Apologies
for the three week or so gap down to all sorts of reasons, hopefully normal
service can be resumed.
We’ve missed
a bit, a couple of music and Spoken Word events and the excellent and all too
short run Exhibition of the acceptable face of the Garden Gnome at the Old
Market Gallery.
As for me,
I’ve not been able to get out much. It’s
a long story but I did for myself in one day and I’m still recovering 18 days
later. Not fun.
We are still
waiting for the Furniture to be moved into Wellgate, hence we still do not have
an opening date for the Drop In Centre, but I promise that you will be the
first to know when we are active.
I may have
been locked away but my spies have been reporting in on well attended Gigs,
Promotions and Spoken Word Events and sessions. Spoken word in particular, with the mini
Festival out of The Pop up Story Shop and the Mike Garry Workshop and Special
ROMP were fantastic successes, really establishing Rotherham as a hot bed of
writing creativity.
Musically
I’m told that the Metal Real Underground Event at The Bridge was a resounding
success this month and there has been a strong start for Memory Lane,
Rotherham’s new Northern Soul and Retro Club.
I did manage
to get out to the Creative Network Meeting and the Opening of the l39!ON Exhibition at The Old Market Gallery last
Thursday. “Anonymous”. The Exhibition is put together by a
collective of artists known as the “Legion”, their names are unknown and the
group is loose and open to anyone who turns up.
The work is put together as a collective, and the anonymity allows
artists to experiment and show work that might not normally be associated with
them.
For those
interested, I did dig around to find out more, and this Blog HERE explains more about Legion who
state their mission as :
Legion is an
unknown group of artists, unknown in number, unknown in identity.
Legion meet and create, together or alone but in the same place.
Legion has no leader, Legion is whoever turns up.
Legion is not for money or fame but for creativity and shared experience.
Legion believes that more is possible in numbers, for we are many.
Legion meet and create, together or alone but in the same place.
Legion has no leader, Legion is whoever turns up.
Legion is not for money or fame but for creativity and shared experience.
Legion believes that more is possible in numbers, for we are many.
Personally I
found the Exhibition really interesting, providing many different visual
experiences from the traditional paint to the contemporary use of light and
photography. Best of all it challenges the brain and the senses. Thoroughly recommended.
The
Exhibition runs 10:00am to 3:00pm until the 29th March.
If you with
us for the first Fringe Festival, nearly two years ago, you may remember that Paul and Liz Davenport presented a fascinating
evening of songs and local history surrounding a collection of songs called the
Gatty Collection. These were songs
collected from workers living in Ravenfield, Hooton Roberts and other rural
parts of the Borough and later North Yorkshire by the Rev. Gatty accompanied on
occasions by Vaughn Williams between 1907 and 1910. The collection was originally in a number of
note books and Paul and Liz have lovingly pulled all the pieces together with
an appraisal. The plan was to publish in
2012, but as with all such projects it all took a little bit longer than was
originally planned.
The GOOD
NEWS is that the book has now been published, “Down Yorkshire Lanes” and is available from the Hallamshire
Traditions Shop HERE for £17
including postage and packing.
There will
be full reviews on the Spoken Word events in the next edition of the Word Pit –
coming soon, I think.
The Web
Sites have mostly been updated, however, my powers of concentration have not
allowed for the upgrading that I have wanted to do, that will have to happen in
time. However, interest in the Web Sites
and Facebook Pages continues to grow which means the RAE message is going
further.
Acoustic Rotherham 17 is on Sunday
April 7th starting at 2:30pm at The Bridge, Rotherham. The Pub opens at around 2:00pm. We have a fantastic line up with artists
coming in from the far reaches of the County.
You can find the full line up HERE
It’s free, it’s acoustic and there will be a free buffet to keep us going at
that slagging moment around 5:00pm. It
will also feature the last live acoustic set from our good friend Phillip
Hartley before he completely hangs up his guitar to concentrate upon his
“Electro” music under the Suphusion label, which is well worth a listen, find it HERE.
I can tell
you that the plan for Slamfest are progressing.
Mick will be contacting Bands very soon with regard to stage and
appearance times. The
mid-week events have been dropped for this year, but the Sunday at Clifton Park
should more than make up for this, with plans for a family day of music on
three stages are being put together with RMBC Parks.
It’s not too
late to Register your interest in Playing during the Slamfest weekend, be you a
Band or a solo acoustic artist.
Preference will always be given to Rotherham based artists, as this is
what the Festival is all about. Email HERE
And we have
linked up with RMBC to provide music on the first Sunday of each Month from May
through to September on the Clifton Park Band Stand. Mick is looking for Bands who would like to
play. Email him HERE
We are
searching out Sponsors, advertisers and volunteers for all RAE promoted Events,
from Live at The Trades to the main Slamfest and Fringe Festivals. If you want to get involved on any level then
please Email us HERE
And so to
the week ahead – and it’s Holy Week, which means Easter is upon us.
Top of the
Festivals over the Easter Weekend is of course the Sheffield Sessions Festival which is a celebration of all the
sessions, mainly folk based, available to musicians in Sheffield. There is an extensive programme of events
all around the City from Friday through to Sunday. If you fancy a sing or play get yourselves
over the hill to Sheffield. Links to
the programme can be found HERE on
the Listings page.
At The Chequers on Good Friday, Ian Huddleston will be in the company
of resident hosts Makeshiftz for
another quality evening of music. I know
that Ian has been in a rich vein of song writing and I’ve had the privilege of
listening to some of the demo tracks – I can promise you a revolutionary treat.
At The Bridge on Friday night Formbys will be performing a lively set
and on Saturday, it being the last Saturday of the month, it is of course
wriggling with Papa Leba’s. Be there or be square.
I seem to be
working backwards here as we move to Thursday and in Wakefield Tony Wright has
arranged a Fund Raiser for UNISON’s
Strike Fund. The line-up includes
the Glavins (an elusive band with Rotherham connections that we are trying to
get onto an RAE promotion) and the magnificent Cambodia. You can find the link to the full details on
the listings page HERE
And of
course we have the full programme of
sessions and Clubs – BUT as it’s a Bank Holiday please check with the Web Sites
etc. before venturing out, just in case they have closed for the duration.
Heads up
- Live
at The Trades rocks into life again on the 6th April with the
East Street Band headlining. One of
Britain’s top Bruce Springsteen tribute Bands and what’s more a Rotherham Band and
not to be missed, especially as in support we have The Tom Killner Band and a new
band based in Rotherham Replay. Tickets
are £5 available in all the usual places, Mesmerize, Trades, Members of The
Bands and on line HERE
On the 13th
April we feature another of our fantastic local Band Showcases for only £3 when
Havana Rocks leads a bill that includes the amazing Diamond Velocity (who incidentally
have a new single out - have a listen HERE) and For Pete’s Sake. Tickets available as above and on line HERE
We’ve a
really exciting programme of quality Rock Music coming up at the Trades plus an
evening of Burlesque. You can find all
the details HERE
And that’s
it. Whatever you are doing this week –
have a fantastic Easter may it be peaceful, support your local artists and KEEP
IT LIVE.
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