brilliant website 🙂
It was some time ago since i visited Snowdon, i thought that some of my followers would love to see photos from there. It is great experience to walk up Snowdon, yes it takes a bit of time but it will stay with you forever.
If you planning your trip, make sure you have lot of water and some food. You may also take some cash with you as during the day there is cafe open half way up and at the top.
The Democratic Forest
Barbara Harrison Says:
” I’d like to invite everybody to a new show I’m in:
The Democratic Forest
For the last four days of the Independents Biennial three artists show work in 2-D and installation united by one love of colour.
Liz Monks, Jo Swift and Barbara Harrison present The Democratic Forest
Open Thursday 22nd November – Sunday 25th November 12 noon – 4pm.
Unit 8, The Colonnades, Albert Dock L3 4BB
The artists will be present daily 12 – 4; the show will also be visible through the window day and night.”
Mark Radcliffe and Foes
Mark Radcliffe and Foes
From deepest, darkest Cheshire, land of perpetual twilight, emerge rambling radio roustabout Mark Radcliffe and Foes. As opposed to friends.
With a selection of songs to burn coffins to, these misanthropic minstrels; these downbeat Dee bank dirgesmiths; these glum-pop pall-bearers of bar-room bathos bring tales of loss, regret, ruin, heartbreak and dead dogs. Mark’s previous band The Family Mahone specialised in drinking songs. Now feel the full force of the hangover as the Foes set the morning after the night before to music.
Joining Mark, thanks to a care-in-the-community placement programme, are former Mahones Christopher Lee, the dark prince of double bass and mandolin; and Rusty Mabbutt, still striving to achieve two pin-falls and a submission over the piano accordion. Noted Northwich bowler-hatted bare-knuckle knave Mark Woolley is also on hand to lend lilting low whistle and to hit a box with barely concealed menace.
So, encounter the Foes and an evening of abject misery is guaranteed.
Phil Smith..
We have the great pleasure in sharing music from Phil Smith who recently contacted us regarding trying to share his music on the blog pages. Since I listened to a couple of his compositions I just can’t help but keep going back to his YouTube pages and listening whilst I merrily work away on my projects. We hope you like the links and keep visiting his pages.
Phil has sent the attached
“It was in 2010 when I discovered my most rewarding hobby – composition. Since then I think I have grown as a composer and have moved from ‘hit-and-miss’ classical pieces to film soundtrack type pieces. I use a piano-roll MIDI editor in Magix Music Maker to compose my works as a graphical score, and then use Sibelius to notate.”
http://www.youtube.com/user/MagixMusicMakermusic?feature=mhee
DODGY…
The definitive line up of Nigel Clark, Andy Miller and Mathew Priest is back………
The first time round, Dodgy were only together for seven years but in that time they sold over a million records worldwide, released three albums and 12 Top 40 singles, including 3 Top 10s and the Top 5 hit Good Enough, still a staple of the Radio 2 playlist; sold out the Brixton Academy for three nights in a row and were awarded an unprecedented 90-minute Saturday evening slot on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival in 1997 just before Radiohead. Not bad, considering that they also partied harder than an Ewok.
The English trio began their climb to fame in 1992, releasing three singles on their own Bostin Records label, later signing to A&M Records, around the same time as they inked a publishing deal after they made two A&R men battle for their signatures in a pub video football competition. The partnership with A&M generated three albums of life affirming, beautifully crafted songs – The Dodgy Album (1993), Homegrown (1994) and Free Peace Sweet (1996).
Live performance was always integral to the Dodgy experience. When the band first formed they started the infamous Dodgy Club to ensure that the audience got more than just a band on stage. A dedicated touring band – in one 12-month period between 94/95 they played almost 250 shows – Dodgy built a devoted and loyal fan base. Their positivity and summery songs made Dodgy the perfect festival band, and it was such a natural habitat for the trio that in 1996 they conceived their very own Big Top Tour, giving a fledgling Muse their second ever gig when the tour rolled into Exeter. I’m told the boys are happy to have the favour repaid.
In a bittersweet twist of fate, it was the dying wish of the band’s close friend and crewmember, Andy Moore that brought them back together in 2008 and they all agreed that life was too short and anyway, they had forgotten why they split up in the first place.
Since they got back together they played an extremely successful set of reunion shows culminating in an overwhelming finale at the Shepherds Bush Empire, and like prodigal sons, they have been welcomed back to the festival circuit, including legendary appearances at Guilfest, The Wickerman, Summer Sundae, Cornbury a secret gig at The Truck Festival, a headline show at Beached in front of thousands on the beach in Scarborough and they headlined BUGJAM, Whatfest and The Purple Weekend in Northern Spain, and to cap it all they were asked back to play Glastonbury once again their second home in the 90’s, where an exuberant Will Young was spotted ‘dancing like he was on something’ at the side of the stage. Bless.
Besides the hits, such as Staying Out For The Summer, So Let Me Go Far, Making The Most Of, If You’re Thinkin Of Me, Melodies Haunt You, In A Room, and the epic Grassman – (I mean, I could go on) the boys have started introducing new numbers into the set, slowly and surely building up enough songs for new album which they are recording in Malvern and getting mixed in Denton, Texas by Matt Pence who mixed the John Grant and Midlake albums, amongst others
As singer Nigel says, “What’s the rush? We’re gonna take our time to make sure this album is better than our last one… and that was brilliant. The fans deserve it, they’ve waited long enough, so they don’t mind waiting a bit longer”
As anyone who has seen them so far this year will tell you, the Mighty Dodgy Vibe is back and stronger than ever.
Please contact venue for more information on Tickets
“What would you do, if you knew you couldn’t fail?”
Rhythmically exciting local music outfit, Rumjig, have just launched a campaign to involve music-lovers in the funding of their independently produced and much anticipated debut album. The campaign is called “What would you do, if you knew you couldn’t fail?”, which evokes all the positive things we all can achieve with no barriers or limits in place. In Rumjig’s case, the answer would be to produce a timeless album to uplift and ignite people’s lust for life.
With soulful vibes and good conscience lyrics, Rumjig have been causing waves around Liverpool and beyond over the last year, playing numerous gigs and festivals around the UK to much acclaim.
They are looking to raise £5,000 by Christmas Eve in order to independently fund the recording, mixing, production and mastering of their album. Fans can get involved by pre-ordering the album, knowing that they’re contributing directly to a lovingly crafted masterpiece without a record label taking an unfair cut.
As the album is limited edition, it will only be available to those music lovers who have helped fund its creation. This once in a lifetime opportunity will make this album as much yours as it is theirs.
Funders also have the opportunity to get their hands on Rumjig merchandise exclusively through this campaign.
Fragment Arts Collective
‘A Night of Song and Laughter’
Fragment Arts Collective presents this fabulously entertaining Cabaret show. Guests will enjoy a unique theatrical experience including a spot of ventriloquism, live singing, comedy and guest performances from Chester Ukulele Players.
Featuring special guests:
Dangerous Dave
A ventriloquist act that charms and mesmerises his audience, must be seen to be believed!
The Garden of Eden: Featuring… Adam and Eve
A top-notch comedy act that will tempt the senses and awaken the serpent, Ssshh……Just don’t eat the apple.
Fusion Vocal group
A Chester based vocal group, who will be performing a choral repertoire of contemporary classics, not to be missed.
Plus, a host of other show stopping performances from our energetic and entertaining cast!!
Fragment Arts Collective is a locally based multi-disciplinary arts group specialising in Comedy, Theatre, music and installation pieces. Hot on the heels of our last Cabaret, we have decided to indulge ourselves in another night of fun and are inviting all of you to along for the journey. We promise you won’t be disappointed.
TGLAF…can only mean one thing
Now this we cannot wait for, awesome art in an awesome setting… who could ask for more 🙂
Mark Simms showcases his winning Photo from the People’s Photography Exhibition.
Another great Wirral based photographer
I stole Chris away from his writing again on Sunday and took him off in the quest to find autumn. We have come to the conclusion that its late, going to be wishy washy green and gold with only a hint of red. So i am just going to have to keep my eyes open, my camera ready and shoot everything that takes my eye in my quest to find the beautiful colours of autumn.
We went up to Thermopylae Pass Birkenhead, the house and land was owned by the Vyner family, for some reason they later moved the house to Royden Park, then we went on to Bidston Hill. We had incredible light on Sunday, there was a light or not so light mist in places and as the sun burnt it off it created these amazing shafts of light and if you caught it at the right angle, well…
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Mark Simms shares his latest Blog feature
Paper Aeroplanes..
Paper Aeroplanes is Sarah Howells and Richard Llewellyn. Their musical partnership began six years ago in small town West Wales and in 2009 they released their debut album “The Day we ran into the Sea”.
The album with its distinctive sound under Sarah’s beautiful vocals was described by the BBC’s Adam Walton as “brilliantly crafted and stoked from a bruised heart’s embers”, and BBC Radio Wales as “the finest radio album to come out of Wales since Rockferry”.
Since its release they have made the Radio 2 playlist and supported acts as varied as Ron Sexsmith, Ed Sheeran, Marina and the Diamonds and Chris Wood, as well as securing a live session with the legendary Bob Harris.
Having been compared to the likes of Gemma Hayes, Turin Brakes and Nerina Pallot, this year they released mini-album “We are Ghosts” to more critical acclaim and reviews such as “With songs this good, Paper Aeroplanes deserve a far wider audience” – BBC Music’s Robin Denselow; “Album of the Month” – Maverick Magazine and being picked for The Guardian’s “F&M playlist”.
Paper Aeroplanes are taking those words that you hear in your head and shooting them across the ether. Come fly with them…
Death at Sea
They’re awash with the depth and danger of maritime nightmares. They’re the place where coruscating noise meets haunting pop melody and brutal lyrical honesty. They’re Sonic Youth, Pavement, The Strokes and Echo And The Bunnymen eating each other on a raft adrift in the Arctic Ocean. They’re Death At Sea, the best band to emerge from a vapid Liverpool scene in decades. And they’ve come to give rock the kiss of life. They’ve got all the characters. Sam Peterson, the art-?rock guitarist with the tortured past. Ruaidhri Owens, the technical home- studio whizz kid, capable of making an entire album on knackered equipment held together with old school ties. Carl Davies, the hyperactive drummer spooling endless tales of shark documentaries and Merseyside scene gossip. Neale Davies, Carl’s bassist brother; the silent, swarthy enigmatic one. And Ralph Kinsella, the taciturn art-?school poet on a mission to admonish his sailings and discover his true nature through his lyrics. “It comes from a constant state of melancholy,” Ralph admits. “Sometimes it’s about me being an asshole and writing about it, admit and cope with that.”
Another great post from Mark Simms
Skinny Lister..
Skinny Lister is a five piece folk act based in London, UK. Started in 2009, the band have just signed to Sunday Best Recordings and will release debut AA side single ‘Plough & Orion’ / ‘If The Gaff Don’t Let Us Down’ on 9th April 2012 with a debut album ‘Forge & Flagon’ due in June 2012. The last two years have seen the band release a handful of self released singles and two EP’s: ‘Grand Union EP’which was recorded on a canal boat as they toured down the GrandUnionCanal network and the ‘Homemade Tour EP’recorded at friends and family residences as the band toured their hometowns. Skinny Lister won the title of ‘Hardest Working Band in Britain’ after being named band who had most festival appearances in 2011 by PRS.
Tom George… plays Mello Mello
Tom George is an artist it’s impossible to pigeonhole, as he spreads his talents across music, poetry, journalism and film.
After starting out as a drummer and guitarist in various bands, he has performed extensively as a solo singer-songwriter in the UK, Europe and Africa and released two CDs.
Tom is also well-known on the poetry circuit, having performed around the country and featuring in several poetry anthologies as well as his own collections.
At live gigs, Tom often combines music with poetry, and has continued this approach in one-man shows at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre, and performances at Glastonbury Festival and on Channel 4 television.
Tom regularly writes about music and culture for Bido Lito, The Stool Pigeon, getintothis.com and his own magazine, Slacker Sounds.
Tom is next playing at The Free Rock’n’Roll all-dayer at Mello Mello on 27th Oct. Onstage upstairs at 4pm. Hope to see you there.
http://www.facebook.com/events/452737068102650/
Tom’s blog:
www.tomgeorgearts.wordpress.com
Tom’s website:
Tom’s music:
Steven Hyland…
Bio
I am a recent Fine Art graduate of Lancaster University from the
Wirral. I am interested in writing about anything there is to write
about, such as travel and art as well as writing short stories, and
have recently published my first novel ‘The Lovesong of a Downtrodden
Bohemian,' available on kindle and iPad.
Hoylake THEN…
Hoylake then …
What do you know about Hoylake’s story?
To find out more, drop in on our special Hoylake then day!
Sunday 18th November between 2:00 and 5:00 pm
Melrose Hall, 6 Melrose Avenue, Hoylake, CH47 3BU
Full details on the attached invitation!
Jackie Hall MBE
Merseyside Singers 2013
For singers of 18 years and above, here is the chance to enter this year’s Merseyside Singer of the Year 2013 competition. You must be normally resident in Merseyside!! Please share this link with everyone you know who might be interested. http://merseysidesinger2013.com/
Deliverance, an Exhibition at the Albert Dock by Terry Hayes.
Join Terry this Friday 19th October for the opening of his exhibition, as part of the Long Night celebrations. Unit 8, The Collonades, Albert Dock until 9pm.
Terry Hayes…
“Deliverance is a poem I wrote, days after the Independent Panel released their evidential findings. I have printed the poem onto an old scroll, and made a Liverbird as the message carrier.
‘McRings’ invites the viewer to explore the interactions between publicly and privately funded events such as the Olympics, and asks them to examine the eventual economic returns and consequences, and who they favour.
Constructed from cooked and dehydrated french fries, and resin bonded into 5 hoops measuring 4 feet across in total, the golden ‘olympic rings’ sit atop a suitably scaled ‘french fry’ holder.”
The Wirral Hub 