…the neon hub blog…

Oh to work in California – where dirty jobs are mud baths, a board meeting is surfing and working with characters is a day out at Disney Land – or so Arnie tells us.

It may not be quite that simple to rock up and hand over your P45 to Mr Schwarzenegger in exchange for lounging around getting a tan. However the ads are quite entertaining, succeed in demonstrating the diversity of this glossy slice of the US and have developed into a strong and adaptable branding technique. So adaptable in fact that any old Tom, Dick or Harry could feature in these ads for the Golden State.

California Calling has been set up to find someone to feature in their next Visit California ad by asking entrants to upload an audition video of between 30 seconds and 3 minutes. The criteria is not very clear but you must “prove why you’re right to appear in the ad” and as in all these contents stand out from the crowd and be creative. It is worth making the effort to have a go at this, a quick look through shows that with a small amount of imagination the competition is not that stiff.

The prize…. Virgin Upper Class flights followed by a VIP adventure around California taking in LA, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Santa Barbara and Palm Springs. At each destination you’ll see the very best each has to offer and “be treated like a star”.

Entries must be submitted by March 1st.

There will be a bit of Havana at this year’s Worldwide Music Awards from special guest Danay, flying direct from Cuba and presented by Havana Cultura.

Gilles Peterson discovered Danay when he recently teamed up with Havana Cultura to produce an album of up and coming musical talent from the Cuban capital.

Peterson said of Danay:

“A remarkable new voice whom I met whilst interviewing artists for my BBC Radio 1 documentary. She played me some of her original songs and I immediately knew that she had to take part in this project. Lagrimas de Soledad was the song from her demo’s that I loved the most and it is on this where her work with Roberto is the most magical moment of the album”.

Watch Roberto Fonseca and Danay in action here. It is not hard to agree with Gilles, they form an impressive collaboration.

CD 1 – Lagrimas de soledad (No existen palabras) / Lagrimas de soledad

Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Music Awards are on being held on Saturday at The Garage in Islington. Tickets are £25 and it runs from 7pm until 4am or post 11pm tickets are £15 on door.

Image from Umu

Attention boys! If you need help with your Valentine’s day booking Neon ladies have come up with their venue wish-list.

Umu
The badboy of Japanese restaurants. Super refined and defined Kaiseki menu of a sequence of delicate small dishes.
Fave Valentine dish – Asujiru: sake soup with amberjack, bean curd, Japanese parsley
The deal – £110 p/p for 9 courses and an aperitif

L’Anima
Contemporary Italian cuisine in sleek minimal dining room, lots of glass, white tablecloths and bare brick walls.
Fave Valentine dish – Scallop & langoustine carpaccio with sea urchin & orange dressing
The deal – £70 p/p for 4 courses and a glass of fizz

Bleeding Heart
Cosy, intimate and homely French restaurant with fine dining service.
Fave Valentine dish – Valrhona chocolate torte with compote of marinated cherry with Grand Marina (sic) with Pistachio Biscuit
The deal – £39.95 p/p for 4 course, champagne and amuse-bouche.

P.S The ladies would like to add with a reservation at Bleeding Heart it is not out of your way to take a romantic stroll from Chancery Lane via Hatton Garden.

VBS, the TV arm of influential youth magazine VICE have created a film with renowned intellectual Noam Chomsky. The film will form part of a series of one on one talks with influential people on important issues.

Professor Chomsky chatted to Kate Albright-Hanna, the Director of Video for New Media on Barack Obama’s revolutionary digital election campaign.

Neon is looking forward to celebrating Burns Night on Monday at Paramount for their Monkey Shoulder event. Neon loves Paramount, equally by day or night because the bar, restaurant and viewing deck are all worth a visit regardless of being 385 ft in the air. The views are an added bonus.

Burns Night and Suppers are a celebration of Robert Burns, author of Scots poems including “Auld Lang Syne” that you probably belted out on December 31st. The suppers may be formal or informal but are always entertaining hence the longevity. Neon has been to a formal Burns Supper. The event was ‘opened’ with a speech, everyone sits for dinner, someone says grace and the food follows – normally soup before a huge haggis on a dish. When the haggis arrives everyone stands as it is addressed – this bit was quite difficult to follow. Following the supper there is a toast to the haggis, the lads and lassies and then in accordance with the volumes of whisky drunk by this point, dramatic speeches, gusto readings of Burn’s poetry and enthusiastic renditions of Auld Lang Syne continue throughout the night.

The Monkey Shoulder event is billed as a ‘contemporary Highland fling’. The event ‘opens’ at 7 but London Mean Time is +2 so not sure if anyone will be there to hear the speech (if they even do one). Canapés are replacing the traditional supper and will include Haggis wrapped in pancetta followed by Mars Bar tempura. Drams of Whisky are updated to cocktails inspired by Burns Night. Neon will be heading straight to the bar for a John Barleycorn – a combination of whisky, Innis and Gunn, ginger and apricot.

Edinburgh’s Tokyoblu will by DJ’ing and entertainment is from modern piping band The Red Hot Chilli …….(drumroll)……Pipers!

Neon is looking forward to Monday (What! it’s not even a Bank Holiday).

Tickets are free but limited. Neon e-mailed hannah@ldrlondon.com and each request allows a + 1. The list closes on Friday.

On January 7th, experimental youth movement Ctrl.Alt.Shift will become the first charity to venture onto newsagent mainstream shelves with the release of its own bi-annual magazine – Ctrl.Alt.Shift: The Corruption Issue.

Spanning 84 pages, the launch of Ctrl.Alt.Shift: The Corruption Issue will focus on corruption as both a key cause of poverty and the barrier to overcoming it, and represents an ongoing attempt by the organization to bring a marginalized social and political agenda back into mainstream rhetoric.

Including a satirical fashion shoot inspired by Guantanamo Bay, and drawing on comment and work from contemporary artists such as V V Brown and Sarah Maple, the magazine taps into popular culture to provoke debate and counter apathy amongst its audience of 18 – 25 year olds.

Highlights of the issue include:

• Sarah Maple: The artist described by The Independent on Sunday as ‘the heir to Tracy Emin’s throne’ unveils a bespoke piece of work influenced by corruption and sex

• Culture club – Richard Shoyemi looks at how Asda’s new Asian range will inspire a generation of fashionistas to wear minge creepers in favour of saris

• Interview with Tim Westwood – the Radio 1 DJ talks marrying music, activism, and why he wouldn’t take Pimp My Ride to Palestine.

• Ben White: Author of Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner’s Guide, freelance journalist and Middle East expert breaks down the language of corruption

• Riz Ahmed: fresh from appearing alongside Jude Dench in the movie Rage, the actor and MC finds time to give his take on the effects of corruption.

• Face the Music – Ctrl.Alt.Shift unearths the sounds which are making it big in Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria and beyond

• Goody Two Shoes: Feature on how Brazilian show company Melissa and designer Vivienne Westwood have met in ethical style heaven.

• Murder he wrote – investigative feature into honour killing in India

Printed on completely uncoated paper using vegetable ink, the magazine is completely biodegradable and has a cover price of £3.95. It is available from most WHSmith stores, as well as www.ctrlaltshift.co.uk/magazine

Katrin Owusu, Head of Youth Marketing and Innovations at Ctrl.Alt.Shift:
“Ctrl.Alt.Shift: The Corruption Issue is inclusive, broad and at times controversial; with content ranging from a fashion-shoot inspired by Guantanemo Bay, to Sarah Maple creating art inspired by sex and corruption, to the music which is making the charts in Afghanistan. We hope the magazine will reach out to people who wouldn’t traditionally be interested in politics or current affairs, and encourage those people out of their comfort zones and into action”.

Chantelle Fiddy, Editor of Ctrl.Alt.Shift Magazine:
“It’s a real accomplishment to have produced a magazine that takes on board third sector objectives yet sits happily alongside consumer titles. Having had the freedom to explore new ways to package stories on global and social injustice,  from Tim Westwood talking about activism to looking at the work of ethical shoe company Melissa and highlighting trends from around the world, we’ve resulted in something of a first (for the charity sector). It’s the icing on the cake for what’s been an amazing eighteen months for Ctrl.Alt.Shift.”

About Ctrl.Alt.Shift:
Ctrl.Alt.Shift is the experimental youth initiative politicising a new generation of activists for social justice and global change.  Using creativity, photography, film, stories, illustrations and music, it aims to give a voice to the silent majority.

www.ctrlaltshift.co.uk

As Spike Jonze fans we can’t wait to see his new film Where The Wild Things Are now showing in UK cinemas. NEON recommends heading over to online TV channel VBS.TV where creative director Spike is hosting behind the scenes interviews.

Interview with Sonny Gerasimowicz – Creature Designer
Interview with Lance Acord – Cinematographer
Interview with Casey Storm – Costume Designer
Interview with Eric Zumbrunnen – Film Editor
Interview with K.K. Barrett – Production Designer

We can’t stop listening to these guys since we saw them perform on the Jools Holland show and recommend you check out their album ‘Two Dancers’ released by Domino Records.

The band have a haunting English sound with outstanding vocals. Our favourite track is ‘We Still Got The Taste Dancing On Our Tongues’ – check it out on the player below.

Mien Tay on Kingsland Road is an easy stroll away from the NEON office and lately we seem to be going there more and more, once we went for lunch and dinner.

The food is divine and the service sweet but NEON are stuck in a self-induced Vietnamese Groundhog Day. We can’t stop ordering the same dishes, generally some or all of below – depending on hunger and/or guest.

NEON are putting this down in writing to state that from now will not order any of the below and move on, stepping away from our fix. But you can try them and you should, but be warned they can take a hold on you ….

1. Salt, Pepper and Garlic Squid
   This is the original addiction. So amazing rumor has it one man repeat ordered this dish 7 times in one sitting.
2. Chargrilled Quail with Honey, Garlic and Spices
   “At just £4.50, this (quail) is one of London’s most affordable luxuries” says Love Food Love Drink
3. Fresh Green Papaya Salad with Dried Spicy Beef
   Light, fragrant, bursts of spicy beef, this is perfect balance to order with heavier dishes
4. Sliced Beef with Watercress & Fresh Lime
   An alternative way to enjoy beef, sliced thinly and cooked in the lime juice
5. Seafood Hot Pot
   Perfect sharing/prawn pinching dish, vast amounts of food and a boiling pot of broth to cook it at the table

Full menu can be drooled over here.