Very excited to be part of the annual Stubnitz Friends Party.
The Stubnitz is a former fish trawler from Germany, the 80-metre long Stubnitz it has been converted into various art spaces, becoming quite the cultural hub of the city. The larger rooms are regularly used for art exhibitions and performances,
Krach Box Orchester (HH)
Animal Cops (BLN)
Elyas Khan (BLN)
Das Absolute Vakuum (HRO)
Subset Soundsystem (HH)
DJ Kate Mosslem (HH)
DJ Cpt.Skuff (HH)
DJane Miss Vergnügen (BLN)
Y4HKy (stubnitz members from exxxile)
Czentrifuga Allstarz
50% basylon error force
Stubnitz Sealectors
Stubnitz Archive- und Media-Show
Die HAMLETMASCHINE an Deck
Screenprint
Awesome montage created by La Productrice of the Gentlemen & Assassins Paris / GlazArt show in March 2011... including the song "BELLS" which is on Elyas's new album BRAWL IN PARADISE (coming to you in early 2012!)
Just got a pre-listen of Elyas singing on the 3rd BOOKS OF KNOTS project founded by: Tony Maimone, Joel Hamilton, Carla Kihlstedt and Matthias Bossi!
John Fekuda's" Top Dog" short film for Toyota, featured soundtrack by Nervous Cabaret!
Elyas Khan and Sxip Shirey will join forces on stage in Berlin with FELOCHE - The Urban Cajun Sensation from Paris!
Elyas Khan and Sxip Shirey will be one stage together at White Trash / Berlin. Then it's off to Prague for Elyas and Brian Viglione with Martin Bisi at 007. And... BIG NEWS... ALBUMS COMETH! Click the link to read more about ALL of this!
Elyas Khan and Sxip Shirey will be in the same city (Berlin) for 3 Weeks in September! In celebration they are PLAYING a double header during PopKomm at WHITE TRASH!
I can't give too much away here, all I can tell you is... IT'S GOING TO BE RIDICULOUSLY GOOD! Two powerhouses on the same stage = PURE ALCHEMY!
Elyas & Sxip have been working out a few new songs to play together, which YOU will get to hear LIVE before their EP to be released closely thereafter!
This is truly an event not to be missed offering TWO 90 minute sets ! !

Tune in to 100.6 MOTOR FM FRIDAY JULY 30, 2010 at 3PM for a sneak preview of what Elyas will be performing with Kitty Solaris at the Solaris Empire Label night at Schokoladen.
If you don't have a radio, or don't live in Berlin, you can live/stream from their website!
Radio Dijon Campus 92.2 invited Elyas to work on a video collaboration covering "Small Town Boy" by Bronski Beat. Elyas and his drummer Nick Stubbs did a little switcheroo - so you also get to see Elyas play drums on this one!
Fellow collaborators are FM Belfast and Nibs van der Spuy.
Lars Amend asked Elyas to help out on some of the translations for the website about Rudolf Schenker's biography "Rock Your Life"
This resulted in Elyas hanging out with the Scorpions backstage after their show at Berlin's O2 Center.
See all the graphic action as Elyas tells it on his new Tumblr Blog!
WEDNESDAY 07 APRIL 2010
ELYAS KHAN and JIL IS LUCKY perform LUNATIC (from Elyas upcoming release) at La Cigale in Paris!
ELYAS KHAN with JIL IS LUCKY on TARATATA
WITH A SECOND CHANCE TO WATCH ON FIRDAY:
10 février 20h35 sur France 4
12 février 00h50 sur France 2
We will announce online re-broadcasts once they are up!
Elyas is heading for Paris where he will join Jil Is Lucky as guests of Taratata!
The recording will take place on January 13 (2010).
Keep your eyes peeled for announcement for when to watch.
"The Music Hall Of Williamsburg was the drunken bright-lights sin-city brother to the hushed living-room confessional vibe of Palmer’s last New York appearance, at Highline Ballroom. Flanked by the incredible NY-based Nervous Cabaret, this time Amanda Fucking Palmer had a Fucking band. And what a Fucking band they were, if I may say so myself. Impeccable rhythm, flawless horns, and a leader with a voice like melted fucking chocolate doused in bourbon."
Finally getting back in the groove of things and got the videos downloaded from our camera... here is Elyas singing a little John the Revelator into Cat Head Live on East Village Radio's Chances With Wolves Show.
It was so much fun seeing the Brooklyn crew in the Manhattan studio, although everyone was completely distracted by The Sandwich Incident .... To listen to the show again, which features some fantastic tunes you probably have not heard before, as well as Elyas's new tracks tune in to:
Chances with Wolves EPISODE 76

The New York show at Music Hall of Williamsburg was amazing. It is so wonderful to play to your home crowd, and walking around Brooklyn these past 2 days seeing all our friends and how psyched they were to be at this show has been truly uplifting.
Elyas had the camera on stage and snapped off this shot of Amanda Palmer auctioning off some art works in between songs. I think it shows the energy of the night... what an incredible audience to give us all so much energy!
Looking forward to seeing all the guys tomorrow morning and heading off to Philly to do a radio segment with Amanda and then of course the show at Theater of the Living Arts.
See you there!
Elyas Khan will be in the LIVE in the booth with Mikey Palms
on East Villages Radio's CHANCES WITH WOLVES!
5:00PM - 6:00PM EST (a.k.a. NYC Time)
Listen GLOBALLY!
This will largely be a rambling blog. When squeezing this much activity in the span of just one week, excited, tangental sputterings are about all I can manage. Bear with me. Or as our tour bus GPS is fond of saying: "Bear Right".
Nick Stubbs flew in From London with his fiancee Deborah. This would be our first time playing together as a duo. Nick "The Big Stick" on Drums and yours truly doing the old guitar/bass/electronics/vocals routine.
I had played with him at Jordan's (Three Black Eyes) wedding in Enfield, London a couple of months back and was impressed with his knowledge of our music.
I, on the other hand, was completely indecisive as to what to play for this string of gigs. I had the new material: Lowest of the Low , The River, Three Merry Boys etc... but right before leaving Berlin I had uncovered a whole portal of other new work I had been churning out in the last year, plus up to the moment fiddlelings I wanted to fiddle with some more.....
Realizing that Nick didn't need that kind of bumble-mindedness I decided to stick with the game plan. Got into Studio Bleu in the bustling, African market vibe Chateau D'eau district and we were off. Suffice to say Nick's a lovely boy, he really is....
THE SCREENING OF " Between The Bridges" : A documentary about NERVOUS CABARET (that's my band in NYC) came up next; the day before the Paris gig. It was going to be screened at INTERNATIONAL, a great two floor venue in Menilmontant. The very idea of having to attend this the day before our Point FMR Paris gig was a bit much for me. Revisiting a document of the last time we played together as NERVOUS CABARET, my moving house from Brooklyn, my marriage to Melissa etc... in front of an audience was a tad emotionally daunting: I'm a sensitive fella y'all!
Accompanied by my wife Melissa and old chum Nadja, we meandered through the golden, dusky houred Rue Oberkampf in Menilmontant; past my favorite cilantro, ginger and galanga scented Korean rice shop overflowing with after work customers, past Nouveau Casino getting ready for their evening concert and straight into my worst scenario: having sit through a film where I have the most lines: embarrassingly self scripted impromptu dialogue; the things one says, appalling in retrospect.
The place was packed, another surprise because in-fact, the other worse thing would be to sit through the premiere of such a film, a film in a sense honoring the achievements of our happy enterprise, with no one in attendance. Thankfully that didn't happen. Our director Guillaume Dero was outside the murmuring venue smoking. Devilishly handsome and shy, a Saint of a man, all the more so because he had a book of drink tickets which I eagerly clutched from his paw. He was nervous. They wanted me to make an appearance before the film. I did so but sheepishly. I just wanted to get upstairs and down some more of the house red.
There were great whoops of applause after it was all done. Many pats on the back as the audience climbed back upstairs and saw me wobbling on my stool, elbow on the bar, drink tickets at the ready for "all my friends" who were brave enough to show up.
I missed my band. Those boys had taught me so much. I missed New York. I was proud and getting a little nectar sappy with Melissa about it all. She reminded me that I'd be back in NYC soon enough and just to enjoy what was happening now.
Well, ok then, "I'm off to the Absinthe bar two doors down. Anybody care to join!" A boozy caravan organized itself clumsily on the narrow sidewalk and chugged along after me. The shattered glass from a vandalized car poured out in front of us like a starry carpet that lead to the door of the bar.
Secretly now, I was only thinking about the next day, the order of the songs and how shitty my voice was sounding. I was sick. Had been for a week and it was getting worse. Flemmy, shredded tones pushing through a snotty nose and thick head. Some people like that kind of thing I'm told and I was doing all I could, in my revery, to make sure the people, God bless 'em, got what they wanted.....
The next evening at the sweaty, fog filled Point Ephemere, on the banks of the lovely Canal Du Saint Martin, excited and rearing to get on with this gig, my D string snapped at the very top of the show; without any provocation, before I had even uttered a raspy breath! With no back up instrument I tuned up and went for it. Nick was looking a bit worried but also mysteriously calm and pounded through the set with great aplomb. The Thermals had a nice set but we were over the moon at having pulled this one off. The intensity intact and in full force.
Next up was Reims, the birthplace of champagne; Dijon, Mustard land and Strasbourg, aah...more French food. We were ready
Directed by Guillaume Dero or release on La Huit Productions Nervous Cabaret: Between The Bridges, filmed in St. Nazaire and Brooklyn/NYC, takes you on an intimate journey with the band and packs in lots of live footage to keep everything moving along!
The DVD will have it's first public screening at L'International in Paris on October 13th!

It's getting to close now I can taste it... and I am wiggling around in anticipation, spurred on by getting in my hot little hands (hot little hard-drive?), this video promo clip featuring a bit of "LOWEST OF THE LOW", which will be one of the tracks on Elyas Khan's forthcoming EP "BLACK SWAN".
The footage was edited in Berlin by Oliver Kless and was taken from the "Between The Bridges: Nervous Cabaret" documentary by Guillaume Dero, La Huit Productions (Paris), and was shot at Festival Les Escales 2008 in St. Nazaire (FR), and also in various locations in Brooklyn (NYC).
The DVD will be released later in 2009... Elyas EP: BLACK SWAN will be released in October 2009, and is part of a 3 stage project leading up to a full-length release in 2010.
In this 7" I have received 2 gifts in one. First of course, it's given me a really lovely piece of music to listen to. And Second, it's given me a reflection on what is important and why the I do this work anyway.
I was very inspired the first time I saw the limited edition books that Ted Milton puts out - which you can see here on his website: TedMilton.com.
He's been added to this wonderful group of people I have been so fortunate to be exposed to in the music business, and a lot of it is coming together in this great series of coincidences, that are coming around again in September in Holland.
It's interesting to me to see how it all hangs loosely together... kind of like that 6 degrees of separation game:
Ted is an alumni of the Beukorkest project Elyas will be playing with this September. Elyas was recommended to the Beukorkest project by De Kift, who Nervous Cabaret have played several shows with over the years. De Kift are a very passionate band that are, for the most part, related to each other, and they also make extremely cool limited edition merch.
Nervous Cabaret listened to Ethiopiques A LOT when getting ready to record the last album Drop Drop... The Ex (from Holland) have been recording an touring with Ethiopiques... Therrie Ex (guitar player) is also a Beukorkest alumni...
You are getting the idea by now... and my brain feels slightly less tangled as well. I am not sure Ted Milton could have had any idea that this would all resonate so personally with me when he sent me the 7", but it does.
Art makes my life worth living... and passionate artists give me a hope for humanity.
PS:
Ted Milton will be playing in Berlin on November 18th 2009 at the DOT Club Put it on your calendar and come with me - but don't worry - I'll remind you later!
Got a note from NYC beatboxing pal Adam Matta last week. The Beatbox Battle World Championships were being held in Berlin this year, he was about to hit the city and suggested I come down. I checked out the various promo videos out on youtube and was happily surprised to see that old friend and lower east side alumni Kid Lucky who was hosting this year. Kid Lucky and Adam Matta Backstage
Great news, I hadn't seen him in a number of years and he certainly was not expecting me to show up. Suffice is to say that major manly squealing and fits of laughter accompanied by spasms of festive hugging ensued as we caught sight of each other. We recalled the old days when we met in Tompkin Square park, smoking, drinking, prepping for for the Sidewalk Cafe open mics or taking our instruments and following the legendary likes of Sabir Mateen and Daniel Carter around the city and into Queens to tour and jam at an assortment of rent parties, gallery openings, weed spots, subway platforms, bars and happenings. Sabir and Daniel would take their saxophones and play up to five different events a night back in the day, sometimes for not a dime. These guys had played with Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, Sonic Youth and never lost faith in music and played as mentors to a countless numbers of young enthusiastic musicians who flooded the city every year. I was thrilled to learn that both were doing very well and touring all over. The worst and toughest part of their long careers being well behind them.
Elyas and Kid Lucky
Kid Lucky clipped a three day pass on my lapel and we were off.
Adam was getting his breathing together and demonstrated some wonderful Egyptian Orchestral beatboxing he'd been working on. I was floored. This was going to be fun. The competition was split into three categories: Men, Women and Group. There were fifty people in the mens alone which would eventually be cut down to 16 and then the finalist over a period of three days. Here are some pics of the first day. My camera was at the studio so I had to borrow another. No video I'm sad to say. Look up the youtube page etc... for updates and results. Adam was up first and he smoked 'em.
Adam Matta OnStage
I'll be catching up with Lucky in Prague. Peace!
Met this BeatBoxer named DAQ - real nice guy.
Woah!!! Super link-heavy post, but I just had to do it because I want to save everyone the time of having to google each band... NERVOUS CABARET is once again in the playlist of REAR WINDOW RADIO. These guys are based in Toronto and many of the artists they play are also Canadian so I KNOW all my Canadian friends are going to wanna tune in! (although their playlist is actually pretty international).
This playlist episode airs from FRIDAY, 29 MAY (AKA TOMORROW), until June 4th. Go ahead - have a listen!
The playlist (in playing order is):
Green Cup & The Dudes - In The Morning
Entire Cities - Talkers
Aaron Stout - The Coronation
Kill the Lights - Nation of Introverts
Pedestrian - Brain on a Stick
The Audiovisuals - 1986
Kurran and the Wolfnotes - Your Four Limbs
Casper and the Cookies - Yer Birthday
Spanish Prisoners - Ask Isaac Asimov
Say Ah! - Beggar's Ballad
Johnny Nobody - This is Falling Apart
The Craft Economy - Big Purse, Lil' Dawg
Love in October - Soft Errors
Built By Snow - Something in 3D
Mississipi Kings - What's Going On
Johnathan Wynn - Everything is Alright, Everything is Ok
Twilight Hotel - Highway Prayer
The Tiger & Me - The Forsaken Few
Stations - Narcissus Poeticus
The Antlers - Two
Viarosa - Poor Man's Prayer
Maneli Jamal - Cold Arrival
NERVOUS CABARET - GRAND PALACE OF LOVE
Maps of the Night Sky - We Were Young A Place to bury Strangers - Ocean Parlour Boys - Lovers After the Weather - Shark Song The Paint Movement - Faults Ume - The Conductor Black Hat Brigade - Castlevania
From there, and completely giddy by this point, we hopped back on the bikes and made our way for the Stella Flamingo, where Sxip and Elyas played. we wanted to stop by their anyway and talk about playing another show, and also we figured we'd get ahead of the crowd of dancing Russians that were sure to follow from the SkaZka show as Stella would surely be the natural spot for the after party.
It turned out to be one of those nights where you just can't miss and everything you see is inspiring. Stella Flamingo had a DJ working tunes to this video that was a cut up of old movies pasted into a running train-race theme... it was so good we were mesmerized for a good 30 minutes... so we stayed around for a bit, and then back into the night, riding our bikes all over downtown berlin!
Not satisfied with watching the show vicariously through the camera mans eyes, we headed through the gate and back into the main audience area and see if we could get close.... With a little prodding, luck, and a little bit of charm, one the security guys let us into the penned in area RIGHT in front of the stage!
It was a super fun show, the audience was in the mood to sing along and to dance. From this vantage point we got the full-on giddiness inducing effect of a high tech stage set up and the energy of 1 in 30 people in the city dancing around. The Hippies got a SERIOUS encore from the crowd, but unfortunately with these big events things are pinned to the schedule. The video backdrop being used on the stage was really cool, the images changed and melded together based on what the camera men on stage where focusing on and blended it in real-time with thematic elements from the Hippies album artwork and the like.. Elyas got some great shots there too, here's one to give you an idea.
After the show we did end up getting backstage, and were presented with fine treat indeed! We were invited, along with the Hippies, to an extremely private party being hosted at the top of the Dresdner Bank building, directly overlooking the gate. The view as backdrop to the lovely company of our friends with some very nice catering and delicious German white wine - life really does not get any better.
Melissa & Henry with the Brandenburger Tor
Here's a little pic of Sammy & Me playing darts at an underground after hours joint where the stragglers from the open mic wandered off to... a legendary place called the Concierge... can't tell you where it is!
SAT, NOV 1, 2008 : Nevers (FR) @ Nevers à Vif Festival
FRI, NOV 7, 2008 : St. Etienne (FR) @ Le Fil
SAT, NOV 8, 2008 : Serignan (FR) @ La Cigaliere
MON, NOV 10, 2008 : Toulouse (FR) @ Le Phare
TUES, NOV 11, 2008 : Biarritz (FR) @ L'Atabal
FRI, NOV 21, 2008 : Rotterdam (NL) @ Nu Moon Improvisational Composition Festival
SAT, NOV 22, 2008 : Rotterdam (NL) @ Dizzy's Jazz Café
SAT, DEC 6, 2008 RENNES (FR) @ BARS EN TRANS!!!
FRI, DEC 28, 2008 : Rotterdam (NL) @ Nu Moon Festival
PHOTO: Elyas Khan et Benjamin Sarralié au studio 136 photo: L.Aloir
PHOTO: Elyas, Maya and Laurence at the RFI Studio
The results of the MTV 72 Hour Shoot Out are in! "CLOUDS" directed by last years winner CS Lee with score by NERVOUS CABARET'S own Elyas Khan made it to this years top 15 cut! The short also features an on screen appearance with KiD [SiC] performing NERVOUS CABARET's newest song "LUNA-TICK".
KiD SiC Lyric from "Furious Bed" used to title the latest work by artist Angela deRosette The painting "I Was Shot In The Eye" will be unveiled at the exhibit "Dead Kids Do Nothing" opening Thursday, July 7th, 2005. For further info visit 31 Grand
Beginning this week, Moto presents Elyas (a.k.a KiD [SiC]) every other Thursday. MOTO is a beautiful new restaurant and bar in East Williamsburg sets the perfect background for Kid Sic's brand of cinematic songwriting.
For the month of August Nervous Cabaret drummer Brian Geltner will be on loan to Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum fame as he embarks on his North American tour in support of his new solo debut. The way Brian pounds... and sometimes tickles... the skins it's not surprising Pirner couldn't resist him! Dave Pirner on VH1
Fragmented Devotion (to You) was a hit at the DUMBO Arts Festival and we're all thrilled to be invited to present the show at Superfine on December 12th and 19th, 2001 - watch for it! Plans are also underway for a European tour in October 2002.




