Long Distance Reggae

Always wanted to try this - so when my mate Ed Rome asked me to be part of his latest project - 'Snapshot - Dubs n Subs' - a triumphant reworking of his earlier album with different artists featuring on different tracks.

I'm on Track 7 - 'El Gringo' - and I recorded it in Rio, sending ideas back and forth for Ed to play with and put them into the final track. It was great fun! - Let me know what you think?

Rhythms Of The City....

So, a brit bloco is over in rio - and good grief, they know how its done.

Before we made our move to Brazil, I spent years nurturing a fascination with samba and bossa nova - and being a teacher, I loved the way that a truck full of drums could weave magic over performers and listeners alike.

I never got good at it though - and these days, the sensible musician in me is more inclined to keep my hands in my pockets rather than risk the humiliation of hitting something when it clearly should be left well alone.

Rhythms of the City (ROTC) however, took it to another level ages ago - and their brutal rock'n'roll batucada offensive is sure to turn heads - these guys are welcome to hang with Rio's finest (Monobloco, Sgt Pimenta, etc etc).

I saw them (and not all of them either) tear it up with a hall full of primary school kids. They performed to the kids with just the same energy that they would to Lapa's roudiest punters - Shitot.

In another flash of cultural inspiration we nipped to 'nos do morro' last tuesday to watch their musical - 'Bandeira de Retalhos' - a story about an attempt to demolish a section of Vidigal Favela in 1977.

Powerful stuff - especially as the theatre itself is in the heart of Vidigal, looking out onto the very spot that survived the attempted eviction and demolition. Amazing acting and musicianship, in a venue that is a truly special place, representing a really exciting and fresh company - even though they've been around for years.

There ya go - coupla cultural reasons to get of yer arse.

Lets do it together....

Getting a ticket was never this hard at way ahead records.....

Heh - reminds me of the Larry Miller sketch I used to listen to with my brother.. "Hey fellas, if we bought our own bar, we could live together forever!" - Don´t say you never had similar ideas.

Still, I digress. The genius collective mind at Queremos.com.br have gone ahead and done what every school council dreamt of doing. They work out the cost of booking a band, and then they charge a small number of people enough to cover the cost. Then they sell the rest of the tickets at a more modest price. If the gig sells out the initial investors get to go for free. If it sells quite well then the initial investors end up paying the same as everyone else.

The next gig is Primal Scream, no less! - Here´s how the money works:

• Gig costs R$112,000
• First 560 punters pay R$200 - this covers the cost, and the gig goes ahead.
• If a further 660 punters buy a ticket for R$120, the first 560 get at least R$80 refunded, meaning they pay the same as everyone else.
• If a further 1,670 punters buy a ticket at R$120, the first 560 go free.

Oh, and if the first 560 tickets don´t sell, everyone gets their money back.

Go on... what have you got to lose!