The heart of New Orleans – voices from the city

The heart of New Orleans – voices from the city

There is no avoiding Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. One version of the city existed before the disaster and a demonstrably different one does now. Thirteen years have passed, and yet it remains part of the city’s daily conversation, intrinsic to its character. There are three things that New Orleans has always done exceptionally well: food, liquor…

Beyond music: 5 alternative reasons to visit Nashville

Escaping music altogether isn’t really an option in Music City (and why would you want to?), but this is the closest you’ll get. Damien Gabet shares five very good alternative reasons to visit Nashville.  1. Eat, eat, eat! Lunch? Visit family-run Arnold’s Country Kitchen. A societal leveller, this zero-frills canteen sees millionaire financiers queue up with…

In search of authentic sounds in Nashville

Damien Gabet hits the road to try and fulfil a lifelong dream of playing live in Nashville, Tennessee. Finally, the right kind of place. I’ve been looking all week. Somewhere I can get up on stage and play the bass guitar at an open-mic night. It’s been a long-held dream to perform in Music City. Bourbon…