Mojo: indie rock reporter

LIVE!

NUDE!

GIRLS!

I'm surrounded by an adult bookstore, a "Thai Massage" parlour that I'm almost certain specializes in more than just back rubs, scantily-clad women standing in doorways to places with names like "Twilight" and "Night Cap", and more neon signs than I've ever seen in my entire life.  I've been in Soho for about 11 seconds and I'm about to receive my first proposition.

"Yo mon, whatchu need?  I got it,"

"No, thanks I'm fine,"

"C'mon I gots it all, make you a gud deel,"

"Sorry, I'm working."

This isn't a lie just to get out of a drug deal with a toothless man.  I'm actually here to write a review for a band.  Soho isn't only a playground for illicit activity, it is also a haven for the arts.  For 200 years Soho was the center of the sex industry in London but in the 1980's a massive transformation began and although adult entertainment still thrives here, it is also home to many live music venues and theatres.  It's interesting how the two worlds coexist.  Just down the street from "Agent Provacateur" is The Apollo, where a stage version of the film Rain Man is about to premiere starring Josh Hartnett in the role of Charlie Babbit.

A woman is standing in front of the big Rain Man posters on the theatre walls.  She seems overcome with excitement and starts to ask every passerby if they can help her identify the handsome famous guy on the poster.  Clearly, she has failed to see the big, bold, blue letters spelling out J-O-S-H H-A-R-T-N-E-T-T at the top of the advertisement.  Apparently, everyone else has too, because no one is able to help her unmask the Hollywood heartthrob.  I tap her on the shoulder and suggest, "I believe that's Josh Hartnett,".  She is ecstatic!  She grabs my arms and starts jumping up and down screaming, "I knew it!  Ohhhhhh Josh Hartnett!", as if I were him and she was a 14 year old subscriber to Tiger Beat magazine.

****

I enter Madame Jojo's, the music hall where Coppers for Karma is performing tonight.  With me is an old friend named Nicholas Sandwich.  Nick and I were friends in high school but haven't seen each other in about 5 years.  He's been living in London for about a year now working as an architect.  Tomorrow, he is switching careers and becoming a bicycle messenger, but that's another story...

Madame Jojo's is a beauty.  It resembles an old burlesque house but has modern charm and character.  I take a seat with my 7-dollar bottle of Stella Artois and pull out my notepad.  Two young ladies approach the table for four Nick and I are seated at and ask if the other two seats are taken.  Nick offers them the chairs and they immediately take note of my note taking.  

"What are you writing?" asks the girl who, I later find out, is named Olga.

"I'm writing a review of the show tonight," I answer.

"Do you work for a magazine or something?"

"Actually, the band asked me to do it."  This is true, but I've made it sound like I'm a star reporter here at the request of the group.

"Really?  Can you introduce me to the band?!" Olga requests, excitedly.

"Yeah, absolutely," I say, although I've only met the bass player Andy, and just briefly before he took the stage.  She doesn't need to know that.

As promised by lead singer Richard when he first took the microphone, Coppers for Karma rocked our socks off.  They played some really cool Sublime-esque ska/funk music that kept the crowd bouncing all night.  I was really impressed by not only their musicianship, but also their showmanship; these guys know how to entertain.  Check them out at www.coppersforkarma.com

After the show, Richard and Andy, along with their drummer Wojciech, came out to visit with the crowd.  Since I am a man of my word, I introduced Olga to the boys and talked to some of the other fans about the band.  I had a really nice conversation with a girl from France who complimented me on my French speaking skills (although I think she may have just been being polite).  Just as I was checking the time to make sure I wouldn't miss the last train home, Andy threw his arm around my neck and said, "Mate, you're coming to the after party back at our flat, yeah?"  

****

It's 7am.  I haven't slept yet.  There are bodies everywhere.

It was a true rock n' roll party.  Beers, shots, drugs, nudity, livestock... Ok, so maybe I didn't actually see any farm animals, but I also didn't go into all the rooms.  

When Nick and I arrived at the party, there were people everywhere.  Drinks were being poured, joints were being rolled and Rich was just getting out the guitar.  They played a few of their own hits at the request of some female partygoers and also performed a lot of covers.  We had just seen these guys rock out in front of a sold out crowd, and now we were sitting in a circle in their living room as they performed acoustically with stunning harmonies.  It was like being at our own personal MTV Unplugged session.  On a few occasions Nick and I just looked at each other, amazed at where we had found ourselves tonight.  We sang and we talked, we talked and we sang.  I met people from Australia, America, Canada and all over the United Kingdom.  I doubled the amount of telephone numbers stored in my mobile phone in one night.  Since I've been in the UK I've been reconnecting with old friends from my year with Disney.  Tonight, I finally feel like I've made some new friends.

As morning drew near, there were only a handful of us still conscious.  Rich decided to improvise a song to commemorate the night.  An amazing, rock and roll night.