Bristol
Zun Zun Egui: New Indie Band of the Year?Wednesday, 05 October 2011
In the generation of twentysomething rock musicians bottle-fed on world music, the Bristol band Zun Zun Egui really stand out. They make some of the most exciting music to have emerged in the last 12 months.The Afro-tinged sophistication of Vampire... Read more... |
Museum Show Part 1, ArnolfiniWednesday, 28 September 2011
A 50th birthday is a landmark occasion. One has plenty to look back on, whilst still having much to look forward to. Plus there’s all that life experience to draw on. What’s not to feel positive about? In the case of a gallery that’s built up a... Read more... |
Portishead, Alexandra PalaceSunday, 24 July 2011
Few bands maintain their early fanbase for 20 years by barely changing their sound, their dress sense, haircuts even, and yet manage to mature like Gouda cheese, gaining depth of flavour and punch over time. But Portishead have. The crowd in... Read more... |
The Choir That Rocks, ITV1Thursday, 16 June 2011
Created in 2005 by its director Caroline Redman Lusher, the Rock Choir has become something of a populist phenomenon. It’s a “people’s choir”, which means the songbook leans more towards Robbie Williams than Vaughan Williams. Anyone is welcome to... Read more... |
Reinventing the Record: Strange New Formats of the Digital AgeThursday, 28 April 2011
While rumours of the album's demise may well have been premature, the digital age certainly does present increasing challenges when it comes to getting punters to keep and treasure music. Of course, really it all went wrong with the CD: those... Read more... |
Cage 99, St George's BristolTuesday, 19 April 2011
John Cage, the focus of an adventurous three-day mini-festival in Bristol, is possibly one of the most influential figures in 20th-century culture. As much a practical philosopher as a composer of note, he made artists, writers and musicians think... Read more... |
Baaba Maal, St George's BristolTuesday, 22 March 2011
Concerts are not what they used to be: in an attempt to break the mould of conventional performance styles, promoters and artists are increasingly turning to explanatory introductions, visual aids and other means of drawing the audience in, as if... Read more... |
Faith Healer, Bristol Old VicSunday, 06 February 2011
Theatre, particularly tragedy, can pack a terrific punch when things are kept simple – even if the themes evoked are enfolded in layer upon layer of complexity. Brian Friel’s Faith Healer, a play with three characters, each of whom takes to the... Read more... |
Army of Generals, Hazlewood, St George's BristolSaturday, 22 January 2011
An “Army of Generals” suggests a kind of supergroup, a fighting force made up of leaders rather than followers. If Charles Hazlewood’s band, which has just started a residency at Bristol’s St George's, is such a host, then he presumably is the... Read more... |
Charles Hazlewood On Music In BristolFriday, 14 January 2011
Next Friday, my amazing period-instrument orchestra, Army of Generals, begins a new residency at St George’s Bristol. The aim of this unconventional and high-octane series of concerts - which will be performed by what I refer to as my crack squad of... Read more... |
Hansel & Gretel, Kneehigh Theatre, Queen Elizabeth HallThursday, 16 December 2010
London is a magical place at this time of year - so many streets with their individual lighting schemes and colours, and nowhere I think is lovelier than the new-look Southbank Centre, where from the side of the Festival Hall swings a spacious... Read more... |
Swallows and Amazons, Bristol Old VicThursday, 09 December 2010
Swallows and Amazons is a quintessentially English story: a heart-warming hymn to decent values, the codes of sailing and the youthful spirit of adventure. Set in 1929, at a time when the country faced financial meltdown, it is perhaps not... Read more... |
