The Lack of Tobbaco Might Be Making Me Moody - Banners High and Fantastic Week Ahead

The weather has been sensational this week, so good in fact that I’ve been finding it hard to stay awake.  But awake I must be as we drift into the final week of activity towards the Banners High Festival.

It’s been a strange week for the Banners High Festival; we’ve had some great local media coverage in The Advertiser, with more to come in coming weeks in the South Yorkshire Times.

The fliers are finding their away around the Town and the Posters are all in place.

On the other hand there have been some negatives, which I shall be airing gently at Thursday’s RAE General Meeting (31^st May at The Bridge) to which everyone is invited. 

Those volunteering to help at Banners High we have an organisational meeting starting at 6:00pm on Thursday at The Bridge.

But you know what it’s like when Organising these things, disaster is just one step around the corner, then it turns out a lot better than one feared and well the smile is returned to the face. 

It should be a really good day with plenty of debate in the morning, great poetry, music and theatre in the afternoon and just a kick arse rock event in the evening with Ed Tudor Pole  being supported by three local top Bands.

One thing is for certain, the whole of the RAE Team have learnt something these last couple of weeks, and while mistakes have been made, this was on a an organisational front   Well done to the hard working team, especially those who have carried the main work load.

So a big push from our real friends please, something as simple as sharing our Banners High link on Facebook will really help in this last week, even if you don’t intend to come lol. 

Anyway, the more astute amongst you might be sensing a bit of a guns blazing Blog coming up next week, probably made more intense by my being into the second week of having stopped smoking after 45 years, so the withdrawal symptoms should be really kicking in by next week.  lol   

And the Slamfest programme is nearing final publication, there are one or two things to put into place and then we’ll be adding dates venues and times to the what is looking to be a fantastic week of “grass roots” Art, Music and Spoken word performance in Rotherham.

Pop over and take a look at the Slamfest page.  OK I know it all looks a bit rear end heavy at the moment with the Open Music events on 28^th July very much taking centre stage; balance will be restored, I promise.

And Karen Gilmore has come up with yet another fantastic logo.  This one for Slamfest.  It carries a real punch.  We owe Karen a lot for all her efforts on our behalf.  RAE has given Karen Life Membership, the significance of which will become clear over the next couple of weeks.

All very exciting though, especially as the event is catching the imagination of Sponsors.  This really is a plus for the RAE goal of striking up a positive relationship with local business in promoting Rotherham Art.

And would you believe it? We’re actually making initial progress with the Fringe Festival.  It’s looking good.

Bad news.  The RAE team have been talking and consulting.  This is not good news for my blood pressure.  But we now have a new major Goal / mid-term objective.  A brief outline will be given at Thursday General Meeting.

And finally on RAE business.  We’re pleased to say that Chris Bilton has joined us to share the Visual Art / Exhibition portfolio with Vicky Hilton.  On which note it might be worth reminding you poets and artists that we are planning an exhibition of Vicky’s great idea mixing words and art, during Slamfest.  The visual work can a painting, photograph, or other form of digital art. No fee’s for exhibiting.  So if you have a piece that you think might fit please contact Chris via the Contact page.  Thanks.

On the music side of things the folkies of South Yorkshire gave a sigh of relief, The Mashers were not out on the prowl.  However, we fully intend to take advantage of our Folk Legend status, given by the Advertiser, so it has to be true, in the weeks ahead.  I think our next outing after Banners High is a trip to Malvern Town, for a private Music Festival.  I’m looking forward to that one. 

For my dose of live music this week two completely different Gigs, both on Saturday Night.

The Bridge was of course humming; it was a hot night.  Rightly so, Papa Legba’s was rocking the night away.  And WOW was I impressed with their performance, even Mrs Masher was impressed, having escaped The Trades Club turn, to say that wriggling should have been going on 50 meters down the road.  Praise indeed.  It’s true though, and I’ve not been bribed by Tim, the first set on Saturday night featuring many of my own favourite Papa tunes was together and slick, without losing that raw edge which ranks them among my favourite live Bands.  I’m really looking forward to seeing them next Saturday night at The Rugby Club where they will be amongst the support for Ed Tudor Pole. 

As I was on a lead for the night, Mrs Masher then dragged me back to Rawmarsh Trades and Labour Club.  We got in just in time for the second set of the night from Midlife Crisis.

It would be like comparing the value of Gold and Plastic, to compare the two gigs, so I won’t.

Midlife Crisis are a covers show / Club Band, playing soft rock.  I say playing, as it was extremely difficult to decide whether or not any instrument other than the drums was actually being played so full was the backing track they played to.  The set opened with a guitar and Bass Guitar and drums, and when towards the end a second guitar was added no difference was noted to the sound or its quality.

While the backing track was as clear as a bell the vocal mic was chronic.  Not sure if they had a problem or not, but for much of the set it sounded if the lead vocalist was singing down a tunnel from the Pizza Shop 50 meters away. 

I can’t knock it though.  They were cheered to the rafters and called back twice thus proving I know nothing about music, and while the dance floor was not full, they did hold an audience in on a very hot night.  They must have had something.  I’m not quite sure what, but let’s be kind and put it down to an excellent choice of tunes and an excellent backing track, oh, and a drummer who certainly knew what he was doing.

Enough………………    yes it must be withdrawal from the tobacco that is getting to me……   kitty, kitty and it’s only the fourth day!

There is something we need to learn from the evening’s entertainment.  I’ll let you know what in time…….

And we’re into the week coming already………….  Monday is of course Nellie Folk Night, Rotherham’s best singers Club, at The Bridge.  Do come along if you enjoy a song or two; starts 8:45pm. 

Wednesday is Open Mic Jazz at The Bridge and Friday is ROMP, once again at The Bridge (what would we do without that Pub) where I’m informed Gav has a surprise for everyone. 

So go on – yes there’s the RAE General Meeting, where? Yes, at The Bridge on Thursday that starts 7:00pm.  Not forgetting the Open Mic Musician and Singers Club that Meets at the Bridge every Thursday. 

So a busy week for The Bridge, I hope Land Lord Ben has enough beer in the cellar.

Not forgetting of course the two performances of The Taming of The Shrew in Urdu; Tuesday evening at the Old Market Gallery, and Thursday afternoon at the Clifton Park Wall Garden. 

And there is of course the busy Bank Holiday weekend ahead, its a four dayer, and there is plenty going on.  On Saturday, yes, Banners High Festival (the antidote to the Royal things going on), there is also a Rotherham Town Centre Tea Party and at the Imperial Building they are having a Vintage Tea Party, should you wish to celebrate Elizabeth’s sixty years on the throne. The Bar Steward Sons have something going on in Elsecar for most of Saturday.

Florin will be awarded The Acoustic Rotherham Serial Performers of The Year Gold Coloured Beer Glass when they take on three days hard drinking at the Castleton Beer Festival event.  Oh, and they will be singing on three consecutive days to.  Anyone going please record their third session for me I’m sure it will be highly entertaining. 

All the Festivals and general listings can be found on the Diary Pages HERE

So with the promise that next week’s Blog will have a little more of a razor’s edge to it, but also carrying news of the great week’s entertainment ahead of us this Monday morning. 

Whatever you’re doing this week, have amazing fun, support your local artists and KEEP IT LIVE.

Hot Air! / Banners High / Apologies and Dylan What more could you Want

So, not a word in the G8 Communiqué about the need of funds for Rotherham Art Events; this, even though they say that their eyes are firmly on Europe.  Clearly not focussed enough I fear.  I only asked for a Billion quid, I think that’s less than 1% of the Greek debt.  Never mind we’ll just have to look elsewhere, for now.

Talk about a load of hot air, on one hand they want growth in the Western economies, on the other hand they require austerity policies known to stifle growth and confidence, as we will discover as the summer months stats will I suspect prove. 

One thing is for certain it’s not very edifying watching Europe’s Heads of State running around like headless chicken.

But to the past week, a week that supposedly saw the start to Dickie being weaned off smoking.   I must say I was quite pleased with the progress of the first Meeting, “carry on as usual” said the Lady, I rather liked that approach to stopping.   I’m sure it’s about to get tougher though.

I was offered a range of replacement therapies, but strangely the electric cigarette was not one of them, the strict Lady explaining that so far that there is no scientific evidence that they are safe or work.  So I was left to consider the range of gum, (that will pull my teeth), spray (which might hurt the throat), little tablet things (they don’t taste nice apparently, too minty), or the good old patches (which may not, apparently, be enough on their own).  Yes it’s a complicated business.

Session two on Monday of this coming week when I have to analysis my habit, e.g. the triggers. 

It has to be done though, and “we” will succeed.

Tuesday and an on the hoof Meeting with RAE folks over coffee.  Lisa has started to get the money raising message out there in her role of Commercial Fund Raiser, while Mick just keeps coming up trumps with the Bands who will be taking part in Slamfest Rockin’ Rotherham Saturday on 28^th July.  My have we some great stuff going on. 

That was before shocking myself and very nearly killing myself off by going to the optician.  Free this and free that, etc., and two for one, the price you see is the one you pay, but not quite.  Selecting a nice pair of £79.99 frames I sat down to pay and go, but by the time the lenses had been prescribed, “I advise the Gold Varifocal” said the nice Optician, “especially with the big change in prescription since your last visit”, and of course they will need to be anti-glare and photosensitive”, total……………  shall we say that somehow the original figure had been trebled. 

“But you get a completely free pair” the Sales person said, but not photosensitive, and you’re only allowed silver grade varifocals.  She was not impressed when I suggesting halving the price of the first pair, and doing away with the free pair

I’m sure there is some good reason for this marketing, but it defeats my poor brain.

But light relief in the evening by way of a surprise trip out in the company of Paul Pearson and Christine  who very kindly called in at Masher Towers on their  to the Doncaster Folk Club.  Much appreciated.

It’s some years since I was last at the Doncaster Folk Club, I think it was some four years ago when Myke and I raided the regulars at The Railway, which is where they used to meet.  The Club now meets at The Masons Arms which offers cosy accommodation in the back room. 

Unfortunately it gets just a little over cosy when the cliental need to visit the gents, tracking trail straight through the singing circle, a matter of much merriment.   However it’s a little disappointing that the clients failed to have the basic of manners by waiting to break the circle until a song was completed, particularly when Paul was performing and having to find interesting angles to hold the guitar so as to allow the desperate drinker through. 

A really good fun evening among some excellent singers.

A short Meeting with Lizzy at The Council on Wednesday just to bring her up to date as to where RAE were in getting things underway, and to show Jane the joys of the inner sanctum of our new Council Building. 

I made the mistake of doubling the trip up with getting a form from the Council.  It said on the screen “Forms: 0 Waiting  Average time 5 minutes”.  After thirty minutes we left without our form.  Might be an idea for the Council to sort that little problem out.

Guess what, Thursday gave me a chance to get my nose into the pile of paper on my desk that needed reading, continued on Friday, by the much appreciated visit from Tina to discuss staging for Banners High on second June.

The Banners High Posters are going up around Rotherham and at the weekend the fliers and tickets arrived at the door and are now getting out there.

At the moment I’m praying for a bit of rain, on 2^nd June, if only to push Town Centre Party goers towards the cover of The Trades Club for a drink, or two and some great entertainment.

Help get the word out there, if you can hand out a few fliers or have somewhere to put a Poster then contact Mick or Lisa – details HERE

Can I have a bit of a nag.  Dickie Masher, RAE and Acoustic Rotherham go out of their way to help publicise Rotherham based events by sharing links and posters and the rest, it would be nice to see some people doing the same for us – please, especially on Facebook, takes a couple of clicks and ten seconds of your time.  Thank you.

Su has done a brilliant job on the Brochure, given the difficulties of getting the copy together.  A few lessons have been learnt on this one.   The print run is limited so you’ll have to get in quick to secure a copy. 

The mess that is the Jmucreate bit of the Web Site has taken another major step forward with the launch of The Mashers own site, a nice vivid green, chosen because it’s the normal facial colour of our audiences when we finish.   Check it for yourself HERE

I’m sorry, I’ve been asked by several people to comment on the winding up of the Myke Barritt Music Trust, in all fairness to the Trust and everyone involved I’m not saying anything until the Minutes of the Meeting are published.  I believe that this should not be long now.

 

The main details of the Myke Barritt Song Writing Competition, judging to be done at the Rotherham Open Arts Fringe Festival in October, have been published.  There are three age categories so go take a look HERE

We can’t let this week pass without noting that 16^th May marked the second Anniversary of Myke moving onto the bigger session, I hope that like me you have found time to raise a glass to the lad.

Roy Blackman’s CD will remain on line on Acoustic Rotherham HERE

I didn’t have too many spies out at Holmfirth last week for the Folk Festival.  Those who did go had one word in common, “chilly”.   By all accounts though it was once again a fun weekend especially amongst the grass roots sessions, which is great to hear.  I only wish I could have got over to experience the atmosphere for myself, perhaps next year.

A heads up for something that looks as if it’s going to be great fun.  Based at the Old Market Gallery Open Minds Theatre are putting on an Exhibition called “Fabulous Sound Machines”, which is an interactive exhibition of unusual musical instruments.  It all starts on the 16^th June and runs to mid-August the poster will be on the relevant Diary pages..  I’ve asked Steve but he says none of them will make The Masher sound any better.   A must for the Diary.

While we’re on Open Mind productions, don’t forget the two productions of “Taming of The Shrew” being performed in Urdu, 29^th May at The Old Market Gallery and 31^st May in the Clifton Park Wall Garden. 

This coming week we have a standard programme of Sessions and Folk Clubs ending the week with a whole host of Festivals, including Shepley Folk Festival, a Festival that is growing in popularity amongst singers and musicians. 

Next Saturday 26^th May there is a special night for all Bob Dylan fans when The Annual Bob Dylan Night is hosted by Lou (Dylan) Marriott at The Princess Royal (upstairs), Crookes.  It’s bound to be packed so get in early, the music starts at 8:00pm and I believe it’s FREE – although I’m sure some enterprising individual will find something to raffle.

 Go HERE to find all the details and links to the Festival Web Sites. 

And a big apology to The Captain Cooke in Staithes.  From Emails I gained the impression that the Staithes Festival had been cancelled with a new venue having been found at Roxby. Apparently, while running the same dates as those published for the Staithes Festival (which was cancelled) and with the same organiser, The Roxby Singers Festival has nothing to do with the Staithes Festival or Captain Cooke.  Does that make sense?  We apologise for any confusion which was non of our making......... of course.

There is so much bubbling under the surface which I cannot talk about at the moment, it’s all good and should if it reaches reality help in promoting the Artists of Rotherham. 

So posters out, SPEAK UP for Banners High, and whatever you are doing this week have great fun, support your local artists and sessions, and keep it live.

Myke Barritt Music Trust Winds Up / Progress on The Festivals and More

I suppose we have to start this week’s Blog with the extremely sad news, especially as this week marks the second Anniversary of Myke’s passing; the decision of the Myke Barritt Music Trust at Wednesday’s EGM to wind the Group up.

Unfortunately I was not able to make the Meeting, having rather overdone things in the previous ten days or so, (see last week’s Blog).  However, I had long concluded that the course of action eventually decided by the Meeting was inevitable and desired.

As yet there has not been an Official Statement and as I write, the Minutes of the Meeting have not as yet been published. 

My understanding is that cash held by the MBMT along with revenues from the sale of the Roy Blackman CD will be donated to Music Charities.

I also understand that the Travelling Minstrels Folk Club will continue.

I do have deep seated views as to why this has come about, but will await the Minutes before passing further comment. 

For my part, through Rotherham Art Events I can announce two things which I hope will enable the name of my long-time partner in musical crime to be remembered by the Arts Community of Rotherham.  Each 27^th July, (Myke’s Birthday – a day well known for the profits made by breweries) we will promote a Myke Barritt Memorial Concert. 

Secondly, we will run the Myke Barritt Song Writing Prize.  This was a Competition set up in the early days of MBMT but never followed through with.  There will be two age groups 10 – 18 and Over 18.  Judging will be during the Fringe Festival.   Watch this space for further details.

The Myke Barritt Music Trust  .com will of course be closed, but the Myke pages will be assimilated into the Rawmarsh Masher .com pages in time.

And onto happier matters. 

Tuesday was one of those over doing it moments.  The morning was taken up with a really interesting chat with Amy from the Nodding Dog Theatre Company. 

Nodding Dog have an absolutely amazing project that will put the old B & Q Building to work.  It’s innovative, brave and completely different to the usual Theatre experience.  Pre-view Performances will start in late September and run into The Fringe Festival during October.  But you’ll have to watch this space for the detail. 

The Company have a wide range of opportunities for local artists with an interest in the Theatre, and for people with an interest who would like to learn Theatre based skills.  EMAIL Amy for more details and to Register your interest.

Then it was a Business Meeting.  I can announce that the long search for a Commercial Fund Raiser for Rotherham Art Events has ended.  Lisa Marie Fitzgerald has taken the role on; expect to hear from her soon. 

There then followed a catch up with the God of RAE Rock Mick.  Fund raisers going into place, on top of the Festival Programme. You can find all the details on the Rockin’ Rotherham page HERE

And to finish the day a Meeting with the Town Centre Team.  I’m pleased to say it was a really positive Meeting, and we can confirm that 28^th July of Slamfest will take place in The Town Centre.  Watch the Web Site pages and stay tuned to The News Blog. 

The wider Slamfest is beginning to shape up, and in addition to the regular Sessions of the week the Theatre and performance parts are very nearly in place.

Thursday was my day with the Specialist at the Hospital.  Two scans to come. 

Posters for the Banners High Festival will be seen around Town from next week.  They look very impressive. 

You can reserve your tickets for the Banners High Festival and pay on line if so desired, HERE

TUESDAY 15^th MAY is the last day for copy / advertising for the Banners High Brochure.  Advertising detail can be found HERE

Progress is being made on The Fringe Festival.  However, we’re still looking for entries into the Poster / Corporate image Competition:  The Judging is to take place at the end of Slamfest.   There’s a £200 first prize so time for you artists to get busy. Details HERE

We’re also looking for ideas of how best to Celebrate “100 Thousand Poets For Change” as part of The Busking Day on 29^th September and “National Poetry Day” on the 4^th October.  If you’ve got a good one then EMAIL us.

I can also inform folks that the Business Plan for RAE has been started.  Yawn.   And I have to get on and finish it, so onwards.

And yes, we’re into the, what’s coming up bit.

“The Taming of The Shrew”  in Urdu, with performances at The Old Market Gallery and Clifton Park, May 27^th and 29^th.   Tickets are still available at only £5.  Pop into The Westgate Chambers ROAR Office they will point you the right direction for tickets.  Or telephone:  Rotherham Culture Company on 01709 829446.

And it being the third week of the month it’s a really busy time,  with Handsworth, Sheffield Ballads, Anston Folk Clubs all Meeting (NOTE I THINK ANSTON FOLK CLUB HAS MOVED BUT I DON’T HAVE THE NEW VENUE)

And of course it’s ROMP at SNAFU in Rotherham.  Another great night of the spoken word can be expected. 

At the end of the week Doncaster Folk Festival is underway, mainly at the Ukrainian Club in Doncaster.  Paul Pearson, Welsh Geoff, Mick McGarry and co kicking the Festival off on Friday night. 

All the detail and information can be found on the Diary page HERE

And that’s it my friends.   After a World Record for length last week, I think we come close to the shortest this week. 

We have plenty going on in the background, so don’t be surprised if a second News Blog appears this week.

Whatever you are doing, have great fun, support your local artists and KEEP IT LIVE