Cold Snap
Some weeks there's so much in the news that I don't know what to pick on. Alex James making cheese for Oasis was a likely candidate, as were the return of 90s Saturday evening favourite Gladiators and New Kids On The Block reuniting. I even contemplated having a good old fashioned rant about Michael Jackson pillaging his back catalogue in a desperate attempt to pay off his bills by re-recording Thriller with most of the Black Eyed Peas.
But hey, there's only ever so much room for the opening gambit, and I've used it all up already. So, skip over the perfunctory clearing of the throat for this week's meat and potatoes...
*koff*
...that's better. And here's the gigs what I dug out of the back pages of this week's NME:
Simian Mobile Disco @ Digital, Brighton - 12/02/2008
Los Campesinos! @ Plug'n'Play, Reading - 20/02/2008
Vampire Weekend @ Audio, Brighton - 24/02/2008
Sarabeth Tucek @ The Freebutt, Brighton - 25/02/2008
The Von Bondies @ The Barfly, Brighton - 28/02/2008
The Futureheads @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 05/03/2008
The Kills @ Duke of York, Brighton - 06/03/2008
Infadels @ The Joiners, Southampton - 10/03/2008
Buck 65 @ Komedia, Brighton - 17/03/2008
Buck 65 @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 19/03/2008
Akala and Black Cherry @ The Joiners, Southampton - 05/04/2008
The Wombats @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 28/04/2008
The above gigs may possibly be added onto the SoMC Events Calendar if I get the time, but most likely I'll be busy with either A) propping up a bar somewhere in Fareham, B) propping up a bar somewhere in Portsmouth or C) recovering from A and B with a large black coffee and three week's worth of Primeval. Regardless of its current, creaky, condition, the Events Calendar is a useful tool for gig monkeys and musical loons in this locale, including as it does many many fine gigs. Like these.
Malefice, Cinders Fall and White Knuckle Revolution @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 30/01/2008
Andy Foster & Loz Bridge, Hayley Harland, Jessica Spencer and Tom Powell @ The Square Brewery, Petersfield - 30/01/2008
The Almighty @ The Brook, Southampton - 30/01/2008
The Hamsters (Hendrix/ZZ Top set) @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 30/01/2008 SOLD OUT!
UpCDownCLeftCRightCABC, Start, Kumiss and Caesura @ The Joiners, Southampton - 30/01/2008
The Model Village, Palais, The Stations and Caspian Sea Society @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 31/01/2008
Nouvelle Vague @ The Brook, Southampton - 31/01/2008
James Hollingworth @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth - 31/01/2008
My Ruin, Die So Fluid and Plastic Toys @ The Joiners, Southampton - 31/01/2008
Spear Of Destiny @ The Railway, Winchester - 31/01/2008
Conditions, The Fake Exterior and Thoughts Collide @ Unit 22, Southampton - 31/01/2008
Uiscedwr @ The Forge, Basingstoke - 31/01/2008
Steve Arnott @ The Frog & Frigate, Southampton - 01/02/2008
Great White and Chapter XIII @ The Brook, Southampton - 01/02/2008
Barringtone and The Rebs @ The Railway, Winchester - 01/02/2008
The Alistair Goodwin Band @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 01/02/2008
A Wilhelm Scream, Failsafe and All Idiots Fall @ The Joiners, Southampton - 01/02/2008
Rufus Stone @ The Brook, Southampton - 02/02/2008
Michael Messer @ Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham - 02/02/2008
Beau Monde, Hold Fast, Major Melon and The Weather Committee @ The Studio at The Petersfield School - 02/02/2008
Roy Mette @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth - 02/02/2008
The Dub Messengers @ Talking Heads, Southampton - 02/02/2008
The Alter Eagles @ Havant Arts Centre - 02/02/2008
Sweetedge @ The Nell Gwynne, Portsmouth - 02/02/2008
Late of The Pier, The Video Nasties and Radio Zarcop vs The Liars Club @ The Joiners, Southampton - 02/02/2008
Powerplant & The Elysian String Quartet @ Turner Sims, Southampton - 02/02/2008
Jenna's Revenge, Belligerence and Life With Max @ Café Havana, Southsea - 02/02/2008
Yasmin Levy @ Salisbury Arts Centre - 02/02/2008
Tremain, Bird Eats Baby and Ben Pinwill @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 03/02/2008
John Etheridge and Kit Holmes @ The Forge, Basingstoke - 03/02/2008 SOLD OUT!
Becky Anderson and Schnicks @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth - 03/02/2008
Carousel Era and We're Still Waiting @ The Joiners, Southampton - 03/02/2008
RTP, Dan De Squeran, Little Aitch and Moma Jest @ Drift, Southsea - 03/02/2008
Merz and Jacob Golden @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 03/02/2008
Cut The Blue Wire and Golden Section @ The Candy Bar, Brighton - 03/02/2008
Dave Peabody @ The Platform Tavern, Southampton - 03/02/2008
Robots In Disguise @ The Joiners, Southampton - 04/02/2008
Athlete @ The Dome, Brighton - 04/02/2008
The Continentals @ The Fat Fox, Portsmouth - 04/02/2008
30 Seconds To Mars @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 04/02/2008
Johnny Flynn, Fireworks Night and The B of The Bang @ Hamptons, Southampton - 05/02/2008
First Night Nerves, Max Edermaniger and Vietnamese Telephone Ministry @ The Edge of The Wedge, Portsmouth - 05/02/2008
Louche Manouche @ The Platform Tavern, Southampton - 05/02/2008
Nine Black Alps and Grand Volume @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 05/02/2008
Blood Red Shoes @ The Joiners, Southampton - 05/02/2008 SOLD OUT!
Andy Matheson, Doubleback Alley and 4 Fingaz @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth - 05/02/2008
Jim Bob [ex-Carter USM] @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 06/02/2008
Dead Men Walking @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 25/03/2008
Jake Shillingford [My Life Story] @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 31/03/2008
Son Of Dave @ The Joiners, Southampton - 25/04/2008
John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett @ The Brook, Southampton - 27/04/2008
The Bluetones @ The Brook, Southampton - 16/05/2008
If you've been thinking "wouldn't it be good to see Nik Kershaw at The Cellars on Saturday 31st May", but never quite got around to buying a ticket, you're too late as the gig has sold out. However, due to demand, a second date has been hastily arranged at the same venue for the very next evening, Sunday 1st June. Tickets for the additional date are £17.50 and can be purchased via the venue's website (but I'd be quick about it if I were you).
Venerable Southampton venue The Hobbit will be holding its Winter Festival this weekend, with over twenty bands appearing over two days. The fun starts at 1800 on Saturday 2nd February with 'The Sundown Party', featuring performances from This Manhattan, Bluescreen of Death, Eat The Document, The Docs, Blood Island and The Titanic Survivors, as well as DJ sets from Sinna and Skinny DC. The festival shifts into high gear on Sunday 3rd February with an all-day charity fundraiser in aid of Cancer Research UK. Doors open at midday and amongst the bands appearing are The Plymouths, The Modern Fighting Vehicles, Kumiss, Delphic Oracle, Hellcyon, The Elastic, Skyline Heroes, Miss Murdoch, Echobeat and The Sinnicks, plus DJs Andy Davey, Stu Cox and Jatin Mistry.
Funkt-If-Ino returns to The Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth this Saturday, 2nd February, for an evening of 'funksoulboogiediscohiphop', delivered to you by resident DJs Darth Fader, Boba Funk and Chewbazza (with live percussion from Hand Solo). Doors open at 2200, tickets are £5 in advance.
Tonight's Waster club night at Portsmouth's Liquid Envy features a two hour set by the fairly legendary Utah Saints (who's '08 version of Something Good will be released for download in March), plus sets from the resident DJs of the Southsea Mafia. Doors open 2200 and the fun runs through to 0230, with entrance a mere £1 entry before 2300 (£3 after).
The guest artists at Roger Courtney's Open Mike Club at The Milton Arms tomorrow, Thursday 31st January, both hail from Portsmouth; ska rockers The White Coats have the early (1915) slot, electro-punks Carbon Factory the late (2015). The regular Open Mike session, where all budding performers have a two song chance to entertain the crowd, starts at 2115. Admission is FREE and the doors open at 1900.
Put a fork in me, I'm done. This afternoon I have mostly been listening to The Enemy, Jimmy Eat World and Idlewild. Join me next week when I'll be leaping tall buildings with a single bound.
Nutty Slack
Sad but true, there's only so many times you can tell the same jokes about Amy Winehouse's continuing problems before they're really not funny any more.
[thinks]
Nah, course they are.
*koff*
Moving swiftly on, here are the gigs of note I found amongst the back pages of this week's NME:
Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit @ Hamptons, Southampton - 05/02/2008
Richard Hawley @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 06/02/2008
Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit @ The Albert, Brighton - 06/02/2008
The Anomalies @ The Freebutt, Brighton - 11/02/2008
The Anomalies @ Unit 22, Southampton - 16/02/2008
Lovvers @ The Joiners, Southampton - 16/02/2008
Mark Ronson @ The Dome, Brighton - 21/02/2008 SOLD OUT!
White Sunday @ The Joiners, Southampton - 22/02/2008
Metronomy @ Digital, Brighton - 03/03/2008
The Metros @ The Joiners, Southampton - 14/03/2008
The Metros @ The Freebutt, Brighton - 15/03/2008
Example @ Unit 22, Southampton - 21/03/2008
The Subways @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 07/04/2008
The Subways @ The Brook, Southampton - 08/04/2008
The Long Blondes @ Student Union, Southampton University - 20/04/2008
We Are Scientists @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 22/04/2008
Unless I get waylaid reorganising my sock drawer again, I should have time to shoehorn the above gigs onto the SoMC Events Calendar this weekend, fingers crossed. Once updated the Events Calendar is, as I've been none to mention once or twice, a handy resource for the idle gig monkey. And it's full of local gigs, like these...
First Night Nerves, Georgia Wonder, Hayley Harland, Moma Jest and Will McNicol @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 23/01/2008
Jazica, Beau Monde and At The Weakend @ The Joiners, Southampton - 23/01/2008
The Meniscus Brothers @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth - 24/01/2008
Our Time Down Here, Take 'Em Out and The Under Coretet @ Unit 22, Southampton - 24/01/2008
Carolyn Mark Trio @ Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham - 24/01/2008
Palladium @ The Joiners, Southampton - 24/01/2008
You've Been Lied To, Incarna and The Safety Fire @ The Railway, Winchester - 24/01/2008
Alter Bridge @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 24/01/2008
T-Rextasy @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 25/01/2008
Steve Earle @ The Anvil, Basingstoke - 25/01/2008 SOLD OUT!
Fleetwood Bac @ The Brook, Southampton - 25/01/2008
The Parlotones, The Aviators and Major Melon @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 25/01/2008
Skulls, The Rebecas and The Mackeralheads @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 25/01/2008
Dega Breaks, Jonny Dare and Different Day @ The Railway, Winchester - 25/01/2008
Turning Green @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 25/01/2008
Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong @ The Freebutt, Brighton - 25/01/208
The Mouth, The Warm and The Stops @ The Joiners, Southampton - 25/01/2008
You Me & The Atom Bomb, Chillerton and The Small Mercees @ The Fawcett Inn, Portsmouth - 25/01/2008
Steve Arnott @ The Frog & Frigate, Southampton - 26/01/2008
Air Traffic @ The Opera House, Bournemouth - 26/01/2008
Cool Banana, Autons and The Following Announcement @ Café Havana, Portsmouth - 26/01/2008
John Taylor Trio @ Turner Sims Hall, Southampton - 26/01/2008
Doubleback Alley @ The Baffins, Portsmouth - 26/01/2008
Atomic Badger @ The Square Brewery, Petersfield - 26/01/2008
Echobeat, The Bluescreen of Death and System Anima @ The Joiners, Southampton - 26/01/2008
Who Owns Death TV? @ Unit 22, Southampton - 26/01/2008
Elliot Minor @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 26/01/2008
Kerrang! Tour 2008 [feat. Coheed & Cambria, Fightstar and Madina Lake] @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 26/01/2008 SOLD OUT!
Mary Jane @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth - 26/01/2008
Timshel @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 26/01/2008
The Electric Mayhem @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 26/01/2008
Miss Murdoch, Bad Love & The Licker and Eat The Document @ The Railway, Winchester - 26/01/2008
Green-ish Day @ The Brook, Southampton - 26/01/2008
RTP, B of The Bang and The Rebel Ching @ Drift Bar, Southsea - 27/01/2008
Luke Pickett, Dave House and Luke Leighfield @ The Joiners, Southampton - 27/01/2008
Polly & The Billet Doux, Jimmy Goodrich and Ryan O'Reilly @ The Railway, Winchester - 27/01/2008
Stone Gods [ex-The Darkness] @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 27/01/2008
Graham McCullough, James Moss and Mighty Z @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth - 27/01/2008
The Robin Bibi Band @ The Fat Fox, Portsmouth - 28/01/2008
The Modern Fighting Vehicles, Man From Michael and The Wild Oats @ The Joiners, Southampton - 28/01/2008
One Night Only, Nick Harrison and Cass Lowe @ The Joiners, Southampton - 29/01/2008 SOLD OUT!
Time Cheatle, Tali Trow and Loosetongue @ The Edge of The Wedge, Portsmouth - 29/01/2008
Plain White T's @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 29/01/2008 SOLD OUT!
Fever Dog, Blacksmith and Ashbies @ The Railway, Winchester - 29/01/2008
The Almighty @ The Brook, Southampton - 30/01/2008
Blood Red Shoes @ The Joiners, Southampton - 05/02/2008
Six Nation State @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 22/02/2008
The Futureheads @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 05/03/2008
Dashboard Confessional @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 09/04/2008
Nizlopi @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 24/04/2008
The Automatic @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 26/04/2008
Nik Kershaw (acoustic) @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 31/05/2008
David Essex @ The Guildhall, Portsmouth - 13/06/2008
Yazoo @ The Brighton Centre - 15/06/2008
The Musical Box (performing Genesis' Trick of The Tail) @ The Guildhall, Portsmouth - 18/10/2008
Club 12th Hour has teamed up with PunchFunk and drum'n'bass crew Breakneck for a special two-room shindig at South Parade Pier, Portsmouth, this Friday, 25th January. Breakneck hosts room one, which will feature DJ sets from Mampi Swift, DJ Friction, SDM v's Triple M and Jay Walker. Room two is brough to you by PunchFunk and Club 12th Hour and features live sets from The Exits, The Cartel, Hijera and Japanese Popstars. Tickets are £11 in advance, doors open at 2100 through till 0300.
Portsmouth's Liquid Envy nightclub again plays host to indie/alternative club night Waster this evening, with live music from Kids Can't Fly and Splendid Eddie plus the Southsea Mafia DJs at the wheels of steel. Doors open 2200 and the fun runs through to 0230, with entrance a mere £1 entry before 2300 (£3 after).
Fareham-based rockers Half-Light and Portsmouth's Apostle will be the musical guests at Roger Courtney's Open Mike Club at The Milton Arms tomorrow, Thursday 24th January. The stage will be open to all budding performers afterwards so can try their hand at entertaining the audience. Admission is FREE and the doors open at 1900.
As mentioned previously the Red Stripe Music Awards begins this month, with a series of heats being held throughout the country over the next few months. The first Southern heat is at The Providence, Brighton, on Friday 25th January, the winners of which are in with a chance of making it to May's Grand Final (where they could walk off with slots at two major Summer festivals and their very own tour bus). More information is available on the competition website.
And that wraps it up for this week; this afternoon I have mostly been listening to a compilation CD I knocked up awhile back (y'know, like a mixtape, but flatter). Join me next week when I'll be leaping upstream like the majestic salmon.
Doughnuts
The nominees for this year's Brits have been announced and the awards are unsurprisingly dominated by pop acts. Now I'm not saying this a bad thing; Girls Aloud are fairly entertaining (ahem), Mika has done a good job reworking Sparks and Elton John's back catalogue, and the appearance of Leona Lewis is a safe bet given her Pop Factor credentials. And if that wasn't enough the ceremony is going to be hosted by Ozzy Osbourne and his missus.
Umm.
It's going to be a Britneyesque train-wreck of an awards show reminiscent of Mick Fleetwood and Sam Fox's turn isn't it? Best set the video.
*koff*
Eyes down for a full house, here are the musical gems hand-picked from the back pages of this week's NME:
Robots In Disguise @ The Joiners, Southampton - 04/02/2008
Lightspeed Champion @ The Joiners, Southampton - 08/02/2008
Sons & Daughters @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 11/02/2008
Robots In Disguise @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 11/02/2008
Roni Size @ Digital, Brighton - 18/02/2008
Turin Brakes @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 19/02/2008
Explosions In The Sky @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 23/01/2008 SOLD OUT!
Man From Michael @ The Joiners, Southampton - 28/01/2008
British Sea Power @ Komedia, Brighton - 29/01/2008 SOLD OUT!
Slow Club @ The Barfly, Brighton - 30/01/2008
The Matches @ The Joiners, Southampton - 05/03/2008
The Duke Spirit @ Audio, Brighton - 04/04/2008
Good Charlotte @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 08/04/2008
The Wombats @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 28/04/2008
I'll update the (somewhat forlorn looking) SoMC Events Calendar with the above gigs when I can tear myself away from playing Scrabulous for longer than 5 minutes. The Events Calendar is, when up to date, a handy calendar-style guide just packed full of gigs, like these...
Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 16/01/2008
Skyline Heroes and Waiting For Sirens @ The Joiners, Southampton - 16/01/2008
Stompin' Dave Allen @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth - 17/01/2008
Pressgang and Chien Bizarre @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 17/01/2008
The Mentalists @ Hamptons, Southampton - 17/01/2008
Humphrey Lyttleton @ Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham - 17/01/2008
Avenged Sevenfold @ The Guldhall, Southampton - 17/01/2008
Kill Henry Sugar and Tali Trow @ The Railway, Winchester - 17/01/2008
Kris Dollimore @ The Platform Tavern, Southampton - 17/01/2008
Martin Newnham & Andy Parkin @ The Square Brewery, Petersfield - 17/01/2008
Wilko Johnson @ The Brook, Southampton - 17/01/2008
White Knuckle Revolution, Only Heroes Die and Death Through Deceit @ The Joiners, Southampton - 17/01/2008
Pier Pressure @ The Fawcett Inn, Portsmouth - 18/01/2008
Deft Leppard @ The Brook, Southampton - 18/01/2008
Flip Top @ The Red Lion, Stubbington - 18/01/2008
The Elements, The 47s, The MBT and Palais @ The Alma Arms, Portsmouth - 18/01/2008
Gary Myles @ The Frog & Frigate, Southampton - 18/01/2008
The Mods @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 18/01/2008
Lachlan Horne @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 18/01/2008
Tom Paxton @ The Anvil, Basingstoke - 18/01/2008
Trash Fashion @ The Railway, Winchester - 18/01/2008
Meet Me In St Louis, Blakfish and Caesura @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 18/01/2008
Megson @ The Alma Arms, Portsmouth - 19/01/2008
The Jamm @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 19/01/2008
The Other Half, The Next Tuesdays and Moriah @ The Railway, Winchester - 19/01/2008
Levy @ Unit 22, Southampton - 19/01/2008
One Weird Fish @ The Fountain, Chichester - 19/01/2008
My Endeavour and Idiot3 @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 19/01/2008
This Way Up @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth - 19/01/2008
Roxy Magic @ The Brook, Southampton - 19/01/2008
Maylene & The Sons of Disaster and A Day To Remember @ The Joiners, Southampton - 19/01/2008
Big Al & The Fireflys @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 19/01/2008
Ade Cull, The 2 Chiefs and Bill Marples @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth - 20/01/2008
Belligerence, Dream Infernal and Galvanic @ The Joiners, Southampton - 20/01/2008
Shrink Floyd @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 20/01/2008
Pete Harris & Hugh Budden @ The Platform Tavern, Southampton - 20/01/2008
British Sea Power @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 21/01/2008
Gas Bar Panic, Who's Keeping Score and Eyeball Chambers @ The Joiners, Southampton 21/01/2008
The Micky Kemp Band @ The Fat Fox, Portsmouth - 21/01/2008
Solent City Jazzmen @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 22/01/2008
Phil Cooper, Steve Picken and Afterspark @ The Edge of The Wedge, Portsmouth - 22/01/2008
Hung Up, Just Add Fire and The Braggers @ The Joiners, Southampton - 22/01/2008
Hard Travelers [feat. Dave Sharp and Zoot Money] @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 22/01/2008
Scarlet Soho, Capital X and The Row @ The Railway, Winchester - 22/01/2008
The Courteeners @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 22/01/2008 SOLD OUT!
Elliot Minor @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 26/01/2008
Stone Gods [ex-The Darkness] @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 27/01/2008
Malefice @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 30/01/2008
Simian Mobile Disco @ Digital, Brighton - 12/02/2008
Laura Veirs @ The Joiners, Southampton - 13/02/2008
The Architects @ The Alma Arms, Portsmouth - 23/03/2008
Josh Ritter @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 26/03/2008
The Long Blondes @ Student Union, Southampton University - 20/04/2008
Prince Buster and The Dualers @ The Opera House, Bournemouth - 26/04/2008
Reel Big Fish's gig at The Pyramids, Portsmouth, on Monday 25th February is now SOLD OUT. Likewise tickets for The Hoosiers gig at the same venue on Tuesday 11th March have all been snapped up too.
Judgemental lands at The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth, this Saturday, 19th January, for a banging evening of Hard Trance. Amongst the DJs manning the decks are Technical, The Mizniss, Nathan D, El Donk and The Greatwhite v's The Dominatrix. Doors open at 2130, tickets are £6 in advance.
The Cellars at Eastney will be playing host to a musical development seminar this Saturday, 19th January. The main focus of the event, organised by Stiff Promotions, is to assist up and coming bands; advice on raising artist profiles, touring, gaining support slots and maintaining a solid fan base will be available. In addition the even provides the opportunity those working on music-related projects to outline their plans for the year, with a view to focusing interest on the burgeoning Pompey music scene; amongst the topics likely to be covered are upcoming gig opportunities in the city, plans for the Southsea Bandstand, the Southsea Mini-Fest and gigs at the Guildhall. Further information is available on the Stiff Promotions website. The event starts at 1230 and entrance is FREE.
Indie club night Waster returns from its festive hiatus this evening with live music from For Ramona and My Endeavour. If that wasn't enough the Southsea Mafia DJs will be on hand at Portsmouth's Liquid Envy nightclub to spin the wheels of steel. Doors open at 2200 and the fun runs through to 0230. Entrance is a mere £1 entry before 2300 (£3 after).
Local singer-songwriter Aitch, folk artist Paddy Taylor and hip-hop act LX Tamasi provide the guest performances at Roger Courtney's Open Mike Club at The Milton Arms, Portsmouth, tomorrow night. The stage will be open to all comers from 2200 (later than usual due to the three guest spots). Admission is FREE and the doors open at 1900.
And that wraps it up for this week; this afternoon I have mostly been listening to The Who, The Police and The Gossip (it's been that kind of day). Join me next week when I'll be relating my loathing of beetroot to you all via the medium of expressive dance.
:o)
It's behind you!
Barely has the year begun and already the contest to pick who's going to be Next Big Thing 2008 is in overdrive. This week's NME features a raft of bands that only readers of the NME or denizens of Myspace will have heard of, all whom could be huge this year (but, let's face it, they probably won't be). Alternatively you could check out the BBC's tips for the top, at first glance similar to the NME's take on what to keep an eye out on but with a few more interesting choices. The Beeb knows its stuff to; last year they correctly tipped Mika for great things.
Umm.
*koff*
Moving swiftly on, here are the tidy morsels plucked from the back pages of this week's rather thin and weedy edition of the NME:
Yeti @ Pressure Point, Brighton - 11/02/2008
Dropkick Murphys @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 11/02/2008
Yeti @ The Joiners, Southampton - 12/02/2008
Johnny Foreigner [supporting Los Campesinos!] @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 23/02/2008
Glasvegas @ The Boiler Room, Guildford - 24/02/2008
The above gigs will be thrust majestically onto the SoMC Events Calendar as and when I get the time; to be honest I've been neglecting it lately, but it's my New Year resolution to get it up together and keep it up to date (or at least it would be if I believed in New Year's resolutions). Once it's updated the Events Calendar is a most useful tool for the idle gig ferret, full of many many wonderful gigs, like these:
BigTopp, Spendid Eddie and Hung Up @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 09/01/2008
No Influence, Ardentes and Still Frame @ The Joiners, Southampton - 09/01/2008
New Rope String Band @ Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham - 10/01/2008
Bury Tomorrow, Driven By Suffering and Only Heroes @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 10/01/2008
Super Tonic, Stencils and Willy Boyle @ The Railway, Winchester - 10/01/2008
Pancake Eating Freaks, Bob Fletcher and Bad Sign @ The Joiners, Southampton - 10/01/2008
Sinner Boy and Larry Miller @ The Brook, Southampton - 11/01/2008
Switch Transmission, Alternative Carpark, Big Squirrel and Contra @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 11/01/2008
Kumiss, Flies Are Spies From Hell and The B of The Bang @ The Joiners, Southampton - 11/01/2008
All Schools Are Strange and Norcsalordie @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 11/01/2008
The Jellyrollers @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth - 12/01/2008
Legend (Bob Marley tribute) @ The Brook, Southampton - 12/01/2008
Maddison Heights @ The Railway, Winchester - 12/01/2008
The Plymouths @ The Joiners, Southampton - 12/01/2008
The Mustangs @ The Square Brewery, Petersfield - 12/01/2008
Godsend, Life With Max and Escape Story @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 13/01/2008
Iris, Moral Sense and Alzir @ The Joiners, Southampton - 13/01/2008
Hardly Heroes @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 13/01/2008
The Teapot Junkies @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 13/01/2008
Tim Cheatle, Paul Vinten and Zoofy & The Spoonfruits @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth - 13/01/2008
Hundred Reasons @ Student Union, Southampton University - 14/01/2008
White Light Parade, The Operators and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels @ The Joiners, Southampton - 14/01/2008
Rox, Rusty Strings and First Fight Nerves @ The Joiners, Southampton - 15/01/2008
Scarlet Soho, Capital X and The Row @ The Railway, Winchester - 22/01/2008
Spear of Destiny @ The Railway, Winchester - 31/01/2008
Great White @ The Brook, Southampton - 01/02/2008
Sum41 @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 24/02/2008
UNKLE @ The Pyramids, Portsmouth - 29/02/2008
Stiff Little Fingers @ The Brook, Southampton - 10/03/2008
Sandi Thom @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 10/03/2008
Turisas @ The Brook, Southampton - 12/03/2008
David Gray @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 14/03/2008
Paramore's gig at The Guildhall, Portsmouth, originally listed for Friday 8th February, has been rescheduled to Tuesday 26th February. Existing tickets remain valid for the new date, those unable to attend the new date should their contact point of purchase for a refund.
Legendary club night Hipshaker have joined forces with the Right Track Scooter Club to present a special Ready Steady Go themed evening at The Wedgewood Rooms this Saturday, 12th January. Joining the regular Hipshaker DJs will be Dace Bignall (RTSC) and Donna (Wack Wack Club), plus a live set from Small Faces tribute act the Small Fakers. Tickets are £5 in advance.
Local promoters Bumblechook have organised an evening at The Wedgewood Rooms in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital on Tuesday 15th January. The line-up includes Kids Can't Fly, Joe Black, Pancake Eating Freaks, Sheilatakeabow and Luke Ferre. Tickets are £5 in advance with all profits going to the GOSH appeal.
Next month The Wedgewood Rooms plays host to two low key gigs by bands who could quite easily fill much larger venues (even if neither bother the charts as much as the used to these days). Amiable Scottish rockers Travis pitch up their stall at the Wedge on Friday 9th February; unsurprisingly tickets for this gig sold out within days. Tickets for acoustic duo Turin Brakes' gig on Tuesday 19th February are still available however.
Despite 2008 being only a couple of weeks old this year's Red Stripe Music Awards campaign is starting in earnest. The competition is open to unsigned bands, with regional heats being held throughout the UK from January through to March. The southern heat this month takes place at The Providence in Brighton on Friday 25th January. The eventual winners of the contest will have the opportunity to play TWO major Summer festivals, and win a decked out tour bus too. More information on the competition is available on the Red Stripe website or Myspace.
Roger Courtney's Open Mike Club tomorrow night features performances from Ade Cull and Sam Browse. As usual the action takes place at The Barn at The Milton Arms in Portsmouth, with the stage open to all comers after the musical guests (please note there's a two song limit). Admission is FREE and the doors open at 1900.
And that's it for this week, this afternoon I was mostly listening to Radiohead and Jimmy Eat World. Join me next week when I'll be channelling sprits in a Derek Acorah-stylee.
:o)
