Archive for September, 2007
Ben Bradshaw (Exeter MP, Minister for the South West) was in Exeter yesterday (shocker!). He trundled along to EDF energy to have a gander at its operations. Just what you’d expect really - major company in the constituency an’ all, and international energy producer.
The visit included meeting the EDF Energy ‘green team’ which deals with inquiries from those with micro-generation technology who want to sell back their excess energy, the EDF Energy’s Green Fund, which gives awards to renewable energy projects, the Green Tariff, Climate Balance and Greenwise advice, and other of the company’s initiatives with the word ‘green’ in them. (There is no truth in the rumour that it was formed after the restructuring of the yellow and blue teams.)
At Exeter Racecourse for the same day Forest Fuels planned the launch the Woodfuel Support activities at the South West Woodland Show. The South West Bioheat Programme is funded by the South West RDA and the Forestry Commission and creates renewable energy, maintains habitats and a few jobs. Don’t know if young Benjamin popped there too. Would have been nice though.
Posted by Cptn
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September 15th, 2007
So you wanna be on telly, eh? Skins series 2 are holding auditions today at the Exeter Phoenix.
Find out more on D+CFilm.
It could be you…
[youtube FjH8b6J3M5U]
Posted by Cptn
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September 14th, 2007
Music, music, music. Three great tunes and loadsa events. If this is what she’s like when she’s back, then Niki should go away more often… err that doesn’t sound right. Niki’s back at her best in the Melting Pot podcast with news of her new residency and great tracks from The Bedroom Project, The Ghost Revolution and a new, new song from Talula.
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Melting Pot on the People's Republic of South Devon:
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September 13th, 2007
Travelling through Plymouth train station the other day, I came across this noticeboard.
My message was ‘warning: contents hot’.
Posted by Cptn
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September 12th, 2007
Bring out the bunting and get ready for the first ever Fore Street Festival on Saturday, September 15 from noon.
Fore Street, in Exeter, is renown as one of the funkiest havens of the city and the whole thoroughfare will be closed as the denizens of that part of town whoop it up to sounds from local bands including perennial PRSD favourite NUMB (remember them on the Melting Pot Studio Sessions? Watch them when they were still a three-piece on SpectralWorkshopTV) plus The Rurals, Bonneville Barons, The Head Chemists and so on and so Fore-th.
There’s also a treasure hunt, sponsored by Bookcycle, an exhibition at the Spacex and special screenings at the Picturehouse.
All this promises to be an end of summer street party that will get them rocking in the aisles, alleys and doorsteps. So pop along and party. And if you’re looking for your local audience, get in touch for next year - this sounds too good to be a one-off. Check out the running order and what-not on the website.
Posted by Cptn
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September 11th, 2007
St Austell’s finest (only?) prog-folkies Nervosa have got in touch to let us know they’ve posted a new video on their MySpace page.
It’s directed by and stars Rhys Bonney, friend of PRSD and local
lens-man extraordinaire.
Head over to D+CFilm to marvel at its excellence - oh, and the tune’s really
good too.
Posted by Thin White Duke
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September 10th, 2007
Spring is traditionally the time when relationships crumble. Nobody wants to be single in chilly-old winter, but come spring, there’s sexy young things everywhere - strutting around with their flat bellies out, swishing their flaxen locks and showing a bit of leg. And that’s just the blokes! Pih!
Anyway, the hot weather has taken a bit longer to arrive this year, so perhaps that’s why there’s been a flurry of local bands splitting up.
We can’t say we’re that bothered about waving goodbye to most of them, but the demise of power-popsters Full Speed Alone genuinely is a bloody shame.
That’s why we headed along to their farewell gig at the Plymouth Junction on Friday night, with the PRSD snapper in tow carrying heaps of very expensive photography equipment (see the frankly staggering effort above and in our gallery).
Word from the crowd was that those famous ‘musical differences’ were the reason for FSA’s split - easy to believe given the dynamic double act at the centre of the group. It turned out though, as these things often do, that there was rather more to it than that.
Whatever the reason (and we’ll discuss that a bit later), the nature of the gig was such, both Full Speed Alone and support band Arthur Walker probably turned in their best performances to date.
Ah yes, Arthur Walker. It’s always difficult to know what to say about them. The thing is, they try so bloody hard to be a ’great’ and ‘important’ band, they’re gonna get there sooner or later by sheer force of will.
Friday night was the first time we weren’t able to see the songwriting cogs whirring and grinding in the background. There’s an ease and confidence about Arthur Walker these days - as if they’ve finally stopped making head music and started playing from the bollocks. Heck, it took Pasteur pissing off to Ibiza without washing the dishes for him to eventually discover penicillin, didn’t it?!
They’re arguably at their strongest when they’re not showing off. There’s a few ill-advised ventures into what sounds like calypso, and during My Headphone Attracts there’s a breakdown which sounds exactly like McCartney’s Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time (yikes!).
The annoying thing is, ver Walker have the potential to be a balls-out truly fantastic rock band. When lead singer Steve Stones is doing his best fat-Frank Pixies scream over chunky riffs and clattering drums, you wonder why they bother with the clever-clever shit at all, and don’t just rock like a mother.
And so to Full Speed Alone, who are also no strangers to noisy roggen roll thrills. No, there was never any problem on that front. If there was ever a criticism of them, it was that they were too over-rehearsed. Too slick. Hell, too professional.
Friday night saw them loosen up some, and even actually seem to enjoy playing their fantastic tunes.
The erratic tone which possibly contributed to the band’s demise was, as always, there for all to see. Chris Watts led the vocals for the one and only ballad, while the band left the stage completely so Dave Ankers, pictured above, could play a couple of his, yknow, acoustic numbers.
It all smacks of a spurious search for rock credibility - as if writing damn fine power-pop records just isn’t enough for them. Still, it was their party and they could do what the hell they wanted.
The throng warmly cheered for an encore and were rewarded with a storming rendition of Don’t Slip… - which in a parallel universe woulda been a top ten
US hit. Ach, it was enough to bring a tear to yer eye.
PRSD caught up with Mr Ankers after the show to find out how it all went. He was quick to scotch the ‘musical differences’ rumours.
“It’s not musical differences actually, we can’t really rely on that particular cliche! It’s just because we’ve really enjoyed it up until the last few months so decided to have a break.
“I’m not sure whether that’s indefinite, but if you see us again, it won’t be as Full Speed Alone. I’m sure we’ll all do stuff together again though.
“The gig was the most poignant send-off that we could have ever had. Thanks go out to all who made it such an enjoyable night.”Â
So what does the future hold for the Full Speed Alone guys? Dave continued: “I think Rob [Stillwell - drums] is going to do some stuff with 24-7 City Blueprint. I’m doing some solo stuff while waiting for a ‘proper’ band. Not sure about Rich [Upton] and Chris though - I think they need a break!”
So, there you have it. As one band splits, another blossoms from a sticky-fingered fumble into something really quite special. Dang, we’ve always been rooting for you guys to get together…
Posted by Thin White Duke
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September 9th, 2007
September is the month of art in the People’s Republic, what with the Devon Art Works extravaganza. Nearly 600 artists in nearly 250 venues will have their work on display for the whole world to see. It’s no mean feat of organization and if you can manage to take a fair sized chunk out of the list, you deserve a prize. But take a chunk you must. Visit the Devon Artist Network for more info and a downloadable guide to the events.
Posted by Cptn
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September 9th, 2007
The days of Gallery Terracina are numbered. Hannah Prothero visits the gallery’s latest exhibition to look at Steve Thorpe’s Works of Friction. The full article appears in the autumn issue of Art in Devon.
The author Primo Levi once described his comrade as being like the element ‘iron’ for his impenetrable sense of resolve. Devon-based artist Steve Thorpe is ‘rock’. How else could you explain his inexhaustible passion for walking the coastlines and river valleys of Devon? For him, to walk 40 miles is as effortless as breathing. And when he isn’t traversing rock he is climbing it. His tall, lean, rock-climber’s physique bears testament to this. It is little wonder then that his artwork is also ‘rock’. It brings all the elements of himself together.
Steve Thorpe’s process is to walk and to collect a rock or pebble at precise intervals on his journey. He then takes them back to the studio and grinds them, effacing them into dust. Then, precisely, tenderly, he applies them to thick cartridge paper, weighing up aesthetic form against the scale of the journey he undertook. Sometimes he chooses a rock to mark his arrival at a particular beach or headland, delineated on the wind-worn Ordinance Survey map in his hand. Other times he reaches down for the pebble beneath his feet at the same hour every day of his journey. What is extraordinary is the diversity of colour, texture and grain of these rock-dusts: soft grey, dusky mauve, powdery cream, grainy pink, coal black.
In looking at the works one realises that they are suffused with a passion to let the materials represent themselves, as truthfully as possible, without watering down their own powerfulness. The exhibition at Gallery Terracina has great gravity and sensitivity, the rock-dusts themselves having a beautiful aesthetic. It marks a point of maturity in Thorpe’s work and also reveals gallerist Cristina Burke as a critical player in the art scene, recognising and nurturing artistic talent.
Steve Thorpe’s career as an artist spans over 25 years, 15 of which as lecturer in Fine Art at the University of Plymouth. The exhibition: Steve Thorpe & Paul Ramsay, Works of Friction is at Gallery Terracina at Exeter Quayside until September 17.
Posted by Hannah Prothero
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September 8th, 2007
We know what it’s like. You wanna go to the pictures but you also wanna watch the film in total discomfort, laugh wryly at the ‘jokes’ and explain to your wife, at considerable volume, just what Bergman meant when he ’invented’ the chess-playing dead bloke.
Well, now you bloody can. Just flip over to D+CFilm’s weekly Arthouse Roundup - it’s quite literally a what’s on and where of the region’s arthouse fare.
This week you can choose from The Seventh Seal (ah, the aforementioned chess-playing dead bloke - see below), Withnail & I, Hallam Foe and the Totnes Short Film Festival.
So, waddaya waiting for?! Off you toddle.
Posted by Thin White Duke
[youtube anvRFJFUnRE]
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September 7th, 2007
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