Solo show: Seasick Steve presents Just Steve, A Guitar And You at York Barbican in the autumn
CALIFORNIAN country blues singer-songwriter Seasick Steve will return to York Barbican on November 11 on his Just Steve, A Guitar and You Tour.
This will be one of nine intimate shows on the American’s autumn solo tour in support of his second album of 2020, Blues In Mono, released last November.
Oakland-born Steve – real name Steven Gene Leach, or Steven Gene Wold since he took his second wife’s name in the early 1980s – burst into the public consciousness 15 years ago with his life-hardened raw blues and custom-made scrap instruments, such as hubcap and cigar-box guitars.
Last year brought two albums, first Love & Peace, last July’s tenth studio set of tornado blues, full of hope for the future, against the tide of these troubled pandemic times, whereon he combined boogie, blues, rock, Americana and folk.
This was followed in the autumn by the aforementioned Blues In Mono, a timeless tribute to traditional, acoustic country blues recorded with a microphone from the 1940s, Steve performing the songs solo, direct to an old tape machine.
The 2021 tour poster for Seasick Steve’s Just Steve, A Guitar And You show at York Barbican in November
Coming next is a landmark birthday as Steve turns 70 on March 19. Come the autumn, he will play York Barbican for the first time since April 2015 in the only Yorkshire show of his November itinerary.
“I’m lookin’ forward to coming and playing for y’all,” he says. “Just gonna be me, you and my guitar. A few songs and a few stories, kinda like we just hangin’ out together! Gonna be fun. See ya there.”
Like us all, Seasick Steve cannot wait for the return of live shows, offering advice to fans between now and his November visit. “In the meantime, stay strong, work out and eat your vegetables!” he cautions.
Seasick Steve tickets go on sale from 9am on Friday (26/2/2021) at yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Why is Seasick Steve so named?
AFTER Steve Wold became ill on a boat trip between Norway and Denmark, he adopted the name “Seasick Steve” as a parallel to that of blues musician Homesick James, going on to form the band Seasick Steve And The Level Devils.
Seasick note: Seasick Steve plucks his guitar on a beautifully blue American day for the blues
Hands up who wants the Parking Lot Social drive-in festival to find new dates after the Easter shows at York Racecourse had to be postponed under Covid strictures
PARKING Lot Social’s drive-in Easter Festival will not roll into York for two days of socially distanced outdoor entertainment on March 31 and April 1 after all.
Instead, in light of the Government’s four-step route out of pandemic lockdown still precluding outdoor performances on those dates, event organisers XL Event Lab are seeking to rearrange their UK-wide tour, including the York Racecourse shows on Knavesmire.
In an official statement today, chief operating officer John Kinnersley said: “Following yesterday’s lockdown announcement from the UK Government, we are working to reschedule the event and will make an announcement as soon as we have confirmed details with our various suppliers and partners.
“We have successfully adapted to changes in guidance for previous tours, and conversations are already underway to secure new dates which we expect to announce shortly.”
The 2021 Parking Lot Social Easter drive-in was set to feature comedy, drag acts, films, pantomime and the new addition of Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azbakan, complete with costume competition and wizard-themed quiz.
The Easter Panto would have built on the debut Parking Lot Social drive-in Cinderella show last Christmas, giving a seasonal makeover to The Wizard Of Oz, with cast members putting on a special performance tailored uniquely to the drive-in format.
Central to the tour show, as and when it does go ahead, will be the stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, entertaining adults with “iconic performances” by season one alumni Baga Chipz, Divina De Campo, Vinegar Strokes and Gothy Kendoll, alongside season two queens Ginny Lemon, Ellie Diamond and Tayce.
A host of drive-in movies for all ages are integral to the show, as is the Social Kids event, where families can safely enjoy an interactive showcase with an afternoon of quizzes, Car-a-oke, games and even a silent disco.
More entertainment from the Parking Lot Social …as and when the York Racecourse shows are rescheduled
For drive-in laughs, the Parking Lot Social presents the Parking LOL Comedy Night with some of the UK’s finest comedians.
Kinnersley says: “Our debut summer and winter tours were a huge success last year, and we’re keen to keep up momentum and continue to deliver first-class events which are not only enjoyable, but also completely Covid-19 friendly.
“Every detail of our drive-in tour – from entering the site to parking up and ordering food – has been designed with customer and staff safety front of mind, with ticket holders able to enjoy the experience with complete piece of mind.”
Whenever the York Racecourse shows take place, once rearranged, attendees will be entertained in their cars from a vast custom-made stage, the entertainment being broadcast across two 40ft screens. Audio will be transmitted from the stage directly to each vehicle through a dedicated FM radio channel.
Safety is at the heart of the event, say the organisers: “Audiences take part in the immersive, interactive shows from their own cars. It’s a completely contactless event ensuring a safe and socially distant experience.”
The Parking Lot Social Easter Festival was to have played York, Liverpool, Birmingham, Coventry, Manchester, Cheltenham, Bristol, Newcastle and Luton.
For updates on new dates and ticket arrangements, go to theparkinglotsocial.co.uk.
What is the Parking Lot Social?
THIS touring entertainment concept blends live music, films, DJs, interactive games, quizzes and comedy into a thrilling day/night out. While guests are required to remain in their car, the focus is on mass participation at all times to bring the audience together, but always keeping everyone a safe distance apart. Take a look at this video: https://vimeo.com/510627930
Jesse Malin: Rescheduled show at Pocklington Arts Centre
POCKLINGTON Arts Centre has secured a new date for New York City singer-songwriter Jesse Malin.
He will now play on December 7 2021, fully 18 months after he was originally booked to perform there in June 2020 as part of PAC’s 20th anniversary programme.
The Covid-19 pandemic forced Malin to postpone his European tour, whereupon he reverted to performing a series of weekly online shows live from the Big Apple.
PAC director Janet Farmer says: “We were so disappointed to have to put our 2020 programme of live events on hold, especially in the midst of our 20th anniversary celebrations, but it was a necessary step.
Lucinda Williams: Produced Jesse Malin’s latest album, 2019’s Sunset Kids
“We’re just so excited to have rescheduled Jesse Malin’s live show and cannot wait to resume our live events. I first saw Jesse perform live in 2004, when he was promoting his album The Heat, so I’m especially looking forward to finally being able to have him perform here.”
Malin, 53, has made his name as a thoughtful, introspective singer-songwriter but has played raucous, over-the-top rock’n’roll with the band D Generation too.
He has recorded with Bruce Springsteen and Green Day, performed on The Tonight Show and Letterman and shared stages with everyone from The Hold Steady to The Gaslight Anthem.
A prolific writer and relentless road warrior, Malin released his seventh studio album, Sunset Kids, in 2019, produced by Lucinda Williams, American roots icon, country music queen and 2016 Platform Festival headliner in Pocklington.
Tickets for Malin’s 8pm show cost £17.50 at pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
Emergence Festival: A celebration of emerging talent, presented on Zoom from the University of York
EMERGENCE Festival, a free virtual arts festival showcasing emerging artists creating work in York in the pandemic, will run online from tomorrow (23/2/2021) until Saturday.
Co-ordinated by co-producers Olivia Maltby, Millie Feary and Blyth McPherson at the University of York, the festival on Zoom will feature six plays directed, designed and performed by students: NSFW by Lucy Kirkwood; Mike Bartlett’s Wild by Mike Bartlett; Ross & Rachel by James Fritz; Gary Owen’s killology; Wild Swimming by Marek Horn and Jez Butterworth’s The River.
Solo music by Yorkshire artists James Banks and Rumbi Tauro will book-end the festival, Doncaster pop singer Banks performing new original music and covers on the opening day; Intake R&B/soul artist Tauroplaying a live set at the online closing party.
James Banks: Doncaster musician to play online at Emergence Festival
Doncaster instructor Claire Burns will lead a Hatha yoga class, Sunshine Yoga, and the University of York Comedy Society’s sketch troupe, The Dead Ducks, will perform a sketch first aired at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe.
Panels and talks with industry professionals, such as Sorcha McCaffrey, The Paper Birds, Rocket Box Theatre, JustOut Theatre and Chris Swain, will offer the chance to discuss how to survive as an artist in a pandemic and how to break into the industry.
These will take place in the form of live Q&As or webinars, where the artists will be to answer any and every questions.
“Celebrating the work of new and upcoming artists in the performing arts industry has never been so important,” says Olivia, introducing a virtual festival where everything will be free to attend from the comfort of home.
The River: Jez Butterworth’s play set on a moonless night in August
“With the effects of the pandemic on the arts sector, anyone in the industry has faced disruption and is challenged with fears of the future. Our festival provides a positively exciting space for emerging artists to showcase their talent far and wide and to remind us of how important art and culture is.”
Originally, Emergence Festival was intended to take place at University of York’s theatre department, but in response to Lockdown 3, the students had to adapt to what was possible, embracing the opportunity to present their work on Zoom.
After overcoming the initial fear of poor wi-fi and glitching, the artists have thrived in their new environment in their rehearsals, culminating in this week’s live performances online.
Sam Armstrong: Director of Ross & Rachel
The full schedule is:
Tuesday, February 23
5.15pm to 5.30pm: Welcome speech.
5.30pm to 6.20pm: Wild Swimming by Marek Horn.
A kaleidoscopic exploration of cultural progress, Marek Horn’s play Wild Swimming is an interrogation of gender and privilege and a wilfully ignorant history of English Literature.
Wild Swimming: Marek Horn’s kaleidoscopic exploration of cultural progress
6.20pm to 6.55pm: James Banks.
Doncaster singer James Banks’s songs are a fusion of pop anthems and the vocal stylings of Sam Smith, Will Heard and Conan Grey. His set will combine originals and covers.
7pm to 8.20pm: NSFW by Lucy Kirkwood.
This sharp comedy addresses power games and privacy in the media and beyond.
Wednesday, February 24.
4pm to 5pm: Q&A with Sorcha McCaffrey.
In this interactive Q&A session, writer and actor Sorcha McCaffrey will take questions from the audience about her career in the theatre industry, writing a solo show and performing as a touring artist.
Sorcha McCaffrey: Live Q&A at Emergence Festival on Wednesday
5pm to 6.20pm: killology by Gary Owen.
In a play where a controversial new gaming experience is inspiring a generation, players are rewarded for torturing victims, scoring points for “creativity”.
7pm to 8.40pm: Wild by Mike Bartlett.
This darkly comic play explores the unexpected, bewildering and life-changing consequences of challenging the status quo at a global level.
Thursday, February 25
4pm to 5pm: In Conversation with The Paper Birds.
The Paper Birds, a devising theatre company with a social and political agenda, specialise in verbatim theatre, inspiring change through the theatre they create. In this session, they will discuss their experience of breaking into the theatre industry, devising theatre inspired by the community around them and their projects in lockdown.
Ross & Rachel: James Fritz’s dark and uncompromising play about romance, expectation and mortality
5pm to 6.15pm: Ross & Rachel by James Fritz.
A dark and uncompromising play about romance, expectation and mortality, Ross & Rachel tells the story of what happens when two friends who were always meant to be together, get together and stay together.
7pm to 8.15pm: The River by Jez Butterworth.
On a moonless night in August when the sea trout are ready to run, a man brings his new girlfriend to the remote family cabin where he has come for the fly-fishing since he was a boy. She is not the only woman he has brought there, however, nor indeed the last.
Friday, February 26
4pm to 5pm: In Conversation with Chris Swain.
Chris Swain, lighting designer for devising physical theatre company Gecko, will answer questions on life as a technical freelancer working in theatre and dance: how to start; how theatre design jobs are structured; the difference between devised and text-led work; how to be an effective collaborator; the tech and software that are used, and the future of the industry.
Zooming in: Maria Cook and Bradley Hodgson in rehearsal for The River
5pm to 6.40pm: Wild by Mike Bartlett.
6.40pm to 7pm: Comedy Sketch by The Dead Ducks.
The University of York Comedy Society sketch troupe The Dead Ducks will stream a humorous performance during the interval.
7pm to 8.20pm: NSFW by Lucy Kirkwood.
Saturday, February 27
10am to 11am: Sunshine Yoga with Claire Burns.
Claire Burns hosts a live yoga session of sun salutations with gentle, energising, breath-led flows, guided meditation and deep relaxation.
In concert: Rumbi Tauro to perform closing online show at Emergence Festival
11am to 12 noon: Rocket Box X JustOut Theatre.
Theatre companies Rocket Box and JustOut Theatre invite questions about their insight into life post-graduation and taking first steps into the theatre industry. Mistakes were made, lessons were learnt, so, sit down, open notebooks and let the demystifying revelations begin.
12 noon to 1.15pm, The River by Jez Butterworth.
2.40pm to 4pm: killology by Gary Owen.
4.05pm to 4.55pm: Wild Swimming by Marek Horn.
5.30pm to 6.50pm: Ross & Rachel by James Fritz.
7pm onwards: Closing party with Rumbi Tauro.
Zimbabwean-born soul and R&B singer-songwriter Rumbi Tauro, from Intake, Doncaster, will close the festival with a set of originals and covers to celebrate the work of Emergence’s emerging artists.
Teenage Fanclub: Yorkshire shows in 2022 in Sheffield and Leeds. Picture: Donald Milne
TEENAGE Fanclub will play The Leadmill, Sheffield on April 8 and Leeds Beckett University the next night on their rescheduled 2022 tour.
By then, almost a year will have passed since the April 30 release of the Scottish indie favourites’ tenth studio album, Endless Arcade, preceded by the Norman Blake-penned single I’m More Inclined.
Fellow songwriter Raymond McGinley says: “When we first starting talking about getting songs together for a new album, Norman said, ‘I have one ready to go now!’ and that was I’m More Inclined. He played it to us, we loved it, and that got us started on the whole thing that became Endless Arcade.”
Endless Arcade is the long-awaited follow-up to Here, the 2016 album that brought Teenage Fanclub their first British top ten entry since 1997. The new record has all their familiar tropes: melodies are equal parts heart-warming and heart-aching; guitars chime and distort; keyboard lines mesh and spiral; harmony-embossed choruses burst through, like the sun on a stormy day.
Affirmation that even if we were not living through extraordinarily troubling times, who better than Teenage Fanclub to assuage the mind, body and soul and to confirm that all is not lost in this world.
In the 1990s, the Scots crafted a magnetically heavy yet harmony-rich sound on classic albums such as Bandwagonesque and Grand Prix. This century, Man-Made, Shadows and Here have documented a more relaxed, less “teenage” Fanclub, reflecting the band members’ stage in life and state of mind, and now Endless Arcade slots snugly alongside.
The new album walks a beautifully poised line between melancholic and uplifting, infused with simple truths. The importance of home, community and hope is entwined with more bittersweet, sometimes darker thoughts: insecurity, anxiety, loss.
Such is life, but the title track suggests: “Don’t be afraid of this endless arcade that is life”. “I think of an endless arcade as a city that you can wander through, with a sense of mystery, an imaginary one that goes on forever,” says McGinley. “When it came to choosing an album title, it seemed to have something for this collection of songs.”
So how did the band set out to explore this Endless Arcade? “The process is much the same as it always has been,” says McGinley. “In 1989, we went into a studio in Glasgow to make our first LP, A Catholic Education. Francis [Macdonald] starts setting up his drums, the rest of us find our spots around him and off we go.
“Thirty years later, Francis is setting up his drums in Clouds Hill Recordings in Hamburg. A few hours later, we’re recording the first song. We don’t conceptualise, we don’t talk about it, we just do it. Each of us are thinking our own thoughts, but we don’t do much externalising. We just feel our way into it.”
Dave McGowan has been “feeling his way” into the band’s sound since 2004, mainly on keyboards and guitar, but the past two years have seen him take over on bass, his primary instrument, after the departure of founder member Gerard Love in 2018.
Although Euros Childs has played and sung on record with the band previously, Endless Arcade is the first time the Welshman has featured on keyboards across a whole Teenage Fanclub album.
Huw Evans’s artwork for Teenage Fanclub’s new album, Endless Arcade
“We were very comfortable with each other in the studio,” says Blake. “I think some of the playing is a bit freer and looser than on recent albums. Dave and Euros’s playing is amazing, and Francis on drums is really swinging.
“The whole process of making this album was very invigorating. Everyone in the band contributed a lot and the song arrangements came together really quickly. Everything felt fresh.”
Childs suggested they use his friend Huw Evans, alias musician H. Hawkline, to design the sleeve. “It’s amazing. We absolutely love it!” says McGinley.
A preview from the album came in February 2019 with McGinley’s Everything Is Falling Apart, an online single released at the outset of a six-month tour and now a highlight of Endless Arcade.
Is everything falling apart? Yes, but the song was written long before Covid-19 took up unwelcome residency. McGinley’s inspiration was neither political nor social, but more, “the entropy in the universe, the knowledge that everything eventually decays,” he explains. McGinley says relax. Or rather, “Relax, find love, hold on to the hand of a friend”.
Fortunately, Endless Arcade was all but finished by the time the first lockdown was announced, bar the odd tinker under the engine hood. Now, it seems timely, given how everyone had to stay home under lockdown strictures, that the album starts with Blake’s composition Home, although it was chosen in part on account of its opening line: “Every morning, I open my eyes…”.
Blake’s search for “home” could be literal – after all, he has been living in Canada for the past ten years – yet it is figurative too. Like his other Endless Arcade songs – The Sun Won’t Shine On Me, Warm Embrace, I’m More Inclined, Back In The Day and Living With You – his words on Home are etched by loss and yearning.
“Without going into too much detail, the last 18 months have been challenging for me on an emotional level,” he admits. “But it’s been cathartic channelling some of these feelings and emotions into song.”
In contrast, McGinley’s songs – Everything Is Falling Apart, Endless Arcades, Come With Me, In Our Dreams, The Future and Silent Song – are philosophical and questing. As he sings in The Future: “It’s hard to walk into the future when your shoes are made of lead”, but he will still try “and see sights we’ve never seen”.
In Teenage Fanclub’s own near-future, already they are planning another new album, given that they cannot tour the one they are releasing this spring until September’s shows in Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow.
Teenage Fanclub release Endless Arcade on April 30 on their own label PeMa.
Strictly between us: Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara and a model of an Oscar
STRICTLY Come Dancing regulars Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara are moving their Remembering The Oscars show at York Barbican for a second time.
The persistent pandemic has enforced a switch to April 7 2022, for the only Yorkshire performance of next year’s tour, after an earlier change from Spring 2020 to March 2021.
“Due to the continuing uncertainty regarding the unlocking of mass gatherings for events in the entertainment sector, it has been decided to reschedule the tour to Spring 2022,” the official statement reads, after the 41-date tour was postponed again, this time rescheduled for March 19 to May 7 2022.
All tickets will remain valid for the new dates. As announced earlier, the tour’s producers and Aljaž and Janette will be making ten free VIP tickets available to NHS staff at every venue as a way of showing their gratitude to front-line workers, with a meet & greet with the two dancers as part of the package. Information on how to claim these tickets will be announced “as soon as normal services resume”.
In Remembering The Oscars, husband and wife Aljaž and Janette will give the red-carpet treatment to Oscar-winning songs, dances, movies and stars.
Slovenian-born dancer and choreographer Aljaž, 31, says: “We’re devastated to have to postpone for a second time what we truly believe is our best show to date. However, everybody’s health and safety comes first, so we know it’s absolutely the right decision to make.
“Equally, we’re thrilled audiences across the UK will still get to see our amazing show next year, by which point we all hope the pandemic will finally be behind us.”
Miami-born Cuban-American dancer and choreographer Janette, 37, adds: “Like all performers, we’re very much looking forward to the moment when we can all get back on the stage and put on a real show for everyone.
The poster for Aljaž and Janette’s rearranged Remembering The Oscars tour in 2022
“It will be a memorable and emotional moment for both the cast and audience that’ll be worth waiting for. In the meantime, stay safe everybody.”
Tickets remain valid for the new York Barbican date, but ticket holders unable to attend the April 7 2022 show should contact yorkbarbican.co.uk for refund details.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the latest tour postponement, Aljaž and Janette are to star in a streamed performance of the still-to-be-debuted Remembering The Oscars for a limited three-week season starting on March 27.
In this one-hour special, Aljaž & Janette will celebrate the greatest award-winning songs, films and dance routines from the Golden Ages of Hollywood through to Disney family favourites and beyond.
The Strictly duo will be joined by a cast of singers and dancers on a specially constructed stage, backed by a large LED screen that will show brand-new filmed content, as they dance their way through bespoke and original and musical arrangements of more than 25 songs.
Among the films in the spotlight will be Dirty Dancing, Mary Poppins, Flashdance, Cabaret, The Wizard Of Oz, An American In Paris, The Lion King, La La Land, Toy Story, Singin’ In The Rain, Frozen, A Chorus Line, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet and Scent Of A Woman, among others.
The performance will be intercut with commentaries from Aljaž and Janette, complemented by backstage behind-the-scenes content; their personal account of how the show and its routines were created; why they picked certain songs; how they devised each of the show’s sections and the influences behind their performances.
Shot using ten high-definition cameras, the pay-per-view event will premiere on Saturday, March 27 at 7.30pm and can be watched on demand via Smart TVs, computers, tablets and phones until April 17.
Up stream: Aljaž and Janette announce “the streaming event of the year!”
All tickets come with a free digital 32-page programme, packed with exclusive photos, interviews, Oscar trivia and much more. Options to upgrade include an after-show pass to an In Conversation with Aljaž and Janette and an exclusive 30-minute behind-the-scenes film, featuring additional footage with access to the dressing rooms, rehearsals and backstage.
Aljaž and Janette say: “We feel awful having to postpone our Remembering The Oscars tour for a second time due to the pandemic, but we’re delighted to have been given the opportunity to film some of the highlights from the show.
“Hopefully this will give our audience and fans a taster of what is to come next year. We love and miss you and hope you enjoy the show.”
Many of the postponed tour’s venues, such as Birmingham Symphony Hall, Newcastle Theatre Royal and Northampton’s Derngate Theatre, have come together to help to promote the stream.
The show’s co-producers, Steven Howard for The TCB Group and David Shepherd, have commented jointly: “The support we have from our friends in the regions is invaluable. While venues remain closed, they are working with us to promote this very special streamed performance of Remembering The Oscars to their respective audiences.
“We all know how important local venues are to the cultural fabric of the UK, so we hope this goes someway to supplement the public’s craving for live performance.”
Aljaž and Janette answer all your questions and talk about the show, their dreams and aspirations for the future. In Conversation is a revealing insight into their Remembering The Oscars journey and the inspirations behind their choice of songs and dance routines. They will be joined by “some very special guests”.
Behind The Scenes with Aljaž and Janette: £5
Exclusive 30-minute film featuring additional footage with access to the dressing rooms, rehearsals and backstage of Remembering The Oscars.
Late addition: Lindy-Fay Hella will discuss scents, plant essences, myths and storytelling in a live-stream tomorrow. Picture: Raina Vlaskovska and May Husb
THE finale to York’s six-day online festival, That Jorvik Viking Thing, will be an ambitious afternoon and evening of live-streaming on Saturday.
Ancient meets ultramodern in the challenging task faced by the team behind this week’s event, who will play host to a “truly international and extraordinary Norse-themed broadcast from 12 noon”.
Billed as the world’s largest-ever online Viking festival, That Jorvik Viking Thing has been organised by the Jorvik Viking Centre as an alternative to the Coppergate visitor attraction’s usual February half-term activities.
Introduced by York Mix Radio presenter Ben Fry and three members of Jorvik Viking Centre’s interpretation and collections teams, Lucas Norton, Rachel Cutler and Becky Sampson, the day will mix live presentations and Q&A sessions from Jorvik, with links to other Viking attractions around the world, including Dublinia in Dublin and Lofoten Viking Museum in Norway.
York’s Viking village at Murton Park will feature in the day too, contributing a live wood-working project that will be revisited throughout the broadcast, alongside some pre-recorded films being worked into the show.
Event manager Gareth Henry says: “We were fortunate to be able to film a host of videos for the Thing while lockdown restrictions were lifted in the autumn, including our fun film, Arnor’s Adventure, and our daily chapters of the Saga Of Revr The Sly, which have been released each day during the Thing since Monday.
“We had hoped to be able to broadcast this day live from a fully populated Viking village; sadly the Norns* were against us, but we are pleased that we can still manage some socially-distanced filming from the village.”
Einar Selvik: Norse musician will take part in the closing event of That Jorvik Viking Thing on Saturday
The live-streamed day will be the penultimate event in That Jorvik Viking Thing’s programme that will conclude at 7.30pm with international Nordic folk musician Einar Selvik deep in conversation with music journalist Alexander Milas.
Selvik composed the music for the History Channel’s Vikings series and the Assassins Creed: Valhalla game soundtrack, and his latest album with his band Wardruna, Kvitravn, topped the iTunes chart on release in January.
On Saturday, Selvik will discuss Norse music, demonstrate assorted instruments and perform acoustic versions of a selection of his songs. Tickets cost £15 at jorvikthing.com.
In a last-minute addition to the Thing’s programme tomorrow (19/2/2021), Selvik’s Wardruna bandmate, Lindy-Fay Hella, will be joined by Christina Oakley Harrington, founder of London bookshop Treadwells, and herbalist Johanna Elf to discuss scents, plant essences, myths and storytelling in a free live-stream at 8pm, accessible through jorvikthing.com.
So far, That Jorvik Viking Thing and its educational preview during Schools Week, have drawn more than 20,000 visitors to the website to watch more than 2,500 hours of video content. Some live-streams are still attracting audiences, not least the fun Poo Day, prompting Twitter to be flooded with images of home-made Viking worm-infested poo.
The most popular video is a free 360-degree tour of Viking-age Coppergate that can even be viewed using a VR headset for a fully immersive experience.
For more information, or to access the array of video-on-demand resources, visit jorvikthing.com.
*Who are the Norns?
In Norse mythology, the Norns are female beings who rule the destiny of Gods and men.
Einar Selvik: Discussing Norse music, demonstrating instruments and playing songs at That Jorvik Viking Thing online event on Saturday
OUT goes Europe’s largest Viking festival, the Jorvik Viking Festival, banished from York by Lockdown 3 restrictions. In comes That Jorvik Viking Thing, the world’s largest online Viking festival, organised by York Archaeological Trust.
So named as a nod to “Thing” being “a Viking public assembly”, the half-term remote event adds up to six days of new online content and live broadcasts, climaxing in An Evening With Einar Selvik, chart-topping Nordic musician and Jorvik Viking Centre enthusiast, on Saturday.
At 7.30pm that night, the Wardruna front-man will be in conversation with producer, filmmaker and journalist Alexander Milas, discussing Norse music, demonstrating instruments such as the taglharpa, and performing songs, buoyed by his band’s latest album, Kvitravn (White Raven), topping the iTunes chart in late-January.
Ticket holders are invited to send questions for a live question-and-answer session too, and such questions may even stretch to asking Einar about providing the soundtrack for the History Channel’s Vikings series and composing the music for the latest Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla game, released last November.
“As I’m an enthusiast for the festival, it feels great to be able to contribute, especially in these strange times,” says Einar Selvik
Einar is no stranger to the Jorvik Viking Festival. “I’ve performed there and done lectures there,” he says, recalling his sold-out events in “maybe 2017 and 2018”. “I really enjoy York as a city and I love the atmosphere during the festival,” he says.
“I do enjoy the ride at Jorvik Viking Centre – I’ve been there a few times – and maybe it’s best that the famous odour is confined to one space!”
Now comes his Jorvik Viking Festival online debut. “I was contacted, I guess it was a few months ago, by the organisers, asking if I’d be up for doing something: some sort of performance, if I’d be open to that idea.
“As I’m an enthusiast for the festival, it feels great to be able to contribute, especially in these strange times.”
Chart-toppers: Einar Selvik’s band, Wardruna. Picture: Kim Ohrling
Saturday’s online event can be viewed from all four corners of the globe, one of the changes that the pandemic has brought to arts and culture. “Absolutely that’s a good thing,” says Einar.
“Once all this started happening last year, first there was a lot of disappointment, but it’s up to us to think differently, to find a constructive and positive focus and look at the possibilities of what we can do. That’s the only way of coping and surviving.”
Einar’s band, Wardruna, last performed to a live audience in December 2019. “We were supposed to be doing our tour right after the first lockdown, when we were supposed to be playing the UK,” he says.
“The album was originally going to be released in early June last year, doing the tour of the UK in the following weeks, which has since been pushed to this spring, but that’s not likely now, and we’ll probably have to rearrange again, when Manchester will be the nearest place to York we’ll be playing.”
Artwork for Wardruna’s January album, Kvitravn
Kvitravn was completed in mid-March, before lockdown restrictions were imposed in Scandinavia, and the album release was delayed subsequently by the production plant being closed, but Einar believes that delay has turned out to be serendipitous. “I often get that question, leading up to a release, about ‘don’t you think the timing is risky?’, when you want to support it with concerts,” he says.
“But people have now adapted to new ways over the past year, they’re spending more time at home, and judging by the responses we’ve had people are really grateful to have something new for these times.”
What’s more, Einar’s songs on Kvitravn address both human nature and nature against the backdrop of the Coronavirus pandemic and climate change. “I do feel the album is on the brink of being almost prophetic,” he says. “Even though it addresses themes that were relevant pre-Covid, everything is amplified by what’s happening now.
“If you go back and make connections with various cultures, and you connect with wild animals and white ravens, like I do, when you look at the prophecies connected with them, you find that those prophecies are very often connected to renewal or great change, so there’s great hope in that album title.”
Einar Selvik: Wardruna front-man plays lyre, taglharpa, flute, goat horn, lur, drums and percussion
Einar continues: “The raven is an animal I have a totemic relationship with, which is why I chose that for myself. But although this album is in a sense more personal and more down to earth than before, it’s also quite obscure.
“I delve into the philosophical, the esoteric, the Nordic myths and how these old traditions define human nature and nature itself. So, the white raven was not chosen as the title because of my name, but more due to the ideas which inspired me to take that name in the first place.”
Einar, whose lyrics combine Norwegian with Old Norse, describes Kvitravn as being “a visual landscape”. “I do think that the music speaks on its own, even though it’s in this Norse and Nordic wrapping. The instruments, the themes, are timeless, so I think that’s one of the reasons people react to it very personally,” he says.
“But the lyrical side is a very important ingredient too, which is why, at least on the physical versions, we do include an English translation if you want to connect on that level.”
“The raven is such a central creature in Nordic traditions, being seen as a message between here and beyond,” says Einar
“The raven is such a central creature in Nordic traditions, being seen as a message between here and beyond, and as the animal embodiment of the human mind and body, so almost human within nature, I guess, on many levels.”
Einar has had experiences with ravens, both in his waking hours and in the world of dreams. “They are such strong symbols, representing nature and how it speaks through you in your own symbolic language that’s connected to your intuition, whether in actual encounters with ravens or in dreams,” he says.
Einar, whose lyrics combine Norwegian with Old Norse, describes Kvitravn as being “a visual landscape”. “I do think that the music speaks on its own, even though it’s in this Norse and Nordic wrapping. The instruments, the themes, are timeless, so I think that’s one of the reasons people react to it very personally,” he says.
“But, for me, the poetry and lyrical side is a very important ingredient too, which is why, at least on the physical versions, we do include an English translation if you want to connect on that level.
Alexander Milas: Producer, filmmaker and journalist hosting Einar Selvik’s online event at That Jorvik Viking Thing
“In terms of language, I have quite a playful approach to it, where I combine Norwegian with Old Norse and Proto Norse, a language from before the Viking age. It’s almost Germanic.”
Einar grew up steeped in traditional music, Norse music and metal music. “For several years I played in metal bands, but I would say I was quite done with metal on a personal level in my mid-teens,” he says. “From then, it was more of a job and the desire to do something that was more in keeping with my passions grew stronger and stronger.”
Does he see any common ground between metal music and Wardruna’s music? “Metal has always drawn a lot from Nordic culture and ideology, but I really wanted to do something where they were treated more in their own right, not just playing with it for an album cover or lyrics, but for the tonality too,” says Einar.
“I guess there are connections between metal and Norse music in that lots of melodies in Scandinavian traditional music are quite dark, like in metal.”
Einar’s childhood days were spent on the Norwegian island of Osteroy. “It’s a fairly large inland island with a fjord surrounding it, and I guess your surroundings will always affect you. Growing up amid this postcard imagery, it definitely cultivated a profound sense of appreciation of nature,” he says.
“‘Nature’ instruments have a will of their own as they’re a living thing,” says Einar Selvik of the taglharpa, a bowed instrument made with horse hair
“I also grew up with lots of stories from the past, where you can connect them with the landscapes and what happened there 1,500 years ago. In hindsight, it gave me a sense of place and a place in time.”
Looking forward to Saturday’s streamed show, Einar says: “Alexander Milas will host the event, where I’ll talk with him a little about the context of each song and about the tools I use, the instrumentation, what we know and what we think we know about them. And, of course, the best way of demonstrating an instrument is to put it to use in a song.”
Einar will find time for questions from the online audience too, but here is one in advance: what is the taglharpa instrument? “It’s basically a bowed lyre, and in Scandinavia it’s the oldest bowed instrument we know of,” he says.
“Taglharpa means ‘horse hair’, which is what it’s made out of, though when I perform, I sometimes use metal strings for practical reasons because horse hair is really weather sensitive when you’re playing outside, which is the case with a lot of ‘nature’ instruments. They have a will of their own as they’re a living thing.”
An Evening With Einar Selvik, That Jorvik Festival Thing online, Saturday, 7.30pm. For £15 tickets, go to: jorvikthing.com. Wardruna’s album, Kvitravn, is available on Sony Music/Columbia Germany.
Flight path: Sunbirds will head to York for the first time next February to play The Crescent
ONCE he loved you from the bottom of his pencil case. Now, The Beautiful South co-founder Dave Hemingway is to return with his new band, Sunbirds.
Joined by drummer Marc Parnell, vocalist and violinist Laura Wilcockson and his erstwhile South cohort, songwriter/guitarist Phil Barton, singer Hemingway will play The Crescent in York on February 4 2022.
Hemingway had retired from the live scene at the back end of 2016, but later set to work with Sunbirds, who released their debut album, Cool To Be Kind, on independent label Nectar Records last November.
Although rooted in England, the band favours a sound predominantly built around traditional American roots music, combined with the occasional outburst of guitar-heavy melody more associated with the grunge capital of Seattle in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
However, the lyrics affirm you can only sing about what you know. “Although a lot of the songs have an Americana feel, they’re still about life in England,” says Hemingway. “You’re going to feel a bit daft singing about pick-up trucks and low-down honky-tonks when you live in Yorkshire.”
On the road again. Dave Hemingway returns to the stage with new band Sunbirds in 2022
Produced by cult producer Teo Miller, Cool To Be Kind captures truthful, open-hearted, funny and sometimes painfully honest sentiments, turning the page to a new chapter for Hemingway and The Beautiful South story.
The album is the result of a few transitional years in Hemingway and Barton’s personal worlds, telling tales that cover both contemporary themes and age-old matters of the heart and soul, all viewed through the bottom of a recently drained pint glass.
Phil says: “Now we’re Sunbirds, we’re free to dig a little deeper into ourselves. Having said that, there’s no exact science here, we’re just enjoying ourselves and expressing whatever we want, whether it’s about love, longing, depression or Gary Lineker’s crisp adverts”.
Cool To Be Kind is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon UK & Music and will be on sale in all HMV stores, including in Coney Street, York, on reopening.
SHEFFIELD soul stalwart Paul Carrack will play York Barbican on February 17 2022 on his 24-date Good And Ready Tour.
Further Yorkshire gigs are in next year’s diary for Hull City Hall on January 22 and a home-city finale on March 19.
Carrack, the golden voice of Ace’s How Long, Squeeze’s Tempted and Mike + The Mechanics’ The Living Years and Over My Shoulder, will release new single You’re Not Alone on Friday (19/2/2021) across all digital platforms via his independent label, Carrack-UK.
The live years before Covid: Paul Carrack at York Barbican in February 2018. Picture: Simon Bartle
His 18th studio set of a 50-year career, One On One, will follow in the summer, on a date yet to be confirmed for his first album since These Days in 2018, a year when he performed at York Barbican on February 16.
The single and album are the results of Carrack heading into his recording studio since the first pandemic lockdown in March 2020. He not only wrote, recorded and produced every song on One On One, but he also played all of the instruments, making his latest work the very definition of a solo record, made when he was very much alone.
Carrack, who will turn 70 on April 22, says of You’re Not Alone: “I’d say the song is self-explanatory, but the sentiment is one of unquestioning commitment and support. I very much hope I get the chance to perform this song live with my band when we get the green light to start touring again, which we all hope will be at some point this year.”
Tickets for his York Barbican show are on sale at £42.75 to £48.35 at yorkbarbican.co.uk; Hull tickets, hulltheatres.co.uk; Sheffield, sheffieldcityhall.co.uk.
“I’d say the song is self-explanatory, but the sentiment is one of unquestioning commitment and support,” says Paul Carrack, introducing his new single, You’re Not Alone
