Diary of a Rain Dog

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Photoshoot with Andre Titcombe

Very impressed by the talent of photographer Andre Titcombe.Here are a few pictures from a photoshoot we did about a month ago. Check his website out, this guy is going places.http://www.shotbyandre.com/

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THE QUEST FOR THE ULTIMATE CHEESEBURGER

First of all, beware, this post is not about music, it's about food !

I know it might be slightly weird to find this here on our blog but I had to share my ongoing quest to cook the cheeseburger of my dreams.

As you know, burgers can come in millions of different shapes and styles and each of us burger lovers has his own favourite.

I have been searching for my dream burger for a while now, skimming London burger joints in the hope I would find exactly what I was looking for. And I must say I have tried some really amazing ones along the way (the 7'' triple cheese burger of Kilburn's XBurger {below} being one of the best I was lucky to taste).

But very often, a little something was wrong about the burgers I tried : dry buns, cheap meat, thick tomatoe slices, not to mention the terrible trend of garnishing burgers with chutney or coleslaw...

Anyway, I was frustrated already, but my obsession to prepare the ultimate burger only really started a few days ago, when the universe started sending me obvious messages.

It first started with another disappointing burger me and my girlfriend ate in Clapton. A cold and over sweet coleslaw was making the burger almost impossible to eat and for the first time I thought "This is it, now I just need to try making one myself".

The following Sunday, I made my first attempt, cooking a massive burger for each of my flatmates for our traditional Sunday dinner. The result was positive, they all loved it, but it was too heavy and the minced beef I had bought at our local butcher was frankly not the best.

I tried to convince myself it was alright and I had done my best but the universe sent me another message the following night, when watching Season 4 Episode 02 of How I Met Your Mother called 'The best burger in New York' where Marshall roams the entire city to find the place where he ate the best burger of his life, 8 years back.

This was clearly not just a coincidence. I had to pursue my dream of finding my own favourite burger of all times, and if no one in London was gonna be able to cook it for me, I will then have to do it myself !

But first, I realized I needed to clarify what exactly was my dream burger ? That's when, randomly again, I stumbled upon this video on Food Republic, of an american chef called Sean Brock (my new personal hero) explaining his take on cheeseburgers :

These are his words :

“If I had to pick one thing that makes me the happiest when I eat it, it would certainly be the cheeseburger […] squishy bun, american cheese, special sauce, double patty, there’s something about the way that american cheese melts into almost a sauce, and if you have a double patty it kind of binds them together, and that, with that squishy bun is what I crave in cheeseburgers. That’s the only cheeseburger I ever wanna eat. I don’t want a cheeseburger with truffle cheese, foie gras and oven dried tomatoes […] But that’s what’s cool about a cheeseburger, it’s a personal thing, you’re allowed to eat whatever cheeseburger you want.”

That wonderful speech, plus the passionate look in his eyes and the wonderful images of his own cheese burger made me realise that THIS was exactly what I had been looking for : a simple but splendidly gooey american cheeseburger with no other artifice than great meat, great cheese and a squishy bun.

I was now ready to start a journey to gather the perfect ingredients for it.

Unfortunately, it didn't take long before I realised that finding american cheese in London was not just difficult, but most probably impossible !

After finding this really helpful article "In Search of the Best American Cheese", I started searching for suppliers here in London.

That's when the nightmare started.

Countless blogs recounted the experience of american folks living in London that had been looking for their beloved American Cheese without success.

At this stage, It should be pointed out that calling 'Cheese' this chemically processed milk product is most certainly considered Heresy by any proper Cheese Maker.

But as the "In Search of the Best American Cheese" article points out : "Nothing else has the same melty, gooey texture and milky, salty flavor that accentuates, but doesn't compete with a burger."

After hours of internet research, I finally found this American Food Store, based in Notting Hill, that was most susceptible to sell this so called American Cheese.

I couldn't actually find it in their product list but I thought I'd give it a try the following day.

The great news was that the store was located only a few meters away from one of London's most famous butchers : C. Lidgate, where I was bound to buy the minced beef for my burgers.

"Danny Lidgate is the 5th generation of his family to run this 150 year old business. He and his father David personally select organic and grass-fed beef, lamb and pork from selected free range and organic farms and estates."

I could feel my dream was about to come true.

The next morning I woke up early and went all the way to Notting Hill to buy the ingredients I was missing.

At exactly 9.30am, I was proudly standing in front of the American Food Store, when the shop was just opening.

But I was just about to be bitterly disappointed. I searched the whole store, looking for Sliced American Cheese but couldn't find any, so I ended up asking the lady at the desk :

"-Sorry Mam, do you sell any American Cheese ?"

- Oh Darling, you're not the first one, they all come in here hoping they'll find some, but the truth is, you won't find any in London. Customs are a real pain in the butt, they've never authorised it, we just can't get it shipped..."

NOOOOO !!! My dreams were shattered, I will never have the luck to taste the divinely silky texture of processed American Cheese in a Home made Double Patty Cheeseburger.

I thanked the lady and left the store feeling miserable, my heart heavy as rock. But well... Such is life.

The butcher next door was definitely selling one of the best minced beef in town (just take a look at the awards they recently won), and I was lucky to find a cheese maker and an italian delicatessen down the road, where I bought the cheese for the burgers.

In the italian place, I bought a few slices of Fontina, a 'Soft Mild Alpines cows cheese ideal for cooking'. At the cheese maker, I bought two thicker slices of French Etorki, an unpasteurised Sheep's milk cheese.

After all, I had to face it, this was bound to be succulent !

But it's while I was gathering the final ingredients for my burger that I stumbled upon what was going to be the key to it's absolute success :

"Primula Original Cheese Spread" !

This was going to fulfill my craziest dreams of a gooey cheese burger.

Enough talking, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves now.

Here the ingredients list for one burger :

- Buns (Warburtons Barm Cakes did the job nicely)

- 2 burgers (make them quite thin, just under 1cm thick)

- 2 thin slices of Fontina Cheese

- 1 thick slice of Etorki Cheese

- Cheese Spread

- 1 Sweet Onion (you actually just need one slice)

- 1 Gherkin

- Salt & Pepper

- Colmans Mustard

- Ketchup (optional)

Here is what it looks like when you add the cheese spread on top of the onion slice.

And here we are, my own take on the Double Patty Cheeseburger. So delicious, I couldn't believe it. The minced beef was absolutely divine and I'm really happy with my choice of cheeses, they melted nicely and the cheese spread made the whole thing just as gooey as I wanted it to be.

But remember, we all have distincts tastes when it comes to burgers and your own favourite might be very different from mine, so go look for it..

Now !

[victor-the-rain-dog]

VICTOR & The Rain Dog - Carnival Rock and Urban Storytelling

Check out this amazing review of the band by fellow blogger Nicola Greenbrook !

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VICTOR & The Rain Dog

Pictures taken @ The King's Head Private Members Club

Photographer : Robert Baggs

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Home Made EP

A few weeks back I decided it was time to get our new EP on CDs. I started searching the web for some cheap CD duplications but everything I could find was very expensive and definitely out of my budget. The only alternative solution I could think of was to make them myself, from scratch. I estimated I could make 100 CDs for less than £50 and started gathering the equipment.

To make 50 CDs, I needed : paper, glue and a small brush for the sleeves ; Stanley knives for the cutting ; a long ruler, a set square, black and white pens for the writing ; a pencil, a sharpener, a rubber, spray paint and masking tape for the stencil, and of course, blank CDs.

I started with designing the stencil that would go on the front of the EP.

Then I made the sleeves, following instructions found on the internet.

Once the sleeves were cut, the next step was to fold and glue them. A nice trick to apply pressure on both sides of a sleeve to make sure the glue sticks properly is to use clothes pegs. A good old dictionary does the job fine and saves a lot of time but clearly doesn't look as cool.

And here is my first sleeve :

Then was time to spray the stencil on the EP cover.

All that was left to do now was the writing at the back. I opted for a first layer of writing with a medium black marker and a second with a thin white pen.

Then I realised it would be useful to add a buisness card inside the sleeve with my contact details, website and links to social networks as, so far, VICTOR & The Rain Dog wasn't mentionned anywhere !

All I needed to do now was to burn the CDs and do the exact same thing over and over and over again, 50 times !

One CD is about 20 minutes of work and it took me three days full time to make the first 50 copies. To this day, I have done 72 home made EPs and sold all of them, mainly through busking. A new batch is on it's way !

Should you want one, feel free to email me : [email protected]

[victor-the-rain-dog]

EP Launch at the Servant Jazz Quarters

Our EP Launch took place on Thursday 17th July at the Servant Jazz Quarters in Dalston. We had an amazing night with a sold-out venue, two brilliant acts on before us and a great crowd. Here is a series of pictures taken by photographer Simon Balson.

http://simonbalson.photoshelter.com/

The evening started at 8pm with David Price.

David and I met a few years ago, when I first moved to London. At the time I was a waiter in a French restaurant where David was playing music every Thursday and Friday. He would come each week with a different musician and play an ecclectic mix of jazz, folk and blues. I've always been a big fan of David's voice, so subtle and soothing. I highly recommend checking his band out, "Dai & The Ramblers' : http://www.daiprice.com/

On after was Harry Dickson.

I had never met Harry before and was very curious to see him live.

When planning the EP launch and looking for an opening act, I asked my friend Alex from the Rebel Kites if he knew someone good who would fit the bill. He said he had seen this guy busking in winter probably a year ago, singing through a tiny amp that was distorting his voice, he was sooo good he said, "I must have his number somewhere", and he did.

Harry is a great songwriter. He doesn't have much online yet but do check him out as he will go far. A lot of charisma, beautiful guitar playing inspired by west african blues and a voice to make you shiver.

He started his set solo and then came Huw on Upright bass. Fantastic player as well, great duo.

This is my dear friend Mica Gi, our host for the night, who did a great job bringing the crowd downstairs and introducing each act before they went on stage.

And then came our set. The venue was packed, the atmosphere electric and we had a great time on stage. Here is a link to a little video of one of our songs 'Whistling High', shot by Simon Balson : http://youtu.be/kkuB7D66yfo

Adam.

And Rain Dog Dave, focused.

This EP Launch was probably one of the best gigs I've played so far in London. Thanks to all the people that came and participated in making this evening so unique. See you again soon !

[victor-the-rain-dog]

THE ITV EXPERIENCE

On June 18th, the Rain Dog team had the incredible opportunity to record 5 songs live + Interview at the London TV studios. My thoughts go to the absolutely amazing team of nearly 80 people that made it possible, and to my wonderful manager James Ash for organising it and keeping calm in the most stressful moments. Here is a selection of pictures taken on the day by photographer Simon Balson. Videos available here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JimrS0Lphjw

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Off to Jaywick

A few weeks back, the Rain Dog team went shooting a music video at the Shoreditch House, for one of the songs of the upcoming EP.

In command on the day was director Jamie Jones, who had seen me busking and kindly offered to make a video for us.

Jamie is a great filmmaker and you can check his work out on his website : http://www.jamiejones.tv/

When I got an email from him 3 days ago, asking me if I was up to come with him to Jaywick for a day of shooting on the seaside to complete the footage of the Shoreditch House, I couldn't tame my excitement.

Jamie's idea was to get some portraits of random people in the street, and footage of the city itself. But Jaywick isn't just the usual English seaside village. Wikipedia's article describes it best :

"Jaywick is a small seaside village near Clacton-on-Sea, in Essex on the North Sea coast of England. It was originally intended as a holiday resort for Londoners. Many of the houses were poorly constructed and were only intended for short-term holiday use. As time has passed, more and more people moved into the area and stayed. Many of the holiday homes are now permanent residences and in a state of disrepair. According to the Indices of deprivation 2010 part of the village is the most deprived area in England."

A very warm thank you to the few persons that accepted to be filmed and be part of the music video.

And here are a few screenshots of the video itself.

[victor-the-rain-dog]

DIY Rain Dog - Today I built a cajon.

A few days ago I found those two drawers in the street, just in front of my house.

I took them home thinking I might be able to build something out of them. When I brought them in and left them under the stairs, I could see the look on my flatmate’s face, probably wondering “how much more junk is he gonna store under those stairs?”. I took note of that look and promised myself that, should I not manage to do something with them in the next two days, I would discreetly put them back in the street. Truth is, I have recently been struck by a sudden madness for home built instruments that pushes me to gather all the useless stuff I can find in the streets, 90% of which I never use. Sometimes, I can tell people don’t really get me, like that time in Brick Lane when walking from one end of the street to the other, I picked up 65 flat balloons from the pavement (previously filled with laughing gas), with the intention of building giant bagpipes. I could hear people giggling as I walked past them, bent down. And they were right to, cause I never made anything out of those balloons. I left them in the sun one afternoon and they all melted together… Not a success. But this time, I will make something out of these drawers ! Now the question is : ‘what ?’ Well, looking at them this morning, I realise I could make a box out of them, by removing the fronts with the handles and sticking the drawers together. And a very common percussion, called Cajón, is just a simple wooden box played by slapping the front face with the hands. Like this one here :

Great ! Lets build a Cajón. I grab a hammer and smash the front of the drawers. That’s pretty easy, and kind of fun. I like smashing stuff with a hammer.

Next, I need to make the top of the Cajón with a few planks. I got the planks from an old piece of furniture I broke into pieces (with my hammer) a few days back. I lay them on the work top and saw them in segments of equal lenght.

That’s it, once I assembled all the parts together, it already looks like a Cajón. 

A pretty bad one judging by the sound of it, but still, a Cajón.

Now, I need to cut the sound hole on the back side. I use my favorite mug to draw the hole, for good luck. Funnily, I remember finding this mug in the street as well.

Ok, so now, the question is, how the hell am I cutting this hole without a jigsaw ?

Drill is the answer. I start drilling small holes all along the cercle.

That’s quite entertaining, and it only takes 5 minutes.

Once I have done the whole cercle, I finish the job with the blade of a hacksaw. Done !

My flatmate Zach is painting his windows, we have a cigarette break every 20 minutes and discuss our achievements.

The mess is spreading.

My next ally will be a Glue Gun.

I start gluing the two drawers together. I do a very nasty job. Just look at this :

But hey, I add a few layers and my box is now pretty sturdy !

Now I can glue the planks at the top to make the seat and here we are, the cajón is ready !

It doesn’t look great, but I kind of like it that way.

But when I try playing it, I have to admit it, the sound is terrible… the whole thing is wobbly and it just doesn’t sound like a cajon at all. Mmm. I’m not quite sure what to do. As it might be due to the front and back surfaces being slightly loose in their slits, I use the glue gun to strengthen them and to seal every gaps or small holes left in the structure. That should make it. I try it again, and here we are ! My drawers actually sound like a cajón now ! Unbelievable.

Judge by yourself with this short video :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEKEmjPcWOU

Conclusion : don't chuck your old drawers, they can make great percussions.

[victor-the-rain-dog]

DAY 3 - Not busking in Stratford

My day starts beautifully. Granola and flat-white at Cooper & Wolf.

I'm planning my day and I'm not really sure whether I should go to Camden or not. I know a great place for busking in Chalk Farm, on a bridge, but surely someone is there already because the sun is shining. Mmm..

I decide to go anyway. Who knows, I might find another great spot.

But while I'm walking towards the overground, I see the bus 308 stopping at my level. I take a look at the directions, it's going to Wanstead Woodbine Place (never heard of it) and it stops at Stratford.

Stratford has a massive station, surely a place full of people.

I jump in. Off to Stratford !

Exciting !

Once on the bus, it doesn't take long before I start regretting my decision. The landscape is lunar.

Desert.

I get off here as I'm scared I missed the station. I have no idea where I am. Should I try busking here ?

Naaa... It's dead. I ask someone for the station.

I'm very close, let's go.

People ! Great, I start setting up !

But it doesn't take 30 seconds before a police officer comes and asks to see my licence...

'Mmm.. What licence sir ?'

'You need an authorization from the council to play here'

'Oh... I don't have one, can I play anyway ?... Please ?'

'If you want a £90 fine, go ahead.'

Allright, he wins, I'm off... I take the 425, back to clapton.

I feel kinda happy when it starts raining 5 minutes later. At least I saved myself from a wet guitar.

I'm trying to think where I should get off, as I don't want to give up on busking, but the guy behind me is eating a KFC burger that smells like a bad fart and I can't focus. Gross.

Ok, I decide to get off at Mile End. Maybe I will find a nice spot along the canal.

But right now, I need to wee big time. I try the public toilets. It says 'insert 20p'. I do it and now it says 'cleaning cycle please wait'. And 2 minutes later it says 'insert 20p' again. Ok... I add another 20p and now it says 'cleaning cycle please wait' again.

Fuck this, I can't hold it any longer.

I cross the street, enter a lovely coffee place, and I ask for the toilets. The girl says they don't have toilets for customers.. But if I don't mind, I can use the outside ones. I certainly don't mind.

Look at them, cute !

When I'm done, I take a careful look at the beautiful cake display. It all looks delicious. I am salivating. But I don't have a penny on me, I can forget it.

I start talking with the two owners, Rosa & Danielle, both Italians.

Today is their first day, they just opened ! I thank them, congratulate them and say goodbye, and good luck with their new business !

Now my plan is to walk along the canal and see if I can find a nice bench to sit on and play.

I walk and walk and walk.. No bench, so I keep on walking.

When I get to Victoria park, I stare jealously at the benches there. I would kill to be able to busk on this one, but you can't busk in Victoria Park.. So I keep on walking.

Hello drowned scooter.

And here I am, on Mare street... Can't believe I walked all the way from Mile End to Mare street, with my suitcase, my guitar and ukulele, without finding a damn bench. I am exhausted...

And gutted...

I'm going home now, I'll rest my legs and harass my cat for cuddles.

Mango, Get ready.

[victor-the-rain-dog]

DAY 2 - Busking on Broadway Market

For the first time this year, I can drink my coffee outside in the garden.

Today, I am going to Broadway Market. I have always been curious to see how things work there for buskers.

I leave my house at 9am. Happy/Anxious.

The bus 236 drops me at the entrance of the market. It's 9.30am and I wonder if I am the first busker here.

I definitely am.

The market is empty, very quiet, and I start walking awkwardly up and down the street, looking for a good spot to start setting up.

For a while, I stand still on the pavement, with my suitcase and all my stuff, unable to make my mind. Traders can tell I'm a novice.

The whole street is in shadow, the wind blows strong and I am freezing, but in the end I choose a spot and I set up my little stage.

I need to start singing to get warm.

When I'm ready to start, I realise the batteries of my Ukulele are dead.. Which means I can't plug it into my amp.

I don't care, I put the mic to one side and start rocking it acoustic. I shout and I play the ukulele real hard. 

So hard I break a string halfway through the first chorus.

My ukulele is out-of-order.

I grab my guitar and start singing Sidewalk Empire. It's a blues song about a man roaming the streets of London on a cold winter day, perfect to relate to right now. I am getting warmer.

After half an hour, a kind lady from the bakery stall across the street comes and gives me a slice of cake. She liked my song about the drunk pirate.

I can't thank her enough, triple chocolate and raspberry. Gorgeous.

This man (I can't remember his name so I will call him John) helps me a lot. He tells me about the three official busking spots around the market.

One is where I am now, one is next to L'Eau à la Bouche, the french delicatessen, and the last one is in the school yard next to the market's entrance.

John also defended me when a guy came and asked me to move. I was 'singing too loud'.

"The street belongs to no one" said John, and the guy left.

On top of that, John was also regularly putting a few coins in my tin.

Thanks John, you're a star.

And you don't look fat ! (he was worried when I took his picture)

After one hour, I have made about £15.

It's 11am when I finally see another busker. He greets me and kindly asks how long I am planning to stay.

The market rule is you can't stay on the same spot for too long, you need to leave room to others, and that's fair enough.

I tell him I'll just do a couple more songs before moving and he offers to accompany me with his small korg synthetiser. We play a few tunes together. 

His name is Leander.

And I like his his blue nails.

After that, it's time to move. I stuff my suitcase with everything and say good luck to Leander.

Next spot : the school yard.

It's lovely here, much quieter than the rest of the market. Mainly food stalls, and at the back a guy is making giant soap bubbles with what looks like a fishing net. 

I change the ukulele string and play there for about 2 hours but I don't make much money. I use some of it to buy myself a flat white and I decide to move again.

I wonder how Leander is doing and I decide to pay him a little visit. Earlier, he told me a friend was going to join him. I'm curious to hear them.

Here they are : Leander and Garance. Garance is french and she sings, plays the accordion and the synth, while Leander plays guitar, korg synth and sings as well. Together they play an eclectic mix of french songs and funny experimental rap music.

They look like a modern version of Bonny and Clyde. Very cool.

By the end, we will even play a song altogether. We chat for a while and they tell me about a great venue I need to come to, it's called Jamboree. They are part of the collective and meet there every week with plenty of other musicians. It looks like a great jam and I'm definitely going there soon.

http://www.jamboreevenue.co.uk/

After that, I realise I can't stand on my legs any longer. I am knackered.

It's time to go home.

£32,54 in the busking jar today.

That's 30 pounds more than Yesterday !

That's me, on my bed, so tired I can't think.

Great day today...

[victor-the-rain-dog]

DAY 1 - Busking in Hackney Wick

Spring is coming and I want to start busking !

I want to explore London, meet cool people, make lots of money and become famous by the end of the summer.

To do so, yesterday I bought the cheapest battery amp I could find, a Micro Cube GX by Roland, roughly £100. How does it sound ? Bad, lets face it.

DAY 1

In the morning, I prepare a mailing list for people to stay in touch if they want to.

My suitcase is much lighter with the new amp but it's still a heavy load to carry : Guitar, Ukulele, mic stand and suitcase (with amp, pedals, mic, cables, glockenspiel, bells and shakers).

I leave home at noon. I look kind of scared but it's just the sun in my face.

I take the overground to Hackney Wick and once I get there I sart looking for a spot. in summer, that one would be good, in front of the Hackney Pearl. But right now, it's dead quiet. 

After a good 45 minutes walk all the way to Victoria Park and back, a lot of hesitation, very cold hands and nobody anywhere, I finally find a nice spot outside the White Building.

When I ask the barman if he minds me busking on the terrasse, he says : "Mate, you're more than welcome to... But there's no one out there."

I don't mind.

And it's not true, outside is Shannon, sipping her green tee (guess) on a wooden bench with her lovely (but very small) dog in her arms.

I give her my phone and she takes some pictures. She even films me playing a song. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1O8A3fBcgc

Thanks Shannon.

It's nice here. Very cold and quiet but some people listen to the music from the bridge, some from the other side of the canal. Joggers, builders, dog walkers.  After one hour, I've made £0,50, and three names on the mailing list !

I decide to take a walk and look for another spot.

There is no one here either, but it's sunny and comfortable. I give it a try.

After about 45 minutes, I decide it's time to accept it, busking in Hackney wick is not financially viable.

As I am ready to resign, a man greets me with a nice smile. He says he likes the music. His name is David and he is a painter, his studio is just across the road. He invites me for a cup of tea. I couldn't hope for better.

When we get there, David opens the door of his studio and I discover his world. The space is great, and the paintings too.

That's Rumi, David's dog. Rumi like the 13th century persian poet :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumi

And this is David, in his studio.

He prepares a tea, let's me smoke, and together we talk Buddhism, mindfulness, painting, music and apocalypse. David is great and before we notice, it's dark outside. I should probably go.

I play a last time with Rumi and I say goodbye.

Later that night, I visited David's website and naively discovered that he had been a Tutor in traditional painting methods and materials at the Royal College of Art, as well as a Personal tutor to His Highness Prince Michael of Kent.

http://www.davidcranswick.com/

These are the natural pigments he uses in his paintings. He explained me the whole process but I didn't really understand. He calls it Alchemy !

To get home I take the bus. When I get in the bus, I realise I have no balance on my oyster card...  But as I look at how much I made today, guess what ? £2,40. The exact price of a bus ticket. Sweet !

And as a great end for an amazing first day of busking, I find these two books on the pavement.

I know who's going to be happy !