Some of you might not be aware but this year marks two points in Billy MacKenzies life,earlyier this year we marked the 10th year of his passing with a Celebration of his music at a night in Glasgow that his brother Alex attended.It was a great night with many bands paying tribute.
well...
Step 2 this year marks what would have been Billy's 50th birthday,this time in Shep Bush,London.
Here is a few quotes from artists taking part courtesy of Gary@Soundseekers,the charity behind the event.
I thought you would like to see what some of the people who are
playing the Shepherd's Bush Concert on 28th March are saying in
advance of the event.
Apollo 440: Billy's last ever recording was with Apollo 440, for
their 'Electro Glide in Blue' album:
"Pain in Any Language, from the 2nd Apollo 440 LP, was the last thing
Billy finished before he died. It's probably the most perfectly
realised song I've ever recorded, bar none. We never got the chance
to perform it live, as we'd talked about. It's simply unfinished
business for me." Noko 440 (of Apollo 440)
British Electric Foundation (B.E.F.), The godfathers of electronica,
amazingly making their first ever performance under this name. Billy
was a guest vocalist on the two B.E.F. covers albums, 'Music of
Quality and Distinction, Vols 1 and 2'. Two tracks on the Associates
album, "Perhaps", were also B.E.F productions. For the uninitiated,
the B.E.F were formed when Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh left the
nascent Human League and later teamed up with Glen Gregory before
they became Heaven 17.
"I'm still tying to decide whether or not to take my whippit (Billy)
on stage with me, I think he would have liked that." Glenn Gregory,
BEF/Heaven 17.
Claudia Brucken & Andrew Poppy: The ex-Properganda vocalist and now
solo artist Claudia Brucken makes a rare live appearance with former
ZTT label-mate Andrew Poppy:
(Claudia) "Billy was an absolute inspiration to me both as a singer
and songwriter. He had one of those voices that could make every song
he sang an amazing adventure. I keep hearing, and hearing about,
Antony Hegarty, and Rufus Wainwright, and all sorts of unclassifiable
new singers, but none of them come any where near Billy. He was the
original, and a complete original, and he showed how pop singing
could be an art, and something you shouldn't be ashamed to take very
seriously."
Electric Soft Parade. Associates fans Tom and Alex White, also of
Brakes, return ahead of the release of the ESP's much-anticipated new
album "No Need to be Downhearted" out in April:
'It's a great chance for us to meet some of the people who were
involved with Billy, as our generation kind of missed it all first
time round. It's also been amazing mentioning the show to people and
seeing how many people love the Associates' and Mackenzie's stuff -
they're the kind of band that almost everyone has a quiet fondness
for - often for really random obscure songs.' Tom White, Electric
Soft Parade.
Paul Haig: "This tribute night is very poignant, a worthy cause
taking place at the time he (Billy) would have celebrated/questioned
his 50th year on the planet. I can imagine he would find it all
surreal, emotive and flattering. I'm wheeling myself on stage in a
basket chair just for him."
Tickets for what promises to be a superb night out are now on sale
via
www.ticketweb.co.uk and from the Shepherds Bush box office, price
£19.75.
Sound Seekers (registered charity 1013870) works to help deaf
children in the developing world.
www.myspace.com/soundseekers
