Sadler's Wells hosts the Elixir Festival

Peter Anderson • Apr 09, 2024

Elixir Festival takes over Sadler’s Wells for two weeks this April with a series of performances, workshops, talks, and films that challenge perceptions around dance and ageing. With works from iconic international artists alongside performances from dancers drawn from local communities in north and east London, the festival asks how do we express our changing bodies and minds as we grow and age? Elixir includes work from artists from 12 countries including Senegal, France, Canada, USA, Germany, UK, Belgium, Tunisia, Sweden, Australia, India, and Spain.

Elixir Festival kicks off with a triple bill in Sadler’s Wells Theatre, which features the London premiere of Sadler’s Wells co-production common ground[s] - a duet between the ‘mother of contemporary African dance’ Germaine Acogny and longtime Pina Bausch collaborator Malou Airaudo. The mixed bill also includes a world premiere by Ben Duke a trio for two dancers and a tortoise, commissioned by Sadler’s Wells. Louise Lecavalier’s Blue – a solo adapted from selected sections of her work, So Blue will complete the evening.

In the Lilian Baylis Studio, there will be an exchange between Sadler’s Wells Company of Elders & ZooNation Youth Company, Dance On Ensemble present a recreation of Merce Cunningham’s iconic work Story, Mohamed Toukabri performs an intergenerational duet with his mother, and Susan Kempster and Charlotta Öfverholm look into how we view our own bodies as we age in an intimate double bill. Front of House, Christopher Matthews brings an exploration of queer desire later in life.

In addition to the live performances, Sadler’s Wells presents a programme of six artist led workshops for older professional and non-professional dancers. Germaine Acogny teaches her Acogny technique, Susan Kempster explores the connection between dance partners. Charlotta Öfverholm investigates self expression in the body with her Age on Stage workshop, which is renowned in Europe.

Julene Robinson focuses on the evolution of Jamaican dance forms and Jamaican folk movements. Swing Patrol hosts a workshop in the popular dance style. Company of Elders & ZooNation Youth Company host a brand new intergenerational hip-hop dance theatre workshop. There are two free talks by the choreographers Christopher Matthews and Aakash Odedra, who share their artistic vision and process with audiences.

The Mehek Live Symposium, led by Aakash Odedra Company shares their journey and findings on working collaboratively with the community. A collaboration that resulted in Mehek (Mehek - Kathak Virtuosi Aakash Odedra & Aditi Mangaldas from 9/4 (spotlightonkulture.uk)) Which is currently on tour. I spoke with Aakash about both the dance and Mehek live. This is what he said of the latter, and no doubt he will expound on it at the symposium.

"We participated in a program called Mehek Live, which involved 450 participants over 55, sharing their stories of love and expressing their inner feelings openly through dance. It felt like love knew no bounds. We were guided by our wonderful dramaturg, Karthika Naïr, who asked us intriguing questions to help us formulate our thoughts into choreography. One question that stuck with me was when she asked, "What is the colour of love?" and more importantly, "What is the fragrance of love?"

Sadler’s Wells Learning & Engagement Producer, Christopher Haddow said, 'It's a privilege to work on a festival like Elixir that showcases renowned international artists side-by-side with people who love to dance and live right in our local neighbourhoods. This two-week programme reaches across generations, borders, bodies and genre. Elixir Festival shares a message creatively that dance is for everyone -- through performances, workshops, exhibitions, specially-commissioned films and panel discussions.'

For the closing weekend of Elixir Festival, Get into Dance Festival invites local community groups from Islington and east London to perform in the Lilian Baylis Studio and the innovative Posh Club hosts an event featuring Azara, Pink Suits, Don One and Posh Club x Dance Club. For further information about all the events in the festival , please go to https://www.sadlerswells.com/elixir-festival-2024/

Image above: (c) Louise Lecavalier - Blue

below (c) Angela Grabowska/Aakash Odedra Company, - Aakash Odedra leads Mehek Live workshop at Heartwell House Residential Care Home

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OFFICIAL ALTERNATIVE GREAT ESCAPE STAGE

By Peter Anderson • 15 May, 2024

Impressive PR take over Brighton's Secret Comedy Club 42 Brighton Square, tomorrow to showcase music acts from all over the world. As part of The Great Escape, a festival for new music, showcasing 500 emerging artists from all over the world in 30+ walkable venues across the city and a pop-up festival site on Brighton Beach. It’s the first place to discover your new favourite artist and see them in an intimate setting before they go on to headline major festival stages. 12:00-12:25 Marissa Burwell (Canada) It doesn’t take long to get to know Marissa. In her blindingly personal work, Burwell writes about childhood, love, vertigo, and snow. With her captivating warm vocals and sharp prose, she effortlessly weaves an enchanting indie sound that flows between folk and rock, traversing sensuous melodies to exhilaratingly raucous moments. Hailing from the city of Regina, Saskatchewan, she made her remarkable debut with a self-titled EP in 2019. The overwhelmingly positive response to her EP opened doors to international opportunities and in 2022 Marissa proudly unveiled her debut full-length album, “Bittersweet”, which showcased her warm, summery voice and wry wit beneath its indie-folk exterior. She has graced the stage at renowned events like Hamburg’s Reeperbahn Festival, the New Colossus Festival in NYC, and multiple Canadian festivals including Breakout West, NXNE, Pop Montreal and SXSW. Burwell’s latest EP Either Way, released via Devil Duck Records features the clearest synthesis of Burwell’s spectrum of musical sensibilities yet with moments of warm musical tones featuring thick harmonies wrapped around guitars and gentle drumbeats while other moments showcase cathartic bursts of alternative rock, erupting in dizzying crescendos of hammering pianos. https://marissaburwell.com/ https://www.facebook.com/marissaburwellmusic 12:40 - 1:05 No Windows (Scotland) No Windows:The award-winning Edinburgh-based duo comprised of Verity Blossom (vocals/songwriting) and Morgan Morris (production/songwriting) fuse DIY, folk and classic pop on their second EP Point Nemo released on Fat Possum. Taking its name from the location farthest away from land in the world, the five track EP evokes wintry isolation, and marks a significant step forward for the duo, taking inspiration from the expansive sound-worlds of Elliott Smith and Cocteau Twins, their Scottish peers Cloth and Jacob Alon, and a shared musical curiosity that is all their own. The effortless musical chemistry comes from the tight relationship at its core as Verity and Morgan – now 19 and 18 – met as young teenagers at school in Edinburgh, after Morgan came across Verity – in the year above – who shared videos online of her singing. They quickly established a friendship and an artistic bond, with Verity adding her emotionally charged lyrics to Morgan’s bedroom recordings. https://fatpossum.com/collections/no-windows 1:20 - 1:45 HMS Morris (Wales) HMS Morris: are a bilingual, award-winning, female-fronted art-rock four-piece from Cardiff, Wales. Supported by the esteemed Bubblewrap Collective (Georgia Ruth, Boy Azooga, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzzard, Sweet Baboo), they've already released two critically acclaimed albums, Interior Design and Inspirational Talks, both Welsh Music Prize nominees and variously described as ‘Innovative, forward thinking pop music’ (Earthly Pleasures), ‘strange and beautiful music’ (Electronic Sound) and a 'multi-dimensional sound that traipses across hitherto unexplored regions of sound' (Clash)’. https://hmsmorris.com/ 2:00 - 2:25 Hotel Mira (Canada) Hotel Mira: is a Canadian alt-rock band who are fresh from a string of stellar shows at SXSW. The band released their new single “Waste Away at the end of April via Light Organ Records. The quartet comprises of LA based charismatic front man and songwriter Charlie Kerr, guitarist Clark Grieve, Mike Noble on bass and drummer Cole George. While building off the sharp, indie pop hooks, Hotel Mira are exploring their widest set of sounds yet, vaulting from neon-trashy garage rock to festival-sized pop hooks and glam-bop balladry. Live Charlie performs in a way that feels uniquely part Iggy Pop, part go-go dancer, and part fourth wall breaking experimental theatre. He tells a story to the crowd through his masterful lyrics, hip-swaying melodies, and attentiveness to his audience that makes each person in the venue feel special. Mike, Cole and Clark provide a sweeping soundscape that makes it impossible not to be swept away in the melodrama and passion of each song they play. The band has supported many acts including Billy Talent, Fizzy Blood, The Beaches and Frank Lero (My Chemical Romance), and carried out multiple headlining tours of their own. https://www.facebook.com/hotelmiramusic/ https://www.instagram.com/hotelmiramusic/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@hotelmira https://www.hotelmiramusic.com/ 2:40 - 3:05 Asha Jefferies (Australia) Asha Jefferies: Hails from the Northern Rivers in Australia but raised in Brisbane, her debut album Ego Ride released in April this year, through Nettwerk Music Group. The album speaks to an audience of listeners searching for moments of self-reflection and authenticity. To date, Asha Jefferies has toured with and supported acts including Julia Jacklin, Stella Donnelly, and has played notable Australian festival slots at BIGSOUND, Icebreaker Festival, Against the Grain, Bluesfest, Woodford Folk and Mullum Music Festivals. 3:20 - 3:45 My Life Story (England) My Life Story: are epic pop pioneers headed up by charismatic frontman, Jake Shillingford who released their fifth studio album ‘Loving You Is Killing Me’ in February via Exilophone Records/Republic Of Music. This follows their last critically acclaimed album ‘World Citizen’ released in 2019. The new album discusses themes of empathy, profaneness, vaingloriousness, coercive behaviour and naturism. The record, published by Mute Song, has been written and produced by Jake alongside Nick Evans and mixed by Ben Hillier who produced two Depeche Mode albums as well as working with Blur, Patrick Wolf, Nadine Shah and Peter Perrett. The record features this year’s singles: ‘Numb Numb Numb’, ‘Tits & Attitude’ and ‘I Am God’. The band became a pioneering force in the Britpop movement scoring 6 UK top 40 singles and a top 40 album inspiring the era's orchestral identity. Combining playful lyrics with epic pop, MLS formed in Southend in 1984. By the early 90s, Shillingford had grown the band into a flamboyant orchestral 11 piece with string and brass section. Their passionate, often chaotic live shows lead to Giles Martin (The Beatles) recording tracks for their debut album ‘Mornington Crescent’ after discovering them at the Marquee. Signed to Parlophone in 1996, the band released ‘The Golden Mile’ which spawned most hit singles including ‘12 Reasons Why I Love Her’, ‘Strumpet’ and ‘Sparkle’. ‘Joined Up Talking’ followed on Andrew Lloyd Webber's It Records in 2000, featuring sixth hit single, ‘It's A Girl Thing’. Many collaborations followed including Morrissey, The Pogues and Marc Almond. MLS performed Glastonbury Pyramid stage and Reading Festival 4 times. They supported Blur & Pulp and are one of the only bands to headline over Oasis. https://mylifestory.band/ Image above HMS Morris (c) Rhiannon Holland

Scotty McCreery releases "Rise and Fall"

By Peter Anderson • 14 May, 2024

“ …after more than a decade of successes, experimentation and growth in the genre’s top tier - the multi-faceted singer-songwriter has zeroed in on his truest sound with Rise and Fall. ” – Holler On the heels of his sixth No. 1 hit on the U.S. Country Aircheck/Mediabase Chart with lead single 'Cab in a Solo', Triple Tigers recording artist Scotty McCreery released his fifth studio album "Rise and Fall" last Friday. The North Carolina native knows all too well there’s a rhythm to life and a cycle of ups and downs. And right now, he’s on the upswing. “ I feel like we’re on the rise now, but I’ve fallen pretty low as well, ” McCreery admits. “I learned from every little part of that, and it helped me to know who I was as a person – let alone an artist. The rises and the falls helped craft these songs. They made this album what it is. I’ve been living with this record for months…it is more me than any I’ve ever made, and I’m so excited for the world to finally hear it,” added McCreery. “ Across the 13-track collection, McCreery exhibits his continued growth as a vocalist and songwriter, ” notes Holler , while Country Now calls it “ his best record yet, ” as Rise and Fall finds him exploring not only heartbreak but rowdy nights, nostalgia, faith, newfound joy, fatherhood and enduring love, resulting in a project full of insightful storytelling. The album was produced by McCreery’s longtime production team of Frank Rogers, Derek Wells and Aaron Eshuis. McCreery co-wrote 12 of the 13 songs on the album, which Billboard observes, “ Light-hearted fare such as ‘Stuck Behind a Tractor’ and ‘And Countin’’ mesh with heartbreak brushoffs such as ‘Lonely,’ the bluegrass-inflected album-closer ‘Porch’ and the faith-filled ‘Red Letter Blueprint. ’” It is available digitally as well as on CD and vinyl. In addition, Amazon is releasing a limited-edition forest green vinyl version of the album. “ I know every artist says it, but this is truly my favourite album I’ve made so far ,” shares McCreery. “ I wanted to create an album that reflected the music I grew up on and wasn’t chasing trends. So, I brought several of my songwriting buddies to the mountains of North Carolina to sit down and write a full-on country album that told a story, start to finish, and spoke to my soul. We’ve been performing most of the album live on the road and the response from the audiences has been overwhelming. I’m excited for everyone to finally hear Rise and Fall.” Now 30 years old and a seasoned country music veteran selling out concerts across the globe with six No. 1 hits under his belt, McCreery is also a dedicated husband and father, welcoming a son named Avery in 2022, whose impact on the singer is highlighted in several songs on the album. Recently, he even celebrated the milestone of all milestones for a guy who grew up on Randy Travis, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Ronnie Milsap; he was invited by his musical hero Garth Brooks to become the newest member of the iconic Grand Ole Opry. McCreery was just welcomed into the Opry family last month by two more of his heroes, Josh Turner and Randy Travis. For more information on the album and Scotty, please check out his website & socials: - ScottyMcCreery.com | Facebook | X | Instagram | TikTok Image above (c) Jeff Ray