Bands wanting gigs/support slots at The C&G



Category: Music


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Please not to anyone wanting a gig/support slot etc

Please do not apply for gigs via the myspace or via facebook.

The
Cheese and Grain very rarely will put on acts on its own, so please
don't ask.  The Hall is available to hire should you want to put on
your own event - it is also rare that requests for support acts are
successful, but it is worth a try as some promoters like to get local
bands in with a local fan base. However please do not pester the office
with multiple requests as the staff are very busy.
email  office@cheeseandgrain.co.uk  for details
 

MICK POINTER & SPECIAL GUESTS      CHEESE & GRAIN   FROME 
..21/01/09......

.. ..

For those who may not be familiar with
‘Mick Pointer’, here’s a brief biog. In 1979 in Buckinghamshire Mick starts to
put together a band called ‘Silmarillion’ (later shortened to Marillion) from the
ashes of a previous project. Musicians came & went until finally the line
up of  Steve Rothery, Pete Trewavas, Mark
Kelly, Fish & Mick Pointer came together to record ..Script for a jesters
tear..  in 1982. With in the space of 18
months they go from pubs to clubs to headlining the Hammersmith Odeon &
reaching the top of the album charts, all this with their debut album was
unheard of, for a rock band back in the early eighties. Then disaster strikes
for Mick as he’s fired from his own band. Fast forward to 1995, Mick is back
with a new band called Arena under his own record label known as Verglas. Whilst
on tour around 2005 with his band Arena, he stumbled across a poster of Fish
performing Misplaced Childhood, & the seed of thought, for the ..Script for
a jesters tour.. is sown……….. .

   The
band takes to the stage ..9pm..
& open with ‘Script for a jesters’ tear. Brian Cummings looks resplendent
with his Fish mullet, face paint & costume. Next up is ‘He knows you know’
but not before a quality bit of banter about his fake Scottish accent & the
fact that he’s a Scouser, big laughs all round & the atmosphere in the hall
lifts. ‘He knows you know’ flows into the ‘Garden Party’ via some Fish banter and
stories from around ‘83’ leading into ‘The Web’ complete with the Rubber plant
or was that Robert Plant being torn apart. Between songs the banter continues,
with Brian telling his own stories of growing up, becoming a young fan of
‘Marillion’. To young to go to the shows he improvised by sneaking a beer &
a fag or two upstairs in the family home, where he listened to the
records.  This sits comfortably along
side the one liners & stories that ‘Fish’ told around this period.
‘Forgotten Sons’ which is as relevant 
today as it was 25 years ago, finishes off the first half of the show
with Brian wearing camo gear & using 
the mike stand as a gun & bayonet.

 The
second half of the set is made up of b.. sides & singles, including the near
mythical ‘Grendal’, 22 minutes of pure prog heaven.

 Encore for the evening was the Scottish jig
‘Margaret’, all too soon it was over.

 Mick
has surrounded himself with some great musicians & found an excellent front
man to play the part of Fish, remember this is not Marillion this is Mick
Pointers 1983 Marillion.

If you were a fan of the band years ago or
have only recently discovered the new Marillion, you need to see this show. ..Script
for a jesters tear.. kick started the whole prog rock revival of the eighties
& still stands the test of time.

 After the show Mick told me that what he has
tried to do is to make the whole show authentic from the costumes to the props
to the light show. In my opinion he has definitely succeeded.

‘So, any plans for a 30^thanniversary
tour?’

 ‘Well
first we have to celebrate the 26^th, 27^th, 28^th,
29^th anniversary!’

 Proof,
if needed the man is having a good time.

The t/shirt proclaims ‘So here I am once
more.’

  I reckon it’s not before time.

.. ..

For more info about the tour & Arena
visit   www.myspace.com/scriptforajesterstour    www.verglas.com

.. ..

Jon Jon 2009