Sat by the Volks enjoying the weather; scooters rolling up, people drinking, taking in the sunshine and the good times.

So, here’s some pictures for all the guys and girls who rode down. And a big hello to the biker dude who revved his engine on the way past!

If you like the images, just share on Facebook via the link at the bottom and watch out for more…

Brighton is known for many things: entertainment, fashion, music, digital culture and its love of the obscure. But if there’s a Brighton image that stays in the front of many people’s minds, it’s the one of mods and rockers battling it out on the beach.

The mid-sixties were a time when the generation born after the war was expressing itself.  And these two sub-cultures ended up as rivals, and clashed in running battles on Brighton seafront.

Perhaps the symbol of the mod culture was the Vespa motorbike. This, a parka with a target on the back, and a Ben Sherman were de rigueur for mods at the time – at least that’s how they are represented, there was, and is, much more to mod culture than Quadrophenia.

Now, if you love the scooters, this weekend is the one for you: it’s the Mad Weekender. There will be Lambrettas and Vespas from all around the world rolling up.

It’s been 46 years since the original modernists made their impression on Brighton and celebrations will be going on all weekend.

Volks is hosting the welcome party and Komedia is running two consecutive all-nighters.

And to finish off, there’s a scooter competition on Sunday followed by a ride out to Beachy Head.

So expect to see some proper dapper gents, and box-jacketed babes. Brighton: the mod generation is back in town!

For more on what it means to be mod now, look here and here

If you are coming to Brighton with your family, or just taking a leisurely stroll along the seafront, drop in to Brunswick Square, you’re sure to have a good time.

A festival for all the family

The Brunswick Festival now runs over two consecutive weekends, but this weekend is the one for the townsfolk.

Imagine a festival organised by residents, not event organisers; think homegrown talent and homegrown foods. It’s a local festival for local people, but everyone’s always welcome.

There’s usually a main stage for the live bands and oddball children’s entertainers, lots of food stalls and enough Reiki healers and Yoga practitioners to chill an army. Imagine it: A Yoga army! No more destruction, just very supple and well-grounded enemies – very nice end to the weekend thankyouverymuch.

You’ll find bric-a-brac stalls to rummage through, hear tunes you’ll dance to, and sample lots of home brewed beer – it was lovely the last two times we went, no doubt it will be great this weekend.

There is just one problem though: If you are visiting with your family and children, it will make you want to move to Brunswick Square, it’s lovely, and the festival is a showcase of the Brighton community at its best.

Bring a rug, bring a kaftan, bring whoever you find along the way, even bring your gran. It’s going down (peacefully) this weekend in Brunswick Square.

Inline with Brighton’s quirky coffee culture, it’s a lovely spot to sit. While other places have more outrageous décor, the owners have kept a lid on their creative juices, just letting them flow enough to make the place interesting.

Grab a cuppa...

This was the first place we found the delightful chocolate on a stick drinks – thick chunks of chocolate that you dunk in hot milk, mmmm.

There’s also a fine selection of stickies and cakes, with some sandwich and salad items as well.

It’s a great spot for bookworms, too. Just take along an unwanted paperback and swap for one from their shelf. And with it being Brighton, you know there is always something zany, spiritual or radical to leaf through.

The café is small however, but this adds to the ambience. It’s the place to round off a good shopping session, or creep into mid-week, far from the madding crowd.

If you prefer, there’s always the coffee chains just around the corner. But why bother? After all, they costa too much and you get very few stars for your bucks…

Theatre Royale Brighton

When you get a ticket for the cinema there’s no need to dress up, but when it’s for an evening at the theatre, it’s time to get out the glad rags.

Brighton’s Theatre Royal may be steeped in tradition, but it’s far from frumpy; a quick look at what’s on in August reveals a diversity of performances.

Even though stars such as Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart may have treaded the Brighton Theatre Royal’s boards, there’s still always been room for family friendly shows and light-hearted performances.

Sir Ian McKellen

Coming soon is ‘The Gruffalo’, the tale of a mouse as it evades predators with the help of an imaginary monster, and the eternally entertaining musical ‘The Blues Brothers’.

The theatre was another of the Prince of Wales’ projects and opened in 1807, with a performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Even so, such a prestigious opening couldn’t guarantee long-term success and the theatre suffered repeated periods of neglect; not that you’d notice today, as slap bang in the middle of town, the theatre is enjoying another run of popularity.

As one of the top five oldest working theatres in the country, there’s little surprise this building has a ghost or two – if the stories are true, she is regularly haunted by four spectres, including the diminutive but chilling ‘Grey Lady’.

The most recent refurbishments, by owners ATG, brought the theatre back to life with fresh carpets, wallpaper and seating. Superficial changes aside, this is as authentic as theatres get.

And at this theatre, Jake and Ellwood Blues get to share the same limelight that shone on Laurence Olivier and Marlene Dietrich.

Live theatre has no competitor. No movie ever created such a sense of occasion, or captivated an audience in such a way.

Here, in some way the audience also gets to bathe in the limelight – something that will never happen in screen 5 of your local Odeon.

Here’s what’s on this month:

22 – 27 August

The Gruffalo – Join Mouse on an adventurous journey through the deep dark wood and meet a wheeler-dealer Fox, an eccentric old owl, a maraca-shaking, party-mad Snake! Mouse can scare these hungry animals away with tall stories of the terrifying Gruffalo, but what happens when he comes face to face with the very creature he imagined, Wed 1:30pm, Thurs & Fri 11:30am & 1:30pm, £11

22 August

An Audience with Julian Clary

Join master raconteur Julian Clary who will be talking about his life in the spotlight and his latest novel Devil in Disguise, a darkly funny and deeply rude triumph! 

 Helping Julian to delve into the deepest recesses of his bountiful closet will be friend and confidante Joanne Good popular presenter of BBC London’s Late Show for what promises to be an afternoon of laughter, innuendo and anecdote. 

Following his ‘cozy chat’ with Joanne, Julian will be opening himself up for questioning and signing copies of his book Devil in Disguise which will be available to buy at the theatre.

31 August – 04 September

The Blues Brothers – The legendary original tribute to the Blues Brothers returns to the UK & is back in Brighton at last!
Jake & Elwood know that home is where the heart is, and having crashed & crooned their way through sell-out shows all over Europe, they’re back in the UK to bring back the good times. All the classic songs feature including Everybody, Shake Ya Tail Feather, Sweet Home Chicago, Think, Respect, Gimme Some Loving & many many more, 7:45pm. Tues-Thurs eves 7:45pm. Fri 5pm & 8pm. Sat 4pm & 8pm, £13.50-£29.50

Saturday 28 August

ABBA and the Bee Gees

The UK’s favourite touring concert show, ABBA meet the Bee Gees in this live spectacular starring ABBA Magic, performing million-sellers including Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, Waterloo and The Winner Takes It All and Bee Gees Magic, performing number one hits like Stayin’ Alive, Massachusetts, Night Fever, How Deep Is Your Love and million-sellers penned by the Bee Gees for other artists including Islands in the Stream, Heartbreaker and Chain Reaction.

Tuesday 24 August

The Texas Tenors

The incredible voices of these classically trained Tenors, J.C, Marcus and John, perform the most romantic songs of the last Century and bring their unique blend of gospel, country, classical and Broadway to the stage with breathtaking vocals, humour and a hint of cowboy charm. From well-loved arias, to show songs, from Nessun Dorma to My Way, The Texas Tenors cover every genre of music, effortlessly!

FURTHER INFORMATION ON TICKETS AND AVAILABILITY, HERE

All photos: Mark Pawlak

The pictures are free to use, just credit to our photographer Mark Pawlak.

Still lovin' it!

So, you made it! It’s going to be another crazy weekend in Brighton. This weekend the town comes out and shows its true colours. There will be fun and games aplenty.

But if you are here for the first time, there are a few premiere spots you should take a look at. We’ve put together a slightly sideways look at the city : The Five Fingers of Brighton.

The Pier

You can’t leave without walking along the pier: it’s against the rules. As daft as it sounds, the pier is great fun. So, after a night of festivities grab a deckchair, and put your feet up on the rails and snooze. But if you’re feeling more energetic, try the dance machines or the rackety mousetrap roller coaster. It doesn’t make 21^st century sense, but who cares? Enjoy!

The Beach

Everybody packs into one section of the beach. Makes no sense. But do it anyway, even if it is just for a bit. Why? Because, here’s where the heart of Brighton can be found. A little boozy, at times a little rowdy, but it is a snapshot of the Brighton tribe: Students in awe of their new home, hippies feeling the vibe, commuters trapped in the stones; it’s the town’s home from home.

The North Lanes (Laines)

Defies description, but let’s try: Hotchpotch carnival of headshops, cafes, music stores, tattoo parlours, dental surgeries, yes dental surgeries, health shops, guitar shops and people visiting the few remaining regular shops – those that have somehow dropped below the radar of time. Populated by fashionistas, dropouts, walkthroughs, shoppers, freaks, dudes, emos, goths, bboy 80s revivalists, etc.

The South Lanes (Laines)

A rabbit warren of high-fashion boutiques, jewellery stores and restaurants. The South Lanes connects the city to the sea: at the bottom there’s the prom; at the top there’s Sydney Street, which leads to Churchill Square; the far left fringe borders West Street and the far right almost connects to the North Lanes. The Lanes are more cousins than twins; the south is prim and proper, while the north is rough and ready – to be explored…

The Pavilion

An oddity of architecture, the Pavilion is a tourist magnet. That said, and as is the case across Brighton, the expected tourist throng just gets assimilated into the hubris. The Pavillion should be a horrendous trip bus postcard fest, but somehow even this landmark has sufficient style to shrug off conformity. A palace fit for a mad king, left behind after a colonial high tide. It’s a palace fit for Brighton. Nice teacakes too!

It's Pride 2010!

If you’re arriving in Brighton for the first time this weekend you are in for a pleasant surprise: it’s Pride 2010! Brighton celebrates all sexualities, and from today you will really see them all, because it’s ’showtime’!

This is Brighton: it is different, it is special and this weekend it’s the Pride festival. So, who better to explain the delights and dramas of Pride than trustee Geoffrey Bowden, interviewed here:

Why does Brighton celebrate Pride?

Apart from the fact that Brighton and Hove has one of the largest LGBT communities outside London, it is a reminder that LGBT lives should be celebrated.  The festival certainly does that, but it is also an opportunity to educate the wider community that prejudice against Lesbian Gay Bi-sexual and Trans people should not be tolerated.

Just what can we expect this year?

A packed parade with all aspects of LGBT life being celebrated, but also floats and walking tableau from a wide range of organisations showing their solidarity with the LGBT community, including the RAF, fire services, trade unions, political parties, the Coop, Barclays Bank and many, many more.

There will be all the much-loved features on Preston Park, including a main dance tent, the women’s performance tent, the Calibash and cabaret tents, the community area and two market areas (one family-oriented and the other catering for adult tastes).  There will also be a giant screen so that those on the park early can see the parade, but also use the screen to broadcast messages during the day.  An inter-faith tent will cater for those wishing to celebrate the spiritual side of LGBT life, while for those who like fun-fairs, these will be another familiar feature. And for those with disabilities, there is a viewing area on the parade route and there will also be an access tent on the park.

Partying in Preston Park

Still sometimes referred to as ‘Gay Pride’, how does Pride support the wider LGBT community?

The festival is a celebration of LGBT lives and Pride offers all the community groups a highly visible platform to show off their work to a wider audience.  When funds are available, Pride also provides small grants to help as many of the community groups as possible.

In the past, some public events have been pretty ‘in your face’. Who decides just how far you can go?

Pride in Brighton & Hove is a charity run by its members through its trustees.  We work closely with all the statutory authorities to make Pride safe and enjoyable for everyone.  We cannot lay down rules about what constitutes good taste, but if aspects of what actually takes place during the day breaks the law, then the Police and our own security contractors will take immediate action.

Straight people love Pride too. What’s the appeal?

You would have to ask them, but judging by the comments on social networking sites and letters to local media, they enjoy the party atmosphere on the Park and viewers of the parade relish the colourful spectacle.

On the day, once all the work has been done, what will the Pride team do to celebrate?

Collapse in a heap!  The team will have been working on the day for about 18 or 19 hours solidly and will probably not have the energy to do anything other than raise a weak cheer, before we trudge off to our beds.  The important thing for us is that the community has a good time and if they do we will certainly celebrate that!

For more information about the weekend, take a look here.

Share on Facebook ]]> http://www.ambassadorbrighton.co.uk/brighton-blog/?feed=rss2&p=941 0 http://www.ambassadorbrighton.co.uk/brighton-blog/?p=924 http://www.ambassadorbrighton.co.uk/brighton-blog/?p=924#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:57:20 +0000 mark http://www.ambassadorbrighton.co.uk/brighton-blog/?p=924 Bursting onto our TV screens back in 2008 during the BBC’s Last Choir Standing, Brighton’s Gay Men’s Chorus has gone on to represent Brighton and the gay choral tradition in a number of ways.

Read more on Brighton’s Gay Men’s Chorus: Interviewed…

Bursting onto our TV screens back in 2008 during the BBC’s Last Choir Standing, Brighton’s Gay Men’s Chorus has gone on to represent Brighton and the gay choral tradition in a number of ways.

Rod Edmunds

Here, on the eve of its Pride performance, Rod Edmunds, the chorus’ chairman, reveals all…

Tell us a little about how Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus started. 



Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus (Brighton GMC) sprung into life in 1995. It was the brainchild of a group of former members of the London Gay Men’s Chorus. When they moved down to live in our glorious City by the sea, they were surprised to discover that Brighton did not already have its own gay male-voice choir. Five years on and the Brighton GMC has in excess of 60 members, making us the largest male gay Chorus outside London. 



It’s your fifth anniversary, how’s the celebration going?

So far it’s been hectic, but terrific fun; and, surprise, surprise, we have decided to keep on partying through to the start of the next year! We kicked off with a birthday concert, “Now We Are Five”, both a retrospective and also a “first” for us. It marked our first concert promotion as part of Brighton’s Fringe festival: It was a sell-out!


The Last Choir Standing performance was fantastic, what’s happened since? 



You are so right – we had an absolute ball! Representing Brighton and the gay choral tradition on prime time BBC Saturday night television, and reaching into the living rooms of 7.4 million viewers, was an amazing experience. And it has brought Brighton GMC any number of wonderful opportunities – some of the these include being invited to support Spymonkey’s national tour of “Moby Dick” when it came to last year’s Brighton Comedy Festival, and sharing the stage at the Dome with “Only Men Aloud” (the winners of Last Choir Standing) were in town. Then, just before last Christmas, 60s Icon Sandie Shaw joined us to be our special guest when we playing to nearly 2,000 people in our Christmas extravaganza, “Make the Yuletide Gay”, at London’s Barbican Hall. We have also been thrilled to be invited to perform live (and on CD) with the legendary 1970s punk band, The Damned. 



What do you look for in would-be choristers? 



There is no blueprint. If there is one overriding hallmark, then it is a desire to give enthusiastic performances – for, as Russell Watson noted, we are “showmen”. We aim to have fun and transmit that vibe so that we can send our 
audiences home thoroughly entertained. Our members come from all walks of life and span a broad age spectrum. Part of our mission – enshrined in our Constitution – is that membership should be open to anybody who wants to join, irrespective of musical training or vocal ability.

Pride is just around the corner, anything planned? 



Yes, we are hard at work putting the finishing touches to our show, “A Cheap Gay Return!” which will help launch the weeklong Pride celebrations at 8 pm on July 30th and July 31st at St George’s Church, Kemptown. The show follows the staff who work at, and the revellers who pass through, Mrs Bennet’s station tea rooms at Brighton Junction on Pride day itself. The audience will be treated to a range of numbers including, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”; “Angels”; “I Will Follow Him”; and “Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart”. During Pride week we are appearing on the bill of “MindOut for the Laughs”, MindOut’s next fundraiser at the Komedia (7.30 on August 5th). And to round off the first half of our birthday year, we have a stall Pride in the Park (so, come and say hello).

What is it about living and singing in Brighton that is so special? 



Ah, there really is nowhere in the UK to match Brighton; the mix of people, the sea, a laid back sense of acceptance. It all makes for something truly special. But important as it is for us to be able to make our distinctive musical contribution as part of this City’s vibrant gay culture and its history, our singing lives are made all the more special because in this City our appeal and our audiences is not confined by any narrow or prescriptive labels to do with sexual identity. 



As a choir, you must have a favourite tune…



Put 60 gay chorus members in a concert hall and you are likely to get as many, if not more, nominations for our favourite tune! But here’s a couple of all-time favourites: “Dancing Queen”, Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” and of course, “I Am What I Am”.

IF YOU WANT A TICKET FOR THIS WEEKEND YOU’LL HAVE TO HURRY! THEY ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE DOME TICKET OFFICE, SEE YOU THERE…

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