Returning to their hometown to conclude their UK tour, DOG IS DEAD made history as their gig became the second biggest gig EVER for a Nottingham artist! This further confirms the buzz around Notts ten weeks after we had JAKE BUGG sell out Rock City, madness!! And there’s more history on the near horizon, DOG IS DEAD will also be making more Nusical Waves in July alongside JAKE, INDIANA and the Future Sound Of Nottingham competition winner as they perform on the most Notts-tastic Splendour main stage ever!
The band have shot to stardom over the last year, taking the UK and Europe by storm with successful debut album ‘All Our Favourite Stories’, selling out gigs across the continent. Success to one side it’s just great to see the band back. Apart from the select few able to sneak into that fans only October show at The Boat Club it’s been a year since DOG IS DEAD played Nottingham, at last year’s D2D.
As DOG IS DEAD entered the stage the atmosphere ignited and screams of excitement filled the air amongst the many fans packed tightly in the venue. The band look as happy to be back as the fans were to have them back, the vibe is next level. The 1000 odd here last time excited to see their favs again, the 1000 odd seeing them for the first time loving having their dead doggy cherries popped, man that sounds wrong.
The buzz in the room was mental, DOG IS DEAD’s presence on stage seemed to mirror the crowd as they jumped straight into the first few tracks giving us an energised, passionate and out-going performance, that the screaming fans just lapped up. As the band started to sing their new single ‘ Do The Right Thing’ the audience could be heard singing every lyric back to them. Their famous five part harmonies, catchy melodies and anthemic tracks fueling an atmosphere that inspired me as a musician, sending the occasional goose bumps going down my spine!
As the lads spoke of their appreciation for the support from their hometown, alongside reflecting on their journey as young musicians from the age of 16 to now, (5 years on) they seemed genuinely overwhelmed and grateful. Everything I’ve been lucky enough to witness tonight really does show how dreams can come true, and how music is such a powerful source of inspiration.
Tonight has been another proud moment for Nottingham as DOG IS DEAD made history. And with Splendour festival just around the corner more historic moments are close. Nottingham really is on the creative map and keeps generating these amazingly gifted musicians. I just can’t wait to see what else our great city has in store for us this year and on that note I am off to bed as i’m all gigged out!
Sleep well Notts!
Stephanie Hargreaves X
GIG ONE
This Tuesday why not start your week off at Notts In A Nutshell. Listen to what
the new musicians on the block have to offer this spring and support your local scene all under one roof at The Maze.
MO MORRIS, a country singer songwriter, will be starting the night off performing his original solo work after recently leaving a Bluegrass/ Country band. He is sure to enlighten audiences with his Country Rock vocals and story telling within his heartfelt songs.
DODOS AREN’T DEAD describe themselves as a hard-core Rock band. Their tracks consist of heavy bass lines, rocking guitar parts and head busting drum fills, all guaranteed to make you want to mosh.
Headlining are THE TIDES an energetic Rock ‘n’ Roll band, gaining their influences from The Clash, The Black Keys and The Hives (quite a three!). THE TIDES with their incredible raw vocals, guitar skills and energy on stage have all the right components to make you want to jump around like a crazy person.
Also performing on the night are DEFKON1 and THE FUTURE BOYS, so come along and support your local music scene and rock out to some great music!
FULL LINE UP:
MO MORRIS
DEFKON1
DODOS ARENT DEAD
THE FUTURE BOYS
THE TIDES
DOORS: 7PM
TICKETS: £3
GIG TWO
This Friday evening get yourselves down to The Maze (yes again!) and enjoy some incredible music and do your bit for the Fun4dillon cause. Nottingham musicians will be raising awareness about the illness Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (D.M.D.) and will be raising funds for 8 year old Dillion Mulvey helping him to have a better quality of life.
One of the bands participating is CRYO-GENICS an almighty Punk Rock band who describe themselves as “Punk F***ing Rock”. CRYO-GENICS have been on the Punk scene for quite some time with their punchy lyrics, melodies and head banging guitar riffs, which will have you uncontrollably rockin’ out with them.
Headliners THE SMEARS are basically Nottingham legends, so world renowned that the three-piece female Punk band were recently invited to tour of the states. They are are Influenced by the heavyweights of Pop, Punk and Grunge. THE SMEARS add a feminine touch by stamping a stiletto heel right through the heart of Punk, consequently making their writing unique, with venomous vocals, driving bass lines and pounding drums, completing their sound.
Also performing on the night are some other great Punk acts: Septic Psychos and Drongos For Europe. Remember, all proceeds are going directly to the Fun4dillon cause, so not only will this be a crackin’ night of Punk Rock but also your support will help a very deserving young man and his family.
FULL LINE UP:
CRYO-GENICS
THE SMEARS
Septic Psychos
Drongos For Europe
DOORS: 7:30 PM
TICKETS: £5
GIG THREE
This Saturday, round your weekend off at The Bodega, where a variety of local acts will be supporting Lux Lisbon.
Headlining act Lux Lisbon do have strong ties to Notts as they met in Nottingham and subsequently moved to London after recording their debut album.
Supporting on the night are THE HUSKIES, a three-piece Indie Pop band who have recently featured on BBC introducing , singing their catchy track ‘Stuck On Random, Down & Sober’. Check out the video HERE and you’ll see why they’ll have you humming their tracks by the end of the night.
HARLIKINGS are a four-piece band that use an infusion of Indie-Rock-Pop sounds with a sprinkle of Jazz. HARLIKINGS are a tight band with punchy guitar melodies and fruity drum fills, which give them their distinctive sound. Check them out and see why the people of Nottingham voted them into the 2011 Future Sound Of Nottingham Final.
This is sure to be a great way to finish your weekend with some awesome local music, so don’t miss out.
FULL LINE UP:
THE HUSKIES
HARLIKINGS
Lux Lisbon
DOORS: 7:30 PM
TICKETS: £4
Yours In Love With New Music,
Steph Hargreaves x
#Spreadthelove
GIG ONE
Come down to the Rescue Rooms this Monday to celebrate 4 years of great Acoustic music, where a whole host of exciting artists will be performing in celebration!
Starting the evening off is the Acoustic duo HEAVYHEADS who have been working the local scene since featuring at last year’s Macmillan Fest. Their sound is a mix of soothing vocals, beautiful harmonies and thoughtful lyrics, together creating an Acoustic bliss.
Up next and sneeking in some naughty electricity are SPACESHIPS ARE COOL, who describe themselves as Sci-Fi Sunshine Pop & Retro Folktronica. This 4-piece band, who are able to create a wonderland of beats, bleeps with Acoustic guitars and many other quirky instruments will have you unconsciously humming their catchy tracks by the end of the evening.
GALLERY 47, an incredible singer-songwriter will be performing a catalogue of his well written tracks off his recently released ‘Dividends’ EP. Naturally gifted with his sublime vocal, beautiful lyrics and enthusiastic stage presence, just ask NATALIE DUNCAN , ” I’m still inspired by him. His song writing skills are above and beyond mine.” Check him out here on the New Nusic Podcast and Poddingham.
Also performing on the night are GANG OF ANGELS CHOIR, CHARLOTTE CARPENTER, LEAH SINEAD and FRANKIE RUDOLF. This event promises to be an exciting night celebrating Acoustic Rooms fourth birthday, full of yummy cake, great company and an inspiring line up of Acoustic music, all not to be missed.
FULL LINEUP:
HEAVYHEADS
FRANKIE RUDOLF
LEAH SINEAD
CHARLOTTE CARPENTER
SPACESHIPS ARE COOL
GALLERY 47
GANG OF ANGELS CHOIR
DOORS: 8PM
TICKETS: FREE
GIG TWO
This Wednesday IKE Productions proudly presents a mix of Indie and Rock ‘n’ Roll inspired local bands at Rescue Rooms.
THE BYSTANDERS are a Alternative/Indie/Post Punk band who take inspiration from artists such as Foals and Sonic Youth, resulting in their fresh Indie sound proving completely addictive. So why not get in the mood and check out their Future Session HERE.
THE GORGEOUS CHANS can be described as Chuck Berry meets an American Marching Band. This six-piece band with their theatrical performances and larger than life energy are always a pleasure to watch live. You can’t help but want to dance as soon as they start playing. No doubt they’ll be using a wide range of instrumentation from cowbells to the saxophone and many more.
Headlining are LONG DEAD SIGNAL, the 2010 winners of the Future Sound Of Nottingham competition. They are a Rock/Alternative band gaining their influences from the likes of Jeff Buckley, Muse and Radiohead. LONG DEAD SIGNAL always own the stage with their fiery energy and incredible vocals, always a great band to watch live! Check out their Future Session HERE.
Also performing are two other great local acts PAPERCAPE and DISTURBING THE DEPTHS. This is sure to be a great night full of Rock ‘n’ Roll, making you want to get up and jump around like a loon!
FULL LINE UP:
DISTURBING THE DEPTHS
PAPER CAPE
THE BYSTANDERS
THE GORGEOUS CHANS
LONG DEAD SIGNAL
DOORS:8PM
TICKETS: £5
GIG THREE
Get yourselves down to Blow-Out this Friday night for the new bi-monthly party brought to you by I’m Not From London and our media Daddy LeftLion. Taking place at the The Corner, 8 Stoney street this night is sure to be full of awesome music, art and performances, but hey our Dad’s putting on the party so we would say that wouldn’t we?!
One of the live artists performing is GEORGIE ROSE, a great guitarist with exceptional song writing ability and a soothing vocal. Impressively she was voted in The Lion List as one of the most exciting acts of 2013 in the last issue of LeftLion. Her hard work over the past year has rightly bagged her new fans from the likes of KT Tunstall and Billy Bragg, so this lady is doing something right!
ROB GREEN is a talented chap, drawing in fans with his infectious lyrics, fun loving soul vocal performances and doing this all with a gleaming smile. He always has a great vibe on stage and can lift anyone’s mood. Trust me I know having performed on stage with him, seriously how’s a girl meant to shine when she’s up against Rob G’s smile?!
Also performing are live acts BONSAI BAND and HEY ZEUS plus DJs Stiff Kitten and DJ Switch. Not only will it be a great night of music, art and performance, but it’s also your first chance to get hold of a copy of the latest issue of LeftLion Magazine.
FULL LINE UP:
GEORGIE ROSE
BONSAI BAND
HEY ZEUS
ROB GREEN
DOORS: 8PM
TICKETS: FREE
GIG THREE POINT FIVE
Pssssst THE INVISIBLE ORCHESTRA will be performing at The Space at the Nottingham Contemporary this Sunday. Topping it all off are vocal performances from the likes of NATALIE DUNCAN, PERCY DREAD, HANNAH HEARTSHAPE and ED BANNARD of the band HHYMN. However it has probably already sold out due to their amazing reviews of last year’s mind blowing performance and if it hasn’t it will do pretty soon, so get your tickets now!
Also supporting are Dj Switch, Rollo Markee & The Tailshakers.
FULL LINE UP:
QM BARBER SHOP QUARTET
THE INVISIBLE ORCHESTRA
DOORS: 8PM
TICKETS: £10
Yours In Love With New Music,
Steph Hargreaves x
#Spreadthelove
As I sat vino in hand and bum in seat the people just keep pouring in from all directions into the venue … the support for local artists in Nottingham is immense!
Organised by the Council’s College Street Centre, the aim of Light Night Originals
was to help young, local musicians find their feet, giving them the opportunity to experience performing on a big stage and showcase their talents to the people of Nottingham.
Host Zach Mcarthy (Kemet FM presenter ) warmly greeted the audience and introduced each act accordingly making the audience build a personal relationship with each act before they even embraced us with their talent.
To kick start the Friday evening on a comical note, THE JIM EXPERIENCE warmed up the crowd with their excitable and theatrical performance. Ten of the twenty-four members wore quirky costumes ranging from an acrobatic monkey, a banana playing an electric guitar and Where’s Wally on the keys. Now that’s entertainment for you!
Light Night Originals also presented the inspiring 16 year old that is FRANKIE RUDOLF, who captivated the crowd with his beautiful melodies, soothing vocals and thoughtful lyrical content. This young multi-talented musician set the tone for the rest of the evening with his honest and intimate performance leaving audience members taken back, I can see why back in late Summer 2011 Nusic made him their youngest ever REWIND.
As the evening continued, the humble ESTHER VAN LEUVEN silenced the audience with her ear-gasmic vocals exclusively performing her track ‘Calling Out’ acoustically, which was produced by The Elementz. Also accompanied by FRAZER LOWRIE another local artist, the pair sent chills down audience’s necks as they harmonised beautifully, creating an atmosphere of pure bliss!
Adding a quirky spin to the evening the animated TASH BIRD instantly won over the crowd with her down to earth presence on stage. With her catchy acoustic tracks, TASH BIRD had the audiences in stitches with her comical lyrics and also keeping their attention through her well thought out set with her mellow track ‘Fly’ using a nifty loop peddle.
They promised a very theatrical performance, and it is that they delivered! With THE GORGEOUS CHANS infusion of original music, which can only be described as Chuck Berry meets an American Marching Band, this six-piece extremely talented band used a variety of electric and acoustic guitars, a cowbell, pipe, harmonica and saxophone and much more to enhance their lively stage presence. With all this excitement in place how could you not fall victim to a cheeky dance on a Friday night?!
Headlining was the Folky/Celtic sounding musician that is the one and only JOE DANKS supported by his mother BETH on the violin. With his EP having been played on BBC 6Music and making the Future Sound of Nottingham Final last summer it’s clear the future is very bright for Mr Danks.
To round off tonight’s show a spontaneous performance of THE GORGEOUS CHANS and JOE DANKS rounds off the evening as they ignite the atmosphere making the audience boogie on down once more offering an awesome infusion of music to their fans.
Without a doubt tonight’s event was truly a great success and will bring inspiration to all the young artists (every performer was under 21) in pursuing the similar success to that of JAKE BUGG. However this event could not have been possible without the support from The College Street Centre, young people and skills who provided all technical support and the venue, alongside the lovely event organizers Alistair Conquer and Alannagh Cooke.
After being lucky enough to witness tonight’s light night originals event I can truly
say I am proud to be from Nottingham after soaking up this talented lot I am excited to see who will be the next Nottingham artist to conquer the music charts in the year to come!
Yours In Love of New Music,
Steph Hargreaves
#spreadthelove
If you’re serious about music, keep Tuesday 12th February free in your diary. With three top industry gurus confirmed for the Nusic Academy Workshop, you can gain a priceless insight on How To Get Played On The Radio. Taking place as part of Confetti’s legendary Industry Week (IW), this event is the only IW event that is open to the public. This is a perfect opportunity to pick the brains of top UK radio professionals!
The guest LINE UP is pretty damn exciting!
ANDY ROGERS – Head of live music at BBC Radio One (& 1Xtra)
The latest guest to be added to the bill is BBC Radio One’s head of live music. Andy Rogers replaces XFM’s John Kennedy due to his media commitments with the Foals’ re-scheduled album release. Andy Rogers is known for working with the likes of Chase and Status, Tinie Tempah, The Black Eyed Keys, Jessie J and Magnetic man. He was substantially involved in last year’s Radio 1’s The Big Hackney Weekend, organising the lineup and recording artists.
DICK STONE – Programme Director at Capital FM
Dick Stone oversees all production at Capital FM in the East Midlands, which draws in hundreds of thousands of listeners. Dick Stone will give you an insight into what he is looking for and about the playlisting process from a commercial radio perspective.
DEAN JACKSON – BBC Introducing and BBC Radio Nottingham presenter
Dean Jackson is part of BBC Introducing, who support and encourage undiscovered new talent. Dean Jackson selects and passes on the very best tracks from the Nottingham region on to DJs at Radio One, Radio 1Xtra and 6Music, enabling your music to receive national airplay. This could lead to performing on the BBC Introducing Stage at major festivals!
Chaired by Mark Del.
Remember this is a FREE TICKETED event. Tickets are selling out fast, so book your place by registering HERE.
Hooking you up with the people who have the knowledge and contacts to help you realise your musical dreams.
Supported by Leftlion, Confetti ICT & DHP.
Yours in the love of new music,
Stephanie Hargreaves x
#spreadthelove
