The Vault Festival

This is a first for me. I'm writing this blog - about the Vault Festival - while at the festival itself. Ok, so I've posted it today. From home. Several days later. BUT, I promise you, hand on heart, the content is all written (even that last bit!) with a beer nearby and chattering hoards aplenty all around me, in the venue's Underbar on a Friday evening (20 February to be precise). Smart phones are wonderful things aren't they?

The entranceway in to the Underbar

Anyway, back to the blog. Here I am, having a few drinks post-show, during my second visit to what has now become one of my favourite arts festivals. I discovered the festival last year and subsequently attended several shows from the line-up on offer. It was a pretty diverse and wide ranging programme back then, but I was amazed to learn when I saw this year's (the Vault's third by the way) that the number of individual events has pretty much doubled this time round. Over 100 artistic groups are involved. There is something for everyone; from dance to comedy, music to drama, even a helping of opera and much, much more. Check out their website for the full listing. It runs for six weeks, from late January to early March.

Early evening in Leake Street and already a performer is out doing his thing

The approach to the venue is an experience in itself: Leake Street, off York Road, a long tunnel covered in graffiti art, was initially created during the "Cans Festival" organised by Banksy in May 2008. The road was pedestrianised shortly afterwards and has remained so ever since. The street artists are always out, creating new work, and the smell of spray paint fills the nostrils. Many people take pictures of the work or simply stand and observe the artists. Even late at night, the artists are out in force continuing to paint, along with a variety of street performers, and audiences gather to watch them, often on the way home from their evening's entertainment at The Vaults.

Late night entertainment in Leake Street, as passers-by stop to watch the street performers

The festival is unthemed, which allows it greater flexibility in what it can offer and is one of its key strengths. All the shows I've seen here so far - this year and last - have demonstrated that diversity and it's undoubtedly one of the main reasons I look forward to returning.

Another strength, helping to create different degrees of nuance to the visual aspect of the performances, is in the venue itself. The Vaults is a network of tunnels and performance spaces situated beneath Waterloo rail station. It covers an area of some 30,000 square feet and uses the space very effectively. Each of the performance areas are individually named; The Studio, The Cage, The Cavern, The Pit, etc. Some are smaller in size, others more expansive. Everything is stripped bare. Plain walls exposing brickwork, stone floors which are not always even and, I remember at one show I came to last year after a bad rainfall, there were small puddles of water that had collected in the uneven ridges around the flagstones. It all contributes to the ambience. In many ways, it helps draw you even more into the performances, many of which are interactive in nature anyway. I should point out while it occurs to me that within these spaces proper stage lighting and sound is implemented, along with various stage sets and props. In case that wasn't entirely evident from my description! And of course both lighting and sound add more to the general atmosphere. 

A beer is at hand as I continued to write this blog!

I'm also impressed that the venue has not rested on its laurels in terms of its layout. The performance spaces and bar have been redesigned and relocated from where they were last year, giving people like myself, who attended in 2014, a whole new perspective and a general sense of it feeling 'different'. Which of course the programme is. But they could so easily have just configured the floor space identically to how it was in 2014. I hope this approach continues next year.

The organisers are clearly supportive of upcoming performers and theatre companies and another pleasure for me is in discovering original talent being given the opportunity to shine. There is so much out there and it's great to see them getting the chance to show what they can do. Other acts are more well established. It's a good mix. I imagine that from time to time it can be a somewhat thankless task playing to some audiences for these touring performers. Here, the audiences are warmly appreciative.

A great space for partying into the early hours

If theatre isn't your thing, the festival is also running a series of late night events, at which you can have fun into the early hours. The Underbar is a pretty funky addition to the tunnel space and a great place to party. Or just come along to hang out and soak up the vibe with a beer or two.

It really is a different kind of night out, so I'd urge you to come and experience it before it ends for another year on 8 March. I'll certainly be returning for a show or two before then.

A cosy little nook near the bar to hang out with friends

And yes, I do not lie, every word of this blog was written at the venue on the night of my second show this year. I've been moving around the venue as I've been writing and these last few lines are being composed whilst seated in a deckchair in a room just off the main bar area! I'll be leaving soon for my last train, but already a live band is setting up ready to play on the main stage in the Underbar as another Lates event commences. If only I still lived in London! Of course, if someone would offer me a bed for the night ...

Entrance to The Vaults in Leake Street

Oh, and I'm fairly certain that earlier this evening I caught sight of the author and journalist Will Self, so you might even bump into a celeb - who knows? I'm no celeb myself of course, but do feel free to come up and say hello if you see me!

The Vault Festival. On until 8 March. Get a ticket. You really don't want to wait another year now do you?

Tim Arnold at The 12 Bar Club

I had the great pleasure of attending a gig last week by Tim Arnold, a singer/songwriter of some repute, who has been recording albums, mainly as a solo artist, since 1997. His first success came as singer and songwriter of Britpop band Jocasta. Since 2012 he has also performed under the name of The Soho Hobo. 

It was the first time I’d seen Tim play; the set was full of jaunty numbers, interspersed with some more introspective pieces. The gig took place at The 12 Bar Club, an iconic establishment close to Soho, and being quite 'cosy', I thought it might be just Tim and his guitar, but the stage did allow room for a drummer, bassist and guitarist in addition to Tim, beefing out some great songs. The musical style was reminiscent of the halcyon days of Britpop, with a ring of Blur and a smattering of Ray Davies, blended with a quality that was all Tim's own - catchy ditties belting out one after the other and performed with energy and enthusiasm.

Tim described the club as a place he'd loved playing at over the years and would often try out new songs there, as indeed he did at this gig, treating the audience to several brand new numbers. Behind all the jollity lay the poignant reminder that The 12 Bar Club was due to close just days later. So it was Tim's last ever gig there and must have been an emotional experience, as indeed I'm sure it was for many of the audience.

For me, another bittersweet aspect was that, to my shame, having worked in London most of my life, I'd never been to the club before. And here I was, at the venue for the very first time, really enjoying it, but knowing I'd never be able to experience it again. I will say in my defence however, that the main reason for this is that I rarely attend music events these days because I suffer with tinnitus, ironically caused (I believe) through noise damage during my own days playing in bands (nearly twenty years on and off). But this gig sounded extra special and I didn't want to miss it.

Why is the club closing? The age old reason; the owner wanting to sell up to big business. I spoke to the club manager, Andy Lowe, who had managed the venue and booked all the excellent acts that had appeared there for the past 20 or so years. He was understandably very sad at the prospect of leaving, but informed me that The 12 Bar Club will resurface again at another location very shortly. It had been there, in Denmark Street, for 20 years and had been a launching pad for a number of now well known artists, such as KT Tunstall, Regina Spektor, The Libertines, Seasick Steve, Adele and the late Jeff Buckley. One positive note was that Andy believed the building would not be razed to the ground by whoever ended up in ownership, because it was now protected after a successful campaign to get it listed. It was once, he informed me, a Jacobean forge, which was in use right up until the beginning of the First World War. The original forge fireplace is still visible at the back of the stage. It first became a music venue in the early 1990s, as 'The Forge Folk and Blues Club', but in 1994 it was expanded and renamed The 12 Bar Club.

While Andy acknowledged that there was still a tiny glimmer of hope that the club might return to this location, it seems unlikely in reality. And so it goes, with other parts of London's cultural and creative heritage also under threat. One prime area under particular threat at present is Soho itself, with the recent closure of Madame JoJo's and the uncertainty of other venues as developers eye up the area in the upheaval caused by the ongoing Crossrail project.

And this is also where Tim Arnold has a strong connection and influence. A Soho resident himself, he recently founded the 'Save Soho' campaign, which describes itself as 'a coalition of performers, residents and politicians who have now come together out of concern after the closure and repossession of world renowned club Madame JoJo's'. Famous faces aplenty have lined up to become involved, including Stephen Fry, who is the campaign chair. It has already resulted in what is hoped will be a positive dialogue between campaigners, businesses, Westminster Council and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, keen to keep the uniquely bohemian vibe that Soho has been so well known for, nurturing new creative and artistic talent for decades. If you love the area yourself, I'd urge you to take a look at the website, leave comments and spread the word. London simply wouldn't be the same without Soho.

Tim is currently in the process of recording a single to help promote the campaign, a song he's written called 'Don't Go Changin' Soho', which includes contributions from a number of famous faces in the music world; already confirmed to appear on the track are Marc Almond, Gary Kemp, Boy George and Adam Ant. More are expected to be announced shortly. A certain Mr McCartney has even been approached (his MPL offices are in Soho)!

You can hear the song at Tim's next gig, which will be at the St Moritz Club in Wardour Street, Soho, on 23 January. Come along and enjoy and don't forget to check out Tim's website, his Soho Hobo website and of course the Save Soho website. 

The real return.

Since my last post in 2014, it has become clearly evident that I wasn't ready at all to return to blogging. One of the key reasons for this was, that within a few short months of that post, I had a bit of a life crisis; I left my job of more than 14 years and decided to take my chances and look for another job opportunity. A bit risky in the current economic climate but, after temping on and off for a few months, I finally fell back into full time employment and I'm now settled in a new workplace and earning a regular crust.

And so I say that NOW is the time I can think about a return to writing the blog! No, really. As I mentioned in the last post, people still read the old ones (to my continuing surprise) and for those that enjoyed them I wanted to get some new posts up. I think it's about time!

So, I hope you enjoy my future ramblings. And thank you in advance for reading!