Category: Events

Bloodlines at the Dana Centre, Science Museum, July 18th 7-9pm

Post author By miltonline
Post date July 11, 2013
No Comments on Bloodlines at the Dana Centre, Science Museum, July 18th 7-9pm

Live lecture/performance of BloodLines at the Dana Centre, Science Museum. Thursday July 18th, 7-9pm.

Diagnosed with Leukaemia, John was given hours to live – but survived thanks to a bone marrow donation. How can ethically sourced stem cells save lives? Experience an immersive and exploratory performance created by a survivor and his donor.

John’s disease, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, is ‘a deadly disease for which the best available therapy is only applicable to a fraction of patients and is itself potentially lethal’ (Dr Adele K. Fielding, Haematologist UCL). That therapy – a transplant of blood stem cells – is both potentially lethal and life saving. It is also miraculous, mysterious and slightly macabre.

Bloodlines conveys the science and the experience of this last chance treatment in a performance featuring a haematologist, a musical score created from blood cell counts, kaleidoscopic visual effects and dance. Join us in the Dana Cafe after the performance for a discussion with the makers: learn more about stem cells and becoming a donor and about this collaboration between artists and medical scientists.

Bloodlines Team:

Alex Mermikides: stem cell donor and direction

Milton Mermikides: leukaemia survivor and music

Ann Van de Velde: haematologist and performer

Anna Tanczos: videoscape

Adam Kirkham: dance

Bex Law: dramaturgy

More details about Bloodlines can be found here. This event is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Concerts & Gigs Guitar Jazz & Improvisation

Spiked

Post author By miltonline
Post date May 3, 2013
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Out of nowhere (well somewhere obviously) I’ve been asked to step in the guitar shoes with The Spike Orchestra. I’ve not heard of these people before, but I’m glad I have a quick listen reveals a sophisticated, witty, complex and satisfying original blend of Naked City, cartoon composer Carl Stalling, Kenny Wheelery contemporary jazz, rock and something unnameable. My first concert with them will be Sept 13th 2013 at the Forge, Kingston and I can’t wait to get stuck into/get roasted by the spaghetti charts.

Tags big band, guitar, jazz, orchestra, spike, zorn

Concerts & Gigs

Alexia Coley in Paradise

It’s a real pleasure to be Alexia Coley‘s guitarist. She has the most wonderful and authentic blues soul voice. After her fresh signing, there’s a slew of gigs coming up including a monthly residency at the luxurious Paradise Club Next Gig: 3rd May.

“If Otis Redding had a child with Sade, Amy Winehouse and Etta James, She might sound something like this.” says Mike Benhaim of Metro Canada with no respect for current fertility technologies.

Tags alexia coley, gigs, london, paradise

Events Live Electronics

Electronics with Ruthless Jabiru

Post author By miltonline
Post date April 17, 2013
No Comments on Electronics with Ruthless Jabiru

On May 9th, I’ll be playing with the fab (almost) all-Australian Orchestra Ruthless Jabiru under the directorship and baton of Kelly Lovelady.

I’ll be performing live electronics with the 18-piece ensemble, for Brett Dean’s fabulous Carlo. Which interweaves multiple fragments of renaissance composer Carlo Gesualdo’s vocal works (of which I am great admirer) among the live orchestral passages. Originally written for sampler and CD, I’m reworking the electronics for Ableton Live to be triggered via Launchpad (assuming my Push won’t reach me by then). It’s quite a tricky score and electronic fiddle but potentially very powerful.

We’ll be performing in the incredible Exhibition Hall of London’s Australia House (which you may recognise as Gringott’s Wizarding Bank).Ticketing info here. Magic.

Lectures & Presentations

The Myth of the Muse

Presenting at the Neuroscience of Imagination event at the British Library alongside Blind Summit Theatre, Pulitzer-nominated author Arthur I. Miller, Professor of neuroscience Vincent Walsh and Chiara Ambrosio was a real joy. You can hear my talk on the Myth of the Muse (essentially how composers and improvisers come up with stuff) in the video below.

Jazz & Improvisation Lectures & Presentations Science

The Performing Brain

Here’s a video of the presentation at the British Library on March 12th 2012. In preparation for the lecture I was put in an MRI machine with a plastic fretboard (aka ruler) and improvised while UCL neuroscientist Dr. Joern Diedrichsen examined my brain’s working. For the event I performed to a video of my brain activity showing what bits lit up (technical) during improvisation.

On musical learning and Pat Martino.

And my brain on jazz.

Tags jazz, neuroscience, pat martino, performance

Concerts & Gigs

Performer vs. Audience

Performer vs. Audience Vertical.jpg

Tags audience, performer

Concerts & Gigs Jazz & Improvisation

Gig! Fri 18/3/11 Union Chapel Swingle Singers & Urban Big Band. Tippett & Ellington.

Post author By miltonline
Post date March 15, 2011
No Comments on Gig! Fri 18/3/11 Union Chapel Swingle Singers & Urban Big Band. Tippett & Ellington.

This should be a great gig*. The awesome Swingle Singers with Urban Big Band. (I’ll be on guitar duties)

Come if you can. Come as you are. Come on Eileen. Come on, come on. Etc.

http://www.unionchapel.org.uk/events.php?gig=b6c16f5e-2434-479e-a7ab-50df22f5…

Thankyoutimes.

Concerts & Gigs Live Electronics Music Technology

Maria-Christina: Harp & Electronics.

Post author By miltonline
Post date February 14, 2011
No Comments on Maria-Christina: Harp & Electronics.

Here’s a short video of my (gorgeous) cousin Maria-Christina (Winner of the Wales International Harp Competition) on harp and electronics.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4bopHmiTVE&w=640&h=390]

Concerts & Gigs Guitar

Vrooom performed by George Hrab & Milton Mermikides

Post author By miltonline
Post date February 12, 2011
No Comments on Vrooom performed by George Hrab & Milton Mermikides

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5NDWcLH3-Q&w=640&h=390]

Under-rehearsed but overly fun performance with George Hrab at Surrey SkepSoc.

Events Fundraising

Milton in Concerts.

Hello All, Just to update you on some concerts this March, I hope you can make them- it would be so good to meet up with some of you out there- so please consider coming- all information is below.

You may be interested to know that Milton’s Eclectic Guitar Orchestra (EGO) is performing at the Guildford Music Festival:

DATE: Sunday 18th March 2007, 12pm (noon)
VENUE: Studio One, PATS, University of Surrey, Guildford
TICKETS:

Events Health & Training

Crappy Blue Deer!

…I mean Happy New Year. Hope you all had good ones. I indeed had a good one despite some health hiccups (Infection then a weird allergic reaction that made my top lip swell up so that I looked like Mick Jagger from the mouth up) Spent Christmas in the Lake District with the inlaws. Twas fun. Pics to follow.

I have been silly busy and it’s getting worse. Preparing for concerts Click for a new EGO concert and my trio Rat Park’s first BIG gig, as well as some other things I’m up to. Collaborating with Brian Eno to create music for Koshino’s Tokyo Fashion show, some classical recording, sessions, concerts yadayada. All good stuff. Bridget is in this month’s Guitar Techniques Magazine performing ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra’ on the included DVD- it’s amazing, check it out if you like (you can find it in WHSmiths)

Bridge and I have some good stuff planned for 2007, I will keep you all in the proverbial loop. I have a new promo site for my music if you want to read my happenings in more detail

Anyway I have to sleep, but I wish you all the best 2007 you could ever have.

Love,

Milt 🙂

Events

Beat this

Spent a glorious Sunday, photographing Bridget’s awesome new (all-girl) Blues band, Rogue Dolls. They are all really talented and I look forward to when they are out gigging. Ruth is an awesome keyboardist, saxophonist and singer. Daisy may we be one of the best drummers I have ever met. Katya is the songwriter, singer and performer. You all know the guitarist Bridget. Belle, the bass player also happens to be a world-class beat-box artist. You must check out the impromptu performance she did for me here – It is unbelievable.

Girls are cool.

Boys smell.

Concerts & Gigs Leukaemia

Tomorrow’s Nostalgia: Day +294

Post author By miltonline
Post date January 29, 2006
No Comments on Tomorrow’s Nostalgia: Day +294

The show was awesome.

How good was it? If you had the misfortune of not being there, I’m sorry to say you really missed out – come to the next one! All the players had a marvellous time, If the audience enjoyed it half as much as we did, then it was a truly great show.
Everything that could have gone wrong before the concert, did: I had to reprint 145 programmes because of a serious error, despite specific instructions the hall was literally FREEZING on the day- MASSIVELY compromising the rehearsals and physical preparation for the show (the classical guitarists suffered terribly from frozen fingers and performed formidably in the face of adversity)- noisy industrial heaters were brought in hours later-but the damage was done. Thanks Venezuela! May I remind you that this country is bloody freezing in January!
Oh yes and the car got towed while we were unloading gear. BAR STAR DOZE. But despite everything the gig was really great, I will be updating the pictures very soon.

While the show was just storming on, my great friend Steve Goss said to me “You realize that this is tomorrow’s nostalgia?” Nicely put.

My profoundest thanks to all the wonderful guitarists: Bridget, Steve Goss, Gary Ryan, Graham Roberts, Tristan Seume, Pete Callard, Chris Montague and… John Williams

Huge gratitude to all the audience and everyone else who supported the event.

If I had to choose between never having leukaemia or having battled leukaemia and getting the opportunity to have life experiences like this one – it would be a no-brainer 🙂

PICTURE APPEAL

Were you at the concert? Did you take any pics or movies? If so please contact me. I’d love to see them.

Thanks! Milton

If you are interested in attending future events, stay tuned…