B & Productions presents a new season of their monthly cabaret revue night Back In The Room – having sourced the cream of the crop from Edinburgh Festival.
First up on Saturday 29th September is the brilliantly insane BRIDGET CHRISTIE and her brand new Edinburgh show War Donkey that received ten 4 star reviews and was featured on BBC2′s Culture Show as one of Sue Perkins‘ Top 5 Edinburgh shows.
The School Creative Centre’s Autumn programme of events and workshops launches on 8th September with the arrival of folk wizards Walsh & Pound in one of their final concerts together plus local support from Astral Valentines. Prepare to be astonished by stunning vocals, frailing banjo wizardry and sounds you didn’t think were possible on harmonica.
The duo heads up the monthly programme of live music that continues with AudioActive featuring poet/rapper Dizraeli in October (12th). And following the success of its inaugural season the School’s cabaret revue night Back in the Room returns on Saturday 29th September with hosts Lamp & Pil, special guests and headline Bridget Christie fresh from Edinburgh with her new show War Donkey. Read the rest of this entry »
Rapid fire sketch trio JIGSAW present a preview of their new Edinburgh Festival show Gettin’ Jiggy at Back in The Room the new comedy revue night produced by B&R Productions for the School Creative Centre.Y
ulia Podolska, resident artist at The School has had an incredible three years following her arrival in the UK from Ukraine. First in 2010 she was awarded the Bronze Age Young Sculptor of the Year by the Society of Women Artists and had work selected for the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition. In 2011 she was selected as one of 10 finalists in the Broomhill National Sculpture Prize. This endorsement was followed by the selection of her sculpture Montanka for the prestigious 150th Annual Exhibition at the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts and in 2012 she has now secured her place at the Summer Exhibition at the prestigious Medici Gallery in London (throughout August).
Having built a reputation and a regular audience for its eclectic live music programme, The School Creative Centre in Rye has added to its armoury with a new comedy cabaret series. Back in the Room was launched with a bang last Saturday (26 May), and went down a storm with an enthusiastic crowd.
The show, which is running monthly until July and returning in the autumn, is a fast-moving, heady blend of local talent having a go, semi-pro comedy and music and a professional headline act – which in this case was the brilliantly funny Angela Barnes, winner of last year’s BBC New Comedy Award. Fighting off a nasty cold that she intuitively managed to work into her act, Barnes was incisive and insightful, with a knack for the understated killer punchline that had the audience reeling.
Before her arrival we were treated to a broad-ranging succession of comedy and musical acts, held together by co-hosts Lamp & Pil, who performed a number of original, satirical sketches themselves. A thoroughly varied bill kept the audience more than amused, ranging from the spaced-out lunacy of the Brothers Uchenko (“No 1 act in Belarus 10 years running”) to the bizarre yogic drinking ritual practised by Timberlina, the witty and eloquent satirical rapping of double-act Joe Bloggs & John Doe, and the hapless, stilt-walking Simon the Juggler. Throw in regular house band Sam Williams and the Occasionals and you have a brilliantly entertaining show.
Lamp & Pil urged anyone to “come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough” – so the challenge has been laid down and any aspiring comedians or entertainers can get in touch with The School if they want to be on the next bill. And if it’s as good as the first one, it’ll be an evening not to be missed.
Groanbox, the North American trio of Paul Clifford,Cory Seznec, and Michael Ward-Bergeman, come to The School Creative Centre, Rye on Friday 8 June. 
At first glance a roots band steeped in the traditions of American music, they play with all the guts of rock and roll and all the soul of the wandering troubadour. But somewhere along the way, that troubadour turned off the road and, setting sail from the melting pot of New Orleans, began a journey that would take their sound to new, unchartered territories with influences from around the world. Read the rest of this entry »
“She’s a funkbomb waiting to go off!” – Blues & Soul Magazine
The daughter of a musically gifted minister, Hannah Williams (aka Deep Soul’s Funkiest New Diva) was immersed in soulful music from the day she was born. Her first single, an independently released 45, reached out into the soul scene and drew praise from Sharon Jones & The Dap KIngs, Charles Bradley, Craig Charles on his BBC radio show and various labels and promoters. Hannah and the band were 
signed by the Italian Record Kicks label just weeks after the release of the vinyl single. Whilst recording the anticipated debut LP, due to finally drop in summer 2012, the outfit crept onto a couple of festival bills, headlining a stage at Larmer Tree and flying to Italy to play the penultimate set on the main stage at Jazz Re:Found.
The London-based band have headlined the legendary 100 club and supported Sharon Jones & Charles Bradley among others. Their eagerly awaited UK tour kicks off in May promoting their debut album ahead of the festival season, where they are sure to be the biggest surprise act on any European stage.
”They’re one tight outfit, but the one thing that really jumps out is the quality of Hannah’s vocals. Superb.” – Craig Charles BBC Funk & Soul Show
Doors open: 7.30pm.
Tickets: £8 advance or £10 on the door (students £6) available online at http://www.theschoolcreativecentre.co.uk or 01797 229797 or info@theschoolcreativecentre.co.uk or from Grammar School Records, High Street, Rye
Cocos Lovers return to The School Creative Centre on March 31 launching their album tour of ‘Elephant Lands’, the highly anticipated follow up to their 2009 debut album ‘Johannes’.
Operating well beyond the remit of alt-folk, Cocos Lovers are an incredibly distinctive band who channel North African and Eastern influences while still keeping true to their coastal Kent roots. ‘Elephant Lands’ offers an interesting progression from the band’s debut, blending their characteristic world music feel with sixties melodies, rock guitar riffs and high production values. 
Since forming just two years ago, the band have toured to great acclaim all over the UK and Europe, supporting Mumford and Sons, Stealing Sheep and Pete Roe along the way. Performing to full capacity audiences at Green Man, Secret Garden Party, Glastonbury and Cambridge Folk Festival during the 2011 festival season, Cocos Lovers have been causing quite a stir in the music world, counting BRIT winner Laura Marling and BBC 6 Music’s Guy Garvey and Cerys Matthews among their fans. Read the rest of this entry »
“You are very lovely people,” says Nuru Kane with a huge grin as he surveys his dancing, clapping, chanting audience. “When we next go on tour we are going to start it right here!” And he points two long index fingers to the stage under his feet.
This is good news for the crowd, who are pretty warmed up by this point – and the intensity of their reaction confirms that Kane has won them over completely. It’s good news as well for the people of Rye and its environs, who have been treated since last autumn to an eclectic series of live performances at The School Creative Centre, and are showing their appreciation by packing out the house each time.
Nuru Kane was a smart choice for the second of this year’s shows at The School. His effortless blend of the sounds and rhythms of west and north Africa with reggae, blues and jazz was keenly received by the mixes of age and style on the floor (there were children dancing as well as their parents and a sprinkling of grandparents). And everyone appeared to be entirely wrapped up in the intoxicating sounds produced by Kane and his band, Bayefall Gnawa.
