Dave Rowntree in Conversation at Quay Arts gives Blur fans a Saturday evening with the drummer’s photographs and memories. Using pictures from his book No One You Know, Rowntree tells the story of the band’s early days and the music scene around them. If the 1990s supplied the soundtrack to your younger years, this is a chance to hear about that period from someone who was inside it.
Rowntree brings the show to Newport after its Edinburgh Fringe run. His photographs give the conversation a personal starting point, with the early years of Blur and the people behind the familiar band name at its centre. Before Blur, he played in bands with childhood friend Graham Coxon; Damon Albarn and Alex James later joined the group that began as Seymour. The show promises stories and humour as well as the images, giving you more than a look through a book.
The evening is suitable for ages 16 and over, with the performance in the Anthony Minghella Theatre. The café and bar open beforehand if you want to meet your companion before taking your seats. Advance tickets cost £19.75 including the venue’s £1.75 fee, with door tickets costing more. Suggest it to the friend who still knows the songs, or the teenager exploring the bands you grew up with. It is a music-focused evening with the space to listen to the stories around the records.