Last night saw the first show of the Island Life series, with a belting reggae extravaganza featuring the likes of Sly and Robbie, Grace Jones and Tinchy Stryder.

Click here to check out a glowing review from the Evening Standard. You can also see the Standard’s gallery of pictures from the night here.

Following the cancellation of the Amy Winehouse / Toot And The Maytals show, we’re very pleased to announce that Toots And The Maytals will now round off the week of Island 50 gigs with a very special club show on Sunday 31st May at the lovely Bush Hall (a short stroll away from Shepherd’s Bush Empire). Support will come from I Blame Coco.

Tickets are available now, costing just £10, by clicking here.

Amy Winehouse’s management has regretfully announced that Amy and her band will no longer be performing at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire on May 31st as part of Island’s 50th birthday celebrations.

Amy would like to apologise to her fans who bought tickets for the shows. The show which was also to feature Toots & The Maytals and I Blame Coco has therefore been cancelled. Refunds for tickets will be issued at point of purchase.

The Island Life Exhibition at the Vinyl Factory in Soho, London opened its door to the public this morning (Friday 22nd May). It will now be open from 11am-8pm Monday to Saturday, apart from this coming bank holiday Monday (25th May) when it will be open 12noon-6pm and 5th June, when the hours will be 11am-5pm. Click here for more info on the exhibition.

On Wednesday night, a launch party was held at the exhibition, with many of the artists featured coming along to check it out. Click here to see some great pictures from the night.

On Friday (22nd May) the Island Life exhibition will open its door to the public at the Vinyl Factory, Phonica Records, Poland Street, London. Entry is free – just turn up.

It will be one of the biggest exhibitions of its kind, with over 800 images and artifacts associated with or generated by Island Records since its first record release in 1959. The exhibition will remain open until 17th June.

Click here to visit the new Exhibition area of this website for more info.

To celebrate Island Record’s 50th anniversary Urban Image are offering an exclusive selection of signed, limited edition prints. To check out the full range click here.

The shot on the right (click to see it bigger) is from the Jamaica Lifestyle category and shows the Swing a Ling record van.

We also rather like this one of Grace Jones on a New York roof in 1977 (from the “Alternative” section).

We’re pleased to announce that a few extra tickets have been released for the upcoming Island Life shows at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Click on the links below if you’d like to buy some:

Sly & Robbie, Tuesday May 26th – Click here for tickets

The Fratellis, Wednesday May 27th – Click here for tickets or click here for tickets

Paul Weller, Friday May 29th – Click here for tickets

Keane, Saturday May 30th – Click here for tickets

P.S. If you ordered your tickets from our official store, run by Sandbag, tickets have been dispatched this week. If they are not already with you, they will be this weekend or early next week.

Last week, the Independent newspaper ran a terrific piece celebrating Island’s 50th anniversary. Click here to check it out.

ISLAND 50 RADIO NEWS

The season of nationwide radio programmes dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of Island Records kicked off on April 12th, with the GMG Radio documentary on the 50 years of Island, ‘Legendary Record Labels – Island at 50’, narrated by Dan Gillespie Sells.

Meanwhile, further shows air on:

May 23rd: 10.00pm – Radio 2 Documentary on Island Records Part 1 ‘Island Life: the story of Island Records’, narrated by Don Letts.

May 25th: 7.15pm – Radio 4 Front Row Special on ‘Chris Blackwell – The Man and the Music of Island Records’: Chris Blackwell in conversation with Jon Wilson.

May 26th: 2.30pm – 1Xtra thirty minute documentary, ‘Island at 50’, narrated by our very own hitmaking Tinchy Stryder , and concentrating on our more urban history.

May 30th: 7.30pm – Radio 2 Documentary on Island Records Part 2 ‘Island Life: the story of Island Records’, narrated by Don Letts, anchored around the classic 50 list.

Also, from May 25 for one week Absolute Radio will be repeating Island sessions from their archive across BOTH ‘Hometime with Geoff Lloyd’ ( 5 – 8pm ) and Ben Jones ( 8pm – 12am) all that week.

MONDAY 25TH MAY: 6-7PM – SPECIAL MARK RONSON SHOW: “ISLAND IS 50 !!”

TUE 26TH: 7-8PM – KEANE SESSION TRACKS (GEOFF LLOYD) 9-10PM – THE FRATELLIS SESSION TRACKS (BEN JONES)

WED 27TH: 7-8PM – PAUL WELLER SESSION TRACKS (GEOFF LLOYD) 9-10PM – PAUL WELLER SESSION TRACKS (BEN JONES)

THU 28TH: 7-8PM – FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE SESSION TRACKS (GEOFF LLOYD) 9-10PM – THE FEELING SESSION TRACKS (BEN JONES)

ALSO ON SUNDAY 31ST MAY, FROM 8-10PM, PJ HARVEY SESSION TRACKS WILL BE PLAYED ON GEOFF LLOYD’S XTREME SHOW.

Meanwhile, on the week beginning Monday May 25, Q Radio will have a focus on Island tracks as well as giving over a lunchtime show each day, from 1-2pm, from Tuesday to Friday to an Island act.
Tues – The Feeling
Weds – Florence
Thurs – Tricky
Fri – Fratellis

This will also be featured in a 2 page spread in the June issue of Q, which hits the shops in early May.

Happy listening!!!

CONCERT ALERT! Three concerts in the coming months will celebrate the legacy of Joe Boyd’s 1960s Witchseason Productions, each event curated by Joe Boyd) :

May 16 2009, Birmingham Town Hall: Way To Blue, the music of Nick Drake. Rather more than a tribute concert, Way To Blue will feature performances by Martha Wainwright, Graham Coxon, Beth Orton, Robyn Hitchcock, Vashti Bunyan, Boris Grebenchikov and Harper Simon. Kate St John is musical director and Robert Kirby will be on hand to conduct both his original string parts from Nick’s recordings, and some newly written arrangements as well. Legendary bassist Danny Thompson, who played on many of Nick’s recordings will anchor the house band, along with pianist Zoe Rahman, Neil MacColl and Leo Abrahams on guitars and Martyn Barker on drums. Those who attended the Nick Drake panel at the Barbican 10 years ago will remember our special guest, Robin Frederick. Robin not only busked with Nick during the summer of 1967 in Provence, but she now teaches songwriting in California and can explain exactly what makes Nick’s music so brilliant. She will take part in the concert and take part with Joe and Robert Kirby in a seminar after the concert. One of the songs performed during the evening will be by Molly Drake, Nick’s mother, and Robin will discuss her effect on her son’s music. On Sunday afternoon (May 17) at 4.30 in the Town Hall, Joe will share the stage with Robyn Hitchcock. He will tell tales from his autobiography White Bicycles whilst Robyn sings the book’s soundtrack.

July 18 2009, the Barbican, London: An all-star reunion of the early formations of Fairport Convention. Material from the first five albums will be performed.

July 19 2009, the Barbican, London: The second part of Witchseason Weekend will be a tribute to the songs of the Incredible String Band.