Fiery Bird Woking – Crowdfunder Appeal

All UK music venues are currently under threat.

Obviously, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all live music venues in the UK are closed at the moment. Even pubs that have reopened cannot resume music events either – whether it’s open-mic nights or other gigs.

Fiery Bird, Woking

View of the Fiery Bird stage.
View of the Fiery Bird stage. (Taken from the Crowdfunder page).

Woking is my current home town, and it has it’s own community-focussed venue which is called Fiery Bird. The venue is located in an old nightclub in the centre of the town, and since it opened in 2018 has hosted many live music events. I’ve performed there many times at the regular open-mic nights that were held until lockdown stopped all that.

Fiery Bird’s stay in its current location was time limited as the building that houses it is planned for demolition and redevelopment. Last year, there was an extension granted, but time is running out. Here is a map of the current location for Fiery Bird.

There is a move to a new permanent location on the cards – which was originally slated for late this year (2020). But the lack of income from music and other events, due to lockdown, has put the whole future of the venue in jeopardy.

Fiery Bird Crowdfunder Appeal

The Music Venue Trust has launched a national initiative to try to prevent the closure of hundreds of independent venues across the country. Woking’s Fiery Bird is part of this and has set up a Crowdfunder appeal to help keep the venue going.

Although the venue is currently closed, there is still work to be done, and there are still overheads that need to be covered.

So please consider supporting the appeal to help Fiery Bird survive. A team of volunteers has worked tirelessly for many years to give Woking its own live music venue – let’s make sure that it’s not taken away by the current lockdown restrictions.

Please visit the Fiery Bird Crowdfunder page, and give generously.

Save Our Venues T-shirt

Currently the project is offering a reward if you can donate over £20 – one of the high quality Save Our Venues T-shirts. They’re available in 5 different sizes and if you qualify for one, they’re delivered free.

If you want to know what the t-shirts look like on a person…

Graham Armfield wearing the Save Our Venues T-shirt and playing a guitar.
Me wearing the Save Our Venues T-shirt.

 

I’m Supporting the Phoenix Cultural Centre’s Crowdfunder Appeal

Phoenix Centre LogoThe Phoenix Cultural Centre is a community group based in Woking that has been set up to support Woking musicians, artists, poets, etc, and to try to open a venue in the town.

The venue will be called The Fiery Bird and it will be…

‘a Community focused arts and cultural centre and music venue for everyone in Woking to participate in and enjoy’.

Woking hasn’t really had a proper live music venue for many years, and that is about to change. But the Phoenix Cultural Centre need help to get the funds to bring this about.

Read more I’m Supporting the Phoenix Cultural Centre’s Crowdfunder Appeal

Busking at Woking Party in the Park 2016

Graham Armfield busking at Woking Party in the Park 2015
Graham Armfield busking at Woking Party in the Park 2015

I’m honoured to have been asked back to do some busking at Woking’s popular Party in the Park on Saturday 9th July.

If you’ve not been to Party in the Park before it’s a great event – not just a wide variety of music, but food stalls, fairground attractions. There are also plenty of things for kids to do as well. And it’s all free!

It takes place in Woking Park, just south of Woking town centre and close to the Leisure Centre. The party kicks of at 12:00 noon, and finishes at 9pm.

I’ve currently no idea what time I’m going to be playing, or where in the park, but I’ll post on that when I know more. You can bet it won’t just be me busking though, there are loads of great musicians in the Woking area – of all different styles.

So why not pop along and have a great time. And let’s pray for good weather like last year.

The formal address for Woking Park is: Kingfield Road, Woking GU22 9BA and there’s more information on the Celebrate Woking website.

Woking Council Attacks Phoenix Cultural Centre

Get Surrey has reported on strong comments made by Ray Morgan, Chief Executive of Woking Borough Council.

Apparently he accused the Phoenix of ‘whinging’, ‘moaning’ and ‘rubbishing other organisations’.

I’m sure there has been a misunderstanding here as from my experience the Phoenix organisation has always tried to do the best for music in the Woking area. Phoenix CEO Elaine McGinty didn’t respond directly to the accusations, but said “We have been putting the cultural agenda on the map in Woking and assisting the council in that.”

Read the full story here.

There’s also an audio of Ray Morgan’s comments to the council.