WhatsOn Northeast.com

Our blogger for April is Wendy Nelson. She lives in Newton Aycliffe with her daughter and works part time as a Customer Service Advisor for a major bank. She is also the Secretary for the Newton Aycliffe Air Cadet Squadron and enjoys helping the other committee members with the fund raising for this extremely worthwhile charity. She is also busy being a single parent, and taking her mam for trips out every week. Not only is she worth it, but she is also a carer for Wendy’s dad, and values the time she and Wendy spend out together. Wendy feels very fortunate to have such a wonderful loving family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues. She loves exploring all areas of this wonderful part of the country, listening to Vintage Vinyl on a Sunday afternoon and watching old movies. PS Wendy would also like to mention that she’s a huge Robert Pattinson fan and yes, she is a Twilighter!

North East Band's Showcase - The Sage Gateshead

27th March 2010

I’d previously heard about the Gateshead International Jazz Festival, and have always wanted to go, so I jumped at the opportunity to check it out for myself as Blogger of the Month.  When I arrived at The Sage there was a little confusion regarding the issuing of the tickets, however the staff were very obliging and with only a slight delay, they were issued to me.  I went to take our seats in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall, 10 minutes prior to the event.  I imagined that there would be a queue and that we would be allocated a seat number, but this was definitely not the case.  There was no queue, we were allowed entry into the hall straight away, and were told that we could sit wherever we liked – fantastic!  There was even a choice of seating; a hard-backed chair, sofa, or a reclining comfy chair – ideal for those who wish to move a little while listening to the music.  The setting within the hall was wonderful, and made you feel as though you were inside a jazz club. 
 
Strings of clear fairy lights adorned the ceiling, as well as the small bar area. Red velvet curtains were hung, and there was a board at the back of the stage with the words ‘JAZZ’ spelt out in lights.  The tables were decorated with candles inside storm lanterns, which had coloured sand and tiny lights at the bottom.  The effort that had gone into creating this intimate atmosphere was very much appreciated and worked brilliantly when the bands began to play.
 
I was told by a member of staff that a different band would play on each hour for 45 minutes, then there would be a change over period of approximately 15 minutes for when the next band played.  The full performance lasted for 5 hours, however I only stayed for the first 2 hours. I was told that during the 5 hour period we could come and go as we pleased, and that we would just need to show our tickets if we decided to come back again.  The audience gently drifted in and out, and there was an all-round feeling that nothing was too much trouble. I simply can’t emphasise enough how relaxed and informal the venue was.
 
The first act that I watched was ‘Horn Dogs’. They were a high energy  jazz band, performing a selection of songs that ranged from ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus’ to ‘Hey Jude’.  Displaying their musical talent, they were a delight to watch and listen to.  They not only played brilliantly, their facial expressions and toe tapping (ranging to jumping up and down by the enthusiastic percussionists) all added to the performance.  They were a delight to listen to and I am so glad I didn’t miss them perform.  The second band that I watched was ‘Extreme Measures’.  They played a different style of jazz to ‘Horn Dogs’.  They were a smaller band, which featured a guitar and bass.  In my opinion, they were not in the style of a traditional jazz band.  I believe that they had written their own music, some of which were quite sultry, however they were all definitely intoxicating, as I wanted to hear them play for more than just the allotted 45 minutes. 
 
The audience greatly varied in ages, and the experience has inspired me to check out other local jazz clubs.  The cost of the ticket price was only £7.00 per person and was fantastic value for money, especially when you are made to feel as though you are in an authentic jazz club in New Orleans!

Copacabana - Gala Theatre, Durham

18th March 2010

This was the first time that I have ever attended a production by Durham High School for Girls, and I must say that I was extremely impressed!  Some of the girls from the show were selling programmes for only £1 each, which I considered to be extremely good value, as they were high quality, glossy booklets that had been very well produced.  On the opening page, the Headmistress had written;
 
‘Copacabana’ begins with the reality of the musical ambition of Stephen and his own personal relationships.  Some of the tensions of Stephen’s private life are mirrored in his script about life in 1947 in the famous Copacabana night club.  The twin themes of the power and reality of love are shot through the drama and give the production its huge energy, colour and contemporary relevance’.
 
I was curious to know how an all girl performance would play some of the male roles, however they achieved this remarkably very well, by the clever use of make-up (as stubble!) and costumes.  The lead performances of Lola la Mar (Kirsty Wright) and Tony Forte (Jasmine Taylor) were absolutely outstanding.  Kirsty’s professional vocal talent was absolutely wonderful to hear, in fact I couldn’t wait for her to sing her next song!  Jasmine also had a wonderful singing voice, and her dancing and acting skills were outstanding.  They were very well supported by a large cast, who were extremely confident on stage.  I particularly enjoyed the tap dancing as well as the other dance routines.  A special mention should also be made to the band that provided the live music; they were a joy to hear.  It was obvious that a great deal of hard work and effort had gone into making this production possible, and the girls and staff should congratulate themselves on such an outstanding performance.  It was a wonderful evening, the audience absolutely loved it, and I can’t wait for the next production as it really is something not to be missed!

The Hobbit - Darlington Civic Theatre

16th March 2010

Being a fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I was really looking forward to the stage production of The Hobbit at the Darlington Civic Theatre.  I arrived there with my daughter in good time, and we were greeted with a lovely warm welcome from the staff, in particular Nicola.  She gave me a souvenir programme, and also asked what drinks we would like to order, and explained that they would be ready for us during the interval.  I thought that this was a really special touch, and it added to the enjoyment of the evening.   The downstairs bar and the foyer areas got filled up quite quickly while the patrons were waiting to take their seats, however we were soon allowed access to our seats 10 minutes prior to the start of the performance.  The show itself was a fascinating production, with clever use of the stage, which was enhanced by the excellent use of sound effects, lighting, props and other special effects.  There were some amazingly choreographed fighting scenes, and I particularly enjoyed the singing and chanting by the dwarves.  The cast were incredible, in particular there was an outstanding performance by ‘Gollum’.  Peter Howe who played the part of Mr. Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit, played an endearing role and captured the hearts of audience.  To sum it up, a magical, entertaining performance which I would very much recommend.