Projects

A ticket on the Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul will set you back £50,000, whereas, for only £35, you can take the Gatwick Express all the way from Brighton to Victoria AND back! Admittedly, one might argue that the former journey passing through Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, and Sofia might be a little more glamourous, but, hey, don’t rule out the delights of Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Hassocks and Preston Park. And you can’t argue that Gatwick Airport is a gateway to the whole world.

But what if, through music, we could transform the £35 journey into something much more magical? Gatwick on the Orient Express (or, more correctly, Orient on the Gatwick Express) is a concert with live music, immersive theatre, and a party — and, yes, it will take place on the Gatwick Express.

Here’s how it will work: 40 participants board the train at Brighton having bought a return ticket (see the example journey below—the actual cost for a group ticket is £146.70 / 6 = £24.45).

The 40 people are both the audience and the actors. The group will be divided up into 8 subsections, each representing one of the cities the train passes through. One person from each group will have had some “pre-training” (no pun intended), and on the journey to London, they will facilitate how they will entertain the rest of the carriage at their designated station. Props will be provided, but I haven’t got a clue how this is all going to pan out – or even whether it will work at all. I expect that this will all be workshoped well in advance. (Wouldn’t it be great if one could find, e.g. a group of 5 Germans for the Munich station etc. – but not entirely necessary).

On the return journey, my fellow musicians, together with Ableton and visuals, will perform a continuous set of music specially prepared for the journey as the appropriate groups do their thing at the appropriate times.

Obviously, more thought is needed—and the most common FAQ is: Will the Gatwick Express allow it? I’m not sure that we need to ask them (and if we did, they might say no) as it’s just a group of passengers who have paid for their tickets on a journey from Brighton to London and back (or is that Paris to Istanbul?).

More about the music here.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. If you had to choose a song with a day of the week in the title, what would you choose? We have taken seven that we enjoy playing, and we think you will be surprised at our choice.

Following on from our success with Brighton Blue, we have been looking for sequences of songs that we can string together for a show (probably half a show if truth be told) to our unique video backdrop. We are currently rehearsing the songs, and Richard is working on the video. Here is a glimpse of what we are up to.

An ode to cheese, coffee, trains and tango. “Brighton Blue” is an innovative performance piece that marries live music with engaging video backgrounds to explore four quintessential aspects of local culture: Sussex’s ever-expanding cheese industry, Brighton’s ubiquitous café scene, the historical significance of trains, and the city’s vibrant dance life. Led by Richard Vahrman and Andy Fraser, this one-hour show guides audiences through a jazz-blues journey, accompanied by visuals that range from a high-speed train journey to a live dance performance, highlighting the unique cultural tapestry of Brighton. Each medley—dedicated to cheese, coffee, trains, and dance—features carefully selected songs that resonate with the theme, providing entertainment and sensory exploration of Brighton’s local flavours and rhythms.

A wonderful, fun hour of good music and film that sent me down memory lane. I have never seen an accordion played the way Richard played it, it came alive, two talented musicians. Wish I could go again. Thank you Richard and Andy

“Brighton Blue” epitomizes the essence of Sussex by exploring local themes such as the artisan cheese-making industry, the vibrant café and dance cultures, and the historical significance of the railways to Brighton’s development. Each element of our show—from the jazz-blues renditions of songs celebrating Brighton and Sussex to incorporating local products and talents—is a testament to our county’s ingenuity and cultural richness.

A really beautiful event. Imaginative fusion of music , words and moving image. Wonderfully presented in a stunning location.

There were four performances of Brighton Blue at James House in Brighton—sold out every night. Richard says, “It was hard getting used to the discipline of fitting in exactly with the projection, but I think we both pulled it off and learnt how we can improve when we perform all or some of this in the future.”

Very enjoyable hour with talented musicians Richard and Andy in a beautiful Hove Regency house setting

Here’s a clip from the show featuring the dance section with videos by Richard. The first part is Nature Boy, which was filmed in the gardens of the Casa Branca hotel in Funchal, Madeira. Richard searched the shelves of every toy and souvenir shop, looking for a toy to play the part of the “boy” and, running out of time, settled for an orange parachutist. Not ideal, but it does give a surreal feel to what is a mysterious song.

The second part is Boulevard of Broken Dreams and it was shot in one take on the path leading from Black Rock into Brighton Marina and the Asda car park. In the final section Dance Me to End of Love is sung to a number of clips of people dancing in Brighton.

We are small! 2 musicians that sound like a whole band can be an incredible advantage when you want live music but only have a small space. And because we use cajon and percussion (rather than drum kit), we don’t have to be that loud. To prove this, you will often find us playing on the balcony of Richard’s balcony on the Brighton seafront.

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F***ing awesome – Nick Cave

So, if you are looking for something different for your pub, your party, or your product launch – indoor or outdoor, then Psychosperix may be the answer.