This evening at The Malt Cross – in Black History Month – join us for a major celebration of Gil Scott-Heron’s exceptional musical, political & literary legacy, through engaging debate and conversation. The evening will feature previously never-before-heard Gil Scott-Heron audio interviews, as well as music & visuals.
–
Emerging during the Black Power era – which Gil would help define – he was a highly charismatic, African-American renaissance man: singer, musician, poet, novelist, song-writer and political activist. Classic recordings like – ‘The Bottle’, ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’, ‘Johannesburg’, ‘Lady Day & John Coltrane’ – would go on to influence a vast amount of musicians and hip-hop artists – with Gil being dubbed “The Godfather Of Rap”.
CRUCIALLY, 2026 CELEBRATES… The 50th anniversary of the very first time Gil Scott-Heron performed in the UK in 1976 – including at Nottingham.
THIS EVENING, JOIN AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKER (INC. BBC) & JOURNALIST, JAMES MAYCOCK, AND VINCE WILSON, FOR AN ILLUMINATING DISCUSSION ABOUT GIL SCOTT-HERON – WITH JAMES SHARING HIS OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF GIL SCOTT-HERON, AS WELL HIS UNIQUE INSIGHTS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT THE MAN.
VERY IMPORTANTLY, VINCE WILSON WAS THERE IN 1976, IN BIRMINGHAM, SEEING GIL SCOTT-HERON PERFORM ON THAT VERY FIRST TOUR OF THE UK. VINCE REVEALS HIS OWN IMPRESSIONS & INSIGHTFUL THOUGHTS ON SC0TT-HERON, TOO.
Prior to starting his own film directing career, James worked as Assistant Producer on the acclaimed BBC2 documentary film, “Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” (2004), directed by Don Letts.
The shoot for this film, over a number of days in New York, was an experience, and at times, crazy – with James witnessing it all.
No other film crew had been allowed this kind access to Gil Scott-Heron for years. The film caught him at a fascinating point in his life: 10 years since his previous album, “Spirits”, with Gil seemingly creatively adrift and drowning in drug dependency – many baffled at what had happened to this immensely prodigious musical & political force.
But the film also captured him 6 years before his highly acclaimed 2010 “comeback” album, “I’m New Here”, released on XL Recordings, then remixed by Jamie XX in 2011 – the year of Gil Scott-Heron’s death.
James Maycock has also interviewed Gil Scott-Heron a number of times for the UK broadsheets, writing features about him for The Times / The Guardian / The Independent, as well for Mojo Magazine. He’s also interviewed a number of people close to Gil Scott-Heron, including Malcolm Cecil (both Stevie Wonder’s & Gil Scott-Heron’s producer), and Brian Jackson (Gil’s song-writing partner).
Gil’s incredible influence has only grown bigger since he passed away. He’s now considered one of the most significant Black American artists of the 20th century.
–
