13 April (Monday) - HAFDIS HULD, STEVIE MARTINO, YOU....

Hafdis Huld is a singer and songwriter from Reykjavik, Iceland who established herself as an outstanding solo artist with the release of her debut solo album Dirty Paper Cup in October 2006. The album, described as “deliciously skewed pop” (Guardian), “irresistible” (The Fly) and “charismatic story telling pop of the highest quality” (Clash Magazine), received international radio play and won the Icelandic Music Award in early 2007 for Best Pop Album. Hafdis Huld and her band promoted the album by playing a number of prestigious international festivals and touring with artists such as Mika and Scottish heart throb Paolo Nutini. During that time Hafdis also collaborated with artists FC Kahuna, co-writing amongst others the heavily synced “Hayling”, and hip-hop fusion artist Tricky, featuring on his new album “Knowle West Boy”.

Late 2008 saw Hafdis star in a pan-European TV ad for Mercedes, in which she sang the famous Sam Brown classic “Stop” a cappella whist driving through the streets of Madrid in the new Mercedes “Blue Efficiency” car. After receiving much positive feedback on the commercial, Hafdis released her own version of the song, which reached # 3 in the Icelandic charts.

These early London gigs will have Hafdis playing new songs from her eagerly anticipated second ablum. You won't want to miss it!


 

From humble beginnings in the down to earth Lancashire town of Burnley to the heaving musical metropolis of modern London, Stevie Martino's story is a classic tale - that of a man with a calling. Martino is a man with a desire to enflame hearts and minds. He wants to take you on a trip on his music bus - jump aboard!

Born in Burnley in 1976 Martino's parents soon recognised that the boy was special - no-one has ever made a Fisher Price Xylophone sounds so funky! Steve's third word was 'guitar' (his first and second were 'I' and 'want') and his parents weren't ones to let such potential go - the young Martino was soon presented with a guitar and there was no looking back. Solitary weeks, months and years were spent in the Martino bedroom "honing skills". Before long there were songs and then more songs, as the young Martino realised that he could only truly express the deep torrents of emotion raging within his soul through music.
 

you & me originally formed at dartington college of arts when naomi and james probably met over a discussion about art/performance in context (really?).
they live in a big house in north london but they are not rich. sometimes james eats the cakes and apple pies that naomi makes but mostly they play songs together in their lovely home, sometimes also in theatres and rooms above pubs.