Red Alerts were sirening off all over the west of the country as Storm Darragh battered the bruised country into further submission. Luckily humans are hardy and the first event for our new organisation east Devon Soul went off. It was great to see such a lovely eclectic bunch of people enjoying Grammy nominated Acantha Lang at the Marine Theatre, a last minute change from the embattled Seaton Gateway. It was a beautiful night and we at East Devon Soul will be running many more events over the next few years. We see soul music as all music that comes from the soul. So it will be hip hop, funk, latin, jazz, pop, rock, jungle, electronic dance and of course soul. We are also planning a big event in July 2026 so news will be passed around when details have been defined through the first part of next year.
We are really looking forward to developing music in and around East Devon, providing high quality music for all.
So I am coming to the end of finishing my second book, Creative Spheres, and as well as the relief and excitement there is also a slight feeling of loss. The work is done. Now, though, comes the tricky task of finding a publisher. Who will release a book that crosses academic and commercial arenas? It is the next mission, to find the place in the world for my latest baby. Here are the chapters…
In 1983 I left school for college and embarked on an adventure to the South of France, with my band mates Hoedown at Hanks in legendary Transit van The Cow, hub caps designed like Newcastle Brown bottle tops. In music worlds other things were also occurring…
Pop critic Paul Morley talks about 1973 as an iconic year within both classical and popular Western music worlds, with releases from Roxy Music to Steve Reich to Bach (?). Our Covid19 neighbour and friend downstairs Matt Davies, alternatively sees 1983 as the most vital year for music. Billy Jean has got your number walking down the pathway, ligting up dancefloors across the globe up. The three members of the Thompson Twins have love on your side whilst in rural Bath, UK the Roman Baths echo to the pain of Tears for Fears. Sweet Dreams and Let’s Dance are two iconic tracks that are played as much today, with the Eurythmics track the theme to the Women’s football world cup in Australia. We come from the land down under, where women glow and men plunder. Still true indeed Louis Rubiales. If you ever get a song stuck in your head, known as an earworm, then listening to a few bars of Karma Chameleon will sort you out. Looking forward, Prince was yet to be symbol but he could predict the millennium bug. Rip it up by Orange Juice. Everything Counts for Depeche Mode, introducing a new synthesised aesthetic to pop worlds, taking the sound of underground electronica into the hit parade. A youthful madame Ciccone was having a Holiday in Club Tropicana with George and friends. This Charming Man, True, Let the Music Play on New Years Day. I was young, Too Shy Shy, hush hush to be much of a Love Cat, Oblivious that Love is a Battlefield. Wow what a year, where the scenius was popular music in general, an epoch where a combination of scenii interact, snowballing Over and Over, a year where popular culture turned to Gold.
