Nick Keir

SCOTTISH FOLK SINGER-SONGWRITER

NICK KEIR OF THE McCALMANS

THE THREE MARINERS

BRIDGE LANE, LANCASTER

9-11 PM WEDNESDAY

25^th NOVEMBER 2009

http://www.nick-keir.com/

Mitch Benn and The Distractions



Venue:   The Dukes

Date: Sunday 22 November 8pm

Tickets: £11/£9 concessions

Box Office: 01524 598500

 

Kudos

For all you writers out there. Feeling competitive?

www.kudoswritingcompetitions.com

Lancashire Libraries turned inside out

Word Soup 7 opportunity

Anyone interested in performing at Word Soup? See Below…

Tuesday November 17th at The Continental Pub, Preston

The North West’s fastest-growing Live Lit Night returns for another night of great readings, live music and networking. Reading on the theme of ‘home’ will be musician, writer, performer and presenter Mollie Baxter. She will be joined by the author of The Big Drift Thomas Fletcher, along with local poet and author Mark Charlesworth and actor and performance poet Paul Sockett.

Musical interludes come courtesy of the ridiculously talented Kevin Wilkinson. Add to the mix our increasingly popular Open Mic slot and you have all the makings of another memorable edition of Word Soup!

Email us at info@theyeatculture.org to get involved!

Word Soup is organised and facilitated by Preston Writing Network – the literary strand of They Eat Culture – Preston’s newest arts organisation.

You can also follow us on Twitter… at @PrestonWN or #wordsoup on the night.

La Décision Doypack

Paul Rooney’s upcoming solo show at Storey Gallery consists of one solitary piece. This purposely sparse presentation of the artist’s film La Décision Doypack creates a sense of theatrical occasion, enhanced by the evening opening and scheduled screening times.

On entering the gallery, a gently lit island of carpet subtly indicates the appropriate place to congregate. The leggy audiovisual equipment, which is installed on stands, is dotted at the four corners of the island. The audience sit, it goes dark, and the film begins.

The 27-minute film, shot on 16mm, is inspired by the memories of an Australian food-packaging company manager who visited Paris during the events of 1968. The multi-layered narrative is visualized with self-conscious acting and film making techniques, and uses real life events and fictional construction to investigate the way in which history only exists when actively recalled in the present. The film demonstrates however, how flawed that recollection can be, revealing the comedy and melancholy involved in any attempt to represent the past.

Storey Gallery has recently re-opened after a period of working off-site during refurbishment of the entire building. In this new context the Gallery is keen to challenge and explore audience expectations of visiting an exhibition of contemporary visual art. During La Décision Doypack the gallery will only be open after dark, providing an opportunity to visit in the evening after work, and to enjoy a drink or meal in the new bar and restaurant downstairs.

Exhibition dates: 14 November – 18 December 2009

La Décision Doypack will be screened at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm Tuesday to Saturday.

Venue: Storey Gallery, Storey Creative Industries Centre, Storey Institute, Meeting House Lane, Lancaster, LA1 1TH.
Email: info@storeygallery.org.uk
Tel: +44(0)1524 844133

Hope and Social back in Lancaster

This month, internationally acclaimed, enterprising band Hope and Social return to Lancaster to play the launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009 at The Storey Creative Industries Centre.

A few years ago, four Lancaster University graduates took the mainstream music industry by storm by launching the first independent record label entirely funded by members of their fan-base…to the tune of £100,000! So impressive was this demonstration of the power of the relationship between artists and fans that the story made international news and added further fuel to concerns over the future of the recording industry.

But it’s the band’s commitment to making great music that keeps their 8000 strong fan-base coming back for more. Guitarist Rich Huxley explains, “We’d always had a strong relationship with our fans but were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm with which they responded to the notion of becoming investors, for no other reason than the fact they loved the music. Their support has enabled us to retain complete independence and creative control over everything we produce. As a result, everything we create is instilled with so much passion and integrity that it moves people and makes them want to be a part of it. I’m not sure what the opposite of a vicious circle is, but this is it!”

Now the band is back in Lancaster where it all started with their new album and a one-night-only gig in The Storey Auditorium. The ‘show’ – which is the only real way to describe their highly engaging theatrical performance – will take place on Tuesday November 17th, following a music industry Q&A session entitled ‘Have you got what it takes to succeed in the music business?’ This event will feature members of the band and other music industry entrepreneurs from across the North West, including Nian Brindle, manager of hotly-tipped Morecambe band, The Heartbreaks.

Event facilitator Simon Harrison, from Mushroom Concepts, is very excited about the whole thing: “The Q&A session booked up immediately; there’s simply not enough space in the room for all the people who want to come along so I’m now looking into the possibility of streaming the event online. Fortunately, the band and other panel members are going to be around all evening so there will be plenty of opportunities to pick their brains in the bar before and after the gig.”

In keeping with their innovative approach, the band’s latest fan-funded album, ‘Architect of this Church’ is now available as a ‘Pay What You Like’ download via their website (www.hopeandsocial.com).

Support will be provided by local favourites, Uncle Jeff, who have recently launched their own debut album through Lancaster’s own Barnbox label. Doors will open at 7.30pm, and once the bands have finished there will be a DJ set till late.

Advance tickets are priced £7.50 / £5.50 concessions and are available online via www.hopeandsocialgig.eventbrite.com or via The Storey box office on 01524 582 394 (10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday).

Orchestra DC Dansette

Lancaster based Orchestre D.C. Dansette play the last of this year’s gigs in The Round at The Dukes on Friday 27 November and this one’s set to be a multi-facetted spectacular. The eight-piece poets of afro-pop collaboration also features Ludus Dance, video artist Jenny McCabe and poet Sarah Hymas.

Orchestre D.C. Dansette are a guitar driven dance band, who take inspiration from popular music across the African continent, mixing it with jazz and pop sensibilities and an idiosyncratically philosophical take on the works of Jung, Wittgenstein and the Dalai Lama. Their low-down grooves and highbrow words make for “invigorating and life affirming” dance music.

Orchestre D.C. Dansette’s leader Steve Lewis said:

“The gig will mark our second birthday so we wanted to make it special. The Dukes are promoting. Ludus is running a special project. Sarah Hymas, who edits Lit Fest’s publishing imprint Flax, has written some of the lyrics and half of the band work for More Music! It’ll be an amazing ‘coming together’ of local artists and organisations!”

Charismatic Senegalese dancer Diene Vieux Sagna has been leading special workshops in African dance for Ludus. He and his students will be performing on the night. Diene might demonstrate a few steps himself and even play some percussion with the band.

The band will be playing re-mixed extracts from Steve’s Top Ten Sex Tips, a visually spiked song cycle on sex, love and the point of it all that features a video by artist Jenny McCabe, using discarded home movies and super 8 films gathered from e-bay.

“It’s a piece that was commissioned by Manchester Jazz Festival in 2005,” Steve explained. “It got a great reception and we thought it would be fascinating to present it as a single piece one more time. Artist Jenny McCabe has agreed to do a live re-mix of her video as we play which is going to be really exciting.”

Sarah Hymas, whose first book of poetry “Host” will be published in the spring, wrote the lyrics for several of the band’s most successful songs, several of which are featured on their website (www.myspace.com/orchestredcdansette) and their album. This will be available to buy on what promises to be the perfect pre-Christmas night out.

Contact: Steve Lewis on 01524 35193 or steve@deepcabaret.co.uk for any queries about the release.

Venue: The Dukes
Date: Friday 27 November, 8pm
Tickets: £7/£5 concessions
Box Office: 01524 598500

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Director: Amy Leach
Designer: Miriam Nabarro
Music Director and Composer: Oliver Birch
Lighting: Brent Lees
Sound: TBC

Cast : Celia Adams, John Biddle, Christopher Doyle, Erica Guyatt, Alexander Maher and Ian Summers

Dates: Friday 20 November 2009 – Saturday 2 January 2010
Price: £5 – £14/Up to 2 half price children’s tickets with every full paying adult
Box Office: The Dukes, Moor Lane, Lancaster LA1 1QE
01524 598500
tickets@dukes-lancaster.org
www.dukes-lancaster.org

The Wicked Witch of the West can be a nasty piece of work and so the story is recommended for children over the age of five

Mark Charlesworth – In Memory of Real Trees

Reviewed by Norman Hadley

 

Mark Charlesworth is a Ribble-based poet who has made the odd foray up to the Lunelands in search of a wider audience. You may have seen him at Spotlight in September and, if not, you can see him in action below.

Following on his from first collection Sunrise and Shorelines, In Memory of Real Trees is an accomplished collection with a strong, cohesive theme. Be warned, ye readers of a fragile disposition, the theme is as dark as a Don McCullin photo-spread, with death, decay and duplicity in abundance. Nonetheless, Mark is determined to lead his reader to the diamonds in the dirt.

The book is well-produced in a 6” x 9” format (62 pages, now you come to ask) with a suitably melancholy cover and the attractive font, credited to Audrius Skersys, is a nice, professional touch. Damn…wish I’d thought of that.

Now this is the point where you would expect a poet reviewing a poet to get all technical, debating the merits of rhythm and imagery. But, instead, you can make you own minds up as I have a number of clips of Mark in my video library. I will say this, though – converting his poem “The Bitterest Sin” into a lyric was an act of utter inspiration.

Mark is having a launch at 7:30 pm on 28^th November at the New Continental, South Meadow Lane, Preston, PR1 8JP.