The Comedy Run Around:...

I've played many gigs in the last 2 years! I've played to full houses in Shoreditch and Camden, apathetic punters in Hoxton and, an energetic crowd in O2 Islington and near empty rooms in New Cross and Central London! The truth is you never quite know what to expect when you agree to stand up on stage and bare your soul!
My last gig at The Comedy in town was equally surprising lol! The night was a little dis-organised with soundcheck running uber late...and on top of that the venue drum kit didn't have a SNARE!! This means nothing to most...but all you drummers out there must be feeling it for my drummer Steve who went on the play the gig without one (after much deliberation lol!). Check out some of the pics - courtesy of GEE Productions Miroslav Jesenky!


The look on my face says it all! lol

It can never always be a GLAMOROUS gig :( . There will always be one or two events that leave you feeling deflated...leave you questioning 'Why the hell am I doing this'! It's a thankless task, and it's very rare when you're starting out that you can get a return on all your efforts. I was soooooo close to walking out on this one (in full diva style lol) but with a little word from manager Raph and the massive support of band memebers: GibbiGuitar, KieranBass, JonathanKeys and SteveDrums - as well as from those who came down to show love I finished the gig! It was definitely a release to belt my way through my set lol...worked up a nice thirst for a massive glass Rose lool!



Black peoples time my ass...look who finally showed up too lool! My cousin Lucinda.
I sure hope the next couple of appearances work out better than this one...but I'm glad to of added an extra layer to my thinkening skin lol...Sing you soooooon!
@sh.x

Wired @ Shoreditch House:...

Although many might find it strange for me to call myself a 'new girl', my near 2year presence on the music scene is but a drop in the ocean by industry standards! Though of course I'm working towards a title that carries a bit more weight I quite like being a 'newbie' lol! I love the fact that I can still be inspired by voices on the underground scene, I'm still not bored of trekking to the ends of the Metropolitan Line to get a studio fix, and there are still magical untapped music events for me to discover :D! I attended one such event on the 13th June:


WIRED is a music showcase that's been right under my nose all this time in a venue MADE for all things trendy, luxurious, and entertaining - Shoreditch House - and in a room aptly named the Biscuit Tin! On the first Monday of every month organiser Kate Bond and host Duke make a real charasmatic pair bringing you some of London's finest independent talent!

Kate Bond

This chica had a beautiful soulful voice and boy could she hit them high notes. But what struck me was how intimate it felt to hear her...excellent sound, the lounge chairs adding that homely touch, and enough people to start a mosh pit lol...it was a really hot way of being serenaded!

My boy Shakka! UK's answer to John Ledgend...Wired soooo got it right having him in to entertain! Check out more of this guy here: SHAKKA

Duke - smashing a Prince cover!

Bring on the Brass!

I definitely recommend this night to all...though it is guestlist only so you might have to do your research to get in there! It was nice to see familar faces like Ayo @ We Plug Good Music and my dep keys player Jonathon lol, as well genius vocalist Steven Tart to mention a few! Good times in Shoreditchland lol!!

Not wanting to miss out on the another amazing night that night...I also snuck over to Style and Substance @ the Queen of Hox - hosted by my lovely ladies Sistova! I arrived just in time to catch the end of an amazing dance/spoken word performance...who says these nights can't be multi-platform ay!!

If you know of any other nights that AA and co. should check out...HOLLAAAA! HERE!

@sh.x

Gig-geddy Gig-geddy part 2: PROUD...

The next 'Camden Night' to remember came when Ashleigh Ashley did Proud Galleries on the 31st May!! Ok...so you know I've got this hit-list of venues that I REALLY want to play? - well Proud Galleries was one of them! As an internationally renowned music venue, and a place where everyone from Katy B - to Mark Ronson has played before making the big time, it's a must have on any artist musical CV!

I got a call from a young lady called Secretta from UPRISE while shopping for a job in town (thanx Greg ;). This charity organisation has stirred somewhat of a revolution with their cool brand of anti-racist fesitival!! I'm sure we've all attended local fete's for this cause when we were younger, but these guys do it bigger and better with their Finsbury Park festival of 2010 attracting thousands of people! When Secretta asked if I'd be up for performing at their next fund-raiser gig, dedicated to Gil Scott-Heron, I JUMPED at the chance!!

I was sooo excited to play PROUD that I made a new Metal Man chest piece especially for the occasion (above)! And as for the boys (JoelKeys, KieranBass, GibbiGuitar, TobiasDrums), well I had 4 little surprises up my sleeve for them, courtesy of FLY53 :D!

It was a manic soundcheck...but once we were finally free to chill me and the boys went for a good old pub dinner at the local Wetherspoons. It was nice to be able to chill with them outside a music setting...it really made me appreciate them all the more, and was a perfect opportunity to tell them how grateful I am for their massive support over the last 6months especially! It also gave them the opportunity to give me a reassuring kick up the ass lol - we didn't have time to rehearse for this gig either and with a new song in the set I was quaking in my hi-tops lol! Oh well...show must go ON!! And what a show it was:

GibbiGuitar and TobiasDrums fooling around.

JoelKeys getting some AA lurrrve lol

KieranBass looking all majestic n shniiz lol!

I had a craazy night! Massive shout out to my boys Cynikal and Random Impulse who also blessed the mic on the night! Thanx to Paul and Secretta from Uprise and to all that came down to support - Jukebox and Braver Darker especially hehe!!

And Jonathon Hockley...you're a G for taking all these amazing pictures (for more pics see HERE)

@sh.x

Gig-geddy Gig-geddy part 1...

Hmm...I'm still wondering if I should've called the next couple of posts 'Camden Nights'...? since it covers the last couple of gigs I've played in Camden Town and I'm not sure everyone will grasp the comic reference in the current title lol?! Anyway...yes Ashleigh Ash has been doing her thang with the boys, JoelKeys, GibbiGuitar, KieranBass and TobiasDrums and it's been amazing!

Our first stop was Lockside Lounge at the end of March - and these guys put on a MeaN party lool!! Imagine the serenity of sipping rose by Camden canal on a Sunday eve, then add live music from house band The Coalition, a BBQ and a bar packed with colourful characters! The result is a jam to remember :D. I was rocking some new Fly53, and they were sure to show their support by blogging about the show...see their write up and pics HERE!

Due to the success of the first gig Duane Flames (the host of UK Unsigned, and accomplished rapper/producer) invited the band and I back for a another installment! We have to jump forward in time a little bit...it's the 15th May and we were about to do Lockside for a second time! The vibe was equally magical, but I was a little nervous about the fact that the band and I didn't have time to rehearse! :o

There were a few special guests in the audience this time too...Lucid Tiger were there to see me perform for the first time...as were a couple of girlies I went to school with! Costume wise I kept it simple this time with a little black number, accesorised with one of Bwoy Wonder's lego creations (http://www.lyrics4lyrics.com) and my rouged McQueen hi-tops! Feeling comfortable on stage is half the battle...and it turned out un-rehearsed as we were I really let my hair down and the performance went down a treat :D

(Thanx to GEEproductions for the photos...video footage coming soooon!)

Thanx for believing in me Mr Flames...and of course nuff lurrrve to the band and everyone who came down to support!

@sh.x

MusicConnex

There are points in every artists journey when they´re faced with taking 'the next step'! I took my 1st steps with Jonathon Hockley, Kasha and Composure in early 09'...and the next steps revealed themselves pretty quickly after that! Branching out and meeting more producers and artists...setting up my blog and other social networks came next...then getting a band together in early 10' for my 1st gig...which inevitably led to more gigs! But with all this hard graft under my belt where exactly is the AA project heading?? I knew the 'next step' was imminent but I didn't have a clue what it was!?!

I've got Faron McKenzie and his partner Jon Mansfield to thank for my latest musical ephiphany! MUSIC CONNEX -their brainchild - does exactly what it says on the tin, and MorE lol! I was skeptical when Faron 1st mentioned this conference because I hadn't been to a seminar since uni days...and the business side of the music industry has always been a bit over complicated for my liking! I gave it a go however...and on the 1st day alone I was blown away by the energy and keen faces that filled Kings Place! This wasn't just a seminar...this was a celebration of success!

The three-day programme covered a range of subjects relevant to any budding artists! From brain rehearsing to hints on how to get signed. Youtube gave a tips on how to get your music out there digitally and Miss Bee from I Luve Live told us how to secure good gigs!! And innovative companies such as Music Dealers showed us exciting ways of monetizing our work! I was spoilt for choice with artist speakers like Labarinth, Random Impulse and Jazzy B in the house. As well as industry moguls like Charlie Sloth and Glyn Aikins from Virgin! The highlight for me though was an intimate discussion with the one and only Al Shux (producer/songwriter of Emipre State of Mind!) His room was SOOO packed that me and a couple of others set up camp outside his room til we were granted access!

In between seminars we all had the opportunity to network and connect in King's Place beautiful canal side setting! The bar was buslting...and so relaxed! Novice artists like myself could rub shoulders and pick the brains of veterans like Ian Titchner from The Music Consultancy (Think DJ Luck and MC Neat). We were also treated to showcases on x2 of the nights...including performances from visiting Canadian Blast rap troupes! (You'll hear a bit about producer S.O.U.L soon)! See pics here! At this point I got to make a big shout out to my boy Sketch Williams! He's a Canadian artist/producer I met at MusicConnex...big talent...and new found friend ;D!

So what was this career changing next step? Well as independent as I've been up until now I learned that the AA operation needed extra hands and minds to help crank this thing up a gear! Hello Lucid Tiger! I don't want to say too much about this management duo at the moment as it's still early days, but if all goes to plan you'll be hearing a lot about Anthony and Raphael over the coming months! :D

Music Connex connects you to like minded driven people in the music industry! I was working on a short film at the same time as the seminar, so I only attended 2 out of the 3 days...wish I could have had it all lol! I won't summarise my experience in words...I think this video (filmed on location in the Kings Way hall hehe) says it ALL:

Thank you Music Connex! (And Jonathon for filming this vid :D)

@sh.x

RATHBONE Youth Centre:

I've never thought of myself as much of a mentor...especially since I'm prone to somewhat erratic behaviour lol! I've always hoped to inspire people through my music, but it wasn't until my girl Anna, a designer and youth worker at Rathbone in Hackney planted the seed that I really considered the potential Ashleigh Ashley had to reach out to some of London's most interesting kids!

Anna invited me down to the youth center to give a 'talk' to some of her clients! Not one to mess about Anna chucked me right in the deep end lol...and I found myself sat in a room of about ten 16-19 year olds (under her watchful eye)...nervous as hell! The mistrust, and general apathy amongst the group was written on their faces..'who the hell is this chick?...and what is she going to try and preach to us today??' I did my best to entertain/inform them about the ups and downs of my journey so far and answered as many questions as I could about music/making videos and networking...but deep down I felt I was missing the point?! Having left home at 17 I had more in common with these kids then I first thought...and in hindsight I would have made the most of that fact!

The most poignant part of the session for me was when I asked them: "What do you want to do with your life...?" Now, I wasn't expecting an in-depth description...who KNOWS for sure what they want to be at 17? I was expecting however, to see some kind of animation in their eyes...hear something of dreams and hopes...ANYTHING! But my question was met by most of the group with silence and averted eyes!! In fact one kid even crossed the room and stuck his head out of the window to chat to a 'mate' outside lool! They're young, beautiful souls...with everything to live for...so what are they so afraid of?? What will it take to help these amazing youngsters realize their potential?

In the age where the so-called Y-generation are defined by Facebook, knife crime and bad grammer it's no wonder youths have lost faith in themselves! Not to say that anyone has an excuse to be a criminal, 'rude-boi' or general meanie...but if the media and indeed most adults continue to paint todays youth with that 'hopeless' brush it's inevitable that they'll grow up in those colours right!?!

I can't wait til my next session with these guys! I want to find out more about them...I want to know what makes them TICK. And most of all I hope to get them involved in a new upcoming Ashleigh Ashley project...RULE THE WORLD! Watch this space!!...

@sh.x

Shout out to all the girls and guys in my session...I believe in you...and next time we meet I hope you'll let me in and we can get this ball rolling!

Styling Miss Annastasia Baker:

You might remember this chica's name from 2010's Xfactor?! Click here to see her audition. Like most REAL talent that graces Simon Cowell's stage Annastasia proved too much for the Xfactor to handle lol...she made it all the way to the round before the live shows before leaving the show! I've got nothing but admiration for this young mums determination...and it was an absolute pleasure to meet her on the off chance at Flavour Live in September 2010!
Scrolling forward a couple months...I'd kicked in the full time job to sing and style for a living...and Miss Annastasia was continuing to gig, and entertain audiences around London! One November night we found ourselves performing in the same arena we had met (details in Ashleigh Ashley Flavoured)...check out Anna's interview from the night:



We got talking...as us girlies do and I told her a bit about the styling malark I do hehe! Good thing too, because a few months later we were planning her 1st proper promo shoot! Annastasia Baker is reborn...AA styleeeee hehe!!
THE PROCESS:
Well as with any styling gig we had loads of little hiccups, but the themes for the three costume I had planned finally came together in the week before the shoot! *PheW*. Here are the three 'looks' and some of my fave pics from the research stages!
ANNA-RELLA:
This look saw Anna dressed as a chained 'goddess'! My vision was a soft white Grecian dress with a full-ish skirt...feirce, dark eye make-up and copious amounts of chains to dress her. Soft angelic white with hard cold iron/steel could only make a dynamic combination!

COLOUR:
This 'look' was to be infused with POP! Bright colours, striking make up and candy sex appeal! Just to add a bit of a twist Metal Man reared his metallic head again in the form of shoulder pads, modelled here by our gorgeous photographer Leah Jude-Porter!

NAUTICAL:
This was just a simple and natural look for Annastasia...(who did an amazing job picking the perfect/versatile hairstyle for this shoot). I must admit I had to back down on this one... Anna had been patient enough with me and my outlandish idea's of African print trousers and lengths of chain. We went simple with a nautical jacket and jean combination. And I think you'll agree that the final shots look absolutely stunning! These are a couple of cool refs:

FINAL SHOTS - Well my faves anyway:

We're so proud of the results...and I think you'll agree Anna looks FEIRCE! Well done girly...Go Team Annastasia!
Photographer: Leah Jude-Porter
Make Up: Amanda Graham
Styling: Ashleigh Ashley

Holla at me on ashanneash@gmail.com for more info...or indeed if you want a shoot of your own!

@sh.x