Starfish Youth Music - Xmas Show

Last Christmas, I bought my son a drum kit. So far, so good. The mistake was handing over the drumsticks. At that precise moment I understood the genius of Starfish Youth Music, an organisation set up in 1998 and dedicated to providing equipment (and crucially venues) for young people in the Lewes District to explore their latent musical talent. Their team of ten - all working musicians themselves - spend hundreds of hours every year passing on their vast collective musical experience to the young (9-21) members involved in the scheme. However, Starfish co-ordinator Steve Franklin is keen to stress, "we do not tell members how or what to play, we facilitate, leaving them free to express themselves however they like." So armed with high-quality equipment and knowledge, the members form bands to experiment with a range of musical genres ranging from soul, indie and metal, to rock and jazz as they prepare themselves to play live. And this year, they've played live a lot - tonight is the fourteenth and last live Starfish event in 2006.

Tonight's extravaganza, with fifteen bands taking to the stage, raising funds for the project and celebrating Starfish itself. Expect sessions from current bands, including the indie Honeycuts, Ebony, Exit and the jazzy Surrogate Plums. There will also be performances from now ex-Starfisher’s Zoo Music and Osmosis. Enjoy… NW