Kings and Queens

Last Wednesday I went to see Jamie T (and the Pacemakers) play at The Academy. Those who know me well know that I've loved Jamie T since my friend Niall dragged me to see him in the grotty room that is Whelans back in 2006, about a year before his debut album Panic Prevention was even released. The next time I saw him was in The Village, where I bummed a cigarette from the guitarist afterwards and we got chatting to the great man himself and his band, and they were sweethearts. At that stage, Jamie was a skinny baby-faced white boy in a polo shirt kicking up a fuss with his cockney accent and odd acoustic bass guitar/rap sound. I saw them play again at Oxegen in '07 when there were literally thousands of people packed into the tent, and I felt really proud like I actually knew them...which is kind of sad, right? Three years and a new album (Kings and Queens) later, Jamie is still a skinny white boy but he's definitely grown up. He slid around the beer soaked stage in his skinny jeans, flicking he quif out his eyes and rocking his new bigger sound, and the crowd were loving it. He's more rough around the edges, but the combination of boy-next-door and london hardcore is charming as ever.

I was really enjoying the gig (standing at the corner of the stage by myself, with my friend the security guard who protected me from drunken youths) but it was when Jamie played 'Emily's Heart' that I was reminded why I love him. It's totally different than anything I'd heard from him before but its very Jamie all the same: gritty but lovely.


Bruised and bloodied, I'm lying on the ground,

And I am aware I let the poor girl down,

Now I'm dying as a message to the town,

This is what happens if you fuck around,

So meddle if you want trouble, trouble then you should meddle,

But don't ever meddle with Emily's heart...

She said I'm a user and she's a loser with a gun,

I said if you choose to it becomes hard to include anyone.

So if I stay, put it away, or should I run?

She said Jay I think you know the answer to your question.


A very sad thing that happened this week is the death of Alexander McQueen. He was a seriously talented designer and I love his work.

I think its safe to say that despite his death at such a young age, McQueen has definitely left his permanent mark on the way we view fashion. Just look at the amazing spacehooves. Who knew those two words could ever be combined to describe something so cool looking? Thank you Alexander McQueen, and R.I.P.

Ok, thats enough Jamie T love and McQueen saddness for now. Hope everyone has a nice weekend and a not-awful Valentines Day.

:)