The autumn 2018 issue of The Musician, featuring a wraparound cover photograph of percussionist and West End stalwart Matthew West, is being dispatched solely to MU members this week.
Category:News & events
Music Council
I attended the launch of the Council of Music Makers (CMM) at the Strongroom, Shoreditch this afternoon alongside my colleague Naomi Pohl, Assistant General Secretary of the MU.
Night of the Proms
Courtesy of my booking an advertisement for the MU in the Proms programme (140,000 copies on sale throughout the eighth weeks of concerts and events), I was offered two complimentary tickets to the Last Night concert at the Royal Albert Hall this evening.
Night on the town
Following a few productive hours at MU HQ in Clapham Road, including a catch-up with former industry manager Pete Jenner (Pink Floyd, The Clash, Billy Bragg), I drove into the West End in the early evening and secured a table outside Bar Italia in Frith Street, Soho.
Langley Park GC
As I am looking to join a local golf club, I arranged to spent the morning playing a trial round with the weekly ‘newbie’ group at Langley Park Golf Club in Beckenham.
The Warren JFC
Ben was kindly recommended to The Warren Junior Football Club by Alan Duncan, a coach at Beckenham Town JFC, and after a first turnout at training last Saturday, today he signed up for the season with the Club and is looking forward to the upcoming competitive matches.
Parliamentary Jazz
I caught the tube from the MU offices in the Oval and travelled on the Northern Line into the West End at lunchtime today to attend the voting panel for this year’s Parliamentary Jazz Awards at Pizza Express in Dean Street, Soho.
In Ziggy’s footsteps
At lunchtime today, Julie, Lisa, Ben and I could be found at Beckenham Junction Station making up a group of 12 led by Kat Webb on her regular walk around the town, ‘In Ziggy’s footsteps.’
The Journalist
Following a feature entitled ‘Get even and get paid’ by Mick Sinclair in the July/August issue of The Journalist, the NUJ members’ magazine, on the subject of copyright protection, it was heartening to see an edited version of my letter published in the latest issue: “Joseph Williams was the founder of the Musicians’ Union and its General Secretary from its inception in 1893 until he retired in 1924.
Kent cricket and golf
I travelled down to Canterbury early this morning to take part in the autumn Kent Legends’ Golf Day. A healthy turnout of 22 teams took part and I lined up alongside Canterbury GC President Kerry, plus local members Neil and Richard.
Sky falling
An amazing trip to Suffolk as Julie, Lisa, Ben and I drove to Beccles Airfield to support Lisa in her skydive over the East Anglian countryside.
Southbank concert
A very pleasant evening in the company of photographer Jonathan Stewart as we attended Queen Elizabeth Hall on London’s Southbank to enjoy a concert by singer/writer Shawn Colvin and UK rising star, Liverpudlian Robert Vincent.
MU summer event
I collected a transit-style van from Europcar in Clapham Road at ten o’clock this morning so that my colleague Jane Austin and I could load and deliver the party items required for the MU Summer Party to the Windmill pub on Clapham Common.
Wigmore Hall
I was kindly invited this afternoon by Victoria Bevan, of PR company Albion Media, to attend a very, very special event at London’s Wigmore Hall this afternoon, featuring speaker Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, her son Raphael Wallfisch (cello) and John York (piano).
Haslemere Festival
A busy few days on and around the weekend. Friday evening saw Julie, Ben and I attend the Langley Park Boys cricket end-of-season awards BBQ event, while Ben trained at Oak Lodge with Beckenham Town Juniors FC on Saturday morning.
BBC and Sky News
A busy media-related day in the company of Naomi Pohl, MU Assistant General Secretary, as we visited both the BBC and the Sky News offices in central London.
MPA Summer Party
An entertaining evening courtesy of the Music Publishers’ Association Summer Party, which this year took place in the Battlebridge Room & Terrace at Kings Place in York Way, close to the trade body’s office in Pancras Square.
Labour Live
The Labour Party organised this event and promised “a festival of political ideas, with music, art, workshops and conversations.” I arranged for the MU to sponsor the headline act on the second ‘Solidarity’ stage and booked the marvellous She Drew the Gun from Liverpool.
The Musician (June)
The latest issue of The Musician magazine is being distributed in hard copy format this week, solely to MU members, and this 52 page edition leads with details of the Union’s orchestral campaign.
Whitehall comms
Following a productive morning in the MU offices, with the Union’s Executive Committee in our main conference room for its monthly meeting, I drove into town for UK Music’s latest gathering of communications representatives of its member bodies.
Day in Dulwich
The MU Communications and Government Relations team had an ‘away day’ event this morning, courtesy of Department Head Isabelle Gutierrez, at her riding school in Dulwich.
