Monthly Planet 11 - Jan 010

MONTHLY PLANET Artful Bronze Year

is go

Maps Festival * The Laurel Collective * City Showcase * Marques T Oliver * Uniqulture * Dynamo Garage * Connan Mockasin * Starbreaker Alliance *

Get ready for more fun with The Playing Class Friends of Planet Water....

Welcome to the Decade With No Name

Artful Bronze Year

From new year’s day 2010 creating an aspect of the decade with no name through chaos magic. In Music Tourist Board style, documenting at events is most welcome towards the exhibitions and entertainment in October that is Artful No.6 For some reason, it seems to work as an alternative artist creative development network so far - and that’s without sponsors, major attention etc.

It’s genuine grass roots, DIY, resourcefulness based RESULTS through some legendary gatherings.

And massive thank you so much for anybody that’s got involved so far and created something completely different in the naughty noughties.

In response to wanting to add more alternative partying to the cultural Olympiad in 2012, Music Tourist Board received a response in Aug 009 from (LOCOG organising committe of the Olympics/Paralympics). What we are doing is officially unofficial (“unsolicited project ideas which fall outside our planned activity”). There was an invitation or two to City Hall in November, and a bit more structure to Artful / Rocklands etc in response, coming together.

The alternative culture of BritainIreland is something to celebrate. There couldn’t be a Music Tourist Board born anywhere else in the world. This is what is going to happen.

As The Decade With No Name begins, Planet Water named the pre-teen years after a community of friendship going for gold. Hence the Bronze Year of 2010.

Ground level involvement begins here.

In theory, by the end of silver year, various talents / promoters / media etc are in place to celebrate the alternative culture that already has the Olympic spirit.

Artful Bronze Year (at New Year’s Day)

Jan 010 Look out for the Chew Lips album. A year ago, Monthly Planet was tipping them heavily, after putting them on at the Rocklands Mid Summer Dream event mid 007. By the end of 009, they‟re being tipped everywhere. Rightly so! Also keep an ear out for whatever the Deptford Army posse are up to. Purveyors of the most banging night out in London‟s South East X...

Tue 05 Jean-Genie presents Panda-Power-Party at The Social; Late of the Pier (DJ set) + Dynamo Garage + Red Drapes + Marques T Oliver (USA). 7pm to midnight. Entry £6/£4 (N.U.S and Music Tourist Board discount list)..

5 Little Portland St (just off Great Portland st) London W1. Nearest tube Oxford Circus.

Fri 22 RAR! The electric eclectic 14+ Club returns at London‟s Albany Theatre, Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG. 7pm-11pm. £5.

Thu 28 Rocklands at New Cross Inn, 323 New Cross Road, Rocklands SE14 3AS. Artful Bronze Year launch party. In Music Tourist Board style, this will create itself...

Sat 30 The Playground – the amazingly punky rock‟n‟roll art burlesque disco spectacular gig of the month, with credible tips for the new decade and incredible party / love in / crazy bonkers fun / out and out not to be missed hot ticket Shoreditch shindig bash at 93 Feet East. a whirl of hairspray, rock 'n' roll and attitude. - Bill to be announced, advance tickets advised, whoever is playing! www.theplayground.co.uk

Feb 010 Love Month NME Awards / Tour and The Brits

Thu 11 - Rocklands presents 453 Club at 229 Great Portland Street, W1 starring King Of Conspiracy + Hedionacs (newer wave punk / rock tips)

Artful Bronze Year (at New Year’s Day) - continued

01 & 02 Camden Crawl – London NW1 05 City Showcase Launch Event – Gerrard Street, Chinatown, London W1 06 – 08 City Showcase – Westminster / Tower Hamlets / Rocklands Maps Festival – Manchester

June Glastonbury Festival Love & Peace Festival (Sweden) July Secret Garden Party People‟s Day Festival

Mar 01 St David‟s Day

Thu 04 - Rocklands presents 453 Club starring Dynamo Garage + The Screenbeats + Red Cable Sunday (newer wave alternative power pop tips) 17 St Patrick‟s Day 19 RAR! @ London Albany Theatre

Apr All Fools Month 08 Rocklands presents 453 Club with

Heads.Hearts + Toy Toy (newer wave electro pop and punk tips) 09 Paul Robeson Day 23 St George‟s Day London Marathon kicks off in Rocklands 30th April to 3rd May – Maps Festival

May City Showcase Month – London 01 & 02 Foxfext – London SE13 01 & 02 Love Music Hate Racism events.

August Notting Hill Carnival Reading & Leeds Festival September Week Of Peace Bestival Deptford X Festival Of Visual Art October Artful Festival November Swn Festival Comic Relief UK Festival Awards Record Of The Day Awards 30 St Andrews Day December Capitalismas (Planet Earth – starts in October ends when on the final Sales Day) Chill Out Season (Planet Water – mid December to New Year) Artful Silver Year 011 Artful Gold Year 012

_____________________________________________ See the Playing Class vibe of Planet Water every Tuesday with new art from

Chris Getliffe via http://getliffe.blogspot.com/ Hear the sound of new music from Planet Water every Thursday on the Propaganda

Radio Show broadcast from Xstream East 7pm-8pm.

Listen live or again at http://www.xstreameast.co.uk/

Try some other Candy...

By Jean-Genie

This is a monthly column about artists that I like, and recommend you check out, different genres and styles, after all..."Life is like a box of chocolates...and you should try some other candy!"

Marques T Oliver Enchanting strings and a mesmerising voice, Marques T Oliver is talent embodied in a beautiful man, his violin and soul. Once, stood on a street corner outside a warehouse rave, he reduced a lady to tears of joy (and earned a nice little tip) at four in the morning.

Song to check out: ‘Sights and

Sounds Of The City.’ www.myspace.com/marquestoliver

The Laurel Collective A group of artists that I have spoken fondly about for the whole of summer 2009. The Laurel Collective would have to definitely be a highlight of my summer, the fun, party loving band, put together an awesome line up for 'In The Woods', which included: Anna Calvi; Micachu and The Shapes, Alessi’s Ark, Inner City Pirates and 2009’s Mercury nominated band, The Invisible;.

‘In The Woods’ is an intimate, but fast growing festival that takes place, literally, in the woods of Kent.

Not a band to rest on their Laurels (it had to be done sooner or later), they are always busy, getting involved with music related things, I seem to see them wherever I go, at gigs, warehouse parties, raves and at service stations near Stonehenge, on the way to DJ at Farm Festival in Bruton....

They put on their own events every month, at The Stag’s head in East London, I have been to a few of them and danced so hard with the crowd, almost to the point that we were so close to the band that we could be actual members. The Laurel Collective are also to play SXSW in 2010, hopefully bigger and better things will become of them.

Song to check out: Vutton

Blues. www.myspace.com/thelaurelcollective

Connan Mockasin Saw him earlier this year, at the ‘In The Woods’ festival. Quirky and avantgarde, Connan plays with an array of musicians, changing the line up as he passes from place to place, collaborating with other contemporaries. At first his music, I found a little sickly sweet, almost too twee, but then after a few more listens I fell in love with his sound and persona, the music making me feel as if I were a young child again...then I realised that this innocent nature of Connan and his music, was a part of the magic and his charm!

Song to check out: ‘Egon

Hosford.’

www.myspace.com/connanmockasin and www.connanmockasin.com

Starbreaker Alliance Buzz Band Promoters Join Forces

“A dream that became a reality and spread throughout the stars."

-Captain James T. Kirk on The United Federation of Planets.

Two‟s company and three‟s a crowd. Allegedly. Some promoters really pull out all the stops to get a bigger crowd than that, though. Put them together with acts that really plug their shows and you‟ve got a circuit of rising talent.

Space travel has a way to go yet, so a federation of planets is not yet required for the major promoters / U2 etc‟s next shows. In the economic climate, the most promising newer artists with the potential for universal appeal help venues earn their good reputations.

By co-promoting shows on “Peel Street” (favourite venues and promoters of new music favourites), and sharing recommendations, Starbreaker Alliance has beamed down to small and medium sized UK venues.

In Music Tourist Board style it is a non umbrella affair. Self branded, undivided by genre, each with their own individual tastes in music. For instance Craig McGee of Glasgow Music recommended The Ray Summers and on the strength of that Rocklands booked them for a show where Propaganda Radio interviewed them as a band of the week. (They are also now one of Scotland‟s hottest new prospects for 2010 so it was great to get them early doors).

Propaganda‟s Earwax DJs often plug new music that appearance not long after on nationally renowned radio shows. Their Earwax TV was also launched with Rocklands / Artful faves Kids Love Lies, Toy Toy, Bleech and more in session. A sort of New Grey Whistle Test that piloted some new ideas in music TV. In Summer 2008, The Playground launched at Camden Proud. On the bill were the aforementioned Kids Love Lies and fellow Rocklands/Propaganda favourites Officer Kicks who have joined the stable of invited back bands to This Feeling and East Spanglier‟s Club Blub (who also booked Rocklands faves Bleech and the This Feeling-managed Jersey Budd (who Officer Kicks supported recently). Both clubs have also grown, noticeably as their reputation for staging essential shows, and looking after such buzzy artists, spreads. Taking it outdoors, Club Blub hosts the rock stage at the creative revolution inviting Stortford Music Festival and Rocklands often has a stage at the 30,000 free festival People‟s Day in London.

Starbreaker Alliance

The O’Neill sisters of Bleech make a stand for rock at Foxfest

The Playground has become rock‟s answer to Club 54 within a year of existence, moving to Saturday night dress up and get down gatherings at 93 Feet East, Shoreditch.

They book the hottest and coolest of the near future. “Getting a gig at The Playground is a sure fire sign of an even brighter future” (Music Tourist Board), as their booking record already proves.

Rocklands / NX Boutique have also staged events with City Showcase Festival (London‟s biggest talent spotting festival) in 2006, 2008 and 2009 as well as launching RAR! which has attracted the most amazing acts to come and do it for the kids in the capital‟s most creative quarter.

Rocklands Party, the “24 hour concrete Glastonbury” that united New Cross and Deptford in 2007 has been nominated as one of Time Out‟s Were You There? London moments, in good company along with The Clash at Hammersmith Palais, the first Gay Pride March and so on.

Let‟s make more moments...!

Starbreaker Alliance This Feeling TV was filmed by Minx Media who have a film of our times, Meet Me In The Keith Moon Bar (the story of The Astoria) currently in production and teamed up with Rocklands to launch Playhard shows at The Borderline in Central London. Heather Minx is definitely one of the legendary rock chicks of NOW. This Feeling, itself is the after show hang out of choice for musicians like Kasabian, The Enemy, Noel Gallagher etc and the buzziest of the rising stars like Jersey Budd, The Wutars, The Rifles and many more. Glasvegas played live at This Feeling‟s birthday party in October...

One of the key themes of all these events is the amount of friendliness that makes it into a real club, where you‟re likely to see the same faces at most of the events no matter who is playing. Another is that the element of sharing between them is as refreshing as their passion for what they do. The artists get it, and come away with new mates and collaborations.

The rising star alternative Arts & Music Festival of Manchester is Maps which is also part of this networking family. They recommended The Heartbreaks to Rocklands in 009, lo and behold they‟re now another top tip of 2010. Read on for more about Maps Festival in this issue.

And talking of great fests, the promoter behind Foxfest is definitely one of the best promoters around. Immortalised in the song, „Lewishambles‟ (along with Rocklands) by Mr Bligh, Carl 2bob and the 2bob family/Kooba Radio TV and co. keep “the rock n roll borough” (NME) of London South East X a reality.

There are Music Tourist Board forums at God Is In The TV zine and Maps Magazine which are both promoters in Cardiff/London and the former (additionally a successful singles club) also co-promotes Chamber Club which launched at the 4th Artful and is filmed by Cherry Red TV with its connections to The Old Police Station, a favourite DIY art centre in Costa del Thames (i.e. South East London) which is also home to film/TV makers Look At Me and part of the Deptford Art Map. God Is In The TV has also been picking up some great acclaim as a friendly/inclusive kind of Drowned In Sound, so hats off to all the gang there.

Chamber Club at Brixton Windmill.

Starbreaker Alliance In fact there‟s a lot of visuals, filming and photography which goes on via the wealth of artists in the family. The visual artists themselves multi task as musicians, DJs and promoters. There are so many and Artful is proud to be not only associated with them but able to exhibit their wealth of talents in as many ways possible and usually with live music and DJs, gig gallery style.

Monthly Planet is looking to develop into less words and more images to be able to promote the photo family as much as possible as they have the documentary evidence of Planet Water‟s development through art power.

Another punky stara is anti-establishment central, R*E*P*E*A*T based in Cambridge, East Spanglier (also a label) and the peace waging Panda-PowerParties that were launched at Artful - a travelling circus of cool profile acts and the more interesting next best things.

Between the above and their co-conspirators, this anti-scene movement have inspired Uniqulture and the Artful tourism recommended Peel Street of venues (in honour of . Whatever events, clubs, line-ups the promoters come up with, it won‟t be dull.

Everything is in place for The Bronze Year to become a reality in the Planet Water story and this organic family to promote Artful Tourism.

Reading over the tips in past issues of Monthly Planet (classic rock like Bleech, The Worldonfire, Saint Jude, The Sea, Ten City Nation etc), adding Art Beat visual faves like Chris Getliffe, Twinkle Troughton, Eugene Ankomah, Tinsel Edwards, Anita McKeown and Matt Sargent. Collaborating with Rocklands based labels like Dead Planet and We Make Things while making media via radio like the Propaganda show with filming from Planet Water allies actually works. The smallest budgets with the biggest ideas.

Ten City Nation – in the vanguard of the classic rock for the new decade

Starbreaker Alliance You need some romantic ideals to become a promoter. People have staged events where very few people have turned up but somehow still had a great time if the atmosphere was right. It can be soul destroying to see stars that belong in front of massive audiences playing to a handful, or seen in a different light, a special and intimate priviledge... And some of those bands stay in touch, there‟s something exciting about being part of their gradual rise to higher profile, connecting them with more support and contacts. Seeing them appreciated in more quarters.

It‟s an addition to the talents already in the national media and public awareness. A longer time to develop than instant fame, signing, deals etc in many cases, but this makes them no less an exciting prospect. If anything it proves their worthiness of attention as their self marketing stealthily propels them to greater heights.

Every December and January is a season of “Best Of The Year”, “Best New...” things across the media. They are as self fulfilling as the X Factor and another great way to give more artists a chance. These lists also predict the festival bills, radio plays and sponsored live events that ensure award nominations and great tour supports. In other words, corporation recognition is the ideal fast track.

Grass roots tipping is as valid, if not always as immediate. A longer process that can see bands run out of steam or money if not appreciated in time. This has always been the case of luck, fate and fashion playing such a big part in the individual stories of music artists. It makes the Starbreaker Alliance a valid addition to the bigger players, including a wider remit of tips.

In 008 it was the fab Dead Planet Records who staged their events in New Cross. Chew Lips played their second show (after debuting with a gig in a local kitchen!) and were snapped up to headline Mid Summer Dream event that Loose Belt Productions filmed (also on the bill were Kids Love Lies).

From that recommendation, Artrocker Magazine picked up on them early via one of it‟s Artful connected writers. The Dead Planet event at Artful 008 was headlined by The Brute Chorus. Dead Planet band, The Worldonfire were one of the bands hitting the stage when The Playground called in at The Lexington early in 009.

You gotta love a lead singer who comes on stage and has his foot up on the monitor to start singing, Monthly Planet was impressed right there and then.

Rocklands wanted to recommend them to Club Blub but it turns out the multi talented Dave is also their sound engineer, anyway!

Starbreaker Alliance It was kinda fitting that the last Rocklands live event was in conjunction with We Make Things Records (including a creative video billboard by Token Films) and that across the road at Camden Proud that night our beloved Bleech were playing. A shame to miss them, but what a treat that they called in at The Monarch to say hi before their show. And what magic that their sound engineer come tour manager was, of course, Dave from The Worldonfire / Club Blub. Is he the rock king of East Spanglier, or what?

A few days later bumped into him at The Albany, Deptford Fun City. A tribute night to the legend that is the sadly missed Steven Wells. Quite fitting that Socialist surrealism should have such a punky gathering in Rocklands.

In Artful Bronze Year this locality becomes a region created by the power of art and music. The force is, indeed, strong in many.  ****************

Dynamo Garage are drummer Alex Jackson; guitarists Max Jones and Chris Shipley, singer Sam Overs and bassist Jim O’Reilly.

Born and bred in Birmingham in 2001, their first gig was in the garage of guitarist Max Jones, after which the group is named. Since then they have played at various events nationwide and steadily grown to recent attention, meaning that they have a firm foundation of fan base to build upon. In 2008 they travelled to Madrid to play at the inaugural ‘Abril no tan cruel festival’, getting national coverage in Spain’s ‘El Pais’ newspaper and airplay on it’s national rock radio. At home in the UK they’ve been invited to appear at festivals such as Camden’s Lockstock Festival and Press Play’s music events in Cornwall.

In 2009 Dynamo Garage recorded a demo EP called ‘Strength and Honour’, at Great Eastern Studios, which is available for purchase at gigs and via www.myspace.com/dynamogarage . Tracks from the EP were featured on XFM's John Kennedy’s ‘X-Posure’ radio programme, attaining positive acclaim. They were also recommended in various corners. Dazed and Confused: noted “…Hard to pigeonhole are Dynamo Garage…Twisting and searching out new musical directions for guitars in rock…Check them out live and buy their self-produced EP, it’s well worth it.” While Stephen Brolan of The Fly wrote “There's something mystical and seashanty about this group - comprising a Smiths-like acuteness with a weather-worn rusticness -that elicits an ocean-bound briny drunkeness that threatens to send you under - but leaves you most enthusiastically waving, not drowning.”

They played the 15 year anniversary of Indie establishment’s Club Fandango (see pic below) and were invited back to headline the launch of their new home at The Garage in October. Fierce Panda Records called them "...Five raffish young men from North London who make considered and indeed considerate guitar-based noises which are subtle and spacious and thoroughly twinkly." Fierce Panda Records.

Dynamo Garage at Wilmington Arms photographed by Satoko Owada.

Taking a brief break from performing, Dynamo Garage are currently in the studio abd play the following central London shows; 5 January; The Social W1, 4 March; 229 Great Portland Street W1.

Q: How come Planet Water works? In theory, it shouldn’t in this cynical 21st century age.

A: Chaos Magic and moon power.

Q: So what, exactly is the business plan and structure for Music Tourist Board from Bronze Year to 2013?

A:

For updates on whether the above business plan is working – or not keep an eye out or come to Music Tourist Board of Rocklands events (“board meetings” and get involved) www.myspace.com/artfulmtb

UNIQULTURE

...five minutes walk from the old sailor’s town high street home of the love doves outside a tattoo shop on new cross road

positivity of creativity - unity for community Uniqulture was born in Rocklands, Costa del Thames on the parallel dimension of Planet Water. Or South East London as it‟s more commonly known.

Rocklands is the Time Zone of a world woven into the magic number three. The degrees of a circle, the minutes and hours of a day, the mo(o)nths of a year. The artful music tourist board tale, Once Upon Another Time revolves around.

On New Year‟s Day 009 if you googled it, there would only be one entry. The Costa del Thames page www.myspace.com/southeastx but since then it has been picked up as a word of the day on some literary blogs.

“South East X” is a melting pot of the South East London postcodes and as affordable, adventures go it has it‟s fans from around the country and globe. It‟s not about geography though, and thanks to cyberspace anybody can be a rocklander.

An almost hillbilly family of art powered ideas factory workers make future from imagination.

It‟s a place with old fashioned east end pubs, three markets (traditional – horse & cart included), boot sale, art & crafts, loads of a great events from Foxfest to MadCap Coalition, a wetlands nature centre, family businesses, galleries and studios galore, every kind of faith or not where the scruffy and chic mix seamlessly.

...school children decorated the train station of the old sailors town above the high street as part of the annual deptford x festival of visual arts

From school age upwards the community contribute towards the art-land vibe of the locality. Pedestrianised housing and the birdsong of trees help to make a relatively peaceful corner of the 21st century for such a densely over populated area.

The lower east side of this world capital of Arts & Culture is blossoming with potential. Modern life really is rubbish sometimes so it‟s far from perfect, but looking up at the stars and aiming to be something completely different... ...where else would an addition to multi culture, but without any genres or divisions, be born?

Year 000 : Planet Water born after midnight on millennium eve. At the Millennium Stadium in the Land Of Song. A brave new world where the compass faces south and „the rules‟ don‟t need to be written due to evolution. Practise Random Kindness and Senseless Acts Of Beauty.

Year 001 : Trip to Havana, Cuba from Havana on Thames. Inspired by the every day people and the power of Rock N Roll when Manic Street Preachers create magic at the Karl Marx Theatre in front of thousands (and Fidel Castro!)

Year 002 : Moon Fairies beam down to the borough of Lewisham. Hattie and Smoocher researchers for the Lunar Tunes show, they move into a palace on New Cross Road. Trip to Basque Country. Again, inspired by the home from home vibe. An exceptional musician coins the phrase Playing Class Friends. Yeah.

What class system in the music life? Gangs of frogs leap onto the stage. No, really!

Year 003 : Music Tourist Board begins in Paradise. Music lovers start something completely different by coming together. The number 13 is lucky on Planet Water. MTB kindly given office space by booking agents, 13 Artists (at the time based in Rocklands) practising random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.

Year 004 : Rocklands Rounded Tour. Digital Sneakers films “Rocklands – Live In New Cross” make London‟s newest region a reality. Music Access All shows.

The Paradise born Pop Of The Tops Club finishes at the end of the year so that it can forever Stay Beautiful. New Cross has been famous for 15 minutes.

Year 005 : Artful No.1 launches at In The City, Manchester on 1st October and ends on October 31st with Julien Temple Q+A. Quite a few legends get the social inclusion through affordability thing.

Year 006 : City Showcase comes to South East London. Music Tourist Board copromotes the event at Goldsmiths S.U. Once Upon Another Time compilation for Artful No.2 which X parties at New Cross Inn when NX Boutique posse give the locality an Art Attack.

Year 007 : Rocklands Party „The Concrete Glastonbury‟ attracts the 24 hour peace & love party people. My Passion open Rocklands II at Artful No. 3 paving the way for the “teen Hacienda” of RAR! to launch a few months later.

Year 008 : ...RAR! kicks off with Pendulum and Partyshank, in October Artful RAR! is headlined by Artful Dodger! City Showcase and the launch of NX boutique at New Cross Inn of Rocklands. Earwax TV launch is the annual Artful broadcast.

Year 009 : Rocklands at City Showcase stars King Of Conspiracy and Bleech.

Artful Music Tourist Board at City Hall / Westminster meetings for future. The sixth year of Costa del Thames talents and ideas growing, consistently.

A community that are going for gold gear up to make their mark on the next decade from the above with Artful Bronze Year.

UNIQULTURE In 003 instead of getting business cards, Music Tourist Board promoted London South East X with beer mats for The Paradise Bar (now Royal Albert) on New Cross Road.

The motto is homeage to the Deptford Free Festival, legendary gatherings at Fordham Park (behind New Cross Inn and The Venue). “You Can‟t Kill The Spirit” was also the vibe at the “24 hour concrete Glastonbury” of Rocklands Party.

Not only does this Costa del Thames unite the boroughs of Lewisham, Southwark and Greenwich (a couple of years later a London Development Hub would put Lewisham and Greenwich together), but also the tale Once Upon Another Time envisaged that the biggest stars in the world visited The Peace Dome. In a parallel dimension that idea also came true.

Rocklands is now home to the world‟s No.1 venue, o2 and The David Beckham also at North Greenwich.

Life imitating happens next.

Art

creates

what

In the spirit of Planet Water‟s chaos magic surreal tales coming true within a year of Uniqulture‟s birth, love pirate McNaughty was in a committee room in the palace of Westminster for the launch of One Society Many Cultures. Right on the wavelength of Artful Music Tourist Board‟s family of playing class friends.

The Planet Water Vibe “What I respect most about Amnesty International is that it is a movement of ordinary people who understand how much good we can do in the world by joining together and standing up for what we believe in.� - Yoko Ono. http://www.amnesty.org/

City Showcase 6th-8th May 2010 Launch event Wednesday 5th May www.cityshowcase.co.uk "There are plenty of festivals that devote themselves to showcasing emerging artists, musicians and performers. But there are few with the track record of City Showcase." Metro London‟s annual City Showcase event steps into action with the announcement of its 2010 search for the next wave of credible and emerging new talent. It covers all types of music from electro to pop, from rock to urban. And all types of performers from bands to singer songwriters, and solo artists to DJ's. Many artists previously showcased have been discovered at this event and gone on to greater profile including Keane, Razorlight, Amy Winehouse, Newton Faulkner, Hot Chip, Scouting for Girls, Sway, Seth Lakeman, N-Dubz, Gurrumul, Lady Sovereign, Jay Sean, Mr Hudson and Ray LaMontagne. Appearing at City Showcase has garnered them a huge amount of both industry and media attention.

“It's hard to get anywhere as a band, and the City Showcase gig we played at the Islington Academy in February 2003 was a great opportunity for us to play on a bigger stage than we were used to. At that time we didn't have a record deal, so knowing there was no hope of tour support(!), every decent gig we were offered was a godsend and helped make us a better band.” Keane

2010 promises to be the best yet and this credible event is determined to maintain its high standards in showcasing the cream of the crop.

City Showcase 2010 launches on Wednesday 5 May with an outdoor event in Gerrard Street, following 2009‟s success of the first ever outdoor rock show in Chinatown (which received national coverage, including the 6 o‟clock news). City Showcase is also adding more stages in unique Central London locations to it‟s growing portfolio, consolidating the festival as London‟s number 1 showcase for new music. It includes three nights at The Borderline, one at The 100 Club, Regent Street and Carnaby Street shops – with over twenty five venues confirmed to date.

Providing public exposure, advice and mentoring, the crucial contacts that aspiring talent needs, and the opportunity to perform in West End retail stores and legendary venues. The event will also host a series of workshops and seminars at The Apple Store, Regent Street, bringing together aspiring talent along with the most influential figures in what is a much reshaped and refreshingly vibrant new music industry.

Any artists that want to showcase their work should send a cd demo with a MySpace link or weblink, a brief biography and a photo to City Showcase Application, PO Box 2212, RH20 2XJ. Alternatively, apply through www.sonicbids.com/cityshowcase which is open to ALL artists. There is one tour slot exclusively reserved for a North American artist with a travel contribution from Sonicbids for the selected applicant. Deadline for applications is 29th January 2010

Maps Festival 30-Apr to 03-May-010 www.myspace.com/mapsfestival Keep an ear and eye out as the line ups are announced.

Set to be one helluva party in Manchester‟s coolest quarter. the 009 event included Music:

Arts:

Poetry & Stuff:

Liam Frost iLikeTrains Baddies The Brute Chorus Officer Kicks Kid British Thomas Truax Gideon Conn Orphan Boy Jay Jay Pistolet

Nick Rhodes Listen04 Manchester Craft & Design Centre / Craft Mafia Kathryn Edwards Chris Butler Hammo Sketch City Local Amateur Photographers

Belowsky Mike Garry Chinese Arts Centre 'Audio Walks' John Robb - book launch Band On The Wall 'Sonic Journey' Thingumabob & The Thingumajig's Rock Opera Mrs Boon's Tea Party Short Films at Odd Bar

Maps ROCKS! Leading Lady Monthly Planet in...

Miz

filled

“Local shops and eateries get involved by holding smaller events, putting offers on for visitors to the Festival, and May Day celebrations take to the street. We've had Festival Radio courtesy of Radio Republic, and are fully backed by the Musician's Union for fair play.

For 2010 we're planning on having Maypole dancing, street and window decoration and maybe even fireworks.”

Maps Festival IMAGES FROM MAY

009

Kid British

The Brute Chorus

Maps Festival broadcasting

Liam Frost

Facebook search “Maps Festival : 2010”

Artful Music Tourist Board of Rocklands myspace.com/artfulmtb