Eon Arts CIC Website

My Music Page - Introduction

At the start of 2017, I became a director of Eon Arts CIC. I’ve never been a ‘director’, so thanks to Ian for inviting me to be part of his new company.

So, what does CIC stand for, I hear you say. Well, it’s Community Interest Company - quite literally, a company that operates in the interests of the community. By forming the company, new horizons have opened up, enabling Ian to start new projects and to help existing ones develop further.

...and why did Ian ask me to become a director? Well, a CIC needs to have a minimum of three directors, but they don’t have to make a financial input, and don’t stand to make any money for themselves out of it. It is more a case of how can the director help the company engage with the community and help to achieve the objectives of the company.

Since retiring from work on health grounds four years ago, 15 months after being diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease, I have had a new lease of life. I’ve always loved music, but haven’t got a musical bone in my body, and have always had an interest in the visual arts, without having the ability to draw anything other than derision if I tried to sketch or paint anything.

So what could I do to get involved in these two things? When asked why he became a journalist, BBC Look North’s Jeff Brown says it was partly so he could get involved in football - he wasn’t good enough to play for a living, so he decided to do the next best thing....write about it. Well, that pretty much why I do what I am doing now - writing about music because I can’t read it or play instruments, and you really don’t want to hear me sing!

I bought my first good quality camera at Christmas 2014, and have some might say that I’ve become obsessed with taking photographs. Of course, I have been able to combine this with my passion for music, and now take my Pentax K50 DSLR camera to as many gigs as I can.

Until about 2013, the vast majority of music that I listened to, artists that I went to see, were successful on the national and international stages. However, over the last few years, I have been much more interested in what is happening locally, both in my home city of Sunderland and the rest of north east England. 

Sunderland is bidding to be the City of Culture in 2021, and to be successful the city has to unearth the hidden gems that are just waiting be discovered. The people of Sunderland, much like those from most places in the UK, are used to working hard to be successful, and just need that chance, that opportunity to shine......

....my music pages are here to help you get that chance, if at all possible. Every little helps, so let me know if there’s anything you think that I can help you with. If you need some photographs of you performing, previews of an upcoming gig, or review of the show afterwards, review of a new album you are just about to finish, you’d like me to do a Q and A session with you, or you just want me to put an announcement on the website about something and my Facebook page.....whatever, just let me know, and I’ll see what I can do.

You can contact me by email at geoffscott40@sky.com

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Geoff

Originally, it was run on a fortnightly basis, with musicians performing a couple of numbers each, but for some time now it has been popular enough to see it taking place every week. Some great new talent has emerged here, and already established artists are also keen to come and play.  

Once a fortnight, an artist is booked to play a 40-50 minute ‘Specialé’ set, and the nights are now established as one of the premier venues on the north-east’s live music circuit. Artists have not only been attracted from the region, but also from around the country and overseas.

L to R: George Shovlin, Jim Bullock and George Lamb

Getting Back to Normal

Able assistance is provided Georges by Jim Bullock, who is one of the leading harmonica players in the region, and, some would say the country - I for one wouldn’t argue with that. During the second half of 2016, George Shovlin has not been well, and Jim has ably stepped into the breach to help George

Lamb. The Thursday evening machinery has continued to run like clockwork, but the signs are that George is well on the road to recovery, and will be back at the helm shortly.

George Shovlin was on holiday in New York a few years ago,and sampled a few bars where blues and acoustic music was played. The ones that impressed most were very popular, and the punters were able to talk freely, even during performance times, However, those within the eye-line of, and close to the performers, showed them and fellow drinkers respect, by remaining pretty quiet. This was the difference between going to a music venue, where people could also get a drink, and the bars where you could ‘speakeasy’ while drinking and listening to some live music.