Things To Do In Leicester: 9/06/2012 (Music)...

The Mustangs at The Musician
£5

plus Friend Of A Friend

www.themustangs.co.uk

The Mustangs blistering live sets and albums have been wowing fans all over the country since the four-piece band formed in Hampshire in 2002. They have headlined stages at renowned UK festivals such as Colne, Skegness and Swanage and in 2009 were invited to play 2 nights at Paris' legendary Zinc Blues Festival. Their third album, Split Decision, reached number 5 on the iTunes blues chart, and their last, Nothing Stays The Same, was one of Blues in Britain magazine's 20 recommended albums of the year.

For more info visit www.xanderpromotions.co.uk

The Musician Venue & Bar

Clyde Street
Leicester
LE1 2DE
Tel: 0116 251 0080

Tickets: www.themusicianpub.co.uk

The Archers: 5/06/2012

Synopsis:

Alice undertakes some internet investigations and Nic is in for a disappointment.

With babymaking on her mind, Nic's cooked a lovely meal and is keen for Will to be home early. But he returns with the news that he has to go back out to attend to a rogue fox. Nic's disappointed, but Will says he'll be as quick as he can. Nic promises she'll be waiting.

Alice is trying to find out all she can about Carl's wife in an effort to stop Amy clinging to hope. Alice calls Annabelle for information.

The air's frosty at the Vicarage. Amy snaps that she's fed up of being cast as the troublemaker. Frustrated Usha declares she hasn't time to argue and goes, leaving Amy to answer the ringing phone.

Amy's heartened when Alice tells her Carl's wife Rochelle doesn't use her married name. But she is shocked that Rochelle is a parent governor, and therefore must have a child. Amy thinks Carl would surely have told her this. He's loving and kind, and so he can't possibly be in love with his wife. Alice advises Amy to look at the facts. But Amy's convinced Carl's only staying with his wife for the sake of their child, when really he's in love with her, Amy. Poor Carl, she says. He must be really hurting.

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Episode written by Graham Harvey.

Things To Do In Leicester: 8/06/2012 (Nature)...

Spring Explorers

Rutland Water Nature Reserve, Oakham

Run by: Leicestershire Wildlife Trust

Spring is the season where everything comes to life again after the cold winter months. Visit us and discover the signs that spring has sprung.

Watch a moth trapping demonstration and see these beautiful creatures up close, then explore the woodland and pond for some bug-e-licious delights!

Rutland Water Nature Reserve

Anglian Water Birdwatching Centre, Egleton, Oakham, LE15 8BT

About this location

Managed by the Trust on behalf of Anglian Water, Rutland Water Nature Reserve is possibly the best know of the Trust's reserves and has become one of the most important wildfowl sanctuaries in Great Britain. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and has received recognition of its international importance by the European Community and has been designated as a globally important wetland. Use of the visitor centre is free but a charge is normally made for access to the reserve. There are 16 bird hides of which 12 are adapted for wheelchair access. Egleton village is situated 2km south east of Oakham off the A6003 (Oakham to Uppingham) road, car parking is free. Nearest railway station is Oakham 3km.

 

Contact

This activity is organised and run by Leicestershire Wildlife Trust.

Website http://www.rutlandwater.org.uk/t…

Telephone 01572770651

Email julia@rutlandwater.org.uk

Link

The Archers: 4/06/2012

Synopsis:

Vicky ruffles a few feathers. Meanwhile Ruth and David try to hide their concerns.

Mike thinks he might put up a bit of a display of his forestry work after the Jubilee celebrations have finished, to see if he can attract some part-time help. Vicky's keen; she's all for increasing their leisure time.

Vicky says as much to Brenda later, as she buys her coffee at the beacon lighting. She can't wait to stop work when Mike retires so they'll have more time for holidays. Angry Brenda confides to Pip that she thinks Vicky's selfish. And when Mike announces later that Vicky's exhausted and they're heading home, Brenda declares that's just typical of Vicky; it always has to be all about her.

Pip hasn't time for David's team talk about Open Farm Sunday, but Ruth manages to get Josh and Ben enthused. She and David are grateful that the boys are at least in the house. They decide to walk to the beacon, and enjoy a family moment around the spectacular fire. Once back home they examine the security camera footage and find nothing untoward in the contents. Ruth gets emotional about the new situation in which they find themselves. David reassures her that everything's going to be fine.

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Episode written by Graham Harvey.

Jazz saxophonist Andy Hamilton dies...

Renowned jazz musician Andy Hamilton has died at the age of 94.

The saxophonist moved to Birmingham from Jamaica in 1949 and was made an MBE in 2008.

He was a regular at the Bearwood Corks Club and continued to perform at venues in the city, including Symphony Hall, until earlier this year.

Alan Cross, who has worked with Mr Hamilton for 30 years, said he had made a "huge impact" on many people's lives, particularly in Birmingham.

Mr Cross added: "Andy played almost every day. If he wasn't playing on stage, he was playing at home with young musicians, with family and friends.

'Extraordinary vision'

"In the late 80s he went into a coma and we all thought we'd lost him.

"He had this extraordinary vision, while he was in the coma, of Errol Flynn dancing on his yacht to a song Andy had written for him in the 1940s, and he said that brought him out of the coma."

Born in Port Maria, Jamaica, in 1918, Mr Hamilton formed his first band with a group of friends in 1928.

In 1949 he moved to Birmingham, where he formed The Bluenotes.

Despite building up a strong reputation among jazz fans, Mr Hamilton only recorded his first album at the age of 72, which went on to become the biggest-selling UK jazz album of the year.

Source: BBC

The Archers: 3/06/2012

Synopsis:

Ambridge celebrates with the nation but will Clarrie's Jubilee cake be ready on time?

The atmosphere at Brookfield is tense, and David's keen to get the family focussed on something positive. He was hoping to do a 'team talk' for Open Farm Sunday. Ruth suggests tomorrow might be a good time, and sets off for the Jubilee celebrations with Ben. She's delighted when David joins them later. They're both glad they came, and agree that they can't let one person spoil it for them.

Things aren't quite going according to plan in the Village Hall kitchen, as the sponges for the Jubilee cake are not all as expected. Practical Nic eases Clarrie's mind and gets the cake into shape, and icing commences. Jill joins in and a production line is established. To Lynda's surprise it's finished in the nick of time and looks lovely.

Joe reminisces about the Queen's coronation day. He is disappointed to find his pint of Shires isn't on the house today, as it had been back then. To his disgust, Mr Pullen arrives safely to cut the Jubilee cake. But Joe's dismay turns to delight when he's asked to lead the rousing cheers to her majesty.

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Episode written by Graham Harvey.

Things To Do In Leicester: 6/06/2012 (Astronomy)...

Cargoes: Transit of Venus Pop Up Observatory

National Space Centre, Leicester

Run by: Ignite Futures Ltd

To mark this final opportunity to see Venus pass across the Sun, we will be creating wondrous structures and art works to view this incredible experience.

Come along to Watermead Country park either on Tuesday 5th and camp overnight, or make your way down early on Wednesday morning to watch the sunrise, with an added bonus of seeing the Transit of Venus, next available to see in 2117! Pancake breakfast and good company, this will be a great opportunity to celebrate this astronomical event.

The event will feed into our overall Cargoes celebration of the Torch Relay, which will be passing through Loughborough on 3rd July. Cargoes will be celebrated through a curation of the art works created by community members.

National Space Centre

Exploration Drive, Leicester, LE4 5NS

www.spacecentre.co.uk

Meeting point: Watermead Country Park, Leicester, opposite the National Space Centre.

About this location: The National Space Centre is one of the United Kingdom's leading visitor attractions devoted to space, science and astronomy.

Website: http://ignitebreathoffreshair.blogspot.co.uk/

Telephone: 0844 879 2110

Email: amy@ignitefutures.org.uk

Link

Tintin cover fetches record-breaking 1.3m euros...

A rare 1932 cover drawing of a Tintin comic book has fetched a record 1.3m euros (£1m; $1.6m) at auction in Paris.

The Tintin in America cover, hand-drawn by Belgian writer and illustrator Herge, broke the record - set by the same item in 2008, when it sold for 764,000 euros.

It shows the young adventurer Tintin, dressed as a cowboy and sitting with his dog, Snowy, as axe-wielding American Indians creep up on them.

It was bought by a private collector.

The Indian ink and gouache drawing work is one of only five remaining such works by Herge - real name Georges Remi - who died in 1983. Only two of those are in private hands.

The buyer is anonymous but he was represented at the auction by a friend identified only as Didier.

"If he'd have been able to get it for less I think he would have been happy," Didier said after the sale, according to news agency Reuters.

"The aim was not to beat a record; the aim was to obtain the work, before anything else... You don't come here to beat the world record, to spend money, that doesn't make any sense."

Saturday's sale was part of a rare larger sale of Tintin memorabilia, reportedly including draft sketches of Tintin and a copy of Explorers on the Moon, signed by the first men to walk on the Moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and fellow astronaut Michael Collins.

Source: BBC

Things To Do In Leicester: 5/06/2012 (Music)...

Hyde & Beast (feat. Dave Hyde of the Futureheads) at The Musician

£7adv £8door

plus The Mannequins and guests

www.hydeandbeast.co.uk

www.reverbnation.com/themannequinsuk

Hyde is Dave Hyde (Futureheads drummer) and Beast is Neil Bassett (ex-Golden Virgins drummer). Hyde and Beast record an album. Hyde sing well. Album sound good. Beast happy.

David Brewis of Field Music and solo artist Lucas Renney provided some beautiful bass and guitar parts to two of songs on the album and for this Hyde And Beast are forever in their debt.

When playing live, Hyde and Beast become a six-person entity with some very familiar faces from the north east music scene joining them for live excursions.

 

For more info visit www.magic-teapot.co.uk or www.liveinleicester.net

The Musician Venue & Bar

Clyde Street
Leicester
LE1 2DE
Tel: 0116 251 0080

Tickets: www.themusicianpub.co.uk

The Archers: 1/06/2012

Synopsis:

Everything is falling apart for Clarrie. Meanwhile Joe is feeling aggrieved.

Alice and Chris are treating Spearmint's hoof and wonder where he received his injury. They discuss Amy's preoccupation with Carl and her persistent belief that he is not married. Alice thinks some detective work is needed. Amy might be able to move on if she can accept the truth. Proof of Carl's other life may provide her with the reality check she needs. Chris tells her to be careful. Chris is starting to get a bit fed up with Amy always being around. But at least he's off to nets tonight – and he's Ifty's blue-eyed boy.

Later, Alice reveals that Carl's affair with Amy has brought up memories regarding her father's indiscretion with Siobhan. Jennifer was devastated and Alice thinks of the heartache Carl's wife will endure if she finds out about Amy.

It's becoming increasingly difficult for Ruth and David to keep security measures in place with their two boys demanding the independence they have always enjoyed. Ruth reckons Josh knows something's up.

Clarrie's not impressed with the number of people letting her down. Ruth is the latest one to be too busy to bake for the giant Jubilee sponge cake. And Joe is still upset that Bob Pullen will be cutting it on Sunday.

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Episode written by Nawal Gadalla.

Review: Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart

Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart - Dedication (Gearle Records)

Husband and wife duo Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart play Americana with a style and offbeat precision that’s all their own. From the song material to the finished production, they have four hands in the pot, two minds thinking alike, and one direction to head for. Though Mark takes the lead vocal for the opening title track, Stacey, with her plaintive voice, comes to the fore on "Here Comes The Pain", and the following, er... "Here Comes The Rain", which just ups the pace and continues the song; very similar tune, different words and tempo. It's an interesting idea, and they carry it off with some panache, especially as Mark then takes on the vocal duties for the next number, "Little Rock" (the radio version is tagged on to the end of the album; no bad thing, as it’s a super track).

And so it goes. Both lyrically and melodically, the songs hold up every time, and the agility of swapped lead vocals, together with their harmonising so well, (as on "If You Change Your Mind") makes it a listening treat. And then you get to "The Flag", a narration of the words with a muted backing, which flies on its own. Done a different way this would be talking blues, but here it’s talking Americana, a beautifully poetic six minutes, chronicling a mother's love, and her worries about her son, as he faces the challenges of growing up, and finally joins the army. If they had closed the album with this it would have left thousands of us sobbing, probably never daring to return. Fortunately for us they place it right smack dab in the middle, where we can press the pause button, wipe our eyes, and once recovered continue with the rest of the album, as the remaining songs are every bit as perfect as their predecessors. 

I am not that familiar with their previous work, but I shall be soon, and that's a promise. I've missed out on this husband and wife duo for far too long already.

www.staceyandmark.com

Kev A.

TV Smith on Television, on Radio and in the newspaper‏...

We Who Wait: TV Smith & the Adverts

Documentary today 10:50pm on BBC4!

http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/qwzkk/we-who-wait-tv-smith--the-adverts

Repeats:

Tomorrow, June 2nd 2012, 3:25am

Monday, June 4th 2012, 1:30am.

As well as the television appearances, TV can also be heard in an interview with Tom Robinson on his BBC Radio 6 Music show this Saturday

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0072lbw

...and has also been interviewed in Thursday's Daily Telegraph (!) for a feature on Punk Britannia:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/9301134/BBC4s-Punk-Britannia-reveals-the-spirit-behind-the-snarl.html

...and talked to Jool Holland about being in the Adverts during punk rock's heyday:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/showcase/clips/p00t3tqb/in/genre/rockandindie

http://www.tvsmith.com/

Things To Do In Leicester: 4/06/2012 (Music)...

Fossil Collective at The Musician
£6adv £7door

plus The Fontana Instincts and Ryan Lauder
www.fossilcollective.com

www.facebook.com/fontanainstincts

Fossil Collective, a two-piece from Leeds, consists of multi instrumentalists David Fendick and Jonny Hooker. Their first recordings saw them taking inspiration from classic albums by Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac and Simon and Garfunkel and suggested comparisons with more contemporary artists such as Fleet Foxes, Midlake and Bon Iver. But in truth their exquisitely structured songs and glorious, rich harmonies owe as much, if not more, to a solid English song tradition, and their material holds that distinct English quality that many North American artists hanker after.

For more info visit www.liveinleicester.net or www.magic-teapot.co.uk

The Musician Venue & Bar

Clyde Street
Leicester
LE1 2DE
Tel: 0116 251 0080

Tickets: www.themusicianpub.co.uk

The Archers: 31/05/2012

Synopsis:

Harry is press-ganged and Pip is feeling unsettled.

Harry helps Vicky display a replica crown on top of the decorated phone box.

Vicky tells Mike she feels too tired to help build the beacon. The couple wish they had more time together. Vicky suggests they will have the opportunity for more fun when Mike retires. Vicky recites a list of activities the couple can do together, while Mike is dreaming of more solitary pursuits – the kind that involve a giant television, a sports channel and a comfy chair.

Meanwhile, Pip returns home early to find David installing the security cameras. She is dismayed that David has transformed their home into a place where her every move is recorded. However Josh and Ben are having fun watching themselves back on screen.

When Spencer arrives at Brookfield to meet Pip, David doesn't initially recognise him on the CCTV. He is rather nervous about the unidentified man until Pip recognises her boyfriend. Later, while building the beacon, Pip tells Spencer she believes there is a reason behind the extra security measures at Brookfield that David's not telling her about. She doesn't like it.

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Episode written by Nawal Gadalla.