Live Music Head-lines again in Hackney

Added: (Tue Aug 09 2005)

Pressbox (Press Release) - **Launch of Live Music event Afterglow blu at Hackney Central on 8th September 2005

** MOBO Unsigned award winner to kick off proceedings

**Continues the Hackney Arts Revival, following re-opening of Hackney Empire.

A new monthly live music event will hit Mare Street’s Hackney Central venue on Thursday 8th September 2005. Afterglow blu is launching a series of peformances at the east London venue, following a year of successful artist showcases in Shoreditch and Camden.

Discerning music lovers are invited to attend from 8:00 pm onwards for a show featuring Afterglow blu’s band Slo Burn and four special guest vocalists: fola (MOBO Unsigned award winner), poet, singer and musician Zena Edwards, Low Budget Soul vocalist Randolph Matthews and composer Paul Gladstone Reid in his alias Dark Starr. DJ Mike Young will keep them entertained until 1am.

Slo Burn play a fusion of funky soul and jazz. Their set-list typically features music of artists as diverse as Grover Washington Jr, Terry Callier, Prince, Dianne Reeves, Baba Maal, Tania Maria and Anita Baker. Each month they will be joined by guest vocalists performing their own original material, and other special surprise performances.

Tickets are priced at £7, but a special £5 guest list is available for the launch night on September 8th. To reserve this special price, guests should email bookings@afterglowblu.com by the 7th September giving the names and email addresses of themselves and any friends who would like to take up this offer.

The venue has a full service restaurant on the ground floor, and a cocktail bar and mixed table seating and standing for the show upstairs. Disabled guests are welcomed.

Event Manager Patricia Kotey said: “There has been huge demand from our audience for table bookings, a comfortable and accessible venue, and a later closing time where they can enjoy our live music. We are really happy to offer them an entertainment package at Afterglow blu at Hackney Central that will enable them to have dinner, drinks, our live show and dance all under one roof.”

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For further information see visitor information or notes for editors below, or contact Remi Harris. Also contact Remi for images, review tickets for the event or to arrange an interview.

Remi Harris at 07775 715 642 or email remi@afterglowblu.com


LISTINGS & VISITOR INFORMATION

Event Name: Afterglow blu at Hackney Central

Type of Event: Live Music featuring Slo Burn playing a fusion of funky soul and jazz, and special guest vocalists fola, Zena Edwards, Randolph Matthews and Dark Starr. Plus DJ.

Date and Time: Thursday 8th September 2005, then second Thursday each month; 13th October 2005, 10th November 2005 and 8th December 2005.

Doors open at 8:00pm. Live Music 8:30pm – 10:30pm. Bar and DJ continue until 1:00am.

Venue: Hackney Central, The Former Railway Station, Corner of Amhurst Road and Mare Street, London E8 1LL.

Admission: £7, special £5 guest list for launch event. To get names on the list email bookings@afterglowblu.com with names and email addresses. Table bookings for the show are available on request, via the promoters at the same email address.
For pre-show restaurant bookings contact Hackney Central via www.hackneycentral.com.

Access:
Hackney Central is a disabled accessible venue. Afterglow blu is a non-smoking event.

To reach Hackney Central there is the North London train line which drops you at Hackney Central station next door, or buses from Liverpool Street, Highbury and Islington, Bethnal Green or Angel Tubes and the local area. (Destination Mare Street: D6, 26, 30, 38, 48, 55, 106, 236, 242, 253, 276, 277, N38, N55, N236, N253, W15).

For car drivers there is inexpensive on street parking until 11pm, free after 11pm.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Afterglow blu is a London based organisation that has been promoting live music events for the past year. They provide a platform for signed and unsigned vocalists and musicians to perform their original material, and book performers for residencies to help them build up a live audience.

The music policy includes Soul, Jazz, World Music, Folk and Rock. Previous guest artists include Eshe Escoffery, Zena Edwards, Nemo Jones and Sanchita Farruque. Sucesses arising from the event include the selection of resident artist fola as lead vocalist for Manchester-based indie/electronic band Mint Royale (Faith and Hope/SonyBMG).

The Compere and Musical Director is drummer Justin Pickett, who is widely known as an actor for his role in hit Channel 4 sitcom “Desmond’s”. He is an accomplished musician, performing with the Kindred Spirit Collective (Ty, Michelle Escoffery, Don-E, Nate James), Lifeforce (Imaani, Alison Evelyn) & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Their website is www.afterglowblu.com.

Hackney Central is a light and airy venue on two floors, with high ceilings, large windows, a red-lit bar and black leather lounge seating. The venue won the National Award for Best Bar at the Smirnoff BEDA* awards 2004. The venue is based on Mare Street, near the Hackney Empire and next-door to Hackney Central station. Past live events at the venue have featured Omar, Loose Ends, Mica Paris and Shola Ama.

Their website address is www.hackneycentral.com

* BEDA is the Bar Entertainment and Drinks Association