Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Thresholds

Last Thursday I was at the Fitzwilliam Museum for a reading by poet Owen Sheers as part of his residency for the Thresholds project - an ambitious project curated by Carol Anne Duffy. You can read more about it here. Ten poets have been resident in ten of Cambridge's museums and collections and whilst most are heading home to craft poems from their experiences there are more events and readings coming up:

New Events
Gillian Clarke, National Poet of Wales
Thursday 14 March 1pm
Museum of Zoology, Downing St, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ
Admission is free, no need to book
 
Step Inside with Thresholds poets
Daljit Nagra, Jo Shapcott, Ann Gray  present work in progress
Tuesday 19 March 6.30pm -8pm
The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Downing Street CB2 3DZ
Booking:  Telephone: 01223 766 766
Email: csf@admin.cam.ac.uk
 
 
New blogs on our website from Imtiaz Dharker, Ann Gray and Sean Borodale:  www.thresholds.org/blog/
 
Recordings of Thresholds readings from Sean Borodale, Don Paterson, and Owen Sheers: Go to: http://www.thresholds.org.uk/resources/  and click on downloads
 
Carol Ann Duffy sends a Valentine’s message: http://www.thresholds.org.uk/happy-valentines-day-from-carol-ann-duffy/
 There is still time to book for our 2 Thresholds events next week
Daljit Nagra
5 March 6.30pm (doors open from 6pm)
The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Downing Street CB2 3DZ
Book:
Liz Haslemere:  01223 333516    eh268@cam.ac.uk
 
Ann Gray
6 March 5.45pm The Botanic Garden, Continents Apart, Glasshouse Range
Entry by Brookside Gate.  No need to book.
Coming soon
 
More recordings of readings, new events and date for final event in May with Carol Ann Duffy and the Thresholds Poets.
 
For more details on all these and other events visit: www.thresholds.org.uk/events/
 
Use our comments messageboard:   www.thresholds.org.uk/blog/
 
Follow our blog by the Thresholds poets and museums: www.thresholds.org.uk/blog/
 
Follow us on Twitter #ThresholdsPoets
 
 

Monday, February 25, 2013

Show: 24.2.13

This show features artists near and far including local acts Beverley Kills and Patrick Sheil who both have gigs on Cambridge this week to Headstand favourite Jerry Gordon in Osaka performing a long with lo-fi sound track. There is also a song from the new album by Robyn Hitchcock, a renowned artist with strong Cambridge connections who plays the Junction this Saturday. We kick off though with some good old fashioned punk from The Stranglers:

The Stranglers - Something Better Change
Beverley Kills - You Can’t Have it All
Nick Cave - Jubilee Street
Patrick Sheil - Race Horse
Just William and The Outlaws - It Ain’t Right
Phil Odgers - The Godforsaken voyage
Django Django - The Hand Of Man
Peter Blegvad and Andy Partridge - Sacred Objects
Four Tet - 0181 (extract)
Jerry Gordon and Taylor Mignon  - Dragon Sparks Poem
Chris Wind - The Persistence of Memory
Four Tet - 0181 (extract)
Jet Jaguar - Mose
Ana Silvera - Painted Horizon
Gaze is Ghost - Firefly
Robyn Hitchcock - Stupefied
John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts



Saturday, February 23, 2013

Events this Week in Cambridge

There are a lot of great events this week. Unfortunately most of them are on Thursday. Four bands play the Portland on Tuesday Bleech, Beverley Kills - Who have been on the show a couple of times, Mark Ellis and Justin of The Judge Rheinholds. Tickets are £5. Get them here.

On Thursday there is folk-rock from rising local star Just William and the Outlaws at The Bath House and there's music and art at CB1 Cafe with acts including Tom Adams and Dianne Morisson. I'd love to go to both of them but I'm reading at yet another event CB1 Poetry, which confusingly isn't in CB1 at all but at The Boathouse on Chesterton Road. I'll be joined by Patrick Sheil who will be performing songs, poems and stories plus there's open mic so whatever you're planning on Thursday come to the Boat House. Full details are here.

Finally on Saturday Robyn Hitchcock plays The Junction. The prolific song writer and former member of The Soft Boys, The Egyptians, and The Venus 3 plays Cambridge just ahead of the launch of his new album. Check out one of his songs below and get tickets here.


Monday, February 18, 2013

This week in Cambridge



This week legendary musician and producer Lee 'Scratch' Perry comes to the Junction. Quite what kind of show the reggae veteran will put on is hard to say but it's an unmissable opportunity to see someone who has shaped contemporary music and continues to do so regularly putting out records, touring and working with artists across the musical spectrum despite being in his mid-seventies. Tickets are available from The Junction.
The following night there is a special poetry reading by Owen Sheers at The Fitzwilliam as part of Carol Ann Duffy's Thresholds project. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. Details of this and other events are available at www.thresholds.org.uk.
If you haven't got a radio show to present on Sunday night there is more Allographic stuff at the Fountain. Details here.

Remember you can now follow Headstand on Twitter.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

New EP From Jet Jaguar

New Zealand based Jet Jaguar has a new EP out, the first of six due for release this year. In 'Another World' spoken phrases echo amongst a bed of dreamy synths and wobbly basslines. It's like a soundtrack for the space between conciousness and unconsciousness. 'Single-Digit High' has an industrial edge with 80's synths, minimalist beats and vinyl crackle bumping into each other like marshmallow dodgem cars. Heavily processed female vocals echo in and out. The EP concludes all too quickly with the darker 'Mose.' What might once have been a human voice hums and groans a smooth melody as percussive elements build and disintegrate.

It's a deep, atmospheric trio of tunes. The use of vocals is effective but a little standoffish. Voices are warped, distorted and scattered sparingly, mixed up with the electronic instruments.  A track with more prominent vocals and audible words would give this lush electronica a much needed organic element. Looking forward to the other five.


Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Podcast: The Doozer in Session

You can now hear all four songs from The Doozer's session on the last show in one tidy podcast. Enjoy!



Monday, February 11, 2013

Show: 10.2.13 with The Doozer

This show features four songs live in the studio by local musician The Doozer. The show also featured a wealth of new music from Suede, Temples, The Bitter Springs and Marnie Stern as well a song from the new Fuzzy Lights album. The band have been getting played all over Cambridge 105 and some of the bigger stations too.

Supergrass - Richard III
Suede - Barriers
Fuzzy Lights - Restless
The Doozer - Live session
Temples - Shelter Song
Luke Wright - The Luck of the Brungers
The Doozer - Live session
The Beastie Boys - Dr Lee, PHD
The Bitter Springs - The Mollycoddled Laughs
The Doozer - Live session
Marnie Stern - Year of Glad
Rue Royale - Blame
Kraftwerk - Aerodynamik



Saturday, February 9, 2013

This Week: Hollie McNish, Stephen Morrison-Burke, Mark Niel, The Antipoet and me.

I'll be doing support duties at a couple of poetry events this week. On Wednesday 13th it's the next round of Hammer & Tongue with a headline set from Hollie McNish who needs no introduction to poetry fans in Cmabridge and listeners of headstand and support from Stephen Morrison-Burke winner of the Cambridge heat in last year's slam. If you're a poet you might just be able to squeeze into the slam though last I heard there was only one place left. That means it'll be incredibly exciting! Where do I come in? I'm kicking of the slam as sacrificial poet, not competing but setting a bench mark for the competitors. For full details and tickets click here.
Next Sunday it's the Rhythm Method tour headlined by Mark Niel and The Antipoet, both terrific acts who don't get to Cambridge often enough. Check out the videos below. Leanne Moden and I will be supporting and Fay Roberts is hosting. More info here.
If I hear of anything else worth recommending in the next week I'll let you know on Twitter via the show's new feed. Follow @headstandradio


Wednesday, February 6, 2013

The Doozer

This Sunday local musician The Doozer will be playing live on the show. Watch him performing a song at the Portland last weekend supporting Fuzzy Lights.

www.thedoozer.com


Sunday, February 3, 2013

Jazz, Comedy and Open Mic this week in Cambridge


Any budding writers should head to the Arts Picture House bar tomorrow night for Object Writing, a friendly writing group that involves various games and writing exercises to get the creative juices flowing. You can get more info and sign up here or just turn up at 8 and look for the table with all the pens and notepads. You can read writing by members of the group on the blog.
On Tuesday night The Junction plays host to UK contemporary jazz master Courtney Pine. I've heard great reviews and now I look forward to hearing the music. Tickets available here.
On Thursday there's a choice between Open Mic at Hot Numbers which is bound to attract a good audience and some great performers or comedy at The Junction with my guest on the last show Tom Stade. If anything else comes up I'll let you know, possibly via Twitter. Follow @headstandradio.