Beatz Music & Gig Buddies go Country...

For several different reasons, one being the soulful soundtrack, another the highly quotable dialogue, The Blues Brothers is one of the few constants on my ever-changing list of favourite films*. John Landis' madcap musical comedy, with its raft of Saturday Night Live's early stars performing alongside some of Stax & Atlantic's best musicians, is a surreal portrait of early 80's America (replete with levitating Nuns and a Twiggy cameo).

In one of the film's most memorable scenes our behatted protagonists rustle up a gig at a misbegotten venue in the middle of nowhere, a roadhouse that is not at all welcoming to the Brothers' brand of R'n'B. From my first watch of the film this venue, and the quip about it having both kinds of music, coloured my view of Country music and its fans as a cinematic punchline; bottle throwing red-necks love Tammy Wynette. 

Whilst the sequence is still admittedly funny I have found, having watched the film again through my now considerably older eyes, that it unfairly stereotypes both the music it tenuously represents and the folk who listen to it. That might sound a bit PC but, as I've got older, my tastes have broadened and now an evening spent listening to both the theme from Rawhide and Stand By You Man on repeat, drinking beer and singing along, definitely appeals. 

Unfortunately Bob's Country Bunker only exists in a 35mm world however, in our reality, venerable Portsmouth venue The Wedgewood Rooms boasts at least some of the magic of a roadhouse (the trademark sticky floors and cold beer I mean, not a wall of chicken-wire across the front of the stage to protect the musicians). Admittedly the Wedge may be more Donny that Marie but it has credentials enough to host an evening of modern Country music. 

And when better to do so than on America's birthday? 

This Fourth of July the Wedge will don its blue jeans, polish its Dingo boots, and welcome some modern Country music onto its stage, and it's all thanks to Gig Buddies and Beatz Club. These two organisations promote regular events for adults with disabilities which, whilst providing people with special needs an authentic night of live music in a safe environment, are open to ALL music lovers who want to share a good night's entertainment. 

The line-up for this Thursday night's hoe-down features a performance from local singer-songwriter Alex Krupa, some multi-instrumentalist mellifluousness from RSD Unsigned 2019 shortlisted act Hengistbury, with four-piece Dirt Road Diary closing the evening with a no doubt loud set of Country Rock.



Tickets are for this hootenanny are just £5, available in advance from the venue, with carers getting in for FREE. Yee haw! (sorry, I just couldn't help myself)

* Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back are the other two

Acoustic Sessions @ The Dolphin / JunkStar-Baby

Portsmouth still has, despite the best efforts of the Luftwaffe and keen property developers, a large number of public houses for a city its size, offering refreshing alcoholic beverages and, in some cases live music, to a discerning clientèle. The oldest of Pompey's many hostelries is located in the city's old quarter, just a short distance from the historic Square Tower, opposite the Cathedral, and has been serving ales to legions of eager punters since 1716 (or thereabouts). 

Whilst The Dolphin certainly boasts longevity, and successfully managed to survive the Blitz better than some of its neighbours, there have been periods of late when its future has been in question; changes of management alienated some of its regulars, as did refurbishment and a move toward a more food orientated business plan, all of which led inexorably to an abrupt closure. Thankfully, after a lick of paint and another change of management, the pub reopened and appears to be going from strength to strength.

Long known for hosting live comedy The Dolphin has been hosting a limited season of live music each Friday evenings, with these Acoustic Sessions set to run through to mid-June. Following sets from Si Hitchenson and Andy Muscat the next act to perform are, according to the blurb on their Facebook page, "born out of bands long gone, both forged in an age when Play-Doh smelled good enough to eat". They are, of course, JunkStar-Baby.



The awesome twosome of Steve Arnott (no, not that one) and Maria Ede-Weaving are no strangers to the Portsmouth music scene, with both separately performing in various local bands over the years (including The Chosen, whose debut single can still be procured on ebay) before joining forces to become the most mellifluous JunkStar-Baby. 

Steve & Maria will be performing original songs, a choice cover or three and, if gently persuaded, some of The Chosen's back catalogue, this coming Friday, 24th May. The duo are playing two sets, the first starting at 2015 and, after a short break, the second starting at 2130. Entry is free and, if you are so inclined, the pub is also hosting a beer festival this weekend. Well, it is a Bank Holiday after all.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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...

Dials 2019!

Good news everyone, the excellent Dials Festival will be returning to Southsea this October! Last year's shindig saw various venues along Albert Road play host to some excellent talent, including Fake Empire, Curxes, Thyla and the jaw-droppingly good LibraLibra, hopes are therefore high for Dials 2019 to again bring the very best local and national emerging artists to the city.

It's far too early to hazard a guess at who might be on the line-up but it's a reasonably safe bet that, on the day, there be a surfeit of good music for all to enjoy. If this wets your appetite I'd advise marking Saturday 5th October on your calendar and keeping eyes on the festival's social media for announcements.

The festival has once more partnered with Solent Mind, a local charity which supports people with mental health problem across the South, to again both raise funds and awareness of mental health issues.

For those eager to attend a limited number of Super Early Bird tickets go on sale this coming Friday, 1st February, available via the festival's website from 1000 prompt.

UPDATE: All £15 Super Early Bird tickets sold out within 90 minutes, £18 Early Bird tickets now available.

Jerry Williams - 'David At The Bar'

One Saturday in 2015 I found myself emerging from the dark basement of Brighton's Sticky Mike's (RIP), ears ringing from Kassassin Street's morning set, and stumbled across Jerry Williams playing a courtyard gig a few yards away. Barely a song in I was already aware that I was in the presence of a rare talent. Since then Jerry has continued to perfect her craft, releasing new material, touring far and wide, building up an ever growing legion of fans in the process. 

Having recently returned from New York, taking over Tidal's Instagram feed for a session whilst there, Jerry has since travelled to Germany for a string of live dates with her band before a return to the UK for further shows (including a gig at the Camden Assembly, the Barfly as was, on Wednesday 30th January and a visit to Southampton's Joiners the following night).

Current release David At The Bar is a reflective ode, a tale of a bar-side conversation the artist had with a young alcoholic she encountered; a soon-to-be new father, David promised Jerry that he'd stop drinking if she wrote a song about him, this affecting tune being the result. The lyrics reflect the drinker's fears for the future, whether they'll be able to put down the last glass, before toasting the artist with a plea not to follow the same path. 

It's a delicate song which progresses in tone over its two and a half minutes, powerfully building to an anthemic crescendo that, yes, I could picture a drunken crowd sing-a-long aloud. Irony is a wonderful thing. It's unknown what the titular character makes of the song he made his bargain for as David appears to have vanished into the crowd after the conversation. I'm hoping that he's seized the opportunity life has presented for him, made good on his promise, and is building on the future with his young family. Yes, I've always been a sucker for a happy ending. 

Horseflies - 'Fist'

Sometimes, after a bad day at life's coalface, all a body wants to do is sit at the back of the bus, earbuds securely seated, and listen to something loud and/or shouty enough to abate the demons resident on each shoulder. If this is you right now might I suggest you quieten the devils by cranking up the latest release from Horseflies.

Fist is the first track lifted from the Portsmouth alt-rockers imminent new EP, Lucidity, and a frenetically joyous assault on the ear it is too. Chunky riffs and chords combine to produce an energy packed rollercoaster of a tune; if the opening bars are a call to the mosh-pit the body of the song provides a soundtrack to a flailing mass of bodies, the piano coda allowing for the briefest of warm-downs. It's an intense three minutes of guitar and bass and drums and, yes, the other people on the bus aren't going to like it.

Fake Empire - 'Elders'

Portsmouth alt-rock trio Fake Empire, a band who I unfortunately missed out on seeing at Dials 2019, start the new year with a new single. Elders is three and half minutes of banging indie noir, combining twangy guitar, sullen lyrics, stratospheric mixing and a thumping rhythm that, on initial listen, reminded me very much of early Editors (this is not, I must stress, a bad thing).

I confess that the more I've heard of Fake Empire over recent months the more I like them, the collective of Becky Bellinger, Simon Brookes and Les Black have a knack in serving up songs that are a beautiful blend of some of my favourite bands yet making the resulting brew their own. A pinch of The National, a sprinkle of The Cure, a dash of Suede, stir well and serve loud with a garnish of early Simple Minds, there is a lot going into the pot here. It's all too easy to spoil a dish like this by over-seasoning but the finished product is subtly flavoured and not over-powered by its constituent ingredients.

In the interests of full disclosure I must admit to previously being someone who tutted and shrugged when presented with such material (as happened after my first listen to The Strokes debut album, mostly due to its aural familiarity to another band from New York). However, in my defence, I read the NME from front-to-back in those days, fully absorbing its slights of perceived muso pedantry and pretension.

Fake Empire might wear their influences easily but they are not cloning my record collection wholesale. They channel the best of it and make something new, interesting, powerful. Case in point, Elders, a track that fair pelts along like a fast ride in a sporty convertible, the soundtrack to an urgent and windswept journey on winding roads. It's reassuringly familiar, instantly hummable and most definitely ticks a lot of my boxes. Is it the best thing I've heard from the band? No (that would be this gorgeously widescreen number) but it's a cracker of a tune all the same. And next time I get the chance to see them I'm definitely taking it.

Open Mic @ The House of Rapture

I like live music, I like a good beer and I like to enjoy one whilst indulging in the other. With this in mind it would seem obvious that I'd be rightly appreciative of any event for new music that just-so-happens to take place in a venue which has a brewery attached.

The House of Rapture, Portsmouth brewers Staggeringly Good's new bar venture, is soon to play host to that most popular way of sampling new music, the Open Mic. In partnership with local band-cum-entrepreneurs Skaraman the new venue will be hosting regular Open Mic Nights, starting with their inaugural event on Thursday 29th February. 

Most Open Mics I've encountered have tended to limit themselves to solo or duo acts, trios at a push, with nary a sniff of a full band. Not so at The House of Rapture, the organisers are keen to welcome all to their stage; solo acts, duos, small ensembles and full band line-ups too, the venue will cater for all to plug-and-play. 

The doors open wide on the new night at 1900 and, as time slots won't be pre-allocated, would be players are advised to get there early.

Wyldest - 'Dream Chaos' Album & Tour

Before relocating to London a few years back, dream-pop merchants Wyldest were a frequent presence on the Portsmouth music scene, gigging at some of the city's fine venues and building a dedicated fan-base along the way. Heck, one of the band members used to work in Southsea's excellent  Pie & Vinyl (and I'm fairly sure it was they who served me when I bought a Battery Hens' EP there).

Wyldest, originally Wildest Dreams, began as duo. The addition of a drummer has definitely help to fill out their sound, though the band has undergone a line-up change following the departure of original guitarist Holly Mullineaux. A move to the Big Smoke has allowed the band to take advantage of the benefits, such as more venues where they can hone their craft and dedicated studio space at their disposal, that living in a thriving metropolis offers.

After spending 2018 writing and recording new material the three-piece, now consisting of Zoe Mead (guitar and vocals), Mariin Kallikorm (Bass) and Jack Gooderham (Drums), have announced details of their debut long player. Dream Chaos is scheduled for release on Friday 1st March via Hand in Hive and, to celebrate its launch, the band are heading out on the road.

The Dream Chaos tour starts in London on March 5th, swings through Liverpool, Milton Keyens and Norwich, wrapping up on March 20th at Southampton's Heartbreakers, and tickets can be purchased via Songkick.

For a taster of new material check out their October 2018 single, Headrush, via the embed below:

Victorious Festival 2019 / First acts announced

In a very canny move, days before the Early Bird Tier 1 ticket pricing window closes, the organisers of Portsmouth's Victorious Festival have announced the first acts playing next year's Southsea Common shindig. 

Since its inception Victorious has grown both in size and reputation; as large outdoor music events go it still has a generally relaxed, family friendly vibe and offers both the musical array of a large in-country festival and the ease and convenience of a metropolitan affair (i.e. I can see some great bands and still be able to walk home afterwards). The introduction of the Friday evening session a few years back, whilst initially ruffling the feathers of some nearby residents, has become a welcome addition to the August Bank Holiday fun.

The initial tranche of acts announced may appear at a touch scattergun, an attempt to lure in the muso, the popster, the hipster and all folks in-between with shiny delights maybe, but remember this is just the tip of the pile of musical delights that will no doubt be announced in batches over the coming months. Bearing that in mind, here are inaugural acts:

Coventry's Ska legends The Specials will be co-headlining on the Friday evening, no doubt bringing a mix of classic songs and new material (their eighth long player, Encore, is scheduled for release next year).

Singer-songwriter James Bay (him with the hat) and Chingford indie rockers The Rifles join Swedish rockers The Hives on Saturday's bill. Quite what Howlin' Pelle and chums will make of Pompey is anyone's guess but, I confess, this is the one act so far announced to really pique my interest.

The Vaccines bring their flavour of indie rock to Sunday line-up, with dance-classical crossover outfit Clean Bandit also announced for for the final day of the festival. Grace Chatto et al might not be my usual listening but, I admit, they have been responsible for some very catchy tunes (is waving a Marks & Spencer bag-for-life a thing at Clean Bandit gigs? If not it really should be). 

Something there for nearly everyone, which is nice. Tickets are available now via the Victorious website and, as mentioned previously, the first tier of the Early Bird pricing ends soon.

Welcome to The House of Rapture

Waking up on a wet Saturday morning, with a sore throat and a head full of cold, puts no-one in the best of spirits. So it was then that I attempted to recharge my energies with a double-header of caffeine and Twitter. Whilst the coffee machine did its noisy thing I scrolled through my feed and, yes, saw something which brought the sunshine back into my day.

For a while now small venues have been disappearing from out midst, with Portsmouth losing several over the past few years (The RMA Tavern, Drift In The City and The Cellars to name but three). It's therefore nice to be able to report some good news; the lovely folks of local ale producers Staggeringly Good have today announced the imminent of a new venue for the city, The House of Rapture.

Situated adjacent to both the brewery and its taproom, within shouting distance of Fratton Park, this new venture promises to marry the joyousness of live music with craft beer (which Staggeringly Good brew some very tasty examples of). If you're in the least bit beardy, like me, then this is a very good thing indeed.

The House of Rapture opens next week and, to celebrate its launch, the venue is hosting three evenings of FREE live music. The fun starts this Thursday, 20th December, with party ska from the always effervescent Skaraman, psychedelic rock from Mystic Hipniks Picnic (from Portsmouth, via Metropolis) and some chilled out ambience from Highlights Of Our Modern World (who were excellent at Dials Festival this year). 

The following night, Friday 21st December, boasts modern folk from Megan Linford, shoegaze from Superdrone and 6Ts flavoured psych-rock courtesy of Number 9. The opening celebrations conclude on Saturday 22nd December with grunge from Make Them All Smile and [drum roll] a super secret special headliner who will be announced on the day. All that and they sell very nice beers too which, I'm sure you'll agree, really is something to celebrate.

Christmas Covers Party #9

Despite the Creme Eggs on display in my local corner shop it is definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Admittedly, after having already endured several months of adverts preaching rampant consumerism and over-indulgence, I'm not exactly in the festive spirit as yet (bah, and furthermore, humbug) but here's something that fair warms the cockles and helps melt away my inner Scrooge; the 9th Annual Christmas Covers Party.

This yearly event brings together some of the best and brightest of Pompey's alt-music scene to rock some Egg Nog, have some fun and raise money to support the valuable work of The Rowans hospice. Situated just outside of the city The Rowans aims to improve the the lives of those living with life-limiting illnesses, their families and carers, both in Portsmouth and throughout South East Hampshire.

The line-up for this year features Battery Hens, Horse Flies, Hooch, Dad Hair, The SLM, Cyprian Sceptre, Glorious Bulletheads and Flybums, all of whom are no doubt all practising the three covers apiece that they'll be performing. The venue for this festive farrago is The Wedgewood Rooms, with Thursday 27th December the date for your diaries, tickets £5 in advance. 

And yes, I'm really hoping that Battery Hens take on this Muppet Christmas classic. Fingers crossed.

Icebreaker Festival 2019 / Line-up announcement

Since 2015 Southsea's Icebreaker Festival has been a highlight on the city's musical calendar, bringing unsigned acts to the city, delivering a glorious variety of new music to venues all within comfortable walking distance of each other. To be honest, I'm a wee bit embarrassed to say I've not been yet (I know, shame on me, I'll go sit on the blog equivalent of the 'naughty step'). 

Over two days in January Icebreaker turns existing venues, situated along the thoroughfares of Elm Grove and Albert Road, into stages offering the freshest in new and unsigned music. It's a model used to great effect by both The Great Escape and the fondly remembered Southsea Fest and, since its inception, Icebreaker successfully applied it to become the South's largest unsigned metropolitan music festival.

In preparation for their next shindig the folks at Icebreaker Towers have been seeding their social media feeds with stage line-ups for next year's festival. The list is, obviously, reassuringly long so, in no particular order here are the acts playing Icebreaker 2019 [deep breath]...

Dutch Criminal Record, Radlouse, Tirana, Syrette, Total State Machine, Arid Wave, Tides, Fake Empire, Ciircus Street, Hallan, Thieves By The Code, Octopus, Sad Palace, Luna Blue, Foxer, The Wild Claims, Alexis Kings, Captain Trips, Wild Front, You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons, Number 9, HAEMA, Violet Mud, Alice Milburn Band, Heir of the Dog, Fugitive Orchestra, The Machete, Slick Minded Individuals, Crybaby Special, Prey Drive, The Collision, Brother Deep, The Purple Smoke, Hang Dai, Something Leather, Joe Burger, The Sweetchunks Band, Frankie Knight, Victus, Anthropophagite, The Dead Reds, Alexander McKay, Seething Akira, Me & The Moon, Hooli, Southerlies, Madeline, Bella Estelle, Horseflies, Heebie Jeebies, Toreador, The Day Of The Rabblement, Bearfist, The Diamond Age, Romances, Winchester, Broken Links, Deuxes, Sam Wilde, Pleasure Complex, Tokyo Taboo, Hometown Show, Yeehaa Granma, Georgia Fearn, Katy Hurt, Mischa & His Merry Men, Ellis Hudson, Matt English, Ryan McMurtry, Mystic Hipniks Picnic, Tom Pointer, Freja Frances, Sal Paradise, Djuno, The Bayonettes, Brutum Fulmen, Pure Assassins, JEPH, Sweetmates, The Hideaways, Light Brigade, 12 Hour Avenue, Our Propaganda, Hanowar, (Not) Queens of the Stone Age, Stray Bullets, Cybernetic Witch Cult, Harbinger, Ravenbreed, King Abyss, Bleed Again, Bad Llama, Escape December, Costellos, Calum Lintott, Girls With No Faces, Cora Pearl, Currls, Sweet Facility, Gloo, Curbwire, Igloo, These Septic Stars, Aren Drift, Marmalade Moonshine, Bird Shoes, Lobster Pot, Submariner, Minque,  Persona, The Vitrines, Finding Kate, Percival Elliott, El Morgan & The Divers, Principal Partners, Make Them All Smile, Mystic Peach, Dad Hair, Burning House, Drusila, Manreads, SKiNNY MiLK, Scrubs, Lucid Rising, The Burning Trestle, Jackarack (DJ), CLT DRP, Birthday Card, Cassinii, Bel Esprit, Counterpoint, FLOWVERS, Sarpa Salpa, Lily Garland, Brother Zulu, The Ruffs, Skull Above The Cannon, Eyre Llew, Capital Fuzz, The FreeDub Press and Shoot The Duke 

...all of whom will be playing stages, some of which are curated by the likes of BBC Introducing Solent, Taro Records, Mayfield Studios and Express FM's The Shout, across a variety of venues (some of which are 14+ friendly for the younger music lover). 

Icebreaker 2019 takes place on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th January 2019, with both day and weekend tickets available online via Seetickets or, if you prefer a proper physical ticket, from The Wedgewood Rooms box office. And after all that I think that I really must get myself a ticket...

Update: The full line-up poster has been released.