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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 2024.

The Things They Say!

Hudson Music: Lance's "Bebop Spoken Here" is one of the heaviest and most influential jazz blogs in the UK.

Rupert Burley (Dynamic Agency): "BSH just goes from strength to strength".

'606' Club: "A toast to Lance Liddle of the terrific jazz blog 'Bebop Spoken Here'"

The Strictly Smokin' Big Band included Be Bop Spoken Here (sic) in their 5 Favourite Jazz Blogs.

Ann Braithwaite (Braithwaite & Katz Communications) You’re the BEST!

Holly Cooper, Mouthpiece Music: "Lance writes pull quotes like no one else!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Music stars get behind new Sage Gateshead development

New era for Sage Gateshead announced ahead of this weekend’s 14th SummerTyne Americana Festival
(Press release)

“I'm delighted to hear that Sage Gateshead has been successful in this bid. Sage One is a special room to play and I have some wonderful memories performing there. This new project should provide an even more dynamic live experience for both the artist and audience." - Sting 

A bespoke seating system, which will enable the quick removal of seats to create space for a part standing audience, has been given the go-ahead at renowned music venue Sage Gateshead.
The major project has been made possible thanks to £1.2 million from National Lottery funding through Arts Council England’s capital programme. This has been matched by generous donations of £800,000 from individuals and trusts from the North East and across the country.
The £2 million project will allow the installation of a new seat mechanism, which has never been used anywhere else before, giving the North East venue the flexibility to provide standing space on level one of their main concert hall (Sage One) - beyond the existing standing pit - as well as continuing to offer the option of a fully seated hall.  The system will also enable the seats to be put back in again at speed.
Removal of the seats has only been done twice before at Sage Gateshead, once for MS Life Conference and again for BBC 6 Music Festival, taking up hours of labour by a large workforce, but loved by fans of the bands who played there including Maximo Park, Royal Blood, Hot Chip and The Charlatans.
Once the seats are removed, the capacity of the hall will increase from a current maximum of 1650 to 2000, allowing the venue to add to its already diverse programme, including more indie, dance and prom style performances. 
In addition to adapting the seating in Sage One, the project will also include a major refurbishment of the building’s iconic concourse – a focal point for many festivals, free events and a place to relax, play and work. The concourse is open to the public seven days a week throughout the day and the aim is to improve facilities so that even more people can use the building each year.
The Arts Council’s capital funding is intended to support organisations to develop their buildings and facilities in order to produce and present outstanding work. Widely regarded as a ‘performers’ venue,’ thanks to the quality of the acoustics, the news of a forthcoming ‘seats out’ option will not only achieve this goal, it has also been met with excitement within artist circles. Sting said of the project:
“I'm delighted to hear that Sage Gateshead has been successful in this bid. Sage One is a special room to play and I have some wonderful memories performing there. This new project should provide an even more dynamic live experience for both the artist and audience."

Tyne & Wear rising star of the indie scene, Sam Fender, has responded to the news with excitement:
“I’ve played some of the smaller rooms a couple of times but to think that Sage One will now offer standing room is amazing. Alongside the acoustics and bigger capacity, the seats out option will make Sage One a dream venue and even more artists will come to the toon.”
Paul Smith from Maximo Park said: “The atmosphere is undoubtedly more lively when people aren’t sitting down, as we found out when we played without the seats. Other large venues simply don’t sound (or look) as good as Sage One, so it will be great to get a broader range of acts (and audiences) into this incredible venue.”
Smoove & Turrell said: “We would be buzzing if the seats in Hall One could be removable as this would please all of our fans who have always expressed a preference to dance at our gigs.”
Ross Millard from The Futureheads said: “Sage Gateshead is an amazing venue to perform in, but the option of playing a show to a standing audience would always be preferable for a band like ours. As a musician who has played live shows for almost 20 years, my experience is that for a lot of performers/bands, standing shows generate an energy and line of communication with the audience that you simply can’t achieve in a seated venue.”
Abigail Pogson, Managing Director of Sage Gateshead, said: “We know that musicians and audiences love making and hearing music in Sage Gateshead. In 15 short years, it has become a flagship music venue for the North and is internationally recognised. Since opening our doors in 2004, we have been privileged to welcome some of the world’s greatest musicians to our festivals and stages, as well as playing a part in nurturing and supporting the next generation of musicians and running a huge music education programme.
“This capital work will help us to present and support an even wider range of musicians with events and festivals which reach an even wider audience and will also benefit the wider community. Foster + Partners created an iconic building for Tyneside 15 years ago and we can’t wait to complete this work to take our already great facilities to a new level.”
Jane Tarr, Director of Skills and Workforces, Arts Council England said: “Our capital funding is all about helping organisations to develop the buildings and facilities they need to produce and present excellent work. I’m delighted that our funding will help Sage Gateshead to install a seating system that will allow it greater flexibility in its programme and to stage a broader variety of artists and events which will be enjoyed by both the local community and visitors.”

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