Mogwai at the Canteen 22/11/08

Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite and Barry Burns get their hands on Aurelie's recent Barrow AFC drone opera An Unorthodox 1-2 and John Hall's book, The Al Mobility Story following their DJ set at the Canteen on Saturday night. The Scottish band are no strangers to mixing art with football having contributed the soundtrack to video artist Douglas Gordon's Zidane: a 21st Century Portrait in 2006. More info at: Mogwai.co.uk

BAFC Night at the Canteen Cinema Room 13/11/08

Work from the Barrow AFC Digital Residency received a second showing last Thursday at the Canteen Cinema Room on Barrow Island. The evening included presentations of research materials and documentation from throughout the project as well as film screenings, a 'Bluebirds' DJ set and live performances.

Francis O' Donnell Smith's video installation based around an interview with life-long BAFC fan Geoff Payne screened to a live accompaniment from Glenn, Damian Rose and project organiser John Hall that reworked material from the spoken word and music piece An Unorthodox 1-2. This was followed by a live set of Bluebirds inspired music and video projections from Damian performing as Mondo Bongo. Each set was interspersed with scenes from two silent films from 1920's Germany (both amongst the first football feature films ever produced).

Tracks from the Bluebirds DJ set:

Jandek - Blue Blue World
Sun City Girls - Blue Mambo
Captain Beefheart - Dirty Blue Gene
Cocteau Twins - Bluebell Knoll
Gastr Del Sol - Blues Subtitled 'No Sense of Wonder'
Good Brisk Blue - Mayo Thompson
Neil Young - Birds / Danger Bird
Diamanda Galas - Birds of Death
Smog - Blood Red Bird
Public Image - No Birds
The Residents - Birds in the Trees

Barrow Island Primary School at the Canteen Cinema Room 13/11/08

Children from years 5 and 6 at Barrow Island Primary School visited the Canteen last week for an exhibition of the music, collages and poetry they have produced with artists Glenn Boulter and John Hall. Making use of the Cinema Room's projection and sound facilities, works on show included a series of poems, collages and sound pieces made by the children during workshops with John Hall, poet Kate Davies and musician Sean Blezard as part of the Sightlines Project. The children also had a chance to hear rehearsals and live recordings from the graphic score-based BAFC Orchestra sessions that Glenn led as part of his residency at the club (see previous entries for details). The exhibition concluded with a short live music performance by John and Glenn, feedback and free orange juice.

A selection of the children's feedback on the BAFC Orchestra sessions:
What do you remember about the project? We drew a musical picture. (Reece – 10)
Playing football, conducting people. (Jack –10)
4 People passed the ball while music was playing in the background. (Joe –11)
We used different instruments to make an orchestra. (Jordan –10)
What did you enjoy about this project? All the funny sounds, like the frog. (Jack –10)
Finding out about all the instruments and all of the sounds they made. (Mason –10)
That we got to use different objects to make music. (Chloe – 11)
When we got to do it at Barrow AFC. (Sarah –10)
I liked playing the music and listening to the rhythms. (Lucy –10)
The music and the co-operation. (Jake –9)
What was your favourite instrument? How did you play it? What sound did it make?
The pebbles. We banged them on top of each other. A noise like the sea. (Ross – 10)
The radio. By turning the buttons. Like people talking. (Jacob –10)
White computer keyboard. Typing my full name. Tapping and banging. (Jordan –10)
The electric guitar and the wooden guitar. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. (Bradleigh–9)
What was it like to play at the football ground?
I enjoyed the background music, going to the Barrow AFC football pitch and everything else. (Emily –9)
It was noisy, exciting, loud and fun. (Brandon – 9)

PRESS - October / November 2008

Press leading up to the Barrow AFC Residency night at the Canteen from the official match programme, Barrow Island's Community newspaper Island Eye and the North West Evening Mail.

BAFC at the Canteen Cinema Room 13/11/08