February Edition BN1 Magazine

BRIGHTON’S BEST COMMUNITY AND LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Tiffany Page Courtney Pine Mariza Two Spot Gobi What’s Your Vice?

PLUS: WHAT’S ON, FOOD & DRINK, LIVE MUSIC GUIDE, COMEDY, THEATRE, CROSSWORD & SUDOKU

FEBRUARY 2010

#7

BN1 Magazine

CONTENTS

Visit www.bn1magazine.co.uk

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What’s on in February BN1’s Live Music Guide Tiffany Page - Exclusive Courtney Pine - Exclusive Interview Mariza - Exclusive Interview Brighton Winter Scene Two Spot Gobi - Interview Vive La France - Review What’s Your Vice - Interview Comedy - Previews Arts & Culture Food & Drink - local Reviews Crossword & Sudoku

New Website Feb 2010!

This Month....

Tiffany Page - Pg.10

Courtney Pine - Pg.12

Mariza - Pg.14

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What’s on in February...

Banff Mountain Film Festival

Komedia Thursday 11th February

Attracting sold out audiences across the globe, a collection of extraordinary short films from the world’s most prestigious mountain film festival. Through the big screen you will visit remote cultures and the world’s last great wild places as well as experience amazing footage of adrenaline packed action sports such as climbing, kayaking, skiing and mountain biking.

Exhilarating and provocative, the 2010 World Tour is a mustsee for mountain enthusiasts and those with a spirit of adventure. www.komedia.co.uk/brighton www.banff-uk.com

Jo Caulfield 'Won't Shut Up'

Komedia Wednesday, 24th February £12 - £14

The ever acerbic Jo Caulfield delivers another evening of cutting observations on life’s little obstacles.

Coming across like your girlfriends best mate that can never shut up, she daintily tramples over many a well held preconception without ever truly causing any real upset.

Don’t be fooled though, there’s not many targets that are too weak and vulnerable for Jo to cast an over-critical eye over. www.komedia.co.uk/brighton www.jocaulfield.com

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God's Garden

Brighton Dome Monday 15th - Tuesday 16th February £10 - £15

Portuguese choreographer Arthur Pita (RSC, Royal Opera House, Phoenix Dance Theatre) returns to the Dome with his latest full-length dance theatre work.

When the Costa family prodigal son flees on his wedding day, his jiltedl bride’s tears are enough to water a hungry garden. His eventual return brings familial forgiveness and celebration; but a wronged woman must and shall take her revenge!

With exquisite Fado music, stunning design by Jean-Marc Puissant and a first-rate cast this ancient parable is reimagined as an elemental exploration of love, death, sexuality and betrayal.

Post-show talk free to ticket holders, Mon 15 www.brightondome.org

Brighton half marathon

21st February Brighton seafront The Sussex Beacon Half Marathon celebrates its 20th birthday this year and is looking to gather over 8000 runners to raise money for a great cause.

Taking place on Sunday 21 February the course starts and finishes on Madeira Drive and visits most of the city’s landmarks. It’s set to be a great day out for young and old with Youth Races for children aged 8-10 (800m) and 11-16 years (2.5K), giving them the opportunity to experience racing on an official course, and to cross the same finish line as the adults – earning them a finisher’s medal.

Sussex Beacon is a Brighton based charity that provides health management services and a clinical care centre for men and women living with HIV/ Aids.

Half Marathon Enquiry Line 01273 645 697 www.sussexbeacon.org.uk

Whats On

Ministry of Burlesque

Komedia Friday 19th February £15 - £26.50

Prepare to be transported to 1930’s Berlin, a world sexy, glamorous and debauched, with dazzling lights and colours, feathers and ribbons, jewelled gloves and fishnets, satin and suspenders.

A crazy and hysterically funny evening of world class burlesque entertainment comes to the Komedia. Featuring the daring antics of scantily clad showgirls, the sultriest of sirens and the edgiest comic-cabaret masters this show will amaze, thrill and titillate. www.komedia.co.uk/brighton

Circus Stories

Brighton Dome Saturday 13th February £4 - £6

Bringing Circus bang up to date, Circus Stories is a totally fresh and truly remarkable combination of aerial acrobatics, harness-counterweight, silks and trapeze, all fused inventively with digital technology, animation and video. A genuine and startling insight into the hearts and minds of young people, inspired by their memories, dreams and personal accounts, Circus Stories recalls playground adventures, peculiar dreams, and friendships lost and found. www.brightondome.org

La Cage aux Folles

Theatre Royal Monday 22nd - Saturday 27th February £33 - £36 A gay nightclub owner’s son comes home to inform him he is getting married. The son is rather eager that dad and his drag queen lover make a good impression on his fiancée's ultra-conservative family. Inappropriately enough the lover then makes a futile effort to pass himself off as the nightclub owners wife when the two families meet for the first time. Just as the deception is uncovered the countries press gather outside the building demanding that the prospective in-laws answer to allegations of corruption.

Coming to town straight from a sensational smash-hit West End season, La Cage aux Folles is a timeless and deliciously funny tale of family values, unconditional love, and above all, the need to celebrate who we are. www.ambassadortickets.com/Theatre-Royal-Brighton

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Music Gudie

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Music Gudie

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Tiffany Page

A Sign of Things to Come for Brighton’s Music Lovers....

Tiffany Page supporting The Noisettes The O2 Academy, Birmingham Friday 23rd October 2009 It was a case of soulful acoustic (Page) meets erratic indie punk (The Noisettes) on a riotous Friday night in Birmingham late last October. At a packed O2 Academy the stage was set for two acts of great contrast but of equal significance in this reporter’s opinion. For Tiffany Page, (www.myspace.com/tiffanypage) this was the first of many concerts in a much larger world, which incidentally has

been blown wide open due to her relatively recent signing to Mercury Records. For the Noisettes it was a case of yet another intimate venue rammed to the rafters ready for a show of savage indie/funk, deliciously blended with a punk overtone that when shown live smacks of Hendrix’s madness forty years ago.

However, the real focus is on Tiffany Page, who is not only now residing comfortably (at least in terms of her label) alongside the likes of Photography: Polly Rothwell

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U2, Mark Knopfler, Metallica and The Noisettes but who is also making a trip down to Brighton’s icy shores on the 26th February. Little clues of her recent success with Mercury were present in her small scale acoustic set to kick off the evening on this night, although the gig (all of four tracks) was nonetheless indicative of the truth behind the old adage of quality over quantity. The reasons for the adoption of an acoustic style for this set in particular remain a mystery, a decision which was undoubtedly taken by the invisible decision makers over at Mercury headquarters.

Page’s ice cool approach to centre stage, while usually an indication of arrogance, in this case seemed more of a tone setting instrument for what was an understated set. Unfortunately, the unplugged nature of the gig didn’t do the musical effect any favours. If you were to listen to the recorded tracks on her Myspace page, such as ‘Walk Away Slow’ or ‘On Your Head’ you are lost in a sea of haunting, edgy rock sounds which frankly grab you by the balls. In this case, the percussionist’s brushes simply failed to suffice on the same level.

What did seem to get through however was Page’s eminent talent for song writing. A rare talent these days in an ocean of

Tiffany Page

British pop culture awash with physically attractive, nice sounding musical celebrities who posses not an ounce of literary skill. In this up and coming singer/songwriter’s performance, even one of this short a length, it was easy to see that in Tiffany Page Mercury have uncovered the musical equivalent of the formula to alchemy. While possessing an obvious skill for writing, Page seems to be able to give additional emphasis to her lyrical prowess through her powerful husky vocals which break through the slightly weak backing music on this occasion. After the set, the ‘sultry soulstress’ (3 Blind Mice - Myspace.com) was kind enough to give me a few moments of her time to explain the context of this gig and her plans leading up to the release of her first single ‘early in 2010, around February or March’. As I understand it, Page’s signing to MercuryUniversal in March of 2009 came only after several other record offers. According to Page these gigs and many like them on the ‘underground circuit’ will serve as ‘good exposure’ in the coming months for what will become a ‘fully electric four piece band’.

The four piece group (in which Page is the rhythm guitarist and the lead singer/songwriter) will be supporting The Noisettes at the Brighton Dome later this month. For a taste of the finished article log on to www. myspace.com/tiffanypage and listen to what will be her first single ‘Walk Away Slow’. The track is a fine introduction to an artist who has fused catchy

pop rhythms with her booming soulful vocals to create a very impressive debut single.

Recently she has been seen performing at The Garage in London, acts like these that she is currently performing all over the country will essentially serve as an exercise in ‘refining her live performance’ before the launch of her single.

This, as Page put it, would be the ‘ideal experience’ before her inevitable performances in larger London venues. For Tiffany, performing in London represents the ‘pinnacle of live music’, however she insists that her shows in Brighton and elsewhere are not lower on her list of priorities and thus will not suffer a dip in quality. The ‘underground shows’ as she put it, (an interesting comment, perhaps reflecting her hunger

as an artist given that these apparently ‘underground’ gigs will largely be done supporting The Noisettes!) will be one enormous build up to setting both London and the UK alight. As a jumping off point, if the show in Birmingham last year was anything to go by then Brighton’s music lovers should eagerly await Miss Page’s planned visit down to the south coast on the 26th February, when in theory the finished and near perfected fully electric article will be on show for all to see.

By James Rowland

Tiffany Page supporting the Noisettes, 26th February BRIGHTON DOME £14.30 adv + booking fee

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Courtney Pine

Catch Courtney Pine at the Brighton Dome on 18th February 12 www.bn1magazine.co.uk

Courtney Pine

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Mariza

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BRIGHTON & HOVE WINTER SCENES

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Brighton Winter Scenes

A series of pictures taken around Brighton over January’s big freeze!

For more Images and Pictures of Brighton & Hove visit www.bn1magazine.co.uk/gallery 17 www.bn1magazine.co.uk

Two Spot Gobi Fast producing one of the most original sounds in music, Two Spot Gobi is known to many as the band with it all. Six guys, a cello and a trumpet make their live performance like no other. Their crowd pleasing display of alternative pop meets melodic creativity is indeed what makes them special. Deborah Fairfield caught up with the lead singer, James Robinson, to find out more.

Your last performance at Brighton's Komedia was certainly more than brilliant, how do you feel about Two Spot Gobi’s success at the moment?

Thank you! We are feeling so good at the moment as a band, about where we are and where we are going. We had the most incredible time recording our album in California over the summer and cannot wait to release our album in the spring. Everything is falling into place after years of hard graft and we are all grateful to our friends, fans and followers for keeping the faith and driving us on. Of course the Komedia was awesome, gotta love that place!

Are you back in Brighton anytime soon?

We will be playing in Brighton again around spring but nothing is set in stone so watch our space.

Does the name “Two Spot Gobi" have anything to do with a goby fish? Where did it come from?

Two Spot Gobi is a name that a school friend of mine came up with years ago and he had seen a fish in the National Marine Aquarium with that name that same day, but the meaning is meaningless really. I think we just thought it sounded good.

I hear you've spent some time in California, what did you get up to?

We recorded our second studio album with the incredibly talented Niko Bolas. It was an honor and privilege to work with him for a start, as he has produced for Neil Young, Sting, Rod Stewart and all sorts of huge acts. We all became so tight over there, it was magic. We surfed, we ate, we sun-tanned and we soaked up the goodness. You can full on hear the California sun in the new record! We were staying and recording at Jason Mraz's place near San Diego, it is absolutely beautiful at his place, right in the heart of nature, the memories will stay with us until we are old.

Naturally, a band made up of six strapping guys must come up against an excited female fan base.

Do you have any stalker fans?

I don't know that we have any stalker fans, we have lots of very loyal fans that have come to see us in Europe, the USA and the UK but they are all way too cool to be stalkers.

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Who’s the womaniser in the band?

Rob (Cellist), hands down. www.bn1magazine.co.uk

Two Spot Gobi

Who’s the joker?

Everyone in the band is a joker, we all take turns, but the biggest practical joker is Ben Matthews (drummer), hands down. You are NEVER safe with him around!

Your music has been described as “the freshest new sound combining nu jazz with melodic tunes with acoustic and funk rock�, excuse the pun but, is that spot on?

I find it so hard describing our music, we all six bring all of our many influences to rehearsals and to the creative process. We definitely try and make music that is melodic, melody is just so important in making music that feels great to play and to listen to. I would say that our music is an Organic, alternative type of pop music that is simple, soulful and warm and really can only really be heard to be understood. As a band we enjoy all kinds of music together and individually and it all ends up in there in some form.

What's your favourite song on the new album?

My favourite song on the new album is called 'You Make it Easy'. It's a simple pop-tune with hooks but with the Cello, trumpet and drums providing so much dynamic, rhythmically and texturally, that it grooves, grows and climaxes in all the right places and I am so proud of it. The words in the lyrics also mean a lot to me.

What would I find in your fridge?

Well I live with Rob and my shelf in the fridge is always full of pasta and vegetables, his is usually full of posh yoghurts, apple pies and trifles and other junk! To be fair to him he does eat a lot of fish.

We both eat pitta breads and dips like it's going out of fashion.

What does the future hold for Two Spot Gobi?

We are planning to tour our new album that is slated for release around Easter time. We will back in the US and we are hoping to get back to Europe to play to our fans there and perhaps this time we will stretch to Japan and Australia. Basically we are going to aim to be on the road as much as possible and we are going to keep writing, working hard and continuing to make music that we love.

Thanks for having us on your pages. Love to the Brighton folk. We love you Interview by Deborah Fairfield

“Vive la France!” in collaboration with Melting Vinyl Present; Marina Celeste + Transformer @ Duke of York’s Picturehouse

Marina Celeste

Transfomer

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What’s Your Vice?

Fresh from a photo shoot, Izzy, Cookie, Chris and Tom sit picking at their crusty, paint-covered skin...

So what is the idea behind the band?

Izzy: Without over-articulating or anything we don’t wanna put ideas in people’s minds... we just wanna get drunk with you and be the soundtrack to the best night of your life.

Tom: I’m always at the bar at the end of the night.

Cookie: That’s why he’s single...if any man wants to meet up he’s there.

Izzy: Tom’s the teenage heartthrob!

Tom: I’m always up for a wine, dine and a 69!

Izzy: We don’t wanna emulate other people’s sounds. We wanna be really raw...that’s why we make all our t-shirts by hand. We wanna keep everything organic.

Cookie: Yeah, like funding our tour bus through making pornos.

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You have some pretty crazy gig stories then?

Izzy: Before the last gig we had I woke up in the morning pretty much totally naked but just with my knickers on, back to front, inside out, after some kinda shenanigans the night before. I have no recollection of how I got that way.

Rest of band: She has a tendency of getting naked.

Cookie: I just want a beer!

Chris: When I had a party at my house, Tom passed out...

early as usual (band laugh) Then I got in my blanket on the floor and as I was just about to fall asleep I heard Tom starting to talk in his sleep, calling out ‘Georgia’.

Cookie: And then a bat come into the room and started sucking on everyone...but yeah, he was shagging Georgia.

Izzy: There wasn’t even a girl called Georgia...she’s a ghost.

I’m actually psychic...I’m known as ‘mystic Izzy’ at all the parties.

Chris: Anyway, back to that

What’s Your Vice?

story, then basically my housemate came and put her pussy in Tom’s face.

(Izzy beats everyone at ‘rock, paper, scissors’) So what’s the worst gig you’ve had?

Izzy: The gig at Prince Albert was bad! Everything fell apart, everyone messed up. We pretty much wrote most of the set list earlier that day. We were pretty fucking wasted.

Cookie: Were we? Were we really?

Izzy: You stole my vodka that night!

Cookie: Haha, I was doing like year 3 flirting for that.

And what’s the best gig you’ve ever had?

Izzy: We got shown a video at the beginning of term of what not to do at the end of term gig.

Basically getting drunk and getting naked...so we got up there and pretty much did both of those things.

Cookie: In one way or another.

Chris: To the extreme! And yeah, now they’re showing them the video of us at that gig as an example of how to do a gig!

Cookie: Yeah Izzy: We got some gigs outta that. What hypocrisy though!

Even when we’re trying to be controversial they embrace us.

Chris: They just liked it cos we put on a great show.

castic voice) Album out soon baby!

Tom: And I’m getting my new bass.

Cookie: Everyone in Brighton needs to know about that.

(Band laugh) Tom: We should be playing gigs soon. Back on the circuit!

Izzy: So come along and get drunk with us!

So what’s next for ‘What’s Your Vice?’?

Interview & Photography

by Oli Lyons

Chris: We’re going into the studio next month. We got brand new tracks coming out soon. Watch this space for a new EP! Cookie: Yeah (Puts on sar-

If you would like to book What’s my Vice? for any gigs or parties please visit their MySpace page.

...the band leaves to spray themselves down with white spirit!

www.myspace.com/whatsyourviceuk

Comedy Stephen K Amos Theatre Royal Sunday 7th February £16.50

Machine gun delivery from a comedy master as Stephen K Amos calls in on Brighton on his tour of the country.

He’ll be regaling his audience with fantastic anecdotes about his family, school days and his views on religion while also introducing a variety of his hilarious characters.

Amos has undeniable charisma and manages to create a unbreakable connection with his audience within seconds of walking onstage. There’s not many comedians that endeavour to be this warm and engaging. www.ambassadortickets.com/Theatre-Royal-Brighton

The Sugar Babes

Komedia Studio Bar Saturday 13th February Radio 4’s Philippa Fordham unleashes a preposterous comic tale about two sisters brought together by a shred quest to find their father.

For reasons that will become clear, they believe that the misplaced parent is sour-faced entrepreneur Alan Sugar.

Spurred on by the prospect of being knee-deep in home computers and home entertainment systems they embark upon an colourful epic journey to reconcile themselves with Big Al. www.komedia.co.uk/brighton

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Russell Kane's Fakespeare: The Tragikal Saveings of King Nigel Komedia Sunday 28th February £10 - £12

Running with the mad concept of everyone in Southend-on-Sea speaking in Shakespearean prose, comedian Russell Kane presents his debut Edinburgh play. In full ‘Fakespeare’ style (as seen on Paramount Comedy Channel) this four-hander piece is a base blank verse tale of love, Bacardi Breezers, and tragedie set in the jewel of Essex’s coastline.

www.komedia.co.uk/brighton www.russellkane.co.uk

Arts & Culture

Arts

Walking through the colourful streets of Brighton, it’s clear that creativity is a part of everyday life here. Home to artists, designers and writers from all walks of life, this seaside town is filled with a creative flare that goes way beyond just a pretty landscape. Anything and everything from restaurants and cafés to shops and garage doors are swallowed by a unique interpretation of arts and culture. No wonder this town is so often bustling with visitors from all around, stopping to admire the graffiti consumed walls. With some of the best street art around, by legends such as Banksy, MSK Crew and Odisy, try not to feel just a little inspired. And it doesn’t end there. Brighton has so many exhibitions and galleries across town where you can appreciate the wonder of so many photographers and artists for free, particularly in the North Laines.

down Kensington Gardens and you reach Crane Kalman Gallery. Currently exhibiting Simon Robert’s raw photographic images of winter in Northern Russia, the gallery has a more conventional method of presenting art and photography. Specialising in themed exhibitions, which change roughly every month, the gallery has so far seen landscapes, visions of America, Eastern European poster art, scenes of Sussex, high society and many more. Often showcasing the work of acclaimed photographers such as Samuel Hicks, Tim Flach and Rob Carter, you can purchase any of the prints, but be prepared to spend anything from £500 to £10,000.

By Deborah Fairfield

The North Laine Photography Gallery, nestled in the heart of Kensington Gardens, is of no exception. Sat above the wonderful shopping world that is Snooper’s Paradise, the gallery celebrates Brighton in all its vivacious glory.

Featuring the excellence of photographers such as Roger Bamber and Anni Agnise, the colourful images capture the essence of Brighton life.

Bare witness to the eccentricity, quirkiness and frolicking of this seaside town. Whether it’s a postcard of the ‘oldest gay in the village’ on a scooter or an exquisite photograph showing a sun set moment behind the West Pier, you can Brighton up your walls with postcards and framed photographs for between £5 and £100.

However, if street art is more to your taste, just opposite Snooper’s Paradise, Framework boasts an impressive collection of photo prints. Though not a gallery as such, you can still flick through the selection of mounted images and canvases to get a real feel for what street art is all about.

Showing culture through the illicit nature of art, the prints are brilliant and inspiring. They show just how traditional graffiti work, sticker art, street poster art and stencil art impacts our urban streets. In Framework, you can buy any of the prints and even get your own images framed for a reasonable price.

Sticking with the North Laines, a short walk

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Food & Drink Pompoko Fast becoming one of the most popular Japanese restaurants in Brighton, Pompoko is more than just a typical sushistyle restaurant. With a choice from over fifty dishes on the menu, it’s hard not to find something to suit your taste. From pumpkin curry to teriyaki chicken, Pompoko’s range of Japanese food satisfies both western and eastern taste buds alike. With the option of appetisers and

desserts, the food is served quickly and the presentation is excellent. Each main course is less than a fiver which is perfect if you’re looking for a fast and inexpensive bite to eat.

Located just opposite the Pavilion, on Church Street, Pompoko is available for bookings and takeaways too.

Pompoko 110 Church Street Brighton BN11UD

Shakespeare’s Head 1 Chatham Place Brighton East Sussex 01273 329444

Described as the place with the ultimate Sunday Lunch, the Shakespeare’s Head is just a short walk down the hill from Seven Dials. Best known for its quirky menu, it serves a dizzying range of sausages in the week and a tasty roast dinner on a Sunday.

The food is excellent value and never fails to please. With friendly staff and a great atmosphere, the Shaky, as it’s also known, is the perfect place to cosy up on a Sunday.

Enjoy the interesting and tasty beers on tap and make use of the picnic tables outside which are perfect for relaxing in the sun.

By Deborah Fairfield

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Opening Times Mon-Thurs 11:30-22:00 Fri-Sat 11:30-23:00 Sun 11:30-21:00

Food & Drink

The Lion & Lobster

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angel food bakery

GRUBBS BURGERS Dotted around Brighton are possibly some of the nicest, value for money burger shops in the form of Grubbs Burgers with their smiling burger waving hello from the window.

Make no mistake, it’s not a gourmet upmarket burger joint but for amazing value and a huge selection from blue cheese to peanut butter, you can’t ask for more. I love that my burger wasn’t dripping in oil, that it was made to order and didn’t leave me with that heavy oily feeling that you get from some other burger joints – and that the chocolate milkshake was so thick it made my cheeks ache after sipping the whole thing through a straw. Of course, there is the fact that it all cost less than a fiver which adds some serious appeal!

Wherever you live in Brighton there’s sure to be one close to you, either in St James’ street, on Western Road or in York Place. Open really late it’s a great stop after a night out, or simply for a quick bite during the day.

By Leigh higgins

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Food & Drink

The Booze Hound!

Dark

S tar I mper

ial S t out

Available online at www.sussexandthecity.co.uk ÂŁ.2.45 330ml bottle.

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SUDOKU

Quick Crossword

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For all Answers visit

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