NIGHT Life Guide
WEIRD PLANET
GINGER BEARD
Something NEW and WEIRD is shaking the very foundations of the art music scene in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. It started as a humble radio show on Friday nights on SineFM but mutated into something unfathomable. But NEW WEIRD PLANET is much more than a radio show. It is shape-shifting and without boundaries, encompassing a virtual online record label, with a community mindset that shakes off the shackles of corporate restraint and (mis)management, to reclaim a refreshing heartfelt musical integrity, artistic expression and supportive spirit away from the companies trying to dominate the music industry. Music, film and the arts is the NEW WEIRD PLANET voice and the art that results perfectly compliments the movement’s beliefs, dreams and aims.
Bringing new music to Doncaster
NEW WEIRD PLANET is a collective of musicians, writers, filmmakers supporting and promoting one another, involving such local establishments as Doncopolitan, SineFM, Phantom Cinema and Notorious Aardvark. It sets out to present bespoke eclectic evenings of weird and wonderful musical showcasing: an empty canvas and open forum for the open-minded. Original quirky art-forms and explorations: songs and soundscapes, film screenings, installations, spoken word, dance, podcasts, performance. Free-roaming (involving other towns and cities eventually), desultory nights of off-kilter entertainment coming soon to a venue near you. Diversity in musical genres is key and it is the intention is to demonstrate this by mixing each gig line-up to incorporate the variety of music out there. Whether it’s ambient doom, prog, psyche rock, alt-pop, orchestral, post-everything, sonic explorations, soundscape DJs, ethereal shoegaze, noise-rock, electronica or drone sludge et al.
Scott: We started Ginger Beard Gigs at the Blacksmiths Arms in Harworth in February 2014. We’re all massive live music fans and in a ‘mountain to Mohamed’ scenario we decided that we’d bring the bands to us. John: We defined a very simple mission statement quite early on in our genesis: make sure the sound, lighting, visuals and promotion are the very best we could make them and look after the bands. I’ve been in bands and I was always fed up with getting bullied by promoters to sell tickets or feeling that I had to coerce friends and family into attending our gigs. Plum: All the gigs at the Blacksmiths are free entry and we pay every band that plays for us. More importantly, we work hard to put on an awesome show…you can’t fake passion and I think that the bands and people who attend our gigs recognise that. Scott: So far we’ve had some amazing performances…October Drift from Taunton; Faerground Accidents, The Velcro Teddy Bears, Stop Drop Robot, The Wired and The Verals from Sheffield; Billy Bibby (ex-Catfish and the Bottlemen); Tom Hingley (Ex-Inspiral Carpets); Moscow from Derby; Avalanche Party from Castleton; Nexus Noise and Unicorn Hunters from Harworth; Bang Bang Romeo, The Famous Villains, The Kavaliers and the 48k’s from Doncaster, The Coopers from Leeds, The Bedroom Hour from London and Delamere from Manchester…to name but a few. Plum: Each gig is getting bigger and better and we’re now regularly seeing people make the journey from Sheffield and Doncaster to attend our gigs, which has to be a good sign.
Ground Zero v1.1 for the first NEW WEIRD PLANET Micro-Fest is February 2, 2016, in a secret art-space in Doncaster. It is a great experiment, a test to get things just perfect and balanced. This first one is by coded invite only. Artists and bands already onboard include UV-Pop, Pulselovers, Dark Static, Microchip Junky, Little Mono, Shell Our Moon, Mangabros, Floodlights, Experimental Sonic Machines, Tape Noise Dex. Freak Art for Art Freaks. Art Freaks! If you make music, or just like what you hear or see… if you create art, make films, or saw something that blew you away… if you met some people who inspired you, or would like to meet them… if you like all things new, and weird, not necessarily of THIS planet.. then let us know, and get involved. C. Manga
There are two standard responses to telling someone that you come from Harworth. The first is ‘eh’, accompanied with a facial expression that would not look out of place after telling someone that you drink beer through socks. The other is ‘oh, isn’t that where the Brontë Sisters come from’. Clearly neither response is flattering for Harworth which is, just in case you didn’t know, 10 miles to the south of Doncaster. However, the small ex-mining town is now starting to gain a reputation as one of the ‘must visit’ places for up-and-coming bands playing original material. Enter Scott, Plum and John from Ginger Beard Promotions to explain:
The next Ginger Beard gig at the Blacksmiths (DN11 8LB) is on Friday 12th February 2016. It coincides with their second anniversary and features the phenomenal London act, Desperate Journalist and the groovy Mancunians, No Hot Ashes. Why not take a trip to Harworth and see what all the fuss is about? For more information follow Ginger Beard Promotions on Facebook or on Twitter @gingerbeardgigs JJ Broom
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