Street artist shows I’ve previously attended generally attract an urban crowd – Stik’s preview seemed to draw those from his homeless days. However, the local fashion crowd and savvy art collectors mingled while a DJ took to the decks at a recent farewell party for a graffiti artist at a Notting Hill gallery. As well as sporting graffiti-splattered clothes, I spotted a Hermes belt, Gucci sunglasses (customised, of course) and a Rolex on Graffiti Boy. Ironically, he was working hard to have a reputation for being poor; his artwork mocks large corporations. He hadn’t been in London for long but already knew where to hang out and who to hang with. I joined him for dinner at Pix before we went to The Box where he was treated like an A-lister at the door.

With a throbbing head I emailed a friend the gossip the next day, ‘This morning I was throwing up and he was having an asthma attack because he’s allergic to the down in my bedding.’
‘I love it. Very rock ‘n’ roll. Did he graff your gaff?’

GB left to leave his mark on the streets of Berlin for the weekend, but admitted, ‘The spa was nice today’. When he returned to London we headed to Eight Over Eight for dinner and the waiter returned his change with an extra £50 he had nearly given away by mistake.

GB was in a panic the following day; he had six artworks to make and had to be in New York the following day. Unsurprisingly he didn’t make the WLL Summer Party at Paradise by Way of Kensal Green. At 7pm the musicians still hadn’t arrived. ‘You might have to come and do some graffiti here,’ I texted.
‘I still have four paintings to do,’ came the stressed reply. The musicians – The Find, Lifford Shillingford and Alonestar – arrived to play great sets, the TV presenter friend proved to be a brilliant compère and GB finished his work in the early hours. The next day he was off to NYC to work with David LaChapelle…