 Hi everyone, can you believe how dark it is getting the evenings? The clocks don't go back until the end of October, so that means it will be pitch black at four in the afternoon. I find the winter quite depressing, don't you? I suppose the only good thing about it is that there will be lots of albums being finished ready for release in time for Christmas !
Grandadbob
Grandadbob, the Sheffield duo whose bewitching vision defies any foregone category: It's a psychedelic, pastoral, electro-folk bliss-pop dreamscape thing, having a party in a lazy, hazy English summertime garden.
Released on September 18th, "Garden of Happiness" is Grandadbob's brand new album and is the sound of life worth living. Signed to Norman Cook's Southern Fried Records, it was created in both a home-studio in Sheffield and a barn in the Derbyshire countryside.
Grandadbob are Dave Johnson (avid collector of vintage Italian shooting wear) and Vanessa Robinson (self-confessed Margot Leadbetter wannabee) who write together with electronics, guitars, drums, brass, keyboards, classical dream-folk vocals, recorders and marvellous hair. Their music is made, says the esoteric Vanessa, "for escapism." "We love this country" adds Dave "and we're sick of hearing about how shit everything is and how hard it is. Our music's about getting up in the morning, with a smile on your face, saying 'I'm alive' - and it's great!"
Produced by Liam Howe (Sneaker Pimps) and mixed by Barny (mixing maestro for fellow Sheffield renegades the Arctic Monkeys
Visit Grandadbob at www.myspace.com/grandadbobmusic
Music School for Budding Rock and Pop Stars Opens in Kent
Musician and teacher, Paul Hunt, is bringing a rock and pop music school to Sidcup and Chislehurst, Kent, to teach children and adults how to play guitar, bass, and keyboards and perform vocals in a band. The school is part of nationwide franchise, Clive's Easylearn Rock and Pop School (http://www.clivesmusic.com), and is designed to fill the gap between informal learning and more traditionally taught instruments and methods.
The school employs qualified musicians to teach children aged seven years and upwards.
The Easylearn method has been developed over 25 years by founder of the rock school network, Clive Brooks, and used successfully to teach over 6,000 people to date. Lessons comprise 45 minutes of teacher-led time (30 minutes for seven to nine year olds) and a 15 minute jam session at the end where all the students play together. The lessons follow a programme that focuses on early achievement quickly so that pupils may play competently with each other as part of a band.
The Easylearn schools will be held at Sidcup Conservative Club on Thursday evenings from 5.30-8.30pm and Chislehurst Christ Church Hall, Lubbock Road on Saturdays between 9.30am-12.30pm. A road show style tour of schools in the Kent area is planned for October 2006. Schools will be offered a free 15 minute taster session so they may experience the Easylearn method for themselves. Bookings can be made by telephone or online at http://www.clivesmusic.com .
Paul Hunt, franchise owner, comments: "Clive has done away with boring theory and made music playing simple, fun and direct. Our Easylearn courses are popular with tutors and students because they are uncomplicated and provide fast results. The principle is to get rid of all the elements that slow down progress so that children can learn in a much more stimulating and proactive way." Paul Hunt is an IT Lecturer at Bexley College, Kent. He is also a musician and plays a number of string instruments including guitar, mandolin, fiddle and banjo, as well as playing in a barn dance band (Rosies Dumplings). He started a Clive's Easylearn music franchise for Sidcup and Chislehurst as there was no other music facility of this type in the area. It is part of a national franchise network. The School opened in June 2006 and employs six part time music teachers, all of whom are CRB approved.
Clive's Easylearn rock and pop music schools were established in Southampton in 1981 by Clive Brooks BA (Hons). A respected music teacher and author, Clive began his musical career in 1973. He has toured Europe with a variety of bands and written a number of music-led magazine articles and books - most notably 'How to Form a Successful Band' for Virgin books.
Who says I don't carry local UK news!
PINK
I am going to the PINK concert at Wembley Arena, so I will let you know what I think in the November issue.
SEAT SNAPPER
SeatSnapper.com was launched a few days ago which offers a really unique twist to online ticket selling for concerts, and other live events.: http://www.seatsnapper.com
Unique features include the ability to:
view the seat locations of eBay ticket listings on the interactive maps;
graphically preview seat availability from the event listing page;
simultaneously view available seats for multiple events at the same venue;
flag ticket offers as "favorites", and email them to others; and
link to a Google Calendar and have search results indicate which events you cannot attend.
I have given it a go; at present it seems to only cover the USA, unless of course it's me being thick. I must admit it sounds like a great idea, as I am forever trawling through sites looking for concerts and events.
OUTSOURCING
Just a gripe! I have written to a major insurance company telling them as a consequence of them "Outsourcing" jobs to India, making up to 10,000 people in the UK redundant, that I will no longer be insuring with them, which in my case is a considerable amount of money.
I have no axe to grind with the people in India, but it is about time that we all stood up to these companies, who want to make more and more profit from us, without putting anything back into the country. Most of them are registered off shore and therefore pay very little tax.
So let us show these people that we won't be pushed around!
Together we can make them change their minds or we bankrupt them!
Well that's the lot this month keep the e-mails coming in
[email protected]
Bandit A&R Newsletter
Helping unsigned acts/songwriters target their material to the right people. [email protected] / http://www.banditnewsletter.com
Songlink is for Songwriters who need to place their songs www.songlink.com
If you are a performer and you want to showcase to the industry then this is for you www.thebedford.com They show the shows live on the internet !
Want to get your music into films ???
Then you need to check this out. Cuesheet Music Report
http://www.cuesheet.net
e-mail: [email protected] |
