Gary Numan to perform exclusive gig at Leamington Assemby, 7th June

The Assembly, Leamington Spa's stunning 1000 capacity Art Deco venue will host a rare one-off gig by the legendary Gary Numan on Friday 7th June.

Needing no introduction, synth-pop pioneer Gary Numan has been an active force in the British music scene for over 35 years. Still as relevant as ever, Numan has been cited as an influence by artists as diverse as Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Matthew Dear, Nine Inch Nails, Prince, and Battles, with whom he co-released the single My Machines on Warp Records in 2011.

Gary Numan's forthcoming album Splinter, slated for release on October 14th, utilizes new sounds and ideas, revealing his status as a true iconoclast and tireless innovator. In a live setting, Numan's progressive recordings become even more anthemic and allow audiences to experience first-hand his widespread influence over modern pop music.

This one-off headline gig is an exclusive chance for fans and newcomers alike to hear all the classics including Are Friends Electric?, I Die You Die and of course Cars, alongside material from the forthcoming album, nearly five months ahead of the Splinter UK tour.

Ticket Information

Ticket Price: £25 plus booking fee.
Online ticket Link: http://bit.ly/1749Fur
Venue Ticket line:    01926 311 311
Tickets can also be purchased in person from the Venue Box Office.

Venue Information

The Assembly is a stunning Art Deco, multi-function venue in the heart of Leamington Spa. It opened its doors in the summer of 2008 after a multi-million pound redevelopment designed by Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen. The venue won the highly coveted Music Week Award for 'Best Live Music Venue' in 2010 after winning the award for 'Best Live Entertainment Venue' at the 2009 Godiva Awards.

THE ASSEMBLY
Spencer St, Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV31 3NF
www.leamingtonassembly.com

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Designer Magazine Gig Listings - Dry Bar / The Roadhouse - April 2013

* April 5th @ Dry Bar - 6.30pm doors - £5 (14+)
On The Radio
Hellbound Hearts
Timebomb
The Wasted Youth
Electric Mafia
* April 6th @ The Roadhouse - 6.30pm doors - £5 (18+)
Adjective Animal
The Fevers
Peur
* April 13th @ Dry Bar - 6.30pm doors - £5 (14+)

METAL ON METAL #12
ft
SKies Turn Black
Cane Hill Anticult
Skies Are Dawning
The Hero Complex
Ascent

* April 19th @ Dry Bar - 6.30pm doors - £5 (14+)
Palace Arcade
The Room
Arterix
Off Piste
Blank Cheque

* April 20th @ The Roadhouse - 6pm doors - £6 (14+ till 9pm / 18+ after 9pm)
Post Zero
The High Nines
Indigo Sky
Seize The Chance
The Gullwings
The Amorphous

* April 25th @ Dry Bar - 6.30pm doors - £5 (14+)
My Extraordinary
Through Colour
Tell It Again
Youth
Those Who Seek

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Maps and Atlases @ The Kazimier Liverpool - Review

The Kazimier Liverpool saw itself the setting for the latest stop on the Maps and Atlases tour and being a Tuesday night they had quite a good turn out for their set. 

Following a great performance from Tall Ships, the Chicago based group entered a very elaborate set full of glowing triangles and drum base shaped light left of the stage with lead singer Dave Davidson sporting his familiar large beard and glasses.

The set started off in quiet a reserved way with the likes of  "Pigeon" and "If this is" and Dave's nimble fingers doing wonders with the neck of his guitar and sounding very reminiscent of the King of Leon if it was fronted by Paul Simon and before they became watered down and mainstream. The mixture of blue grass, folk and indie going down well with the crowd but over all I felt that the first part of the performance was a bit disconnected and flat.

Luckily the latter part of the set put pay to that and with a rousing cover of Tears for Fears' "Everybody wants to rule the world" both the band and the audience seemed to bring it up a level and there was far more interaction and enthusiasm with bassist Shiraz Dada dancing around like a man on fire whilst playing the likes of  the wonderful foot tapping track that is "Fever" and ending on "Solid Ground". 

Maps and Atlases manage to end the set on a high note saving what was dangerously slipping into the mundane and before the audience ears started to slip away.

http://mapsandatlases.org/

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Martha Reeves and the Vandellas @ Eric's Liverpool

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
Eric’s, Mathew Street, Liverpool L2 6RE
Friday 21 December 2012
Tickets £25
Or ticket plus Christmas dinner (at Matinee Idol - Castle St) & ticket £39.95
Box Office 0151-236 9994/ Ticketmaster 

It was 1962 that Motown's Artist and Repertoire Director William “Mickey” Stevenson first heard the voice that would become synonymous with "the sound of young America." A young jazz/blues singer with the unlikely name of "Martha Lavaille" was bringing audiences to their feet at Detroit's famed 20 Grand Nightclub singing songs made popular by singers the likes of Gloria Lynne and Della Reese. He invited her to audition at the new Motown Records headquarters, "Hitsville, USA."

Though the audition never happened, within a year, Martha had taken the reigns of the company's A&R department, ingratiating herself. She saw that musicians showed up on time and got paid. She watched, learned, and whenever opportunity presented itself, she sang. And when she did, everyone took notice. When Mary Wells couldn't make a session, Martha was called to the mic. With her group, the Del Phi's, she recorded "I'll Have to Let Him Go," and Martha and the Vandellas was born.

The song was rather forgettable, but Reeves' sound wasn't. While waiting for her first hit, Martha (along with Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard) backed Marvin Gaye on his first three releases and sang with him on stage. Soon, however, they emerged from the shadows with "Come and Get These Memories," followed by an enviable string of hits: "Heat Wave," "Quicksand," "In My Lonely Room," "Nowhere to Run," "My Baby Loves Me,", "Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things," "I'm Ready For Love," "Jimmy Mack," and, of course, the Motown anthem, "Dancing In The Street."

After leaving Motown in 1972, Martha continued to expand her musical horizons, establishing herself as a singer-songwriter with few limitations. She sang rock, jazz, country, gospel, blues and classical. Her singing companions included everyone from the Godfather James Brown and the Boss Bruce Springsteen to opera diva Beverly Sills and gospel king Rance Allen. She headlined a national touring company of the musical "Ain't Misbehaving," and for three years toured the UK in the musical review "Dancing In The Street."

Martha Reeves continues to thrill audiences around the world. Her self-produced 2004 CD, "Home to You" was named one of the year's best by the Asbury Park Press. In 2005, Will Smith mined the Motown vaults to uncover her unreleased gem, "It's Easy to Fall In Love," and included it in the hit movie "Hitch."  Also in 2005, Motown released Martha's "Lost and Found" collection, which included the rare Smokey Robinson-penned "Spellbound," her studio recording of "For Once In My Life," and covers of hits by the likes of Aretha Franklin, the Marvelettes, Vikki Carr, Sam & Dave, and the Four Tops. She was also featured in the PBS special, "Motown: The Early Years," writing liner notes for the four-set CD package. A "Gold" collection was released in March 2006 and "The Definitive Collection" in 2009.  (Her 1968 "Live at the Copa" remains in the vaults, but we hope for a release in the not-too-distant future.

Martha just completed a four-year run as a member of the Detroit City Council. She is back on the road full time, making sure that no one ever forgets the Motor City!

http://www.missmarthareeves.com/

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The Rialto Burns to play The Zanzibar Liverpool 26th Oct

The Rialto Burns have announced a show at The Zanzibar in Liverpool on the 26th October showcasing songs from their new album Learning To Fight

During the Toxteth riots of 1981 the burning down of the Rialto ballrooms made newspaper headlines. This destruction of a local hive for entertainment, artistry and community gave rise to the alarming yet explosive newspaper headline The Rialto Burns. Now, almost 30 years later it is with the sentiments of this iconic building that Liverpool’s latest and most innovative sound has evolved.

The Rialto Burns are the five strong Adam (vocals), Pottsy (bass), Alex and Cogsy (guitars) and Shaun (drums). The group met after a rekindling of old friendships and fortunate chance meetings on musicians’ forums. After the band nurtured and developed material, and sorted out who was going to play what, a high-octane live show burst its way onto the Liverpool circuit.

After just a handful of gigs, the band attracted the attention of record labels and signed with ambitious Dance/Indie label Gung-Ho Recordings, home to amongst others, The Japanese Popstars. In 2011 the band released three singles, 'Radiate', 'For The Asking' and 'While You Sleep' - all to critical acclaim and ended the year with the release of their debut album 'Learning To Fight' on 28 November 2011.

After a summer of writing, 2012 sees them return to the live circuit, stronger than ever and showcasing their new material.

 For tickets to the gig follow the link below

https://www.ticketline.co.uk/order/tickets/13275156/the-rialto-burns-liverpool-zanzibar-2012-10-26-19-30-00

http://www.therialtoburns.com

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Anti Pop presents Punk Ska and Reggae Party Downtown @Eric's, Liverpool Sept 14

Anti Pop presents
Punk Ska and Reggae Party Downtown @ Eric's
Friday 14 September
£5 See Tickets/Ticketweb
Box office 0151 236 9994
8pm till late
 
Liverpool’s Antipop Records promises to bring a ‘classic block party style'’ event to Eric’s on Mathew Street on Friday 14 September. Expect lots of bass turned to ten, reverb to the max and some exciting new names such as The Amnesiacs, Jeramiah Ferrari, P’Chenga, Roots To Nowhere together with the The Senator Sound System DJs.

The Amnesiacs return to the stage for a rare hometown appearance.  The Amnesiacs are an exciting Ska/hip hop group from Liverpool. Providing a scintillating rendition of contemporary Ska fused with a modern day twist. Their songs provide a sharp documentary of modern day living, subjects that affect us all in this current climate of social and political uncertainty. They combine their social awareness with humour and irony.

Live they are a formidable force with boundless energy and enthusiasm. Their song Top Yourself was featured in the Kevin Sampson cult film Awaydays, starring Steven Graham and Liam Boyle. Their cover version of The Specials Do The Dog was also released this year on the Specialized album to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust. They have had other songs released on the Walt Jabsco label. The Amnesiacs debut album Forget to Remember is currently available on I-Tunes and Spotify. In the past The Amnesiacs have toured and shared stages with Neville Staple, The Beat, Bad Manners, Roddy Radiation, The Slits, The Lambrettas, Public Enemy and The Blockheads.

Jeramiah Ferrari are a 4 piece Reggae band based in Manchester, they fuse Roots Reggae, Rock, Punk,Ska and Calypso.They recently performed at the MEN Arena after winning tonnes of local radio competitions. That day they played to thousands of pop fans. This gig will see them toast the night with their smooth reggae vibes and as always a few surprises in the set. Their debut EP Cactus Killer sold out and they’ve already supported The English Beat, Turin Breaks, The Sunshine Underground and The Aggrolites.

P'Chenga are a Reggae/Ska/Rock band from Liverpool featuring some of the ‘best Sax playing this side of New Orleans,’ they have reggae coming out of their ears. So expect plenty of brass and a northern vibe from  a great party band.

Roots To Nowhere debut in Liverpool and are another discovery from Antipop. The Welsh band play a mixture of punk, ska and reggae which is all original material, the band consist of  Kyle Tomkinson (vocals and rythm guitar), James Tirrell (drums and percussion), Jan Pogonowski (lead guitar and vocals), and Al Hand (bass). “Come and see us if you want to watch a good band who loves what they do, and make sure you bob your head and have a skank “ says singer Kyle.

DJs The Senator Sound System always bring the cool vibes with the deep dub bass sound between and after bands into the night to keep the crowd moving.

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The Liverpool Gig Guide - June 2012

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WALLS Ghosting Season Afternaut Sun Drums DJ's Friday 1 June The Shipping Forecast Alessio Natalizia of crispy electronicists Banjo Or Freakout started making music because he was waiting for his girlfriend at her  house and it seemed a more agreeable pastime than talking to her flatmates. Electronica bod Sam Willis of Allez Allez was drafted in to remix his first single ‘Mr No’ and ever since they have been known as Walls. Dealing in woozy digital and analogue electronic psychedelic noise, their joyful wash of tuneful hooks is a wake-up call to lazy Animal Collective copyists with loop pedals everywhere. Feeling as fresh as Boards Of Canada, cLOUDDEAD and Spiritualizeddid at their inceptions this is the must-see show. Check out the newly released remix LP of their least effort Coracle, which was voted Elctronic album of the year in Mojo Magazine. £6adv from here

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STEALING SHEEP Simian Ghost Married to the Sea Harvest Sun DJ's Saturday 2 June Leaf Bold Street

After their European tour, Liverpool’s very own Stealing Sheep return to play a night presented by influential blog The Line of Best Fit at Leaf Café on Bold Street. After a run of superlative EPs, the female folk/psych trio are breaking into mainstream consciousness with new single ‘Shut Eye’. The band have been receiving rave reviews for track, which can currently be heard on a trailer for Hollyoaks on Channel 4. The song is a taster for their hugely anticipated debut LP, due this summer on Heavenly Records.   Main support act Swedish alt-pop act Simian Ghost recently released their debut LP Youth to ecstatic reviews, with The Guardian describing the disc as ‘an early contender for album of the year.’ £6adv from here

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Moon Duo come from San Francisco. The band consists of Wooden Shjips guitarist/singer Erik "Ripley" Johnson along with his female partner Sanae Yamada, and together they make a sound as big as the sky. Focusing heavily on guitar, percussion, keyboard and organ, Moon Duo create psychedelic Krautrock that lures its prey with a trance-inducing, hypnotic bop that extends to infinity.  Last year's Mazes LP was highly acclaimed, with the follow-up remix album garnering as much love from the critics and included reworkings by Sonic Boom and Psychic Ills amongst other 'psych' heads. Tickets are sure to move fast, so purchase early to avoid disappointment. £9adv from here

MOON DUO Hookworms Gigantes It's Murder Beams Thursday 7 June The Kazimier

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DAMO SUZUKI MUGSTAR MIND MOUNTAIN CANTALOUPE Friday 22 June The Kazimier

Making a hugely welcome return visit to Liverpool, legendary former Can frontman Damo Suzuki plays at The Kazimier on 22nd June. Having influenced countless artists in the forty plus years since his first appearance with the groundbreaking Krautrock group on Tago Mago, Suzuki continues to push musical boundaries. At the Liverpool show (one of only three UK gigs) Damo will be backed by the city’s very own prog-spacerock quartet, Mugstar. More mind-bending support comes in the shape of Mind Mountain and Nottingham time traveller's Cantaloupe. £7adv from here

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Led by brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, folk-rock band Dawes draw from the rich musical heritage of their hometown, highlighting the golden age of the Laurel Canyon sound of the late 60s. Influenced by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, The Byrds and the likes of Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and Wilco, the band performed alongside legendary singer-songwriter Jackson Browne in December of last year. Dawes’ second LP Nothing is Wrong released in September 2011 was included on Uncut’s Top 50 Albums of the Year. After several sell-out gigs in their homeland, the band’s Liverpool show at The Kazimier is one of only three UK dates on their world tour.  £12.50adv from here

DAWES plus special guests Tuesday 10 July The Kazimier

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DAMIEN JURADO MEGAFAUN plus special guests Saturday 18 August Leaf Bold Street

A double-header at Leaf sees US indie-rock singer songwriter Damien Jurado paired up with fellow countrymen, Americana-esqu psych-folk heroes Megafaun. Damien Jurado is currently touring his tenth studio LP, the critically acclaimed Maraqopa, released through long-term label Secretly Canadian, who count The War on Drugs, Yeasayer and Animal Collective amongst their signings. An excellent singer-songwriter, Jurado pushes the sonic envelope using found sounds and field recordings, to create his own niche. Formerly part of DeYarmond Edison, a band that featured none other than Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon, psych-folk group Megafaun released their well-received self-titled album last year. Like their former colleague, the band are steeped in rustic Americana (CSNY, Grateful Dead, Gram Parsons) as well as bringing their own beguiling weirdness to proceedings.  £10adv from here

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American alt-country band Deer Tick, led by singer-songwriter/guitarist John McCauley have recently been causing a buzz Stateside with new LP Divine Providence, the group’s fourth. Hailing from Rhode Island, the band augmented their classic blues, country and folk roots with a punkier edge recently, earning the group comparisons with US underground legends The Replacements. In the UK press Uncut editor Alan Jones praised the group band writing, ‘Deer Tick noisily essayed the kind of rock 'n' roll you don’t hear these days… the sort that lights up everything around it like a burning house, and feel inclined therefore to cheer until you’re hoarse when you do". £10adv from here

DEER TICK The Shivers (NYC) By The Sea Friday 31 August The Kazimier

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CATE LE BON plus special guests Thursday 6 September Leaf Bold Street

First gaining exposure via her support slots with Super Furry Animals mainman Gruff Rhys, folk/psych artist Le Bon has blossomed into one of the UKs most admired singer-songwriters. Her collaboration with Neon Neon in 2008 paved the way for her debut album Me Oh My in 2009, that showcased her otherworldly voice and dark lyrical themes sung in Welsh and English to full effect. Rounding off 2011 touring the States as support to St. Vincent, Cate’s second album CYRK was released to huge acclaim last month. The collection was garlanded with four star reviews from Mojo, The Times, Q and an 8/10 write-up from the NME who hailed the LP as ‘an unearthed psych classic.’ £7adv from here

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One of the more celebrated bands to emerge in the past few years as part of San Francisco's new psychedelic-rock underground, Sleepy Sun made waves globally in 2009 with the release of its acclaimed debut album, Embrace.  The group's ferocious live performances made them a festival favorite, playing All Tomorrow's Parties on both sides of the Atlantic. While Sleepy Sun's follow-up effort, Fever, earned them more solid notices in 2010. Stepping back from the riff-heavy epics heard on the band's earlier efforts, Sleepy Sun mix pop concision with some deeply psychedelic exploration on the new songs £10.00adv from here

SLEEPY SUN plus special guests Tuesday 11 September The Kazimier

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MATTHEWS SOUTHERN COMFORT

In 2011 Iain Matthews reformed Matthews Southern Comfort and undertook a short European tour that brought the band to the UK for 3 sell-out shows. That success persuaded Iain to offer the band for a further short tour of 11 UK dates in 2012 and Leaf are happy to announce they'll be playing in Liverpool for an exclusive northwest show. It’s a great show featuring all MSC’s most popular songs including ‘Something In The Way She Moves’, ‘The Road to Ronderlin’ and, of course, their worldwide No1 hit ‘Woodstock’ alongside great new material that has emerged during the band’s renaissance.    £13.50adv from here

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Tickets can also be purchased from the following outlets in person:

The Music Consortium (formerly Hairy Records), Bold St.

Probe Records, School Lane.

Article posted by Musicmafia

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Designer Magazine - July Gig Listings 2012 - Dry Bar and Roadhouse Manchester

* July 6th @ Dry Bar - 6.30pm doors - £5 (14+)

Freedom Of The City

Daytona Lights

Eden

Mathew Petit

Big False Assembly

Freedom Of The City have recently played with The Futureheads, Kid British and All The Young... while touring boys Daytona Lights have recently been on Hollyoaks and are getting picked up by Radio 1

* July 7th @ The Roadhouse - 7pm doors - £5 (18+)

FUNF (electro special)

ft 

The Imogen Styles

The Fevers

Section II

Skin Walker

+ 1 more TBC

Funf goes electro for one month with headliners The Imogen Styles who put on arena shows in basement venues. Check out their bizarre but fab cover of Kylie and Jason's "Especially For You"

* July 14th @ Dry Bar - 6.30pm doors - £5 (14+)

Metal On Metal #5 

ft 

Hellbound Rebels

Skies Turn Black

Chaos Reigns

Jacks Not Smooth

Of Pain & Salvation

Manchester's biggest monthly live metal night - best of Manchester metal with no clique's

* July 21st @ The Roadhouse - 6pm doors - £5 (14+ till 9pm / 18+ after 9pm)

Apollo's Heir

Gold Jacks

Prose

Kat Mullen

The Newtons

+ more TBC

Best of Manchester line up with the hotly tipped Apollo's Heir, Prose and Kat Mullen heading up the bill. Expect big things from all these names in the future

* July 28th @ Dry Bar - 6pm doors - £5 (14+)

RUN FROM ROBOTS

Streets Ahead

Underdogs

This Is How We Fall

Revenge Loves Company

Tainted Memories

Run from Robots - signed to the same label as Young Guns and Deaf Havana. Toured with Me Vs Hero, Sonic Boom Six, Orange and New Riot to name a few

Article posted by Musicmafia

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Friends new tour dates announced

friends

‘Manifest!’ Album and ‘Mind Control’ Single

Debut Album to be released June 4 on Lucky Number, Single to be released May 28

“Equal parts untouchable cool and indelible, hook-laden pop music” - Q

“Insanely catchy bursts of indie pop...one of the hottest new bands around” – Grazia

“Brooklyn’s hippest supergroup” - Elle

“Sharply set piece of indie disco funk...you don’t have to be psychic to guess what larks 2012 has in store for these guys” - NME

After blazing out of Bushwick in 2011 with the two buzz-worthy singles, “I’m His Girl” and “Friend Crush”, a reputation for turning live gigs into spontaneous DIY parties (and vice versa), and a bio built to withstand the most cynical indie-blog cred-vetting – Brooklyn’s Friends will release their debut album Manifest!, June 4th on Lucky Number.

Produced by the band – singer Samantha Urbani; multi-instrumentalists Lesley Hann, Matthew Molnar, and Nikki Shapiro; and drummer Oliver Duncan –its twelve tracks were recorded between last summer and this spring with engineer Daniel Schlett at Strange Weather studios in Brooklyn.

Full track-listing and more details are forthcoming but, for now, as a further provocative taster we are delighted to present the anthemic “Mind Control”, which is to be the band’s next single and the album’s climax. 

Mixed by Paul Epworth, it sums up the seditious streak of Manifest!  The musical choices are brazen even by Friends’ standards: superfly bass, slinky synth, crybaby wah, bongo solo, group chants.  Lyrically, it also might be the Friends manifesto, were it not for the strong possibility that Ms. Urbani is taking the piss.

“I don’t want to rule or be ruled/I just want the right to be cool/However I chose to do what I do/Wherever I choose to be or with whom/Hey, I don’t need your money, I can grown my own food/I don’t need your beauty standard, I can be my own dude.”

With “Mind Control” already anointed the Hottest Record in the World by Zane Lowe on Radio 1, the band’s Spring tour close to selling out and more shows to come in the Summer, Friends look set to make the rest of the year theirs alone.

UPCOMING LIVE DATES

Dates

June

2nd London Field Day Festival 

2nd Bristol Dot to Dot Festival

3rd Nottingham Dot to Dot Festival

4th London Rough Trade East (instore)

4th London **Secret Show** Ridley Rd Market Bar 

6th London Dingwall's (headline show) 

8th Liverpool Kazimier (headline show)

9th Manchester Parkilife Festival

Tickets from Ticketmaster 

Article posted by Musicmafia

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The Commodores play London's IndigO2

The Commodores 

Friday 29th June 2012

at indigO2 at The O2 London / www.theindigo2.com

http://www.myspace.com/thecommodoresnow

Tickets: www.theindigo2.com / www.ticketmaster.co.uk / 0844 844 0002

The Commodores, Walter ‘Clyde’ Orange, William ‘Wak’ King and James Dean ‘J.D’ Nicholas have remained a force in the music industry for over three decades.

The Grammy Award winners will be performing for one night only at indigO2 on Friday 29^th June 2012!

The American Funk/Soul group who’s ex members include Lionel Richie, have released many hits since they hit the scene back in 1968. Their hits include the brilliant ‘Sweet Love’, ‘Just To Be Close To You’, ‘Easy’, ‘Three Times A Lady’, ‘Sail On’ ‘Night Shift’, ‘Zoom’ and ‘Still’.

“Venerable pop/RandB band issues its first single in five years engaging vocals woo with warmth and restraint.” ….Billboard

The Successful Commodore of the present have not only produced six new albums and embarked upon a world-wide tour, but have created their own record label, Commodores Records and Entertainment. Today the Commodores stand not only as talented and successful musicians, but as artists determined to continue their success into the future.

So get ready to take a trip down Motown memory lane and see them perform alongside a full live band, plus tickets to the show will also include an aftershow party where our resident DJ will be playing the very best Soul and Funk hits until 2am 

Article posted by Musicmafia

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Ian McCulloch Epstein Theatre Liverpool review

Formerly known as the Neptune Theatre, the Epstein theatre has re-opened under the management of SoundCity and they launched it with the announcement of 2 nights with the legendary Ian McCulloch.

Ian, best known for fame with the Echo and the Bunnymen, was joined on stage with Lightning Seeds' Ian Broudie and a 2 piece string section and keyboard player. The set up reminding me of MTV unplugged with the curtain back drop and subdued blue lightning.

The sell out crowd waited patiently for Ian to arrive on stage and greeted him with rapturous applause when he eventually did and he wasted no time getting them eating out of his hand. Playing through a set list of classic bunnymen hits and solo stuff, Ian's voice was raspy which added to the intimacy of the night with the acoustics of the theatre amplifying it clearly and crisply.

Running through hits such as Bring on the Dancing horses before showcasing his new stuff starting with Pro Patria Mori which he self proclaimed as being a "classic" already and to be fair it was typical McCulloch material with angst ridden protest lyrics which play well to his vocals and the string section adding an extra melancholy to the song. 

Ending the set on a rapturous note with the always brilliant Nothing lasts forever which prompted the whole theatre to sing along culminating in McCulloch visibly choking up and on the edge of tears before leaving the stage to thunderous applause and the demand for more, which they got in the form of 2 encores covering songs such as Wild Side, and Lips like Sugar the audience had enough of sitting about and rose to their feet to dance in the aisles and out sing the man himself finally leaving to a standing ovation. This was a masterclass performance from a class act.

The Epstein theatre returned with a bang and a most welcome return it is. If they continue to have gigs of this calibre, then I can see a bright future for the venue. The 300 odd seating capacity being ideal for those close-up gigs and with the option of balcony seating/standing ideal for more. Long may the Epstien theatre flourish.

Article posted by Musicmafia

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The Victorian English Gentlemens Club Announce one-off London live date

The Victorian English Gentlemens Club Announce one-off London live date this June

The band, who are shortly to decamp to Paris to work on the follow-up record to 2011's 'Bag Of Meat', will headline Upstairs at the Garage on 1st June. Support on the night will come from Fever Fever and Ill Murray.

Tickets for the gig are on sale now:

  http://www.seetickets.com/Event/THE-VICTORIAN-ENGLISH-GENTLEMENS-CLUB/Upstairs-The-Garage/622261

They are also due to make an appearance at this year's Camden Crawl (Sunday daytime), at Phoda Festival in Slovakia, and in Paris on 22nd June.

Meanwhile, the title track from 'Bag Of Meat' is featured in the soundtrack to British film, 'Elfie Hopkins' (Jaime Winstone, Ray Winstone), which is now playing at cinemas nationwide.

You can hear the track in action both in this clip of the film: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150701884703226 and on the trailer itself: http://youtu.be/HNcWik8_LKs.

LIVE DATES

06 MAY Camden Crawl

01 JUN London Upstairs at The Garage

22 JUN Paris L'International

06 JUL Slovakia Phoda Festival

The Victorian English Gentlemens Club Links

Website / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

Article posted by Musicmafia

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DESIGNER MAGAZINE PRESENTS: May 2012 Gig Listings - Dry Bar / The Roadhouse

DESIGNER MAGAZINE PRESENTS: May 2012 Gig Listings - Dry Bar / The Roadhouse Manchester

Some exciting new nights like BAKER MAKER launching on the 19th May as well as the return of indie popsters MR TOM and for old school indie types we have the Manchester debut from Famous Villains who are ex The Wallbirds

* May 4th @ Dry Bar - 6.30pm doors - £5 (14+)

MR TOM

Conquer Rio

The Cut Out And Keeps

Plastic Rabbits

Disfunktional

Mr Tom have recently finished working with James Kenosha, noted for his work with Pulled Apart By Horses, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Dry The River 

* May 5th - FUNF @ The Roadhouse - 7pm Doors - £5 (18+)

Transition Baby

The Peeks

Prose

Straw Dogs

+ 1 more TBC

Funf is Designer Magazine's biggest monthly night - Funf of the best bands for Funf £££

We're really excited about new acoustic hip hop trio Prose - think early Plan B

* May 12th - Metal On Metal @ Dry bar - 6.30pm - £5 (14+)

Deceiver

Synapse

City Of The Ghost

Orion

Dread Your Last Day

Manchester's finest new metal night ft the best of Manchester -  Just Metal - no cliques

* May 19th - Baker Maker @ The Roadhouse - 6pm - £6 (14+ until 9pm / 18+ after 9pm)

Evacuate

The Strive

+ more TBA

Designer Magazine's new night ft bands and freshly baked treats from BBC Young Baker Of The Year Oliver Campbell

* May 19th @ Dry Bar - 6.30pm Doors - £5 (14+)

Famous Villains (ex The Wallbirds)

High Nines

The Zetlands

Jackt

Sister Ray

Famous Villains, A 5-piece alternative rock band from Doncaster, Ft Anthony Lindley & Chris Autey (The Wallbirds ex lead singer & drummer respectively),

* May 26th @ Dry Bar - 6.30pm Doors - £5 (14+)

Post Zero

The Montoyas

The Madding Crow

The Vox

Sophie Wray

Post Zero fuse their modern take on post-punk with lyrical content reflecting on today's culture and society

* May 30th @ The Roadhouse - 7pm Doors - £5 (18+)

New Band Showcase at Roadhouse - Line Up TBC

Article posted by Musicmafia

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