Monday 8 July 2024
Wednesday 23 November 2022
Made a film for an installation this weekend at hARTsLane Gallery. Private view at 5pm on Friday.
Thursday 9 June 2022
Sunday 30 January 2022
Monday 16 August 2021
Performance today in Hastings at Jude Cowan Montague’s show.
Tuesday 10 August 2021
Friday 11 September 2020
Sunday 2 August 2020
Socially distanced small outdoor performance with Luna Montenegro sax, Adrian Fisher guitar, Matt Scott accordion at the Charlton Gallery NW1 1HJ in London this coming Saturday 8 August 2020.
Thursday 9 April 2020
Saturday 14 March 2020
Monday 13 May 2019
Friday 26 October 2018
Screenings at the 9th Athens Avant Garde Film Festival tonight and tomorrow of some films made with director Xiaolu Guo.
Monday 1 October 2018
It proved to be too early to start in September or October in the end, we are tentatively hoping, with the immense generosity and support of Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, to be relaunching the Klinker in November.
Monday 4 June 2018
Playing squeezebox on Carole Finer’s Sound Out on Resonance Radio tomorrow, Tues 5 June, with Alix Hyde from Macclesfield on fiddle.
Next week will do music at the Ovalhouse Theatre for Rebecca Tortora’s Last Night I Met You Dreaming.
Friday 5 January 2018
Wednesday 18 January 2017
Great new Klinker venue launch last night at the No.W.Here Film Studios in Bethnal Green Road, now there on the 17th of every month.
Thursday 27 October 2016
Sunday 16 October 2016
Friday 2 September 2016
Wednesday 17 August 2016
Phew, Monday’s Klinker went very well indeed.
Tuesday 9 August 2016
Yikes, what a chaotic launch to our new 8th of the month Klinker last night!
Big apology to John Russell who put in a lot of preparation only to turn up and find the venue was closed for refurbishments, something neither Hugh nor myself expected as the refurbishments we knew about had been finished in June and we ran the July Klinker in the reopened venue with no problems.
All was not lost and the venue introduced us to the bar opposite who fortunately were most agreeable and welcomed us in for the night. Jemima Foxtrot kicked off the night with great poems and Jonny Blamey’s Altes Haus played a storming set. I enjoyed a final duo with Hugh expecting to end a little early only to notice the barman wildly gesticulating from behind the bar and pointing at the clock, obviously indicating that he wanted us to keep going till eleven.
Thanks to all, especially our wonderful unfazed supportive audience.
Sunday 7 August 2016
Klinker Club starts extra night every 8th of the month at the Apiary from tomorrow, Monday 8 August 2016.
Last minute cancellation of David and Sindy, I’ll be playing accordion solo instead.
Saturday 4 June 2016
Klinker programme up and new website up.
Sunday 18 October 2015
Thursday 6 August 2015
Saturday 16 May 2015
Ali Warner at Scaledown on 29 May.
Monday 16 March 2015
Playing Cardew’s “Treatise” with a graphic score ensemble in Greenwich on Wednesday 25 March, see Events page for more details.
Thank you to all the Clinker performers last night...
The two soloists with suitcases, Clinker first timer Primo Gabbiano from Barcelona, great way to kick off the night and we hope to see you again, Andrew Bailey all the way from Islington, awesome and loopy as ever!
And a special thanks to Clinker co-founder Ian McLachlan for jumping in at the last minute to play euphonium in a trio with myself and Dylan Bates, who also deserves a big thank you too, for being his usual highly-adaptable self and joining us after being stood up by the rest of his band.
And thank you to Oliver, for support on the night, Ali for welcoming everyone, Cos, for technical crisis solving, Jelica & Leslie at the Apiary, and all you charming people who turned up to listen.
Good wishes will be passed on to Hugh.
Friday 20 February 2015
Sunday 22 February at Café Oto, a rather unusual event featuring original Scratch Orchestra members and new performers inspired by their Nature Study Notes.
Monday 22 December 2014
Enjoyed unexpected invitation to play solo at Mopomoso yesterday, thanks John Russell.
Wednesday 10 December 2014
Cabbage Head turns 60 next week and the Klinker is planning a one-off event to celebrate on Monday 15 December at the Apiary Studios in Hackney, all welcome to join the party at this marvellous new venue...
Saturday 11 October 2014
Classical Music Jam with a clarinet percussion violin cello accordion quintet at the Barbican Centre on Saturday 18 October.
Friday 3 October 2014
Delighted to be playing solo accordion for Bitten by a Monkey Presents on Thursday 9 October as part of the marvellous ongoing monthly series in St John’s Church in Bethnal Green.
Wednesday 23 July 2014
This Friday at Scaledown solo set of Lemon Squeezer songs.
Saturday 5 July 2014
Monday 30 June 2014
Saturday 28 June 2014
Scratch Orchestra's Nature Study Notes tonight.
‘The Scratch Orchestra’s Nature Study Notes’ - performed by an ensemble of original Scratch Orchestra members and new performers including: Jane Alden, George Chambers, Linn D, Carole Finer, Sharon Gal, John Hails, Bryn Harris, Les Hutchins, Robbie Lockwood, Geraldine McEwan, Matt Scott, Hugh Shrapnel, Stefan Szczelkun, Emmanuelle Waeckerle, Ali Warner.
Nature Study Notes is a collection of 152 written instructions or 'scores' that was published as a booklet by Cornelius Cardew at the beginning of the Scratch Orchestra in 1969. The scores are called 'rites' and were used in many of the early Scratch Orchestra concerts.
Monday 19 May 2014
Thanks to Jude Cowan Montague for last night’s duo gig at Full Stop.
Sunday 4 May 2014
African Wisdom screening tonight in Hackney.
Sunday 6 April 2014
Looking forward to playing with Ali Warner at Jude's Tuesday do.
Friday 6 December 2013
Loved playing in Glasgow last night, if they can fix the roof back on Glasgow Central Station which blew off in the gale, then I’m heading to Scaledown to play with Bad Moth tonight in London.
Thursday 28 November 2013
Looking forward to more live film soundtrack making next week with Andrew Ranken and Hugh Metcalfe in Glasgow, and a special Christmas Scaledown on Friday.
Saturday 16 November 2013
Friday 4 October 2013
Thank you to everyone who came to events over the last few days and for all the enthusiastic feedback.
Sunday 29 September 2013
Playing at various events over the next few days, Full Stop tonight, Klinker on Tuesday, and Blithe Nook closing night on Thursday.
Monday 12 August 2013
Supernormal Festival was amazing! Beautiful eco-friendly place and brilliant diverse performers. Privilege to be part.
Thursday 8 August 2013
Live soundtracking Hugh Metcalfe's Super 8mm films on Squeezebox with Andrew Ranken on drums at the Supernormal Festival in Oxfordshire on Saturday night.
Saturday 20 July 2013
Very fine Klinker last night, with three extraordinary and diverse solo performers.
Monday 15 July 2013
Enjoyed playing at album launch for 3 Almonds and a Walnut by Iranian singer Roshi Nasehi featuring Pars Radio on a boat on the Thames last night.
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Klinker on Friday in Tottenham. I’ll be performing a last-minute slot on solo Squeezebox to fill an unforeseen gap in the programme, new and unfinished tunes.
Tuesday 11 June 2013
Looking forward to playing a live soundtrack for some rare Circus Togni films at Sheffield Doc/Fest on Thursday evening…
Friday 7 June 2013
Tonight, tonight - Mad Moth at Bad Pride.
Wednesday 29 May 2013
Saturday 18 May 2013
Great night at Klinker with three diverse, brilliant, bands plus a rotating drummer complimenting each other perfectly.
Thursday 9 May 2013
Great to play a solo spot alongside music from the fantastic Megastars - John Bowers electronics, Mick Beck bassoon/sax, & Hugh Metcalfe guitar on Tuesday.
Thursday 2 May 2013
Enjoyed playing for Drawn Together last night and congratulations to John Close on a successful event.
Tuesday 30 April 2013
Great audience and music from all the bands at the Horse Improvised Music Club last night. Thanks for all the good responses.
Friday 8 March 2013
Last minute Squeezebox Jukebox booking at Properganda.
Klinker Five Day Festival is on and Klinker events this year being planned in London, Bristol, and further afield.
Monday 4 February 2013
Catching up Laura Mura visiting London from Sardinia.
Saturday 26 January 2013
Bad Moth gig at Scaledown last night was fun, with lots of extra songs about Chimpanzees!!! Thanks Shaun, Mark, and Jude, and especially the lovely audience.
Wednesday 2 January 2013
Very sad about the untimely passing of Xochitl Tuck after a short illness. Xochitl ran Survivors’ Poetry and was always the most wonderful positive person, I am lucky to have known her.
Wednesday 12 December 2012
Monday 26 November 2012
Friday 16 November 2012
Enjoyed playing with Cardboard Whale in the London Jazz Festival alongside the brilliant Trio Riot from Denmark/Switzerland/Manchester.
Saturday 13 October 2012
Thank you to all who stayed till 2am to hear Bad Moth performing at the Mad Pride event last night.
Monday 24 September 2012
Thank you to those who made it through the rain to hear Bad Moth in St Mary’s Old Church yesterday, burial place of the family of William Wilberforce.
Wednesday 19 September 2012
Playing tonight at Remembering Lol Coxhill, this would have been his 80th birthday, to raise money for a planned fund to start a documentation project archiving Lol’s work.
Saturday 1 September 2012
Monday 6 August 2012
Thanks to everyone who came to Share NYC last night. And thank you to Al Duvall for bringing the Black Chocolate Stout from the Brooklyn Brewery, to be drunk “in the winter”, and “Squirt My Rubber Heart”.
Sunday 5 August 2012
Performing tonight at Share NYC in Brooklyn NYC with Ryder Cooley
Saturday 28 July 2012
Performing this evening on accordion with Nihan Devecioglu voice, Cécile Broché violin, Ryder Cooley visuals, and Hazel the flying sheep from Barbados, on and above a street somewhere in Hudson, New York, U.S..
Friday 27 July 2012
Having an inspiring time at Art Omi in New York, collaborating with some wonderful musicians from far and wide.
Tuesday 10 July 2012
Sunday 1 July 2012
Wednesday 13 June 2012
Played my composition for solo classical accordion at the Royal Academy of Music on Sunday, the Accordion Department’s 25th Anniversary Celebration with an audience of some of the best accordionists I’ve ever heard.
Thanks to Owen Murray, Head of Accordion at the Academy.
Friday 18 May 2012
Ciao, Sardeddus. Big ta for everything.
Tuesday 1 May 2012
Sayonara London, hello Asinara.
Thursday 19 April 2012
Sunday 15 April 2012
Sunday 8 April 2012
Thursday 29 March 2012
Playing accordion in the park yesterday I looked up to find myself surrounded by a group of boys.
"Play a waltz" they requested. They didn't seem impressed when I did.
"Bet you can't play anything by Flo Rida"... still not impressed. (Though I admit 'Good Feeling' sounds rubbish on accordion.)
This evening playing accordion in the park and keeping a vigilant eye out, I notice a woman approaching me, she sits down next to me and opens her violin case and asks, "Do you mind if I join in...?"
: )
Thursday 22 March 2012
Very happy to have just learned that I have been offered a composer residency at the Omi International Arts Centre in New York this summer.
Wednesday 8 February 2012
Singing strange songs under pseudonyms tonight with lapsteel guitarist Paul Seacroft and Stanley Bad.
Monday 6 February 2012
“Twisted skiffle, spit-and-sawdust vaudeville and Cockney-Brechtian folk-punk cabaret... Manic minstrel Burch delivers his dark and gritty bittersweet ditties with wit and a vitriolic fervour.”
Saturday 21 January 2012
Friday 20 December 2012
There are rumours circulating of the reopening of the Klinker Club in early February in Stoke Newington. Bad Moth and Lapsed Eel may be performing.
Saturday 17 December 2011
Last minute gig with the Fleapit Orchestra last night. Always an enjoyable chaotic riot. The gap of five hours between soundcheck and playing, spent at a tattoo exhibition with free booze, did nothing to dampen that.
Friday 13 December 2012
Thanks Xochitl and poets for welcoming us last night for our first gig of the year doing our songs as Bad Moth and Lapsed Eel with Stanley Bad on an instrument he’d been lent that evening and Paul Seacroft on Lap Steel guitar.
Tuesday 6 December 2011
Saturday 29 October 2011
Thank you to a great audience at Scaledown Club last night.
Friday 21 October 2011
Great event lead by artist John Close at 176 Gallery yesterday with models, artists, writers, ... and a squeezebox.
Sunday 11 September 2011
Saturday 27 August 2011
Thanks to Chao Yun and everyone who braved the rain to make it to the gig last night.
Monday 15 August 2011
Duo with pipa player Luo Chao Yun on tour from Taiwan on Friday 26th August.
Monday 4 July 2011
Playing with the Syndicate and Xiaolu Guo’s poetry in the Festival Hall on the Southbank on Thursday.
Saturday 25 June 2011
Enjoyed Wednesday’s gig with Julie Kjær’s band Card Cardboard Whale featuring Oren Marshall on tuba.
Monday 30 May 2011
At the Hay literary festival in Hay-on-Wye over the weekend accompanying poetry. Hope to go back again another year. Amazing talks.
Friday 19 May 2011
London hit Squeezy Bad instead!!!
Last night someone who had been haranguing us from the audience finally jumped up and rushed the stage attempting to attack me for a perceived “denigration of the people of Lapland”. Maybe he meant La La Land... or Cloud Cuckoo Land?
On behalf of Squeezy Bad I would like to point out that it has never been our intention to cause offence to anybody on the grounds of ethnic origin or otherwise, let alone the indigenous Sámi population of Lapland. Offence caused by any part of our performance is entirely without rational basis whatsoever and completely random. Think of it as a kind of egalitarian insult lottery.
Monday 16 May 2011
This Thursday Squeezy Bad finally hit London!!!
I’m also playing accordion at this event with Danish saxist composer Julie Kjær, recently back from New York, in her trio Liquorice Fish.
Saturday 14 May 2011
Performance with Lucie Louvrier from France, who sings Satie and Poulenc exceptionally well, at St George the Martyr church. And they hung two huge French flags as a backdrop for us.
Monday 2 May 2011
Solo accordion performance at Boat-ting on the Thames. Last minute notice as Hugh couldn’t make it.
Sunday 24 April 2011
Ireland was great. Got the music done just in time. Phew.
Saturday 9 April 2011
Okay, I need to compose a piece for solo classical accordion to be performed next weekend in Ireland. But it is sunny outside. And I’ve run out of rice wine so I have to pop out for a bit anyhow.
Monday 28 March 2011
Switzerland was great. 2am. Back home. O f f t o b e d . . . .
Tuesday 22 March 2011
Four films with my scores to be shown at the Cinémathèque Suisse, Lausanne, Switzerland this week and performing live music on Friday evening with poetry with the Metaphysical Cinema Syndicate.
Thursday 10 March 2011
Sardinia was....! Yaaaaay!
Tuesday 1 March 2011
Going to Sardinia! Yaaay!
Friday 25 February 2011
Despite the unsolvable mystery of the onstage flashing lights and the overheating air conditioner it was a wonderful gig on Weds with Cardboard Whale.
Thursday 17 February 2011
Composing and rehearsing music for coming events while attempting to earn some cash doing all the other donkey work.
Thursday 10 February 2011
Likely to have very little spare time for a couple of weeks.
Monday 7 February 2011
Shooting video with them tomorrow.
Friday 4 February 2011
A one, a two, a three, Happy Metal Rabbit! Great audience last night. Rude Mechanicals are a great band to play with. Brilliant shows from Anarchistwood and Susie Showers sharing the night.
Tuesday 1 February 2011
Chinese New Year of the Metal Rabbit approaches. Having an anarchic, rude, metallic, mechanical, punk bunny of a celebration on Thursday.
Friday 28 January 2011
Last minute notice of gig tonight with Nigel Burch.
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Happy Birthday Nigel Burch.
Friday 21 January 2011
Happy 40th Birthday to the National Film and Television School.
Sunday 9 January 2011
Thank you for a great evening, everyone who came to the Vortex. Hope to see you soon and continue all the fragmented conversations began last night...
Tuesday 4 January 2011
"Nigel Burch, the banjolele-bashing troubadour of urban angst and his musical misfits play twisted skiffle and Cockney-Brechtian cabaret, dark and gritty bittersweet ditties with wit and a vitriolic fervour."
Vortex on Saturday playing with Nigel Burch’s Flea-pit Orchestra.
Saturday 1 January 2011
Wonderful New Year’s Eve gig last night which turned into marathon jam & pub singalong from 11pm till 6am with Miss Roberts voice, Cos Chapman guitar, Dylan Bates violin, Nigel Burch voice and banjolele, and Django Bates on piano. Thanks to all who made it.
Thursday 30 December 2010
Last minute addition to the Events calendar page. I will be squeezing my box in Tottenham tomorrow. Dylan and Cos will be there, who else I wonder.
Tuesday 28 December 2010
What does one do in the zone between Xmas and New Year? Working in the deserted centre of London is strangely unsettling.
Sunday 19 December 2010
Madly banning Bradley Manning makes no sense.
Saturday 18 December 2010
Bye bye Captain Beefheart.
Friday 15 December 2010
Happy Birthday Hugh Metcalfe, founder of the Klinker Club, which I’ve been involved with since 1997. We celebrated at the wonderful poetry event last night. Also today the birthday today of Jordan Baseman, pioneer artist and filmmaker in a different direction.
Sunday 12 December 2010
As the year pulls up towards the buffers I look over my shoulder. New government, recession, strikes, mass protests, WikiLeaks reveals uncomfortable truths, and the first cyberwar.
I began the bayan.
Tuesday 7 December 2010
Thanks to Sibyl Madrigal for programming such a wonderful Boat-Ting last night. A pleasure to take part with Liquorice Fish.
Thursday 28 October 2010
Playing with Liquorice Fish tonight, with Hugh Metcalfe tomorrow, and Cardboard Whale live on Resonance Radio on Saturday.
Tuesday 12 October 2010
In Norway playing accordion for poetry reading with director Xiaolu Guo and for Once Upon a Time Proletarian screenings and talks at Oslo Films From the South Festival.
Monday 27 September 2010
Enjoyed first gig with Liquorice Fish on Thursday night.
Saturday 14 August 2010
Beautiful music in Shoreditch Church last night from Lol Coxhill. Roger Turner, Veryan Weston, Hannah Marshall, & Ingrid Laubrock.
Wednesday 19 April 2010
Some gigs over the next weeks with the Fleapit Orchestra and Cardboard Whale.
Saturday 3 April 2010
Back from the warm reception of Paris Pompidou Centre launch of Notes Towards a Metaphysical Cinema Syndicate manifesto with Xiaolu Guo.
Tuesday 29 December 2009
Final Klinker till 2011 tonight in Tottenham (yes 2011! one year break). Looking forward to seeing you all later...
Monday 16 November 2009
Rude Mechanicals at the Foundry last night, great as always with Miss Jo Robert’s best dress yet. Thanks to everyone who came to Squeezebox Jukebox on Tuesday.
Friday 30 October 2009
Studio. Launch last night of Roshi Nasehi’s brilliant debut album And Stars. Beautiful voice from Iran via Wales.
Saturday 24 October 2009
Takahashi's Shellfish Concern last night. Wonderful guitar, drums, and live painting.
Thursday 22 October 2009
Emilio Allodi is very much appreciated. Renovated accordion ready to be picked up.
Saturday 26 September 2009
Working with Iranian theatre director Vahid Evazzadeh at Dance Base in Edinburgh. There are some brilliant people here - actors, dancers, a visual artist.
Sunday 20 September
Wonderful Cheltenham 2:13 Relay event yesterday and great to meet and play with such fine imaginative musicians. 14 performers, 3 venues, only trios playing at any one time so constantly evolving sound as we moved around. Couldnʼt persuade the others jump in the pool at the end.
Tuesday 15 September 2009
Once Upon a Time Proletarian which has North American première in competition at the Toronto Film Festival this evening.
Sunday 13 September 2009
Back after a few days in the south of France with film maker Lila Van Huyen.
Thursday 3 September 2009
Nigel Burch’s album rough mixes completed on Monday despite technical hitch so losing a dayʼs work.
Thursday 27 August 2009
Composed theme for Xiaolu Guo's film Once Upon a Time Proletarian which is screening in competition at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday and Sunday next week.
Writing music for Oxfam's Ethiopia campaign.
Recording songs for Nigel Burch after performing with him and Dylan Bates at the festival closing party on Sunday (see below).
Nigel Burch's MySpace
Sunday 23 August 2009
Thanks to everyone who came to the Klinker Squeezebox Jukebox event at the Stoke Newington Festival.