Gamlingay Records' Battle of the Bands

For the next three Saturdays Gamlingay will be rocking out to the sounds of 10 bands playing in this year's competition. Now in its 4th year, Gamlingay Records has organised this year’s events to take place in the Gamlingay Social club on Waresley Road.

There will be two heats, on 6th and 13th November, and a final on 20th November. The top 3 bands from each heat will go through to the final. Each heat has 5 bands in. The bands are:
Heat 1

1. A Thousand Sins
2. Noize
3. Manause Handshake
4. Lemon Escapades
5. The Scene Stealers,
   

Heat 2

1. Get Set
2. Newspeak
3. Ready for the Fall
4. Just William and the Outlaws
5. Neon Index
   

Entry to the heats is £3, with doors opening at 7:00 and the first band on at 7:30. Entrance to the final is £5. An ell event ticket is £10. Tickets can be bought in various Gamlingay shops or on the door.
---------------------------------

Gamlingay Records is a Community Record Label, set up as part of Forward Gamlingay!, a local development charity. It exists to promote local bands and teach them skills needed to succeed in the music industry. It is run by local volunteers. If people are interested in becoming part of it, the should contact Phil Hunt on 07711 771384 or at Phil@GamlingayRecords.org.uk


www.GamlingayRecords.org.uk

Update

It's a very long time since I posted.

So here's an update since last time:

Lots of running, especially with The Hobbler, but also another marathon with Russell.
Lots of music, especially with Alexis in Alphah
Lots of recording, especially the Marais Ensemble.
Most recently, a trip to Spain...

Granada.

The best city.

I went on Thursday night, arriving Malaga at midnight. I hired a car, stayed the night in a hotel in Malaga and drove on to Granada on Friday morning.

On arrival I checked in to the Melia in the centre, wandered and had a siesta. I went to the cathedral and the Capilla Real, where Fernando and Isabella are buried al;ong with Philip the Handsome and Juana la Loca. Beautiful. I only took my iPhone, so the pictures are terrible, but here are a couple...


Then, one of the highlights, I went to my flamenco guitar lesson. I had booked this in advance at the Carmen de las Cuevas school. I took the shuttle bus up to the Albayzin, wandered around, as I was early and then went in. I spoke to Marilyn on reception who told me I had a lesson with no other than Emilio Maya. I'm ashamed to say I didn't know who he was.. I since do.
I went into the cave.... there are many houses / bars etc carved into the hillside and this was one. Whitewashed, roughly-hewn, full of atmosphere. I was directed into a dance studio to tune the guitar I had hired (for 3 euros!) and warm up. Emilio then came in and gave me a lesson. What a chump I felt!!! He was amazing and instead of fingers on my hands I had 10 thumbs. The hour went so quickly and in the end I could just abotu play what he had been trying to teach me.
I stayed behind and practiced some more (for another half an hour) and then, sadly, took he guitar back to Marilyn.

Here are soem shots around Carmen de las Cuevas



I asked Marilyn if there were any authentic Flamenco shows on that weekend, and she very helpfully marked three places on my tourist map.
I wandered up into the Albayzin and found a bar close to where she had said to go, taking in some beautiful views of the Alhambra on the way...


In the Plaza Larga, I sat in a bar, drank some beer, ate some tapas and waited. Eventually, at about 11:00, the music started. After speeches that bored, soundchecks that dragged on we were treated to loud flamenco, enhanced by the presence of Estrella Morente and Enrique Morente.
I meandered back down the Albayzin to my hotel, through streets too narrow to imagine. What an amazing, amazing day.