Jazz breaking news: Mike Figgis Begins Kings Place Residency
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
There are very few film directors who also compose the music scores for their films.
Today at Kings Place continuing until Saturday night Mike Figgis, the Carlisle-born director of Leaving Las Vegas, one of that small number of director/composers, begins a special residency.
Tonight in Hall Two of the Kings Cross concert hall and arts venue Figgis demonstrates a live mix of his film Timecode; tomorrow Hall One features an evening of theatre songs with multimedia work dating back to the 1980s charting his work from the period before he began to direct for the cinema, using filmed segments along with live performance and music. Friday’s show features pianist Rosey Chan again in Hall One with Chan plus guests including Figgis. Chan is to play music by Bach and Ravel as well as improvise, presenting herself in roles including that of a young girl, as she is today and as a 90-year-old.
The final day of the Figgis residency features The People Band who will give simultaneous concerts in Halls One and Two linking sound and images throughout, with audiences free to move from one hall to the other.
Before he was a film director Figgis played keyboards in Bryan Ferry’s first band, and in the 1980s began to direct theatre plays as well as continuing to work as a performing musician with the experimental People Show. In 1988 his debut feature film Stormy Monday starring Melanie Griffith, Tommy Lee Jones, Sean Bean and Sting highlighted his interest in jazz. Set in the north east the story revolves around the world of Newcastle jazz club owner Finney. Figgis’ other films include Internal Affairs, and most famously the brooding Leaving Las Vegas. He has also directed an episode in Martin Scorsese’s TV series The Blues in 2003 focusing on 1960s blues musicians.
– Stephen Graham
For more info go to www.kingsplace.co.uk