Christiaan Webb - Thursday 19 April @ Leaf Cafe Bold street Liverpool

Christiaan Webb - Thursday 19 April @ Static Gallery Liverpool

Harvest Sun present... 

Christiaan Webb

Thursday 19 April @  Leaf Cafe Bold street Liverpool

Tickets £7adv from Probe and Ticketline

Support from Joshua Caole and Zoe Devlin

16th April 2012 sees the release of A Man Possessed, the debut solo album by Christiaan Webb that features 11 songs that represent the culmination of a life-altering spiritual journey for Christiaan.

Eldest son of songwriting legend Jimmy Webb (Witchita Lineman, Galveston, By The Time I get To Phoenix), Christiaan first came to public attention as part of the Webb Brothers, a band he formed with his younger brother, Justin.  In 1998, the demo album Beyond the Biosphere was released to critical acclaim in the U.K. and was quickly picked up by London-based label Easy! Tiger Records. The Webb Brothers then signed with Warner Music and the album Maroon was released to critical and commercial success in 2000.  Touring extensively, the brothers built a strong fan base in the UK that continues to this day. 2003 saw the release of the eponymous Webb Brothers album (as well as recruitment of brother James), showcasing the versatility and depth of Christiaan’s songwriting. In 2009, the brothers joined their father to form ‘Jimmy Webb and the Webb Brothers,’ releasing the reflective, mature sounding Cottonwood Farm (Proper Music).

Following this collaboration, Christiaan began work on the songs that form A Man Possessed, partly inspired by the writings of Don Miguel Ruiz. “The way this album came about has been a spiritual journey more than anything else,” says Christiaan.  “Last year, I read the book The Four Agreements. 

It affected me; a Toltec wisdom book had changed my life.  This was quite a change for a guy who had been a freewheeling rock-and-roller for 18years.”  The album began to take shape in early January 2011, the songs coming in a flash - lyrics, melody and chords, sometimes all in an hour or less.  “I had never experienced anything like it.  They were coming out so fast and they were some of the best songs I had ever written. I felt like a marionette, my fingers moving to new and unexpected places on the piano.  I really did feel like ‘a man possessed.”

With this new, unexpected collection of songs, Christiaan set out finding the right location to record them. “I reached out to Musicbox Studios in Cardiff, Wales.  Mark ‘the bear’ Foley and Andrew ‘Bernie’ Plain have been good friends to the Webb Brothers over the years and had always left their door open to me”.  With Bernie (drums), Mark (Bass) and Graham Ryder (Guitars) on board as the newly named ‘The Sweet Lords’, A Man Possessed was recorded in the UK in April 2011.

Produced by Charlie Francis (REM, High Llamas, Turin Brakes), it also features Christiaan’s good friends Romeo Stodart and Angela Gannon from the Magic Numbers and acts from the Cardiff area including Zervas and Pepper, Steve ‘Sweet Baboo’ Black and John ‘Catfish’ Thomas.A Man Possessed features some of Christiaan’s most beguiling melodies to date, with tracks such as ‘Midnight Moon’ recalling his best work with the Webb Brothers. ‘Life Support’ and ‘My Best Intentions’ express the range, power and soul of Christiaan’s melancholy, often spellbinding vocals. “This album is a shout out to my childhood heroes, both living and fallen, who were always in my prayers as I wrote and recorded it: John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Billy Joel, Elton John, Billy Preston and Jimmy Webb.  I would especially like to thank George Harrison, who I believe was my spiritual guide throughout this project.  If you are ever possessed by a spirit, I recommend George Harrison.”

'Slow Hearts' the debut EP by Joshua Caole was released in December 2010, he spent most of the following year touring with some ace people such as The Smoke Fairies and Slaid Cleaves in support of it. In January 2012 Joshua recorded his debut album 'Moon Palace' which is due for release on the 16th of April 2012 on Bullo Pill Recordings. He will be touring with Christiaan Webb around this time as well as many other shows of his own.

Read More

Cass McCombs Weds 7 March @ Leaf Bold Street, Liverpool

Cass McCombs Weds at Leaf cafe Liverpool

Cass McCombs 

Wednesday 7 March @ Leaf Bold Street, Liverpool

Tickets £9 from Probe Records, The Music Consortium and www.ticketline.co.uk/harvest-sun

Cass McCombs was born in 1977 and raised in Northern California. He is of the generation that grew up hearing the stories still fresh on people’s minds: Zodiac killings, Zebra killings, Manson, Black Panthers, SLA, riots, People’s Park, LSD, etc. These were the local legends and became the basis for McCombs’ imagination. He is a child of the 70s. Since leaving the area, he lived many years drifting the U.S. until ever attempting to make music seriously. He has said that from this experience he learned to listen to people’s stories from many walks of life. Instead of university, this was his education. McCombs worked as a janitor, in a horse stable, a book shop; he was a soda jerk, a truck driver, and a movie projectionist. He worked construction in New Jersey and at a midtown NYC delicatessen. McCombs developed his narrative songwriting style, and since has always expressed himself through the use of characters. He writes stories for his friends using their humour, their language, with detail and color, relating their drug use to classical literary themes, for instance. Rather than fulfilling the stereotype of the confessional singer-songwriter, he describes the lifestyles and feelings of those that surround him, with more love than judgment. McCombs is a mirror.

Deeply distrustful of the Business, McCombs has stayed relatively underground, supported by a devoted fan base and his label/publisher. In 2010, Domino Records hired a photo-surveillance private investigator to follow McCombs and take what would be become the publicity shots for Wit’s End. Examples such as this suggest that he and mainstream acceptance are in a state of perpetual stalemate. However, in contrast to his persona, McCombs’ music is generous, the melodies always infectious, the production and musicianship first-rate. And at the forefront of his craft are always the lyrics, which more than any songwriter today propels the avant-garde. He presents morally ambiguous situations for the listener, allowing them to interpret however they choose. McCombs has always refused to speak his influences, except for American folk music and The Beatles. He is a folk artist, telling the stories of his native land in a modern tongue.

Humor Risk is his sixth-and-a-half record, and second released in 2011, following Wit’s End, which featured the tragic song “County Line”. Musically, it is more rhythm-based, and with a heavier lyricism, than its sparse predecessor. Both were compiled from recordings made over the course of three years, in various places such as New York City, New Jersey, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles and mixed in a single session and divided into albums. This follows the way McCombs works, he writes continuously, not for any album in mind, and then puts them into themed groups. Humor Risk is an attempt at laughter instead of confusion, chaos instead of morality, or, as fellow Northern Californian Jack London said, “I would rather be ashes than dust!”

Humor Risk is an attempt at laughter instead of confusion, chaos instead of morality, or, as fellow Northern Californian Jack London said, “I would rather be ashes than dust!”. Musically, it is more rhythm-based, tempos swifter to nearly rocking, than the sparse Wit’s End. Infectious melodies are outlined by a wry lyricism that expresses the stories of characters from McCombs’ native land. Rather than fulfilling the stereotype of the confessional singer-songwriter, he describes the lifestyles and feelings of those that surround him, with more love than judgment: drugs, Scientology, Western America, and so on, in allegorical form. Humor Risk portrays yet another face of this versatile and much underrated artist.

He currently lives in San Francisco.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUfLXvH4fN4

Read More

Harvest Sun Promotions presents...Josh Rouse at the Black-E

Harvest Sun Promotions presents...Josh Rouse at the Black-E Liverpool

This Thursday a Harvest Sun All Timer to Liverpool for the first time since 2004, as JOSH ROUSE comes to the landmark Black-E buildling.  The buidling built absolutely years ago (Wikipedia for all the juicy facts) houses one of the most wonderful venues we've seen in a very long time - think a mini version of the Paradiso in Amsterdam and you're almost there.

This is one of only 5 UK dates for Josh and the only one in the Northwest, all in support of his brilliant new album, Josh Rouse & The Long Vacations.  We can't wait to be honest, it could be our finest hour yet.  Check out the beautiful poster above listen to all his albums on Spotify then purchase your ticket.

Below are more of our upcoming shows including new ones with SLEEP PARTY PEOPLE, MOON DUO, The People's Balearic Disco with PSYCHEMAGIK, CHRISTIAAN WEBB of the spawns of Jimmy Webb, The Webb Brothers and WALLIS BIRD.

26/01 JOSH ROUSE @ The Black-E

30/01 FRANCOIS & THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS @ Leaf Bold Street

01/02 LINDI ORTEGA @ Leaf Bold Street

14/02 HIGH PLACES @ The Shipping Forecast

23/02 THE WAR ON DRUGS @ The Kazimier

24/02 COLD SPECKS @ Leaf Bold Street

25/02 FANFARLO @ The Static Gallery

07/03 CASS McCOMBS @ Leaf Bold Street

08/03 VERONICA FALLS @ Leaf Bold Street

16/03 DIAGRAMS @ The Static Gallery

24/03 PSYCHEMAGIK @ Leaf Bold Street

19/01 CHRISTIAAN WEBB (The Webb Brothers) @ The Static Gallery 

20/04 SLEEP PARTY PEOPLE @ Mello Mello

09/05 WALLIS BIRD @ Leaf Bold Street

23/05 THE HANDSOME FAMILY @ Leaf Bold Street

07/06 MOON DUO @ The Static Gallery

Tickets for all shows available right here:

http://www.ticketline.co.uk/harvest-sun#bio

Read More

Merry Christmas from Harvest Sun

A few Christmas words from Harvest sun and news on more gigs for 2012

Right before we go any further we would just like to thank anyone who attended any of our gigs over the past 12 months in any shape or form, sober or straight, we salute you and would like to wish you a very merry Christmas.  We've had some great shows from early in the year with Gruff Rhys in February to the journey Wooden Shjips took us on at the Kazimier in September then onto Roddy Frame and Other Lives a month or so back.

The year isn't all over music-wise though, we've got a cracking New Years Party at The Static Gallery, a class of 2012 if you will.  It's gonna be a cracker.  We have Loved Ones, The Sundowners, Endeci, It's Murder Beams, Grand Lunar and Cantmixwontmixshdntmixdontmix DJ's keeping the disco going long into the night.  Tickets only £6 from Probe Records and ticketline RIGHT NOW.

Now for the nitty gritty, since our last mail out we've added some great new shows to our 2012 fixture list.  These are Cass McCombs, Veronica Falls, High Places, Diagrams, Lindo Ortega, Phantom Limb and Harvest Sun all timers, The Handsome Family. 

Most of these should all appear at least once in everyone's collection.  If not, re-write that Christmas list cos every one is worth checking out.  Take Lindi Ortega for instance, a relatively unknown Country singer from Canada; well she's just beaten the likes of Fucked Up, Chilly Gonzalez and Timber Timbre to the #1 Canadian album of the year over at Snob Music.  High praise indeed.

We could go on all day, but there isn't any sign of a dud in them there gigs.  Here they all are here...

19/01 LANTERNS ON THE LAKE @ The Static Gallery

26/01  JOSH ROUSE @ The Black-E

01/02  LINDI ORTEGA @ Leaf Bold Street

14/02  HIGH PLACES @ Mojo

23/02  THE WAR ON DRUGS @ The Kazimier

24/02  COLD SPECKS @ Leaf Bold Street

25/02  FANFARLO @ The Static Gallery

07/03  CASS McCOMBS @ Leaf Bold Street

08/03  VERONICA FALLS @ Leaf Bold Street

09/03  PHANTOM LIMB @ Mello Mello

16/03  DIAGRAMS @ Mojo

23/05  THE HANDSOME FAMILY @ Leaf Bold Street

 

Tickets for all shows available right here:

 

http://www.ticketline.co.uk/harvest-sun#bio

Read More

Harvest sun Promotions - Winter 2011 gigs in Liverpool

Winter listings from our good friends at Harvest Sun. There is more info on some of the acts playing on the site but heres some more info to refresh your memories.

Good evening droogs, it's been a long time and as we're approaching Christmas we thought it would be time to reveal what's been happening at Harvest Sun Towers and the gigs we've got on offer for the remainder of the year and into 2012.

First up we have USA's LOCH LOMOND, whose newest album,, 'Little Me Will Start a Storm' has garnered critical praise from all and sundry since its release a few months back. Including an 8/10 from Drowned In Sound. Support from Goodnight Lenin, The City Walls and All We Are.

7.30pm, 22 November @ The Static Gallery, Roscoe Lane (off Berry Street). Listen here

Next we welcome New York's FOREST FIRE to The Shipping Forecast. They first caught our attention when their debut long player, 'Survival' won album of the year on the wonderful French Blog, 'La Blogotheque'. Their new one, 'Staring At The X' has had critics falling over themselves to heap yet more praise on them. Support from Manchester's Driver Drive Faster, who sound like a yet to be heard Sub Pop great, and local rising stars, Tacoma and Greenwich Tea Party who recently supported Harvest Sun faves Other Lives in London.

7.30pm, 28 November @ The Shipping Forecast, Slater Street. Listen here

And here we go again... on 30 November, upstairs at Leaf Bold Street, we welcome the wonderful MEG BAIRD, lead singer of twisted folkies ESPERS. She is touring in support of her sublime new album, 'Seasons On Earth'. Think Nancy Elizabeth and a bit of Vashti Bunyan and you're not far off. We've managed to persuade the equally beguiling EMMA TRICCA to travel up from the south to support, and they'll be joined by Fallen Leaf (Joe Keelan of The Random Family), one to watch, Emily Cimber and David Barnicle.

7.30pm, 30 November @ Leaf Bold Street. Listen here

All that and a New Years Eve Party at Static (details to follow), the great JOSH ROUSE at The Black-E on 26 January, THE WAR ON DRUGS @ The Kazimier on 23 February, then the next day we welcome the gospel-soul of COLD SPECKS who stole the show last week on Jools Holland (here & here).

See you soon.

Details of tickets and where to buy them are all below along with pics of who you're coming to see.

Loch Lomond £5adv available here & Probe Records (School Lane)

Meg Baird £7adv available here & Probe Records (School Lane)

The War on Drugs £9adv available here & Probe Records (School Lane)

Forest Fire £6.50adv available here & Probe Records (School Lane)

Josh Rouse £15adv available here & Probe Records (School Lane)

Cold Specks £6.50adv available here & Probe Records (School Lane)

Read More

Harvest sun up and coming events 2011 and 2012

OTHER LIVES + The Sundowners +The Harvest Sun Playlist 22 October @ Leaf Bold Street £8adv Seetickets & Probe Records		SHE KEEPS BEES + Dirtblonde + Endeci + Wet Mouth 25 October @ The Shipping Forecast £6.50adv Seetickets & Probe Records
KALEIDOSCOPE pt2  Elephant Stone (CAN) + By The Sea + Lucky Beaches Grand Lunar + The Coral DJ Set  26 October @ The Kazimier £5.00adv Ticketline & Probe Records		∆ ALT-J +Eva Petersen +Bunny Munro 28 October @ Milk Studios £5 invite only
TWIN SISTER + All We Are + Carousel +The Readymades  6 November @ Mojo £FREE Seetickets		LOCH LOMOND  + support TBA  22 November @ The Static Gallery £5adv from Seetickets
FOREST FIRE + Driver Drive Faster + Tacoma + Greenwich Tea Party 28 November @ The Shipping Forecast £6.50adv Seetickets & Probe Records (School Lane)		MEG BAIRD (Espers) + EMMA TRICCA + Fallen Leaf + Emily Cimber + David Barnicle 30 November @ Leaf Bold Street £7adv Ticketweb & Probe Records
JOSH ROUSE + special guests 26 January @ The Black-E £15adv Ticketweb		THE WAR ON DRUGS + special guests 23 February @ The Kazimier £9adv Seetickets @

Read More

Sarabeth Tucek @ St Brides Church Review

The Random Family brought another laid back folk fuelled night at St Brides Church in Liverpool on Saturday, with them performing a set full of toe tapping moments, on stage giggles over Scouse/London pronunciations and voices so mellow, they melted across the atmospheric, candle lit church creating a fabulous atmosphere and a perfect warm up set for American singer/songwriter, Sarabeth Tucek, the headliner for tonight's mini folk fest.

Sarabeth Tucek took to the stage with with fellow guitarist and producer of her album, Luther Russell and began her acoustic set. The opening vocals were high and to be honest, fairly annoying but soon edged towards a deeper, silky tone but she still managed to stretch each lyric out as far as possible and put as many pauses in between them as often as possible, resulting in each song feeling like it was going on for an eternity. And this style carried on for most of the set. The fact that there was no character or crowd interaction, apart from plugging her latest album, certainly didn't help at all. If it hadn't have been for the extremely talented Luther Russell's' performance on the electric acoustic guitar and his little quips every now and then, I'm afraid I may have fell asleep by track seven or eight instead of just stifling several yawns.

Aside from that, I did have a good time listening to The Random Family, a truly talented Liverpool folk group and I'm looking forward to hearing a bit more them very soon, especially if they hand out those chocolate rice krispie cakes again!!

More photos can be seen here 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.262021303819610.65578.124377034250705&type=1

Review by Alison Goggin

Read More

Harvest Sun Promotions present...Wooden Shijps at the Kazimier Liverpool

Harvest Sun Promotions proudly present...

WOODEN SHJIPS
THE FRESH & ONLYS
MUGSTAR
DJ BERNIE CONNOR

-------------------------------------------------------
8pm, Tuesday 6th September @ The Kazimier

Tickets £10 from: http://tiny.cc/woodenline
In person from here: http://www.probe-records.com/
-------------------------------------------------------
WOODEN SHJIPS

Wooden Shjips is a vital and refreshingly inspired quartet from San Francisco playing loud rock ‘n’ roll in a style heavily influenced by the experimentalism of psychedelia, classical minimalism and garage rock excess. Started as an experiment in rhythmic primitivism and group improvisation, the current lineup brings a more structured rock approach to its performances, utilizing a traditional lineup of drums (Omar Ahsanuddin), bass (Dusty Jermier), organ (Nash Whalen), guitar (Erik “Ripley” Johnson) and vocals.

Its songs sound something akin to the icy garage rock of early Echo & The Bunnymen crossed with the sun-bleached tremolo-punk of the Scientists. There are hints of krautrock, the trance-inducing organ haze of Suicide, Deerhunter style dance-drone, classic desert-fried garage psych and the mysterious, obscure Japanese lysergic-rock band Les Rallizes Denudes all mixed into one explosive whole on Wooden Shjips self-titled Holy Mountain debut.

The experience of Wooden Shjips has been equated to that of the Japanese phenomenon called maboroshi, which is somewhat similar to seeing a mirage or hallucinating in time. In the context of imagination/dreams, maboroshi is attributed to past occurrences and can take on a meaning like “phantoms.” The group’s songs seem to exist in a dream state in which anything is possible.

-------------------------------------------------------
THE FRESH & ONLY'S

The Fresh & Onlys are set apart by an endearingly fussy devotion to songcraft and an understated and unfakeable weirdness… their possibly unhealthy familiarity with garage-rock arcana is balanced out by a keen songwriter’s eye, and their obsession with the past is elevated by genuine affection and love” - Pitchfork 

-------------------------------------------------------
MUGSTAR

Mugstar are the sound of 10,000 suns exploding, pulsing with repetitive beauty, pounding like a supersonic mantra with shades of Sonic Youth, Neu!, Oneida and Pink Floyd.

Read More

End of Summer Party with the LOVE INKS at Williamson Tunnels

Harvest Sun Promotions present

End Of Summer Party

Saturday 24 September @ The Williamson Tunnels

LOVE INKS

Gross Magic

All We Are

Seek Magic DJ's

and more tbc

Doors 8pm, Tickets £6 from Seetickets & Probe Records (No booking fee)

"One of the brightest and biggest guitar pop songs we’ve heard this year” – Abeano

“Unshakably simple pop songs stacked full of wistful melody and dark energy” – Dazed & Confused

“ESP pushes their simplistic, out of place mantra to perfection” - NME

“Not many bands show this much patience and restraint with their debut, and it pays off.” - Stereogum

Austin, Texas three-piece Love Inks released their debut album ‘E.S.P.’ earlier this year, along with their highly infectious, dreamy pop gem and debut single 'Blackeye'. In Europe the single was released on limited edition 7” vinyl on March 28^th through Italian record label Hell, Yes! (Dum Dum Girls, Crocodiles, SISU), followed by the album ‘E.S.P.’ on May 2^nd. City Slang released the record in the US.

E.S.P. was conceived and recorded with strict, direct motives. The sounds captured within these 10 tracks are simply an electric guitar, a bass guitar, an old drum machine, at special moments a Moog Satellite and, most importantly, the simple yet poignant vocals ofSherry LeBlanc. The combined sound is minimalist dream-pop; imbued with raw emotion, sexuality, and splashes of electronic colour. Focus is placed primarily on the voice, which is direct and honest and real. No frills, tears through extravagant side roads, or indulgent solos necessary.

Sherry is however, a firm believer in positivity. Her lyrics are never abusive or cynical.“We are a family, and in some ways stronger because we are always supportive. The album reflects a time and place for everyone in the band. A time to pare down to what is necessary, essential. Cut out complexity, and you'll find a deeper layer that is thicker and stronger. Like the human body, you'll eventually end up at a nerve; once it's hit, that's when we know we're there, and that's when we press the record button.”

Self-recorded in their own homes, Austin, Texas, and mixed by a friend; the idea was to get the purest signals from all instruments and feed them through an 8-track reel-to-reel, immediately warming the sounds and weaving it all together. This process was drawn out on a piece of paper in schematics before recording with the concept being: the less digitized, the better. In March of 2010, Love Inksstarted the process with fifteen or more songs, and by June they were down to a solid ten.

The songs featured on E.S.P. were written to showcase the essence of emotion behind each instrument. It started as an exercise and became the only way to do it, forever. With the guitar and bass, Love Inks found there is a way to drop it perfectly into the song, in between everything, so that the vocal can exist in its own world, floating independently above the song.

http://loveinks.com

Read More

Jezz Kerr (A certain ratio ) Fri 16 Sept @ The Static Gallery

 

JEZZ KERR (A CERTAIN RATIO)

Tea Street Band

Dass Unser

DJ Bernie Connor

8pm, Friday 16 September @ The Static Gallery

Tickets £7 from Seetickets & Probe Records

Debut solo album Numb Mouth Eat Waste due for release 12^th September 2011.

A Certain Ratio were one of the first bands signed to Factory Records, making some of  the most out there funked up music that label bore witness to. Jez Kerr their lead singer with his magnificent debut solo album out 12 Sept. on Higuera Records.

Jez Kerr is bass guitarist, songwriter and vocalist of A Certain Ratio, the band he formed in Manchester in 1977 with three friends - Simon Topping, Peter Terrell and Martin Moscrop - who bonded over a shared love of Northern soul, Kraftwerk and Brian Eno, taking their name from a line in the Eno song A True Wheel. Signed for pretty much all their career to Factory and then Rob’s Records,  their repertoire includes classics like “Shack Up”, “Won’t Stop Loving You”, “Good Together” and “27 Forever”. ACR’s cult following and appeal has never dimmed with Soul Jazz Recordings re-issuing ACR’s early albums in the Noughties.

However, Kerr is the only member who remains a full-time musician. This has prompted a collection of songs written based on Jez’s earlier influences and, for the first time in 30 years, without ACR in mind. A digital-only single, Play Sumthing Fast, was released by Welsh valleys-based indie Higuera Records earlier this year, and another, Rip You Right Back came out at the end of May, with his debut solo album Numb Mouth Eat Waste due for release 12^th September.

The singles sound distinctly Mancunian; Kerr's vocals are gentle verging on tentative, the rhythmic drive of the songs is almost a throwback to early Joy Division, the guitars grind and mesh in a way that echoes the very earliest ACR records, yet everything manages to sound much brighter and more upbeat than the sum of its parts might suggest. Kraftwerk meets the Buzzcocks.

He's recently performed his first ever London solo show with a band that featured ex-Fall and Ian Brown drummer Simon Wolstonecroft, former Hacienda and New Order DJ Tintin on keyboards, and Treatment’s  Keo Martin on guitar, as well as sold out gigs in Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and North wales. He has an extensive Nationwide tour arranged in September, when his solo album is released, and a tour of the U.S, where ACR are still cult favourites, is set for October. A well received session for Marc Riley’s Radio 6 Music show early in January saw 4 tracks broadcast across the national network which in turn brought critical nods and acclaim.

Read More

Vic Godard & Subway Sect - The Williamson Tunnels - Liverpool - Saturday 10th Septembe

  The Ladykillers
Beatnik Hurricanes 

Mashemon
DJ Joe McKechine

The Williamson Tunnels, Liverpool
Saturday 10th September @ 8pm
£8 - Tickets: Probe Records (School Lane, Bluecoat Building) / Seetickets.com / Ticketline.co.uk

Vic Godard has forged his own unique trajectory since emerging from the 100 Club punk scene of 76 where Subway Sect debuted alongside contemporaries The Clash and Sex Pistols. Their garage sound and sense of melody set them apart from the usual run of the mill punk acts that joined the conveyor belt that year. Indeed, by the time their debut album ‘What’s The Matter Boy?’ was released, Godard and the Sect had tempered their sound to a more pop based (but nevertheless still edgy) mix.

The 1980s saw Vic Godard experiment with swing and Motown. However, it is his association with Orange Juice and Fire Engines (of the Scottish label Postcard) which defined the Subway Sect as purveyors of abrasive, catchy melodic punk pop. Indeed, the great Edwyn Collins has long championed the musical genius of Godard, producing three albums for him Long term Side Effects and In Trouble again in 1998 and End of the Surrey People in 1993) and inviting him on board to provide backing vocals on the classic Collins hit ‘Girl Like You’ in 1994.

The successful release of ‘1978 Now’ in 2007, the second on Overground Records (the first in 1996 was We Oppose all Rock and Roll), saw Godard and Subway Sect return to their initial punk sound deconstructing the earliest songs to their initial primitive roots.’

Vic is currently playing the best music of his career with a superb line of musicians and his last album We Come as Aliens was released last year.

“The songs from the album have been evolving since the mid 1990’s, with the exception of Francoise Hardy’s ‘Et Meme’, which I have wanted to record since ’77. Some of the tracks have been included in live sets over the years with the various Sects, the oldest being Ne’er which I used to do when Bitter Springs were masquerading as Subway Sect. Takeover, Best Album, Et Meme and That Train have been part of the live set for a while now.”

“A couple of years ago I recorded a demo of Et Meme and That Train with the Wet Dog Sect, nothing came of it because the line up changed a couple of times but once I had Mark, Kev and Gary on board I knew I had the group to record 2009- we agreed a vinyl deal and started recording at One Cat Studios. Disaster struck 5 tracks in when Gary’s back went but then a stroke of luck- Paul Cook was available and willing to finish the album with us, for which I am very grateful. We haven’t listed which tracks Gary and Paul play on as their styles are so distinctive, which is part of what gives this album its unique sound” says Goddard.

About the music-
Our sound on this album is based around the beats of Gary Ainge , who loves Northern Soul and 70s music and Paul Cook, the inimitable West London drummer, whose instantly recognisable style defines the tracks he plays on.. Mark Braby, our multi talented bass and acoustic guitar player brings a wide range of musical influences and talents to the mix- he is currently our live drummer. You can hear that Kevin Younger, who plays guitar, organ and piano, is mad on garage music especially of the sixties variety, (he is also adept at playing obscure theme tunes when least expected). Simon Rivers adds another dimension to the tracks he appears on with his distinctive vocal sound., he also conjured up a superb guitar solo on Back in the Community. Since’ 76 the Sect has been committed to set discords and melodies to beats, so I am sure it has been a lot of work for all those concerned. We would not have the ‘Best Album’ that we set out to make were it not for Jon Clayton of One Cat Studios, who not only recorded, mixed and helped produce We Come as Aliens but also played percussion and keyboard on a few tracks. The songs are a cross section of material we have been working on at Survival Studios over the last two years, in between rehearsing for gigs. Musical influences come thick and fast- Rotten and Thunders, Chuck and Bo, Ray Charles and Mose Allison, while lyrically this must be the best Subway Sect collection yet.

Read More

Harvest Sun Promotions presents....

 

 

 

The latest line up for the summer by the harvest sun guys...and what a line up it is!! Some must see acts here and as always make sure you book early as they have a habit of selling out!!

 

 

 

MITCHELL MUSEUM

"It's an album of gloriously eccentric psych-pop. Summers soundtrack has arrived right on time." - 4/5 UNCUT
"Giddy-making sonic kaleidoscopes. A wonderful new band." - THE SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE: Breaking Act
"Dense rhythms that invoke Mercury Rev's busiest psych-pop" - Q MAGAZINE : 'NEXT BIG THING'

Esperi
Terra Alpha (Acoustic)
Dave Barnicle

7.30pm, Friday 29 July @ Mello Mello, Tickets £5 from Seetickets or pay on the door

--------------------------------------------

ACOUSTIC AIR RAID @ The Bombed Out Church

The Springtime Anchorage
The City Walls
The Hummingbirds
Professor Yaffle

An afternoon of 'Acoustic, Cosmic Americana, Folk' at the most beautiful setting in the city.

2pm, Sunday 14 August @ St. Luke's Church (The Bombed Out Church).  Tickets £5 on the door, kids in FREE

--------------------------------------------

THE THESPIANS

More TBA

The Bido Lito! Social Club

8pm, Thursday 25 August @ The Shipping Forecast, £4 on the door

--------------------------------------------

SARABETH TUCEK

One of only 2 UK show's, the other being the great End Of The Road Festival in London.
“All hail the new queen of folky torchsong” – MOJO (4 STARS)
“Stunning debut” – UNCUT (4 STARS)
“A dusky, desert-folk gem” – THE TIMES

The Random Family
More TBA

8pm, Saturday 3 September @ St. Bride's Church.  Tickets £6 from Seetickets & Probe Records

--------------------------------------------

WOODEN SHIPS

This is one that we've been trying for since year 0. Cult San Franciscan psych-trance-rockers,
Wooden Shjips' first ever jaunt to Liverpool. New album West out 13 August on Thrill Jockey
Records It's a coup if there ever was one.  Not much else we can say, will be the best gig we've
ever had the pleasure of hosting, bar none.

THE FRESH & ONLY'S

The Fresh & Onlys are set apart by an endearingly fussy devotion to songcraft and an understated
and unfakeable weirdness… their possibly unhealthy familiarity with garage-rock arcana is balanced
out by a keen songwriter’s eye, and their obsession with the past is elevated by genuine affection
and love” - Pitchfork

Mugstar
DJ Bernie Connor

8pm, Tuesday 6 September @ The Kazimier.  Tickets £10 from Seetickets & Probe Records

--------------------------------------------

VIC GODARD & SUBWAY SECT

How can we spout about Vic Godard & Subway Sect.  Quite simply one of the finest bands
to emerge from the late 70's / early 80's punk scene.  Forming with 3 other Sex Pistols fans
in 1976 and taking on all comers when bands came and went like we don't know what through
to their association with Orange Juice & Fire Engines as purveyors of the finest abrasive catchy
melodic punk pop.  LEGENDS.

The Wild Eyes
The LadyKillers
DJ Joe McKechine

8pm, Saturday 10 September @ The Williamson Tunnels.  Tickets £8 from Seetickets & Probe Records

--------------------------------------------

JEZ KERR

A Certain Ratio were one of the first bands signed to Factory Records,
making some of the most out t here funked up music  that label bore witness to. Jez Kerr their lead
singer with his magnificent debut solo album out 12 Sept. on Higuera Records.

Tea Street Band
Dass Unser
DJ Bernie Connor

8pm, Friday 16 Setpember @ The Static Gallery.  Tickets £7 from Seetickets & Probe Records.

--------------------------------------------

END OF SUMMER PARTY @ THE WILLIAMSON TUNNELS

 

LOVE INKS

One of the brightest and biggest guitar pop songs we’ve heard this year” – Abeano
“Unshakably simple pop songs stacked full of wistful melody and dark energy” – Dazed & Confused
“ESP pushes their simplistic, out of place mantra to perfection” - NME
“ Not many bands show this much patience and restraint with their debut, and it pays off.” - Stereogum

Gross Magic
All We Are
Seek Magic DJ's

More TBA

8pm, Saturday 24 September @ The Williamson Tunnels.  Tickets £6 from Seetickets & Probe Records (No booking fee)

--------------------------------------------

CAVE PAINTING

'THE NEXT BIG THING' or so we hear, though reputation counts for nothing at Harvest Sun Towers.
Sell out shows before they've even released a single must count for something?  What we do know
is that these are good, in fact they're very good and the 3 tunes we've heard are some of the finest
this year. Next big thing? Of course. Check here http://www.cavepaintingmusic.com/

Metamusic
More TBA

7.30pm, Sunday 25 September @ The Shipping Forecast.  Tickets £5 from Seetickets & Probe Records.

--------------------------------------------

WILLIAM TYLER
(Lambchop / The Silver Jews)

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER

After his very successful tour of the UK in the company of  Michael Chapman early this year, William
Tyler returns to the UK for another brief run of mesmerising shows, this time as a double bill with
Hiss Golden Messenger, described by David Bowie as "mystical country, an eerie yellowing photograph".

7.30pm, Thursday 6 October @ Leaf, Tickets £7 from Seetickets & Probe Records

--------------------------------------------

KALEIDOSCOPE pt.2

ELEPHANT STONE
(Canada)

By The Sea
Lucky Beaches
DJ Koolaid Bob (Probe Records)

Mind-Bending Visuals!

A night of 'Psychedelic Sunshine Folk for Day Dream Believers'

7.30pm, Wednesday 26 October @ The Kazimier.  Tickets £5 from Seetickets & Probe Records

Twitter FaceBook Group Mailing List

Read More