Denis's Diary of Beverley Festival Day Two

Hello again. Off we go once more to enjoy the friendliness and beautiful music of Beverley Festival and we arrived on site with no sign of the promised sunshine, only a stiff breeze and light drizzle. This in no way dampened our enthusiasm for the day ahead.

After a quick stop at the Peace Cake Cafe for a refreshing cup of tea, we went in search of music. Eve went to the Wold Top Marquee, Andrew, myself and Alison (film crew) toured the site and chatted to various festival folk, all in good spirits in spite of the anti-social weather. Plenty of events had been organized to take place on the village green today. These included Morris dancers, clog dancing, sword dancing plus an exhibition of dancing round the maypole.

Rejoined by Eve who had explored the fringe of the festival in the town of Beverley itself we stopped again at the cafe for a further refuelling.

Once fed and watered , we headed for the Acoustic Marquee, where I was blown away by the various bands which included local singer songwriter Rob Nicklas, York's funky soul singer songwriter Jess Gardham and band and the passionate vocals and rhythmic harmonies of Hull band Circus Envy.

After this session the Yorkshire Gig Guide crew went to explore the craft tent, where I am happy to say the sales of pet peas are going well!

Time now to leave the Festival Village and attend the concert at Beverley Minster. We were entertained by the Beverley Community Choir's vocal harmonies before the main event of the evening which was the Brighouse and Raistrick Brass Band which played rousing joyous music to a packed and enthusiastic Minster audience.

After the performance in the Minster we made our way back to base looking forward to whatever delights await us on day three.
Nighty nite for now- Denis Heaton
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Denis's Diary of Beverley Festival Day One

We arrived at Beverley at the opening of the Festival as the village started to slowly fill, eager to explore what would be our home for the next three days.

The camp site, thoughtfully placed in the centre of the Festival village and surrounded by the various venues divided up into Main Hall, Wold Top and Bar, Concert Marquee and the Acoustic Marquee, dotted with Craft stalls, displaying a dizzy array of skills ranging from pet peas to colourful jewelery, with hand crafted instruments and of course a mouth watering selection of food stalls.

On the Fringes the local pubs, the Tiger, The Sun Inn, Hodgson's Bar, the Friary and the ancient Minster itself all provide festive support.

The overworked friendly information team welcomed us and smiled through the constant enquiries and festival buzz.

As we wondered around we met lots of wonderful people who were part of the Beverley Festival Village. Martha press liasion who guided and looked after us, Rachael Crackett who was stage managing the Concert Marquee and Tom, Charlie and Kerry from St Johns Ambulance, this is Toms 6th beverley Festival.
As we walked through the Festival village we met lots and lots of lovely people.
At last it's time for the music, kicking us off at 5pm Miles Cain, Rebekah Findley, Dream of Appolo and Anna Shannon.

Whilst over in the Concert Marquee Bowie, Bliss and Cockerhan set the party going.

Throughout our camera team (Alison) filmed and chatted to campers, traders, and the ever important behind the scenes staff.
Much later (and not unusualy) the rest of the Yorkshire Gig Guide team (Andrew and Eve) arrived.

Following the impomtu jammin in the late Night Wold Marquee and yet exhilerated at 2.30 am after listening to the good sounds and relaxed ambient atmosphere of this festival we retired

Ni-night for now.
by Denis Heaton.

20,000 Leagues under the Sea- at Hull Truck Theatre

The Hull Truck Theatre from May 27 to June 19 at 7.30pm.

To book tickets, call the box office on 01482 323638 or visit www.hulltrucktheatre see Map

A terrifying and wondrous adventure novel when it first appeared in 1869 written by Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues under the sea is imaginatively adapted and directed on the Hull Truck Stage by John Godber and after Tuesdays theatrical, almost vaudeville like musical performance promises to entice in and charm audiences.

The story follows the adventures of Professor Aronnax wonderfully portrayed as a rarefied academic adventurer by Joshua Richards, his unrequited doting female assistant Conseil played energetically by Heather Peace and Whaler man of action Ned Land a physical realist, played with strong ironic humour by Jack Brady . Whilst searching for a huge sea monster aboard a whaler, led by Captain Farragut played by Kim Hardy, they are thrown overboard and unexpectedly rescued by the submarine Nautilus and Captain Nemo, the manically tortured genius raging at humanity played with fiery passion by William Ilkley.

(Pictures by Karl Andre Photography).

They reluctantly join the crew and travel round the world experiencing danger, wonder and adventure. The story explores interlocking themes through strong narrative, music and songs composed by Stuart Briner and the characters precise often witty dialogue; the uses of science, world terrorism, redistribution of wealth, love, passions lost and unrequited and the claustrophobia of being contained in a small space deep under the sea.

The story starts on the stage of Madame Simone’s, played by Sue Appleby, scientific society where Professor Aronnax starts to tell his story to his audience, quickly the scenes, costumes and set designed by Pip Leckenby and built by Graham Kirk change and transform with subtle changes of light, floor map, ship decks, the Nautilus and the sea floor as the action of the story progresses. And the whole movement of the sea is suggested and inveigled by the subtle sometimes humorous choreography of movement by the characters throughout the play.

The songs and music by Stuart Briner and musically directed by Sue Appleby cleverly create mood and scene as well as help the narrative along with good voice harmonies from the cast.

The romance between Professor Aronnax and Conseil perhaps didn't quite work on this performance, yet all the ingredients were in place. Conseil (Heather Peace) sang beautifully of her love and frustration. Maybe, like a new wooden ship, this new play will season and mature through its run as the characters explore on stage the subtlety of their human emotions so taking the audiences empathy to the whirring and tragic climax of the play.

This is a very enjoyable and in some ways challenging musical, a classical story yet one that resonates with modern themes. The adventures twist and build to a dramatic climax and could be lost for ever in the deepest seas - so step into the Hull Truck Theatre and be prepared for the terrors of the deep- go on I dare you to.
Andrew Sugden.

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea runs at the Hull Truck Theatre from May 27 to June 19 at 7.30pm.

To book tickets, call the box office on 01482 323638 or visit www.hulltrucktheatre

Map

The Trade & Foxes a great night of music at The Library in Leeds

A brilliant night of intimate music from two fantastic bands at the Library in Leeds.

Firstly London Indie band The Foxes, with fast thrilling music, personal and intelligent lyrics, underpinning voice harmonies and the fluting lyrical quality of
Nigel's voice rousing and entrhalling the Library audience. Here is a band not to be missed!!

The Foxes have a new Ep out click the banner below to visit their web site.





The Trade a band on tour from lived up to their reputation of being a "ballsy indie sound" with powerful throaty vocals and full on indie rock which powered out and delighted those present.

The Trade are five young musicians hailing from the sleepy Scottish town of Forfar, who pride themselves on their stomping anthems that are 'fighting to get out'.


The band are made up of Ross Milne on vocals, Bobo Martin on drums, Liam Moir on rhythm guitar, Craig Murray on lead guitar and backing vocals and Drew McLaren on bass and backing vocals.

Having been together since 2008 they have established themselves quickly in the Scottish music scene and with extensive gigging they have fine tuned their music.

Their sound is not to be missed this live performance had energy and fire that remained with me long after the gig had ended.


The Trade have a new single 'Fight Club'

Wishbone Ash

Loot at The Hull Truck Theatre

A controversial dark comedy when it first appeared in 1965 by the then New Playwright Joe Orton, Loot arrives for the first time at the Hull Truck Theatre deftly guided by Director Gareth Tudor Price, and after Tuesdays witty and hilarious performance should be drawing audiences in from near and far.

Loot ostensibly refers to the money stolen and hidden by Hal, played as the wayward son and wide boy young criminal by Tom Hudson, and his mate Dennis, depicted convincingly as a young con man villain by Karl Dobby. But as the plot and sub plots twist and turn and the play develops, the characters witty dialogue and farcical actions transform Loots meaning spreading it out to absorb the alliance of corruption, greed and lust as the play lampoons expectations and acceptance of authority and sexual morality.

And it is all acted out on the day of Mrs McLeavy’s funeral and in the front room of Mr McLeavy’s house with the coffin centre stage. Mr McLeavy is wonderfully portrayed by Gary Lilburn as the naively innocent, upstanding citizen unwittingly and hilariously caught up in events.

(Picture by Louise Buckby.)

Meanwhile Nurse Fay, played vampishly by Linzi Matthews, a seductive and murderous nurse has conniving designs on Mr McLeavy. Hal and Dennis meanwhile, have hidden the money and body in unexpected places. Enter Inspector Truscott of the Met to add to the already farcical and very funny chaos. Inspector Truscott’s bungling obsessed and corrupted character is brought raucously to life by Chris Connel. Inspector Truscott is ably helped by the uniformed PC Meadows portrayed as innocently absorbing the induction of police corruption by Josh Meredith.

Deliberately portrayed in the plays original 1960’s the stage setting and costumes designed by Richard Foxton and built by Graham Kirk helped create an atmosphere and ambience of sixties England whilst design and layout allowed the action to seamlessly unfold on stage.

Keeping a very sixties set and ambience had the interesting effect of juxtaposing the sixties attitudes and perspectives against that of a modern audiences values and morality. Yet Gareth Tudor Price’s direction holds the contrast well, in current times the integrity of politicians and institutions such as the police and church are under scrutiny. Loot mocks and harpoons deeply held values and The Hull Truck Theatre’s presentation succeeds in its claim to make “the popular challenging and the challenging popular”.

Tuesday’s audience was perhaps inured of some of the controversy in Loot. There was little obvious reaction to some of the sexual and religious contentious statements, but there were two revealing occasions where the play drew audible gasps from the audience. The first was from the unexpected violent scene of police brutality by Inspector Truscott realistically choreographed by Ian Stapleton. The second was the quip by Inspector Truscott on the intelligence of women which got a discernible ripple of dissent across the audience.

The most important thing to say about this play is it is funny- very funny, it had the audience deep belly laughing infectiously throughout with its fast moving slap stick dark humour and witty dialogue that twisted through a clever plot to a pleasingly surprising ending. I enjoyed this production by the Hull Truck Theatre.

Andrew Sugden.

Loot runs at the Hull Truck Theatre from April 15 to May 8 at 7.30pm.

To book tickets, call the box office on 01482 323638 or visit www.hulltrucktheatre

Map

A Lovely Musical Evening at the Topic Folk Club, Bradford

From out of a snowy February night we snuck into the Bradford Irish Centre, home of the Topic Folk Club. Eve with half a bitter, Andrew a pint of lively beer and Denis with his lime and lemon made quietly by the side of the small intimate stage and floor area. David Kidman was singing unaccompanied an old sea shanty as we settled into our chairs. The room was cosy and the bar staff friendly as we settled to listen. Tony Levy compere, entertained with his usual inimical observant humour and pleasing guitar and voice. Various performers took to the floor, Tim Moon with rousing song, John Walon with lyrical satire and Zoe Mulford with pleasing banjo and upbeat song. A full room of people with swaying body and nodding head in seat dancing sway were a tetimony to the pleasing rhythm and melody.

The main guests a combination of two extraordinary artists with exceptional musical pedigrees, had come together in a new venture as a duo.

PJ Wright and Tom Leary entertained the Topic Folk audience in two wonderful sets of beautifully sensitive playing, with haunting melodies and dancing rhythms they entranced and with dry humour and wit developed an intimate warmth with their audience.

It was a lovely night with good music and a comfortable friendly atmosphere. The topic folk night is definitely a place to visit for all live music lovers!

The Topic Folk Club,The Bradford Irish Club, Bradford, 20.15hrs, Map


Pj and Tom played their first gigs together in the 1990s with the Steve Gibbons Band and went on from there to form Little Johnny England in 1998. Over the next few years, Little Johnny England toured the concert and festival scene across the UK, Europe, USA and the Far East.

PJ has continued to work with Steve Gibbons in The Dylan Project with Dave Pegg and Simon Nichol of Fairport Convention, also with Dave Pegg as the duo PJ and Peggy. He has recorded with many well known names from the folk and rock world including the singer/songwriter Pete Scrowther. Esteemed as a guitar virtuoso, Leicester-born PJ Wright is also a talented songwriter himself.

Tom has been playing with Feast of Fiddles for the past 17 years alongside the likes of Phil Beer, Dave Mattacks, Peter Knight and Chris Leslie. Another project is Tanna, with Peter Knight and Kevin Dempsey. Tom has toured extensively with Phil Bates, front man of ELO and as a duo with Kevin Dempsey. Currently Tom is working on a new project Zeus with Dave Lambert (Strawbs) and Graeme Taylor (John Tams, Albion Band and Rolf Harris).