OK, now here is a really interesting sounding event taking place in London next week. It is the latest 'Fat Tuesday' event being staged by Southern Comfort - an event built around the spirit and music of the drink brand's home town of New Orleans.
The Fat Tuesday programme is all about promoting New Orleans musical talent, normally by encouraging them to collaborate with UK artists. That work has perhaps become more important post Hurricane Katrina as New Orleans tries to rebuild itself, both as a working city and a legendary music centre.
With that in mind, the next Fat Tuesday event will feature New Orleans commentator and legendary music writer Nik Cohn, author of 'Awopbopalopa' and the recent critically acclaimed Triksta. He will provide a spoken word account of New Orleans culture and life post-Katrina in an interesting sounding collaborative piece that will also involve Rodney P and New Orleans based Triksta rappers Shorty Brown Hustle, Snoop and DJ Chicken from New Orleans.
Commenting on the issue he'll be tackling, Cohn told CMU: "I've been obsessed by New Orleans and its music since childhood and have lived there, off and on, more than 30 years. In the last few years I spent much of my time there working with rappers like Shorty Brown Hustle and Snoop. When Katrina struck, I was in New York, revving up for another round of recording. When we talked on the phone, they told me their world - black New Orleans - was gone. Music used to be everywhere - gospel in the wooden churches, old soul records playing on front porches, rap blasting out of the gangstas' cars. Today, the silence is so profound I can hear a scrap of rag flapping in a thorn bush."
As if that in itself doesn't sound like a must-see event, Fat Tuesday also features a brilliant line up of artists and DJs - so much so, I can't help thinking whoever programmed this started off with a list of CMU favourites and just went through and booked them all. Performing live will be Crazy P (no longer Crazy Penis don't forget), the wonderful Son Of Dave and the even more wonderful Barefoot. Meanwhile on the decks will be Rob da Bank, David Holmes, DJ Cam, Mr Lip and Grand Son. Wow.
Not only that, but this whole thing takes place in a great sounding venue next to Tower Bridge. I really really want to go to this. It all takes place on Friday 5 May at St Olaves Manor, and tickets can be won for free via http://www.fattuesday.co.uk. If any of you media types want to cover this event, and you really should, get in touch with Emma or Nick at Slice - [email protected] or [email protected].