Tuesday 26 November 2019

Jamaica - Live @ Robyn's Rocket, Cafe OTO - 21.11.19

Jamaica at the Robyn’s Rocket-EFG Jazz Festival 2019 Last Thursday 21st November, the Gate’s improvised group, Jamaica, took part in Robyn’s Rocket-EFG Jazz Festival Edition at Café Oto. This is a prestigious music venue, London’s melting pot of avant-garde and experimental music where great jazz musicians and improvisers such as Sun Ra Arkestra, Peter Brotzmann, Evan Parker and Art Ensemble of Chicago play regularly.

It was a special night, the cosmic atmosphere full of outer space decorations were crowned by the projections of Rucksak Cinema and live drawings by the Heart N Soul’s artist Ariel. This intergalactic environment inspired the bands to play a combination of cyber- funky space music and terrestrial free-heavy jazz.

 The Hairdressers with Robyn (trumpet) and Kathy Hulme ( cello), played a classical sound, while Bassheads with Ned Smith (percussion, loops and ipad), Dean Rodney jnr (voice), Mark Williams (bass) ,Robyn Steward (trumpet + fx) and the final act Steve Pretty were more closed to a kind of cyber jazz- funk music with loops.

Our guys Jamaica with Josh on drums; Duane, bass; Jason, tenor sax; Leon, electronic devises, Richie on vocals and home-made strings, travelled to East London though to rock it!!! and their explosive- tectonic-trance music liberated the audience which stand up asking for more after they have finished their set. It was a great night, a very different gig in relation to what Robyn said that night “the snobbish jazz scene.”

“I like the gig, I enjoyed when I was on the mic it was good and the people like it this a lot. We rock East London with Josh on the drums, Duane on the bass, Jason on tenor sax, Leon (LM Dubs) on the electronic sounds, I was on the mic and home-made strings.” Richie

 “I like the café.” Jason

 “It was my first time performing at Café Oto, It was fun and I enjoyed it. I saw other bands performing that night, it was wicked.” Duane

“Good jass music with beats and sax that we came in, it was good sound, I enjoyed it… yeah. Robyn trumpet player with Fish Police vocalist (Dean), with free choc drinks.” LM Dubs 

H&F Best Business Awards - Best Cultural or Arts Business.

Last Thursday myself and John (everyone else being busy at Cafe OTO - More on that later) went to the Hammersmith & Fulham awards having been shortlisted in the best arts or cultural business catagory expecting nothing more than a free feed and a ligging opportunity and guess what...


Many thanks to the Judges for choosing us, we're all extremely chuffed to have been recognised in this way.

Tuesday 19 November 2019

Jamaica is invited to play at Cafe Oto - Thursday 21st November at 7.30pm

The Gate's improvised group, Jamaica, is going to play this week at the prestigious music venue Cafe Oto, on Thursday 21st November. This event is curated by the trumpet player Robyn's Rocket Steward as part of the EFG Jazz Festival. This is an inclusive music event that everyone can feel at home regardless of gender, sexuality, race, language spoken, disability, etc.

The music will be provided by different jazz and avantgarde oriented musicians such as:
The Hairdresses, Bassheads, Steve Pretty and Jamaica. The tickets costs are £8.00 advance; £10.00 at the door; and £6.00 Cafe Oto's members.

Cafe Oto
18-22 Ashwin street
London, E8 3DL

For more information visit:
https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/events/robyns-rocket-november-2019/


Monday 4 November 2019

Next event - 2DECKS and Band @ Stay Up Late Fundraiser in Brighton 12.11.19


From Stay Up Lates's Facebook events page:

 Stay Up Late’s big annual fundraiser for our Gig Buddies project enabling people with learning disabilities to have active social lives. This will be a night of awesome live music featuring acts with and without learning disabilities. Optional 'bedtime' fancy dress to help us promote the launch of our #nobedtimes campaign.

Hosted by the one and only Vince

Venus: https://www.facebook.com/thevincevenus/ 

Italia 90 - "Very much rate this, and certainly don’t think that Wire, Alternative TV, Sauna Youth and Institute’s Catharsis LP are excessively flattering reference points." - The Quietus

Asbo Derek - Asbo Derek get annoyed about things they shouldn’t really get annoyed about and then turn their annoyance into great art.

 2 Decks – lo-fi hip hop bangers from London to get you jumping.

The Golgis - Quirky foot tapping acoustic absurdist pantomime rock from a band unafraid to celebrate the eccentricities of everyday life? No funds raised will go to any marketing executives!