Englishmen (and woman) in New York
Macaca Mulatta & Ciccone in the Big Apple

Believe Half of what you see and none of what you hear. (Lou Reed 1988)

I sit on a greyhound from Boston to New York, listening to 'Lost in the
Supermarket' by The Clash. Pete turns to me, shakes my hand and says
"Welcome to the Bronx".

We cross into Manhatten and the first thing that strikes you is that this place
does exactly what it says on the tin: yellow taxis, people in a hurry, everyone
hustling you for everything, making a buck off everyone for nothing. We get
to the hostel, pick up the rest of Macaca Mulatta and Ciccone and head for
the Lower East Side. The first thing that strikes you when you hit the lower
east side is the fact that it is, in essence a Dandy Warhols album. The Boho
with out the BS of the London music scene, people ask us "Where are you
from?" the stock answer, London - you know lousy food, worse weather,
Mary f**king Poppins.

We get to the venue for some serious bedwetter acoustic acts then play to a
practically empty room, but still it is still great we are in the heart of New York
and although there aren't that many people there, the people that are there
love it, including our biggest New York fan who makes it to, and films, every gig - he used to be the drummer in Hawkwind you know. Earlier in the day we meet up with The Bamboo Kids, a hardened act on the New York scene, they said you need a lawyer, lawyers get you signed in New York, not PR people, and gives us the number of a lawyer. Maybe we will call him.....the venue is by Katz Diner , where Harry met Sally apparently.

Every one in New York is and actor, filmstar, rockstar or Broadway
performer but they also work behind a bar, because you can earn
$70k per year on tips. Remember to tip $1 a drink and don't let this
bother you, if you don't, don't expect to get served. If you do, expect
to get served very quickly and to make life long friends with the next
Robert Deniro (in his eyes.) The next Robert Deniro probably earns
as much as the current one! You have to tip for everything no matter
how crap service you get. Coyote Ugly is worth a visit, a place that
serves beer whilst girls dance on the bar to Highway to Hell is
always worth a visit.

We have two days off breifly summarized here, a Pixies cover party where our friends The Dansettes play a cracking cover of 'Crackety Jones'. We meet everyone who knows everyone else and wants to tell us about it, some amazing bands, then I get lost on my own on the lower East side and in Brooklyn for 5 hours, as they don't label subways there, in fact the subways are as bad as The Subways. We saw the Empire State building, Central Park, The Library from Ghostbusters, numerous bars delis and Julian Casablancas look-a- likes, Pete got interviewed on TV about the 9/11 film and Danny got into a film with Jeff Goldblum, and I went to see Harlem with Pedros.

The nest gig was at Sine-e with Nous non Plus, the second fake
French band we saw that week, Les Sans Culottes being the
other one. They do a great cover of '99 Red Balloons' then have
to leave to go to a film premier at "Bobby" Deniro's Tribeca film
festival where their bass player is the air guitar champion of the
world. Ciccone play then we go on to an emptying room - just like
London people, only go to see bands they know then they go
again, but those who stayed loved it.

On the Saturday we do a DJ set in the most unlikely of bars
thanks to our friend and legend Johnny Lives. Jonny was Debbie
Harry's date at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, supported Meatloaf on his last tour and you can catch him in the UK on Blondie's last tour this summer. Jonny is, however, telling the truth. On the last night we understand that not many people are going to see us play, we don't care and go for it anyway. It is a great show, again the people that are there love it. We make our way home in a total mess passed Coyote Ugly for a last Bud, then on home to die.

We have learned, never to do headline shows in New York
- only support local acts, then more people see you. New York is
the land of fun and opportunity, if you talk to anyone they will talk
back to you although it is sometimes hard to believe what they
say. Always tip, nothing is what it seems, they did indeed build
that city on rock and roll, and we are indeed lost in the
supermarket. When you see that you have a million times more
competition than you even thought possible your dreams of rock
stardom taken an even bigger step back and you feel even more
proud of the people who do make it, and understand why so
many give up.

Words by Jimmy Savage, photos by Chris Chinchilla
www.macacamulatta.com / www.ciccone.co.uk

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