Headliners Hail Black Cab Jam Sessions
Most bands are used to playing small gigs, but the back of a London taxi cab? It's one of the tiniest venues in town, and it's also the cheapest.
Music promoters Jono Stevens and Chris Pattinson came up with the idea for the Black Cab Sessions as a cost- and time effective-way to record bands.
Getting a band into an expensive studio can be hard work. So, instead, Stevens and Pattinson started waiting with musicians after gigs, recording single-song sessions in the back of London's iconic black cabs as they traveled to hotels, airports, or anywhere else in London.
The duo have taken "unplugged" to whole new level. Musicians dig the impromptu environment of the backseat, and the short time commitment. And the acoustics are better than you'd think.
Only once has a driver declined a request by Stevens and Pattinson to turn the back of a cab into a studio, and most drivers say it's their most interesting fare ever. Sure beats the radio.
The Black Cab Sessions have become a Web hit, and there's now a waiting list to get a recording. Even big names, including former Beach Boy Brian Wilson, are doing sessions.
Like most smart, budding entrepreneurs, the guys are taking the show on the road... to New York.
It may be a city known for cabs, but the yellow ones won't work. They're too small to film in, and don't sound the same. Fortunately, Stevens and Pattinson were able to find a traditional London black cab in the Big Apple, saving them one hefty transatlantic fare.
Not satisfied with New York alone, they're planning a road-trip to Texas. Wish them luck finding a black cab at the Alamo.