Musical Pearls
Reyrolle Days
When kids in Northern England left school in the 1960's they were herded like cattle into the apprenticeship system and made to work for a pittance in the many factories, shipyards and coalmines. This was intended to address the skills shortage in the heavy industrial areas which were the backbone of the British economy at the time. No consideration was given to any particular talents you might have or if you were suited to this type of work. If you weren't able to adapt, it was purgatory. A prison sentence. Imagine spending the best days of your life like this. Ironically, after a few years the British government had systematically closed down these industries and there was no longer a need for the skills that people had sacrificed so much to acquire. They were now surplus to requirements and forced onto the dole. Many of us have bittersweet memories when we look back on those wasted years that changed our lives forever. <Watch video>
Even Now
Do you have a dream? Something for which you've worked so hard to achieve, but somehow has always eluded you? Always in sight, yet never within reach. So near, yet so far away. They say that without something worth dying for, you have nothing worth living for. So you keep on trying. You go on hoping. Even after all the heartache. Even after all the disappointment. Even after all the wasted time. Even now ... <Watch video>
Spinal Claudication
Skeleton is a jazz/rock band from Sunderland who write and perform in their own very unique style. The members of the band are all orthopedic doctors specialising in bone and joint injuries, hence the name of the band. However, they are also extremely competent musicians and composers who mainly perforrn at charity events to raise money for good causes across the region. <Watch video>
Devil Takes Control
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition that causes a range of psychological symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, confusion and changes in behaviour. Sufferers are often unable to distinguish their own thoughts and ideas from reality. People mistakenly equate schizophrenia with violent behaviour, but those with the condition are rarely dangerous. The condition is generally treated with a combination of medication and therapy appropriate to each individual. In most cases, this will be anti-psychotic medicines and cognitive behavioural therapy. Many people recover from schizophrenia, although they may have periods when symptoms return. Most sufferers find it comforting to talk to others with a similar condition and there are many charities and support groups offering help and advice on living with schizophrenia. <Watch video>
Living In This City
Arlenderre is the complete antithesis of everything that contemporary music culture stands for. He has no management or recording contract. He doesn't sell music or merchandise. He doesn't appear on TV, video or radio, but he tours extensively and has a massive cult following. He is absolutely passionate about his fans and won't have them exploited. He is a leading light in Britain's new underground movement where artistes and musicians have abandoned the charade of today's corporate music industry and refuse to take part in the mockery that it's become.
His Trick of the Light tour was simply the weirdest tour that ever happened. Arlenderre would turn up in a city chosen at random, announce a venue and appear that evening in front of an unbelieving crowd. The entourage then moved on and repeated the process a few days later in another city. The organisation and logistics were challenging to say the least. Sometimes the band stayed in fans homes because hotels couldn't be booked in time. Sometimes they slept in the trucks used to transport the equipment. Some nights they even camped out and slept under the stars. But one thing for sure, it was exciting and a huge amount of fun. When venues couldn't be arranged, the band put on free shows in abandoned commercial buildings or on derelict land and parking lots. A couple of times they were actually arrested for trespassing and contravening health and safety regulations. So at times it got a bit scary, but it was fantastic to be part of the experience - reminiscent of the hippie days of the 1960's and a real rock and roll road show. <Watch video>
Night Bird
It's late. The house is dark, but she's still awake. I hear her treading softly on the stairs and the front door closes behind her as she quietly steps outside into the night. She never tells me where she goes. It's her secret and I never ask. I know I'll eventually fall asleep and when I wake in the morning, she'll be here beside me. We'll both pretend and act as if she's never been away. It's as much as I can wish for. The night may be empty, but she lights my day. She's my life. I need her with me, but in her darker moments she needs her freedom and I must let her fly. Like a night bird. <Watch video>
Big Gibba's Band
Big Jim Gibson and his band are a group of musicians who are resident at the Shack. Their workload is incredible. The place never seems to close. People travel far and wide to be there and the music and dancing goes on all day and night and into the early hours. Gibba's extended family take it in shifts to entertain their audience with a huge repertoire of music that defies belief. From country classics to avant garde rock. There are also many guest artistes who drop by and perform just to be part of this amazing experience. <Watch video>
John Norris
John 'Knocker' Norris has been performing his own brand of music since the 1970's. He's often described as a punk artiste since he was there with many other rebels at the beginning of the punk movement, but he is far too versatile and complex to place a label on him. Most of his contemporaries eventually sold out to the record companies and became mainstream 'poseurs' and part of the establishment, whereas Knocker has always held on to his principles. He has lasted because he isn't a product or puppet of the corporate music industry. His music and ideas will never go out of fashion. He's an outlaw and he's a legend. Although he sometimes disappears off the radar for extended periods, he has been touring and performing for over thirty years and has a huge and loyal following who pack out his venues all over the world. <Watch Video>
Elizabeth Báthory
Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed (Báthory Erzsébet in Hungarian; 7 August 1560 – 21 August 1614) was a countess from the renowned Báthory family of nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary. She has been labelled the most prolific female serial killer in history, though the precise number of her victims is debated. Báthory and four collaborators were accused of torturing and killing hundreds of girls (a list of 640 names was found later) between 1585 and 1610. Despite the evidence against Elizabeth, her family's influence kept her from facing trial. She was imprisoned in December 1610 within Csejte Castle, Upper Hungary, now in Slovakia, where she remained immured in a set of rooms until her death four years later. <Watch Video>
Let It Rain
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about dancing in the rain. You must learn to live your life and not let others spoil your dreams. Be happy now. Don't wait for the future and expect something outside of yourself to bring you happiness. Time is precious and you only have a limited amount to spend. Don't waste it. Live and learn and savour every minute." <Watch Video>
