Hey all,

Happy New Year and all that! I’m writing because I wanted to tell you about one of my new projects. It came about whilst sat drinking (too much) Peroni and watching the ridiculously talented Vikki Stone perform an awesome parody of Lily Allen at Behind The Mic in December.

After being delightfully entertained by Vikki, I was overwhelmed with the urge to start up a new night dedicated to this particular genre of comedy. It’s two of my favourite mediums merged and I must add, a welcome respite from working in a serious and troubled music industry. (I am actually inlove with the serious side to the music industry but balance is important, no?… ‘let there be spaces in your togetherness’) Anyway, a quick Google later and it transpired (much to my surprise) that there were hardly any events catering to this fantastically entertaining medium, so I asked Vikki if she was up for starting a musical comedy night with me and henceforth, The Comedy Song Club was born.

I had been looking for new venues for other projects for quite a while and one day Peter Parkers Rock’n'Roll Club popped onto my radar. It’s located at 4 Denmark Street and seems ideal. For those of you unaware, Denmark Street has forever been associated with music thus earning the nickname ‘Tin Pan Alley’ back in the 1920’s. In the early 1800’s it was renowned for selling sheet music and rent was so cheap struggling artists could afford to set up home there, come the 1890’s music publishers had moved in and by the 1960’s, recording studios and instrument shops were springing up. One of the most notable studios was The Regent Sounds Studio, which was actually established on the same site as our Comedy Song Club’s home! It was here that the Rolling Stones recorded their first album and later welcomed the likes of Stevie Wonder. Anyway, I won’t rattle on with too much history. You get the picture, this really is one of the best musical streets in Europe.

So, The Comedy Song Club at Peter Parkers, 4 Denmark Street, Soho. Expect current pop parodies, original comedy songs, comedy bands, dance sketches, improvised singing and an audience participation jam - bring your triangle for the final song!

Vikki Stone, the Jools Holland of Musical Comedy will MC the night from the piano and introduce circuit favourites such as Pippa Evans (Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer Nominee 2008), Isy Suttie (Dobby from Peep Show), Earl Okin, Rob Broderick, Jay Foreman and sometimes top secret famous types trying out new stuff - ooooh.

Launch: Monday 1st February
Peter Parkers, 4 Denmark Street, Soho, London, WC2H 8LP
Doors: 7.30pm. Showtime: 8.30pm
Entry: £7/£5
Acts included for Feb 1st - Pippa Evans, Rob Broderick, Jay Foreman, The Segue Sisters, G3 & Olly The Octopus. MC, Vikki Stone.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Jen x

Tomorrow Anna’s paintings will be shipped to Dubai for her latest exhibition “Union of the Senses” at the Art Couture Gallery, Dubai. I’m so immensely proud of her latest work and continue to feel flattered that she asked me to be involved in promoting her work to the rest of the world. Her paintings are stunning and she deserves every success. For those of you who are not acquainted yet with Anna. Let me tell you something about her…

Anna is an abstract expressionist painter who currently resides between her studios in London and the Mediterranean island of Gozo. She has been applauded as a ‘sorceress cartographer’ who presents her most intimate stories and experiences through paintings that ‘inspire, astonish and enchant’.

Born and raised in the rural parts of Cheshire, North West England, Anna left home aged twenty to complete a Masters in Fine Art at Central St Martins. On graduation, life brought her to the frequently sun-drenched and archaeologically rich island of Gozo, where the warm reds, oranges and tranquil, calming blues contrasted remarkably with the closed grey skies of England.

However, Anna’s love for the variance that these two locations provided meant she would go on to split her time between both. The influences of both London and Gozo echo throughout her paintings; the sumptuous colours of Gozo (from the panaramic skies and sunsets to the craggy rocks and clear blue sea) are sublimely recalled, whilst the cultural vibrancy of London can also be felt in their atmospheres and subplots. Each of Anna’s paintings encourages the viewer to embark on a spirited and passionate journey that intimately mirrors the depths of the artist herself. In this respect, her paintings can aptly be described as ‘lanterns of the soul’.

Inspired by legends such as Rothko and Whistler, Anna’s skilful layering of powerful colours in oils and ink has led to her enjoying over twenty highly successful international exhibitions. You can view a sneak preview of her latest exhibition “Union of the Senses” below…

Hurrah! Claire Tchaikowski’s music video featuring the one and only Anna Nightingale is now finished. I’m very impressed - I hope you are too. Let me know your thoughts! Here’s an introduction from Claire…

“This is my first video, directed in London by Gavin Elder @ heyluke, and featuring the artwork and painting of Anna Nightingale.

Enjoy…! “

Thanks to Catherine A.D. for pointing this article out on Twitter. I think it’s spot on. (Btw, I recommend checking out http://www.myspace.com/catherinead for details of her latest EP…it’s great!)

http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4136269

Well, I have some good news and some bad news with regards our Behind The Mic shows. The bad news is that our beloved Soho Revue Bar ceased trading after last nights gigs so our Soho show is homeless. The good news is, Time Out love our radio shows…‘a splendid arts series’ they say! On the live show front, we’re back at The Library (Islington - Opposite Union Chapel) on the 19th February with Sound of Rum headlining. They were guests on our radio show last Monday and were brilliant! Kate Tempest is one hell of a rapper and the guitarist and drummer were not only lovely lads but highly skilled themselves.

Below’s the latest press release for the next few shows in the series…(NB it was too late to include this Mondays info but I can tell you we have the vampy performance poet Sophia Blackwell and singer songwriter Idan Rabinovici who’s recently supported Jose Gonzalez. http://www.myspace.com/idanrab )

Behind The Mic, Mondays 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd Feb, 10-11pm

Resonance FM 104.4FM www.resonancefm.com

Presented by Rosie Wilby (Finalist, Funny Women 2006) with Jen Roberts

www.myspace.com/behindthemic06

Showcasing the cream of emerging and established London talents in music, live literature/poetry and comedy, from Behind The Mic’s live events.

Feb 9th – Rosie and Jen present live acoustic sessions from London songstress Tallulah Rendall whose voice sits somewhere between Alison Goldfrapp and Regina Spektor, and bluesy Marcus Bonfanti who supports Sandi Thom in Feb. www.myspace.com/tallulahrendall www.myspace.com/marcusbonfantimusic

Feb 16th – live music from husky voiced Italian rock songstress Elena and spoken word from 2007 UK Slam Champion, 2007 Glastonbury Slam Champion and 2006 Blackdrop Slam Champion John Berkavitch www.myspace.com/musicelena

Feb 23rd – live acoustic music sessions from Dan Raza, who recently opened for Joan Armatrading on her European tour dates and, daughter of Bill, Rosie Oddie will be in the studio with some of her band the Odd Squad and their fabulously leftfield songs www.myspace.com/danraza www.myspace.com/rosieoddieandtheoddsquad

Jake Morley in the studio for Behind The Mic

Our rising star, Roxy Rawson will be performing at The Royal Albert Hall on February 24th as part of the hush series. I can’t wait!…I hope you can make it. Drop me a line if you can, it would be good to hook up before/after. (Psst…Roxy’s debut EP is one song away from being completed and it’s sounding brilliant!  We’re probably looking at a release date in late March…watch this space!…)

Anna and her partner came to see Shazia on Saturday night at my local pub, The Steeles in Belsize Park. (If you don’t know The Steeles I recommend checking it out, it’s a fabulous battered, bohemian, boozer.)

The promoter made us sit right at the front. So close to the mic in fact that I was wrapping my legs about the mic stand in a mock pole dancing effort from my chair. I wasn’t very good. Anyway, Shazabelle was on form and they thought she was brilliant. Anna had tears streaming down her face. It was great to watch. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard certain jokes of Shazia’s but still, I always, always, laugh. Which I guess is testament to the enormity of her talent.

If you’ve never seen Shazia perform then I recommend a visit to her website where you can view a few sketches and TV clips of her performing. (I particularly love the news and Primark sketches.) If you enjoyed them then perhaps you’d like to join us at the Soho Theatre in February.  Shazia will be performing a ten night stretch of her hour long show, commencing February 4th at 8pm. Come! I’ve included more information below.

Press Release

Internationally acclaimed, award winning stand up comedienne Shazia Mirza returns to the Soho Theatre this year with her brilliantly funny one-hour show ‘A Portrait of Shazia Mirza’.

Mirza will take the audience through the ups and downs of appearing alongside Nelson Mandela in the National Portrait Gallery’s Top Ten People of the Decade, to being told at eight stone that she is too fat for US TV, to becoming a WAG for the day.

As a stand up comedienne, Mirza has one on the most distinctive comedy voices. She is an international performer in huge demand and, in the last year alone, has performed in the USA (where she was the only UK comedienne to reach the semi finals of NBC’s Last Comic Standing), Switzerland, Berlin, Sweden and was the first British Comedienne to perform in Pakistan.

Following the huge rating success of F*** Off I’m a Hairy Woman, she has recently been filming ‘Brilliant Britain’ for the relaunch of TV channel Blighty. Her other television credits include Have I Got News For You, Miss Real World and a profile on ‘60 minutes’ (CBS).

In 2008 Shazia won the prestigious Columnist of the Year Award at the PPA Awards for her fortnightly column in political weekly the New Statesman. The judges praised Shazia as a columnist “who actually talks to their readers” and “gives an insight into a whole culture that does not have a voice in the British media”.

“She writes as a feisty young Muslim woman with a self deprecating and needle sharp humour, prepared to break taboos and make us think about the most controversial issues of our time, from suicide bombers to virginity” THE GUARDIAN

‘Clever, groundbreaking and very funny’ EVENING STANDARD

‘Her laconic one-liners represent something quite unique in modern comedy’ THE GUARDIAN

www.shazia-mirza.com

Dates: 4th-14th Feb. 8pm. Soho Theatre. £12 (£10)

For any press queries email moi! jr at jenroberts.co.uk or call 07968 756 449

Oh, I love the fact we have this Behind The Mic radio show. It was SUCH fun on Monday. Madam (Sukie Smith) and Tamsin Kendrick were lovely people and great performers. There was a wonderful atmosphere in the studio and many laughs. You can buy a copy of Tamsin’s new poetry book direct from the publishers website here. For details of where to buy Sukie’s latest album ‘In Case of Emergency’ see her MySpace. Next week we have Claire Tchaikowski and Jake Morley which will be very interesting indeed.

A few weeks ago I posted some pictures that I took from the making of Claire’s music video for the track ‘Undone’…she was working with brilliant abstract expressionist painter Anna Nightingale (whom I manage). Well, now I can provide you with a further taste of what’s to come. Here’s a 30 second trailer…

Last week Anna was involved in the making of a music video for the very talented Claire Tchaikowski (for whom Anna provided the art work for her debut album ‘Those Thousand Seas’ - you can check out some of her dreamy music here: http://www.myspace.com/clairetchaikowski)

The setting was a stunning Edwardian town house located on Chiswick Mall - literally metres away from the river Thames. (What I would give to own one of those houses!) It was great to observe Anna’s creative processes and the ideas behind the video were beautiful.  I won’t reveal too much about the video - I’ll post it here when it’s ready. For now, I’ve uploaded some pictures I took…(click to enlarge)

I agree with Shazia , you are a pioneer and a hardcore badass offensive ruthless showbiz machine, that’s why I love working with you too. I feel damn lucky.

You nurture and believe in me and you’re a tough cookie who pushes me forward and won’t suffer tossers along the way. I am proud to have you supporting me. Lets knock em’ dead Jenya.

I am very happy you came along today to experience the filming of Claire’s video. Recreating the atmosphere from that special painting all over Claire’s semi naked body was lush. We all know so. Wouldn’t you all like to have been there too. Yes we know so.  We will post some images soon.

Till the next time,

Hugs

Anna