Your seven-day TV andleisure guide to Milton

Keynes and beyondstarts here...

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Visit our website at www.miltonkeynes.co.uk for lots more leisure news and views

Body Ink

The Tattoo Convention givesthe needle – see page 3

Music

The Watershed has a talent instore tonight – see page 5

MKAOS

Have you got your tickets yet?– see page 7

Are you Losing The Plot? Mikron TheatreCompany are– see page 7

08448717652 fee)

www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes (bkg fee)

(bkg

Mon 11 -Sat 16 Jun

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�MK Citizen Go,Thursday, June 7, 2012www.miltonkeynes.co.uk

what’s on this weekReady, set, GO!Mascot Race

MORE than 20 mascots fromaround the country – as well asMilton Keynes’ very own – willgather for this year’s MascotOlympics and Family Day in theTheatre District on Saturday.It’s bigger and better than ever,and in support of Visually ImpairedChildren Taking Action (VICTA).

Watch the giant bundles of funpartake in the toboggan plunge(who will be the fastest down theslopes?), shot put (to weed out theweaklings) and the race itself (theroute will see the mascots chargingthrough the Theatre District at12.15pm).

It’s not as simple as runningfrom A to B though, as eachmascot will be handicapped andthrown challenges to make themwork extra hard.

They will break for lunch at1pm, and you can too at one ofthe Theatre District’s restaurants,many of which are puttingon special deals – visit www.theatredistrict.co.uk.

Family entertainment duringlunch will include a funfair, danceacts, free-running workshops andjousting.

At 2pm the action resumes– kicking off with a long jumpbefore the penultimate event at2.45pm – a Joust.

Last, but certainly not least,is the Obstacle Course, atapproximately 3.15pm.

The Final Presentation of medalsand trophies is at 4pm, when theMascot Champion of 2012 will berevealed.

HULA is thecat’s whiskersTHE purrrfect open day is plannedfor HULA Animal Rescue onSunday.

The charity will focus on theirfeline friends with lots of cat-themed fun between 1and 4pm.

There will be a veterinary talkabout cat health while the catphoto competition (bring yoursnaps with you) will be huntingdown the best-looking moggy.

Entry is just £2 for adults,accompanied children go free. atGrebe Farm in Aspley Guise.

Space to createyour own showTHE Community Arts ResourcesCentre run by Arts Gateway MKcontains everything required to puton a production.

A recent grant award from SportRelief means the centre is nowbuzzing with excitement – call MK241122 for hire details.

Make a wish and help Emily’s StarA FUNDRAISING concert willbe taking MADCAP Theatreby storm tomorrow on behalfof a young mother fighting toraise funds for the nurses wholooked after her beautiful babygirl.

Emily’s Star has been setup by Katie Elmer in memoryof daughter Emily Elizabeth,and some familiar bands fromaround the city are doing theirbit to raise funds.

All proceeds will go towardssupporting Children withComplex Needs Nursing teams.

The Complex Needs Nursing

team enabled Katie to takeEmily home after her little angelwas diagnosed with the geneticsyndrome, Edwards, and givenjust four days to live.

Defying doctors’ odds, Emilysurvived a further 26 days.

Five-piece 60s BritPop singing Mad Mods &Englishmen and NorthamptonReggae band The Bighead willtake to the stage to entertainand raise vital funds.

Show your support forEmily’s Star by hot-footing it tothe Wolverton venue tomorrowfor 7.30pm.

The show will be hosted byBlair Scriven, while the

award-winning DJ Jobi Wanwill also feature.

Tickets are £6, availableonline at www.emilysstar.co.uk/events.

Get arty andhelp olderpeople in city

NEW city artists will be gettingtogether to raise money for theBletchley Senior Citizens RestCentre.

Local creatives Amanda Cooper,Joe Stockton, Karen Turner, RogerLoxton and Irene Foster are alldonating something from their ownwork for the open event at FoxtonStudio, 6 Woughton Park.

There will be paintings, ceramicsand stained glass on display.

The studio, which is where Ireneregularly gets crafty, will be opendaily from Saturday to June 24 aspart of Bucks Open Studios.

Refreshments will be servedand money raised will go towardsbuying new chairs for the BletchleySenior Citizens Rest Centre – whichis celebrating its 50th Anniversarythis year.

Open daily, 10am-4pm(weekdays), 11am-5pm (weekends).

Contact Irene Foster on MK668401 if you want to know more.

Visit fabulousfuchsia saleWITH almost 110 recognizedspecies, the fuchsia is a populargarden flower – so make the mostof its wide appeal by visiting thecity’s 9th Annual Fuchsia Sale.

The sale will take place onSaturday between 2 and 5pm, atChurch Lane, Lathbury, in NewportPagnell.

Profits raised will bedonated to All Saints Church,Lathbury and Warwickshire andNorthamptonshire Air Ambulance.

Tattoo show leavesits mark on new city

INK fanatics will be ‘drawn’to Kents Hill Park Trainingand Conference Centre thisweekend for the second MKTattoo Convention, writesGeorgina Butler.This two day extravaganzapromotes the world oftattooing and piercingand returns this yearwith an assortment ofentertainment.

With two floors of vendor,exhibition and entertainmentspace there will be plenty oftattoo artists and a tattoomuseum to illustrate someof the most amazing art evershow on skin.

The very best designswill be celebrated in thetattoo awards while specialseminar sessions will explainthe nitty gritty reality ofunderstanding tattoos,

with topics ranging fromPigmentation Technologyto Needle and Laser(sign up at seminar@mktattooconvention.com).

There will also befire eating and snakeperformances, graffiti andtarot-reading on the cardsfor a cool combination ofentertainment.

Enjoy flavoursome blendsas you smoke a waterpipein the Shisha garden or, ifyou like your refreshmentstraditional you can’t gowrong with the hog roast.

The After Party (7pm ‘tillate) will feature top DJs.

Doors open 12pm onSaturday; 11.30am onSunday.

Tickets are £15 onthe door, visit www.mktattooconvention.com

One World Club makes Stony Live! debutTHERE’s lots going on for StonyLive! and One World on Sunday is noexception as everybody’s favourite actsperform in one fabulous production.

It’s all-change this month becauserather than being held at BradwellAbbey (the usual home for this event)the One World Club show is shifting toStony venue The Cock Hotel, to be at

the heart of the Stony Live action.Entry remains free but due to Health

and Safety precautions, audience sizeis restricted – arrive early to be sure ofa place in the audience.

Acts looking forward to keeping youentertained include dynamic soul duoGeorge Anthony and Ayo, Bollywooddance act Rachel & Sabina, Jamaican

group Caribbean Culture People(three ladies, a percussionist anda poet) and Flamenco dance teamTomas and Maria Jemez.

The aptly-named Lydia Singer, a 10-year-old superstar, will also take StonyLiv! by storm when she sings with alive band, while 16-year-old LaurenHoldgate will sing pop music from pastand present.

Doors open at 6.30pm, the showstarts at 7.30pm.

> Make the most of all the topentertainment that Stony Live has tooffer by visiting www.stonylive.org

Visit Open Studios for the full roarOne of the largest visual artevents around returns thisweek, as you might readelsewhere on this page.

Bucks Open Studios exhibitsa huge range of amazing talentand provides an opportunityto see artists at work, askquestions and buy uniquebespoke art.

As part of Open Studios,480 artists and makers – in

182 different venues acrossBuckinghamshire – open theirstudios to the public.

The Barn Gallery, Parklands,Great Linford will be doingjust that and the Previewtakes place on Saturday from1pm.

Artists including Ann Loines(silk paintings and drawings),Tania Norman (textiles) and LenGifford (sculptures) will display

their work and offer aninsight into their creativeprocess.

Tecton Gallery in FennyStratford is also taking part,and you can see fabuloussculpture like this fella, left,by curator Nicholas Packham,as part of the theme ‘NaturalWorld’.

Visit www.bucksopenstudios.org.uk for more show details.

MAD MODS,THE BIGHEADand DJ JOBI

WAN: Teamingup for Emily’s Star

�MK Citizen Go,Thursday, June 7, 2012www.miltonkeynes.co.uk

Win Luther’sHidden GemsCASUAL listeners and devoted fans alikecan enjoy the overwhelming talent of thelate Luther Vandross with recent albumrelease Hidden Gems – and we havecopies to give away.

Featuring 15 seldom-heard deepalbum tracks and soundtrack songs,the collection is described by Luther’slife-long collaborator Fonzi Thornton as‘a deeper dig into the musical treasuretrove of Luther Vandross’.

The bulk of Hidden Gems is devoted toLuther’s 15-year tenure at Epic Recordsfrom 1981 to 1996, with songs spanninghis original studio albums, as well astracks recorded for original motionpicture soundtracks.

From the exciting dance-floor trackAre You Using Me? to hits When YouCall On Me (Baby That’s When I ComeRunnin’) and I Know You Want To thealbum illustrates his vocal ability andopen-hearted, soulful music.

To be in with a chance of winning acopy, send a postcard marked ‘MusicalGems’ together with your name andaddress, to Citizen newsdesk, NapierHouse, Auckland Park, Bond Avenue,Bletchley, MK1 1BU.

Closing date for entries is Wednesday,June 13, 2012.

Jez is coming to Stony Live tomorrowWITH a fistful of outstandingreviews, Jez Lowe returns to thespotlight at the Song Loft forthe Stony Live! Festival thisweek.

For the last 30 years, singer andsongwriter Jez has taken his songsof life in his native North EastEngland to audiences around theglobe.

Performing both solo and withhis band The Bad Pennies, as wellas in a variety of collaborative andcommissioned musical enterprises,

Jez is one of the most popularacoustic/folk artists of today.

His latest album - ‘Wotcheor!’ – ishis 15th and has created renewedinterest in his brand of poignantand powerful musical offerings.

Over the last five years alone,Jez has been nominated Folksingerof the Year in the BBC Folk Awardsand won Album of the Year in theUS-based Indie-Acoustic Awards.

Catch Jez tomorrow at 8.15pm.Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on

the door.

> IF you like your music soulful,jazzy and a little chilled, then getdown to The Cannon in NewportPagnell. Every second WednesdayAndrew Ackerman will be playingtunes to relax to – the best inSmooth Jazz, Fusion and ClassicSoul, along with a sprinkling ofLatin and Funk.

All this is played at a comfortablelevel – making a catch-up withfriends entirely feasible.

Free entry at the door – get yourmidweek music fix on Wednesday.

FORECASTING the financialoutlook may seem worlds awayfrom making music but TomMoriarty is an artist who hashad experience of both, writesGeorgina Butler.

Two years ago Tom was wearinga suit and tie, working the nine tofive stint in the City of London,but it wasn’t the life wanted bythis classically trained singer-songwriter.

All around him the financialsystem was crumbling downand, determined to convey hismessage that things neededto change, Tom turned tosongwriting.

Out of this turmoil came thealbum ‘Fire In The Doll’s House’– essentially a protest albumabout the state of the worldtoday.

Since its release, the albumhas received critical acclaim,with 4 stars from Q Magazine,Guitarist and Maverick, while Tom

has been play listed on nationalradio and become a regular gueston BBC regional radio stations.

As a youngster, Tom playedin front of the Queen and forthe Prime Minister but afterextensive musical training and astint of studying in the US, familyresponsibilities drew him into theworld of business.

He explains: “It was like beingin the desert but I knew I’d makeit out some day.

“I never gave up and alwayskept writing.

“It’s good to be back.”The 11 self-penned songs show

that the best things really docome to those who wait as it ishis life experiences that haveshaped his writing.

Tom’s tour this month providesthe chance to show how relevanthis music is to what is happeningin the world today.

He states his case on the titletrack ‘Fire In The Doll’s House’:

“It’s about how everyone seemsto be blind to what’s going on.

“I suppose you could call it awake up call.

“I’m just saying things havegot to change.”

Tom’s songs also touchon personal experiences andreflections of past relationshipsso if the protest songs don’t rockyour world, you are sure to relateto his distinctive songs aboutpast love.

Tonight, Tom will bring hisblend of self-explanatory lyricsand rock-blues-folk music to TheWatershed in Newport Pagnell.

Tom is currently working on abook on behalf of Occupy – themovement helping to fight forthose that are suffering followingthe banking collapse of 2008,too.

A clever man.He will take the stage after

7.30pm – visit www.watershedmk.com

“I’m saying thingshave got to change”

MISTER Vitez and Jamie Stimpson are a local duolooking to stamp their mark in the charts and on thestage.

The pair are individually talented performers whodecided to collaborate on a few songs together.

After discovering how creatively in tunethey were – and being positively receivedby listeners – the pair decided to team uppermanently.

Mister Vitez is a 20-year-old up-and-coming record producer and rapper whostarted his musical career at the tenderage of eight when he inherited a very oldclassical guitar.

Completely self-taught until the latterstages of his learning, he became interestedin the mechanics of modern music andsong-writing and when he was 13 he got intomusic production.

Mister Vitez honed his skills studyingMusic Technology at Bedford College, underthe guidance of mentor Stevie V – a charttopping artist in the late 80s and early 90s.

Milton Keynes born and raised, JamieStimpson is a 22-year-old recording artistwho is setting his sights on big things.

At the age of 17, Jamie realised he had a realtalent when he was offered a job singing after

giving a performance during a karaoke night in Spain.Then, in 2007, Jamie lost his father to a battle with

cancer, which spurred him on to chase his dreams ofa musical career.

After raising lots of money for local charities– including Willen Hospice – he faced his own healthbattle with a serious heart condition that nearly tookhis life twice.

Now fighting fit, Jamie is ready to leave his mark onthe UK music scene.

Since teaming up together, the duo have gatheredmore than a quarter of a million views on Youtube.

Their debut single, the dance-based ‘When SorryDoesn’t Work’, reached an impressive R&B/Soulchart position of 38 on its first day of release.

Thie achievement was made all the more sweet, asthey did it completely on their own – with no financialbacking.

Having won over a larger fan-base they surgedforward to make a follow-up single entitled ‘Can’tKeep Fighting’, a more mellow pop song.

The single went on to reach number 21 in theofficial iTunes R&B/Soul song chart, another positivenod to their deliveries.

Both Mister Vitez and Jamie Stimpson are nowworking on new material in the studio and have a fewbig upcoming performances planned, including theMilton Keynes Campbell Park Summer Fayre.

Stay tuned for more from these two – youcan follow them on Twitter @MisterVitez and @

JayStimpson.

Can’t Keep Fighting KOs the oppostion

city nights

�MK Citizen Go,Thursday, June �, 2012www.miltonkeynes.co.uk

theatre page

Dramaamongtheshrubs!

AN allotment may not strike you as one of the bestplaces to encounter excitement but a new play turnswhat you thought you knew about gardening on itshead.

Losing The Plot is a story of love – between peopleand the land, people and people and people and theirgiant vegetables!

Performed by Mikron, the show is out on tour andstops off at Inter-Action MK, Peartree Bridge thisSunday.

With a rollicking mix of old music hall tunesand brand new songs, big characters, inventivestorytelling (and the odd scarecrow thrown in forgood measure), Losing The Plot is a tale of earthypleasures and pitchforks at dawn.

There is no need to book in advance as a pay-what-you-will collection will be taken after theperformance.

> Meanwhile, Stantonbury Campus Theatre isgetting ready for The Sound of Music (runningfrom Tuesday June 19 to Sunday June 24)– unsurpassable theatrical entertainment fromthe MK Amateur Operatic Society stable.

Tickets are £16, concessions £13.Looking ahead, and MKAOS also have

pantomime plans in motion for Stantonbury thisChristmas.

If you are interested in being part of ‘Puss inBoots and the Beanstalk’ there is a meeting onSunday at 7.30pm in George Street CommunityCentre, Bletchley. Pop in!

Steele yourselvesfor the Magnolias

STRENGTH, LOYALTY, LAUGHTER: AtMK Theatre, this week

HEART-WARMING and bittersweet comedy SteelMagnolias comes to town this week.

The play tells the story of six very specialfriends bonded together by mutual triumphs andtragedies, writes Georgina Butler.

Drawing strength and loyalty from each other,these remarkable women survive the cycles ofbirth and death to emerge stronger, closer and stilllaughing.

Written by Robert Harling as a form of therapyfollowing the death of his sister from diabetes, theoriginal 1987 play was followed by a 1989 smash-hit movie adaptation.

Now on tour, Steel Magnolias boasts a terrificcast including Kacey (Eastenders’ Little Mo)Ainsworth, Isla Blair (The History Boys), CherylCampbell (most recently seen on television inCasualty), Cherie Lunghi (acting aside, Cherie wasalso a 2008 contestant in Strictly Come Dancingand then toured with the dance show), SandraPickering (Waterloo Road) and Denise Welch(Loose Women, Coronation Street).

Join the six ladies from deep in South Louisiana– beautiful, impulsive Shelby; her strong-willedmother, M’Lynn; beauty parlour owner, Truvy;elegant wealthy widow, Clairee; sharp-tonguedOuiser and mousey newcomer Annelle – as theyride life’s rollercoaster.

Steel Magnolias, MK Theatre from Monday, call0844 871 7652.

Dame Cleo:‘They’re trying to steal my thunder!’AN idylllic English summergarden is the perfect settingfor enjoying a little al frescomusic, so Dame Cleo Laine isright on the money with herlatest seasonal offering.

Music In The Garden isseeing in summer at the OldRectory Gardens, StockwellLane, Wavendon, with anothergathering of stunningmusicians.

On Saturday, enjoy Jazz ona Summer’s Day at 11.30am,

led by Simon Allen (sax) withMartin Shaw (trumpet), TomCrawley (piano), LaurenceCottle (bass) and Mike Bradley(drums).

Tickets £12, £13 on the gate.At 2.30pm scene stalwart

Henry Lowther & the Great WeeBand will perform music fromLight Blue, their latest CD.

Trumpeter Henry, Jim Mullen(guitar), Dave Green (bass) andspecial guest Stan Sulzmann(tenor sax) will provide music

to relax in the form of melodicjazz.

Sunday’s date with Cleo,left, will be a decidedly familyaffair though, as Dame Cleo’sson Alec Dankworth explains:“It will be quite an unusualconcert, because Cleo will singin the second half, and then mydaughter Emily is coming alongto sing with a six part vocalgroup she is involved with, andJacqui is guesting too...”

“They are all getting in on

my act, trying to steal mythunder!” Cleo told the Citizenwith a giggle, but says shereally doesn’t mind in theslightest.

“I enjoy it because it relievesme from having to do a lot ofhard work!” she laughed.

Call MK 280800 to booktickets.

> See GO! next week formore of our chat with DameCleo, son Alec and daughterJacqui.

A STABLES debut is on offertonight from Dougie MacLean,Scotland’s pre-eminent singer-songwriter.

Dougie has developeda unique blend of lyrical,roots-based song writing andinstrumental compositions andis internationally renowned forthe song ‘Caledonia’ as well as hismusic for 1992 film ‘The Last OfThe Mohicans’.

Catch Dougie at 8pm, but if youfancy taking to the stage yourselftonight, then it’s Over 2U on Stage2 from 8.45pm – for £2 you canperform in front of a supportiveaudience while £5 gets you a spotin the audience with none of thestage fright.

Tomorrow, catch seven timesGrammy nominated saxman DaveKoz making a return visit.

Blues and soul star Dani Wilde isalso back on Friday for an intimateevening of tingling soul tunes andfoot-stamping blues.

Come Sunday at 8pm you mightbe in the mood for a Big Bandshow and Pete Long’s All-StarGoodmen Orchestra with JoanViskant will deliver, bringing BennyGoodman’s 1938 Carnegie HallConcert to life, performing theentire repertoire, including Sing,Sing, Sing; I Got Rhythm; and IfDreams Come True.

Tickets £19.50, £21.50.Looking to next week, BellaHardy, left, will be bringing hermesmerising voice to The Stableson Tuesday evening.As an acclaimed singer – threetimes nominated in the BBC FolkAwards – Bella launched her debutsolo album Night Visiting in 2007

to overwhelming critical success.Since then she has establishedherself as one of the finestyoung folk acts around, singingunaccompanied ballads orentwining her hypnotic voice withher own fiddle accompaniment.Catch her at 8pm, tickets £15.Meanwhile, over on Stage 2, TheParis of 1940s will transport youinto a Soho jazz club, taking jazzinto a new era, from 8.45pm.With an intricately arranged,expertly delivered cocktail ofjazz, swing, samba, pop andexperimental indie/rock pluckedfrom a vast repertoire spanningKaty Perry to Motorhead andCalvin Harris – let The Paris 1940sentertain you.Tickets are £12 on the door.Call to book on MK 280800.

Early weekend plans with The Stables