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Archive for 9 July 2009

9 Jul

Slow Club LIVE at The Met Bar

Posted by Jo & Jamie from the Met Bar in Clubs, Music 4 Comments

Becci and Charles of Slow Club

A love of music is pre-requisite for the team at the Met Bar, as much as we may not share a love for the same music (Jamie and I are far too young to remember Echo and the Bunnymen!); we can’t fail to recognize talent when it comes along. And so it happened last week when first hearing new girl-boy duo Slow Club’ live from Glastonbury.  The recount of their performance quickly turned into full gone approval that they simply HAD to play in the Met Bar.

The rest is history. Last night as if by the magical tones of Slow Club and the beat of their drums, they (Becci & Charles to us fans) appeared on our stage to perform to a full house. Members, friends, music executives, radio producers, all who had gathered to see them perform at our exclusive gig, were treated to the delightfully innocent, quirky humour of their lyrics and punky folk-pop sounds. They finished their set off with their trade-mark sing-a-long crowd mingling, although I think Becci was particularly making a bee-line for Duncan James in the audience, but I couldn’t really say!

Fresh from Glastonbury, and about to set off on festival tour madness at V, i-Tunes, and Latitude later this month, they also have their debut album ‘Yeah, So’ out this week. Check them out on www.myspace.com/slowclub. You will not be disappointed!

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9 Jul

Hugh Grant Was Here: Celebrity Walking Tour of Notting Hill

Posted by Jenny in London, Special Events 3 Comments

Umbrellas at the ready, we headed off in search of celebrities

“We’re not here to talk about old pubs. There’s plenty of tours where you can do that,” our tour guide Tim tells us.

“We’re here to talk about sex, drugs, suicide and rock ‘n’ roll!”

And with that, we headed off on a Celebrity Walking Tour of Notting Hill, feeling slightly naughty and as though we were going somewhere we shouldn’t, as we wandered into the territory of the rich and famous.

The tour is a light-hearted stroll around Notting Hill’s film locations, celebrity drinking spots and other points of interest. The area has hosted many A-listers, past and present. The tour also passes a few celebrity homes, although our guide ensured everyone maintained a respectful distance from the properties.

The tour is a particular treat for fans of British director Richard Curtis and the film passes several locations used in his films.

Unsurprisingly, much of his movie Notting Hill was filmed here and we had a nosey round The Travel Bookshop owned by Hugh Grant in the film; saw the spot where he spilled orange juice over Julia Roberts, and stood outside that famous blue front door (now sadly painted black.)

travel_bookshop

We also saw the house Keira Knightley’s character lives in Love Actually and swooned as we remembered Andrew Lincoln’s character declaring his love for her using a series of big cardboard flashcards!

There’s plenty here for music buffs too, including the hotel where Jimi Hendrix overdosed and most impressively, a recording studio which has been used by Bob Marley, Radiohead, Madonna and Justin Timberlake to name a few.

The Celebrity Walking Tour of Notting Hill was a great way to spend a couple of hours and to take a peek at how the other half live. It’s fascinating to see so many places where rock ‘n’ roll history took place and hear the stories behind them.

Best of all, there are lots of suggestions for things to come back to in your own time, such as Paul Smith’s boutique or a very special branch of Oxfam…

For more London movie locations, check out our Movie Maps.

Have you spotted any celebrities in London? Tell us who and where.

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