Abi Rhodes' Zigzag Wanderings

Humdinger...Folk Singer

http://www.reverbnation.com/saracoffield

Well... I've had the honour of knowing this lady for what?...five or more years now. I first came across her on her myspace page lurking under the name Saravian. As she was inhabiting Brighton at the time and I'd had this idea of turning the Blaker's Park Community Picnic into Woodstock, I was contacting likely looking local artists and inviting them to give their services completely free of charge and totally at their own expense! Lo!... and Behold! - Sara was not only able and willing to meet these exacting requirements, she also hung around after her set talking to everyone and she actually lent her guitar to a total stranger to do an ad hoc performance during the proceedings which in the event turned out to totally random - haphazard, even - in the true Woodstock tradition. Sara sang a few songs of her own composition which everyone present showed much appreciation for, but I believe it was her quiet and quirky rendition of Donovan's Season of the Witch which [which witch?] convinced the cogniscenti amongst us that here was a talent worth watching.

'Twas not long ere, sadly for Brighton, Sara upped sticks and moved to our Sister City, Bath and eventually settled in Frome [ pronounced Frooooooooooom, for those who don't know]. Her career has blossomed and fruited into a pretty good all-round musician, event organiser, radio presenter, spiritual guru and what-have-you. Luckily, for moi, we have stayed in touch - thank you Sara for putting up with my sniping at your various webpages from the sidelines - and at long last she has sent me a record for review!

Let me get my little quibble out the way to start with - and then no more need be said on the subject - the packaging is not exactly exciting and attractive - it has a rather ordinary layout and track listing with little further information and a very old-fashioned [rather than 'retro']   picture of Sara and her guitar [a drab colour version of the above].  A quick visit to any of her sites [I'd pick Facebook]  will reveal any number of much more attractive shots.

 https://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=303943583003634#!/SaraCoffieldPersonal 

It's an EP - entitled.. well not actually entitled anything, which I think is sad. The first track is called 'Wild, Free and Beautiful' - a song which Sara has been singing and developing for quite a long time now and I suspect she, Dylan-like, sings quite differently from performance to performance as she's that kind of girl. She's more than the obvious folk singer/songwriter which the record sleeve portays her as - she's actually quite the jazzer as the second track 'Love Be with Us!' illustrates.

This brings me on to the spiritual aspect of Sara Coffield. She never really quite defines what this is but frequently hints in her public utterances that this is a very important aspect of her being. But not in an intrusive way, which old cynics such as I would not handle particularly  benignly. She is more the type of person who seems to want to just share her joy in living.. and I have to say it's catching and rather beautiful.

Track three, 'Bless My World' reinforces this message and compliments the listener with plaintive offerings such as "You're a crazy genius......I really, really like you.." - who can possibly resist responding positively to that?

The EP winds up with 'Trickster' - a medium paced moody enquiry into our motives vis-a-vis what?I'm not sure but the enigmatic question is posed just the same.

Despite, or more probably because of, the rather strange abrupt ending to that last track in particular and hence the EP, one is left wanting more.. a lot more.

I'm really, really pleased to be able to give the thumbs up to a record release from Sara after such a long friendship. She deserves wider recognition and certainly stands head and shoulders above a number of currently adulated female [male too] so-called folk singers.

Give Us An F…..

 

Give Us An F…..

Give Us A U…

Give Us an N…

… What’s That Spell?????

 

 

This lunchtime a group of 7 met in the Cleveland Pub to discuss the organisational details for the music at this Year’s Picnic.

Although we have twice the stage area this year, it was decided to build the 2 sections together to make one larger stage and strictly limit the time for set up, sound-check and performance to 35 minutes. [15 minutes set up/ sound check and 20 minutes performance]. Hopefully we will thus have more space and time to keep the show moving and avoid disappointing anyone. This means that bands taking too much time in set up and sound check will shorten their performance time. Conversely, the quicker they get ready, the more time is available to perform in.

The provisional running order is as follows:

First act to set up @ 10.45
11.00  Pippa Drysdale

11.20  Dave Woozley & Varndean Students

12.10  Xanthus

12.45  Jack Psychosis

13.20  Sumerian Kyngs

13.55  Sam Heart Band

14.30  That Legendary Wooden Lion

15.05  Jules Franks Band

15.40  Saravian

16.15  Lekiddo

14.50  Rockheart

17.25  Paradise9

18.00  Caitlin Stubbs & Bella Spinks

18.35  Woodstock Jam

The timetable is very tight and will require all the acts to arrive in good time to be ready to go on at their appointed times. Anyone turning up too late is liable to miss their slot altogether. We ask performers to remember this is a family event and their material should reflect this fact.

As there are still bands who would like to perform but cannot because of time restrictions, I would ask any act to let me know at the first opportunity should illness or other factors mean they can no longer make it.

Because 2009 is the fortieth anniversary of Woodstock, we are asking performers to consider putting an item or theme into their act that celebrates this landmark anniversary in the history of popular music. No pressure – but it’d make them seem that bit even more super-cool than they are normally! We’d then ask as many people to remain at the gig as possible so they can ALL JOIN IN a supergroup Woodstock Jam.

I am hoping to arrange a Radio Reverb appearance on Paul Wilson's 'Ears Wide Open' show to promote the event. To provide music for this I'd like to try to play music by each of the acts appearing. So would all the bands please send an mp3 or CD with a shortish track [say 3-5 minutes] they'd like me to air on that occasion and perhaps but up on a player on MySpace.

To find out more about any of the performers please go to …

and locate their individual pages from the Top Friends Application. Also please check out Random SJT! [who will be official photographer for the day} and Buz who will be an important member of the production team. Sound Engineering will be managed by Roy Weard, as it was last year.

More news to follow as it develops.

Give Us An F…..

Give Us A U…

Give Us an N…

… What’s That Spell?????

[email protected]

 

 

http://blakerspark.blogspot.com

 

www.myspace.com/bpcp2008

News update on Blaker's Park Community Picnic 2008

Here's the latest bulletin posted at

www.myspace.com/bpcp2008

yesterday. If you haven't befriennded the picnic yet, please use the link to do so now. I6t will help raise our profile.

 

Monday, June 16, 2008

News Update 16th June 2008 Current mood: excited Category: Parties and Nightlife Hello Pals Here's the latest with just 2 weeks to go until the BIG DAY. There's progress and set backs to report. We have lost Kung Fu Monsters who, sadly for us and their other fans, have decided to split. We wish them all well in their future individual projects Adam Kidd, Melodica,Melody & Me and Saravian have all had to withdraw due to other musical or personal committments on the day. We will miss them. So far confirmed we have Paradise9 who will play the 3-3.30 slot and That Legendary Wooden Lion will perform between 4 and 4.30. Roy Weird from the latter group and their roadie Steve will run one stage while Dave Mania, one-time axe-ace from Kung Fu Monsters is running the other. They will be ably supported by Cliff Dowding. We are still awiting confirmation from The cavalry, The Sly Tones, Rockheart, Mr Finn, POG, Guided by Lights, Go Johnny Go, The Scarlet Street Resistance and Last Orders [who were our opening act last year]. Please remind me if I've forgotten anyone! We are also expecting appearances from a number of new local acts who should all be playing around lunch time. we have a children's entertainer Emma lined up and  the POG/WOB collective may be running a drawing workshop. DJ Captain Bob may be present as will Paul Wilson from Radio Reverb's 'Ears Wide Open' show. Lee Griggs who has been so instrumental in organising the stage and transport for previous picnics will be doing the same this year. Thank you Lee. We still need more offers of help and support. Most importantly we need the loan of a good drum kit for the day. This will speed up the flowthrough of bands as we will not have constant construction and deconstruction of different kits thru the day. It will probably need  a mat too as I'm not sure whether any other anchorage will be possible. If you can help out with this let me know - 01273 270501 or via this site or email [email protected] Bouncy Castle and various sideshows and stalls are already booked but anyone else wishing to be represented on the non-musical side should contact Philip Smith on 553330. Thanks

FREELOADING

Right!

I feel a duty to point you in the direction of as much FREE MUSIC as I can.

There's tons of it around and it is my intention to help  you find it. Perhaps in return you can show me any you find elsewhere.

The advantage to bands in giving free downloads is obvious - they give you a chance to re-listen to their wares without the faff of constantly having to go back to their myspace or website for another listen - you can burn them to CD or put them on your portable mp3 player and hear them at will. Then if you really get into a track you're likely to return to the source and may even buy the whole album or some other product that's available. I wish more bands would enter into the spirit of things and adopt free downloads as common practice.

If a few weeks go by without me posting a new FREELOADING message please remind me as I'm sure I'm suffering from early onset dementia and am likely to forget!

So this week I've been mainly listening to BIG BIG TRAIN

They're a nu-prog rock band from down Bournemouth way.

You will know that I'm mainly into the spikier end of Prog by way of Van der Graaf Generator and King Crimson. Big Big Train don't confine themselves to that sort of stuff but include what I'd call the softer Yes/Genesis end of the prog spectrum too. And theyare extremely competent at their craft. They have come up with the brilliant concept of a free download each month. So if you go to http://www.bigbigtrain.com/ and follow the links you'll find the first three months worth. These are all what they call epic songs - extended meandering pieces full of true proggy noodly indulgent virtuosity that will delight the novice or the seasoned prog-rocker of any age.

My other big discovery of the week has been Somber Gravity, who has an absolutely stunning MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/dave80tunes  .

The spiel on the page contains some spiritual messages which you must absorb or ignore as you are inclined, but the music that you might choose to locate somewhere between Tangerine Dream and Stockhausen is sublime. It is ambient, experimental electronica of the first order and you are invited to freely download 6 'Phases' totalling the equivalent of a traditional LP. Brilliant - thanks Dave, whatever you are!

Lastly, for now, I'd like to draw your attention to Proof of Concept. You can find this interesting person at http://www.myspace.com/dotheface   where you can download the brief but perfectly formed 'nine'. I daresay it'll leave you gagging for more!

Get on THE GABABEAT - free downloads from Mice Base

Isn't MySpace just the best thing to hit music since Hip-Hop????

Now that John Peel is no longer among us, where are we able to find out what's new in the world of music?

You can just comb MySpace and sooner or later you will find something amazing that you didn't know was just what you were looking for!

I had one of these moments today when I responded to a bulletin from The Gababeat from Pécs, Hungary. They were announcing that it was OK for radio stations to play their songs freely. I guessed this meant that FREE DOWNLOADS were available so hurried on over to their page. And I wasn't disappointed. In fact I got a really nice surprise in what I discovered there.

Sure enough there were 4 tracks available for download and I quickly found them to be just what I'd been missing for some time and hadn't realised my deficiency. The Gababeat quite unusually don't quote any particular influences but I soon realised that they either listen to a lot of late 60s British Blues based Rock [pre-prog, pre-metal] such as peddled by The Bluesbreakers, Cream, Heavy Jelly - even The Beatles in Hey, Bulldog! mode, or they had re-invented the format!

It sounds pretty innovative even though nearly 40 [yes, I said 40] years ago it was fairly standard fodder. But, today it sounds so brilliant. Despite the wonderful bluesy voice of vocalist, Krisztina, a couple of the tracks are instrumentals reviving the arts of fuzzy, whining, wailing and talking guitars. How have we managed without these orgasmic sounds for so long? Thank Borg, they've found their ways back to us.

I just can't wait until I can hold a fullscale Album by The gababeats in my sticky paws. I'll feel like I've just died and gone to Heaven, I'm sure.

So why don't you get on over to http://www.myspace.com/thegababeat   and download your four helpings of ecstacy.

 You can return the compliment by letting me know where I can find other free downloads I don't yet know I'm looking for!

Dharksthar/Saravian Co-Operative

You may remember me singing the praises of Saravian who impressed everybody so much with her quiet renditiions of such beautiful songs as Donovan's 'Season of the Witch' at Blaker's Park Community Picnic a few weeks back.

Well, since that time she's been collaborating with a cool Brighton Psyche-Trancer

called dharksthar and they've come up with a pretty cool track called

Set Your Spirit Free
It's a simple but impressive blend of techno-folk with a definite strain of Japanese Mysticism about it. It's gorgeous.

This is not the only song they've done together - listen to 'You are a Sthar' on dharksthar's player too and you'll realise this coupling could have plenty of mileage in it. They cover a wide range of musical styles between them but the co-productions are always interesting, always beautiful. Very relaxing, very refreshing.

If you haven't time to listen to all of the products available on their sites, I'd also particularly recommend Dharksthar's 'Bassline 28' -it's a fabulous spacey mantric journey which takes one back to the early years of such Gods as Tangerine Dream - Oh!...Happy Daze!

SLIGHTLY DRAMATIC

I've blogged about slightlydramatic before

she's a photographer who has posted fantastic shots on Flickr

I especially like the ones she does with a pre-Raphaelite feel to them

well now she's blogging

please go and visit her at

http://blogthisslightlydramatic.blogspot.com/

Be MySpace Friend

Get in touch with me easily using my MySpace page

JOIN MY FRIENDS....... please!!!!

Brighton Bloggers do it in the Pub

Last evening there was a rare event indeed. Blighton Broggers got together at the Black Horse, Church Street Brighton for a group hug. The event was IMHO an unqualified success. There must have been over 30 of us.

So a big HI to all the new friends Jennie and I made last night. Look forward to seeing you all again before too many months go by. Meanwhile I'll try and check out a few more of your blogs.

Thank you Jane & Richard for all the effort you put in to get this thing together and also for all the work you have done in setting up Brighton Bloggers. See you next time.

Thanks also to the Black Horse....

....for the very excellent FREE buffet they provided.

[BTW the above is a very old photo - The Cottage record shop next door has been gone for at least 20 years - what a shame.]

Next time we meet, folks, I'm happy to provide a free disco if it's required.

Watch out - There's a Pre-Raphaelite about

CLICK HERE
to see more of this brilliant photography by a person calling themself slightlydramatic - a master/mistress of understatement