A new photo exhibition, “After The Thaw” presents a unique and stimulating insight into the lives of people living in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and Tajikistan. When these countries gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the attention of the world briefly focused upon this cluster of new nations. The prospect of democracy seemed to offer a genuine opportunity for a future of peace and prosperity. Two decades on, away from the media spotlight, millions of people continue to struggle to build a livelihood in a post-communist world.
The new improved Laish are playing Norwich Sound and Vision Festival this Thursday, 29th September, at the Bicycle Shop. Tickets can be purchased in advance here from WeGotTickets. For further information visit Laish at WordPress.com.
A brief note of explanation, from Danny Green, Willkommen Collective:
What better way to feel honoured as a songwriter than to have a respected co-conspirator sing one of your songs? I asked everyone I could possibly think of to choose a song by someone else in the collective and record it before Willkommen Foxtrot, the festival in Brighton on 11th September. I only gave them 3 weeks. The response has been amazing.
They are a beguiling mix of studio recordings, four track documents and dictaphone style room recordings. I’m enjoying hearing these voices sing something totally unexpected.
So, we’re all up in time for the Foxtrot preview night ECHO at the Caxton Arms on Saturday 10th, and FOXTROT on 11th at Stanmer House.
The other reason to do this compilation is to draw attention to the fact that almost all of the Willkommen Records stock went up in flames at the PIAS warehouse during the riots. We have a few spare albums albums kicking around in a box under the stairs but that’s about it. It is time to raise funds for the LabelLove PIAS/AIM fund which is helping labels to continue to release great music during the fall out.
£10 seems like a fair amount to ask for such an undertaking. The download itself will be free (otherwise we run the risk of getting into all sorts of legal trouble), but we ask that you make a £10 donation to the fund which you can do by directly transferring funds from your account to the fund with these details. This way ensures 100% of funds go to the cause and there are no merchant/transaction fees creaming off the top.
AIM/PIAS EMERGENCY FUND BANK DETAILS
Account Number: 07699611
Sort Code – 18 00 02
Swift code – coutgb22
Iban – GB91COUT 18000207699611
Kristin McClement has a couple of solo dates coming up:
22nd September, Folk Rising, Cecil Sharpe House, near Regents Park – Further information
27th September, The Magpie’s Nest Residency, Manero’s Bar, Hackney – Further informationKristin has recently been working on a new set of solo songs on her electric guitar, bringing further edge and tonal warmth to her brooding melodies. It is these songs she currently wishes to bring to an audience. They are statements on their own, in anticipation of her album release and future tours with her band.
