Editors at Brighton Dome

Before I start this post I feel it is important to point out that I am a big fan of Editors (please note they are called Editors, not The Editors). So as you can imagine I was thrilled to see that they would be coming back to Brighton, and even more delighted to see that they would be returning to the Dome.

I've seen the band three times so far, twice in London and once at Brighton Dome. You may think I'm biased but I guess I'll just have to ask you to take my word for it when I say that the Brighton gig was defintely the best. Of course the band were still brilliant but because the London venues were larger - Alexandra Palace and Hyde Park - I didn't get so caught up in the atmosphere. One of the main things I love about seeing concerts at the Dome is the size of the venue - it's big enough for you not to feel like you are sitting on top of the act but it's also intimate enough for you to soak up the atmosphere & actually see the band rather then squinting at them from miles away. Another advantage is the fact that there is a balcony so you can still get seated tickets. Yes I'm not ashamed to admit it, I like to sit down! That way you can see the band without craning around the giant stood in front of you, people respect your personal space more in the seated area and there is the added pleasure of watching the often interesting & educational dance moves of the people in the standing area.

Brighton Dome Concert Hall. Photo credit: Jim Stephenson
Please note for gigs, such as Editors, the stalls seats are removed.

Another plus point for the Brighton Dome is the building itself. I love the art deco style of the concert hall, but importantly the hall is curved which I think helps to explain the excellent acoustics. So even if you're sat in the balcony, the sound is just as good as it is for those next to the stage.

So all in all I'm very excited. Although don't do like me and wait until your favourite band happens to be playing at the Dome before going there. Check out their programme and book something up now. It's not just music as in September and October they will be hosting some of the events from the Brighton Digital & Comedy Festivals respectively. They also have a host of Christmas shows from the Gay Men's Chorus to the Ceilidh and the Nutcracker. And if you're still not sure then why not try one of their free events?

But to get back to Editors I do have another Brighton link aside from the fact I'm going to see them in November. The video for their next single 'Formaldehyde' has been directed by the Brighton-based director, and patron of the Cine-City Festival, Ben Wheatley. Enjoy... 
Oh and just in case anyway from Editors is reading this can I put in a request for 'Hyena' and 'Eat Raw Meat=Blood Drool' at the Brighton Dome concert please? Thank you :)

Charlotte

#BABeachside - Dine at 100 feet!

Often on my lunch breaks I'll take a walk along the seafront, making the most of being by the sea. However yesterday I wasn't by the sea, I was above it - 100 feet above it!

Yesterday British Airways opened it's six day Bank Holiday event. Situated by Hove Lawns #BABeachside includes a pop-up lounge plus the opportunity to dine in the sky.

Dine in the Sky. Photo credit: Stuart Wilson for BA

When we arrived we were asked to stow our bags before being given a safety briefing, then it was time to take our seats and get strapped in for an experience like no other. Each day the meals will be themed around a different destination - Italy, St. Lucia, Lanzarote, Morocco, St Kitts and Mexico. Coincidentally these are all destinations that you can fly to from Gatwick with BA ;)

Our day was Italy and the food was delicious, although eating while strapped in was a bit of a challenge. Eating something messy like soup or spaghetti would have been difficult but the chicken & mushroom rissotto was much easier to handle.

Dinner is served!

While the food was great, the highlight was of course the spectacular views over the city. Hove Lawns was a good choice as it meant we were more or less in the middle of Brighton & Hove giving us spectacular views whichever way we looked. We could even see the Downs in the distance ahead of us. It was rather surreal to be eating lunch while suspended in the air, with no capsule or casing around you so I wouldn't recommend this for anyone who suffers from vertigo but for anyone else it is a rare treat!

Fantastic views of Brighton...

... & Hove

Away we go...

Perhaps the most surprising part is the fact that BA aren't charging anyone for this experience. Tickets are being given out in a Willy Wonka fashion but instead of bars of chocolate, it's sticks of rock. Over the next few days British Airways Ambassadors will be handing out sticks of rocks across the city. So if you see them, make sure you grab one as each stick gives you access to the Beach Lounge and a lucky few also include a ticket to fly.

Good luck!

Charlotte

The Winner of July’s Flickr Competition

Hola amigos,

It’s the summertime and here’s a groove slightly transformed, just a bit of a break from the norm - it is, of course, the monthly Flickr competition! (Ooh you love these, don’t hide it).

The time has finally arrived for me to put my fake tan away as July was certainly scorchio! Our love was like a heatwave (heatwave baby), with the highest temperature in Brighton being 31 (not three) Degrees Celsius, and the high temperatures are set to return for a sunny August Bank Holiday weekender!

And with all this summer madness we had the LoveBrighton POP Summer campaign – check out all of the fabulous ideas for the Brighton summer of POP – with the theme for July’s competition being ‘Love POP, LoveBrighton’. We had a great many kitsch, retro, fun and funky photos to choose from, but the winner hands-down (or feet-up?) was David J Stanley with his shot of the brand new ride on Brighton Pier; the Air Race:

David’s photo captures perfectly the frivolous nature of days by the seaside, with blue sky and primary colours, where you can almost hear the arcade games, musical carousel and cries of ‘weee!’. David won vouchers to spend at the totes delish Coal Shed Restaurant in Brighton’s Lanes.

But I’m sure the best is yet to come with August’s theme ‘Love Celebrating, LoveBrighton’. Pride provided the perfect colourful start to the month of celebrations, parties, shindigs and impromptu BBQs on the beach. So grab your camera and celebrate the city in all its summertime glory!

As for me, well, I’m spending my days chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’ and shootin’ some ball outside of school.

Happy holidays folks and don’t forget the sun cream!

Siobhan at LoveBrighton HQ :)

Escape to the South Downs for free during National Parks Week

While Brighton & Hove is well known for being a city by the sea, you may not be aware that we are also very close to the countryside. The city is an access point for the stunning South Downs National Park, and as this week is National Parks Week it's the perfect time to visit.

The park are encouraging visitors to Discover Another Way to visit instead of driving, so this week (29th July - 4th August) you and your family can travel to the Downs by bus for free! It doesn't get much better then that, so pack a picnic and hop on a bus and go to Devil's Dyke, Stanmer Park or Ditchling Beacon. To download your voucher go to: www.southdowns.gov.uk/discover But if you can't go this week then you can still enjoy half price bus travel for the rest of the summer holidays.

Watch this video to see how easy and fun it is to get to the Downs by bus:
For more tips on visiting the South Downs follow @SDNPA and you can also find walks and cycle routes on the Countryside section of our website.

Charlotte

Culture in the City

While it is very easy to get to London from Brighton it seems there are fewer and fewer reasons to leave. For example the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery is currently hosting an exhibition of Jeff Koons work, the first showing in England outside of Tate.

But there are also things coming to Brighton before they go to London, for example this weekend I am going to see a new production of Noel Coward's Relative Values starring Patricia Hodge, Caroline Quentin and Rory Brenner at the Theatre Royal Brighton. While I'm looking forward to seeing this I have to confess I'm even more excited about seeing Jeeves & Wooster later in the year. I've been a fan of the books and the TV series for as long as I can remember so it will be interesting to see how it will have been adapted for the stage.

Matthew Macfadyen (Jeeves) and Stephen Mangan (Wooster) in Perfect Nonsense Photo by Uli Weber

 

Being such a fan I may have been wary about seeing anyone other than Fry & Laurie in the roles, however I think Stephen Mangan and Matthew Macfadyen will both be excellent. Anyone who has seen Macfadyen in Death at a Funeral will know he plays the straight man very well, and Mangan often seems to be the lovable buffoon.This production will only go to Richmond and Brighton before it's West End run - so see it in Brighton and then feel smug when everyone starts trying to get tickets for it in the West End ;)

While nothing beats the thrill of the live performance sometimes - wether it's time, money or energy - it's not always possible to see these shows or exhbitions live. Which is why I love the new trend for cinemas to start screening theatre shows and behind the scenes looks at exhibitions. For example tonight I am going to see Twelth Night filmed at the Globe starring Stephen Fry as Malvolio. In the coming weeks the Duke's at Komedia will also be showing the National Theatre's Macbeth; The Globe's Taming of the Shrew and the Victoria & Albert Museum's David Bowie exhibition.

So there is really no excuse not to enjoy a bit of culture by the sea. Let us know what takes your fancy...

Charlotte

A Poem for Flickr Winners in April and May!

Ode to Competition Winners

Almighty April and Manic May,

Have been and gone so fast,

With festivals and events abound,

They surely aren’t the last.

For June is now upon us,

And we may see some sun,

So let’s get to the point at hand,

The Flickr competitions won!

April’s theme was ‘Love Light’,

And there was choice aplenty,

A winner was so hard to choose,

We could have chosen twenty!

So from all the entries,

Alas, there can be only one,

And with this shot of Brighton Pier,

The winner’s Moonheadone!

And so for May’s theme,

We had to ‘Love the Arts’,

From shirts and through to drummers,

Festivals are in our hearts.

Another winner we must choose,

And we just loved this drummer,

With the sea and beach and pebbled rocked,

This is the sound of summer!

The winner was a local man,

A name linked with music,

Mr BrightonDJ is your guy,

And so we had to choose it!

Press on to June’s theme,

‘Love the Great Outdoors’,

Search for walks and hills and sea,

So the photos aren’t bores.

So with these final verses,

I hope I have inspired,

Can think of nothing more to say,

Because I’m getting tired.

Get out and take some shots,

And make sure to get them posted,

Onto our LoveBrighton Flickr page,

So next competitors get roasted.

So ‘till next time,

(I won’t go on and on),

From the poetic and slightly nuts,

The lyrical Siobhan :)

50th Anniversary of The Beatles first appearance at Brighton Hippodrome

Today we hand over to another guest blogger - Geoff Goodyear, a member of the British Beatles Fan Club, is here to tell us about an important anniversary coming up this weekend...

Beatles fans, in particular, will be interested to hear of this forthcoming anniversary. The Beatles Bible Website informs us that on the 2nd June 1963 at 8pm The Beatles played the 15th date of their UK tour with Roy Orbison at the Hippodrome Theatre on Middle Street, Brighton.

Were you there, and if so, what are your memories of this concert?

They performed a seven-song set on this tour, and included :

• Some Other Guy
• Do You Want To Know A Secret
• Love Me Do
• From Me To You
• Please, Please Me
• I Saw Her Standing There
• Twist And Shout. 

This was the first of three occasions on which The Beatles performed at The Hippodrome. They returned on 12th July 1964, and 25th October 1964. The Hippodrome is now closed to the public, otherwise it might have been possible to have hired a Beatles Tribute Band to play at the venue on the anniversary. Unfortunately, many buildings where The Beatles performed, up and down the country, have long since been demolished, so it is a bonus that the Hippodrome is still there.

If you are in Brighton on 2nd June, you may wish to pay your respects in person. The Hippodrome is situated in Middle Street, in the City Centre. I'll be there! Otherwise, you may wish to simply raise a glass to the "Fab Four," the most famous, and arguably the greatest pop band of all time.

Thanks Geoff, we did also manage to find this snippet on YouTube of the Fab four at the Hippodrome: