Helloo,

Yep, I dissappeared for a while. I'm in the process of moving both office and home at the moment, I think I'm a glutton for punishment.

Someone else is organising storage space around the office so I've had to be very creative with stuff under my desk. I never liked putting my feet under the desk anyway.

High Street Kensington seems like a nice enough place, lots of shops and the like. Plenty of eateries which is all I care about.

My new work phone scares me as it resembles a car dashboard with satnav. Luckily I don't use the landline very often, only to accept calls and I think I've worked that out. Hopefully.

The new house I've moved to is a mouse-infested dive, poorly mainted and a bit smelly but I love it as it's in the centre of Camden and I can know get anyway in a short amount of time. I'm in the process of making it proper nice, painting, disinfecting etc etc.

Music-wise there's been so much going on I can't really keep track of what I've done. Caught up with The Chapman Family last week. They'd just finished recording a Radio1 session at Maida Vale. Momentum is really building for them now and I need to decide on what my stance is as regards what they're doing. I think it's fantastic and love what I see live, but I wonder if it's too left of centre for a major?

It's an annoying fact but worth considering, if I love a band for whatever reason I have to think of they're capacity to generate revenue. 40k units for a major wouldn't be considered a hit but if a smaller label shifted that amount it would be considered a big success by them.

Currently I like what they've got recorded as I know how it turns out live, so I have a pre conception when listening to their music. However, someone who knows nothing about the band, having a listen may not win them over as it could be a bit inaccessable. Saying that, I've heard some new mixes of existing material which I hope will edge them further towards the mainstream.

I came accross Cats and Cats and Cats last week through the myspace page (soon to be developed and intergrated into the existing platform). I always like listening to something a bit different in the way of 'band-based' music. Ie, not something that sounds like a low-calorie Libertines or 8bit Killers. The first act that springs to mind on listening to is 70's prog-rockers The Nice, except they don't have an organ, or Keith Emmerson. But apart from that, they're very similar...?....:-s

I think it's Ben George's vocal that feeds that idea into my head. I like the fact they can create a large, grandiose sound without cliche reverb and bizarre extended intro's. A very English-upbeat Sigur Ros or Arcade Fire perhaps? Hypnotic layers of melody and the relentless stopstart drums from Doug Jenkins make for quite emmersive and engaging tracks. I'm really interested to see what they're like live. Once I get a night going again maybe I can get a booking out of them.

Other than that all is pretty good in the world over here. Let me know what's happening with you.

Hope all is well with you.

IB

Delia Derbyshire famously arranged Ron Grainer's Dr Who theme electronically and

produced the first form of modern

 dance music more than two decades before it became a popular cultural phenomenon.

 

In Godiva Rocks, Coventry music journalist, Pete Chambers wrote -

"Delia Derbyshire was one, if not the most important pioneers of electronic music..Delia was born in Coventry in 1937. She attended Coventry Grammar school and went on to achieve a degree at Cambridge in Mathematics and Music. A perfect combination for her chosen career. Originally rejected by Decca records in 1959 because they didn't employ women in their studios, she went on to join the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop. Her most famous work was arranging a Ron Grainer composition - the Theme from Dr Who. Such was her ability though, Graiger was astounded to hear what she had done with his composition, asking her 'Did I really write this?' It is of course one of the most famous theme songs in history.

 

Throughout her career she was to mix with the creative minds of the 60's (Brian Jones, Paul McCartney, George Martin and the great Karl Heinze Stockhausen) The 70's (Pink Floyd, John and Yoko, Jimi Hendrix). Right up to the new breed of electro artists with her influences on such forward thinking artists as Sonic Boom and the Chemical Brothers. her two most definative releases are : An Electric Storm (1969) under the name White Noise (released on Island Records, the world's first all electronic group) and BBC Radiophonic Music 1971. Delia sadly passed away in Northampton 2001 aged 64. Her legacy lives."

 

 

More recently Delia, who struggled for recognition of her talent, has at last been been celebrated in the media with the discovery of some of her lost works. On July 18th 2008 the Guardian ran this article Here claiming -

"A long-lost collection of tapes representing the legacy of the musical genius who arranged the Doctor Who theme has been rescued from irreversible decay by a team of academic musicologists."

"Her experimental work fell out of fashion following the advent of the synthesizer but, in recent years, she has enjoyed a revival of interest especially among bands like The Chemical Brothers and Portishead to whom she is a legendary figure."

The Guardian tells us that a collection of 267 tapes, correspondence and scores were found.

 "The material had languished unheard for 30 years until it was passed to Manchester University’s School of Art, Histories and Culture to catalogue and preserve. The material, in poor condition, had to be played on a 1960s Studer A80 tape machine lent by the BBC’s Manchester studios before it could be digitised." 

"Ms Derbyshire was also a woman of her times, clad in Biba or Mary Quant, her hair in a Vidal Sassoon bob, a fixture at the parties of Swinging London where she was known for her chaotic but exuberant love life. She worked with Brian Jones, the late member of the Rolling Stones, Yoko Ono and Jimi Hendrix and met Paul McCartney to discuss an opportunity to work on Yesterday"

"She left the BBC a disillusioned woman. She and struggled with drink and a series of unsuitable jobs, including radio

 operator. At one time she married an out-of-work miner but eventually settled in the Midlands where she lived in relative obscurity and would rail, between drinks, against her lack of critical recognition."

"The composer, who always kept a book of logarithms in her back pocket, used a combination of musique concrete techniques including the tape manipulation and electronic gadgetry to create her sounds. Her favourite instrument was a green lampshade which she would strike and then manipulate the resulting sound to achieve the desired effect."

The BBC News site have uploaded examples of Delia's earlier work including a piece from the late 60's that is a proto dance music track.

BBC achive of rare Delia Derbyshire sound bites

"A hidden hoard of recordings made by the electronic music pioneer behind the Doctor Who theme has been revealed

 - including a dance track 20 years ahead of its time.

Delia Derbyshire was working in the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop in 1963 when she was given the score for a theme tune to a new science fiction series.

She turned those dots on a page into the swirling, shimmering Doctor Who title music - although it is the score's author, Ron Grainer, who is credited as the composer

Most unexpected of all, however, is a piece of music that sounds like a contemporary dance track which was recorded, it is believed, in the late sixties."  Here is a direct link to the dance track - Delia's Dance Track from the late 60's 

 

From this biography site Delia Derbyshire Bio we read - "she created by

recording the individual notes onto bits of tape and then assembling the song by hand. On hearing the finished piece, Grainer asked: "Did I really write this?" "Most of it," Delia replied. Yet despite Grainer's

In 1966 she formed the group Unit Delta Plus with Brian Hodgson and Peter Zinovieff. Though the group existed only for a year, they staged some of the earliest concerts consisting entirely of electronic and tape music. Famously, the group performed at the Million Volt Light and Sound Rave in 1967 at the Chalk Farm roadhouse in London, a four-day electronic music event which featured Paul McCartney's sound collage Carnival of Light (now lost in a vault somewhere).

In 1968 David Vorhaus enlisted Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson (also at the Radiophonic Workshop) for his psychedelic electronic music project White Noise, releasing the seminal album An Electric Storm in 1969."

 

From her Obituary in the Guardian -

"Among her outstanding television work, one of her favourites was composed for a documentary for The World About

Us on the Tuareg people of the Sahara desert. It still haunts me. She used her own voice for the sound of the hooves, cut up into an obbligato rhythm, and she added a thin, high electronic sound using virtually all the filters and oscillators in the workshop.
"My most beautiful sound at the time was a tatty green BBC lampshade," she recalled. "It was the wrong colour, but it had a beautiful ringing sound to it. I hit the lampshade, recorded that, faded it up into the ringing part without the percussive start.

"I analysed the sound into all of its partials and frequencies, and took the 12 strongest, and reconstructed the sound on the workshop's famous 12 oscillators to give a whooshing sound. So the camels rode off into the sunset with my voice in their hooves and a green lampshade on their backs."

Link to her album - Electrosonic 

by Delia, Brian Hodgson, Don Harper - Glo-Spot

And a review

Review
ALBUM OF THE WEEK- Delia Derbyshire/ Brian Hodgson/ Don Harper- 'Electrosonic' LP

Something a bit special for those of you that care about the evolution of music. The force that is electricity revolutionised the ways that sound could be produced and there were many pioneers. Among these were the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop who were instrumental in creating sounds that never existed. Sounds from other worlds, planets, time and space. Among the equipment used to produce these strange futuristic sounds were modular synthesisers. Huge things with cables and twiddly knobs everywhere. Basically if you dig this kind of early synth stuff then 'Electrosonic' is an essential piece of musical history that deserves a place in your collection. The music is composed by some relatively unknown colleagues of Delia Derbyshire (The White Noise, BBCRO) nameley Harper/ Russe/ St. George which we're guessing are pseudonyms for Delia Derbyshire/ Brian Hodgson/ Don Harper. This was previously only issued by KPM in 1972 as on obscure library record. If you enjoyed the 'Tomorrow People' record on Trunk or like Pauline Oliveros' early work then I suspect you'll be wanting this gorgeous chunk of extremely limited green vinyl released on Scottish label Glo-Spot. I'm not even going to attempt to describe the sounds on here. Light years ahead of their time. Ace.- Ant x

Andrew Wagner's tribute -

Andrew Wagner's tribute and pop art painting
http://www.adrianwagner.com/awgalleryPopArtGallery.html
Delia was a guide and an inspriation to me in all the many years I knew her and I miss her more than I can possibly express. I met her at the age of 18 years and she took me in hand and pointed me at many directions in Electronic Music. She was a true genius and her love and passion infected everyone who knew her. This is a very special painting of her and, I hope, reflects her many dimensions in the prime of her creativity. (She his pop art portrait of her on his site).

 

Delia Derbyshire in the Scotsman

"Drew Mulholland, a Glasgow-based composer and musician who got to know Derbyshire in the last five years of her life. "She was a hero, a pioneer," he says. "She was a completely unique, one-off composer. Her stuff sounds ahead of its time even now, never mind in 1965. When you realise she was just beavering away at the BBC in Maida Vale with the most basic equipment, it is amazing."

Susan Mansfield
"WHEN THE DR WHO THEME MUSIC beamed out into the living rooms of Britain for the first time, in 1963, it began a

 new era in sound. The unearthly whines, throbs and howls seemed to come from the future. In a way, they did. The great British public was getting its first taste of electronic music.

 
While the theme went on to become one of the most recognised in TV history, Delia Derbyshire, who created the eerie futuristic soundtrack, is virtually unknown. Yet she was one of the pioneers of electronic music in Britain. Among Derbyshire many credits is the music for a film by Yoko Ono.

Now the fascinating, often turbulent, life and tragic death of Derbyshire will be brought to a wider audience for the first time in Standing Wave: Delia Derbyshire in the 1960s, a theatre production being developed at the Tron in Glasgow by Reeling & Writhing Theatre Company, with a script by Nicola McCartney. Each performance will be followed by a programme of new electronic music composed in Derbyshire memory by Scottish contemporary composers.

Derbyshire was born into a working-class Catholic family in Coventry in 1937. She would later say that growing up to the sounds of air-raid sirens and the clatter of clogs on cobbles first awakened her lifelong fascination with sound. She studied piano to performance level and graduated in mathematics and music from Girton College, Cambridge.

She excelled, demonstrating an instinctive grasp of sound which enabled her to find extracts of orchestral music simply by studying the grooves in an LP. As soon as she could, she sought an attachment at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, created in 1958 to supply music and sound made with the day "new technology". Although the secondment was for a maximum of three months, Derbyshire stayed for ten years.

..........................

 Link to the Radiophonic Workshop with Vid

 

 

 

  

Nope, Broken Hand isn't a new band. Though I do think it's a good band name.

I manage to royally mess up my hand playing djembes in a jam session last night. Went a bit drumcrazy and attempted some kind of pseudo-latino thing and manage to acheive stupido-fracturedhando instead. Kinda hurt at the time but my mate Chalky took me out for a few medicinal beers before coming home to a rather amazing lasagne. This morning was a different story, could barely grip my muffin.

(that's not slang, I had breakfast muffins this morning)

Anyhow, damaged body parts aside. I went to see Josh Weller playing upstairs at the Lock whilst medicating myself. I'd forgotten how much I like his quirky stylings, observant lyrics n such. He played a favourite of mine 'What Would My Girlfriend Say'. At least I think that's what it's called. It's not on the myspace at the moment. I had a brief chat with him after whilst he was surrounded by young pretty scenester girls (I really miss gigging). He seems to be developing well as an artist and taking it all in his stride. What does suprise me is the lack of deal. I would have thought an indie would have got an EP out of him at the very least by now. Last time I heard he was touring with Lightspeed Champion, he mentioned another peachy support coming up but I can't remember what he said. Think that was the medicine kicking in.

Anyhow, I have to do desk tidying in preparation for moving offices and also I will be getting a work experience assistant. THis is something I'm really looking forward to as it means I can spread the load a little and start exploring new avenues as regards talent tracking both in here and further affield. I'm talking to the digital creative guys about the changes being made to the pages today too. So that should be good fun.

Ran into one of the guys from Melody Nelson last night too. Great band well worth seeing if you like balls out retro riff driven rock. He did ask if I ever check my Vox which probably means there's a message unanswered for some time in my mail box. I do get quite a lot so it's difficult for me to get through them all. I must admit if it's entitled 'Check This Out' it kind of goes to the bottom of the pile as I will check it out anyway if it's in the A&R group. The tracks are simply added to a queue and I pile through them.

Anyhow, I think I'm waffling now. So I should get on with my tidying and maybe get me a special K bar in the process.

Hope all is well with you.

IB

Our first episode documenting our first day at the Motor Museum in Liverpool is now up.

You could go to youtube and search for it but why both when its right under this already (how did you not notice that yet?)

 

 

Episode two of our second day there will be up soon.

 

Trev Teasdel's Interview with KRISTY GALLACHER - July 2008

 

Kristy, you seem to be highly regarded and popular on the Cov Scene but how did you get started - what inspired to give it a go?

I just love playing and playing a few open mics at the age of 16 seemed to lead from gig to gig and i haven't really stopped since. Having just turned 22 i'm enjoying it more now!

You have a great guitar style or rather styles. How did that develop, what were your influences?

I think just playing in general will shape and develop your own style. I learnt with Clive Layton a truely brilliant Coventry musician for 7 or so years, teaching me songs i love and different techniques. In the last year or so i have been playing with Dave Bennett a fantastic and well respected ragtime player based in Coventry. Dave has had me listening to Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis, Joan Baez just to name a few and i have enjoyed experimenting mixing them all and playing in a completely different sytle out of my comfort zone.

You have a distinctive songwriting style, as if the listener is privy to an interesting but private conversation, or even the receipient. It kind of draws you in and involves you in the song. Tell us about how that developed, the influences etc.

From the Music i enjoy listening to, Tori Amos, Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega they all have very distinctive writing styles and certain 'tricks' that pop up from song to song. It's quite a natural develpoment for me, i don't think you can force that type of writing because everyone's style is different and if it is forced it doesn't sound natural and therefor untrue. I write from the heart from things i have experienced or have witnessed.

You have a folk style delivery in your live performances but on your new album - Emotional Gun - I noticed a developing jazz ballad style delivery that was full of potential. Is that a conscious direction or influence?

The Jazz style tracks on the album were all written in the same time period where i was listening to a lot of Madeleine Peyroux and Diana Krall at the time learning their songs and this was reflected in my writings at the time.

You've obviously worked hard on your live performances, how hard has it been to get regular gigs and build up your reputation, and does yet extend outside the Coventry area?

Like i said before i have been very fortunate and one gig seems to lead to another, venues in the area are constantly changing and am very thankful for the support that has built up in the West Midlands area of people coming to gigs. I am branching out further though and have a gig at the Regal Rooms, Hammersmith, London on the 29th August.

What would make a difference now, both in terms of the Coventry scene and in career opportunities for your music?

I have just graduated from a Music Composition Degree at Coventry University and am now set up as a full time Professional Musician so in career terms i am very fortunate to be able to do what i love doing. I am also a promoter in Coventry and have two weekly nights, one at the Earlsdon Cottage and one at the Tuns (details at <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm15c3BhY2UuY29tL2tncHJlc2VudHM=">www. myspace. com/kgpresents). The Coventry scene has been very kind and supportive to me and by putting nights on in the city i hope to be giving a little back.

Lastly, where can people buy the album? (The shameless plug question!)? Go for it!

It's available to buy from <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtyaXN0eWdhbGxhY2hlci5jb20=">www. kristygallacher. com or http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm15c3BhY2UuY29tL2tndW5wbHVnZ2Vk">www. myspace. com/kgunplugged or come along to a gig and buy one. They are £7 and some tracks from the album and new tunes are up on the myspace.

Made pizza with the gf last night. I decided it would be cheating to buy ready made bases. I stubbornly stuck to my guns after it being explained to me that it might be easier. 3 hours and three failed pizzas later I was in a kebab shop in Camden contemplating the benefits of pizza bases and nostaligically looking back at the recent gigs I had attended (see how I linked that, good eh?)

I went to see Glass Shark the other day. I was completely off my face on legal over-the-counter cold remedies convining myself that I didn't have a cold and it was hayfever. Glass Shark is a punk disco three piece who make much of very little in the way of sound. The drummer is the main vocalist/front man which makes for an interesting stage show. Historically, I've never liked the whole drummer/front man thing as it tends to look crap and be the product of a drummer not being happy at the back of a stage. If you want to be a front man, do it, if you want to be the drummer do that.

Anyhow, for me this group is the exception to the rule. I liked the stage set up too as it seemed they had though about how they were going to be perceived. Their mic stands were decorated with strip lights which gave the them a stark monochrome/80's discoteque feel.

Vocally and sound-wise they remind me a little bit of Lightningtype in places (one of my favourite bands from last year). Also the drummer/singer had a really sparse kit. One snare, Bass, Hat/crash and a couple of small roto toms which played a heavy part in the songs. The guitarist was armed with a couple of cowbells and another tom in addition to his guitar. This let them go a bit crazy with percussion sections in their tunes and there were moments of LCD Soundsystem in there for me (though that may have been the beechams) as well as a more distinct sound they could call their own.

As a unit they were really tight, great backing vocals and really use what they've got to the maximum potential. This doesn't mean firing on all cylinders throughout the set. They use clever arrangements, breakdowns and write disco tunes rather than being a tired indie band playing at it for a new angle.

Falsetto vocals, thumping 4 to the floor drums and tongue in cheek belters are the order of the day for Glass Shark. 'Toni Collette' was one of my personal highlights. Be sure to see them live as the myspace doesn't necessarily do them justice. If you want the full experience be sure to take masses of sudafed, beechams, zinc suppliments and dyorlyte when attending.

The showcase at the studio went really well. It's a great place. There's several studios dotted around the residential streets of the area. The one I put the band in is known as the Cottage. As it has a lounge reminiscent of my nan's attached and a little patio area outside. It was a lovely day so met the band outside with manage and crew (engineer and roadie). Was great to sit in the sun and talk about the various festivals they're involved in an such. Chewed the fat, discussed the set they were going to play then headed back to the office to prepare to take the label head over there.

Whilst at the office I think I was probably more nervous than the band were as I really want them to do well. I was seriously full of cold and everything that came out of my mouth that wasn't a sneeze, was some nonsensical faux muso comment that just made me look like a tit infront of the boss. Damn. Have had several cringeworth recollections of that day since.

They hammered through the set and really blew all in attendance away. Plus they really showed the depth of their material which is important. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of them. Leaving the studio a colleague and I agreed that we've probably got one of the more fun jobs out there.

Think I might head back home as I feel like something has hatched in my head.

Hope all is well with you.

IB

I grew up over the road from Gilly Darbey, in Willenhall Wood, Coventry. I hardly knew her, she was more my younger

sister's age. By the time Hobo was up and running in the early to mid 70's she was playing Coventry folk clubs. It was at the Charterhouse pub, Terry Rd. in Coventry I first saw her perform with her guitar to great acclaim for her young voice. Around 1974 her name cropped up in many of the folk club posts in Hobo.

At the time she was a rising star on the local folk club circuit but I never knew what became of her until the other day, when searching for another Coventry act, I came across her website and e mailed her. Gilly now lives in New Zealand and her website biography makes intersting reading.

You can read of her musical adventures and download her music via her own website but here are some of the main highlights to tempt you to visit her page and to document her success on the this site. Her website can be viewed here

Gilly says her singing career started in school, joining various groups and then forming her own all girl group called Mosaic.

Gilly also started to "perform solo at local folk clubs in her home town of Coventry, she was still only 14.
Gilly was a rebellious pupil and left school as soon as was possible, to join an Irish showband of all things. She had a great time learning the ropes, and was well chaperoned by the boys in the band."

At 16, she answered an ad in Melody Maker "for girl singers to form an English equivalent of the "Three Degrees". Gilly got the job! Along with two others, she underwent the star treatment doled out by "MCA" records and "Bell" records. However, as with a lot of these record company fiascos,(at one point Gilly was the only one singing all of the parts and the other two were just to create a three girl image), it all went botty up and Gilly was once again solo.

After that Gilly returned to the folk scene and joined Streetband who were about to do a busking tour of Europe. She had a great time despite being arrested twice (busking was illegal then)! Eventually she returned to England as a soloist and the Streetband became the One Eyed Jacks with bass player Martin Allcocks.

Soon she would hear " Waterfall", Keith Donnelly and Martyn Oram, perform at the Lanchester Poly in Coventry. She

 fell in love with the songs (mostly written by Keith Donnelly), This started a new chapter in Gilly's life and career,and a partnership with Keith that lasted for nearly 20 years.Though they no longer perform together Gilly and Keith are still great friends, and Gilly still performs a lot of his material. 

They became very popular on the folk scene both here and abroad. A highlight at this time was to open Cambridge Festival on Main Stage1. Gilly remembers it particularly well as she had taken up skydiving and had to be helped on stage with crutches due to a slightly mistimed landing!

Waterfall toured constantly throughout Europe and further afield, including trips to Belize, Cyprus and the Falklands. They also did a T.V. special for the BBC called "This Is Waterfall." Definitely worth seeing for the ridiculous outfits that they came up with on a shopping spree in London! The trio released two albums to much acclaim, "Three Birds" produced by Johnny Coppin, and "Beneath The Stars" produced by Phillip Goodhand-Tait.

After Martyn Oram left Gilly and Keith toyed with several new names and for a while were called "Little Aeroplane", releasing an album of the same name, this time produced by Richard Digance. Then they changed the name again and became "Nothing By Chance", the name of a Richard Bach book that Gilly was reading at the time. 

Once again a new chapter began as "Nothing By Chance" were taken on by Jasper Carrotts' management company, after a succesful tour with him. They went on to support such noticeables as Van Morrison, The Hollies, and Tori Amos, to name but a few. During which time they appeared at almost every major venue throughout Britain and Ireland, with numerous T.V. appearances, including several on "Pebble Mill At One".

They were spotted by a BBC producer whilst doing a Phil Cool support, who loved what he saw and wanted to turn them into huge, and I mean huuuwwwwwwwwg T.V. stars.
They had their own T.V. special for the Beeb which received critical acclaim, (a clip was shown on "Points of View") and was swiftly shown again at a prime time on BBC1. Gilly and Keith then spent 6 months working with the people at BBC Pebble Mill on a six part series. At the last minute politics between London and Pebble Mill meant that the TV series was vetoed.

Undaunted Gilly and Keith then made an album called "Ghosts Of Love". The album was produced by John "Bonny" Acock and Mick Dolan at Stevie Winwood's fantastic studio down in Gloucestershire, and features many fine guest musicians including Phil Beer of "Show of Hands" fame and Al Marnie, bass player with Chris de Burgh, This was swiftly taken up by "Chrysalis" records. They started a 90 date country wide tour in their own right. The album was receiving rave reviews, and receiving radio 1 and 2 air play. Unfortunately "Chrysalis" were being bought out by big bad nasties "EMI", Nothing By Chance became tiny, tiny fishes in a huge sea, got sucked through some other fishes gills, and ceased to exist!

Gilly returned once more to a solo career which she is still doing, including some major festivals around the world.

 

Her first solo CD "One", is really a showcase CD, trying to show some of these differing sides to her voice, though mostly aimed at the "folk scene". It was recorded totally live at the famous Red Lion folk club in Kings Heath, Birmingham. The infamous Jim Mcphee who ran the Red Lion F.C. signed Gilly up for his agency, Acorn Entertainments, as soon as he heard her doing a resident spot at the club. This is what he had to say about her first appearance there:

She had everyone so captivated that-
1. I forgot to start recording untill she'd nearly finished the first set.
2. The audience were spellbound - you could hear a pin drop.
3.The latecomers entered the room and stood silently, transfixed until she'd finished her song - AND THAT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!
4. I forgot to start the recording for her second set.
All in all I was so gobsmacked that I said I would try and get her some work.
Unfortunately Jim underwent a major operation and decided to end the agency.

Gilly incorporates many different genres of music into her sets, believing that a beautiful song is a beautiful song no matter what genre it comes from, and that if she believes the words the audience will too. With her ability to "feel" a song and to pass that feeling on to her audience, genre is often transcended.
Her haunting voice was used for the title track, and incidental music for the BBC drama "The Tennant Of Wildfell Hall" which has been shown worldwide, and by the same composer, Richard G. Mitchel, for a video of the World Cup,(The Coupe de la Gloire-also available on CD) during which he referred to her as Gilly te Kanawa!! Listen out for her Kiri impression on track 6, "Sunday Prayer".

More recently Gilly has joined up with Maart Allcock for some gigs. The few they have done so far have really taken the audience by storm, including The Mill, Banbury, Godiva Festival, Coventry, and Warwick Festivals.

The demo Maart and Gilly did for the BBC producer was made MP3 of the month for October 2001 on Folking.com This is what they wrote...

MP3 Of The Month...Gilly Darbey- "Ain't No Use Baby"

"Dim the lights, I want to set the scene. It's August and we're at the Cropredy festival, Fairport Convention has just gone off stage and the chatter of well contented, happy people are all around us. Most people are heading out of the main site for either their tents or transport home. We're not leaving the field - We're going to wait for something magical to happen. We walk to the left hand of the stage and pass through the security gate. At the back of the stage there is a tent. Artists and their friends are milling around outside it and the sound of the blues floats out. Inside the tent is "Sugarland Slim" cranking out an impromptu session featuring the extraordinary voice of Gilly Darbey who we have chosen as our MP3 of the Month for October. "Ain't no use now baby" features the talents of Maartin Allcock and hopefully will be included as one of the tracks on a planned collaboration album in the not too distant future. Sugarland Slim have also hinted that Gilly may guest with them on their next release."

And indeed she appears on Sugarlands new CD "Texan Calypso". A song Sean wrote especially to duet with Gilly, called "Dirty girl, Lousy Guy". After recording the track Sugarland had a gig locally and invited Gilly along. This is a review from Relayer. A web site dedicated to bands in and around Bedford, though the reviewer had travelled much further afield to see Sugarland Slim.

".... and then the singer announces a short break .... and invites Gilly Darbey to get up and entertain us. Gilly and Sugarland Slim got together in the small hours at the Cropedy Festival, and they were equally knocked out with each other.... playing and singing through the night. Gilly has been invited to duet with Sean on a number on the new CD.... I'm looking forward to that - she has a superb voice with an incredible range, and treated us to a short set, mostly solo's (guitar/vocal) ...... Jeff solo's on a couple.... great sound! "You'll have to excuse me, I'm a crap guitarist!" she says, before playing very well indeed! Loud applause, from a smallish, but very appreciative crowd ...Wow, what a singer ..... very enjoyable indeed!" The CD is now due out, so check the guys web site for release details.

The year 2000 saw her expanding her horizons with a successful tour to Australia and New Zealand. Since that first tour Gilly has returned several times to growing enthusiam from the audiences in the southern hemisphere. Appearing at some of the countries most prestigeous folk and blues festivals and venues.

Spring 2004 saw the release of her second solo CD...."Blues Movin' In", which is more bluesey than the first solo CD and has really captured the essence of Gilly's voice.
Spring 2004 was spent touring in Australia and New Zealand, with the prestigeous Australian National Folk Festival over Easter in Canberra, and a live appearance on National Radio in NZ. Gilly went down a storm at the National, especially the huge 3000 seater Badewang Hall where she sold out of CD's at the first concert.
Then a return to the UK for more gigs.
Summer 2004 was spent moving to NZ where Gilly now resides.
Autumn gigs included Hong Kong Festival and the end of the year saw her at the huge and wonderful Woodford Festival in Queensland, Australia

2006 saw Gilly recording some songs for Gordon Giltrap and performing them as his guest at the Symphony Hall, London in March. Gordon Wrote of her.......

"You are and always will be one of the finest singers I have ever had the privilege to listen to"

2006 saw her embark on another tour of New Zealand, including a live spot on TVNZ "Good Morning Show". Then back to Australia for the National Festival in Canberra.

2007 and Gilly is now making a name for herself in her new home New Zealand, with great reviews for her appearance at the Queenstown International Jazz Festival, Waipara Wine and Food Festival, and the Alexandra Blossom festival, one of the largest festivals in the South Island, she has also just been confirmed to appear at the Parihaka International Peace Festival in 2008, which is a real honour. Check out their website at Parihaka Festival.

Her new CD recorded in Australia at Rob Longs wonderful studio in Newcastle, with Rob playing guitars and drums and Liz Frencham of Jigzag playing double bass, has received rave reviews in NZ Musician.
October 07 sees her embarking on a tour of NZ with her band to promote the new CD, see date sheet for details.
Gilly has recently joined up with Dunedin based Texan musician Terry Ebeling and the band are starting to get gigs around the wine and food festival, corporate circuit.

VISIT her Website Here

Gilly also has a My Space (although I haven't yet found it) Will post it when I do! 

 

 

  

 

 

Any thoughts or comments on the meeting welcome.

 

Note of meeting re Coventry Music Exhibition, 5.3.2008

 

Present: Pete Chambers, Neol Davies, Dave Fisher, Peter Walters, John Dawkins, Huw Jones, Erin Hollis, Martin Roberts

 

Apologies: Trevor Teasdel, Roger Lomas, Richard Elms, Roger Vaughan

 

1. Exhibition development

 

Pete circulated a list of pledges so far, which included costume, instruments, gold disks, poster, etc representing a number of bands and performers. He also passed round some scanned images of objects, posters, etc. This represents a really good start and will help to determine the structure and design of the exhibition.

 

Pete is also going to write a column appealing for information and objects.

 

Neol has material relating to Selecter, including a gold disk and cuttings.

 

Trevor has agreed to begin a timeline of Coventry bands since the 1950s on the Hobo website. He will also start to compile a list a list of possible interviewees for the exhibition.

 

A couple of people have been contacted by a company who are interested in making a film of Coventry music history. This is something Richard has suggested we do for the exhibition.

 

It was agreed that for publicity and marketing purpose, we should concentrate on Two Tone, as there is a large following for this and it is likely to attract visitors to the exhibition, including from further afield. Dave suggested a title for the exhibition could be 'More Than Two Tones' and it was agreed to adopt this as a working title. Dave is going to put together a poll for the Mercia website, asking people to nominate the bands they would most like to see featured in the exhibition.

 

2. Project Plan and Milestones

 

There were no further comments on the document issued at the previous meeting.

 

3. Funding

 

It was agreed that a formal approach should be made by the Herbert to EMI to try to obtain a favourable deal for music and film clips and to persuade them to support the exhibition generally. John agreed to supply contact details for the Herbert to follow up.

 

Peter has spoken to a colleague about a possible funding application to Advantage West Midlands. The project does potentially fall within their remit.

 

Dave will follow up the Ricoh re sponsorship. The Coventry Building Society don't sponsor the arts. Cassidy's were also suggested as potential sponsors and John agreed to look into this.

 

John suggested staging a concert as the Ricoh as a fundraising activity. This could involve a number of local bands and it may be possible to get the venue at reduced cost. All agreed to think about this.

 

The Herbert's move to trust status is due to be confirmed in July – it will then be possible to set a budget for the exhibition.

 

4. Events programme

 

Jo,  the Herbert's Events Officer, has recently moved on to a new post elsewhere. However she has left detailed notes about the ideas for events which have been discussed so far, for her successor to pick up when they are appointed.

 

Neol expressed his willingness to lead a 'masterclass' event. It was felt that the Herbert's new Studio space would be an ideal venue for this type of event.

 

5. Next meeting

 

This will take place in the autumn, date tbc.