Fat Tuesday Music Festival Returns...

Yes, it's not for a week, but then, it starts much sooner...

You know the Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival 2020 (website) is back when you see leaflets and posters all over town! The festival kicks off on Friday with a one day music conference, Un-Convention, from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm at the White Rock Hotel (website), continuing that evening with the Fat Friday Launch Party starting at 7.45 pm (to 11.30 pm) at the White Rock Theatre (website), and goes on to encompass numerous venues in the old and new towns throughout the 5 days of the festival until culminating on the evening of Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Day/Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras, Tuesday 25th (website), with partying and music galore!

Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Spectacle! 

OK, we may not be as spectacular as Mardi Gras in New Orleans (website) which has been going since 1703, originally 60 miles south of New Orleans, at Point Du Mardi Gras, where  French explorers landed a few years earlier, on the day of Mardi Gras, the 2nd of March 1699. New Orleans was established in 1718, with Mardi Gras regularly celebrated there by the 1830s, and by 1875, large floats were being built in New Orleans to celebrate the festival, the year it became a legal public holiday.

Rio de Janeiro Carnaval, Glamour!

Mardi Gras in Rio, has been celebrated, initially with feasts, since the 17th century, masquerade balls became popular in the 19th century, but in the early 20th century the culture of African music and dance, introduced by freed slaves and their children, was enveloped within Portuguese Rio de Janeiro, then was founded the dance style of Samba (website). Mardi Gras was now celebrated in Rio together with the development of Samba schools in the 1920s (there are about 200 schools in existence now) the Carnaval (Portuguese for Carnival) festival became centred on the parade of the Samba schools and the glamour that was introduced (website), and since 1933 Rio Carnaval has become the largest Mardi Gras festival in the World, with 2 million people participating every year. 

OK, we may not have as much spectacle and glamour as New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro, though there will be plenty of dressing up, be assured of that, and Mardi Gras and Carnaval have been going considerably longer than Fat Tuesday in Hastings... But what we do have is music galore and we party, for example on Saturday 22nd Unplugged carries on with 40 artists and bands playing 15 minutes sets at 25 venues across Hastings, for 5 hours from 1-6pm, and from Tommy's Pizzeria in St Leonards to the Dolphin Inn in Rock-a-Nore Road in the old town (if you don't have a programme already, for specific acts and where they're playing, please go to the website), with plenty to enjoy.

Also there is much more to follow until Fat Tuesday itself (website), and I shall be writing more about that too, but do enjoy yourselves have fun!

Not so fat Monday...

Today sees a quieter day music gig-wise, though it certainly shouldn't be uninteresting! From 10am to 5.30pm in the Sussex Hall of White Rock Theatre is being held Unconvention, a free "one-day music conference aimed at the grassroots of the industry." You can catch "panellists from across the music business in conversation about the future of the music industry and attend workshops on a range of key elements including practical advice for gigging, and tips on securing crowdfunding & grants." 

Indeed, "Un-Convention is a UK based global music network and development agency. Their events and projects bring together artists and practitioners to share knowledge and expertise." If you're musically inclined this sounds like the place to be today! See the website for further details of  what the day offers.

Then, this evening, for the ninth year running, returns Slim Monday, a more relaxed 4 hours (7-11pm and also free entry) at the Palace, also at White Rock just along from the theatre, and including live music by King Size Slim; see website.

Have a good day before the serious fun tomorrow evening!

Less than 3 weeks to the start of Hastings Fat Tuesday Festival!

Where did that year go?!? Anyway, my weekend being slightly upset by the prevailing weather conditions, I've been uplifted by realising the start of the 2018 Hastings Fat Tuesday festival is just 20 days away, indeed, the biggest Mardi Gras festival in the UK! Starting with Friday's Launch Party, then Unplugged Saturday, an afternoon of bands playing at many locations in the old town, from St Mary in the Castle via George Street, High Street and All Saints Street, to the Dolphin Inn in Rock-a-Nore Road; see website. To the Grand Mardi Gras Ball at St Mary in the Castle on Saturday evening, and the Umbrella Parade, starting Sunday morning at the Stade, then promenading to St Mary in the Castle again, fingers crossed it won't be too windy!

Also on Sunday more music across the town from lunchtime, at St Mary in the Castle, the Brass Monkey and The Palace, and at On the Rocks and The Printworks in Claremont. On Monday there is UnConvention, a one-day music conference at the White Rock Theatre from 10am to 5.30pm, and Slim Monday, with King Size Slim performing at The Palace from 7pm. See website for full details of what's on. 

The festival culminates with the Fat Tuesday Tour, and, finally, with the After-show Party; see website. From 8pm to 11pm, on Tuesday the 13th of February, the 2018 Fat Tuesday Tour will see 24 bands play three 20-minute sets each, at 12 venues, which means either settling down in one venue, so choose the bands you with to see most at one venue, or more challenging, wandering from venue to venue to see particular bands. Whatever you do, enjoy Mardi Gras!

Fat Tuesday Launch Party & Unconvention

Matilda's Scoundrels 

This evening the Fat Tuesday Launch Party at the Albion, free this gig, explodes with the exciting "Pirate Punk" Matilda's Scoundrels (website), following the earlier 'Unconvention' music seminar at the Printworks, Claremont, between 10.30 and 6pm. 

More fun to come...