As part of the Mill Race cultural programme, funded by Historic England, documentary filmmaker Charles Fletcher and his team have made a short about the past and present of people living and working in this historic area of Lancaster.
As the Music Co-op is a long-established hub in this cultural zone of the city, they asked us to be involved in the film. On a very cold and rainy day in December, our project manager Anthony Dickens and Co-op member Derek Meins gave a (slightly awkward! Interview which has been included in the documentary. In their debut screen performance, they talk about the history of the building, the current renovation project and plans for the Co-op’s future. Think Laurel and Hardy… on a building site… in the rain… with hard hats on.
To catch their Oscar-teasing performances, you can attend the film premiere on Saturday 25th February at the cinema room in the Gregson Centre, Moor Lane, LA1 3PY. The 20-minute screenings will be on loop between 3-5pm and everyone is welcome. Tickets are free and can be booked using the QR code on the poster above. Refreshments will be available from the downstairs bar.
We’d like to thank Charles and his team for asking us to be involved. As ever, we’re also very grateful to our funding partners Lancaster City Council, the Community Ownership Fund, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Lancaster High Street Heritage Action Zone and Historic England. We’d also like to thank all our supporters who have donated, bought t-shirts and helped out at fundraiser events. (that does sound a bit like an Oscar’s speech, to be fair)
Hopefully see some of you at the screening. Keep it Co-operative!
We’re very excited to announce a special event that we’ve organised with our friends at Lancaster University.
On Saturday 16th of March 2024, a Co-op curated line-up of local musicians will be taking to the stage at the Great Hall on the Bailrigg campus. Kicking the evening off, Barry Lucas, promoter of legendary university gigs and author of the book, ‘When Rock Went to College’, will be doing a Q+A with library curator, Andrew Barker. They’ll be reminiscing and telling the ‘behind-the-scenes’ stories of concerts by likes of The Who, Pink Floyd and U2.
Following their illuminating chat about gigs of the past, the Co-op have curated live performances by four of the most exciting acts making music in Lancaster today.
There will be street food and merchandise stalls, as well as a fully stocked bar. Tickets give you access to the whole event, including Q+A and live music. To make sure you don’t miss out, book yours in advance here:
Ambient experimental synth soundscapes expertly crafted by Mark Burford aka Field Lines Cartographer. With an ever-growing catalogue of releases on labels such as the electronic tastemaker, Castles in Space, Mark’s live show is an immersive, dream-like experience. For an idea of what to expect, take Juno records’ word, ‘If you like the more out there work of Zeit-era Tangerine Dream and Michael Stearns then this is one trip you need in your life.’ (Juno, 2023).
Skilfully arranged alternative rock/indie songs with poetic wordplay, Hawkmen Dive evoke the spirit of Chrissie Hynde and early P J Harvey. Performing songs from their recently released live E.P., the Lancaster based band are a must-see for fans of intelligent guitar music.
Maja Bugge is a Norwegian cellist and composer based in Lancaster. Since 1998 she has created a large body of work both as a solo artist and in collaboration with others. Her work has been commissioned by Manchester Jazz festival, Lancaster Arts, Full of Noises, the National Theatre Oslo and Jazz North. In this special show, Maja will be performing alongside improvised electronic musician and producer Dave Shooter. Dave releases his own music as Guerrilla Biscuits as well as curating Lancaster Jazz festival and the celebrated electronic club night, Hymns for Robots.
Slick production, nifty grooves and dreamy vocoder hooks, Good Boy Nikko create toe-tapping bedroom ‘vanilla pop’ perfection. Regulars on the Lancaster gig and festival scene, their warped chill out bangers have recently received airplay on BBC Introducing. Tune in, check out and relax… but above all, have yourself a little dance!
Come and join us at this special event to show your support for the Co-op and to celebrate the vibrant past, present and future of the Lancaster music scene!
Date: Saturday, 16th March
Time: 5.30pm – late
Location: Great Hall, Lancaster Univeristy, Bailrigg, LA1 4ZA
