Southampton based Still Moving has recently started employing painters and artists to create images and navigation for company web sites.

“It is very important for us to be ethical in our approach to business and using an illustrator not only gives websites a unique look and feel but also helps support an artist,” explained Still Moving’s co-founder Martin Davis. “Following the reaction of our clients we’re convinced the paintbrush is mightier than the mouse.”

Nova & Isabel Amber Ewen

Their latest collaboration is an entry to a competition to make the video for ‘Fires’ the next single by Southampton rock group Band of Skulls: the most recent south-coast act to gain major recognition in Europe and America.

vist and vote at: http://genero.tv/watch-video/10194/

“This challenge is an ideal way of introducing art into the ‘Moving’ aspect of our plan,” confirmed the other half of Still Moving, Isabel Amber Ewen,  “and although there are many great street artists in Southampton, once we saw Nova’s skull designs we knew who we wanted.”

Southampton street artist Nova uses stencils to spray multi-layered images on walls. Recently he was invited by the Portsmouth art collective P.A.M to add his creations to the alley-ways around Fratton Park.

“They have a much freer attitude towards street art in Portsmouth and they’ve opened up many walls,” he said “but the artists have to responsible and professional or this opportunity will disappear.”

Stencils and wall

The designs around the stadium have become so respected that Portsmouth football club is planning to invite P.A.M to create murals inside the ground.

With every creative aspect of this production based in and around Southampton the irony of shooting in Portsmouth is not lost on the video’s co-director Xan Phillips. “Although Southampton is famous for it’s walls, the city’s street artists have no where so public to express themselves.

Everyone who walked past Nova told him how good the art he and P.A.M have created. It definitely inspires rather than repels.”

Although the ‘Band of Skulls’ video competition has a £3000 cash prize and global exposure Isabel, who shot and edited the whole promo, is ambivalent about winning: “Every element of the project slotted into place so well that we’re already delighted with our achievement. The win would be very helpful but this video is already a great demonstration of how local art can work as a promotional device.”

NOTES

The video can be seen here http://genero.tv/watch-video/10194/

Closing date for public voting on the video – 11.59pm GMT, July 21

Winner announced: July 26, 2010

Example of a web site with local artist illustration: www.magpie-shop.co.uk

Nova can be found here: http://www.novaindustries.co.uk/

Still Moving: http://www.still-moving.co.uk/

Showcase UK: http://www.showcaseuk.tv/

P.A.M – the meaning of the acronym has not been released.

Band of Skulls www.bandofskulls.com

The single Fires will be released September 13th 2010 see http://www.nme.com/news/band-of-skulls/51147

First published in the Southern Daily Echo, Friday 9th July 2010

There was a little bit of chaos in Southampton’s Bargate shopping centre last Monday morning.

Well, to be more precise, it was CHAOS the first meeting of the Creative, Heritage and Arts Organisations of Southampton.

It was hosted by SoCo the not-for-profit community music project.

They’ve turned an empty shop unit into a ‘Creative Hub’ that will allow budding musicians and artists a place to meet and perfrom.

This inaugural meeting of CHAOS drew representatives from various youth organisations and arts bodies.

From community radio station Unity 101 to the printers from Red Hot Press; from Sotown Records of Lordshill to Romsey Beggars Fair (Sat 10^th July).

Over coffee and muffins we discussed how SoCo’s new venture will help people discover their creative side but also advise artistic bodies how to ride the turbulent waves of the financial cutbacks.

And with no sense of irony it was noted how art funding is the first to be cut even though it’s an inexpensive way of making people happy and connected to the community.

Over the coming months there will be art seminars and meetings in the Bargate along side gigs and displays from new bands and artists.

But most of all get yours hands on a musical instrument.

Soon SoCo will be starting a scheme where the musically curious can sample a wide array of equipment from electronic drum kits to synths.

As co-founder Matt Salvage put it: “We’ll be coaxing people to put a guitar in their hands and have a go!”

]]> http://www.xan.co.uk/wordpress/2010/07/chaos-for-southamptons-art-community/feed/ 0 http://www.xan.co.uk/wordpress/2010/07/musicians-mingle-in-eastleigh/ http://www.xan.co.uk/wordpress/2010/07/musicians-mingle-in-eastleigh/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:06:32 +0000 admin http://www.xan.co.uk/wordpress/?p=856

First published in the Southern Daily Echo, Friday 2nd July 2010

The biggest opportunity for local unsigned bands to pick up a healthy dose of festival fever is the 4^th Eastleigh Music Festival and Mela from Friday 9^th to Sunday 11^th July.

During Saturday afternoon there will be two stages featuring some of the brightest talent around and regular readers of South Scene are bound to recognise Dluogkecki, Scarlet Soho, Charlie McCauley, Broken Links, The Queue and The Rebs.

Add to them Ben Goddard, Cat Nickless, Chris Ricketts & Mark Willshire, JayetAl, Kumiss, The LCD, Martin Crowley, Natalie Hall and Spitdust and you have a great mix of music and all for free!

Along with bringing people into Eastleigh, and aiding the regeneration of the town, festival co-ordinator Marie Negus says the weekend is, “a great opportunity to nurture new talent” and gives “unsigned bands inspiration and belief.”

The inspiration will come from Saturday night’s headlining act is Badly Drawn Boy.

His quintessential approach to English pop is deal for a sultry summer’s evening and proof that ‘different’ can succeed.

Your evening ticket will also get you in to see indie-rock band Field Music, punk-rockabilly-folk duo Peggy Sue and the latest Sotones signing Haunted Stereo who are an alternative-folk-indie six-piece from Southampton.

On Friday night Cara Dillon headlines an eclectic folk line-up with support from Lau, nu-folk artist Jim Moray and local band Bemis.

The weekend is rounded off with the Eastleigh Mela so there should be no excuse for making a short trip north.

More details and tickets www.eastleighmusicfestival.co.uk

First published in the Southern Daily Echo, Friday 25th July 2010

You know you’re getting old when you drop your biro beside a mosh pit… and try to pick it up.

And when the mosh is in full swing you have to watch your back, front and ball point pen in The Joiners!

The whirling revellers beside me were propelled by Southampton’s ‘Kids Can’t Fly’ one of six bands competing in Southampton Takedown.

Up for grabs was the chance to support Welsh band ‘The Blackout’ at the Takedown Festival in Salisbury on 24^th July.

As a judge I was delighted to see all entrants approaching the event at full steam and, whatever time you walked in, you would have thought it was the headliners on stage.

But for me ‘Kids Can’t Fly’ ticked all the essential boxes: attitude, songs and entertainment.

With 50% of the vote coming from the audience their win was confirmation that many there agreed.

They mix Ska-punk with an infectious attitude that causes the body to pogo with a smile on the face.

Surprisingly they’re formed around a brass section of Ryan (trombone) and Dave (saxophone) who told me: “We’re trying to be something original, adding a horn section to a pop-punk backing, rather than copying bands of the past.”

The brass also gives a touch of class (and proper metal) and completes a line-up whose infectious energy engages the audience while playing songs that lodge in the memory.

This band might claim to lack the ability of flight but they definitely walk the walk.

We were named after a pub, that was named after a famous drinking song, and that should be a clue as to how seriously we took ourselves.

But we were good live and, at our home venue, the crowd broke the bar record every time we played.

At one point were even bold enough to get about 2000 12” EPs pressed (pictured).

It might not sound much but try loading and unloading that much vinyl into a transit van.

We sold around 1600 through gigging but it was just at the time when CDs players were becoming a household item so no doubt most were thrown away.

In fact I once had the ignominy of a rival band’s roadie joyfully reporting that he’d seen our EP in a second hand shop for 10p.

Well, this week the turntables were turned after I logged into our Tunecore account: in the past four months we’ve made $22 through digital downloads – here’s the widget…

by Eamon Nancarrow

Admittedly its on the back of the singer’s autobiography (Holywood Star by Eamon Nancarrow) but our music is now available around the world and, thanks to this service, we’re selling again.

Tunecore charge a small fee for uploading each song, and there is yearly a charge for storage, but you don’t sign your songs away and we’ve made our money back.

It’s an ideal way of getting your songs downloaded but you still have to let people know you exist. Find out more at www.tunecore.com

This article was published in the Daily Echo on Friday 18th June 2010

But if you don’t do tents even the Island can seem miles away.

So to taste that excellent festival vibe, but have a short journey home, keep Saturday 4th September free!

Sunnyfields Farm, just to the South of Totton, will be hosting the Pulse festival: a great day of music, food and entertainment for the children.

All in aid of the Children’s Heart Unit at Southampton General Hospital with profits going to it’s supporters Wessex Heartbeat and Friends of PICU,

Saturday Sept 4th

Pulse is being organised by ‘Subgiant’s‘ Olly Maw and Mark Ward from ‘Heathward’

Both have children who’ve needed treatment at the unit, which is known as Ocean Ward, so they are putting every effort into a brilliant day out for Southampton.

This week they announced that Vula (Basement Jax) will be headlining the second stage.

Subgiant and Heathward are deservedly on the bill along with other local stars like: Science of Eight Limbs, Pronghorn, Lousia Osborn, and Woven Bird.

They’ll be spread across two live stages alongside a classic Sunnyfield farmer’s market with fine food and beer.

Naturally the children (who get in free) will also be well catered for with bouncy castles, face painting, tractor rides and a few surprises thrown in.

More big names will be revealed soon and at £12 per ticket demand will be high! www.pulsefestival.org.uk

This article was printed in the Daily Echo on Friday 11th June 2010

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Dlugokecki, The Rebs and Broken Links have all recorded quality songs that deserve being heard by a wider audience.

But the frustration they all share is that local and regional daytime radio will ignore their music.

It’s true that BBC Radio Solent, Wave 105 and Play Radio have slots giving local musicians air time but you’ll find these at safe moments in the schedule where people have to make an effort to listen.

During the day, however, you’ll hear new music from the rest of the country promoted as fresh and exciting.

In fact the easiest way to spread the look of horror across radio faces would be to suggest that Dlugokecki, The Rebs or even Broken Links should be scheduled into the daily playlist.

Radio’s reluctance is based on fear: fear that the listener will switch stations when they hear something unfamiliar.

This is why most radio stations sound like audio museums.

They celebrate the 80’s as if it’s a recently discovered trend and their ever narrowing taste in music is making many parents’ record collection seem hip and trendy.

But tell a radio station’s news team they can’t report ‘local’ stories, or their sales team to avoid ‘local’ businesses, or that local callers can’t be put on air and there would be wide spread hilarity over your inept attitude towards broadcasting.

Does it matter? Well ask the Liberal Democrats if a little extra airtime helps.

First published in the Southern Daily Echo, Friday 2nd April 2010

The world of film music has always fascinated me, my first album was a collection of movie themes released by MfP (Music for Pleasure).

So it has been great fun talking with Mike Torr recently who is composing scores for the south coast production company i-catching which is run by director Simon Morice.

Next summer Simon is shooting a documentary about a polar expedition involving some brave men from Lymington who hope to break the record for the: “fastest, unsupported, unassisted crossing from edge of continent to South Pole”.

The record is currently held by Norwegians and is exactly the same route taken by Capt Robert Scott some 100 years ago.

Even though this attempt is taking place many months away Mike has already written the overture for “The Best of British South Pole Expedition”.

Mike’s work is epic and can be best described as a ‘tone poem’ a piece that is completely inspired by the landscape or narrative.

“The whole point of film music is that you provide an emotional guide for the audience” he told me and Mike’s been given great freedom by the director: “He comes round to my studio and we talk about not just about the music but the concepts of the film.”

This is not a traditional approach to soundtracks as usually the musician is invited to work on the film four weeks before it is finished.

You can hear the overture tonight on Amazing Radio (7pm DAB and online at www.amazingradio.co.uk)

Belfast born Eamon Nancarrow didn’t expect his autobiography ‘Holywood Star to cause such ructions seeing as the climax of his rock career was a disastrous tour of Scotland during a bleak winter.

But the singer’s tales of rock and roll misadventure have sent beds rocking with uncontrollable laughter leaving many partners irritated and awake.

‘It would start with Michael’s shoulders shaking,’ said bank manager Angela O’Sullivan (49) of her husband’s reaction to certain passages, “and then turn into a belly laugh.”

As a resident of Holywood, County Down, her irritation was needing to know what, and more importantly who, in Eamon’s adventure was making Michael laugh so much.

Funny / not funny

This reaction has spread to the mainland with Rhian French (37), a copy writer from Andover, Hampshire, suffering the same fate. Although her wound was self inflicted as she bought the book as a Christmas present for her husband Alan (right), another struggling musician.

“I had to ask him to stop making so much noise. Every night he was having a bit of a snort and if it wasn’t an outright guffaw there would be a lot of giggling and more snorting. It’s a bit worrying when someone is having so much fun on their own in the same bed.”

Her solution was simple: “He had to read it downstairs before he came up to sleep.”

Eamon’s Irish eyes might be smiling at the thought of bringing laughter into some people’s lives but the negative aspect is beginning to concern him:

“It is never great to cause friction in the boudoir, especially when there are nylon sheets involved, and it was never my intention to set marital sparks flying. The book was only supposed to make people laugh and that seems to be the crux of the problem.”

If this is another calamity to befall Eamon Nancarrow at least he’s used to it. From the horrors of his first perm in the early 80’s to the moment a misplaced stage pyrotechnic almost curtailed his parenting capabilities, he has still been able to see the funny side of life.

However, in some bedrooms around the country, there is only one side of the bed laughing.

Holywood Star is available in paperback priced £9.99 (Showcase UK) from Amazon, WH Smith and www.showcaseuk.tv