Gemma Dempsey, Host

I've just had a Triple R w/end! Kicked off on Friday with a last minute ticket (thanks Louie & Annalee!) to see
Ricky Gervais' 

stand  up show at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood  - I went with my Brit/Welsh pal Georgia and we laughed til our mascara ran down our faces - not a show the faint hearted as Ricky's humour touched on cancer victims, autism and the size of his manhood. HBO were filming  it for a comedy special, so if you can't see him live and are a fan make sure to check out the HBO show later in the year....plus Ricky is in a new film called Ghost Town...love this pic of him from the LA Times....

Saturday night went to see Rachid Taha perform as part of the Grand Performances in downtown Los Angeles - I knew I liked this Algerian singer but had no idea what a rock star he is - plus he had an excellent band of 8 musicians and guest female vocalist (anyone know her name?) and they rocked the casbah and then some - for the second half  Rachid wore a green satin suit (one of the colours of the Algerian flag) with no shirt underneath (!) sparkly fedora and pointy white shoes - nice one!

Sunday - after living in the megalopolis of LA on and off for almost 10 years I'd never been to the races until this w/end!! I went the last meet of the season at Hollywood Park - and even better the first horse I bet on in the first race won!! and I only bet on it cos its called 'Gem Proof'. Am now trying to figure out to spend my $9.50 winnings :)

How was your weekend?

GD

Winner of the best festival on the Continent, Exit in Serbia started today with crowds of music fans arriving by plane train and automobile for a long w/end of music from the likes of N.E.R.D, Primal Scream, Paul Weller, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Manu Chao and 495 other bands/ DJs.  The Sex Pistols are also on the bill - anyone seen them this year? GD

If you are in or near Europe for the next two weeks then head to Switzerland for the 42nd Montreux Jazz Festival. And if you aren't that into jazz but love music in a great setting (near Lake Geneva) then you should check it out as the bill is very eclectic with names such as Babyshambles, Angelique Kidjo, Billy Cobham, Camille, Buddy Guy, Concha Buika and many many more. So treat yourself and head to the land that has so much more to offer you than cuckoo clocks and chocolate!

Hello, I'm in LA so can't hop over to Roskilde in Denmark for the last day of the fest but maybe you can ?! Artists on the bill include Hot Chip, Cat Power, Jay-Z (hot from his much debated/anticipated Glasto gig last w/end) Digitalism and local chanteuse Tina Dico.  Let me know what your Roskilde highlight was for this year or send us a pic...gD

HI - here you go - sorry I couldn't get the set list for the other bands that night...thanks to Phil at ESL for this! GD

1    Sound the Alarm    03:34
2    Facing East    03:48
3    Lebanese Blonde    04:56
4    Revolution Solution    03:43
5    Shadows of Ourselves    04:21
6    Sol Tapado    04:45
7    Hare Krisna (Seu Jorge)    03:39
8    Liberation Front    05:53
9    Illumination    04:43
10    Exilio    05:24
11    The Heart’s a Lonely Hunter    04:45
12    Radio Retaliation    03:17
13    Assault on Babylon    04:30
14    Warning Shots
15    Ponta De Lanca Africano (Umbabarauma) (Jorge Ben Cover)
16    Richest Man in Babylon 03:54
17    Coming from the Top    04:42

If you thought that this might be an odd mix for a 'world music' show, you'd be wrong ! Each of the artists reflected a distinct love and understanding of one another's musical roots, while displaying their own unique style and heritage.

As my KCRW colleague Rachel Reynolds states, Gilberto Gil took to the Hollywood Bowl last night wearing the mantel of legend but with the enthusiasm and energy of a new artist, opening with a version of the Nokia ringtone and so setting the mood for a playful and infectious show.

Gil headlined this eclectic KCRW world music night at the Bowl; it began as the sun set with The Album Leaf w/ guest Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band - considered by many to be the leaders of 'psych folk'  in the trippy London of the late 60's and 70's -  the same era and city that gave safe harbour to Gilberto Gil when he was considered a threat by his home country of Brazil.

Last night Tropicalia - meister Gil - whose son was part of his incredible band - took us through the musical heritage of Brazil with sounds from Native American Indians, West Indies , Africa , Europe and the U.S. He played a wonderful reggae version of 'The Girl from Ipanema'  - and after he (eventually!) got Devendra to join him on stage for his final number, he left the stage with no encore - but a very happy and satisfied crowd clapped & cheered for many minutes after his exit...

The second act of the night was Devendra Banhart - Venezulan/ American by birth with a unique voice and musical language that played homage to the mastery of Gilberto Gil's music and that of latin america , as well as american folk and blues.

So what may have seemed an odd choice of artists was infact an inspired musical melange that complimented one another perfectly - Bravo!

GD

I saw Thievery Corp last night as part of KCRW's World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl - w/special guest Seu Jorge - and they were great -  terrific sound and light show with a host of guest performers including Perry Farrell making for quite the party on stage and off with a full capacity crowd (18,000!) . However I would have loved to have seen all of the acts on the bill but was kept waiting in the will call line for almost an hour !! Some of my fellow will -call sufferers told me that they declined to pay $2.50 to print out their tickets at home and opted to pick their tix up in person - as a result we missed Federico Aubele and Los Amigos Invisibles and caught some of Bebel Gilberto before the intermission/ Thievery set. For a really hot LA night and such a great line up , this was not cool. KCRW host Tom Schnabel told me this morning that Los Amigos were amazing which really cheered up my Monday morn!

Hi - having just returned from South Africa it seems fitting that I should blog about this amazing concert in London
coming up June 27th - its to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday and proceeds go to his 46664 campaign to fight HIV/AIDS which he set up with a couple of blokes called Bono and Dave Stewart in 2003. Artists on the bill include Soweto Gospel Choir, Annie Lennox, Amy Winehouse, Joan Baez, Razorlight, Eddy Grant, Johnny Clegg, Will Smith and many more.

If you go to the 46664 website now you can text Nelson Mandela Happy Birthday - the aim is to produce the biggest virtual birthday card ever! So whether you text your birthday wishes or attend the event in London, be part of the celebration of one of the most important living icons on the planet!
GD

Hi all, got back from Dubai last night (where I went skiing!?!)  typing this from my desk at KCRW in LA. I've uploaded some of the pics from the Convoy to Cape Town gig at The Assembly (see previous post) . However I forgot to mention that the reason I knew about the gig in the first place was due to reading a piece in the Cape Times about Wunmi - designer and artist extraordinaire; born in the UK to Nigerian parents, her sound ranges from afrobeat to jazz to break beat - unfortunately she was last on the bill and I couldn't stay to see /hear her in person - did you? maybe you have caught her somewhere else in the world? Let me know!
In the meantime here are some pics of me at Ski Dubai and my visit to the uber cool Mabu Vinyl in Cape Town - a must for any music lover visiting CT - my thanks to DJ Mighty (in the pics below) for his time and music advice.
GD

Hi all - so thanks to those of you who sent me tips for local gigs - I  didn't make it to the Observatory but did make it to The Assembly in the historic District Six area for the Convoy to Cape Town gig - held to coincide with the World Economic Forum in SA and to support the White Ribbon Alliance charity for safe motherhood. The show had travelled from Johannesburg then  Durban to its final destination of Cape Town where the line up featured the UK's Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, a really fun and infectious (in a good way) band I'd never seen/heard of before called Man Like Me - reminded me of a manic cross between Hot Chip and Beastie Boys & Capetonian singer songwriter I had head lots of great things about called  Josie Field (whose voice reminded me a bit of Fiona Apple). I've got to check out of my room at the  Protea Fire and Ice Hotel ('So Hot So Cape Town So Cool' !?!) as I want to walk up Bo -Kaap to hear the noon day gun (daily local tradition) before heading for airport and on to Dubai so will keep it short and sweet for now... got lots of pics but can't upload from current location....back in LA  on Tuesday....GD