Diane Cluck at Eras of Style

There's this place on the outskirts of Bexhill (of all places); you ought to go there. You'd probably never stumble upon it by chance, but if like us, you love nothing more than combining vintage furniture browsing with delicious cake eating of a weekend, you'll love Eras of Style. It's a converted station that's been transformed into an antiques warehouse, with its own rather splendid cafe, with Art Deco sofas and excellent coffee. We tend to pop in whenever we're over that way, although we've never actually bought anything other than refreshments.

A few weekends back, we took my sister and her family there and the four year old was entranced by a room full of old fairground bits and bobs, including some walzter carriages that had been converted into sofas (I know, I would have if we had the room). While we were there I noticed some posters for a couple of upcoming gigs in the cafe, and made a note to check them out. I knew I recognised the name Diane Cluck from somewhere, and although I couldn't find her on Spotify (usually a good sign), I realised I'd first heard her music on a Green Man Festival sampler from 2007, and more recently on Freakzone. Both good signs.

Thursday night events in Sussex are always a bit tricky, as Ant has to make it back from London, but I booked tickets anyway, feeling optimistic. The night rolled around and public transport was not kind to my date. He missed two excellent support acts and the chance to claim one of the vintage armchairs that had been arranged as seating, but thankfully he arrived just in time for the headliner.

Accompanied only by her own guitar, and talented young cellist Isabel Castellvi, Diane Cluck filled the intimate space with charm and warmth, and no small amount of musical accomplishment. Her poetic, heartfelt lyrics weaving effortlessly through complex time signatures and quirky cadences, she kept the audience spellbound. It made such a refreshing change to be at a gig where everyone was completely silent and respectful during the performance - not something you experience very often in Brighton, except perhaps at St George's.

Although her style is very much her own, we found certain pleasant similarities with Laura Veirs, Jesca Hoop and Natalie Merchant - all much loved artists in this household. I was particularly captivated by a song about Saint Sara, who Cluck apparently discovered and become fascinated with on a trip to France. The magic felt by the artist carried contagiously through her singing, and a haunting chorus of "Sara-Kali-Ereshkigal-Sara" sent shivers down my spine. She writes more about the story behind the song here.

At one point, the cellist put down her instrument to come and sing in unaccompanied harmony with Cluck, revealing a talent for more than just strings. Their perfectly intertwined voices in that cosy setting was a truly lovely experience, and as I felt him relax into the evening, I hoped that Ant's stressful journey had been worth it. If you get the chance, I highly recommend seeing Diane Cluck live; she's one of those people to whom the recorded form doesn't do full justice.

Eras of Style proved an unexpected delight of a venue - it felt like a private performance in an eccentrically decorated living room, complete with wonky standard lamps in place of stage lighting. In a few weeks I'll be back for Liz Green, for which you can still buy tickets here. These charming events are being put on by Music's Not Dead, a little independent music shop in Bexhill that you should definitely visit, too.

Things to Do In Eastbourne This Spring

Since moving back to Eastbourne from Brighton in December, I've been working hard to re-establish my roots here by making the most of local life. I do miss being able to step out of my house and virtually straight into any number of appealing restaurants, pubs and gigs and this feeling is especially evident with Brighton Festival about to start. But all those things are only a 30 minute train ride away and if you know where to look for them, Eastbourne has plenty of charms of its own. Lately there've been fabulous dinner parties with old school friends, lovely long walks along the peaceful seafront, many more family gatherings than before and a surprising number of interesting happenings in and around town.

Last weekend we went along to the Magnificent Motors vintage car show (see picture, right) in Princes Park and have signed up to a load more local events in the next few weeks. For those curious about what the Sunshine Coast has to offer, here are some suggested things to do in Eastbourne in May and June.

Sat 7th May - Green Fayre, Gildredge Park

A village fete with a conscience, Green Fayre is one of the more appealing events in the Eastbourne Festival 2011 calendar. Especially so to me, as I live just across the road from Gildredge Park, in Old Town. I'm particularly looking forward to the promise of gypsy swing and folk music, the 'Frock n Roll' clothes swap and some yummy organic/veggie food stalls.

Mon 16th May - Animal Collective, Winter Garden

When Beirut played at the Winter Garden last year it was absolute mayhem of the like rarely seen in Eastbourne's theatre district (or anywhere in Eastbourne for that matter). Although it's on a Monday night, expect similar excitement for Animal Collective, with bus loads of Brighton hipsters making the trip along the coast to see the band's only UK tour date outside of ATP Festival. For more details and tickets, see the Melting Vinyl website.

Sun 22nd May - Finzi Quartet, All Saints Chapel

Perhaps more hip replacement than hipster, this classical recital is part of the Meads Music Festival - a series of Sunday afternoon concerts at the beautiful All Saints Chapel. This one happens to be on my wedding anniversary, so I'm hoping for romantic string arrangements in the shape of some soothing Mendelssohn and Ravel.

Sat 28th - Sun 29th May - Eastbourne Fiesta, Western Lawns

Billed as 'Eastbourne's first cultural fusion of food, real ales, live entertainment and fun!', Eastbourne Fiesta is going down on the last weekend of the month in the pleasant Western Lawns - just a stone's throw from the marvellous Towner Gallery. Since the official website insists on making you download a PDF in order to access the programme, I've taken the liberty of embedding it on Scribd. I'd probably give the Sunday morning bagpipes a miss, but I do recommend local band Gadzooks, who are playing at 2pm that same afternoon.

Friday 3rd June - Magic Hat Ensemble, Under Ground Theatre

If you can get past its terrible website, the Under Ground has some pretty decent gigs going on. I've lined up folk, gypsy, swing, indie and classical music, but I couldn't let the season pass without a jazz fix - and this looks like the best option. If you're a jazz fan and have never heard of the Magic Mat Ensemble, give them a listen.

Tues 7th June - That Comedy Thing, The  Lamb

This is a regular night that I've been meaning to attend since my return to The Bourne. It's at my local pub, so there's no excuse other than working too hard and being rubbish. But when a friend mentioned recently that the legendary Jimbob of Carter USM fame was doing a slot in June, I was finally spurred into action and have booked tickets. If you know what I'm talking about, you can get yours here.

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So you see, Eastbourne isn't all cauliflower perms and zimmer frames - but don't go telling everyone, as I quite like the peace and quiet here. If you're in need of refreshment in between all this excitement (and I know I will be), I heartily recommend Central Eating - a very groovy new cafe that has popped up on Terminus Road. Expect a full write up of my other Eastbourne culinary adventures very soon.

Middle Farm Apple Festival 2010

You know autumn's arrived when Apple Festival rolls around. It always seems to be the event for which everyone finally relents and digs out their winter coats and hats and sturdy boots for a stomp around Middle Farm. And even though the sun does tend to shine on Firle for the weekend, the temperature has definitely taken a dive since those last days of summer just a few weeks ago, at the end of September. This year was no exception, with a definite nip in the air and even the faintest hint of dragon breath on Apple Festival revellers. I wished I'd worn more layers, but thankfully inside the tents it was cosy, and a dance around to some of the energetic bands soon got the blood circulating.

This year Apple Festival was extra special because it was my nephew Nat's first festival and a delight to introduce him to the joys of dancing along to live music amongst a rosy cheeked, gently cider fuelled crowd. He seemed to love it - as you can see from the above video - and I'm hoping this will have been the first of many festival outings we'll have together. The grown ups had fun too, especially appreciating the extra food stalls and hot spicy apple juice for those of us who were driving. I went home armed with cheese and biscuits from the food hall and numb fingers from holding my dandelion and burdock ice cream float; what a silly idea on a cold autumn day. But oh, so tasty.

Middle Farm Apple Festival 2007

UNKLE Live at the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill

Last weekend I was dog-sitting in Eastbourne while my mother escaped to her annual spiritual retreat at Walsingham cathedral; I was glad of a change of scenery after what had been a gruelling and emotional week and am always happy to spend time with the lovely Pascha. It so happened that some friends of mine were off to the De La Warr Pavilion - just up the road from Eastbourne in Bexhill - for a gig on Saturday night and suggested that Ant and I should come along, since we were in the neighbourhood. I didn't know much about the band that was playing, though Ant seemed excited when I mentioned it to him, so we booked tickets and tagged along.

The band was UNKLE, aka James Lavelle and Pablo Clements, who were being accompanied by the De La Warr's own Heritage Orchestra for a special performance as part of their current album tour. What had been a scorchingly sunny day turned into a beautiful evening on Bexhill seafront and as always, the DLWP crowd was buzzing with arty types from all across Sussex. I bumped into several old childhood friends from Eastbourne and spotted mates from Brighton including the couple who used to live upstairs from us. It was a great convivial atmosphere in which to soak up what turned out to be a magical gig.

UNKLE's dreamy, symphonic trip-hop sounds were beautifully interpreted by the 30 piece classical orchestra and two vocalists, and for the first half of the set I was totally swept away. After a good start, it all got a bit self indulgent towards the end when Lavelle took to the mic and started gushing and that combined with the sweltering temperatures up on the balcony was enough to make me lose my appetite for an encore. Even so, it was a fantastic evening, topped off nicely with a nightcap on the refreshingly breezy balcony of the De La Warr, chatting to friends old and new. 

If you want to hear more about the gig itself, there's an excellent write-up on XYZ magazine's blog, and this YouTube video from a recent gig at the Union Chapel will also give you a flavour. For a bit more background on UNKLE in general and the Heritage Orchestra collaboration in particular, pick up a copy of the latest East magazine, where you'll find an interview with James Lavelle on page 35. For details of other upcoming performances at the De La Warr Pavilion, have a read of their Live Music Blog or the Events & Performances page of the website.