Post by natashalau on Aug 12, 2013 18:39:40 GMT 1
PRESS RELEASE 2013
MEMORY OF A FREE FESTIVAL
“…The Sun machine is Coming Down, and we’re Gonna Have a Party…”
CELEBRATING DAVID BOWIE AND THE BECKENHAM ARTS LAB
Sunday afternoon in Croydon Road Recreation Ground, a local park in Beckenham, the residential south of London may not conjure up visions of youthful exuberance and rock music - but on Sunday September 15th the Friends of Croydon Road Recreation Ground are hoping that hundreds of people will descend on their park to celebrate David Bowie - Beckenham's most famous former Beckenham resident, the legacy of the Arts Laboratory he co-founded, and the sensational Free Festival that Arts Lab members staged on the Bandstand in the park in 1969.
This year’s Festival will not be free. A modest entry fee of £5 for each adult will raise funds to restore the historic bandstand which:
was opened in 1891 by Beckenham’s recently celebrated Tom Thornton
21 years later, was used by Beckenham’s Harold Bride – the hero of the Titanic – to address cheering crowds in the park.
for most of the 20th Century, witnessed civic and royal ceremonies, balloon flights and flower shows which rivalled Chelsea in popularity.
Today in an age of austerity there are not council funds to pay for repairs and it has been left to a young lady from Russia to galvanise the Friends into action. In her room in Moscow, Natasha kept a copy of the iconic photo of the young curly headed Bowie on her wall. When by chance she moved to Beckenham a few years ago, she was surprised and delighted to find that, virtually on her doorstep, was Bowie’s bandstand; but aghast at its condition. So she persuaded the Friends to stage an event similar to the original Free Festival.
Members of the Arts Lab some 40 years ago were encouraged to do their own thing and this ethos underlines Sunday’s event. Seven groups will be playing much original music, however all have quoted David Bowie as their inspiration to take up music and they will be playing for free so that takings can all be used to repair the bandstand.
Gates open at 2 pm for the 2013 Festival which will see 3 hours of live music from 3 to 6
The Thin White Duke a Bowie tribute band will perform 5 Bowie numbers including Life on Mars and Space Oddity - both of which have links to the band stand. Bowie’s song – Memory of a Free Festival will be performed by Bill Liesegang. Other groups taking part are Raf and O, Keval, Low Rent Tractors, Scott Fuller and John Aldington.
There will also be 30 arts & craft stalls, food and refreshment stalls, Bowie themed face painting and a raffle.
For information contact:
Natasha Ryzhova Lau
Email: memoryofafreefestival2013@gmail.com
For updated information go to:
www.facebook.com/beckenham.bowie
www.becrec.net
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION...
David Bowie spent the best part of five years in Beckenham from 1969 to 1973: firstly in
Foxgrove Road before moving into an Edwardian mansion called Haddon Hall, in Southend Road. In Haddon Hall, David was joined by other members of his rock group like Tony Visconti and Mick Ronson, other musicians and people from the recording and promotion
business. David held court in Haddon Hall for four marvellous years.
As well as David himself, many other Arts Lab performers and enthusiasts became established figures in their chosen careers: rock stars Mick Ronson and Steve Harley; artists - George Underwood and Christina Ostrom; David Bebbington – professional photographer; and Mary Finnigan who is a journalist.
One of the mega hit albums created during David's Beckenham Years was The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Ziggy's red thingyade hairstyle was created by local hair stylist Suzi Fussey, who worked opposite the Three Tuns in the Evelyn Paget (now Gigante) hair salon.
MEMORY OF A FREE FESTIVAL
“…The Sun machine is Coming Down, and we’re Gonna Have a Party…”
CELEBRATING DAVID BOWIE AND THE BECKENHAM ARTS LAB
Sunday afternoon in Croydon Road Recreation Ground, a local park in Beckenham, the residential south of London may not conjure up visions of youthful exuberance and rock music - but on Sunday September 15th the Friends of Croydon Road Recreation Ground are hoping that hundreds of people will descend on their park to celebrate David Bowie - Beckenham's most famous former Beckenham resident, the legacy of the Arts Laboratory he co-founded, and the sensational Free Festival that Arts Lab members staged on the Bandstand in the park in 1969.
This year’s Festival will not be free. A modest entry fee of £5 for each adult will raise funds to restore the historic bandstand which:
was opened in 1891 by Beckenham’s recently celebrated Tom Thornton
21 years later, was used by Beckenham’s Harold Bride – the hero of the Titanic – to address cheering crowds in the park.
for most of the 20th Century, witnessed civic and royal ceremonies, balloon flights and flower shows which rivalled Chelsea in popularity.
Today in an age of austerity there are not council funds to pay for repairs and it has been left to a young lady from Russia to galvanise the Friends into action. In her room in Moscow, Natasha kept a copy of the iconic photo of the young curly headed Bowie on her wall. When by chance she moved to Beckenham a few years ago, she was surprised and delighted to find that, virtually on her doorstep, was Bowie’s bandstand; but aghast at its condition. So she persuaded the Friends to stage an event similar to the original Free Festival.
Members of the Arts Lab some 40 years ago were encouraged to do their own thing and this ethos underlines Sunday’s event. Seven groups will be playing much original music, however all have quoted David Bowie as their inspiration to take up music and they will be playing for free so that takings can all be used to repair the bandstand.
Gates open at 2 pm for the 2013 Festival which will see 3 hours of live music from 3 to 6
The Thin White Duke a Bowie tribute band will perform 5 Bowie numbers including Life on Mars and Space Oddity - both of which have links to the band stand. Bowie’s song – Memory of a Free Festival will be performed by Bill Liesegang. Other groups taking part are Raf and O, Keval, Low Rent Tractors, Scott Fuller and John Aldington.
There will also be 30 arts & craft stalls, food and refreshment stalls, Bowie themed face painting and a raffle.
For information contact:
Natasha Ryzhova Lau
Email: memoryofafreefestival2013@gmail.com
For updated information go to:
www.facebook.com/beckenham.bowie
www.becrec.net
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION...
David Bowie spent the best part of five years in Beckenham from 1969 to 1973: firstly in
Foxgrove Road before moving into an Edwardian mansion called Haddon Hall, in Southend Road. In Haddon Hall, David was joined by other members of his rock group like Tony Visconti and Mick Ronson, other musicians and people from the recording and promotion
business. David held court in Haddon Hall for four marvellous years.
As well as David himself, many other Arts Lab performers and enthusiasts became established figures in their chosen careers: rock stars Mick Ronson and Steve Harley; artists - George Underwood and Christina Ostrom; David Bebbington – professional photographer; and Mary Finnigan who is a journalist.
One of the mega hit albums created during David's Beckenham Years was The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Ziggy's red thingyade hairstyle was created by local hair stylist Suzi Fussey, who worked opposite the Three Tuns in the Evelyn Paget (now Gigante) hair salon.
Attachments:
