Call Your Dentist!

                    Fudge and the Frequency

Planet Radio Video Launch - Borderline W1

24th January 2014

Finally the day had come!

My newly found 'sweet tooth' for Fudge was going to be satisfied. Fudge and the Frequency that is.....MUCH sweeter and funkier than any edible sweet treat I've had before, you will need to call your dentist! >  http://fudgeandthefrequency.com/home/ 

They hit my ears on 27th Nov 2013 at 3.15am (very precise huh, but I will never forget)
The band excites me.....really excites me. Go and see them if you can...Hear me now!!

It was like a 'BAM' effect, instantly wanted more, jumped around, sang, danced & generally got funky & felt alive...really a l i v e ...

Arriving on a cold,  rainy & very windy night The Borderline was a welcome sight. http://mamacolive.com/theborderline/

It was buzzing. The atmosphere was cool & chilled yet lively at the same time. Yep, that IS possible!

Eyes were towards the stage as we heard a great chap called Johnny Lucas. http://www.johnnylucas.co.uk/johnny_lucas/Home.html

His interaction with the crowd was fun & his performance was vibrant & really got the crowd going with his multi musical talents jumping from one instrument to another, his lyrics varying from amusing to ones with further depth. He looked like he enjoyed himself & the crowd certainly loved him.
The anticipation that built up for the arrival of Fudge & the Frequency was electric!  More and more people arrived, it was packed. People were happy & excitedly chanting 'Fudge! Fudge! Fudge!'....
I go to many gigs and I had not experienced this level of excitement for an act for a long time....it was almost a spine tingly moment....

Then the lights went down......the packed venue hushed with the odd person randomly yelling 'Fuuudge!'...myself included.
A huge screen started to show the new Planet Radio Video.....wow-not like any 'video' I had seen. http://youtu.be/HUCjpo7N_Yg
The sounded boomed and rumbled out in a good way, like in the cinema when they used to do the Rank Screen advertising thing, that deep bass quality that goes through you & gave my belly an excited surge...

The crowd went crazy when (Mister) Fudge came up on the screen! Whooping and cheering and further chants....the video was entertaining and the song PLANET RADIO is a vibrant mix of funk, soul,  jazz, a whole fusion including many instruments. The musical arrangement, the lyrics, the effects all put together allows the talents to show through. ...to shine through.. & yes I did feel 'plugged in to Planet Radio' :)
The video stops.....Fudge & the band  BLAST onto the stage!

By this point I have already cheered so much I am losing my voice....again.
(Mister) Fudge stands there in his shimmering jacket & shades & tells us he too is losing his voice. He was concerned about his performance because of this.
Well let me tell you he was amazing!
 If he can hit notes like that when he is losing his voice, I am almost exploding with excitement at hearing him again when his voice is fully there. I can't believe it could be more enigmatic if he tried.
Where his voice might not have been as strong as he would have liked he and the band made up for it with an enigmatic, energy fueled performance. Beyond funky! To the planets and back...
The sharp moves pulled on the 8 beat, reminding me of MJ and the effect it has.
The backing vocalists looked cool & stylish but also seemed to be enjoying themselves & sounded great.

The whole band were funking & getting deep into the vibes. The guitarist took his moment, gave it his all...the bass was deep n delicious,

keyboards, trumpet, drummer the whole lot just up there jamming... fantastic...just bloomin' Fudgetastic!
People were dancing, really dancing, arms were in the air, others jumping and groovin', no-one could really stand still, even the people at the tables were up on their feet.
There seems to be some musical genius going on here, that's the only way I can put it.
Then I was at the front....my favorite track (so far) 'Footprints on the Moon' started...I couldn't hide my happiness, I sorted of sang along & was proper loving it...my body was funkin' out!

(Mister)Fudges voice was hurting and he handed me the mic to sing a line......oh boy......over excited & a rough throat myself, I proceeded to... erm...'shout' into the mic! Oh nooo!! Not my best performance, trust me...(I can actually sing a bit & def give a good performance in front of the mirror at home!haha)....however, despite it not being my finest hour I enjoyed it, loved it in fact, glad Fudge could see how much I enjoy the music they create.
The crowd was made up of long time supporters who have been there from the beginning of the journey and also new supporters looking for good fresh music. By the end of the tracks everyone was singing back the lyrics.

Fudge showed his appreciation to the crowd, he was thankful for all the support. It was quite touching actually. It felt warm and heart felt. 

When the set ended everyone still wanted more...the best way to leave a crowd is leave them wanting more.....and I do, I do want more! 

Again I say it....***There seems to be some musical genius going on here***....

I feel I will be firmly planting my footprints on many moons and plugging into many planets with these guys......CHECK THEM OUT!! 

They WILL give you a sugar rush & you will gain a sweet tooth .....***Call your dentist - NOW!*** ;)  *********************************************************************************

Lets not forget all the peeps behind the scenes putting things up and taking them down & sound checks etc...it takes a whole team.

We moved on through the rain to Apartment 58 http://apartment58.com/ for the After Party where fun was had & even more people lost their voices but (Mister)Fudge gained some Bespoke Bamboo Colin Leslie Eyewear ;) http://www.colinleslieeyewear.co.uk/   

'Sounds Familiar'

'"Sounds familiar" - We've all said it many times before.
Often when we can't quite recall a name or a face, we find ourselves saying "ohh that sounds familiar but I'm not quite sure why!"
This is one of those times. One of the times I have worked out WHY it sounded so familiar.....

'Sounds Familiar'

2011 - So there I was after a gig just chilling and chatting in the Wisemans flat in Ladbroke Grove, London.

Although we were chatting I was listening more than usually do as I was in company that I see as wise. 

It was a nice vibe after a soul lifting gig.

The chap on the sax was particularly good and kind of 'caught my heart'. It felt comfortable to listen to, easy to watch as he closed his eyes and played from his soul. It was so smooth & warm, almost like having a blanket wrapped around me.

It was fuzzy, warm & familiar....

The 'his name sounds familiar line' came up a lot over a few weeks. I knew one day I would work it out, I always do, however it was already beginning to grate on the nerves of one of my pals. 

So I left it until this night, kept trying to put it to the back of my head. I hoped it would fall into place in my mind one day but I had to let it go.....

Then this chat took place.....

*Wiseman - "Ah yes....the guy on the sax? You mean Ray Carless..." 

*Me - "hhmmm that name 'sounds familiar'....not sure why but almost as famliar as his sound. Heard him a few times now & can't work out if I know the name from networking in music or from actually hearing him before somewhere at other gigs.....hmmm" 

Wiseman starts to inform me about Ray Carless, his musical past etc. It was facinating and calming to hear. Then the Wiseman starts to mention some bands/groups that Ray Carless has played with in the past...

Names roll off his tongue & suddenly I stop him...

*Me - "Woah! Hold up a sec! Did you say Bhundu Boys..like as in THE Bhundu Boys?!"

*Wiseman - (slowly) I did

*Me - (now slightly over excited) "ooh...that doesn't just 'sound familiar...that IS familiar!" 

Wiseman raises a slighlty surprised looking eyebrow..and again s l o w l y says ... "r e a l l y ?"

*Me - "ya hey, reallllly! I think you might just have put my mind to rest about something."

I then tried to be cool & not be over excited (I'm not good at hiding it!). I regained my calm, finished the lovely mint tea I was kindly given & I trotted off home.

I couldn't wait to get home. I went straight to my box of LP's, yep the good old vinyl records.

Flicking through, record to record, I knew what I was looking for. 

I felt confident it was still there. I don't delve into the box too much.

Then THERE it was! My Bhundu Boys - True Jit album. Played so many times yet in immaculate condition. I got it in 1988 or '89.

Bhundu Boys - True Jit

Obviously I was just pleased to still have it in my collection. I looked at the cover...nope, can't see Ray....then I turn it over...yep.... I turned it over and this what it said in clear black and white...*RAY CARLESS -Saxophone*.....

So there it was! The reason the name was so familiar & it felt comforting & familiar was because I had actually been listening to him without realising it for years! 

Yes I was happy, yes I got over excited and yes, again I remembered to trust my gut reactions, because when I say something 'sounds familiar'....I'm not just saying it, I know that with time I will remember it...trust me I will!

***I have met Ray and he is a humble & talented man. He was also part of my inspiration to re-embrace my love for the clarinet & I have started to play again***

FOKN Frustrations & Operations

             FOKN Frustration, Operations n Complications             

I'm frustrated, so bloomin' fokn frustrated! 

Yes, I am happy to be alive and thankful & grateful for every day however I am sooo frustrated & on the edge of being vexed.

Today it is the fact that it does not look like I will be able to go to the London screening of Coz ov Moni 2 this week. Link for details > https://www.picturehouses.co.uk/film/Film_Africa_Uk_Premiere_Coz_Ov_Moni_Ii_Fokn_Revenge_Q_A/

I should be there, I would like to be there, yet it  is unlikely I will be there. THAT is why I am frustrated.

The blog I did in September will help you understand my frustrations. > http://ramblesfromarainbow.blogspot.co.uk/2013_09_01_archive.html 

When the blog was shared there were a few people who were 'non-believers' of the story. That is okay, I was expecting that. 

Then there were others who said I only wrote it to promote the fact that Mensa had a show in London that week. I also expected that.

Someone said I didn't turn up to Mensa show as I was scared after sharing my blog!! haha..I expected that too....

Another person was saddened by the fact that I mentioned SOME people from Ghana say nothing good comes from their country..they then did NOT share my blog but copied it & put it in their own blog, possibly thinking that I would not see this and the comments that followed. . . but I did.....cos I expected that...

There was a comment that said "FOKN Fairytale"...haha I LOVED that cos it made me laugh......

Anyway....THEN I got ready to go to the Mensa show. 

Special ecg electrodes & pads attached to my chest. Special as they have extra stick cos at the last show I danced & got so hot that I sweated them off!! (Yep, always a good night of music whenever an event is organised by Focus Organization https://www.facebook.com/pages/Focus-Organization/224250857613337?ref=tn_tnmn  ) So these ones I got especially for the occasion so they would stay stuck on!

I was boosted by the fact that his shows are like medicine to my soul.

I walked to the tube station, with a semi bounce in my step, Wanlovs 'foot' in my pocket (another story), a bracelet for Y & a letter. I tried to ignore that I felt a bit odd.

I was on my own as my mate T had a family crisis to deal with and could not attend at the last minute.

As I approached the ticket barrier it blurred, everything went to a dead sound in my ears, all energy suddenly sapped, I felt the pause, the loooong pause in my heartbeat...the sweat instantly running down my brow...my legs buckled.....

 Yep, with a smile I gripped the TFL mans arm and said "I'm going down".

I 'went down'/collapsed at the tube station. Kerpow! I like to think I did it with style, as stylish as you can be in that situation. 

After a few minutes I was okay again thanks to kindness, water & ecg readings & the fact my heart boosted back in. A complete stranger took me home after I assured him I did not need an ambulance. Obviously they are no longer a stranger & this is something positive to come out of it. His wife has since come & made me a cuppa tea. She sang to me. Nice.

So needless to say I never got to that show.

 The dude who took me home helped me send a text message to Mensas team. I was then very kindly sent a lovely video clip of Mensa sending me good vibes on stage.  This touched my heart, there was something in particular that further touched my heart about the clip. Thank you to all who sent good vibes, thank you. I really do appreciate.

It was a hazy blur of hospitals for a while, I remember being able to celebrate my Mums 70th Birthday. It was wonderful. Then a haze of hospital stays, getting worse and worse each time & staying longer each time I got admitted. Scary to be honest.

Finally I had an operation. Yep they finally did it on 16th Oct 2013. I'm still not 'fixed' but we are closer than we were to fixing me. Thank you NHS. Yep, here I am on the morning before the operation. Yep, That is a Mensa Mango Street t shirt..of course! > 

There are pics of me after the op, and of the wound/scar. I really don't think these need to be seen right now, but they are there. In fact I'm kinda proud of the mark. It is healing well. 

So I have been recovering.  It has been slow & I had further complications so my time plan got messed up. I thought I would have bounced back by now. 

This is also the week I had planned to go to Cameo Sessions at Sanctum Hotel, another music night, verrry stylish night, an acoustic night with the most amazing musicians and artists performing. It combined with an important Birthday celebration & a further celebration for my friend who received Londons Best Model award after much dedication. Ohhh I was gutted to miss it.

Then now to miss the screening of Coz ov Moni 2 is just annoying me.  Ggrrrrrr, vexations!

 Even if I feel reasonable on the day I know it is not wise to go as so far I have managed to go 200metres to the cornershop & back!

It says there will be a question and answer session with Fokn Bois after the screening. This is what I would really like to hear.

For the last few months through Twitter and Facebook, I have been seeing all sorts of comments & photos during the filming etc and the lead up. This has enticed me. I already have a list of questions. The controversy alone gets my brain buzzing.  The clever wit, quick thinking puns on words, innuedos, I'm sure it will all be in there....and a moral, there wil be a moral to he story..hehe.  I narrowed my questions down though, and this is before I have even see the movie!

Yes I do have a copy, a legal copy, of Coz ov Moni. (see pic at top) It's been watched many times for many reasons. Haha, we have had fun watching it...and every time my friend tells me I'm a good chef, well we both crack up laughing & bust out the lyrics...

So, I may not be there for the screening in Hackney .....Not because I am scared to show my face, not because I am just trying to hide, not because it is not real.....but because I am in my bed, in my bed suffering "Fokn Frustrations, Operations n Complications".......  ;)

M3NSA

............................M3NSA................................
Finally I write this post. I  have started so many times, deleted, re-written, deleted again & again, so I have just decided to go with the flow and see what happens!
Yep, I'm nervous about this post. It's personal, real & I mention M3NSA. It's the mentioning Mensa bit that makes me nervous!
I was an instant  fan. We met in Aug 2010 at a gospel concert!! Truth dat!
Here is a pic for non-believers, as there are many people who never believe me. Haha....

My love runs deep for the guy.
I don't mean 'kissy kissy bang bang' love, I mean deep respect for his musical mind, the intelligence behind his lyrics, the fusion of musical flow & the talents that ooze from him, kind of love.
There was one day when I did something (in total innocence I stress) & this 'something' made Mensa cross. Haha, I laugh now but at the time it totally mashed up my mind at the time & hurt my heart so much. Misunderstandings. He does know this cos I told him, yet I never got to tell him the full story to this day. I am like a 'dog with a bone' so I know that I will wait until the end of time if I need to, as I will say what I have to say about that day & why it made me so cross.
I was so cross that I got inspired & I thank you Mensa for that everyday. The expression I used to say about Mensas music 'saving my life' became more true than I ever believed.
 In fact I wrote these lyrics the next day about it?!  http://youtu.be/CeDV1g75EYI
 Since then I HAVE improved on this track, I sing it with power & passion now, I have been in the studio (encouraged by M Prophet,Jazbo,Alonestar etc), it has been recorded in many ways...however it will never sound complete to me as in my mind it was written with a 'Mensa response'...haha, oh yes it was!!! Simple things but it would work. No no, I don't mean I think I am a pro like him, not at all, yet I do know him well enough to know it would work in a fun way!

So from that day I mention FIRST that we are 'Frenemies',.... then I mention I am a fan, a fan who really listens, nearly kills herself to get to his gigs (so true u won't believe), a fan who has been inspired, refreshed & motivated by his music. A fan who gets upset when folk from Ghana say nothing good comes from their country. I know they are usually referring to the political state however, I need to stress that through Mensas music there is been education on many levels.
I  listen to his lyrics, really listen. Sometimes I understand, sometimes I don't but there is something that makes me 'think' in every track. I ask what the lyrics mean, why it was written, what inspired it. The responses have always been interesting, not patronising, so I wanted to hear more..more and more.
No 1 Mango Street is the most played album in my home.  It stirs up all sorts of emotions & introduces us to his mind, his life, personal memories of his home he grew in, global issues & with a good dose of humour, that's why he gets away with a lot of things, cos he has a good sense of humour.

Thank you for reading this far as the most important bit of the blog is coming up!!

He saved my life for real!  

I was in hospital a few months ago, cardiac problem. Having been given CPR & the use of a defibrillator to bring me back to life again I was zoomed to hospital with blue flashing lights.

 I remember bits of it. My ribs were cracked from the first CPR attempt & I felt that throbbing, I mentioned cheese, I heard the cardiologist saying that they needed to contact my Mum. 

It felt like I as shouting at them but I kept whispering telling them "it's ok, don't call my Mum..I'm not gonna die until I am 98!" 

Wires hanging off me, machines beeping, huge teams of doctors & nurses running in as my heart repeatedly stopped then started then stopped putting a further strain on my body each time. 

What then felt like minutes to me was actually hours....I have been filled in on what happened & not only had I had a cardiac arrest but I had also gone into respiratory arrest?! I had been so bad that I was classed as 'dead' for a couple of minutes. 

Sharp minds in the NHS helped, but the conversation that was taking place around me as I lay there weak & bleeping, went something like this (according to my Mum  the handsome Cardiologist)...

"haha, oohh she's mentioned Mensa to you has she?" they chuckle.."oh yes Mrs Mum she certainly has. Mentioned many music artists but she always comes in with a Mensa line." They chuckle again, my Mum looking at me fondly..."she would make up some lyrics to go with the beat of that damn bleeping machine if she just woke up."..."yes yes she would" they chuckle again remembering some of my mad lyrics & stories.

"Hmmm whats the line..ummm I've come back again..".."no no I think it's "Mensa comes back again"..The machine beep changes rate...."oh my Lawd she moved her hand! She moved her hand!! She's coming back!"....I vaguely remember this bit...

I tried so hard to put my hand on my heart but I only managed to raise one finger...weakly & breathless I slowly got my words out...*** "Men...sa...it's . .  M3NSA is.... back ..again.." (I flop a bit & take a breath) "..to drive..the world in saaaane...." ...and that's IT I'm BACK!  *** 

Mensa & his lyrics kinda saved my life. Thank you from me, my family, friends  my dog, thank you Mensa. No money can buy that.

So that is further reason to love the dude. 

It has become a bit of a joke that if I am ever trying to die again that you should MIS-quote Mensa lyrics to me....cos it is so deep in my heart that is will frustrate me & bring me back!! Just so I can correct you!! haha...Ghana be PROUD! 

Hear the music that helped save me, my heart, my mind n my soul - M3NSA - No1 Mango Street > http://m3nsa.com/  Twitter -@MensaMusic 

My Pyrography

Bead Pyrography - Wood Burning

Ouch! Burnt myself again...time to get a pyrography tool.  
I am glad I did.
I've been having fun trying out the different heads & experimenting on beads.
In fact I quite like the smell of the wood when it singes.
Perhaps it's not the best idea to inhale it, so maybe wear a scarf over your mouth or a mask if you have one. 
Make sure you have a window open or a well ventilated area.
The tool gets extremely hot so make sure you have an appropriate surface to lay it on.
Play around and try different ideas it is the best way to see how it works. Better than reading about it.

* This was my first try using different heads & also just simple freehand writing.  Custom made by request for 'Watusi Eighty Seven' a young hip hop artist.

* I did a giant pendant & burnt my song lyrics on the back.....a few errors and mis-burns where I wasn't concentrating or got a hand wobble.

AFTER this I felt I was starting to get a better feel of using the tool....so........this is what I did next. I was pleased with the result & was more confident with the pressure I needed to use etc.....

* These I did to mark the third London Coffee Festival, raising money and awareness to bring clean water to Mbulu in Tanzania. At the festival there is live music, the musicians donate their time and talents for 3days. I called these beads 'Music for Mbulu' beads.

So if you are thinking of getting a pyrography tool go for it!

Don't spend a fortune, between £12 - £24 & you will have fun. Mine was £22 and seems smoother than the more expensive one that my friend has..

Be safe!  Have a fun creative time!