Looking ahead to 2010

There’s a wealth of gigs to look forward to here at Southbank Centre in 2010, from John Cale & Heritage Orchestra playing Paris 1919 to our major festivals Ether and Meltdown, as well as shows from Henry Rollins, Mariza and Richard Hawley. There’s plenty more in the pipeline too so watch out for new announcements.

Even in our post-Christmas January detox we’re also looking forward to indulging in as many new records as possible. 2010 warms up with Vampire Weekend’s Contra, which follows their widely acclaimed eponymous debut, before the arrival of albums from the likes of Sigur Rós’ Jónsi, Hot Chip and Interpol later in the year.

Johnny Marr narrated video wins Hayward Gallery’s Ed Ruscha Film Challenge

To celebrate our current exhibition, Ed Ruscha: Fifty Years of Painting, the Hayward Gallery held an open competition challenging film-makers to produce the best 30-second video about the exhibition, conveying the spirit and look of the artist’s ground-breaking work.

We are delighted to announce that Fiona Skinner’s film, featuring words and music from Smiths’ guitarist Johnny Marr, is the winner of the Ed Ruscha Film Challenge, judged by artists Louise Wilson and Jeremy Deller alongside Hayward Gallery Director Ralph Rugoff. Along with top prizes of a Canon HDV Camcorder and a handy pocket-sized Flip Ultra camcorder, the winning entry will also be shown at Hayward Gallery.

Watch the winning video embedded below and see the best of the runners up at our Ed Ruscha microsite.

A Fond Farewell to 2009 and the Noughties (we can’t wait for 2010…)

JUST SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2009

AND THE NOUGHTIES

It’s been an incredible year for gigs here at Southbank Centre. We’ve seen Brian Eno join David Byrne onstage at Ether, Ornette Coleman reuniting with Charlie Haden, Spiritualized performing Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, Yo La Tengo covering Bob Dylan and The Velvet Underground and taking questions from the audience, Laura Marling playing with Andrew Bird, and much, much more.

Post Show: Dirty Three + Josh T. Pearson at Queen Elizabeth Hall

With Nick Cave watching in the wings, Bad Seed Warren Ellis took centre-stage as Dirty Three raced, roamed and rocked through favourites from their back-catalogue including ‘Kim’s Dirt’, ‘Sue’s Last Ride’, ‘Hope’, ‘Sea Above, Sky Below’ and ‘Authentic Celestial Music.’

Upcoming Gig: Richard Hawley at Royal Festival Hall

Recently pronounced by The Daily Telegraph as ‘the country’s most accomplished songwriter’, on the 9th January 2010, Richard Hawley brings his extraordinary songwriting talents to Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre. Hawley performs songs from throughout his career, focusing particularly on his latest critically acclaimed studio album Truelove’s Gutter.

Hailed as ‘the record of his career’ (The Guardian), Truelove’s Gutter features some of Hawley’s most intimate work to date, examining the fractured and damaged times in which we live, from perspectives alternately tender and dark.

Though Hawley is a consummate collaborator – having worked alongside such icons as Shirley Bassey, Nancy Sinatra and Tony Christie, as well as contemporaries Pulp, Elbow, Arctic Monkeys and Lisa Marie Presley – this evening is his alone. His unique voice and soaring guitar solos are accompanied by his band of Sheffield stalwarts.

Only a few tickets remain for this very special show, head on over to the link below to book:
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/music/gigs-contemporary/tickets/richard-hawley-50230

Post Show: Lisa Hannigan

Photos and reviews from an evening of beautiful new folk music.

Reviews

One might be tempted to describe her as being “girl next door”, except nobody really lives next door to anyone this cute and talented.
– Russ Coffey, The Arts Desk