Death By Shotgun @ The Wave Maiden

Bournemouth emo-punks Death By Shotgun kick off a short Spring tour with a stop-off at Southsea craft ale haven The Wave Maiden on Friday 12th April, a nice warm-up for their appearance at Brighton's Washed Out Festival the following day.

The band's latest release Good Times / Sad Times, the vinyl edition of which not only boasts eco-friendly credentials (making every pressing unique) but also features the band's debut EP on the flip-side, is available from Bandcamp via Beth Shalom Records.

Supports for The Wave Maiden gig are TBA, advance tickets are £4 (plus booking fee), available from WeGotTickets, entry £5 OTD.

Crocodile Nightmares: Violet Mud, Sans, Gork and Make Them All Smile

The Checkatrade Trophy is, for those unfamiliar with the vagaries of the beautiful game, the third most prestigious trophy in the realm of English football. Were it not for capricious fate (and two goals from Sunderland) Bristol Rovers would have reached this year's final at Wembley, playing Portsmouth for the honour of lifting the silverware. 

If Rovers had made it to this weekend's final then linking the game to Crocodile Nightmares' forthcoming gig at The Loft, which features bands both from Bristol and Pompey, would not have required such tenuous opening spiel. But that's football for you, it's a funny old game but, at the end of 90 minutes, Ron Manager will have something inane to say.

Noise merchants Violet Mud, local purveyors of raw, loud musical morsels, headline an evening of mellifluous entertainments. The band played the Strong Island Recordings stage at this year's Icebreaker, always a sign of quality.

The first of the Bristle bands is Sans, a three-piece whose Facebook bio likens their output to audio treacle. Mmm, treacle. Ahead of the release of their first long player Misophonic Songs the band released a track, Ode to Marilyn, which is currently streaming on Bristol In Stereo. If you remember Rickyfitts then you may recognise one of Sans.


 
Also out of Brizzle are Gork, a six-headed, twelve-legged power punk pop monster of epic proportions. All hail Gork, our new Bristolian overlords... feed the Gork and it will score, etc..



Rounding out the bill are Make Them All Smile, Portsmouth post-punks with a predilection for choice tunes and post-gig kebabs (who also, like Violet Mud, played the SIR stage at Icebreaker in January).



This fun-packed fixture is scheduled for Friday 12th April, at The Loft on Albert Road, with tickets priced at a bargain £5.

Nod Ya Head #4 - Jeph, Flying Machines & Fugitive Orchestra

The motto "same old town, brand new music" befits Nod Ya Head well, with the Fareham promoter quickly establishing a deserved reputation for booking an interesting mix of bands for its live music nights. The line-up for their fourth showcase, which includes something great from the other side of the Solent, can only add to this renown.

The Isle of Wight continues to bring forth great musical offerings, such as the cinematic electronica of Curxes, the spiky indie-pop of Lauran Hibberd and the eclectic loveliness of Plastic Mermaids. The island's latest export is Jeph, an indie foursome with a lush line of jangly guitar; if you like The Beths then these should be right up your street.



Second on the bill are Flying Machines who, I have no doubt, some idle writer will tailor a quip about being magnificent men. The band Portsmouth band, not to be confused with the London outfit of the same name, released their debut long player Tales of a Quiet Guest last year.



Rounding out the line-up is Portsmouth's own Fugitive Orchestra, the one-man-band of James Tattington, who recently celebrated the release of his new single Tomahawk Caress with a gig at the city's newest venue, The House of Rapture.



Advance tickets for the Saturday 6th April gig at The Roundabout Hotel are available online now via BookEvents, priced at £6, with entry OTD still a snip at £7. 

UPDATE:

02/04 Physical tickets are available for purchase from Heathen Chemistry, West Street, Fareham.

"My name is Ranking Full Stop, so all you really got to do is just-a move you little feet and just-a rock-a to the beat"

The tale of how Ranking Roger came to join The Beat has such a ring of serendipity about it that it sounds almost too Hollywood to be true, more befitting a scene created for dramatic effect in a band biopic than something that happened in real life. Legend has it that it occurred when The Beat supported his then band; whilst watching the warm-up from side of stage it became obvious that this was the better act so, whilst lead singer Dave Wakeling had his back to the microphone, Roger leapt on stage and toasted along. The rest, as they say, is history.

The announcement earlier today of his death from cancer has been followed by an outpouring of love which has populated the internet; the sorrow from bandmates, fans and friends, is testament to how respected and adored he was both in the industry and outside of it. He was that successful rarity in music, a nice guy.

Ranking Roger 1963-2019
RIP

'The final move was made, the knight hung his head, and said "You've won, I've nothing left to play"'

Unconventional. Enigmatic. Reclusive. Idiosyncratic. All these terms and more have been used to describe the life and career of the legendary Scott Walker whose death, at the age of 76, was announced earlier today. A bass player who became a teen idol, a pop star who developed into an avant-garde icon, his trajectory through the music world produced some of the most interesting and beautiful music I've been fortunate to hear.

Like most folk my age I first encountered Scott Walkers' voice via The Walker Brothers, most likely through hearing the rousing anthemic notes of The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore pouring forth from my Mum's hi-fi speakers, with it taking immediate residence in my mind's music library. It was only some years later before I stumbled across what he did next, the rich, dark pop of his first four solo albums. 

Scott 1-thru-4, with their sumptuous production, lush strings that under-pin ever interesting lyrics, a sprinkling of judicious and eclectic versions, all topped with that voice. Oh, that voice. The man may be gone but his voice will always be with us and, I hope, ever will it be that people experience the joy of hearing it for the first time, wanting to hear it again and again.







Scott Walker 1943-2019
RIP

The Domestics @ The Festing

Ipswich punk/hardcore outfit The Domestics descend on Pompey next month, headlining a Portsmouth Punk Promotions/Charlie's Big Ray Gun Records promoted night at The Birdcage, and already I'd put money on a raucous circle pit forming during their set. If you like fast, loud and shouty then this gig will definitely be your bag of chips.



The band play the upstairs venue at The Festing on Friday 6th April, with local bands Hack Job and Flybums so far announced as support. For the low low price of £5 you can enjoy an evening of loud guitars, throaty vocals and fast drumming (with the chance of suffering a ringing head the following morning being highly likely).

Hotel Lux - 'English Disease'

"we're all in the bar drinking Stella Artois, referencing Sartre and Danny Dyer"

It's an oft used phrase, the English Disease, and a cursory rummage on the internet will throw up several meanings, invariably inferring to the country's 1970's status as the "sick man of Europe". The English Disease referenced in Hotel Lux's new single is, however, a louche take on our current woebegone situation.

Though now based in London (and appropriated accordingly by the NME) Hotel Lux will always be a little bit Portsmouth (you only need to check their merchandise to know where they're from); listening to this latest tune reminds me of many nights spent in some of the less salubrious hostelries around here. 

Comparisons to Blur's 1994 take on British culture may be levelled but this is a different beast, it foregoes the cockiness of Phil Daniels' vocal delivery for a casual drawl that uses the pub as a metaphor (with a telling lyric about jukeboxes). It's a casual, ambling, drunken singalong of wonky loveliness, with its slight discordant guitar chime, that says more about modern Britain in three minutes than some of us might be comfortable with. And that's why I'm going to listen to it again...

Lower Slaughter @ The Loft

Marsh Gibbon. Queen Camel. Lickfold. Curry Mallet. Throop. The English countryside is liberally sprinkled with odd sounding places, quaint hamlets with weird names, that lend themselves easily to naming your new favourite band (though I'll admit Throop does have a bit of a "Brian Pern" feel about it). The Cotswold village of Lower Slaughter, an outpost better known of late as being a no-go area for selling ice cream, might not feature amongst the odder patronymics but, yes, it has indeed named a band.

The musical version of Lower Slaughter are an indie-rock foursome, three quarters of which are based in Brighton (with singer Sinead Young now residing in her home town of Glasgow), who release their second album Some Things Take Work via Newcastle's Box Records later this month. With the new long player imminent the band are taking to the road, stopping off at The Loft in Portsmouth on Friday 5th April.



Support comes from the magnificently monikered You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons, a band who take their name from a comment in documentary about female wrestling (and not, as I previously thought, from a badly translated Anime), Horsefiles and Dad Hair.



Advance tickets are available online from WeGotTickets, priced £7 plus booking fee.

Breakdown 20

In the late Nineties Portsmouth's legendary big beat club night Breakdown brought the joyous sound of breakbeats & loops to the heart of the city. Now, after a gap of nearly two decades, the big beat sound is returning to The Wedgewood Rooms for a one-off celebration, with multiple DJs working their turntable magic across the venue's two rooms.

Breakdown 20 is a celebration of the music that bridged the distance between clubbers and indie kids but it's also a chance to toast the lives of co-founder Carl Edwards, who passed away last year, and DJ Paul ‘Monkey P’ Keeler who died in 2015. Monkey P founded No More Durty Water, a fundraising organisation that works with existing charities to provide safe and sustainable drinking water, and monies raised from Breakdown 20 will go to help both their work and that of local hospice The Rowans.

The line-up for Breakdown 20 includes Simon Heartfield, Mr Foot and George Spence, with resident DJ Jed Nugget spinning a choice set of old school classics and the mighty Plump DJs headlining. 



Breakdown 20 takes place this Friday, 22nd March, with advance tickets priced at £10 (All ages show, under 14s must be accompanied by an adult).

Calamity Cratediggers: Horseflies EP launch

For nearly forty years the brutalist magnificence of the Tricorn Centre dominated the heart of Portsmouth's commercial quarter, a confection of concrete and reinforced steel that stirred opinion, for and against, in all who saw it. In latter years the dank, grey structure looked more like somewhere Rick Deckard would hang out but, in its heyday, the Tricorn was host both to one of the first Virgin Megastores and a venue which the likes of Marc Bolan, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, The Wedding Present and Hothouse Flowers all played.

After years of neglect, and despite the protestations of its architects and the locals that loved its strong presence, the Tricorn was demolished in 2004. However since its destruction the building's legend has grown, becoming the subject of a short documentary, lending its name to an electronica duo and proving to be an inspiration for local artists. Its angular logo features on custom apparel, prints of its likeness have proven popular and now it has inspired the city's newest label, Brutalist Records.

Brutalist are a cassette-only outfit, a format which easily lends itself to DIY releasing despite splitting opinion nearly as much as the architectural oddity that inspired the label's name and logo. The label's initial offering is from Horseflies and to mark its release Brutalist have teamed with local collective Calamity Cratediggers for a launch party at The Birdcage.
  
Horseflies, if you've not yet encountered them, are a magnificent noise machine that consists of both current and ex-members of Deluxe Flamingos & Attack! Vipers!. The band released Fist, the first track from their new Lucidity EP, earlier this year with the song subsequently getting a spin from Tom Robinson on his BBC Introducing 6Music show.
 


Joining Horseflies on the bill are recent These Bloody Thieves signings The Howlers, purveyors of alt/desert rock hailing from east London. If you missed seeing them play the Edge of The Wedge in February, or fancy checking them out ahead of their set at this year's Portsmouth Psych Fest, here's your chance.



Rounding out the line-up are local acts Make Them All Smile and the quite magnificently named Dad Hair (finally, a band name that I can aspire to).



Things get real at The Festing on Saturday 23rd March; entrance is £5 OTD, details of advance ticket information are available via the Facebook event page.

Neverman - 'Too Much Waste'

"two up, two down, you're a frown in a gown"

A short stroll from historic Fort Brockhurst, squirrelled away in an industrial estate, is Gosport's premier rehearsal and recording space Quay West Studio. Over the years the folks behind this fine enterprise have welcomed many musicians through its doors and, since becoming involved with the Wickham Festival, have booked bands across that shindig's stages. 

Portsmouth four-piece Neverman have both recorded at Quay West and been booked by them, recently playing one of the studio's curated gigs at Saint John's Church. The band are due back at Quay West soon to record their next single, Spineless, but ahead of that being released I've given their current release a spin.

If you're a fan of melodic alt-rock, particularly that delivered by Scandinavian bands such as Moi Caprice or The Kissaway Trail, then Too Much Waste may well float your boat (or båd as they say in Denmark). The slightly affected vocal, with its faint warble, sings over shimmery guitars and reflects on how life might not run the way you expect it to. Admittedly, on first listen, the rhyming of the verses may grate with their reminders of Brian Molko's worst excesses, but all is forgiven when the wall of guitars and the melodic chorus hits.

For a band that were new to scene last year this bodes well for Neverman's future, and I look forward to hearing the next single, I just hope they kick that rhyming dictionary into touch.



If you want to catch Neverman live they're playing The Edge of The Wedge on Saturday 20th April, supporting Chichester's Dutch Criminal Record, with advance tickets available now via the Wedgewood Rooms website.

Giant Peach @ The Wave Maiden

Indie quartet Giant Peach pay a visit to Southsea next week, headlining the bijou experience that is The Wave Maiden's upstairs stage. The band, who formed in Brighton early last year, released their debut single in June with a party at the city's Hope & Ruin venue (i.e. the place where I've queued in vain outside at every Great Escape I've attended, despite the bouncer's assurances to the contrary). 

Melatonin is a fine shimmery slice of alt-rock, replete with noodly guitar, moody lyrics and a catchy chorus (which, yes, has a bit of an Enjoy The Silence vibe to it) and has a suitably sparse video to accompany it (though I think leaving your bike in a field and wandering off like that is just asking for trouble).



Support comes from Berlin-based foursome Askers Dodge who'll be bringing some brooding alt-rock to the fray. The lyrics, and vocal delivery of frontman Greg Thompson, are reminiscent of a certain Sheffield band, something which the band allude to in their bio, or even that bloke who always arrives late for his own gigs, but these are merely cosmetic similarities; whilst you may pick up musical references at first listen there is a lot more going on here.



Wyse, who recently released their Switch Of My Controller EP, have been added to the line-up of the Friday 22nd March gig, with tickets are available now priced £4 in advance (via WeGotTickets) or £5 OTD. 

 

Updated 17/03 - Poster and support act added

Jerry Williams - 'Gameshow'

"Lights out, have gone out, I’m worn out from sat here watching gameshows by myself"

Singer-songwriter Jerry Williams has gained a deserved reputation for producing foot-tappingly catchy tunes, slick combinations of singalong lyrics and memorable choruses that take an easy residence in the brain. New release Gameshow however is a stark remove from Jerry's norm, an achingly haunting tune of loss and goodbye inspired by the loss of a family friend.

Near whispered vocals lilt delicately over slow a mournful piano, an approach that lets the weight of the lyrics take hold. It's a beautifully sad song, full of bittersweet loveliness, that may very well leave you misty-eyed after listening.

Gameshow has been released as a streaming EP which includes recent release David At The Bar, as well as live favourites Left & Right and Grab Life, and is available now via the usual online suspects.

RSD 2019 @ Castle Road

Record Store Day, the annual celebration of vinyl and the shops that sell it, takes place this year on Saturday 13th April. On that day, all across the globe, eager vinylphiles will form queues outside their favourite record shop, with those present crossing their fingers that they'll be able to procure that yearned for item from amongst the large array of shiny delights on offer this year.

Southsea's famed Pie & Vinyl has, since it first took part in Record Store Day, seen an ever growing number of punters pitching up outside its doors, all keen to get their mitts on that special pressing. Some get there early, some mosey along in the afternoon and a hardy few wait overnight to ensure they don't miss out.

For the past few years Castle Road, where P&V proudly sits, has joined in with the RSD celebrations by closing itself to traffic and hosting an array of local traders, artisan comestibles and live music. This year marks the fifth such takeover and, though no artists have yet been announced, whoever plays will be joining such alumni as Emily Barker, Jerry Williams, Blenaevon, Plastic Mermaids, Smoke Fairies and IDLES (no, really).

Even if vinyl isn't your thing (I know, but there are some folk who prefer CDs or, yes, even cassettes) it's well worth a visit to enjoy the ambience of a Southsea street showing its best garb, procure a gourmet cheese toastie or even replenish your supply of hot sauce (and best of all it's completely FREE to attend, which is nice).

Fugitive Orchestra - 'Tomahawk Caress'

"You know I love the feel of your tomahawk caress, got your finger on the button babe, you ain’t nothing like the rest"

Singer-songwriter James Tattington is better known by his nom de scène, Fugitive Orchestra, a moniker he lifted from a Ballard novel (don't ask me which one, I've not the foggiest). A veritable one-man band of guitar & pedals James has performed at venues across the South and at both the Victorious and, more recently, Icebreaker festivals.

New single Tomahawk Caress is a slick, funky slice of alt-pop, fuelled by a thrumming electro bass and laden with claps; there's some Chic-esque guitar in the mix and, to be honest, there's a feel of Har Mar about it (and that's no bad thing at all). It could be argued that it's a bit too early in the year for something as summery as this, its foot-tapping beats ideally suited to power a friend-packed BBQ on a hot afternoon, but that's climate change for you.



To celebrate the release of the new single, and the video that accompanies it, Fugitive Orchestra is (are?) holding a launch party at Portsmouth's newest venue, The House of Rapture, this Friday, 8th March. Support comes from Hometown Show and To Retort and, if the lure of live music and Staggeringly Good's excellent beverages weren't enough to tempt you out on a Friday night, entrance is FREE! Doors from 1930, music from 2000, so best to get there early if you want don't want to miss out.

Radlouse @ The Festing

Grimy grunge merchants Radlouse play The Festing's Birdcage venue this Thursday, 7th March, topping a bill featuring some great local talent. The Portsmouth four-piece, who headlined the Acapulco stage at the city's Icebreaker Festival this year, should rock the hot and sweaty confines of the compact yet bijou venue with their raw yet melodic tunes.


 
Joining them on the night will be Portsmouth post-punks Hallan, also headliners at Icebreaker 2018 (where they closed out the The Honest Politician stage), who head into Thursday's gig fresh from playing the quarter-final of the Isle of Wight Festival's New Blood competition at The Wedgewood Rooms earlier in the week.



Rounding out the bill are Southampton alt-rockers Sleazy Shoes, local punky three-piece Flange and Fareham grit-popsters The Gillies (who make a rather good fist of a Chris Isaak classic). Entrance to this Thursday night feast of music is just £3, a bargain, and should make for a great way to welcome in the weekend (well, Thursday IS the new Friday after all).
 

"I'm the trouble starter, punkin' instigator"

The sad news of Keith Flint's passing has rippled through the day, a sombre ending to a life that brought joy to so many, though the man we saw on stage and in videos was far removed from the real Keith offstage. Listening to 6Music today, with a noticeably shaken Matt Everitt imparting tales of this gentle soul, the swear box installed in his pub for when a log was needed to feed the flames, I was struck by the distance between the image he portrayed and the man himself.

Yes, Keith Flint had a snarling, ferocious stage presence, one that I was lucky enough to see in action with The Prodigy a couple of times. The final time just last year at Victorious, and the stage persona the man had was awe-inspiring; I honestly thought that, if I didn't move to the music, he would personally hope off stage, find me in the crowd, and make me dance. But that's all it was, a presence, a mask; a quiet man, he became a super-power when the music fed him. He will always by the Firestarter, the man who got thousands dancing, and he will always be missed.

Keith Flint 1969-2019
RIP

Mental health affects us all. If you're struggling or feeling low, please know that you are not alone. Talking helps, and there is always someone to listen. 

Samaritans - help is available 24 hours a day, call 116 123

Campaign Against Living Miserably
Time To Change
Papyrus
Mind

Charity All Dayer @ The Deco

Let's face it, we all love a Bank Holiday weekend, and an Easter Bank Holiday is even better; a long weekend that offers both extra opportunity for alcoholic excess and a bonus Monday to spend recovering with Netflix and Deliveroo's assistance. However, if you're going to spend a slow day improving your sofa's butt groove whilst Mads Mikkelsen goes a bit John Wick, it's good for your karma to have done something worthwhile over the extended break. 

Rather than prop up a fancy bar in Gunwharf (well, some people do) why not make for Elm Grove on Saturday 20th April and help do something good for the environment, and maybe enjoy some loud rock and a hefty slice of local metal too. Yes, you guessed it, it's The Deco's first charity all-dayer of 2019!

The line-up for this year's inaugural shindig boasts some heavy rock from Tirana, metal courtesy of Earthborn Kings and Stray Bullets plus some fast punk from Bitterman. Joining the fray are West Country stoner rock outfit Cybernetic Witch Cult who you can get of a taster of via the embed below:

Topping the bill are Seething Akira who, as well as releasing their debut LP Sleepy Skeletor last year, were recently voted Portsmouth's Best Band in the annual Guide awards. The band signed to Armalyte Industries in November, with The Islander their first release for the label:

This feast of live music is in aid of the Freshwater Life Project, an NGO that aims to make real changes to support, protect and preserve aquatic habitats across the globe. Founded by a small team of independent researchers the Freshwater Life Project seeks to effect change, conserving wetlands, lakes and rivers to secure a future of all the types of biodiversity which rely on these aquatic habitats.

The live music starts from 1400, with bands playing through until 2200 (with DJ Matt Random keeping the engine running until midnight). Advance tickets are not available, rather entrance is via donation, paid at the door on the day. It bodes to be a large and hefty day of music and, if you sample The Deco's Asgardian cocktail menu too heavily, you may need to spend the Sunday on the sofa too. 

Twisted Village - Second Wave / CANCELLED

UPDATE: 19/06 - Unfortunately, owing to poor ticket sales and the financial risk this has incurred, the organisers of the Twisted Village Festival have made the sad decision not to proceed with year's event. A full statement on the event's cancellation can be found on the festival's website and Facebook page.

UPDATE: 25/06 - The Portsmouth News is reporting that the festival's production company has gone into liquidation; the festival's website is still active, however its social media presence has been shuttered. 

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Following on from their initial line-up announcement the organisers of boutique festival Twisted Village have released details of more acts and artists performing at the inaugural event. Joining the already mouth-watering selection of acts, which include Alabama 3 and The Lovely Eggs, are bhangra drummers The Dhol Foundation, players of tiny instruments Babsie Brown and the Miniature Orchestra, the quite fantastically named Johnny Kowalski & The Sexy Weirdos, the funky brass of Tuba Libres and the excellent Fake Empire.

In addition to the live music on offer there'll also be sets on the decks from Brandon Block, the rebel dread himself Don Letts and the one and only DJ Format. Twisted Village also sees the welcome return of Portsmouth’s legendary Hipshaker DJs to the festival circuit, if you want a taste of what they'll bring to the party check out their Express FM radio show (past episodes of which are available online). On the performing arts side of things the Circo Rum Ba Ba troupe will bring some joyful anarchy to proceedings and, if it all gets too much, there's always a relaxing game or two of Drag Queen Bingo to look forward to.

With more acts, including headliners, yet to be announced all is looking very good indeed for Twisted Village. The festival takes place at Vicarage Farm, Woodmancott, from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th August, Early Bird tickets may have sold out but Tier 2 tickets (priced at £105) are available now from the festival website.

Penelope Isles @ The House of Rapture

Recent Bella Union signings Penelope Isles are set to release their debut long player, Until The Tide Creeps In, on the label this Summer. Ahead of this the Brighton-based quartet of Jack Wolter, Lily Wolter, Becky Redford and Jack Sowton are hitting the road, playing a selection of dates which includes a stop at SXSW and a home-town show for the Wolters on the Isle of Man.



Along the way the band will be making a return visit to Portsmouth, where they played Dials Festival last year, to play a set at the city's newest venue The House of Rapture. Tickets for the Tuesday 2nd April gig, co-promoted by Dials, Strong Island Recordings and Pie & Vinyl, are priced at a very reasonable £6 and available online via Billetto.

Support on the night comes from local acts Barbudo, who recently released their new EP Sunshine, and the lo-fi soul of Ban Summers. The gig poster, below, has been conjured up by Chris Williamson and, disturbingly, reflects how I feel some Saturday mornings. No, really.