Easily one of the stand out tracks on that record (outside of “Rock My World”). It was evident she was going to perform the song in light of MJ’s passing, and we were all anxiously waiting for an emotional rendition of it. But before she sang that song, just as she sat on her piano, she spoke briefly about the King of Pop saying “I worked with that man, spent time with that man, I spent time with his kids – I cannot believe he’s gone”. Visiably upset, it was clear that Ambrosius had been deeply affected by his sudden and untimely passing. She continued saying “before I sing ["Butterflies"], I’d like to perform a song we were working on, but never got to finish”. Wow, I mean, you can imagine what that was like. I for one felt incredibly privileged. I don’t remember what the song was called, but we do have footage of it (coming soon), but she sang and played with so much passion – the Jazz Cafe grew silent. No backing vocalists, no band – just her and her piano. It was a moment. After a roar of applause, she began to play “Butterflies” – most probably the most emotionally charged part of the evening. As an MJ fan, a Marsha fan and a fan of that song – it was phenomenal.

“Butterflies” signified the end of her set, sadly. I really could have done with another hour of her on stage – an hour wasn’t enough. She has tons of material and could have quite easily performed for the rest of the night, but that’s just me acting spoilt. I was happy I got to witness her music live, something, as I mentioned, I’ve been waiting for for a long time now.

I just hope she returns again soon!

PinBoard had the pleasure of interviewing Marsha Ambrosius just before her gig. We got some real exciting stuff coming, including some exclusive, exclusive material from the lady herself. The interview will be up soon. Watch out for that.

Peace, Love & Marsha Ambrosius

Speeakz

Shouts to UKSOULJAM, Keep the Faith, Paul Aaron & Marsha Ambrosius

UKSOULJAM brings you a UK Exclusive as MARSHA AMBROSIUS of Floetry headlines her first UK gig in a few years & also her first UK gig since Floetry split. For the first time in the UK Marsha will perform material from her eagerly awaited solo album which features collabs & production work from some of the finest names in Neo Soul & Credible Hip Hop.\

Avid Floetry & Marsha fans will be aware that Marsha knew, worked & recorded with MJ writing his hit “Butterflies” (originally a Floetry song). Marsha will perform a special version of “Butterflies” on this July 5th show.

You can buy tickets HERE or on the door. Price: £8 advance, £10 on the door. £13 for upstairs restaurant table spaces.

You know how much a fan of Marsha Ambrosius I am, so ya know I’m gonna be there.

Peace, Love & Marsha Ambrosius

Speeakz

Shouts to Paul