MelloFest

MelloFest is a new festival that celebrates the Mellotron and Chamberlin keyboards and the music that they inspired as well as singer-songwriters in general. Although it is currently based in the UK, its creators hope that it will evolve into a "travelling festival" that will tour Europe, North America and Japan, featuring not only the classic/progressive rock era that is most commonly associated with the instrument but also new contemporary directions.
MelloFest One
The First International MelloFest 2008 took place at the Fiddler's Elbow in Kentish Town, London. The event featured two Mellotrons (white M400s) onstage along with discussions and live Mellotron-inspired music as well as the official launch of Nick Awde's 600-page book Mellotron, subtitled The Machine and the Musicians that Revolutionised Rock]. Talking about their music and careers and in some cases also playing it were: violinist David Cross (King Crimson), keyboardist Nick Magnus (Steve Hackett Band), keyboardist Martin Orford (IQ), guitarist Jakko Jakszyk (21st Century Schizoid Band/The Tangent/Level 42), guitarist and singer Dave Cousins (Strawbs) & arranger Robert Kirby (Strawbs/Nick Drake/Paul Weller), keyboardist Robert Webb (England) and Tony Clarke, producer of the Moody Blues.
MelloFest Two
The Second International MelloFest 2009 was at The Luminaire in Kilburn, London. The stage featured the rare sight of three Mellotrons (two white, one black with a perspex back) amongst the pile of other instruments. More music-based than its predecessor, MelloFest 2 was very much a multi-media affair. Prog keyboardist Mark Rae gave a virtuoso run through of classic Genesis MelloMoments joined by Andy Thompson of Planet Mellotron on 12-string guitar. The iPod/iPhone app Ellatron was given a video presentation from the Omenie Software team, featuring a 'Virtual Personal Appearance' by Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater and singer-songwriter Gary Go in a 'Mellofest 2009' special video - Go also made a brief appearance in the audience. 'In the Guts of the Beast' was presented by Mellotron gurus Thompson and Gary Knight, who upended a Tron onstage to reveal its Heath Robinson-like inner workings. IQ's Martin Orford gave a solo set of songs from IQ and his latest solo album The Old Road as well as a version of Beatles classic 'Strawberry Fields Forever' complete with Mellotron flutes as in the original. Legendary Moody Blues producer Tony Clarke talked about how he helped create the Moodies sound and described the recording sessions for their huge hit "Nights in White Satin". Robert Webb played and sang old and new England tracks, with a version of King Crimson's 'Epitaph' in the middle, joined by Thompson and Maggie Alexander on double Mellotron accompaniment. The finale saw the massed musicians play full-blown Tron versions of 'Nights in White Satin' and 'Space Oddity' - the latter perhaps being the only time that the David Bowie classic has been played with not only a Mellotron but also a solo Stylophone since its original release in 1969.
MelloFest Six
The Sixth International MelloFest 2011 is 2011's A Christmas Carol Unplugged at the Union Chapel, north London, a music biz update of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol arranged by Awde, written by Chris Bartlett and starring Noddy Holder of uber-glam rock group Slade. Blending storytelling theatre and song, Charles Dickens' timeless Yuletide tale has a musical update in this acoustic celebration of Christmas where Holder narrates Dickens' classic story, adapted by Awde and Bartlett, co-creators of the Edinburgh and West End hit Pete and Dud: Come Again. In between, led by music director and pianist Robert Webb, a line-up of guest vocalists - Knox of The Vibrators, Simon Scardanelli, Marc Atkinson, Grace Solero and UK member of parliament and deputy transport minister Norman Baker - perform unplugged versions of seasonal hits from the likes of Jethro Tull, The Pretenders, Aimee Mann, Greg Lake and Elton John, as the story of Scrooge and his ghostly visitations gets retold with a modern music business twist with the catchline "Never Mind the Humbug!" The stage director is Saul Reichlin. The story features Eddie Scrooge as a mean-spirited and cold-hearted record label executive who has fallen out of love with music and cut off himself from his friends and family. One freezing cold Christmas Eve night, he is visited by the ghost of his dead music biz partner Jake Marley and an eerie night-time journey begins. Three Christmas Musical Spirits come to show him the error of his ways. By visiting his past, present and future, will Eddie again learn to love Christmas and Christmas songs and find harmony with everyone he knows? As a working show, there are plans to tour over the Christmas season for 2012.
Future MelloFests
More International MelloFests are also being created in other formats. MelloFest Three is the Nick Awde & Desert Hearts EP Close to the Edge B/W Rocket Man/Meryl Streep, released in early 2010. MelloFest Four will be the band's follow-up album MelloRetro. MelloFest Five is closely under wraps at the moment, but hopefully will take place in a location in Europe and involve four, possibly five Mellotrons onstage. MelloFest Seven, a formal concert of Mellotron and singer-songwriter acts, is planned for the end of 2012.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu