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[french_disko]

from today's P&J -

PERFORMERS INVITED TO TAKE THE STAGE AT ABERDEEN ARTS AND MUSIC VENUE

KIRSTY URQUHART

09:00 - 15 May 2006
An Innovative new music venue due to open in Aberdeen this summer is seeking performers.

Musa art and music cafe will open in July as a cafe-restaurant, arts and music venue "unlike any other in the area".

The organisers have promised the upper floor of the 1880 building will be dedicated to "some of the most interesting and diverse art in the north-east".

Musa also intends to showcase a varied and eclectic mix of music with live musicians performing throughout the day, six days a week. The company behind the venture, Cultural Exchange (Aberdeen) Limited, is now looking for local performers who would like to be part of the scene.

A spokesman for Musa said: "We are interested in hearing from a wide range of local musicians or promoters who are seeking the opportunity to perform live in an exciting and atmospheric new venue.

"Music will play a key role in setting the ambience within the cafe and balcony art gallery during the day and we intend it to become a preferred venue for lovers of live music keen to hear something different."

They are keen to give musicians, who may not get the opportunity at other venues in the city, a chance to perform.

Piano players of all styles, solo acoustic artists, folk and ceilidh bands, jazz and blues, country and bluegrass, talented school bands and musicians, string quartets and harpists are all welcome.

Being a former chapel, the venue will especially suit piano or acoustic based sets. Classical guitarists, jazz, blues, folk, country-based musicians and musicians from Aberdeen's growing ethnic communities are also of particular interest to Musa.

The venue will be open from 8.30am to 11pm, giving musicians the chance to perform morning, afternoon or evening, and the varied times are expected to appeal to students, retired musicians and accomplished school groups and touring artists.

The venue will make its home at the historic former chapel building in Exchange Street.

The building was originally a Catholic Apostolic Church but was most recently used as a banana-ripening warehouse before falling into disrepair.

Its surviving features include coloured windows and ornate beams. Aberdeen City Heritage Trust is assisting with transformation which has taken months of work.

Those interested in performing at Musa are asked to contact sheilaMusa@btinternet.com

[Metarie]

Hmm, not entirely sure there's a demand for this. I could be wrong but having a building open 14.5 hours a day just doesn't seem worthwhile, the venues aberdeen already has don't fill up during the day, I don't know why they think this will be any different.

[Tubthumper]

Originally Posted by Singingstarfish

Hmm, not entirely sure there's a demand for this. I could be wrong but having a building open 14.5 hours a day just doesn't seem worthwhile, the venues aberdeen already has don't fill up during the day, I don't know why they think this will be any different.

Exactly what I was thinking. People don't have much time for to go and watch music during the day. Not while they're working.

[the_collector]

"The venue will be open from 8.30am to 11pm, giving musicians the chance to perform morning, afternoon or evening, and the varied times are expected to appeal to students, retired musicians and accomplished school groups and touring artists."

[Tubthumper]

They'll still find it hard to get some sort of return on it during the day.

[Cloud]

Originally Posted by Tubthumper

They'll still find it hard to get some sort of return on it during the day.

Unless it's subsidised to the hilt with public cash, which wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

[Graeme]

Originally Posted by Cloud

Unless it's subsidised to the hilt with public cash, which wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

It's a private enterprise.

It is a cafe restaurant and art gallery, the music during the day will be ambient music, complementing the eating and drinking activities and is "frequent" not "continuous".

Real live sets - audience focussed on stage - will also be once or twice a week.

It has a lot of potential.

Sounds right interesting to me, hope it all goes well...

"eat to the beat"

[Jimsin]

It sounds like a nice idea ... but this is Aberdeen & I'd be wary about investing in it - good luck to those involved though.