Jun
7
6:00 PM18:00

"The Big Score – Jazz On The Big Screen"

  • Literary & Philosophical Society (map)
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"CALL ME MR PHIBBS!"

event phipps big score.jpg

"There are few great Jazz movies – but there are many movies made great by jazz."

Music historian Chris Phipps guides you through the extraordinary sounds unleashed when the giants of jazz hit the big and small screen from 'Alfie' to 'Ironside' to 'The Man with the Golden Arm' and our own 'Get Carter'.

This is a story of screen legends ranging from Brando to Sinatra to Caine, whose signature roles are inseparable from the compelling scoring of jazz composers and musicians including Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, John Lewis, Lalo Schifrin, Sonny Rollins – and Quincy Jones whose career has graced both cinema and television from 'The Pawnbroker' to 'Call Me Mr Tibbs'.

Beyond the incredible music there is a story of emancipation as what was dismissed as fringe race music literally went wide-screen.

Chris Phipps is a music and media historian well known to local and national radio and television audiences and his contributions range from the 'Black Sabbath – THE END' movie to Radio 4's 'Bryan Ferry's Jazz Age'. He is also the author of 'Forget Carter', the definitive account of Tyneside on screen.

Admission £2pp

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Big News for Sunday for Sammy Fans
Feb
18
2:00 PM14:00

Big News for Sunday for Sammy Fans

2018 Concert Date Announced

NEW VENUE WITH TWICE AS MANY TICKETS AVAILABLE
 

Sunday for Sammy, unofficially known as 'The Geordie Command Performance', will return to Tyneside on Sunday, 18 February 2018 but this time at a new venue. The show, first held as a tribute to Geordie actor Sammy Johnson in 2000, has been presented at Newcastle City Hall for nearly every performance. However, in recent years the demand for tickets has far out-stripped the supply. In 2016 the two spectacular shows sold-out in a day and thousands of disappointed fans couldn’t get tickets.

The show's producer Ray Laidlaw at the Arena

The show's producer Ray Laidlaw at the Arena

In 2018, Sunday for Sammy will relocate to Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena for two theatre style performances. 5,000 tickets will be available for each show, more than doubling the available tickets compared to previous years.  

Sunday for Sammy is a celebration of North Eastern culture and many of the region's most popular and successful performers have taken part in the extravaganza of comedy and music, staged to raise funds to support the next generation of North Eastern performers with training, expenses and equipment. 

Tim Healy, Denise Welch, Mark Knopfler, Kevin Whately, Charlie Hardwick, Jimmy Nail, Jill Halfpenny, Timothy Spall, AC/DC's Brian Johnson, Christopher Fairbank, Stephen Tomkinson, John Miles, Angie Lonsdale, Jason Cook, Lindisfarne, Joe McElderry, Brendan Healy, Donna Aire, Ant and Dec, Chelsea Halfpenny, Billy Mitchell, Brendan Foster, Pam Royle, Bob Moncur, Julia Tobin, Glenn McCrory, Kathryn Tickell, Chris Ramsey, Peter Peverley and many, many more have given up their time to take part in the show. The cast list is never revealed beforehand, every show is packed with surprises.

Chairman of the Sunday for Sammy Trust, Tim Healy said, “I spend a lot of time in the North East and people constantly ask me how to get tickets for Sunday for Sammy. The show has become so hugely popular that all available tickets are snapped up as soon as they go on sale. By moving the show to a larger venue we can give loads more people the opportunity to see the show while ensuring our continued support for the talented young performers from our area that need a helping hand.”

Catherine Dryden

Catherine Dryden

Since the first Sunday for Sammy in 2000, young local performers have benefitted from over £400,000 in grants to help with their professional development. Catherine Dryden, from Chester-le-Street is a 3rd Year Student at RADA and was part-funded by the Sunday for Sammy Trust. Sunday for Sammy is helping me to get through my final year at RADA. My course covers six days of the week which doesn’t give me the opportunity to work to help pay the bills and the cost of being in London. Without their support, I couldn’t have carried on. They have given me the helping hand I need to further my professional career in drama.”

Ailsa Oliver, General Manager of the Metro Radio Arena said, Sunday for Sammy is such a wonderful event and we are very excited to be part of its continued growth. The event generates such excellent support for the local community and we are sure the two performances will once again be a success in its new home at the Metro Radio Arena.”

The show’s producer, Ray Laidlaw urged everyone to book tickets as soon as possible. Sunday for Sammy is unique; no other part of the country has an event that celebrates its regional popular culture on such a scale while supporting the next generation of performers.

“It’s an amazingly popular show and in recent years every performance has sold out within hours of the tickets going on sale. We get a huge number of messages from people telling us that they’ve tried to buy tickets but have been unsuccessful. That’s why we’ve doubled the capacity by moving the show to the Metro Radio Arena. However, we anticipate ticket demand to be greater than ever and we’d hate to see anyone missing out. The message is simple—lots more tickets available but if you want to be sure of being part of Sunday for Sammy 2018 then don't delay, buy your tickets early.”

 

Booking information:

Tickets costing £35, plus 55p facility fee and bookings fees, go on general sale from 10am on Wednesday, 22 March and are available online at metroradioarena.co.uk from the booking hotline number 0844 493 6666, or in person from the Metro Radio Arena Box Office. Tickets will also be available from Newcastle Theatre Royal online theatreroyal.co.uk or call the Box Office on 08448 11 21 21. (All calls are charged at 7p a minute plus your phone company’s access charge, calls from mobiles may vary, please contact your operator for details.) For Groups of 10+ please call Group Bookings on 08448 11 21 22.

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"I Hear A New World — The '60s Pop Art Sounds of Joe Meek" with Chris Phipps
Nov
17
6:00 PM18:00

"I Hear A New World — The '60s Pop Art Sounds of Joe Meek" with Chris Phipps

  • Hatton Gallery, Kings Road, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (map)
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news phipps telstar.jpg

A fiftieth anniversary tribute to Britain's first pop pioneer. Joe Meek launched the extraordinary instrumental 'Telstar', ushering in an age of electronic, ambient and experimental sounds.

Documentary film maker Chris Phipps draws on personal encounters with many of Joe Meek's recording stars from The Honeycombs to The Tornadoes. All this will re-create Meek's "New World" in an extraordinary mix of shotguns and satellites!

Admission is FREE!

Hatton Gallery, Kings Road, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU
Tel (0191) 278 8857
General enquiries info@hattongallery.org.uk

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"Pop Up! British Pop Culture On Screen in the 1960s" with Chris Phipps
Nov
2
6:00 PM18:00

"Pop Up! British Pop Culture On Screen in the 1960s" with Chris Phipps

  • Hatton Gallery, Kings Road, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (map)
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Chris Phipps guides you through a Mondo Soho of Beat Girls, Beat Groups and Blow Ups!

A mind bending world of film makers trying to capture '60s pop culture — Herman's Hermits buy a greyhound, Billy Fury buys a racehorse, and Gonks Go Beat!

Admission is FREE!

Hatton Gallery, Kings Road, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU
Tel (0191) 278 8857
General enquiries info@hattongallery.org.uk

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'Dance! Dance! Dance!' at the City Library!
May
20
7:30 PM19:30

'Dance! Dance! Dance!' at the City Library!

  • Newcastle upon Tyne City Library (map)
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Please note there are two events this evening, beginning at 7.30pm and 8.45pm. Admission FREE!

Shake your hips with Dr Phipps… discover the fascinating story of pop television's craziest dance crazes from The Frug to The Popcorn!

Music and media historian Chris Phipps explores the moves from every fad and cash-in ever to rip up the dance floor or cut a rug over the decades from The Twist through Northern Soul to Acid Jazz.

Ever attempted The Ooble or The Crowle? If so then this is for you! Bust a move!

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