Tuesday 21 August 2012

Fringe Festival is Building - Do you want to take part? What are you doing this weekend?


So another really lovely week, mainly spent talking………………..  and I don’t need too many comments about that, thank you.

Been catching up with one or two things to. 

Plans for the October Fringe Festival are now in full flow, as suggested in earlier Blogs and correspondence we’ll be running the Gallery Acoustic Sessions  that proved so popular last year during the 2012 programme.  If you would like to play then contact me HERE  Wednesday’s will run under The Paul Pearson and Friends heading while The Saturday Brunch Club Session 11am – 3pm will run with Mr David Kidman in the Chair.    Let me know asap if you fancy playing. 

While we’re on the Acoustic part of the Fringe Festival, I’ve a few slots for the Acoustic Rotherham on 29th October free as well.  Contact me HERE

The Rotherham Busking Day, Sponsored by Ziggy’s Workhouse Gym has been confirmed as Saturday 29th September 2012, with Street music running from 11:00am – 3:00pm throughout the Town Centre.  This is a strictly Acoustic event, although we allow portable battery operated amplified sound.  There is no main stage, although we are hoping to attract some dancers this year and so an area of All Saints Square will be reserved for that.  

Anyone can play, anyone can put their hat out, Rotherham Art Events have you covered, but you do need to Register for Insurance and Licensing purposes. There will be a Registration Form with full details on the Web Site before the end of the week.  HERE

Veterans of the first Busking Day will remember how thirty heroes of music headed out into the frozen wastes of a late October Saturday to play – indeed even those who played the Gallery during the Festival weeks will testify to the freezing conditions, often leading to fingers being frozen to strings.  We’re a whole month earlier in 2012, which we hope will prevent frost bite becoming a factor. 

So get your applications in.

We have some really special shows planned, the latest is a fantastic double Bill of One Person performances –   “Poor Prospects : Tales From the Workhouse” performed by Tina McKevitt and written by Tina McKevitt and Matt Hegarty  (Sheffield) will be performed alongside of “The Tesco Chainsaw Massacre” Written and performed by Sheffield’s Stan Skinny.  This will be a not to be missed evening for those who liked a touch of pure gut emotion in their Theatre, and will certainly take you on a roller coaster of tears of pity to tears of joy.   Watch out for more details of this as they become available.

Not to be out done by all the Acoustic music being performed during the Festival, the RAE God of Rock Mick, having recovered from Slamfest and our Dirty Dylan Co-promotion, is already hard at work.  During the month we can expect, Blues, Metal, Punk, an afternoon of for youth Bands and one or two surprises he says – it’s the later that has me worried, he said that about Rotherham Rocks Saturday and looked what happened there.   

If you’re a local business looking to become involved in the local arts scene or appreciate the positive role an association with local Art can play in promoting your business, then please contact us there are many opportunities.  Email HERE

Rotherham Art Events also requires VOLUNTEERS.  Without more help the current band of worker bees are in danger of being carted off to the local hospital with exhaustion.  So save the NHS Money and come join us.  Without you we cannot succeed in continuing to mount quality music and art events.Email Jane HERE

Finally on the Fringe Festival.  The Fringe Festival Web Site is now LIVE HERE  It’s a work in progress and will of course be updated as dates are confirmed. 

A good friend of Acoustic Rotherham JB Butterfield is embarking on a Sponsored Busk between Hartlepool and Orkney for the Hospital of God At Greatham. The Hospital specialises in care for dementia.   If you would like to Sponsor JB contact him via his Facebook page HERE

Art In The Park is coming to Rotherham, only it’s going to be at The Old Market Gallery, on Corporation Street.  This is to be an exhibition offering young artists an opportunity to exhibit their work FREE OF CHARGE.  Visual – digital – photographic – poetical – musical.  Opening night is 13th September, but you’ll need to Register your work for inclusion by September 5th.  Contact Vicky HERE

An experiment co-promoted between Rotherham Art Events and RMBC at the Clifton Park Wall Garden on Saturday night was according to all a great success.   The concert which featured Dirty Dylan, yes, a Bob Dylan Tribute, with Phil Sinclaire and Steve Gascoigne in support made for the perfect music for the outdoor venue.

We were lucky, the sun shined, the heat was turned up and an evening sat  back listening to the music of Dylan, while supping Real Ale, and stuffing ourselves with some excellent burgers.

The size of the audience was far higher than some expected, which added to the creation of a super atmosphere, and there is no doubt about it Dirty Dylan are one of the finest Bob Tributes I’ve been lucky enough to see. 

The Wall Garden venue is excellent.  Of course we might be so lucky with the weather on another occasion.  So it would really be a great investment by the Council to have a canvas movable roof available in the event of rain.  This would give promoters more confidence to use the venue for music and Theatre events.  Only at the tail end of June OMT’s Promotion of the Taming of The Shrew had to be quickly moved to The Old Market Gallery because of the weather.

The co-operation we got from the Council was fantastic.  So thanks to them for giving us the chance to test the venue out.

Interesting goings on in the World of Folk.  The Chapeltown Folk Festival  at The Commercial on 27th August will be going ahead as per usual.  Those who have been attending in recent years will be aware that there have been several changes in format, and this year more changes have been made – I’m told.   The event will be exclusive to the Upstairs room, unless agreement can be reached with regular Pub users over the use of the down stairs bar.   Upstairs you can expect music in the round but with the addition of four special invited spots.  The event starts at 2:00pm and runs until everyone has fallen over.

And venue goin’ ons up Anston way.   Having left their home at the Loyal Trooper for the Cricket Club, the singers have discovered that the all is not greener on the other side of the Hill, fridge hum seemingly being the main problem.  So from September 20ths Meeting of the Club, they will be Meeting in the Conservatory of Julie’s House.  The tongues will be wagging down her Street about all her gentleman callers…… lol.  All the details about how to gain entry can be found on the Listings Page HERE – and I’d add that this is a bring your own beer venue.   Well done Judy on a creative way to overcome the shortcomings of the diminishing venues available.

And while we’re talking about Judy.   This year’s Rotherham Show will soon be upon us.  I believe, but my beliefs are often wrong, that this is the last year of the Folk / Jazz Tent as from next year 2013 funding will not be available.   There is the usual line up of home and International Folk musicians on offer.  You can find them listed on the Listings Page HERE

Last year’s experimental Folk Singaround in the Museum has been moved to the Sunday, thus allowing Folkies to get a full dose of their favourite music, and it has the new venue of the Wall Garden Room.   Bring your voices and instruments. Hosted once again by Robb Slow.

While on the subject of The Rotherham Show.  I’m told that funding for the Diversity Festival Stage is more squeezed than usual this year, and rumour is that that like the Folk / Jazz Tent there will be no official funding for 2013.  This has been known for some time, and in an attempt to promote communications and co-operation between RAE and Diversity I wrote Emails unfortunately not one was answered – and I even popped along to two Diversity Group meetings, at the first, one person from Diversity arrived, at the second no one turned up.  Is there a lesson that we can learn here – I think so, but I fear the establishment know better, I think.

All part of the rich tapestry of the chaos that is often the organisation of Art based events in Rotherham, I fear.

To be fair to say that the people most involved simply have far too much work on their desks.  

Obviously given the gee up by the announcement that DJ Alan McGee will be making appearance at the Rotherham Fringe Festival, a great friend of RAE/Acoustic Rotherham, Phillip Hartley has taken to the Airways on a Saturday evening under the guise of “Phil’s Phancies”.   Tune in HERE and find out what Phil might be playing HERE on his Facebook Page.  

Last Saturday he played a Mashers Song, but don’t let that put you off, the rest of the programme was excellent, given that I was sandwiched between Tom Rush and Jake Thackray.

And now to a busy week ahead. 

It’s Leeds Festival Weekend, the Streets of Rotherham will empty as the Youth of the Borough are drawn by the glitz of Bands with “Big” recognisable names, many of whom have more than a passing acquaintance with the Zimmer Frame.   The more brave will be heading down to Reading of course.

Then there’s The Worcester Music Festival, one of the best Free music Festivals I’ve experienced, however I note one or two pay events sneaked in, and the length of the event has been extended.   I’m a bit of a traditionalist in thinking of not fixing something that isn’t broke.   But a well recommended event.

One of Rotherham’s own young musicians will be doing his stuff over at the Colne.  Quite an honour for the Tom Kilner Band to get on the Billing for the Great R & B Festival.   Those who have not yet heard Tom at work on his guitar have missed a treat, so far, but the good news is you’ll get a chance to him in Concert again during the Fringe Festival.

It’s Galtres Festival over York way with a fantastic line up of Rock and Acoustic stars.  Steve Chapman-Smith can be heard amongst the Buzzcocks and Ash.  And I think past Acoustic Rotherham star Holly Taymar is also appearing.

On Friday we have US International Poet Buddy Wakefield performing at The Bridge in Rotherham as a ROMP Special, and if you miss Friday you get another opportunity on Saturday at The Riverside in Sheffield. 

Also on Friday 24th Earth Tales are in action with the Wyrd Wych on bass at The Red Roof in Sheffield, a rare outing for this legendary Band so well worth the effort to make the trip.

On Saturday two fantastic live music Gigs in Rotherham with Papa Legba’s live at The Bridge, and a Punk Metal night at The Charters.   For the artistically inclined, Chris Slater will earlier in the day be continuing with his series of Oil Workshops.

A reminder that Monday 27th is Bank Holiday.  PLEASE CHECK THE REGULAR CLUBS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ON.  However, we can say BANSLEY IS OFF, while NELLIE FOLK at The Bridge IS ON.

And that my friends is that for this week’s news and chit chat.  

Whatever you’re doing this week, have great fun, support your local artists and above all KEEP IT LIVE

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