247 Magazine » live music

REVIEW: LETZ ZEP AT FALMOUTH PRINCESS PAVILION

247 Magazine — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:02:52 +0000

Robert Plant famously said “I walked in, I saw me!” after watching Letz Zep, so, despite not being overly keen on tribute bands in general, I was excited to hear the band were taking the Stairway to Heaven to Falmouth’s Princess Pavillion.

Like Robert Plant, I walked in and saw Led Zeppelin. I didn’t quite hear them though as the singer, Billy Kulke, sounded perhaps a just a little rough. It took him about four songs to warm up properly and then I honestly couldn’t have told the difference between him and Robert Plan – his vocals were so powerful the mic kept cutting out.

All four band members together created a completely convincing rereaction of Zed Zeppelin and the had the same electric stage presence. They played a terrific set, to a rather empty Falmouth Princess Pavilion – well, the ‘could-have-been’ crowd missed out – Letz Zep have made me change my mind about cover bands and certainly inspired me to import my old Led Zep cds into iTunes!

Visit Letz Zep’s website here.

Words: Rachael D’Cruze

WIN TICKETS TO THE SHOCKWAVES NME AWARDS TOUR IN BRISTOL FOR YOU AND FOUR FRIENDS

247 Magazine — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:58:08 +0000

Rock the night away in style at the 2011 Shockwaves NME Awards Tour this year. To celebrate Shockwaves sponsorship of the NME Awards for the 7th year running they’re offering two lucky winners a chance to rock the night away and look great while doing it at the Shockwaves NME Awards Tour. Enjoy the best in British music and style with thousands of other music fans at the 2011 Shockwaves NME Awards Tour when it comes to Bristol 02 Academy on February 15. You and four friends will have the privilege to see a first class line up that includes, Crystal Castles, Everything Everything, Magnetic Man and The Vaccines. Read our interview with The Vaccines in the February edition of 247 Magazine West and South Wales. You’ll also be able to rock your own unique style at the event with your complimentary set of Shockwaves Re-Create products. With a range of styling products such as the Re-Create Styling Putty, the Re-Create Styling Shaper Gel and the Re-Create Styling wax, you can create your own frontman style and adapt to any situation.
For more information on Shockwaves – and the chance to win great prizes – join the Facebook group at facebook.com/shockwavesuk
For more information on the 2011 NME Awards Tour and Shows please go to NME.COM
To enter this awesome comp please fill out your full name, address and phone number on the form below making sure you put SHOCKWAVES in the subject line. Closing date: Feb 13, winners will be informed by email on Feb 14. [contact-form-7]

UPDATE: DREAMBOAT PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH 247 MAGAZINE AT START THE BUS THIS WEEK

247 Magazine — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:31:59 +0000

We’re sorry to inform you that Adam Buxton of Adam and Joe fame has been forced to pull out of this weekend’s Dreamboat Presents gig but music lovers can still expect to hear a whole host of treats during the five-day festival.

Dreamboat Presents, in association with 247 Magazine and Rise Music, kicks off at Start the Bus on Friday with Wonderfully Courteous Gentlemen and SJ Essau. Then on Sunday the delightful Parisian/Westcountry songstress This Is The Kit takes to the stage (no longer alongside Adam Buxton) while Monday sees a rare hometown gig for Gravenhurst (signed to Warp) and London’s The Rollercoaster Project. Tickets for these three events cost between £3.5o and £4.50. Tuesday and Wednesday’s gigs are free of charge and feature Welsh psychadelic indie pop outfit Colorama and 9 Bach and Danish electro indie rockers Slaraffenland and Bristol’s The Termites.

The festival is also being run in association with Inkygoodness, which will be showcasing Dreamboat themed illustration.
A spokesman for Dreamboat Records said: “Every year Dreamboat Records has had a small Christmas party. This year we thought we’d change things and have a BIG Christmas party.”
Dreamboat Records will have its merch table there all week, with records, new t-shirts and plenty of Dreamboaty treats and there will be no shortage of 247 Magazines to browse through as you wait for the acts to come on!

The spokesman added: “Dreamboat Records is very sorry to announce that due to filming commitments Adam Buxton will no longer be able to appear at our event at Start The Bus on Sunday 12 December. Instead we will be celebrating the release of Adam and Joe’s Song Wars Volume 2 with an exclusive listening party and a quiz hosted by Adam via the magic of video, with signed A&J prizes for the winners. BBC 6 Music favourites, This Is The Kit will still be travelling over from Paris to perform with an extra special line up, and there will be Dreamboat DJs as well.
“The evening will still be smashing fun, but if you are inconsolable, we are more than happy to offer a refund or for your ticket to be used for any other of our events on the 10th/13th/14th/15th of December. Adam is also very very sorry, and has said he will come to Bristol in the new year to make it up to you all! So stay tuned…”

See you there!

SURFACE FESTIVAL 2011 HEADS TO BRISTOL, CARDIFF AND SWANSEA

247 Magazine — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:53:25 +0000

In 2011 the Surface Festival will be organising over 500 shows across 14 cities in the UK and Europe. Shows will take place in Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, Birmingham, London, Portsmouth, Nottingham, Oxford, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Barcelona and Budapest.

The climax of the Festival will culminate with 21 bands playing the IndigO2 at the O2 Complex – a venue which has seen acts such as Jools Holland, Timbaland, Joss Stone and Estelle to name a few. Dominic Nicholls, music photographer, explains “Surface gives bands the chance to play the type of venues that most bands only dream of when they’ve ‘made it’ – add to the expertise Surface offers in terms of lighting and sound management, PR and exposure and you’re looking at an opportunity that’s too good to miss”.

The main focus of a band should be live performance. The sweaty, loud and beer saturated venues across Britain are where bands are born and it’s this aspect that the Surface Festival is focused on keeping alive. Other venues Surface will be using include the O2 Academy Main stage in Birmingham and Bristol, the Dome in London, the Manchester Academy and Oxford Academy. Nights are set out by genre providing opportunities for bands and artists to gain exposure from new audiences, sell merchandise, promote networking opportunities and attract new fans. For a list of testimonials from bands that have played the Surface Festival check out the website.

The Surface Festival works in association with 24 international sponsors that cover all bases for a band. “Marshall Amplification are extremely excited to be working with the Surface Festival for 2011. This event is truly inspiring for all involved” – Marshall Amplification. For a further list of sponsors see here.

With a prize pot of £100,000 including a slot at Sziget Festival 2011, bands and artists get the opportunity to progress further in the music industry. “The prizes offered for the winning band and runners up are just fantastic and the experience all the bands gain from playing larger venues is priceless” – Alex Baker; Kerrang Radio Unsigned show.

The Surface Festival Committee consists of a panel of music industry representatives who will have the privilege of seeing the very best acts from around the UK and Europe that will appear at the National Showcase at the o2. Judge Alex Baker says that “the show this year was very hard to judge; amazing stage shows, amazing songs, amazing bands – congratulations to Great Imitation who blew everyone’s minds, a much deserved win!”

Surface Festival takes bands at grass roots level and brings them through a journey culminating in an industry showcase. The quality of the sponsors, judges and management lends colossal credibility to this event and should be a breath of fresh air to all bands and artists in the UK. In an uncertain time, where longevity and sustainability is rare in today’s music industry the Surface Festival can be exemplified as a solid force for good, offering some amazing opportunities to bands. Working together with key industry bodies and organizations is paramount to developing a model that is fair for everyone – the promoters, the venues, the fans and most importantly the bands taking part and the experience and value they get from playing the live shows.
“The Surface Festival was a fantastic experience for us, an unforgettable journey through many rounds at different venues. The ultimate prize and ultimate goal was to perform at the IndigO2. The chance to play at this incredible venue gave you a real sense of achievement and a wonderful feeling that will stay with us for a long time. The Surface crew were helpful, friendly and always very supportive which made the whole experience just that little bit better. Thank you guys for an amazing opportunity.” Loaded Dice.

For more info and to sign up see www.surfacefestival.com

THE GREAT CANADIAN SONGBOOK TOUR: FEATURING SONGS OF NEIL YOUNG, LEONARD COHEN AND JONI MITCHELL

247 Magazine — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 09:08:58 +0000

There’s no denying it, Canada has a musical history to be proud of, from Neil Young and Leonard Cohen to Joni Mitchell. Hell, you could even include Alanis Morrisette and Avril Lavigne in that list (though in this instance we’ll ignore those). And now, singer Keith James is taking to the road for his Great Canadian Songbook tour – which is coming to a venue near you this Autumn.
The Great Canadian Songbook is an intimate solo concert of personal interpretations of the music of Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. An evening of some of the best songs ever written.
Also included are some rare and never transcribed poetry by both Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen that Keith has, with great pain and respect set to music.
Many of the evenings begins with a bio-documentary on the life and music of Joni Mitchell.
First up is a date in Devon this month then November sees him playing in Bath, Swansea and Dorset (it’s a little off patch but one of his gigs is at possibly the best pub in the world – The Square and Compass – so well worth the trek!).
Then in December, he heads back to Wales and plays a one off date in Gloucestershire.
As if that wasn’t enough, he’s back next year to play his Great Canadian Songbook gig in Monmouthshire before ending near to where he started in Devon.

Full South West and Wales dates as follows:

Thursday October 21:
Exeter Picture House (8.45pm)
Box Office – 0871 902 5747

Saturday November 13:
Dorchester Arts Centre Dorset (8pm)
Box Office – 01305 266926

Thursday November 18
The Rondo Theatre Bath (8pm)
Box Office – 01225 463362 / 444003

Friday November 19
Square and Compass, Worth Matravers, Dorset (8.30pm)
Box Office – 01929 439229

Saturday November 27
The Chattery Swansea (8pm)
Box Office – 01792 473276

Thursday December 2
Wyeside Arts Centre Builth Wells, Powys (8pm)
Box Office – 01982 552555

Saturday December 4
The New Brewery Arts Centre Cirencester, Gloucestershire (8pm)
Box Office – 01285 657181

Sunday December 5
Cardiff Arts Institute (8pm)
Box Office – 029 20 231 252

Friday January 28, 2011
The Tredegar Arms, Shirenewton, Monmouthshire (8pm)
Box Office – 01291 641274

Wednesday March 23, 2011
Poole Lighthouse Arts Centre Dorset (8pm)
Box Office – 0844 4068666

Thursday March 24, 2011
Otterton Mill East Devon (8pm)
Box Office – 01395 568521

SCHNAUSER TO PLAY INSTORE GIG AT RISE IN BRISTOL

247 Magazine — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:25:07 +0000

Schnauser are playing at Rise on Queens Street in Bristol on Saturday. It comes just weeks after they did an album launch gig there.
The Rise late night opening is part of a Queen Street wise event, in which all the shops on that stretch are opening late for one day to help promote independent shops in Bristol.
The music starts at 3pm, and Schnauser are on at 6pm. It’s free to get in and there’s going to be a bar in the shop!
If you can’t catch the band, who are from Bristol, at this special gig then check them out at The Croft on October 19. Tickets £5.

See below for a review of their new album.

Schnauser
The Sound of Meat
(Pink Hedgehog)

If you hate it when musicians take themselves too seriously, pouting like fish through their side swept fringes and writing songs about their tortured souls then you may just love these Bristol guys. They take the comical lyrics of the Divine Comedy/Monty Python/Spinal Tap, add some 60s Britpop melodies and 70s psychadelica and come out the other side sounding like a kind of witty Boo Radleys – the perfect soundtrack to an indie kid acid trip. With hints of Mike Flowers Pop, singer Alan croons: “I don’t have any trouble wooing the ladies, in fact they just throw themselves in my general direction and who can blame them?” – poetry which Half Man Half Biscuit would be proud of.

Words: Laura Williams

REVIEW: MAGIC NUMBERS AT BRISTOL ANSON ROOMS (24/09/10)

247 Magazine — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:15:34 +0000

Walking into a worryingly sparse Anson Rooms (let’s face it, it has that distinctive Uni canteen feel about it) it would’ve been easy to write this gig off as a flunk. There are some venues where less than a couple of hundred people would make it seem very full, the Anson Rooms is not one of these. However, we shouldn’t have jumped to any conclusions as the venue filled up after the support act, Danny and the Champions of the World finished. And by the time the Magic Numbers took to the stage the atmosphere had picked up significantly (largely due to the wasted girl in a body suit kissing everyone whether they wanted it or not!)
The stage looked like something out of High School Musical but was strangely attractive and well suited to the Magic Numbers’ set. There’s no doubting that their newer material (from their most recent album The Runaway) is a departure from the well-received self-titled debut album and the follow up Those The Brokes but that doesn’t mean it’s crap. In fact, let’s hear it for the girls – Michelle has upped her awesome bass playing skills and Angela has worked on her Sophie Eliis Bexter-esque vocals making for a compelling show. Romeo has also become much more broody, which gives the newer tunes a much more mature, considered feel to them. Among the highlights of this new direction was the heart wrenching A Start With No Ending where they sing: “I’m just a boy pretending, you’re just a girl pretending…” and the single and opening track of The Runaway, The Pulse. But there was no escaping the rapturous applause, uninhibited dancing and mass singalong to the earlier songs – Forever Lost, Love Me Like You and Mornings Eleven. Overall, this was a completely different Magic Numbers experience but one which we should embrace (as long as they keeping throwing in the odd old favourite!)

Words: Laura Williams

CARDIFF BARFLY CLOSES DOWN: EXISTING BOOKINGS MOVE TO OTHER VENUES

247 Magazine — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:21:06 +0000

After 10 years in the Welsh capital, Cardiff Barfly has closed its doors for the last time.
It is thought that the popular 150-capacity venue was struggling to keep afloat in this economic climate.
The news comes as a big blow to local music lovers, who have been attending gigs at the intimate venue for the past decade. It also comes less than a week after we named it as the top gig venue in Cardiff in our Student Guide.
Some top notch bands have played there in recent years, including Ash (which we reviewed in June), Kings of Leon and local heroes Lostprophets.
The first some fans knew about it was a notice on the door and needless to say there is disappointment all round.
Grant Jeffreys, a longtime Cardiff gig-goer, said: “Barfly was the best venue in Cardiff, it’s such a shame it’s gone. I don’t really get why, it was always pretty buzzing when I went there. A sad day indeed.”
A statement released on the Barfly’s website reads: “Over the decade, we’ve had the opportunity to present an array of extraordinary up’n’coming artists – some of whom have gone on to become festival headliners and household names.”
But they leave the city with a glimmer of hope, adding: “Cardiff has a rich musical heritage and many genuine music lovers, for this reason we hope at some point to return to the city in a location that better reflects the needs of the current generation of the artists and audiences.
“In the meantime, we would like to wholeheartedly thank the staff that helped to take us this far and all those we’ve encountered along the way – promoters, agents, tour managers and more – who helped to make sure bands made it there on time, sounded great, and ensured the shows were the best they could be. Most of all, we’d like to thank everyone that attended our events over the years.
Regarding current shows, they say they will endeavour to place all forthcoming gigs at alternative locations. Where this is not possible, tickets will be refunded.

The following shows have been relocated – more to follow.

14th September – Nell Bryden
Support from Paper Aeroplanes, Ivan Moult & Tueur De Lune
Has moved to – The Globe – 125 Albany Road, Cardiff CF24 3NS
029 2023 0130
Tickets are available through:
Tel: +44(0)29 20230130
TicketlineUK.com

15th September – TRC + Lower Than Atlantis
Has moved to – Le Pub – 1 Caxton Place, Newport NP20 4BN
Tickets are available here.

16th September – I Am Arrows
Support from David J Roch & OK
Has moved to – Clwb Ifor Bach – 11 Womanby Street, Cardiff CF10 1BR
Tickets are available here.

26th October – Fenech Soler
Support from Friends Electric & Cafe Zurich
Has moved to – Clwb Ifor Bach – 11 Womanby Street, Cardiff CF10 1BR
Tickets are available from TicketWeb

8th November – Fighting with Wire
Support from More Than Conquerors
Has moved to – Clwb Ifor Bach – 11 Womanby Street, Cardiff CF10 1BR
Tickets are available through TicketWeb

BRISTOL BAND DIEGO TO SUPPORT MUMFORD AND SONS AT TRIUMPH LIVE

247 Magazine — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:02:33 +0000

Bristol band Diego have won the opportunity to perform in front of 15,000 people at this year’s Triumph Live with Mumford and Sons and The Stranglers.
The event, which takes place at the Mallory Park Racing Circuit in Leicestershire on 18th September 2010
Diego were selected after a tough Battle of the Bands contest at the Triumph headquarters in Hinckley, Leicestershire. The winning bands were chosen by a select audience and a panel of judges. The other winning bands are: Cats & Criminals (London), Dunwell Brothers (Leeds) and Burning Shapes (Tunbridge Wells).
At the event, Triumph will be previewing the 2011 range of bikes and clothing as well as stunt riding, track racing, special displays, track and road demo rides and much much more. In addition to the stars on the track, the Gadget Show’s Suzi Perry will be hosting live interviews and competitions on the main stage during the day, building to the appearance of headlining legends The Stranglers supported by Radio 1 Festival Band of the year Mumford & Sons.
Diego frontman, Kieran said: “We would like to thank everybody who voted and supported us throughout the competition. Without your help this would never have been possible. It is such a huge opportunity for us not only to perform alongside two amazing bands but to do it in front of up to 15,000 people and get more widely known in this country.”
Hailing from the humble beginnings of Bristol’s eclectic open mic scene, Diego have grown into a five piece marvel, hotly tipped to be the ones to watch. Their Surrendered EP was met with praise from Venue magazine giving them 4 out of 5 stars: “Spacious, shimmering, anthemic rock… what you certainly can hear is a band confidently finding its roots, via some stately, wide-eyed pop that never loses sight of a tune in its quest for the epic… Music to watch planets to.”
For more information on Diego visit www.wearediego.co.uk
For more information on the Triumph Live visit www.triumph-live.co.uk/event

WIN TICKETS TO SEE TOPLOADER PLAY GLOUCESTER GUILDHALL

247 Magazine — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:42:16 +0000

Anyone over the age of 21 will probably remember Toploader for their hit song Dancing in the Moonlight, which was also used in a Sainsbury’s advert.
But if you thought those 90 indie popsters had given up the ghost, think again.
They’re back this month for a UK tour which stops off at the Gloucester Guildhall on 16th September and we’ve some tickets to give away!
Doors open at 7.30pm, tickets £16 from www.seetickets.com
To enter, simply fill in the form below with your full name, address and phone number putting TOPLOADER in the subject line.

[contact-form-7]

Competition closes 14th September, winners will be informed by email on 15th September.