mama feel good! On tour Summer 2008
July 9th, 2008
MAMA FEEL GOOD! DJ set @ Larmer Tree Festival 18-20 July… www.larmertreefestival.co.uk
MAMA FEEL GOOD! DJ set @ THE SATURDAY JOINT BEACH PARTY, LASAL, Arenys de Mar (1 hour north of Barcelona)…Saturday 2nd August http://www.lasal.com
MAMA FEEL GOOD! DJ set @ THE SUNDAY JOINT, LOCAL BAR, Born, Barcelona… Sunday 3rd August
MAMA FEEL GOOD DJ set @ THE POWDER ROOM, Barcelona with THE DYNAMITES feat CHARLES WALKER &
NIA SAW…Thursday 7th August
MAMA FEEL GOOD DJ set @ Shambala Festival 22-24 August… www.shambalafestival.org
Do not adjust your dial…
July 9th, 2008
The lovely Steve Brayford aka Cheesedip from the veteran funk and soul night - Sweat, has asked the mamas to come on his Funk & Soul show on Thursday 14th August from 7pm – 9pm which will be broadcast all the way live (eeek!) so expect to hear some quality tracks and a smattering of light funk orientated banter.
The show will be on Aston FM which is 89.1 FM if you are in the Birmingham area, if you are not in Brum then you can listen online www.astonfm.com
Dziekuje…
July 8th, 2008
At the end of June Bobbie and I went to Poland to play records for some nice folk at Mamastudio and Regeneracja. This was the second time in 2 months as we had gone over to Warsaw in April to play for the Soul Service crew at a club called Balsam. This second trip gave us the opportunity to see more of Warsaw and do a spot of sightseeing. Very sadly the Mamastudio party in the park was cancelled, so we were only playing at Regeneracja, but were being well looked after by the lovely Pushia, club manager at Regeneracja. We got picked up on Friday night by our hostess and her boo in his AMAZING American car, check the flics. It was from ‘81 and was a proper wagon with a vinyl roof and a sofa-like back seat. After a night of 80s Boogie and Electro and 4 pints of strong Polish beer at a club that I couldn’t pronounce, we stumbled home 3 steps to the side and 2 steps forward, back to our accommodation. We were staying in this lovely little apartment that overlooked one of the parks in central Warsaw and on Saturday morning we were awoken by KRS one. Not him in person but his record, as the soundtrack to a skate competition across the park. Ouch.
After some culture in the form of a photographic exhibition, some food, a mojito and a couple of Codrydamol (for the headache that the mojito and last night’s beer gave me) we tootled off to the club and ate are way through the scrumptious feast that Pushia had laid on for us. The club was gorgeous, really friendly and beautifully kitted out in reds and oranges. After a small stint in the club room downstairs we moved the proceedings upstairs as folks seem to want to congregate by the bar. The gig went well, with folks getting down to the Latin tunes especially. And a fair amount of bouncing to the Boogaloo and Northern 45s that I had with me. We kept it lively until 3am and then got a taxi to the airport for our 6am flight back to blighty. All in all a brilliant weekend, Polish hospitality is truly warm and welcoming and they sure do feel the funk. My top 5 big tunes of the weekend were…
1. Yvonne Fair // Just as long as you play you must pay // Smash
2. The Capitols // Cool jerk ’68 instrumental // Karen
3. Baby Washington // Think About The Good Times // Veep
4. Hector Rivera // I want a chance for romance // Soulful Torino
5. Joe Cuba // Bang Bang // Vampisoul
MFG! News
June 13th, 2008
News! News! News! News! News! News! News! News!
Mama’s DJ set at mamastudio in Poland
mama feel good! Are flying to Poland again for a DJ Set at mamastudio annual mother’s day picnic which will see 400 folk partying in the open air park in central Warsaw in Poland on Saturday 21st June and then moving to club Regeneracja for more of the same until 3am
mama feel good! No longer monthly at Bulls Head
From July 2008 mama feel good! will no longer be monthly at The Bulls Head, Moseley it will be every two months, as the Bulls Head is going through a change. This was a decision made by the management and will affect all the regular Saturday nights including Faux Real and Open Minded People. However the management promises you “A Summer of Music & Food in Moseley” and is in the process of kitting out the ‘Rooftop Garden’ for your enjoyment. For more details on the changes at The Bulls Head contact Dean Brennan // General Manager // The Bulls Head 23 St Mary’s Row, Moseley, B13 8HW // www.bullsheadmoseley.co.uk // E: dean@bullsheadmoseley.co.uk
The dates for mama feel good! At The Bulls Head over the next few months are as follows…
Saturday 28th June
Saturday 30th August
Saturday 25th October
So if you would like to join us for our last party before we go through the change I would like to remind you that it is Free entry from 9pm-10pm and the next mama feel good! is on Saturday 28th June // 9pm – 2am // £3 on the door after 10pm // Featuring the funk honeys Sister 45 (“ I can make my lover reach for the stars, when the sun is out”) and Bobbalin’ Hot (“I can make my man forget, what he’s thinking about”) and their funk & soul 45s.
For friendly musing on life as a female funk DJ, free mixes, hot links and DJ listings check:
For updates and free mixes…or catch us at The Bulls every second month from July.
Watch this space for forthcoming news including…
mama feel good! DJ set in Barcelona at The Powder Rooms Sal Apolo with Nia Saw August 08…
mama feel good! 45s for £10 Set on Jazzman Records Radio show coming soon…www.jazzmanrecords.co.uk
mama feel good! At Shambala Festival 22-24 August… www.shambalafestival.org
mama feel good! At Larmer Tree Festival 18-20 July… www.larmertreefestival.co.uk
With lots of love and kind wishes from
The MAMAs
E: mamafeelgood@googlemail.com
Power to the punters…
May 28th, 2008
Promoting bands has got to be the hardest thing though, as it is always more expensive to programme bands than DJs because there are so many of them, especially funk & soul bands that are heavy on percussion and brass. I reckon that most funk bands have between 8 to 10 people in them, a promoter might manage to scrape together 500 bills to pay them, now I am no Carol Vorderman but even I know that 50 notes is sweet F*%k all, for somebody who has been playing their instrument for X amount of years and who has reached a capability better than most. So what is the answer?
· You can get subsidy to Put bands on, but the hoops that you have to jump through are time consuming and tedious
· You can get a venue owner to financially back the band, so that if you don’t make any money at least folks who gots to get paid, get paid. However this can backfire, if the venue owner ends up having to pay out and he/she is pissed at the promoter, and the promoter’s reputation and relationship with the venue owner is then somewhat sullied
· Or you can have a relationship with the band where if you don’t make any money nobody gets paid or if you make money then you split it – but this is pants coz everybody should get paid
The power lies with the punter. The live music industry is buggered without the good, honest punter. Where are you? Where were you?
One thing that the Edenheight trauma has taught me is to support live bands. If I like it or I think I might like it, I am going to it! And for all the musicians out there, keeping plugging, mama feel good! Salutes you! And for all the promoters out there, keep taking the risks and promoting the music that folks should get the opportunity to hear, I will see you down the front.
xx
Peace.
Bass festival Free masterclass with She-Jay Kayper….
May 28th, 2008
‘BASS festival is proud to welcome all intermediate Dj’s to attend a FREE
masterclass with the fantastic DJ Kayper
The first woman ever to win the prestigious Vestax Juice competition, Kayper
is recognised the world over for her excellent technical skills and crowd
control.
She is signed to the BBC Asian network, hosting flagship programme ‘The
Hype Show’. Kayper holds national and international residencies and has
played alongside the likes of Jazzy Jeff, DJ Cash Money, Clinton Sparks,
Killa Kela, Scratch Perverts and Mr. Thing
This master class will let you know how she made it from bedroom DJ to
internationally renowned artist. A must for any ladies trying to improve
their technique and for any boys big enough to learn from a woman!
Monday 2nd June
6pm- 8pm
Symphony Hall
Broad Street
Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, B1 2HF
0121 780 3333
FREE please register with punch 0121 224 744′
Money Gigs- Warning: Bobbalin gets her moan on ;)
April 26th, 2008
Sometimes you get offered a gig, and you’d rather not do it, but the money is better than a kick in the teeth. Then you get there and realise you should have stayed home. Why?
Because I experienced this last night:
- Inundated with requests for 80s and crappy, mainstream music
- People going through your record box uninvited
- People asking for requests and getting really agro when you don’t have the tune
- Patronising CDJ of an idiot thinking that women can’t operate turntables
Ah, vent over. Money gigs. At least tonight’s Mama Feel Good! is gonna be a good un!
9pm- 2am.
Bull’s Head, Moseley,
Bobbalin’ Hot
Sister 45
£3
Eden Heights @ Hare and Hounds 26th May
April 18th, 2008
It’s on a bank holiday weekend!
The band are tight as chips and there is gonna be a cracking vibe!
Be there!
Live 9-piece collective, cultured in Bristol’s vibrant underground music scene.
DJanes:
Bobbalin’ Hot
Sister 45
Edenheight write original breaks in styles from heavy funk and jazz to hip hop, afrobeat to roots/dub reggae.
This is a band who work well with a full dance floor or a tough crowd of chin scratchers, and as such Edenheight have risen quickly in the vibrant live music underground of Bristol and Bath.
Since launching the live project in the UK, May 2005, notable gigs have included big club nights in Bristol and Bath for NYE 2005 and 2006, a headlining appearance at Walcott Nation Day (Bath Fringe festival Climax 2006), Ashton Court 2006 and 2007, as well as Shambala festival 2007.
Styles of da funk, from Sly and Robbie to the JBs to the MGs; Fat ass bass, crisp simple funky drummer, exquisitely distorted Wurlitzer piano, horns from free jazz to reggae fill ins, funky chopped guitar in conjunction with Clive TVs chain smoked crushed soul vocal; bit good really!
(Andy Cottle, Decode magazine)
One of the definite highlights of Ashton Court; A powerful band operating somewhere on the borders of jazz, funk, dub and dance music
(Tony Benjamin, Venue magazine)
Definitely one of the funkiest bands in Bristol at the moment, Edenheight play a heavy brand of explosive 70s dance grooves guaranteed to fill the dance floor
(Western soul)
http://www.myspace.com/edenheight
Undeniably my favourite band…as heavy as your mama
April 15th, 2008
Wow! What a wicked weekend! Woke up on Saturday morning to the door bell, Mr postman had left me a little square package. Oh joy it was the record that I had bought from Ebay – Blackbyrds Rock Creek Park and I had got it for a steal aha! Then Keir and Chris came round, they have just got funding from the Arts Council to do an exhibition. They interviewed me for the digital is dangerous campaign, and I had to face some tough questions like…what do you want to happen to your records when you die? As you can imagine, this was a tough one. Do you get buried with them? Do you give them away? Do you give them away together as a collection or split them up? Check the exhibition for my answer…and check the link for more info…
http://www.digitalisdangerous.co.uk/Sunday had a leisurely beginning, a cup of tea and some cocoa pops and warming up the turntables waiting for Bobbalin Hot. We wanted to hook up, play some records and lay down a new mix CD. Bobbie has just come back from Japan, so she had some new wax that she wanted to show off, and I had secretly been stacking up the 45s since she’s been away and wanted to flaunt mine too. We were pleased with the CD, had some food and trotted off to The Yardbird where Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings were playing.
Sharon Jones and The Dap-kings at The Yardbird in Birmingham! Can you believe it? Undeniably my favourite band. I had previously travelled to Nice in the south of France to see them, so was over the moon to hear that Ollie had booked them in Brum. When I saw them in France they filled a 1000 seat stadium venue. The Yardbird has a capacity a tenth of that. On Sunday it was maxing out at about 180 people, it was rammed, but AMAZING. Sharon Jones is a legend, such a phenomenal voice and such captivating stage presence. As for the Dap-Kings, they are some dope looking brothers with an awesome amount of talent. As slick as slick rick, as heavy as your mama and as tight as my first boyfriend. KICK-ASS. Me and Bobbie were representing at the front and getting down, they played tunes from Naturally and from the new album 100 days 100 nights. A special moment for me, was when Sharon got Bobbie on stage for Mean Man: pure class. After the gig we took Sugar Man, Bosco and Binky to the Tap and Spile for a bit of late night tomfoolery and didn’t roll in until 5am. Ouch!
I recommend, you beg borrow or steal to get a ticket to see these lot in action. They are the unrivalled frontrunners of old-school Soul and Funk music and all you could ever want from a live gig.
MFG! Gigs for April and May
April 13th, 2008
Next weekend, MFG ladies will fly to Poland to play some funky tunes. It’ll be at Balsam Club in Warsaw. It’s a birthday weekend party for club Balsam.
April 26th is the usual residency at the Bull’s Head, Moseley, Brum.
4th May @ Harey Hounds we are supporting Roy Ayers which is pretty exciting!!
26th May- We have invited EdenHeights- Bristolean outfit mashing up funk, jazz, reggae and lush party vibes to the Hare and Hounds. Do not miss this bank holiday event! Bound to be a blinding one!
31st May residency @ Bull’s Head, Moseley, Brum.
Photography by Kate Beatty
February 23rd, 2008
Our lovely friend Kate took our pics for her project on Birmingham creatives. These are my personal favourites.
Duffster
February 23rd, 2008
I watched ‘Later with Jools Holland’ for the first time in donkey’s. I thought this young lady was quite good if not a bit sharp here and there. I like the northern soul/ pop edge. Oh, and she’s got a lovely welsh accent!
Forthcoming gigs
February 6th, 2008
Saturday 23rd February
mama feel good! @ The Bulls Head, Moseley Birmingham
9pm-2am // £3 in
Saturday 1st March
Soul 45 Record Launch @ Soul Spectrum, Voodoo Rooms Edinburgh
8pm-1am // £4
1ST OF MARCH WITH JAZZMAN GERALD (LONDON), JASON STIRLAND (NEWCASTLE) , FRYER & THE MAMA FEELGOOD GIRLS (BIRMINGHAM) PRESENT THE SOUL 45 LAUNCH PARTY
Soul Spectrum Edinburgh is a monthly night brought to you by one half of edinburgh’s motherfunk team, along with the uk’s finest broad minded soul and funk dj’s.
Soon to be confirmed…
mama feel good! DJ dates in Poland and another big party in Birmingham…watch this space for more info…
BSS
February 2nd, 2008
Have a good Saturday! Well there was a nice video of Ike and Tina Turner performing Bold, Soul Sister. It’s gone now. Ne’r mind. Thanks to the spoil sports at SOFA entertainment!
MFG! Spring
January 30th, 2008
And the back. The blurb is still to be tweaked, but just so you can get a feel…
MFG Spring ‘08
January 30th, 2008
Originally uploaded by Bobbalinhot
Here is the latest flyer image. Lighter, softer shades of Spring.
Doesn’t Ms. Flack look lovely!
Thanks to Substrakt!!
January 30th, 2008
Many thanks to Andy, Carlie and Jim for helping us with the MFG! branding. The Substrakt peeps designed a lovely flyer for us and have assisted in changing the colours slightly for our latest one.
You can check their blog here.
The new version will be posted later today hopefully!
This Saturday MFG! @ Bull’s Head
January 23rd, 2008
This Saturday, Bull’s Head, Birmingham is the first MFG! of 2008. Be there! Lashings of funk from your favourite funk misfits.
When: 9pm-2am
Tax: £3
Funkshun 1st Birthday Party- Limerick
January 20th, 2008
We had loads of fun playing funks choons with the lovely Limerick lads at Funkshun! Thanks to Andy, Rainers, Pete, JC, Shane, J-Ray and the enthusiastic Kate for being such lovely peeps and making us feel really welcome!
We received some amazing feedback from punters! We had ourselves a craicking time!!
New Website!
January 18th, 2008
Mama Feel Good! has a brand new second hand weblog.
Hope you like the new look! A different colour will be coming soon! Any suggestions?
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