Gruff Rhys Live @ The Kazimier Liverpool 2011

GRUFF RHYS

Plus Y NIWL

8pm , Friday 18th February @ The Kazimier

Tickets £13.50 pre-sale available now until wednesday 8 December on

www.crowdsurge.com


Then on general sale from Probe Records, ticketline & seetickets.

This is a mixed seating/standing show and tickets are limited.

When they're gone, they're gone

JIM NOIR @ The Static Gallery Liverpool

Its not easy to take yourself out on a cold,icy,snowy,windy and bitter Friday night but, like many of the people who turned up for the Jim Noir gig last night at the static gallery, I'm very glad i did. Harvest Suns promotions has laid on a number of gigs this year and this was definitely one of the most outstanding ones. I didn't expect much of a turn out, but was pleasantly surprised by the support for the gig and for Jim Himself. By the way if you are familiar with the name, its a homage to Vic Reeves whose real name is Jim Noir (just a factoid).
Jim's music is often described as psychedelic pop electronica and likened to the Beach Boys, The Beta Band and even Badly drawn boy but apart from the melodic, simple lyrics this is far as the connection went for me as the Static Gallery played host to one of the most enigmatic of musicians around. His enthusiasm seemed to physically pour out of him from the stage onto the crowd in front and with Jim and his band, playing at top neck speed and with such energy that it could have powered a city, it was easy to see why the crowd were infected by this and began to dance around like the possessed. And with the likes of "Eanie Meany" and tracks from his new LP Zooper Dooper on the play list it was easy to get caught up in the madness.
Ending on "My Patch" this saw Jim summon up friends from the crowd to accompany him on stage with harmonica and vocals and the whole event turned into one giant house party with Jim the host and all of us as the most welcome of guests. This was a gig full of energy,commitment and vibrance and this along with a feeling of fulfilment was taken with us as we braved the cold winter night air once more.

http://jimnoir.com/

http://www.myspace.com/jimnoir

Ringo Deathstar @ The 02 Academy Liverpool

Ringo Deathstarr. Sound like something out of Star Wars? Well nothing could be further. Hailing from Austin, Texas the trio consisting of singer and guitarist Elliott Frazier , Bassist Alex Gehring and Drummer Daniel Coborn have gone through numerous line up changes to end up at the O2 Academy supporting The Wedding Present.

Their sound is an amalgamation of Grunge, My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain but with more of the intensity that Nirvana brought to the world.

The first thing you notice about the band is the contrasting figures within the band. Elliot with his intense, downtrodden and focused image along side Alex’s rock chick look and with Daniel on drums counter-acting the both of them with his almost bright and cheeky look the trio work because of the variation. As does the contrasting vocals from Elliot and Alex. His deep, disturbed sound as opposed to Alex’s high pitched approach which puts you a little off guard at times.

The music itself is full on. Elliot’s guitar thrashing and wailing reminiscent of Mr Cobain himself. Throwing himself into the guitar solos with total abandonment helped along by Alex’s more down beat bass playing.

Unfortunately it seemed the soundman at the 02 had not done his job as the bands vocals were barely audible and the music drowning out the lyrics of which I would have liked to hear and with not much consideration for the band itself in the form of still showing the upcoming events on screens either side of the stage did not help the band showcase themselves properly, which I felt was a shame as they seem to have a lot of potential and would likely attract a good audience of young and old due to their new yet old sound.

http://www.myspace.com/ringodeathstarr

ELECTRIC REINDEER - Joyeux Noel Party

Harvest Sun Promotions presents...

ELECTRIC REINDEER

'Joyeux Noel Party'

with

THE TEA STREET BAND

RUN TOTO RUN

PICTURE BOOK

DJ'S BERNIE CONNOR AND STE BRENNAN


'A FESTIVE FUELLED DISCO FOR PARTY PEOPLE'

8.30 'til LATE Saturday 11 December @ The Masque, Liverpool

The Tea Street Band
From the ashes of The Maybes to the flames of the burning sun. The Tea Street Band blend europhia with energetic dance to bring you a positivity not seen this side of the Mersey since the berth of Dance culture. Having already played Creamfields and The Mathew St Festival this year, The Tea Street Band are ready to drop the bomb in peoples minds and hearts.

Run Toto Run
Run toto Run are a Manchester Electro three-piece who since day one have caused a fuss in local and national press. They have played everyone's favourite festival three times and have supported the likes of Everything Everything, Neon Indian & James Yuill. These are our Christmas pudding and we're going to feast on it!

Picture Book
The story of Picture Book and Seymour Stein is now legendary. When you hear Picture Book you can see clearly why the Music mogul took an instant liking to the band. Picture Book deliver and weave a high energy, tribal electronic dance beat that brings you a natural high rarely seen nowadays. Picture Book are riding on a crest of a wave at the moment. Let them lift your spirit!


Thanks


Have a nice day,


Harvest Sun Promotions

More details:

www.myspace.com/harvestsunpromotions
Facebook: Harvest Sun
Facebook Group: Harvest Sun Promotions
Twitter: Harvest_Sun

Matt Berry @ The Masque Theatre Liverpool

Fans of the IT Crowd, Dark Places and of the man himself gathered in the Masque Theatre to witness a one off unique event. Matt Berry had come to woo them with his silky vocal talents and his unique brand of musical entertainment, and he didn’t disappoint. Entering on stage like Elvis Presley after a 3 minute build u, holding onto a Jack Daniels bottle which was almost as big as him, Matt went straight into the first number. That all too familiar voice bellowing out over the musicians.

With such classics as snuff box and Witchcraft the crowd lapped up both the humorous lyrics and Matt’s laid back attitude. In between songs the banter between him and the crowd was almost as if it was scripted and as soon as “One Track Lover” was played the obvious Garth Merenghi fans applauded and sang along.

The musicians themselves were faultless. The guitar player in particular was something to behold. Looking like Rodney Trotter with a curly wig on, he played like a man possessed by the ghost of Jimi Hendrix. The music itself varied from “reggae” to out and out funk-a-delic that would make George Clinton and Prince happy men. The Musicians were tight and played to Matt’s outlandish behaviour.

The encore itself was truly a masterpiece of invention. Singing “Jesus Christ Superstar” Matt left no doubt to his pre-conceived notions of himself and to be honest they were well deserved.

My only complaint to the whole night was the lack lustre crowd that had turned up to see Matt Berry. I think even at times during the end Matt seemed to be getting tired of trying to get some sort of interaction with the majority of the crowd and quite rightly so. But apart from that, this was a tremendous gig. Full of enthusiasm, humour and barrel loads of laughs. This has to be seen to be believed and as Matt Berry himself says...”Liverpool...you’re clever.....I LIKE THAT”

The Liars @ The Static Gallery

As part of Liverpool Music week, The Liars are one of the highlights. The American group have been known for the dramatic styles in music and the potential for doing things off the cuff when playing live means that the anticipation for them has been high and with them running late on the night this only added to it.

When the group eventually emerge there is no messing about. Straight into the first track and suddenly you realise what they mean by dramatic styles. It almost sounds like the musicians are playing their own songs individual to each other but yet combining that to create one linear tune. Lead singer Angus Andrew’s vocals are spine tingling with screams that are primal and come from deep within. With drums beating loud and fast and a bass line to match, it sounds like a free for all. Each member of the band doing their own thing.

Although the crowd that had come to see the liars enjoyed it, I have to admit it wasn’t my kind of thing. Maybe it’s my age but I like my music constructed and concise. I like to be able to understand the vocals and at times it did seem the band were just creating a noise and the overwhelming sound of the 2 drum beats seemed to drown out the rest of the band. I admire them for doing their own thing but, for me the only thing I left with was ear ache.

http://www.myspace.com/liarsliarsliars

The Doors Alive @ The Stanley Theatre Liverpool

Friday night saw Stanley Hall transported back in time to the 1960’s as the UK’s number one
tribute band to The Doors paid a visit. As they took to the stage they had the look down to a tee,
especially “Jim” who was clad in leather pants, white shirt and love beads. The only thing that wasmissing was the obligatory bottle of Jack Daniels, instead they opted for Red Stripe as their on stage tipple.

With lead singer Willie aka Jim channelling Morrison to near perfection from the vocals to on stage presence, even staring off intensely into the crowd in between songs, Jim Morrison would be proud to know his legacy lives on in such a talented performer and allows the fans who never got to witness the actual Doors get a glimpse into what it may have been like.

With firm favourites like, Alabama Song (Whisky Bar), Light My Fire and Unknown Soldier recreated for you live, you can see why this tribute band has sold out gigs and back to back concerts at venues all over the UK.

Only let down for me and yes it’s a very minor one, was Roadhouse Blues. This is only because I love the live version by The Doors so much, mainly for Morrison’s live poetic on the spot lyrics and would personally have loved to have seen this recreated by The Doors Alive. Apart from that I can say with all honesty that this performance was faultless and would definitely go to see these guys again. They are back in Liverpool in January 2011 just in case you fancy a trip back in time.


Review by Alison Goggin

http://www.thedoorsalive.co.uk

Designer Magazine presents - Live at Copper Face Jacks

Designer Magazine presents.... Live at Copper Face Jacks

Carpe Diem
The Austins
The Logicals
Tigerside
Light Damage
Blue Grenade


Sat 13th November
Doors 7pm
£5

** NOTE: COPPER FACE JACKS IS UNDER THE PALACE HOTEL ON OXFORD ROAD - THE ENTRANCE IS ON THE CORNER OPPOSITE THE PALACE THEATRE AND CORNERHOUSE **


CARPE DIEM
Carpe Diem (meaning 'Seize The Day' in Latin) are a four piece, unsigned rock band formed in February 2009 by Tom Eccles (20) and Jonny Smale (20), who met in school at age 13 and became a close knit songwriting partnership. They have progressed and gone on to write countless songs together and saw early success writing songs such as 'Summer Blues' and 'Growing Up' when they were just 16. These songs and two others can be found in the music section, above. Matthew Bradburn (20) who was a friend of Tom and Jonny, joined the band as bassist and immediately clicked with the vibe. Simon Wolstencroft, former drummer of 'The Fall' 1986 - 1997 who also played and co-wrote with Ian Brown, joined the band after hearing a demo sent to him. Instinctively merging the seed of rock n roll with superbly catchy pop melodies and a focus on making you dance, Carpe Diem have the makings of a band with the power to cause a storm in this industry.

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/carpediemmanchester


THE AUSTINS
The Austins are a rock and roll band formed in South Manchester in the summer of 2009. United by their love of good music, the four members of the outfit combine inspiration with raw energy to create a unique sound. With a respect for all that has come before, The Austins offer a modern take on the classic guitar/bass/drums sound, with nods to guitar pop, blues rock, and post-punk within their music.

http://www.myspace.com/theaustins2010


THE LOGIGALS
The Logicals formed at the start of 2005 and quickly developed into one of Manchester most respected yet unsigned bands. Frequently headlining the central Manchester venues such as MOHO, Night & Day and Academy 3. In 2007 and 2008 the momentum built up for The Logicals logistical steam train with tour support slots with Alabama 3, Dodgy, Four Day Hombre, Jersey Budd and The Rifles. They are schedule to play with The Blockhead and OCS in December 2009 and January 2010 respectfully.

Previous collaborators with The Logicals include Aziz Ibrahim (Stone Roses / Ian Brown) and Denise Johnson (Primal Scream)

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/thelogicals


TIGERSIDE
http://www.myspace.com/tigersideuk


LIGHT DAMAGE
An alternative rock band from the suburb of flixton , Manchester. Formed by four mates Keiren Gallacher (Drums), Christian Ashworth (Guitar/Vocals), Dave Taylor (Bass) and D-low (Guitar) in a shabby over rated shed in Northenden

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/lightdamagemanchester


BLUE GRENADE
This music comes from the blues and punk; from the soul. It's from the same place that artists like The Gun Club, Pixies, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The White Stripes, and Tom Waits find their muse.

Sheer expression is the drive behind the material, wrestling emotion from as few notes as possible and paying no heed to virtuosity and technique.

An energy is created between the music and words that releases a fragile scream and a brutal whisper at all that's good and bad in the world, exploding and disintegrating between reflectiveness and vitriol.

http://www.myspace.com/thebluegrenade

November Listings for The Masque Liverpool

The Listings for gigs/acts in November 2010. To book tickets for any of the gigs then please go to the following websites

http://www.seetickets.com/
http://www.ticketline.co.uk/
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/
http://www.skiddle.com/

THE BOOK CLUB @ MANCHESTER ROADHOUSE

THE BOOK CLUB - DEC 14TH @ MANCHESTER ROADHOUSE

Doors 7pm
Supports TBC

Tickets just £6 from here...

www.seetickets.com/Event/THE-BOOK-CLUB/Roadhouse/512410

http://www.wegottickets.com/event/98350

THE BOOK CLUB
Right, let’s be honest biographies are often boring and monotonous. Four lads from a big city…blah blah blah….Firstly then, perhaps it would be more productive to tell you what The Book Club are not, rather than to tell you what they are about.

For a start you won’t find them dressed in all matching leather jackets, finally arriving on stage a bit worse for wear about an hour after they were meant to go on. They won’t be sporting rosary beads, trilbies or any other unnecessary accessories aimed at promoting an image of the bohemian tortured genius. The very fact that people go to such lengths in order to look like they don’t give a f*ck is quite self-explanatory. They aim not to produce promotional photographs which present the band as a group of angry doormen nor strive to create contrived images of ‘fun!’ Also, and this is most important, The Book Club will never, under any circumstances swear in a sentence that does not require it. Ok that last one was a bit farfetched.

Very well, now the soap box has been put away let’s be serious for a moment. The band does have a bit of previous. Joe was the lead singer in Sheffield favourites Milburn but far from dwelling on what might have been he has gathered together a nice little troop of musicians, all cousins, to produce what is quickly becoming a tight knit popular beat combo. Of course Joe’s voice has not changed and there’s still that essence of melody carried on from the Milburn days. However, this band is different, this band has got its priorities right. Gone are the youthful ideas of world-domination. Here is the understanding that you make your own music your own way. If that means penning little ditties about your other half, broaching a minefield topic such as the Hillsborough disaster or even highlighting pessimistic British attitudes mid recession, then so be it. As you may have guessed, they don’t have much time for the over-complicated but by the same token refuse to play the ‘indie tunes by numbers’ game.

The fact of the matter is that this band has quality songs and is outstanding live. Fashions may change and at some point their faces may fit. But for the mean time they’re content to hone their sound and make new friends in the process. Forty years ago this band would have made it, no question. Why should 2010 be any different?

www.myspace.com/thebookclubofficial

BEN MONTAGUE ANNOUNCES END OF YEAR TOUR

BEN MONTAGUE ANNOUNCES END OF YEAR TOUR

Rising star Ben Montague is heading out on the road to play tracks from his stunning debut album ‘Overcome’.

Support on this run of UK dates comes from Al Lewis and Lotte Mullan.

Ben was born in Farnborough, Kent in 1983. Son to a musical family, he threw himself into sporting life, growing up with a football at his feet, a tennis racket in one hand, and guitar in the other. Blessed with an acute sense of melody and a killer vocal, Ben had fierce ambitions to one day perform with stars as big as those in his old man's record collection (The Beatles, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Elton John.)

A mild dyslexic, his sporting and musical prowess helped him 'get on in school'. Music slowly but surely became his primary focus, and once his education was out of the way, Ben jumped into a van and toured around the UK. The dream began turning into reality when he was spotted performing in Soho and got the money needed to make his first EP featuring the track 'Haunted' co-written with friend Jamie Hartman of Ben's Brother. This song landed the coveted Record of the Week spot on BBC Radio 2. Things then really started to fall into place when follow up single 'Broken' hit Radio 2's A list for 6 weeks.

In recent times Ben has been working hard playing live and gathering new fans. He headlined The Isle of Wight Festival's acoustic stage, the Riverside Stage at Cornbury, and recently jetted out to Milan for F1 Rocks to support The Stereophonics. Ben also performed to a sold out London Palladium as part of Sir Terry Wogan's Children In Need show.

With the diary full of dates for the remainder of this year, and a UK tour planned for February, Ben is now feverishly writing new material for a new record, adrenalised and expectant of a huge 2011.



2010 TOUR DATES AS FOLLOWS


NOVEMBER 3 Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire *

4 Glasgow Oran Mor *

7 Liverpool Baby Blue

8 Stratford Cox's Yard

14 Swindon The Vic

15 Huddersfield Bar 1:22

16 Leicester Musician

17 Braintree High Barn

19 Basingstoke The Forge

20 Crewe The Box

21 Brighton Brighton Ballroom

22 Wolverhampton The Robin

23 Sheffield The Boardwalk

24 Bristol The Louisiana

25 London Shepherds Bush Empire **

27 York The Basement

28 Aberystwyth Aberystwyth Arts Centre

29 Worcester Marrs Bar

30 Hull The Lamp


DECEMBER



2 Eastney The Cellars

3 Peterborough Met Lounge

8 Oswestry The Ironworks

9 Hay on Wye The Globe Theatre



* SUPPORTING

JAMES WALSH


** SUPPORTING

THE PARLOTONES


http://www.benmontague.co.uk/

http://www.myspace.com/benmontaguemusic

YOUNG RIVAL - UK Live Dates

YOUNG RIVAL

From Hamilton Ontario comes Young Rival.



This trio hails from a city most widely-known for its blue-collar work ethic - a quality that Young Rival have always proudly embraced. With a sound that is both raw and hazy, dark and melodic, this band delivers an undeniably unique brand of grit-infused, wildcat rock and roll.

Their latest offering comes to us in the form of an amazing collection of songs, recorded in June 2009 by Polaris Prize winning record maker Jon Drew (F**cked Up, Tokyo Police Club, Arkells).

"Jon has a total hands-off approach to recording a band like us," says drummer Noah Fralick. "We recorded in a high-ceiling room with mics scattered throughout.

The result is an album that's bigger sounding than anything we've done before, because it captures the intensity of our live playing, while still highlighting the more subtle aspects of our band's dynamic."

With shows and tours alongside The Sadies, Born Ruffians, King Khan and the Shrines, and Tokyo Police Club, as well as forthcoming remixes by Junior Boys, this young band occupies a unique - and important - position in today's indie landscape.

They hearken back to a time where musicianship was primary; where a band's ability to collaborate and play well together was posited as the goal more important than any other. And yet Young Rival offer a sound that's both refreshing and current; delivering it with an uncompromising edge and swagger.



Critics have responded eagerly to Young Rival's efforts so far. Their self-released debut EP, recorded by NYC producer Emery Dobyns (Patti Smith, Battles, Lou Reed), was greeted with glowing reviews from press outlets across Canada, including 4 star write-ups in both major Toronto weeklies, NOW and EYE WEEKLY.

Lead-off single "Your Island" rose to Number 2 on CBC Radio 3's weekly countdown and its video reached rotation on MuchMusic. Internationally, the band has received radio play on BBC Radio 2 and XFM in the United Kingdom, as well as features on trend-setting U.S. music blogs such as Stereogum and Pitchfork.

Live UK dates in November

THU 18 EDINBURGH Electric Circus with Born Ruffians

FRI 19 LIVERPOOL O2 Academy 2 with Born Ruffians

SAT 20 MANCHESTER Ruby Lounge with Born Ruffians

SUN 21 LEEDS Brundenell Social 340 with Born Ruffians, The Acorn

TUE 23 BRIGHTON with Born Ruffians, Audio Lovepark

WED 24 LONDON 229 with Matt Motte, Sunparlour Players