Blog, Projects & Gigs
Winter 2018 – 2019
The 'Deep Tide' gig at Sheffield Cathedral on Friday the 14th will be a trio of myself - percussion, Laura Cole - keyboards, and the Norwegian cellist Maja Bugge.
We may be joined by Martin Archer on saxes, depending on circumstances.
I am excited about playing with this these musicians. It will be a first to be playing with Maja.
'DeepTide' will be playing The Vortex in London on March 5th.
The Skin & Bone gig in Belper on Saturday the 24th November will be a departure, as we will be joined by the artist Andrew Martyn Sugars, who will be responding to our sounds in real time with projected, dynamic images.
On Friday January 18th I will be doing a solo percussion set at Deda, Derby. This will be at the opening of a 3 month residency at Deda by my friend, the artist Vitor Azevedo.
On the 17th October, I performed with 'Alchemy / Schmalchemy' at The Martin Hall Exhibition Space at Loughborough University, as part of the exhibition, Re-Imagining Citizenship. The piece we did was 'Rhodiaceta (Re-)Response. 'Alchemy / Schmalchemy' are myself on electronics, voice and percussion, Gillian Whiteley on accordion, voice & other instruments, and Geoff Bright on bass saxophone and voice. We were working with graphic scores made in response to a film made in 1967 in Besancon in the Rhodiaceta textile factory there. So it was a response to a response. The film was made by workers in the factory, who were striking in opposition to the conditions they were having to endure. This was in the build-up to the student/worker uprising in France, May 1968, especially in Paris. I was there in Paris, staying with students just prior to the uprising, which gave an extra resonance for me in this piece. The piece was filmed and will be shown at another Re-Imagining Citizenship exhibition in Besancon at the Institute Superieur des Beaux-Arts de Besancon there in 2019.
'Alchemy / Schmalchemy' will be performing in Nottingham in January 2019. More details to follow.
September 2018
Skin and Bone will be playing at The Queen's Head in Belper on Saturday the 24th November at 7-30 pm.
Deep Tide Quartet will be playing in The Cathedral in Sheffield at 1-15pm on Friday the 14th of December. This will be a candle-lit and rather special gig.
There have been 2 gigs in Derby as part of The Circuit, a rolling residency of musicians between the towns of Todmorden, Sheffield, Leeds and Derby. The next gig is at The Old Spa Inn in Derby at 7-30pm on the Tuesday the 2nd October. It will be the wonderful all saxophone ensemble 'Hornweb'. I have been heavily involved in the organistaion of these gigs, which should roll through monthly into 2019.
Summer & Autumn 2018
The Deep Tide gig in Bristol will be at 7-30pm at Café Kino. 108, Stokes Croft, BS1 3RU.
April 22nd will be a big event at Claptrap in Stourbridge. A whole Sunday afternoon improvisation fest. Some great players, including Paul Dunmall, Jim Bashford, Bruce Coates and many more. I will be adding my modest contribution on percussion and electronics.
May 11th is going to be a bit special too at Dubrek in Derby. I have an exhibition of my recent work opening, plus a Skin & Bone gig. A heady brew, which I hope you can get along to. It all kicks off from around 7pm. May 26 th sees Skin & Bone play Sheffield at OTT, home to top quality improv from around the UK and overseas. We will be joined by the amazing musician Mick Beck, who runs OTT. He will be playing bassoon and saxes. From 7-30pm. 78, Kingfield Road, S11 9AU.
'Skin and Bone', the percussion trio, 24th August - Gig Todmorden
This will be at The Golden Lion in Todmorden. It will be part of 'the cicuit', a new arrangement whereby musicians share venues and gigs in four different towns. So it's a kind of residency, involving Todmorden, Derby, Sheffield and Leeds. It's hoped that later Manchester will be also included. Derby will be hosting some terrific bands as part of this circuit. So something to watch out for.
August 22nd - The Deep Tide Quartet at The Lescar in Sheffield. 7-30 pm.
Sunday, October 14th, at 3-30 pm Deep Tide plays at The No Bounds Festival in Sheffield.
Deep Tide plays The Red Lion in Todmorden at 7-30 pm on Friday the 26th of October.
Spring 2018
In mid January, The Orchestra of The Upper Atmosphere recorded their fourth album in Sheffield, Theta 4. This will be released later this year. I was playing percussion and electronics.
I continue rehearsals with Phil Morton, guitar, from Liverpool and Mark Hanslip, saxes, from Manchester. We hope to be doing gigs later this year.
I also continue rehearsals with Ka Safar, a Leicester big band, concentrating on pieces inspired by Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Sun Ra. We hope to be gigging by Spring.
Deep Tide Quartet has a gig in February. I will be playing Claptrap on Feb 22nd, 8pm. Claptrap, The High Street, Stourbridge. We are also playing Bristol on March 24th. Details shortly.
On March 21st I will be playing with the Centrifuge pool of musicians at Capstone Theatre in Hope University at Liverpool.
April 22nd I will be at Claptrap again at a festival of improvisation. Details to follow.
On June 9th I will be joining another large 'Murmurists' band for a 5pm gig at The University of Central Lancashire in Preston.
Autumn 2017
'Skin and Bone', the alternative percussion trio, has a gig at Dubrek Studios, Derby. This is on October 13th at 7-30pm. £5 on the door or £3 booking in advance.
The anti-choir Juxtavoices has a gig on 14th October at Sheffield General Cemetry, 7-30pm. In addition there will be a number of other sets with some big names, including Derby's own Corey Mwamba!
On November 2nd at 'Claptrap' in Stourbridge, I will be performing with the amazing percussionist Mark Sanders, in a duo. 7pm. We will be performing a live soundtrack to the famous film of 'Nosferatu' by Murnau.
November 11th I will be doing a gig with 'Murmurists' at St Margaret's Church, Rufford Rd, Whalley Range, Manchester. 7pm This will be a total spectacle with 100 musicians, projection, live performance and dance. Don't miss out on this highly special occasion.
The next day, November 12 th I will be with 'Murmurists' again, this time in a smaller ensemble in Liverpool. It's part of the famous artist John Hyatt's Rock Art Exhibition at Club Big. 7pm.
December 7th I will be playing with South Leicester Improvisers Ensemble (SLIE). 8pm at Quad Studios, Friday Street, Leicester.
In November I start rehearsals with a new trio with myself, Mark Hanslip on saxes and Phil Morton on guitar and effects. We will be doing gigs in 2018.
Phil Morton on guitar from Liverpool, myself and saxophonist Mark Hanslip had a really constructive and exciting rehearsal at Yellowarch, Sheffield on Nov 15th.
We are looking to do gigs in 2018, after a further rehearsal on January 24th.
My gig producing a live soundtrack for Murnau's film, 'Nosferatu', went really well at Claptrap in Stourbridge. It was in a trio 'Alchemy / Schmalchemy' with Geoff Bright on saxes and Gillian Whiteley on keyboards. A change of line-up there. Claptrap is a super venue and I hope to be doing a gig there next year.
Some very interesting gigs and projects are lined up for 2018, with more details to come in the new year.