Summer Music Season at the Electric Palace

Electric Palace cinema is once again bringing the sights and sounds of the Summer music festivals to your doorstep, with its annual Summer Music Season. For 2014, the cinema is hosting a range of music-themed events, including live gigs, guest Q&As, opera and dance workshops, an outdoor event and ‘David Quantick Introduces…’ sessions, writes Annie Waite.

David Quantick’s recommendations

Hastings resident, music journalist and comedy writer, David Quantick has curated three special events for the Season. This Saturday (19 July) is the first of his choices – David Essex’s 1970s rock movie Stardust, described by Quantick as “one of the great rock movies – the 60s dream gone sour, the excesses of rock, great music, a great pop star, and the best last two lines of any movie ever.”

Indie pop band St Etienne feature in the critically-acclaimed How We Used to Live, screening on 23 August alongside A Message to the World, an inspirational profile of the punk musician Jesse Hector. To complete Quantick’s trio of events, Michael Fassbender stars in Frank, a comedy drama about a musical genius who hides inside a large fake head.

Encore! Bravo for Hastings!

Opera buffs and beginners alike can test their vocal talents at an Opera-singing workshop alongside a screening of Don Giovanni (14 September). Local filmmaker Glenn Veness presents his treasure trove of clips from Hastings’ plethora of wacky community events over the years, with I Love This Town (22 August), featuring a live score played by celebrated drummer Russell Field and guest musicians.

Catch the Cinque Ports Lindy-Hoppers

Gypsy John and Crazy Karen from Cinque Ports Lindy-Hoppers will build up a sweat performing a live dance demo alongside rare vintage dance clips from late 1920-40s of jazz, tap, and lindy-hop, before the screening of Stormy Weather (25 July).

Local musician and polymath Oliver Cherer (aka Dollboy) alongside Glen Johnson and Robin Saville will present an inspiring debut of new sounds and visuals (30 August).

Open air screening in Alexandra Park

Eat@ the Park cafe will be celebrating its 10th birthday at an Open Air screening of Footloose (9 August) in Alexandra Park. Before the film starts  The Professionals will run a dance workshop for all, including a cast member from the hit West End show ‘Footloose – The Musical’.

Book tickets and find further information on the Electric Palace website.

You can see David Quantick’s Summer Music Season promo video  and join the Summer Music Season event on Facebook.

At-a-glance SUMMER MUSIC SEASON 2014 events calendar:

• Saturday 12 July: Sing-a-long ‘Purple Rain’.
• Saturday 19 July: David Quantick introduces… ‘Stardust’.
• Friday 25 July: Stormy Weather PLUS LIVE DANCE DEMO and rare vintage film clips.
• Saturday 9 August: Footloose, Open-Air in Alexandra Park with Eat@ Cafe, including pre-film dance workshop – ¬The Professionals host a Big Dance event with a cast member from the hit West End show ‘Footloose – The Musical’.
• Friday 22 August: I Love This Town – with live score played by celebrated drummer Russell Field and guest musicians.
• Saturday 23 August: David Quantick introduces… Rock ‘n’ Roll Double Bill ‘How We Used To Live’ & ‘A Message to the World’ – including Q&A with St.Etienne’s Pete Wiggs, and directors Travis Elborough, Paul Kelly and Caroline Catz.
• Saturday 30 August: Second Language Music Presents… an inspiring debut of new sounds and visuals, from Glen Johnson, Robin Saville and Oliver Cherer (aka Dollboy).
• Sunday 14 September: Don Giovanni Opera Film Plus pre-film Opera singing workshop with Jane Metcalfe.
• Friday 19 & Saturday 20 September: David Quantick introduces… ‘Frank’

Summer Music Season is supported by Film Hub South East with National Lottery funds distributed by the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN).

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