STOP PRESS: The No Tomorrow BOTB winner has been announced, and it’s… *drum roll*… WOLF CLUB! Congrats to the lads, we look forward to seeing them open the main stage!
Well, festival season is in full swing for the Nottingham music scene, and we have three festivals this week, all of which have loads of great local acts on the bill.
GIG ONE
Kicking off our Top Three, we have Wire & Wool’s MiniFest over at Alley Cafe this Thursday, which sees loads of local acts on the softer side of things take over two stages.
UPSTAIRS STAGE
So, first up, you can expect to hear the Bluesy-Acoustic concoction that is CHRIS ZWINGEL. Reasonably new to the scene, Chris has been pricking up rather a few ears, and for good reason. He’s a great songwriter, and a great guitarist, but what really makes him stand out is his use of a harmonica. Not only does it make him sound different to everybody else, but it also adds a whole new feeling to songs. Who knew harmonica’s could be uplifting?
Next up we have the in your face Acoustic sounds of CONNOR SPRAY. I always find Connor a hard artist to write about, as he does have a very unique sound to say it’s just his voice and his guitar. I suppose the best way I can sum it up is if Oasis listened to a load of 80s Punk records, they’d probably have made something similar to Connor’s material. Edgy, but with sensitive melodies, he always puts on an ace live performance. Matt Henshaw and Matt Zara, both from Leicester, will also be performing.
DOWNSTAIRS STAGE
Down here you can expect to find a right mix up of some ace local talent. First, the huge Jazz-Party sounds of CHESHIRE & THE CAT. Who we’re sure you’ve seen pop up somewhere around Notts, as these guys are some of the hardest working musicians in Notts. With plenty of catchy tunes, which we’re pretty damn sure will get you on the dancefloor, these guys make a fine addition to this great lineup. Plus, they have a saxophone. Who doesn’t love a bit of sax?
Next up we have REDWOOD .58, a band who take their influences of Blues, Roots and Folk music, chuck em all in a bag, shake it up like crazy, and bring out one of the most interesting new sounds we’ve heard in ages. If you’re into any of the above genres, you’re sure to love these guys; especially when you hear vocalist Marie’s incredibly powerful voice. Oh, and they also have a harmonica. This is a proper little harmonica love-fest!
Following, we’ll have the sweet Afro-Funk sounds of BLESSING MAGORE. Another fella who’s bound to have you dancing about like crazy, Blessing makes some of the catchiest, funkiest music we’ve heard in ages, and he’s making quite the name for himself around Notts for his great live performances. Get on down and have a boogie.
Next up we have the powerful Bluesy Rock of THE STOLEN WIVES. This trio have a HUGE sound that harks back to the days of legends such as Stevie Ray Vaughn and Cream. Prepare yourself for slick riffs, gruff, grungy vocals, and bags of attitude!
Finally, we’ll have the synth-laden electro pop sounds of ANGIE NICCALS. Sounding quite unlike anything we’ve ever heard, Angie makes hands in the air “I love you man” vibes, which we challenge you not to start raving along to. We’ve never quite imagined a rave at Alley Cafe, but we’re sure it’ll be an interesting experience!
Doors: 8PM
Price: Free
GIG TWO
This Saturday sees Wollaton Park get taken over for possibly the best end of (student) year party that Notts has ever seen – No Tomorrow Festival.
There’s plenty of Nottingham love at the festival. In fact, opening the main stage will be a Nottingham act, although we’re afraid we don’t know who yet. You see, they’ve been fighting it out in this battle of the bands style event, and the winners haven’t been revealed yet, but based on the quality of acts in the final, we’re sure whoever it is will kick things off to a great start!
THE AFTERDARK MOVEMENT’s infectious, big-band Hip-Hop sounds are sure to keep the party going. They won over all of you lot back in 2012, when they won that years Future Sound of Nottingham, and since then they’ve put out some incredible material that we can’t wait to hear live. A mashup of uplifting, relatable raps and catchy clean vocals, make these guys a must see.
The dark Electro-Pop sounds of INDIANA are sure to go down a storm. After her top twenty hit “Solo Dancing”, she’s made loads of new fans, and based on the support she’s been getting, we reckon it’s just a matter of time before she’s headlining a stage like this herself. She’s just confirmed that her new album will be out this August, so she’s got plenty of new Electro-Pop goodness to amaze us with. We’re placing our bets the entire park goes silent when she plays “Blind As I Am!”
Speaking of headliners, you lot better prepare to be stunned, as LONDON GRAMMAR will be returning to Notts to round off the main stage with one of their incredible live sets. They all met at the University Of Nottingham, and we’re sure they’ve probably been to plenty of these end of year parties themselves; but we bet they never thought they would be headlining one! Just think, this time two years ago, they could have been sat in Wollaton Park, doing a bit of studying or something, and now they’re performing to twenty odd thousand people. Quite a step up! If you want to know more about their Notts roots, make sure to grab a copy of the latest LeftLion, where you can find my interview with them about the gigs that shaped them, their fav Notts artists and more.
If you’re not familiar with them, here’s what you can expect – beautiful sonic backdrops. Haunting piano melodies. Incredibly atmospheric rhythmic guitar. Oh, yeah, and one of the BEST voices that we’ve ever heard. We challenge you to not be absolutely stunned by vocalist Hannah Reid’s voice, it really is something special. And considering how successful their album and singles have been, we expect the entire park to turn into a huge choir. You’d be absolutely insane to miss them!
Doors: 1PM
Price: £37.50
GIG THREE
Finally, on the Sunday, URN are putting on Under The Radar Festival over at The Chameleon, featuring eight incredible local acts.
APRIL TOWERS will be bringing their anthemic Electro-Pop to the proceedings. After playing to a near capacity crowd at Dot To Dot Festival, these guys are on a high, and we’re sure their huge catchy choruses will have you shouting along at the top of your lungs!
If you’re not already knackered from dancing to APRIL TOWERS, ONEGIRLONEBOY will also be bringing some incredibly catchy Electro-Pop sounds to the stage. These two manage to mix their vocals into something truly beautiful, and their stage shows are always something incredible to witness.
Next up we’ll have HUSKIES, who will be bringing their chilled out “Beach-Pop” sounds to you lot. Whilst you won’t be having a crazy rave to these boys, we’re sure you’ll be bopping your head and singing along, cause these guys write some incredibly addictive tunes. You’ll also find yourself with a strange craving to go to Skeggy…
ALASKAN FACTION are up next with their Foals-esque indie-pop. These guys know how to write an uplifting melody or two, and we’re sure that the “aaahhhh’s” on Powerlines will be spinning round your head for days; if not, we guarantee those irresistible riffs will.
Those familiar fellas in CHESHIRE & THE CAT will be up next, and it’s yet another great excuse to go crazy to a bit of sax. In fact they have a song called “The Sax Song”, and it features, wait for it, loads of sax. It’s great. And I’m dancing in my room as I write this right now. Damn you sax!
THREE GIRL RHUMBA will be up next with their Alternative-Pop sounds. With their new EP on the horizon, they’ve got plenty of new tunes to test out on you lucky lucky people; oh, and not forgetting those huge catchy tunes on their last EP. We still find ourselves humming Lemon Crush whilst out buying in our weekly fruit and vegetable shop.
Following we’ll have the beautiful Folky sounds of LEAH SINEAD. Last time we saw Leah we were absolutely stunned; her voice is delicate and enchanting, her guitar playing is immaculate, and her songwriting is incredibly honest. We expect the audience to be left standing in awe.
Finally, we’ll have the friesian cow inspired sounds of GEORGE HOLROYD. We recently had George in for a Future Session (which is out tomorrow by the way), and we saw first hand his incredible guitar playing ability. Don’t get me wrong, George is a great vocalist, with an incredibly smooth tone to his voice, but his guitar playing is vicious. In a good way. How his hands haven’t eroded into piles of dust we just don’t know.
Doors: 5:30PM
Price: £3
Yours in Love of New Music,
Sam Nahirny x
P.S TINDERSTICKS will be returning to Notts this week – Nottingham Contemporary to be exact. Absolute legends of the Nottingham music scene, this had a strong chance of being a Top Three gig, but, the lads have only gone and sold it out, so it didn’t seem fair to tease you with something you can’t go to. Those who have tickets are in for an incredible performance though, and props to TINDERSTICKS for selling it out!
P.S.S Details on how to submit listings for future Top Three Gigs are as always in our FAQs: nusic.org.uk/faq
