Arts-info.co.uk - The Performing Arts Guide

Rising rap star Drake behind the first global commercial for Sprite

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:31:54 +0000

Grammy performing rising rap royalty Drake explodes into action for his latest video. Having come up under the tutelage of Lil Wayne and the Cash Money Crew, Drake is now trading verses with superstars such as Jay –Z , Kanye West and Mary J Blige.

With a major label deal under his belt, a classic debut mixtape album not to mention two hit singles ‘Forever’ and ‘Best I Ever Had’, Drake is set to be one of the rising stars of 2010.

Drake’s debut studio album ‘Thank Me Later’ will be released early 2010 through Island Records

The first ever global commercial from Sprite entitled ‘Spark’ features Hip Hop star Drake struggling to find inspiration in the studio while recording.

Due to be launched in the US in March, Sprite Spark Music is an online iphone app mixing tool that enables teenagers to make their own tunes using samples from Drake’s music and remixing them with music from talented artists from around the globe.

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Music Crown Music Competition – An Alternative to the X Factor

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:28:03 +0000

Skinny Water, have partnered with Music Crowns to offer the winners of each crown the chance to participate in one of their forthcoming Television adverts.

Music Crowns have developed the concept to offer an alternative to ‘X Factor’ style TV shows following recent backlash.
Each winner will also secure a 1 year management contract, a website worth £1,000 and will be presented with the Music Crowns trophy for each category. Music Crowns are currently taking applications for Rock Music Crown & Urban Music Crown with the Pop variant coming shortly.

Budding artists can apply via www.musiccrowns.co.uk in the UK until June when it will go to public vote for each category. Winners will be announced in September.

Confirmed judges for the Urban Music Crown include UB40 Legend Ali Campbell, 2009 Mercury prize winner Speech Debelle and US Star Montell Jordan.

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Bob Dylan Leather Jacket up for auction

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:00:08 +0000

A very rare leather jacket worn by the legendary Bob Dylan in the 1978 film directed by Martin Scorsese celebrating The Bands’ last ever live performance, and in which Dylan, along with other rock greats such as Van Morrision and Eric Clapton performed has come up for auction at Cameo.

Lot 401 in the upcoming music sale, a leather jacket, labelled ‘Jackson the Tailor’ was donated by Bob Dylan to the Bloodstock Cooperative and comes with a signed letter of authenticity dated July 1994 by the late Rick Dando, vocalist in ‘The Band’. Estimates on this lot range from £5-6000

More information at www.cameo-auctioneers.co.uk.

Also in this exciting sale of over 600 lots is lot 470, a pre-release sleeve for the acclaimed ‘Double Fantasy’ album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. There is a handwritten dedication on the rear sleeve to New York’s WNEW Radio Station which reads, ‘love John Lennon & Yoko Ono’. The signing took place at Studio One on the 21st November 1980. The sleeve is missing its disc as it was part of the stations collections, the sleeve was retained by Ken Dashow a DJ who later sold it via a New York Dealer. Estimates are £600-800.

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Vyelle Croom gaining a following during 2010

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:11:32 +0000

During 2010 it looks like Vyelle Croom might be one of the talents to watch!

Vyelle is currently appearing in the BBCss flagship drama Material Girl (every Thursday at 80..pm on BBC1) alongside Dervla Kirwan. He plays the gay fashion designer Orlando in this fast-moving, no holds barred expose of the fickle fashion industry.

Vyelle graduated from the internationally famous London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (remarkably having been also accepted at the Central School of Speech and Drama), in 2006 and has been in demand ever since. His Gold Distinction in Stage Combat was put to good use when he played Aramis in the Three Musketeers during a sell-out run at the Bristol Old Vic.

He has numerous film credits include Souvenirs in which he plays the lead character in this independent film which explores the universal themes of conquest and possession. In fact, Souvenirs won the ‘Audiences Choice’ at the London Independent Film Festival and was also selected for the Palm Springs Film Festival where it outsold both Demi Moore’s and Courtney Cox’s debut films as directors. Souvenirs has also been selected for the Stuttgart International Film Festival and the Thai International Film Festival, both in 2010.

Vyelle has also played main character roles in other independent films including: City Rats with Danny Dyer, Bigger than Ben with Ben Barnes and Shouting Men.

In 2006, Vyelle played alongside Billie Piper in the BBCs production, Shadow in the North together with Matt Smith (the new Dr Who).

East End Film Festival 2009 Cinemagoers have the chance to enjoy a wide array of...

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Leading British Director launches search for rising talent in UK Film industry

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:52:14 +0000

Golden Globe-nominated director Bharat Nalluri has launched a nationwide search to find the UK’s most talented professional or aspiring filmmakers, in a campaign to support the home-grown talent of Britain’s film industry. The 14 Islands Film Challenge will give 14 filmmakers a once in a lifetime opportunity to spend two weeks filming on an idyllic island in The Bahamas and use the challenge as a launch pad for their careers.

Supported by the National Film and Television School (NFTS) and The Bahamas Tourist Office, the challenge seeks to engage with up and coming or professional filmmakers and give them the chance to compete for a £14,000 cash prize and state-of-the-art camera equipment. This is combined with the opportunity to draw on scenery which has been the backdrop of many iconic films including; Pirates of the Caribbean, Casino Royale and The Silence of the Lambs.

Nalluri, whose rise to fame has included directing BBC-smash hits such as Spooks, Hustle and Life on Mars will Chair the panel of esteemed judges who will select the final 14 lucky filmmakers. Other judges include Finola Dwyer, Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, Nik Powell, Director of the NFTS and Tommy Thompson, Deputy Director General of Bahamas Tourist Office.

With the British film industry seeing an unmistakable emergence of exciting new directors, The 14 Islands Film Challenge will give those selected a chance to learn from the industry’s finest. An experienced producer will help the finalists during the making of the films whilst in The Bahamas and provide guidance through the editing process, with use of the National Film and Television School’s editing suites in Beaconsfield on their return. All 14 films will be aired at a prestigious red carpet event at BAFTA in March 2010 when the winner of the challenge will be revealed.

To participate in the challenge, Britain’s rising directors are required to submit a 500 word treatment on an inspirational person from their local community and their reasons why they should be chosen. Judges will then select around 40 candidates to submit a short film based on their treatment and from those films, 14 finalists will be selected. All entries will be available to view on the challenge website.

The shortlisted filmmakers will take inspiration from the warmth of the Bahamian people to tell inspiring stories through their films. The filmmakers will be encouraged to show the islands in their own way and demonstrate their creativity and individuality through their final cut. Each filmmaker will be based on one of the 14 main islands of The Bahamas and assigned a local team, dedicated to helping them experience and capture true Bahamian life.

Bharat Nalluri, whose directing credits include blockbuster films such as Resident Evil and Alien V Predator, talks about how important it is to give new filmmakers a chance to prove their talent: “The chance to travel to beautiful locations, make personal films, mix with industry experts, have the best camera equipment to hand and showcase your finished work around the world – The 14 Islands Film Challenge is a wonderful opportunity for any aspiring filmmaker. I wish it was around when I first started in the industry.”

Tommy Thompson, Deputy Director General, Bahamas Tourist Office, comments: “The British Film industry has a wealth of raw talent, so by throwing the challenge out to all those upcoming directors waiting for their break, the 14 Islands of The Bahamas provide the perfect canvas for Britain’s next filmmaking star to show their ability by capturing Bahamian life, community and the beautiful surroundings.”

Nik Powell, Director of the National Film and Television School and also on the panel of judges, comments: “We are delighted to support The 14 Islands Film Challenge and look forward to seeing how upcoming filmmakers will respond to what could be the platform to launch their career in the future.”

Finola Dwyer, Producer and Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, adds: “This is a fantastic opportunity for emerging, talented filmmakers to demonstrate their story-telling abilities in one of the most breathtaking locations in the world – The Bahamas.”

More information on the entry criteria and registration can be found at: www.14islandsfilmchallenge.co.uk.

East End Film Festival 2009 Cinemagoers have the chance to enjoy a wide array of...

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Lucas Cranach, German Renaissance Artist, Features in London’s Master Paintings Week

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:23:22 +0000

Dürer and Holbein have long been recognised as great German Renaissance masters, but it has taken five hundred years for the British to recognise the importance of Lucas Cranach. Despite Prince Albert’s enthusiasm, he was surprisingly little known in Britain in the nineteenth century and Friëdlander’s 1932 German monograph on the artist was not translated into English until 1978. It was only two years ago, in 2007, that the first British exhibition of his work was held at The Courtauld Gallery, and not until last year that the Royal Academy hosted the first monographic exhibition in this country to give any sense of the range of his work. Despite this general neglect of Cranach by the artistic establishment in Britain, Cranach is a great favourite among contemporary artists and was a notable inspiration for Picasso and the German Expressionists. Konrad Bernheimer, one of the sponsors of last year’s Royal Academy exhibition, has long championed his work. During Master Paintings Week (4th – 10th July) Colnaghi will be commemorating Colnaghi-Bernheimer’s association with Cranach’s work, by the publication of a catalogue which surveys some of the masterpieces handled by the firm in the last fifteen years and by showcasing two of the finest examples of Cranach’s works on the open market: David & Bathsheba and The Virgin of the Grapes with the Standing Christ Child. The “artist-in-focus” exhibition will also include one of Cranach’s early woodcuts, some prints by Picasso which were directly influenced by Cranach, and a rare photograph of the interior of Picasso’s studio showing a Cranach composition in the background. Jeremy Howard, Head of Research at Colnaghi, will give a lunchtime gallery talk on Cranach and how his style has influenced some of the Modern masters followed by a tour of some of the master paintings on view in the gallery. This gallery talk will start at 13:00 on Monday 6th July at Colnaghi, 15 Old Bond Street, London W1. An illustrated catalogue by Jeremy Howard will be available, which surveys eight important paintings sold by Colnaghi-Bernheimer and two currently for sale, as well as examining changing critical attitudes to Cranach and his influence on later masters such as Picasso, Kirchner and John Currin.

David and Bathsheba Lucas Cranach, 1534

Konrad O. Bernheimer said: ‘Cranach has long fascinated me, but during the last 15 years, when I have been privileged to handle some really great paintings by this master and his workshop, he has remained, in my view, perhaps the most underrated of the great early German painters, particularly in the Anglo-Saxon world. As a dealer who has handled some of the best Cranachs to have come to market in recent years, I am proud to have played some part in that process of revaluation, both through supporting with my business Katrin Bellinger last year’s major Anglo-German collaboration between Städel Museum, Frankfurt and the Royal Academy, and through communicating my enthusiasm to clients. ‘

Cranach: Artist in Focus will be on display to coincide with the augural event – Master Paintings Week, held in London 4th – 10th July. Twenty-three of London’s top dealers join forces with Sotheby’s and Christie’s to stage a week of special exhibitions, events and lectures in their gallery in Mayfair and St. James’s. All galleries are open Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July, 10am – 5pm, and Monday 6 to Friday 10 July, 10am – 6pm.
www.masterpaintingsweek.co.uk

Corrymoor Socks feature in Sock Exchange Art Project in Liverpool The humble socks on your feet could become a new...

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Wireless Festival London 2009 – headlined by Basement Jaxx and Kanye West

admin — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:23:24 +0000

Set to be headlined by Basement Jaxx and Kanye West, the two-day event will be held in Hyde Park, which is within easy reach of the wide array of London Hotels.

Due to take place on Saturday July 4th and Sunday July 5th, the festival will also see performances by the Streets, Dizzee Rascal and Sneaky Sound System on the first day of the festival.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s line-up will feature the Noisettes, Lady Sovereign, Q-Tip, Tinchy Stryder and N-Dubz.

Commenting on the show, Basement Jaxx said: “It’s going to be a mad summer for us, playing in all four corners of the world, but we are really looking forward to coming back to the very heart of London and playing at Wireless.”

Meanwhile, the organisers suggest that Kanye’s performance is likely to be one of the best that Hyde Park has ever seen – and, with hits including Through The Wire, Stronger, Diamonds From Sierra Leone and Gold Digger, they might be right.

Tickets for the event cost 45GBP for a day ticket and 80GBP for a weekend pass. A range of VIP packages are also available.

See Arctic Monkeys, Lily Allen and Basement Jaxx at eco-friendly Way Out West in Gothenburg for £185 pp For two days (14 and 15 August) Gothenburg’s beautiful central...

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Ben Harper and Relentless7 – UK Release of White Lies for Dark Times

admin — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:18:47 +0000

Coming off an incredible showing at this year’s SXSW including a headlining performance at Stubb’s, an over-capacity crowd at DirecTV’s “SXSW Live,” and a legendary taping of Austin City Limits, BEN HARPER AND RELENTLESS7 proudly announce the release of their debut record, White Lies For Dark Times on 27th April on Virgin Records. The album will be available as CD, deluxe CD with bonus DVD, digital download and 180-gram 2xLP. Rolling Stone calls the new album “an 11-song set soaked with hard rock and Delta Blues.”

Ben Harper and Relentless7

Ben Harper and Relentless7’s energetic live performance is the heart of the band. In December 2008, the band embarked on a highly successful short club tour with a handful of dates in California and New York. “The band’s combined force was almost too big for the room,” RollingStone.com said of the band’s intimate performance at Spaceland in Los Angeles.

The sweaty, gritty and energetic vibe of the clubs proved to be an incredible match for the band’s new hard-hitting sound, and they are pleased to announce their return to the road on a larger club tour which includes UK dates. “We thought, this is a new band, a new opportunity, a new energy. Let’s earn it the way that new bands do…let’s play clubs, let’s play small places,” said drummer Jordan Richardson.

Ben Harper & Relentless7 are part of the Hard Rock Calling line up on Saturday 27th June, performing alongside Neil Young, Fleet Foxes and The Pretenders.

Current confirmed tour dates are listed below.

BEN HARPER AND RELENTLESS7 TOUR DATES:

INTERNATIONAL TOUR DATES:

April 19 London, England The Forum
April 20 Paris, France La Cigale
April 21 Bourges, France Le Printemps du Bourges
April 22 Rome, Italy Piazza del Popolo
June 19 Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany Southside Festival
June 20 Scheessel, Germany Hurricane Festival
June 22 Berlin, Germany Columbiahalle
June 23 Munich, Germany TonHalle
June 25 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso
June 27 London, England Hard Rock Calling Festival

US TOUR DATES:
April 30 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
May 1 Memphis, TN Beale Street Music Festival
May 2 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
May 4 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
May 5 New York, NY Webster Hall
May 8 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
May 9 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
May 10 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
May 12 Montreal, CANADA Metropolis
May 13 Toronto, CANADA Phoenix Concert Theatre
May 15 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
May 16 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
May 25 George, WA The Gorge Amp. / Sasquatch Festival
May 27 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
May 28 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
June 13 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music Festival

BHR7 History:
Harper met guitarist Jason Mozersky in the late nineties, when the lead singer of
Mozersky’s then band, WAN SANTO CONDO was working as a van driver shuttling bands back and forth to the venue for a Texas promoter. He asked the then captive Ben Harper, “Can I play you my demo?” Harper obliged, and in his own words “was blown away,” and helped the band secure a record deal and release an album on Everloving Records. The band broke up after one record, but what survived was a lasting friendship between Harper and Mozersky. In 2005, Harper invited now long time friend Mozersky to lay down guitar work on a track during the recording sessions that would become a double record entitled Both Sides of the Gun. Mozersky brought along bass player Jesse Ingalls and drummer Jordan Richardson and the session would spawn not only the song
“Serve Your Soul” but the framework for Relentless7.

To reignite the chemistry discovered during the Both Sides of the Gun session, they reunited in the summer of 2008 just to jam and write songs together, and emerged with a new sound and enough tracks for an album. White Lies For Dark Times is a timeless rock record, with a cohesive collection of music that is as raw, unrelenting and thunderous, as it is arrestingly haunting and emotional.

WEBSITE: www.relentless7.com

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Blackpool’s Out2dance Festival 2009

admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:12:23 +0000

Whether the foxtrot tickles your fancy or the tango floats your boat, there is sure to be something to suit all tastes at the out2dance festival in Blackpool, which takes place next month.

A range of different dancefloor-based events are due to take place over the course of the three-day showcase that is taking place between May 22nd and May 25th.

These include a dance class led by Strictly Come Dancing stars Ian Waite and Camilla Dallerup, and a salsa party, as well as the French UDO World Street Dance Champions and FLAVA, the latter of which took part in 2008’s Britain’s Got Talent programme.

“Help us to create the largest number of people doing a dance – Marquelle Ward from Britannia High will lead everyone in a short easy dance piece he has choreographed,” the organisers explain.

Meanwhile, those who do not fancy taking part, but enjoy watching the experts do their stuff, can see the BBC show’s experts taking to the floor on Blackpool Promenade, an attraction within easy reach of the wide array of hotels in Blackpool.

A number of the events are completely free to enjoy, while others charge a fee. Additional information on the show – and details on how to register to take part in some activities – can be obtained from the official website.

Given the popularity of the event, visitors are advised to secure their hotel rooms as early as possible. LateRooms.com offers over 250 Blackpool hotels with up to 70% discount, ranging from serviced apartments to luxury hotels.

The four star Abbey Hotel is offering en-suite double rooms for two adults from 48 GBP. However guests can upgrade their rooms to luxury rooms for an additional 7 GBP per room. This guest house is located in the heart of Blackpool and has an excellent customer rating of 89%.

Others looking for alternative can stay at The Valentine and also has four star rating with superb 88% customer satisfaction rate. This delightful guest house is offering double rooms from 56 GBP per night.

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See Arctic Monkeys, Lily Allen and Basement Jaxx at eco-friendly Way Out West in Gothenburg for £185 pp

admin — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:12:06 +0000

For two days (14 and 15 August) Gothenburg’s beautiful central park, Slottsskogen, hosts the cream of national and international music during Way Out West. This year’s line-up includes the UK’s Arctic Monkeys, Lily Allen and Basement Jaxx, acts from around the world including Band of Horses, Wilco, and the acclaimed Antony and The Johnsons, on stage with the renowned Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.

Way Out West’s unique city-based format taps into Gothenburg’s thriving music scenes, with performances at the city’s clubs and cultural centres before and during the festival. The environmentally-certified festival offers organic food and is within walking distance of hotels and restaurants. Two-day festival passes including club performances cost 1,345 SEK (£110): call +46 77 165 1000. Arriving 14 August, two nights at the Scandic Europa hotel cost 900 SEK (£75) pp. This is based on two sharing a double room including breakfast and Gothenburg Passes – giving access to the city’s top attractions. To book visit www.goteborg.com. For festival information visit www.wayoutwest.se

Wireless Festival London 2009 – headlined by Basement Jaxx and Kanye West Set to be headlined by Basement Jaxx and Kanye West,...

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