Random Fridays: WARHOL IS HERE tonight

Tonight's Random Fridays event is the first of three during the WARHOL IS HERE season.

Evoking the spirit of Warhol's Factory, Random Fridays incorporate an eclectic mix of art, film and music that spills into all areas of the Pavilion, completely free of charge.

Tonight's line-up:

Nordic Giants
"Think Sigur Ros meets Quentin Tarantino" - Shorts International

Seamus Murphy's short films to accompany PJ Harvey's Let England Shake
Alongside the soundtrack played at concert volume

Shelley Parker
Live sound installation

BAR OPEN AT 7PM, FREE ENTRY

We appreciate your feedback about Random Fridays so please let us know what you thought by commenting on this blog - simply click on the 'comments' link below this post and select 'anonymous' from the drop-down menu.

For more information click here, call 01424 229 111 or ask at the Information Desk.

The Decemberists in pictures

Here's some pics from The Decemberists' AMAZING gig at the De La Warr.

If you have any images of the performance or any other live shows you've been to at the De La Warr, please send them to anna.cleary@dlwp.com.

To see what we have coming up in our Live Programme click here

Band of Horses come back to the coast soon!!!

Alternative country and rock outfit Band of horses played a feast full of songs in front of a packed crowd on Friday night and they did not disappoint. Having only released 3 albums (including one Grammy nominated) they played a jam packed set full of shimmering melodies and heavenly endearing guitar parts.

Crowd favourites The Funeral, No Ones Gonna Love You among a host of other stand out tracks were enthusiastically welcomed by the crowd, echoing the vocals. The Encore duet of Evening Kitchen concluded and excemplified the true natural talent of these musicians. Please come back to the coast soon!!!

James Holcombe

Gigs and Stuff...: Band of Horses: De la Warr Pavilion 4/2/11

Gigs and Stuff...: Band of Horses: De la Warr Pavilion 4/2/11: "After seeing the likes of Vampire Weekend and Kate Nash in 2010, the De la Warr’s repertoire for bringing in acts normally lighting up festi..."

Patti Smith wows audience in an unforgettable performance

Punk legend, wordsmith and artist Patti Smith, met and indeed exceeded all expectations for her one-off show at the DLWP last Friday. With only one other UK show this year taking place in London, this performance had the added bonus of including music as well as her astounding poetry, and her appearance at our prized south coast venue is one that won't be forgetten.

You could hear a pin-drop during 'Wing' and her hair-raising vocals drifted across a spell-bound crowd for 'Ghost Dance'. For the encore she urged the crowd to stand up and come to the front, then blasted out 'People Have the Power' and unexpectedly ended with her classic version of 'Gloria', much to the pleasure of the crowd.

David Beckham arrives at DLWP

Footballing legend and national treasure, David Beckham has entered the DLWP building!

OK, so not in the flesh but Sam Taylor-Wood's David (2004), an hour-long silent film of David Beckham sleeping, gives us a glimpse of the star away from the cameras in a precious moment of 'down-time'. The film was shot while he was taking a siesta after an training session with Real Madrid and shows an initmacy with its subject that the viewer does not usually see - even with the deluge of paparazzi and celebrity images taken over the years.

You can enjoy this fascinating portrait alongside Andy Warhol's series of screen tests featuring friends, colleagues and acquaintances such as Marcel Duchamp, Lou Reed and Edie Sedgwick. Also on show is Peter Gidal's 1969 work Heads, an insightful charcter study of British personalities including Marianne Faithfull and David Hockney.

Click here to read more about Moving Portraits: sixty years of portraits in moving image (22 Jan - 27 Mar).

To accompany the Moving Portraits exhibition, a programme of biographical and character-led films will be shown in Gallery 2 during the day and on Thursday and Saturday evenings. There are memorable classics by international film-makers, Hollywood productions and a selection of films by artists. Click here for a full list of what's on.

Tickets: £3 afternoons / £6 for a ticket + glass of wine or half pint of Peroni at evening screenings. Box Office: 01424 229 111 http://www.dlwp.com/

Image Top: Richard Billingham, Fishtank, 1998; video installation (video still), produced and commissioned by Artangel, 46 mins 40 secs. © the artist, courtesy Anthony Reynolds Gallery, London.
Image Middle: Willie Doherty, Non-Specific Threat, 2004 (video still). Courtesy the artist, Alexander and Bonin, New York, and Matt’s Gallery, London.
Image Bottom: Sarah Purcill (UK) You be Mother, 1990, 16mm col, sound 7min.

ANNOUNCED - The Decemberists to play Pavilion

The Decemberists + support
Saturday 12 March, £15

Hailing from Portland, Oregon, The Decemberists’ homespun sound ranges from epic musical narratives to glorious, stripped-down acoustic rock. [The Decemberists] “spellbinding work peaks and soars with all the warmth and wonder of some great romantic adventure,” Mojo

Innovators in music with a strong following, The Decemberists are simply not to be missed. Tickets are selling fast so book now.

Call 01424 229 111 to book or visit www.dlwp.com

Patti Smith at the De La Warr Pavilion

We are very excited to secure An Evening of Words and Music by Patti Smith at the De La Warr Pavilion on 28 January. This is another perfect fit for the Pavilion, as we will be showing a 12 minute film Still Moving:Patti Smith by her partner Robert Mapplethorpe in the Galleries as part of our Moving Portrait Exhibition. To make the evening even more special, Patti will be joined by her daughter Jesse.

This is only one of two performances in the UK in the coming months so we advise to book early...

Random Fridays is back!!

I love the fact that Bexhill is so unique and that an experimental programme of arts can attract such a rich medley of folk. ' Exactly what art should be!' I cry from my pores. I love Random Fridays in that creativity has the option to flow so freely with such an open minded audience and lets artists relax into their work, allowing some magic to happen. Perhaps a slightly more extreme example was watching Bela Emerson's 5 month old daughter bop along to her performance!

Spacedog - The Angliss sisters didn't disappoint in anyway. Together with a fabulous flashing red-eyed crow, robotic doll and theremin, the ladies mesmerised.
Overlap - Please come back Michael Denton. Gallery 2 was packed out in its current form of a 60-person cinema for this one. A perfect end to the night.

The Bar on RF is well and truly set, I love this country - no end to unique experimental folk quietly pushing the boundaries!

Pavilion plays a part in marriage proposal!

The Pavilion played a vital role in a carefully put-together marriage proposal last weekend. After enjoying a delicious starter in the DLWP Restaurant, Alex Munro asked the kitchen staff to prepare the remainder of a delicious three-course meal to take to a beach hut in Cooden. They were happy to oblige, so Alex and his girlfriend Hannah Van Dijk set about enjoying their al fresco main courses of roast chicken and gnocchi, followed by mango creme brulee. Alex popped the question at the end of the meal, and against an unexpected backdrop of fireworks coming from the Cooden Beach Hotel, she said yes!

Alex said: "Thank you so much. Brilliant of you to do all that, it made such a difference. The food really was fantastic."

Sally Ann Lycett of the De La Warr Pavilion said: "We are so pleased to have helped make this such a special occasion for Alex and Hannah! So many couples have told us how they met their partners at the Pavilion and it is always good to know that we are part of their happiest memories."

Good luck Alex and Hannah, and congratulations from the De La Warr Pavilion.

4:0 series of excellent calibre

Take a look at these great pics of the mesmerising Joanna MacGregor, the first concert (4:1) as part of the 4:0 Autumn 2010 series.

The Carducci Quartet take to the stage for 4:4, the final show of the 4:0 classical season on Wednesday 10th November - it's going to be a fantastic finale with top-quality musicianship. Only £12 a ticket...perfect mid-week entertainment. Here are some quotes about The Carducci Quartet.

'…playing of constant variety, a masterclass in unanimity of musical purpose.’ The Strad

'...technical rigour, penetrative musical insight and lively yet unified individualism...winning in every sense of the word...' The Irish Times

Tickets only £12

For bookings and information call the Box Office on 01424 229 111 or click here to book online

Corinne a true professional

Corinne is a true professional. The quality of the musicianship was incredible. There is a blatant shift in the CBR of 2010 it seems. Her recent tragic loss is no doubt a factor in the musical shift that seems apparent. At times you could hear a pin drop, CBR had the audience eating out the palm of her hand. This coupled with the new D & B PA system being trialed at the DLWP resulted in the perfect auditory experience. We’ll have some more of that please!!

UK's best-selling Science Fiction Writer Iain M. Banks, comes to town

Thursday 21 October
Iain M. Banks

Iain M. Banks is described as a writer whose body of work is without parallel in the modern history of science fiction. We are very excited to welcome Iain to the Pavilion for an insightful talk followed by a Q & A and book signing.

SURFACE DETAIL will be 2010's bestselling Science Fiction novel

MATTER was a Sunday Times bestseller, selling over 150,000 copies in all editions

Dominic Murphy (WHITE LIGHTNIN') will direct a feature film based on Iain M Banks' story A GIFT FROM THE CULTURE

"Iain M. Banks is firmly established as the bestselling Science Fiction writer in the UK!Gripping, touching and funny" The Times

"A wild imagination" T.L.S

"One of the very best just got even better" Scotsman

"Banks is a phenomenon" William Gibson

Tickets only £6!!

Book your ticket now by contacting the Box Office on 01424 229 111 or book online

See these amazing pics of Duane Eddy's concert at DLWP with special guest Richard Hawley...

Please add your pics too and let us know what you thought...

www.dlwp.com

A living legend at the De La Warr

I am pleased to say that I have seen a living legend of music in my lifetime - Duane Eddy last Saturday at the DLWP.

'Rebel Rouser' and 'Peter Gunn' were highlights of course - hearing them 'in the flesh' was an altogether superiour experience to a recording - but it was the lesser-known tracks that I particularly enjoyed. 'Stalkin', the B-side to Rebel Rouser was led by a moody blues riff and according to Duane, originated as the A-side until it was decided to swap them. I almost think I prefer the former, though it's a close one...

Duane's set was punctuated with brief tales and tit bits and I couldn't help but think what a nice bloke he appeared to be! He recalled moments he had performed or seen performances in back street smoke-filled rock/blues bars and even though we were miles removed, the songs were so evocative you could really visualise it. For a large auditorium it felt like an incredibly intimate performance.

Pete Molinari performed as support and sung classic country blues tunes in his unique and powerful vocals. Richard Hawley appeared as Duane's special guest, joining him onstage for a fantastic rendition of "The Girl on Death Row" and "Still As the Night". The warmth between them was very apparent and Duane referred to Richard as his "best friend" since starting the UK tour. Likewise Hawley's band were absolutely amazing - in particular Ron Dziubla the Saxophone player who was more than up to the challenge of 'Peter Gunn'.

Mark E. Smith's The Fall return

A couple of years on from The Fall's last gig at the Pavilion in 2008, and Britain's most distinctive band is back. Still going strong after thirty years this seminal band remain a force to be reckoned with in the British music scene.

Often characterised by their abrasive guitar sound and Smith's distinctive vocals, his lyrics have been described by critic Steve Huey as "abstract poetry filled with complicated wordplay, bone-dry wit, cutting social observations, and general misanthropy”.

The band have a prolific output, releasing 28 studio albums, and more than triple that if you count live and other releases. Although they may never have achieved widespread public success beyond a handful of minor hit singles, they maintain a strong, and ever growing, cult following.

Mark E Smith and The Fall have been an acknowledged influence on many other big names in music, including The Smiths, The Happy Mondays, Nirvana and Franz Ferdinand.

Tickets: £17

Doors 7.15pm

Please note: This show is not suitable for persons below the age of 16 years. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.For information and bookings call 01424 229 111 or book online at www.dlwp.com

Alexander Goehr talks about fabulous new opera

The De La Warr Pavilion is delighted to be showing Alexander Goehr's Promised End on 26th October, a fabulous new opera based on Shakespeare's King Lear, performed by the English Touring Opera.

Promised End consists of 24 short scenes, selected, distilled and re-arranged by the composer and by scholar Sir Frank Kermode. The effect is to emphasise one aspect of Shakespeare’s great play: King Lear and the Earl of Gloucester, men who in their prime committed errors of judgment, bringing upon themselves their own tragic destinies.

Find out why Alexander Goehr chose to create an opera from one of Shakespeare's most poignant tragedies in this fascinating interview with James Conway.

http://tiny.cc/goehr1

Alexander also talks about how he managed to put shakespeare's extraordinary words to music.

http://tiny.cc/goehr2

See the English Touring Opera perform Promised End at DLWP on 26 October as part of its world premiere tour. Click here to book or contact the Box Office on 01424 229 111.

An insight into the life and art of Laurie Anderson

Take a look at these articles in The Observer for an insight into the art and life of Laurie Anderson.

See snaps taken by Laurie during a week in the life of her and her husband, fellow musician Lou Reed in the article Show and Tell: Laurie Anderson. Or find out what was behind Laurie's latest album Homeland in Laurie Anderson: The Story Behind Homeland.

http://tiny.cc/laurieshowandtell
http://tiny.cc/lauriehomeland

For more information about Laurie Anderson's concert at DLWP click here or visit our performances and events page to see what else is on...

Photo by David Bazemore.

75th Birthday Party - Thanks to everyone who came!

On August Bank Holiday Monday, the De La Warr Pavilion celebrated its 75th Birthday with a huge party on the terrace, its focal point being the re-creation of a famous photograph first printed in the Daily Mirror in 1936.

In the Bank Holiday sunshine over 1500 people gathered on the terrace in front of photographer Sheila Burnett who was lifted 5metres on a Genie lift to be in exactly the same angle and position as the Daily Mirror photographer must have been 74 years ago. The Daily Mirror Eight, the dance troupe in the middle of the terrace, were replaced by parkour/free-running outfit The Urban Shadows, who put on a spectacular show for a cheering crowd before staging the actual shot.

At 10am that morning, 120 people from the local community – none of whom had met before – put together a “scratch” choir and “scratch” orchestra, led by choir leader John Langridge and composer/musician Mike Hatchard. The choir sang a Summertime, Sway and Abba’s Mamma Mia. The orchestra played Spread a Little Happiness and a Beatles medley, as well as a new piece – Seventy Five Years of the De La Warr – composed by Mike Hatchard to celebrate the day. Julian Humphries led a group of young drummers who warmed up the crowd for the afternoon.

After the performance everyone sang Happy Birthday!

Free Tea and cake were then served to everyone outside the auditorium, courtesy Yorkshire Tea and Jubilee Hire.

And then the dancing started…. seventy-five tunes for seventy-five years kept us dancing until sunset with an playlist of classics and re-discovered hits put together by DJ Nikki Beatnik.
This fantastic party came at the end of an enormously successful weekend for the Pavilion which saw 10,000 people visit Tomoko Takahashi’s exhibition and Antony Gormley’s installation in just three days, with over 600 attending our family films, shown outdoors on the sea-facing wall, on Saturday and Sunday.

Please put up any pics you have of the day and visit our website to find out about forthcoming events at the Pavilion!

Photo by Sheila Burnett.

The Legendary Duane Eddy comes to the Pavilion

We are so excited to welcome such a legendary performer to the De La Warr Pavilion.
It seems that lots of you are just as excited as us, as tickets are flying out the door...so get them quick!

This is Duane's first return to the UK after 20 years and this makes us even more proud to be hosting such a fantastic event.

Grammy award winning and this years MOJO winner for the Musical Icon Award will perform a rare show with VERY special unannounced guests. Watch this space as we will be announcing the names shortly.

For more details or to purchase tickets click here