The Middlesbrough Music Collective was supported and developed into a Community Cooperative with the support of Paul Hyde and Pete Roberts of Community Arts Middlesbrough and culminated in the creation of Studio 64 – a community recording studio in Middlesbrough. As mentioned in other posts on here, some of the writers’ groups, like Teesside Writers Workshop emanated from the same community arts base. There were often,therefore, collaborations between the writing and the music community. Stockton songwriter / performer Billy Oblivion (Gareth Lorraine) often took part in the Castalians / New Poetry Scene gigs at the Dovecot Arts Centre in the early to mid 80’s and also those of Teesside Writers Workshop – accompanying us up to Horden in Country Durham and Newcastle for gigs.
In another link up at St Mary’s Centre in Middlesbrough, the music collective held gigs with local bands and local
M’bro music collective compilation cover1984
poets / writers such as the gig with Attila the Stockbroker and local poets from the Teesside Writers Workshop – including Mel McEvoy, Johnny Nicol, Stiletto Pigeonetto and Trev Teasdel and Duncan Rowe.
Another link up was via the Studio 64 recording studio – in the early 90’s a Creative Writing course tutored by Trev Teasdel and organised by Leeds University for Redcar Mind, recorded a spoken word album ‘Of Sound Mind’ with music and sound effects. (Details will be in a separate post with the audio).
M’bro Music Collective Compilation 1984
In 1984 the Middlesbrough Music Collective recorded their first Compilation album on cassette which included three local performance poets – Joe Flamingo (John Quinn) – a Lakeside poet who was studying at Teesside Poly and performed for both the Multi Media Society and the New Poetry Scene at the Dovecot in Stockton. Stiletto Pigeoneto – a popular Guisborough performer who who often performed with a band at the music collective as well as at many CND gigs and the New Poetry Scene. Nicky Edwards – who was more associated with the music collective.
In the noughties, the Middlesbrough and Stockton music collectives and
M’bro Music Collective Compilation 1984 2
Studio 64 moved to the Green Dragon Yard in Stockton and were re-branded Tees Music Alliance. The Tees Music Alliance hosted The Writers Cafe at the Georgian Theatre, which had been previously held at the Arc in Stockton. At the Arc the Writers Cafe was run by Paul Williams, Trev Teasdel and Carmen Thompson 2004 – 2006 and by Trev Teasdel, Ann Wainwright and Ruby Diamond at the Georgian 2006 – 2008.
In the late 80’s Trev Teasdel (for WEA Middlesbrough Branch) got together with Dave John’s of the band Icy Eye to develop a course in songwriting to be held at Studio 64. For various practical reasons the course never came to fruition.
M’bro music collective compilation 1984 3
M’bro music collective compilation 1984 4
M’bro music collective Newsletter 1984
M’bro Music Collective newsletter 1984 (B)
New Poetry Scene and Teesside Writers Workshop are mentioned on the Music Collective Newsletter in 1984
Love to hear the MMC Compilation. I'm also interested in gettting hold of a copy of an album that was put out on cassette by Teargarden. Has anyone got a copy of either of these?