Sylwia Bialas

voice composition poetry education

United Kingdom

Ambleside Days 2017 in memory of John Taylor

September 05, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

John Taylor was and will stay forever my huge musical hero. I love his music, his unique way of playing and writing. The fact that he passed away, left many souls in deep sorrow.

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It was a blessing for me to take part in an event honoring John`s memory. This August in Ambleside Johns friends, colleges and fans connected in an emotional and warm atmosphere to remember...

It was such pleasure to spend 5 beautiful days with Dave Holland, Joe Locke, Gwilym Simcock, Asaf Sirkis, Norma Winstone, Mike Walker, Stan Sulzmann, John Helliwell, Nikki, Iles, James Maddren, Darryl Hall, Mark Lockheart, Steve Watts, their friends and families and to listen to the finest contemporary Jazz in a fantastic natural environment.

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A big musical family :

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Joe Locke, Johnny Wiles, Rosa Garland, Amanda Garland, Nadja von Massow, Tim Garland, Nick Smart, James Maddren, Stan Sulzmann, Sarah Nesling, Olivia Maguire, Steve Watts, Mike Walker, Helen Mayhew, Dave Holland, Kathianne Hingwan, Gwilym Simcock, Mark Lockheart, Nikki Iles, Sylwia Bialas, Asaf Sirkis, Norma Winstone, Christin Allen, Derek Hook, Max Steuer, Hugh Mitchell, John Helliwell, Paul Walker

Daryl Hall had to leave early in the morning and unfortunately didn`t make it to the group pic.

I bet John would smile about this one :-):

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Good vibes & sunshine

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Magical concerts & magical people:

 Behind the scenes :

Beautiful Lake District:

Fisherman`s cottage:

Mr. Sheepman:

More greenery...

Sirkis/Bialas IQ - recording of a new album : "OUR NEW EARTH"

September 04, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Hello everybody! Sirkis/Bialas IQ just came out of the recording studio. An exciting new album will follow soon! Here some pictures from the session at the Masterchord Studio in London:

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SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017, FEEDBACK FROM THE AUDIENCES!

May 14, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear Friends,

To close our Spring Tour 2017, I`d love to share with you the precious feedback from our Audiences. It was very exciting to ask the listeners directly about their thoughts and reflections about our music. About 200 people of different age, from smaller and bigger towns, of different nationalities and music preferences kindly took some time to write what they think about our new material and here are their words (I`m going to use only their first names to respect everybody`s privacy): 

“Absolutely amazing, a breath of fresh air, inspirational composition, performance and musicianship, please come back!”
— Tad, Bristol
“Haunting Vocals, mesmeric 6 string bass patterns, complex keyboard structure and a percussionist whose fear of polish bears drives him to rhythms of extraordinary pulse ☺...
Well done Arts Council!!!”
— Whitney, Barnstaple
“Mesmerizing! Compelling”
— Suze, Bristol
“Great emotional dynamic: from delicate beauty to intense force! Excellent combination from all musicians throughout the evening!”
— Mark, Bristol
“Amazing! I think it`s an excellent choice to sing without words/in polish, it gives the whole experience a deeper, more real twist. Generally, I think the music is brilliant- transports one to different existence! Very wild and untamed!”
— Elina, London
“Wonderful! Keep playing your hearts out!”
— Sebastian, Bristol
“It was a fantastic night of a lovely range of styles of music. Brilliant musicians and a brilliant singer Sylwia. I really enjoyed it!”
— Jan, London
“Great Musicianship from the entire Quartet!
Very Enjoyable.”
— Mark, Cheltenham
“Really enjoyed the performance. I know little about Jazz but I am a new fan now because of hearing you!”
— Tim, London
“1St class band! Highly recommended.”
— W, Cheltenham
“Brilliant! Lovely! Great!”
— John, Cheltenham
“An amazing performance!
Thank you for emotional drill!
Pleasure to see people that enjoy their own Oeuvre!”
— Nikita, Cheltenham
“Brilliant! Wonderful”
— Anthea, Cheltenham
“Thank you!
Incredible musicianship, loved the combination of sounds, aspecially voice.”
— Sophia, Cheltenham
“I`m excited, very interested in creative Jazz! You have a great combo, it was marvellous, please come again!”
— Jane, Monmouth
“The music was inspirational. It is VITAL for the music – musicians – pubs-communities-young people-old people- international relations – the future- the past – now- us.
Thank you!!!”
— Laurie, Monmouth
“We are so very lucky to be in Monmouth tonight! Monmouth is so very lucky to have you folks in town! What a beautiful cross-cultural mix! Crossing borders, inspiring everything we should be doing! Thank you so much Asaf, Sylwia, Frank and Kevin!”
— Hugh, Monmouth
“Brilliant Musicianship – inspiring / soul searching”
— Colin, Monmouth
“Superb, Top Quality, Innovative +exciting Jazz! I love it!”
— Mark, Monmouth
“Fab as always! Can we have some lyrics from Sylwia sometime?”
— Rosie, Monmouth
“Your music is original and rather mysterious, but mostly accessible. The voice used purely as an instrument takes a bit of getting used to. It`s growing on me! Brilliant percussion.”
— Steve, Monmouth
“Wonderful live Jazz, much appreciated!”
— Peter, Monmouth
“I`ve been looking forward to this gig for weeks – wasn`t disappointed!!! Sublime playing!”
— Paul, Hereford
“What a privilege to be able to hear such an inspiring new music in our small Devon Town! A fantastic gig!”
— Francis, Ashburton
“Complex rhythms, intelligent + sublime – fabulous voice of Sylvie and those high held notes- impressive!”
— Carolyn, Ashburton
“The workshop this afternoon was really inspiring and a new insight into rhythm and a different way of learning rhythm – a new (Konnakol) language. Sylwia`s vocal aids were brilliant! The concert was superb!!! Thank you !”
— Anthea, Devon
“Superb!”
— Tom, Totnes
“Thought I was going to hate it but I loved it!!! Wonderful combination of sound and I so enjoyed human vocal being used as a musical instrument as opposed to „singing“.”
— Janet
“I`m so impressed! You are amazing!!! I`ll follow your way! Wish you the BEST! Very happy, Anna.”
— Anna, Taunton
“Such talented musicians! I love being surrounded by sound not just having it second hand on an electronic device.”
— Monica, Taunton
“Excellence - thanks to arts council for funding tours in small venues in small towns!”
— Clive, Taunton
“A superb Jazz combo. Fantastically talented musicians. Wonderful. They deserve an audience 20x bigger then are here. The drummer is totally brilliant. All great musicians and fabulous singer!”
— Martin, Taunton
“Took me to a higher plane – Superb!”
— Martin, Salisbury
“Awesome performance - loved it!”
— Adrian, Wimborne
“Most contemporary Jazz I have heard (so far). A unique experience. A remarkable quartet! TAKING RISKS!”
— Richard, Bournemouth
“Very contemporary and unique sound. Great to hear LIVE and listen to mindful, clever combination of keyboard, bass, drums and the VOICE as an instrument. Shame this is not available more to many – it`s a sound that may not appeal to all at first but once you get into it- it`s AMAZING. Thank you!”
— Marylyn, Dorset
“GREAT!”
— Everton, London
“Stunning performance!
Thank you!”
— Ian, London
“Superb Technique
Amazing stage presence
Fascinating composition”
— Francesco, London
“Excellent
Loved Kevin`s bass playing
Love Fender rhodes
Loved NO UPRIGHT BASS!”
— Pat, Guilford
“Great Music
Interesting and very exciting range of pieces”
— John, Bristol
“Amazing sounds – life enhancing music – THANK YOU!”
— Lucy, Farnham
“Loved the Indian vocalisation on Vortex !!! This kind of Jazz is new to me but the musicianship is amazing and Sylwia`s voice sounds incredible. Really enjoyed listening to it!”
— Paule, Bristol
“Amazing collaboration - thank you! What a WONDERFUL vocal „instrumentation“ but beautifully powerfully timbre with fabulous pianist, bass and percussion. A treat!”
— Jackie, Bristol
“I is so great to hear talented musicians playing live original compositions. Thank you.”
— Sophie , Bristol
“Great to see an adventurous original Jazz. Personally always delighted seeing electric bass ☺”
— Alex, Bristol
“Brilliant musicians and a stimulating mix of sound and musical influences. Good decision to come. Loved it all!”
— Will, Bristol
“WOWZSER ! <3 <3 <3”
— Jude, Bristol
“Brilliant, innovative, vitruosic!
Musicians giving 200%”
— John, Bristol
“Tonight’s Sirkis/Bialas IQ gig at the Xposed Club was fantastic. Thanks to Stuart Wilding for organising and I look forward to future events. Thanks of course to Asaf Sirkis & Sylwia Bialas for their amazing musical contributions tonight and great to chat with them too. It was a great little EppyFest 5 reunion, what with Ed Wilkins & Cynthia Maher Spencer also being present. And the new material the quartet played tonight was absolutely mind-blowing! And in the waterphone I may have found my new favourite musical instrument! Really looking forward to the new Sirkis/Bialas IQ album, even more so now that I’ve heard the quality of the new tracks that were played tonight. And a final thanks to Kate Gordon for bringing tonight’s gig to my attention in the first place - I might have missed it otherwise.”
— Ian Fairholm, Eppy Gibbon Radio Show
“It was pretty damn fine.
I was impressed with everyone’s work. The pianist, so good. The bassist, had my attention much of the evening (including his 6-string instr). And of course Asaf and Sylvia. Rarely have I encountered 2 artists who bring such different things to the table but who complement each other so incredibly well.
All in all, superb!”
— Tom, an American composer
“Wonderful band. So in tune with each other – a rare talent.”
— Katherine, Taunton
“EXTRAORDINARY!!! Incredibly talented and skilled musicians! Thank you for coming to Taunton!”
— Bozena, Taunton
“Brilliant night and what fantastic musicians.....top class performance. Regards Rob.”
— Rob, Taunton
“Great to see you again and looking forward to the next album when it comes out!”
— Richard, Suffolk
“Excellent concert! Creative and adventurous.”
— Tom, Ipswich
“Amazing gig- innovative, exciting and really enjoyable – Loved it!”
— John, Felixtowe
“Imaginative, Original, just brilliant!”
— Tony, Felixtowe
“Completely Original – that`s good!”
— Peter, Felixtowe
“Her voice is enchanting. Being used to words and lyrics, I stil did although not there... They all play so wonderfully together!
Thank you for a “free“ gig!”
— Catherine, Felixtowe
“Lovely gig, unusual & interesting.”
— Simon, Sheffield
“Thank you so much. A privilege to hear such band at a small venue in Sheffield
A fabulous experience, thank you!”
— Francis, Sheffield
“Amazing talent in one band! Have heard Sirkis in big venues but not in such intimate surroundings.”
— Carole, Sheffield
“A brilliant fresh sound , lovely interplay between instruments and voice. Good luck with future recordings!”
— Rob, Stratford Upon Avon
“A beautiful blend of soaring vocals, „exciting rhythms“ and melodies. Throughout enjoyable”
— Eileen, Coventry
“Very talented musicians. A variety of innovative songs, interesting instrumentation and challenging sounds. I particularly liked the vocal percussive effects that introduced „vortex“. A privilege to enjoy this music in such an intimate venue...”
— David, Stratford upon Avon
“Great musicians”
— Steve, Pershore
“Exciting, unique sound. The waterphone was transfixing. Musicians individually great + ensemble”
— Denise, Stratford upon Avon
“A feast for the soul and senses. That was amazing, thank you so much for an uplifting evening!”
— Charlotte, Stratford upon Avon
“BRILLIANT!!!”
— Julia, Stratford upon Avon
“Amazing vocals! Loved the Indian singing too!”
— Bethany, Stratford upon Avon
“Really enjoyed the music this evening + the new music is great! ☺”
— Sue, Birmingham
“The whole evening was tremendous, with complex rhythms and chords.
I enjoyed the new work!”
— Phil, Birmingham
“I have a preference for classical music and classical Jazz, yet the performance was very good. The first piece sounded „interstellar“.I really liked Chiaroscuro,”
— Roland, London
“Perfect show!
Roaming in the different world.”
— Chunesa, London
“New music live is always worth listening to.”
— M.J., London
“A real ear stretching hour. I like all forms of music – this was especially challenging at times but also VERY MOVING.
Well done!!!”
— Bill, London
“Quite Stirring. <3 <3 <3
Thank you for being real! MORE ! MORE !”
— J.E. London
“You are all very talented musicians. Love Frank Harrison on the piano and keyboards. Sylwia feels the music in her heart and has truly beautiful voice. Asaf owns the drums and plays them with all his techniques just like Sylwia. Plays with body and soul! Very original and spezial.”
— E., London
“Thank you for playing at LSE, Super Quartet! Loved the polish ballad especially!!!”
— Konni, Luton
“Delightful compositions, expertly played and vocalized! Thank you.”
— Clive, London
“Wonderful sound- great chemistry on stage.
Inspirational!”
— Yasir, London
“Lovely music – and all new stuff – keep it up!Looking forward to the organ stuff, Asaf!”
— Paul, Southend on Sea
“It was really soothing and beautifully performed.”
— Alishba, London
“Beautiful music to think to. I aspecially enjoyed Asaf`s composition dedicated to his father.”
— Olivia, London
“Such good cross cultural music making deserves support from the Arts Council! Aspecially in troubling times!”
— Ian, Sheffield
“Totally brilliant, loved the gig, took me back to „Return To Forever“ with Flora Purim on vocals. Electric piano - best thing ever!”
— Dave, Sheffield
“Thanks for coming to Sheffield to perform live for us – very stimulating performance!”
— Sheila, Sheffield
“A very stimulating, exciting performance. The waterphone was a revelation! Loved the Southindian vocal percussion!”
— Annie+ Steve, Sheffield
“Loved the piano solos + themes...Mere some glorious moments”
— Ellie, Sheffield
“Very musical+original – certainly not „straight ahead“ Jazz. Interesting use of voice as an instrument and an indian percussive effects!”
— John Halstead, Sheffield
“Very original sound – love the VOCALS – clearly high standard of musicianship.”
— Jane, Sheffield
“Innovative great Jazz, a breath of fresh air.”
— Paul, Sheffield
“Unexpected and very inventive, aspecially the waterharp and the vocal percussion.”
— Daniel, Sheffield
“Extraordinary music. Original, transcendent, international + influenced by different cultures, enlightening and inspiring”
— Richard, Sheffield
“Beautiful music, great sound and relationship between musicians.”
— David, Sheffield
“What an original and refreshingly different blend from 4 excellent musicians! Exceptional evening ☺ Thank you!”
— Pat, Sheffield
“Very inventive - good to hear something different. THANKS!”
— David, Sheffield
“Interesting melodic interplay between each instrument & voice. We have seen a bear in Tatra Mountains! At a distance!”
— Deborah, Barnstaple
“Fantastic! What about Tablas (Indian Drums)? I think you had some spezial mushrooms in the polish woods!!!”
— Lynne, Bideford
“Stunning, mesmerising sound – spinetingling vocals from Bialas. Virtuoso musicians.”
— Miriam, Shillingford, Devon
“What a great Quality! Really enjoyed our evening at Broomhill. Would come again if opportunity exists.”
— Alan & Miriam, Tiverton, Devon

MANY BIG THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR ALL THE COMMENTS AND FOR ATTENDING TO LIVE GIGS AND SUPPORTING MUSIC, MUSICIANS AND ANY FORM OF ART. MUCH LOVE TO ALL OF YOU, 

SYLWIA, ASAF AND THE SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ!

P.S. SEE YOU SOON AGAIN!!!

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017, Gig Nr 17 at the Broomhill Art Hotel, Broomhill, UK

May 14, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear friends, 

It is the last gig from our Spring tour supported by Arts Council of  England. 

This one takes us to the enchanted Broomhill Art Hotel. Let me take you with us there...Knowing about the amazing scenery of this place, me, Asaf and Marco, guest and good friend (pianist) from Germany, decided to go there one day earlier to celebrate my birthday. Frank and Kev were joining us one day later.

On the way to Broomhill we have stopped in Glastonbury and went for a nice hike to the idyllic green gables and orchards of the Glastonbury Tor.

The weather was fantastic and the encounter with a huge flock of  sheep absolutely made our day :-)!

TOO CUTE:

Marco`s attempt to communicate with the sheep ;-)

Hiking in the direction of the setting sun...

Glastonbury`s old orchards...

Apple trees just started to bloom...

Magic...Light, leaves, even the mosquitos looked like fireflies this afternoon ;-)

SIRKIS/BIALAS - photo by Marco Netzbandt

Dandelions, ready to carry some dreams...

Turtle on a tree:

History through leaves

Red tulips on the way to the city:

Closer to the sky:

Almost seven :

Hearty tree:

Glastonbury town:

Sun landing:

Faun in the flora...Glastonbury shops are the best ;-)))

Speaking forest: 

Sunset on the highway:

After a shortish drive we got to the Hotel - time to sleep and wake up fresh to discover all the exciting nooks of this beautiful area...Good night!

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Good morning Broomhill Arts Hotel!

Welcome

There was no champagne bottle there...hm....

Greeting the sky:

Bumble bee`s pink paradise:

Get ready for the colorful explosion:

Outsch...

Out of the respect to the artists I always write all the credits for the artworks that I`m posting on this blog. This time it would be simply impossible, because this amazing place just explodes with numerous creations of all kind. The owners of this place,  Rinus and his wife did a tremendous work putting all these artworks in the context of the building and the incredible wild nature around this area...They did it with loads of love and passion...See yourself.

Here the link to the website where all the exhibiting artists are listed 

And all that through my eyes...: 

The thinkers :-):

Explosion of an easter egg:

Beautiful...The weather was so sunny and mild...

Metal & stone  meet green leaves:

alien shapes...

Magic mushrooms on a beautiful swamp...

Nop, it is not a sand path:

shrooms:

Mirroring:

Lost in arty paradise...

A quiet place...

Fairy stream:

leafy:

Shine on me:

" A stick, a stone..."

Dragon eye-ball?

Springy bush-bushy Spring!

Wild  "bear`s garlic" (Allium Ursinum). Asaf is safe. ;-))))

They just looked down on us and wondered:

Elve`s kingdom:

Flat number 1, Dwarf`s Street, Broomhill

Evyshrooms:

Touching the sky:

Leafy universe:

Watery curves :

Fernscapes:

magic...

Wild blossom:

Silent shades...

Silvery shining:

Mossy bridge:

Lightcatchers:

Greenish transparency:

Above:

Cool sunlight:

Tree hugging or hugging trees?

Evy`s Ascention 

Still belonging but transformed:

A colorful, peaceful army:

Let`s get in. Time to set up the gear for tonight`s gig. It was great to recharge our batteries and get a serious amount of the precious vitamin D!

I really like this fusion of styles, diversity of colors, moods and brave settings of the exposed artworks at the Broomhill Art Hotel:

The exhibition / performance room:

Marco`s happy face! We`re all looking forward to the gig.

Soundcheck among the fluorescent flowers, moos, lichen and mushrooms:

:-)... It makes you think. 

It was a very nice gig and a fabulous hang with the promoters. Aniet brought us some beautiful food and Rinus opened some organic wine. Great time in a great company.

Thank you guys for having us at the Art Hotel and for your warm hospitality.

Check out their yummy food HERE!

Check out their yummy food HERE!

Here some more artworks!

Waving mirror-sun upside down. 

My favs:

I asked them where is the Hatter - they were too busy to answer discussing something important...

:-)))

Trippy glass

Various room perspectives:

Aladdin Lamp? 

Good night! What a great day it was...

Breakfast!

A room in a room:

A monumental steal griffin...

Good bye Broomhill, bye Rinus and Aniet!!! Thank you for everything and keep doing this amazing job, keeping this place so vital and artful!

 

Transparent greens on the way back...

Broomhill City 

Seagulls rule! :-)

The weather got grayish and sun cooled down:

We passed Paris and the Jurassic Park on the way ;-)...If you red the valentine`s special blog from the 14.02 - you`ll get the joke ;-))))

The weather cries - our tour is over! 

Thanks so much for following us!!! Thanks for being there with us and for your support - it`s VERY APPRECIATED! Thanks to the Arts Council England for making this tour possible. Thanks to Frank, Kevin, Ivo, Tomasz, Yaron, all the promoters and to the amazing audience. 

Much love from Sylwia, Asaf and the Sirkis/Bialas IQ!!!

P.S. The tour is over but the new recordings are before us. We`re also very excited to share with you the feedback from the audiences after our tour.

Stay tuned for all the news : following gigs, recordings, ideas etc. 

xxx

 

 

 

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017, Gig Nr 16 at the Crookes Social Club, Sheffield, UK

April 07, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Hello Peeps, :-)

Welcome to the next foto-blog with some impressions from the gig at the Crooke`s Club in Sheffield!

Let`s go!

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A rainy "English - weather" on the way to Sheffield...

I`m as always busy shooting some pictures for the blog :-)

This time we got both of the guys : Frank and Kev in the car. Nice to drive all together...

Asaf focused on the road...

Passing some farms...

Waves of white blossom:

Funky colors on the road - united colors of (...) :-) 

National transport:

This guy is in hurry! Good Luck!

Behind the raindrops:

Pinkies:

A lonely cherry tree...

(...) A drunk tower : 

"Golden rain" explosion. By the way - they`re edible :-):

Wooh, some colors!:

Sheffield`s colorful buildings:

There was some serious traffic on the way to Sheffield, we came almost 1h late to the venue but we planed in advance and there was enough time to set up the gear and make a soundcheck.

Here the venue with an inviting statement :-):

Hands of a working man. :-)

Crooke`s Panorama:

Soundcheck:

Sirkis/Bialas:

Kevin`s epic face-time! :-D

Caught on the cam:

Reddish backstage:

Blues before the Jazzy storm :-):

BOOOOOH! 

Working place!

Zygmunt - the Waterphone and Fluffy sniffling on it`s bottom...

It was a great, enjoyable gig with some really nice and warm audience! We used our own PA system in this huge room and it turned out beautifully. Vary intimate and the people enjoyed the performance and the volume very much.

Time to set off the equipment and drive home...Still 3-4h before us...

(...)?

City lights :

Some serious welding:

Neomotion:

Layers:

Elecrtroworld: 

Let`s take it to the bridge:

Electrocardiogramme: 

Fiery truck:

Green Hooks:

Geometric levitation :

Highway`s Fireflies:

Numerology:

Rainbow body occurrence:

Emergency blues:

Radiating sketches:

TRANSFORMER:

Alphabetic numerology:

Shadows of the shadows in reds, oranges and whites:

(EN)CLOSED:

Red thunder lorry:

Converted questions:

M 25

Yawning opera :-))):

Glow worms:

After 3,5h of driving we finally got to our homes. Much love to all of you, thank you for traveling with us! See you soon in London! :-)

Sylwia & the Sirkis/Bialas IQ

xxxx

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017, Gig Nr 15 at the LSE, London, UK

April 07, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear Friends, the last three weeks were very intense and worky. That is why I am writing this blog with a little bit of delay.

I`d like to share with you the impressions from the gig with The Sirkis/Bialas IQ at The London School of Economic. 

Here some pictures from the way to the gig. The spring - explosion or "magnolias on the streets" :-)

Towers of powers:

London traffic

It is not an easy task to find a parkings space in the center...

:-)

crowdy, crowdy...

After some hours of unloading the car, searching for a parking space and setting up the gear, we`re ready to go...Here the venue...

Time for a proper soundcheck...

An academic ambience...

English flair...

book worm`s paradise:

Royal armchairs:

CD`s for sale...

LSE lightening:

Big brains :

This was a very short but enjoyable performance. The audience, used to listening to classic concerts kept the code of silence between the tunes - :-), we are not used to that...We got some really warm feedback after.

Time to pack our gear and to leave LSE. Thanks for having us again! 

This building ate too much!:

Wall of green:

Egyptian vibe:

Mirrors in the mirrors:

Rusty structures

Tunnel lights turning into wings:

Centerpeace:

Human nation...I like the way they integrated the lightening  into the picture :-). Or maby it was an accident...:-)))

Girlands: 

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Modern meets retro

Some seaside associations :-)

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Circles and squares:

The wall of fame:

Viby, industrial afternoon:

This was a lunch time gig and Asaf is heading now to another gig that will happen tonight with Tim Garland and his Quartet. 

Bye guys, thanks for following us, see you soon in Sheffield!

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017, Gig Nr 14 at the STRATFORD ARTSHOUSE - STRATFORD, UK

April 07, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear Friends, 

The next gig in our spring tour is at the Stratford Artshouse.

This time we`ll travel together to the land of William Shakespeare to find out if to be or no maybe better not. Let`s go :-)

Darkish clouds on the way to Warwickshire:

Waitrose knows how to integrate the buildings in the landscapes...

Heavenly spare ribs:

And the skies cracked releasing some light...

Grean meadows...

We pass the land of Gully to get to the land of Willy.

I cought a train! (With my cam) :-)

Cloudy drama:

Kev focused on practicing bass in the car...

Beautiful gloomy treescapes:

Here we are, Shakespeare`s County. The guys told me that it is hard to find there any restaurant without the word "Shakespeare" in it`s name. Apparently there`s even a Shakespeare Kebab House close to the venue where we`re going to play tonight :-D.

William himself:

Here we go! :-)

Blossoms:

Sacred geometry:

Still cloudy Stratford:

And here the sky cleared out a bit:

The venue:

Brave tribal colors of the artworks:

Yin & Yang

Soundcheck in a good spirit:

Kev preparing for his epic face-presentation :-D:

And here we go - RABBIT STYLE this time :-)))):

The gig was very nice, the audience responsive - we even received some warm hugs after ;-)

We all has a huge Laugh when Asaf, very tired of an intense touring time made an announcement saying : 

"ON FRANK - piano Harrison :-DDD" hahah!

Here some sweets...Ice cream, lolly pops and a tiny fury creature called fluffy. Fluffy loves lollies. 

Just try to ignore this association :-))):

Fluffy goes mad sometimes when it is hungry or overdrived and invades all the forbidden areas around him :-) 

Fluffy the hypnotizer. By the way fluffy is a new member of the band. It is a small creature from the rhode family that generously agreed to help me amplify my waterphone.

Fluffy the hypnotizer. By the way fluffy is a new member of the band. It is a small creature from the rhode family that generously agreed to help me amplify my waterphone.

But remember - do not feed it after midnight! :-)

Ok, folks, time to pack the gear and head home. Thanks to Stratford Artshouse for having us!!!

Red brick wall even more red then simply red :-)

Two types of light...

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Got ya, mr. Sirkis!

Aw, you got me too, just a bit blurry ;-)!

AFTER

Falling grace

Behind a vail:

Gray haired night:

Navigation:

Number ones...

Birdy neons:

Radiating numbers:

Curls:

Thunderstorm:

Radiating numbers part 2:

Polka dots and hula hoop rings:

More shivering numbers:

16x40:

Burning rain:

Smeared on the night sky...

Pearls and chains of gold:

Tic-tac-toe

Greenish rainbows:

Shiny - worms:

Neon ghosts, screws, xes, bubbles & pyramids:

Good night everybody, thanks for following us! See you soon at the LSE in London!

Big thanks to the Arts Council for supporting this tour!!!

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017, Gig Nr.13 at THE ALEX, Felixtowe, UK

March 06, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear Friends, 

Our spring tour brought us this time to the East Coast,  Felixtowe.

Let`s go! 

When the weather is resistant again and you start to count the wild pigeons on the sky not to see the grayish landscapes :-),

there`s always a way to keep cheerful. Here a small riddle for you:

- What name of a region could it be???:

HERE THE ANSWER! We just passed a bored ham that got stuck in some wood :-)))

An inconventional duett ;-):

Cloudy emerald moodscapes...

GLOOMY SUNDAY it was - as Billie sang...

RAPUNZEL; RAPUNZEL, throw me your hair! :-D

Felixtowe`s coastal flair:

The venue:

CHIAROSCURO No1

The Alex itself:

CHIAROSCURO No2

Balancing

Practice sticks XXL:

"Soundchecking" and waiting for the gig!

Zygmunt - the whale caller and Sylwia the whale whisperer...:-):

Drums in motion

The gig was fun! We felt that after playing the new material intensely, everything starts to sound like "US" :-). Felixtowe is very lucky to have a great musician - Rob Palmer as a promoter organizing gigs at the The Alex! Thanks Rob for having us again so soon and for the much appreciated, kind words during the announcement of our gig !!!

CHIAROSCURO No3

A city flooded with red!

Planetary - constellation:

CHIAROSCURO No4

Setting off - time to drive back...Long way before us...

Waving from the aquarium ;-):

Shivering neons

Good night Alex!

Song of the wave...

A bit of poetry at the midnight hour:

“
Song Of The Wave

Autoplay next video
The strong shore is my beloved
And I am his sweetheart.
We are at last united by love, and
Then the moon draws me from him.
I go to him in haste and depart
Reluctantly, with many
Little farewells.


I steal swiftly from behind the
Blue horizon to cast the silver of
My foam upon the gold of his sand, and
We blend in melted brilliance.


I quench his thirst and submerge his
Heart; he softens my voice and subdues
My temper.
At dawn I recite the rules of love upon
His ears, and he embraces me longingly.


At eventide I sing to him the song of
Hope, and then print smooth hisses upon
His face; I am swift and fearful, but he
Is quiet, patient, and thoughtful. His
Broad bosom soothes my restlessness.


As the tide comes we caress each other,
When it withdraws, I drop to his feet in
Prayer.


Many times have I danced around mermaids
As they rose from the depths and rested
Upon my crest to watch the stars;
Many times have I heard lovers complain
Of their smallness, and I helped them to sigh.


Many times have I teased the great rocks
And fondled them with a smile, but never
Have I received laughter from them;
Many times have I lifted drowning souls
And carried them tenderly to my beloved
Shore. He gives them strength as he
Takes mine.


Many times have I stolen gems from the
Depths and presented them to my beloved
Shore. He takes them in silence, but still
I give fro he welcomes me ever.


In the heaviness of night, when all
Creatures seek the ghost of Slumber, I
Sit up, singing at one time and sighing
At another. I am awake always.


Alas! Sleeplessness has weakened me!
But I am a lover, and the truth of love
Is strong.
I may be weary, but I shall never die.
”
— Khalil Gibran

Luminating baths

Red & Golden

Pompons

Levitating tranquility

UNDERWATER SUNSET:

Hairy 

Golden wind

Rainy shapes of Lorrylay

Quarter notes

Sun behind the vail of liquid gold

Descention

LED HOOP on the highway ;-)

Who does remember this one? Brrrrrrr......

Police poetry:

Welcome to the red light district! Rooooooxannneee :-)

Stairway to heaven!

Sequin night

More gold...

FOUR ANGELS:

Layers....

After a long night drive we have finally bring Kevin to the Luton Station and drove home...

Good night Kev, good night everybody.

Sweet dreams and see you soon in Stratford! 

Much love, Sylwia & the Sirkis/Bialas IQ

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017 / GIG 5 - THE BRISTOL FRINGE, BRISTOL, UK

February 21, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear Friends, 

This blog is about our gig at the Bristol Fringe, which turned out to be a great experience!

Let`s go to Bristol!

Bristol is a lively, colorful city full of students all sorts of artists sometimes living their "visit cards" on the buildings ;-). I really love all the lush graffitis, sculptures and often spaced out architecture!

Why not to make a boring window interesting? 

Mother and child looking down at the city...

A fancy indian restaurant: Nutmeg. The food there was delicious while eating but my stomach was not happy at all after the food...:-/ 

The Bristol Fringe is a great, cosy and arty venue with the nicest staff and promoters you can imagine!

Banner behind the stage:

Jon Taylor welcomed us warmly and took a great care of us !

Soundcheck:

Ambience of this venue is wonderful. A bit edgy, a little nostalgic with loads of retro motives and original artworks hanging on the walls. I really love the dimmed colorful lights making everything look mysterious, a specially all those darker corners where you can hide and relax talking to your friends. 

CD`s for sale, our flyer and feedback cards:

Sylvie Dagallier - the owner of the venue did a great job bringing in some of the french flair and making this place look warm and artful.

Some of those artworks were created by the lady behind the bar - Alice. Some other- like this cole - sketch by a regular customer and music lover, John.

Meet John, the painter and his friends.

John`s artwork:

Our zen - master preparing for the gig and supporting the ventilation at the club ;-):

Exotic ghosts starring at the audience from a dark window in the ceiling :

The guys have found a great old GRAMOFON! (LP -PLAYER) ;-)

Burning canvas: 

Frank and Kev had some fun playing this game ;-):

We had loads of fun playing for the open,warm and enthusiastic audience of the club. 

Photo by Jon Taylor

We were chatting with the audience long time before and after the gig and made some new musical friends.

Thanks to Jon and Sylvie for having us! Thanks to everybody who came to see our gig and made it such a great experience! We enjoyed a lot playing for you, guys! 

Good bye Bristol City, Good night The Bristol Fringe!

Street lights by night:

A white widow greeting us from the roof ! ;-)

This amazing street art reminded me Lauryn Hill from the old times : 

Luminescence:

Good night everybody! See you tomorrow at the Sound Cellar in Poole!

Much love,

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017: Gig Nr. 12 at the Lighthouse in Deal, UK...

February 21, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear Peeps, 

Our next tour - station is THE LIGHTHOUSE in Deal.

This time we feature again the great young explosive :-) polish pianist - Tomasz Bura!

Let`s go!

As we started our trip the weather was fantastic.

We were able to cover some of the vitamin D deficiency! :-)

By this weather even a break at the petrol station can be very inspiring :-):

Now some deeper reflections about the touring life...

With the time it turns you from that:

Photo by Monika S.Jakubowska

into that: hahahah!

Asaf and Sylwia

:-D !!! My cave boyzzz

LOL - good that I am behind the camera! I`m smeared with chocolate...

And how not to see the caveman maces everywhere after all that ?! :-)))

The last precious sunbeams as we`re approaching DOVER!

Wooh! This is what you call a serious FOG!

Welcome to Dover - phew - now we know! Good bye sunshine !!!

Snaily speeding through the milk...

An old windmill...

This view reminded me of a soundtrack I recorded for this dark German phantasy movie called Krabat:

I had a good laugh reading the youtube comments under the soundtrack. Somebody asked in which language is the song and somebody else wrote a detailed and eloquent answer about a certain Sorbian dialect. The truth is - I simply  invented this language using phantasy words ;-))))... 

Red - Orange - Red

Yes, more color please. Thanks. :-)

Moody landscapes

And here we are! The Lighthouse in Deal.

Soundcheck!

After the soundcheck we went to a nice indian restaurant close to the venue...

We went through the set lists and ate a dinner before the gig...

A wall with announcements at the Lighthouse...

Colorful, ethnic motives at the venue...

LINORYT (LINOCUT ARTWORK):

My working space tonight :-):

Masquerade

Kev spotted the model mask from the poster hanging on the wall - I like it!

Dancing on the ceiling

S/B IQ at the Orbland:

More orbs....

Karaoke Warrior! :-)

This is what I call the right spirit! A bad cold doesn`t matter - Kevin`s epic "Face" is there! Great! hahah

Doctor stage never fails !!!

Here we are!

The gig with Tomasz was fun as always! We enjoyed the "shred" very much. Kevin almost got healthy ;-)! hahah... The audience was a bit chatty as we took the risk of playing in a place visited by mostly random people, but at the end there were many people listening and enjoying our music. The most precious feedback that we frequently receive comes from the people that never listened to Jazz or normally not liking this genre, sticking to all the old cliches about what Jazz is supposed to be ...They weather are surprised to hear something new that is so varied and fascinating to them or just review their knowledge and relation to this style...

We`re always happy to advise them to check out our musician - colleges and to spread the spirit of listening more to live music in general...

Every gig that we do - even under some random and challenging circumstances makes a change not only to us but also to the people, who sometimes would probably never take the initiative to visit a live concert like that and through getting this opportunity became real fans of live music, tasting genres other to the ones they get to listen to on the radio....   

Thanks to the Lighthouse for having us, thanks to Tomasz for a great gig together!!!

Tiffany`s style lamp:

Antilope chasing its shadow...

Malty - culty 

The wondering mask from Lighthouse`s website! :-)

The wondering mask from Lighthouse`s website! :-)

An old antiques - store just by the venue...

Good bye to the Lighthouse in Deal! 

We`re back on the road and a fantastic night - light spectacle is awaiting us! Let`s go - the night is still young! :-) Even if we`re totally tired....:-)

Navi - blues:

It begins to tell round midnight in a full synchronicity...

We`re listening to Asaf`s new recording with Mark Wingfield, Marcus Reuter and Yaron Stavi recorded for the Moonjune records... The best music for the night driving :-):

LISTEN HERE

Leopards chasing a gnu :-).  Why leopards? Just check out their tales ;-)))

Luminescence of the highway

Lunapark:

Foggy lightening:

Ghosts and oranges:

Lunapark II:

Chatting monks:

Trippy tunnel of burning grass:

Highways of gold...

Polkadots and moonbeams behind the touring glass:

Fiery raven`s feathers on the wind

Radiant numbers... Konnakol probably...:-)

Golden Spare Ribs

Highway Expressionism 

A clear way 

Electric blue meets emerald:

Mellow yellow in orange

Bravery. I guess....After midnight... Freezing night... VERY BRAVERY WITH A BLACKBERRY - ;-)

Seeing this one Asaf had to remember his rocking gigs with Wilko Johnson! :-)

 Ever what???

Cripple? Haha - very interesting...

Vanishing reds:

Blondie in a martian sand storm :-): 

Ducks on a yellow pond... 

Blue wall

Polite street lamps:

Speed... Time to get home and sleep...sleeppppp.... sleeeeeeepppppppp....hrrrrrrrrr

Good night everybody, thanks so much for being with us! 

See you soon in Felixtowe!

Much love, 

Sylwia & The 

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017: Gig Nr. 11 at the Xposed Club in Cheltenham...

February 21, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear Friends,

I`m very much looking forward to write this blog. This gig and the entire experience that we had here were what I call  - WHOLEHEARTED. 

Let`s drive to Cheltenham...

Here a lovely, creative poster made by a friend of the Xposed Club...

We were so lucky to watch this burning sunset from the highway...I find it very calming to look at the sun setting and observe the changes in the phases...

Transition from blue to golden...

Stunning atmosphere...

Orange colored skies...

More of this goodness...

Embers...

Synchronicity - no surprise :-)

A burning bush! 

Hahah- couldn`t stop myself - the worst Jewish jokes ever - if you haven`t seen this comedy - time to change it ;-D

The blues won as always...

Cheltenham by night...

A private sunset ;-):

We got to the venue on time...

Xposed Club turned out to be a stunning Church...

It was so refreshing to get to the venue and get so much help by carrying and setting up the equipment... 

Frank got there before us as he now lives in Oxford. 

Soundcheck:

I spent half of the last night trying out playing my new, beautiful WATERPHONE!

I`m going to play my first performance on this instrument tonight! Excited!

Many thanks to Slawek for building this beauty and to Kamila for helping sending it to me from Poland. THANK YOU guys - much love to both of you XXX

So here he is - I called him ZYGMUNT ;-) 

Zygmunt - I`m in love!

Shadowy patterns playing on the walls and bicycle bells hanging from the ceiling ;-)

I`m sure those lamps were inspired by those bells ;-):

Experienced eyes of the sound - master, Mark, scanning my work - :-))) I think I did quite ok. ;-)

Photo by Stuart Wilding

Stuart (the promoter of the venue) caught me doing what tigers love the most (...) :-)

We`ve shared the evening concert with TIM HILL and we all enjoyed a lot his free improvisation performance!

And here my little dedication to Asaf. I know he will laugh about this one ;-)

Stuart`s shot from our concert!

The gig was a real treat as the audience listened to our music with loads of attention and you could even SEE the passion of the listeners! 

Loads of love to our dear musical friends that appeared on the gig and literally rocked the performance... Ian , Ed and Cynthia - it was so good to have you there!!!

:-)

Here is what Ian wrote about the gig:

"Tonight's Sirkis/Bialas IQ gig at the Xposed Club was fantastic. Thanks to Stuart Wilding for organizing and I look forward to future events. Thanks of course to Asaf Sirkis & Sylwia Bialas for their amazing musical contributions tonight and great to chat with them too. It was a great little EppyFest 5 reunion, what with Ed Wilkins & Cynthia Maher Spencer also being present. And the new material the quartet played tonight was absolutely mind-blowing! And in the waterphone I may have found my new favorite musical instrument! Really looking forward to the new Sirkis/Bialas IQ album, even more so now that I've heard the quality of the new tracks that were played tonight. And a final thanks to Kate Gordon for bringing tonight's gig to my attention in the first place - I might have missed it otherwise."

 

Now from us to you guys... Ian, Stuart, Ed, Cynthia, : the musical world needs people like you to be better, brighter and more enthusiastic! Your passion is so wonderful and the positive spirit you spread around is absolutely infectious! We will support your work in any possible way and want to thank you for being you - that`s the most honest and best compliment we could only express... :-) XXX

 

The hospitality and warmth that we`ve experienced at the Exposed Club explains the name of the venue. To connect with the others you need to open your heart and let them in. Stuart and the others know how to do that... They truly do...Much love to all of you!

After the gig Frank and Kevin drove back home and me and Asaf went to a small and cosy afterparty by Stuart who cooked for us his famous dal curry. We met there some lovely people that were present at our gig and had some nice chats with them.

At this party we also met Anthea Millier, an artist owning a BNB who invited us to stay over this night instead of driving back. Anthea is a great soul and her personality is perfectly mirrored by the inner design of her beautiful B&B:

Who wouldn`t sleep well in this bed ? :-)

Soft pastels and strong colors combined :

We all had our breakfast at Stuart`s. Another treat :-)

A lively fireplace covered with instruments and artworks :

ASAF, ANTHEA and STUART :-)

Stuart`s passion is making music out of anything - love that!

The kitty obviously forgot that we have pet him the entire last evening and gave us a truly suspicious look ;-)

Or maybe... - hahahaha -this one is hilarious :-)

The army of toys made in Germany - :-DDD:

After a great breakfast in the best company, we had to come back on the road.

Dear Stuart and Anthea - thank you so much for everything! Love to both of you and hopefully see you again!

Now this is a nice design for our touring van! :-)

Another bridge...

The weather got gray again...

Lanternfall 

Let`s go to the last gig of this part of our tour- see you all at the Lighthouse in Deal!

Much love, Sylwia & The Sirkis/Bialas IQ

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017: The day off in the mood of Edgar Alan Poe...

February 21, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear Friends, 

today we`re driving back from Monmouth to London. Asaf has to pick up his udu drum for a gig with Tim Garland`s Quartet. 

I`m going to rest a bit before the gig at the Xposed club and also I`m soooo excited to try out my new instrument that will be delivered today. Surprise ;-).

Chiaroscuro rules on the highway:

Epic iron giant surrounded by clouds:

And here some Poe` isch vibes:

Dark landscapes...

Artwork By Carlo Giambaressi

Freedom...

Human cat...

Artwork by Kazuya Akimoto

Price_quoth-the-raven.jpg

Even older times are in the air: 

Sky conference

cold sunlight...

layers...

A walk in the clouds...

Iron bird...

Glass on the highway...

Shadow of a rainbow...

Geese - feathers

Blinding...

Raindrops on a vanilla pudding...

Interstellar...

Serenity...

Trees and clouds...Clouds and trees...

Cuts...

Survival:

See you tomorrow dear friends - looking forward to play at the Xposed Club in Cheltenham!

Much love, S

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017: Valentine`s Special ;-). Gig Nr. 10 at the Queens Head Inn, Monmouth, UK

February 21, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear Peeps,

Today is a Valentine`s day = the shops are full of stressed men buying chocolates and flowers to their Donnas! Frank did it, Kev did it - Asaf - diddddddidididiiidddiid tschak a booom bash! Hahahah

The weather was horrific :-):

I spotted a little friend planning to jump on Asaf`s back while we were leaving the Hotel...

The cars were stucked in cues to the supermarkets and flower shops - panic alarm - time to buy some hearts!!!!

A Foggy Day....

Knocked out by a thunder:

A special dedication to Frank :-DDD:

Time for some romantic music! 10 h should be enough...

Hearts behind the rainy vail :-).... My funny Valentine - LORRY....

Ok...What do you do when the weather is gray and wet and you`re stuck in the car? 

- You play : find the color in the grayness :-))) game, I think I did well:

A happy couple ;-):

Spots of red and green in this grayness...Squeezing...Squeezing...

A running giant! :

Asaf took me to the Jurassic park today :

Then we went to Paris :-D!:

Let`s take this love song to the bridge:

Finally we arrived at the Queen`s head...

Tomorrow we will play a gig at the venue...

We have found a cute, tiny, delicious and natural asian restaurant just round the corner. If you are near - check it out - it`s worth it. No MSG, honest and tasty kitchen - all freshly made...

It was a great dinner...

We had the entire next day to rest and sleep. In the evening we got ready to play at The Queens Head. 

A corner for all the book worms...

The venue inside:

Sound check:

I won a golden medal for originality :-DDD:

Fireflies:

More fireflies and some other lighting:

Red light district:

Old yellowish photographies...

So here`s the situation :

The sax player and the trumpetplayer trying to liberate a diva :-). The Bassist and the guitarist stay away- as always. The other trumpeter gave up already. The drummer went to practice - hahahaha

The storry of Queens Head! Behind our gear...

And here`s the real story :

The gig was nice, well attended  and funny too. The comment of the day from an older gentlemen from the audience : "The afrocuban rhythms didn`t quite jell" - ahahahahah. Arrriva ja rivvvvaaaaa! 

The audience that was used to listen to some modern Jazz enjoyed it a lot and bought some CD`s :-)

Good Night Queen`s head!

Many thanks to Neil for having us again and for letting us stay 2 Nights! It was very appreciated!!!

Good night everybody! 

See you soon at the beautiful Xposed Club in Cheltencham......

Much love, 

Sylwia & The Sirkis/Bialas IQ

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017: Gig Nr. 9 at the Clifford Arms, Shaldon, UK

February 21, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear Friends,

Tonight we play in Shaldon. It will be nice to inhale the seaside air.

Kevin got a bad cold and the weather doesn`t get milder so we decided to stock up on some touring clothes.

Me and Asaf went to get some warm pullovers for everybody. 

Let`s go tho Shaldon then!

The air is nice, salty and a bit fishy ;-)

The roofs are covered with some lichens - that means that this area is environmentally clean...

Unexpected exotic palms in front of the venue. Here it is : Clifford Arms

Coastal whites:

Kev - YOU MUST BELIEVE IN SPRING!!!

Here some HOPE!!!:

:-):

So here is what`s on:

"Chandallierism": 

Laaaaaaaady sings the bluesssss!

Fisherman`s flair: 

Awww, I LOVE this one!!! hahah :

Frank - awaiting Walentine`s day! Asaf knew OF COURSE that is is TOMOOOORRRROOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!! hahahahahaah

Me and the cymbals...

Soundcheck!

I TAWT I TAW A PUDDY TAT! :

The kitty was observing our setting up curiously smelling the fish baking in the Kitchen...

Now this CC TV looks like a scene from the "Sound Of Noise" - hahahah- too good

Gathering by a fireplace...

Kevin`s famous FACE is back - no cold can spoil that :-D!

THE FACE MASTER ;-P:

Passionate stories!!! :-D

The gig was very nice and some lovely peeps in the audience made our evening !!!

Meet Annika Naish - a great singer and sweet lady from Ashburton who came all the way to Shaldon to hear us! It was very nice to meet you Annika XXX

Mark Wibberley came with his mum and they rocked the gig ;-) - thanks guys !!!:

Photo by Mark Wibberley.

Mark managed to sit in front of the drumset and survive without bigger damages :-)! Good man!

Photo by Annika Naish - thank you X

We won`t knock any more - Asaf did a good job with his last solo :-P :-))))

Good night Clifford Arms - thanks for having us!!!

Some nighty vibes on the way to the Hotel...

Good night everybody - see ya on Valentine`s day - TOMORROW in Monmouth. 

We got a day off...

Much love - Sylwia & The Sirkis/Bialas IQ

XXX

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017: Breathing Rhythms Workshop at the Mathodist Church in Ashburton and the gig Nr. 8 at the St. Lawrence Chapel, Ashburton, UK

February 21, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Good morning everybody!

Time to go back to the Venue for another workshop.

This time Asaf and Myself are running  "Breathing Rhythms" in Ashburton!

Warm shall, thick coat, thick socks, warm boots - ready to work! :-D

Handwarmers are ready too! Nothing can happen now!

My favorite red doors waiting for the participants!

The workshop was pretty big this time - around 20 participants came by!

Again - many nice and warm people  made our work very enjoyable. 

for your kindness, enthusiasm and having us in Ashburton. We hope you could take with you some new ideas for further work with rhythm and physical awareness while playing your instruments / singing... We will send you all the materials as soon as I`m ready with typing in your email addresses on my computer. 

Sorry that I did not manage to take any pictures of all of you this time - I was too absorbed by chatting with you in the break and after the workshop. Multitasking can be difficult ;-)...

Much love to all of you!

Sylwia & Asaf...

 

Ok dear peeps!

Time to drive to our evening gig at the beautiful St. Laurence Chapel.

 

Here is the venue:

 

Let`s start with the lighting ...

Soundcheck:

Our green room full of old trophies and photographies:

Time to eat something!

The gig was great but the audience was small this time. The chapel was nicely warmed but I have to admit that without knowing about this fact I, myself, would probably think twice before leaving a warm flat and going out in such weather to risk sitting in the cold... Anyway - the audience that was there was warm and responsive and we had a great time playing for them...

Packing the gear...

Last glance at the green room...

Saying good bye to our kind host!

Reflecting the sad Polish political situation seeing this picture...

and going back on the road...

At the hotel we were so tired that the only option for a meal was going to the Beefeater that was 20m far from us...

Our tired and hungry conversations became more and more abstract and funny...:

Me: This bull on the picture looks like a hippo. 

Kev: I wander If you can eat a hippo...

Frank : I doubt so. You`ll be eaten before you even try.

Asaf : ......silence....

Everybody: Laugh!

And I could really eat this sweetness here:

Dear Friends, time to sleep....

See you tomorrow in Shaldon!

 

Much love, Sylwia & The Sirkis/Bialas IQ

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017 / Improvisation Workshop at the Mathodist Church in Ashburton, UK

February 21, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear Friends,

After the gig at CIC Taunton our tour brought us to Ashburton, where we will be staying for a while. Two workshops (An Improvisation Workshop with the entire band and The Breathing Rhythms Workshop with Asaf and myself) as well as an evening performance tomorrow at the St.Lawrence Chapel.

Let`s go!

The weather is extremely cold, wet and windy...

Consumption of chocolate on the board of our van increases rapidly. Everybody fancies warm food and warmer clothes...

Ashburton Aquarell :

Colors of the small town through the rain:

Leafy window...

The venue:

Epic red entrance door to the Methodist Church.

The building isn`t active as a church any more - it`s on the way to be transformed into an art venue. Because of being not used so much - it`s walls became extremely cold and it was very hard to warm the rooms up before being used...

We came to the venue earlier to set up the gear for the workshop and for a small performance. The workshop was supposed to take place in one of the rooms upstairs. We built up the equipment awaiting Andy - the organizer of the event.

I found a donkey starring at us trying to switch on the heating in the room - he was a little skeptical - but that`s his nature, so I didn`t bother too much...

Kevin trying to switch on the radiator :-D

I decided to make Frank feel at home ;-D:

Cloud trapped in a room...

The cold gets rough - some practical solutions needed ;-):

After switching on the equipment and the heaters at the same time - the entire electricity went down - oopssss!

We decided to change the room and moved everything downstairs, into a beautiful but even colder room...

Se la vie - sometimes we need to squeeze the best out of the circumstances.

The low temperature of the room was warmed quickly by the warmth and goodness of the participants and the organizer of the workshop.

We made some great music together - everybody was enthusiastic and ready to dare improvising. Some of the participants were professional musicians such as Rachel Miller, a wonderful flute player who teaches improvisation at the music college. Some were beginners on the ground of improvisation. All in all we were able to connect very well and play together! Some magic moments happened. It`s a pitty that I didn`t get all the participants on the pictures. I was too absorbed by chatting with everybody :-)!

Meet Barry - a great soul of a human being that is able to listen like not many other people... A very special person - it will be great to meet again... According to his clothing style - he must be a reincarnation of the St. Francis ;-). A Jewish version! Much love - Barry!!!

You already know my sentiment to different kind of lighting :

Andy and his Daughter improvising on the beautiful church organ. The little red haired lady was literally warmblooded ;-). Running in this cold room without a jacket - TRULY BRAVE!!!

But no wonders:

Asaf and Kev trying out the organ! :-)

The hard working radiators:

After the workshop we went to the hotel to rest before the other workshop and the gig tomorrow.

Many thanks to all the participants for keeping cheerful and energetic inspite of the cold!

Good Bye Ashburton!

Good Bye guys - see you!

Much love, Sylwia & The Sirkis/Bialas IQ

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017 / GIG Nr. 7 - Creative Innovation Centre, TAUNTON, UK

February 21, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear Folks, 

We`re on the way to Taunton and in the evening we will be performing at the CIC.

Let me take you with us! :-)

Before we went back on the highway it was necessary to give our van a proper shower! 

An entrance to a cave - watch your butt!

Even a carwash experience can be fascinating to me :

And this is what came out! - hahah

I should apologize to our van! Sorry - just joking ;-)

Tauntontown :-)

Spring! Spring! Spring!

The Venue:

Blushing Blossoms

Artistic flaire of the CIC

Heavenly acoustics or a cloudy ceiling:

The artwork by Bella West, "Animal Beings" reminded me of Donnie Darco... Maybe rather a gentleman version of him :-)...

Amazing photo...

You see what I mean?

A great exhibition at the CIC

It was great to see our friend Yuri Goloubev, that came to listen to our gig! :-)

This man on the right is a genius of trilling that come to the gig with a friend.- He taught me how to produce this unique bird sound ;-)! Thanks Jon! - it was nice to meet you!

check this out:

Soundcheck:

Pictures from the gig by Rob Elford! - many thanks Rob! It was nice to meet you and chat between the sets!

Rob Elford - artwork by Tony Girardot

Rob Elford - artwork by Tony Girardot

Rob`s Shots:

CIC ambience- light, shadow, color and people... :

Hugs to those lovely girls - it was so nice to chat with you! More listeners like you both and the music world would be a heaven ;-))))

And ANNA - it was so good to meet you! I loved the fact that somebody was moved by the polish lyrics :-). A huge hug to you - beautiful soul!

Thanks for having us CIC! It was a pleasure to play in this beautiful space:

Thanks for everything dear Richard! - it was very nice to meet you!!! (aspecially to hum some rock songs carrying the gear ;-) as well)!

Kevin - ready to go to the hotel ;-)

City lights, endless nights ;-)...

Good night everybody! See you all tomorrow in Ashburton!

Much love,

Sylwia & The Sirkis/Bialas IQ

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017 / GIG Nr. 6 - THE SOUND CELLAR, POOLE, UK

February 21, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear Friends, 

After a late night gig you only can take the next morning in a very

pace... :-)

The next station of our tour is The Sound Cellar in Poole. Let`s go!

Here a good morning laugh for you ! :

Somebody hang a monkey on his serious machine! 

Juicy horses - ehhhh.... meadows......aaaaaa - I`m hungry :-D

And some kebabs, ehhhhh, lambs chewing grass.... 

An apology to all the vegans for my bad polish humor ;-)...

Passing the green in blues,

Passing Jessy J on the highway, no big deal ;-):

we gained hope for producing some

after eating a proper breakfast ;-).

Spring is here...Almost... The weather is soooo cold and gray and wet....

After kilometers of grayness, finally some happy colors!

Fading birds...

City flair with narcissistic statements ;-))))

Blues in greens this time...

And the music fits the mood...

Charming villages on the way to Poole...

It`s getting dark...

The Sound Cellar at the Blue Boar in Poole welcomed us with a sweet statement:

Nice to come back to the Sound Cellar!

The ambience of the venue has change a lot since our last gig there. What a nice change it is!

And here my dedication to Paul Mc Candless:

A nice Mc Candle. ;-D...Loving his sound so much...

Pinky EXPLOSION!

Fiorini underground.

Using our own gear sorted out the challenging acoustics of the cellar. 

The gig was fun and the sound very good...

Many thanks to Rob Palmer for having us again! It was a pleasure as always...!

The Blue Boar flaire...

Kevin surrounded by boars at the restaurant upstairs ;-)

Some love in the details...

Good that I`m not a BASILISK ;-)

Asaf pretending that he`s not tired! :-D:

Zen master planning to assassinate this nice music lover! :-O!!!

Elegant shoes! :

Marine vibe:

cosy, cosier- hrrrrrrrrrr psssssssss

Yes, time to sleep...

A nicely presented building on the way to the hotel :-)

Good night everybody - sweet dreams! See you tomorrow in Taunton!

Much love, Sylwia &  The Sirkis/Bialas IQ

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017 / WORKSHOP AT THE WYEDEAN SCHOOL IN CHEPSTOW, UK

February 21, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Hello Folks!

We`re getting close to the middle of our tour! I`m trying to write the blog and upload the photos while traveling in our touring van and in the hotels. Not the simplest thing to do but I have loads of fun writing it and documenting all the important, funny and challenging moments of our adventure.

This photo blog is about the workshop we gave at the Wyedean School in Chepstow.

Let`s go then!

We left London on Tuesday the 7th of February, in the evening to be in Chepstow on the night before the workshop, which started pretty early the next morning.

The tour itinerary and new set lists are ready:

One of my favorite parts of traveling is to watch all the amazing sunrises and sunsets and the cloudy spectacles of light and shadow happening on the sky over the highways... When the weather is gray there`s always more time for reflecting, thinking about new music... Asaf mostly practices konnakol and Kev plays bass using his headphones. It is nice to be left with your own thoughts and shoot some pictures of the changing landscapes...Sometimes also the passing international cars can be a real fun to look at ;-): 

This advert of the Jaffa cakes was rather creepy than apealing :-D. It reminded me the cult movie from the 80`ties : Gremlins

This time we were very Lucky - the sunset on the way to Chepstow was stunning...

Conference of birds on tree tops :

Pastels...

An International Quartet passing the clouds :-) :

This reminds me a beautiful album I grew up with. By Bogdan Holownia and Grazyna Auguscik...:

Warmest greetings to Bogdan !!!

Lights trapped in the branches at the petrol station...

It`s getting darker and darker...

Jailhouse rest ;-DDD:

Time to take some good night rest before the workshop tomorrow...

Our morning journey started with crossing the Severn bridge and watching the delicious landscapes in nordic style...

So peaceful and quiet...

But soon this mood is going to change ;-):

Setting up for a little performance and for the workshop!

It wasn`t easy not to think about our own school - times in this ambience ;-)))

For some of us the memories were "thrilling" :-DDD: 

Remember this one? ;-)

The workshop was in the early morning so all the students needed some time to wake up and concentrate on the material. Soon after our performance everybody got ready to work! After the workshop there was some time for Questions and answers :

We enjoyed teaching at the Wyedean School and the great hospitality of it`s director and the teachers! Thanks to all the kids for being open to some new musical experiences!

Wyedean School - for having us !!!

Time to cross the Severn bridge again : 

And come back to the hotel. This street light reminded me of Antony Howe - an amazing artist building kinetic sculptures, check him out! Amazing

"Anthony Howe creates the world's most mesmerizing kinetic sculptures. His wind-powered, curved-metal designs tower up to 25 feet high, and are on display in public spaces around the world. Take a break from reality as you stare at Howe's artwork and prepare to be transfixed..."

After a short rest at the hotel we went to Bristol to perform at The Fringe!

See you there!!!

Much love, Sylwia & The Sirkis/Bialas IQ

SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ - Spring Tour 2017 / GIG 4 - SOUTHAMPTON JAZZ CLUB : THE TALKING HEADS, UK

February 07, 2017  /  Sylwia Bialas

Dear friends, 

Last night the Sirkis/Bialas IQ played at the Talking Heads in Southampton. We enjoyed this gig very very much! Frank is back with us after his moving action to Oxford. ( the wizard from Oxford came back to his hometown). At the gig I also met Leszek Hurtig - a good polish friend of mine  and a great bassist from the times where we rehearsed together in a Polish garage :-)!  It was our first fusion band together ;-). Good old times!

Photo by Marcin Giba

Photo by Marcin Giba

Was great to see ya Lechu! :-D

So let me take you for the entire trip to Southampton. I`ll walk you through all the adventures!

Black monster invading the sunset sky...

a vail of steamy shadow...

Heavy konnakiling ekhm, konnakoling! :-)

Me and Asaf picked Kev up at our favorite, slightly illegal drop off (Heathrow Airport) ;-)

Appearance of this posh car initiated a hilarious conversation in our van:

Kev: I wonder how many gigs could you finance selling this car.

Asaf: man, you can probably play for it the whole year! 

 

Imagine a Jazz musician doing that with money :-D, you`ll feel such a satisfaction - hahaha:

Skies of gold:

An insanely fiery spectacle in Tuscany - style:

We were lucky to see such a beautiful sunset on the way to Southampton! Fire meets pastels...

I just had to catch more of those moments...

Swarms of birds coming back from the warmer countries - the spring approaches in giant steps...

I am very fascinated by their navigation system :-), check this out! :

The last gaze at the setting sun:

pinky orange

It was already dark when we got to the venue...

Talking Heads is a chilled out, cosy and lively place. The lights make it extremely viby ...

"Nothing but the blue skies" in a glass of water:

Some of the more and less funny details, decide yourself what is what ;-):

Kevin`s famous "face" is an absolute must - the biggest fun is always to provoke it :-D: 

Serious go fun-ky ;-)

I cought a moment of our conversation with Frank - "We should ask M&S for an endorsement! What a genious idea - actually all the touring musicians should" - haha :-)))))

Some enchanted nooks of the venue:

Soundcheck:

This gig was an immense fun! So good to play in this wicked place  - we`d like to say many thanks to the Arts council for supporting our tour. Without this support it would be impossible for us to bring the band to this beautiful venue!!!

Many thanks to LIVESHOTS.UK for the photos !!!

grand_jpeg_white.jpeg

Audience filled the club completely. Some of the people were standing during the entire performance. What an attentive crowd for this kind of venue...Nobody was chattering during our sets... The staff was amazing too - singing loudly behind the bar and in the kitchen after the gig - lovely, cheerful peeps! 

Thanks to the promoter of Talking Heads for having us - we really hope to come back again!

And this one is just great :

REINKARNATION! :-D:

An overexcited me trying to make a selfie after the gig - no way - hahahah:

Nighty lights on the way to London. We brought Kevin home after the gig:

Awaiting the night kebab and looking after the gear ;-)))

And here it is... :-P

A massive UFO invasion on the highway - they took only the freelancers ;-)))

Radiance:

Blue indigo :

Typewriter :

Nicola :

would be pleased... so 

Passing the blues...:

and lilacs: 

Lego:

Prince charming waiting to be fed... With garbage. :

Danca Lumina:

Confused bass keys:

After a long nighty drive we brought Kev home - Good Night!!! 

Back at the highway. We saw HIM on HIS glancing throne... ;-D

Funky indu - architecture:

Night - reality in front of the Victoria Palace. Some people work hard while we`re sleeping... ekhm driving :-)

Pink ghost:

Flying soccer  just docked in.

We are close to home... Good night everybody!!! See you soon in Bristol!

  Much love, 

Sylwia & the SIRKIS/BIALAS IQ

xxx