A joyous celebration of the most cheesiest of tuneage, the love song, the annual St Valentines Day Massacre event has been a staple on the Southsea musical landscape since 2013. The Massacre has grown in popularity since its inception, selling out original venue Edge of The Wedge so regularly that it moved to the larger confines of the Wedgewood Rooms last year (filling the venue and raising over £2000 for its chosen charity in the process).
All proceeds from the event are donated to the National Foundation of Youth Music, a national charity which invests in music-based projects, helping children & young people to develop personally, socially and musically. Monies raised will help provide musical education & equipment to children who would not otherwise receive it.
The rules of the Massacre are simple enough, all acts get 15 minutes
on stage to perform their favourite soppy tunes; they can play
whatever they like but the songs must "deal in love, lust or
heartbreak". Simple enough, yet it opens the door wide on a vast amount of surprising, interesting or just plain weird cover versions.
The line-up for this year's Massacre includes the likes of Battery Hens, Cyprian Sceptre, Glorious Bulletheads, Guilt Trippin, Halliwell, Horseflies, Hooch, Make Them All Melt (a Make Them All Smile/Melt Dunes supergroup), Waif & Stray and.. some Mystery Guests!
If the possibility of hearing a speed metal version of A Million Love Songs or a funked up I Just Call To Say I Love You is tempting (and it is to me) then you should point your feet in the direction of The Wedgewood Rooms on Saturday 16th February. Tickets for this possibly romantic shindig are priced at a very reasonable £5, plus there's a mega raffle where prizes donated by a variety of local businesses could be won, and a good time is pretty much guaranteed. Which is nice.
This weekend, under the banner of the We Shall Overcome campaign, a series of music and art events will take place across the UK. The aim of these events is both to raise awareness of the ongoing effects of austerity and provide help to those in our communities affected by it. The policies of austerity have had an impact on communities all over the country, including Portsmouth and its surrounding areas, and unfortunately it's only through the efforts of organisations like the Trussell Trust that some in our community are able to put food on the table.
We Shall Overcome is an alliance of artists, musicians and others who came together to provide practical assistance to those affected by austerity. Since 2015 they've encouraged people to organise gigs and events that:
- Get direct help to those in our local communities who have been adversely affected by austerity policies.
- Raise awareness, show solidarity or apply pressure to those who have political power.
The Wedgewood Rooms is hosting an all day event this Sunday, 7th October, which will feature live performances from The Autumn Stone, Southerlies, Amba Tremain, Brave Rival, Blue Harvest and several others. Rather than buy a ticket for your day's entertainment the organisers instead ask that you bring a small box of food; all food donated will be distributed amongst local foodbanks.
If you are unable to attend an event this weekend but want to help others in your community, here are some links to local foodbanks:
Portsmouth Foodbank
Fareham & Gosport Basics Bank
Beacon Foodbank, Havant
Outside of Portsmouth? You can locate a foodbank near you via the Trussell Trust's website.
