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Charlie

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Dark Tales Pt1 by Rabbit Foot Out tonight 5pm UK time. #blues

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Royal Pavilion Estate - Consultation & Feedback - feedback..

http://brightondome.org/files/f857024a5efccae7768da75e52906811.pdf Royal Pavilion Estate - Consultation & Feedback We’ve conducted a comprehensive programme of evaluation and consultation over the last 6 months, including: •almost 1,000 face to face interviews with visitors to the estate conducted by more than 50 volunteers; •almost 2,500 surveys in the Royal Pavilion, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, and with Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival ticket buyers; •a series of focus groups, including with primary and secondary school teachers, young adults and people with Access needs; •over 40 interviews with key stakeholders; •analysis of complaints, visitor comments and security logs; •an analysis of quantitative data including visitor patterns, dwell time, web usage and number of volunteer requests; The consultation is ongoing however to date the following has been established as barriers to participation and enjoyment of the Royal Pavilion Estate: 1. The Gardens are poorly presented and at night increasingly unsafe. They are heavily used throughout the year and suffer from significant anti-social behaviour, more so at night time due to poor lighting and limited security measures, i.e. staff and CCTV. I've never felt that unsafe walking through the gardens at night and I've done it at about ever hour you could.. 2. The existing interpretation of the estate is poor. Most visitors do not gain a coherent sense of the estate as a whole as a result of their visit. They tell us they have no idea that they have ‘arrived’ at an important historical site; that there is nothing that invites them to participate when they enter the estate at any point. Who the hell can't tell that the Pavillion and Dome are not historical? a. The interpretation of the estate is limited and does not cater for all learning styles; Visitors say that there is a lack of atmosphere in the Pavilion they find it hard to understand or relate to the story of the palace. I love the atmosphere in the Pavilion gardens, especially in the summer. b. Existing interpretation of the estate is very limited for visitors with sensory impairment and intellectual access is poor. There is almost no multisensory interpretation and visitors (especially families with children) say that they want more opportunities to interact, including live interpretation. WTF does that mean? c.Opportunities to engage with the heritage of the estate for visitors to the Dome and Corn Exchange are severely limited. I can't see a big demand for it even if there was.    3. Existing visitor facilities are inadequate. They do not meet visitors’ expectations and cannot accommodate the increasing numbers of visitors to the estate. a. inadequate ticketing facilities, inadequate toilets, no storage space for buggies and no cloakrooms, which mean visitors carry their bags and coats with them causing considerable damage to the buildings and its décor throughout the year. No group entrance to the Pavilion. Lack of seating. Poor way-finding. Overcrowding. Ticketing for what? There is the Dome cafe bar / ticket office and it is only recently that the council closed down the tourist office in the Pavillion complex. Toilets could do with a facelift but seem adiquate, is a colakroom / storage space that much in demand? What damage does that do to the building? Why do you need a 'group entrance'? Lack of seatning where? Overcrowding where? 4. Important historic areas of the Grade I listed buildings are inaccessible to visitors. Really? a. Our research has shown that there is a significant appetite from visitors for access to spaces which are currently off limits (e.g. tunnels, King’s Bathroom etc). In the Dome and Corn Exchange the performance schedule restricts access for the general public. Views of the Corn Exchange are limited by the presence of lighting rigs, seating and other staging equipment. There’s no lift in the Pavilion. Why are the tunnels and bathroom off limits and why do you need an expensive restoration plan to open them up? Not sure which view from where they are talking about re: the Corn Exchange. A lift in the Pavilion sounds resonable for access if needed. 5. Existing accommodation for school groups and learning programmes is inadequate and restricts the scale, range and reach of the estate’s existing learning offer. Surely you don't need to spend money to make the place accesable to schools. a. there is no ‘regular’ schools offer at the Dome and only 1% of visitors to the Pavilion are school children. None of the schools taking part in the Dome’s learning programme has the opportunity to learn about the estate’s heritage. You can teach people about the history of the estate without them visiting it and surely it's not that hard to make cheap/free access to school children if you want more to visit. b. Our research has shown that there is currently low awareness of the existing schools offer on the estate. Currently learning provision on the estate is fragmented and does not provide a joined up story of the estate and its heritage. Well the council has never been good at joined up thinking and throwing money at the problem rarely sorts it. 6. The existing volunteer offer is poorly resourced, inconsistently managed and limited. Demand outstrips supply by 4 times. a. There are currently 261 volunteers involved in the estate. However demand far outstrips supply. The lack of dedicated staff time and resources is the biggest barrier to volunteering at the Royal Pavilion Estate. Are you really saying that the estate needs over 1,000 volunteers to keep it going? 7. The estate’s visitor profile is not representative of the city or the wider region. Engaging more local people with the heritage of the estate is critical to its long term sustainability. Who says it's not representative of the city or wider region? Why would engaging more pople help its long term sustainability? a. RPM’s current audiences do not represent the demographic of the city. The city’s profile is more ethnically diverse and younger than the profile of visitors to the estate. Only 17% of visitors to the Royal Pavilion & the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery were from Brighton & Hove. Whereas at Brighton Dome the majority of visitors are from Brighton & Hove but almost none of these visitors engage with or learn about the heritage of the estate as part of their visit. The people who use the gardens seem very representative. How can 17% of the visitors to the Royal Pavilion & the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery being from Brighton & Hove be bad, that would imply that almost 100% would go once evey 5 years. Sounds fair to me. You can't force people to learn about the heritage! 8. Visitors want better engagement, more things to do and more outdoor activity in the garden. Says who? Most people just like sitting in the gardens on a sunny day and there is often nice buskers entertaining the crowds. What ourdoor activities would improve it? a. The level of repeat visits is low because exhibitions and activity does not change often enough and there is not enough to interest people in returning. May be true but again you don't need a massive renovation plan to have a few more touring exhibitions in the museum do you?

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The death of the Pavilion Gardens, Brighton

http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/council-and-democracy/news/royal-pavilion-estate-update 1)The gardens will be totally fenced off Office of information reply: This is the opposite of our intentions. In fact we want to open up the Royal Pavilion Garden not shut it off. The security needs we have identified are that we need to be able to secure the garden in very late hours/early morning should this be necessary to prevent the current levels of anti-social behaviour which cause damage to the Grade II listed Garden* and threaten the safety of the Historic Buildings. In plain English version: Yes we are putting up fences. So we can close it late at night for security. 1)They will charge you to enter for events (already confirmed) Office of information reply: Only ocasionally, large cultural, ticketed events we would like to hold will be held in the gardens encouraging more people to engage with its heritage. This will never be the default position and the Estate will be open widely just as it currently is. In plain English version: Yes we will and you know it's going to cost a fortune to get in. 3)They will charge you or visitors to enter the gardens daily Office of information reply: This is incorrect - the gardens will remain a free resource for both local communities and visitors to the city. Plain English version. Daily charge in phase 2. Once the security is up it will be easy to add extra charges. 4)They will demolish the Pavilion Gardens Cafe Office of information reply: Our current thinking is that the best solution would be a visitor welcome centre which would include a café. We met again with David Sewell and Friends of the Pavilion Garden Café last week to look at the potential options for a new building to house the café as part of planning for the future of the Royal Pavilion Estate. Consultation with the Sewell Family is ongoing with the aim of reaching an agreed plan to improve visitor welcome and to preserve the Estate’s long term future. Plain English version. New cafe for less people where everything costs twice as much. Or more! 5)They will construct a building on New Road as a retail shop i.e.new Pavilion shop for income and another to house a Cafe like the one at the level with a few indoor tables and a very limited patio. I emphasis NOT RUN BY US Office of information reply: Early concepts include the consideration of a new visitor welcome building at the New Road entrance to the Estate which would include visitor facilities that would include; toilets, bag and coat storage, ticketing, and a cafe facility that could be operated both indoors and outdoors. This would open up the Estate, as we would like to give a more compelling sense of arrival to the more than 1.2 million visitors from our local communities and around the globe who come here year on year. As above, we are in consultation about options for a new building with the Sewell family. Plain English version. New building just like the Dome cafe bar. For those that think that's too far away! 6)At least three mature Elm trees (two Himalayan & one Jersey) will be cut down at the back of us bordering New Road Office of information reply: This is incorrect, no historic trees will be removed and we will be actively developing our plans to ensure no protected trees are affected either on the surface or via their roots. Plain English version. Sorry that tree you like is not protected and will have to go. 7)John Nash's restoration in the 80's and 90's will be ruined in the cafe area even though the RP say the opposite. (I have the facts) Office of information reply: This is incorrect. The café area is not part of Nash’s work nor was it part of any 80’s or 90’s restoration. We want to be more faithful to the Nash Regency design not less. Plain English version. Don't really matter when. What we have now works and don't need changing. 8)Residents on lunch breaks, students and school children will not be welcome unless they pay Office of information reply: The Estate will be more welcoming and accessible to everyone so that more people will come and enjoy the gardens during school trips, on weekend visits or on lunch breaks. No one will have to pay. The project will actually extend our existing cultural and creative learning programmes to people of all age groups. Plain English version. We won't charge you to start with... 9)The other consequence will be New Road will become their main gateway into the Estate and they will fence off and close the other entrances so there will be no thoroughfares through the gardens on your way to work etc Office of information reply: This is incorrect. Part of the vision is to have a better entrance which truly welcomes people onto the estate from New Road. It also includes the preservation and use of all other entrances as well as enabling us to restore, repair and maintain our Grade 1 and Grade 2 listed buildings. Plain English version. The gates will always be open... well at least they will be when they are open... 10)The Royal Pavilion Estate in effect will be privatised and controlled i.e. the general public wont be welcome obviously unless they pay Office of information reply: This is incorrect. Our aim is to open up the Estate to vastly improve on accessibility, as well as sustainability. This as they constantly say will stop anti social behaviour in an instance and give income and as they say sustainability The vision includes some ideas about how events – particularly free entertainment -  could be held in the gardens to discourage anti – social behaviour and encourage more people to use the gardens in the evenings for positive actitivies rather than those that create problems and cause damage to the Nash restored Garden. The gardens are a delight for the city but they could be significantly improved so that they aren’t misused, rubbished or damaged as they are now. Plain English version. We want to spend a fortune securing the park, promoting events, protect our buildings and spend a fortune. Of course someone is going to make money off this. Most likely quite a few interested parties. People like that no money is ever enough and they will continue to try and milk more and more money out of the park. Maintain it as it is now. That's all you have to do.

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Two of the #music #videos I shot (with the help of a friend) and edited recently have just gone up on #YouTube

Eliza Jaye - Déjà Vu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCXKgp8Foxk A slow #dreamy #song...

Eliza Jaye - Needs Must http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toRjmQVp5o0 ....and a #ballsy #Rock song.

More form her here. http://www.youtube.com/user/mselizajaye

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Introverts by The Mojo Fins

http://youtu.be/cv-P_aQglHQ

New video

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FFS tumblr

Stop telling me to install your mobile app and make a mobile friendly version of your site!

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New theme

Now the pictures and videos fit the template :)

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Eliza Jaye - The Seed - Debut Album

Hi all, it’s been a while since I have been over here, mainly due to the fact I started working with this artist Eliza Jaye just over a year ago and it’s been taking up most of my spare time.

Over the last year I’ve #filmed and #photographed her and her #band loads #live, made a few #music #videos as well as working on the #CD cover (#image above) and sorted out all the #social stuff to get it ticking over better. You can see some of it over at the #website, which I also made.

http://www.elizajaye.co.uk/

Here is her first, video Black Heart Rum with #animation by #Brighton #artist Richard Jackson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy5yrEZ7n_E

The follow up single Big Tin Heart was filmed as an homage to The Old Grey Whistle Test #OGWT and I made the mock intro, which was great fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqv21Xi5NpI

The next one was a bit more epic. Bella, a song based on lyrics in the boo Down and out in Paris and London by George Orwell which we shot on location at the Seven Sisters and at Blue Bluebell railway both in Sussex.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62ALXeG35nE

The last song she released was also the oldest song she wrote on the album, many years ago, which is set to footage from the local Burning the Clocks festival in Brighton, a celebration on the shortest day of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atS6JGI_2bs

Shortly we will be releasing more live footage but for now this one from last year is probably the best example of her #live #performances and is of the song Crimson Lipstick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE-1YefHE8w

This weekend she is off playing as a special guest with Abi Wade at TRUCK #FESTIVAL, Oxford (Barn stage at 9pm on Saturday) Larmer Tree Festival (Arc stage at 12.30pm on Sunday)…

NEXT #FRIDAY the #album ‘The Seed’ is launched.

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Thanks for all the fish! turned 1 today!

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Eliza Jaye

Over the last year or so I've had the privilege of working quite a bit with Eliza Jaye. Her first album is coming out soon, June/July most likely and it's been something Eliza has been working on for a long time. The good news is there is more than an albums worth of new tunes which she is showcasing live alongside the tracks from the album.

So let's start by letting the music do the talking. These are the singles in order.

Learn how to get your music heard at ReverbNation.com

So I first got to know her when I filmed her band at a private charity event where I was there filming the other band playing.

Here's the films she used from that night... Crimson Lipstick

Needs Must

Next up I knocked up the homage to 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' intro at the front of the Big Tin Heart video which was great fun. Playing with the stars :)

One of the thinks that's great about Eliza's live shows is she throws in one or two great cover songs, just the one or two she is most certainly not a covers band. ;)

Here is one I captured of 'I put a spell on you', which was the first time she did it and it's got a whole lot better now.

The most ambitious thing we did was the video for Bella, which was made on a fairly low budget.

The Marmalade video was the polar opposite to the Bella video. For Bella there was location hunting, planning, travelling, dress hire, weather and a lot editing and grading. Marmalade came about when Eliza saw the footage I had taken for the 'burning the clocks' procession the year before. With a slight re-edit to fit the song better the video for Marmalade only took a few weeks.

At the beginning of the year Eliza decided to try out doing some solo gigs and this is one of songs I was allowed to put online from her first solo set. I had the honer to be one of the few who saw the new songs and solo set develop and it was obvious from a very early stage that this was not going to be one of them 'girls on stage with an acoustic guitar' type things. 

The second time she took it out was in The Neptune, the pub she used to work at and dream about playing on the stage... When she finally did she kicked everyone's ass and rocked the joint.

That's probably it as far as the videos go pre-album launch so I though it's a good time to put it all together... My advice is keep an eye on this one, I have a strange feeling she could do to music industry what Debbie Harry did back in the 70's...

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Adam Kidd - Fragile Creatures

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ELiza Jaye - Glass Poppies. Well here it is. The video I've been looking forward to releasing for a long time. Up till the end of last year Eliza had been playing with the incredibly talented (and extremely busy) Victoria Smith and Ben Kidd. At the beginning of the year we were planning the run up to the album launch and one recurring problem was trying to work out when the band could play gigs. I suggested that it would be good if Eliza could play some solo gigs when the band were unavailable. She had played, a strange gig, in a London cloths store with just her and Victoria on bass. Also played solo on radio a couple of times. Eliza was equally taken by the idea and horrified by it. Some songs need that extra beat while others would need reworking. The thing that made it work was Seasick Steve, who had just been on Jools Holland's show and we had been talking about it quite a bit. 

Well Eliza put her head down and cracked on with it. Researched and tried out the consumer stomp boxes and was less than impressed. Then with the help of a few friends put together a cracking little 'stomp stick' made from drift wood. Which you can hear in the video when it was used live for the first time. 

I was lucky enough to hear a snapshot of the music a few weeks ago in the rehearsal studio and was blown away. Once it's fine tuned a bit and played with confidence then this is going to be a one man show like you've never seen before. Much more than just a woman on stage with a guitar singing a few tunes.

Now for me, my only job was to catch that one or two songs that showcased the performance, remember this was the first time playing live stomping away, playing guitar and singing. So let's just say that some of the tunes still need a bit of work. Though they are all more than good enough for me to add them to my 'on the road' music collection.

The idea was for 90mins of music in two 45min sets but it ended up being over 100! So no shortage of good tracks. To guarantee getting a good take on whichever songs came out ok, I set up a couple of static cameras. One either side of the stage and had a hand held camera out front.... The gig was at The Horse and Groom in Brighton, a pub I last saw a gig at about 7 years ago when living round the corner from it. Back then it was a case of move the pool tables to one side so the band could set up.

How things have changed. Now it has a nice little stage with lovely lighting and a landlord that loves his music. Not much of a crowd as it was still cold and wet but created enough of a buzz so she can go back there and get a good crowd.

In the end the footage came out better than I expected, mainly due to the lovely lighting that made it look like she was playing at sunset with the sun beating down on her before it dropped over the horizon... I think this is the video I'm made that I'm most satisfied with.

So thanks Eliza, great performance. x

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Thanks everyone who has watched one of the videos up on this channel. It now has over 250,000 views. This is the 80th (public) video. Hope you have enjoyed your stay. x

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The musicains I have worked with.

I've been going through my videos and trying to work out a list of some of the musicians I have worked with, filmed, photographed or done stuff with. This is the list I've knocked up so far. Hope I've not missed anyone.

John Watts Aaron McLenahan Aaron Neville Abdoubie Jatta Adam Kidd Adam Nfai Adama Demba Albert Demba Amie Jatta Augustin Jatta Bamba MBoob Ben Kidd Charlie McLenahan Chris Otero Cordelia Fellowes Dan Teale David Sijale Dunstan Belcher Ebrima Sambou Edward Demba Eliza Jaye Emily Ballantyne Essa Ngaiga Iqbal Khan Pathan Jim Mortimor John 'Black' John Dipper Laurel Swift Larry 'Bleu' Marcel Demba Matthew Guest Matthew Waer Michael Appleby Modou Darboe Musa Mboob Njemie Saine Omar Seine Ousman Beyai Pat Garvey Phil Thornton Roo Garvey Safietou Jatta Sam Walker Sama Secka Sean-Lee Duncan Shona Foster Simon Wiliams Thomas Christen Tom Fairbairn Tristan Banks Tristan McLenahan Victoria Smith Yousuf MBoob Zackline Jatta

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Let the music commence

Off to my first rehearsal of the year tonight. I think I've seen one band or another rehearsing every year for about the last 20 years. There is something nice about being an audience of one.

Over the last month I've been treated to quite a number of songs I've been invited to listen to that have not been released to the public. A couple of times rough mixes with the instruction not to tell anyone I've heard them.... Especially the rest of the band. Which I obviously always keep to myself, you don't want to ruin the chance of hearing more. ;)

There is some great music around at the moment and searching around for festival slots for one band seems to point to the fact that it's not just here. Many small festivals have been flooded with 1,000's if not 10,000's of applications to play their festivals. Many of the bands good enough to play. You could have a 365 day festival and not run out if good bands.

Which is great for us music lovers but a nightmare for new bands. So keep an eye on your local scene, you'll probably find there is an amazing band you'll love playing in your local venue.