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.
Tag: Events
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.
Addington Palace
I made the brief journey from Beckenham to Addington Palace Golf Club today to play in the autumn event in the Hayes’s Four Seasons competition.
The future of food
My thanks go to Sailesh Mehta of accountants HW Fisher, who very kindly invited me to their event at the Victoria & Albert Museum this evening dedicated to sustainability and the future of food.
Venues Day
I could be found at Islington Assembly Hall early this morning, setting up the MU mini-stand at the Music Venues Trust ‘Venues Day’, which is an annual event for several hundred managers and proprietors of grassroots venues across the UK.
Conference season
The last two weeks have seen the MU raise its profile once more at both the Labour and Conservative Party Conferences, in Brighton and Manchester respectively.
Ashridge GC
Last night I drove from MU HQ in Oval to Hemel Hempstead, where I stayed overnight, so that I could make an early start at Ashridge Golf Club, the venue for the annual PPL and PRS for Music Golf Day.
Wembley sunshine
My son Ben and I caught the train from Marylebone out to Wembley Stadium this afternoon and, having enjoyed the England band playing the classics around the Bobby Moore statue, met up with my long-term England match friend Peter Brown before taking our seats in the F Section behind a goal (in what was once the home fan C Section at the old Wembley).
Upstairs at Ronnie’s
A fun evening in Soho in the company of Mark Batchelor as we shared a curry at the Delhi Brasserie and dropped in at Ronnie Scott’s following an invitation to the Cuban music night being held in the Upstairs’ bar.
Brighton 2019
I travelled by train on Sunday from East Croydon to Brighton to attend and organise the MU’s Delegate Conference, which occurs every other year and is an opportunity for members to hear of, and question if appropriate, the work of the Union’s Executive Committee (EC) and Officials in the previous two years.
PPL turns 85
The top floor of the Oxo Tower on London’s southbank was the venue for PPL’s 85th anniversary event this evening. Artists, journalists and representatives of all the trade organisations, enjoyed the summer sun burning up the outdoor walkway, which offered a superb view of the river.
MPA Summer Party
I attended the third annual MPA summer party this evening at Kings Place in Kings Cross. Also there on behalf of the MU were Jamie Pullman and Natalie Witts from our London office and we spoke to many friends from across the industry, including Peter Leathem and Andrew Ames of PPL.
Prince’s GC
A superb day at a Joe Denly Testimonial event in the company of a number of Kent county cricket professionals at Prince’s Golf Club, Sandwich. I arrived mid-morning after driving down from Beckenham to find the course, sited directly next to the easterly facing coastline, benefiting from warm summer sunshine and a noticeably fresh breeze.
Black Deer festival
Julie, Ben and I drove down to Eridge Park, Tunbridge Wells, yesterday afternoon for the second Black Deer Festival. The event now attracts a huge array of Americana, country and roots music artists, both homegrown and from across the Atlantic, and the rolling hills bathed in June sunshine made for a welcoming sight.
UK Music Party
Maddy Radcliff, Diane Widdison and I travelled the short distance from MU HQ to the Southbank Pavilion this evening to attend UK Music’s annual Summer Party in the Weston Pavilion.
Pullman Express
My wife Julie had very kindly bought me a day trip on the Pullman Express as part of my 60th birthday events and so this morning we travelled to Victoria Station and made our way to Platform 2 where the Pullman reception lounge is located.
Bebel Gilberto
Mark Batchelor kindly booked tickets for us to catch a rare UK live performance by Brazilian/American vocalist and Bossa Nova specialist, Bebel Gilberto. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha and has been performing in the family tradition in Rio since an early age.
