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Stu’s live music picks Stuart Davis TOM CHAPLIN LOUNGE KITTENS
HANNAH ROBINSON
HOLY MOLY AND THE CRACKERS’
XII BOAR
A quick glance at the current UK top 20 singles/downloads chart is an eye opener to say the least, with the media's current favourite red head Ed Sheeran occupying well over half the positions with mostly downloads of songs from his latest album. Aside from thinking 'media saturation' and 'why'...it was also quite sad as it represents a potentially massive nail in the coffin for one of music’s great traditions. Maybe I'm just getting old but when I was young the charts and subsequent Top of the Pops could actually be exciting and varied, tuning in to see if your favourite band was there and perhaps discovering new bands from all genres of music in the process. I can't imagine the chart countdown being of any interest to anyone other than fans of Mr Sheeran and his ilk these days [Funny you should say that Stu. Check out Bazza’a column on that very subject. Page 19ish]. Thankfully there is one musical institution that is still alive, healthy and versatile...the live scene...and here in Southampton and surrounding areas we are blessed with something for everyone over the next couple of months.
PS PERRYSTONE HILL Causing ripples at the Brook will be Ivor Novello award winning songwriter Jem Godfrey’s outfit ‘Frost’ (featuring members of Level 42 and It Bites), ‘Devon Allman’ (son of the Allman Brothers Greg), AC/DC skin pounder ‘Phil Rudd’ and the sensational Geno Washington, a man once immortalised in song by Dexy's Midnight Runners and who also inspired a young Ian Brown to form the Stone Roses after informing him he 'looked like a star'. There will also be an myriad of 'nearly as good as the real thing' tribute acts, including interpretations of the works of T Rex, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Bon Jovi, The Beatles, Amy Winehouse, Foo Fighters, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, ELO, UB40 and the Rolling Stones. Sparks will definitely be flying at The Engine Rooms, where the intoxicating agenda includes 'anti pussy music' party metallers ‘Atilla’ (quite what they have against cats I'm not sure!). The 1865 will see the visit of two of Poland’s most prominent acts, the Latin named ‘Ira’ and eclectic fusionists ‘Kult’ along with Leeds self-proclaimed sci fi folk evangelists ‘Maia’ whilst the Guildhall welcomes Mumford and Sons mates ‘Bears Den’, ‘The Kooks’ and Keane’s rehabilitated ‘Tom Chaplin’, who will be plugging his debut solo opus The Wave. Hotly touted Blues gang ‘Broken Witt Rebels’, indestructible punk sisters ‘Maid of Ace’, soulful songster ‘Jordan Mackampa’, alt-grungers ‘Hands off Grettel’, New York's second wave ska spear headers ‘The Toasters’, admirably christened Gypsy folk n rollers ‘Holy Moly and the Crackers’, indie roots 6piece ‘Rusty Shackle’ and the colourful sounding Welsh progsters ‘Magenta’ will all be treading the boards at the Talking Heads. You’d also be well advised to catch captivating force of nature ‘Sari Schorr’ and her ‘engine room’, ska punkers ‘Jaya the Cat’ (a band who probably wouldn't get on that well with the aforementioned Atilla!) and rebooted thrash daddies ‘Acid Reign’, who once brilliantly named an album Moshkinstein and are also known for a very entertaining take on
FROST Blondies Hanging on the Telephone. You can also catch the return of the boss’s band PS-Perrystone Hill after their successful debut on The Heads BBC night last month. Providing the thrills at the award winning Joiners will be refined one time Crass frontman ‘Steve Ignorant’, US power poppers ‘Patent Pending’, experimental Scots quartet ‘Vukovi’ (which apparently means Wolves in Croatian!), the acoustic reggae tinged anthems of Billy Rowan aka ‘the Underground Hippy’, folk stompers ‘Skinny Lister’, melodic hardcore urchins ‘Gnarlwolves’, Newcastle's ‘Trophy Eyes’ (as a Brighton fan, I'm hoping that's the only trophy that Newcastle are associated with this season!), Rennes rockers ‘Totorro’, ‘The Menzinghers’ and the infectious ‘Dunking Punches’. You are also prone to falling under the spell of the heavy comedown psychedelia and bilious and brilliant baroque and roll of ‘The Wyches’ and being thoroughly enchanted by noise popsters ‘Joanna Gruesome’ (whose name is apparently a touching tribute to ethereal harpist Joanna Newsom! I’m sure she is very honoured!). Blues central The Platform Tavern hosts ‘the Voodoo Sheiks’ and ‘the Hannah Robinson Band’, Mango No 5 welcomes jazz duo ‘Mode Tracer’ and ‘Death Remains’, ‘XII Boar’ and ‘Unhinged’ will be turning the heat up at your nans favourite venue The Firehouse. BBC's I'd do anything contestant ‘Samantha Barks’, Broadway star ‘Earl Carpenter’, comedian ‘Russell Brand’ and the ever enduring ‘Billy Ocean’ are amongst the lures at The Mayflower whilst you can skank along to the ska fuelled energetic reggae and dub of ‘Chainska Brassiska's Reggae Carnival’ at The Stage Door. It’s tribute heaven with the 7th PhoneyFest at The Concorde, plus easy listening ex Lighthouse family mainstay ‘Tunde’, Soul funk 7 piece ‘Jaxstax’, classical crossover motley crew ‘Vox Fortura’, folky comic ‘Richard Digance’, the sultry and powerfully lunged ‘Elkie Brooks’, Shoreham born Brian May lookalike ‘Leo Sayer’, amiable New York singer songwriter Dean Friedman and one of the best named outfits ever
,‘The Snake Davis Band’. You can also enjoy the usual assortment of tribute acts (Tiny Tempah, Bruno Mars, David Bowie, Cliff and the Shadows, Elvis Presley, Garth Brooks, The Beatles and Michael Jackson) and Jazz (‘Scott Hamilton Quartet’, ‘Golden Eagle Jazz band’ and the ‘Old Hat Jazz band’). Finally the now established Common People festival on Southampton Common sees a fine array of talents including ‘Sean Paul’, ‘Pete Tong’, ‘Faithless’, ‘Tom Odell’, ‘Black Kat Boppers’ (another band Atilla probably wouldn’t get on with), ‘Wild Beasts’, ‘Groove Armada’, ‘British Sea Power’, ‘Goldie’, ‘Beans on Toast’ and more. But it's not just the big places that have the monopoly on the best in live sounds, you can also see the best local talent around at The Frog and Frigate, The Orange Rooms, The Horse and Jockey (Curbridge), The Windsor Castle, The Old George (Fair Oak), Mettricks, The Alexandra, The Navigator (Swanwick), The Swan (Woolston), Strawberry Fields Tavern (Locks Heath), The Art House, The Hobbit, The Dolphin (St Denys), The Wheatsheaf (Shedfield), The Kings Head (Wickham), The Red Lion (Stubbington) ,the Brewery Bar (Botley) and Strawberry Fields Tavern (Locks Heath). Further afield the The Railway in Winchester you can indulge in the a 'sophisticated slice of delicate synth pop' with ‘Avec Sans’. You should also check out the modernist but timeless sounds of ‘Flyte’ and Southampton singer songwriter ‘Sean Macgowan’ who describes his sound as Billy Bragg, Joe Strummer the Pogues, Shirley High Street some bbq sauce all mixed in a blender ... if that doesn't appeal to you, nothing will! ‘Buddy Holly and the Cricketers’ and ‘Gerry across the Mersey’ will be inciting feelings of Nostalgia at The Ferneham Halls in Fareham so too ‘Havant Chamber Orchestra’ and a Night at the Opera with ‘The Opera boys’. Portsmouth also has a large proportion of upcoming attractions too with Paul 'the voice' Rodgers’, ex Genesis plank spanker ‘Steve Hackett’, one time Stock Aitken and Waterman protégé
KULT ‘Rick Astley’, the Welsh Elvis ‘Shakin Stevens’ and an evening of chamber music with ‘Trio Apaches’ amongst the enchantments on offer at the Guildhall. Down on the seafront at The Pyramids you can witness popular deep south country rockers ‘Blackberry Smoke’, space hippies ‘Hawkwind’, radio 1 darlings ‘Mallory Knox’ and a double dose of ska with ‘The Beat’ and ‘The Selecter’. The Wedgewood Rooms feast of delights includes the psychedelic Ouija pop of ‘Moonlandingz’, the lavish harmonies of ‘Keston Cobblers Club’, prolific biblical sounding MC ‘Genesis Elijah’, Philadelphia stoner metallers ‘CKY’, Nu gazers ‘My Vitriol’, legendary Bracknell surf combo ‘The Surfin’ Lungs’, delectable And Guide endorsed trio ‘The Lounge Kittens’ (another band who are unlikely be on Atilla’s Christmas card list), fiery Welsh Veterans ‘The Alarm’ and Scottish duo ‘Honeyblood’, who will be promoting recent album 'Babes Never Die'. The Kings Theatre hosts 1920's Jazz protagonists ‘The Temperance 7’, soulful folk singer ‘Kate Rusby’ and Alcoholiday folkies ‘The Fureys’ and at The New Theatre Royal you can revel in tributes to Pink Floyd and David Bowie with ‘Think Floyd’ and ‘Absolute Bowie’. Back along the coast in Bournemouth you’ll find Electro swing chanteuse ‘Caro Emerald’, the inimitable ‘Bob Dylan’, popera tenor ‘Russell Watson’, Shaffer Chimere Smith aka ‘Ne Yo’, swashbuckling pop pirate ‘Adam Ant’, 10cc’ and the uniquely talented ‘Imelda May’ delighting the masses at the BIC and at the O2 academy reformed noise merchants ‘The Jesus and Mary Chain’, Goth staples ‘The Mission’ and infectious reggae sensation ‘Chronixx’ will be strutting their stuff. Last but not least, Poole’s premier venue Mr Kyps opens its doors to hi energy indie rockers ‘Empire Affair’ and blues axeman ‘Dan Patlonsky’. So, there you have it, plenty of excitement and diversity for you to enjoy, whatever your tastes in music. Which is a lot more than can be said for the charts right now. Keep it live people. www.thinkermusic.co.uk