Birmingham Opera Company Does It Again

They have done it again! I went to the opening night on Tuesday and it is another masterful production. I know Mozart was only 24 years old when he wrote this but even so musically there are moments that I could live without but that’s made up for by the great musical moments – especially involving the chorus, with some accompanying moves that David Byrne would be proud of.

After the kerfuffle with Arts Council England at the beginning of the year it was a celebration just to see this taking place at all and once again anyone who works in the arts of any sort can’t help but come away from this inspired by the sheer imagination and quality of delivery shown by the Birmingham Opera team.

It’s running until the end of next week – dates are here

Autumn

Well Godiva Fest was great top bands for free – come on Birmingham!

I’m away now for a couple of weeks but already excited at the wonderful James Hunter playing at the Custard Factory Oct 28th and the first brilliant headlining act from the US confirmed for Gigbeth.

Been quiet as my new assistant has ripped my office apart and I’ve watched my life of the last thirty years disappear in a pile of bin bags. All she’s let me keep is my National Identity Card from 1950 and I had to fight to keep that!

Happy summer to All.

Here I am

I couldn’t blog about paragraph 12 subsection 2 and stuff like that and that’s what I’ve been doing the last few weeks but all signed off now so here we go for an exciting time. Look out for the launch of MOD in August and a party when everyone is around in early September.

Just to prove I’m alive here I am on the spanking new Custard Factory website.

Looking forward to a fine musical weekend with Mama Matrix Friday night and The Ripps at the Godiva Festival on Saturday afternoon. Too much other good stuff going on in town too which is painful to miss but the sort of pain we love!

There were several high profile meetings at the Council House last year re a Birmingham Music Festival. Well run meetings and with very useful people contributing. No news from the team there made public yet but I hope everyone working on the ideas looks at The Godiva Festival in Cov this weekend, what a bill! for free!

Do have a look at the line up ’cause whatever style you like it’s there. I was pondering why Cov can beat us hands down in a great live music line up and then thought . . . it’s because they don’t have the CBSO. I love the CBSO but maybe because the city funds them we have to bring them out at every major public music event? Cov doesn’t have one so have been able to present a brilliantly booked national and international line up of contemporary popular artists with their music funds. Just a thought.

I’ll report on Monday – great weekend All.

4talent

This week 4talent asked for my thoughts on band competitions so here they are.

last weekend

Hard to believe bearing this one in mind but we were blessed with the weather on our trip around the highest mountains in Britain. Here’s a photo of H who at this point being 6′5″ really was the highest man in Britain right then.

North South, North South, North South

Sorry regular readers – it’s been a bad time for blogging but a good time for travelling. Drove up to Aberdeen with James Hunter and Willy Nelson. Then as the tour moved South I took a night off on our second night in Glasgow and flew to Birmingham to sing with The Nylons at the Newman University College 40th anniversary party at Edgaston’s Botanical Gardens: Excellent set from Marc Reck who took the snap.

Then flew back to Glasgow to pick up the tour for Manchester where the footy fans were happy as it was the night they won the something or other, however the following night we nearly had our own little riot with some of Manchester’s Hells Angels. On to a civilized night in Wolverhampton and then peaked at Hammersmith Appolo

Off now via Bristol to drive to Fort William at the foot of Ben Nevis, then south to Scafel Pike and West to Snowdon and back to Bristol by Monday night so it’s going to be a quiet blogging weekend too. I am feeling the need to have a portable device these days. I’m driving my son H and some of his colleagues on the 3 peaks challenge and they’ll be going up and down these three whilst I sit and compare the view to that which I’ve had for 10 days of white lines and city centres and perhaps to think of the time I’ve just spent with two of the best singers and songwriters around today.

Thank you Mama

Mama Matrix that is, at Marc Reck’s Mr Elephant party at the Hare and Hounds on Friday. The Clash and The Specials set to some crazy Eastern European beats. What a band, what songs what musicianship, made the weekend, top production from Marc and the team too.

Made up for an awful night of folk at the Town Hall on Sunday, I was in good company so it was bearable but blimey!

Watching the fuel news carefully with a tour starting shortly in Aberdeen. “It won’t come to anything ” folk say but I was messing with petrol ration books for a couple of months in the ’70s getting bands to gigs. Looks to me like some things don’t change.

It’s raining Jo Hamiltons

Clearly as a new blogger one sometimes hits a little non compliance techy moment. In my attempt to put up a picture below of Jo Hamilton I seem to have put up erm.. many and now I can’t figure how to take them down but I’ll come back to it later in the day. Oops now I’ve deleted the entire post – rats. Look the point is that Jo Hamilton and Jon Cotton her producer have made a stunning album and you can listen to some tracks on Jo’s myspaceIt’s a 100% made in Moseley affair and deserves the success that was met by the last major production that Jon did for Scott Matthews’s brilliant award winning album two years ago.

‘There It Is’ is on heavy rotation in the office at the moment -I can’t wait to hear the rest.

A fine bunch of Gentlemen

Drove 1,300 miles to 2 gigs by splitter bus in 72 hours with these inspirational chaps: Jon Cleary and The Absolute Monster Gentlemen. My first ever visit to the 100Club into the bargain. Felt like a great trip to New Orleans(in the snow) without getting on a plane. Off to see what’s happening here now.

Last night – 1 night 2 events

The first being one of the shortest but best meetings yet of the Creative Republic board/steering group with some great ideas hitting the table.

Then on to an event hosted by Birmingham City University to celebrate achieving Skillset Media Academy status for the West Midlands region! Sounds a little dry perhaps but met some old friends, some great characters – the chap who owns the film of Telly Savalas in Birmingham no less and hopefully some new friends – you know who you are.

Along the way Stef asked me “What is the most inspirational thing that anyone has ever said to you?” After half an hour of waffling I came down to “Huh” from James Brown with “Never mind John” from David Byrne in second place. I’ll put those into context another time. Along the way I told Stef about Vanly Burke who he didn’t know of but all photographers and historians in Birmingham should – top night.