Occupy! / Challenging Times / The Festival Kicks off Big Time

In a week where Rotherham Artists have been making an impact upon their Community, give a thought to Gav Roberts the leading light of ROMP (Rotherham Open Mic Poets) who is currently sat outside a tent close to Sheffield Cathedral as part of the Occupy Campaign.  

All power to Gav I say and if I were fitter and younger I too would be there. 

I find it really interesting that if by accident or design that the Occupy Movement has landed at the doors of the Establishment Church, the C of E. 

 

It’s little known amongst folks here abouts that my Dad was a Priest in the Church of England, no ordinary Priest, he was one of the original experiments within the C of E with Worker Priests.  And in his case this was not the middle class stepping into the World of the Working Class like the experiments in London, this was a working class lad simply leading his life within his faith. 

Dad was also a committed Trade Unionist, taking several senior positions within the Union of Post Office Workers, as the Communications Union was once known.  Indeed during the five week Post Office strike back in 1971 he co-ordinated activities all along the South Coast.  

After the strike the powers that be in the Church of England thought they had better take my Father out of the front line Parish Ministry, so they hid him away as a Chaplain at Portsmouth Cathedral, that is until someone thought they had better let him Preach and chose for reasons beyond my understanding the Civic Service.   It was an administrative error that was to become legendary in Clerical circles in Portsmouth. 

It was the time of the Power Workers dispute, Heath’s three day week and all that.  Portsmouth Power Station was situated no more than a stone throw from Portsmouth Cathedral, indeed one had to pass the picket lines outside the entrances to the Plant to get to the Church.   

My Dad, Preaching to a Conservative Council, went with the story of the Good Samaritan.  It was a classic.  With both Church and Council Leaders wriggling in their seats as he brought the Sermon to an end by quietly asking how many of them had walked on by the Picket Lines without a moment’s thought to the humanity involved in the dispute.

It made all the local Papers on the Monday and rumbled on for many years, as they first shunted my Father into no man’s land before allowing him back into Parish service as Thatcher started to establish herself. 

So I have considerable solidarity with the men and women currently Occupying St Paul’s and Sheffield Cathedral.  It’s great to see the Church being challenged by the people, indeed, too often when the Church has shown any empathy with any injustice inflicted by Government or Corporate Institutions it has been the Establishment that has sought to bring the cursed Bishops into order, for a change the boot is now on the other foot.

IT’s so right that a Church that has been so reliant upon Capitalism to finance it’s organisation and buildings should now be made to face the inevitable results of their involvement in the collapse of the economic order caused by Banking Institutions and Political Leaders.

Two big Heads have rolled as the Church has struggled to come to terms with the issues at St Paul’s where the two polar isms have been highlighted so clearly.  A Cathedral indebted to the Bankers, charging huge sums of money to visitors who might want to pray or meditate within the building now having on it’s very steps people demanding a change to an order that is bringing down National economies. 

I feel for the people of Greece.  Poor Leadership and a whole host of factors have gone to make them a “leper economy”.  The huge expansion of the EEC and the growth of the Euro a decade or so ago lead to many dreadful Political decisions being made.  

The idea that one could somehow control economies, especially the Mediterranean Countries, that had previously been based on low wages and loose Labour controls, into full mature European economies, with Labour legislation etc. being imposed them overnight was just incredibly short sighted.   

How it all will be sorted, with European Bankers now holding National Governments responsible for their own bad lending policies to the point that any semblance of democracy  is thrown out of the window, one can only ponder.  One fears this will not be a soft landing for anyone.

One final thought before moving away from this subject.  I view the growth of the Occupy movement that started in the USA of all places, to be a clear indication of the weakness and fragmentation of The Left, especially in the UK.  And just perhaps Ed should stop his qualification of his support for Occupy and be prepared to take the Labour Party into the mainstream of alternatives to Capitalism.  

Interesting and frightening times.

Interesting times describes the opening week of the Rotherham Open Arts Festival and for me personally.

The Busking Day and Acoustic  Rotherham’s Third Birthday Party were covered in the Blog HERE and the Opening Night of the Festival can be found HERE, the later proving one of the most popular read Blogs published to date – and why?  Because I was having a moan.  It really never ceases to amaze me that whenever I have a good moan about something readership goes sky high, yet some of the more positive stuff I write and material aimed at providing links or direct advice for acts gets overlooked.   No wonder The News Of The World is missed eh?

I only want to look back far enough to thank those, and there were a good fifty plus over the past few days who sent me so many kind messages of support.  But lest we forget, my comments were not directed for my own benefit, they were made in support of the acts who I had unwittingly placed in an impossible position.  

But there is a negative, the job that I was at least hoping to get an Interview for did not happen.  It’s a pity as the role would have allowed me to take the work I have done with Acoustic Rotherham and a little beyond, up to another level within the existing Arts structure in Rotherham.  It’s not to be.  

What this in turn means is that Acoustic Rotherham must continue to plough it’s own farrow and develop as a “grass roots” Arts grouping in it’s own right.  I have always felt that seeking funding from Arts sources places one in a compromised position, but if we are to really make the most of our local creativity and talent, as we should, in the vision that I have, then Acoustic Rotherham has to find funding, as I’m personally at a position where not only cannot move things forward but I’m really struggling to keep the whole thing alive financially.

Over the coming week I hope to put together the vision in words on the Acoustic Rotherham Web Site. 

And why do I say this?  Having clearly said that unity of Artists is so important, why is it that I feel the need to add to apparently add to the fragmentation?  Answer, I’m an old cynic.  I’ve not yet met the chap who has been tasked with the job within the existing framework, but what I have heard in general terms about the guys immediate priorities will be and I’m sorry to say it, as much to do with Grass Roots Arts development as my little toe, e.g. very little.  

My fear is that instead of outreaching to the Rotherham Arts community he will be spending too much time sorting existing problems and generally being caught up in the needs of the Organisation for which he will be working rather than the needs of Rotherham Artists.  The two needs are not necessarily the same.

One major benefit of being out of work these last fourteen weeks has been the opportunity to meet many interesting people active on the current Arts “scene” and listen.  Alongside of this I have the benefit of listening to what those on the outside of the structured “scene” have to say, of which I was apart for so many years.  

Final point to say thank you to those close to me who knew of my application and provided so much help and support to me .  It was the first job I had applied formally for in thirty years, the help and input was much appreciated.

But we’ve had the first of the Wednesday Concerts.  It was musically a fantastic success.  And the audience of around thirty was supportive, attentive, and appreciative of the Artists.  

We were treated to some outstanding performances.  People who know the Masher will appreciate that he is not the biggest fan of Traditional harmony music, but I was simply enraptured by the performance of Paul & Liz Davenport who demonstrated why they are so respected on the Folk scene with not only an informative and musically perfect set, but were above all entertaining.  Why these local treasures do not get invited to perform more Concert Gigs I do not understand.  This was forty five minutes well spent that simply flew past. 

 

Tina McKevitt and Matt Hegarty produced yet another outstanding set.  Getting to be quite boring in that respect, but their music is far from boring.  Tina’s outstanding voice held the audience in a near hypnotised state as they played through a set of self-penned music that has a strong Celtic dialect.  And the two songs they performed from their Workhouse Theatre production simply had a WOW factor about it.  Again, solid professionals who should be given far more local support.  And if you’d like to sample Tina’s voice, here’s a clip that I was not aware of, shot at The Cambridge Folk Festival, an example how this modest duo keep their talent quiet. HERE.  On Wednesday’s performance we should be fan faring it throughout the County.

And to round the evening off one of the most hard working musicians in Yorkshire, Philip Cockerham.  Sounds a bit bland that, but this guy travelled all the way to Rotherham from West Yorkshire on a cold wet Wednesday having only just recovered from the lurg that had his temperature up to above 100 last week.  Not that anyone would have known as he played through an excellent set of his own traditional based songs using a range of instruments that had our eyes whirling on occasions.    It was a fine professional performance, from an artist now making an impact on the Yorkshire Guest Club circuit, as well as picking up the odd Gig further South.  He’s also becoming a regular on the Festival scene.  All power to him, and as one local Folky said to me at the end of the evening “that Philip Cockerham, what a performer, what a talent!” and so say all of us.

And then, there was Saturday.  I’m beginning to wear the good bus 108 out with my toing and throwing.

The Saturday Brunch Concerts are very much an experiment.  They are designed to draw attention to the Festival of Art in Rotherham, by helping to draw people into the Gallery on a, yes, Saturday. 

To that extent we had a good start, over one hundred people entered the Gallery during the music element, many staying throughout the entire Concert despite, what is becoming a feature of these Concerts the cold.    

Dickie is of course now well prepared, and not able to drive, has his Coffee flask suitably laced with a warming spirit as his constant companion. 

As the first performer of the Brunch season were lucky enough to secure the services of one of the areas musical legends, Lou Marriott.  Another of the much under-estimated talents who ply their trade for the love music and song around the Folk Clubs and sessions of South Yorkshire.  His performance was just excellent in the difficult circumstances of being first up as Lou played through a programme of songs based on his love for Bob Dylan.  Anyone who thinks they can do Dylan should see Lou in action before saying anything, as his highly personal guitar style and understated delivery always has an audience stunned.   We’ll have another chance to hear Lou when he plays at January’s Acoustic Rotherham. 

Our second stars need no introduction really.  Julie and Richard, Storm Trees (The Band formally known as Eskimo Kissed!)   They just get better and better in my view, and was it only last Sunday that they blew away a packed Crown in Rawmarsh with a simply electric performance.  Saturday’s was no different, and under totally different conditions, the feet didn’t stop tapping as they played through a set that comprised of their own material, including a new song.  Great supporters of the local music scene in and around Rotherham, expect to the Band in either duo or quartet mode at a Pub close to you in the very near future.  Go give them your support. 

Brand new to the Rotherham music scene are Raspberry Tortoise, a band I first came across on one of my little trips over the Summer to Masherise West Yorkshire.   There is a Rotherham connection as one of the Band members works within the Borough, well, at least he clocks in, according to his workmates.   This duo were completely non Folk scene, the jokers in the pack for Saturday, using keyboards to play through a programme of 70s,80s,and 90,s pop hits as well as a few numbers of their own.  What a performance,  great vocals with understated keyboards, normally the vocals can be lost in the volume of the keyboard.  Every bit as good as I remembered them to be, and I hope that I might twist their arms at some point to inject something different into an Acoustic Rotherham soon.

And another of the Third Birthday Party stars.  Savant finished off the afternoon for us.  Another highly polished performance and a completely different programme of songs, slipping a bit of Snow Patrol and Kaiser Chiefs amongst some well-known traditional songs.  I know they will soon be becoming firm favourites on the local Folk scene.   

And amongst all this music we had some amazing Poetry.  On Wednesday Gav Roberts, yes, he who is currently on the Occupation outside Sheffield Cathedral and Charlotte, with contrasting work provided thought provoking moments.  On Saturday it was the turn of Carol Robson and Catherine to provide the same service.    It’s fantastic to be able to include these super local writers within these events.  And don’t forget you get more of these artists the second Friday of every month at The Bridge in Rotherham when the corps of ROMP gather together.  Great company and an entertaining evening are assured. 

So what a week it has been, one way or another.  What’s more there’s more to come as the programme of Wednesday and Saturday Concerts work through.  You can see photograph slide shows of all last week’s events and of course check out all the great things coming your way HERE

And amongst all this some of you may have missed that our good friends Florin had their recent single "Just Can't Last" was played on the "BBC Introducing" show, Hosted by Christian Vale last week.  Yet more Rotherham based musicians beginning to make an impact on the wider music scene.  Not heard the song written by Bob Humphries?  Go HERE 

The Masher will be out and about again next week when he’ll be again taking culture to Kingston Upon Hull or is that the other way round?   It’ a Private Party so unfortunately you can’t come along.  I’m playing with my good mates Cracktown, so if you check the Festival programme you’ll be able to share in this manic night on the 23^rd November when Pocketful of N’owt will add to the madness. 

There’s loads going on this coming week.  The aforementioned ROMP on Friday night, Concerts at The Festival Gallery, Wednesday and Saturday; it being the second Tuesday Hillsborough Folk will be meeting at Burton Street Foundation, Sheffield: and at the end of the week The Ladifest will be in full swing throughout the weekend in Sheffield where Carol Robson will be performing and running Workshops.   All the details and links to the events can be found HERE

Wow, I seem to have gone on a lot longer than I intended.  But just so many issues and good things going on.  

So for now, whatever you may doing this week, have fun and support local musicians by keeping it LIVE.