Joe & Charlie' Music stuff

So here's the main stuff me and Joe have done just so you guys have some sort of idea of what we do.

This is Joe's main band - over the line

My main band - purplephish

We have both been involved in a project called over the top which is confusing to describe fully, but put simply I (charlie) and another friend from bearwood, Alex, have written some ridiculously epic music, and we also played at warley woods last year :D

I have also been in a kind of jam band, but we couldn't think of a good name for it, but we are working on it.

And finally, this may come as a surprise, but I, a drummer, have written my own music, its kind of random though and so far each song seems to be a different genre.

http://www.myspace.com/gazchaz

so thats our main bands we've been involved in, and i hope that who ever has a listen enjoys it.

Good music coming to a Bearwood venue near you!

Do you wish sometimes you could just wander down Bearwood High Street of a night to see a really good local band play, meet up with some other locals and enjoy a pint or two?  

Well, this kind of night might be on its way in early July.  A group of Bearwooders got together last week to see what ideas we could come up with.  Our plans so far are listed on the 'Bearwood Gigs' page on this blog (see tabs above), have a look and let us know what you think.

Here's a list of bands we thought might be cool to approach, to see if they'd be interested.
Thanks to Daron for additional suggestions and Swanny for highlighting bands (in red) that might be good as headliners.  ANY VIEWS?  Please comment!

Folk
Goodnight Lenin
Malpas
Boat To Row
The Young Runaways
The Toy Hearts (Bluegrass)

Singer/Songwriter
Tara Chinn
Dan Whitehouse
Barnsey

Indie/Pop
Tantrums
Calories
Laura Bowen
LP45
Arcadian Kicks
I Thee Lothario
Black Market Empire
Little L
10 Guitars
Poppy and the Jezebels
Vix n'the Kix

Alternative
Misty's Big Adventure
Kate Goes
The Courtesy Group
The Destroyers
Tom Peel
The Au Pairs...would be great to get them to reform...
Victories at Sea
Seams

Spoken Word
Jodi Anne Bickley
Polar Bear
Leon Burke
Matt Windle
Kim Trusty

Rock
The Black and Reds
Einstellung
Old School Tie
Das Bastard
Beestung Lips

Ska

360

The Heels

Tempting Rosie

Other Stuff (that Sally doesn't know which genre it fits in)

Fever Fever
Mighty Mighty
The Lights
The Destroyers
Lydia Glanville

Joe and Charlie's stuff
Joe's main band - over the line
Charlie's main band - purplephish
Project called over the top - "ridiculously epic"
Charlie's jam band
Charlie's own stuff - http://www.myspace.com/gazchaz

More suggestions?
Comment with some Links for us to add to this post.

Want to get involved?
We need people to help with various things - comment below or email us at welovebearwood@gmail.com!

Skate Expectations!

Yo! Calling all you skateboarding dudes!

On Monday 2nd May the place to be for the bank holiday is the grand opening of Lightwoods Skateboard Park! Party on!

If you want to have your say on how the event should be run please come along to the meeting at St Mary's Church on Thursday 10th March.

The meeting starts at 7pm so be there or be square!

Ye Olde Bearwood

Having learnt at the weekend that Charlie Chaplin was probably born in Smethwick it made me wonder if he ever came to Bearwood and what he would have seen.

Thanks to the interweb I've been able to find this lovely picture of Bearwood High Street.

The photo was taken circa 1909 so Charlie Chaplin would have been 10 years old! If he was still living in the gyspsy caravan where he was born this could have been his local high street. Imagine life without Neelams, all the charity shops, Heron Foods and the No 11 bus and you could almost be there!

At welovebearwood we would love to hear your stories about how Bearwood looked in the past and if you've got any photos please email them to welovebearwood@gmail.com

Check out another blogpost on Charlie Chaplin: Sandwell MBC Leader's blog 

ilovebearwood

I'm called Sally Taylor.  I live in Herbert Road, Bearwood and I really like Bearwood and this is my first post.  I'm a bit nervous and trying to work out why I'm writing this, so perhaps I'll start by listing my reasons:


... I had this idea in the autumn that a wiki would be a good place to share ideas and information about Bearwood.  But the layout and formatting is so crap and boring and really not that user friendly that I haven't felt inclined to do much with it. So I thought maybe a blog would be better, more familiar.


... I've met some really nice people recently who are also interested in contributing to a blog and to use it as a way to discuss our thoughts and ideas for Bearwood.  Why not just have a go then, I thought.


... I've set up a few testers - on posterous, wordpress and this. This, blogger, seems to be the most versatile and aesthetically inoffensive, to me anyway.


... I'd quite like to reflect on what's happening in the bearhood at the moment.  Residents' Associations are being set up, Lightwoods Park will soon undergo a transformation and loads of local people are getting behind it and committing to being involved in its future. There's a revived Trader's Association and plans for 'Bearwood in Bloom'.  A blog that can be updated helps reflection and comment, more so than a wiki.


Why is it called 'welovebearwood' not 'ilovebearwood'?


... Because I'm not the only one who loves Bearwood.  I've met so many people over the last few months who love Bearwood and want to contribute to making it even better.


... Because I thought that maybe there might be a few others out there who might wish to contribute to a celebratory blog, an ideas generator, a collaborative space.  Lord knows I'm not particularly interesting to read about.  But Bearwood is and other authors will be.  That's why this is an invitation of sorts, to be 'we' not 'I'.


So if anyone is interested in posting on here there are loads of conversations we could start about stuff round here - 
... the Park and House and getting more people involved in its future... reducing the litter on the high street... building support for more live music in Bearwood... improving the high street... I've heard that a few neighbours have been discussing the potential for a deli and bakery.  pie in the sky? why?  they're doing it in Stirchley, why not here? 


Let's see...