HOCKLEY HUSTLE. Photo Credit: Samuel-Kirby.
This week is the mother of all top threes. It’s you on a day when you look amazing, all of your jokes are hilarious and you find a fiver on the floor. It’s a brownie covered in cookies with salted caramel sauce and no risk of diabetes. It’s… ok, I’m all out of metaphors. But, you get the drift – it’s another awesome week in Nottingham for music. We’ve got everyone from the number one fan of Crocs, to Giles Peterson’s fav and even a blast from the 80s past.
WEDNESDAY
VANITY BOX are at Rough Trade this Wednesday, which means we will also be at Rough Trade this Wednesday because these guys are wicked. They’ve just released an album called ‘Chance Would be a Fine Thing’ which is filled with upbeat Pop Rock songs that make us both wanna start a mosh pit and tell our mums how much we love them. The video for their newest single ‘No One Nowhere’ has got a cool storyline to it and is filled with loads of local places to hang out, too – .
You’ll probs recognise ONE GIANT CAUSEWAY from our New Music Podcast or from this year’s FSN Final. The Bridgefordians list some of the best in British Rock as their inspiration, including The Stereophonics, Blur and Noel Gallagher. You can hear these influences in their music, except with a distinct Nottingham edge (so, y’know, better).
ROE GREEN is bringing a mellow edge to the night, with some really thought-provoking lyrics, pretty harmonies and the occasional synth thrown in. His music makes us feel all relaxed and happy, a bit like a hug from your best mate after a boozy night in your local.
The Maze
Wednesday 4th October
Doors: 7pm
Entry: Free
SATURDAY
THE CHASE are launching their new EP, ‘The Odyssey,’ at The Bodega on Saturday. If you close your eyes and listen to THE CHASE, you’ll most likely picture a bunch of Indie Rock n Rollers who have smashed a few TVs in their time between smoking cigars and releasing instant classics. Then, you’d open your eyes and see that, actually, these lot are all about 20 and just have a sound well beyond their years. The vocals are catchy, the playing is tight.
COZEN will also be joining. One of the first things you’ll learn about her is that she loves Crocs. I mean, really loves them. COZEN is responsible for 78% of Croc sales nationwide (probably). Described as ‘a croc wearing sensation you don’t wanna miss’, you’ll most likely recognise her as SONDER, who did an awesome Future Session a while back, here. Now she’s back with a ‘fresh start and new vibes’. We haven’t heard her new stuff but her voice has got that perfect combination of Blues and Rock n Roll that makes us want to BFF her immediately so we can start plotting world domination, one tune at a time.
Next to take the stage are THE MOCKING JAYS, an Indie five-piece who make sick Indie Pop tunes you can jam to. They’ve got a really energetic sound that makes us wanna dance and dance and then sit a bit but then dance again. What I mean by that (not so) eloquent description is that their energy is pretty darned infectious so we’ll see you lot on the dance floor!
Imagine if Jamie T was kidnapped by aliens, taken for a spin around the galaxy and returned to earth as a guitar strumming, harmonica blowing singer songwriter from Nottingham. The result would be DANIEL ISON, who’ll be opening the gig. Expect tunes with an Indie-Folk vibe, but with something a little extra you can’t quite put your finger on (probs due to the alien influence).
The Bodega
Saturday 7th October
Doors: 7pm
Entry: £3.30 adv
SUNDAY
Erry day we’re (Hockley) Hustlin’. Well, actually, just the one day. One banging day. Sunday, to be precise. Drop everything you’re doing guys, clear your diary, fuck it – lie if you have to because you basically NEED to be around for this one. Yep, it’s that time of year where Hockley goes all festival on us #proudnottsmoment.
The festival is bloody massive – there are 27 stages and about 400 artists! With this in mind, we’ve decided to loosely divide some of the day’s highlights into Guitar, MOBO and Electronic music so that, y’know, you don’t spend the next 50 years reading (you do wanna actually GO to the festival, right?). We know you lot are all massive music heads who like their songs to come with nutritional value, so, before the genre police come knocking, we wanna stress that these are general divisions, with inspo taken from the BBC and how they programme their playlists (if it’s good enough for Annie Mac and Mistajam, it’s good enough for us amirite?).
This one goes out to all the MOBO heads out there. So, it’s the start of the day. You’ve put on your freshest garms, you’re feeling hyped and ready to listen to some of the best on the scene atm. In short, you’re ready to do this thing. Enter HASHTAGOBI, playing at 1pm at I’m Not From London’s stage at The Angel Microbrewery. HASHTAGOBI’s the ideal artist to start the day with upbeat, bouncy hip hop and witty, at times hilarious, observations about life as a young person in the 21st century #millenialproblems.
Feeling suitably gassed after Obi’s set, we’re continuing the party vibes with TAYLA JAYDE, who’s playing at 6:10 at Edin’s Kitchen, courtesy of Word Jam. TAYLA JAYDE’s vocals bring an RnB touch to a variety of influences, from your more classic RnB tunes to some DnB crossover tracks. Her song ‘Dangerous’, ft Shifty Spirit, is the kind of song you hear in a club that makes everybody suddenly jump up and shout ‘this is my JAMMM’ before descending into dancefloor madness – .
Ok, we’ve danced, we’ve jumped around, and, quite frankly, we need a bit of a breather (we’re not as young as we used to be). This is the perfect time to head over to Farmyard and Sounddhism’s stage at Suede where, from 8pm, Giles Peterson fav YAZMIN LACEY will be making us feel all mellow and warm inside with soul music that’s got a bit of a cosmic edge.
Playing at 9:30 at Market Bar is J LITTLES, brought to you by Acoustickle and Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. J LITTLES makes Hip Hop that makes you wanna dance loads but also have deep and meaning convos with your mates about life. 10 points to anyone who manages both.
Who better to end a night of Nottingham bangers than HARLEIGHBLU, playing at the Confetti Live stage at the Bodega at 11pm. HARLEIGHBLU’s become pretty huge over recent years and it’s no wonder really – THAT voice is something unlike anything we’ve ever heard before: Trip Hop meets Soul meets RnB meets Jazz meets that moment after a breakup when you’re feeling empowered and ready to take on the world #owningit.
Let’s be honest, Guitar music in Nottingham is second to none. If acoustic strums and distorted electric guitar solos are what gets you going, you’re in for a real treat this Hockley Hustle. Kicking off our highlights is MOLLIE RALPH, who’s playing Bodega from 2:30. Mollie just did a Future Session with us too, so watch this space. She sings about politics, love and everything in between with catchy melodies. The perfect start to our Hockley Hustle.
Could we make a Guitar-based Hockley Hustle highlights list without BABE PUNCH? The answer is no, of course not. Lol. These lot are playing at Rough Trade at 4pm and will no doubt be making us all put two fingers up to the man whilst jumping up and down and spilling cider all over ourselves.
After all that moshing we’re feeling ready to take on the world. We’ll be heading over to Revolution at 5:45 for the BBC Introducing stage. ‘Why?’ we hear you ask. Because of VEGA BAY, obvs. Lead vocalist Sam has got a really unique voice and these lot have some really interesting textures and tones to their music that get our feet tapping as if we were some sort of tap dancing penguins living in the South Pole. Oh no, wait, that’s Happy Feet.
If we were Sims in a Hockley Hustle Sims special, our energy bars would be low after all that dancing and now would be the time to re-energize and replenish ourselves. That’s why we’re heading over to the Hockley Arts Club at 8:30 to watch SAWYER on the Hockley Hustle stage. SAWYER plays the guitar AND drums with some seriously bassy vocals that are so nourishing we’re pretty sure his music counts as one of your five a day.
Finishing up our guitar-fuelled day are FIRE (THE UNSTOPPABLE FORCE), playing at the Angel Microbrewery at 11:30pm. Instead of making some awful dad joke about how these lot are an unstoppable force (snooze), we’re gonna say that their music is really as unique as their name, with tunes like ‘Whiplash Crocodile’. Think heavy guitars, heavier drums and a load of sweaty moshers on a party bus to the Amazon. Sometimes you’ve gotta go out with a bang, right?
Last up in our Hockley musical journeys is for the beat making, Stealth going, Electronic music loving amongst you. First up is TWIN KIDD, playing at Jam Cafe at 9pm for Phlexx.TWIN KIDD combine some sick synths with Stef Williamson’s eerie vocals and are basically awesome.
We’re continuing the theme of atmospheric synths with SHELTER POINT next, who are playing at Hockley Arts Club at 9:30pm. SHELTER POINT make banging House music that’s a bit Disclosure meets The xx, hanging out in Amsterdam and makes us wanna dance and cry at the same time (in a good way).
Also playing at 9:30 (so you’ve got a tough choice to make here, soz) are the equally wicked CONGI. The duo were a part of Giles Peterson’s Future Bubblers project and mix Dubstep, Hip Hop, Soul, Grime with an electronic edge that makes your knees drop a few inches when dancing.
Electronic music is bloody cool, but we need a slice of Pop to go with it. That’s why we’re finishing our night with none other than RONIKA, for some of the best in Electro Pop. Imagine if Madonna had a spirit twin from Notts. Yes, exactly. She’s playing at the LeftLion stage at Broadway from 10pm and will be bringing all the disco-y synths and heavy snare drums to bring out the inner 80s kid in anyone. Garish colours and shoulder pads optional.
Hockley
Sunday 8th October
Doors: Music starts from 1pm
Entry: £15 and it’s all for charity
Yours In Love of New Music,
Joti Desour x
