Kes: Live Soundtrack
Ken Loach’s chronicle of boyhood experiences soars with a live performance of the soundtrack by Elysian Collective, with an introduction by Jarvis Cocker.
A remarkable feat of British filmmaking, Kes is Loach’s 1969 coming-of-age drama following Billy, whose expectations lead no further than the local mines.
Everything changes, however, when Billy finds a kestrel he begins to train in the art of falconry. Billy’s devotion to Kes allows him to rise above the dark realities of his life and soar as high as the human spirit will take him.
Set in Yorkshire, Kes is considered by many to be a definitive film of the region. Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis explains their connection to the wider area and to the movie:
‘Rough Trade has a long history with Sheffield starting with Cabaret Voltaire and continuing with Pulp, whilst Manchester was where The Fall, Blue Orchids and The Smiths all came from.
‘We made many, many trips to both cities in the early days of Rough Trade in an effort to see shows and in our attempts to sign those bands … we appreciated the kind of genius exhibited in this film that was perhaps native to the region. It’s simply one of our favourite films ever, and we wanted to celebrate that!’
Watch the film with a live performance of John Cameron’s stunning soundtrack by Elysian Collective, which breathes a different light into an already touching piece of cinema. Jarvis Cocker, frontman of Pulp, introduces the film on our stage.
Elysian Collective is a collaborative ensemble specialising in contemporary and improvised music. They first formed in 1999 as the Elysian Quartet, an experimental string quartet. Following the death of their violist in 2015, they reformed some years later as a more flexible ensemble. The group have recorded and performed with artists such as Pulp, Fontaines DC, The Last Dinner Party, IDLES, Pet Shop Boys and Florence + the Machine. Film score credits include The Lovely Bones, In The Loop and Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
The original soundtrack to Kes was composed by John Cameron.
Need to know
For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.