BN1 Magazine March edition 2011

BRIGHTON EVENTS, COMMUNITY & LIFESTYLE HEADING VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6 | MARCH 2011 | FREE WWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

MEADOWLANDS

FESTIVAL SPECIAL

OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNERS

FOY VANCE/the mirrors/ jo harman

LIVE MUSIC | INTERVIEWS | FESTIVALSWWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK | LISTINGS | CROSSWORDS 1 MARCH 2011

CONTENTS

MARCH 2011

The Mirrors - Page 4

Welcome to the March edition of BN1 Magazine, where spring brings a brighter outlook and sends us into a holiday-planning frenzy! This month we give you a taste of festival season and a look at what’s coming in the warmer months. This includes our Meadowlands special featuring the Mirrors and Johanna Harman, just some of the acts you can expect at this year’s festival.

We also have Festival tickets for both Meadowlands and The Great Escape up for grabs, amongst this month’s ticket prizes on offer. So let’s roll up our sleeves, trample those daffodils and roll among the buttercups as we spring our way to eagerness!

CONTENTS

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04. Latest News 06. Live Music Guide 10. Johanna Harman 12. Tattoo Convention 15. Meadowlands Festival 16. Feature Interview

The Mirrors 18. The Australian Pink Floyd Show 20. Flash Bang Band 21. The Green Door Store 22. Puzzles

Crossword, Sudoku 24. Brighton Veg & Vegan 25. Business Media 26. Listings

Want to become part of the BN1 team? Internships

EDITORIAL Editor: Chris Sadler Sub Editor: Joel Windels Marketing: Ennis Ferguson

available for local writers, photographers, creative types and enthusiasts to join one of Brighton’s best community and lifestyle magazines! Just email your CV and a little about yourself to info@ bn1magazine.co.uk.

DESIGN www.emberlane.com

All rights reserved including rights of reproduction

CONTRIBUTORS Immanuel Guffogg, Joel Windels, Andy Hollis, Innis Ferguson, Beki Turner, Paul Carrington-Gretton, Stuart Rolt, Andrew Nicholls, Josh Redfearn, Jen Blakeley, Bradford Middleton

and use in any form or by any means, including the making of copies by any photo process or by any electronic or mechanical device (printed, written or oral), unless permission in writing is obtained

PHOTOGRAPHERS David Smith (www.photosbydavid.org), Josh Redfearn, Oli Lyons (www.myspace.com/oblphotography), Nick Tichener, Becka Marie

from the copyright proprietor. All textual content, design graphics, images and specific photographs used in the magazine are Copyright © BN1 Magazine 2010.

LISTINGS Wanda Piechowiak

WWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK MARCH 2011

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Latest News

Fringe Festival

2011 has begun with a bang, with Arabic riots, democratic reforms and a royal wedding all whetting the appetite of the UK media into an insatiable frenzy, and it’s not even March yet!

by Joel Windels

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More locally, Brighton continues to buzz, as we look to leave behind the frozen chills of February and embark upon a journey into the warmer climes of Spring, and perhaps beyond, into the fantastical realm of British Double Summertime.

So roll on the 11th of March, when the Brighton Spring Harvest Food & Drink Festival begins with a three-day beer festival at Hove Town Hall. Here you can expect to sample over 220 award-winning beers and ciders, though we hear tickets are already on the verge of selling out so you better get involved as soon as possible. The festival also includes a take on the popular but fabricated reality TV snorefest ‘Come Dine With Me’, where budding chefs can invite guests into their own homes to share their culinary treats with one another. Register and find out more over at prettyclever.co.uk. There are a whole host of other activities to get involved with, including the Whisky Festival, the Brighton Chocolate Festival, the Hotel Du Vin Wine Night and the Terre a Tandoori Night. Check out the full calendar of events over at devoursussex.com and follow the links.

March also heralds in the completely pointless annual festivities of St. Patrick’s Day, dated for the 19th. The celebrations are up there with Christmas in the league of fictional irrelevance, though even this cynic can begrudging join in with the boozy street parties that are very much a part of modern Brighton. The biggest of these is, as ever, to be staged at the Fiddler’s Elbow and the rest of Boyce’s Street for the 14th year running. To add even further cause for alcohol abuse, there are Six Nations rugby games scheduled for the same day, so expect the streets to be lined with inebriated but merry individuals, depending on the results!

In case you haven’t been keeping a track of such things, the remake of the 1947 classic ‘Brighton Rock’ was released in the UK in February. With Hollywood superstars Helen Mirren, Andy Serkis and John Hurt all lending their talents to the film, former Sussex University chancellor and star of the original, Richard Attenborough, is likely to be happy with the remake. It should be well worth relishing in the renowned mod/rocker chapter of history that our hometown has to offer, so check out the movie while you can.

As usual, there are scores of opportunities to have fun in Brighton this Spring, so turn over the page, order another drink, keep reading and find out what other shenanigans you could be getting up to this month!

MARCH 2011 WWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

LATEST NEWS

Festival Diary 2011 Spring Harvest & Chocolate Festival

The Great Escape 12, 13, 14th May

1st-30th April

Another exciting 3 day festival in May and definitely a BN1 Magazine favorite!

Meadowlands Festival

The line up so far: Friendly Fires / Katy B / Warpaint / Villagers / Twin Shadow / Brother / Little Dragon / D/R/U/G/S / Becoming Real / PVT / Dutch Uncles / Tribes / SBTRKT / The Heartbreaks / Spark / Nedry / Worriedaboutsatan / Big Deal / The Soft Moon / Teeth / Marques Toliver / Tripwires / Lucy Swann / Vision of Trees / Seams / The Holidays / The Jezabels / Said the Whale / Team Me / Bonjay / Deep Sea Arcade / Seekae / The Mountain and the Trees / Winter Gloves / DZ Deathrays / Woodhands / gaBLe

May 27th-29th Glynde Place Fringe Festival

May 2nd-25th May Brighton Festival

May 7th-29th The Great Escape

May 12th-14th

Win a pair of tickets to The Great Escape 2011

4th June

To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets just email your full Name, address and telephone number to greatescape@bn1magazine.co.uk - In the subject header please put - “I want great escape tickets!” - One lucky person will be chosen at random and notified at the end of the month. Good luck!

Paddle Round the Pier

The Brighton Festival Fringe

First weekend of July

Citroën has just been announced as the headline sponsor for the Fringe Festival along with other key sponsors; Artrepublic (live art event), The Pebble Trust and Hendrick’s gin. Hendrick’s will be bringing a fantastic new literature venue to the Fringe; The Horseless Carriage of Curiosities, a converted 19th Century rail carriage, will be at the Fringe from May 19-30th. You can expect all the usual mix of comedy (Stewart Lee, Simon Munnery), Theatre (Pink Fringe at the Marlborough) and all the other crazy and unique events during a busy May. Check out the full programme of events on the Fringe website www.brightonfestivalfringe.org.uk, and check back in BN1 Magazine for all the latest news and gossip.

Kemptown Carnival

Playgroup festival

5th-7th August Comedy Festival

October 2011 Keep visiting BN1magazine.co.uk for upcoming festival news and reviews.

Other News Confronting the issue of mental health problems and aiming to reduce the stigma attached to it, the Experience in Mind Project are holding their latest exhibition ‘Through the Mind’s Eye III’ this month. The organisers are keen for people to come and appreciate the artwork at the event whilst having a drink and a chat about the unique creations on show .The exhibition specifically focuses on the experiences of young people suffering mental illness and gives them an opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings to the wider public.

The theme of the showcase this year is ‘secrets’ and through the display of their work it is hoped that visitors to the exhibition will take the time to challenge their own stereotypes surrounding mental health.

Thursday 24th March 6.30-9.00pm, Lighthouse 28 Kensington St www.experienceinmind.co.uk Coalition gets turned into a big top on March 23rd as the Wreck ‘n’ Roll Circus, a spectacular event pulls together musicians, DJs, performers, artists and freaks to provide the feeling of a real festival right on the seafront. Amongst the numerous tasty acts on offer are: The Here and Now Band, The Dead Silence Syndicate Band, Tribazik and the godfather of all festie bands - Eat Static.

Roaming theatre, Stilt-stalking, Killer Clowns, Jesters and Can-Can Gals will also be thrilling the crowds. Mix these freaks and live bands together in a top venue and you’ve got the recipe for the maybe the greatest show on earth!

Visit www.scraprecords.com for further details.

WWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK MARCH 2011

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LIVE MUSIC GUIDE

FLATS MARCH 8TH 8PM @ JAM MARCH Four piece London band Flats will soon set out on their first ever UK headline tour this March just in time for the release of their new single “Never Again”.

March 8th will see them stopping off at Brighton’s Jam for an evening of experimental punk. If previous gigs are anything to go by then Daniel Devine (vocals) Craig E Pierce (bass) Luke Tristram (guitar) and Samir Eskanda (drum) will bring with them a onslaught of savage, explosive punk. Things should get pretty hot; bring ice. Tickets are £6. (AN)

DETROIT SOCIAL CLUB MARCH 4TH @ JAM These swaggering indie rock Geordies bring us a sound somewhere between Kasabian and a rawer Oasis. If that sounds like your bag then you should love these scallys! They do have an ounce of originality which does mark them apart from the rest of the Oasis inspired rock crowd and their recent debut album, Existence was raved about by Q magazine. Without doubt the intimacy of Jam will help make this show a real great show. (BM)

CRYSTAL FIGHTER MARCH 22ND @ AUDIO This band sure are different – they’ve somehow managed to blend the folk music of the Basque area of northern Spain with accessible dance music to create something truly unique. Fresh from a triumphant performance on Jools Holland’s show they seem to be creating a bit of a buzz and doubtless this show at Audio will be rammed with young hipsters… if you’re one of them, you should love this!

(BM)

CHECK OUT THE BRIGHTON EVENTS CALENDAR AT BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

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MARCH 2011 WWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

LIVE MUSIC GUIDE

CLUB TOKYO MARCH 5TH @ TOWNER, EASTBOURNE If there is one thing Brightonians love more than anything else it’s dressing up and getting down to some interesting tunes. Well it would seem our neighbours over in Eastbourne are just like us!

Melting Vinyl came up with the idea of promoting a night at the Towner to celebrate the recent Robert Mapplethorpe art show and it was such a success they’ve decided to do it again, this time for Tomoaki Suzuki whose sculpture exhibition is taking place nearby. This time they will offer DJs, karaoke, live bands and various pieces of performance art, however this night isn’t just about seeing and hearing it’s also about you! They want you to dress up – street, Harajuku or manga, take your pick and get it sorted and then get off to what promises to be a really interesting night so get yourself over to Eastbourne! (BM)

SILENT DISCO

Flats

HANNAH PEEL MARCH 16th @ PROUD This highly talented musician has built up enough of a buzz within the music industry to warrant a headline slot at the former Hanbury, the loveliest most beautiful venue in town. She grew up playing fiddle with her Dad in Ireland and her musical journey has seen her also play in a multimedia band in Liverpool before her move to doing it herself. She has since been hotly tipped by the music press and it’s clear to see why. Her multiinstrumentalist take on folk pop channels her wonderful voice in an intoxicating mix. (BM)

MARCH 4TH @ CONCORDE 2 Win 2 x tickets!* R&B - HIP HOP - DRUM & BASS - POP - INDIE - DANCE - SING ALONG CHEESE - ROCK Now SILENT DISCO makes a welcome return for yet another night of muted madness at Concorde 2, and this time it’s on a FRIDAY NIGHT! Get yourself plugged into the clubbing concept that is currently tearing through the continents as the hottest travelling party on earth.

This is a VERY special party so if you’ve been to a Silent Disco... you’ll know what we are getting at. If you haven’t; then we suggest you buy a ticket now!

11pm-3am / £8+bf adv www.silentdisco.com

GUILTY PLEASURES ALBUM LAUNCH

your dancing shoes on and get ready for a non-stop rollercoaster of musical mayhem!! If that wasn’t exciting enough, this will also be the launch party of the brand new Guilty Pleasures album, set for release on March 21st, which will provide all you music lovers a slice of the GP action for wherever you choose.

The theme is Top of the Pops so coming dressed as your favourite pop star, group or past presenter of the much loved show is always encouraged. Jimmy Saville “now then, now then” doppelgangers more than welcome. 11pm-4am / £10+bf adv www.guiltypleasures.co.uk

THE DOORS ALIVE @ CONCORDE2 19TH MARCH @ CONCORDE 2

Win 2 x tickets!* THE DOORS greatest hits and album tracks will be performed by THE DOORS ALIVE, the UK’s leading DOORS tribute band. Having sold-out tours worldwide, the band has been critically acclaimed in the UK press for their accurate portrayal of THE DOORS. Clint Boon from Inspiral Carpets cited that they are “the best tribute act I have ever seen”... In short, they don’t disappoint. Take a trip with one of the greatest bands to have ever lived... THE DOORS - performed by THE DOORS ALIVE, 7-10pm / £10+bf

*Win a Pair of Tickets to this show!

All you have to do is email your full Name and “WIN TICKETS” to competition@bn1magazine.co.uk - please put the show in the Subject header.

GOOD LUCK!

Win 2 x tickets!* @ Concorde2 11pm-4am / £10+bf adv) Win 2 x tickets!* After bursting into 2011 with a sold out NYE Masked Ball Party at Komedia, Guilty Pleasures will be relocating to a brand new home in the splendidly decadent Concorde 2. Expect the usual glorious celebrations of pop, mirror balls and an industrial quantity of glitter, so get

WWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK MARCH 2011

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MARCH 2011 WWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

Gigs In Brighton...

TROPHY WIFE

The Hope Wed 2nd March £5 adv 8pm

BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH

Prince Albert Mon 7th March £6 adv

8pm

SURFER BLOOD Digital Tues 8th March £9 adv 7pm

THE NAKED & FAMOUS Digital Wed 9th March £7 adv 7pm

EXAMPLE

Brighton Dome Thurs 17th March £14 adv 7:30pm

JESCA HOOP

Brighton Ballroom Mon 21st March £8 adv 8pm

THE KING BLUES Concorde 2 Mon 28th March £10 adv 7:30pm

SCOUTING FOR GIRLS Brighton Dome Wed 6th April

£22.50 adv 7pm

MY PASSION

Coalition Thurs 28th April £9 adv 7pm

For More Details Go To

www.loutpromotions.co.uk

JO HARMAN

Jo Harman Being toured about in many quarters as the “Best British voice to emerge in decades” is a big responsibility, but after you listen to Jo Harman’s modest clutch of recordings it becomes quite obvious this actually is not such a ludicrous claim.

The Jo Harman Project unwaveringly delivers a style of music that draws from everything that is resplendently heartfelt in the world, from Blues-tinged Soul to Gospel and even Country Rock.

Although proudly displaying a wide range of impeccable Sixties style influences, Harman’s music is more than a simple pastiche of cool historical reference points. Instead she’s forged her own unique sound that proudly stands out on its own, whilst somehow managing to sound reassuringly familiar.

Visually she evokes comparisons with the sophisticated lounge styling of Nancy Sinatra or Dusty Springfield, whilst lyrically she has all the burning urgency of Janis Joplin or even early Bob Dylan.

But Harman’s voice is what stands out in this package. It’s a mix of husky blues-edged rawness twinned with a technical prowess that gives each song wonderfully dramatic quality. This incredible voice displays the rich quality to penetrate as deeply into the consciousness of popular culture, as any of her notable forebears.

As a teen Jo developed a deep love of classical music. After gaining a degree in performing arts, she came to Brighton to study at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music. She quickly hooked up with the London/ Brighton Soul Reality Collective. This gave her the springboard to assemble her own team of crack musicians and started to play her own shows, amongst these were a couple of BBC Introducing sessions and a guest slot with Scottish funk and R&B legends Average White Band.

After a couple of years of getting the mix right, Jo is now starting to bring her unique brand of Soul-powered perfect pop music to an eager world.

Next stops on Ms Harman’s journey down the road to world domination include an album - ‘Jo Harman and Company - Live at Hideaway’ which is released on March 4th, a support slot at the Concorde on March 23rd for the fabulous Marlena Shaw, then a huge show at Meadowlands Festival Sunday 29th May. There is also a proper full-on studio album in the pipeline. If Ms Harman succeeds in building upon the considerable momentum that she’s built up recently then superstardom could perhaps be on the horizon.

By Stuart Rolt

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MARCH 2011 WWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

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Jo Harman and Company - Live at Hideaway’ is released on Chief Records on 4th March www.joharmanproject.com

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Tattoo Convention Thousands ascended on the Brighton Racecourse to marvel at the wonders of ink and body art in all its glory at this year’s annual tattoo convention.

Over 150 tattoo artists from their respected studios travelled from as far as Brooklyn to participate and relish in the tattooladen atmosphere. The first thing that amazed me was the sheer amount of tattoo studios present and actual tattooing going on. Everywhere you went all you could hear was the buzzing sound of the tattoo gun and the look of concentration on the artists’ faces. After losing myself in the midst of tattoo buzz,

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merchandise and other piercing paraphernalia, the bar area was a welcome break and a chance to grab myself a nice pint and enjoy the stage entertainment and live bands. Perhaps most the notable attraction there were the various category competitions, which ranged from the weird to the wonderful and were followed by live music, performed by Peter and the Test Tube Babies and also the Ramonas.

MARCH 2011 WWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

Upstairs on the third floor Magnum Opus had their hands full, as scores of curious folks piled in to see their ‘great work’. Donations were also being received for a recent loss of one of their talented tattoo artists. IN2U with Woody and his team were there, showcasing their innovative displays of work. Other Brighton-based parlours could be found too, including Angelic Hell, Nine and Inka.

In celebration of the 100th birthday of Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins, a gallery of his iconic art-

TATTOO CONVENTION

work was on display, as well as the screenings of the film Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry, a movie about the legendary tattoo artist and the visionary innovations of Collins’ inspirational body art.

Alas, my descriptions of such a visual affair are impeded by my medium; text is an insufficient tool with which to convey an accurate and objective portrayal of the brilliant tattoo convention.

You should have been there!

PHOTOGRAPHY JOSH REDFEARN/HSHUKER

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MEADOWLANDS FESTIVAL

Meadowlands 2011 27th - 29th May

Is it festival season already? Not quite, but it’s time to start your festival planning! Up for keeping it local? Read on…

Yet again, Meadowlands Festival is taking up residence at the foot of the South Downs in the grounds of the gorgeous Glynde Estate near Lewes. Powered using Bio-fuel and solar power plus and drawing an eclectic mix of Musicians and performers, undoubtedly this is set to be a ‘value for money’ event!

This year’s musical highlights include singer-songwriter Foy Vance who has been compared to the likes of Otis Redding and Tom Waits and can’t possibly be missed! Locals Doll and the Kicks are returning after a mind-blowing set at the festival last year, and Brighton trio Mirrors are going to be giving us some Depeche Mode style synths.

Tru Thoughts (Brighton based record label) are opening the festival again this year and first up for second year running is Flevans, only this year he is joined by Robert Luis - DJ extraordinaire and A&R and Co-Owner of Tru Thoughts. Together they will be setting the bar for sublime Djing and will be attacking the sound waves with their unique abilities and styles of breaks, funk, dubstep, drum n bass, hip hop, tropical and soulful sounds. And if all that wasn’t enough The Penguin Cafe, has just been added to the bill bringing their charm and eccentricity with an avant garde classical pop twist.

With over sixty bands and DJs performing on three stages, kids’ workshops, stand-up comedy, luxury toilets, a fabulous café and free camping! What more could you ask for as an escape from the bankholiday chaos?

By Beki Turner

WIN TICKETS! We have 2 pairs of tickets up for grabs, so if you wanna be in with a chance, just answer this simple question: On the opening night (Friday 27th) which Brighton based record label will be launching the festival into action?

• • •

Tru Thoughts Bad dreams False ideas

Send all answers to meadowlands@bn1magazine.co.uk - including your full name, address and telephone number. - Please put “Meadowlands Competition” in the subject header. GOOD LUCK! Visit www.meadowlandsfestival.com for more details or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

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The Mirrors With half their members scavenged from the corpse of over too soon Bexhill band Mumm-ra, four piece Mirrors are Kraftwerk-esque pop noir and, with highly emotional, catchy songs like “Look At Me” and “Fear Of Drowning” they look a dead cert to wow the crowd at Meadowlands this May. Hyped by various magazines across the country James (synth, vocals) Ally (synth, vocals) Tate (synth) and Josef (electronic drums) this sharp suited band are proud of their image and rightly so.

Here at Bn1 we met up with James to see what the fuss is all about.

BN1: You’re on tour at the moment and are playing the green door store later this month. How are you feeling about that?

James New: Well it’s an excellent little club so we’re pretty excited. For me personally I think it was the one thing Brighton was missing; a genuinely good club with its own unique vibe. The gig itself should be great; it’s a chance to celebrate our record, which is coming out the following week, finally getting out into the world. We’re going to attempt to play everything on the album which means a 50 minute show.

We usually keep our show short and sweet. I’m just trying to sort out DJs for it now. It’s hard when the only thing you can offer them is free beer and the fact it’s very near the station!

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BN1: Who have you supported or played with so far in your gigging and touring?

James New: When we started we decided we didn’t really want to do support slots. We wanted to make our show something special and to do that you need full control; but of course that wasn’t really possible. We supported Delphic on their UK tour. We also supported OMD around Europe; obviously this was a really great time for us being that they are true synth pioneers.

Coming up we’ve got White Lies, Gary Numan, and then we’re touring with fellow Brightonians; Fujiya and Miyagi.

BN1: You’ve just said that you don’t really like support slots but if you could go on a big tour with anyone and have your own show who would you pick?

MARCH 2011 WWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

James New: Well we are always hopeful to not have to be the support other bands forever but obviously it is essential in building a bands profile. The problem for us is we don’t get to do everything that we’d like to at these shows. I have no real ambition to tour with anyone. If my heroes turned out to be human I’d be very disappointed.

BN1: How would you define the theatrical element that you bring to your shows?

James New: Well I think it’s to do with the atmosphere we bring to our show.

THE MIRRORS

BN1: How would you describe yourselves as a band?

James New: Well we’re opinionated.

We’re perfectionists to the point of bordering on OCD. We’re smartly dressed, professional and dedicated. We believe in what we do. At its best being in Mirrors can be a pretty life affirming thing BN1: You’ve got an album release coming up very soon. What can you tell us about it?

James New: It’s good. It’s really good. It feels like we’ve made something we can work from. The album certainly has its own identity, a certain atmosphere to it.

That was very important to us; that it had its own unique qualities to distinguish itself as Mirrors. But it’s a big pop record.

After a couple of listens we’ll have it stuck in your brain. The song “Listen” is the big standout track for me. A lot of my friends can be impatient with music but it’s quite epic. It’s ten minutes long but we think it’s ten minutes worth indulging in.

lamps, submerged in smoke be turned on to replace them, giving the room a feeling of warmth and intimacy.

We sort of become different characters which I understand can annoy people.

Luckily, we don’t really care because for the other half it makes our show one of the most exciting to watch right now. We don’t talk because there is no space to; once the music starts we rarely let sound stop. We incorporate slow, hypnotic visuals into the show, again to give it a certain atmosphere. We wear suits. Not just at the show but in our lives, but again it helps in building this more theatrical approach to live music. We make sure it’s dark, usually requesting all of the house lights be turned off and a couple of small

BN1: What can you tell us about your music?

James New: Firstly, whatever anyone says about Mirrors we’re a pop band, we write pop songs, and rather catchy ones at that. They’re just presented in a slightly unusual way. The music is dark and electronic, but vitally they’re warm and soulful. We incorporate a whole load of acoustic and organic sounds to give it this atmosphere. We try to make something that although has an electronic backdrop, also has a lot of warmth to it. I guess it’s a kind of dense, heavily layered electronic soul music we’re looking to make. I’ve described it recently as a big cake; it’s got a lot of really tasty layers in it.

BN1: There are a lot of great bands floating around in the music scene, have u had time to experience any of them?

James New: I think we tend to live in our own little world which we’re pretty comfortable with and I have to admit there aren’t that many bands in Brighton that interest me. With Mirrors we tend to keep ourselves to ourselves; it’s part of the idea that what we do is our own so we’re not inclined to form close affiliations. It’s our own little world outside of Brighton that we’re interested in.

BN1: I know the band is from Brighton, but what is it about the area that you like?

James New: I’m not actually from Brighton originally. I’m from down the road in Bexhill-on-sea which is a little retirement community. I do love Brighton though it’s been my home for 3 years now. It’s rich in culture and opportunity for all kinds of talented people. I’ve never known anyone who lives here to be negative about the city in the way you find in other parts of the country. I like that. We’re very protective of it and with good reason. We’re living in the most liberal, exciting, and generally delightful city in the country!

By Andrew Nicholls

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The life of a tribute band and its constituent members must be an odd one. I can think of few musicians who whilst twiddling their strings and nailing those bar chords as a stargazing teen were dreaming of a life of playing the songs of another.

The Australian Pink Floyd Show

Yet, still they exist and persist, and indeed rise soaring above the wedding and bar-mitzvah clichés to somehow become significant successes in their own right. So what drives these purveyors of other people’s work? Would they not rather sit mournfully in a bedsit plying their trade to a handful of sodden drunks in the local working men’s club?

Well, BN1 were lucky enough to be invited to speak to keyboard player Jason Sawford of probably the most successful tribute band of all, the simply monikered Australian Pink Floyd Show, ahead of their new 3D show at the Brighton Dome on March 23rd to talk all things tribute, the pressures involved in playing the hugely respected music of another band, and Dave Gilmour’s 50th birthday party......alongside dumping on a drum-kit.

BN1: Hi Jason, you’re in the most successful Floyd tribute band around and perhaps, hand in hand with Bjorn Again the most successful ever. How did it all come about and what drew you to do this?

JS: Well we started it all off in 1988 in Adelaide, part of the first wave of tribute bands. We just really got together to play the local pubs and clubs and somehow managed to build a career out of it. We didn’t really expect it to happen to be honest. We just became more and more attentive to the music and the detail and it grew over the years. People seem to appreciate the detail of Pink Floyd being played.

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BN1: What do you think the appeal is? What gap do you think you fill?

JS: Well a band like Pink Floyd just don’t play anymore. You can only listen to a CD or listen to someone else play their songs. People might disparage the concept of a tribute band, but in my mind all classical orchestras are in essence tribute bands. They’re all playing music written by someone else.

MARCH 2011 WWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

BN1: It’s a slightly alternate universe though. Do you think of yourselves as a unique product whilst you’re playing the music, or are you always keenly aware that you’re replicating something?

JS: You’re always very focussed when playing. It’s a pretty intense gig because you really can’t mess it up as it’s not your own music, and people aren’t so interested

THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD SHOW in an interpretation of Pink Floyd.

That level of focus and concentration can be pretty exhausting. I’m always mentally drained after a show.

BN1: Well you certainly received the regal seal of approval in being asked to play at Dave Gilmour’s 50th birthday party. That must have been pretty terrifying!

JS: It was pretty nerve wracking, yes. We were all very nervous but they all seemed very relaxed. I think everyone had had a bit to drink at that stage. Rick Wright was standing alongside me and

said “I’ll play Hammond, you can play synth” – he was going mad on it. I haven’t washed my Hammond organ since...

BN1: Well Dave has recently made the eminently sensible move of living in Brighton. Are you expecting to see him at the show?

JS: Who knows? I guess it’s possible. We didn’t know he was at the show until he came backstage and asked us to play at his 50th. So yeah, he might be there!

BN1: You’ve come to Brighton a few times now. Do you have any lasting impressions of the city?

JS: I love it in Brighton, it’s always great there, but I remember the first time we played, it was in a fairly small, dingy club. We’d stored our equipment the night before in this small backstage area. The next day we went in to unloaded the

stuff, ready to play, and someone had taken a dump in the drumkit!

Let’s just say we were pretty much holding our noses that whole gig – the smell was just not going.

BN1: This latest show incorporates quadraphonic sound and a 3D show. What can we expect?

JS: Well we’re using animation incorporating 3D visuals created

by John Attard who works out in Hollywood. It’s a spectacular show and everyone gets some polarized glasses to wear. The quadraphonic sound is realised through speaker positioning – it’s like surround sound really. Pink Floyd’s music lends itself to this kind of experience really well. There’ll be helicopters flying in from behind you and that kind of thing. It’s going to be great fun.

BN1: Do you write your own music too?

JS: Yeah, most of the band members have individual projects that they work on. This has become so successful though that the majority of time is spent improving and trying to perfect our Floyd show.

BN1: How long do you think you can carry it on? Without some kind of miracle there isn’t going to be any more Floyd music, so how far can you realistically take the show?

JS: Good question. Well we’ve performed the main albums as a show, we’ve done 3D. I’m not really sure but there’s always room to grow it. Technology is developing so fast that there’s always something new to do.

The Australian Pink Floyd Show playing the Brighton Dome on March 23rd. Visit www.brightondome.org for tickets and more information.

By Andy Hollis

BN1: And what about the songs you play. Are there any you steer clear of because it would be sacrilegious to touch? Perhaps some of the old Syd Barrett tracks?

JS: Not really. I don’t think there’s anything we wouldn’t do for that reason. Some of it is perhaps a bit far out to bring into the show. We like to be selective, but adventurous. I think that’s the way to go.

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THE FLASH BANG BAND

Flash Bang Band in conjunction with MyBandTV feat. The Beautiful Word When my colleague asked me if I wanted to go to a gig on a bus I asked him to give me more details, “You need a codename to get on?” was all he could inform me. At such short notice and on a Monday night, a gig this unconventional and shrouded in mystery seemed to good to pass up!

I had not done my homework, nor knew either of the bands and so I arrived at the Old Steine with little expectation. I found the bus waiting and joined the back of the orderly queue of people waiting to board, I started to catch just a little of the excitement of people running through the crowd. Knowing and witnessing some of the ingenious lengths performers and artists in Brighton have gone to, providing unique and rewarding ways to interact and participate with their audience, I became more open to the spontaneity of the night.

I got told to go to the Old Steine to catch the bus for 21:00, I didn’t know where the bus would be going, only that I would be seeing two bands and that it was a promotional stunt for one of them.

Establishing that there was a band for each floor and that the headliner would be playing downstairs I decided to sit upstairs for the first half of the Journey, a lot of anticipation surrounded the route and destination of the bus journey as well as seeing how two whole bands could occupy and perform on a moving bus.

On the top floor I saw The Beautiful Word (From Brighton, five piece formed in 2007, infectious brand of folk pop, 2 guys, 2 gals, unsigned) who put up a tremendous effort to perform while upright and were warming everyone up and getting them into the spirit. Their music carried and filled the top floor of the bus (despite having no drum kit), using xylophone, guitars and bass.

The “Surprise Destination” turned out to be Devils Dyke. This explained the twists and turns that where so perilous for the artists. This brief modicum of respite allowed all on board to hop off and have a cigarette, take a leak, swap floors and in some cheeky cases to have a speedy pint.

For the return journey on the lower floor I faced the main attraction, Flash Bang Band, the brains behind the gig whose novelty carries across more than just their choice of venue and into their passion to play.

The bus started to move at the first sound of Flash Bang Band kicking into their instruments. I was impressed not only by their skill and ability to play well, but to do it cohesively on a moving bus! This is the kind of idea of which just goes to show how playful this band are and the closeness of audience interaction and participation that they invite. Despite Instrument dropping and cheers from the crowd Flash Bang Band tore through a varied set, with small changes in tempo from their established repertoire. A change in instruments and the coordination between the band members kept things varied and meant that they were as interesting to watch playing together as they were to listen too.

As the bus careered back along the seafront the band finished up with “I want to better myself” with the crowd being encouraged to join in and it symbolizing the last hurrah of the journey. The unanimous voices ended the night with a feeling of unity a shared experience that felt quirky and endemic of Brighton pounding crescendo. As we pulled into Poole Valley the night was ended with the opportunity to talk to the bands and the drinks at the Northern Lights, with a free shot included for everyone who was granted one of the wacky names.

Spontaneous, impressive, inspired and a bloody brilliant idea.

By Josh Redfearn 20

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WHITE MINK @ THE GREEN DOOR STORE

White Mink @ The Green Door Store.

A swinging success!

If ever was there a time to announce a new live music venue, now would be it.

Photography and words by Josh Redfearn With places offering live music and decent company closing every 5 minutes it fell on contented ears to hear that there was a new venue on the scene offering such delights. We set off in anticipation as only good things had been whispered about The Green Door Store to find ourselves at the White Mink Electro-swing and Speakeasy Jazz night!

Inspired by the predominant and most formative sounds of the first half of the 20th century White Mink have been wowing crowds at festivals across the country with their definitive blend of contemporary dance music and 1920-50’s style burlesque, speakeasy and prohibition playacting.

Starting by touring as major fixtures of big name festivals in the UK, White Mink decided to bring their unique sound and vision to a more local market by finding permanent monthly club fixtures across the country. Currently in residence in Brighton at the Brighton Ballroom every third Friday of the month, White Mink offered us an extra

helping this January by hosting a unique night at the Green Door Store (possibly a reference to the 1956 song by Marvin Monroe of the same name about an exclusive club behind a green door?).

The club certainly fits this description being subterranean, with damp, exposed brickwork and wonderful vaulted ceilings; this two-chambered venue feels like the exact place to have an illicit party until dawn.

Upon arrival I was greeted heartily by the host and hostesses for the night, was then berated for not having come in costume (I should have known, Brighton does love to dress up!) and received a token entitling me to the treat of a cocktail from the bar. Music rang out courtesy of DJ Stylus, stalwart of Lost Vagueness/Copper Dollar performing arts group, with heavy 1950’s inspired dance and electro making it hard for me not to smile and shuffle my feet at the playfulness of it all.

As the crowd of cleverly dressed ladies and gentleman grew the first act of the night came on stage. London based jazz group Tri-Manouche, performing as a 5 piece band let loose some foot stomping blues and jazz filled with clever solos from the guitars and horns and paid tribute to the king of Gypsy-Jazz Django Reinhardt with some awesome covers.

The crowd and vibe was jubilant with laughing and dancing in both rooms.

Lavish costumes, low-lighting, clever projections and an abundance of drink created a cleverly adult yet playful and inviting setting, helped to feel genuine by the sounds and sights, even a 1950’s broadcast team arrived to

document the evening.

The night’s highlights were topped by a seductive burlesque performance by the china-white and incredibly beautiful Billy Rae showing us a skilled routing involving choreographed pyrotechnics.

Then Tri-Manouche returned to the stage as an eight piece accompanied by two vocalists and continued to keep the crowd jiving early into the morning.

If you haven’t been too a White Mink night before, GO! And if you do, for god sakes dress up, not only will you fit in, you will join the ranks of extremely good

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PUZZLES

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Down 1 A disposition to kindness (8) 2 Perfect (5) 4 Graphics (3) 5 Incomprehensible jargon (12) 6 Letters which lean to one side (7) 7 Precious metal (4) 8 December 24th (9,3) 12 Conditions (5) 13 Hoist at the pithead of a mine (8) 15 Traditionally burned (or eaten!) at Christmas (4,3) 19 To warm by a fire (5) 20 Snow carriage (4) 22 Often filled with mincemeat (3)

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CRYPTIC CROSSWORD Across 7 Discover Afghanistan language at shop refurbishment (6) 8 A dweller perhaps in library could be very knowledgeable (4-4) 9 Maybe ran a silk trade from here, but spices & tea when Ceylon (3,5) 10 Managed police detectives to investigate something very disagreeable (6) 11 Rip then let fall one when upset (8) 12 Ninety nine in command before the French have frozen water drop (6) 13 Fashionable & fragrant perennial given to a bodily manifestation (11) 18 Church gives religious instruction to a Saint on the Son of God (6) 20 Annoyed and disturbed ones deep rest (8) 22 Trap with no where to go except round the junction perhaps (6) 23 Introduces the gifts by law the document in question (8) 24 I hear bad weather is forecast my love for one before sleigh (8) 25 Vegetable found in a flowerpot a toddler planted (6)

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Down 1 Magic fliers found at the bottom of my garden or that is to say in fetes perhaps (7) 2 The wealthy loan in a way to support offspring (8) 3 Carpenter who could find supplementary work as a matchmaker (6) 4 Startle first one who causes others to panic (8) 5 Imported one French brie into a Borneo sultanate (6) 6 Staying in a villa an ice cream flavouring was discovered (7) 8 Sounds as if a news sheet for rhythmic music style is used to conceal the present (8,5) 14 Organised a treaty on a legally appointed representative (8) 15 To repeat this performance is classically light hearted music (8) 16 In common parlance it could be the gun and the person using it (7) 17 Get a set prepared for the development of offspring (7) 19 In the beginnings of baseball, one of nine turns at bat (6) 21 Choose one of the seven when feeling tired (6)

The Great

WRECK N ROLL CIRCUS

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9pm till 2am.

6am. tickets £12/10cons

WWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK MARCH 2011

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THE BRIGHTON VEG AND VEGAN PAGE

Rosemary Aioli

N EW Equipment: Food processor

Preparation 10 minutes

Ingredients 150ml Unsweetened soya milk 250ml Olive oil and 100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil (mixed) 1 ½ Lemons (squeezed) 3 Cloves garlic (peeled & sliced) 1 Big handful rosemary (chopped) ½ tsp Salt I was talking with my wife the other day about all the foods we miss eating being vegan. Before I became vegan I was vegetarian for almost 10 years and was a massive cheese gobbler; any cheese, anytime, anywhere. I could destroy a Brie wheel or a wedge of Dolcelatte in moments whilst simultaneously inhaling a mighty chunk of mature vintage farmhouse cheddar, then immediately wonder where my next cheese fix would be coming from. But with great lactic pleasures come great lactic problems; not only does too much cheese give me a nice round belly of plumpness, it also gives me rather nasty eczema and the worst asthma attacks I have ever experienced. So for that reason, (amongst others,) I decided to give up cheese and dairy and see how I fared. Within a few days, my eczema started to clear up, my lungs felt fantastic and I lost weight (hooray!) You might think I would have been OK if I just reduced the amount of cheese I ate but to me, it was like asking a drug addict to cut down on the Crack – not really considered the easiest thing in the world in to do. So it was cold turkey for me on the cheese and dairy front and do you know what? – It was easier than I thought. I thought I was going to have to reconstruct the scene from Trainspotting and lock myself in a room with various buckets until the cheese sweats and hallucinations passed from my system but I was OK. I didn’t miss cheese as much as I thought I would but there is one thing my wife and I still miss terribly and were totally unprepared for when we took our Vegan vows; Eggs. The versatile foodstuff. You can scramble, poach, fry, coddle, omelette, make sauces, bind other food with them, whack them in cakes, have them with toast, have them on their own, eat them raw; hell, have them any damn way you want, they’re so versatile! Even though I miss them I get by without them quite easily and food tastes just as great without them. My full English Breakfast is still delicious, my homemade burgers and falafels don’t need binding with them and my cakes taste great without a sniff of them in sight.

I’m going to give you a recipe for one of my favourite things of all time: Mayonnaise. Now I know one of the main components of Mayonnaise is egg yolks but it is possible to make a vegan version that is creamy and delicious. You can use a dairy free supermarket jar but they’re not as good as homemade.

One of my favourite types of mayonnaise is Aioli; a garlic, lemon and sea salt mayo found in French Provencal Occitan and Spanish & Catalonian cuisine; all with their own regional variations. I add Rosemary to mine and even Lavender in the Summer and serve it with just about anything I can get away with. It’s perfect with lightly grilled vegetables or in a coleslaw and tastes absolutely wonderful with crispy hand cut rustic wedges. All you need is a blender, hand blender or food processor and you’re away. Enjoy! Danny runs a food blog & recipe site www.thecapertree.com

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Method 1. Place the soya milk and lemon juice into the food processor and blitz together. The soya milk will have thickened slightly.

2. Turn on the processor and gradually drizzle in the Olive Oil. Do this slowly so the milk absorbs the oil completely. Stop at regular intervals to scrape the sides of the bowl down. Stop drizzling when it looks mayonnaise.

3. Add the rosemary 4. Taste and serve.

It will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for at least a week.

BUSINESS

Business: Media and Entertainment Is your publisher restraining you?

What do publishers do?

Music Publishers play an important role in the career of a musician. They are responsible for finding new ways to use an artist’s music, issuing 3rd party licences for the copyright and then collecting the income. The extent that your publisher does these things for you, however, will depend on the legal agreement that you have in place. The most basic deal, referred to in media law as an “administration deal”, usually involves licensing (authorising) the publisher to register the copyright in an artist’s songs with the relevant collection societies (PRS, PPL etc) and to collect income from any use of the music. At the other end of the spectrum is what media solicitors call an “exclusive publishing agreement”, whereby you assign (give away) the copyright in your songs to the publisher. In return for this exclusivity and control, the publisher should be responsible for seeking all opportunities to make use of your music.

Restraint of trade Once you have assigned your musical copyright to another person, you lose the authority to do certain things with your music without your publisher’s say-so.

Most notably, this includes the ability to copy your music, sell it, or perform it in public without the publisher’s consent.

It doesn’t take a genius (or a media lawyer) to recognise that if you give away the rights to use your music to your publisher, then your ability to earn a living is completely in their hands. If your publisher owns the copyright in your music and isn’t doing anything with it then you have a problem. Luckily the law recognises that this is an unreasonable restraint of a person’s trade and is unacceptable.

The Stone Roses In the early 90s, the Stone Roses found themselves in a situation where their trade was being unreasonably restrained when they signed up to a joint publishing and record deal. The band was made to assign all copyright but there was very little obligation for the publisher to actually use it. Even worse, the publisher was only obliged to return the copyright to the band if it hadn’t made use of it within 5 years. Of course this is an extreme example and restraints are not always so blatant, but artists should be on the lookout for unfair music or publishing contract terms.

What to do If you suspect that you are getting a poor deal from your publishing contract then it is always a good idea to seek the advice of a media solicitor. Do bear in mind, however, that prevention is much cheaper and quicker than cure when it comes to contracts. It is also not advisable to rely on restraint of trade as a ‘get out of jail free card’. If you sign up to a contract that you believe is unfair, but in which you see some initial benefit, it is likely that you will be considered to have agreed to the restrictions and be tied to the contract. As always, the moral of the story is to get some legal advice from a media lawyer before signing any agreement. In fact, most publishing agreements carry a health warning to seek the advice of an independent solicitor before signing, so not doing so puts you on the back foot if things turn nasty.

For further information on the issues raised in this legal tip please contact Josh Little at ACUMEN MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT LAW on 08458 678978 or josh.little @ acumenbu sinesslaw. co.uk

WWW.BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK MARCH 2011

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