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Last Updated: 20/08/2008 15:37:16
Steve Rudd has been writing for thisisUll.com
for some time and has proved himself to be one of our most talented writers.
Steve's contributions are listed below..
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Music Reviews - Friday 29th May 09 - Moonbeams Acoustic Evening at the Bell Hotel, Driffield By Steve Rudd
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In light of the fact that it was the final Moonbeams before summer, organiser Leila Slater had gone all out to arrange the greatest line-up imaginable, managing to replace Hayley Gaftarnick with Edwina Hayes at the last minute when Hayley unfortunately came down with tonsillitis.
Opening proceedings, resident barman at The Bell, Joe Pickering,
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Poetry - Hannah By Steve Rudd
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The snow. That's what it came down to.
And, of course, the cold
That penetrated the folds
So the sheep couldn't see the shelter
Amidst the pristine whiteout.
That's why they roamed
At right angles to shepherds,
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Places to Visit - Rudd On The Road Part Twelve: Onwards and Upwards By Steve Rudd
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I don't do early mornings. At least I don't do them very well. I mean, was it 5 a.m. already? We'd had less than two hours of sleep, and it was time for my friend Evangelina to whisk me to the airport in order for me to catch my 7:50 a.m. flight with 'Mexicana' back to Los Angeles.
Having joined a bunch of Evangelina's friends for some food and drink at a cantina close to Bellas Artes in the Historical Centre of Mexico City the previous night,
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Places to Visit - Rudd On The Road Part Part Eleven: Going Barmy in Barra. By Steve Rudd
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As I grew increasingly accustomed to the laid-back beach-life around which the tiny Pacific Coast town of Melaque revolves, I realised it was going to be no easy task to pull myself away from this area of Jalisco, Mexico.
The pace of life which afflicts Melaque is a world away from the hustle and bustle that comes as part and parcel of larger towns and cities
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Poetry - Resisting Arrest By Steve Rudd
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When words fail what's left?
A look in the eye. Desire is dead.
Perhaps it never sparked in the first place,
I'd be a much saner man had I never seen her face.
Where beauty convenes, heartache feeds.
It's not in a man's nature to walk away.
An image in my mind holds me captive.
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Places to Visit - Rudd On The Road Part Ten: Sun, Sand, Sea ... and a Man on a Mission. By Steve Rudd
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In terms of beaches, visitors to Mexico genuinely are spoilt for choice. World-class stretches of sand are to be found on both The Pacific Coast and The Gulf of Mexico, with old favourites in the ridiculously commercialised forms of Acapulco and Cancun still managing to draw in huge crowds with ease.
However, some of the country's lesser-known beaches are
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Places to Visit - Rudd On The Road Part Nine: A Perfect Demonstration of How to Protest. By Steve Rudd
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Fans of folk who like to voice their opinions can't go wrong in Mexico. I mean, barely a day goes by without some demonstration or protest taking to the streets, and those in its favour tend to come out in such force that it's only a matter of time before the 'rally' passes you by.
You certainly don't need to make the effort to seek out such rallies
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Album Reviews - The Alps ... Something I Might Regret By Steve Rudd
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The debut album from one of the most exciting bands in the UK right now, The Alps are not your average band, primarily because they extract the most appealing elements of the Pop, Indie and Rock genres and mix them up to stunning effect. As a result, this eleven-track LP is a veritable whirlwind of irresistible melodies and swooning vocal performances.
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Places to Visit - Rudd On The Road Part Eight: All Aboard 'The Nerve-Shredder' to Puebla! By Steve Rudd
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I really couldn't blame the lady at the ticket counter for giving me such a puzzled look. After all, I had just asked for a ticket counter instead of a ticket.
I was at the main bus station in Oaxaca City, Mexico, intent on buying a ticket north to Puebla. Having clocked numerous signs emblazoned with the world Taquiller, I wrongly assumed that such a word was the Spanish for Tickets. In truth,
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Places to Visit - Rudd On The Road Part Seven: City Living in the South of Mexico By Steve Rudd
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What's a non-Spanish-speaking Englishman to do when he arrives in an unfamiliar city in the south of Mexico at the crack of dawn? In my experience, he lumbers over to the nearest beverage vendor whilst pawing in his pockets for money, hoping he's got enough loose change on his being to bag him a hot drink.
'What do you fancy?' asked Salvador, a pal from Ibiza who I'd met in Mexico City.
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Single Reviews - Glen Strachan ... 8 Love Rivals By Steve Rudd
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It's hard to believe that British singer-songwriter Glen Strachan used to front
Uxbridge-based Alt.-rockers The Bed, but it's true.
The music that he's producing these days is a far cry from when bands such as
The Smashing Pumpkins were influencing him to pump up the volume,
because the eight bewitching songs that grace his latest album,
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Places to Visit - Rudd On The Road Part Six: A Storm Over Troubled Pyramids By Steve Rudd
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Should any visitor to Mexico City be in need of a little fresh air or a drastic change of scenery, a visit to Teotihuacan comes highly recommended. Languishing some fifty kilometers north of the city centre, it makes for a simple day out, and it can be reached either by public bus or through one of the many tour companies operating out of Mexico City.
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Places to Visit - Rudd On The Road Part 5 Mexico City: A Beginners Guide By Steve Rudd
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It's no mean feat getting to grips with what is purported to be the most populous city on Planet Earth, yet once you get your bearings, Mexico City is a deceptively simple place to get around, whether on foot or courtesy of public transport.
But where to go first?
The most obvious place to kick-start one's exploratory forays in Mexico City is at its main
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Places to Visit - Rudd On The Road Part 4 Cheap thrills on the Mexico City metro By Steve Rudd
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If you think travelling on The London Underground can be stressful at times, spare a thought for the millions of people who use Mexico City's Metro System every day, especially during peak hours when folk are attempting to get backwards and forwards to work.
Having said that, rattling along at high speed beneath the streets of Mexico City is an exhilarating experience not to be missed.
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Places to Visit - Rudd On The Road Part 3 A chance encounter with a city full of surprises... By Steve Rudd
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Ensconced in LA to write like never before, I didn't get much chance to make myself at home in Los Angeles before being offered a different writing job entirely, courtesy of a well-connected friend of a friend.
Vowing to return to LA as soon as possible, I promptly found myself heading back to LAX where I boarded a Mexicana flight direct to Mexico City, a short-haul of just four hours
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Single Reviews - Robert Prekop ... Dirt of Time By Steve Rudd
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Robert Prekop is a young singer-songwriter who is currently residing in Berlin. Anchoring the majority of his soul-stirring songs with compelling acoustic-based melodies, he is building a reputation for himself in the capital of Germany by playing at Open Mic nights where he airs his material.
The demos of a batch of songs he has recently posted on
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Places to Visit - Rudd On The Road Part 2 By Steve Rudd
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As I bustled onto an empty shuttle bus bound for Downtown LA, I reflected that the way I'd been granted access into the US this time around was a far-cry from the way in which I'd been 'processed' on my previous trip when I'd touched down at JFK airport in New York.
Back in 2006, on the cusp of a mad sixty day dash around the states via 'Greyhound' bus, the Customs official at JFK had wanted to know almost everything about me.
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Reviews, Films - The Confession By Steve Rudd
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Expertly directed by Dave Kebo and Rudi Liden, The Confession is an extraordinary movie for many and varied reasons, not least because it was shot all in one take. Another major reason why the movie is so unique comes down to the fact that it is 'interactive' and features three and a half addictive hours of multi-angle footage.
Having been shot via a multitude of strategically placed CCTV
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People - An Interview With Finley Quaye By Steve Rudd
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Finley Quaye is currently at the start of a huge national tour,
including a performance on 21st March at The Adelphi Club supported by local
singer/songwriter, Jody McKenna. Last time Finley played Hull he had such a
crowd in the Adelphi he stayed all week to party. Steve Rudd interviewed the
90s Reggae star in anticipation of another top night.
Hi Finley, how are things? Sweet as...So how is 2009 treating you so far?
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Places to Visit - Rudd On The Road - Catching up with Steve Rudd as he hits America in style ... Part 1 By Steve Rudd
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The flight from London to LA was a long haul to say the least, yet it was made more tolerable by the company. I'd barely got settled when the guy beside me introduced himself as Jim Becket, a film director and documentary producer who lived in a place called Ojai, a little north of Los Angeles. He'd just returned from working in Athens where he'd sold the rights of his latest documentary to
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Poetry - Hanuman's Disciples By Steve Rudd
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The scenery is changing
It's more putrid than in paintings
The fields of corn are turning, yet
Nothing's as it seems.
The hitcher on the highway
Has plunged into the bushes
He mocks the art of rushing
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Places to Visit - Playing Chicken In Turkey Part 1 By Steve Rudd
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It wasn't the best welcome to Turkey. It was the dead of night, we'd just crossed the border, yet there I was, beside a Mancunian called Liam, being frog marched back to the tiny hut that issued visas. Upon crossing the border, us English lads had been issued the correct visa, but the official had inexplicably neglected to stamp the visas with our entry date.
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Single Reviews - The Alps - Obstacle Race By Steve Rudd
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Taken from the Greenwich-based band's stunning album Something I Might Regret, this gloriously shimmering single is their sixth, and it's a heartfelt ode to a relationship that's going through bit of a rough patch.
Such a thing is immediately obvious as frontman Daniel Heptinstall coolly croons, 'Lost in the shadows with no way out,' before going on to proffer a glimmer of salvation for the
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Reviews, Books - What Do I Know Anyway? by Jamie Mcgarry Reviewed By Steve Rudd
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Writing poetry is a painstaking craft, and it's clear from the outset that Scarborough-based
Jamie McGarry spends a lot of time in perfecting his poems.
An award-winning poet at a young age, Jamie recently unleashed What Do I Know Anyway? - a wry look at life in the twenty-first century.
Consisting of twenty-nine superb poems which are spread over seventy-five pages, there
really is something for everybody in this,
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People - An Interview With Jamie McGarry By Steve Rudd
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Jamie McGarry is a Scarborough-based poet who recently had an
excerpt of a poem that had been inspired by Hannah Hauxwell published in
The Dalesman magazine. He has been writing poetry for years, with his
confidence having been bolstered by a poetry competition that he entered
and won at the age of thirteen.
Jamie doesn't confine his writing talents to poetry either, as he has also
written a novel.
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Poetry - Acute Gravity By Steve Rudd
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The gravity of words; the line that's drawn in sand,
The love that just won't die; the unrepentant man.
These are the things we must never speak of.
These are the kinds of crimes perpetrated by the blind.
So much for the life and times of a bankrupt megalomaniac,
Not to mention the lows and the highs
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People - An Interview With Terry Grigg By Steve Rudd
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British traveler Terry Grigg has plenty of stories to tell - no doubt about it. Having visited over fifty countries, he's an itinerant soul who always likes to be on the move. In typical form, when I tried to get hold of him for an interview, Terry was soaking up the sun in Goa, India.
Fortunately, he managed to spare some time to chat about his debut travel book,
Backpacking with a Bunion.
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People - An Interview With Dave Kebo By Steve Rudd
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It's funny who you bump into when you're traveling. I recently visited Istanbul, and though
I was only there for a couple of weeks, the people I met were amazing.
In the space of just a few days I met a firefighter from Colorado, a Mexican woman
who worked for The British Embassy, a man from London who was aiming to cycle
around the world ... and then a guy from LA by the name of Dave Kebo.
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Places to Visit - Roaming Around Romania By Steve Rudd
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I was worried. It was four a.m., I was on a train bound for Bucharest, and somebody was tugging at my bed sheets from below. Coming around from a bout of deep sleep, I urged my weary eyes to focus. They were having none of it though, refusing point blank to reveal the person before me.
'Is there a problem?' I asked, hoping that a response might bowl my way in English.
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People - An Interview with Steve Steinman By Steve Rudd
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Newark-based Steve Steinman is a man of many talents. Currently touring with his
spectacular show Vampires Rock, an alternative slice of musical theatre which
features Classic Rock tunes such as Welcome To The Jungle, Total Eclipse of The Heart,
and Poison, he's a true workhorse who lives to perform in the limelight.
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Music Reviews - Friday 28th November 08 - Flossie Malavialle and Dave Dave & Zoe Bottomley at Moonbeams, The Bell Hotel, Driffield By Steve Rudd
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For the final Moonbeams of 2008, Leila Slater - the organizer and promoter of the
Acoustic nights - had pulled out all the stops to ensure it was an unforgettable
night of superb music.
First up, a local lad called Jeremy wowed the crowd with two delicately finger-picked
numbers which were both rapturously received. Having previously performed at this
summer's Kelk-Fest
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Fiction - The Lie of the Land By Steve Rudd
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So I ran.
I ran, and I ran, and I ran.
Nothing means anything when eagerly anticipated phone calls never come.
All those wasted Sundays slumped beside the phone add up.
Ah, heartbreak. You've got to hate it. But you've also got to take it.
The hardest thing of all is resisting the urge to break the ice, to ring first,
to put words into your mouth
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Album Reviews - Chris Helme ... Ashes By Steve Rudd
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The inspirational debut solo album from former Seahorses frontman Chris Helme, Ashes is a
lovingly conceived and produced album of the highest order, having been recorded in
Castleford by Ben Hammond. What's more, a hidden bonus track is sure to delight any
Seahorses fans who pick up a copy...
Kicking off with the emotionally intense strains of Morning Sun, it's hard to believe
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People - An Interview with Glen Strachan, An English musician in Germany By Steve Rudd
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Glen Strachan, formerly of Uxbridge, recently made the bold decision
to relocate to Berlin, where he has been edging his way into the city's music scene
with cunning stealth. Former member of acclaimed underground bands TheBed
and England
and The April, Glen is a prolific songwriter whose tunes never fail to astound and
inspire through being so daring and original.
Read more...
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Music Reviews - Thursday 24th July 08 ... Edwina Hayes at The London Bar, Driffield By Steve Rudd
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The third night of its kind to feature live music in
The London Bar (local lads Chaser along with Blues prodigy
Oli Brown
have both played there on previous occasions), Driffield's very own
Edwina Hayes performed two hour-long sets on what was a truly unique evening.
While the staff served exquisite four-course meals
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Music Reviews - Friday 25th July 08 - Chris Helme and Andy Gaines at Helmsley Arts Centre By Steve Rudd
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York singer-songwriter Andy Gaines is something of a revelation.
Confidently swaggering onto the stage in skintight jeans with a killer grin slapped upon his face,
his batch of acoustic gems sounded sublime in what is a truly beautiful venue.
Formerly a member of acclaimed York outfit Cardboard Radio, Andy also plays in a band called
The Runaway Sons when he isn't playing solo acoustic sets.
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