So, here we are again, finding ourselves under a bit of pressure and getting a bit of a buffetting from outside forces who, it must be said, have left things a little late...
but no matter... That's their problem.
Right... What can I tell you that's not already in the rotw.org.uk programme ?
Not a lot actually... Oh yeah, programmes cost £2.00 each and will definitely be available on the Saturday... They tend to sell out on the Sunday... The CD's however tend to sell out early on Saturday so if you want one, get in early.
Seeing that the programme has all the artists music and net sites listed in it I will not be giving you a list of links as that would defeat the object of having you support the festival by buying a copy, nor am I going to recommend anybody particularly that is on The Arcadeclectic Stage as I'm happy with everybody that I booked, but here's a little glimpse into what is going to be on Saturday...
B.R.P. (experimental and avante garde jazz) Alex Holmes (Singer-Songwriter) Peter Amoah (Acoustic funky blues) Mazaika (Russian instrumental duo) Austin Kaluba (Poet) Ukabilly Big Band (A Ukelele and Double Bass rock out...) Eve Killip (Poet) Terry & Gavin McCann (Acoustic guitars, mandolins and songs) Graeme Lloyd (Poet) Jude Simpson (Performance Poet/Musician) The Montgomery Music Makers (Rockabilly) Joy T. Chance (Poet) and Spandex Ballet... (To know them is to love them...sometimes).
Whereas on Sunday...
Ed Barnes (Electro' Comedy) Hot Wet Dogs (Rock Band) Mark Hitchins (Singer-Songwriter) Simran & Sukhmani (Sax and Tabla) Lio Simelane & Austin Kaluba (Musician and Poet) Stanza (Rap) Bass Relief (Jazz and Poetry) Richard Stark (Opera) Grant Meaby (Poet) Alan Cowley (Singer-Songwriter) and The Dealers ( Funky Bluesy Folkie duo)...
and there you have it, the complete Arcadeclectic Stage lineup over the two days and I'm dead chuffed at getting the lot of them.
I'm particularly pleased in having three of the youngest acts at the festival proper... No, I'm not going to single them out for that would be unfair, but suffice it to say that they are there because they are bloody good at what they do and for no other reason, and they follow in the footsteps of Madadam (from whom Bass Relief got Adam), Device (That rock band from Milton Keynes who are playing Club 85 this year) and of course, the one we had to bring back for her second year by public demand... The amazing Robyn Johnson who is not listed above because we've listed her under her musical listing but all the fans will know the name she performs under.
So I think we have something for everybody, however eclectic their musical taste might be.
One thing I will say is that this year Bob was blagging acts off me for the main stages...
Mazaika, B.R.P., Montgomery Music Makers and Simran & Sukhmani are all working other stages as well as the Arcadeclectic over the two days, so maybe I'm finally getting the hang of this... The smallest official stage of the whole festival supplying four acts for some of the larger stages... No... It doesn't sound too bad if it's put like that... and yes, I'm pleased.
Ok... the trumpets sound a nice little flourish... Da dad dad daa...
Right, that's the generalities out of the way... Let's go and be specific and blow our own saxophone...(as opposed to trumpet) and let's talk a bit about Bass Relief.
We lost Bass player Mark this year when he quit two weeks before a gig at Club 85, so I started haunting the 'phone lines trying to get a replacement who was actually into what we were doing... It was easier said than done.
But...
It all came together when we found Ollie who is actually a guitarist in his usual outfits and then on the 29th April we did the gig...
Joy was missing, having gone to visit her son in Japan so it was yours truly, Adam and Ollie who turned up for the gig...
What nobody realised but Adam suspected, was just how funky Ollie's Bass playing is...
It took us from weird shit avant garde to the realms of pure funk in seconds...
Oh wow... This was not just weird it was totally different...
We'd never sounded like that before...
but it opened up even more ideas and not just sounds... This was just as cool as fuck as far as I was concerned, and I hoped Joy would like it, too... but if she didn't, too bad... she was away on holiday after all.
Thankfully I had the presence of mind to record our portion of the gig, which was just as well because Bob Mardon waited a couple of days and asked me if we had any recordings as they'd like to put us on the 'Rhythms of the World fundraiser CD' this year...
and when she'd returned from the land of the rising sun I played Joy the recordings...
Thankfully, she was as happy as I was with the new sound.
It's a strange thing... We've played 'Rhythms' for four years now and never with the same lineup or sound, and yet there has never been a deliberate change... It's only ever been a step forward.
so here's the map as to how we got where we are...
2002 Mark Bailey asks Chris Ripple if he ever fancies doing poetry to avant garde type Double Bass backing ? Chris says 'let's do it'.
2003 Chris records his first live CD at Club 85 and three Bass Relief tracks are released on it leaving one outtake.
2005 After a tequila fueled evening with Joy, I think we need a little more colour musically...
and I fancy an alto saxophone in the mix, so next time I see Roz Alwyn I consult the oracle...
Yes, she does know an alto sax player and he's excellent... but he's doing his school exams at the moment...
Yeah... I did a double take, too...
Well when he's done 'em could you... ?
And she did, and I pitched it to Adam and he said, and I quote "I've never studied improvisation... I've never done it..."
Nah, you'll be ok... You up for a gig in two weeks time ?
"Yeah... where is it ?"
Oh... Rhythms of the World festival... in front of a possible thirty thousand people...
"Ok..."
And that's how Adam Marsh joined us...
He was playing saxophone in Madadam at the time. A bunch of fifteen,sixteen and seventeen year olds who played Jazz, and who liked playing Jazz... Which actually flies in the face of the accepted teenage stereotype, and I'd loved their attitude to it all, so I'd booked them for 'Rhythms' that year as well.
2006 The following year Madadam were back through public demand... They'd stormed it...
and I knew now we needed more vocal colour and so I asked Joy to step in for a couple of numbers...
She did, but she decided she liked it and stayed.
And that's it really until the middle of April this year when Mark decided he didn't want to do it anymore...and that is the story of Bass Relief so far...
It's an ongoing thing and I don't think I'd have it any other way.
Bass Relief for 2007 are
Adam Marsh-Alto and Soprano Saxophones.
Chris Ripple- Words.
Joy T. Chance-Words.
Ollie' Glaze-Bass Guitars.
and hopefully... If everything runs to plan, we'll get a few items to download on this site in the not too distant future.
but no matter... That's their problem.
Right... What can I tell you that's not already in the rotw.org.uk programme ?
Not a lot actually... Oh yeah, programmes cost £2.00 each and will definitely be available on the Saturday... They tend to sell out on the Sunday... The CD's however tend to sell out early on Saturday so if you want one, get in early.
Seeing that the programme has all the artists music and net sites listed in it I will not be giving you a list of links as that would defeat the object of having you support the festival by buying a copy, nor am I going to recommend anybody particularly that is on The Arcadeclectic Stage as I'm happy with everybody that I booked, but here's a little glimpse into what is going to be on Saturday...
B.R.P. (experimental and avante garde jazz) Alex Holmes (Singer-Songwriter) Peter Amoah (Acoustic funky blues) Mazaika (Russian instrumental duo) Austin Kaluba (Poet) Ukabilly Big Band (A Ukelele and Double Bass rock out...) Eve Killip (Poet) Terry & Gavin McCann (Acoustic guitars, mandolins and songs) Graeme Lloyd (Poet) Jude Simpson (Performance Poet/Musician) The Montgomery Music Makers (Rockabilly) Joy T. Chance (Poet) and Spandex Ballet... (To know them is to love them...sometimes).
Whereas on Sunday...
Ed Barnes (Electro' Comedy) Hot Wet Dogs (Rock Band) Mark Hitchins (Singer-Songwriter) Simran & Sukhmani (Sax and Tabla) Lio Simelane & Austin Kaluba (Musician and Poet) Stanza (Rap) Bass Relief (Jazz and Poetry) Richard Stark (Opera) Grant Meaby (Poet) Alan Cowley (Singer-Songwriter) and The Dealers ( Funky Bluesy Folkie duo)...
and there you have it, the complete Arcadeclectic Stage lineup over the two days and I'm dead chuffed at getting the lot of them.
I'm particularly pleased in having three of the youngest acts at the festival proper... No, I'm not going to single them out for that would be unfair, but suffice it to say that they are there because they are bloody good at what they do and for no other reason, and they follow in the footsteps of Madadam (from whom Bass Relief got Adam), Device (That rock band from Milton Keynes who are playing Club 85 this year) and of course, the one we had to bring back for her second year by public demand... The amazing Robyn Johnson who is not listed above because we've listed her under her musical listing but all the fans will know the name she performs under.
So I think we have something for everybody, however eclectic their musical taste might be.
One thing I will say is that this year Bob was blagging acts off me for the main stages...
Mazaika, B.R.P., Montgomery Music Makers and Simran & Sukhmani are all working other stages as well as the Arcadeclectic over the two days, so maybe I'm finally getting the hang of this... The smallest official stage of the whole festival supplying four acts for some of the larger stages... No... It doesn't sound too bad if it's put like that... and yes, I'm pleased.
Ok... the trumpets sound a nice little flourish... Da dad dad daa...
Right, that's the generalities out of the way... Let's go and be specific and blow our own saxophone...(as opposed to trumpet) and let's talk a bit about Bass Relief.
We lost Bass player Mark this year when he quit two weeks before a gig at Club 85, so I started haunting the 'phone lines trying to get a replacement who was actually into what we were doing... It was easier said than done.
But...
It all came together when we found Ollie who is actually a guitarist in his usual outfits and then on the 29th April we did the gig...
Joy was missing, having gone to visit her son in Japan so it was yours truly, Adam and Ollie who turned up for the gig...
What nobody realised but Adam suspected, was just how funky Ollie's Bass playing is...
It took us from weird shit avant garde to the realms of pure funk in seconds...
Oh wow... This was not just weird it was totally different...
We'd never sounded like that before...
but it opened up even more ideas and not just sounds... This was just as cool as fuck as far as I was concerned, and I hoped Joy would like it, too... but if she didn't, too bad... she was away on holiday after all.
Thankfully I had the presence of mind to record our portion of the gig, which was just as well because Bob Mardon waited a couple of days and asked me if we had any recordings as they'd like to put us on the 'Rhythms of the World fundraiser CD' this year...
and when she'd returned from the land of the rising sun I played Joy the recordings...
Thankfully, she was as happy as I was with the new sound.
It's a strange thing... We've played 'Rhythms' for four years now and never with the same lineup or sound, and yet there has never been a deliberate change... It's only ever been a step forward.
so here's the map as to how we got where we are...
2002 Mark Bailey asks Chris Ripple if he ever fancies doing poetry to avant garde type Double Bass backing ? Chris says 'let's do it'.
2003 Chris records his first live CD at Club 85 and three Bass Relief tracks are released on it leaving one outtake.
2005 After a tequila fueled evening with Joy, I think we need a little more colour musically...
and I fancy an alto saxophone in the mix, so next time I see Roz Alwyn I consult the oracle...
Yes, she does know an alto sax player and he's excellent... but he's doing his school exams at the moment...
Yeah... I did a double take, too...
Well when he's done 'em could you... ?
And she did, and I pitched it to Adam and he said, and I quote "I've never studied improvisation... I've never done it..."
Nah, you'll be ok... You up for a gig in two weeks time ?
"Yeah... where is it ?"
Oh... Rhythms of the World festival... in front of a possible thirty thousand people...
"Ok..."
And that's how Adam Marsh joined us...
He was playing saxophone in Madadam at the time. A bunch of fifteen,sixteen and seventeen year olds who played Jazz, and who liked playing Jazz... Which actually flies in the face of the accepted teenage stereotype, and I'd loved their attitude to it all, so I'd booked them for 'Rhythms' that year as well.
2006 The following year Madadam were back through public demand... They'd stormed it...
and I knew now we needed more vocal colour and so I asked Joy to step in for a couple of numbers...
She did, but she decided she liked it and stayed.
And that's it really until the middle of April this year when Mark decided he didn't want to do it anymore...and that is the story of Bass Relief so far...
It's an ongoing thing and I don't think I'd have it any other way.
Bass Relief for 2007 are
Adam Marsh-Alto and Soprano Saxophones.
Chris Ripple- Words.
Joy T. Chance-Words.
Ollie' Glaze-Bass Guitars.
and hopefully... If everything runs to plan, we'll get a few items to download on this site in the not too distant future.
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