Hi Everyone

Some of you might have noticed that the World Cup starts this weekend.  A whole month of football featuring some of the finest footballing nations on the planet... and England! (I've got a pound riding on an Iran v Panama final) 

It's also the beginning of a whole month where people who don’t like football, go on and on and on about how they "don’t like it".  (And for a collective noun of individuals who aren’t so keen on said sport, they do seem to talk about it a great deal)

And following on from that, we still have something special for you at the Rising Sun this weekend, starting with Friday and STAND UP CINEMA

Back to the Rising Sun and back to its more traditional Friday slot!

Screenings of the best locally made film and video plus rarely seen classics, obscure documentaries, cult independents and overlooked modern gems. Stand-Up Cinema is a collaboration between The Rising Sun Arts Centre and Real Time Video. To get your film shown at a future Stand-Up Cinema contact Real Time at info@real-time.org.uk.

Our main feature this month is VANISHING POINT (Richard C. Safarian, 1971)

Possibly the ultimate road movie – Kowalski, (Barry Newman) takes a bet that he can deliver a car – famously a Dodge Challenger - from Denver to San Francisco in under 15 hours. That would be a cult hit right there.

It'll cost you a paltry £5 on the door.  Short Films start at 7.30. Vanishing Point starts showing at 8.00 pm.  

On Saturday, CLUB VELOCITY PRESENTS!

The third Saturday of the month?  The third Saturday of the month at a certain venue in Reading? Surely that means another helping of one of the best band nights in town.

LITTLE RED
A folk trio from the South of England, Little Red (Ian Mitchell, Ben Gosling and Hayley Bell) are a musical outfit inspired by Neil Young, PJ Harvey, First Aid Kit and Elliot Smith. They write and perform songs of a dark and playful wit with passion and sincerity.

Championed by the likes of BBC Introducing Berkshire, BBC Introducing Oxford.

They release their new album 'Draw Blood' on May 1st
on All Will Be Well Records

JACK CADE AND THE EVERYDAY SINNERS

Here's something on Jack in his own words.....

"When I started singing and performing live around 10 years ago I decided to take on a new name to do so. The main reasons for this I guess, were firstly to create a stage persona that would give me the confidence to do so and secondly to have a name that had a meaning. I decided on a name that I had originally heard back in the 90's when some friends of mine from different bands played a few gigs together under the name Jack Cade. They explained at the time that he was an historical Kentish figure who had led a rebellion up to London. 

This story always stuck with me, however ten years ago there was hardly anything on the web about him so I had to go digging in the local library for more info. In general the information is a little sketch in places but the gist of the story is this. In 1450, fed up with the way that Henry VI and the various corrupt members of the nobility were treating the general population and basically screwing them for as much as possible, to fund the Hundred Years War war with France, a rebellion or protest march started out from the Kent-Sussex border and made it's way to London. Along the way it gathered a growing number of disillusioned people and at it's head was Jack Cade. Now it appears from what I've read that the name Jack Cade was a name that was given or used possibly after the event as the story grew. Some items I have read say the name was ascribed to a John Mortimer or John Aylmere, anyway Jack Cade was the name used, which to be honest sounds more poetic. The rebellion made it all the way to London, making camp on Blackheath from where they sacked parts of the city of London. 

They eventually negotiated a truce with Henry VI gaining agreements that various grievances would be addressed. As is the way of these things as soon as the rebellion had been disbanded the King renounced what he'd agreed, rounded up the leaders and executed them. The thing that struck me the most about this story was the fact that some 600 years on this story has so much resonance now, all you need do is substitute the royalty and nobility for the governments and investment bankers of today." 

THE SEASONS IN SHORTHAND

An alt-folk four piece combining heartfelt introspective songs with driving basslines and inventive percussion. Starting life as the acoustic project of songwriter Lee Switzer, the band have come together and developed a unique sound that brings his lyrics to life between moments of intimate acoustic folk and full on panic.  

We'll be open at 8pm.  And it'll cost you £7 on the door to get in or £5 in advance from www.wegottickets.com

On Sunday, we bring you LONGING BELONGING & PALESITNE

An urgent story with music and song of Human - Earth relationships through the eyes of Palestiniens living under Occupation. A Collaboration between members of Dar Al Musika Beit Sahour Palestine and Chai for All Bristol UK who perform with guest singer bağlama player Zaid Hilal.

Fired up from their recent UK and Palestine tour of the Arts Council - funded 'Longing and Belonging and Balfour' show Chai for All, a band that uniquely blends Jewish and Arabic music now illuminate Palestinians' experience of connecting to The Land.

"Very moving account of the responsibility of the Brits in the creation of Israel. Wonderful musicians poetry and poetic storytelling" (review of Chai's latest show, Longing and Belonging and Balfour, Beit Sahour, April 2018)

We're open from 7pm and there'll be a limited number of tickets available for £13

That's everything for another week, just to remind you that we are, as always, at 30 Silver Street, Reading, RG1 2ST (If you pop it into your satnav or Google, we shall magically appear!)

Have a nice weekend!