Mikey B Trippin: The Great Escape pt. 2

I attended some conference-y stuff ’cause my boss wanted me there, but those organized sessions make me a lil uncomfortable & I tend to sweat profusely. The majority of attendees rep desperate companies or bands, & hand out all this promotional shit that I’ll most likely throw away. I’m more the type to socialize in bars, shows or parties with random faces that I like. So after I couldn’t take it anymore, I headed out to a pub for lunch & found others like myself who were just basically pre-drinking till the next show.

That next show had a line-up the size of Barack Obama’s front lawn, including Unknown Mortal Orchestra. It looked like I wasn’t getting in until I spotted a dude named Tim Joly, a promoter who was the first dude in the U.K. to name-drop my lovely friend from Sacramento, Chelsea Wolfe. Tim was happier to see me than I thought & since it was his gig, he got my ass into the show in a heartbeat. I couldn’t see shit & only caught a couple songs, but let’s just say they are super “in” right now & it’s worth streaming a song or two to check ‘em out. I ended the night there with the rad-ass blonde chicks from Vice & Noisey U.K., shot after shot until the wizard took me to Oz.

Last thing I remember is stumbling back to my bed on a quiet street at 4 a.m. I bumped into two loud, drunk Brits & some stuck-up L.A. hipster. They asked where I’m from. “Montreal.” “Why no French accent?” they say, & I reply “I’m from Stockton, California, too.” L.A. dude had a look of distaste on his face & said, “Shitty town,” & turned his back on me. I then barked at him, “Stockton might be a shithole, but Pavement’s from Stockton, bitch.” His Brit buds perked up & jumped with joy as we ditched the L.A. prick & hopped away singing “Shady Lane” into the Brighton sunset. Hey L.A. asshole: eat it.

On my last day, I attended the YMCA awards. That’s TGE’s Yearly Music Convention Awards. I was nominated for two: Best Regional/Small Festival for M for Montreal & another for Best Networking Event/Activity for the M for Mikey Tour. I’m happy to say M picked up the award, but since M for Mikey won last year, I handed the statuette over to the MAMA event in Paris. You go girls!!

That night I went out to the Art Rocker Showcase to catch Irish metal punk band Wounds & a band I love, the only surf-rock-sounding band I know of in the U.K., Mazes. Another band that knocked me hard that night was Guards from L.A. They’re gonna rock Osheaga, so hit it up, buttercups. I left there slanted & enchanted after a Brit hit me in the face & tried to pickpocket my wallet.

I finished the night off @ the Queens Hotel bar by the water, where I sparked up a conversation with someone I NEVER thought I’d ever bro-down & have drinks with. None other than 71-year-old Seymour Stein, aka the ex-president of Warner Brothers Records & co-founder of Sire Records. The dude signed a butt-load of artists from my record collection, ie Madonna, Depeche Mode, the Smiths, the Ramones, Talking Heads & Ice-T, to name a few. Belle & Sebastian even wrote a song about him. T’was 3 a.m. & he was standing like the rock that he is. The dude is smart, fast & had that 30-year-old look in his eyes, asking lots of questions — usually, it’s the other way around. I woke up to an email @ 11 a.m. from the man himself saying it was nice talking to me. Really? Sharp, Seymour. Sharp.

I’ll see you next year, Brighton. ■

Read pt. 1 of Mikey’s Great Escape report here

Who is M for Mikey?

@m4mikey