Tomas Brickhill

December 21st 2009
1.

The week had been hectic: I had consciously left many things till the last minute. Like packing. In the end there was only some clothes and my guitar and passport which were important, and when Regg came by to drop of some stuff of mine earlier in the week, my passport amongst this, I felt that destiny smiled on this particular adventure. I passed through Passing Clouds on my last night before the trip for a beer and a chat as I put off packing one last time. I was starting to comprehend it; I had not been to Harare for 4 years.

Coming out of hibernation a touch early I feel, but then I don't think one is often afforded time to stop in this busy city. As I write this blog I am nearing the end of my 24hr fast in solidarity with the people who are going hungry in my homeland Zimbabwe. Of course the reality in Harare where I grew up is that people are somehow still surviving and there are still pockets of town where creative people get together. Get drunk and listen to a band on a Wednesday night. Of course you have to buy your beers in US dollars now.

I had just returned from Transalvania country, where I had successfully eluded the Count whilst making a film with some Romanian firemen (but that's another story). In the interim I had managed to slip in a final edit on the run-riot chess-boxing piece and now here was my carrot to finish the job. A night of mad mayhem and merriment courtesy of my continued involvement in this canary in the mining shafts of a movement.

Tomas Brickhill talks to Eleanor and Khwaja, two of the co-founders of Passing Clouds – a ‘venue’ not just known for it’s Afro Beat and World music scene, but also for leading an exciting wave that's challenging the mainstream.

*bloggers note - This adventure takes place halfway through the Passing Clouds feature (between 'Doesn't time fly?' and 'A week later...') in case anyone is keeping track.

Adventures across London Fields

Rather fed up with the whole boring prospect of turning 30 (which incidentally I have on good authority is the new 21), I decided to change the focus of the whole sorry mess by having an extended celebration spanning a little over a week. Having already racked up an impressive 3 hangovers, splitting up with my girlfriend, and working on a straight 8 film competition entry with awesome Big Red Button, I really felt like I was hitting the ground running as on the eve of my actual birthday a week ago I trundled off to the Legends of Zimbabwe Gig at the Stratford Rex.

Tomas Brickhill journeys through London's Afro scene.