Get Classical... and Cinematic

As this blog has noted on several occasions, the real musical excitement is happening in contemporary classical. Sure, Chain and the Gang are doing a show in the CCA (and any band that mixes up ironic acceptance of the status quo with BDSM overtones are always alright by me), and Saul Williams is at SWG3 on Friday for two events but there's nothing I like more than an exclusive on an original event.

Tomorrow tonight, Matthew Whiteside and Jason Staddon are launching an open mic night for classical musicians at Bloc Bar in Glasgow. That's the 27th November, and The Vile Blog announced it first. At least, I can't find it anywhere else on the web.

It kicks off at half past nine, and Whiteside and Staddon are inviting anyone who wants to play "Bach, Beethoven, Brahms or Boulez or earlier than any of them." There is an electric piano tuned up and ready to go, although it is strictly Bring Your Own Pianist.

As for Saul Williams, he's doing a gig at SWG3 this Friday - having collaborated with the likes of Erykah Badu, Nas, The Roots and Zack De La Rocha (out of Rage Against the Machine), he brings a very hip hop sensibility to spoken word poetry. Described as "an uncompromising voice determined to tap the adrenaline center of his existence with any tool he can get his hands on," he is one of the few rappers who can lay claim to a serious presence as a poet beyond the musical context.

Before that, Africa in Motion (AiM) Film Festival is screening his film Tey (Aujourd'hui) and Williams will be discussing it afterwards. 

Venue: SWG3, 100 Eastvale Place, Glasgow, G3 8QG

Date: Friday 30 Nov, 4pm

Entry: £5.














View the Film trailer




Film synopsis

He is a strong, healthy man, yet today is the last day of his life. Satché (played by African American musician, poet, writer and actor Saul Williams) recounts his past as he ambles through the familiar streets of his Senegalese home town for the last time. As if on a quest to leave his relationships in peace, he journeys from his parents’ house to his first love, to the friends of his youth, to his wife and children. Satché experiences his concluding moments full of fear, yet exuding serenity. Followed by a congregation of admirers, he weaves through the streets with an unwavering focus on his death foretold.




Meditative and exotic, French/Senegalese director Alain Gomis’ film tells the story of a man who leaves America to return to the land of his birth. It is a poetic and experimental narrative that prompts the audience to contemplate their own mortality.








Following the screening of 'Tey' (Aujourd'hui), Saul Williams will be doing a spoken word performance in SWG3. The performance will take place in the same venue, however they are separate events. Please be aware that the audience in attendance for the screening will be required to exit the building in order to prepare for the evening's performance. Doors will then re-open at 7pm. For more details on Saul's performance, please see: SWG3: Saul Williams