Dear Dance Marathon,

Thank you. I know we only spent a few hours together but I wanted to let you know how wonderful you are. Despite my aching calves and mysterious bruise, I miss you. You were a joy to be with. The friends I made through you might not last a lifetime but, for that one, lovely night, they meant so much. You made a team of two from strangers; we laughed, we tried and held on to each other.

At first I thought you were too good to be true and in a way I was right. Your trickery at first was subtle but once I realised the kindness in your lies I knew I had to forgive you. For some you made them feel inadequate; for others you gave them the courage to shine. And even though we floundered and fell, after knowing you for such a short time we all became champions. Even when our number was up we spurred each other on. Even when you stripped me of my purpose; an indignity which led me to the regrettable act of betraying my sister, still then, I fought on.

I saw so much through you. I witnessed amateurs evolve into experts. I saw kindness morph into competitiveness. I sensed strangers becoming friends and family turn into temporary enemies. You made me race to the finish line, flail in an attempt to regain my status, squish my sweaty body against an unknown other. And even though you may have turned me into a loser, well, I forgive you. You showed me humility; the sigh of relief in letting go of hopes of a trophy and cheering for our new, winning, friends.

So thank you Dance Marathon. Thank you for the fun, thank you for the music. Thank you for the artistry, thank you for the effort; I'm sure you must be tired so please go a take long and well deserved rest.

But know that - If we meet again - I'm on to you. And as I have already proved, I'm not above doing whatever it takes to leave our next night together as your dancing queen.

Love and very, very sweaty hugs,
Your not-so-bitter Loser.

Damon Albarn is a master of smaller, independent, venues. His engaging style and warmth fills even the cosiest of venues, but you never get the feeling his ego or acoustic prowess will extend beyond the walls of this intimate, gothic, Bristol setting. This engagement did however extend into the consciousness of the audience that night, with everyone a riding high on a sense that the former Blur frontman will remember the evening as much as the punters as he blasted out Last Living Souls accompanied by his band, The Heavy Seas.

Next came the dedication of the Gorrilaz’s number Slow Country to Massive Attack which harked back to not only the venues status as the birthplace of the Bristol Sound, but also to alluring atmosphere that has drawn in the aforementioned trip-hop artists and The Prodigy amongst others. Securing these acts is a result of Trinity’s strong musical heritage, and the passion for the intimate, incognito, atmosphere that artists of the calibre of Damon Albarn obviously have.

His crowd pleasing encore involved an 8 strong gospel choir from East London, who supported 2 new songs; Mr Tembo and Heavy Seas of Love. But what got the crowd romping and jumping was a version of Gorillaz’s Clint Eastwood that featured Bristol-based paramedic K*Ners, who when he is not rescuing the sick, rescued the hip-hop sections of the song due to a last minute drop out of Damon’s preferred Snoop Dogg wannabe.

It was refreshing to see Albarn finish on the soporifically sombre - This is a Low, which was both the low note, and the high point, of this particular performance.

Review by John Barker, Trinity Trustee

Image by www.lifelivephotography.com

LA’s Banks ploughs a polished furrow in deeply personal themes delivered as powerful sultry vocals over often fervently moody electronica.

On this UK tour she has been joined by LuckyMe’s resident DJ and darling of Rinse FM and Radio One, Eclair Fifi, here ushering in the audience with a selection that mines the seam where r’n’b meets bleeding edge, post-dubstep production. It’s an at once accessible and thrilling alliance - and the perfect fanfare for a visiting artist that has leant so heavily on the production values of the UK’s taste-making underground.

Taking the stage to sinister scene-setter Before I Ever Met You, backlit and misted in dry ice, the slight American cuts a gothic silhouette as she sashays back and forth from the shadows.

On stage, Banks is flanked by two musicians, one at a drum kit, the other alternating between keys and guitar, augmenting the backing track. There is a synergy at play here, and with a lighting production that perfectly encapsulates the intensity of her sound, the show is at once intimate and powerful.

Following the haunting This Is What It Feels Like Now the more upbeat Change reveals a little of the true vocal power our host can wield. Then just when it seems the whole evening might be trotted out in the same vain she lets rip on Brain.

Perhaps because this is the first night of the tour, from this point we see a more relaxed and confident performance. We are treated to a debut airing and a little more in the way of conversation as the mood gradually lightens through Warm Water towards something of a soulful, even sunny, groove.

The dark and light of ‘Waiting Game’ brings the night full circle before our host announces her last of the evening is to be another 'world premier', a mild disappointment of crude r’n’b-informed pop, perhaps hinting at a more American aesthetic for the forthcoming album.

This would be a shame, for us in the UK at least, as it is through the unapologetic intelligence and atmospherics of her material to date that she stands a greater longevity in hearts and minds over here.

by Mark Edmundson

In December 2008 Trinity collaborated with The Wonder Club to produce a spectacular site specific promenade theatre performance At Tether's End. The show was inspired by the true story of a local young man William Pullin who tragically stabbed a police man, PC Richard Hill, to death. The show was part of the Bristol Sound Project and featured artwork, set and performances from a large number of young people working alongside professional artists from Bristol.

The show was a resounding success with tickets sold out every one of the six nights the show ran for. It also received a 4/5 star review from Steve Wright in Venue magazine as well as an excellent write up in The British Theatre Guide. Read the reviews here.

After a brief break Trinity are pleased to offer a new theatre training course run by the director of At Tether's End. For more information please visit our home page.

Click here to read more about our current projects.