QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
OR…
“Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight.”-KC and the Sunshine Band
A quote for the high falutin’ and low falutin’ amongst you, as summer kicks in, we are shedding our winter coats and trying to channel those KC sunshine vibes, doing a little dance, getting down tonight, and the middle bit is none of our business! We had some fantastic artists in last month (more of which, later, in a handy list) and anticipate the same for June, as bands ready themselves for the festival circuit and summer tours. Meanwhile, business as usual here, no rest or bank holidays for the not wicked, but playing and working hard as everything from breezy jazz to death metal rings through our hallowed halls. We have news! We have courses! On with the show...
NIKKI YEOH’S LIVE PERFORMANCE COURSE
Not to brag or anything, but most agreed this live piano course in May, which ended in a nice little wing-ding party, was our favourite out of the three we’ve run so far. The level of musicianship was superlative, the vibe was great and most importantly, the participants were hard-working, diligent, creative and tons of fun. We did have three versions of Autumn Leaves which all sounded entirely different, which is the one of the joys of this course, that you take a basic jazz standard, stick to the basics but there is also scope for going hog wild in terms of interpretation. Big thanks to Nikki Yeoh, Tim Richards, John Crawford and our stellar house band: Mark Mondesir, Denys Baptiste and Dominic Howles.
26TH ANNUAL PIANO WEEK, AUGUST 5TH- 9TH
We can’t quite believe it but the eternally youthful Nikki Yeoh, see above, has either been leading or teaching this very popular piano recording course for 26 years. It comprises four days in intensive tuition and rehearsal in jazz, blues, Latin jazz and funk styles. Then you get to record in Studio A on the fifth day (on a beautiful grand that’s been played here by Nina Simone, Dave Brubeck and McCoy Tyner amongst many others!). The tutors who help you get your chosen tune into recording shape include Tim Richards, Dian Gasper, John Crawford and Nikki Yeoh, who also acts as musical director on recording day. You’ll be recording with Dominic Howles and Mark Mondesir. You’ll work in sessions on modal jazz, harmony, rhythm and improv, plus pick up some nifty tips from these pros on how to get your best sound on recording day. This summer we are limiting spaces strictly to ten, so everyone can get the best recording experience and tailored tuition. £395 for the week including all tuition, recording and mixing! For more info: michele@premiseseducation.org
NEW GOSPEL SHORT COURSE WITH LURINE CATO, 5 and 6th JULY
Gospel and soul singer Lurine Cato, who has run her popular Backing Vocals courses here, now brings a new class to Premises: Authentic Gospel Singing Course. Topics covered include: controlled breathing; volume techniques; vocal tone skills; traditional and contemporary Gospel singing; lead singing, ad-libbing and so much more. This is a good course for those who sing but would like to explore Gospel, or for those who already sing Gospel and want to improve in technique and range and repertoire. Learn from one of the greatest Gospel singers on the UK scene.
Work friendly hours: 7-11 PM on the Friday and 11-3 on the Saturday. £149.
To register please contact: michele@premiseseducation.org
PART-TIME STUDIO SHARE?
One of our fantastic resident producers, Steve Knight, is looking for someone to sublet his beautiful rooftop studio at weekends, with a potential for some weekday slots as well. If you’re interested here’s the deets:
Weekend sublet price £500 inclusive per month.
Natural light, Air con. Access from 9am-11pm
Gear: Apollo Quad, Adam A5X monitors, Shure SM7B mic. Martin Guitar, Fender Bass, Fender Strat guitar. Minilogue synth and Advance 61 midi keyboard. Contact Steve direct at: knightmusic.contact@gmail.com
NO PRICE NEWS IS GOOD NEWS
Just a heads up on two things you should know. One is that we’ve not increased our studio hire prices for four years now, so we remain the best deal in town for all your rehearsal needs. The other is that, as a result, we are getting heavily booked up over the summer. So, if you need a chunk of rehearsal time, don’t leave it until the last minute, we hate turning people away! Give us a bell or drop us an email and get those dates in the diary now: 0207 729 7593 or bookings@premisesstudios.com
EXPERIENCED RADIO PRODUCERS WANTED!
Folded Wing Productions (Jamie Cullum R2 show, Romesh Rangenathan hip hop show and Soweto Kinch R3 'Round Midnight' show) are looking for experienced radio producers. Folded Wing are based here at The Premises and full job details are here.
THE PREMISES CAFÉ
This month is the 23rd anniversary of our family run café, serving up massive English and Turkish breakfasts, including their signature eggy tomato dish Menemen, plus lots of options for veggies and vegans. Their lentil soup is out of this world, served with masses of crusty warm Turkish bread, and now that it’s summer, you don’t have to whip out the BBQ because that’s what THEY do. Every night, they get those coals burning to serve delicious grilled fish, chicken, lamb and veg. More outdoor seating available now that it’s summer - one of the best places to people-watch in Hackney Road. As well as the great food and drink you also get some great music, courtesy of Premises Radio, and if you’ve ever rehearsed or recorded here then you may well hear yourself on the playlist. Book early on weekends, when it gets crazy busy!
(Original painting by Alys Elisabeth Davies)
To book a table: 020 7684 2230
WHO’S BEEN IN?
Prepare ye for some heavy name dropping, for we had some big stars and soon to be stars in last month. Amongst others, we’ve welcomed: Shabaka, The Last Dinner Party, Dolores 4 Eva, Elephant Kind, Guildhall, The Waeve, Sunrise and Jupiter, Lulu, Danny Star, London Voice Academy, Perhaps Contraption, Alfie Whitbread, ChloTheGod, Glory Choir, Dexy’s, The Staves, Triggerfish, Marc Almond, Lazy Habits, Eve Owen, Kojo Samuel, PP Arnold, Chinchilla, Kawala, Matt Maltese, S.O.S Band, Folded Wing, James, Bedlam, The Rumours, Alternative Conservatoire, Dan Chatterly, Bug Eyed, Alicia Davies, Florence Rose, Ciara Haidar, Kerri Watt, Full Flower Moon, Urban Soul Orchestra, Funk Force Five, Barry O’Connor, A Guy Called Gerald, Child and The Band, Lurine Cato, Boreal Sun, Mae Muller, Jin-Jin, Barry Adamson, Sundara Karma, Glass Animals, Laura Mvula, Olly Alexander, Fat White Family, Kingdom Choir, Anthony Phillip, Jules White, The Wonder Years, Sweet Billy Pilgrim, Marc David, Kylie, Barry Can’t Swim, Ruff Squad, Tomorrow’s Warriors, and many many more.
As many of you have noticed, we’re now using these fabulous pro music stands. Lightweight but very strong and foldable. If you’ve tried them and want to get your own,
AND FINALLY...
