london @ nite

I love being a Coolgrrrl with all my heart and soul, because it means that I get to go out and party like a biatch!

Look at me shaking my boot-ay! I'm a wild cat! Or maybe just very, very, silly! That brave guy dancing with me is my friend Monkeyman, DJ, great guy and soon to be travelling to Australia for six months! All my best friends leave me! The gorgeous Pink Lady is going back home to Australia for a long time and my best disco-dancing partner Someslut is at University in Norwich! (far away from me!) No problem – time to make new friends and keep on havin’ it!!

Lucky old Manga was invited to take a look at Thievery Corporation by James at Hall or Nothing playing the Shepherds Bush Empire. I love going to see bands I know nothing about and then being happily surprised at how good they are. Led by DJ’s Rob & Eric who allow their guest vocalists to take centre stage, Thievery Corporation sound like they’ve travelled the world and taken influences from every port they called into! How can I tell you what to expect from a Thievery Corporation show? Well, firstly, alongside the decks, there are two percussionists and a guitar player vs. a sitar player and your night will take you from India and bangra beats to Brazil with salsa sounds and then off to Jamaica for a spot of reggae hosted by Roots and Zee. All in all a

bangin’ night out – with a show so elaborate you could be forgiven for thinking you’d paid for a West End extravaganza! All the female guest vocalists shine in their own unique ways and the vibe is just so unique you have to experience it and lose yourself in the sunshine music!!

Next gig for me was the rock-psychedelics The Pretty Things. These guys have been rocking for years – they are the originals that have inspired so many bands. I love the Pretty Things!!! They are my all-new favourite band and I (typically!) discover them thirty years after they start gigging! I highly, unreservedly and with great enthusiasm recommend, no demand that you buy their classic album SF Sorrow. This is a genre defining disc, which totally captivates the production and experimental sounds of the psychedelic sixties with all the raw rock’n’roll that pretenders like Mick Jagger

can only aspire to!! How they came to only merit a footnote in the annals of rock history is one of this century’s greatest injustices! (Also spotted there "the next big thing © The Libertines – a band that sound like falling down the stairs, not in a good way!)

With the inevitable blustery, wet and generally crappy weather of Autumn, (oops, Fall to my colonist readers) comes some great new TV. As we all know the UK leads the way with great programming, and two gems from BBC2 and Channel 4.

The Office – a wicked docu-style comedy about, da-dah! An office, is the funniest thing I have seen for years! Has me in tears with laughter alternated with cringing and disbelief, check out the Office webpages for downloadable clips. (You Yanks can see what you’re missing!)

Model Behaviour – lots of young sexy thangs competing to be the top model. Lots of debauchery in the late night editions! (You can’t beat real beautiful people getting it on!!)

For all my boasting though, you Americans do get the all new season of Buffy (as if I’d get through an update without mentioning my favourite thing in life!!). My mum (translation – mom) is hanging out in New York with my cousin at the moment so if anyone sees her say hi for me and tell her I miss her!!

Til next time my friends!!

PS Ooops!! Before I go, one of those l’il internet tests I have so much fun with for ya!! Check out MorbidKindaGirl and see if you can find her tests!!

After a few days of torrential rain and general humidity and mugginess, the sun has deigned to make a much anticipated appearance, and how we love him for that!

Let's just hope it stays sunny for my annual outing at The Reading Festival. Loyal readers will remember my previous updates where I was lucky enough to grab Dave Grohl from the Foos, Bad Religion, members of Symposium, Bis, and triumphantly, various ex-members of the Eastenders cast.

Unfortunately - the festival is completely sold out now, causing distress to thousands I have no doubt! Check out the killer line-up at the Mean Fiddler website. Some of my favourite bands are playing! The Foo Fighters, Soulwax, The Strokes, Jane's Addiction (for chrissakes!), Ben Kweller and tonnes more! I am peeing in my pants!

Have been scootering around London meeting the peeps and doing the club thing. My best clubbing friend is back from Australia so we're making a mark and retaking our places on the dance floor! All my friends are v.excited about

Crispin Mills' (ex-Kula Shaker front man and pretty-boy son of Hayley Mills the Hollywood legend) new band The Jeevas. They played a small gig recently that from all reports was storming! It'll be interesting to see if they get really popular - cos I think Kula Shaker were ace...lost it a bit towards the end but then...these things happen!!

I became the proud owner of two beautiful Netherland Dwarf rabbits recently. They are beautiful little creatures and I have fallen in love! At the moment they are called Moomin and Cocoa - but this could be subject to change as their personalities develop! I haven't got any snaps yet but I've included a picture

of what they look like, they are *so* sweet!!

Anyway kids, that's all for now, a mini update before the revelry at Reading Festival!!

May 5, 2002

I had a dream about the Pin Ups (www.thepinups.co.uk) last night - can't remember the details but we were all attending somebody's wedding?! Anyway. I am taking time out to relate to you a moral tale. And to warn all you girlies of the dangers of being arrogant and overconfident in the hope that you do not disgrace yourselves as I have.

Let the story unfold...

When I was a little sprog, I was in a band called Disco Pistol and thought we were "really going places!". (But don't all bands think that?!!) I used to drink in a quiet pub in Reading called "The 3B's". A humble place really but that's where the Reading glitterati drank, and so that's where I went DESPITE the evil mulletted bouncer who hated me!

There used to be a beautiful blond fella who also drank in that pub, and I fancied him so much my heart just felt like it'd bust if I didn't snog him. He was so handsome and had the best teeth in the world. Think international man of mystery. Think HOT!

Knowing all this, you would think that I would be charming and seductive when I spoke to him. But no! That would have been too easy. Every time I saw that boy, I was brash and condescending. And he used to tell me that he was in this band and I used to say back to him "Take some advice from me you'll never get signed looking like a fisherman" because at this stage he was wearing baggy holey jumpers and flares about a foot wide.

So anyway - I never got with my dream boy, and time passed and my band were signed and dropped in the space of a heartbeat. Didn't even graze the record buying public's consciousness, let alone dent it.

The next time I heard about the beautiful boy, he was in an incredibly hotly-tipped band and everyone that I met was bleating about how good they were and so were the music press and there were pictures of my beautiful boy everywhere except now he had dark brown hair! I went to see his band play at a huge venue that I have only ever dreamed of playing and was completely

overawed. The fisherboy had done good. And when he saw me out of the corner of his eye he looked straight through me. As if I didn't exist.

So all you budding Coolgrrrls...don't ever talk down to people, especially if you like them! And don't diss someone's dream either - if they need a reality check, who says it's up to you to be the one to give it to them?!! This story is about me doing something that I really, really regret. And I'd like to apologize to the boy involved...I'm eating humble pie now!

BUT the one positive thing that came out of this my friends - is that I can share this knowledge that I gained so painfully!!

The band is called The Cooper Temple Clause. They currently have an amazing single out called Who Needs Enemies and a similarly mind-blowing album is also available called See Through This And Leave. I swear I am not just writing this because of that boy! You can see and hear their greatness by clicking on this link to a video of Who Needs Enemies. (http://realmedia.ipc.co.uk:7070/ramgen/nme/video/april2002/tctc_vid.smi)

It was my birthday on March 9th, as a dreamy, romantic Piscean I was surprised to end up below the tables in my much loved (if a little ikky) favourite pub, The Shakespears Head. One too many Chocolate Orange cocktails, a simple but lethal concoction of Tia Maria and Orange Juice. So sickly sweet that you don't realise you're drunk until you're slipping into a coma!!

Searching for my new summer identity I discover as well as the Chundermonkey I am also the following!!

I am the flavour Sugar

What Flavour Are You? I am sweet, like Sugar.

I am sweet, like Sugar.

I am all sweetness and light; fluffy bunnies and dancing fairies; happiness and joy. Too much of me will make you sick. What Flavour Are You?

I am a girlie duck!

I went to my first ever neu emo gig the other night. (Funny how they are all just reinventing what bands like Fugazi did). I saw the band

Douglas www.douglas-online.co.uk - visually an incredibly exciting band to watch, lots of jumping (phat airs!!) and a very physical performance. I had never heard Douglas before, but they have powerful tunes and an amazing stage presence. Recommended!!

The next show I went to was The Pin Ups. www.thepinups.co.uk They played the famous Dublin Castle in Camden - the last time I saw these boy was YEARS ago. They hail from the same home town as me Reading and in fact even wrote an album called Made In Tilehurst which is

the part of Reading where I went to school. The boys were in fine form with a set lasting twenty minutes and some great tracks it was a euphoric evening. One of the best bands in the world and always wicked fun to watch. Special mention has to made of Jackie the drummer. He's a babe ladies! When I first knew him he was a pre-pubescent longhaired oik, and now, well - see for yourselves!! Unfortunately for us womenfolk, Jackie is 100% attached and in lurve. Well I’m happy for him….no really!!

Anyways – back to the music, the Pin Ups didn’t play the single that broke them Robbie Left Take That, but considering that that song was written six years ago now I don’t blame them. Best song of the set was undoubtedly 12 Year Old Tart (well I think it’s called that). A condemning statement about the youth of today and their moral ambiguity…or simply a fucking good tune.

Another track to mention is It Wont Happen. A rollicking bittersweet sing-a-long track. I was so impressed I bought their CD, The Telesales E. P. – this is available from Velocity Recordings www.velocityrecordings.com. What a record label. They only sign records of the bands that they 100% believe in and are prepared to die for – what a cool music policy! We love indies!!!

CLUB of the moment is Collide-A-Scope www.collide-a-scope.com. I spend a lot of time on the messageboard of this site chatting shit and getting the local gossip – try it you might like it!!

THEME of the moment is Hawaiian!! Check out this pic of me visiting my girlfriends at Lush www.lush.co.uk on their Hawaiian Day. They raffled off a whole wheel of pineapple soap and served tropical drinks to the customers with Hawaiian music playing all day long…what a day J

LOOK of the moment is the Lord Of The Rings inspired Hobbit Look. Check out the two boys in the picture.

LOOKY-LIKEY of the moment is Marco aka Liam Gallagher. Marco recently appeared in the new Pulp video starring as Liam. (Check it out if you can, Jarvis from Pulp dresses up as Bryan May!!)

Well kids, that’s your style and sound guide from me. As always I promise to try and make my next update soon!!

January 26th, 2002

Hello Coolgrrrls,

Just like Buffy - I'm back from the dead and writing again. Jeez it's been forever. Let's just say I had many personal issues to work out. Add to that got made redundant from my record label job and band problems and you have a whole nervous breakdown right there! So now I'm looking for a new job as well as a new bass player...not as easy as it sounds!

I'm actually feeling half-dead - not all that zappy since I am languishing at my parents house with a big bad case of flu. I have a tum full of cold remedies and a head full of mucus - what can I say? Being ill is so unglamorous.

I'm looking forward to my all time best band Bad Religion (www.badreligion.com) coming to London in February. The Bad Religion boys contributed to one of my favourite updates on here when I flew out to visit them in Hawaii. Wonder if they could give me a job - or maybe I could steal their bass player....

I've been more of a club queen than gig girl lately. Part of the problem is working on Carnaby Street and hanging out with the other people who work there too. Invariably after a hard day selling soap, (this too, not as easy as it sounds!), I end up down the Shakespeares Head and then on to whatever club is on. Sounds not too bad? Well it turns out that there's a club on every fricking night! It's not good for the soul. Bright lights and loud music is what drew me to London in the first place but now I'm experiencing meltdown. It had to happen sometime - it just goes to show that you're mother is right when she warns you not to burn the candle at both ends!

So for the discerning visitor to London - who would like to trip the light fantastic - these are my recommended clubs of the moment. If you are a big fan of indie and/or Swedish people, these clubs are bursting with both! Just don't get me started on how the Swedish chicks come to England, break our men's hearts and leave us to pick up the pieces. It's a contentious issue with me!!

Monday nights - TRASH www.trashclub.co.uk

This is the club for the strictly stuck up. The music is eclectic, the doorman looks like a Rolling Stone before the drugs started to work and everybody is too cool for words. Find Trash at The End, 16a West Central Street, WC1.

Wednesday nights - CANDYBOX

Full of Swedish people, spirits & mixers for £1 and our favourite DJ Jamie. The Candybox mission is to go, get absolutely smashed and then attempt to make it in to work the next day. The friendliest club I've ever been to with no attitude to be found anywhere...well saying that the cloakroom guy doesn't like it if you try and sneak in clothes tucked into the sleeves of your jacket. That's worth remembering :) Find Candybox at Propaganda, Wardour Street, W1

Friday nights - BEDROCK

Tiny club which sells beer in cans or bottles - no draught and gets mega hot when the place is full of mods and Swedish people. Music ranges from Dandy Warhols to Stevie Wonder, lots of anthems and always a good start to the weekend. Find Bedrock at Metro (opposite Virgin Megastore) Oxford Street, W1

Saturday nights - AFTER SCHOOL CLUB

The biggest club in terms of size and more of a shifting crowd than the others, this is probably a good thing. There are far too many navel gazing scenes in London as we all know. Here you get music from Britney to The Breeders to Miss E to Soulwax - anything goes. The dancefloor is pretty much always full, and there's a bar with seating for when you wanna go and chill with your new Swedish friends! Find After School Club at The Quad, Houghton Street, WC2

So it's back to The Land Of The Living for me, and see you all at a club sometime soon!!

It's good to be back!

Manga xxx

May 10, 2001

Hello Coolreaderrrs!

Lots of exciting gossip and news for you! this update is pretty me heavy - so you'll have to excuse the narcissism, it's just that I have been concentrating on improving on my life recently so I feature heavily!

Here in England we've had our first few sunny days - the cherry blossom is out and I am praying that summer is looming. Please please please! I hate being cold!!

As regular readers will know, I love Lush, I am a Lush addict and I work at Lush! All the other girls and guys who work there are the coolest people, so working there is wicked fun because we're all buddies. The thing is, I am an easily led child, and when there was a mass decision for some of us to go get body piercings...(can you guess what's coming?!!)

So now I have jewellery for my stomach, I love it! I think it looks very pretty but IT HURTS LIKE HELL!!! I have been being very careful looking after it, and tribalectic.com has been like a bible to me with aftercare tips and advice. I am taking vitamins and supplements to help my body heal and keeping the jewellery clean. You can post any piercing experiences you have had on our messageboard!

Next news, I have a new job!! After a whirlwind six months with MTV, I am now settled at Ark21 which is a record label based in Camden. I just had my first week work there and I think I'm gonna be very happy!! Not to abuse my position as a Coolgrrrl, but there are some pretty damn fine artists on Ark21. Our newest release is Delinquent Habits "Return of the Tres" which rocks!! Delinquent Habits are meaty Latino hip-hop (my words not theirs!!) and I like!!

I am moving house to live with two musical friends Ben and Mem. They live in a beautiful house with a river in the back garden. Although by daytime Ben and Mem are corporate whores working in marketing and sales respectively, by night they both play guitar in bands, so we should be a pretty rockin' household. I am looking forward to moving in and lots of parties...yay!!

So...in summation, new piercing, new job, new home, summer is coming, my band are organising gigs, let's hope the rest of the year is wow-wow-yippee-yay-yay! I know I need some equilibrium and sanity in my life, but right now I'm just too busy having fun!!

I look forward to hearing your piercing adventures on the messageboard!!

Love, love, love

Manga xxx