Tag: theatre

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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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Why The Long Intros?

A variety of things are responsible for ‘Think of a Song’ coming into being. One is the fact that a number of people have commented on my lengthy song introductions at acoustic gigs. I have even been asked if I have a recording of these.

The reason for taking so much time explaining the stories behind the songs is that the lyrics are important to me and I want audiences to understand the context and nuance that informs them. A couple of artists initially led me to trying this out, after I saw how effective it was for them. Here’s the story of how I came to meet one of them.

Folk Roots

Back in the late 1990s, I had the honour and fortune to be working with some very accomplished folk musicians: Henry Seers, Jenny Crook and Dominic Harrison. As is the tradition within the folk scene, they went out as ‘Crook, Seers & Harrison’ (yes, genius). Their music was characterised by tightly arranged tune sets, woven around contemporary folk songs.

When I saw them perform, it was obvious to me that Dom’s driving Bluegrass-inspired rhythms could do with a little back-up and I suggested we tried adding drums to the mix. After one quick rehearsal, I joined them for an appearance at Gloucester Docks festival, followed the same day – and without warning – by a wedding. And within weeks, we were in the studio to record our first – and sadly only – album, ‘Uncorked’ (take a guess…).

Shetland Calling

It was also clear that we could not possibly become ‘Crooks, Seers, Harrison & Madigan’, unless we were planning to open an estate agency. So my serendipitously Celtic surname ‘Madigan’ was adopted as the band’s moniker. Under that name, we achieved some success in a relatively short time. And a highlight of this was an appearance at Shetland Folk Festival.

The festival takes place in May, just as the locals are emerging from a long, hard, gloomy winter. To say that they are up for a party would be a gross understatement. Each day comprised transport from the festival club in Lerwick to one of the many venues dotted about the islands, at which there would be a program of around 3 hours of music. After this, the artists would all return to the club, where ‘sessions’ (essentially folk-based jamming) would ensue until closing time at 4 am. Then somebody would say ‘OK – back to mine’ and the party would continue until some point well after dawn.

Francis Black

On the second evening, Madigan were scheduled to close the show, after Francis Black. Now, at that point, I had no idea who she was. So Francis and I had a very pleasant chat during the soundcheck, whilst my band mates worked themselves into a nervous frenzy.  The reason for their trepidation was that they were more than  aware of Ms Black’s reputation (she was at that time one of Ireland’s biggest exports) and somewhat intimidated at the prospect of performing after her.

With good reason. Francis had the audience eating out of her hand before she had even sung a note. She did this by telling tales of her upbringing in Ireland (with her equally talented siblings). She told of hardship, love, adversity and triumph. And all of this dressed to the nines; oozing charm and confidence.

A Touch of the Old Blarney

Now, I am not so well endowed in those last two departments but – perhaps because of my own (if somewhat distant) Irish roots – can talk for England. And, for whatever reason, people seem to like the chat. It serves both to calm me and to let the audience into my world. The specifics of my lyrics can then make sense to an unfamiliar crowd and they can relate them to their own experiences.

The logical step to removing the songs altogether was not such a big one. Although, of course, there is more to it than that…

Book your tickets of ‘Think of a Song’