Iconic rock band to take off on tour

The visit to the King Street-based venue forms part of the group’s 50th anniversary celebration.

The celebration features Paul Kantner (Jefferson Airplane founder), David Feriberg (Jefferson Airplane singer), Cathy Richardson (the songs of Grace Slick), Donny Baldwin (Jefferson Starship drums), Chris Smith (Jefferson Starship keybd/bass) and Jude Gold (JGB/ Jefferson Starship lead guitar).

You can expect to hear renditions of White Rabbit, Somebody To Love, Volunteers, Wooden Ships, Lather, Today, and all the hits of Jefferson Starship.

Paul Kantner founded Jefferson Airplane in 1965. The Airplane were the biggest rock group in America during the 1960s and the first San Francisco band to sign a major record deal, paving the way for other legends like Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin.

They headlined the original Woodstock Festival in 1969 and like The Beatles with whom they are critically compared, lasted a mere seven years, though their influence and impact on rock music continues well into the 21st century.

In 1974, Paul Kantner created Jefferson Starship and again enjoyed chart-topping success. Paul and Jefferson Airplane were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, the same year as Pink Floyd.

Doors open at 8pm to see Jefferson Airplane at The Flowerpot, who start a run of only seven UK dates with this gig at the city centre venue.

Advance tickets are now on sale at a price of £17.50. They are available from The Flowerpot and RAW Promotions, as well as online at www.rawpromo.co.uk

n Derby Theatre’s programme co-ordinator Adam Pownall has been awarded an Encouragement of New Writing award by The Theatre Committee of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain.

Adam, who took up his programming role at Derby Theatre in August, was nominated for the award while in his previous role of

theatre co-ordinator at Create Theatre in Mansfield.

He was nominated by Nottingham playwright Nick Wood, whose credits include My Name is Stephen Luckwell, Birdboy and Can You Whistle, Johanna? Nick has also done commissions for Radio 4, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Nottingham Playhouse and Theatre Royal Plymouth and his plays have been produced across the world.

Nick nominated Adam due to his passion and enthusiasm for encouraging, championing and developing new writing within theatre in the region.

Locally-based, critically acclaimed and award-winning independent theatre company, Fifth Word also wrote a letter of support for Adam ’s nomination after he supported them as a company, and programmed them to perform two of their productions, Bones and Amateur Girl at Create Theatre.

Adam Pownall said: “I am immensely proud, yet humbled, to even be nominated for this award. I am overjoyed that my hard work in

supporting new writing has been accredited and noted within the industry.”