Helena Blackman embarks on first solo UK tour

BBC ‘How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?’ finalist and West End star Helena Blackman is set to embark on a seventeen date UK tour with her first ever solo show Journey to the Past, a celebration of music from the wonderful world of classic animated movies.

The three month long tour will begin in Chelsea, London, on Sat 21 January before touring to cities and towns including Birmingham, Manchester, Stoke on Trent, Cardiff, Bath, Halifax and Helena’s home town of Southampton.

Since Disney’s first full length animated movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarves graced cinema screens in 1937, animated films have touched the hearts and lives of billions of people the world over. From the captivating 1950s portrayals of classic fairy tales such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to the reawakening of the ancient Chinese poem Mulan and the romanticised retelling of the lost Romanov Princess Anastasia during the late 1990s, animated films have continued to enthral audiences old and new through their dreamlike imagery and use of some of the most famous and magical songs in the history of film. During the 1990s alone, 6 Academy Awards for ‘Best Original Song’ were awarded to animated films including Aladdin, Beauty and The Beast and Tarzan to name but a few.

Audiences are in for a treat as they hear songs written by some of the most famous songwriters of the stage and screen including Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, most famous for their collaborations on Disney classics including The Little Mermaid and Beauty and The Beast, Tim Rice and Stephen Schwartz, who has since gone on to write the lyrics for theatrical favourite, Wicked.   

Helena will take her audience on a nostalgic ride through a wealth of timeless songs, including moving renditions of Disney Classics; ‘Part of Your World’ (The Little Mermaid), ‘Colours of the Wind’ (Pocahontas), ‘A Whole New World’ (Aladdin); songs from Disney’s latest animated fairytale Tangled and the Oscar Winning Beauty & the Beast; and songs from An American Tail, The Land Before Time, Thumbelina and the show’s title song ‘Journey to the Past’ from Anastasia; as well as many, many more.  The intimate performance, with Helena just inches from her audience, is sure to have most reliving the soundtrack of their youth, whilst allowing younger generations to discover these enchanting musical numbers for the very first time. 

Helena Blackman first captured the nation’s attention and the unfailing support of Andrew Lloyd Webber on the BBC’s ‘How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?’. Since then, Helena has gone on to headline the acclaimed UK tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific and starred in the West End première of Stephen Sondheim’s Saturday Night. Helena released her highly successful debut album ‘The Sound of Rodgers & Hammerstein’ in February 2011, launching the album with a concert at the Delfont Room in London’s West End. Subsequently, she toured the UK as a guest artist with number one charting classical singer Jonathan Ansell, rounding off the year on a high with a stunning performance of the songs from her album at the prestigious Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall.

Helena said: “I’m truly delighted to do my first tour as a solo artist and sing songs that I have loved all my life that I know so many other people love, too. I have such fond memories of all of these films, and can’t wait to share those with everyone on the tour.”

More information and Full booking details for all venues on the tour can be found at www.journeytothepasttour.com  

Helena Blackman: Journey to the Past is produced by Speckulation Entertainment. www.speckulationentertainment.com

PERFORMANCE DETAILS 

HELENA BLACKMAN - JOURNEY TO THE PAST

Saturday 21 January            The Pheasantry, Chelsea, London                     08456 027017

Friday 27 January Maidstone Pizza Express                                     08456 027017

Saturday 28 January            Farnham Maltings                                                01252 745 444

Friday 3 February                Southampton Turner Sims                  0238 059 5151

Saturday 4 February           Bath Chapel Arts Centre                                     01225 416 700

Wednesday 8 February      Halifax Square Chapel                                         01422 349 422

Thursday 9 February           Stoke-on-Trent Regent Theatre                        0844 871 7649

Friday 10 February              Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester        0161 838 7244

Saturday 11 February         New Wimbledon Theatre Studio                       0844 871 7646

Saturday 18 February         Gloucester Guildhall                                            01452 503 050

Saturday 25 February         Birmingham Conservatoire                                 0121 303 2323

Saturday 3 March                Aylesbury Waterside Theatre                           0844 871 7607

Thursday 8 March                Epsom Playhouse                                 01372 742 555

Thursday 22 March              Greenwich Theatre                                             0208 858 7755

Saturday 31 March              Arts Depot, Finchley                                            0208 369 5454

Saturday 7 April                   Cardiff Millennium Centre                                 0292 063 6464

Thursday 12 April                Redditch Palace Theatre                                    01527 65203

Read More

The Wicked Whispers recruit Captain Beefhearts ‘Magic Band’ Liverpool 3 Dec

The Wicked Whispers recruit Captain Beefhearts Magic Band for the Butterfly ball Liverpool

The Butterfly’s Ball and the Grasshoppers Feast!

Saturday 3 December 2011

Liverpool The Kazimier

Tickets are £17.50 plus booking fee www.ticketline.com and www.probe-re

Liverpool’s ‘The Wicked Whispers’ have pulled a lot of the bag inside their first year. Besides doing 2 UK tours, releasing their debut EP on limited 10” vinyl (now goldust!), playing a series of festivals and building a loyal following leading up to their Liverpool and London EP launch shows this summer the bandalso put on their own club night last November called ‘The Butterfly’s Ball and the Grasshopper’s Feast’ at the Static Gallery in their hometown of Liverpool.

The night was their first official show and drew a large amount of attention. ‘The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’ was the special guest alongside The Wicked Whispers. A hand picked selection of local talent in the from of El Toro and Eve Petersen (Ex - The Little Flames) kicked off the evening. Will Sergeant (Echo and The Bunnymen) was on DJ duties whilst visual delights were provided by Howard Be Thy Name (artist, performer and projectionist). The evening was compared by BBC introducing’s Dave Monks topping off a sell out success and offering something a little different to Liverpool’s gig goers.

Almost 12 months on, the band are planning another event and have put together something really special indeed in recruiting Captain Beefheart’s ‘TheMagic Band’ following the death of the good Captain (Don Van Vliet) last year.

‘He’s always been a huge inspiration to me and to Liverpool’ Michael Murphy explains. ‘We were all saddened by his death last year. I couldn’t think of a better special guest than The Magic Band for this years show, so we went and got them.’

This years line-up includes:

THE MAGIC BAND

THE WICKED WHISPERS

THE LUCID DREAM

VISUAL LIGHTSHOW : TOWYN ROBERTS (THE GRATEFUL DEAD/SHACK/THE CORAL)

DJ : PYSCHEDELIC SOUNDS FROM EDGAR ‘SUMMERTYME’ JONES (THE STAIRS/THE JONES’S/FREE PEACE

COMPARE : DAVE MONKS (BBC INTRODUCING)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Butterflys-Ball-and-The-Grasshoppers-Feast/118840408205907

www.electonerecords.co.uk

www.thewickedwhispers.co.uk

Read More

Juan Zelada’s musical journey reported on the BBC News

Last night at approximately 18:52, the story of singer songwriter Juan Zelada was broadcast to millions on BBC television. BBC London News recorded a charming piece, which documents Juan’s rise from a Spanish singer songwriter coming to London with nothing but a guitar on his back, to a developed artist who is on the verge of a major record deal and is getting rave reviews in the UK press and extensive airplay on Radio 2. Watch the full news story here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15647087

 

This road to success has not been an easy one for Juan. He started off playing piano in restaurants, bars, weddings and cruise ships in London in an effort to survive in the city. After a considerable amount of time on the road perfecting his craft, Juan formed his own band of talented musicians and was spotted one night playing at a Soho restaurant by restaurant manager Adam Low. Adam saw so much potential in Juan he decided to give up his job and put all his energy in to managing him.  The pair have grown organically together ever since, with Adam’s record label Insomnia Records.

“It’s so nice to take someone from a fairly humble place when you believe they should be in a much bigger place and then see that grow organically with hard work and belief really on both parts and a lot of great people that we work with to see that slowly climb to where it’s getting to… it’s a nice sense of achievement!” – Adam Low (Juan Zelada’s manager)

Juan Zelada released his second single, an uplifting soulful pop number called ‘The Blues Remain’ on 31st October with Insomnia Records, following the success of his debut single ‘Breakfast in Spitalfields’ released in July of this year.

It really has been a sensational year for the now much industry hyped Zelada, who is currently touring the UK alongside Communion Records. 

He will be appearing live with likes of Ben Howard and Michael Kiwanuka (full listings below) and is throwing a big fiesta at Dingwalls in London on the 24^th November to celebrate the success of this year!

Watch the official video for Juan’s current single ‘The Blues Remain’ here: 

 http://youtu.be/i5hP2zvSakM

 

Or download the track from iTunes here for a bargain £0.79!

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-blues-remain-single/id472813719

CATCH JUAN ZELADA LIVE AT THE FOLLOWING DATES

Wednesday 09 Nov – Communion presents: Michael Kiwanuka + Dan Croll + Juan Zelada at The Shipping Forecast - Liverpool

15 Slater Street, L1 4BW

(0151 709 6901) 8pm, £6

Tickets available from www.juanzelada.com/shows

Thursday 10 Nov – Juan Zelada at 53 Degrees, Preston

Brook Street, PR1 7TQ

(0161 832 1111) 7pm, £7.50

Tickets available from www.juanzelada.com/shows

Friday 11 Nov – Cyrano + Juan Zelada at The Forum, Royal Tunbridge Wells 

Fonthill, The Common, TN4 8YU

(0871 277 7101) 8pm, £6

Saturday 12 Nov – Juan Zelada at The Square Brewery, Petersfield 

7 The Square, Petersfield GU32 3HJ

(01730 264 291) 7:30pm, £5

Tickets available from www.juanzelada.com/shows

Sunday 20 Nov – Juan Zelada at The Boiler Room, Guildford 

13 Stoke Fields, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4LS

(01483 440 022) 7pm, Free Entry

Monday 21 Nov – Juan Zelada at The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes

59 Stratford Road, Milton Keynes MK12 5LT

(01908 313864) 8:30pm, Free Entry

Tuesday 22 Nov – Juan Zelada at The Basement, York 

York City Screen Picturehouse, 13-17 Coney Street, YO1 9QL

(01904 612 940) 8pm, £5

Tickets available from www.juanzelada.com/shows

Thursday 24 Nov – Juan Zelada’s official single release party at Dingwalls, London

Middle Yard, Camden Lock, NW1 8AB

(01920 823098) 7:30pm, adv £8

Friday 25 Nov – Communion presents: Juan Zelada at Bunters, Truro

58 Little Castel Street, TR1 3DL

(01872 241 220) 7:30pm, Free Entry

Tickets available from www.juanzelada.com/shows

Saturday 26 Nov – Juan Zelada at The George Venue, Andover

George Yard, Andover, Hants SP10 1PD
(01264 333 799) 7:30pm, Free Entry

Sunday 27 Nov – Juan Zelada at Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham

Paradise Place, Birmingham B3 3JH

(0121 212 2524) 7:30pm, Free Entry

Tuesday 29 Nov – Juan Zelada at Arts Centre, Norwich

St Benedicts Street, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 4PG

(01603 660 352) 8pm, Adv £4

Tickets available from www.norwichartscentre.co.uk

Wednesday 30 Nov – Juan Zelada + Ellen And The Escapades at The Forum, Sheffield

127-129 Devonshire Street, Devonshire Quarter, Sheffield S3 7SB

(0114 2720946) 8pm, Free Entry

Tickets available from www.the-plug.com/events-and-tickets/live/juan-zelada-forum -

Thursday 01 Dec - Juan Zelada at The Castle, Manchester 

38 Union Street, Oldham, M4 1LE

(01706 882 759) 7:30pm, Free Entry

Saturday 03 Dec – Juan Zelada at Brel, Glasgow

37 Ashton Lane, Scotland, Glasgow G12 8SJ

(0141 342 4966) 7:30pm, Free Entry

Monday 05 Dec – Juan Zelada at The Cluny, Newcastle 

36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 2PQ

(0191 230 4474) 8pm, £5

Tickets available from www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_northeast&query=detail&event=471118

Wednesday 7 Dec – Juan Zelada at The Stables, Milton Keynes

Stockwell Lane, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK17 8LU

(01908 280800) 8:45pm, Adv £10

Thursday 08 Dec – Juan Zelada at Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton

Broad Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1HP  

(0870 320 7000) 7pm, £5

Monday 12 Dec – Juan Zelada at The Winchester, Bournemouth

39 Poole Hill, Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 5PW
(01202 552 206) 7:30pm, £4

Tickets available from www.seetickets.com/ticketweb.co.uk

Read More

BBC Radio 1 and COME TOGETHER at Space Ibiza 5 August

COME TOGETHER brings another highlight to the dance isle with the live broadcast of its August 5th party on BBC Radio 1. BBC Radio 1 listeners around the world can tune in to an extended Essential Mix broadcast live from Ibiza with some of the most awesome tracks of the summer by the likes of  deadmau5, Magnetic Man, Mark Knight, Jamie Jones, Funkagenda, Breakage and lots more (see line-up below). Annie Mac, Judge Jules, Kissy Sell Out, Jaymo & Andy George, Skream & Benga, Kutski, Chuckie, Toddla T, Heidi and Zane Lowe will also be doing some wicked mixing throughout the evening.  

COME TOGETHER with likeminded music and dance lovers every Friday night at Space Ibiza from July 1 to September 15. Experience the massive vibe of sounds from across the spectrum, including melodic house, electro, progressive, drum & bass, techno, trance, dub step,…the tension is building towards the musical climax of the year. Ibiza is about to go seismic – 12 weeks in a row. 

Annie Mac, Breakage, Chuckie, deadmau5 (unhooked), DJ Q, Funkagenda, Heidi,  Jackmaster, Jamie Jones, Jaymo & Andy George, Judge Jules, Kissy Sell Out, Knife Party (LIVE), Kutski, Magnetic Man (LIVE), Mark Knight, Rob Da Bank, Roska, Shy FX & Donaeo, Skream & Benga, Toddla T, Untold, Yousef, Zane Lowe

 

COME TOGETHER website

Facebook

Twitter

Space Ibiza

BBC Radio 1

Read More

Warehouse Republic. BBC Radio Session 13th Jan

13 Jan, on the radio : Warehouse Republic got such a reaction when Brett Birks of BBC Radio WM played them in December that he booked them for a session. Tune in from 10pm via 95.6FM or listen on line at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/blackcountry/hi/

18 Feb, At the O2! : WR* play their biggest show to date. Doors are 6.30pm. The band's stage time is 8:20 p.m. With their second single, 'Ghost', out in March this is a great chance to catch them early. They are a very rock n roll show - tickets go on sale on Monday 10th January at 9:00 a.m. Tickets will be £15 on the door. 14+ with an adult, or 16+ with id. Advance tickets are £10.00 each and available now from http://www.warehouserepublic.com

Introducing in 2011: WAREHOUSE REPUBLIC

Debut single Revolver out now. A statement of intent, so far winning great reviews, single of the week, independent radio support and a BBC Introducing play. “Dirty blues-rock vibes... messy soulful guitar solo... delightfully dangerous” (Islington News). Movie actress, Rachel Hurd-Wood (Peter Pan, Dorian Gray, Perfume), appears in the film noir video directed by Pedro Brehm. Being banned from terrestrial TV by OfCom has not stopped it getting lots of play online http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I08d4Wh4xQ8

In November, the growing buzz had them promoted from to headliners at The 100 Club. They packed the world famous venue like a sardine tin and sent the crowd wild, back to basics style, with electric bluesy rock n roll. This was their first show as a full band and it was incendiary. “A young shambolic Rolling Stones” (Star Soaked Music). A minute of the action captured http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRTiYo8ozE4

“Band of the moment”. (Camden Journal). Not resting on their laurels, they ended 2010 by recording two more tracks for a follow up double A-side release in Spring 2011. Secret Garden Party was the first festival to book the band for July 2011 and live dates are being set up and sought for spring and beyond.

Callan Maloney (vocals) * Charlie Flynn (guitars) * Alex Howson (drums) * Ben Woolford (bass)

LIVE DATES 2011:
18th Feb - IndigO2 at O2 Arena £15.(£10 adv. via band site, 14+ w/adult/16+ w/ID. Doors 6.30pm. WR* 8pm)
13th March Huddersfield University
29th April - Clapham Grand (Headline)
More 2011 dates sought / to confirm
www.warehouserepublic.com * www.twitter.com/wrtweets * www.youtube.com/warehouserepublic

Read More

6 Music and Asian Network: protesters hold 'flashmobs'

Campaigners opposed to a multimillion-pound programme of BBC cuts, including the closure of 6 Music and Asian Network, are planning mass demonstrations outside the corporation's offices in seven cities today .

Plans to axe the two digital radio stations and cut back other areas of BBC activity, including its online operation, were announced by the director general, Mark Thompson, in March.

Campaigners will mark the end of the BBC Trust's three-month consultation on Thompson's strategy review by organising "flashmobs" in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff and Glasgow.

Thousands of people are expected to voice their opposition to the cuts by gathering outside BBC offices at 1pm today armed with musical instruments, whistles and party hooters.

A flurry of submissions have been made to the BBC Trust, including music industry trade body the BPI, in recent days.

The music industry is campaigning against the closure of 6 Music, arguing that it supports new acts and provides licence-fee payers with a wide variety of musical styles that is not rivalled in the commercial sector.

Demonstrators at the BBC Trust's London offices on Great Portland Street will hand in a petition signed by 80,000 people while buskers play outside, according to protest organisers.

The mass demonstrations have been organised by 38 Degrees, a not-for-profit organisation set up to make it easier for members of the public to get involved in campaigns, the National Union of Journalists and the organisers of the campaigns Save 6 Music and the Save the Asian Network. Members of the NUJ and broadcasting union Bectu will be taking part in the Portland Street flashmob.

38 Degrees helped to organise the noisy protests in favour of voting reform earlier this month outside the Cabinet Office in London, where senior figures from the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties were taking part in negotiations about forming a coalition government.

The executive director of 38 Degrees, David Babbs, said: "These flashmobs show just how strongly we feel about opposing these cuts to the BBC ... Let's hope the BBC Trust recognise this strength of public opinion."

Read More

Jarvis Cocker's 6 Music 'rant'

Jarvis Cocker seized the opportunity of winning the Rising Star gong at the Sony Radio Academy Awards 2010 to have a "rant" about the proposed closure of 6 Music.

On collecting the award, voted for by the public, from Frankie Sandford of The Saturdays, the 46-year-old former Pulp star joked that at his age "not many things are rising anymore".

Jarvis added: "Since I am an elected majority you will forgive me if I have a little rant. I said that a vote for me was a vote for 6 Music. The show that I do couldn't exist on any other station. I'm allowed to play whatever music I like, interview whoever I like and record jingles in my cellar."

Read More

BBC 6 Music fans urged to buy Half Man Half Biscuit track to save station

The digital music service is urging fans to buy a track by cult act Half Man Half Biscuit as part of a bid to publicise their plight.

Campaigners are being mobilised via Facebook - of course - and they hope it will rival the one that prop­elled Rage Against The Machine to an unlikely Christmas No.1 over Sim­on Cowell’s X Factor winner.

The radio station - known for its cutting edge, alternative angle on music - has been earmarked for closure following a BBC strategy review.

Now, its fans are being urged to buy Half Man Half Biscuit’s Joy Division Oven Gloves from April 6th and it is hoped the tune will hit No.6.

The track first appeared on 2005 album Achtung Bono by the satirical band from Birkenhead, Merseyside.

They released debut album Back In The DHSS a quarter of a century ago but never had a singles hit.

‘We see this great slice of Birkenhead poetry as being a great representation of all that 6 Music is about - a home for new acts and classic music that gets no exposure anywhere else on the radio,’ said organisers behind the protest.

The band’s influence now pervades 6 Music, with an evening this week dedicated to songs by every music act namechecked in their song, Irk The Purists.

Presenter Adam Buxton has also created his own protest song, a spoof version of Changes by supporter David Bowie.

It includes the line: ‘Still don’t know why they are closing it, ’cos there are loads of things in the BBC that are much more s**t.’

Read More

World music champion Charlie Gillett dies at 68

LONDON — Charlie Gillett, a DJ and music historian who helped bring music from around the world to wider attention, has died at the age of 68, his employer, the British Broadcasting Corp. said Thursday.

The BBC said Gillett died in a London hospital on Wednesday. He had an autoimmune disease and last week suffered a heart attack.

Soft-spoken Gillett was a fixture of the BBC's domestic radio stations and its international World Service, where his show "Charlie Gillett's World of Music" offered a wildly eclectic mix of music from around the globe.

In contrast to the narrow formats of most Western radio stations, Gillett played everything from Cajun boogie to Nigerian soul to Portuguese fado, gaining a devoted international following.

World Service director Peter Horrocks said Gillett was "an inspiration whose spirit of adventure and passion for the rich diversity of global music opened the ears of the world."

Many musicians had reason to be grateful to Gillett. Among the artists he championed were Senegal's Youssou N'Dour and Mali's Salif Keita, and he was credited with launching the career of Dire Straits by playing the then-unknown band's song "Sultans of Swing" on his BBC London radio show in 1976, prompting a battle to sign them by record companies.

Born in Morecambe, northwestern England, in 1942, Gillett studied at Cambridge University and at Columbia University in New York, where he wrote an MA thesis on the history of rock 'n' roll. He expanded it into the book "The Sound of the City," published in 1970 and regarded as one of the best accounts of the genre's early years.

In the 1970s Gillett co-founded the Oval record label, whose releases included the influential Cajun compilation "Another Saturday Night," and for a time managed pub-rock band Kilburn and the High Roads, whose lead singer, Ian Dury, went on to fame with The Blockheads.

Gillett is survived by wife Buffy and their children Suzy, Jody and Ivan. Funeral details were not immediately available.

Read More