Missing out Birmingham

Today I tweeted: “Hmmm, what is it that makes bands miss Birmingham on their tours? I have no idea how it works but I’d like to play a part in changing it..!?”. From the responses it seems there is a lot of interest and frustration surrounding this. I already knew this but my interest was sparked afresh by yet another band I’d like to see avoiding Birmingham (or anywhere close) on their UK tour.

So, what’s going wrong and is there anything I can do to help change this? I imagine it’s a VERY complicated issue. Does Birmingham have the venues? Do the band promoters suffer Birmingham blindness for some reason? Are some promoters in Birmingham failing to book stuff they really should? I imagine it’s a mixture of all these issues, and more!

I don’t know what will come of this but I am willing to put in some time to help change this, however marginally. I’ll be happy if I can make just one more band book Birmingham on their tour. The thing is I have NO idea at all how all this stuff works. Who should I talk to? What processes need addressing? Who, what, where?

If anyone reading this knows how I might proceed, pop in a comment to this blog post and I’ll follow it up. I am not trying to suggest I can do better than anyone else, I just hope that an extra bit of help might result in some change…although, then again, it might not.

Supporting Emeralds

Having spent a while developing my musical self as Glatze, it’s now the turn of Mr.Underwood. Expect something a bit different from my “jump up” Glatze sets. Mr.Underwood is a more considered musician, with a more subtle approach.

I’m pleased to say that he gets his first public outing in support of the fabulous Emeralds at The Hare and Hounds on the 22nd May 2011. More info here. Do come along!

Supersonic Sam

With my workshop and midi-octopus performance at the British Science Festival complete I thought I’d update you on what’s next >> Supersonic!

Yep, it’s official, Supersonic 2010 will see me rushing around like a fookin mad man!

Saturday kicks off with me doing Big Sounds for Little People at the mac. Then I will be rushing over to VIVID to run a workshop to build Supersonic Noise Boxes on the Saturday afternoon. Then a brief rest before playing tuba in a gimp mask on the Saturday evening as part of the Lash Frenzy Big Band (with KK NULL). Finally, on the Sunday I will be performing a specially adapted version of Steve Reich’s Pendulum Music, for four Supersonic Noise Boxes and four torches.

That is a pretty full-on schedule and one I am very proud to have been asked to deliver! Nietzsche would agree that if it doesn’t kill me it will certainly be very cool ;)

Thanks to Andrew Moscardo-Parker for offering me a part in the Lash Frenzy Big Band, Richard Hawley and his friend who owns a tuba for sorting me out with that, and of course Capsule for allowing me to do all this wicked stuff.

Before all this kicks off though, I am going on HOLIDAY!! See you on the other side.