Radio / Tour: Legends Of The Dancefloor: A Piece Of Paradise / A Tribute To Larry Levan European Tour 2011

Here’s a quick heads up to check out the various events in honour of Larry Levan happening at the moment. First up are two programs on Radio 1 / Radio 6 dedicated to Larry Levan. The documentary ‘Legends Of The Dancefloor – A Piece Of Paradise’ finds many US & UK’s artists and DJs who were in one way or another connected to Larry Levan, including David Depino, Michael Linder, Vince Aletti, Manny Lehman, Michael De Benedictus of the Peech Boys, Nicky Siano, DJ Harvey & Heidi Lawden, Paul Oakenfold, Judy Weinstein, Justin Berkmann, John Morales, Tom Moulton, Taana Gardner & Victor Rosado. There’s also a four hour recording originally aired on WBLS during the second anniversary of the Paradise Garage with commentary by iconic radio DJ Frankie Crocker, the ‘Chief Rocker’. This 1979 recording with Levan in the mix, plus live shows by Loleatta Holloway, Dan Hartman & Sylvester sounds pretty special. More information here.

Secondly there is a tour with Victor Rosado (who was schooled by Levan) & Lenny Fontana with warm up from DJ Alex & Johnny Chingas. Rosado was one of the few DJs that played at the Garage so expect the Garage aesthetic.

Tour dates at present…

23rd July in Dublin @ Crawdaddy
28th July in Oslo @ Jaeger
30th July in London @ Fabric
4th Aug in Berlin @ Cookies
6th Aug in Manchester @ Soup Kitchen

Check here on Facebook for further information.

[Apiento]

Radio Documentary: Radio 4 / Ibiza Documentary

Life is funny sometimes. I have had the book, ‘The White Island (Two Thousand Years Of Pleasure In Ibiza)’ by Stephen Armstrong on the bookshelf for about five years and kept thinking, I’ll read that one day. Last week I picked it up and have been really enjoying it. The best bit for me was the chapter I read last night on the arty contingent of authors, actors and artists, that moved to the island from the 60s onwards.

Today our friend Jolyon sent us this documentary from BBC Radio 4 that focuses on those very people. The hippies, the arty contingent and the original community from the 60s. True fact, Joni Mitchell used to live in Ibiza. As did Nico. As did Terry Thomas who apparently had a car with little flowers painted all over to match a shirt he had. Terry Thomas also says in an interview about why he likes the island so much that ‘I don’t speak Spanish so I can’t get bored of anyone.’ Anyway, the interviews are brilliant ranging from one of the original hippies to Sandy Pratt the legendary barman from Sandy’s Bar. Good music too.

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Thanks to Jolyon Green.

[Apiento]

TV: Edwyn Collins ‘Home Again’ BBC3

In music documentary terms, triumph over adversity usually refers to someone getting over a drink or drug problem of their own making. For Edwyn Collins, much loved for songs like ‘Falling And Laughing’ and ‘Rip It Up’ with Orange Juice and for his standalone 1994 hit ‘Girl Like You’, his triumph was a real one. This documentary, first screened last year by Artworks Scotland and voiced by Alex Kapranos follows Edwyn as he recovers from a brain hemorrahage and stroke in 2005, learning to read walk, and talk again – and incredibly to write new songs and eventually to make his way back onstage. The film culminates with his performance at the BBC Electric Proms in 2007 and if you can watch him perform ‘Home Again’ without welling up then you’re made of stone. But it’s the final shot that’s the real killer. Asked what he misses about his old life (which incidentally, he doesn’t really remember), Collins pauses for a long time. “Nothing,” he says eventually. “Nothing at all.”

‘Home Again’ is available on the BBC iPlayer until Friday 25th September 2009. Watch it. Also available is the Caledonia Dreamin’ documentary covering the history of Scottish pop music and in particular Postcard Records.

[Emma Warren]