7 minute read
MUSIC
You know those fab murals that towns and cities have to pay homage to their finest musical exports? FFSYTHO?! has one of those in Northampton.
Even if you aren’t down with grime as a genre, you might well recognise her face – the graffiti mural has been a constant outside the Grosvenor Centre for more than two years. And it’s deserved too. FFSYTHO?! is helping to put the ‘fampton on the map for a whole new generation of music fans.
Incredibly, it’s only a little over a year ago that FFSYTHO?! made her live debut at Reading and Leeds Festival. Her razor sharp tongue and forceful deliveries heralded the arrival of a new assault.
In the months since, the lady has been taking no prisoners, but piling up plenty of fans.
“It’s been absolutely incredible,” she told Pulse Music, “I’ve been doing shows and festivals up and down the country since then. It still feels surreal every time I go on stage. I’m living the dream right now.”
Small in stature, but gargantuan in sound and attitude, her words have plenty of meaning – she’s stacked up her share of experiences for use, and not all of them positive; she’s had to endure her fair share of homophobic nonsense too, which she has talked about previously.
“Some people are just small minded, but I never let that faze me,” she told us,”Once I came out I never looked back. I could go on and on about this topic, but honestly, I don’t care anymore. I’m me. I’m her. I’m she. I like what I like and it’s as simple as that. Respect it or disappear!” she laughs, “However I have been supported by a load of good people who I appreciate.”
Earlier in the month she headlined on home turf with a date at The Roadmender, and FFSYTHO?! also played a part at the Multitude Festival in Milton Keynes. She was a late addition to a bill which was heavy with rock and alternative acts, but when she bopped through the MK manor, she made it look easy winning over the crowd.
“The Craufurd show was amazing!” she gushed, “It was another area to tick off my touring up and down the country,” she laughed some more, “I actually got an encore – ended up performing more for the people – they loved it. What a feeling!”
While she is widely referred to as a grime and rap artist, to be fair she casts her musical net a little wider than that. How do you see yourself?
“I’ve always said no genre will be left untouched,” she said, “I’m not a one trick pony. Although grime is where my heart is, I’ve got some R&B and hip hop coming. It’s my roots, so you know, it has to be done. I’ll always be dropping grime tunes,” she promised.
It’s still early in her career, but FFSYTHO?! has been prolific with single releases and there is more good stuff on the way to you: “Hell yeah! I’ve got an EP coming soon and more singles to release. I’m all about timing and dropping something when it feels right to me.
“I am literally sitting on a library of new music.”
Living a life of grime – FFSYTHO?!
Sarpa take over the airwaves
Sarpa Salpa’s 2022 has been pretty great – there was a triumphant stint at the SXSW showcase in the States, a performance at The Great Escape Festival and some awesome radio support.
At the end of last month their recent single, Dreaming was chosen as the BBC Introducing Track of the Week, which meant that it aired across the Radio 1 network.
“I wrote the lyrics to Dreaming about the stark emotional difference I feel from when I’m standing on stage performing, compared to the difficult times in my personal life and struggling to make ends meet,” vocalist Marcus Marooth shared, “The immense highs of touring and playing live vs the daytime realities. Later in the track it references our reliance on each other as friends as well as our partners and families whose indispensable support keeps us going.”
Having that track being opened up to such awesome radio exposure certainly buoyed the band.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to receive some really great support from Radio 1 recently on Jack Saunders Future Artists and Indie Shows, but this was such an amazing opportunity for us to be heard by lots of people on daytime shows who had never heard of us before!” said Sarpa Salpa guitarist George Neath.
“We’d been getting ready for our tour after a pretty hectic few months and the news about Dreaming made the tour feel all the more exciting,” he added.
Seeing as George mentioned the tour, it’s only right that we give those shows a plug.
Go get your ears filled with Sarpa Salpa’s essential hook-heavy, infectious alt-indie at the following dates:
September 29 – Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea October 1 – The Castle Tavern, Luton October 6 – Polar Bear, Hull October 7 – The York Vaults October 8 – Bobiks – Newcastle Upon Tyne October 9 – Sneaky Pete’s – Edinburgh October 13 – The Jacaranda – Liverpool October 14 – Bootleg Social, Liverpool October 15 – The Shed, Leicester October 16 – Dead Wax, Digbeth, Birmingham
Sarpa Salpa
A Halloween scream at The Black Prince with The BellRays
The nights are drawing in, the news is (still) gloomy, and it’s around about now that you might like to do as hedgehogs do, and start hibernating.
But there is still some good stuff worth dragging your sorry backsides from the sofa for – and with energy and touring costs spiralling, venues and artists need us like never before, so jump to it...
Anyone for a spot of metalcore? Blackpool quartet Avarus are bringing their ambient soundscapes and immense rhythm sections to The Black Prince stage, setting things up right for a month of marvellous stuff (October 1).
The band issued its debut EP Parallels last year, a disc of tracks that tackles loneliness, arrogance and prejudice, but, they say, it’s done in ‘a relatable way.’
For their Saturday night shenanigans they will be joined by The Lunar, whose members span Manchester and Leeds.
Get in early and you’ll be supporting our own too – Caliburn are up first for this triple deck of metalcore. Prepare for a noisy night.
Sabbra Cadabra will pay homage to the masters of metal, Black Sabbath, focused on the Ozzy years (October 8).
You can’t see the real thing anymore (we had a little something in our eye at that final Birmingham date on February 4, 2017), so this absolutely is the closest thing to Sabbath live.
Billy Sullivan was due to play for SBD promotions back in June, but that date was postponed. Instead, you can go see the former frontman with The Spitfires this month (October 15) when he kick starts his solo career, doubtless before a keen crowd. Support comes from high-energy garage combo The Len Price 3 who have been diligently delivering the goods for nigh on two decades now, most recently with 2021’s The Strood Recording Company EP, put out on green vinyl. A band for vinyl connoisseurs, clearly.
Next up, Millie Manders & The Shutup (October 21) are coming to town as part of their Life is a Rollercoaster tour. Don’t go expecting Ronan Keating to pop up at this show though; it’ll be a bash brimming with cross-genre punk. Grinding guitars, irresistible horn hooks and with pop appeal to boot.
Support is coming from Cosmic Ninja, a Bristol-based quartet who will wow you their shouty stuff about politics, equality and all things queer.
Can’t wait for Halloween? Then don’t – SBD will celebrate the scariest time of the year in the company of The BellRays (October 29).
This Halloween scream will be full of energy, raw talent, spirit and intellect. It’s punk, rock and soul as produced and presented by Bob Vennum and Lisa Kakaula who originally united in sound more than three decades ago.
They took influence from many artists, but imitation? That was never part of their plan – theirs is an organic trail that flows through them and their current rhythm section. The result? An honest and urgent delivery that is the perfect uniting of rock and soul.
As they say themselves, ‘Blues is always teaching and punk is always preaching.’
It’ll be a frightfully good gig by a band who are always at the top of their game, and before The BellRays stage step, sleaze rockers The Big Dirty will be on stage, following The Wax Lyrical who deliver with rap, rock and a generous shake of punk.
With it being the Halloween big-bash, punters are encouraged to dress accordingly, with prizes for the best costumes. How many Michael Myers impersonators can be expected on the night?!
Tickets for all shows can be booked by visiting sbdpromotions.com
Avarus set the ball rolling in October
Having a scream - The Bellrays
