Nikesh Shukla/Yam Boy - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Nikesh Shukla (nee Yam Boy) is an author, song-writer and Saved By the Bell enthusiast caught between the cityscapes of Bombay and the low-swinging chariots of London. His writing has been featured on BBC2, Radio 1 and 4, Resonance fm, Tell Tales and Transmission Magazine. He has performed at Royal Festival Hall, Apples and Snakes, Soho Theatre, The Big Chill, Rise Festival, The London Mela and Glastonbury. He has travelled to America Europe India and Africa to perform and read his words. He recently completed his first travel memoir, I've Forgotten My Mantra, as well as a full-length novel. He records under the name Yam Boy. He plays guitar and mandolin. He recently spent a year in Kenya, where he produced a solo folk album, tentatively titled 'Superheroic' as well as an Arts Council-commissioned book of poetry.Comments about Yam Boy: 'Barely restrained, simmering anger and fiercely intelligent polemic...' HIP HOP CONNECTION/ 'Either a car crash or an inspired work of genius...' EASTERN EYE/ 'Beautiful soundscapes and prescient musings' METRO/ '...offers up sharp, often humorous, socio-political polemic that references his Eastern background on acoustic guitar and mandolin, tapping artists as diverse as Jeffrey Lewis, Asha Bhosle and Infinite Livez' TIME OUT

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 10/26/2005
Band Website: yamboy.net
Band Members: Nikesh - most things Other people - other things
Influences: Cornershop, Public Enemy, Devin the Dude, Ghostface Killah, Saul Williams, HKB Finn, The Clash, Spiritualized, Radiohead, The Futureheads, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jeffrey Lewis, Moldy Peaches, The Strokes, Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart, TV on the Radio, The Specials, Black Star Liner, Nimer Rashed, Peter Parker, Charlie Kaufman, Aniruddha Bahal, Charles Bukowski, Bernard Manning, Bill Hicks, David Cross, Pharcyde, Jolly Mukherjee, Godzilla, Crazy Joe Davola
Sounds Like: Superheroes with acoustic guitars, samplers, raps, songs, capes, masks and a beaten but beautiful mandolin called 'Lily'...
Record Label: Friendly Neighbourhood
Type of Label: None

My Blog

The state that I am in

Memories become intertwined with songs and pop culture references become our memories. I've banged on for ages about how people relate to each other through Friends. Well, yesterday, I was discussing ...
Posted by Nikesh Shukla/Yam Boy on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:08:00 PST

Oyster Brats

Oyster Brats By Nikesh Shukla 'Oyster Brats, Oyster, Oyster Brats, Oyster, OI-OI-OI&' Oysty felt the flux of his energy swords rush through him replacing his hands with gleaming blades, his muscles ...
Posted by Nikesh Shukla/Yam Boy on Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:51:00 PST

Stingy

I got confronted by a homeless guy on a train demanding change from me. He told me a particularly sad story about his kid and about his life and asked for change. If I'd had change, I was so moved by ...
Posted by Nikesh Shukla/Yam Boy on Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:06:00 PST

Stop and search 3

This is getting ridiculous. Stopped and searched again under anti-terror laws. What is it about me? This time, I let the policeman rifle through my bag. He made jokes to ease the awkward atmosphere, c...
Posted by Nikesh Shukla/Yam Boy on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:06:00 PST

Chris Morris = genius

from this week's Popbitch mailout: We told you that Chris Morris' terror cell comedy had been rejected by a fearful Channel 4 and BBC. It seems they have a history of this. Muslim comed...
Posted by Nikesh Shukla/Yam Boy on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:07:00 PST

good explanation

Some people need to stay teachers. Sitting in meetings hearing things like 'Good explanation' and 'well done, you made a valuable point that was relevant to the discussion' doesn't quite work for the ...
Posted by Nikesh Shukla/Yam Boy on Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:40:00 PST

The truth is out there, innit.

You know when Indian call centres call you up and they give you fake names likes James Smith or Rosie o'Donnell or Conan O'Brien? Well, today I was phoned up by someone from the UK National Accident s...
Posted by Nikesh Shukla/Yam Boy on Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:48:00 PST

Stop and search 2: Attack of the Clones

So I got stopped and searched again yesterday. Again. I'm putting out a vibe, obviously. A vibe that says, 'I may be nefarious - look in my bags.' This time I felt more violated not only because of t...
Posted by Nikesh Shukla/Yam Boy on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 01:22:00 PST

The Britishness Test/Brum

Despite a lack of ticket sales and being stopped and searched on my way to deliver the show, it went well considering. I found the irony of being stopped and searched at Euston station while waiting f...
Posted by Nikesh Shukla/Yam Boy on Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:13:00 PST

With your feet on the ground... head in the air?

Try this trick... and spin it. Yeah. Yesterday, on our cycle through London for that Freewheel event where loads of hippies and woofies (Guardian readers) got to cycle through Whitehall unimpeded by c...
Posted by Nikesh Shukla/Yam Boy on Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:59:00 PST