November 2010
5 posts
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It’s been a hellish week at the more modest end of Edinburgh’s live music scene.
On Friday, just a matter of days since it hosted the ambitious Hidden Door festival, the Roxy Art House revealed that the charity which owns the building had run out of cash and the doors were closing, leaving all staff abruptly jobless.
Now that the dire financial affairs of said charity Edinburgh University Settlement (no longer related to the university) are becoming clear (they had reportedly run up debts of £4million and had been taking advice from a convicted fraudster), the implications for the city’s grassroots music scene are also emerging to their fullest extent. That’s because the organisation also owned the leases on buildings which house two more venues - the GRV and the Forest Café (as well as neighbouring Bristo Hall).
Both these places, like the Roxy, are home to diverse billings of local talent across all genres, and the Forest in particular had moved beyond its hippy hangout image through a widely praised alternative Fringe programme, countless EP launches by local bands and events like the first Retreat! festival in 2009. There has been some confusion over the status of the GRV. There were recent reports the club had been sold to a new owner following claims that it had “stolen” thousands of pounds of electricity during the festival. We contacted them today to find out if they are still operational: no-one answered the phone.
The link between the three places - besides one hapless landlord - was the kind of activity that’s driven by passion, not profit; a collective of (mostly) young, creatively minded people pouring time and energy into projects which may not have lined their pockets but which did rekindle talk of that problematic and unavoidable word: a ‘scene’. It’s not something that’s taken for granted in Edinburgh, that’s for sure.
But now a lot of this type of activity has come to an end.
” —Where next for Edinburgh’s music scene? (via thesmu)MY TINY ROBOTS EP launch EPIC EVENT
AS A SPECIAL ZOO STATION EVENT, IN LIGHT OF THE ROXY’S RECENT AND VERY SAD CLOSURE….
WE WILL BE RELOCATING TO THE CAVES, FOR A SERIES OF ONE OFF SPECIAL EVENTS, ENCOMPASSING THE VERY BEST IN LIVE MUSIC, ART, INSTALATIONS AND INTERACTIVE SCIENTIFIC AUDIO VISUAL EXPLOITS FOR YOUR SENSORY PLEASURE…
We’d lke to look at this new chapter as a positive extension to what we were all building on… so without much ado….
We present you MY TINY ROBOTS
Edinburgh based oddpop outfit My Tiny Robots will release their second ep, Rock Bossa Nova on Woodthief Records on Monday 15th November. The four track ep includes the single ‘rock bossa nova fourbeat black’ and was recorded earlier this year with Tom Nicol at Nakiska and mixed by Stephen Watkins at Tape Studios.
This launch will coincide with a launch party at the caves on niddry street on the 11 th November with Djs and support from Donna Maciocia and Enfant Bastard.
The EP will be available for digital download through the My Tiny Robots Bandcamp site and the first 150 CD copies will come in a handmade sleeve.
Also included in this evening’s event will be work from local artists (line up to be confirmed! just trying to iron that out just now!)
MORE DETAILS TO BE UPDATED, JUST WATCH THIS SPACE….
October 2010
22 posts
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The Roxy Art House has been closed until further notice. Despite trading successfully and having much to look forward to, the bankruptcy of the charity who owned it - Edinburgh University Settlement - has forced its closure and the staff have all been made redundant. The Roxy as we were running it was commercially viable, as well as winning awards and great reviews for its 2010 programme; it was, I know, appreciated by artists and audiences in Edinburgh. I would like to think it could be resurrected, and we will be investigating ways in which this might be achieved. In the meantime, thank you all for your custom and support: we love you all!
(This message comes from myself on behalf of the former staff; we can no longer speak directly on behalf of the Roxy…)
” —Rupert Thomson | Roxy Art House
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Note: Roxy wake at Forest Cafe on Sunday night. Be there and show it some respect. Same excellent Sunday line up & you can help show some support to all the staff who have lost jobs.
Boo Station (AKA Zoo Station) - Death Weekend
As part of the Roxy’s Death Weekend celebrations Zoo Station will become “Boo Station”.
Before you go out guising to your discos, we intend on taking you on a panic inducing freak-out…
Boo Station will be serving up the most nightmarish brutal visuals and art, disturbing installations (including a permanent addition to our dj booth), and quite possibly the most uncomfortable nightmarish sounds from deepest darkest Germany & beyond the boundaries of safety and sanity…
We guarantee you displeasure, face melting discomfort, nausea, fear, dark thoughts, and harsh times….
We will lighten the mood somewhat, later on in the evening to allow you to attempt a decent night out afterwards, that is, however, if you haven’t already been sectioned for dancing to our avant harde evils until then…
DRESS CODE - EXTREMELY UNPLEASANT, UNCANNY, SQUINT, WARPED, DEFECTED, BROKEN, WRONG.
Free entry, Roxy Bar
Zoo Station will be taking a break tonight to make way for the fantastic Hidden Door Festival - please come along and enjoy it with us :)
Hidden Door is a creative festival that sees 40 bands, 60 artists, 20 poets and 20 film-makers come together for an exclusive weekend in Edinburgh.
The interactive event showcases some of the most creative Scottish talent around, with live music, art installations, poetry, film and interactive events.
Highlights include a spectacular five band collaboration between Dead Boy Robotics, Lipsync for a Lullaby, The Foundling Wheel, Tokamak and American Men (LuckyMe), as well as poetry, art installations and Impossible Interactions - a room which reacts and interacts with the audience.
Intrigued? Then read more in our programme details section……
Don’t be disappointed, make sure you get your ticket today from Brown Paper Tickets, Tickets Scotland or Ripping Records.
ZOO STATION 4: POLEMIK
TONIGHT WE PLAN TO INSPIRE, DEMOTIVATE, ENCOURAGE, DEMORALISE, PROVOKE, WORRY, RELAX, ENTHUSE, AMUSE, OFFEND, THANK, REASSURE, AND CONCERN YOU… USING NOTHING BUT A STREAM OF CONCEITED SENTENCES…
ALL WORDS ARE CENSORED THOUGHTS…
WHATEVER YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR THE EVENING WHY NOT POP INTO ZOO STATION FOR SOME DRINKS, AND SOME FANTASTIC TUNES STEMMING FROM THE COLOSSAL TREE OF KRAUTROCK?
FREE ENTRY 8PM UNTIL ONE
ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY?
PRINT YOUR SENTENCES OUT ON PAPER
BRING THEM WITH YOU AND GET THEM UP ON THE WALL
ALL WELCOME,
BRAVE STATEMENTS, PURILE THROWAWAYS, POETRY, HAIKU, POLITICAL AGENDAS, SOMNAMBULISTIC INSTRUCTION… WHATEVER…
LETS HAVE SOME FAR FROM SUBLIMINAL BRAINWASHING!
