Tag: a Band named Brian

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Don’t Tell Anyone…

Yesterday, posters for my up-coming show ‘Bike to The Future’ were delivered to the Rondo, where I will be performing on 29th October. (Please put that date in your diary and do book your tickets early*).

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An Open Secret

But there’s something you ought to know. And this is an open secret within the theatrical community. If you are involved in that world, it may not come as a surprise but others might think it strange.

The truth is, when you put together a theatre show, things happen in a peculiar order. One of the first things you generally do is create promotional images. Then, you’ll write some ‘blurb’, describing your masterpiece to prospective venues. After that, you design posters and flyers to attract audiences. Then, you write a press release for the media…

Something Missing

So, what’s the big reveal? Well, something’s missing from that list… The show!

I’ve worked on many theatrical productions, as composer, musician, writer and performer. And, in most cases, the show itself hasn’t been created until all of the above has taken place. But don’t be alarmed.

In order to produce all that promotional material, you really have to know what the show is going to be about. You need to have a clear vision of the mood, style and flavour of the performance. And you must be sure you can deliver, when it comes to putting it all together.

New Adventure

This new adventure follows on from my trilogy of ‘Think of a…’ Fringe shows. The structure will be similar to those. The audience (you, I hope) will be taken on a journey by way of a sequence of songs and the stories behind them. Along the way, there will be the odd surprise (well, it won’t be a surprise anymore – duh!) and some special guests will be joining me.

So, all I need do now is write the thing! Well, the songs are written. The structure is in place. Special guests are booked. And everything else will follow. I can promise you will be royally entertained and look forward to having you along for the ride (pun intended) 😊.

Free Album Download

*Email me your purchase confirmation (brian@madmusik.co.uk) and I’ll send you a link to download my recent album ‘Never There at All’ for free.

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I’ve Thought of a Sequel!

You didn’t think the fun would end there, did you?  Oh no.

This year sees the premier of the follow-up to ‘Think of a Song’, which I have imaginatively titled ‘Think of a Sequel’.

If you were at the first show and would like to relive the agony/ecstasy/indifference it induced – or if you weren’t there and would like to take a voyeuristic look – then please click here. But look: now there’s more…

So What’s New This Year?

Well, this time around, I have enlisted the help of some first-rate musicians to fill the silences for you. Back into the breech will be the inimitable improviser/guitarist/composer/genius that is Paul Bradley. Alongside him will be the astonishing talents of drummer/percussionist/Gas Giant/wearer-of-shite-shirts Tony Orrell. And last but by no mean least is the ethereal oboist/percussionist/multi-instrumentalist/bear-foot-globe-trotter James Watts.

To say that these are three of the most affordable and available musicians I could find would be to tell the truth. But not only that! They are actually each hugely respected talents in their own field.

Meet the (A)Team

Paul Bradley, you will know from the first show, is the brains behind Organelles, Three Cane Whale and more besides. Renowned for his freewheeling improvisations, Paul is a hard man to pin down in terms of style or genre but you may want to think Frank Zappa meets John Williams and Pat  Metheny (and kicks the sh*t out of both of them).

Tony Orrell is notoriously one half of Gas Giants, alongside Will Gregory (of Goldfrapp fame). But he is much more besides, being the go-to drummer for jazz combos throughout the South West. Tony is an astonishingly expressive player with a flare for improvisation, which is how we originally met, back in the late 90s. Tony was commissioned to lead a series of free-improvisation sessions that culminated in Fringe performances around Bath in a variety of unlikely locations. Yours truly took part on a cobbled-together portable percussion rig and a battered flute.

James Watts is a very-much in-demand oboist, who also has a penchant for world music and a thirst for travel. He brings a multitude of influences to the party and is well-versed in the art of improvisation. James is well known in the area as champion of reed instruments among young students. He is an early music specialist, a classical soloist, producer, arranger and all-round lover of all things noisy and/or reedy.

Sublime Support

As I go to press, I don’t have any specific information for you on Jim Gallagher, who will provide the opening performance for Think of a Sequel. However, I have known Jim for many years and seen him perform at (indeed on) various stages over that time. His songs are beautiful, ethereal, engaging and at times other-worldly, all of which adjectives apply to the man himself.

Something of an enigma, Jim is someone who very much treads his own path. Having spent time in California during the 1960s, it is very possible that a part of him never really returned. Or that is the impression sometimes given. So, as you can surmise, Jim is a shoo-in for this show. He will set the tone and we will follow…

Put it In Your Diary!

Now, don’t come running to me saying you didn’t know this was happening. The date is booked for June 6th. The venue, as for ‘Think of a Song’, will be the Old Theatre Royal Bath (details available here). This space has a certain magic to it, which lent itself perfectly to the first show and will – I am sure – do the same once again.

I will be posting updates as more info becomes available (like actual information on the other performers), so stay tuned. Once tickets are available, the links to book will go live on this site and I will be sending out emails to those unfortunate enough to be captive on my list (but with an opt-out of course).

Any Questions?

Of course you have. Feel free to get in touch at brian@madmusik.co.uk: I should love to hear from you.

 

 

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A Show of Two Halves

This Wednesday at the Old Theatre Royal in Bath is going to be a show the likes of which has never been witnessed before. Not only that but it comprises two very different performances. The unifying factor is that in each half the performer will be ‘thinking of a song’.

Improvised and Inspired

First up is Paul Bradley; Bristol-based Northern Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer and raconteur. Paul improvises everything with such fluency and skill that it is hard to believe this is not all predetermined. Somewhere between Thom Yorke and Tim Buckley, his vocals soar to high falsetto one moment, then descend to a whisper the next. His guitar playing ranges from prog to folk to Pat Metheny-esque jazz-fusion. And the whole thing is augmented with electronic processing and pre-Ed Sheeran looping.

All in the Mind

Following that is Brian Madigan (a Band named Brian), presenting his experimental-theatre-cum-performance-art piece ‘Think of a Song’. In this, he literally does just that; performing songs in his head and inviting the audience to join in a communal mind-experiment. In between, he tells the stories – out loud – that inform the songs, weaving a compelling narrative thread and throwing in a couple of surprises along the way.

The Final Part of the Puzzle

Audience members will then get a third performance –  but not until after they leave. They will each receive a CD copy of ‘Think of an Intro’. This comprises the songs from Think of a Song, as performed at the Old Theatre Royal – live but without an audience -on May 15th. In this performance, the songs are delivered out loud and the intros are performed in the mind. That was captured on film and will be edited together with footage from Wednesday’s show to create a unique video document of the whole experiment.

Be a Part of It…

Naturally, the audience forms a major part of the whole thing. In both performances, the relationship between performer and recipient will be explored and tested. Come and be a part if this unique Fringe experience: it certainly is one you won’t forget in a hurry!

Book  Your Tickets Now

Tel: 01225 463362
Email: boxoffice@bathfestivals.org.uk

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“So, What’s It About?”

Somebody posted on Facebook the other day “What’s ‘Think of a Song’ about?”. Which is a very good question…

 

Like many pieces of experimental art, the interpretation will lie largely with the audience. Which is – to a large extent – the point. However, there are some themes that run through the piece. If you don’t want to know in advance, then please look away now. Otherwise, read on.

The show asks how can we break away from our day-to-day routines and certainties. How do we  allow ourselves to move beyond our own and others’ preconceptions of who we are and where our limits lie? What does it feel like to put ourselves willfully into a position of discomfort and embrace present uncertainties?

Through these explorations, is it possible to transcend our  instinct for self-preservation and expand our creative potential? And by so-doing, can we allow magic into our world?

And what’s that Kingfisher got to do with anything?…

 

… Come along and you’ll find out.

Book Tickets

Tel: 01225 463362
Email: boxoffice@bathfestivals.org.uk

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Well That Was Weird…

Monday was the first performance of ‘Think of a Song’. No, don’t worry, you’ve not missed anything – this was the non-public part of the performance. If you haven’t fully grasped the concept of this show, let me explain…

All in the Mind

But first, I want to share my experiences from Monday’s show. This was performed in its entirety, with no breaks or edits. The space was empty, save the film crew, audio technician and myself. What was disconcerting was the sensation that, having thought the introductions (the part that will be heard on 31st May) in my mind, I than had the strange sensation of not knowing whether or not I was actually singing out loud .

It was clear that I was playing the guitar but I very nearly forgot to externalise the vocal more than once, as I had become accustomed to the voice inside my head. This was an interesting and disconcerting part of the experiment and, I have to admit, adversely affected my performance. It should not have been a surprise, since I always think of my shows as being a dialogue with the audience. Yet I came away with the distinct feeling of having in some way let myself down.

Experi-Mental

As an exploration of the role of the audience within a performance, this has – then – already yielded some significant results. All the more fascinating to see how it goes ‘on the night’. That is, the ‘second night’. Let me explain:

On May 31st, I will be performing the introductions to my songs in front of a live audience, who will then join me in thinking the songs as I play them through – silently – in my mind. Yesterday, I performed those same songs, in the same space, out loud and thought through the intros. This was all captured live on camera and digital audio. Footage from both performances will be edited together following the live show on May 31st and audience members will receive a CD of the songs they have just thought. Clear? Thought not!

Please don’t forget to book your tickets while they are still available. These can be ordered from Bath Festivals Box office on 01225 463362 or online here .