The Jeff Buckley International Newsletter
The Only Official Fan Club & Newsletter
(Authorized & guided by the family of Jeff Buckley)
*All rights reserved* Vol. 12:04 02/12/10
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-The Last Goodbye: Guest List
-A Jeff Buckley Adulation PA-5/15
-PRT Featured Artist: Two Spot Gobi
-Matt Johnson New CD: Cagefighter
-Bray, Ireland-Event Recap
Jeff Buckley – Scene & Heard
– K.D Lang Hails Jeff Buckley as Number One !
– UK’s Uncut Mag: “Grace Around The World” Top DVD
– NPR Feature: Listen to Jeff Buckley-Mountain Stage
– Actor Ben Foster Prepares for Role w/ JB Music
– Latest JB News: Twitter, You Tube, FB & MySpace
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Not The Last “Last Goodbye”
Musical Adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
March 12, at the Westside Arts Theater – Manhattan
Ticket Giveaway-Enter Now!
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By Alison Raykovich
For those of you who didn’t get a chance to see the Joe’s Pub performance of “The Last Goodbye”, last year, we have good news! The Public Theater is sponsoring another “stand-up reading” of this musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet using Jeff’s music, and we have FREE PAIRS OF TICKETS TO GIVE AWAY! The reading (no dancing, no costumes – just a band and voices) is to take place on March 12, at the Westside Arts Theater, at 407 West 43rd Street, in Manhattan.
Submit your entry to win a pair of tickets to [email protected] by MARCH 1st 12:00 AM EDT. You will be promptly notified by email if you have won! Limit one pair per person.
Even more exciting, the project has been invited to participate in the Williamstown Theatre Festival, in Williamstown, MA (www.wtfestival.org). If all goes as planned, the show will open on August 4th, and run until the 21st. With this production, we will add choreography, costumes, staging, and all the other bells and whistles that any proper musical should have.
Who knows where it will go from there? (Fingers crossed!)
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A JEFF BUCKLEY ADULATION
May 15th at the Rex Theater-Pittsburgh, PA
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“A “Jeff Buckley Adulation” will take place on Saturday May 15th, at the Rex Theater, located at 1602 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15203. Doors open at 7pm, show begins at 8pm. Tickets will be available in advance for $10.00 via Rextheater.com, inticketing.com, and will be sold at the door for $12.00.
Jason Kirin is the Master of Ceremonies and will perform, marking the halfway point of the night, with a special spoken word performance by “Jason Kirin and the Abraxian Harmony.” Jeff Buckley’s mother, Mary Guibert, will make a guest appearance.
Performances By:
Matt King from the band Shade
(http://www.myspace.com/mattkingnyc)
Retrofitter from the band School of Athens
(http://www.retrofitter.net/)
Justin Chechlie from the band Camera
(http://www.myspace.com/camera)
The Longtime Darlings
(http://www.thelongtimedarlings.com/)
Sarah Siplak, formally of Boxstep,
and Scotts Rodger of The Wreckids
(http://www.myspace.com/thewreckids)
Tommy Brunett (formerly of the band Modern English)
www.myspace.com/tommybrunett
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PEYOTE RADIO THEATRE
FEATURED ARTIST-TWO SPOT GOBI
INTERVIEW BY ALISON RAYKOVICH
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(Photo By Natalie Diaz)
TWO SPOT GOBI is:
James Robinson – Vocals
Rob Lewis – Cello
Dino Randhawa – Guitar
Matt Harris – Bass
Matt Ellis – Trumpet
Ben Matthews – Drums
This month’s Feature Artist in Peyote Radio Theatre on www.jeffbuckley.com, is the UK band Two Spot Gobi. Check out the band’s single, “Sunshine Lady, streaming on Peyote Radio Theatre Now !
It was a little over three years ago at Sussex University in Brighton that the Two Spot Gobi alternative organic pop sound was born. Influences include everything from The Police to Pendulum and Elbow to Jamiroquai. Having release four EPs, (Melodious Star, Hey Now, Outside and Otherside Of The World) they unleashed their debut single “Sunshine Lady”, last year.
As a result, TSG were invited to the US to perform a series of intimate east coast shows, after which they linked up with platinum selling and Grammy nominated artist Jason Mraz for some arena dates in California. Since then they’ve performed a couple of European dates with Jason Mraz and, after supporting him on the UK leg of his tour, they embarked on their own UK headlining tour to promote their debut album “Everywhere You Should Have Been.”
Two Spot Gobi was kind enough to talk with JBIN’s own Alison Raykovich, read on to find out more about one of 2010’s most exciting bands !
Dino Randhawa from Two Spot Gobi on Jeff Buckley:
Grace had a great impact on me as I was growing up. It was evident that it not only influenced me, but was also one of those classic albums respected by other musicians I was into at the time… Radiohead and Muse spring to mind instantly. Jeff’s music stimulated me both instrumentally and lyrically – My favourite, as I’m sure it is for many, being Dream Brother… particularly these lines:
“Her green eyes blew goodbyes, with her head in her hands and your kiss on the lips of another Dream Brother, with your tears scattered around the world…”
JBIN: Where are you based?
James: We all currently live in Brighton, UK
JBIN: How was band formed?
Rob: I met James through a mutual friend at the University of Sussex where we both studied. I was studying for a music degree on cello and had to record some stuff for one module of the degree. I heard James sing and thought, “wow!” We wrote songs together along with Dino, James’s housemate.Dino knew a trumpeter and suggested we get him on some of the songs – all of which ended up being our first EP ‘Melodious Star’. Instead of submitting the project and going our separate ways, we decided to carry on writing, recording and playing live as “Two Spot Gobi”. For this we needed a drummer, which we found in Ben Matthews, and a bassist, which we ultimately found in Matt Harris.
JBIN: How did your music develop?
Dino: Put simply, songs are either written for ‘guitar and voice’, or ‘cello and voice’ and arranged by the entire band. The combination of cello and trumpet add a different flavor to the sound.
JBIN: Describe your music?
Rob: Our songs are arranged in an unusual way – rich in vocal harmonies and different textures, giving Two Spot Gobi a signature sound.
JBIN: How did Jason Mraz become involved & what has his presence meant to the band?
James: Three shows into the band’s existence, we were booked to play a show at a small venue now called the Hippo in Plymouth, UK. Jason Mraz happened to be supporting James Blunt on his UK tour at a much larger venue up the road. He had a night off from tour and, on recommendation, came down to check out a night of live music. As we played, he really liked what he heard. Over the next year or so Rob kept in touch with Jason and we were eventually invited to support him at a couple of shows in the UK.
In October 2008, having received a burst of publicity in July from celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, we set off on a short tour of the US. Receiving an invitation to finish the tour with Jason, we played 3 open-air amphitheatre shows in California, culminating in a performance for 8,500 people at the Berkeley Theatre.
As Jason has been in touch with us from the beginning, we have always been in the fortunate position to bounce ideas off him. His encouragement alone has always been something that has helped in the progression of Two Spot Gobi.
Rob: His generosity towards us has been remarkable, most noticeably by him lending us his house, studio and car for 2 months over the summer to record our second studio album in California. We have now known Jason for so long he is a great friend and someone we’ll always be in touch with. We hope that we inspire him with our sounds as much as he does with his. Two Spot Gobi will release their second studio album in 2010, and they plan to tour forever more!
Stay connected with Two Spot Gobi at:
http://www.twospot.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/twospotgobi
http://www.youtube.com/twospotgobi
http://www.twitter.com/twospotgobi
CATCH TWO SPOT GOBI LIVE:
March 11, 2010
Vibraphonic Festival
Exeter
March 12, 2010
Freebutt
Brighton
March 22, 2010
The Queen of Hearts
256 Wilmslow Road
Manchester M14 6, United Kingdom
Manchester
For tickets, call or email Emily on:
07983578815, [email protected]
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MATT JOHNSON (Jeff Buckley Band)
NEW FULL-LENGTH CD:
CAGEFIGHTER
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Matt Johnson of Jeff Buckley’s band during the Grace campaign
has independently released a new full-length CD Cagefighter via
www.drumsmattjohnson.com (see back-cover below). Matt is doing
a small preview show on Valentine’s Day in NYC:
on Sunday, February 14, 2010 – 8:00 PM
Cheruball!!! – A Valentines Day Show
with Matt Johnson, Sky White Tiger & DJs Luke & Zach Go Boating
at Public Assembly, 70 North 6th Street (btwn Wythe & Kent),
Williamsburg, Brooklyn (NY)
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In Modern Drummer Magazine – January 2010 issue, Matt Johnson was
featured in the On Tour On Stage section written by Patrick Berkery.
Matt Johnson discusses his work with Jeff Buckley and several other
artists, leading up to his new solo release Cagefighter.
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BRAY, IRELAND
JEFF BUCKLEY TRIBUTE EVENT RECAP
AND VIDEO PRESENTATION
BY GRACE SHEEHAN
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The Jeff Buckley tribute night for Ireland was held in the small town of Bray, in Koo
Niteclub on the seafront. Hidden away there are some of the most amazing musicians
you could have the pleasure of hearing. It was such a treat to have the music of Jeff
Buckley played live by such talented Jeff fans! The event raised money for the Niall
Mellon Township Trust, so thank you to all who supported this worthy cause.
Jane Horner took on the beautiful “Lilac Wine”, and had us hooked one line in. Andy
Keeling accompanied her on guitar wonderfully. Lucy Stapleton’s soulful voice on
“Last Goodbye” and “Grace”, with Mal O’ Brien on guitar, had everyone completely lost
in the performance. Andy Keeling graced the floor once more, this time with soaring
singer Sean Murphy, for the lovely, and challenging, “Morning Theft”. Rob Walsh sang
“Lover, You Should Have Come Over” with such perfect tone, with Dave McGuinness
the Great, on guitar.
Bray Gospel Choir were so kind to take time out of their busy
singing schedule to lend their amazing talent to the night. They gave a haunting
rendition of “Hallelujah.” Dave McGuinness and his top class band rang out the night
with many songs by artists that influenced Jeff Buckley (Led Zeppelin, Morrissey,
etc..), and also songs by the great man himself, “Everybody Here Wants You”, “Dream
Brother” and many more. What a talent filled night once again, thanks to everyone
who helped out xxx ~ Grace Sheehan
BRAY, IRELAND – JEFF BUCKLEY TRIBUTE EVENT VIDEOS:
“Lover You Should Have Come Over”
Rob Walsh (Vox) Dave Mc Guinness (Guitar)
“Everybody Here Wants You”
Dave Mc Guinness & Band,
Jane Horner & Grace Sheehan (Backing Vox)
“Hallelujah”
Bray Gospel Choir
“Morning Theft”
Sean Murphy (Vox) and Andy Keeling (Guitar)
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SCENE & HEARD
JEFF BUCKLEY NEWS
FROM AROUND THE WORLD !
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K.D Lang hails Jeff Buckley as number one, in an interview with Australia’s Big Pond News. Songstress, K.D. Lang, sites Jeff Buckley’s recording of “Hallelujah” as the “definitive version” and credits Jeff as seeing something in the song that other people had missed. Lang covers “Hallelujah” with three different versions, on her new CD “Recollection”. Read More at Big Pond News online.
Jeff Buckley’s “Grace Around The World” at # 5 in the UK’s UNCUT Magazine, DVDs of 2009!
NPR’s Mountain Stage continues its tribute to the memory of some of its favorite artists with archival performances from Jeff Buckley. Listen Here
Australia’s Black Book Mag recently interviewed actor Ben Foster, who talked about how he listens to Jeff Buckley’s music to prepare for his role in The Messenger. Interview here
For the most up to date Jeff Buckley news, connect with us online at Twitter, Facebook, The Official Jeff Buckley You Tube Channel and Jeff Buckley My Space.
Thanks To: Alison Raykovich, Jack Bookbinder, Laurie Trombley, Nikki Coates.
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LET US KNOW! HELP US GROW!
(We’re looking for JB references)
Many of the major online and print music publications are mentioning Jeff in comparison to other artists, and artists are mentioning his name in their interviews. Have you seen Jeff referred to by name in any publication? Have any suggestions or comments for the Newsletter Staff?
Write to us at [email protected] and make sure and let us know what city/country you’re writing from. Thanks!