Portsmouth Psych Fest 2019

Over the past few months the organisers of Portsmouth Psych Fest 2019 have teased and tantalised, proffering an ever growing selection of musical morsels via announcements on their social media, wetting the appetite of the discerning gig-goers who subscribe to its feed. The line-up for this year's festival, the third such event, which they've slowly revealed is arguably the strongest to date and features acts both local and from across the country. 

Headlining the festival are Wolverhampton's Yak whose single, Fried, is currently receiving a lot of play on BBC 6Music (the recent live session for Tom Ravenscroft is definitely worth a listen); the band recently released their second album, Pursuit of Momentary Happiness, after an arduous recording process that, at one point, saw the band homeless and sleeping in a car. That's rock & roll.

Joining Yak on the bill are Los Bitchos (who have recently toured both with both Bill Ryder-Jones and the excellent International Teachers of Pop), London-based six piece Black Country New Road, Isle of Wight psych-punks Fat Earthers and Southampton trio Mystic Peach.

Portsmouth synth duo Drusila join fellow city-dwellers Number 9 on the bill, whilst GURU and Egyptian Blue both travel along the coast from Brighton to perform. From somewhat further afield are Glasgow twangsters Sweaty Palms and Bristol noise sculptors Scalping. The Howlers, Snapped Ankles, singer-songwriter Freya Beer, Japanese Television and the fantastically named Nice Biscuit also feature with Invada Records signees The KVB appearing as special guests.

Psych Fest 2019 will take place at The Wedgewood Rooms on Saturday 4th May, with sibling venue the Edge of The Wedge hosting the second stage. Doors open at midday and, after the live music ends, guest DJs should no doubt keep the fun going until late. Tickets are available now, via the venue, priced at a very reasonable £17 (plus service charge).

"Number me with rage, it's a shame"

It's arguable that without the influence of Talk Talk singer and songwriter Mark Hollis, who died this week aged 64, that the current musical landscape might be a very different one indeed. 

Aside from the tales of recording perfectionism (or excess if you're so inclined to view it that way), the rebelling against a record label whose mould he went out of his way to break led the way for bands such as Radiohead to go their own way. Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, though mocked at the time, are now regarded as masterpieces which help shape and inspire post rock.

Though he left the music business in 1998, stepping into the shadows save for a short snippet of music for TV, his legacy remains one of talent and obstinacy, which could also be argued as the signs of genius. 

Mark Hollis 1955-2019
RIP

Funk The Borders

Cultural collective The People's Lounge are well known for hosting a diverse array of talent at their events, at their Sunday night Late Lounge Sessions at Southsea's HUIS or via their now annual presence in the World Music Village at Portsmouth's Victorious Festival (where their tented stage hosts a variety of artists, providing a programme of spoken word, poetry and discussion, as well as hosting both live music and DJ sets). 

Whilst The People's Lounge has a presence at Victorious the World Music Village is curated by the Arms Around The Child charity, an organisation that aims to provide love, hope and dignity to children around the world who in desperate need of it. Similarly local charity Friends Without Borders provides support and friendship to asylum seekers, refugees and immigration detainees in the Portsmouth area, and it's for these two organisations that The People's Lounge are hosting a musical fundraiser this weekend.

Funk The Borders takes place this Saturday, 2nd March, at The Loft on Albert Road (upstairs of The Kings pub) and features an eclectic line-up of Funk, Folk, Hip-Hop and, perhaps, some Jazz too. Nice. Singer-songwriter Megan Linford, whose new single First Day of Spring features below, will be performing as will TPL's own Global Sounds Portsmouth music project.

There'll also be some hip-swinging tunes courtesy of The People's Lounge Funk Band and up-and-coming local hip-hop act Prøspects will be laying down their flow (which, I'm reasonably assured, is the correct parlance). Prøspects recently released the Grim EP which features Deceit, available below:

It promises to be a musical selection box of an evening, with DJ sets from Sahara Rock, Mo Funk and Sam Foot in addition to the live acts, supplying good music to the paying punters whilst helping do some good for those that need a hand. Tickets are priced £5 and can be purchased in advance via EventBrite.

Heathen Chemistry / Record Fair

Growing up in a reasonably sized village, well served by greengrocers and butchers but lacking record shops, meant an excursion into the market town nearby if I wanted to feed my burgeoning vinyl habit. Back in the Eighties the sleepy borough of Fareham was well served with vinyl peddlers; both Woolies and WHSmiths had racks of chart music and, though compact, the local branch of Our Price still managed to cram its shelves with enough delights to empty my wallet. 

However it was the dark yet welcoming confines of Venus Records, the only independent record shop in town, where most of my allowance was spent; one of my earliest record buying memories is of foraging through its 99p 12" singles rack, trying to find a gem amongst the generic, fuelled by whatever new music Mike Read et al had debuted on that week's Saturday Superstore. 

Despite my weekly purchases, which increased considerably once I'd left school and secured regular employment of sorts (does YTS count?), times became hard for record shops. Eventually the shutters came down on Venus, though the faces behind its counter were soon enough serving me in newcomer MVC (which would would also falter, rebrand as Music Zone, before disappearing). 

American chain Sam Goody made a fleeting appearance, well-stocked but expensive it soon closed, its place in the shopping centre soon taken by an opticians. Our Price battled on before it too threw in the towel, leaving only Woolworths and WHSmiths as the town's go-to record shops. Woolies famously folded, taking its supply chain with it, and that (as they say) was that; good luck buying anything that wasn't charting.

After some years with no record shop to speak of, with only the appearance of a pop-up HMV store at Christmastime, flogging DVD boxsets and novelty items to the harried and indiscriminate shopper, I had voted with my wallet and moved on to buying online or sampling the wares in Portsmouth's larger music emporia. With vinyl's resurgence however independent stores began to reappear on high streets across the land; Southsea's Pie & Vinyl led the way locally, then came Elephant Records in Winchester and, most recently, Heathen Chemistry in Fareham. 

This labour of love, with its framed Oasis posters and OSB racking, has been open for a couple of years now and has easily become a focal point for the town's vinylheads. Selling both new and pre-loved records and CDs it boasts, as many record shops do, a friendly atmosphere; I popped in a few months after opening, intending only to check the place out, and ended up spending a good half an hour or so talking to its affable owner about all things round and shiny.

Building upon its place in the local vinyl scene Heathen Chemistry has now branched into organising record fairs; following the success of its first event last November the shop has announced its next fair for Saturday 16th March, at a venue just a short stroll from the shop itself.

If you're interested in hosting a table to sell your wares then contact the shop, if you're more of a buyer than a seller you can rock up at Harmony Hall (yes, like the current Vampire Weekend single) and add to your ever-growing collection of musical platters; doors open at 1030 and the trading continues until 1600.

Record Store Day 2019 / List launch @ P&V

This year's instalment of the annual celebration of all things round & shiny and the beloved shops that sell them, Record Store Day, will soon be upon us. On Saturday 13th April, at locations all across the land, people will be standing in line, waiting for the doors to open on their local vinyl emporium. Many will have been waiting outside their favourite shop for hours, perhaps even overnight, just to get their mitts on THAT reissue, THAT special pressing, THAT longed for release that they need to fill a specific hole in their record collection.

The selection of records, the long list of vinyl delights, is invariably a mouth-watering selection of gems that covers near all genres and styles of popular (and not so popular) music. Each year the list of records grows, a spreadsheet of wants that no doubt causes consternation for Bank Managers all over the country. The list of RSD records is released ahead of time, to both give the shops ample opportunity to request their preferred stock and us punters a chance to drool as we scroll through the mammoth spreadsheet of temptations.

The 2019 RSD list will be announced this Thursday, 28th February, and to mark the occasion Southsea's treasured Pie & Vinyl is hosting its own RSD launch event, spinning vinyl (and you're welcome to bring your own for a go on the decks), giving away cider from RSD partner Friels and, of course, offering a special selection of pie-tastic meal deals.

The following day, Friday 1st March, the fun continues over at Portsmouth's newest venue The House of Rapture. Havant Nu-Eyed Soul outfit Barbudo are launching their new EP, Sunshine. For a taste of what the band has to offer check out previous single Secret Admirer via the SoundCloud embed:



Entrance to EP launch party is £6 on the door, though entrance is FREE if you pre-order the new release via Pie & Vinyl. Doors open at 1930 and, I have no doubt, a good time will be had by all.

Honeyblood - 'The Third Degree'

The return of Honeyblood has been something I've long been looking forward to, the first two albums have both received considerably play at Chez SoMC and, when seen live, the duo of Stina Tweeddale and Cat Myers are a force to be reckoned with. 

New single The Third Degree is a solid, foot-tapping Wall of Sound-influenced tune, a take on not giving your ex the satisfaction of causing a scene when you see them with someone new. This tale of a broken relationship is one that Honeyblood do well, a counterpoint perhaps to some of The Wedding Present's back catalogue of songs that tackle doomed romance.

Something, however, has changed. It's difficult to hear a difference in band dynamic when you hear a song on the radio but, watching the video, there is a noticeable absence in the band's line-up. Yes, moving forward with album number three, Stina has decided to make Honeyblood a solo project, using brought-in musicians to fill out the live sound when touring. This is both a bad (Cat is an excellent drummer, recently stepping into the brink to help Mogwai out) and good (there's always been a feel of a solo act about the project) thing.

On the strength of the single all bodes well for Honeyblood; a UK tour starts in April (including dates at The Joiners on Saturday 11th May & The Boileroom on Thursday 6th June) as well a series of in-stores (which take in both Pie & Vinyl and Resident) ahead of the release of album number three, In Plain Sight, on Friday 24th May.

Goodbye Peter

If Mickey Dolenz was the smiley one, Davy Jones the English one and Mike Nesmith the quiet one, then Peter Tork, who died yesterday aged 77, was the odd one out. Already known on the Greenwich Village music scene before joining the packaged four-piece TV pop band, Tork had the dubious distinction of being the only member of the band to play an instrument on their debut album. An accomplished musician he co-wrote the closing theme to the TV show's second season as well as several songs on the band's output from album three onwards.

Outside of The Monkees he played with George Harrison, briefly becoming a solo artist before becoming a music teacher (finding time along the way to get busted on a dope charge and join a Blues band). However there was no escaping the red buttoned-up tunic and, in 1986, joined Dolenz and Jones to tour again before and record a new album, Justus, with Nesmith in 1996. Unfortunately the band imploded again in 2001, thankfully hatchets were buried from these creative differences in time for an anniversary tour in 2011.

RIP Peter Tork

Beatz Music & Gig Buddies present...

No disrespect intended to Rodgers, Hammerstein or the late Maria von Trapp, but bright copper kettles, or warm woollen mittens for that matter, are not on my list of favourite things. If I was to create such a list then I can state quite easily what would be at the top of it; the simple act of attending a live music event. 

Yes, going to a gig. That feeling within produced from the combination of sensations, the bright lights and the loud mellifluous noise. The power of the shared experience, the joy of the sound of music. There's nothing quite like it and it's a gift that all can, and should enjoy. 

However, for some of us, attending a gig may not be as easy and accessible a joy as for the rest. For various reasons entering into a dark auditoriums that hosts live music, with a crowd of unknown faces in attendance, may be a disconcerting experience. Thankfully there are organisations that actively seek to open the experience up for all, organisations such as Gig Buddies and Portsmouth's Beatz Club.

Gig Buddies is a nationwide organisation which matches adults with a learning disability to volunteers with similar musical tastes, together sharing the love of live music. Beatz promotes events that offer adults with disabilities an authentic night out of live music in a safe, supportive environment.

The team behind Beatz combine their passion for music with their experience working alongside individuals with disabilities, ensuring that "everyone has a great night out". The two groups co-hosted a Christmas special at The Wedgewood Rooms, featuring live music from Bedlam and Monkey Love Stunt Team on the decks, and it's back at the venerable Albert Road venue where their next event will be held. This time around it's going to be a loud one; the organisers have shuffled the decks, checked their hand, and are playing the Rock card. 

First on the bill are Further From The Sky, a rocking four-piece with an impressive bio; between them they've played venues across the UK and Europe, recorded in London and California, and toured with the great and good from the international and underground rock scenes. If you want a South Coast rock supergroup, you've got it...



Next up are Joolz, Marky Mark and JD, aka Trouble County, a Portsmouth power trio producing "down n’ dirty, oil stained, groove-driven Southern stoner rock".



Topping the bill are South Coast three-piece Heir of The Dog, purveyors of funked up rock and rolling riffs aplenty.



This array of rock riffage takes place on Thursday 28th February at The Wedgewood Rooms and, whilst the aim of the gig is to provide people with special needs a safe environment in which to enjoy live music, the event is open to all music lovers who want to share a good night's entertainment. Tickets are for this shindig are £5 and carers go FREE.

Fontaines D.C. - 'Big'

"Dublin in the rain is mine, a pregnant city with a catholic mind, starch those sheets for the birdhouse jail, all mescalined when the past is stale, pale"

So go the opening lines of Fontaines D.C.'s latest release, painting a Hunter S Thompson fever dream image of Ireland's capital city in the mind's eye. Personally, having spent many a night voyaging between some of Dublin's fine hostelries, I can vouch for the city taking on a particular charm when the rain falls (though this may be due to carrying several pints of Arthur's finest in my belly at such occasions). 

At under two minutes Big is a short, punchy statement of intent; "but I'm gonna be big" yells the tune's protagonist, over a rolling bassline and pounding beat, railing against his city as only someone who loves their home can. If a flicker of recognition causes your brain to conjure up Professional Widow you wouldn't be alone, though this is a different beast than Tori Amos' tune (but I'd not say no to a mash-up).

The video, below, features a precocious boy stomping around the stalls of Moore Street market, passers-by stumbling into frame as they exit shops along the cobbled street. It's a welcome remove from the usual tropes of Dublin directors fall back on; no sham-rocked stereotypes here, just a lad being himself in the city, and it fits the song well. Yes, the more I hear of Fontaines D.C. the more I like them, and that's no bad thing.

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Cool Gig in a Church #3 - Capital Fuzz

Gosport's Quay West Studios return to St John's Church in March, hosting another of their successful Cool Gig In A Church events which have so far showcased the likes of local bands such as Hooli, Wyte Stag and Neverman. The third instalment welcomes Portsmouth indie rockers Marmalade Moonshine and, fresh from headlining The Loft stage at Icebreaker 2019, rock four-piece Capital Fuzz to the Forton Road institution.



Cool Gig In A Church 3 takes place on Friday 1st March and, in addition to the lure of a cheap bar (ID required) and excellent acoustics, entrance to the gig is FREE (although a suggested donation can be made at the door). Which is nice, isn't it?

Victorious Festival 2019 / Second wave announced

Now in its eighth year Portsmouth's Victorious Festival has easily established itself as a family-friendly affair, offering a smörgåsbord of performers in an easily accessible environment. As is the case with such shindigs the line-up is a typically idiosyncratic affair, and the organisers have their net wide over the years to bring such diverse acts as Maximo Park, Olly Murs, Dizzee Rascal, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, The Flaming Lips, Basement Jaxx and Charlotte Church to the city.

An initial line-up of artists playing this year's event was announced back in December, an amuse-bouche of big names which included Ska legends The Specials, Swedish monochromatic fuzz warriors The Hives and dance-cello-pop crossover outfit Clean Bandit. Today's "second wave" announcement from the organisers fills out the line-up although, typically, leaves us still guessing at to the identity of the Sunday night headliner.

Northern Ireland's Two Door Cinema Club, currently teasing the release of album number four later this year, will co-headline the Friday night session with The Specials. Joining them for the opening night are Mancunian legends Doves and two bands who are each touring seminal albums from their back catalogue; The Zutons, who have reunited to celebrate their debut release, and indie journeymen Dodgy, whose Homegrown LP is 25 this year.

The bill of fare for the first full day of the festival blends indie nostalgia with a sprinkle of dance, rap and pop. Ocean Colour Scene, Badly Drawn Boy, The Twang and Tim Burgess all feature, as do two bands I've seen grace the stage at The Pyramids, Republica and Fun Lovin' Criminals. Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi, rapper/documentarian Professor Green and Bloc Party (performing a Silent Alarm set) also play Saturday, with London's Rudimental topping the bill.

Some of the acts announced for Sunday's session appear to have been plucked straight from the Nineties & Noughties section of my vinyl vault; indie-rockers Ash, Mackem musos The Futureheads and mellow indie-balladeers Starsailor all have a place on the shelf (although Razorlight, who bizarrely appear higher on the bill than these acts, do not). Alt-rockers The Sherlocks, rock/blues duo The Pearl Harts, Reggae scion Ziggy Marley and Tom Grennan's husky vocals add to the entertainment, with DJ Yoda and Basement Jaxx both making appearances behind the decks.

This second wave of acts weighs a bit too heavily on the nostalgic side for me, heavyset as it is with bands I've seen live several times before (though I'm likely to be in the minority there), and also suffers from a noticeable dearth of female performers. That said, this is just the second wave and there's likely to be several more announcements before August Bank Holiday hoves into view; Victorious has always supported local talent so I'm expecting a large number of Portsmouth/Southampton/IOW acts to be added along with a few more bigger names. Tickets for the festival are on sale now, available online via its website or in person from the Meat & Barrel in Southsea. 

Now, did I ever tell you about the time I saw Dodgy play the Heineken Festival on Southsea Common? No? Well...

CLT DRP & LibraLibra @ The Joiners

Southampton's legendary Joiners will host a Brighton band double-header in April, welcoming art-pop-rock ensemble LibraLibra and electro-punk noise merchants CLT DRP to its compact and bijou stage. 

Having encountered LibraLibra at Dials last year I can guarantee that they're a live act you have to catch; raucous beats, arresting hooks and lead singer Beth Cannon's frankly jaw-dropping vocals, a stylised performance that lingers long in the memory. Recent release Skin and Bone is a prime example of the aural onslaught that awaits the discerning gig-goer (the AK/DK remix is pretty damn good too).



CLT DRP, three disparate travellers whose paths crossed on the South Coast, are a live unknown to me but on the strength of the tracks available online they bode well to deliver a raw set packed with pumping drums, feed-backed guitars, industrial beats and angry vocals.



Oh yes, this gig promises to be very much my bag of doughnuts; if it tickles your fancy then mark Wednesday 3rd April on your calendar. Tickets are available via the venue, priced at £5, with additional acts set to be added to the bill presently.

Welsh Language Music Day/Dydd Miwsig Cymru

Today is Welsh Language Music Day, the fourth such celebration of music performed in the Celtic language, though had it not been for seeing Huw Stephen's tweet about it last month, I'd still be none the wiser that there was such an event; Welsh acts singing in their first language rarely make to Portsmouth (though having cable TV access to S4C has meant stumbling across gems like Gruff Rhy's excellent Separado! documentary or Cerys Matthews performing a set at Rhosygilwen). Whilst I can't tell you the current number one Welsh language band I can, however, remember the first Welsh language song I loved and how I came to I hear of it.

Many years ago, back when having four television channels was as much as the British public could take, I spent another Friday evening consuming that mildly subversive (and much missed) music magazine, The Tube. On this particular Friday the show included a short piece on Welsh alternative bands, performing live, introduced by none other than legendary DJ John Peel. For some reason, known only to the segment's director, the three acts played their sets in the middle of a railway goods yard (try getting that one past Health & Safety now).

Of the three bands featured I can now only recall two by name; Anhrefn, a punk rock three-piece (?) and Datblygu, whose performance it was (and John Peel's pronunciation of their name) that so grabbed my attention. In a railway cutting this duo, consisting of a disinterested looking bass player and a singer armed with a Morrissey haircut, performed a melodica fuelled slice of late 80s DIY electronica, Casserole Efeilliaid. This song, with its programmed claps, cymbal smashes and plodding bassline, was and is an angry-beautiful venting of spleen. I might not have known what it was about but I knew I liked it. 



Unfortunately, much like a lot of the strange and interesting sounds featured on The Tube, getting hold of a copy in those pre-internet days wasn't an easy task (especially when, like Casserole Efeilliaid, it had only been released on cassette, by a DIY label somewhere in Brecon); as good as my local record shop was they couldn't order something when my poor pronunciation mangled into incoherence both the name of the band and the song.

Whilst "The Casserole Song" remained absent from the shelves of my record collection Welsh language music did not; released in 2000 Super Furry Animals excellent fourth album, Mwng, is a lo-fi rock gem. Sung entirely in Welsh the album is arguably one of their best, featuring stand out tracks Ymaelodi Â'r Ymylon and Ysbeidiau Heulog as well as a Datblygu cover (Y Teimlad). Five years later the Furries curated an Under The Influence compilation, a fifteen track selection that featured Meic Stephens, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and, of course Datblygu's seminal Casserole Efeilliaid.

A large chunk of Datglybu's back catalogue is available via Spotify, the organisers of Welsh Language Music Day have also made good use of the Swedish streaming service, using it to collate a series of playlists that feature songs from the wide spectrum of Welsh language music. I still have no idea what Casserole Efeilliaid is all about, nor do I know much about the band other than what's on their Wikipedia page, but I heartily recommend giving them a listen.

Three nights with Stephen William Bragg Esq.

Singer. Songwriter. Activist. Bloke. Billy Bragg has been a recurring presence in my listening history since the day, more years ago than I care to remember, that my brother brought copies of Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy and Brewing Up with Billy Bragg home. 

The vinyl intrigued me; with sleeve designs reminiscent of paperback classics, albums that played at the speed as a single, these were odd platters. And that was before I stole a listen on my own turntable. But listen I did and, on encountering the sound of one man and his guitar, I soon realised that you don't need to affect an American accent to show you have soul.

This Billy Bragg fella crafted songs that were poignant, political, and lyrically beautiful; I am the milkman of human kindness, I will leave an extra pint, she ran away from home on her mother's best coat, she was married before she was even entitled to vote, the Polaroids that keep us together will surely fade away. A joyous array of words, delivered with a rawness of heart and a powerful belief, all from this guy with a guitar. Albums followed, hits from over artists covering his material, but no compromise.

After more than 35 years of walking his own path, singing his own way, this unlikely troubadour is still delivering songs of power and truth. This year he's bringing it to the people via a marathon touring residency. The One Step Forward, Two Steps Back tour will offer fans the chance to hear different sets over three nights in the same venue. 

The tour crosses the pond, with dates in the US and UK over the next twelve months, pitching up at The Wedgewood Rooms from the 5th to the 7th of July, with tickets for this novel tour available either individually or combined in a "season pass". If three nights of Billy Bragg playing on your doorstep tempt your fancy tickets for the Portsmouth residency go on sale here from 10am tomorrow morning priced at £25 per gig, with combined three night packages available via MusicGlue (update: three night packages for the Wedgewood Rooms gig have now sold out).

 

Fast Trains - 'Measure by Measure'

Some years ago I found myself on a fast train travelling from Malmö to Stockholm, the snowy countryside beyond the carriage windows speeding past in grey and white blurs, a journey sound-tracked by the Walter Mitty ta-poketa poketa rhythm of the wheels on the tracks. Landmarks would briefly appear amidst the flurries, ghosts of buildings disturbing my reverie, that soon vanished into the pale distance. Yes, when seen from a fast train the world is a very different place.

I couldn't say if Portsmouth musician and engineer Tom Wells has a similarly romantic view of train travel, hopping a 444 from Havant to Fratton doesn't have quite the came cachet about it as a jaunt across the Swedish plains, but I do know that his new solo project takes the moniker from such high-speed rail, Fast Trains. 

Measure by Measure is the first offering by the Kassassin Street bassist's new outing, a rhythmic three-minutes-and-change of beats, bassy wobbles and delicate vocals that rolls along beautifully. It's a light and wonderfully catchy slice of loveliness, with lyrics that touch upon modern lift and how to survive it, a musical mantra that would sit nicely alongside the likes School of Language and Metronomy on a travelling playlist.

Apparently recorded in a small flat in Havant, with an extra pinch of Kassassin Street DNA thanks to bandmate Nathan Hill providing percussion, the song is currently available exclusively via YouTube (where it's paired with a moody, monochrome video created by Sam Brandon) but fingers crossed it'll be available for purchase via Bandcamp soon. Very nice, more please.

Porridge Radio - April Tour

Brighton lo-fi jangle merchants Porridge Radio have, since being feted by The Guardian as one of the 40 Best New Acts of 2018, supported the likes of Florist, Speedy Ortiz and, more recently, the excellent Wave Pictures (which isn't bad for what began as a solo project based out of lead singer Dana Margolin's bedroom).



Moving out of the bedroom and into the garden shed, the four-piece (or five-piece, depending on what band bio you read) recorded and released their debut album Rice, Pasta and Other Fillers in 2016, a refreshingly DIY collection of quirkiness that covers love, life and the boredom in-between. 

With new material recorded for their forthcoming second release Porridge Radio will be hitting the road in April, touring the UK and sauntering into Portsmouth on Friday 12th for a gig hosted by Southsea's own Calamity Cratediggers. Legendary sweat-box The Birdcage (above The Festing pub) is the venue and London's Hussy have been announced as the first support act (further artists TBA), with advance tickets available now for a bargain £5.

The 7th Annual St Valentine's Day Massacre

A joyous celebration of the most cheesiest of tuneage, the love song, the annual St Valentines Day Massacre event has been a staple on the Southsea musical landscape since 2013. The Massacre has grown in popularity since its inception, selling out original venue Edge of The Wedge so regularly that it moved to the larger confines of the Wedgewood Rooms last year (filling the venue and raising over £2000 for its chosen charity in the process).

All proceeds from the event are donated to the National Foundation of Youth Music, a national charity which invests in music-based projects, helping children & young people to develop personally, socially and musically. Monies raised will help provide musical education & equipment to children who would not otherwise receive it.

The rules of the Massacre are simple enough, all acts get 15 minutes on stage to perform their favourite soppy tunes; they can play whatever they like but the songs must "deal in love, lust or heartbreak". Simple enough, yet it opens the door wide on a vast amount of surprising, interesting or just plain weird cover versions.

The line-up for this year's Massacre includes the likes of Battery Hens, Cyprian Sceptre, Glorious Bulletheads, Guilt Trippin, Halliwell, Horseflies, Hooch, Make Them All Melt (a Make Them All Smile/Melt Dunes supergroup), Waif & Stray and.. some Mystery Guests!

If the possibility of hearing a speed metal version of A Million Love Songs or a funked up I Just Call To Say I Love You is tempting (and it is to me) then you should point your feet in the direction of The Wedgewood Rooms on Saturday 16th February. Tickets for this possibly romantic shindig are priced at a very reasonable £5, plus there's a mega raffle where prizes donated by a variety of local businesses could be won, and a good time is pretty much guaranteed. Which is nice.

Word of Mouth presents Battlegrounds

Portsmouth Hip-Hop promoters/label Word of Mouth are bringing the spirit of 8 Mile to Albert Road with a new freestyle rap tournament night, Battlegrounds. Whether you're a budding Q-Tip or a fully fledged DMX (yes, I've heard of them) the stage is open for all-comers to throw down. If the guest judges rate your flow then you could emerge victorious, crowned the Battlegrounds Champion, walking away with some "epic prizes".

The tournament begins this Friday, 8th February, at The Loft (above The Kings pub) on Albert Road with DJs Supernova and Joey Kong providing the beats. If you fancy channelling your inner Andy Cooper, and have the chutzpah to take on a Portsea Island Busta Rhymes, then you can sign up on the night and step into the ring.

Doors open at 1900, with £3 entry before 2000, and ID is required.

Girli - 'Deal With It'

A few years ago at The Great Escape, in the pub on Brighton Pier, several hundred of us punters waited to catch Black Honey's headline set. However, before the local indie rockers took the stage, we were entertained by two acts whose sets bordered on performance art.

Whilst art-indie ensemble Drones Club employed masked dancers to interact with the crowd, with two juddering figures who moved around the room in a disquieting way, indie-pop chanteuse Girli challenged the male contingent of the crowd to deal with menstruation, throwing sanitary pads into the crowd at the end of the set (at least, that's what I remember). Yes, Girli's set definitely stuck in my memory and, much like every new act I encounter at The Great Escape, the artist was added to my ever-growing Ones To Watch list.

New single Deal With It is three minutes of shouts, call-outs and catchy beats, a football chant interlaced with a driven, annoyingly repetitive, tune that drills into your brain whether you like it or not. Admittedly it's not, for me, quite as strong as previous single Day Month Second (which was, quite rightly, selected as a 6Music Recommends track by Lauren Laverne) but is still rather good if you like that kind of thing (which I do). At the very least I expect to hear this ditty played on the next series of Made In Chelsea (yes, there go my alternative muso credentials).



Deal With It is from Girli's forthcoming debut long player, Odd One Out, due for release in April.

Lauran Hibberd - 'Sugardaddy'

Singer-songwriter Lauran Hibberd has a talent for blending a catchy tune with a fantastically snarky lyric, case in point new single Sugardaddy. Opening with an intro that Rivers Cuomo would be proud of, the song bounces along to a rolling riff which underpins the outrageously dark libretto. The chorus that joyfully infects your brain is one that could, quite easily, cause concerned glances from fellow travellers if sung aloud on the morning commute. 

The Isle of Wight artist will soon be out touring with Minnesotan indie outfit Hippo Campus, supporting them at dates across the UK and Europe, with stops at the Shepherd's Bush Empire (Thursday 21st February), Bristol's SWX (Saturday 23rd February) and the Concorde 2 in Brighton (Sunday 24th February) along the way. I can definitely recommend her live set; I was fortunate enough to see her perform at Dials last year, a polished performance of foot-tapping sarcasm and wry observation, interspersed with tales of travelling to Glasgow and song writing in a Citroen Berlingo. Fantastic.