Returning from whence she came, Hazel O’Connor has returned to the Midlands for the 30th anniversary of Breaking Glass for a date at The Assembly in Leamington Spa.
Performing songs she wrote 30 years ago from her debut record Breaking Glass; Hazel is reviving the album later turned to film by bringing in local Coventry musicians The Subterraneans.
She reveals she was “enthralled by such a tight, strong band”, and from working with them before, she feels “honored to work with such brilliant lads”.
The film, about lucky breaks and rock stardom, was originally inspired by Hazel’s first album of the same title. Amongst the stars of the film were Phil Daniels (famed for Quadrophenia), and Mark Wingett (perhaps better known as PC Jim Carver in ITV’s The Bill).
Originally born in Coventry, the days from hanging around in The Dive (now Rosie Malone’s) and the Golden Cross; have long been exchanged for spending most of her time living in Ireland.
Yet she has fond memories of going to venues come-and-gone such as The Lanch, where she claims she “saw all the best bands of that era, and even before that era”. In particular she remembers a young Marc Bolan “when he hadn’t made T-Rex, and he was still doing Tyrannosaurus Rex- just sat on the front of the stage singing ‘Debora’ with bongos”.
Having attended the Leamington Spa Art College, ironically Hazel has “never done a gig in Leamington in [her] life”. But now on the anniversary of Breaking Glass, there seemed no better time to do it.
So what’s next for Hazel? Well look out for more collaborations with The Subterraneans, dates with her jazz outfit the Bluja Project, and work with harpist Cormac De Barra. She’s a woman who believes in having a plan; and even “if the direction changes, you’ve just got to change with it”.
Performing songs she wrote 30 years ago from her debut record Breaking Glass; Hazel is reviving the album later turned to film by bringing in local Coventry musicians The Subterraneans.
She reveals she was “enthralled by such a tight, strong band”, and from working with them before, she feels “honored to work with such brilliant lads”.
The film, about lucky breaks and rock stardom, was originally inspired by Hazel’s first album of the same title. Amongst the stars of the film were Phil Daniels (famed for Quadrophenia), and Mark Wingett (perhaps better known as PC Jim Carver in ITV’s The Bill).
Originally born in Coventry, the days from hanging around in The Dive (now Rosie Malone’s) and the Golden Cross; have long been exchanged for spending most of her time living in Ireland.
Yet she has fond memories of going to venues come-and-gone such as The Lanch, where she claims she “saw all the best bands of that era, and even before that era”. In particular she remembers a young Marc Bolan “when he hadn’t made T-Rex, and he was still doing Tyrannosaurus Rex- just sat on the front of the stage singing ‘Debora’ with bongos”.
Having attended the Leamington Spa Art College, ironically Hazel has “never done a gig in Leamington in [her] life”. But now on the anniversary of Breaking Glass, there seemed no better time to do it.
So what’s next for Hazel? Well look out for more collaborations with The Subterraneans, dates with her jazz outfit the Bluja Project, and work with harpist Cormac De Barra. She’s a woman who believes in having a plan; and even “if the direction changes, you’ve just got to change with it”.
No comments:
Post a Comment