Nic Cester A Photo Story @ Pretty Green, Carnaby Street

When we arrive at Pretty Green for Cester’s solo album launch – entitled Sugar Rush – and the vibe of the venue feels very much like something you would have expected to find Jet at in their earliest days: a small, incredibly intimate setting filled with instruments and an open bar. Earlier we interviewed Nic and you can find that here: https://rockshotmagazine.com/210897/nic-cester-interview-a-psychedelic-sugar-rush-hits-the-streets-of-soho/

Despite the unbearable heat of the small venue – all thanks to this fine practically Mediterranean summer Britain has been having – the crowd receives the new tracks with open arms, in particular the first single, Eyes On the Horizon and Psichebello, (described as the most psychedelic track on the album), which feels like a refreshing smash of genres – in particularly thanks to the heavy feature of the bongo drums. 

Cester has formed a new band, The Milano Electrica, an eight piece with a great variety of instruments and skill to its repertoire, but a particular focus on percussion.  Cester himself can be seen with a set of maracas for a greater portion of his performance.

After just three songs, Cester declared that he was going to move the gig outside onto the cobbles of Carnaby Street for the final two tracks due to the inclement weather – i.e. incredibly unbearable humidity. He sang microphone-less to a growing crowd outside the venue, the performance complete with travel-sized amps and bongos and it was here that I got a glimpse into the Rock’n’Roll side of the man.

Photography by Ruby Gaunt and words by India Rose Meade at Nic Cester, Pretty Green, Carnaby Street, London.

https://rockshotmagazine.com/210897/nic-cester-interview-a-psychedelic-sugar-rush-hits-the-streets-of-soho/