Splash Point Jazz Club Eastbourne welcomes double bass/vocalist Nicola Farnon for its September gig, on Wednesday 25th at the Fishermen's Club.
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00:00Good afternoon, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor for Sussex Newspapers. Now, lovely
00:06this afternoon to speak to Annette Keane. Now, Annette, you run Splashpoint Jazz Club
00:11Eastbourne, and the club continues to attract really interesting, really, really vibrant
00:18guests, doesn't it? Tell me what the club is all about. Is it purely jazz? Does it go
00:24wider?
00:25It's not purely jazz. It's all about presenting the top jazz people that I can get, the best
00:32jazz players around. It's a not-for-profit organisation, we're just trying to keep going,
00:39basically, which we've been successful at in this venue for...
00:44When did the club start?
00:47In the Fisherman's Club, in our current venue, 2016. But I've been presenting jazz in Eastbourne
00:54for about 27 years.
00:56Really? Oh my goodness.
00:57In different venues, yeah, yeah.
00:59What was your background? Are you a performer yourself, or just...
01:02Oh, I was a teacher, I've worked in admin, I've done loads of different things.
01:10Yeah.
01:10Nothing connected to jazz until I started doing this.
01:13And how did you survive with the pandemic? That was a tough time for so many clubs.
01:18Yeah, we couldn't put on any shows during the pandemic, obviously, we were closed.
01:24Oddly enough, when we came back, the first couple of gigs after we came back,
01:28we had huge audiences. I think everyone was just desperate to get out and hear live music again,
01:36yeah. And then it kind of went down a little bit after that.
01:40That kind of levels off, doesn't it? But you hit clubs that didn't come back, but equally,
01:45there are some jazz clubs around who've gone to pre-booking only,
01:48because they're doing so well. How well are you doing?
01:51We do pre-booking and on the door. We don't tend to get that many pre-bookings,
01:56partly because our regulars know that they can always get a ticket on the door,
02:01or they'll just give me a ring and say, can you put a couple on one side for us and we'll
02:04pay on the night. And because I trust them and I know they're going to be there, I'm quite happy
02:09to do that. So yeah, we don't get a lot of pre-bookings, but it's a handy thing to have.
02:15Absolutely. And just tell me more generally then, what's the attraction of jazz for you?
02:19And obviously jazz does encompass a lot of different sub-genres, doesn't it? But why jazz?
02:27I've always been interested in jazz. I love the fact that every time you see a live performance,
02:33even if it's the same musicians playing the same number, it's going to be different.
02:38I love that. I love the on the spot, making it up, putting in their own feel and everything.
02:46That's the attraction for me. It's never going to be the same twice.
02:52And presumably, with the club's past history, the fact that it's so well-established,
02:55you do pretty well in terms of you can get the people, can't you?
02:59I can get the people. I mean, obviously I pay for the best people. It's more expensive to get them.
03:06It helps that my partner's a jazz musician, so he knows everyone.
03:10He's got the contacts.
03:11He will know them, yeah. So, you know, that kind of makes it easier. They all know him.
03:17But yeah, yeah, it's worked really well there. It's been good.
03:20And how much is it hard work? How much is it enjoyment for you running the club?
03:25I love it. I love it. I should have given up years ago, but I can't let go of it.
03:32You don't have to.
03:33No, I don't have to. But sometimes I think, oh, why am I still doing this?
03:38When it comes to gig night and I'm tired, I think, oh, I don't know. But I can't stop doing it.
03:44And then the music starts.
03:45And the music starts, and I'm swept away by it. Yeah, I'm constantly surprised
03:51by the accomplishments of these musicians. They're very, very good.
03:57Fantastic. Long may that continue. Lovely to speak to you. Thank you.
04:01And you, Phil. Yeah, great to see you.