Colin Davies, Author at Blackpool Social Club

20 Oct

AAA Experience at the Grand Theatre

Colin Davies0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performance

When it comes to the arts me and Whitney Houston have something in common, we both believe (believed) that children are the future, and thankfully so does the Grand Theatre Blackpool. This historic theatre, working in partnership with Blackpool and The Fylde College, is offering for the first time ever, 25 lucky youngsters the chance to see what goes on behind the curtains, back drops, scenic props and all the other stuff that make a visit to the theatre so magical. The dressing rooms, under the stage, the rigging, everything that comes together to produce shows that entertain and enlighten.…

11 Oct

Comedy Lovers Invited To Morecambe & Wise Statue Unveiling

Colin Davies0 CommentsLocal News

“Bring me sunshine in your smile. Bring me laughter all the while” The words penned by Arthur Kent and Sylvia Dee that filled our living rooms on a Saturday evening sung by 2 of the funniest men the world of comedy has ever produced. It was 75 years ago when Eric and Ernie first trod the boards as a comedy duo. A partnership that would see then become firm favourites in the nations' hearts. From TV specials to summer seasons, they would have a career that entertained millions. A large part of Morecambe and Wise's performance history was spent on…

07 Oct

Pub Poets Welcome Mark Grist

Colin Davies0 CommentsLiterature & Spoken Word

The Bootleg Social on Topping street is not just another down town bar, it plays host a number of different nights from movies to music. The first Sunday of every month, under the streets of Blackpool, there is a gathering in this place, a group of people known as 'The Pub Poets' It's a very welcoming evening with a couple of open mic section where anyone who wants to share their words with a very warm and encouraging audience can with ease. Organised by Lisa Bower and hosted by the very talented (and very adult themed) Ashley Lister, this night…

04 Oct

Rousing Performances at ReVerb Ignites

Colin Davies0 CommentsLiterature & Spoken Word

There are times when things are just against you. You need to be somewhere yet every set of traffic lights is on red, the traffic is moving at less that walking speed, and you've had a bad day at work that leaves you feeling lethargic, as if you can't be bothered. Well that was me on Friday night. The traffic for the fireworks was dense, traffic lights were letting 3 cars through at a time, and instead of continuing down to the Catholic Club on Queen Street for the first of a new regular Poerty/Music night, I could have quite…

12 Mar

Review: The Half Earth – Light Breaks In

Colin Davies0 CommentsMusic & Gigs

This week has seen a landmark in the emerging career of Blackpool-born singer/songwriter Conor Stephenson. Not only is he starting his first national tour, opening for Lucy Rose, but we also see the release of his first studio EP on UNSHAKEN Records, ‘Light Breaks In.’ Under the band name of The Half Earth, his music has started pricking up ears in the music press. Coming out of the creative ooze that is the Sheffield music scene, which is where Conor studied chemistry at University, he started wooing audiences with just an electric guitar, plenty of reverb and his hypnotic falsetto…

27 Jan

Review: Rae Morris – Unguarded

Colin Davies1 CommentMusic & Gigs

Anyone who has read my occasional submissions to altBlackpool will know that I have been following the career of Rae Morris since her very early days. The first time I heard her was at an open mic night in Scrooges on a wet and cold Tuesday night. It was her second ever live performance. That seems so long ago now for the humble Blackpool songstress has just released her first solo album. This set of recordings represents a milestone in her musical journey which, on the face of it, looks like a sudden thrust into the limelight. After a year…

29 Aug

Creative Spaces

Colin Davies0 CommentsColumns & Opinion, Visual Arts & Exhibitions

As a writer I like space. Not just an area to write, but an area to feel inspired. Some of these areas are easy to understand, full of details and grand gestures while others require a little more imagination to get the most out of them. Here I have listed my five favourite spaces that get the neurons firing in my grey matter, conjuring up images that, for me, translate into words. So, pop pickers, here’s this week’s rundown on the hottest imaginariums on the Fylde Coast. 5. The Comedy Carpet I know a lot of you would think that…

07 May

Rae Morris tops iTunes chart

Colin Davies0 CommentsMusic & Gigs

Do you even know? A beautifully haunting song about the frustrations of having so many ideas, thought and dreams that you want to get out there, yet being surrounded by people that don’t understand what it is you are trying to do or say, is the latest great song from Blackpool singer/songwriter Rae Morris. Released on May 6, 2014 this extremely well craft piece places Rae’s wonderfully enchanting vocals across a soft trip-hop-esque canvas, creating a sound that draws you in and wraps you in a warm blanket, preparing you for the story about to be told. Her lyrics, as…

21 Feb

Interview: John Hegley

Colin Davies0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitions

Sometimes you talk to people you admire and the whole experience can be a tad disappointing. They have no real time for you or they only seem to know the work they have rehearsed and don’t come across as intelligent or interesting as your perceive them to be for their performances. I have just spent half an hour on the phone with John Hegley ahead of his performance at the Catholic Club on Queen Street, tonight. Here is a man who has time for you, who comes across more intelligent and much more interesting than his perceived performances which, for…

27 Jan

Review: Perspectives – Appreciate the Difference

Colin Davies0 CommentsLocal News

When I received my tickets for Perspectives - Appreciate the Difference at Blackpool and Fylde College's Gallery (housed at the University Centre on Palatine Road) I was, to say the least, excited. The bill looked great; Meriel Malone, Trevor Meaney, and the 'Count of MontiGristo', Mark Grist, heading the list. You can imagine my surprise when, just before leaving my house, I received a message to bring some of my work with me. Upon arrival I found out why. Malone had taken ill on her way to Blackpool and left the organisers with a headache. So Lisa Kelly, top brass…