I was turning 60 on Monday 18 February and so it seemed totally appropriate to mark the moment with live music. By happy chance, there was to be a Just East of Jazz promotion at the Chandos Arms in Colindale, north London, featuring the legendary sax player Derek Nash from the Jools Holland Band.
Category:News & events
UK Americana
I have spent the last two days working at the excellent Americana Conference 2019, hosted once again by the UK Americana Association at Hackney House, Curtain Road. This consists of a series of panels and presentations, all of which were kicked off this year by keynote speaker Rhiannon Giddens, who introduced the 2019 Conference theme of diversity, equality and inclusivity.
Talentbanq
A fun evening at Holborn Pizza Express thanks to an invitation from Ray Jones to attend the December Talentbanq showcase.
Stamford blues
It what is now apparently an annual fixture, AFC Bournemouth were drawn away to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup once again. The timing of the quarter final game, in midweek and just before Christmas, meant that it was relatively easy to purchase tickets from the official Cherries site.
A day in Bath
Another enjoyable and fruitful day with Future Fusion at their offices in Quay House, Bath. The principal object being to work on the 2019 – 2020 edition of the award-winning Musicians’ Union Members’ Handbook.
Google training
I spent a useful day at Media Training Ltd in Borough on a course designed to introduce attendees to working with Google Ads.
The Musician (Dec)
The winter edition of The Musician is distributed to members this week, the 56th issue for which I have been editor. The contents once more include a mix of industry focused items, MU campaigns and advice for working professionals.
Christmas fayre
It’s been a busy social period, as the UK Music lunch was followed by tonight’s annual festive drinks at Republic Media in Highgate Village, superbly hosted as ever by Sue Harris and the team.
UK Music party
My thanks to UK Music today for the invitation to The Library, Shoreditch House, Ebor Street, London E1, for their annual Christmas lunch for communications representatives and journalists in the music industry.
PPL at St James’s
An early sign that the Christmas drinks season is underway, the PPL and PRS for Music December reception, took place this afternoon at its now regular venue, 7 St James’s Street, near the end of Pall Mall.
Sky Garden
With Ben away on a school trip, Julie and I had the chance for a night on the town and I booked a table at the Sky Garden, the Fenchurch Street rooftop restaurant in the City.
Breaking the ceiling
The Performers’ Alliance All-Party Parliamentary Group has proposed an inquiry into the decline of social mobility in the creative sector entitled ‘Breaking the Class Ceiling in the Arts.’
BBC Introducing Live
It has been a busy but compelling three days at Tobacco Dock in east London representing the MU at ‘BBC Introducing Live.’ The event – now in its second year following its launch in 2017 as ‘Amplify’ – is hosted and administered by Get On Music Media, who I understand have licensed the BBC name for up to five years.
Variety is the Spice
I began an interesting working day at the MU’s HQ in Clapham Road, alongside my colleague Maddy Radcliff, presenting to the Union’s Executive Committee video snapshots of the PR coverage we had secured in partnership with our agency Kindred in the last 24 hours.
Music in education
In partnership with the team at PR agency Kindred, the MU launched a campaign today to bring attention to the decline in music tuition in recent years, especially for those families on lower incomes who cannot afford private tuition.
Martyn Joseph
I drove down to St Edith’s Hall in Kemsing near Sevenoaks this evening at the invitation of the superb singer/writer/guitarist Martin Joseph as he kicked-off his 33 date tour of the UK.
Westminster action
My colleagues Maddy Radcliff and John Shortell joined me outside Parliament this morning as we met highly-respected sound engineer Olga FitzRoy and many other names from the entertainment world in supporting the second reading of the “Shared Parental Leave and Pay (Extension)” bill.
MP4 v Homelessness
I was invited by Kevin Brennan, MP for Cardiff West, to the launch this evening of MP4’s new EP at the State Rooms of the Speaker of the House in the Houses of Parliament.
Venues Day
Music Venue Trust held their 5th national networking event today in the Islington Assembly Hall and MU Live Performance Official Kelly Wood and I ran a stand in the Main Hall throughout the day.
Young driver
Following a morning training with The Warren football club in West Wickham Common, and a fry-up at T’s Cafe in Eden Park, my son Ben was on his way with Julie, Lisa and I to Bluewater Shopping Centre near Dartford for a late birthday treat.
UK Music Album Quiz
To mark National Album Day, UK Music held a quiz this evening in the Silver Cross pub in Whitehall and fifteen teams gathered at 7pm in the basement ready to meet the challenge of the organisation’s quiz masters.
Debut with the Blues
With the completion of the Labour Conference in Liverpool, I travelled down to Birmingham by train on Thursday 27th to work, for the first time, at the Conservative Party Conference.
Labour Conference
I travelled by train to Liverpool on Friday 21 September, to attend and work at this year’s Labour Party Conference taking place at the Arena and Convention Centre in the Royal Albert Docks.
