Tonight at The Musician: Binge & Bates + No More Heroes + Sick Elephants + Bengal Lancers

Binge & Bates + No More Heroes + Sick Elephants + Bengal Lancers

Wednesday 19^th June

£3adv £5door

**Unfortunately once again the John Smith show has been postponed due to circumstances beyond our control. This will now take place on Sunday 17th November and all tickets purchased for the previous dates remain valid, however refunds are available from all points of purchase. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience.**

Remember; always check with the venue before travelling:

www.themusicianpub.co.uk

Double win for Black Sabbath at Golden Gods awards

Chart-topping heavy metal band Black Sabbath, fronted by Ozzy Osbourne, have celebrated a double win at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards.

They won best UK band and best album for 13, which became their first chart-topping album for 43 years on Sunday.

The honorary Golden God award went to fellow rock veterans Motorhead for their contribution to shaping the world of rock.

The awards, held on Monday night, took place at London's IndigO2.

Actor Brian Blessed, whose work ranges from Shakespeare to Flash Gordon, was given the Spirit Of Hammer award, which is to celebrate well-known figures who "encapsulate the passion and essence" of metal.

Previous winners include comedian and actor Bill Bailey and veteran actor Sir Christopher Lee.

Doro, the German hard rock vocalist and former frontwoman of heavy metal band Warlock, won the legend award.

US band Alice In Chains were named Icons of the Year while Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham took the Riff Lord award.

Alexander Milas, the editor of Metal Hammer magazine, said: "From honouring the lords of our world Black Sabbath and the crown princes of rock and roll Motorhead, as well as today's most cutting-edge acts, there's simply no other event like it.

"In the spirit of tonight's Spirit of Hammer winner Brian Blessed, the message of tonight's outrageously entertaining event is clear... metal's alive."

Stone Sour were named best international band and best new band was won by Bleed from Within.

Gojira took the prize for best live band and best breakthrough band was given to Asking Alexandria.

Source: BBC

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Tonight at The Musician: Sproatly Smith + Rapunzel & Sedayne

Forty Tenth Promotions presents...

Sproatly Smith + Rapunzel & Sedayne
Tuesday 18^th June

£8adv £10door

sproatlysmith.bandcamp.com

rapunzelandsedayne.bandcamp.com

www.fortytenthpromotions.co.uk

A double bill of two of the most exciting and innovative acts in the folk scene.

Incorporating traditional folk, found sounds and English psychedelia into their music, Sproatly Smith are denizens of the folklore-soaked borderlands of Herefordshire.

Their sound world of bucolic, psychedelic folk, referencing late 'sixties Floyd, Circulus and Gorkys, is a joy to listen to. Original, engaging, marvellous." - Terrascope

"A thing of beauty... Exposure to the Sproatly Smith sound couldn’t come soon enough. It’s folk music alright, but not as we know it." - God Is In The TV

Based in Fleetwood, Lancashire, husband and wife duo Rapunzel & Sedayne, aka Rachel McCarron and Sean Breadin, met through music, and found themselves singing together before they’d actually spoken to each other.

"So much more than just keepers of the flame, Rapunzel & Sedayne's 'Songs From The Barley Temple' is living and breathing folk art." - (Spiral Earth)

"One of the best, most intriguing, simultaneously fascinating and entertaining debuts out of the UK folk scene in a long time." - fRoots

Remember; always check with the venue before travelling:

www.themusicianpub.co.uk

Gogol Bordello announce UK tour in December

Following this weekend’s Download performance, internationally renowned gypsy punk rock group Gogol Bordello have announced that they will return to the UK for six dates this December. The tour will stop at:

Gogol Bordello – December 2013

Sunday 08: Norwich – The Nick Rayns LCR, UEA
Monday 09: O₂ Academy Bristol
Wednesday 11: O₂ Academy Leeds
Friday 13: O₂ Academy Brixton
Saturday 14: Manchester Academy
Sunday 15: O₂ Academy Glasgow

Tickets go on sale at 9am on Wednesday 19^th June priced £18.50 regionally and £21.00 in London (subject to booking fee) and are available from www.livenation.co.uk or www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

CONNECT

https://www.facebook.com/gogolbordello
www.twitter.com/GogolBordello
https://twitter.com/MAMADIASPORA

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Review: deltaR – Check It Out Baby

deltaR – Check It Out Baby (Independent)

deltaR are a Swiss alt. blues trio, and the lower case / upper case configuration of their name is how it appears on their artwork – so I’m sticking with it. Their heroes are Johnson, Johnson and Johnson. Not the extended family of cotton bud manufacturers and baby botherers, but the bluesmen, Robert, Tommy and Blind Willie, for whom the term cotton bud probably meant something a little more back-breaking.

The trio of Nicolas Roggli (guitar and vocals), Gabriel Scotti (bass and keys) and Jean-Philippe Mercier (drums) probably haven’t picked too much cotton themselves, but as with thousands of white, European musicians before them, they make a fine job of tapping into ancient blues, and they don’t forget to bring a little of themselves and their own lives to their gritty barroom style.

Opening cut “Get a Life” showcases the trio’s way with a driving rhythm, while Roggli’s nonchalant vocal and ringing guitar take it to another level. A cover of Willie Dixon’s “Pretty Thing” is almost gentle by comparison, and as its name suggests, could’ve originated in 1965, and been discovered on a long out of print British nuggets collection – great stuff. “Sex, Booze and Dirty Blues” is as fine as its name, and its walking rhythm and Scotti’s masterful Wurlitzer Piano strokes add several new dimensions.

Also, I can’t sign off without mentioning their psyched-up version of “Wang Dang Doodle”, its wig-out potential is fully realised, and stands happily alongside The Rationals’ (in)famous version.

www.deltar-band.com

www.facebook.com/deltar

deltaR CD Baby Page

Phil S.

National Youth Film Festival announced

A nationwide programme of free film screenings and activities has been planned for the first National Youth Film Festival later this year.

The festival aims to give children aged five to 19 the chance to learn about film making and the film industry.

All UK schools and youth groups will have the opportunity to take pupils to the cinema free of charge.

The BFI is investing £26m of lottery funding over the next four years to deliver the project.

The festival will run from 21 October to 8 November.

Alongside screenings, young people will be able to take part in interactive workshops and Q&A sessions with industry professionals.

Teachers will also be able to use the screenings for educational purposes to coincide with topics in the curriculum.

The project is being delivered by Film Nation UK, a new charity for film education.

Boasting a board of trustees of leading industry figures, it is lead by Working Title's Eric Fellner and also includes James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, director Beeban Kidron and BBC journalist and presenter Samira Ahmed.

Source: BBC

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Memory bank to launch at V&A museum

Members of the public will be able to contribute their memories to a major exhibition at the V&A museum in London which opens later this month.

Memory Bank - part of the Memory Palace exhibition - will allow visitors to record their favourite memory, either drawn or written.

Each week, graphic designer Johnny Kelly will turn the latest collection of memories into a poster.

This will be uploaded on to a Memory Bank website.

Kelly said: "The results are an entirely unknown quantity - which is terrifying and thrilling in equal measures - but no matter what, they should be interesting."

The project is part of the Sky Arts Ignition programme.

Beyond the museum, members of the public will also be able to upload their memories via the website, which goes live on 18 June when the exhibition launches.

Their memories will be available to share on social media platforms.

The Memory Bank will form the final installation of Sky Arts Ignition: Memory Palace, which will bring an original work of fiction - Memory Palace by author Hari Kunzru - to life through an exhibition and documentary to be shown on Sky Arts 1.

A team of 20 leading graphic designers, typographers and illustrators have been commissioned to interpret a different passage of Kunzru's text to turn it into a "walk-in" story.

Kunzru's book is a tale of a dystopian vision of the future, set in London several hundred years after the global information infrastructure has been wiped out by a huge magnetic storm.

The book is published this month and a programme featuring the exhibition will be broadcast on Sky Arts 1 HD on 19 June.

Source: BBC

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Review: Wil Kinky – S/T

Wil Kinky – S/T (Independent)

Born and raised on a blueberry farm in Oregon, Wil Koehnke (aka Wil Kinky) began playing music in his early teens. Now he’s in his early twenties and a regular feature on his local Portland scene, playing both solo and with various groups, including Urban Sub Allstars and the Kinky Brothers. When he’s not gigging, he’s teaching guitar and piano, and this, his self-titled EP, is his debut release.

For all his musical talent, and there’s plenty of it, it’s his rich, vibrant voice that makes an immediate impact, and perfectly suits his rootsy, soulful songs. He’s been compared favourably to established artists like John Mayer and Ray Lamontagne, but there’s enough passion and fervor to these seven tracks to suggest, not only is Kinky / Koehnke his own man, but with the right breaks he can make much the same commercial impact.

There’s a nice variety of material here, from the rolling, catchy-as-hell, opening track “It's Alright” to the organic Steve Winwood-esque soul groove of “The Energy Between (Me and You)” and “Dreams I Leave Behind”. In between, on “Seeds We Sow” in particular, he appears to harness Richard Hawley’s retro croon with a little John Martyn on the side, which, you probably wont be surprised to learn, sounds just fine.

www.wilkinky.com

www.facebook.com/Wil-Kinky

www.reverbnation.com/wilkinky

Wil Kinky CD Baby Page

Phil S.

Tonight at The Musician: The City Acoustic Club

The City Acoustic Club
Monday 17^th June
Free open mic night

For up to date info and news please join The City Acoustic Club Facebook group!

Remember; always check with the venue before travelling:

www.themusicianpub.co.uk

Black Sabbath back at top of the album charts

Black Sabbath have scored their first number one album in the UK for nearly 43 years.

Frontman Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler - along with drummer Brad Wilk - beat Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye to the top spot with their long-gestating album, 13.

"I'm in shock!" said 64-year-old Osbourne. "The success of this album has blown me off my feet."

The band last topped the charts in 1970 with their second album, Paranoid.

The current album, which reunites three of the four original band members, has taken more than two years to write and record.

Cancer diagnosis

Early in the process, original drummer Bill Ward walked out over a contract dispute - and was replaced by Rage Against the Machine star Wilk - and Iommi was diagnosed with cancer in December 2011.

"When Tony got stricken by cancer, we went 'This is ... insane.' But he turned up every day," Osborne said in a interview earlier this week.

In addition, Osbourne, who was fired from the band for substance abuse in 1979, began drinking again while making the new album. He recently announced he had been sober for four months. Iommi is in remission.

The top 5 album chart is completed by Rod Stewart's Time (at number three), Daft Punk's Random Access Memories (4) and Settle, by Disclosure (5).

"It's all manufactured bull these days. But the likes of Rod, and Elton John and us have got something different. We know our craft," said Osbourne.

In the UK singles' chart, American R&B star Robin Thicke garnered his third consecutive week at number one with Blurred Lines. The track has so far sold more than half a million copies.

Naughty Boy, Passenger, Daft Punk and Olly Murs complete the top five.

The Voice hopeful Leah McFall scores the first top 10 hit for a contestant from the BBC One show, moving into eighth place with her rendition of the Gloria Gaynor classic, I Will Survive.

Source: BBC

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Review: Josh Catalano & The Dirty Thoughts – Give Away The Night

Josh Catalano & The Dirty Thoughts – Give Away The Night (Independent)

Josh Catalano & The Dirty Thoughts (Keith Voegele, Patrick Miller and Jordan Laier) have been operating since 2011, though Catalano, Miller and Laier were all members of Springfield, Illinois favourites The Damwell Betters, and Voegele, as bassist in the Bottle Rockets, hardly lacks experience. Together, they’re a tight, well-oiled unit with a sound that errs towards Americana, but with a polished, progressive, contemporary rock edge. Put them on a playlist that includes Wilco and Counting Crows and they wouldn’t sound out of place.

The eight-track “Give Away The Night” makes for a fine introduction to the group. Catalano’s a singer-songwriter who engages with both disciplines, and The Dirty Thoughts understand the balance of light and shade, the importance of dynamics, and when to let rip. Opening cut “Night and Day” sets the scene; it’s primarily a song about desire, and it’s allowed to build beautifully, propelled by a mesh of instruments and Catalano’s song. The drama and longing of “When We Were Young” provides an emotional centre point, its rhythmic drive countering and adding energetic detail to the lyrical regret and sorrowful guitar. It’s followed by “New York Hearts”; this time a celebration of love and sex, it’s Big Apple imagery and classic Lloyd Cole-esque delivery adds much to its widescreen appeal. No shortage of knockout guitar soloing, either.

www.joshcatalano.com

www.facebook.com/JoshCatalanoTDT

Josh Catalano & The Dirty Thoughts CD Baby Page

Phil S.

This weekend at The Musician: Saturday, Elvis Fontenot & The Sugar Bees / Sunday, An Evening With Steve Howe

Saturday 15^th June

Elvis Fontenot & The Sugar Bees
£7adv

plus support

efsb.co.uk

Formed in Stoke-on-Trent in the dim and distant past of 1993, Elvis Fontenot and the Sugar Bees have evolved to become the premier European swamp ’n’ roll outfit that they are today.

In 2006 and 2009, the Sugar Bees were crowned “European Zydeco band of the Year” and band member Nick won European Rub-board player of the year. They have been played on the BBC by Andy Kershaw and Mike Harding and have been on TV in Austin, Texas and featured on radio stations across America and also in Australia.

Expect an infectious good time!

Sunday 16^th June

An Evening With Steve Howe (YES/Asia)
£18adv £20door

No support

stevehowe.com

For nearly 35 years, Steve Howe has been at the forefront of guitarists in popular music. Actually, simply referring to Howe as a just a guitarist is limiting. In addition to being a songwriter, he plays more instruments than just the guitar. If it has strings and a fretboard, Howe has mastered it and recorded with it at some point on one of countless albums he's been a part of as a group member, solo artist and special guest.

Remember; always check with the venue before travelling:

www.themusicianpub.co.uk

Review: Tobias Thomhave – S/T

Tobias Thomhave – S/T (Weak)

Tobias Thomhave was ten-years old when his family relocated from Sweden to the UK for a year. Young Thomhave soon learnt the language and a love of English writing and poetry has left a lasting impression - and dominates his own songwriting. His gentle, unobtrusive style is incredibly easy to like and possibly take for granted, but he’s a lyricist with plenty to say, and you’ll want to absorb his words.

He’s earned his troubadour spurs playing around Europe, especially Copenhagen and Athens, and that wandering spirit is mirrored in his songs, which give the impression of blowing in on a cool breeze. Comparisons don’t come easily, which must be a good thing, and the instrumental combination of hushed orchestral strings and acoustic guitar is spellbinding.

Of course it’s Thomhave’s voice and songs that provide focus, and they rarely disappoint. Opening track “Eyes of a Child” is slow and haunting, yet quite beautiful and poignant. It’s also arranged with a communicable melody that is retained long after the music has ceased.

His songs display many similar characteristics throughout the album’s ten tracks. “Emelie” touches on the same sort of melancholy that Jackie Leven used to exhibit on his more subdued material, and the seven-minute “Humming of Her Heart” dips and soars and comes with a chorus that the heartbroken and bereft can sing-along (or hum-along) to.

www.tobiasthomhave.com

Tony S.