UK Music Chief Executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin hosted the annual event for its communications representatives today at the Groucho Club in Soho. The attendance list was understandably smaller than usual, courtesy of safety concerns.
Tag: Events
Half Moon gig
I have just spent a very worthwhile evening in the welcome surroundings of the legendary Half Moon in Putney, south west London, enjoying superb performances by the award-winning Robert Vincent and the evergreen Peter Bruntnell.
Advertising contacts
A meeting of notable music advertising sales contacts and clients in town this lunchtime.
MPs in support
An energised crowd of musicians and Parliamentarians gathered in Westminster outside the Houses of Parliament at lunchtime today to mark the publishing of Kevin Brennan’s Private Member’s Bill, which is set to be debated in the House on the 3rd.
Chandos jazz
A cracking evening at the Chandos in Colindale, north London, courtesy of the regular Sunday Just East of Jazz club night, this week featuring the top class line-up of saxophonist Derek Nash, vocalist Noel McCalla, drummer Rick Finlay, bassist Phil Scragg and keyboard player Mike Gorman.
Remembrance Day
My son Ben is an army cadet with 143 detail in Shirley, Croydon, and today his group joined the 145 cadets in New Addington, the Fire Service, the police and St John’s Ambulance in honouring the armed forces who have given their lives in World Wars and recent conflicts.
Crazy Coqs
I dropped into Crazy Coqs tonight, which is a club situated in the basement of the Zedel bar and brasserie, just off Piccadilly in London’s West End. The venue is a grand French art deco restaurant, sited in an historic 1930s building.
Cadogan Hall
I attended “An Evening of New Jazz Fireworks” at Cadogan Hall this evening, which was presented by Hampstead Jazz Club and Lateralize Records.
Landmark Concert
Photographer Jonathan Stewart and I attended the rehearsal and ‘Concert for Afghanistan’ this afternoon. The event had been organised by violinist Enrico Alvarez and was to be compered by John Suchet in the historic surroundings of St James’s, Piccadilly.
Venues Day
I travelled back from Manchester this morning and immediately headed to EartH in Dalston and joined my MU colleagues Dave Webster, Kelly Wood and Jamie Pullman on the MU stand at the Music Venue Trust ‘Venues Day.’
Brighton fringe
It is September and therefore Conference season once more and today I was in Brighton for the gathering of the Labour Party faithful.
Education Expo
The MU Education team could be found at the Music & Drama Education Expo at London’s Business Design Centre today.
Music Week Awards
I drove over to the Pestana Hotel in Battersea this afternoon in the company of producer Greg Fitzgerald to attend the Music Week Awards.
TUC Council
I was contacted last week by Paul Nowak, Deputy General Secretary of the TUC, who was aiming to arrange a Greek-themed evening at the organisation’s annual General Council dinner.
Bloomsbury Theatre
Great to attend the event in London tonight in which Sara Pascoe hosted a marvellous line-up of comedians on stage at the Bloomsbury.
Foxgrove success
My son Ben stepped up for the Beckenham CC VIth team this afternoon, as his home team took on the Middlesex Strikers at Foxgrove Road. He delivered an outstanding bowling performance, taking 4 wickets for 40 runs in 6 overs with his medium pace, plus took a stunning catch on the boundary and removed the opposition’s top scorer. His efforts were recognised with the ‘Man of the Match’ award.
Bowie bandstand
I spent a rare afternoon in Croydon Rec in Beckenham earlier today, in the section of the park where the bandstand is sited, drawn by the structure’s association with one-time local resident, David Bowie.
MU Conference
The MU’s 39th biennial Delegate Conference, a key event in the Union’s calendar which was hosted by the Executive Committee on 20 and 21 July, took on a completely different look and feel this summer following the decision to hold the event online.
606 Club, Chelsea
A night in riverside Chelsea as Mark Batchelor and I took our table at the evergreen 606 Club. The evening’s line-up included guitarist Dave Ital (“Cool guitar-led funk, jazz and soul” Time Out) who has played alongside Chaka Khan, Tom Jones, Nile Rodgers, Incognito, Beyoncé, Level 42, Mica Paris, Take That, Lulu, Bobby Womack & many others.
West End Waiting
A West End flash mob took to Westminster today determined to make its mark.
Music and dance
Parliament Square was once again the centre for another demonstration calling for financial aid for performers today.
Parliament Square
I travelled to Parliament Square this morning and met up with my MU colleagues Dave Webster and Maddy Radcliff, plus hooked up once more with photographer Jonathan Stewart.
Education Expo
I visited Olympia this afternoon to oversee the installation and set up of the MU stand at this year’s Music & Drama Education Expo.
Michael Dugher
I attended a drinks reception this evening hosted by David Warburton MP, in the Jubilee Room at the House of Commons, to mark Michael Dugher’s leaving his role at the CEO of UK Music.
Brit Awards
Thanks once again to the marvellous Maggie Crowe OBE, Julie and I had tickets last night – on my birthday – to the Brit Awards being held at the 02 Arena. We arrived at 5pm and made our way to the Continental Hotel, where the pre-Show dinner awaited.
Americana Awards
I attended the UK Americana Awards this evening at the Troxy in Commercial Road in London’s East End. The venue is a wonder in itself, having been England’s largest cinema when opened in 1933 with a showing of King Kong.
Hackney gigs
This year’s UK Americana Conference was as engaging as ever with its in-depth series of seminars, workshops and interviews over three days. The showcase festival, meanwhile, offered its usual array of excellent acts in Hackney venues.
Joan Armatrading
Opening day of the UK Americana Conference in Hackney proved entertaining and informative once again, with the keynote speech on a theme of collaboration being presented by the legendary, ground-breaking Joan Armatrading.
Parliamentary jazz
Vocalist, pianist and MU Executive Committee member Andi Hopgood, Mark Batchelor and I attended the 2019 Parliamentary Jazz Awards tonight. The event, which was established in 2005, was once again organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group and staged downstairs at the PizzaExpress in Holborn.
Graham Parker
I met up with Nigel Kemp this evening in The Library pub in Islington, ahead of our crossing the road to see a solo performance by Graham Parker in the Union Chapel, an artist we saw play live many times in the early 1980s.
Jools Holland
My thanks to Chris Holland, keyboard player and songwriter, for guest tickets to his brother Jools’ big band concert at the Royal Albert Hall this evening.
AMA-UK launch
I visited the Old Queen’s Head in Essex Road, Islington, this evening for the launch of the 5th annual UK AmericanaFest, which will return to Hackney for three days at the end of January 2020.
BBC Introducing Live
This Year’s BBC Introducing Live event at Tobacco Dock built upon the foundations laid by last year’s successful expo, attracting an audience of around 18,000 rising artists and business representatives to the east London venue.
