Seb & Fiona Blog

Roadkill Cafe, Venice

Teatro Fondamenta Nuove is a small performance venue in Venice. It looks out over the north east perimeter of the city towards an austere-looking island called San Michele. I was there last Thursday, during a fascinating five-day escapade, and as I didn't take a picture of the theatre, here's a gratuitous one of San Michele, which is also known eerily as 'The Island of the Dead' consisting as it does entirely of a cemetery.

On the Thursday, I saw an unfinished version of choreographer Frauke Requardt's new piece 'Roadkill Cafe'.

The culmination of a two and a half week residency, the performance was to unveil the latest stage in a creative process that will come to fruition later this year. I already love it. It's like the cheese-fuelled dream of an alternate David Lynch (this one a jazz critic rather than a director). There's a mysterious pair of twins, a dog who does a doggy dance, a tale of jazz overcoming the military, a tale of paranoia overcoming jazz and a round of subverted line dancing. A soundtrack dashes from experimental jazz to screwed up country and western, but it is all by John Zorn.

For anyone interested in jazz music, it is a synaesthetic treat. For anyone at all, it's a brilliant show. It's on in London on 18 and 19 April, at The Place in Euston.

Seb

Art Auction for Char-i-dee

We thought this looked rather good - some top notch art, a great location and all for a good cause too...

A CONTEMPORARY ART AUCTION IN AID OF ST JOSEPH'S HOSPICE
At Christ Church Spitalfields (Liverpool Street tube just by Spitalfields Market)
28 February - 1 March, 10am - 5pm daily
Patron Victoria Miro

Over a hundred artists including Peter Doig, Jake And Dinos Chapman, Chris Ofili, Wolfgang Tilmans and Grayson Perry are taking part in this art auction. Paintings, drawings, photography, prints and sculpture by will all be up for grabs.

A silent auction dear reader means that you can make written bids anytime from the start of the auction on Thursday, February 28 until it's end on Saturday, March 1 , - highest bid wins, naturally.

All proceeds will go to St Joseph's Hospice the hospice for the East End and its five surrounding boroughs. The money will be used to fund care of the terminally ill at home.

Here's more about the great work they do: www.stjh.org.uk

226 days to go...

...until the End of the Road Festival returns to Dorset's Larmer Tree Gardens. It'll be great fun. Last year my friend Tom fell asleep one morning in one of the fields, only to be woken up by three baby peacocks walking across his chest and the sound of a dozen delighted camera shutters.

It's 12 - 14 September this year - maybe see you there? Here's a short video that the organisers have compiled from some of last year's footage:

Seb

Twit to Who?

I have just signed up to Twitter.

A contact search has yielded four people I can 'follow'. Here are their most recent updates:

1) Football and cuppa. Regent's Park.

2) Only after the last tree's been cut down, only after the last river's been poisoned...only then will you realise you can't eat the internet.

3) Reading: "Spannered | Capitol K| Happy Happy" ( http://tinyurl.com/3c7y47)

4) going to the supermarket to buy milk

Regent's Park was yesterday, the last tree was a month ago, the supermarket was 5 months ago and the reading was 7 months ago. Networking software needs a network, and apparently I don't have much of one.

Here is my account - feel free to Twitter with me.

Seb

Led Bib Live and Local

"Led Bib sound like they could have coped supporting '61 Sun Ra, '66 Beefheart, and even '69 Led Zep. Led Bib are jazz, though, through and through, crammed with horn and blast, and as much swing as sweat” - Paul Morley, Observer Music Monthly

Death jazz? Euphoric rock? Whatever term has been applied to Led Bib it’s never quite fit. It’s neither jazz nor rock and roll. And the only consensus that’s been reached is, “I don’t know what it is. But I bloody well like it!”.

Led Bib convince in every conceivable way. The trademark stabs of the toms, the oscine flow and the blast of the intertwining saxes, the Rhodes glowing and growing, the bass ever persistent – it all joins up into an intense live show of rawness, wit and charisma. Driving melodies roar at full throttle astounding and mesmerising audiences from Newcastle to the Netherlands. “The most credible thing going in UK jazz” said Time Out and “we need bands like Led Bib to make the world safe for dangerous music” cried the Observer Music Monthly last year.

So to 2008 and the twenty-something quintet release Led Bib Live, their third album - a limited edition (just 1000 in circulation) and individually numbered mini album. Recorded at Pizza Express Soho last August it documents the band’s emerging new sound. Earlier tracks from their first few albums ‘Arboretum’ and ‘Sizewell Tea’ have been revisited, developed and swung into new dynamic territory. This is a band that has grown together and individually - Liran Donin on bass, Toby McLaren on keys (and the strange noises that emanate from that little box), Chris Williams and Pete Grogan on alto saxes, and of course, the inimitable manically grinning bandleader Mark Holub careering off into the next improbable improvisation, on drums.

They come to a venue near you soon too.

Led Bib 2008 UK Tour....

7 February 2008: Vortex, London
27 February 2008: The Rainbow, Birmingham
2 March 2008: Colchester Arts Centre, Colchester
23 April 2008: Middlesex University, London
6 May 2008: The Cluny, Newcastle
12 May 2008: Pacific Road Arts Centre (Double Bill with Polar Bear), Birkenhead
25 June 2008: Barnstable, North Devon
19 July 2008: The Brunswick, Hove

www.ledbib.com

Fancy being an intern at Seb & Fiona?

So it is that once again we're looking for enthusiastic interns to come and work with us for 3 - 4 days per week for a period of between 6 weeks and 3 months.

The placement will require the intern to undertake general office duties i.e. deal with incoming/outgoing post, press cuttings, mail-outs and answering the phone. Alongside the office work interns will have the opportunity to work on campaigns, create press releases, sit in on meetings and attend associated events. The successful applicant will have a good knowledge of microsoft office, strong research skills, and an interest in the arts. A flair for writing would be an advantage. We'll cover travel expenses, but do bear in mind this is an unpaid position.

Those who are interested should send a CV and 100 words on why you would like to work at Seb & Fiona to fiona@sebandfiona.com. Our closing date for applications is mid January.

Fiona

A Merry Different Christmas In Pictures...

'Helium The World, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire kazoo-niverse'

'No socks please - we're British!'

'If kazoo want my body, and you think i'm socksy'

'Rob Da Bank with a man with a bottle of whisky next to him'

'How much for the tree?'

'Gah - running out of time - something about socks and sacrilege'

'...really running out of time now'

'...Seb, can you finish these off?'

More info here

rADIOACTIVE SOCKS? LumINOus ChrIStmas Trees? iT can ONly MeAN one THINg...

... Seb and Fiona are knee deep in Spitalfields Christmas prep...

Campaign for Real Pop Music

So Last.fm, the website-radio-network-thingy, has decided to release a Christmas single. By itself, the fact that they've got 20 million users (compared with 7.1 million X Factor viewers) is a challenge to the drab sense of inevitability resulting from the existence of both a Christmas number one spot and Simon Cowell. A user poll was set up to decide which track to release, and on Monday it was announced that the winner was Lucky Soul's extraordinarily catchy 'Lips are Unhappy'.

Now preordering at 40p a download from Last.fm via the indiestore, the bookies have immediately given it shortening odds of 16/1. If any independent band can be a David to Simon Cowell's acid-tongued Goliath, it's Lucky Soul, whose lush, lovestruck songs have stolen thousands of hearts across the world this year. Like Radio 'name your price' head, they release their music via their own label: if the unthinkable were to happen and the campaign snowballed to success, this would also be a defining moment in the march of new media vs old. In any case it's a delightful instance of grassroots guerilla vs nasty, high-trousered dictator. Liberté, egalité, musique pop!

Seb

“A MERRY DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS IN SPITALFIELDS”

29 November 2007 6pm - 9pm
Old Spitalfields Market, E1
FREE

***An alternative Christmas service by Bestival favourites Lost & Found and Big Love, with singing, dancing, performance, games, mulled wine, a surprise celebrity visit, a "Sympathetic Reverend" called Duncan Pritchard and a Helium Choir***

On Thursday 29th November Old Spitalfields Market launches “A Merry Different Christmas”, a celebration of doing Christmas differently, avoiding sports socks, kipper ties, lumps of coal and Netto gift vouchers, and of actually having fun while you work out what might be right for Auntie Beryl.

Bestival favourites Lost & Found and Big Love will be leading an alternative Christmas service and all are very welcome. Helium Choir will be singing high-octave versions of classic festive songs including Christmas single ‘Little Drummer Boy’ (as heard on BBC Radio 1). Lillywhitesass will present something entirely new from their world of kaleidoscopic burlesque. And the Reverend Duncan Pritchard, in a rare trip away from his Big Love Inflatable Church will sermonise on the subject of bad gifts and other yuletide let-downs.

A visit from a very special celebrity guest (turning on our eco-friendly single Christmas light), a jolly good xmas disco and an Alternative Christmas Confession Booth will all be on the agenda in this night of singing, dancing, performance games and mulled wine.

It’s all in the Spitalfields tradition of Christmas events that avoid the usual C-list boy bands flicking a big boring switch and instead offer a marvellous night out for friends and families alike. Last year saw infamous local landlady Sandra Esquilant turn on a ‘Jingle Punk Rock Christmas Glade’ to the sound of surf Christmas covers and crooning, while the previous year saw Gilbert & George arrive aloft a horse and carriage to illuminate a tree made from scaffolding (later declared as one of London’s five best Xmas trees by the Evening Standard).

Old Spitalfields Market is London’s unrivalled best place to shop for original gifts, special somethings that will be loved and cherished for years to come. Shoppers who come to Old Spitalfields Market will be supporting small shops and independent market traders, selling products they have personally chosen and often even designed themselves. Boho jewellery, unusual chairs, gourmet teas, vintage vases, Moroccan teapots, leather handbags, maximalist kitsch, pocket gardens and old-fashioned wooden toys are amongst the many amazing presents on offer, making Spitalfields surely the *only place to get away from the High Street this Christmas.

The shops, restaurants and businesses of Old Spitalfields Market are open 7 days a week, while the market is open on the following days:

Thu: Antiques & vintage
Fri: Fashion & art
Sun: Busiest day

Opening Times are as follows:
Market Stalls: Monday to Friday, 10am - 4pm and Sundays, 9am - 5pm
Restaurants: Times vary but in general Monday to Friday, 11am - 11pm and Sundays 9am - 5pm
Shops: Times vary but in general Monday to Sunday 11am-7pm

Old Spitalfields Market is 2 mins walk from Liverpool Street Station and 10 mins from Aldgate East

www.oldspitalfieldsmarket.com