There is a rather large spread about the: “18 Most Influential New Voices in Music” and Dannii has taken the spot as The New Bohemian; obviously!

Here is her snippet and how OneTaste is bridging the gap between the underground and mainstream.

What a way to start 2012!

For more of our Press clippings click here.

Press contact: jess@onetaste.co.uk

So, thank you!

As a way of thanking you more, we asked the very lovely spoken word artist, Dougie Hastings, to write and record a little Christmas poem, just for you…

…and here it is: Dougie Hastings – Christmas Hobo

We ladies of OneTaste hope you all have a very Merry Christmas surrounded by your loved ones and filled with peace, joy and a lot of laughter!

Jess, Dannii, Stac & Debbie xx

What I was not expecting was the butt-clenchingly twisted, tragic and weirdly familiar mentality Brooker created in the first hour out of three black satires reflecting his opinion of our current social state.  He constructed a fictional situation, whereby the sweetheart of the nation, Princess Susannah, is kidnapped and her ransom is broadcast on YouTube.

The terms: the PM has to have sex with a pig.

Live.

On national television.

Until the very end.

If he didn’t, the Princess would die.  Not only would the Princess be dead but he as a person would be politically ruined and the Government could not guarantee his safety or that of his family.

If he did it.  He would have shagged a pig; live on TV.

What followed was ballsy, uncomfortable, shocking and nauseating.  The sociological study of modern media manipulation that twists from one extreme to the other; one minute the public were behind (no pun intended) and sympathetic of the PM and in a matter of hours, due to Twitter and social networking, the public all wanted him to suffer the extreme humiliation; it was fascinating.  Whether it was to save Princess Susannah or whether it was partly because of our society loves to laugh and poke fun at others who are humiliated publically, I was sickeningly hooked.

It was the modern excessive version of throwing rotten tomatoes at another in the public stocks.

When it came to it…I couldn’t watch it.  I think if this were to happen in real life, I wouldn’t be able to watch it either.

Would you?  Would you be able to watch a public figure having sex with a pig?  Even if it were to save the sweetheart of the nation?  Even if it was the biggest, most watched piece of live broadcast watched by the world?  Bigger than any concert, international event, anything experienced by billions of people across the globe, at the same time, in history?  I guess it also depends on who’s involved.  But I know I couldn’t.

What makes it all the more twisted for me, is that it wasn’t a terrorist act, it wasn’t done for any money, but some artist created the situation as ‘Live Art’.

The broadsheet media used to be hard-nosed.  Credible news.  Idealistic aspiring journalists being churned out of higher education looked to Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward for inspiration.  Always in search of the truth.

But Brooker’s Black Mirror: The National Anthem, certainly reflected, to me, a very literal mirror at the state of the media that we are now exposed to and a media that we (whether you agree or not) are actually directly responsible for.

Ultimately, it was a very satirical piece of entertainment on a Sunday night, however, it really struck a nerve at the back of my conscience.  This show highlighted a very large, dark part, of the society and media that we have created.  As a failed idealistic journalist who did look up to the legends of Bernstein and Woodward, it does make me wonder when will we finally turn against this mob culture served on the silver platter of social networking mediums?  Or will it never cease because we love to revel in others’ public humiliation too much?  The classic gossiping nosy neighbour.

Next Sunday’s part 2 Black Mirror: 15 Million Merits, satires the world of shows such as the X-Factor and is brilliantly being broadcast immediately after the X-Factor final on Channel 4.  I for one will have that recording on my SKY+ box whilst I am at our OneTaste 7th Birthday celebrations with the Noisettes, ESKA, Gideon Conn, Daniel Marcus Clark, Stac & the OneTaste Choir!

How about you?

It’s important to laugh at yourself isn’t it…

I don’t want to put a question mark in there because it’s more of a statement that I am prompting you to agree with.

There are so many serious aspects of life, so why would you choose yourself to be one of them?

Laughing at yourself allows you to be comfortable with who you were, who you are and who you are probably going to turn out to be, for however long that stage lasts and that’s the point really. If you aren’t chuckling at past mistakes, you probably aren’t changing and if you aren’t changing you almost definitely aren’t learning, and that’s what life is all about…isn’t it?

Polarbear‘s Old Me, to me, is a beautifully written and performed, funny, touching and clever hour of Polarbear explaining (to a soundtrack provided by the brilliant Daniel Marcus Clark) what being a human actually means.

That the ideal of life is, that it’s simple.

However, the irony lies in the fact that in order to understand and appreciate the simple, you have to go through the complex.  Much like when your Nan tells you to take your coat off or you won’t feel the benefit; you have to feel the cold to be able to feel the warm.  You have to be run off your feet to appreciate time.  You have to lose the plot to find it again, and that’s kind of what I’ve done here, because all I really want to say is: if you get the chance to, go and see this, not for PolarBear’s sake, but for yours!

Go and realise that life is simple. It is what you want it to be.  It’s the choices that you make.

But above all else; go and realise that in order for you to be an adult, you have to be a kid first and that’s ok.

More on Polarbear!

Being this busy has certainly helped to put into perspective what needs to be done next year.  December always seems to be a time of thinking about what the last 12 months has bought along the way.  So, this has lead me to think about some New Year’s resolutions.  Is it too early to think about New Year’s resolutions?  It is something I usually do 30 seconds before 12 o’clock midnight before the new year.

Hmm?

No, I’m going to say no, it’s not too early to think about it.

Often New Year’s resolutions are about what you will cease doing rather than what you will take on.  No, I will not be giving up drinking or smoking (well it won’t be a conscious decision if I do anyway).  I’ve decided I want to have more fun, see more live music and learn more!  Learning was never something I was very good at in my young age.  School, well it just wasn’t very me.  There were a couple of subjects I enjoyed but they tended to be more on the creative side of things.  It was something I never really enjoyed too much, that learning malarkey.  Then, it was on to the Brit School.  What can I say about that?  Generally it was finally finding something that I enjoyed doing, singing.  However, there really wasn’t much learning going on from my part yet an excessive amount of naughtiness in the park at lunchtime!

No wonder so many people turn to adult education.  It’s not been until I’ve reached my 28th year that I’ve finally found a hunger for taking in as much information as possible.  It’s really quite enlightening!  I think next year I have decided is a time for me to stop and listen more to other people and ask lots of questions about things that I’m intrigued about.  I’ve realised that as much as I love the sound of my own voice (those who know me I’m sure will concur!) I need to hear the voice of others that have something interesting to say!

And as far as having more fun and going to more gigs is concerned, hit me up if you have any awesome recommendations!

I came to know Little Dragon through a compilation that featured Jamie Woon‘s Wayfaring Stranger and Midlake‘s amazing Rosco along with eight other musical gems.  Little Dragon‘s infamous song Twice was perfectly placed four songs in and was a stand out track on this beautiful compilation by the Sonar Kollectiv‘s called Secret Love 4.

Twice immediately gripped me as well as majority of the OneTaste crew at the time.  We found Little Dragon‘s album and that was it; hooked for life.  Magic and cool wrapped up in a zip file.  This was back in mid 2008.  A few months later OneTaste got the opportunity to host Little Dragon‘s first London showcase at the Jazz Cafe.  It was a mini dream come true amongst our friends.  Jamie Woon, Stac and Polarbear were also on the bill for this gig and all played to a sold out audience.  Since then they’ve played Hyde Park and The Garage with us and as we have watched their fan base and career grow and take them around the world. We realised that we had had the privilege of being a small part of the growth of one of the freshest and most original bands to come out of the ‘noughties’.

After their break with The Gorillaz world tour and getting Twice on US TV hit show Grey’s Anatomy, they have now officially started making international waves.

Proof for me was Sunday night.  I went down to the Shepherd’s Bush Empire (SBE), and again, it was sold out.  Having not seen them play in a year, I was shocked by the difference that time can make.  I guess that is what happens when you spend nearly everyday working and touring relentlessly, devoted to your craft.  Little Dragon are one of the hardest working bands that I have met and it shows.  So last Sunday, Yukimi, Erik, Fred, Hakan and a 5th additional mystery member, performed the most amazing show that I’ve seen.

What impresses me most every time, is their ability to tap into some kind of collective consciousness with their rhythms.  They were already tight, but this gig at SBE showed me how a band can go from ridiculously tight to masterful.  Each member has some kind of percussive role within the music and that rhythmical collaboration makes for a peak experience for the listener.  You find yourself flowing in and out of different head nodding, hand waving and hip shaking patterns, carving a language of your own that matches everyone elses but looks completely different.  No joke, every person I looked at in the audience had some kind of different movement going on, completely individual to them.

Little Dragon‘s live shows are special to me because somehow they seem to attune people to themselves and to each other.  That, in my opinion, is the core mission of music, and this band weave magic in a way that is as much mysterious as it is masterful.  I could swear they have been taking some lessons from Tool on sacred geometric drum patterns.

I am transported with every listen… I don’t even know where I go, but it is somewhere between this realm and a realm of space, beats, light, lasers and dragons… with magic binding every note.

Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday (plus Sunday 11th December), we will be showcasing London’s best artists who will entertain you whilst you peruse the beautiful craft market eat some mince pies, drink mulled wine and feel very merry!

Come and join us:

Every Thursday and Friday from 1-3pm and 6-8pm

and Saturday’s from 12-6pm

kicking off on 1st December all the way through to Christmas Eve!

The magical market is open from 12pm-8pm Thursdays and Fridays and 10am-6pm on Saturdays.

ARTISTS PLAYING:

FREE ENTRY

Way back in 2004, Dannii Evans and Jamie Woon, embarked on a journey to expose some of the most ridiculous talents of the exploding underground Music & Spoken World scenes throughout the UK.

It doesn’t feel that long ago that we hosted our first show in the Tavistock room at the top of The Bedford with Jamie Woon, Newton Faulkner, Paradox, Jono McCleery and Pepe Belmonte…300 shows later, we’re back at The Bedford on Sunday 11th December for our 7th Birthday!

Forever showcasing the best new musicians and poets about and always pulling in the acts that have made OneTaste what it is today, this line up is surely going to bring with it the party vibes a birthday needs!

Check out all details and how to get your hands on cheaper tickets…CLICK HERE!

“Whenever I get a chance to do a OneTaste, it’s got to be done!” Scroobius Pip

All press enquiries email: jess@onetaste.co.uk

Thank you to everyone who came down and made it such a fabulous day!

However, a biggest most MASSIVE THANK YOU has to go to all of the amazing artists that played and shared their music, words and art in all of the spaces; the delicious raw food and stunning décor; the brilliantly fun photo booth; and all the oodles of people behind the scenes, beavering away even today!

Photos from the festival will be up very very soon, so keep checking back for updates.  And don’t forget to let us know what you thought…we’d love to know!

Now.  We must say now, 11th December is going to be an uber special date for your diary as it is our 7th BIRTHDAY!

We can’t believe it’s been seven whole years, since we hosted our first event with Jamie Woon, Newton Faulkner, Paradox, Jono McCleery and Pepe Belmonte…wow!

So, get ready for another super special night, one that will blow your musical poetry minds!

Goosebumps at the ready!

Massive love to you all,

The OneTaste Ladies xx

£10 DOOR (first come first serve)

If you wish to RESERVE A TABLE – please email: tablebookings@onetaste.co.uk (purchasing a ticket does NOT automatically reserve you a table!)

OneTaste is 7 in December.

It doesn’t feel that long ago that we hosted our first show in the Tavistock room at the top of The Bedford with Jamie Woon, Newton Faulkner, Paradox, Jono McCleery and Pepe Belmonte! What a night.

300 odd shows later, we have decided nothing would make us happier than to get back to our roots and celebrate all the amazing artists that we have had the pleasure of listening to over the years.

We like the idea of a big show with SURPRISES, presents and amazing MUSIC & POETRY. Sounds good?

We’d LOVE you to join us!

“Whenever I get a chance to do a OneTaste, it’s got to be done!” Scroobius Pip

Line-up:

Noisettes

We remember first seeing the Noisettes perform at a squat party in Leyton about 6 years ago…! Shingai Shoniwa literally blew us away.

Two years on from a second album Wild Young Hearts, awash with stomping electro-rock and galloping funk grooves, the London duo are set to return with their third album, a set of sleek pop songs steeped in soul, dizzy on disco and harking back to the days of blues and jazz greats.

Described as ‘the best live band in Britain’ by The Guardian, a recent London show saw Shoniwa charge in to the audience playing guitar and singing, clinging to a ladder suspended from the ceiling, a nod to the circus skills she learnt in her teens.

Many a person has stated: “With the Noisettes, it is always best to expect the unexpected” and for our 7th Birthday you had better hold on to your hats for one hell of a ride!

Link to Noisettes

ESKA

ESKA‘s voice that has been already heard by millions.  As a vocalist, ESKA’s legendary virtuosity has attracted the attentions of a host of acclaimed artists – the likes of Tony Allen and David Sylvian, to name a couple. Her vocal arrangements have credits on 3 Mercury-nominated albums.  For her solo project, she chose to work alongside one of her most recent collaborators, artist-producer Matthew Herbert.  As a conductor, ESKA has lead a 150-voice choir for Bobby McFerrin and is Music Director for Goldsmiths (London University) Vocal Ensemble who have performed with Matthew Herbert’s Big Band.

She is one super busy lady, with the most amazing voice to boot and by goodness we are so happy and excited to have her celebrate our 7th Birthday with us!

Link to ESKA

Gideon Conn

Born and raised in Manchester, Gideon Conn spent the greater part of his formative years ensconced in a state of daydream. After four years of sculptural bliss at fine art college, he over extended his self in an attempt to succeed in the construction industry as a labourer. The work was hard. He endured for eight months then packed it in to be an artist and musician and hasn’t looked back.

He’ll quite happily to sing to anyone, anywhere.

“There’s a song for every occasion and each song has its own identity and place within the repertoire. It all depends on what you’re feeling.”

Link to Gideon Conn

Daniel Marcus Clark – EarFilms

Daniel Marcus Clark is a writer, storyteller, musician & composer from Brighton, England. He specialises in the composition and performance of ‘EarFilms’- filmic sound-tracked and sound-designed stories. This is a medium that he has been developing since 1999. As well as writing and telling stories, he plays a multitude of instruments including guitar, harp, double bass, trumpet & baritone horn, and has worked as a recording and live musician on a number of projects including as front-man of ‘The Hat’.

“A consummate performer.” – The Scotsman

“Storyteller and musician Daniel Clark shows how perfectly both these roles can combine.”

Link to Daniel Marcus Clark

Stac

Having been thrown out of school at the age of 14 for setting fire to her music teacher (he didn’t meet her unusually high standards) the artist formerly known as Stacey Dowdeswell, somehow managed to wangle a scholarship to the infamous Brit School (an institution that has so far managed to churn out the likes of Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash and Jamie Woon) and her path in life, it seemed, was set.

Link to Stac

If you wish to RESERVE A TABLE – please email: tablebookings@onetaste.co.uk – purchasing a ticket does not automatically reserve you a table!

Press enquires: jess@onetaste.co.uk