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Hi Everyone,
We just wanna say a MASSIVE THANK YOU for all your help and support on the Jail Guitar Doors Campaign. After a week of winding down and sorting the collective funds and costs, the total profit looks like coming to around £2000. This will go a long way in fulfilling our initial aims of supplying Reading Young Offender's Institute with musical resources to aid rehabilitation. Considering that when we first started out we were hoping to raise £500, the campaign has been a massive success!...But it doesn't end there...
There is another Jail Guitar Doors fundraiser taking place at The Polish Social Club in Reading on the 20th July, organised by prison drugs worker Steven Lewis. Performing will be Atlum Schema, Sam Isaac and Luke Leighfield, and tickets are available for £5 here . Also, Reading band The Vice will kindly be donating money from their Guilfest ticket sales to the campaign.
The main event on Saturday 16th couldn't have gone any better. The reaction from the bands, crowd, organisers and press has all been extremely positive. As predicted, it turned out to be one of the best gigs of the year in the local area. The BBC review can be seen here .
With the overcrowding of prisons being at the forefront of the current political agenda, Martin Salter MP raised the Jail Guitar Doors Campaign in the Houses of parliament on Tuesday, where he congratulated everyone involved for their hard work in making it a success. We'll post the footage on this myspace page soon.
Although the main event is now out the way there is still a lot of work still to be done. Our focus has shifted to organising the acquisition and transfer of the musical instruments to the prison, and Dawsons music have kindly offered to supply all the equipment at cost price. We will keep you informed how this goes.
We were also thinking it would be great if everyone who played the gig could take the time to attend a photo call outside the prison- if anything to emphasise the communal aspect of the campaign, and to try to encourage people in other parts of the country to take up a similar initiative.
Once again a big thankyou for your efforts and support. Best of luck with everything & we hope to see you soon.
Regards
James Ewers, Pete Middleton & Joanne Rowe
BBC South Today News Report
"Ex-prisoners who have actively participated in music sessions have a re-conviction rate of between 10% - 15%, compared to the national average of 61%." Billy Bragg
The Jail Guitar Doors Festival Reading 2007 is a high profile music festival being held at Reading's Fez Club on Saturday June 16th 2007 in conjunction with Billy Bragg's Jail Guitar Doors Campaign, named after the Clash song of the same name. This event is expected to raise several thousands of pounds to buy musical instruments for inmates at Reading Young Offenders Institute.
Led by James Ewers, frontman of the band My Luminaries ( www.myspace.com/myluminaries ), the Jail Guitar Doors campaign has captured people's imaginations and has drawn in influential people on the Reading music scene and others nationally who have committed to donating their time, resources and expertise to conjure up a very impressive event. There are also supporting events popping up all over Reading with bands and promoters recognising the strength of the campaign and taking donations.
The Campaign
Billy Bragg explains, "Aware that this year sees the fifth anniversary of the passing of Joe Strummer, I was hoping to be involved in more than just another tribute gig. Hearing The Clash as a 19 year old had changed my life, so I guess I was looking for a project that underscored the transformative power of music.
Inspiration arrived in the shape of a letter from Malcolm Dudley, a drug and alcohol counsellor working at HMP Guy's Marsh near Shaftesbury in Dorset. Malcolm was trying to set up a weekly guitar workshop for the rehabilitation of inmates. Ex-prisoners who have actively participated in such (music) sessions have a re-conviction rate of between 10% - 15%, compared to the national average of 61%.
How many of you have sat in your rooms playing guitar and been transported beyond the four walls to a place where you feel free? I'm asking musicians, particularly those of you who were inspired by the Clash, to raise the money to provide a prison with enough equipment to help inmates find that same sense of release."
You can find out more at www.jailguitardoors.org.uk
The Main Event
The Jail Guitar Doors Festival Reading 2007 is an artist led, non-profit initiative consisting of 20 acts (national and local ), on two stages running from 4pm - 4am on Saturday 16 June 2007, with all proceeds going towards buying musical equipment for prison inmates and a donation to the charity Turning Point . Ciara Bergman at Turning Point works to help ex-offenders re-settle into the community. She adds:
"So often, our clients come out of prison with no family, friends or any real support network and very little self-confidence. They rarely have the self-esteem or emotional wherewithal to get involved in the sorts of activities that will ultimately sustain their independence and reduce recidivism which is why I think music could be so helpful - because its not just therapeutic for when they're inside, but its something to get involved in on the outside."
The Line-up
- Main Stage - 4.45pm - 9.45pm
21:05 - 21:40 GoodBooks
20:10 - 20:40 SixNationState
19:20 - 19:50 Laura Marling
18:30 - 19:00 My Luminaries
17:40 - 18:10 Pete and the Pirates
16:50 - 17:20 The Strange Death of Liberal England
These recognisable names are supported by the cream of talent local to Reading on the Josaka acoustic stage downstairs:
- Josaka Stage - 4.30pm - 9.00pm
20:40 - 21:00 Matthew Greener (Morning Runner)
20:10 - 20:30 Hello Wembley
19:45 - 20:00 Wire Jesus
19:20 - 19:35 The Trouble with Me
18:55 - 19:10 Ben Marwood
18:30 - 18:45 White Sunday
18:05 - 18:20 Heartwear Process
17:40 - 17:55 The Bandinis
17:15 - 17:30 Mark Knight
16:35 - 16:50 The Tricoteurs
Each ticket includes entry to Neon, Reading Fez's new indieelectrohouse night, with DJ sets from:
- Neon - 10.00pm - 4.00am
Pure Reason Revolution
Rebus
Cedo Simplex
Chris Felon
Jack (Knock 'em Dead)
The Venue
Reading Fez Club is the town's leading live music venue (560 capacity) and is recognised nationally as a touring venue for big name bands and DJs. For this event The Fez team have been enormously generous with their support.
The Fez Club www.barclub.com/readingfez
5-6 Gun Street
Reading
RG1 2JR
Telephone: 0118 958 6839
Tickets
Tickets are available NOW from the following outlets:
Wegottickets - www.wegottickets.com
Seetickets - www.seetickets.com
HMV, Lower Ground Level, The Oracle Centre, Reading, RG1 2AQ. Tel 0845 602 7821.
Dawsons Music, 65 Caversham Road, Reading, RG1 8AD. Tel 0118 958 1320.
The Fez Club, www.readingfez.com , 5-6 Gun Street, Reading, RG1 2JR. Tel 0118 958 6839
Price: £10 in advance, £12 on the door. Age 18+. ID Required.
National Rail Train Times From Reading Central to London Paddington (Sat 16 June 2007)
22:16, 22:32, 22:34, and so on until 00:13.
PRESS ENQUIRIES:
Artist biographies, web images and high resolution images are all available to download Here .
For further information and enquiries:
James Ewers - [email protected]
Peter Middleton - [email protected]
Billy Bragg is available for phone interviews. Please contact James Ewers or Peter Middleton for further info.
OTHER WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN HELP:
We are now accepting donations. If you cannot make the event but would still like to show your support we will gratefully accept donations. Please contact us through this site or at [email protected] to find out more.
If there is anything you can do to help, please do not hesitate to contact us through this site or at [email protected] . Or how about putting this myspace site in your top myspace friends? Just use the search function entering the email above. Alternatively you could make the Jail Guitar Doors Festival poster your main myspace picture? Just save the poster from our pics section and upload to your myspace pics. Every little thing counts to help sell tickets and raise awareness.
In the mean time, if you are in a band and are gigging soon, why not collect donations for the Reading campaign or set up your own campaign in your local area? Please contact us if you need any information. All gigs collecting donations will be added to our 'upcoming shows' listings.
THANK YOU.
Latest Online Press...
The Guardian - Article
BBC Billy Bragg Interview
Reading Evening Post Article
BBC South Today News Report (YouTube)
BBC Berkshire Article
Ents 24 Article
Reading Post Newspaper Article 16/05/07 (NB - Billy Bragg will not be playing the festival)
Josaka Article
Sony BMG GoodBooks Piece
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