Trevor Locke’s column
2025
It was a great privilege to be present at the world premiere of “To Be Frank”, a biopic of the Leicester musician Frank Benbini. The film was shown at Phoenix, in Cinema 1, with a full audience of around two hundred people, on 10th September. The premier lasted for two hours and was directed by Steve Baker, who was in the audience.
The IMDb summary of the movie said it was a rockumentary that follows the life journey of Frank Benbini (Uncle Frank) from humble beginnings on a British council estate, to internationally renowned musician, touring the world with major artists such as Fun Lovin’ Criminals, UB40 and Sinead O’Connor and recordings of his own critically acclaimed music as Uncle Frank
The entry continued, ‘Fascinated by his insatiable work ethic and infectious personality, friend and film-maker STEVE BAKER has been documenting Frank’s career for ten years, capturing footage on planes, trains and auto mobiles, in hotels and recording studios, and at live shows of every shape and size – pubs thru festivals and stadia – recording first-hand the unfolding story of Frank’s rising star. The result is a supremely entertaining film that reveals just how hard it is to succeed in the modern music industry, and how Frank Benbini has done just that against all the odds. The story of his musical journey juxtaposed skilfully against his battles with mental health issues, record labels, and an ever-changing music industry, will resonate with audiences up and down the land.’
This was a biopic of the musician Frank Benbini, a member of the band Fun Lovin’ Criminals and UB40. Frank played the drums in FLC and was also a vocalist.
To Be Frank. subtitled Mr, Frank and The Movie Industry. Indigo Blue Films with Benbini-Baker Productions.
Screen 1 has a capacity of over 200 people and was full for this event. That is significant.
Frank Benbini was interviewed by Kevin Gaughan on 20th February 2020.
On Sunday 22nd March 2020 Uncle Frank was billed to appear alongside Jersey Budd, Whiskey Rebellion in a show held at Duffy’s Bar, Firebug, The Music Cafe, The Soundhouse and The Cookie. In was a fund-raiser for Australia. Uncle Frank plays at the Simon Says festival in 2017.
See also, LARA one-dayer 50 bands over 5 stages, Sunday 22nd March 2020
Frank Benbini (born Mark Francis Reid, 21 September 1974 in Leicester, England) is the British drummer and one-third of Fun Lovin’ Criminals (FLC). He is also known as Uncle Frank and TRM, which stands for “The Rhythm Man”. Benbini is a singer, record producer, songwriter and director. Frank Benbini was born in Leicester and grew up on the New Parks Estate.
The film was a professionally-made product; very engaging and informative and I liked how the audience reacted to some of the scenes and comments made by people being interviewed. It was followed by a question and answer session with Frank Benbini and his colleagues.
The film added a lot of important material to the history of Leicester’s Music.
The film was reviewed in The Guardian.
Changes to the way things are presented means that the page about Leicester’s Jazz scene has been moved into an archive. It can now be viewed here.
Musical events
So far this year, I have attended very few musical events. Even so, those I have been to have been very enjoyable and rewarding.
On Wednesday 23rd July, I attended a summer lunchtime concert performed by Tamaki Higashi (violin) and Mariko Terashi (piano) given at the Central Baptist Church in Charles Street. Eight pieces were on the programme including François Couperin’s Le Reveil-Matin and his Les Barricades Mystérieuses. This was followed by works by Rameau, Schubert, Beethoven and others. In the excellent acoustics of the church, one was struck by the brilliant virtuosity of Mariko’s piano playing and the pleasurable sonority of Tamaki’s violin. A well-attended concert, it seemed that most of the audience knew each other. The event was a fund-raiser by for one of the church’s projects, a partnership with The Centre Project which supports vulnerable people in the community. Musically, the event was a tour de force for the two musicians. Being there reminded of what an important role churches play in the life of Leicester’s music scene. They frequently provide venues for the performance of live music of all kinds.
July provided me with a musical feast, not least the first night of the proms from the Royal Albert Hall which I watched on the television. With me, the first and last nights are a well-established tradition. They remind me of my visits to see them in person when I was a very young man.
In June I went to an open-mic night. Nothing strange about it. I attend such gigs regularly here in Leicester. This one, however was in the city of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, where I was on holiday. On Wednesday evening, I went to a pub called The Townhouse and saw several local musicians singing and performing tunes, much as they do both in Leicester and in many other pubs, bars and venues around the country. Open-mic nights provide an important opportunity of musicians to play at gigs where they just turn up and entertain the audiences.
In February, I attended a concert at Regent Jazz, which takes place every Tuesday at the Sports and Social Club. At this event, a young pianist called Moritz Wagner played Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. This piece received its first performance in February 1924. As I commented in my review, ‘I heard this piece played at the De Montfort Hall last December when it was performed by the Bardi Orchestra with pianist Tom Poster. That was the concert that marked a hundred years since the Gershwin piece was performed for the first time.’ I went on to write that, ‘Wagner’s performance was engaging and enthusiastic; where necessary he gave us strong, robust chords. At other times, he delivered passages of subtlety and delicacy when that was required. Strength and agility were in abundance, ably catching the constantly changing moods of this remarkable work. It was a delightful performance of a piece full of ravishing melodies. The twenty-three-year-old Leicester musician ably demonstrated his ability to master a demanding work with its constant changes of mood, colour, and tonality. Read my full report of this concert.
2024
Marking the 30th anniversary of The Shed opening its doors for the first time, on 31st December 1994, I conclude my series of articles The History of The Shed.
For much of this year, I have attended relatively few gigs; those I did go to were memorable. For me, there is always one notable musical event in July and that is the first night of the Proms. I am an avid fan of the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts. No longer able to attend, I listen to them on the radio and watch some of them on the television. Music is an important part of my life and the world’s greatest music festival has attracted my attention ever since I could attend some of them personally, many decades ago.
Friday 6th September
Tonight, I was at the Soundhouse to see Harri Georgio with his band, which goes by the odd name of, The Well-Behaved Young Men. I asked Harri how this name came about; he said it was a joke but one that had stuck. Tonight’s show was a fundraising gig for the mental health charity The Pierce Perspective. Support acts on tonight’s bill were Little Juke, Amber Clare, Moody Fairy and Andrea Kenny.
On stage tonight one of the legends of Leicester’s music – the incomparable Andrea Kenny, tonight making a solo appearance. She reminded she has a really powerful voice and an astonishing degree of presence. Andrea’s first song was Noah and the Whale – which I remember from her earlier performances some years back. One-time lead singer with the celebrated band The Brandy Thieves, Andrea gave us an exhilarating experience. Engaging lyrics, rich rhythms and impressive vocals, it was a superb performance.
The supporting acts drew the audience in and gave the room a strong vibe.
Headlining this evening’s show, Harri Georgio and his band gave us a great set of songs. A fusion of Indie pop, exciting fresh and original, the highly talented artist delivered a cocktail of rock, reggae and hip hop with a few other vibes thrown in. On stage Harri Georgio, Matt Bury, Jack Freestone and Joe Doyle.
I remember Harri when he was the frontman for Tribal Riot. The first time I saw them I was very excited about what I heard. They went on to take London by storm.
This show at The Soundhouse was an evening to remember.
On Friday 5th July, I was fortunate to be at the Soundhouse to review two of Leicester’s iconic bands: Theia and Skam. My review was published here.
That gig marked the ‘last ever’ appearance of Theia. As I wrote in my review, regarding Skam, ‘Megawatts of energy pouring from the three musicians as they packed a stadium-level sound into the small venue. This band is legendary and I have been following them for about fifteen years. Their outpouring is relentless and their vibe volcanic. They know how to work a crowd. Decades of experience have made them what they are now.’
Another very memorable gig took place on Friday 9th August when I was at The Soundhouse to see a local band called Not My Good Arm. I have been a fan of this band ever since they started. The blurb for this event, on the listings page of this website, said, ‘Not My Good Arm are launching their much anticipated album at The Soundhouse, Leicester on August 9th. With support from Death in the High Street and Obi Denim. 5 entrance or pay what you can. Strap yer boogie boots on and come on down.’ There is no published review of this gig because I went there to enjoy myself, rather than to work. The performance by Death in the High Street was remarkable. The set performed by Not My Good Arm was every bit as remarkable and it was a delight to see these energetic musicians once again.
I hesitate to mention it but Saturday 6th July marked a concert by a local band called Kasabian that took place on Victoria Park, attended by a very large number of fans. I know that because my travel that day (to and from home) was disrupted by the event. In order to avoid the noise from Victoria Park, I went to The Shed for the birthday celebration of Joe Doyle, a legend of the Leicester music scene. I said to someone, whilst I was there, that I was A Kasabian asylum seeker , meaning I was there to get away from the noise and commotion in the area of Victoria Park. It was an astonishingly good evening and Doyle’s performance that night was nothing if not extraordinary.
Another musical event took place on Thursday 15th August when I travelled to Loughborough to see my old mate Jonezy perform at The Cask Bah. That turned out to be a large night out for me and I got home just after midnight. I very much enjoyed hearing Loughborough’s foremost music artist performing songs from his extensive back catalogue as well as some of his newer creations. See Jonezy’s website. https://jonezyuk.co.uk/category/info/
Coming up: I might pen a few notes about the music at my seventy-fifth birthday celebration to be held at The Soundhouse on the afternoon of 24th August.
It is now the middle of March and, so far, I have not done a great deal, musically speaking. However, the concerts I have been to have been exhilarating me and I have enjoyed them very much.
In January, I went to see a band called Spellgaze and wrote about them in a review.
On Saturday 17th February I went to the Soundhouse for the day-time event called ‘Sessions.’ On stage were some brilliant musicians one of whom was Tony Alles, one for whom I have considerable admiration. Generally, the line-up was superb and the music of high quality. It was really good to be back at my favourite venue after such a long absence.
Sunday 3rd March 2024.
De Montfort Hall, Leicester. Jude Richardson Plays Beethoven
Music is something I have been writing about for a long time. These days, I am as likely to write about classical music as about rock and pop. Throughout my career, as a music journalist, I have witnessed some unforgettable performances and historic moments. Today’s concert was one of those unforgettable moments.
The main reason I went to this concert, by the Leicester Symphony Orchestra, was to see the concerto played by Jude Richardson. Now aged twenty-three, Richardson was born in Bermuda and later graduated from the Jacobs School of Music in the USA. He now lives in Leicester.
Like Sheku Kanneh Mason, who lives in Nottingham, Jude is becoming recognised as one of the stars of the classical music scene across the UK. It is very satisfying that the Midlands continues to produce young musicians of extraordinary talent and ability.
Today’s performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, No.5. in E Flat Major, Op. 73, was virtuosic. Jude’s command of tone and breathtaking dynamics was exactly what this piece called for and he delivered it all with excellence. He played without a score, having memorised tens of thousands of notes. One would not expect anything less from a musician of his standard. The finale is a powerful exposition of Beethoven’s genius and Richardson gave us everything that we wanted. His technical proficiency was nothing short of amazing.
The audience applauded each movement. Clearly, everyone in the nearly full hall was captivated by Richardson’s artistry and presence on the piano. Brilliant that was a word on the lips of many today as they left the hall following a delightful and uplifting concert.
Older content – for 2020 – has been moved from this page to the archive page.
Last edited: 3/1/21
