Indie_Acoustic_Alt_Rock
444 Club present Matt Geary & Band + Gary Nock & Band +The Amateurs + The Great Plain
…Fresh Club night afterwards
Matt Geary:
Matt Geary is of a different ilk skewing the traditional view of the singer/songwriter sat on a bar stool singing love lost laments. The music is a blend of musical genres from indie to folk to drum and bass which create his distinct hybrid sound. Influenced by classic song-writers such as Bob Dylan and Ray Davies, Matt is a diverse and unique song-writing talent who conjures his own musical world of melody in which you are all welcome to delve. Live performances incorporate loop stations, samples, fine artwork and a bit of blag poetry to rifle the ol' troubador scorned.
Alongside Matt there is bowler-hatted drum and bass drummer, Ed Inferno, cellist extrordinaire Mike Nowland and now pianist Jez Diaper.
They have played all over the UK and played with the likes of Rosie Thomas, Nick Harper, John Power, Alabama 3, Shady Bard, Mohair, Red Jetson, The Ivories, Eight Legs, Komakino, Vijay Kishore and Damien Jurado and he has worked with such respected people as Steve Brennan (Dexys Midnight Runners), Andy Wickett (World Service/ex-Duran Duran) and John Rivers (producer of The Specials, Ocean Colour Scene, Paul Weller). Recent performances include Moseley Folk Festival, Middlewich Folk Festival, Gigbeth and Music Live at the NEC. .
Combining his heartfelt, honest and distinctive voice with a personal, woven patchwork of lyrics and word play he performs memorable songs of intense beauty, passion and fragility which are "impossible to dislodge once heard." He is an exciting and innovative writer and performer who has a determination to skew the traditional stereotype of a singer-songwriter; he has been critically lauded and cited as an artist to look out for in the future.
Gary Nock:
Gary Nock is an acoustic singer-songwriter hailing from the West Midlands originally. Gary moved south as a child and grew up in the sleepy seaside town of Dawlish in Devon. A late starter in music, Gary first picked up a guitar at 17 years old and caught the bug. After a few quick lessons from a friend he borrowed an old Nylon stringed Spanish Guitar and locked himself away in his bedroom, and much to the delight of his Father, began noisily strumming and singing his way through book after book of classic songwriters and groups, including The Beatles, The Kinks, Tracy Chapman, The Jam and Leonard Cohen to name but a few. He also taught himself to sing - "The greatest piece of advice i ever got was three words - 'practice, practice, practice' Simple really but so true".
After honing his skills in his humble abode Gary ventured out and began playing in public wherever he could, starting with little performances in the Pubs around Devon. Slowly gaining a reputation as a “great little singer” Gary started to write his own songs - “Obviously the first songs I wrote were complete rubbish” Gary chuckled “But I just loved that I was making something, I was creating something of my own about my own experiences, after the first one, I just couldn’t stop” This trend continued well into his 20’s and at the age of 24 he decided to move back to the city where he was Born (Birmingham) to try and make something of all the years of practice. Based in his old home town, Gary began touring the country singing and playing to all sorts of crowds all over Britain from Edinburgh to Brighton. Again slowly gaining a reputation, this time not just as a singer but as a great songwriter whose heartfelt and honest lyrics rang true with both the male and female members of his ever growing audience. “ I always admired a great love song, its something everyone can relate to and it’s something I have had a lot of experience with, though not always with great success! If you can sit and watch someone sing with real honest emotion and passion and truly believe what they’re saying, that is something pretty special.”
In December 2006 Gary met up with Peter McCamley (famous for signing the Spice Girls! Craig David, Sandi Thom and Jamie Scott amongst others) after going along to see Gary live several times in the months following Peter tells how impressed he was by Gary’s voice and song writing abilities “Raw and honest, pure talent” Says Peter. And unlike many “industry” people he had met along the way, Peter decided to put his money where his mouth was! Peter signed Gary to his publishing company, P and P Songs, in July 2007, since then Gary has been co-writing with various writers and producers from across the globe and also been fortunate enough to support some great acts along the way including,- Newton Faulkner, Ed Harcourt, Kate Walsh, Jamie Scott and Tina Dico as well as many others. He continues to tour up and down the country and is currently in and out of the studio recording his first EP release which will hopefully be out sooner rather than later. Meanwhile you can find some of his wonderful tunes on myspace (www.myspace.com/garynock) You can also see all his listed dates for the coming months, I highly recommend going to see him live as this is where Gary really comes alive, he seems to draw you in to his world, demanding you sit up and take note. This guy is definitely one to look out for in the year ahead.
The Amateurs:
“The Amateurs have a thirst for perfection and it beams from every note that they play…”
The Amateurs hail from the West Midlands in the UK. Their humble beginnings include being the backing band for Robert Plant and his ‘Tsunami Relief’ project, raising thousands for the charity.
The Amateurs new EP recorded with top producers The Animal Farm in London 2008, alongside their awe-inspiring live set, sets them up nicely for some new adventures. Gigs with Guillemots, Jack Savoretti and a standout performance at 2008's Guilfest under their belts, the future looks very bright.
The word Amateur comes from French, and can be translated as "lover of", reflecting the amateur's motivation to work as a result of a love or passion for a particular activity.
Pursuing amateur activities to the same standards as professionals is sometimes referred to as professional amateurism.
The Great Plain:
The Great Plain are from Birmingham, West Midlands and consist of Matthew Townshend and Steven Blackmore. We have been writing music together for the past 11-years in bands such as Soni-Quella and Elmira Landmine. Both bands have created a buzz around the Midlands live music circuit and have independently sold a respectful amount of CD’s. Throughout these previous bands, we have always progressed our playing skills together, writing relentlessly to hone our song writing talents. We are not a “scene” band and don’t believe in chasing trends for a quick fix of popularity. We believe in integrity and our plan is for a long and healthy career. We like to keep our style of play interesting for both ourselves and our listeners, achieving this by mixing different dynamics into each song and blending a variety of styles into our song writing. Our future plans are to get our music heard by more and more people on a National scale and to do this we are currently planning a tour of the UK, dates to follow. To assist us with this, we are looking to support more established acts to get ourselves more exposure to a wider audience. We have just finished recording our debut album “Sunshakes & Handsets” which is being released in October 2008.
Venue: The Rainbow, Digbeth, B12 0LD
Time: 8pm
Cost: £5 / £4 NUS
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/kamikazeevents
http://www.myspace.com/garynock
http://www.myspace.com/theamateursuk
http://www.myspace.com/thegreatplain
http://www.myspace.com/mattgearymusic
Coming Up ..... Friday 24th October
Indie_New Wave_Afro-beat_Garage
GO Club present Shooting Panda + Panda Pop Culture + The Likely Lads.
Shoot Panda:
With an emphasis placed on embodying their youth and energy in their sound, Shoot, Panda!? attempt to break musical boundaries with their hybrid of indie-esque, dancable drumming, electronic-influenced guitar tone and pounding bass; an originality beyond their years. With songs with topics ranging from lust to youth subcultures, careful detail is paid to lyrical content as much as musical content. With scathing attacks on the 'chav' and 'scene'-based 'cultures' so prevelent in modern Britain, these boys make no secret of their roots.
With influences ranging from the electro, hardcore and indie genres (among countless others), something different, perhaps surprising is guaranteed from Shoot, Panda!?; believe that.
Venue: The Old Wharf, Oxford Street, Digbeth, B5 5NR
Time: 8pm
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/thegoclubmusic
http://www.myspace.com/shootpanda
http://www.myspace.com/pandapopculture
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=149931443 (likely lads)
