Acoustic_Roots_Folk Rock_Blues_Indie
Bohemian Jukebox presents Richard Batsford + The Lazy Lizards + Pony Chair Back + Tom Peel
“A lovely little affair, mostly centring around singer-songwriters but with other stuff too. (Some quite surprising other things at times.) I liked the vibe, and indeed the value - four quid gets you four musical acts and a chit that lets you get a shot of absinthe for a pound. You can’t say fairer than that.” (russl.wordpress.com)
Richard Batsford
"His music displays amazing beauty in repetition and minimalism. Definitely a performer to keep your eyes on."
Evening Mail
"Each piece brimmed with an inherent sense of poignancy ... Batsford created a spectral ambience which made him stand out from other composers. Utterly spell-binding."
Birmingham Post
The Lazy Lizards
Impassioned and powerfully arranged songs with a strong sense of social consciousness. There are shades of the 1960’s psychedelia of Arthur Lee’s Love within ‘em.
Pony Chair Black
Emotionally-charged stories deceptively presented in pop wrapping. Catchy tunes that tell tales of lives spent living, loving, losing, despairing and, just occasionally, winning.
Tom Peel
Ivor Culter-esque up-tempo, uplifting folk-rock blues from an excitable and instantly likable fellow.
"This is the new Bob Dylan, re-born and relocated to Birmingham. Unique, witty, intelligent and a must see."
Sunday Sessions
Venue: The Hare and Hounds, High Street, Kings Heath
Time: Doors 8.30pm
Cost: £4
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/bohemianjukebox
http://www.myspace.com/richbatsford
http://www.myspace.com/thelazylizards
http://www.myspace.com/ponychairblack
http://www.myspace.com/tompeel
Coming Up ..... Tuesday 29th July
Rock_Alternative_Indie_Electronic
Humbucker presents The Chase + Half Day Closing + Reprobate + Before I Explode
The Chase:
“y'alright, we're the Chase.
We’re a Birmingham based band who love doing what we do, and are passionate about it, its not just a hobby... its what we want to do.
Its 2008 and we hope to make it a good'n, its started off well for us, booked up for several gigs in just the first 2 months of the year, lets hope the rest of the year follows the same pattern.”
Reprobate:
REPROBATE are a five piece band from Tamworth. We have been around since December '04. We are a band with many influences combining powerful riffs, grinding bass lines, authoritative drumming and vocals with attitude.
Reviews:
A great set from Tamworth based Reprobate saw them voted through to the second round by the other bands. A heavy, guitar driven rock sound they made great use of dark basslines, hurtling solos and front man Richard’s rock-drone vocals. Memorable tracks with interesting lyrics and inventive structures, at times they were almost experimental, and while their music was always grand, it never seemed overly indulgent. For such young lads they have great ability and stage presence, and gave a tight but energetic performance
Before I Explode:
Before I Explode are Sophie and Jak
They write electric music. They met in a queue.
It was a very long queue. They were at the front.
and whilst queuing in this queue discovered they were in a band.
They write our music over msn. Most of the year we live a billion miles away from each other.
Venue: The Sound Bar, Corporation Street, B4 6SE (Nxt 2 Childrens Hospital)
Time: 8pm
Cost: £4, £3 NUS
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/theiconspresentsoundbar
http://www.myspace.com/thechasehq
http://www.myspace.com/halfdayclosing
http://www.myspace.com/bandreprobate
http://www.myspace.com/beforeiexplode
Coming Up ..... Tuesday 29th July
Acoustic_Experimental_Pop_Indie
Acoustic Brew presents Babajack + Bruno Gallone + Richard McGuire + Cathal Keenan + Rob Lane
Bruno Gallone:
“I was born in July 1972. That means I was your age, when I should have been doing what I'm now doing at my age. Being ancient has its advantages, though: for instance, young whippersnappers can provide amusement by taking my decrepitude a bit too far, and by asking me if I saw Hendrix live. This allows for the imagination to kick in, and I can describe being at that Bank Holiday 1967 Spalding all-dayer with Hendrix, Cream, Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band, Syd’s Floyd and Zoot Money all on the bill for a quid.
The first record ever bought for me was London Bridge is Falling Down by Pinky and Perky. From that moment (circa 1975), a star was born. Riding hypnotically around and around the manhole cover in the back yard, on my tricycle with the Mary Mungo and Midge sticker on the seat, I wore my Bay City Rollers tartan dungarees while munching on my Dalek Exterminator ice lolly. In such a state of serenity, I dreamed of being a rock godhead, like Orinioco from The Wombles, or Rory from Animal Kwackers.
At the age of fifteen, I started playing guitar. In those days I was very harsh and loud – not much has changed – and I used to like playing my electric through an old Watkins Copicat and various assorted pedals, and making aeroplane and UFO noises at the neighbours walking past. I had an idea of forming a band called Oasis, but my bassist Baz said that was a crap name. I suggested Nirvana instead, and he retorted that we’d never make it with a name like Nirvana. I think we settled on All Night Orgy and the Conservative Candidates for a while. Our band meetings consisted of the usual mantra (“Gotta get a drummer, man”). We never did get a drummer.
When I was eighteen – the day Maggie Thatcher resigned – I got my twelve string acoustic Sigma, Ziggy, and a DADGAD-tuned odyssey began. That’s when I got into writing songs masseeeeeve seriouuuuuussss. Or not. Once I hit the age of about twenty-four or five, it was Kevin Duffy from Whiskey Before Breakfast who insisted I take my writing and singing a bit less lightly, and it was local Cambridge saxophonist and musical luminary Dom “The Hat” Latter who got me performing at places such as the now defunct Boat Race, supporting The Levellers, Ezio, and a few others.
I jacked in the songwriting and singing lark again for a few years, to get some OU degrees – I never was much good at singing and being sensible at the same time – but once I escaped through the other end of spouting Lukacs and Althusser and deconstructing sweet wrappers, I returned to making tunes.
So, there's the meteoric rise to semi-obscurity, for you. I’ve been gigging a fair bit, this past year or two, before it’s all too late. I was even on Tom Robinson's Introducing Old Blokes Who Have Been Around Forever (But Have Just Discovered The Internet) show, the other week. I like a nice PA system, so if you have one, please feel free to book me, and I will come to you. I’ve even recorded an album, and when I’ve the dosh to release it, you will have it. If you like me, let me know. You’ll make an old man very happy.”
Venue: The Island Bar, Smallbrook, Queensway, City Centre
Time: 8pm
Cost: £FREE ENTRY
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/acousticbrewuk
http://www.myspace.com/brunogallone2
http://www.myspace.com/finsburytunes (Richard Maguire)
http://www.myspace.com/cathalkeenan
http://www.myspace.com/roblanesite
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