Blink 182 at Brixton Academy

When I was at school, many years ago, Blink 182 were my dirty little secret. I thought that they were far more 'pop' than 'punk' and that admitting that I liked them was a bit like saying I liked Britney Spears. Which I didn't.

Fast-forward a few years and I made a shocking discovery… that all of my friends (many of whom were male, heavily tattooed and in bands themselves) loved Blink 182 as much as me. And they weren't even a little bit ashamed to admit it!

The only problem is that I never went to see them back then and they have since become so commercially successful that they mostly play the kind of massive venues that I'm not a huge fan of. The emotion tends to get a little lost in a stadium, when the band are blurry dots in the distance and you are relying on the big screens to know what's going on. So when Blink 182 announced a date at Brixton Academy I was one very happy bunny.

Aged 27 I'm not even remotely embarrassed to admit that when they appeared on stage on Wednesday night, I was insanely excited and had a big fat smile on my face – ok the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc probably contributed to it, but that smile stayed on my face the whole show.

The setlist included songs from every album and it's a struggle to pick out any highlights as they have so many classics, and they just kept coming... Feeling This, The Rock Show, What's My age Again?, Dumpweed, I Miss You, Always, Josie.... seriously too many great songs to name!

There was even a short acoustic set that included Going Away to College and All of This (minus the lovely Robert Smith) and a four song encore that included Carousel and Dammit.

There are gigs that are disappointing, there are ones so good they make you a bit emotional and there are the ones that you know are a once in a lifetime opportunity. But this gig? Quite simply it was one big smile-fest from beginning to end. To see Blink 182 at Brixton was something I thought I'd missed out on many years ago and I am very grateful for the opportunity. Especially when the next night's show was cancelled due to Mark's bronchitis!

Get well soon Mark and I'm sorry Blink 182, that I ever thought I was too cool for you.

London calling – Paperself lashes

I know everyone is getting a little bit sick of all things Jubilee and the Olympics. Even the previously amusing Boris Johnson announcements on the train platform have lost their comedy value! But the spotlight is still very much on London and this is possibly the best tribute to our great capital city that I've seen.

These fab eyelashes are by Paperself, a company I have been a little bit in love with since discovering them at fashion week a few seasons back. They are incredibly cute and feature miniature London landmarks like Big Ben and the London Eye. You also have to give snaps to the model for looking that hot in a busby! Impressive.

London lashes, £12, www.paperselfstore.com

The Picture Show at the Coningsby Gallery

On Tuesday night I went to The Coningsby Gallery in London to see The Picture Show – a one week only exhibition featuring 10 emerging illustrators including my good friend and very talented artist, Kellie Black.

Kellie's work pays homage to a selection of British 'national treasures', my favourite being Vivienne Westwood – no surprise there then! Tomorrow is the exhibition's last day, so if you are in London I thoroughly recommend taking a look.

This talented lady is definitely one to watch. Her illustrations are superb and she also creates fabulous 3D models – you know you are good when you get called in to help fix Basil Brush's tail!

To see more of Kellie's work head over to www.misspearlgrey.blogspot.co.uk

Daniel Kennedy – fashion photographer

A few weeks ago, I edited an article about Daniel Kennedy, a celebrity and fashion photographer who has successfully managed to escape my radar until now!

He started out in news, before the digital revolution, which meant urgently developing images in pub toilets where the need arose! He then moved to London and worked for a variety of titles such as The Times, The Sun and The Independent, before realising that he loved to shoot in a studio. He has since built up an impressive portfolio, including a plethora of celebrity clients and some truly stunning fashion shoots.

I’m not a photography expert by any means, but having studied a lot of great fashion photographers during my degree all those years ago, I have a very definite idea about what I like. Daniel’s work is incredibly powerful. It has a real energy to it and he has a beautiful, raw way of capturing glamour. There are plenty more images on his website which are well worth checking out in all their high-res glory, but he has kindly allowed me to share a few shots with you here.

www.danielkennedy.com

Incubus at Brixton Academy

Last week I went to see Incubus at Brixton Academy. I’ve seen them play several times over the years, the most recent of which was at the Hammersmith Apollo, and to be honest that particular show wasn’t the best I’ve ever been to. Brandon Boyd displayed a distinct lack of enthusiasm, barely addressing the crowd, and the set list seemed (for want of a better phrase) half-arsed.

For this reason we very nearly didn’t get tickets for last week’s gig, but I’ve seen them play well before and I had faith that they could turn it around. Thankfully they didn’t disappoint me! Somehow they felt like the Incubus of old, combining the energy of the Science and Make Yourself eras with the slickness of Morning View.

And what a set list! There was a nice mixture from their latest album and back catalogue, and Science wasn’t ignored as it has been so many times before. In fact the highlight of my night can be summed up in five little words: A Certain Shade of Green. Other highlights included Privilege and Here in my Room (neither of which have been performed much in recent years) and Drive, which I just don't get sick of hearing.

After all these years I’m still not bored of Incubus. For me their appeal lies in the fact that they still have their own sound – it changes from album to album but remains distinctive, so they never sound ‘of an era’. It's hard to believe that Morning View is 11 years old now, it just doesn't date.

The only predictable thing about Incubus is Boyd’s predilection for removing his clothing during every performance. But you know what? As long as the music comes first, I for one am not going to complain.

Say yes to jelly...

The sun is finally out and these are the shoes that have been putting a smile on my face!

By now it has been impossible not to notice that jelly shoes are back, in a big way. In fact the styles in Urban Outfitters and Top Shop are so similar to the classics that I sported as a child in the eighties, it's actually quite unnerving!

Jelly shoes aren't for everyone. If you live in your heels then I can only imagine how they must offend you! But there's no denying that they are practical; the beach, water parks, any time that you are sick to death of flip-flops – these are your shoes.

So my babies from River Island are jelly shoes with a twist. They have all the practicalities of the originals but a little more class. (Yes, I just described plastic shoes as having 'class'... I think I've been out in the sun too long.)

I'm a sucker for animal print so I couldn't resist these, but they also come in fabulous shade of coral and a rather cute nautical style, so if animal print isn't your thing then these just might be.

They're only £15 and make my denim cut-offs a tad more girly, so they'll be the first thing I throw in my holiday suitcase. Ok, 'throw' is not the word; those of you who know me will be familiar with my slightly OCD packing style!

A little bit of retro is never a bad thing and summer fashion should be fun, so I'm giving these jellies a big thumbs up. There really is no need for practical holiday shoes to be ugly! Croc lovers beware, that was very much aimed at you.

www.riverisland.com