Was it really way back in 2011 that legendary Portsmouth alt-club night Chaos finally called time? Yes, yes it was. Or rather, no it wasn't. Since that last goodbye the chaps have staged the odd hurrah, including in 2017 a rather fab reunion at Coastguard Studio and some spooky shenanigans at Southsea Castle, reminding a percentage of Pompey's population of good times, loud music and suspicious Sangria.
The chaps are back for Halloween this year, once again at Southsea Castle, with the classic Chaos line-up of Bob Berridge, Jay Dunstan, Will Chump and DJ Lemon spinning tunes old and new from 2100 to 0200.
Tickets are £10 (subject to booking fee), available online from Ticketline (online tickets now sold out) or in person from Dress Code or The Belle Isle, from Saturday 8th September.
UPDATE:
20/10 Oh dear.. Southsea’s Halloween Chaos at the Castle is axed by councillors over noise fears
24/10 Unfortunately, following logistical issues with the venue, the organisers have sadly cancelled Halloween Chaos. A statement from Chaos is available on the Facebook event page.
It's hard to believe I know but Chaos, Portsmouth's legendary alternative club night, is 20 years old this year. Since its inception in 1991 its entertained thousands with its fresh and dirty approach to music, first at South Parade Pier and, more recently, at the Wedgewood Rooms. Along the way its twice won The News' Guide Awards Best Club Night & Best DJs and has quite comfortably become the South Coast's longest running independent club night.
The 20th anniversary Chaos is scheduled for Saturday 26th November but, before you get a hankering for a slice of cake, any celebration must be tempered by the knowledge that it will also be the last Chaos; after 20 years of outstanding club nights the good people behind the scenes have decided to call it a day. The reasons behind the decision are both straightforward (20 years is a long time) and logical (there are many more pubs and venues offering a wide choice of music, wider than when the club night started) and fully explained on their website.
Over the years I've had some very good and, on occasion, very bad nights at Chaos, pretty much dependent on the amount of alcohol imbibed (more beer = more jumping around like a loonie). I'm old enough to (hazily) remember loud and raucous nights at the Albert Tavern on South Parade Pier, hopping over the moat of broken glass at the bar to get the beers in (and never risking the Sangria). I'd awake the next morning a fetid mess, wreathed in the smell of cigarette smoke and stale alcohol. Good times indeed.
Before it goes the way of Topdoris there are still a few opportunities to experience 'that Chaos feeling' before the lights finally dim over the wheels of steel; first up is this coming Saturday 8th October (£5 advance), then there's the legendary Halloween Special on Saturday 29th October (£6 advance). That sets things up nicely for the final Chaos, a two room celebration featuring DJs both old and current, all of whom will be spinning a cavalcade of Chaos classics (fingers crossed for Limp Bizkit's cover of Faith). Tickets will be £7 in advance and should be available soon.
See you down the front then, yes?
Ho! Ho! Ho!
I did have a full Christmas blurb prepared, extolling the myriad virtues of Mince Pies and the joys of bad jokes in Christmas crackers, but I feared the heady mix of bad festive puns might be a bit too much for some of you.
No, really I did. Honest.
*koff*
Moving swiftly on for the last time in 2008; here are the pick of the gigs coming our way, freshly selected from the back pages of this week's bumper Christmas edition NME:
Of Montreal @ Digital, Brighton - 24/01/2009
Sky Larkin and Pulled Apart By Horses @ Audio, Brighton - 30/01/2009
Emmy The Great @ Komedia, Brighton - 02/02/2009
The Twang @ The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth - 03/02/2009
Fighting With Wire @ iBar, Bournemouth - 04/02/2009
The Coast @ Audio, Brighton - 04/02/2009
Fighting With Wire @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 06/02/2009
Fighting With Wire @ Hamptons, Southampton - 07/02/2009
Stricken City @ The Freebutt, Brighton - 11/02/2009
Stricken City @ Lennons, Southampton - 14/02/2009
Alkaline Trio and The Audition @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 15/02/2009
Secret Machines @ Digital, Brighton - 17/02/2009
Hockney, Passion Pit and Bear Hands @ Audio, Brighton - 17/02/2009
Late Of The Pier and Micachu @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portmouth - 20/02/2009
The View @ Southampton University Student Union - 22/02/2009
General Fiasco @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 22/02/2009
The Spinto Band @ The Joiners, Southampton - 27/02/2009
School Of Seven Bells @ Audio, Brighton - 01/03/2009
The Ting Tings @ The Guildhall, Portsmouth - 05/03/2009
Fall Out Boy @ The Brighton Centre - 08/03/2008
Goldie Lookin' Chain @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 23/03/2009
Goldie Lookin' Chain @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 25/03/2009
Bat For Lashes @ The Corn Exchange, Brighton - 16/04/2009
65daysofstatic @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 25/04/2009
If you fear the outlaws may drive you mad over the Christmas period, or that you'll over-indulge with the Quality Street, or find you've watched The Great Escape that one time too many and are in dire need of leaving the house for an evening, then have no fear; I've perused the net and found the following gigs taking place during the forthcoming festivities...
19/12/2008
The Bog Rolling Stones @ The Brook, Southampton
Rusty Sheriff @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth
Viatrophy, Gehenna VII VII VII and In Her Ruin @ The Joiners, Southampton
The Visitors, Loz Bridge & The Box Social and Emily Barker @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth
Julian Nicholas' Heavy Plant Crossing @ Komedia, Brighton
The Booze Brothers @ The Rifle Club, Portsmouth
The Fabulous Rockman @ The Railway, Winchester
Amy MacDonald @ The Guildhall, Southampton
Zetan Spore @ The Fawcett Inn, Portsmouth
Roadhouse @ The Firehouse, Southampton
20/12/2008
Installation, Hijera and Zoo Zero @ The Joiners, Southampton
Perfect Alibi (Pink Floyd tribute) @ The Opera House, Bournemouth
Steve Arnott @ The Frog & Frigate, Southampton
The Ben Waters Band and The Spike Drivers @ Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham
Pencil Riot, The Bluescreen Of Death and Rosenkrantz @ The Hobbit, Southampton
Chicago Nine @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth
Rufus Stone @ The Brook, Southampton
The Reason @ The Railway, Winchester
Lynchpin @ The Firehouse, Southampton
21/12/2008
Speed The Collapse, Tigre Bite Tigre and Faireway @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
Furthest Drive Home, Out Of Sight and Skyline Heroes @ The Joiners, Southampton
Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra @ BIC (Windsor Hall), Bournemouth
Brontide, Sion and Great Walls @ The Railway, Winchester
Gentle Bren (DJ) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth
Jezebell @ The Platform Tavern, Southampton
The Damned @ Komedia, Brighton
22/12/2008
The Damned @ Komedia, Brighton
Kodiak Jack @ Havana Bar, Southsea
Lost On Landing, Not Advised and Burn The Fleet @ The Joiners, Southampton
Sensational Alex Harvey Band @ Concorde 2, Brighton
23/12/2008
The Jamm (tribute) @ The Opera House, Bournemouth
Inklings @ The Joiners, Southampton
The Bog Rolling Stones @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth
Status Quo @ BIC (Windsor Hall), Bournemouth
I See Sparks @ The Railway, Winchester
Bad Manners @ Concorde 2, Brighton
24/12/2008
Stone Free, Dave Miatt and Joe Parker @ The Hobbit, Southampton
Santa Gold (DJ) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth
Rebel Yell (tribute) @ Chicago Rock Cafe, Fareham
The Silver Beatles (tribute) @ The Brook, Southampton
27/12/2008
Autons, Shegotsick and Night Of Treason @ Moodeaze, Gosport
Cream of Clapton (tribute) @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth
Stickee Ickee (DJ) @ The Hobbit, Southampton
Great Pretender (Queen tribute) @ The Opera House, Bournemouth
Red Indie with Dr Watson (DJ) and Skidmark (DJ) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth
The Vegas @ The Joiners, Southampton
Mary Jane @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth
Timebomb @ The Brook, Southampton
28/12/2008
Clym Arnold & The Delta Breaks, The Lonely Cardinals and The B Of The Bang @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth
White Knuckle Revolution, Deity and Minds Gone Blank @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
Crossfire, The Realists and Castillo @ The Joiners, Southampton
Gentle Bren (DJ) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth
29/12/2008
All New Comics @ The Joiners, Southampton
Kojak's Revenge @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
Max Hayes @ The Hobbit, Southampton
30/12/2008
Remain Silenced, Typheous and Boilith @ The Joiners, Southampton
Eric Prydz (DJ) @ The Opera House, Bournemouth
Dragon Eye Morrison, Little London and Cut The Blue Wire @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
31/12/2008
Burn The Fleet, Science Of Eight Limbs and Venice Ahoy @ The Joiners, Southampton
The Bog Rolling Stones @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
Valhalla @ The Firehouse, Southampton
...and here are gigs in the new year that you may want to add to your diary...
Miles From Anywhere, The White Coats and No Access @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 02/01/2009
Tiny Spark @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 03/01/2009
One Weird Fish @ The Square Brewery, Petersfield - 03/01/2009
Get Your Ass To Mars @ The Railway, Winchester - 03/01/2009
Mindless Self Indulgence, Bring Me The Horizon and Black Tide @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 18/01/2009
[spunge] @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 09/03/2009
You Me At Six @ The Pyramids, Portsmouth - 12/03/2009
And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 14/04/2009
Tonight Indie club night Waster will break out the snow machines for more winter mayhem at Liquid Envy, with Will Chump (Chaos) and Philip Harvey (HKGC) of the Southsea Mafia DJs supplying the tunes. There'll be plenty of tinsel and sparkly lights as well, plus the chance for one lucky punter to win a fridge full of Kick energy drink (just the thing for a Christmas hangover). Doors open from 2200, with admission £2.20 before 2300, rising to £3.20 after. Further details can be found on the event's Facebook page.
The Wedgewoods Rooms goes back in time tomorrow night, Friday 19th December, when retro night It's A Sin fires into life. DJs Monsieur Dangerous and Carlos De Lemona will be raiding the vinyl under the stairs for a heady mix of oldies and goldies; doors open from 2300 and admission is FREE!
The Hong Kong Gardeners Club have lined up an evening of live music at Southsea's Havana Bar on Boxing Day, just the thing to cure the cure the post-Christmas blues. As well as sets from Joe Black, Thos Henley and Balk Fiction you'll also be able to savour the DJing skills of Myke Eales (Aspect) and Andy Summerly (from The Strange Death of Liberal England). Doors open from 2000, admission is £3 on the door.
Hipshaker hot-steps it into Christmas this Saturday, 20th December, with a seasonal offering of classic 60s funk and soul served up by the resident Hipshaker DJs plus live music from Pompey surf/punk outfit Emptifish. Doors open at The Wedgewood Rooms at 2130, admission is £5.
The Macabret will be taking over The Edge of The Wedge this Monday, 22nd December, for an winter's evening of burlesque entertainment in aid of All Saints Hostel. In addition to performances from Ms Honour Mission and Ms Ruby Red there'll also be live music from Joe Black and Kelly Kemp. Admission is £4, doors from 2000-2330 and it's over 18s only.
Contact returns to South Parade Pier this New Year's Eve with sets from guest DJs Uberdruck, Chris Liberator, DJ X and A+D+A+M, plus residents Matt Handy, Gav Ravenous and Nathan D & Lanslide. Tickets are £25 in advance from from Ticketweb, doors open from 2100, with music through till 0400.
The Wedgewood Rooms hosts A Night For Joe Strummer on Tuesday, 23rd December, with all profits donated to Strummerville, the Joe Strummer Foundation for New Music. The line-up so far features The Racketeers, The Good Time Charlies, TFA and Archive 45, with further acts to be announced. Doors from 1930, tickets are £8 in advance.
Chaos will be celebrating Christmas in style this year, with two events at the The Wedgewood Rooms next week. First up is a cracker of a Christmas Eve special, featuring live music from Kill Kasper, Wyldside and Tricorn plus DJs Hev Stillet-Hoe and Ruby Soho. Then, if your liver has recovered from all the yuletide excess, Will Chump and DJ Lemon will be seeing in 2009 a few days early with The Alternative New Year Party on Saturday 27th December. Admission is £5 for either night; doors open from 2200 on the 27th, from 2100 on Christmas Eve.
Club night Kiss My Bass have planned the mother of all New Year's Eve parties at Southsea's Havana Bar, guaranteed to see 2009 in with a bang. DJs Charge and Tom Mayhem (Ricochet) will be joining residents Udy, Vol.1, Eratik Behaviour, Neil Doc and Fotza for an all-night session, with a live beatbox countdown to the New Year courtesy of Ochs. A new sound system and lighting rig are promised, plus the DJs have been told anything goes, so it's going to be large. Tickets are available in advance from the venue, or online from the Portsmouth page at http://www.dontstayin.com, priced at £8. The fun starts at 2100 and runs through to 0500. Oh lordy.
And that's it for the Gigwatcher for 2008; today I have mostly been listening to Pearl Jam, Muse and Kodiak Jack (with the Bo Selecta Proper Chrimbo tune on random for good measure). Thanks for putting up with my drivel landing in your inboxes or taking the time to read it on the blog, I hope Santa brings you all something very special (I've asked for Cheryl Tweedy again, fingers crossed) and not that CD by The Priests (which is a total rip off as it doesn't have My Lovely Horse on it). Be sure to join me in the New Year when I'll be breaking that resolution I foolishly made in a rare sober moment.
:o)
Bah Humbug
Try as I might to avoid X Factor, even I managed to stumble across the news that the winner of this year's competition will be covering Leonard Cohen's classic Hallelujah. That's not to say whoever wins is guaranteed the Christmas #1 slot this year; already a wave of internet protest has seen Jeff Buckley's take on the song start to rise up the charts.
Strangely, a similar thing occurred in the US when a contestant on American Idol performed the song...
*koff*
Winter draws on, here are the slim pickings from the back pages of this week's NME:
Buzzcocks @ The Brook, Southampton - 28/01/2009
Starsailor @ The Pyramids, Portsmouth - 04/04/2009
Not much there I'll grant you, but as usual I've also plundered the interweb to come up with a veritable treasure trove of entertaining gigs coming this way over the next seven days...
11/12/2008
The Kabeedies, Dawn Chorus and Fresh Legs @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth
Larry Miller and Sinner Boy (Rory Gallagher tribute) @ The Brook, Southampton
Will Young @ BIC (Windsor Hall), Bournemouth
Delays @ Lennons, Southampton NO ADVANCE TICKETS
The Sly Hardy Band @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth
New Scorpion Band @ Turner Sims Concert Hall, Southampton SOLD OUT!
Crazy Arm and The Arteries @ The Fawcett Inn, Portsmouth
Remain Silenced, I See Sparks and Capricorn Sisters @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
Crazy Arm, The Dead City Stereo, Bangers and Livers & Lungs @ The Fawcett Inn, Portsmouth
Flamboyant Bella, Melodramas and Leigh Mary Stokes @ The Joiners, Southampton
The Dandy Warhols @ The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth
Suspiciously Elvis (tribute) @ Komedia, Brighton
The Labels and Reno @ The Railway, Winchester
Pete G @ The Platform Tavern, Southampton
12/12/2008
Bad Toad @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
Scarlet Soho, The Tripods and Citizen @ The Railway, Winchester
Sevendust, Symphony Cult and Jurojin @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
Delays (acoustic set) @ The Orange Rooms, Southampton SOLD OUT!
Dirty DC (tribute) and Limehouse Lizzy (tribute) @ The Opera House, Bournemouth
The Blind Boys Of Alabama @ The Dome, Brighton
Purple Monkey @ The Firehouse, Southampton
Pendulum @ BIC (Windsor Hall), Bournemouth
Sonic Boom Six @ Hamptons, Southampton
Status Quo @ The Brighton Centre
Akahum @ The Fawcett Inn, Portsmouth
Mary Jane @ The Hobbit, Southampton
Supertonic, The Queue and Corazza @ The Joiners, Southampton
Geoff Eales Trio @ Komedia, Brighton
Gentle Bren (DJ) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth
Panama @ The Soul Cellar, Southampton
RU40 (UB40 tribute) @ The Brook, Southampton
Loose Tongue @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth
13/12/2008
The Levellers @ The Guildhall, Southampton
Red Letter Day and The Adamseed @ The Nell Gwynne, Portsmouth
The Bon Jovi Experience (tribute) @ The Brook, Southampton
John Etheridge & Kit Holmes @ Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham
Red Indie with Dr Watson (DJ) and Skidmark (DJ) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth
The Cropdusters, Beautiful Life and Moosehead @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
Antillectual, Fromplantoprogress, Chillerton and The 255s @ The Fawcett Inn, Portsmouth
Steve Arnott @ The Frog & Frigate, Southampton
Katherine Jenkins @ BIC (Windsor Hall), Bournemouth
Trio Valore @ The Soul Cellar, Southampton
Sons Of Noel & Adrian, Kristin McClement and The Great Park @ Komedia, Brighton
Ian Scarbro, Noen Thomas and Thinking For Tuesday @ The Edge of The Wedge, Portsmouth
Blessed By A Broken Heart and I Am Ghost @ Concorde 2, Brighton
Delays and Open Room @ The Joiners, Southampton SOLD OUT!
Creamy (tribute) @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth
Stone Free @ The Firehouse, Southampton
The Mods @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth
People In Planes @ Hamptons, Southampton
14/12/2008
Delays @ The Brook, Southampton SOLD OUT!
Kings Of Leon @ BIC (Windsor Hall), Bournemouth
Radio Stars @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
The Hold Steady and The Mark Inside @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
Blessed By A Broken Heart, I Am Ghost and Fei Comodo @ The Joiners, Southampton
Paul Barrere & Fred Tackett @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth
Ronnie & Johnny @ The Platform Tavern, Southampton
Jimmy Corrigan and The Limes @ The Railway, Winchester
Suspiciously Elvis (tribute) @ Komedia, Brighton
Gentle Bren (DJ) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth
15/12/2008
Hawkwind @ The Brook, Southampton
Katherine Jenkins @ The Brighton Centre
The Swing Commanders and The Sally Strawberry Revue @ South Parade Pier, Southsea
Paul Barrere & Fred Tackett @ Komedia, Brighton
Johnny Truant @ The Joiners, Southampton
16/12/2008
The Uplifter (DJ) @ The Soul Cellar, Southampton
Stereophonics @ The Brighton Centre
Harper @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth
Stu & Denovo @ The Hobbit, Southampton
Owen Tromans & The Elders and The Moho @ The Railway, Winchester
Run Of The Mill, Endless Doubt and Midnight Embassy @ The Rifle Club, Portsmouth
Guttermouth, Mike TV and Get Your Ass To Mars @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
Matthew Harrison, Oli Collins, I Confess and Andrew Gordon @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
Safe Harbour, Silversweet and Kids Next Door @ The Joiners, Southampton
Suspiciously Elvis (tribute) @ Komedia, Brighton
Mostly Autumn @ The Brook, Southampton
Maddy Prior @ The City Hall, Salisbury
The Adventurists @ Komedia, Brighton
From The Jam @ The Guildhall, Southampton
17/12/2008
The Fratellis @ The Dome, Brighton
Barry Barnes @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth
Stereophonics @ BIC (Windsor Hall), Bournemouth
Stickee Ickee (DJ) @ The Hobbit, Southampton
Spice Gals (tribute) @ Chicago Rock Cafe, Fareham
James Blake, Chris Ricketts, Ben Pinwill and Becky Jerams @ The Square Brewery, Petersfield
Cue The Disaster, Waiting For Sirens and Jenna's Revenge @ The Joiners, Southampton
Definitely Mightbe (Oasis tribute) @ The Opera House, Bournemouth
One Night Of Queen (tribute) @ The Guildhall, Southampton
Three Times Over and Ardentes @ The Railway, Winchester
...and here are some others you may want to add to your diary...
Ugly Duckling @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 16/01/2009
Seth Lakeman @ The Brook, Southampton - 18/01/2009
Soulfly @ The Pyramids, Portsmouth - 01/02/2009
The Datsuns @ The Joiners, Southampton - 17/02/2009
Candi Staton @ The Brook, Southampton - 17/02/2009
Bellowhead @ The Brook, Southampton - 19/02/2009
School Of Seven Bells @ Audio, Brighton - 01/03/2009
Hot Leg @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 13/03/2009
Billy Ocean @ The Guildhall, Portsmouth - 15/03/2009
Goldie Lookin' Chain @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 25/03/2009
Morrissey @ The City Hall, Salisbury - 25/05/2009
The rescheduled date for The Wedding Present's cancelled December 3rd show has been announced; the new date is Monday 2nd March 2009. Tickets for the original date remain valid, anyone unable to attend the rescheduled date is advised to contact their point of sale for a refund.
This week indie club night Waster holds its second annual Winter Wonderland, a fantastically festive indie affair featuring the best alternative tunes in town courtesy of the Southsea Mafia DJs. The doors of Portsmouth's Liquid nightclub will be open from 2200 tomorrow, Thursday 11th December, with admission just £2.20 before 2300, rising to £3.20 after (though if you're in festive fancy dress entry is gratis). More information can be found on the event's Facebook page.
It's a Christmas Chaos at The Wedgewood Rooms this Saturday, 13th December; Secret Santas Will Chump and DJ Lemon will be taking care of the festive business in the Main Room whilst Marky Marc handles the tunes in The Chaos Lounge. Doors open from 2200, with admission £5 on the door.
Dutch punk bands Brito and Antillectual top the bill at the STE Punk Collective's all-dayer this Sunday, 14th December. The Hobbit again hosts the irregular shindig, which also features sets from local bands Gordon Gano's Army, Whole In The Head and Constant State Of Terror. Admission is £6 on the door, with music from 1400 through till 2100.
The RMA Tavern hosts an evening of fine burlesque entertainment this Sunday, 14th December, courtesy of HMS Pin Up. In addition to performances from Dolly Divine, Poison Ivy, Bea deVile and Bella De Jac, there'll also be live music from local band The Edible Stems. Doors from 2000 till late; tickets are £5 in advance from the venue or The Wedgewood Rooms Box Office, or £6 on the door.
iLLuMIDanCe takes over the Venus Vodka Bar for a night of uplifting trance this Saturday, 13th December, with DJs Ben Nicky (Abstract Recordings) and DTF joining residents Nathan Hunt and DJ Cabin Boy. Music from 2100 through till 0200. Admission is £1 on the door, ID will be required.
The guest entertainment at Roger Courtney's Open Mike Club this week comes from trio Steve, Paul & John and the fantastically monickered Alan Robertson & His Wheels Of Fire. The doors of The Barn at The Milton Arms will be open from 1900 tomorrow, Thursday 11th December, with music from 2000; the Open Mike session follows from 2200 through till Midnight. For further details check the Facebook group.
And that just about wraps it up for the penultimate Gigwatcher of 2008; today I have mostly been listening to The Decemberists, Mew and Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift For You. Be sure to join me next week when I'll be making a list and checking it twice.
:o)
Slow News Day
So, hands up who's bought their tickets for Britney Spears' London gigs next year?
[counts hands]
Oh dear. Oh dear me.
*koff*
Eyes down for a full house; here are pick of the gigs coming our way soon, lifted fresh from the back pages of this week's NME:
Findlay Brown @ Joogleberry Theatre, Brighton - 07/12/2008
Ben Ottewell (Gomez) @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 08/12/2008
The Redwalls @ Hamptons, Southampton - 10/12/2008
People In Planes @ Hamptons, Southampton - 13/12/2008
The Levellers and Frank Turner @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 14/12/2008
Swanton Bombs and Threatmantics @ Prince Albert, Brighton - 28/01/2009
Mongrel @ Coalition, Brighton - 13/02/2009
Yo Majesty @ Audio, Brighton - 22/03/2009
Now, I could furnish you with some excuse as to why I won't quite get around to adding the above gigs onto the SoMC Events Calendar this weekend, but something tells me you wouldn't believe me. If only I spent as much time updating the damn thing as I do dreaming up excuses for why I never quite get around to it. Oh well. Moving swiftly on, here's a selection of local gigs to look for over the next seven days...
27/11/2008
Laura White (from X Factor) @ Chicago Rock Cafe, Fareham
Gordon Giltrap @ The Forge, Basingstoke SOLD OUT!
Limehouse Lizzy (tribute) @ The Brook, Southampton
Peter Tork @ Komedia, Brighton CANCELLED!
Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes @ South Parade Pier, Southsea
The Morphic Fields, Kelevra and Fly Monkeys Fly @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
The Complete Stone Roses (tribute) @ Concorde 2, Brighton
The Nat Martin Band @ The Platform Tavern, Southampton
Selfish ****, The Broken Hearts and My Hollow Tree @ The Railway, Winchester
The Nineninetynines, Castillo and Medison @ Havant Arts Centre
Shels and Remain Silenced @ The Joiners, Southampton
28/11/2008
The Jamm (tribute) and Split Sixty @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth SOLD OUT!
Chris Newman & Máire Ní Chathasaigh @ Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham
Pendulum @ The Guildhall, Portsmouth
Leonard Cohen @ The Brighton Centre
Bug Central, Claypigeon, Lucky Ones Die First and Youth Decay @ The Nell Gwynne, Portsmouth
Hi On Maiden (tribute) @ The Brook, Southampton
Thea Gilmore @ Tower Arts Centre, Winchester
Rusty Sheriff @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth
UK Subs @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
Orange Street @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth
Git Some @ The Joiners, Southampton
Fipron and Misty's Big Adventure @ Concorde 2, Brighton CANCELLED!
Creep @ The Firehouse, Southampton
One Weird Fish @ The Colonial Bar, Horndean
Jazica and Pacer @ The Railway, Winchester
Nicotine Smile @ The Soul Cellar, Southampton
Smokin' Guns, The Nick Shepherd Band and LCD @ The Hobbit, Southampton
The Small Fakers (tribute) @ Komedia, Brighton CANCELLED!
29/11/2008
Cantaloop @ The Soul Cellar, Southampton
The Kooks @ The Brighton Centre
Oysterband @ The City Hall, Salisbury
Lucien @ The Hobbit, Southampton
Cool Banana, Bubbledubble, Bemis and Psychomachia (DJ) @ The Barn at The Milton Arms, Portsmouth
Smerins Anti-Social Club, Yes Sir Boss!!! and The Uplifter (DJ) @ The Brook, Southampton
Whimwise, Eat Lights Become Lights and Kumiss @ The Hope, Chichester
The White Knuckle Blues Band @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth
The Legendary Derek @ The Frog & Frigate, Southampton
Pete & The Pirates @ Concorde 2, Brighton
[spunge] and Last Man Standing @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
Does It Offend You Yeah? (DJ set) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth
Soma High, Fearne and Underdog Academy @ The Joiners, Southampton
Spears & Boden with The Tacet Ensemble @ Komedia, Brighton
Imperial Leisure @ Lennons, Southampton
Jay et Al @ The Railway, Winchester
30/11/2008
Billy Bragg @ The Guildhall, Southampton
Daniel O'Donnell @ The Brighton Centre
New Adventures @ The Joiners, Southampton
Gentle Bren (DJ) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth
Alabama 3 @ The Brook, Southampton SOLD OUT!
James & Denovo @ The Hobbit, Southampton
The Zed Men, Crossfire and Run Of The Mill @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth
Polly Wood & Steve Picken @ Drift, Southsea
Pete Harris Blues Band @ The Platform Tavern, Southampton
Will Young and Honey Ryder @ The Guildhall, Portsmouth
01/12/2008
Kings of Leon @ The Brighton Centre
Streetlight Manifesto @ The Brook, Southampton
Little Lost David, Ben Pinwill and James Tippins @ Drift, Portsmouth
The Bootleg Beatles @ The Dome, Brighton
The Zutons @ BIC (Solent Hall), Bournemouth
Midnight Embassy, Speed The Collapse, Castillo and The Skylies @ The Rifle Club, Portsmouth
Adrian Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds @ Komedia, Brighton CANCELLED!
Git Some, Attack! Vipers!, Pump Shark and Wooden Bullets @ The Fawcett Inn, Portsmouth
Anavan and Amy Can Flyy @ The Joiners, Southampton
02/12/2008
Primal Scream @ The Dome, Brighton
The Saw Doctors and The Noelie McDonnell Band @ The Brook, Southampton
Tim Eveleigh, Peter Leonard and Luke Streeter @ The Edge of The Wedge, Portsmouth
The B Of The Bang and Christopher Robin @ Hamptons, Southampton
Feeder @ The Pyramids, Portsmouth
Jamie Woon @ The Joiners, Southampton
Alabama 3 @ Concorde 2, Brighton
03/12/2008
Fujiya & Miyagi @ The Pavilion, Brighton
Discharge @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
The Wedding Present and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
I See Sparks, The Zone and The Marcellus @ The Railway, Winchester
The Aynsley Lister Band @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth
Randy Crawford & The Joe Sample Trio @ The Dome, Brighton
Stone Free @ The Hobbit, Southampton
Rang A Tang @ Chicago Rock Cafe, Fareham
Alabama 3 @ Concorde 2, Brighton
...and here are some others of note that you may want to add to your diary...
Kirk Brandon @ The Railway, Winchester - 04/12/2008
Portico Quartet @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 04/12/2008
Superfly @ The Red Lion, Stubbington - 06/12/2008
The Gaslight Anthem @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 02/02/2009
The Gaslight Anthem @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 06/02/2009
Rhydian @ The Guildhall, Portsmouth - 05/05/2009
Jeff Beck @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 03/07/2009
Waster unleashes its own brand of Thursday night mayhem tomorrow at Portsmouth's Liquid Envy nightclub, with Will Chump and Udy of the Southsea Mafia DJs pumping out the finest selection of indiepunkelectroraverock in town. Doors from 2200-0230, entrance is £2.20 before 2300 (£3.20 after), and more information can be found on the event's Facebook page.
Funkt-If-Ino descends on Drift in Southsea this Saturday, 29th November, for an evening of funk, disco, soul and hip hop with residents Darth Fader and Chewbazza. Doors from 2100-0300; admission is £3 before 2300, £5 after. Further details can be found on Facebook.
Chaos reigns at The Wedgewood Rooms this Saturday, 29th November, with DJs Will Chump and Lemon taking charge of the Main Room and Marky Marc in the Chaos Lounge. Admission is £5 on the door, with entry from 2200; the sounds go through to 0300, with last admission at 0100. If you're in need of a warm up the Edge of The Wedge will be hosting Edge of Chaos, with Tom Dangerous and Rusty Sheriff, from 1930 till 2300, and admission is FREE!
Karl Lost (Phatndurty) and Ignition (Out-break) are the guest DJs at Kiss My Bass this month, joining residents Udy, Vol.1, Eratik Behaviour and Fotza at Southsea's Havana Bar this Saturday, 29th November, for another large portion of beats, breaks and electro goodness. From 2000-0100, with admission FREE before 2200 (£2 after). A selection of mixes, from both resident and guest DJs, can be downloaded from the KMB website.
Portsmouth trance night Deltawave will be celebrating its 11th birthday this Friday, 28th November, with a night of trippy tunes at The Fawcett Inn. Doors from 2000.
Club promoters Contact have organised a reunion weekender for legendary club Sterns this weekend, featuring many of the DJs from the original rave era. Amongst the DJs listed as appearing are Lenny D, Altern8, Bamo, Kelly Wainwright, Simon Bassline, Jackmaster, DJ Vibes, Dezert Rat, Skinny, Timmi Magic, Dreem Teem, Kenny Ken, Loomsey and Dr S Gachet. The music starts on Friday 28th November, running through till Sunday 30th, at Mill Rythe Holiday Resort on Hayling Island. Tickets are available in advance, via the promoters, priced at £30 (24 hour pass), £50 (48 hour pass) or £95 (full weekend pass, with accommodation). For more information, including a complete list of DJs appearing, check out the event's Facebook page.
The guest artists at Roger Courtney's Open Mike Club this week are local singer-songwriter Leigh Mary Stokes and acoustic folkster Pete Christie. The doors of The Barn at The Milton Arms will be open from 1900 tomorrow night, Thursday 27th November, with music from 2000. The Open Mike session follows from 2200 through till 2330. Admission is FREE, further details can be found on Facebook.
Put a fork in me, I'm done; today I have mostly been listening to St Vincent, Guillemots (who were rather good at The Pyramids on Friday) and Sigur Ros. Be sure to join me next week when I'll be poking it with a stick.
:o)
Quantum of Sausage
I'm still not 100% sold on the theme tune, the opening credits weren't all they could be, and the name is a wee bit silly, but I have to say I liked the new Bond film; things blow up, things go fast, and things go fast and blow up.
Yup, I knows what I likes.
*koff*
Do pay attention OO7; here are this week's selection of hand-picked gigs, fresh from the back pages of this week's NME:
Fields @ Audio, Brighton - 18/11/2008
Billy Bragg and Otis Gibbs @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 30/11/2008
Ben Ottewell (Gomez) @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 08/12/2008
The Fratellis @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 09/12/2008
Snow Patrol @ BIC, Bournemouth - 22/02/2009
Elbow @ The Dome, Brighton - 28/02/2009
The Prodigy and Dizzee Rascal @ The Brighton Centre - 14/04/2009
Given that I've got this Friday off (woot!) I'll attempt to find the time to finally get around to updating the (somewhat deserted and forlorn) SoMC Events Calendar then. That said, I'm just as likely to switch on the tellybox and waste most of the day watching Jeremy Kyle and Trisha. So, to keep your fingers on the local musical pulse, here is a selection of musical events happening in this locale over the next seven days...
Motorhead and Saxon @ The Dome, Brighton - 06/11/2008
Whole Lotta Led (Led Zeppelin tribute) @ The Brook, Southampton - 06/11/2008
Nitin Sawhney @ The Corn Exchange, Brighton - 06/11/2008
The Glad Rags @ The Joiners, Southampton - 06/11/2008
Dreadzone @ Komedia, Brighton - 06/11/2008
The Family @ The Platform Tavern, Southampton - 06/11/2008
Kylie Mania (tribute) @ The Guildhall, Portsmouth - 06/11/2008 CANCELLED!
Finch and Shadows Chasing Ghosts @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 06/11/2008
Beth Rowley and Joey Ryan @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 06/11/2008
Deez Nuts and Our Time Down Here @ Hamptons, Southampton - 06/11/2008
The Underground Heroes @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 07/11/2008
John Martyn @ The Dome, Brighton - 07/11/2008
Yes King @ The Brook, Southampton - 07/11/2008
Seth Lakeman @ The Pyramids, Portsmouth - 07/11/2008
Noah & The Whale @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 07/11/2008 SOLD OUT!
The Jon Walsh Blues Band @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 07/11/2008
The Smiths Indeed (tribute) @ Komedia, Brighton - 07/11/2008
The Winchell Riots, Last Days of Lorca and Filthy Modern Hearts @ The Chichester Inn, Chichester - 07/11/2008
As We Are, Sondura and All New Comics @ The Joiners, Southampton - 07/11/2008
Cash Money (DJ set) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth - 07/11/2008
William Control @ Hamptons, Southampton - 07/11/2008
Micachu and Brontosaurus Chorus @ The Railway, Winchester - 07/11/2008
Example @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 07/11/2008
Eliza Carthy @ Salisbury Arts Centre - 07/11/2008
Alison @ The Soul Cellar, Southampton - 07/11/2008
Sigur Rós @ BIC (Solent Hall), Bournemouth - 08/11/2008
Hazel O'Connor & Cormac De Barra @ Ashcroft Arts Centre - 08/11/2008
The Legendary Derek @ The Frog & Frigate, Southampton - 08/11/2008
Steve Winwood @ The Anvil, Basingstoke - 08/11/2008 SOLD OUT!
The Alexandria Quartet and Kodiak Jack @ Hamptons, Southampton - 08/11/2008
Flip Top @ The Cellars At Eastney, Portsmouth - 08/11/2008
Jean Genie (Bowie tribute) @ The Brook, Southampton - 08/11/2008
The Meniscus Brothers @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth - 08/11/2008
Fake Problems, You Me And The Atom Bomb and Chillerton @ The Joiners, Southampton - 08/11/2008
Samsara, King Porter Stomp and Titan System @ Komedia, Brighton - 08/11/2008
Tea Party On The Ceiling, Emily White, Jazica and Caroline's Capuchin @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 08/11/2008
The Devil's Conspiracy, Essay For Ordinary and Chubby Mother @ The Nell Gwynne, Portsmouth - 08/11/2008
Dr Feelgood and Kelevra @ The Railway, Winchester - 08/11/2008
Four Wheel Drive @ The Firehouse, Southampton - 08/11/2008
Cool Banana @ The Fawcett Inn, Portsmouth - 08/11/2008
The Sensational Johnny Deps @ The Brewery Bar, Botley - 08/11/2008
Riotous Brothers @ The Square Brewery, Petersfield - 08/11/2008
Martyn Joseph @ The Brook, Southampton - 09/11/2008
Michelle Shocked @ Komedia, Brighton - 09/11/2008
Neptune, The Pony Remark and Gunbatte @ Hamptons, Southampton - 09/11/2008
Red Light Company, The Jet Black Heights and Kodiak Jack @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 09/11/2008
Goldblade @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 09/11/2008
The Aggrolites, Meow Meows and Les Scallops @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 09/11/2008
James & Denovo @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 09/11/2008
Micah P Hinson @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 09/11/2008
The Young Coppers @ Komedia, Brighton - 09/11/2008
In Her Ruin @ The Joiners, Southampton - 09/11/2008
Gentle Bren (DJ) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth - 09/11/2008
Stompin' Dave Allen @ The Platform Tavern, Southampton - 09/11/2008
Katie Melua @ BIC (Windsor Hall), Bournemouth - 10/11/2008
Taio Cruz @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 10/11/2008
Less Than Jake, Beat Union and Imperial Leisure @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 10/11/2008
Anathema and Demians @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 10/11/2008
Steve Winwood @ The Dome, Brighton - 10/11/2008
The Holloways, Sam McCarthy and The Ramblings @ The Joiners, Southampton - 10/11/2008
Lonely Drifter Karen and Rokhsan @ Komedia, Brighton - 10/11/2008
The Airborne Toxic Event, I See Sparks and The Martels @ Unit, Southampton - 10/11/2008
Lau @ Komedia, Brighton - 10/11/2008
Leonard Cohen @ BIC (Windsor Hall), Bournemouth - 11/11/2008
Dananananaykroyd @ The Fat Fox, Portsmouth - 11/11/2008
Mercury Rev @ The Corn Exchange, Brighton - 11/11/2008
Eliza Carthy @ Turner Sims Concert Hall, Southampton - 11/11/2008
Jo Webb & The Dirty Hands, Major Melon and Loose Tongue @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 11/11/2008
Feeder @ The Dome, Brighton - 11/11/2008
Bobby Wellins Quartet @ Havant Arts Centre - 11/11/2008
Camilla O'Shea, Flis Pitman and Danny Threapz @ The Edge of The Wedge, Portsmouth - 11/11/2008
3 Daft Monkeys @ Komedia, Brighton - 11/11/2008
Red Light Company and Kinkane @ The Joiners, Southampton - 11/11/2008
Katie Melua @ The Brighton Centre - 11/11/2008
Nizlopi, Dlugokecki and Fearne @ The Railway, Winchester - 11/11/2008
Solange @ Komedia, Brighton - 11/11/2008
The Zutons @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 11/11/2008
Seth Lakeman @ The Opera House, Bournemouth - 12/11/2008
Motorhead and Saxon @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 12/11/2008
Tim O'Brien @ The Forge, Basingstoke - 12/11/2008
Death At Sea and Matthew Reynolds @ Hamptons, Southampton - 12/11/2008
Okkervil River @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 12/11/2008
Beverley Craven @ The Brook, Southampton - 12/11/2008
Kent DuChaine and Andy Broad @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 12/11/2008
Chris Helme @ Komedia, Brighton - 12/11/2008
Gary Myles @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 12/11/2008
Underground Railroad and Inklings @ The Joiners, Southampton - 12/11/2008
Hazel O'Connor & Cormac De Barra @ Komedia, Brighton - 12/11/2008
Nicotine Smile, Guns Of Pig Alley and Paper Planes @ The Railway, Winchester - 12/11/2008
Rancid @ The Pyramids, Portsmouth - 12/11/2008
Dumpies Rusty Nuts @ The Soul Cellar, Southampton - 12/11/2008
The Wide Eyes @ The Square Brewery, Petersfield - 12/11/2008
The Velvet Hearts and Tremain @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 01/12/2008
The Bog Rolling Stones and The Beatmakers @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 31/12/2008
The Buzzcocks @ The Brook, Southampton - 28/01/2009
The Only Ones @ The Brook, Southampton - 31/01/2009
This week's Waster features a full 2 hour DJ set from electro duo Robots In Disguise, plus the usual selection of fine alternative tunes from Southsea Mafia residents Will Chump and DJ Lemon. The fun starts at 2200 at Envy in Portsmouth, admission is £2.20 before 2300 (£3.20 after). Further details, including how to blag your way in for £1, can be found on Facebook.
'Mixmag recommended' club night Contact welcomes DJ Lisa Lashes back to South Parade Pier this Friday, 7th November, alongside DJ X, Matt Handy and Donna DD. Doors open from 2100, with music through till 0300. Tickets are £12 in advance, available from The Wedgewood Rooms and Ticketweb, though some tickets will be available on the door.
Following its spooky sojourn at the pier last week Chaos, Portsmouth's #1 indie club night, returns to The Wedgewood Rooms this Saturday, 8th November. Regulars Will Chump and DJ Lemon will be spinning the best alternative tunes in the Main Room, whilst Marky Marc takes over in The Chaos Lounge (aka The Edge of The Wedge). Doors open at 2200, admission is £5.
Trance night iLLuMIDanCe will be lighting up the Venus Vodka Bar in Guildhall Walk this Saturday, 8th November, with sets from Amar and Original Nutta, plus residents Nathan Hunt and DJ Cabin Boy. The music starts at 2100, with the last set wrapping up at 0200. ID will be required.
Welsh alternative rockers Future Of The Left headline the Party On The Pier this Saturday, 8th November. This all day event will also feature plugged in sets from Futs Lung, Nine Ninety Nines, Kill Kasper, The B Of The Bang, Munroe Effect and Hardly Heroes. In addition Tremain and Paddy Taylor will be amongst the bands on the acoustic stage. If that wasn't enough the DJs from the Hong Kong Gardeners Club will be spinning some fine choons afterward. The party starts at 1400 at South Parade Pier, finishing up around 0200. Tickets are £8, available in advance from Gigantic and Seetickets.
Brighton-based internet radio station www.BRAP.fm has joined forces with south coast dance music website Out Of The Void to present a dance music all-dayer at The Hobbit in Southampton this Saturday, 8th November, as part of the nationwide Oxjam series of musical events. Featuring DJ sets from Ozpital, Mobius, Purplehazer, Quextal, Odco4r and the Great Order Of Chaos, the music starts at 1500 and runs through to 0100. Admission is FREE before 2200, £2 after.
The guest artists at Roger Courtney's Open Mike Club this week are Jay Munday's band, Eden, and singer-songwriter Karen Harmony. Doors open at The Barn at The Milton Arms at 1900 tomorrow, Thursday 6th November, with music from 2000. The Open Mike session follows from 2200 through till midnight. Admission is FREE, more information can be found on the Facebook group page.
And that's me done for another week; today I've mostly been listening to Tom McRae, Glasvegas and various Bond themes. Be sure to join me next week when I'll be plotting my plans for world domination.
:o)
Knee jerk (over) reaction
Two resignations, one suspension and the Prime Minister wading in with his two penn'orth; it's a just a little bit over the top for some, let's face it, fairly banal prank phone calls.
[thinks]
Though I must say, I'm tempted to offer my services to Auntie Beeb for the next 12 weeks; I can't be any worse, can I?
*koff*
And that's quite enough of that; here are some gigs, hand-picked from the back pages of this week's NME, for your delectation and delight:
Eugene McGuinness @ The Freebutt, Brighton - 04/11/2008
Future Of The Left @ South Parade Pier, Southsea - 08/11/2008
Ida Maria and VV Brown @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 13/11/2008
Sneaky Sound System and Defend Moscow @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 16/11/2008
White Denim and SixNationState @ Lennons, Southampton - 19/11/2008
Little Boots and Heartbreak @ Digital, Brighton - 20/11/2008
The Faint @ Digital, Brighton - 21/11/2008
The Dandy Warhols @ The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth - 11/12/2008
Das Pop @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 12/02/2009
There is the slim chance that, at some point over the weekend, I might just get around to adding the above gigs onto the rather forlorn looking SoMC Events Calendar. To be honest though, given my propensity for faffing about or idly bimbling, I wouldn't bet on it. Instead then, here are a selection of musical events happening hereabouts over the next week...
The Bog Rolling Stones @ The Brook, Southampton - 31/10/2008
Seu Jorge @ The Dome, Brighton - 31/10/2008
Bring Me The Horizon @ Southampton University Student Union - 31/10/2008
John Power, Andrew Foster and The Exits @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 31/10/2008
Tonight Is Goodbye and Kill The Arcade @ Hamptons, Southampton - 31/10/2008
The Presets @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 31/10/2008 CANCELLED!
The Legendary Derek @ The Frog & Frigate, Southampton - 31/10/2008
Los Albertos and Zen Hussies @ Komedia, Brighton - 31/10/2008
Karalta and Shizamms PicBox @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 31/10/2008
Paul Didge & Spiral Architects @ The Fawcett Inn, Portsmouth - 31/10/2008
Orange Goblin @ The Joiners, Southampton - 31/10/2008
Gentle Bren (DJ) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth - 31/10/2008
Redoctober, Exile Arise and Puresist @ The Firehouse, Southampton - 31/10/2008
Capital X and (tbc) @ The Railway, Winchester - 31/10/2008
Panama @ The Soul Cellar, Southampton - 31/10/2008
Hot Rats (DJ) @ The Fat Fox, Portsmouth - 31/10/2008
Atlantico @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 31/10/2008
Time Bomb @ The Railway Rifle Club, Portsmouth - 31/10/2008
Legend (Bob Marley tribute) and Wiservice @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 31/10/2008
Scouting For Girls @ BIC (Windsor Hall), Bournemouth - 01/11/2008
The Hair, The Absolute Belters and CM Arnold & The Delta Breaks @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 01/11/2008
The Feeling @ The Brighton Centre - 01/11/2008
Audio Bomber @ The Firehouse, Southampton - 01/11/2008
One Weird Fish @ The Fountain, Chichester - 01/11/2008
Dirty Love @ The Fawcett Inn, Portsmouth - 01/11/2008
The Silver Beatles (tribute) @ The Brook, Southampton - 01/11/2008
If Six Were Nine (Hendrix tribute) @ The RMA Tavern, Portsmouth - 01/11/2008
Scratch Perverts @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 01/11/2008
The Family, Polly & The Billets Doux and Two Fingers Of Firewater @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 01/11/2008
Askew & Avis with Sura Susso @ Havant Arts Centre - 01/11/2008
The Riverside Blues Band @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 01/11/2008
Red Indie with Dr Watson (DJ) and Skidmark (DJ) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth - 01/11/2008
The Fall @ The Hove Centre - 02/11/2008
Wheatus, Cure The Disaster and Dead Mile @ The Joiners, Southampton - 02/11/2008
The Feeling @ BIC (Windsor Hall), Bournemouth - 02/11/2008
Andy & Denovo @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 02/11/2008
Neptune and Sunshine Republic @ The Winchester, Bournemouth - 02/11/2008
Gentle Bren (DJ) @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth - 02/11/2008
Alphabeat @ Southampton University Student Union - 02/11/2008 SOLD OUT!
The Sadies @ The Railway, Winchester - 02/11/2008
Black Kids @ The Pyramids, Portsmouth - 02/11/2008
Sly & Robbie @ Komedia, Brighton - 03/11/2008
Ben Dlugokecki, Karima Francis and Christopher Robin @ The Joiners, Southampton - 03/11/2008
Scouting For Girls @ The Brighton Centre - 03/11/2008
Power Of Three @ The Fat Fox, Portsmouth - 03/11/2008
Alphabeat @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 03/11/2008 SOLD OUT!
Noah & The Whale and Sleeping States @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 03/11/2008 SOLD OUT!
Grammatics @ Audio, Brighton - 03/11/2008
Second Smile, Part Dinosaur and The Attika State @ Hamptons, Southampton - 04/11/2008
The View @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 04/11/2008 SOLD OUT!
Cage The Elephant @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 04/11/2008
Stu & Denovo @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 04/11/2008
Joe, James Tippens and The Gentlemen At Large @ The Edge of The Wedge, Portsmouth - 04/11/2008
Medallist @ The Joiners, Southampton - 04/11/2008
Paddywan @ Little Johnny Russell's, Portsmouth - 04/11/2008
Summers With Saqqara and The Jonny Soul Trip @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 04/11/2008
Jackson & The Spangles @ The Railway, Winchester - 04/11/2008
Holy Ghost Revival, The Elements and The 95s @ Drift, Southsea - 04/11/2008
John Williams @ Turner Sims Concert Hall, Southampton - 04/11/2008 SOLD OUT!
Hot Chip @ The Dome, Brighton - 05/11/2008
The Fall and Bobby Peru @ The Brook, Southampton - 05/11/2008
4ft Fingers @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 05/11/2008
Stickee Ickee (DJ) @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 05/11/2008
Cut The Blue Wire, Blakfish and Outcry Collective @ The Railway Rifle Club, Portsmouth - 05/11/2008
Dave McPherson, I Confess and Supertonic @ The Joiners, Southampton - 05/11/2008
Ron Sexsmith @ Komedia, Brighton - 05/11/2008
The Bad Seeds @ The Soul Cellar, Southampton - 05/11/2008
Trio Valore @ The Opera House, Bournemouth - 05/11/2008 CANCELLED!
Michael Baker, Andrew Foster, Damien Flynn and Loose Tongue @ The Square Brewery, Petersfield - 05/11/2008
Underground Heroes and Riot Lights @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 05/11/2008
Laura Marling @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 05/11/2008 SOLD OUT!
The Damned @ The Talking Heads, Southampton - 15-16/11/2008
John Otway @ The Soul Cellar, Southampton - 10/12/2008
Bournemouth's Opera House will be bouncing along to some fine Northern Soul tomorrow night, Saturday 1st November, when it hosts another of its popular SOS all-nighters. Resident DJ Chilli will be joined by Neil Jones and Dolly from the 100 Club, Mark Anderson of the Soul Smugglers and incrowd's Steve Lyons. Tickets are £10 in advance, doors open 2000 and the event runs through till 0400.
iLLuMIDanCe launches its new hard trance night this evening, Friday 31st October, with a 'Hard Halloween' event at the Venus Vodka Bar. Featuring sets from DJs Philosipha, Duane, Nathan D & Landslide and Sicknote, the music runs from 2100 through to 0200. Admission is £1 on the door, and ID is required.
Funkt-If-Ino will be firing up the disco pumpkins at The Wedgewood Rooms tomorrow, Saturday, 1st November, for its 12th Birthday Halloween Special. Darth Fader, Boba Funk and Chewbazza of the Funkt-If-Ino All Stars will be unleashing some fearful funk, spooky soul and the odd bit of haunted disco. Doors open at 2200, admission is £5.
Portsmouth's legendary indie club-night, Chaos, returns to its spiritual home this evening, Friday 31st October, for its annual Halloween blow-out. DJs Will Chump and Marcy Mark will pumpkin-ing out the stereo (sorry) at South Parade Pier from 2200 through till 0300, I don't know if they'll be bobbing for apples as well but anything is possible. Tickets are priced at £6 and are available in advance from The Wedgewood Rooms.
Local band showcase L.I.V.E. returns to Portsmouth's Tiger Tiger this Sunday, 2nd November, for an evening of live music. The line-up this month features Crossfire, The Last Distinguished Gentlemen and the most excellent Kodiak Jack. Doors open at 2000, admission is £6 on the door.
Right, that's me done (albeit a day or two later than usual) for another week; this morning I've mostly been sitting around the house drinking coffee, listening to Colin Meloy of The Decemberists. Be sure to join me next week when usual Wednesday service will be resumed (honest).
:o)
