here's something I did earlier...

Last week I went to Lightspeed Champion's album launch at White Heat. As you may have heard Dev was joined by that there Alex Turner from that there Arctic Monkeys... I decided to do a review and send it to Phoenix at Kruger and she kindly stuck it up on the website. But since this the epicentre for all things JON, I've included it below with a fancy pic. Hurrah!




Lightspeed Champion. White Heat@Madame Jojo's 22/01/08



As a very last minute idea Dev Hynes aka Lightspeed Champion has decided to have an album launch party. However this was a world apart from countless other quickly organised affairs we've all been to. You know the ones you get a call with a promise of rivers of free booze, nighttime entertainment and countless numbers of eager members of the opposite sex?? While those kind of parties usually equate to a room full of men listening to drum and bass, Lightspeed Champion is clearly equipped to throw a party you’d admit to attending.



Instead of deciding to treat the crammed crowd with cuts from his fantastic debut ‘Falling From Lavender Bridge’, Dev decided to go one better. Well White Heat is known for being one of London’s more respectable indie disco’s, so why not play a set of indie covers? Even better why not liven up the set by playing the songs with members of Arctic Monkeys, Semifinalists, The Rascals, Ox:Eagle:Lion:Man & Ipso Facto? Believe it or not this actually worked. By this time I’m sure there’s already clips on YouTube so see for yourself.



Playing a short set of classics from 2001 to 2004 the ‘Pun Lovin’ Criminals’ actually ended up playing one of the most enjoyable gigs ever. Culminating with Dev, Alex Turner, blokey from The Rascals & Ipso Facto drummer girl blasting through The Strokes ‘Reptilia’. This gig was like when Arnold and Willis from Different Strokes popped up in the Fresh Prince, totally unexpected but jaw dropping.