MUSIC

If you’ve got the ills, The Craufurd has The Treatment

A deliciously varied line-up comes to town in April, and the list includes a double-Grammy winner, death metal pioneers and more than a smattering of rock’n’roll. Sammy Jones talks you through the visitors...

Alternative modern rock three-piece The Hara have a new EP out at the start of April, and they are touring to support We All Wear Black – the fellas will call in at The Craufurd Arms on April 9.

“We want to show everyone that despite it all, despite what the statistics say, despite what people say or any of that social media acceptance bullsh*t, it really doesn’t matter,” says frontman Josh Taylor, explaining the band’s mantra, “Thousands of people will reject you for being different but there are 10 times over that amount who will accept you and who are feeling just like you. If people can become a part of such a glorious resistance through our music, then that’s our mission.”

We All Wear Black was produced by Jason Perry, known for his work behind the desk with artists including Don Broco and McFly, and on stage as frontman with Brit Rock mob A.

He will also knob twiddle for The Hara’s debut elpee, which is set for release in the second half of the year.

The Treatment issued their fifth album, Waiting For Good Luck in 2021, and the hard-rock mob are now piling in the van and hitting the road to bring the noise.

They’ve raised their own high bar when it comes to dishing out sonic power and hulking riffs, and this is the second disc that features Tom Rampton taking care of mic duties.

The Cambridgeshire crew have toured with some real heavyweights of rock - Kiss, Motley Crue, Alice Cooper and Steel Panther among them. and they are looking forward to their Wolverton return, on April 20.

“To be back out on the tour and coming to your beautiful city is an honour for us, we have been kept apart from what we love doing for too long!” said guitarist Tag Grey, “Come down and join us for a night of proper rock ‘n’ roll and support one of the greatest venues in the UK. See you all at Craufurd.”

Just before the whole Covid thing went mad, we spent a brilliant night at The Craufurd getting an earful of Stray and The Groundhogs. If only we could have seen what lay ahead....

Anyway, the stalwart rockers are ready to roll once more, and return to the venue on April 23, with support from Vambo. It’s a Saturday night too. Can’t say fairer.

Beardyman brings his beats to the Wolverton venue on April 29, as part of his MakeFaceDance tour.

The Beatcheck brand first brought him to town back in 2006, and he has been a regular visitor ever since, aside from the pandemic shut down.

“We have had to wait for almost three years to get back behind a sound system, and it’s only fitting that our return to the stage is with Beardyman. We are pumped, and so are the bass bins,” the Beatcheck Monkey told us.

Beardyman is every bit as thrilled to be getting back to business: “I have always felt most comfortable on stage. Perhaps it’s because the happiest times I can remember are when I’ve ended up bonding with a group of new friends by uniting them through improvised music. It’s the greatest feeling in the world...

“There is no greater thrill for me than to be surrounded by friends old and new, on a stage full of equipment that allows me to achieve a state of flow, instantly forming the music in my head, as it occurs to me, in real-time, into music. Music others can hear and feel as I’m feeling it, before I’ve had time to critique it, edit it, pull it apart. This is my purpose as an artist.”

The Treatment (main image) and The Hara (inset) will play at The Craufurd Arms this month

A tour to lose your head over!

Polish players Decapitated have spent the past quarter century working up a noise, and the tech death masters are now able to get back out on the road to celebrate the milestone – they’ll wrap up their UK tour at MK11 on April 7.

Over the course of their career, the band has issued seven studio elpees, which are widely considered to be among the genres most influential releases of the 21st century.

The Nuclear Blast label treated fans by releasing the band’s early demos last year, and The First Damned showcased a quartet of young men with fire in the bellies and a bright future ahead of them.

But no-one could have envisaged the ride would last 25 years... and counting.

“I still remember it like it was yesterday... 22 years ago, our first ever UK tour, straight after Winds of Creation was released,” says founder and guitarist Vogg, “...they called us the “helicopter band” because we would windmill for the entire set. It was a really great time for us, and we received a warm welcome in every town.”

Speaking about the tour, he said fans can expect to hear material from some of the older releases in their armoury, including Nihility and Winds of Creation.

“Prepare for death metal madness, and let’s celebrate it all together like we always did,” he invited.

Support is coming from Signs of the Swarm and Harbinger.

Arrested Development bring their unique brand of hip hop to MK11 Decapitated are aiming for a night of death metal madness

MK11 certainly knows how to mix the genres up – on April 23, Arrested Development visit.

The multi-platinum, Grammy award-winning collective first came into our consciousness three decades ago, slamming the gangsta dominated hip hop world with defiant lyrics of hope.

Imagine that.

They bagged those aforementioned Grammy’s for Best New Artist and Best Rap Single, for Tennessee, a song that has since been named as one of the ‘500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll’ by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

They used their platform for positivity; donating money to Nelson Mandela and the ANC, and bringing homelessness to the fore.

Arrested Development shifted in excess of four million units of their debut album 3 years, 5 months and 2 days In The Life of. The reason for the title? That’s how long it took the band to be offered a record deal.

But that was then. Today, the collective continues to release new music. For the FKN Love came out in 2021.

Two bands, two dates and two wildly different genres, and both set to cause ripples.

> Get your tickets by tapping to mk11kilnfarm.com

The turning of the screw

Milton Keynes-based trio Higher Sights release their debut single this month.

Turn The Screw will be issued through Kycker on April 22.

“Leave your brain at the door and enjoy the strong melodies on a solid rhythmic foundation,” they urge, “The band name is a clue, a directive to pick your chin up as you step forward with positivity whilst embracing that life can be hard and even a real shi*bag sometimes,” says guitarist and frontman Steve Wells, “...but good music is always there to drag us through difficult times.

“Higher Sights want to be that band for you, to be there when it is tough, and to be there to celebrate when it’s good.”

The band – completed by bassist Anthony Baker and John Jeffery on drums – are finally taking their sounds to the stage too. Dates in the diary include The Picturedrome in Northampton (supporting Noasis on April 23), The Horn in St Albans (May 12) and Bedford Esquires (June 9).

“If you like Oasis and Embrace with the vibe of The Charlatans and Stone Roses then we might just be your favourite band!” Steve reckons.

Higher Sights - a new album release and local live gigs coming up

> Turn The Screw will be available on all the major streaming platforms. Investigate further by finding them on FB: @highersightsofficial