Departure Lounge @ the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool - This Saturday!

This Saturday, 27th February, in a world premiere, Paul J. Abbott and Departure Lounge will perform at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool as part of their Musician's Gallery series. Departure Lounge will invite the Gallery itself to perform, weaving a promenade programmme of the sounds of the Gallery, of its visitors and staff, together with songs and instrumental music through 400 years of imagery.

Visitors can pass through, stop or join in, contributing to the evolving composition with noises, comments, jottings and doodles, leading to a performance that's both fresh and responsive to the vibes and echoes of the building.

The performance includes a new take on the heritage of Northern English traditional song, and also music for King Henry VIII, to be performed in front of Holbein's famous picture of him. This week the performance will be in short segments from 12 noon until 4 pm: come when and for as long as you wish!

Along with some familiar faces, we'll be welcoming our newest Lounger, Helen Temperley, performing on vocals, viola and percussion.

More details on line at http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/events/musiciansgallery_events.aspx... Hope to see you all there!

Its been a while...

Well... we've had a busy few months, to say the least. The Cabaret Electronica project has produced several demo tracks - after hooking up with singer (and new honorary lounger) Sarah Glayzer (www.myspace.com/missscarletandthecandlesticks - we'll share them soon, for sure.
In the meantime, James has been composing in the Orkney islands and rebuilding his website at www.jamesstephenson.org.uk (final version coming soon) - Paul is working on an enormous project based around the history and culture of Salford, and Gina's been working on a radio play, not to mention having a piece staged at the Contact theatre (http://www.contact-theatre.org/) a couple of months back.
So no news is good news, as they say... but the latest lounge offerings are progressing well, and we'll be sharing a few sneak previews with you all before too long.
Happy lounging.

R.I.P Harold Pinter

Just a quick - and slightly late - post this holiday season, to pay tribute to Harold Pinter, who passed away on Christmas Eve. One of our very first Departure Lounge performances was the music for Mary Luckhurst's production of Pinter's Landscape in York, a powerful work which has stayed with us all, and which we often still recall. Pinter was an inspiration both in his writing and his political passion and commitment; a true icon of the Twentieth Century.

I would like to stand by the sea...

Harold Pinter - Landscape

On a slightly different note - to all of our readers and listeners, very best wishes for 2009, from all of us at Departure Lounge.

Sunday Lounging...

Well. We've had a great day of Lounge recording - and also, a glass of wine or three! Anyway, Paul had a great gig on Monday, at the 'Gobsmacked' event in Kilburn, London - videos coming soon on the DLXA YouTube channel. Meanwhile, today's session involved much recording - including Gina's story about the hidden tunnels under Manchester, and a studio version of 'Your Spell' (have a listen to our first Podcast to hear the original improv version...)

More news soon...

J & G.

Website gets fresh new look

Ive been busy plugging away at the new Departure Lounge Arts website, www.departureloungearts.co.uk New information and updates will be posted all the time and the online shop should be ready soon.

Happy Departing!

Introducing...

...the 'loungers'...

Current Projects:

(1) Folk-Storytelling-Improv

• Paul J. Abbott - voice, clarinet, guitar, composition
• James Stephenson - oboes, composition
• Gina Perry - storytelling, writing, voice, historical research

(2) Cabaret Electronica

• Paul J. Abbott - voice, guitars, keyboards, programming
• James Stephenson - oboes, keyboards, programming
• Rob Clark - guitars, mandolin