We didn’t have much planned for Monday. CMJ didn’t kick off officially until Tuesday. We had plans to meet up with Tam Coyle (who had made the trip over to help us out with some industry contacts) in Manhattan in the afternoon. Tam had arranged to take us to meet his friend Nadine who runs a music PR company called The Muse Box, but aside from that, the day was free.
Kev and I set off in search of Egg the small dinner we’d discovered on our last time in Brooklyn. We found it where it’s always been on North 5th and Bedford Avenue. Kev had the eggs Rothko with a side of ham, I opted for a grafton cheese omelet with broiled tomatoes and hash browns all washed down with coffee. To my body, Egg offers the best artery hardening breakfast that I’ve eaten anywhere. Ziggy joined us half an hour later and also sat down to the eggs Rothko.
After breakfast I decided to call Lisa, a Fence fan who’d answered a plea I’d given on the Fence ‘Beefboard‘ for help getting gigs in New York. Lisa had offered to organise a last minute show in her friend’s record store nearby. The show was going to take place the following night so I felt it would be a good idea to meet up with her and try and make some arrangements. She invited us to head over to where she worked and we’d grab a coffee. Her office is in an area of Brooklyn known as Dumbo (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass – an acronym that the locals seem particularly chuffed with).
We arrived 20 minutes early so took a stroll around the area. The weather had improved considerably since we’d arrived and it was now gloriously sunny and possibly 10 degrees warmer than the day before. We took a walk through Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is between Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges and offers stunning views of the lower Manhattan skyline. I called Lisa again and she came to meet us and took us for a coffee round the corner. We discussed what equipment we’d need for the following night, what time we should turn up and so on . . . over the course of the conversation she mentioned that she worked in the same building as Domino Records and knows Morgan who runs the US branch of the label and Jeff who deals with publishing over here. “Oh really” . . . we asked her if she’d introduce us and she agreed. Next thing we know we’re in the Domino USA offices being handed promo copies of their new Townes Van Zandt sampler and being told to pop back in half an hour when Jeff and Paul from publishing would be back from lunch.
We returned to the park and sat in the sun. While Kev sat and sketched the view, I was blabbered on about how this was going to be a great week for FOUND when Zig pointed out that a bird had shat on my jacket. Keep it in perspective Perman. We went back to Domino and met Jeff and Paul (who we already know from the London office). We handed them demo CDs and persuaded them to come along to our CMJ showcase. Jeff handed us more promo CDs, we left with grins on our faces and proceeded to get into the goods elevator by mistake . . . once we negotiated our way out of the building we took the train to Manhattan to meet Tam.
Tam and I met with Nadine. While Kev and Ziggy were let off the hook and went for a pint I tried awkwardly to describe what it is FOUND do, including a mumbled explanation of our ’emotional robot band’ Cybraphon. I don’t think she really got it, but who does? More promo CDs exchanged and I joined the lads for a pint in the bar round the corner where a woman at the next table said I reminded her of the murderer in an Angelina Jolie movie called Taking Lives . . . but also that Beatle . . . um what’s he called . . . Paul McCartney . . . oops, no she actually meant the dead one, you know, John Lennon. I get this a lot. Not the John Lennon comparison, just generally comparisons to famous people. I must have one of those faces. Marc Riley proclaimed live on air that I resemble BBC Radio 1 presenter Colin Murray, and I’ve been stopped at music festivals and asked if I am the guitarist from The Rakes. Most of the time all that’s needed is for the person that I allegedly resemble to also have glasses.
Can you spot the real Tommy?
After much laughing at my chameleonic face, Kev and Ziggy decided it was time to return to Brooklyn so we walked down to the nearest J M Z stop and took the train over the Williamsburg bridge. The sun was setting and the view out of the train window was nothing short of breathtaking. It’s at times like these that I’m gutted I didn’t have room to pack my digital camera. Thankfully Kev did.
Over the bridge, we called in past Monika’s place and got invited to a pub quiz by her Brazilian roommate Jonny and his girlfriend Kristina. We accepted the offer but asked them to recommend a good place to eat on the way and they dropped us at La Superior on Berry Street, a great little Mexican cantina serving authentic street food. We dined on a selection of excellent tacos including a delicious Pescadilla (fish quesadilla). Their guacamole was amongst the best I’ve eaten – a chunky, flavoursome salsa rather than the smooth, green yogurty dips you often get in the UK.
Feeling suitable sated we marched on to The Gutter, a six lane bowling alley and bar where the pub quiz was being held. We made use of the drinks promos and offered Jonny’s quiz team some half hearted help. The questions had been set by a friend of Kristina’s and were nigh on impossible for us as they required an intimate knowledge of the local drinking establishments – we were learning fast, but cut us some slack – we’d only been in town for 36 hours. Kev and I had a fairly long journey home so we cut out at around after a few drinks to get the train back to Clinton Hill.
Follow Us!