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Music guru Mark Ede starts explains why Soul music, in its widest sense, remains an important influence to us all.

Soul Music is in our culture. No longer merely the domain of African-Americans, the back beat of its influence can be heard everywhere from Abba to the Beatles, from the Arctic Monkeys to Radiohead. If, as the song says, we built this city on rock and roll, then rock and roll itself is a city built on rhythm and blues.

Soul retains a universal appeal - not least as a prompt for taking to the dance floor - and, whilst it arguably lacks the specific supporting infrastructure and profile of old, it’s not any less popular. Perhaps it’s now so ingrained in our day to day musical culture that its existence and influence are simply taken for granted.

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The first White Night festival takes place over the weekend of 25 to 26 October. Timed to coincide with the end of British Summer Time, it offers a chance for residents and visitors to reclaim the streets from the loud, brash traditional Saturday night.
A diverse range of venues will stay open into the wee hours, including a performance by the Brighton Philharmonic in the Royal Pavilion Music Room, a live art experience in the Phoenix Art Gallery, a musical midnight swim in the local pool, 11 illuminated buildings throughout the city, a performance of Charlie Morrissey’s new piece Duets For The Small Hours, and much more besides.
Musically, another highlight occurs at the Unitarian Church with Brighton’s folk artist Mary Hampton performing alongside electronic sampler/sitar player Chris Cook aka Same Actor, Adam Bushell and Tom Norrel. The performances will be lit with films and visuals. www.whitenightbrightonandhove.com
See the programme below.

VENUES OPEN LATE

Brighton Dome – open ’til 2am, comedy festival, foyer open as a piano bar featuring Herbie Flowers.

Brighton Museum -  open 7pm to midnight (last entry 11.30pm)
There will be romance in the air as the galleries come to life with costumed poets reciting verses of love and the Wandering Minstrels singing from the tale of Cinderella.  Plus, for this night only, admission to the highly acclaimed exhibition Chinese Whispers will be completely free.

Pavilion Gardens – love messages flashed in morse code.

Fabrica Gallery, University of Brighton Gallery and Lighthouse – open late with tours and debate.

Jubilee Library - open all night, themed readings and films, local bands.

Komedia – open ’til 3am or 5am with a tribute to Fip, the eclectic French radio station popular in Brighton.

The Basement, Kensington Street – open 6pm to 6am for Live Art Performances.

Royal Pavilion - open 7 to midnight (last entry 11.30pm)
Enjoy the glamour of the Regency era as members of Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Sussex Singers perform in concert in the beautiful Music Room. With the state rooms lit in their full glory and the sounds of the harp playing, the late night atmosphere will be magical.
Plus, your chance to watch an excerpt of the performance that will represent Brighton and Hove at Liverpool’s Portrait of a Nation event in December.  The Liverpool showcase combines free-running, street-dance and film created by young people in collaboration with Urban Playground, Streetfunk, and Junk TV.
 
Phoenix Studios and Gallery – open all night.

Prince Regent Swimming Pool open ’til 2am with underwater music.

St Bartholomew’s Church - four leading local choirs and a singing procession starting in New road at 6.30pm

ART TRAILS

Trail 1 - Outdoor illuminations highlighting focal points of architectural or historical interest.

Trail 2 – A Wall is a Screen - films projected on walls as part of a tour.

Trail 3 – a treasure hunt on bikes.
Trail 4 – special tour, site-specific events.
Trail 5 walks with local historian.

SPECIAL COMMISSION

Duet for the Small Hours – choreographer Charlie Morrisey’s dance performance between 2am and 2am, when the clocks go back, through the city ending in Pavilion Gardens.

CAFES / RESTAURANTS / BARS

Carluccio’s – candlelit supper, open to 2am.
Zilli Café and Brasserie and Merkaba cocktail lounge at MyHotel – late openings.
Latest Music Bar (formerly Joogleberry) DJs, 6pm-4am.

Nick Aldwinckle speaks to Martha Wainwright about adventures in Greenland, working with Rufus and playing in Brighton

To describe Martha Wainwright as just part of a musical dynasty is perhaps demeaning to the Canadian singer-songwriter’s considerable talent. We all know the family links; younger sister of show-stopper Rufus Wainwright and daughter of veteran folk musicians Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, famous friends include Leonard Cohen and Patti Smith. It seems impossible to mention her without listing a whole host of big names, but she’s rapidly building a successful career in her own right.

Since releasing her self-titled debut album in 2005, Wainwright has carved a niche in the current musical landscape, sounding more akin to seventies country or folk than most of her contemporaries. This year has seen her sound come of age with the release of her second album, I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too. She tours Europe this month, returning to Kemp Town’s St George’s Church this week.

What have you been up to?
Getting ready for my Greenland trip. The expedition is called Cape Farewell. This English couple take a bunch of artists, scientists, a documentary maker, an environmentalist and a journalist to a place called Disko Bay in northern Greenland, where the polar caps are melting fastest. Read the rest of this article »

This is the first Metallica album I’ve heard in its entirety, curious as to how they have become one of the most successful bands on planet Earth. The album, Death Magnetic, is not surprising, all about death and disaffection. And while they sing about it, they might just be thinking about their immense and jealously protected wealth. One of life’s abominations, this record surely deserves the quicksands of obliteration. AVOID!

If there was any musical justice left in the world then Rose Hill Drive would be enjoying something of the success of the aforementioned ‘band’. The brothers Sproule are a no-nonsense heads-down rock band, their melodic outpourings influenced by Nirvana, Hendrix and Southern rock.

They’ve come up organically and from the grassroots, and their new album Moon is the New Earth is packed with filthy rock grooves and riffs from beginning to end.

Underground sensations Bromheads Jacket continue to evade the radar of anointed indie respectability with the follow-up to their debut album Dits From the Commuter belt. This time around they’ve discovered the dirty scuzz of early Iggy and the Stooges, and added that to their unfeasibly large organ sounds and general psycho-garage garbage. Topped off with silly, infantile lyrics, they are really a quite awful, dumb-ass band.

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