Monthly Archives: February 2009

A.J’s Big Band 25th Anniversary

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ajA.J’s Big Band is celebrating its 25th Anniversary in swinging style during 2009 with a schedule of concert and dance dates at venues across the Westcountry.

Since its formation in1983 the Devon based band has maintained an enviable reputation in its presentation of swing and jazz classics. The band is named after its founder Alan (A.J.) Hempstead who sadly died in 1996 aged 59. It was in 1985 that A.J’s Big Band was chosen to play the on stage role of the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the world premier of Little Brown Jug at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter. The show was so successful its run was extended. The band’s   popularity grew rapidly with 1940’s theme nights which became a feature in the 80’s and 90’s with some memorable  VE and VJ day celebrations.

The band is made up of musicians of all ages. It has released five recordings over the years, the latest being the aptly named ‘The Many Sides of A.J’s’. Under the leadership of Ken Parr, Head of Devon Music Services, and himself a   talented saxophonist, the band blends stunning ensemble work with exciting jazz solos. The instrumental line up is complimented by A.J’s featured singer Paula Mitchell with a fusion of beautiful ballads and up tempo numbers.

Ken Parr says: ‘A.J’s Big Band prides itself on creating excitement and enjoyment for audiences through playing good  quality music which breathes new life into familiar arrangements and challenges both players and listeners with fresh and exciting solos. We are all so pleased that we are still performing after 25 years of playing across the Westcountry  and beyond.’

The Band makes a welcome return to Teignmouth’s Carlton Theatre for an afternoon concert on Sunday 22nd Februaryat 3 p.m.

Ticket reserve £10.50 Box office 01626 778991

Ultravox @ Plymouth Pavilions

The Big Stage,

ultravoxAfter an absence of 20 years, Plymouth Pavilions are proud to bring Ultravox to the city on Monday 27 April 2009. The tour, featuring original 80s line up of Midge Ure, Chris Cross, Warren Cann and Billy Currie, will perform 14 shows across the UK. Fans can look forward to the band performing material from all their albums, including Vienna, Rage in Eden and Quartet.

Ultravox were one of one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the early 1980s.
“Over the years we have all been caught up with a number of individual projects. When Billy and me were approached by Absolute Radio to perform an acoustic set at their inaugural launch in October at Abbey Road Studios, we took up the offer” said Midge Ure. “We were overwhelmed by the response of our fans, which confirmed within the band that perhaps the time was right to re-form.”?

Coinciding with the tour, EMI will be releasing a number of re-mastered albums and a much anticipated Greatest Hits album, which will be available as a CD/DVD package in time for the tour.

Marketing Officer at Plymouth Pavilions, Robert Maltby said: “To be chosen as one of only 14 venues in the UK for this historic comeback is something rather special. Ultravox were one of the biggest and most influential bands of the 80s, so I’m sure this will be fantastic news for all those die hard Ultravox fans in the city”.

Paul Weller @ Plymouth Pavilions

The Big Stage,

paul_wellerThe greatest singer-songwriter of his generation, Paul Weller, has announced a UK tour for 2009 and heads to Plymouth Pavilions on Thursday 19 March 2009.

The tour will be the chance for South West fans to hear songs from his latest No.1 selling album 22 Dreams (June 08), his first since 2005 As Is Now as well as classic Weller past and present.

This will be Paul’s third visit to the city, his last back in the summer of 2007 became a sell out and received rave reviews.

Lemar @ Plymouth Pavilions

The Big Stage,

lemarMarking a new chapter in his music career, Lemar has recently released his fourth studio album The Reason? complete with lead single If She Knew and about to embark a massive UK Tour which heads to Plymouth Pavilions on Tuesday 31 March 2009.

Almost five years ago, Lemar released his debut album Dedicated, ushering in a new exciting juncture in UK soul music. Since then, Lemar has become the most successful black British soul artist of our time, commandeering the UK’s radio airwaves with the hit singles 50/50, Dance (With U), If There’s Any Justice? and It’s Not That Easy. With three top ten UK albums, Lemar has sold well over two million albums, and most notably been awarded two MOBO Awards and two BRIT Awards.

Same Difference @ Plymouth Pavilions

The Big Stage,

same_differenceX Factor finalists and pop sensations Same Difference will make their debut at Plymouth Pavilions on Friday 13 March 2009.

Following last year’s X Factor series, which saw the band, mentored by Simon Cowell reach the final of the competition, Same Difference have been living the life they always dreamed of.

At the start of the year the band travelled across the country as part of the massive X Factor Live tour. The tour visited packed arenas all over the UK, with the duo recreating their best loved performances from their time on the show, receiving enthusiastic reviews.

Kenny Rogers @ Plymouth Pavilions

The Big Stage,

kennyCelebrating fifty years in the music business, Plymouth Pavilions are proud to announce that legendary singersongwriter Kenny Rogers will be coming to the city on Wednesday 1 April 2009.

His classic tracks include Lady, Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town, The Gambler, She Believes in Me, Islands in the Stream, We’ve Got Tonight and Buy Me A Rose.

Kenny Rogers has become such an icon that it’s easy to forget how he got there. Having recorded more than 65 albums which have sold over 100 million records worldwide, Rogers is an American icon who is in the same league as The Beatles, Elton John and Elvis Presley.

Keane @ Plymouth Pavilions

The Big Stage,

keaneFollowing their sell out gig in October 2006, Keane head back to Plymouth Pavilions on Monday 9 February 2009.
Keane are well recognised for their impressive live shows, and this reputation has seen them grow to Arena status. Tom Chaplin confidently steers their exuberant show with his unique charisma and unrivalled vocals, which has secured his place as an International star.

James Morrison

The Big Stage, , ,

jamesJames Morrison will embark on a 12-date UK tour for March/April 2009 following a sell out for the shows he’s due to do in November this year.

Meanwhile James plans to release the second single Broken Strings, a belter of a duet with Canadian superstar songstress Nelly Furtado, taken from his new album Songs For You, Truths For Me. Songs For You… debuted at #3 when it was released on 29th September and has sold over 200,000 in just a few weeks. His first single from the new album You Make It Real is still in the UK Singles charts top twenty.

James’ last album (also his debut) Undiscovered went straight in at Number 1 in the UK album chart in July 2006 and went on to sell over two million copies worldwide, making it one the biggest debut albums of that year. This was an awesome feat for a then unknown 21-year-old singer-songwriter from Derby. He’s since toured with Corinne Bailey-Rae and John Mayer.

You can catch James Morrison at the following venues

  • Colston Hall – Bristol – 21st March – 2009 0117 9223686        www.colstonhall.org
  • The Great Hall – Exeter – 27th March 2009 – 01392 263538   www.exeterboxoffice.com

The Legendary Hugh Cornwell

The Big Stage, ,

hughHugh Cornwell, legendary song-writing talent and live performer, embarks on a 27 date UK tour. Hugh is joined by Caroline Campbell [bass] and Chris Bell [drums] who performed on his latest album Hooverdam. Hugh himself says, “I can’t wait to get Hooverdam on the road now, it’s been a long time coming, and it will be the first time I have ever played an album in its entirety… there’ll be some old faves to follow it, of course!”

Hugh Cornwell is one of the UK’s finest song-writing talents and accomplished live performers. The original guitarist, singer and main songwriter in The Stranglers enjoyed massive UK and European success with ten hit albums and twenty-one top forty singles in the 17-year period he was in the band. The Stranglers etched themselves into the UK’s musical psyche with ‘Peaches’, ‘No More Heroes’, ‘Golden Brown’, ‘Always The Sun ”Grip’, ‘Nice N Sleazy’, ‘Duchess’, ‘Walk On By’, ‘Strange Little Girl’ and ‘Skin Deep’.

Cornwell has revelled in his musical freedom ever since a sold out Stranglers gig at London’s Alexandra Palace in the summer of 1990, when he announced he would be leaving the group.

He has released seven solo albums, and Cornwell’s book, The Stranglers: Song by Song, was published in November 2001. In it he explains for the first time the real stories behind the Stranglers extensive catalogue of songs. In October 2004 Cornwell’s autobiography A Multitude of Sins was published by Harper Collins.

The Stranglers’ most successful song, Golden Brown, featured on the soundtrack to Guy Ritchie’s Hollywood blockbuster Snatch; whilst Peaches was used as the opening sequence of the hit film Sexy Beast as well as in a Nike TV ad for 2002’s Football World Cup.

Cornwell has completed his new album Hooverdam and first film Blueprint in Toerag Studios with producer Liam Watson (White Stripes ‘Elephant’). Hooverdam is available worldwide as a free download from www.hooverdamdownload.com.

You can catch Hugh on tour on the following dates

  • 19th March Bath Komedia 0845 293 8480
  • 20th March  Poole Mr Kyps 01202 748 945
  • 22nd March at Exeter Corn Exchange 01392 665 866
  • 21st March Newport Riverfront 01633 656 679

For a full list of tour dates have a look on the website www.hughcornwell.com

Joe Pasquale Live @ The Princess Theatre

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joe

Whether boxing clever in a Costa Rican prison, taking to the skies in a Piper Warrior plane or entertaining troops in Basra hotspots there’s certainly never a dull moment when you’re Joe Pasquale. As he prepares to embark on two major UK tours we were able to catch up with him for a few moments.

Torquay is a special place for me. I love doing the gigs in the summer, at all the venues, but nothing ever comes close to the great memories I have of the English Riviera. It was the first place I ever did a show. I had been picked up by a local agency run by Billie & Trevor George, the agency is still running today, headed by their daughter Anne.

Billie & Trevor had kindly taken me in & agreed to write me an act & get me some work in exchange for plastering a house they had bought which needed doing up. The house had a German name called the Walden Blick, & me being a labourer for a plasterer, lied through my eye teeth saying I knew what I was doing, of course I didn’t have a clue, but I ploughed on & did in 6 weeks what a professional plasterer would’ve taken 5 days to do – it was complete cack, the ceiling in the kitchen fell down & the walls looked like Crippen had buried the bodies there. But Billie & Trevor were amazing, & still continued to help me. They entered me into a talent competition with my new act, written & rehearsed by Billie, in the Rainbow Rooms in Torquay, I didn’t win , I came second. But I was more than happy with that. A few years later I entered new faces hosted by Marti Caine, armed with my Billie & Trevor George act, I won the heat & came second once again. Even now 23 years later whenever I come to Torquay, I always drive past the old house just to see if it’s still standing. Thank you Billie & Trevor, & thank you Torquay!

I’m really looking forward to my summer tour this year. We’ve never been in more need of a good laugh than now. I can’t promise a solution to the global meltdown, but I can offer two hours of escapism. The show is going to be more ridiculous than ever. We’ve got some great new magic, mishaps & music & my trusty twin brother, Raynard, will of course be joining in the fun.

I’m also including a personal tribute to Nostradamus, who it turns out is related to me through a second cousin & I’ll be making a few predictions of my own during the course of the show.

Such a hectic work schedule requires considerable stamina. Luckily the 48-year-old Pasquale is in the best shape of his life. The catalyst for the all-new & improved Joe Pasquale was undoubtedly winning I’m a Celebrity back in 2004. Not only did being crowned “King of the Jungle” send his career into overdrive, it also made him determined to get into shape.

As part of his new-found drive, Joe took part in the Man Alive campaign, which aimed to make men more aware of life-threatening diseases linked to excessive weight. He also developed a passion for one of the world’s most demanding sports – boxing.

“I was struggling with the gym to be honest. The only machine that was doing it for me was the vending machine. The carrot cake was proving a particular draw. I was turning into a right biffer and then one of the trainers pointed me in the direction of a punch bag and I never looked back.

Today I train four or five days a week. I doubt I’ll be doing a Mickey Rourke and embarking on a complete career change – I get beaten up too much for that – but I absolutely love it.”

It wasn’t only physical changes that Joe’s rumble in the jungle brought about.

“Before I went on the show I was a complete coward, but then on the first day they threw me out of a plane, then a couple of days later I was hanging out of a helicopter.”

Joe Pasquale now relishes such challenges.

“It’s like getting a second chance at life. For me, the more dangerous things are, the better I like it.”

From 18 July to 31 August, Joe will be regaling audiences throughout the UK with his own inimitable brand of humour. He will then emark on a 34 date Autumn tour starting on the 1st October.

You can catch Joe at the Princess Theatre, Torquay on the 10th & 24th August : Box Office: 08448 472315 www.princesstheatre.org.uk