Kent Duchaine brings the Blues to Pompey

Delta Blues guitarist Kent DuChaine will pay a rare visit to Portsmouth this week when his current tour rolls into town. The Minnesota native, who bizarrely found his way to the Blues via the liner notes on an Eric Clapton LP, will be ably supported by his classic 1934 National Steel guitar, Leadbessie, when he plays The Golden Eagle in Southsea this Friday, 2nd September.

Over the years Kent has backed up or supported such Blues greats as Boogie Woogie Red, Eddie Burns, Luther Tucker, Albert Collins and Howlin' Wolf; in 1989 he met legendary Bluesman Johnny Shines and, over the next three years, played over 200 shows together before Shines' death in 1992. Since then Kent has travelled the four corners, armed with Leadbessie, playing the music he loves to appreciative audiences around the globe.

Entry to this Friday's gig is FREE, for more information check the Golden Eagle's Facebook page.



UPDATE: Pub location information refreshed, legacy URL removed.

Wilko Johnson for The Wedgewood Rooms

A few years ago, at the Blues On The Farm Festival just outside Chichester, I stumbled upon a jaw-dropping sight; a mad-eyed bald man pinballing around the stage, fixing the audience with an electrically charged stare, all the while delivering scorching riffs aplenty.

I'll have another chance to experience this spectable when Wilko Johnson, for it was he, plays The Wedgewood Rooms on Sunday 23rd October. Ably backed by Dylan Howe on drums and virtuoso bass player Norman Watt-Roy, the ex-Blockhead and ex-Dr. Feelgood guitarist has visited Pompey several times over the years (notably to highly appreciative audiences at The Cellars) but now brings his solo set to a larger venue. 

Tickets are available from the venue now, priced at £12.50, with support from recent Showcase entrants The Vortex Buzz and local legends The Good Time Charlies.

Update: Support band details refreshed.

Gosport Waterfront Festival 2011

The Gosport Waterfront Festival, an three day musical shindig held annually in the town's Walpole Park, starts tomorrow night. In previous years the line-up has tended toward a mix of local bands, cover acts and and artists who were big on the scene several years ago (but have fallen off the radar somewhat) and this year is no exception (well, if it ain't broke, etc). However, owing to rising costs, a cut in funding and a lack of full sponsorship, the organisers have had to charge an entrance fee for the first time; entrance to the festival site will now set you back £1 per night. 

Once again the Friday night is made up of predominantly local acts, including Wedgewood Rooms Showcase finalists Melodramas and local Punk outfit Night of Treason. Local rockers Superfly and South Coast Pink Floyd specialists Perfect Alibi warm things up on the Saturday before headliner Chas Hodges (as in Chas & Dave) gets a chorus of Gertcha, Rabbit and such out of the punters. The fun draws to a close on Sunday when Toploader (yeah, I couldn't believe it either) get Gosport dancing in the moonlight (sorry).

Full details of the line-up, including set times, can be found on the event's website.

Pearl Jam Twenty

It's hard to believe but it really has been twenty years since Pearl Jam's awesome debut album, 10, was released. As a lead-in to the band's 20th Anniversary, and starting with the first album, their vast, entire back catalogue has been remastered and re-released in 'Legacy Editions'. As much I often view such exercises as cynical attempts to make fans part with their hard-earned for albums they already own, the remastered version of 10, released in 2009, improves upon the original and is definitely worth investing in.

Getting to the point, long time fan and friend of the band Cameron Crowe (director of Singles and Jerry Maguire) has fashioned a documentary, featuring archival material, live performances and new interviews with the band, which is due for release in September. If you live in the Southampton/Portsmouth area and want to see the film then your best option at the moment is to point your browser to the Vue website; their Gunwharf cinema has one screening planned, on Tuesday 20th September (the day of release), and is selling advanced tickets already. Other local cinemas may have screenings in the pipeline, but their websites aren't saying as much at the moment (I'll add details of other local cinemas showing the film as soon I know of any).

The Drums playing The Pyramids

New York's indie popsters The Drums, who release second album Portamento next month, have announced a string of UK dates this November and December. Notable on the list is a return visit to The Pyramids on Tuesday 6th December; the band played there previously on the 2010 Shockwaves NME Awards Tour. Tickets go on sale this coming Friday, available from The Wedgewood Rooms, priced at £14.50.

Scroobius Pip coming to The Wedge

It seems like it was only Saturday night that the sterling video for Introdiction was first thrust in front of me, my drunken eyes widening as the bearded wordsmith defoliated his face fuzz before setting about his televisual hovel. And that's probably because it was; shame on me for not watching it before. Moving swiftly on, today comes news that Scroobius Pip will be hitting The Wedgewood Rooms this November, on Thursday 10th to be precise. Tickets are £9, on sale now from the venue, with solo album Distraction Pieces released on September 19th (if you can't wait til then, you can always bid on his beard shavings). 

Björk - 'Crystalline'

Not that I ever need an excuse to play some Björk you understand but, as my Bestival ticket plopped onto the doormat earlier...

Evolution II @ The Wedgewood Rooms

Rock and Metal club night Evolution returns to The Wedgewood Rooms tomorrow night for a second inning, the poster above tells you all you need to know but, just for the hell of it, why don't I just run through the line-up anyway; there's live music from Bare Your Scars, Freakpit, Toxic Shock and the mighty Kodiak Jack, plus classic tunes til late courtesy of resident DJs Hev Stilet Hoe, DJ Matt Random and The Reverend Eales.

The through doors to The Edge will be opened up as well, the overspill bar hosting some Hip Hop as well as comfy chairs. The price of admission for the gig part of the evening is a bargain £4 and entry after 2300 is FREE! For more information on Evolution check out their website or their Facebook page.

The End of The Revolution

The announcement that Pure Reason Revolution were calling it a day popped up in my Facebook feed earlier; the Reading alternative prog rockers have cited 'changing circumstances' but whatever the real reason it's a damn shame. I first stumbled across the band several years ago, supporting Mew at The Wedgewood Rooms if memory serves, and with their intoxicating blend of harmonies and melodic (and, yes, progressive) rock they soon became a band that my gigging buddies and I obsessively followed.

We bought the CDs, coveted the badges, used the bookmarks given away at the merchandising desk and waited with bated breath for news of a new release. Time passed only for debut album The Dark Third to be re-released in a slightly different form. Of course, we bought that too. Our fanboy ardour waned as the months went by; after a disappointing gig at The Joiners, beset with technical issues, one of our number decided that was enough. Our fickle fandom could only take so much.

However, being the kind of sad music obsessive that I am, I couldn't give them up completely. I scoured the internet for updates, there were rumours of the new album, but I wouldn't believe it until I had a copy in my grubby mitts. So it was, some months later, that I again found myself at The Joiners. The rumours were true; a pile of shiny new CDs, all in shiny cardboard sleeves, teased me from the merchandise desk.

Second album, Amor Vincit Omnia, dispensed with the lush strings from the debut, replacing them with dollops of synthesizer. The harmonies and repeated themes remained but, despite a couple of excellent signature tunes (Deus Ex Machina and Victorious Cupid), it wasn't as wholly satisfying a listen as their debut. Where the album succeeded though was in showing a band confident enough to experiment with their sound.

Not letting the dust settle PRR continued their push into electronic territories, perfecting their efforts on third long player Hammer and Anvil. Co-written and produced by Tom Bellamy (ex-Cooper Temple Clause) the album is a heavy, pounding, synth happy delight; throat-grabbing opener Fight Fire is a song that seems designed to accompany things blowing up.

Shortly after Hammer and Anvil's release I saw the band for what now looks to be the last time, at last year's SouthseaFest; having drawn the opening slot on the Wedge stage the band found themselves playing to a mostly empty room. No matter, they cranked the dials up to 11 and played a charged set sampling their new long player. This was a band ready to seize the day, or so I thought at the time; I really do have a kiss of death about these things. 

But before they bid the crowds adieu, pack up their instruments and go their separate ways, the band will be playing a final six shows. The 'farewell tour' takes in Nottingham, Bristol, Norwich, Holmfirth, Glasgow and London (but sadly no 'one last time' at The Joiners, which is a shame) with debut The Dark Third being played in its entirety each night. A good way to say goodbye, if there is such a thing. 

So long PRR, and thanks.

NME Radar Tour line-up announced

From the high-pitched warbling of La Roux to the raucous stage antics of Crystal Castles, the NME Radar Tour always offers the experience of something different, interesting or down-right weird. Earlier this year the crowd at the Wedgewood Rooms were treated to the delights of Grouplove and the awesome Anna Calvi when the Spring leg of the tour landed in Portsmouth (unfortunately I arrived too late to experience The History of Apple Pie).

The line-up for the Autumn leg of the tour features in this week's edition of the NME; Wolf Gang headline with post-punk five-some S.C.U.M. taking the second space on the bill. The remaining slot is split between Stockholm's Niki & The Dove and Australian thrash popsters DZ Deathrays.

The peripatetic tour stumbles into Portsmouth on Tuesday 4th October with the venerable Wedgewood Rooms again hosting. After a spell away in northern climes the tour returns to the South Coast a fortnight later, pitching up at Brighton's Concorde 2 on Monday 17th October when all four bands will feature.

Tickets go on general sale this coming Friday.

Guillemots on a stick

Indie pop rockers Guillemots have announced details of their Autumn tour, including two dates down south; the band play Portsmouth's Wedgewood Rooms on Sunday 30th October and are at The Old Market in Brighton the following night, Monday 31st October. Expect to hear chunks of new album Walk The River alongside a selection of tunes from the band's first two albums and, more than likely, that Billy Joel song as well.

Tickets go on general sale this coming Friday.

Kodiak Jack - 'Your Death : My Glory'

Having laboured long in the studio Pompey rockers Kodiak Jack have unleashed their debut long player uoon the world; the band celebrated the launch of 'Your Death : My Glory' with a sold out gig at the Edge of The Wedge on Saturday last.

The 10 track CD is released by Southampton label Angry Badger Records (no, really) and to wet your appetite here's the album opener, Crossfire...

 

The CD version of the album can be purchased direct from the band, alternatively the album is available for download from such reputable outlets as Amazon and iTunes (update: the Portsmouth branch of HMV is now stocking the CD also).