Hello! It’s me again; the writer who unremittingly babbles on at you to take your ears out to some local gigs. Guess what…? THERE’S MORE THIS WEEK TOO… Oh, you already knew that? How on earth did you guess? #baffled.
GIG ONE
First up it’s one of those peculiarly intimate living room gigs that you probably shouldn’t tell your mum about, or she’ll end up shouting “STRANGER DANGER” at your fully grown self. Never fear though; if she needs convincing, here’s a little bit about the four incredible acts…
FIELD STUDIES are a four‐piece band who provides delicately formed Ambient Post-Rock sounds reminiscent of the likes of Explosions in The Sky. The boy’s fervent soundscapes are complemented amazingly by Chris’ poignant lead vocal and resonating lyrics, and what started off as experimental soon lead to be a debut EP, “Celestial“, which was released in 2013. The reception at a recent intimate gig they played was absolutely electrifying, as they began the set slow and gradually sped up, right until the calculated crescendo of penetrating guitars at the end. If anything will leave you awestruck, hands on head, and shouting for just one more damn song, it’ll be these guys. Expect one hell of a performance.
BAYBO SQUAYBO is a delightfully fun pairing of made up words that I can’t stop saying to people in an annoying baby voice. Oh, it’s also the name of a band; a really bloody good band, in fact. Their recent EP ‘Limbo’ is a great example of the diversity of the four-piece, broadening from vibrant experimental Rock ’n’ Roll, to heavenly, laid back songs that set them apart from most other Indie bands. Combine intricately constructed hooking riffs and catchy melodies, mix in some Pink Floyd-esque experimentation and a vocal resonant of Matt Bellamy, and you pretty much have yourself your very own BAYBO SQUAYBO. Take good care of it, don’t get it wet, and never feed it after midnight.
TOM MCCARTNEY will be playing too, fronting his three-piece backing band and singing some sweet, sweet Blues. He writes and performs his own original material, with inspiration ranging from the likes of Johnny Cash to that Jake Bugg fella. This yout’ may only be 15, but his Rock ‘n’ Roll style is well-developed, impressively mature and achingly inspirational; he’s definitely going places!
AGNES BELLA is a Hungarian born, Nottingham won Singer-Songwriter (yay! We love winning all the good ones!) Hailing from Budapest, she’s a bit of an enigma right now, but not for long! Having been a regular at open mic nights across the city, she’s started gigging in some of the best Acoustic venues about and thus has become a brilliant addition to the tightly knitted cardigan of Nottingham Singer/Songwriter acts. Her expertly delicate harmonies and thoughtfully constructed songs give us reason to believe she’s definitely going to be one to watch this year!
Rosebud from Northern France will also be playing.
Somewhere in Nottingham
Friday 15th May
Doors: 19:30
Tickets: £4
GIG TWO
Second up is Phlexx Records – THE AFTERDARK MOVEMENT `Get Rude’ Single Launch, and they are giving you not one, not two, but THREE Stages this Saturday; one for each of your rampant musical needs.
On the Main Stage there will be THE AFTERDARK MOVEMENT – a six-piece UK Hip-Hop band, who have been writing, recording and gigging together since they formed in 2011. It seems the band put on their helmets, buckled up tight and took off POST-HASTE, as no more than one year later they secured the winning title for the Future Sound of Nottingham. For those unaware, these guys are a blend of Hip-Hop, Soul and Reggae, and divulge groovy rhythmic melodies, with a side of energetic hooks and grounded lyrical content.
UNKNOWN ERA will also be about- who are a nine-piece band formed of a melodica, guitars, drums, a trombone, a trumpet and four, yes FOUR vocals. These guys deliver an incredibly feel-good sound that mixes bits of Reggae, Hip-Hop, Ska, Gypsy and Swing, to give you a calculated mash-up of scrumptious musical fun that like a kitten with milk, you’ll absolutely lap up.
You can also expect a bit of BUD (no, not THAT kind of bud you naughty little heathens) – she’s a Soulful songstress from Mansfield, backed by a 4 piece band, and she’ll be making some of the most optimum sounds in Reggae, Ska & Folk for us all to enjoy.
Similarly on this stage there will be BLESSING MAGORE, who is a 20 year old Zimbabwean musician living in Nottingham, and is known for his conscious lyrics and energetic performances. With his Reggae/ Afro-Funk hybrid style, Blessing will provide a gorgeously assembled mix of genres that assures memorability.
Also playing this stage will be DJs KK (What The Funk?) and Omen Breaks.
TREKKAH will be on the Bar Stage, who is the Phlexx Co-Founder and AFTER DARK MOVEMENT’s Guitarist, Pianist and Vocalist. Benjamin Zięć is his name (FYI), and we hear he’ll be playing music from all over the world; if you’re as intrigued as us, make sure you get your butts down in time for his set!
Also playing the Bar stage will be Jayke from Sheffield.
On the Upstairs Stage we have LOUIS ANTONIOU – this Nottingham yout’ is a crooning Bluesy Singer/Songwriter, whose moody music will stick in your noodle for days. DANIEL ISON will also be plodding about upstairs, waiting to give you some Folky Acoustic goodness, followed by the soothing sounds of ALEX MILNE. YASMIN ISSAKA will also be gracing the upstairs with her energetic, Reggae, Afro-Beat style. Last, but not least, I hear Nottingham-based Brazillian Singer CIBELE will be on stage, whose inspiring, unique voice has grasped a lot of Nottingham hearts.
The Maze
Saturday 16th May
Doors: 21:00
Admission: £3 pre-paid and £5 on the door
GIG THREE
Lastly, IKE Productions presents to you the blissful marriage of tasty BBQ food and brilliant Nottingham artists this Sunday, for Load of Meat Festival 6.
First up on the Main Stage will be THE LUNADOGS, who are a three-piece mix up of Indie and Blues, presenting throbbing bass lines and energetic stage presence. Following that will be the Grungy Nirvana inspired sounds of DISSOCIATION, who have only just formed early this year! After that there will be some Pop Punk goodness, coming from four-piece bands SAY THE WORD and RESTROOMS. Finally, cool guys BAYBO SQUAYBO will be gracing the stage, giving us laid back Indie songs with Rock ‘n’ Roll inclinations.
Next, on the Acoustic Stage will be the gorgeously poignant sounds of AGNES BELLA (what an appropriate last name!), followed by SAMUEL J LAWRENCE, who will bring some soulful Folk to the mix. Following Sam will be ED MED – a talented songwriter who has decided to give us some solo work after playing in various bands over the past 16 years (expect skillz, yo). The penultimate Nottingham act will be Indie Pop prince BRAD MATTHEWS, followed finally by DANIEL DOBBS – a Singer/Songwriter from Long Eaton who we hear will provide Pop Rock Acoustic goodness reminiscent of Cute Is What We Aim For, but with one exception – it’s so much more mature.
The second Acoustic stage will be opened by Singer/Songwriter MARTIN JACKSON, who is known for his frontman role in Rock band Emperor Chung. Closing the stage will be JOE & MIKE, the loveable kitkats who share a passion for great music, and have artfully teamed up because they really want to give you some.
Also playing will be some out-of-town-folk: Long Island Ice Tea, Jay Stacey and Liam Giles.
The Maze
Sunday 17th May
Doors: 16:00
Admission: £6
Yours in Love of New Music,
Emily Rose Malone x
P.S D.I.D are playing
on Tuesday, and we’re sure it’ll be an amazing show, but it’s sold out. To all those who have tickets, enjoy!
