Heads Up

Well, a quick scour of the internet this morning reveal two exciting pieces of news in music terms.

1) - The Theo Parish re-edit of Jackie Beavers 'Mr Bump Man' is set to be released as a forthcoming "Ugly Edit". This (for my part) is exciting not because I'm desperate to grab a copy, but more for the fact that I strongly remember an interview (maybe RBMA?) where Mr Parish preaches the error of his ways in releasing the Ugly Edit series, and that he was 'done' with unlicensed releases. Hypocrite? U(gly)-Turn? Or, are these edits licensed? The B-side is a BT Express edit (Peace-Pipe - done to death already?). Either way, we're set to hear a lot more Theo in the coming weeks with remixes and new material scheduled for before christmas release. Check Rush Hour records (http://www.rushhour.nl/)

2) - One Night at the Gallery movie finally to be released! Premiere in London:
ABOUT THE FILM... LOVE IS THE MESSAGE: a night at the Gallery party 1977….

FINALLY, the movie shot at THE GALLERY more then thirty years ago is about to be released.

In 1977, 12 students from the world famous film school, Tisch University at NYU, were invited to a party, just a short walk from the university at Washington Square Park, to the Gallery on Mercer and Houston. The streets of Soho were empty during the seventies, it was a manufacturing district, and at 5PM you couldn't find a store open for MILES. It was a different time, New York City was just beginning to spread her wings as the world capital she has become. The World Trade Center had opened only a few years earlier.

The twelve from Tisch arrived outside the Gallery just before midnight one Saturday. They joined the line of guests wrapped around the corner, some holding invitations tightly between their fingers. Transient young men and woman walked up and down the line, "can you bring me in as your guest" they begged of the invitation holders on line.

Gary Turzilli, my cousin, was at the door collecting money from entrants, one of his many duties as general manager. During the day, he was a student at the Tisch school, and he had invited his classmates to the party, where he believed, they would find an experience ripe to be documented on film...the absolute insanity of the birth of the seventies dance scene, the very beginnings of disco, where every dancer would scream so loud, the $30,000 sound system was often drowned out by the fanfare.

As they walked up to the first check point, they were asked for their invitation.

"Sorry we don't have a card. We are guests of Gary Turzilli."

"NAMES," Joel the doorman blurted, picking up the pad where staff had scribbled their guest's names. Joel waved them in, and Gary greeted them warmly...as he greeted each and every entrant to the Gallery, because the Gallery was not a club, it was our HOME, and each friend who came to see us was a very special guest.

The 12 walked around the first barrier to see a full table of food and drink, laid out for all to enjoy, without paying. Two grabbed peaches as they walked further into the room. A wall stood before them, and beyond it, they could hear low jazz music. The walked around the wall. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the mellow lighting, but they could clearly see a HUGE mirrored ball hanging in the center of the room, with its spots gleaming on every wall. The ball was not turning, YET, but someone jumped up and pushed it slightly, and the spots swayed over the walls.

They looked up, and were astonished by the height of the ceiling, 30 feet at least, with balloons filing the space above them. Suddenly the music changed, a funkier dance song began, and people started hollering, whistles blew, tambourines began to play, and as if out of thin air, people gathered on the empty dance floor, ready to begin their night.

I turned on the tweeters as the break down of the song unfolded and everyone screamed at once. It was in those few moments that the 12 knew they would spend the next 8 months filming this event...a 16mm film which cost over $50,000 was shot, and never released. It sat in a garage, until NOW!

Tickets to the screening and afterparty here:

http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=416475&interface=

Bugger, wouldn't you know it I'm in bloody San Francisco that day...