Kate Beckinsale's scream

For those of you who don't know,
this is Kate Beckinsale.

So, I mentioned in my last blog about how I have a new job... the other day the sound effects company downstairs came upstairs to ask a favour of me.  They needed Kate Beckinsale to scream... however in the footage they had of her she was not really screaming, instead she was doing more of a confused grunting thing.

I'm not sure why the guys downstairs thought I'd be good at screaming, perhaps they sense I have big lungs or maybe I have a loud mouth!

Anyway, I viewed the scene and they explained my motivation and I did several types of screams for them to choose from.  It was fun & made everyone laugh; a funny 5 minutes out of the day to help those guys out.

(FYI: if you see this film, my scream can be heard at a moment when you see Simon Pegg's face & Kate Beckinsale is scrambling around.)

What a funny aspect of the ol' day job, ay?

But then I felt a little sad, because I didn't realise this scream is going to be part of Robin William's final film.  It's called Absolutely Anything & he voices "Dennis the Dog."  I can hear his voice floating up the stairs all day, every day, as they splice the film and voiceover.  It's eerie, haunting, comforting and sad all at the same time.

I never dreamed I would be linked to Robin Williams, especially not posthumously.  I grew up with Robin Williams, and now my scream can be heard in a film where he voices a dog.   It is truly an honour.

Spoiler Alert: this is Dennis the Dog and Simon Pegg
from the film "Absolutely Anything"

I have a new job...

Hi there,

It might surprise some of you to know I have a day job. However, if you know any musicians or songwriters they all most likely have a day job (unless you are mates with Katy Perry or someone like that). This is by no means a blog-rant about the music bizz & the plight of the indie muso & more of a thing about my new job...

My new job is in Soho, London. I’m still getting used to that fact.

The past several years I have worked in the depths of Way West London, for some reason what I do by day gravitates to that part of the world. I have always lived in North-Northeast London resulting in epic commutes for years. I have written most of my songs/albums on the tube = FACT! 

Now I work in Soho. That’s a nice sensible place to work, no? It’s the middle of town so anyone can get there with relative ease. This in itself is a good thing! When I have a meeting, I can literally pop out and have the meeting, I no longer have to budget an hour to get there and an hour to get back meaning a 30 minute meeting really takes 2.5 hours of the day.

There are limitless options for lunch. I heard that Obama’s favourite Hawaiian burger joint opened a branch in Soho, so I tried the halloumi and sweet potato fries there = winner! Fancy a burrito? = check! Ah, I could really do with some proper Italian pizza by the slice = oh there it is! Nice, sunny day? Why not cue up for Savage Salads? (Savage Salads is my fave Soho food truck & apparently a lot of other people’s favourite food truck too). Heck, you could even meet a friend for lunch (unless you’re working up against the clock on a brief & that DOES happen - well it's a job after all).

Going for a drink after work doesn’t mean getting home super late (unless you end up at Trisha’s or The Pheonix, natch!).

But what I’m finding most interesting about working in Soho is the Crossrail project. I bet you didn’t expect me to say that!

London's historic 'Astoria' is no more.

I’m sad The Astoria is gone (although having played there a couple of times, I’m pretty sure there were plenty of rats backstage)... but all in all I’m pleased with this development. For a start it should help commuters & I’m all for that. But what’s cool is my office looks right over it. I can peer into the pit and see the Crossrail developing and changing and it’s really cool. I’m right by the hole where they discovered the Roman Ruins.  See? http://www.crossrail.co.uk/sustainability/archaeology/

What’s also funny about the Crossrail is the number of builders’ conversations I have overheard. It’s been a hot summer, so I’ve been working with my window open & I suppose they don't know I can hear them. Now, it’s not been like the famous Diet Coke Ad, believe me! BUT I have overheard chaps talking about methods they use to chat up a girl in a bar, say.  As a girl who hangs around in bars, this interests me.  This particular group of builders seems to like to watch “An Idiot Abroad” - so do I!  And I heard one of them talking about taking his girlfriend to Paris. It’s sweet & has been an insight into the mind of the average man because men talk differently when a girl is around. I seem to meet a lot of middle class fopps to be honest (that’s not a diss, I too am a middle class fopp & I’m fairly sure builders are more well-off than me and my foppish friends & our low-paid media jobs funding our flat-shares). Perhaps builders get a bad wrap. They don’t all wolf-whistle or swear like the stereotype of yesteryear, and yes it's true... some women are known to fantasise about some hot builder whisking them off to Paris, and ladies it would seem that's an achievable goal!

Xx

Piney