Portsmouth club night Beats & Swing has this week released details of some Easter treats which, I know, seems a wee bit early given we're not out of January yet (I blame Cadbury's, my local corner shop had Creme Eggs in stock whilst I still had my Christmas tree up). However, given the line-up thus far announced, you'd be advised to get your tickets early before they up and disappear.
Traditionally Maundy Thursday is when HM The Queen dispenses alms to deserving citizens (and civil servants across the land spend an afternoon in the pub), this year though it also sees Madame Electrifie, the alter-ego of Techno DJ Little Jo, take control of the ones-and-twos at Southsea's premier bijou art space, the Coastguard Studio. Little Jo has played some of the UK’s leading venues in the near 15 years she's been behind the decks, including legendary clubs Turnmills and Ministry. Support on the night comes from Wesley Brown and The Feel Good.
After such an entertaining opener it's lucky that Good Friday provides ample opportunity for a recovery lay-in (and/or a restorative beverage or two) before the doors of the Coastguard open wide again. The second night of the Easter Weekender is headlined by chap-hop originator, the wax moustachioed MC straight out of Cheam, the one and only Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer. If you've not encountered chap-hop before any explanation I could give would pale in comparison to hearing it the first time. Trust me, you're in for a treat. Support on the night comes from Bass-playing troubadour Grant Sharkey and Portsmouth singer-songwriter Dani Uziel.
Tickets go on sale at 10am prompt tomorrow morning, Friday 25th January, via Book.Events. A Weekender pass is available, providing access to both nights, priced at a very reasonable £18 or, alternatively, tickets for either night can be purchased separately for £10 each. And yes, I think this will sell out well ahead of time.
John Thomson's turn as Louis Balfour in The Fast Show's Jazz Club skits may not have been to all tastes, pandering as it did to the stereotype that Jazz is loved only by pretentious pseuds in roll-neck sweaters, but they had a side-effect of programming the brains of those that watched them to utter the words "nice" or "great" whenever the J-word is used.
That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Despite never owning a roll-neck sweater, or smoking a pack of Gauloises in a dark cellar, I must confess that I'm partial to some flavours of Jazz. The works of Tord Gustavsen, The Bad Plus and the late Esbjörn Svensson all sit comfortably amongst the selection of Indie, Alt-Rock, Electronica, Rap and Pop in my record collection. However, despite that, I can wilt under the excesses of some performers (Courtney Pine for example), excesses which cause said stereotypes to flourish and my tapping foot to steer clear.
News that Southsea's Coastguard Studio has partnered with Chichester's La Havana Jazz Club, to bring Jazz to the heart of Portsmouth in 2019, could well get me to direct my Converse to The Strand for an evening of mellifluous delights (especially as Portsmouth's long running Jazz club is shuttering in December).
The monthly club night promises international artists (the excellent Gilad Atzmon is amongst the initial tranche announced), supplemented by local DJs spinning vinyl. Not to further reinforce a stereotype but all I can say is great.
Hard to believe but true, Portsmouth's venerable 60's beat and funk DJ combo are soon to celebrate a milestone birthday; Hipshaker have been entertaining the masses for twenty years and, to celebrate this milestone, DJs Simon and Dave are having a party.
Over two decades this DJ duo have thrilled audiences at The Wedgewood Rooms, got crowds dancing at the Isle of Wight Festival, brought the music to the Ryde Scooter Rally and, generally, supplied good tunes to thousands of folks along the South Coast and beyond. Along the way they've released an LP that collected rare tunes in one vinyl package (still available if you look on ebay) and power a radio show on local station Express FM.
The boys are holding their birthday shindig at at Southsea's Coastguard Studio on Friday 14th December, with tickets priced at a very reasonable £12, and they've invited their good chums The Small Fakers along for some live music too. Ticket information should be available soon, best to check the Hipshaker Facebook page for updates.
