#ESPspotlight Review: 'Chill Pill Connects...' The Albany, Deptford, 28th February

The last day of February found me firmly ensconced in a  small performance hall at The Albany in Deptford, South East Londres, for an evening of Spoken Word, Poetry and Improvisation unlike anything I've ever attended before.

Chill Pill Connects... is a forum that offers a welcome opportunity for up and coming artists to showcase their talents alongside seasoned pro's; domestic and International. A great venue choice first and foremost; the intimacy of the standing room only setting lent well to the energy in the room. The arrangement of the running order, giving the Open Mic section a dedicated spotlight alongside the billed artists allowed the momentum to flow the prose we were hearing from the lineup themselves.

If awards were going out for most heartwrenching performances of the night, then Ben Hayes would take the big one. His piece, which I believe was entitled 'I Am Not My Stammer', was a lyrical celebration of and testament to, his struggle from start to finish. The bravery he demonstrated to stand on that stage and fight his way through his own descriptive monologue, full of image-filled lines like "my shoulders are shelves bearing the weight" had every person in that room rooting for him, every step of the way. Keep your eyes peeled for this guy -  he's beyond inspirational!

Storyteller Anthony Hett's 'Cancer cliffhanger' - taken from his one man, spoken word show 'One Lump Or Two (scratch)', successfully managed to turn a scary moment into a comical one, without once detracting from the serious nature of the topic. His suspense timing was perfect - to the point that I wanted to go to his show, just to find out what happened next! Stellar talent.

Kristiana Rae Colón

Now I could try to sum up Chicago Def Jam alum Kristiana Rae Colón, but by no means could I do it as well as when she described herself as "juggling and rapping stanza lines" during her first piece, which she launched straight into as soon as she took the stage. From that moment on, the entire audience were all left in awe. When I tell you that the woman recited a movie without skipping a beat - it is, hand on heart, no exaggeration  I, personally have never encountered such a jawdropping spectacle. Omega 3 is the vitamin that boosts your memory, right? Well not only must she be on a daily transfusion of the stuff, but she made me want to bulk buy some from Holland and Barrett. A+mazing.

'Instructions for the Next Heartbreak' was raw, emotional, self-destructive pain that you cannot help but relate to if you've ever had your heart broken. Taken from her award winning book 'Promised Instruments'; Colón journeys to self-healing reminds you that you're not crazy for the grief stages that you pass through - you are in fact the victim rebuilding yourself; claiming your rightful title as Survivor - and "It's ok". Speaking with her briefly after the show, it was refreshing to find that she was warm, welcoming and happy to chat in-depth with her audience. No heirs or graces - my kinda gal.

The great thing about Adam Kammerling, is that whether you have or not, he's the type to make you think you're seeing him perform for the very first time. Absolutely hilarious when I saw him open for singer Alex Mills back in November, the display was like that guy amplified, in Dolby 5.0 Surround Sound. Naturally funny, you can never quite be sure where his conversational flow ends and his performance begins. After that display, I've come to think they're one and the same.

Adam Kammerling

'Break Your Heart' is a raw and realistic Simon Cowell moment to all the wannabes who think flossing fly gear will also dress up their mindless, nonsensical lyrics. Hey - if it's charting, it  must be good, right? Wrong. So very, very WRONG. Bravo Adam for the bravery to say what I personally have been trying to for a long time! Let me get back to his performance though before my tangent goes stratospheric. The 'tamest' of his three track set, like the next, came from last September's The Letters EP; a collaboration with Hip Hop Producer Cuth.

'Hold That Note' was an ode to reminding those in this music game to remain true, original and individual. Though boisterous and larger than life with the delivery giving it a comical gloss, the underlying message is actually quite serious food for thought that you need to spend some time thinking about with no distractions to cloud your comprehension.

His freestyle end was bigger and more braggadocious than you would have thought possible judging by the knit jumpers which,  though he may have fooled me with the first time, I'm now fully convinced he uses as a Jedi mind trick to lull us, his audience, into a false sense of security. A solid performance, Adam outdid himself at the showcase, securing a new fan in the shape of Yours Truly.

David J

Headliner David J closed the show with his one of a kind form of phonetic Improv comedy. Absolutely hilarious from start to finish, he took the audience somewhere else - Pied Piper style, with his unusual acoustic trademark. A complete 'slight of hand' performance; by the time you've caught up to what he's doing with his use of words and sounds, you don't cotton on that he has you unwittingly laughing at a murder case currently dominating the news, that has had half of the world incensed from the moment the story broke.

His range of topics, from Current Affairs to life (and death) lessons about the consequences of messing with the wrong woman left my mascara streaming, and earned Mr J the only standing ovation of the night. That my friends, is what you call A  Closer.

With funny theme tune snippets introducing each artist, DJ Mista Gee was the shine on each set.

Celebrating their third birthday, the next event - Chill Pill Connects...The Big One takes place on Thursday, 23 May. Early Bird tickets are now available, visit the Facebook Event Page for full details.

Stay tuned for today's 'Lost In Music' Competition question this lunchtime, where you can win yourself a FREE #ESPspotlight Review of your album, mixtape or EP, by answering one easy Music-related question by 20:13 tonight. Trust me, you won't want to miss this one - it promises to be the most Notorious yet....

Until the next!
ES ;)

#ESPspotlight Review: Alex Mills - 'No Artificial Colours' EP and Launch Party

It's funny that one of the tracks on Alex Mills' 'No Artificial Colours' EP is entitled 'Big Bad Wolf', because this lady folks, has a set of chops that devour you.

If you're a long-time reader, then you might just remember her valiant efforts for 'Team X' as part of February's 'Valentine's Special Part 1 - Battle of the Sexes'. Her second EP of 2012, this 6-track mixtape dubbed on her Bandcamp page as: 'A mix of Highlife and 80s Groove with some Alex Mills stink on it' - is a fresh body of work that shows her original versatility and progression since March's 'The Blue Bird Refix'.

From the first strains of opening track 'Forever Young', there's absolutely no doubt that this real vocalist is built for live acoustics - no studio assistance required. There's an energy to the beat that grabs your attention and wakes your tired mind before she utters a sound. I felt sure that she was going to open the set with this one but, closing with it instead all made sense once she announced that it is to be the release's first single.

Even better and more enthusiastic live, the 'I don't wanna grow up' anthem is a testament to the carefree mindset of youth and holding the seriousness of 'grown up life' at bay, for the sake of the little girl inside who just wants to have all kinds of Cyndi Lauper-esque, jumping on beds, pillow-fighting FUN. That 80s influence whisks you back there in a flash. It adds pep to your walk, makes you yearn for RugRats and give serious thought to revisiting neon and oversized prints, a là that West Philadelphian Fresh Prince...

The message behind 'Only Human' will ring a little truer with your average female than male I think - it's one that all us girls can relate to. It doesn't matter where you are in life, or what you have achieved; we all battle our own inner turmoils that can seem like too much to handle sometimes and this track is the perfect testament to that. My second favourite performance of the night; don't make the mistake of thinking it's a sad sap mellow ode designed to fit the mode of thought though - quite the opposite! Instead the exotic Calypso feel forces your mind to admit it's a mess, while wanting to dance (in costume) through Notting Hill in November, with a steel drum accompaniment that only you can hear...

With all that confusion, you cannot help but realise Mills is quite right when she sings: "I just need a word with myself..."

Ahhh, '9 to 5'...This one is the protest song for every creative talent out there trying to make it, irrespective of your field. This is not a Country that takes kindly to 'Artsy' types. Those who don't 'fit' a pre-defined box that can be ticked really aren't welcome - and that, is the essence of the tale being related here. It was actually quite funny that as I listened to the mixtape pre-live set, I thought how much the message reminded me of the Nile Rodgers' produced track, 'Lost In Music' by Sister Sledge, as Ms. Mills sneaked 'Thinking of You' - only one of my all-time favourite songs from the same, 1979 'We Are Family' album, into her set - and did a smashing rendition I might add. I discovered post-set that both she, project co-writer Alex Patten and Yours Truly, all worship at the Temple of Nile (Rodgers, that is. Y'know, in that NYC part of Egypt...). Bottom line, '9 to 5' is a two fingers up to the cheerily supportive bunch at the Jobcentre Plus. Please and Thank You.

'Big Bad Wolf' is a follow-on that talks about the pretence of trying to fit into those aforementioned definitions of a 'grown up'. Mills clarifies that having dreams and aspirations is not the same as daydreaming of fairytales in her book - but if it turns out to be so, she'll find out by having the courage to actually go after hers, unimpeded by the fears and shortcomings that anyone else may feel she should have. With her strong, determined delivery, she proves a formidable opponent with just her voice and Alex Patten's guitar on the night. Personally, I think it's the wolf who should be scared...

'54321' is the theme song for The Unaffected in today's Entertainment Industry. Opening line: "Excuse me Sir, I believe you just dropped something. Oh never mind, it's just a name..." sets the whole thing up perfectly, as line after line follow about one of the most annoying misconceptions of too many in this business - thinking that stature appeals most to those who just want to create. Another great performance on launch night.

'Reverse & Rewind' ties the EP up in a slick bundle and is truly infectious. Something about the arrangement throwsback to Immature's 'When It's Love' for me; 90s RnB yes, but with that undeniable 'Alex Mills stink'! A break up song with a difference, the sheer energy could fool you into forgetting to read between the lines. Don't make that mistake.

Kammerling reminded me I really MUST
invest in more waterproof mascara...

Support acts at The Waterline Cafe Wednesday night kicked off with the absolutely hilarious poet and comedian Adam Kammerling. His disturbingly deadpan set consisted of three compositions ('Ode to Co-Dependence', 'Woof, Quack, Miaow...something very tongue-twisterish with many more animal noises' an eerie offering to the Abney Park squirrels) and a text from his Mum, delivered in the 'head voice' of every child with a 'hip' parent new to technology - of which I am a relatable one. Crying with laughter from start to finish, the only problem with his set was that it was far too short for someone I had just discovered for the first time and now want to see more of...

Very gracious and appreciative of the opportunity to
perform, Huw (left) is yet to turn 18!

Next were Huw Olesker and The Barebackers, a duo from Portsmouth whose acoustic poetry was a refreshing enjoyment in keeping with the night's headliner. Extremely talented both lyrically and in their atypical choice of instruments; their mature outlook displayed in their 7-piece set, was in stark contrast to what you would expect based solely on their youthful appearance.

A must-have addition to your music library, the natural instruments combined with stripped, raw vocals only add transparent authenticity to this EP. The live performances served as proof positive that in an age increasingly tainted by manufactured talent and auto tune - No Artificial Colours can disguise the honest talent that is Alex Mills.

'No Artificial Colours' by Alex Mills
Out Now

Download 

'No Artificial Colours'

now from Bandcamp (£2.99)

Then click to connect with Alex via her Social Media Catalogue:

Twitter / Facebook 

Why not Download 

'The Blue Bird Refix EP'

while you're at it? It's FREE!

View more photos from the night via the ESP Ltd. Facebook Page - don't forget to 'LIKE' that very same page while you're there!

Until next time...

ES ;o)