Hard to believe but true, Portsmouth's venerable 60's beat and funk DJ combo are soon to celebrate a milestone birthday; Hipshaker have been entertaining the masses for twenty years and, to celebrate this milestone, DJs Simon and Dave are having a party.
The boys are holding their birthday shindig at at Southsea's Coastguard Studio on Friday 14th December, with tickets priced at a very reasonable £12, and they've invited their good chums The Small Fakers along for some live music too. Ticket information should be available soon, best to check the Hipshaker Facebook page for updates.
Albert Road will be alive with the sound of music this weekend; if Sunday's charity event at the Wedgewood Rooms is the feel-good coda, Saturday's Dials Festival is the magnum opus. Dials 2018 takes place across five venues on Southsea's favourite thoroughfare, all conveniently within ambling distance of each other, with a hand-picked selection of acts performing. The organisers' sterling efforts have produced a line-up that is fair full to the brim with aural delights and, after some poring over the event's Clashfinderthis week, I think I've just about worked what my pick of the pops are (one of whom, Yassassin, have unfortunately had to withdraw under doctor's orders), so without further ado here are the bands I'm looking forward to seeing at Dials 2018: Temples of Youth (The Wine Vaults, 1330-1355) Jo Carson and Paul Gummaare Temples of Youth, purveyors of moody yet delicate electronica that combines gorgeous vocals, synthesizers and guitar. They've received airplay locally via BBC Introducing and nationally on both BBC Radio 1 (Huw Stephens) and BBC 6 Music (Steve Lamacq). Did I mention that they're excellent? No? Oh, well they are so you should make sure you're at the Vaults in plenty of time to see them.
Dani Uziel (Bar Acapulco, 1400-1430) Portsmouth singer-songwriter Danihas played several of the city's smaller venues over the past year, garnering plaudits and gaining fans along the way. Lauran Hibberd (The Loft, 1445-1520) If, like me, you like a mix of snarky lyrics and fuzzed-up guitar, you should direct your feet to The Loft (above The Kings pub) for Lauran Hibberd's set. Whilst her earlier material had a more delicate, folky feel the newer material rocks out a treat (will there be moshing during Call Shotgun? Hopefully).
Curxes(The Loft, 1700-1730) At first listenCurxes' sophomore album, Gilded Cage, appears to be a mellower affair than 2015's Verxes. Yet, as the album unfolds, it soon becomes apparent that a dark and melancholic heart beats beneath the gorgeous synths and crisp production. A soundtrack waiting for an as-yet-unmade Netflix dystopian sci-fi fantasy? Definitely.
Krush Puppies (The Loft, 1900-1930) London's Krush Puppies have a line of grungy fuzzed-up rock that's hard not to like, catch them at Dials ahead of their set at The Great Escape's FirstFifty gig in Hoxton next month. Of course, one of the things about festival is the clash and, yes, Krush Puppies clash with... Horseflies (Bar Acapulco, 1900-1930) Take a pinch of Deluxe Flamingoes, add a soupçon of Attack! Vipers! and what do you have? Horseflies. Lovely lovely Horseflies. Bokito(The Wine Vaults, 1930-2000) Once the clashes start there's no stopping them; so it is then that Bokito, hirsute suppliers of memorably quirky indie pop, are on at the same time as another band I'm hoping to see. Will Bokito have the edge as they appear to be named after a somewhat anti-social gorilla? Possibly. Vinyl Staircase (Edge of The Wedge, 1930-2000) Is there much to do in Dorking after dark? I don't know. I do, however, know that a vinyl staircase sounds very much like the kind of interior design that I'd splurge on should I ever win the lottery. Therefore the sound of Vinyl Staircase, which has a roll to its rock, appeals to me.
Fröst(Edge of The Wedge, 2030-2100) Skipping gently past the three-way clash that is the scheduling of Lice, Breath Paneland Thyla(a clash which might require a roshambo to make a decision on) we arrive at Fröst. This Brighton-based duo have received national airplay on BBC 6 Music, with their glacial electronica finding favour with Guy Garvey, Gideon Coe and Lauren Laverne. So, I really don't to sell that one, do I?
Estrons(The Wedgewood Rooms, 2100-2130) I must confess that I'm somewhat on the fence when it comes to Estronswhich, given my appalling centre of gravity, makes for wild teetering between love and hate feelings towards them and their brand of indie. Whilst singer Tali is, frankly, devastatingly good in the vocal department I do wonder if, without her presence, the band would just be another indie outfit. Harsh? Possibly, though I'm still keenly looking forward to hearing the album.
Art School Girlfriend (The Wine Vaults, 2130-2200) The Margate-based Art School Girlfriend (known to her chums as Polly) is preparing for her headline set at the Vaults tomorrow by a sold out show at St Pancras Old Churchtonight. This is a set I'm very much looking forward to, a dark and atmospheric way to end my Dials experience (well, until I get a second-wind and head back to the Wedge for Tigercub).
And there we have it, a selection of bands that I'm really looking forward to see (and, in some cases, see again) at Dials 2018. That isn't to say that the rest of the acts on the packed line-up aren't to my taste, far from; I'm also hoping to see Mystic Peach, Fake Empire, Los Bitchos, Grace Savage... err, maybe I need to rework my recommendations? Oh dear. Regardless of who you or I see all of the artists on the bill are deserving of our support, as is the festival itself, and if I could splice myself into several clones I'd see all of the bands on all of the stages. Perhaps one day it might be possible, for now though I'll have to be that guy scuttling between the stages, Clashfinder clutched to sausage-fingered hand, trying not to miss any of the wonderful music. I can't wait.
This weekend, under the banner of the We Shall Overcome campaign, a series of music and art events will take place across the UK. The aim of these events is both to raise awareness of the ongoing effects of austerity and provide help to those in our communities affected by it. The policies of austerity have had an impact on communities all over the country, including Portsmouth and its surrounding areas, and unfortunately it's only through the efforts of organisations like the Trussell Trust that some in our community are able to put food on the table.
We Shall Overcome is an alliance of artists, musicians and others who came together to provide practical assistance to those affected by austerity. Since 2015 they've encouraged people to organise gigs and events that:
Get direct help to those in our local communities who have been adversely affected by austerity policies.
Raise awareness, show solidarity or apply pressure to those who have political power.
The Wedgewood Rooms is hosting an all day event this Sunday, 7th October, which will feature live performances from The Autumn Stone, Southerlies, Amba Tremain, Brave Rival, Blue Harvest and several others. Rather than buy a ticket for your day's entertainment the organisers instead ask that you bring a small box of food; all food donated will be distributed amongst local foodbanks.
If you are unable to attend an event this weekend but want to help others in your community, here are some links to local foodbanks:
Some call it the toilet circuit, some call it grassroots, whatever the term the venues it applies to are those small, grungy places that provide one of the lower rungs on the music biz ladder. They are at the heart of their music community, providing a stage for local bands to gain valuable gigging experience and giving new acts the chance to build a following. Tucked away on Middle Street in Brighton, a short walk from a Jazz club that I've yet to find open, Sticky Mike's Frog Bar is very much one of those venues.
Unfortunately modern life is hard for grassroots venues such as Sticky Mike's. A combination of problems, such as redevelopment (both of the venues themselves or their surrounding area), local councils who don't (or won't) recognize the cultural significance of such places, or the plain old issue of money have meant that, over the past few years, the number of small venues across the UK has decreased. To help counter the problems grassroots venues face, hopefully protecting and securing their the future, the Music Venue Trust was formed. The sterling effort of this charitable organisation has assisted many small venues across the country. The combined endeavours of the MVT, their partner organisations and their supporters, have this year successfully seen the introduction of agent of change protection into UK planning advice.
Sadly this protection has come to late for Sticky Mike's Frog Bar, and if you've not had the delight of venturing into the venue and down the stairs to the basement, your chances are finite. Today the venue announced that, due to "too many issues", it is to shut at the end of the year. After seven fun-packed years the doors will finally close as 2019 rolls in, with the venue saying goodbye with a series of parties and events before then. Frustratingly the announcement of Sticky Mike's closure comes within days of the Talking Heads in Southampton shuttering, and let's not forgot that Portsmouth has lost both The Cellars (now redeveloped for housing) and the RMA Tavern in recent years. When a venue closes it's sad, infuriating, annoying and upsetting, it leaves a hole in both the local community and its economy. Add the knock-on effect for the music business in general and you're left scratching your head at why things have got into the state they have. Do we blame The Man? Do we blame the government? Or do we blame ourselves for not going to gigs more? Whatever the reason, and there is no one cause to point the finger of blame at, when a venue is gone and the posters in the window replaced by Estate Agent boards we at least have the memories of the good times spent there. Not great I know but, unless we see more changes to support our important yet tiny venues, that might be all we're left with.
Fingers crossed I'll get a chance to take in one last gig (or two) at Sticky Mike's before it closes, if not then I'll take this chance to wish hearty thank you to all involved in the venue for all the blood, sweat and tears invested in keeping it up and running for as long as possible.
In closing, my abiding memory of Sticky Mike's is from The Great Escape several years ago, heading out of the sun and down into its low-ceilinged basement, to see the excellent Kassassin Streetdecimate
any and all remaining traces of the previous night's hangover. Damn,
that was a good gig (shame I took such a blurry photo, the pros and cons
of being down the front I guess). UPDATE: I've refreshed some of the text since first posted (as it was late when I posted and some bad grammar got the best of me). Also, if you've not yet seen it, it's worthwhile reading the Music Venue Trust's Facebook post on the subject (the paragraph pertaining to grants, subsidies and business rates is jaw-dropping to say the least).
Having The Wedgewood Roomspractically on my doorstep has always been a source of delight; it's a fantastic venue where, over the years, I've been lucky enough to see many artists at various stages of their careers (and, yes, I still shamelessly try and spot the gigs I've attended there from the multitude of posters that adorn the walls of its bar).
Part of the experience of going to "the Wedge" is meeting up before the gig at one of the local hostelries, killing some time waiting for the doors to open with beer and conversation on whether or not to sample the delights of the support act (which we invariably did, if not then I'd never have seen The Killers and Franz Ferdinandwhen I did, or discover the live awesomeness that was The Computers).
The reason for propping up a bar elsewhere beforehand was because, for
as long as I can remember, my favourite haunt has thrown wide its
doors slightly later than other venues; the doors would open later, the bands would start later, the entertainment would end later, and there's the rub. Stay until the end or bolt for the last train or bus? Decisions decisions.
Admittedly
this was more problematic when I lived outside of the city and,
having resigned myself to not missing out on any music (which meant forsaking the last locomotive heading west out of Fratton), I always tried to make sure I had
enough shrapnel in my pocket to cover the taxi home (which meant, on
occasion, forsaking the shiny delights of the merch table).
That was then. Now I live in Portsmouth getting home from the Wedge is just a shortish walk for me. However, having become accustomed to the late starts, several of my gig buddies and I have all had to undergo a period of adjustment when seeing a gig at a venues further afield. Whilst it seemed initially strange that gigs in Brighton and London would start and finish earlier, the realisation that this left enough time to make the last train, including grabbing a bite or a pint at the station before the journey home, was a welcome one. Times change, which of course means times change. Opening times I mean, more precisely those of The Wedgewood Rooms. Apparently, due to popular demand, door times are moving back to 1930 which also means, obviously, that an evening's mellifluous delights should finish by 2300. This brings the venue more in line with others, makes getting the last train home slightly more easier for those who have to travel and, personally speaking, means in future that I'm more likely to make it home before midnight for my mug of bedtime Horlicks.
The venue is phasing the introduction of its new door time over the Autumn period; by 2019 all gigs should start earlier (comedy and club nights are unaffected). They're also genuinely interested if that's the ideal time for a gig to finish or still too late, canvassing for opinions via their Facebook page. It's OK by me, though it does mean I might have to finish my pint in The Merchant House a little quicker than before.
Flush with the success of their first outing Nod Ya Head have announced details of their second event, with Fareham's first new music night in I don't know how long moving to the Roundabout Hotelfor round two.
Billed as later, longer and louder than before, the sophomore outing is scheduled for Saturday 10th November and will be headlined by the winners of The Wedgewood Rooms' Unsigned Showcase 2018 competition, Brother Deep. Joining them on the bill are Guildford's Fuzzwalker, Portsmouth indie rock merchants Capital Fuzz and local singer-songwriter Devin Jade.
Tickets are available via BookEvents or from Heathen Chemistry Records in Fareham, priced at £6 advance (plus £1 booking fee if purchased online), £7 on the door.
