News

2010-02-08T15:43:00.003Z

Neil Releases new CD 'Through the Looking Glass (Remixed, Remastered & Expanded)'

A new remixed, remastered and expanded version of Neil's 2003 solo guitar CD 'Through the Looking Glass' has just freshly returned from the pressing plant and is available for purchase via his myspace sites. The new CD sounds much brighter, punchier and warmer than the original version and contains 20+ minutes of new tracks. These extra eight tracks include new recordings of 'In and Out of Day, Out and Into Night' and 'Terra Firma'. The CD has 20 tracks in total and is over an hour long. For purchases before 28th Feb there is a special price of £8.00 (including postage and packing). You can pay for the album securely via Paypal at www.myspace.com/neilcampbellguitarist

2009-12-10T11:20:00.005Z

Neil Campbell Solo Concerts at Unity Theatre, Liverpool

At 8pm on Thursday and Friday 4th and 5th February 2010, Neil will play his first solo concerts of the year at the Unity Theatre. A mainstay on the Liverpool music scene as a solo guitarist for many years, Neil will now perform two intimate concerts for solo guitar to include special guests adding cello and soprano for particular performances.

In 2009 Neil staged a series of high profile performance events including 'Ghost Stories - A Night Opera' at Liverpool's St Luke’s (Bombed Out) Church (July 2009), St Georges Hall Concert Room (October 2009) and Birkenhead Priory, as part of the Wirral International Guitar Festival (November 2009). He also introduced, at St George's Hall, a new composition 'Frankenstein' for The Neil Campbell Collective and Sense of Sound Choir. These new large scale works married grand concepts with great architecture and stunning visuals, and will continue to be developed and staged at national and international levels throughout 2010.

Neil is very much looking forward to these solo concerts. He says: "Playing solo brings me back to the source of my music - to the state it is in when it is first composed and before layers of other instrumentation, visuals and other concepts are added. It is about picking up an instrument - in this case the classical guitar - and using it to create a more intimate, more direct communication between myself and the audience”.

Tickets are £8 (concessions £6). To purchase tickets visit Unity Theatre, Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG or call the Box Office on 0151 709 4988 or online at The Unity Theatre web site.

2009-11-05T11:08:00.007Z

Ghost Stories Performances at Birkenhead Priory

Along with soprano Anne Taft, Neil will be performing his atmospheric composition 'Ghost Stories' at Birkenhead Priory as part of the Wirral International Guitar Festival on Wednesday and Thursday 18th and 19th November.

The concerts, one of which will be presented on Wednesday (at 7.30pm) and the other two on Thursday (at 7.30pm and 9.30pm) will be in the Priory's intimate Benedictine Chapel.

For more details about the concerts and to buy tickets you should visit The Guitar Festival Web Site.

For more information about 'Ghost Stories' and to hear music from the album you should visit The Ghost Stories Myspace Page

2009-11-05T10:41:00.008Z

Neil Campbell's 'Frankenstein' Premieres at St George's Hall

Neil's new composition 'Frankenstein' received its first performance on Friday 30th October at Liverpool's St George's Hall Concert Room.

The evening began with a performance of 'Ghost Stories' and then, following an interval, The Neil Campbell Collective, featuring Neil on guitar (and sound cues), Mark Brocklesby (drums), Nicole Collarbone (cello), Anne Taft (soprano), Chris Bradshaw (keys) and Andy Maslivec (bass) along with the fantastic Sense of Sound Choir, led by Perry Alleyne-Hughes, performed the new 45 minute composition.

Visual projections by Valeria Di Matteo featuring art by George Jones were projected behind the ensemble.

After the performance of the new piece the audience of around 300 were given an encore of the NCC's ten minute epic 'Rainstorm 2', specially arranged to include additional keyboards, soprano and choir.

Your Move magazine called the show "An electric synergy of music and imagery, with haunting vocals and some of the best new classical guitar work around". You can read a review of the perfomance at the music-news web site and see further photos from the event by David Munn at www.myspace.com/theneilcampbellcollective

2009-10-15T14:33:00.002+01:00

Neil Talks About the New Frankenstein Event at a Recent NCC Rehearsal

Here is a short film made during a recent rehearsal for Frankenstein.... Neil and the other musicians and artists are continuing to work away pulling together the ingredients that should make for a spectacular experience at St George's Hall on 30th October:

2009-09-26T14:40:00.007+01:00

Neil Campbell and Sense of Sound Choir to collaborate on FRANKENSTEIN composition

Liverpool’s own spectacular Sense of Sound Choir has been confirmed to perform as part of the new electrifying classical rock production FRANKENSTEIN composed by Neil Campbell. FRANKENSTEIN will have its world-premiered performance as part of a thrilling Halloween Double-Bill at the beautiful neo-classical Concert Room at Liverpool’s St. Georges Hall on Friday 30th October 2009.

The new multimedia work written by Liverpool composer Neil Campbell is based on the famous Mary Shelley novel. The composition has been scored to be performed by an expanded version of the Neil Campbell Collective (Neil’s band), One of the aims of The Neil Campbell Collective is to explore ever new instrumental textures and increase the symphonic scope of its music.

Having worked with several guests both live and in the recording studio - adding soprano, cello, electronics and other instruments along the way - it seems natural that for a piece of this scale (FRANKENSTEIN) a choir should now be added to the mix. Who better than Liverpool’s own Sense of Sound Choir to join the list of musicians?

Neil Campbell said “As a composer, using a choir allows one to amplify emotions within the piece, making sections perhaps more ethereal, sentimental or dramatic for instance. This music, drawing largely from progressive rock and minimal music, makes certain technical demands on the choir. Given their world class reputation I am certain that Sense of Sound will rise very well to these challenges”.

Neil Campbell and Jennifer John (Artistic Director and Choir Manager of Sense of Sound) have been eager to work on an artistic collaboration for many years. Now, with this project, the opportunity has arisen to present a musical collaboration on a large scale, which is planned to hopefully open doors for further performances nationally and internationally and also a recorded version of the piece planned for release in 2010.

Neil Campbell’s FRANKENSTEIN is being produced by the team that brought Liverpool ‘Ghost Stories – A Night Opera’, a spectacular performance which took place at St. Luke’s (Bombed Out) Church on Thursday 16th July. In the spirit of a Halloween Monster Double Bill ‘Ghost Stories’ will also be performed in the first half of the concert before concluding after an interval with the world premiere of the exciting new 50 minute classical rock tour de force Neil Campbell’s FRANKENSTEIN, which takes the audience on a musical journey through the Frankenstein story.

As with the St. Luke’s Church performance earlier this year the choice of venue is crucial. Built in the 1840s, St. George’s Hall is widely regarded as one of the finest neo-classical buildings in the world and is a Grade I listed building. The opulent Victorian Concert Room surroundings will make for an unrepeatable experience and an unforgettable Halloween event.

Image of the NCC by Matt Ford, used with thanks

2009-09-14T00:00:00.002+01:00

Razing Lives - Thursday 24th September

Neil has contributed a musical soundscape to 'Razing Lives', a visual installation by photographer/artist Alicia Rose. This will be presented at Liverpool Hope's Cornerstone Campus (The Cornerstone, Liverpool Hope University, 1 Haigh Street, Liverpool L3 8QB) as part of Liverpool's City wide "Long Night" programme of exhibitions and private views in all of the City's public and private art galleries on Thursday 24th September.

'Razing Lives' is a new work being piloted on 24th in the form of an installation, prior to a photographic exhibition planned for later in the year. A deeply autobiographical piece of work, through hundreds of photographic images taken over the course of around 4 years it records the gradual demolition of people's homes in a neighbourhood in Wavertree, Liverpool.

The installation will take place from 5.30-10pm on the evening of the 24th. Also at the Cornerstone that evening, running concurrently there will be a Private View for a new exhibition of work in the Cornerstone Gallery. Admission will be free and refreshments provided.

2009-08-26T00:00:00.001+01:00

Neil Campbell's Frankenstein

A new Neil Campbell composition FRANKENSTEIN is to be premiered as part of a thrilling Halloween Double-Bill at the beautiful neo-classical Concert Room at Liverpool’s St. Georges Hall on Friday 30th October 2009.

Neil Campbell’s ‘FRANKENSTEIN’ is a new multimedia work written by composer Neil Campbell and based on the famous Mary Shelley novel. The composition has been scored to be performed by an expanded version of the Neil Campbell Collective, an ensemble which combines the energy and intensity of a rock band with classical instrumentation such as classical guitar, cello and operatic soprano. The piece will feature sound design, narration and specially developed visuals synchronised with the live music. This world premiere performance in St. George’s Concert Room in Liverpool, will take the audience on a musical journey through the Frankenstein story.

Neil Campbell said “The piece uses the Frankenstein story as a basis to construct a series of musical movements for rock band with classical instruments and choir integrating specially developed visuals and sound design....it will be a gothic and dramatic musical experience taking the listener into the world of Victor Frankenstein, a visionary whose high scientific ambitions ultimately lead to tragic consequences“.

Neil Campbell’s FRANKENSTEIN is being produced by the team that brought Liverpool ‘Ghost Stories – A Night Opera’, a spectacular performance which took place at St. Luke’s (Bombed Out) Church on Thursday 16th July. In the spirit of a Halloween Monster Double Bill the reduced album version of ‘Ghost Stories’ will also be performed in the first half of the concert before concluding after an interval with the exciting new 50 minute premiere of FRANKENSTEIN.

The event promises to be an atmospheric one. As with the St. Luke’s Church performance earlier this year the choice of venue is crucial. Built in the 1840s, St. George’s Hall is widely regarded as one of the finest neo-classical buildings in the world and is a Grade I listed building. The opulent Victorian Concert Room surroundings will make for an unrepeatable experience and an unforgettable Halloween event.

Credits:

Neil Campbell – classical guitar
Nicole Collarbone - cello
Anne Taft - soprano
Chris Bradshaw - keyboards
Andy Maslivec - bass
Mark Brocklesby - drums
Michael Beiert - sound design
Brian Dodd - recorded narration

Music Composed and Arranged by Neil Campbell
Visual Projections Designed by George Jones and Valeria Di Matteo
Event Produced by Bill Elms in association with Gordon Ross of Creative Universe Ltd
Marketing and PR – Bill Elms Associates Ltd

Performance Details:

Neil Campbell’s FRANKENSTEIN
St. George’s Hall Concert Room
North Entrance, William Brown Street, Liverpool, L1 1JJ
Friday 30th October 2009 - Doors: 7.30pm, Performance 8.30pm
Tickets £16.50 (Stalls and Curved Seating) and £12.50 (Balcony)
Box Office: 0151 709 4988 or in person at the Unity Theatre, Hope Place, Liverpool.
Tickets: Public on sale Tuesday 8th September 2009

2009-08-05T00:00:00.003+01:00

Ghost Stories at Birkenhead Priory

Along with Anne Taft and Michael Beiert, Neil Campbell will be performing his piece 'Ghost Stories', for classical guitar, soprano and electronics, at Birkenhead Priory on Wed 18th and Thur 19th November as part of the Wirral International Guitar Festival.

Birkenhead Priory is the oldest standing building on Merseyside and so will be a wonderfully appropriate setting to present the piece. Four performances will take place across the two nights, at 7.30 and 9.30pm each night, in the intimate environment of the small Chapel. In the half hour before each of the performances, mulled wine will be served in the Priory Museum.

To find out more and buy tickets, which are now on sale, you should visit The Wirral International Guitar Festival web site.

2009-07-19T21:00:00.013+01:00

Ghost Stories - A Night Opera

'Ghost Stories - A Night Opera' was performed at St. Luke’s (Bombed-out) Church on Thursday 16th July, to an audience of around 250 people, who sat through heavy rain in the open air space to watch the show.

Following a sound installation with visuals at 9pm, as audience members entered the space, the performance of the piece took place at around 9.30pm. The music surrounded the audience and a series of specially developed visuals accompanied each piece. The music and visuals were developed to, throughout the one hour performance, transport the audience through the course of a night from sunset to sunrise.

The next planned performances of the piece will be a series of indoor concerts scheduled to take place on Wednesday and Thursday 18th and 19th November at Birkenhead Priory, a historic religious building, as part of the Wirral International Guitar Festival. Box Office information will be updated shortly.

Meanwhile you can see photos from the show, hear music and read comments and reviews at www.myspace.com/neilcampbellsghoststories and read Alicia Rose's review of the Ghost Stories performance at Catalyst

2009-07-13T13:33:00.009+01:00

Ghost Stories Feature in Metro (Tues 14th July 2009):

2009-07-13T10:37:00.001+01:00

Ghost Stories on Radio Mersyside

Neil Campbell and Anne Taft will be interviewed live by Claire Hamilton on BBC Radio Merseyside (95.8 FM) on Monday 13th July at 6.20pm. They will talk about Thursday's performance at St Lukes and about the 'Ghost Stories' recording. You will be able to listen in at their website and listen back after the show here

2009-07-06T16:51:00.002+01:00

Neil Takes Five

On Tuesday 7th July at 2pm Neil will appear as the guest on Will Batchelor's 'Take Five' programme on City Talk 105.9 FM. The idea behind the one hour programme is that the guest gives their favourite 5 Pop records, book, movie etc and talks a little about them.... During the show Neil will also discuss the upcoming Ghost Stories performance at St Lukes.

2009-06-28T13:46:00.002+01:00

Ghost Stories Radio Interview

On Saturday 27th June Anne Taft and Neil featured in a 20 min interview on Billy Butler's Show on BBC Radio Merseyside. The interview, which focused on the 16th July Ghost Stories Performance at St Lukes Church, is featured around 1 hour 9 mins into the show. You Listen Back to the show HERE

2009-06-28T13:37:00.003+01:00

Ghost Stories Preview in Liverpool Echo

Catherine Jones Preview of the Ghost Stories Concert on 16th July featured in the Liverpool Echo on Saturday 27th June. Click here to read it.

2009-06-25T15:13:00.002+01:00

'Ghost Stories' Update

New still images from the visuals Shaun Taft has created for the Ghost Stories performance on 16th July at St Lukes (Bombed Out) Church, Liverpool, can be found in the Pics section of the Ghost Stories Myspace Page. Also on Saturday 27th June Neil and Anne Taft will feature on Billy Butler's BBC Radio Merseyside Show (95.8FM) at 10.30am. Please continue to check this site and the Ghost Stories Myspace Page for further press and radio updates.

2009-06-21T01:07:00.002+01:00

Ghost Stories - The Visual Experience

A visual sequence created by Shaun Taft for 'Sketch 2' from 'Ghost Stories' as part of the visuals for the St Lukes Show on 16th July 2009 is now on youtube. The whole evening at St Lukes will be a collaboration in music and images - a unique experience - and we are delighted to share this sneak preview:

Check out more 'Ghost Stories' News at www.myspace.com/neilcampbellsghoststories

2009-06-03T15:16:00.002+01:00

'Ghost Stories' Feature in Liverpool Daily Post - Wednesday 3rd June

Laura Davis' Daily Post article about the St Luke's 16th July Performance of 'Ghost Stories' can be read here.

2009-05-16T00:00:00.002+01:00

Bill Elms in association with Neil Campbell presents

Ghost Stories – A Night Opera
Composed by Neil Campbell

A haunting and beautiful sound and visual experience is coming to Liverpool's St. Luke’s (Bombed-out) Church on Thursday 16th July, 'Ghost Stories – A Night Opera' - a classical composition written by Liverpool musician and composer Neil Campbell. Since its release in October 2008 on CD simply titled 'Ghost Stories', it has received unanimous acclaim from both the UK and International music critics. The subtitle 'A Night Opera' was added to the title following collaboration with Bill Elms who will work with Neil to stage performances of the piece across the region. It is also being performed as part of the Wirral International Guitar Festival in November at Birkenhead Priory. Plans are being made to tour ‘Ghost Stories – A Night Opera’ to other cities and festivals across the UK and abroad in 2010.

'Ghost Stories - A Night Opera' was written and recorded by Neil Campbell over 2007/08. It started life as a number of short sketches for classical guitar which Neil was interested in enhancing through the use of electronics (in collaboration with electronic musician Michael Beiert). After working with wordless vocals on The Neil Campbell Collective's 'Particle Theory' album (produced concurrently with 'Ghost Stories' and involving soprano Anne Taft as a guest vocalist) Anne was invited to sing on some of the 'Ghost Stories' pieces. The various short movements were then developed into a coherent suite of music segued together by an electronic soundscape built by Michael Beiert using samples of Anne Taft's voice.

Compositionally 'Ghost Stories' draws on French impressionistic music such as Debussy and Satie, ambient music such as that of Harold Budd or Brian Eno, as well as some jazz (especially Pat Metheny) and progressive rock (particularly Steve Hackett). The music is delicate, shadowy, slow, atmospheric and elegiac.

Bill Elms (Director of Bill Elms Associates) said “I instantly fell in love with the piece late last year and approached Neil to work on this project, which is to be my first producer role. It’s a world-class composition and Neil is an incredibly talented local composer. I want the live performances to be an overall experience for the ticket holder, the venues are as important as the piece itself, St. Luke’s will be a stunning venue on a summers evening ”.

Since the recording has been released, the performance aspect of the piece has taken on a life of its own and the aim is now to perform it in interesting architectural locations with the music surrounding the audience (and often presented with visuals) to enhance and build upon the experience. The aim of 'Ghost Stories' - as a recording and a live piece - is to completely immerse the audience in the experience.

The St. Luke’s performance will begin at sunset on the evening of Thursday 16th July, doors will open at 9pm prompt and an atmospheric sound installation will build up to the performance which will begin at 9.32pm.

Performance Details:

St Luke’s (Bombed-Out) Church
Leece Street, Liverpool, L1 2RT
Thursday 16th July 2009 - Doors: 9pm prompt
Tickets £12, Concessions £10
Box Office: 0151 709 4988 or in person at the Unity Theatre, Hope Place, Liverpool. Tickets on sale to 08 card holders from Friday 22nd May and then on general sale from Wednesday 27th May.

Ghost Stories will also be performed in November 2009 in Birkenhead Priory as parof the Wirral International Guitar Festival. Tickets go on sale soon.

Read reviews and hear music at www.myspace.com/neilcampbellsghoststories

2009-04-03T00:00:00.013+01:00

Sicilian Musical Exchange Signals a Unique Live Experience for The
Collective

Neil Campbell and Static Gallery Present
THE NEIL CAMPBELL COLLECTIVE
Featuring Francesco di Fiore

On Friday 8th May 2009, Liverpool’s Static Gallery will host a rare and special return of the Neil Campbell Collective who will play their first concert in over 6 months, it will feature a 7-piece band of electric cello (Nicole Collarbone), soprano (Anne Taft), classical guitar (Neil Campbell), electronics (Francesco Di Fiore), vocals (Jeff Jepson), bass (Andy Maslivec) and drums (Mark Brocklesby).

The Neil Campbell Collective (NCC) will perform a dramatic and atmospheric set consisting of music from their two critically acclaimed progressive rock albums '3 O'Clock Sky' and 'Particle Theory' along with new (unrecorded) music. The concert will be presented with projected visuals by Valeria Di Matteo.

Also that evening Francesco di Fiore will perform his piece 'Visioni', which is a stunning multimedia work for live piano, electronics and visual design. The piece tells the story of human evolution from the early origins of mankind to the human race's final inevitable self-destruction.

In Summer 2008 Liverpool guitarist and composer Neil Campbell began an artistic exchange with Francesco Di Fiore, a Sicilian concert pianist and composer. Neil travelled to Palermo, Sicily, to participate as a musician in Francesco's composition 'HGW', a 90 minute performance project based on the works of HG Wells featuring visuals, narration, sound design and a large ensemble of Sicilian musicians (The Folka Lab Collective). Later in the year, Liverpool Hope University sponsored a further performance of 'HGW' in Liverpool as part of the 2008 Cornerstone Festival, this time featuring musicians from Neil's band, The Neil Campbell Collective along with visiting musicians from Sicily.

Having felt such a strong musical kinship Neil invited Francesco and his partner, the multimedia artist and musician Valeria Di Matteo, to work with The NCC on a new piece, 'Frankenstein', based on the famous Mary Shelley novel. This piece is to be presented in Sicily and Liverpool later in 2009. The musicians and artists involved in this pan-European project are meeting in early May for intensive rehearsals to develop 'Frankenstein' and, in doing so, have seized the opportunity to play a special concert together.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS:

THE NEIL CAMPBELL COLLECTIVE Featuring Francesco di Fiore
Friday 8th May 2009
Doors 7.30pm, Performance 8.30pm,
Static Gallery, 23 Roscoe Lane, Liverpool L1 9JD
Admission: £6 (TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FROM STATIC GALLERY). NB: those booking tickets in advance of the gig will be rewarded by being sent two new freshly recorded NCC tracks on mp3 via e-mail.

2009-03-09T10:02:00.005Z

Neil Campbell's 'Sunday Afternoon'

On Sunday 29th March Neil will launch his first 'Sunday Afternoon' session in the atmospheric downstairs bar of The Slaughterhouse Pub, Fenwick Street, in Liverpool's business district.

Neil Campbell's 'Sunday Afternoon' is a chilled live music session from Liverpool's finest and most talented acoustic artists. On the last Sunday afternoon of each month a changing line-up of 4-5 top local singer-songwriters and musicians will play sets of original music along with a regular slot by Neil. A surprise un-named act may pop in each month too.

The first 'Sunday Afternoon' session (on Sunday 29th March) will feature Neil Campbell and Nicole Collarbone (playing a set of music for cello and guitar) along with Jeff Jepson, Stuart Todd, Virginia Haze, Michael Ryder and Paul Kappa

Admission will be £5 on the door and doors open at 2pm. Future dates for the 'Sunday Afternoon' event will be Sunday 26th April, Sunday 31st May and Sunday 28th June.

2009-02-22T11:24:00.004Z

'Through the Looking Glass (Remixed, Remastered and Expanded)' - Released 2nd March 2009

On 2nd March 2009 Neil will be releasing a new digital only (mp3) version of his 2003 solo guitar album 'Through the Looking Glass', called Through the Looking Glass (Remixed, Remastered and Expanded)'.

Neil has worked closely with Andy Fernihough, the engineer of the original recording, to produce brighter fresher remixes/remasters of the twelve original tracks (which include live favourites ‘Solid Ground’, ‘Methods of Escape’ and ‘Delay Tactics’).

The digital album also features an additional 20+ minutes of previously unreleased compositions for solo guitar. The extra eight tracks include live favourites ‘In and Out of Day and Out in Into Night’ and ‘Terra Firma’.

Here are a couple of review snippets for the original album:

"12 tracks of solo guitar brilliance that creep upon you slowly...Like the seminal Tubular Bells, it's one of those albums which sets a mood of quiet introspection, occasionally bursting into something more animated"
Philip Key, Liverpool Daily Post.

"music that not only covers beauty and charm, but moves effortlessly into darker and more emotional areas...I suppose if we threw Paco de Lucia, Segovia, John Williams, Gordon Giltrap and perhaps a dash of Martin Taylor into a melting pot why might get out a Neil Campbell...",
Bob Mulvey, Dutch Progressive Rock Pages.

'Through the Looking Glass (Remixed, Remastered and Expanded)' will be available (along with other albums by Neil) from cdbaby.com and eventually through Apple I-Tunes and other digital music providers

2009-02-04T00:00:00.001Z

Neil Supports Durutti Column at Baby Blue

On Monday 16th February 2009 Neil Campbell will play a solo set to support Durutti Column in the Live Lounge at Baby Blue, Albert Dock.

Durutti Column is the musical vehicle of Manchester based musical genius composer and guitarist Vini Reilly. They were the first band to record on Anthony H Wilson's Factory Records in the early '80s.

The event will start at 8pm. Tickets are priced £12 (in advance) /£15 (door) and can be booked through the Liverpool Echo Arena on the ACC Live Hotline on 0844 8000 410 (Mon–Sat 9am-9pm and Sun 10am–4pm) or online at www.accliverpool.com/livelounge

2009-02-02T00:00:00.001Z

Classic Rock Society Band of the Year Awards 2008 - Close But No Cigar

A browse through the recent runners up slots for Classic Rock Society Band of the Year Awards 2008 shows Neil Campbell in the top ten nominations of Musician of the Year and The Neil Campbell Collective in the top ten under the Best New Band category, as voted by subscribers and members of the CRS. Following a storming CRS gig last year the NCC return to CRS headquarters on Friday 8th May 2009 as part of the bill for Rotherham Rocks! - a two day Festival of Progressive Rock music. Headlining the Festival (on Sat 9th May) will be Prog giants 'Pendragon'. For more info about the CRS, visit their web site at www.classicrocksociety.net

2009-02-01T00:00:00.002Z

Neil Campbell Live at the Zanzibar - Saturday 21st February 2009

Neil will be playing a special solo gig as part of The Songbook Sessions at The Zanzibar Club (43 Seel Street, Liverpool) on Sat 21st Feb 2009. The venue, known as a mainstay of Liverpool rock bands, is bringing in tables and chairs and inviting a much more chilled out ambience for a special evening that will also include sets from Alyssa Bonagura, Sparkwood & 21 and The Rileys. Neil, who will be headlining the evening, is planning to deliver a trademark fast moving virtuoso set of solo guitar playing. Doors open at 7.30pm and tickets are priced £4. Tickets can be purchased in advance directly from Neil through the paypal link at his myspace site

2008-12-12T17:17:00.002Z

Neil Campbell Download Sale

Making and transporting CDs (lumps of carbon) around the world is a) costly, b) space intensive (for storage), c) longwinded (i.e. sent through snail-mail) and d) costs the environment through manufacturing CDs and transporting them.

As an experiment, until the end of January 2009, Neil has significantly reduced the cost of downloading his albums at cdbaby.com, to help music lovers in these lean credit crunch times. Each album (including and band albums and collaborations) is now available for download at the site for $2.99 (that is around £2). So..... there is no excuse not to own them all.

Another aim of doing this is to get audiences into the idea of downloads rather than buying physical CDs, as future plans are to release new music only in downloadable form (not on CD).

For those who really want physical CDs there are copies left of 3 O'Clock Sky, Campbell Todd, Particle Theory and Ghost Stories. These are also available via CD Baby or via Neil's myspace sites.

You can download (or in some cases buy the CDs) through clicking the following links: Through the Looking Glass, Night Sketches, Assembly/Rotations, 3 O'Clock Sky, Fall, Campbell Todd, Particle Theory, Ghost Stories.

2008-11-16T00:00:00.005Z

Francesco Di Fiore Visits Liverpool

Earlier this year (in May 2008) Neil visited Palermo, Sicily to take part in a cultural/musical exchange through taking part in a performance of HGW, a piece for improvising musicians developed by Francesco Di Fiore for the Palermo based FOLKAlab Collective, a group of musicians and artists performing music based on structured improvisation.

Thanks to Liverpool Hope's Cornerstone Festival the 'return leg' of this cultural exchange will take place with a performance of HGW at 7.30pm on Monday 24th November 2008 at the Cornerstone (1 Haigh Street, Liverpool L3 8QB). During this performance Francesco Di Fiore and members of the FOLKAlab Collective (Palermo, Sicily) will join The Neil Campbell Collective (Liverpool, UK). Created by Francesco Di Fiore for the Sicily based FOLKAlab Collective, H.G.W is a multimedia music project based on classic novels by science fiction author HG Wells. H.G.W combines composed structures and sequenced electronics with a strong focus on improvised instrumental performance -alongside these musical elements are visuals, recorded speech/sound and narration. The work is structured in a series of movements corresponding to Wells' novels - THE ISLAND (The Island of Dr. Moreau), INVISIBLE MAN (The Invisible Man), TIME TRAVELLER (The Time Machine) and THE WAR (The War of the Worlds).

As capacity in the Cornerstone Theatre is limited you are advised to purchase tickets in advance by calling the Box Office on 0151 291 3578. Tickets are £8 (£5 concessions)

Later in the week, on Wednesday 27th November, Mario Crispi (one of the visiting musicians) will deliver a lunchtime recital of his compositions for ethnic woodwind instruments (Rosa Flutes) at 1pm, again as part of the Cornerstone Festival - see details at the Festival website

Finally, at 8.30pm on Thursday 27th November Lost Voices at the View Two, Mathew Street, Liverpool will host a performance of Francesco's piece Visioni (a multimedia work with visuals by Valeria Di Matteo and music for live piano and electronics performed by Francesco) and, also on the same evening Neil Campbell and soprano Anne Taft will perform Neil's new piece 'Ghost Stories'. Entry will be £5.

We all hope that friends and music lovers will come along to experience these unique concerts. Check out Francesco's music at his myspace page and at his official website

2008-11-13T00:00:00.004Z

Exquisites Actes III by Kai-Oi Jay Yung, Mark Pilkington, and Neil Campbell (14th-21st November 2008)

An audio/visual installation at the Red Wire Gallery, Victoria Street (opposite Millennium House), Liverpool. Opens: Friday, November 14, 2008 at 6:30pm- 9:00pm

Friday 14th November marks the Private View of a visual art exhibition in which Neil has been involved as a collaborator ....... the piece of work Exquisites Actes III (described below) is presented as part of an exhibition of around 6 different visual artists' work entitled Slowness (which The Times have placed 3rd in its top 5 exhibitions opening this week!) Slowness is an exhibition that presents six young international artists who work with video and live art. Often collaborating with musicians, writers and other non-art counterparts, the artists will converge on Red Wire Gallery, with the joint intention of subverting and reinterpreting our conventional perceptions of time based artworks.

Exquisites Actes III- Kai-Oi Jay Yung, Mark Pilkington, and Neil Campbell -

motivation to fragment art discourse and open meaning to as many participants as possible. Though both classically trained musician/composers, Neil explores algorithmic musical compositions whilst Mark is interested in challenging electroacoustic music. Together they will create an installation centred around a sequence of moving image and soundscapes resultant of a Fibonacci process based on chance and regulated procedure.

The artists draw upon engineering of sound and its construction to play component part to visual imagery towards an installation entailing visual and sound. A separate performance piece will bring the video process into a live dimension.

An immersive series of video and sonic compositions have been created as a result of collaborative activity between the three. Sprung from a structure based on a Fibonnaci based matrix, each carried out tasks to produce a moving image or sonic component (harmony/texture), with only length as the determining factor with theme and approach free from restraint.

Following this blindfolded method, with each artist working independently, the works have been brought together to create ten highly resolved visual/music pieces, with a total duration of just over an hour. The resulting video sonic landscapes span video surveillance, genetic engineering and Dim Sum cuisine.

By chance and collaborative instinct, together they have generated mesmerising sonic/visual landscapes that enable viewer to fabricate diverse personal, cross-narratives.

Information on the forthcoming exhibition Slowness can be viewed here - http://redwireredwire.com/page48.htm

2008-11-03T00:00:00.000Z

The Neil Campbell Collective on Progarchives

The Neil Campbell Collective is now listed on Progarchives.com - the premier Progressive Music Resource on the web. The Progarchives site is well know to all lovers of Progressive and Experimental Rock providing a plethora of reviews and comprehensive coverage of all major international progressive and experimental artists and bands. Feel free to check us out - Progarchives.com

2008-10-21T00:00:00.000+01:00

The 'Ghost Stories' CD Launch (Fri 31st Oct 2008) - A Note from Neil

Just a quick update re the album launch for my new CD 'Ghost Stories', a collaboration between myself (classical guitar), Michael Beiert (electronics) and Anne Taft (soprano). The launch will take place at St Brides Church (Catharine Street, Liverpool) at 8pm on Halloween (Friday 31st October) and the admission is £5 (which includes a copy of the new CD!):

1. If you can't find St Brides please click here for a map...

2. The new CD will be available through CD Baby but also through Europe's largest progressive music distributor Musea (quite a coup)

3. At the Launch, along with the live music (which will be presented using a speaker arrangement which will surround the audience), there will be visual projections of work made especially for the project by LA based experimental film maker Sublamp and projected art by Liverpool based painter Jason Jones (who provided the image for the album cover)

4. Please feel free to come along in fancy dress (though it is by no means compulsory!) and MOST IMPORTANTLY bring your own wine/beer or spirits (if you pardon the pun) - as St Brides is not licensed to sell alcohol. The event will last no more than 90 minutes so you will easily be able to slip away to one of any number of other events and gigs happening that evening.

5. It would help me enormously, to reduce sleepless nights of worry about empty churches and such like, if you could let me know you are planning to come to the event - please just drop a quick note to info@neilcampbell.org.uk. If you don't get around to doing this just come along on the night - you will not be turned away....

6. Two tracks from the new album can be heard at www.myspace.com/neilcampbellguitarist, just to whet your appetite ... hope you like them

So.... I hope to see you there

Neil x

2008-09-15T00:00:00.003+01:00

Ghost Stories Launch - Friday 31st October

Neil's new album 'Ghost Stories' (a collaboration with Michael Beiert and Anne Taft) will be launched at 8pm at St Bride's Church, Catharine Street, Liverpool on Friday 31st October.

'Ghost Stories' is an atmospheric continuation of Neil's 2004 album 'Night Sketches'. The music is evocative of the night with its dreamy atmospheres and haunting melodies. On 'Ghost Stories', added to Neil's moody and introspective classical guitar playing, are soundscapes by German electro-acoustic composer Michael Beiert and soaring wordless vocals by soprano Anne Taft.

'Ghost Stories' is presented in a number of short 2-4 minute movements which are segued together by an ongoing soundscape to form a seamless musical experience which takes the listener on a journey through the course of the night into the following dawn.

An emotional experience, the music from the album is to be presented throughout 2008/9 in a series of concerts and multimedia events which will vary from performance to performance in their inclusion of experimental film, visual arts, contemporary dance and narration - the aim being to open the work up to collaboration from all fields and to fully explore the scope and atmosphere of the music by immersing the listener in its impressionistic sound world. The album will be played live in its entirety at the launch event.

Admission to the launch is by guest list - those planning to attend should contact Neil at info@neilcampbell.org.uk to be added to the list. Admission is £5 and guests will be given a copy of the new CD on admission. As St Brides is unlicensed, guests are advised to bring their own drinks.

2008-07-21T00:00:00.002+01:00

Neil Campbell and Friends at The View 2 Gallery

On Friday 1st August at The View Two Gallery, Mathew Street, Liverpool (next to The Grapes pub) Neil Campbell will present a special acoustic evening featuring sets from distinguished songwriters Alister Said, Stuart Todd and Jeff Jepson.

The evening will also feature a set from Neil and Nicole - this will be their first gig together as a duo in over a year, and will feature a special guest performance from Ragz who has recently been collaborating with Neil on some new songs.

The evening will start at 8.30pm and admission is £3.

2008-06-16T00:00:00.003+01:00

Ghost Stories, Night Sketches - Visions, Impressions and Manifestations

'Ghost Stories', a new work by Neil Campbell, created in collaboration with electro-acoustic composer Michael Beiert and soprano Anne Taft, will be given its first performance on Saturday 5th July in the intimate environment of the Domino Gallery (Upper Newington, Liverpool).

The event, starting at 8.30pm will feature other music for solo guitar from Neil along with some other special musical contributions from guests, Guitar ace Mark Wilson and Celtic Harp legend Stan Ambrose. The evening will culminate in the performance of the new work.

'Ghost Stories', a musical exploration of the night in several short movements for classical guitar, electronic and ambient sound-scapes and wordless female vocals, is planned as a forthcoming CD release this year.

Admission, which will include a bottle of wine, is £10. Please e-mail Neil at info@neilcampbell.org.uk to advise if you plan to attend (as spaces will be limited), or alternatively contact The Domino Gallery on 0151 707 0764 for more details.

2008-06-07T00:00:00.000+01:00

Neil Plays in Sicily

At 10pm on Friday June 27th at Kursaal Tonnara, Vergine Maria, Via Bordonaro, 9, Palermo, Sicily, Neil will be performing as part of Francesco Di Fiore's HGW Project - see Kursaal Tonnara's web site for more detail. The project, which is broadly based on the work of HG Wells and comprises visuals, narration and music features Francesco Calabria - live vocal inserts, Delia Calo - narrator, Neil Campbell - guitar, electronics, Valeria Cimo - voice, percussions, Mario Crispi - ethnic winds, Francesco Di Fiore - piano, electronics, Valeria Di Matteo - video art and Danilo Rispoli - live electronics.

As part of his visit Neil is planning to play some solo guitar gigs, one of which can be confirmed here as taking place at 10pm on Wed 25 Jun 2 at Kursaal Kalhesa, Foro Umberto I, n°21, Palermo

Neil is delighted to be playing in Sicily, very much thanks to the help of Francesco. Please check out Francesco Di Fiore's web site and myspace page for more information about this immensely talented pianist and composer.

2008-06-06T00:00:00.000+01:00

Neil Campbell Interview at The Argotist

An interview with Neil features in the latest Argotist on Line series of interviews with songwriters on songwriting. The full selection includes interviews with such luminaries as Steve Harley, Ralph McTell, Richard and Linda Thompson, Eddie Reader, Kate Rusby and Carol Decker (from T'Pau)! The interview list features Liverpool contemporaries Stuart Todd, Ragz, Helen Seymour, Jennifer John and Rachael Wright. Through a growing series of such interviews the Argotist site aims to explore the relationship between the art of poetry and that of song writing as related and unrelated art forms. Neil's interview can be read here

2008-04-08T00:00:00.000+01:00

Campbell Todd Play Final Farewell Gig

On the evening of Saturday 26th April Campbell Todd will play their final gig at the Zanzibar, Seel Street, Liverpool as part of 'Olde Time Religion'. They will be playing as a band, with Mark Brocklesby (drums) and Andy Fernihough (bass) - two musicians who have ably and generously supported them over the years with their talent and their time.

Prior to and immediately following the release of their new album 'Campbell Todd' last year, Stu and Neil played a number of local gigs, the highlight of which was the launch of the new album at the View 2 Gallery, Liverpool, where they were joined by a stellar cast of local acoustic musicians.

Stu and Neil thank everyone who has supported them across their seven year history. They will both continue to work individually on various musical and artistic projects. You can purchase their CD 'Campbell Todd' at CD Baby and you can hear tracks and find out more about Campbell Todd at their myspace site

2008-03-28T00:00:00.000Z

The Neil Campbell Collective Play at The Launch of Sonica Music Web Site

The NCC will be playing at the launch of the new Sonica music web site at Bumper (Hardman Street, Liverpool) on Thursday 3rd April from 9pm. Also playing that evening will be The Great Northwestern Hoboes, The Mojave Collective and The Grand Architects.

The web site Sonicaonline.co.uk enables artists to sell their tracks using advanced new media technology. Musicians can register with Sonicaonline.co.uk free of charge and start selling their music instantly by uploading tracks and allowing web users to purchase and download their material. Unlike sites like MySpace.com, artists using Sonicaonline.co.uk can name their own price for music they sell through the site as long as it's more than 25p per track. Many of Neil's solo tracks and the NCC's first album '3 O'Clcok Sky' are available for mp3 download at the site.

Robbie Welsh, Managing Director of Sonicaonline.co.uk and former music student at Liverpool University, said: "The music industry is experiencing very exciting times thanks to the advances in new technology. Artists are able to get their music heard in lots of different ways, it's no longer just about signing to a big record label."

"There's a wealth of musical talent in this city and it's rather fitting that we're launching during our Capital of Culture year. Through Sonicaonline.co.uk, we aim to help local artists enhance their profile and enable them to start earning money from their talents."

For further information about Sonica you should contact Robbie Welsh on 07522 460 929 or e-mail info@sonicarecordings.com

2008-03-18T00:00:00.000Z

The Neil Campbell Collective Play Late at Tate

On Thursday 27th March 2008 The Neil Campbell Collective will play a special set as part of a Late at Tate evening themed 'Abstraction to Distraction' taking place at Tate Liverpool (Albert Dock, Liverpool).

The full event will take place from 6pm starting with a talk by Michael Craig Martin (Rules and Repetition). Michael Craig Martin was a huge influence on the generation of Young British artists (he taught Damien Hirst at Goldsmiths).

Following the talk, at around 7.30pm throughout the Gallery and in the large foyer area there will be a selection of contemporary music and performance art 'happenings'. These will be followed by a 45 minute set from The NCC at around 8.15pm.

Admission is free for the gig, although there is a small fee for the talk (which you will need to pre-book if you intend to attend).

See Tate Liverpool's website for more information.

2008-02-19T00:00:00.000Z

Particle Theory Is Launched

The launch of the band's new album 'Particle Theory' at Parr Street Studios on Sun 17th Feb was a great success, providing a wonderful opportunity to thank all those involved in the making of the album, the current band and all those involved in the organisation of the event.

The Collective (Neil Campbell, Nicole Collarbone, Mark Brocklesby, Jeff Jepson, Andy Maslivec and Christine Horton) played two sets (one of which featured special guest celtic harpist Stan Ambrose). A video recording was made which is planned to be made available in streaming format through this web site's Gallery Section.

In the meantime the album can now be purchased here for £7.49:

2008-02-01T00:00:00.000Z

Critical Acclaim for New Particle Theory Album

The critics have been busy listening to the band's new album and so far have this to say:

"...The Liverpool band prove that three-minute pop ditties is not all that comes out of the 2008 European Capital of Culture. Cleverly layered sounds and atmospheres collide to keep the listeners attention as the Camelesque meets Cantebury scene head on. This album leaves the musician's to put themselves in a unique rock shop window and you just know the guys do this for the love because it is just too damn clever for the mainstream", Classic Rock Society

"If you're looking for a "progressive" album, in the finest sense of the word, go straight to Particle Theory....Neil Campbell and colleagues give life to a carefully thought out and deep progressive style which impresses straight away and continues to impress the more you listen to it.", (Translated by Paul Vaughan from the French) - http://www.cosmosmusic.fr/nouveautes.html

"This music is like a film, sounds flow into your head like pictures, captivating, and then reveal an abyss in all, mostly instrumental songs, in which to lose yourself. ..An exiting album, full of surprises and intelligently set arrangements. Not Prog, but Progressive Rock" , (translated from the German by Michael Beiert) - http://www.ragazzi-music.de/neilcampbellcollective08.html

"Musically, this stuff is all over the map and right from the start, I was impressed here. ....This is some very interesting and inventive music that is derivative of practically nothing at all. Excellent production effects and a unique approach to the overall delivery of the music make this a truly progressive release. Neil Campbell is a remarkable composer and arranger and hopefully has enough of what it takes to make a name for himself in the music business......", http://www.progressiveears.com/asp/reviews.asp?albumID=4265

"This is definitely progressive rock, but it's very fresh and very uncontrived and unconventional sounding. The classical-style guitar and cello are especially prominent and define the over-all sound. Some really great, moody melodies are explored. I was VERY impressed. You will be too.', Steve Feigenbaum, Wayside Music

"...a dense and complex suite of music that constantly challenges your perception of how music should be. With imaginative arrangements and some imaginative use of instrumentation (aided by Nicole Collarbone on cello, Mark Brocklesby on drums and percussion, Dan Owens and Liam Carey on bass, Stan Ambrose on Celtic Harp and Alex Welford on horns), Mr Campbell has certainly created a constantly challenging musical experience.', Stuart Hamilton, http://www.space-rock.co.uk/index.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=353

"...a very high level of creativity in the music. Add to that excellent performances, very good production and you get an album you will want to listen to quite often. When Particle Theory's last track ended, my reaction was "What... already over?". It did not take me long to put it back on again because Particle Theory merits numerous listenings. This very much unexpected gem gets my highest recommendation indeed.", Prognosis

""Particle Theory" recalls both the symphonic folk music of Mike Oldfield and the large ensemble work of Ian Carr but also has obvious ties to the 'prog' scene with hints at Camel and King Crimson in a few places. Having done the necessary name-dropping I must say that this disc does a remarkably good job of not sounding like anyone in particular. The comparisons are really only valid in relation to the overall organization and structure of the music and not the sonic textures. Mr. Campbell has come up with a fairly original sound with arrangements that are well thought-out and imaginative even though the music is very tonal and 'pretty'...The music is fresh, original and highly enjoyable! "Particle Theory" gets my highest recommendation!!", ZNR Records

"Bands such as the NCC with an original style are not as easy to describe as bands who sound like so-and-so. The first thing that is apparent is that these are musicians with classical training. At times the NCC sound like a chamber orchestra playing rock, more rock-oriented than Karda Estra, more melodic and warm than Univers Zero. While they don’t strongly resemble any of the 1970’s progressive bands, the NCC share the same true progressive ethos and the same desire to incorporate several centuries of western musical development into rock.", www.kinesiscd.com

2008-01-22T00:00:00.000Z

The Neil Campbell Collective Launch new 'Particle Theory' CD

At 4pm on Sunday 17th Feb 2008 The Neil Campbell Collective will launch their new CD 'Particle Theory' at a special private launch event at Studio 2, Parr Street Studios, Liverpool. The event will include a substantial set from the band.

Following the release of their first album '3 O'Clock Sky' (2005) the Liverpool (UK) based band The Neil Campbell Collective started to radically develop their sound and began work on their second album ‘Particle Theory’ (2008) with a much more experimental approach.

Around a year in the making, ‘Particle Theory’, whilst remaining eminently melodic and filled with sumptuous rhythmic, textural and harmonic arrangements, has almost completely abandoned any vestige of conventional song forms. Across the length of the album a small handful of themes are presented, layered and hyper-arranged in an array of wildly diverging contexts, demonstrating an amalgam of styles and references from progressive, post-minimal and ambient music.

These stylistic variations allow the musicians to demonstrate their incredible flexibility and skill as performers. A diverse and often virtuosic instrumentation consisting of layered cellos and textured ethereal vocals, EMS analogue synthesizer, classical, electric and acoustic guitars, celtic harp, wurlitzer and grand piano, operatic soprano and theremin is supported by a detailed and often propulsive rhythm section.

Admission is by guest list only - if you would like to attend the launch please contact Neil at info@neilcampbell.org.uk