Public Address Podcast

ROBIN HOOD

ROBIN HOOD: Audio Pantomime

Devilishly dastardly deeds! Dashing derring-do! Clashes! Confrontations! Romance! Thrills! Chills! Spills! Laughter!

An audio version of the traditional pantomime tale of Sherwood Forest's legendary sword wielder/archer-extraordinaire - hero to the poor and nemesis of the rich! The nasty Sheriff of Nottingham, with sycophantic support and encouragement from his assistant Denchman the Henchman, battles with The Prince of Thieves over the hand of the beautiful Maid Marian!

An entertaining tale which features an array of familiar, and some not so familiar characters, plus groan-inducing jokes and some music too!

Written and Edited by THOM MCKEOWN

Co-directed by NOEL FRANSON and THOM MCKEOWN

Cast

NOEL FRANSON as Sheriff of Nottingham and Friar Tuck

OLAF OLAFSEN as Will Scarlett

MARGARET DAVIDSON as Little Meghan and Juliet

ANDREW MARTIN as Robin Hood

THOM MCKEOWN as Denchman the Henchman, King Richard and Leafworm the Talking Tree

JOE SZREDER as Mystic Reg

PENNI WEBB as Dame Dora

MAGGIE JOYCE as Maid Marian

AENEAS FEGGANS as Alan a Dale

 

SCOTT WALKER

SCOTT WALKER: ICONOCLAST/TROUBADOUR

We all experienced to some degree, lockdown in covid-pandemic purgatory, with only a cloak of loneliness to provide some degree of comfort, if only for a little while. This will make us familiar with Scott Walker’s unique brand of lugubrious gloom. His is an intellectual form of melancholy.

Scott Walker went from experiencing fame, of proportions not entirely dissimilar to that of Beatlemania in the 1960s, with the Walker Brothers — to becoming the English version of the Belgian troubadour, Jacques Brel. His first solo effort Scott, released 6 months after The Walker Brothers’ last 1960s album Images, featured the translated Brel songs, ‘Amsterdam’, ‘Mathilde’, and ‘My Death’. Let’s not forget though, that the early recordings of The Walker Brothers were magnificent in their own right. Featuring a "wall of sound" similar to the one that Phil Spector created.

Brian Eno said of Walker: “He was a real and serious artist, a conscious artist, who really thought about the medium he worked in.” Eno was serious with his compliments of Walker too: “He took music to a place where it hasn’t been since.” Scott Walker’s music and legacy will live on for generations to come, of that there is no doubt. And while his more avant-garde records may not be fully embraced in the imminent near period, there’s certainly a future where they will be revered as heroic moments of soothsaying success. As artificial intelligence grows and civilisation continues to eat itself, it’s easy to see how Walker’s compositions could soundtrack the dystopian future that looms in the news headlines of our nightmares. The fact is, whether Scott Walker was a pop maestro or an experimental troubadour, he was always laying down a vision of the future.

Written and Presented by Thom McKeown © 2021

THE CHANDRASEKHAR LIMIT

THE CHANDRASEKHAR LIMIT

JOHNNY ARCULARIS AND THE GOOD SHIP VENUS

1. THE JAPES OF WRATH (2.56)

2. THERE IS NO PLANET B (5.17)

3. IMMINENT APPROACH (2.52)

4. TWELVE INCH VENTS (2.45)

5. KAKOSTA BALOVARR (3.47)

6. DATANATE (5.43)

7. SWIMMING IN A JAM JAR (3.30)

8. PAPASTOUR DANCING (3.51)

9. BASELINER (Mankind Vindicated & Johnny Arcularis and the Good Ship Venus) (3.51)

© Written Performed and Produced by Thom McKeown 2021

AVANT GARDE

AVANT GARDE

Imagine the scene. It's 1952 and you are very excited to be attending a concert of new music. Firstly, there are some pieces by Stravinsky and Milhaud, which are enjoyable. Next on the programme is something called 4minutes 33seconds by John Cage. Curious, you pay close attention. To your utter surprise, no one plays a note. The entire piece is complete and utter silence. The audience is outraged. Some even boo. How could this be music? Welcome to the world of the avant garde!

Avant-garde, a French phrase meaning "vanguard" or (literally, "advance guard"), describes movements or individuals at the forefront of innovation and experimentation in their fields. Implicit in the term are the rejection of the status quo, a critique of popular convention and taste, and a striving for originality that can be intentionally provocative or alienating. There is considerable academic debate about the origins of its application to the arts, but in popular understanding, it usually refers to anything that general audiences might consider outrageous, such as Erik Satie's 1893 Vexations, which instructs the performer to play a theme 840 times, or Pauline Oliveros' 1964 Duo, scored for accordion and bandoneon players riding a seesaw, with optional mynah bird obbligato.

But on this programme I’ve selected 10 pieces of music which although not quite as extreme as John Cage, could be described as challenging, unorthodox, creative and stimulating. You won’t hear any of this music bothering too many youtubers or spotifyers and it’s unlikely to be found on the playlists of conventional pop enthusiasts – but it’s certainly worth hearing and it may even lead you into further exploration of more inventive music.

Produced and Presented by Thom McKeown © 2021

LOST CLASSICS

LOST CLASSICS

Since the advent of the 45rpm disc, too many singles to mention have failed to achieve commercial success - while a huge amount of them fully deserved more success and airplay. On this two-hour Public Address Special - you'll have a chance to re-assess some Lost Classics from the likes of Elton Motello, Johnny Boy, Stackridge, The Veils, The Raincoats, 23rd Turnoff and loads more.

Produced and presented by Thom McKeown

© 2021

BLAME

BLAME

A powerful audio drama from Screenstage Studios. Proceedings open in a courtroom, where a Woman is being examined by a Solicitor, with regard to serious charges against her husband. These are - the murder of their young son and of rape and multiple instances of domestic abuse including grievous bodily harm against the wife.

Due to earlier proceedings having been halted due to the highly disruptive behaviour of the accused, the accused Man is being held in the cells below whilst his wife is in the dock. He will return later to give evidence.

MAN: Noel Franson

WOMAN: Maggie Joyce

SOLICITOR: Thom McKeown

Written and Directed by Thom McKeown ©™ 2020

PINK FLOYD

PINK FLOYD

A comprehensive look back over the history and music of one of the most innovative groups to have emerged from the 1960s.

Produced and presented by Thom McKeown

© 2021

ROCK‘N‘ROLL

ROCK N ROLL

A forensic dissection of the development of rock music - from the early skiffle days, through jazz, r&b, progressive, metal and hard rock with some blistering music!

© Written and Presented by Thom McKeown 2021

FRANK ZAPPA

FRANK ZAPPA

An audio special as we reflect on the life, music and anarchic behaviour of America's most resilient and pioneering rock musician - Frank Zappa.

Produced and Presented by Thom McKeown

© 2021

THE ROLLING STONES

RARE TERRITORY - THE ROLLING STONES

A retrospective of rock'n'roll's longest-serving band - The Rolling Stones. In this special music documentary Rare Territory you'll hear their story as well as several unplayed tracks, rarities and alternative versions of some of their best-known tracks.

© Written and Presented by Thom McKeown 2021

PAUL WELLER

THE MUSIC OF PAUL WELLER

Apart from David Bowie, it's hard to think of any British solo artist who's had as varied, long-lasting and determinedly forward-looking a career as Paul Weller. He is one of the most revered music writers and performers of the past 30 years. having received four Brit Awards, winning the award for Best British Male twice, and the 2006 Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.

© Written Edited and Presented by Thom McKeown

THE BEATLES SPECIAL EDITION

THE BEATLES SPECIAL EDITION

A retrospective look at the Liverpudlian mop-top combo's music including some rarities, unreleased versions and re-workings of familiar tracks, as well as a new mix of the planned but never-issued final single "Now And Then".

© Written and Presented by Thom McKeown 2021

GERRY

GERRY

A special documentary on the life and music of the highly-accomplished and much-missed Paisley musician/singer/songwriter Gerry Rafferty.

©™ Written and Presented by Thom McKeown 2021

SPOKEN WORD

SPOKEN WORD

'Spoken word' is poetry that's written to be performed and can be delivered in a variety of styles and can even involve collaboration and experimentation with other art forms, including music, theatre and dance. It can be used to tell stories or to explore the stories of others. Some spoken word artists even incorporate raps and hip hop beats into their work. The main way that they differ is that spoken word tends to be straight to the point, avoiding complicated metaphors in favour of stripped back lyrics.

Spoken word first kicked off with the American Beat Poet movement that took place in the 1940s and 1950s. This saw a group of authors in New York using their work to exploring and influence the culture of the time. Venting their frustrations with society, these poets started a tradition that has continued for many years, moving all the way up to today, where new social issues have brought upon a completely new era of spoken word.

In this Public Address Spoken Word special you’ll hear classical poems read by familiar voices mixed with newer material verbalised by newer voices all reflecting life and social issues over the years up to the present day. From Screenstage Studios, the performing arts project affiliated to Public Address.

Presented by Thom McKeown

The first four Spoken Word renditions are performed by the writers themselves:

1. AURORA Written and Read by MOLLY CASE
2. BALANCE Written and Read by KATE TEMPEST
3. HOOKED Written and Read by THOM MCKEOWN
4. BLUEBIRD Written and Read by CHARLES BUKOWSKI
5. TOMORROW HAS YOUR NAME ON IT Written and Read by ROGER MCGOUGH
6. A GROWN WOMAN CRYING Written by ALAN LEWIS and Read by ANN REID
7. CANOE Written by KEITH DOUGLAS and Read by CLIVE JAMES
8. THE LESSON Written and Read by THOM MCKEOWN
9. SPIRIT Written by THOM MCKEOWN and Read by MEGAN ROSE THOMAS
10. THE LAMB Written by WILLIAM BLAKE and Read by SIR RALPH RICHARDSON
11. IF Written by RUDYARD KIPLING and Read by SIR MICHAEL CAINE
12. STOP ALL THE CLOCKS Written by WH AUDEN and read by TOM HIDDLESTON
13. KILSHEENLAN BAY Written and Read by THOM MCKEOWN
14. OZMANDIAS Written by PERCY BYSHEE SHELLEY and Read by VINCENT PRICE
15. AFTERWARDS Written by THOM MCKEOWN and Read by REBECCA BURTON
16. INVICTUS Written by WILLIAM HENLEY and Read by MORGAN FREEMAN
17. DESIDERATA Written by MAX EHRMANN and Read by SHANE MORRIS
18. BLACKBERRY PICKING Written and Read by SEAMUS HEANEY
19. LOVE LETTER Written by VITA SACKVILLE WEST and Read by JUDY COMER
20. THE BOXER Written by GABRIELE TINTI and Read by KEVIN SPACEY
21. HENRY KING Written by HILAIRE BELLOC and read by TOM O'BEDLAM)
22. REMEMBERING MARIE Written by BERTOLD BRECHT and performed by DAVID BOWIE