Archive for April, 2007
Paignton hear our plea - get some good music in your gut. First, listen to the podcast, featuring Nixon and the Burn, Zach Nolan, Less than Me, and Kolo (as a preview to their spot on the Melting Pot Studio Session on SpectralWorkshop.tv).
Second, get down to the Bit On The Side (that’s next to the Palace Theatre, to you) for the Aeon Indi Nights. These tasty morsels include Nixon and the Burn, Supenik and Memo.
Well done Paignton, you have enterted the first stage of musical recovery and your gut will be happy.
(Plus - this week’s prize phrase is ’shagging chickens’. When you hear anyone say this phrase, put your hand in the air, and wait for our adjudicator to get in touch).
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Listen up, Aeon Indi Nights gig is your last chance to see Paignton band Nixon and the Burn, one-time supporters of Muse. These crusaders were the first to enter into the Melting Pot melee and it’s with a heavy heart we wish them adieu.
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April 25th, 2007
The whole notion of fatherhood is explored by Jonathan Brown in his one-man show, The Father Monologues, which is at The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter, on April 26 and 27.
He told us here at the People’s Republic (via his website of course), that he wanted to ‘write, and perform, a series of plays so involving that even the most unemotional bastard would stir in his (or her) parental bath water.’ So you know you’re in for a rollercoaster ride.
In two parts, the show looks into different aspects of fatherhood from the points of view of Danny, a second-time father faced with parental a situation he’s not keen on, as well as librarian dominatrix Jenny. Plus, he’s managed to put monologues into a play without there being a vagina in sight (psst, it’s a fella in a dress).
Go along, and ask yourself, who is your daddy, theatrically.
And if you miss it now you can catch it at the Brighton Festival in May, and in Totnes and Bridgwater in June.
Jonathan was a guest on the first Surreal Saloon - watch it on D+CFilm. The next Surreal Saloon is at the Exeter Phoenix media centre on May 4.
Posted by Cptn
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April 24th, 2007
It may have passed you by (as Ringo Starr might sing), but today is Devon Carbon Day. Yup, those carbon footprints leave a heck of a mess on the carpet, don’t they?!
Ah, we jest. The day is actually part of Devon County Council’s Discover Devon Naturally wheeze - aiming to highlight the impact of tourism on the environment.
The council wants to help members of the Devon Association of Tourist Attractions who aren’t already part of the Green Tourism Business Scheme to get accredited.
The businesses will undergo an assessment of their carbon footprint against 120 measures. Then the attractions will commit to an energy efficiency plan, saving a minimum of seven tonnes of CO2 each, and heaps more for larger attractions.
Research conducted by the County Council in April showed that 40 per cent of consumers do not consider their environmental impact when on holiday, even though they do when at home. In fact, tourists in the county use some 2,500 tonnes of carbon a day.
Devon Carbon Day and the recent Devon County Council Climate Change campaign are part of the council’s drive to make Devon the greenest county in Britain - which would be all well and good, but our streets still seem to be strewn with rubbish bags. Hey ho.
Posted by Thin White Duke
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April 24th, 2007
If you’re worried you’ve already reached your quota of tv, you can turn off the darn thing by being a moral crusader rather than toadying to the whims of the loons who want to ban it completely - hey, some of us were educated by the telly back in our toddlerage, and who can be considered more a counter-culture proto-hero than Teddy Edward - be warned people!
That’s why those Culture Jammer/Adbuster kooks are so cool, we only have to miss a week of the google box - and it’s easy enough to catch up with the omnibus editions or More Four.
So, even if you’re dead set on sitting in front of the dead set, you can miss a week, surely. And do your bit for the whole cultural anti-capitalism thing. And in true post-ironic style those Adbusters have raised the money and made a tv ad (Why Don’t You…? was doing much the same thing years ago).
So, stop the bandwagon, I want to get on. Or as Timothy Leary might say if he were still strugging with FreeView - turn off, tune out, drop in.
Posted by Cptn
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April 24th, 2007
Bovey Climate Action will make national headlines today on the BBC1 6 o’clock news. With the People’s Republic’s fingers in the national news pot, we’ve heard that the piece is about whether green issues will impact the local elections.
And those BBC boffins were interested in what the go-geddem BCA was up to. We’ve heard that you should tune in to see BCA’s Cathy King going head to head with a (rather nice) guy called Martin from Kingsteignton, who used to recycle but can’t see the point any more, and to see the thermal imaging camera in action.
All this and the new Bovey Climate Action newsletter is out, of which more later.
Posted by Cptn
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April 23rd, 2007
Let’s not just giggle at Griffin and his gaggle of goons as they attempt to frogmarch their way into local powerbases, let’s do something about it.
Try a Unite Against Fascism flyer or enjoy some Hope not Hate merchandise. You could even take a gander at the Western Morning News editorial of a few Fridays ago, and read the story of furore about just how many bitter little racists have crawled out of the woodwork.
But the double act of facile fascism that is UKIP and the BNP won’t be playing - oddly the pair don’t seem to be fielding candidates against each other - apart from the South Hams, but those councillors don’t even like seagulls coming over to our shores, polluting our gardens, etc. Hmm.
Vote on May 3.
Posted by Cptn
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April 22nd, 2007
Of course, you can catch Obedientbone (pictured above) on the Melting Pot Studio Sessions on SpectralWorkshop.tv. Filmed at the Music Mill Studios, Newton Abbot, these are humdingers of events - and soopa doopa viewing (with new shows added all the time). And there are more pictures in The Gallery.
Posted by Cptn
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April 22nd, 2007
Just as a bit of a special treat we thought we bring you Niki’s interview with Talula (see podcast 14) again, just cause it’s a gem and you might have missed it. Find out more about the band. And check out the weekly podcast for more of this stuff. Scope out the downloads page for all that you have missed so far.
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April 21st, 2007
Despite a fair amount of PRSD leg-pulling (click here, and indeed, here), the Transition Town Totnes wheeze goes from strength to strength with a new programme of events planned for April and July.
Rob Hopkins, co-ordinator of TTT, is apparently astonished at how the movement has catalysed residents in the town. Ah, you should never underestimate the citizens of Totnesia, Rob.
He told PRSD: “The community involvement in exploring ways for Totnes to prepare for and adapt to life beyond cheap oil has been amazing.
“Among other things, we are busy compiling the Local Food Directory, have held dozens of successful talks and film screenings, planted nut trees on Vire Island, and held a fantastic discussion seminar with local councillors about peak oil and climate change.
“We’ve also run extremely popular workshops on renewable energy, started the Great Reskilling workshops, and of course have launched our own local currency, the Totnes Pound, to support local shops and restaurants.”
But where next for this vision of utopia in scarves? Well, there’s a whole buncha new activities planned for starters.
Those wanting to learn about solar hot water, ground source heat pumps, wood fuel, microhydro, and, ahem, small-scale wind, will be interested in the Renewable Energy For All workshops.
For those interesting in housing, the legendary Bill Dunster of the famous BedZed (Beddington Zero Energy Development) and Bob Thomlinson of Living Villages Trust will be yapping about New Strategies For Zero-Energy Housing.
Meanwhile, the Great Reskilling workshops continue with lessons on breadmaking, wild food foraging, home-made paint, and an introduction to YouTube video activism. Holy crap!
We’re feeling quite frightened, so if you want further details, check out the TTT website for more, slightly sinister, Totnesian fun.
Posted by Thin White Duke
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April 21st, 2007
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