Behind The Scene Gloucestershire Issue 11 September 2014

BEHIND THE SCENE

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Hattie Briggs

Lakefest

2014

Cheltenham

Gig Crawl

Gig Previews

Reviews, opinion

and a gig guide

for September!

Issue #11 September 2014

THE ONLY FREE MAGAZINE

DEDICATED TO MUSIC IN

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

BEHIND THE SCENE GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Great news! From next month, BEHIND THE SCENE GLOUCESTERSHIRE will be

going to print! With the help of the fantastic people at the University of

Gloucestershire, we will be photocopying 1000 copies of the magazine to distribute

all around the county! Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to read the magazine online

too, but now you’ll be able to pick it up at a gig or in a record shop too. We are

over the moon about this but there are going to have to be a few changes over

the next few months as we try to marry the print and online issues. Here’s

what’s changing and staying the same…

Contact via e-mail: [email protected]

Facebook: facebook.com/behindthesceneglos

Website: http://behindthesceneglos.tumblr.com/

Cover photo:

Neville Staple

band at

Lakefest 2014

Issue #11 September 2014

STAYING THE SAME • Enthusiastic writing about Gloucestershire live music – remember that we are the

online free magazine dedicated to Gloucestershire live music.

• The usual mix of interviews, reviews and gig previews.

• The comprehensive gig guide!

• You’ll still be able to read the magazine online.

CH…CH…CH…CHANGES • 1000 photocopied versions of the magazine distributed across Gloucestershire.

• Still loads of great content, just slimmed down into 16 pages. We couldn’t

possibly afford to print 30-40 pages every month without relying on advertising

and charging between £50-£120 per advert! We’ll be more clever with the use of

space/smaller fonts so it won’t make any difference to the reader.

• CHEAPER advertising prices in the online magazine – we really want to encourage

the ‘smaller guys’ like young bands, promoters who do it as a hobby to advertise

with us. You can advertise with us for as little as £2.50 a month!!!

• Advertise in the printed edition! Your choice of full page, half

page or quarter page black & white adverts for CHEAPER than

you will find anywhere. DISCOUNTS for block bookings. All

advertising info is on the next page.

• DEADLINES are changing to enable us to get the print edition

out on time. Flick to the back page to find them for the next

few months. There are 2 deadlines now. The first one gets your

gigs etc in the print (and online) edition, the second one gets

your gigs etc in the online edition. This allows us to get it

printed on time but still gives you guys who are a little less

organised to get your gigs etc into the online mag!

At Behind The Scene Gloucestershire we've been big HATTIE BRIGGS fans for a

while now. Our hearts were warmed on a chilly evening at the Frog & Fiddle in

Cheltenham in March and from then on we knew that her star was just going to

go upwards and upwards. Therefore, with new single 'Old Eyes' ready for release in

September, we caught up with Hattie to discuss her incredible year so far and ask

her if at the moment she's pinching herself at just how well it’s gone?

"Yes, definitely. When I think back to where I was in January when I dropped out

of University to do music full time, it seems like a lifetime ago. So many amazing

things have happened since then."

Her nomination for a Radio 2 Young Folk Award kick started things. Appearances

on Radio 2 and local television followed, culminating at the Royal Albert Hall for

the Folk Awards ceremony itself. "The Young Folk Award competition is one of the

best things that has ever happened to me. I applied on a whim, sent in an MP3,

and the next thing I knew I was on a BBC Folk Award weekend in Cumbria doing

workshops, concerts and meeting some incredibly talented young musicians. I had

an amazing time up there and thankfully my performance at the concert convinced

the judges to make me a nominee."

It was at the awards that Hattie gained inspiration for one of the tracks on her

forthcoming album, a song about Pete Seeger, one of folk music's most influential

figures. Hattie says, "The song 'A Beautiful Mind' was inspired by the words and

performance of Peggy Seeger at the Folk Awards. One thing that she said

particularly stuck in my mind, something like, “Pete always used to say that he

didn't write the songs, he just wrote them down.”

The second line of my song came directly from that idea: "They say the songs you

only wrote them down". Pete had such a great influence on the development of

folk music and what it stood for that it wasn't difficult to find the inspiration for

that song."

It's easy to lump Hattie Briggs into the folk music bracket after her exposure at

the awards and her ability to write simple, honest songs about friends, family and

the events around her. But in reality, her appeal is much broader than that. "I

wouldn't class myself as a folk musician as such, although there are folky elements

to my songs. I would actually say that my interest and understanding of folk has

developed a lot more over the past 8 months than it previously had, due to my

involvement with the BBC Folk Awards. My musical style and tastes are mainly

the result of who I grew up listening to - James Taylor and Eva Cassidy are my

main influences, so I suppose I have my parents to thank for that."

Those musical styles and influences have found their way onto Hattie's debut album

'Red and Gold', which will be released next year. Named after a lyric from an Eva

Cassidy song, the connection does not stop there. "I chose the name because I

think it reflects the warmth of the album as a whole. There will be ten tracks on

the album, mainly new material as well as a couple of covers. One of the covers is

'Fields of Gold', a Sting song which Eva Cassidy famously covered. Eva's brother

Dan Cassidy is featured on the track playing violin, and he also co-produced it."

www.hattiebriggs.co.uk

The album was prepared at Hattie's

grandmother's house in Buckinghamshire and

recorded at several different studios, the

main body of which was done at Monnow

Valley Studios near Monmouth. "I had 3

cellists, and a drummer come in as well as

my producer, and we worked really hard and

had a brilliant time. Alec Dankworth is also

featured on the album, playing double bass."

Funding for the album has partly come about

by Hattie taking to the streets armed with

her guitar and busking to passers by in towns

such as Stroud, Cheltenham and Winchcombe.

She says, "It is great for exposure. I've had

quite a few extra gigs and other

opportunities that have come out of busking.

But most of all it is such good practice for

gig performance. You get instant feedback

and have to engage with your audience like

you would on stage. I am thicker skinned as

well, because no matter what you do, you

always get some odd looks from people."

In the meantime, whilst the album

is in its final stages of production,

Hattie will head off as support on

some of Sam Brookes' tour dates

in October as well as releasing the

single ‘Old Eyes' on September

22nd on iTunes.

CROOKS (Release show)

2 PIGS, CHELTENHAM (Saturday 13th September)

WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT THEN?

Local band play hometown show and

release a release at the same time.

LENGTH OF TIME SINCE THEY’VE

PLAYED LOCALLY: Around 2 years

apparently.

PLEASE PIGEON-HOLE THEM INTO

A GENRE FOR ME: No problem –

‘melodic hardcore.’

ARE THERE SUPPORTS BANDS?

Yes. Milk Teeth & Dreamcatcher.

IN NOVEMBER THEY LEAVE FOR A TOUR IN…Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and

the UK (amongst others). I hope they all have an EHIC card.

SO HOW COME I’VE NOT HEARD OF CROOKS? Probably because you are over 30

and like your music a little less raucous than this.

SAMPLE LYRIC: “How many so called friends will I get through today, Now I don't

understand anything, anything.”

TICKETS: crooksukec.bigcartel.com/product/still-release-show-two-pigs-cheltenham

NEWLOAD 2 – Newent Skate Park Fundraiser

GEORGE HOTEL, NEWENT (Saturday 6th September)

WHERE’S NEWENT? 8 miles from

Gloucester on the edge of the Forest.

HOW MANY BANDS ARE PLAYING?

Approximately 10 of the best rock and

metal bands from Gloucestershire and

beyond such as: Staring Out The Sun, The

Phaze, Oakhaart, ASCARIS and Michigan

Avenue.

HEADLINED BY: Fighting Wolves, a classic

rock band from London.

WHAT TIME DOES IT START AND HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? The first band

are on at midday and tickets are £6 in advance or £8 on the door. There’s also a

raffle: top prize is an Old Nicks Tattoo shop voucher.

SOME FAMOUS SKATEBOARDERS: Rodney Mullen, Rob Dyrdek and Tony Hawk.

DIDN’T THAT LAST GUY TRAVEL AROUND IRELAND WITH A FRIDGE? No, that

was Tony Hawks.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: https://www.facebook.com/newload01

…IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE with LEE CHAOS

BEST KEPT SECRET…

I'm gonna blow my own trumpet and say that my favourite night is my own -

JUDDER! - which we've been running for more than 10 years now. We run it on

the first Friday of the month at the 2 Pigs and it's consistently the best

atmosphere of any club night in town. We've seen a real resurgence in its

popularity of late so maybe it won't stay secret for very much longer.

ONE THING YOU WOULD CHANGE ABOUT MUSIC…

Following on from the above comment, it really surprises me how few new up

and coming promoters there are. Younger people seem happy to consume what

older folks are putting on for them, but the environment is ripe for some young

entrepreneurs to put on fresh new nights that blow some of the cobwebs away!

LAST GIG YOU WENT TO…

It was the Bleephaus all-dayer we ran at Grumpy Whiskers - a brilliant day of

music and building electronics. That place will be sadly missed in Cheltenham, and

I really hope somewhere else similar can be found in town soon.

FAVOURITE BAND/MUSICIAN…

Lots to choose from! I'm particularly enjoying the work of Dan & Danny,

collectively as Brown Torpedo, and separately as Party Levitation and Tragedy

Magnet respectively, and also DJing the utterly insane Meme Machine nights at

2 Pigs - their work ethic is a real inspiration to me..

FAVOURITE VENUE/PUB...

2 Pigs wins for me because

they've been so supportive

of all my ridiculous schemes

in the past! We really are

very fortunate in

Gloucestershire though - the

Frog & Fiddle is an

exceptional small venue, and

the Guildhall in Gloucester

punches well above its

weight, in part I think due

to its amazing crew of staff

- some of the best I've ever

worked with.

Continued on the next page

BEST GIG YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO…

If I was forced to pick a favourite at

gunpoint I'd say Julian Cope at the

Guildhall - at one point Julian left the

stage and was roaming round the

audience singing, but I couldn't see him.

Then he tapped me on the shoulder...

Honourable mention goes to The

Program Initiative who have put on a

world class show on three occasions at

the 2 Pigs. Can't wait for them to

debut their new project.

BEST THING ABOUT MUSIC…

It's small enough and friendly enough

that if you want to make something

happen, you can - it's not a struggle to

find venues and there are mercifully few

politics between venues in town. All the

venues are really approachable and open

to experimenting with new music and

ideas for nights.

GIVE YOURSELF A PLUG…

At the moment I'm DJing and

promoting JUDDER! [ www.judder.org]

and also performing as temp0rary

[www.temp0rary.com]. I also run

occasional electronics workshops and gigs

under the name Bleephaus

[www.bleephaus.co.uk] and run music

workshops too - see www.leechaos.co.uk

for everything else I do, and have done

in the past!

FOLK IN A BOX

KINGSWALK SHOPPING

CENTRE, GLOUCESTER

SATURDAY 27th

SEPTEMBER

WHOSE BRIGHT IDEA IS THIS?

It’s the brainchild of Stroud musician

Emily Barker and Dom Coyote.

HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN FIT IN THE

BOX?

Only 2 – just you and the performer.

IS IT REALLY THE WORLD’S

SMALLEST VENUE?

Yes, if it was any smaller it would hold

only 1 person and you can’t perform to

or watch yourself.

DO I NEED TO BOOK?

Nope, just turn up, join the queue and

be entertained. You get to listen to one

song by one performer in the box. It all

kicks off at 1pm.

WHO IS PLAYING?

Chris T-T, Gill Sandell, Tom Mitchell,

Dan Hartland, Edd Donovan, Men

Diamler, Harry Harris, Stylusboy and

John D Revelator.

WHERE ELSE HAS THE BOX BEEN?

Sydney, Venice and London (amongst

others). Gloucester is in good company.

I’M CLAUSTRAPHOBIC: Best step away

from the box then.

CHELTENHAM GIG CRAWL 08.08.14

A little while ago, The Cheltenham Underground (one of Cheltenham’s many

excellent promoters) had a bit of a rant on their Facebook page after the closures

of G’s Bar and Grumpy Whiskers Coffee Shop. To summarise, it reminded everyone

that buying tickets, turning up to gigs and purchasing a drink are three easy ways

to sustain live music events in Cheltenham.

As a result, every Tom, Dick and Harry bashed away at their keyboards for an

evening to have their say on why the music scene in Cheltenham is a) shitter than

it used to be or b) still as shit as it’s always been. Such prudent observations

included: “There aren’t any good bands that play in Cheltenham anymore.”

“Cheltenham for music is a waste of time unless you're into reggae, pop punk or

indie and I hate all of them!” “Maybe the right bands just aren't playing, I don't

buy that people are stingy with money as the whole reason.” (This could be a valid

point). However, my all-time favourite was – “It's because it's music that people

don't like.” You just can’t argue with logic like that.

So, armed with that knowledge, I decided to check out what Cheltenham has to

offer on one randomly picked night in August. I went to five gigs, bought a drink in

each venue and paid the asking price to get in. I then judged each one against these

four factors picked from the above quotes.

1) Are the bands any good? 2) Is it reggae, pop punk or indie?

3) Are people being stingy with money? 4) Is it music that people don’t like?

Call it an experiment, if you like. Here are the results…

To be honest, gig #1 is always going to get the

short straw. It’s 8.15, people are still drinking

cheap supermarket cans of lager at home and

watching reality TV programmes. But experienced

local musician Colin Hartley is already set up in

the corner and playing when we arrive at his

regular Friday night gig at The Bell Inn. Under

the moniker of Fred Robert’s Family, he duets

with his son on a mix of originals and covers

(such as Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Hurt’). There are some

young lads on bar stools who have shots lined up

and tuck into bags of pork scratchings. One has

his eyes seemingly transfixed on Colin throughout.

But, when I check again later, it just seems he is

staring at the TV screen on the wall behind the

band as it’s showing the first football match of

the season. Most people are chatting away but

have one ear out for the music.

Gig #1 – Gig With A Guest at The Bell Inn

At 9 o’clock I hot foot it to the 2 Pigs, a

venue fairly unique in that it lets in under-

18’s on a regular basis. On the door I pay

the cover charge and receive an actual ticket

made of actual paper – quite the novelty in

2014. This is what I like about the 2 Pigs.

It feels like a proper venue. There are stage

lights, graffiti in the toilets and a band

setting up. As I buy a pint at the bar, it

dawns on me that some of the youngsters

in here tonight were probably still in nappies

when I first went to the 2 Pigs. As the

band start their set, there aren’t many

people watching them – a gaggle of

teenagers (I’m not entirely sure what the

collective term is) just kind of linger in the

street. But slowly, like the Pied Piper, the

band entices more and more people through

the door as their set goes on by the

magical power of music. The trio play

dancey, upbeat indie and the frontman is

the main focal point. I enjoy their set so

much that I forget that I’m meant to be

at The Cotswold by 9.30 to maintain my

tight schedule, so I leave during the last

song and make a mental note that I can

put Loic in the ‘solid local band that my

girlfriend would like’ category.

The pub has 20-odd people in it and more are arriving all of the time. They clap a

little after each song. I get the feeling that Colin (and his son) have enough songs

up their sleeve to keep this going for a few more hours yet and the pub is going

to fill up with a Friday night pub crowd.

Are the bands any

good?

Yes, 2 musicians who can seamlessly move from covers to

originals and with enough character to keep a room

entertained on a Friday night.

Is it reggae, pop punk

or indie?

None of the above.

Are people being stingy

with money?

Not at all. Most have a pint or glass of wine in their hand

(except for me – I only have a half as tonight is a

marathon, not a sprint)

Is it music that people

don’t like?

No – it’s honest, acoustic singer-songwriter stuff.

Gig #2 – Loic at The 2 Pigs

Are the

bands any

good?

Yes, 8/10 – would watch

again.

Is it

reggae, pop

punk or

indie?

You could definitely call

this band indie, but the

rest of the bill is mixed.

Are people

being stingy

with

money?

They’ve all paid £3 or

£4 to get in and there’s

about 30 people in there

for the second band out

of four. Not many have

drinks in their hands, but

I guess that paper round

wages are still pretty

miserly.

Is it music

that people

don’t like?

No – it’s as accessible as

a guitar band can get.

It’s now gone 10pm and I’m running late. I walk past the chip shop on St Paul’s

Road at some pace and can hear the music coming from St Paul’s Tavern, slap

bang in the middle of Cheltenham’s student area. Another covers duo are playing

(named Pink Flamingo), but this time they do a more eclectic mix such as

Rhiannon, Four Non Blondes (younger readers, ask your parents) and Radiohead.

Again, like with all the gigs I’ve been to so far tonight, there aren’t more than 30

people in here but those who are in the bar are in that warm, fuzzy drinking stage

and do the loudest and best clapping I hear all night. There’s a friendly vibe in the

pub, the band are enjoying themselves and a few sing-alongs break out. And that

Radiohead cover is special…so fucking special.

I get to the Cotswold Inn and, not for the first time tonight, the bands are

untangling leads and plugging in microphones as I walk in. The crowd is a little bit

sparse and it’s difficult to tell who is there for the music and who is just there

for a Friday night pint with their mates. I buy a half of Old Rosie cider to help

the local economy and bump into Emi McDade who is playing later on. The band

start soon after – it’s a male keyboard/vocal cover duo and they play covers like

‘Billie Jean’ to polite applause.

Gig #3 – Unplugged Underground at Cotswold Inn

Are the bands

any good?

Better than your Uncle on the upright

piano after a few brandies at a

Christening, but not quite Rick Wakeman.

Is it reggae,

pop punk or

indie?

It’s covers. I didn’t hear any UB40, Green

Day or Arctic Monkeys, but I was only

there for half an hour.

Are people

being stingy

with money?

Nope. Again, plenty of drinks are being

bought and it’s free to get it in.

Is it music

that people

don’t like?

They play covers, so it’s not necessarily

for those looking to watch original songs

played by bands at a gig in a venue.

Gig #4 – Pink Flamingo at St Paul’s Tavern

Are the bands any good? Yes, one of the better local cover acts.

Is it reggae, pop punk or

indie?

A variety of covers, well picked and appealing to the

20-30 somethings.


with money?

It’s free entry to the pub and it looks like the table

behind me are trying to drink their weight in alcohol, so

no, they aren’t.


don’t like?

Nope, if you’re happy to listen to some modern covers

then you’ll definitely like this.

Finally, I’m on the home straight. The Frog & Fiddle is the biggest of the places

I’ve been tonight and it’s definitely the busiest. There are probably around a

hundred people in the Barn (the room at the back of the pub that hosts the gigs)

and they’ve all paid to get in. Waiting For Kate (or Skankt if you’re as old as me)

are playing upbeat ska and people spill their drinks as they dance. I chat to the

promoters (The Cheltenham Underground) and it seems the place has been busy all

night, right from the first local support. This is what we want, isn’t it

Cheltenham? But you know, Rome wasn’t built in a day and Caesar didn’t gather

his troops to invade Britain by sending all of his friends an event invite on

Facebook. It takes a lot of time and effort to get your gigs busy like this.

Granted, ska, reggae or blues might not be your thing but tonight is proof that it

is possible to get 100 people to pay to watch a gig in Cheltenham. Who’d have

thought it?

Now, when shall we do it all again?

Gig # 5 – Waiting For Kate at Frog & Fiddle

Are the bands any good? They are quality, like a bottle of red from 1982.

Is it reggae, pop punk or

indie?

Unashamedly reggae.


with money?

No, they’ve paid £4 to get in and are visiting the bar

like it’s about to disappear into some kind of sink hole

in the next five minutes.


don’t like?

Well, Bob Marley gained a fairly good following from

playing reggae so someone must like it.

BEHIND THE SCENE GLOUCESTERSHIRE RECOMMENDS…

HEG & THE WOLF CHORUS September 27th

Subscription Rooms, Stroud

ERICA September 12th

SMV Subtone, Cheltenham

ALEYCE SIMMONDS September 14th

Cross Keys Inn, Gloucester

THEE ONES September 12th

Miners Arms, Whitecroft

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=PddEuILB42oZxM&tbnid=7NyuouRNErK1gM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://dartmusicfestival.blogspot.com/2013/03/heg-and-wolf-chorus.html&ei=iksAVID5PMGX1AWfrIHgBg&bvm=bv.74115972,d.d2s&psig=AFQjCNF9cHbJcdFFEkmLJRZa5JLFzl-Agw&ust=1409391845099388

GLOUCESTERSHIRE GIG GUIDE FOR SEPTEMBER

Date Bands Venue Town Genre

1st Indigo Kings Daffodil Cheltenham Jazz Swing

1st Club Django Miners Arms Whitecroft Gypsy Jazz

2nd Acoustic Open Mic St Paul’s

Tavern

Cheltenham Open Mic

2nd Le Skeleton Band Prince Albert Stroud Experimental

3rd Lewis Creaven Café Rene Gloucester Blues Rock

3rd Acoustic Night with Gordon

Wood

Bayshill Cheltenham Acoustic

3rd Open Mic Cross Keys Inn Gloucester Open Mic

4th Still Bust (EP launch),

Retarded Fish, Steo Asisde,

Sharkface, The Uncharted

Secret Show

(dressdowngets

[email protected]

om for venue

information)

Gloucester Rock

Hardcore

4th Rob Heron & The Tea Pad

Orchestra

Prince Albert Stroud Roots Folk

4th Full Band Open Mic St Paul’s

Tavern

Cheltenham Open Mic

4th Open Mic Restoration Cheltenham Open Mic

4th Open Mic The Quaich Cheltenham Open Mic

4th Laura Williams The Tavern Cheltenham Solo

5th Open Mic Miners Arms Whitecroft Open Mic

5th Which One’s Gerry? Globe Stonehouse Covers

5th Toyah: Up Close & Personal Subscription

Rooms

Stroud Pop classics

5th Secret Affair Guildhall Gloucester Mod revival

5th Heartless Hero, Standing To

Fall, Kintsugi

Subtone Cheltenham Rock

Alternative

5th Gareth Gates Tithe Barn Bishops Cleeve Failed Pop

Idol

5th Busk Off Six Degrees Of

Separation

Cheltenham Open Mic

5th Fred Roberts’ Family Bell Inn Cheltenham Acoustic


5th Richard O’Brien Project Café Rene Gloucester Funk Soul

5th Burlesque Night Brunswick Gloucester Burlesque

5th Kickback Queen Vic Stroud Rock & Pop

6th Racketeers Queen Vic Stroud Rock

6th NWC – The Establishment Club

House Band

Prince Albert Stroud Soul

6th Toadstool Miners Arms Whitecroft Classic Rock

6th Black Forge, Rollin’ Sixes Vaults Cirencester Rock Metal

6th Fred Roberts’ Family Northleach

Steam and

Vintage Show

Northleach Acoustic

6th 3Sixty, Stone Cold Killers Two Rivers Cheltenham Rock Metal

6th Valis Ablaze, Sleep Inertia,

Virtue In Vain, Samsara, Thieves

Amongst Men, Broken Tusk

2 Pigs Cheltenham Metal

Hardcore

6th Magic of Motown Subscription

Rooms

Stroud Motown

6th Street Festival feat: Spunge,

Check Da Cone, Scene Of My

Demise, Gas Attack, KSH & The

Going Goods, The Furtive

(2pm)

St Paul’s

Tavern

Cheltenham Festival

6th Kickback Bayshill Cheltenham Covers

6th Darran McDonnell, Daniel

Keicher and Josh McDonnell

Subtone Cheltenham Acoustic

6th The Bridge Charlton Kings

Club

Cheltenham Covers

6th Sandy Ford Albion House Cheltenham Rock & Roll

6th John-Paul Gard Hammond Trio

(12pm)

Daffodil Cheltenham Organ

6th The Big 4 Tribute Band Brunswick Gloucester Heavy Metal

6th Spiral Dive, Burnthru,

Beggarman’s Beard

Lower George

Inn

Gloucester Rock Metal

6th Bad Dads Brewery Stroud Folk

Bluegrass

6th Mambo Mamba SVA Stroud World Jazz



6th Skatepark Fundraiser feat:

Michigan Avenue, Plane Crasher,

The Phaze, Ironbird, Thorun,

The Bitter-Town Hounds,

Oakhaart, Staring Out The Sun,

Fighting Wolves (12pm)

George Hotel Newent Rock Metal

7th Tobias Robertson Railway Inn Newnham Soul Funk

7th Aleyce Simmonds Convent Stroud Country

7th Ian Higgott (3.30pm) Albion House Cheltenham Solo singer

7th Open Mic Cotswold Inn Cheltenham Open Mic

7th JC Big Band (2.30pm) Exmouth Arms Cheltenham Jazz

7th Altan Tithe Barn Bishops Cleeve Irish

8th Josephine Arthur Quartet Daffodil Cheltenham Jazz

9th Acoustic Open Mic St Paul’s

Tavern

Cheltenham Open Mic

9th The Black Feathers Roses Theatre Tewkesbury Folk

10th Gloucester Acoustic Showcase Café Rene Gloucester Acoustic

10th Drawing Of The Three, Hattie

Briggs

Bayshill Cheltenham Acoustic

10th Open Mic Cross Keys Inn Gloucester Open Mic

10th Kim Cypher Quartet Theoc House Tewkesbury Jazz

11th Open Mic Bream Sports

Club

Bream Open Mic


Tavern

Cheltenham Open Mic



12th Jibbafish Queen Vic Stroud Rock covers

12th The Keith Thompson Band New Brewery

Arts

Cirencester Blues Rock

12th Café Continental Café Rene Gloucester Rock


12th Gig With A Guest: Fred

Roberts’ Family, The

Hawthornes

Bell Inn Cheltenham Acoustic

12th Various bands/musicians Cross Keys Inn Gloucester Singer

songwriter

12th The Burning Glass, Jono & The

UKE Dealers, UkeJunkies

Frog & Fiddle Cheltenham Folk Ukulele

12th Erica, Man Make Fire SMV Subtone Cheltenham Indie Rock

12th Synergy Exmouth Arms Cheltenham Mediterranea

n

12th The Timbres Cotswold Inn Cheltenham Piano Vocal

Covers

12th Which One’s Gerry New Inn Gloucester Covers

12th Thee Ones Railway Inn Newnham R&B


Separation

Cheltenham Open Mic

12th Jennifer T Green Dragon Cowley Solo

13th Tripwire Miners Arms Whitecroft Rock

13th The Cuginis SMV Subtone Cheltenham Ska covers

13th Nice & Sleazy Bayshill Cheltenham Rock Covers

13th Stalker Charlton Kings

Club

Cheltenham Covers

13th Captain Accident & The

Disasters (TBC)

St Paul’s

Tavern

Cheltenham Ska

13th Crooks, Milk Teeth,

Dreamcatcher

2 Pigs Cheltenham Melodic

Hardcore

13th Wizards Of Oz (Ozzy Osbourne) Two Rivers Cheltenham Tribute

13th Good God No Queen Vic Stroud Pop covers

13th Anya Foull Trio (12pm) Daffodil Cheltenham Jazz

13th Scarlet Soho Brunswick Gloucester Electronic

13th Riff Raff (AC/DC), Kaideka,

Smackhandle, Paraletica

Lower George

Inn

Gloucester Tribute

13th George Montague Convent Stroud Modern Jazz

13th Retro Globe Stonehouse Rock Pop

covers


13th Jennifer T Nags Head Longhope Solo

13th Huttstock feat: Robert Singer

featuring Gary & his Big Stealth

Band, Leon Daye , Audio

Violation

Barn Theatre Cirencester Festival

13th Which One’s Gerry? Five Alls Cheltenham Covers

14th Aleyce Simmonds Cross Keys Inn Gloucester Country

14th Which One’s Gerry? (3.30pm) Albion House Cheltenham Covers

14th No Parkin Blues Band

(12.30pm)

Miners Hall Cinderford Blues


14th Open Mic Railway Inn Newnham Open Mic

15th Roy Forbes Quartet Daffodil Cheltenham Jazz Blues


Tavern

Cheltenham Open Mic

17th Brother, Listen Café Rene Gloucester Alternative

Acoustic

17th Paul Newman Jam Night Bayshill Cheltenham Acoustic

17th Life O’Reilly Folk Jam The Royal Charlton

Kings

Irish Folk


18th Ash Mandrake Prince Albert Stroud Exoerimental


Tavern

Cheltenham Open Mic


18th Musiclab Open Mic Guildhall Gloucester Open Mic

18th John Street Blues SVA Stroud Blues


19th Reloaded Anchor Tewkesbury Covers

19th Luke Doughty Band Queen Vic Stroud Blues Covers

19th Funky Jets SMV Subtone Cheltenham Funk Covers

19th Kaz Hawkins Vonnie’s Blues

Club

Charlton

Kings

Blues


19th Hard Stairs, Them Spitfires,

Damon T & Luke Philbrick

2 Pigs Cheltenham Blues Rock

19th Live music (Talk Like A Pirate

Day)

Cross Keys Inn Gloucester Singalongs

19th Velvet Love & The Memphis

One

Exmouth Arms Cheltenham Covers

19th The Toasters Guildhall Gloucester Ska Reggae


Separation

Cheltenham Open Mic


Roberts’ Family, Chris Davidson


19th Open Mic Miners Arms Whitecroft Open Mic

19th TBC Café Rene Gloucester ???

19th Sarah Jane Morris & The

African Project

Convent Stroud World

20th Ventafest feat: This Ship is

Ours, Tempest, Reign Of

Perdition, Valis Ablaze, We

Define A Martyr, Goodnight

Harvey, SharkFace, Roads To

Nowhere, Heaven Asunder

(2pm)

Brunswick Gloucester Rock Metal

Festival

20th The Black Pearls Miners Arms Whitecroft Covers

20th Devon Cassells Railway Inn Newnham Acoustic

20th Inbetween Days Globe Stonehouse Rock Mod

Covers

20th Who’s Next (The Who) Subscription

Rooms

Stroud Tribute

20th Cryostorm, Death Bullet, We

Come From Ashes, Alien Stash

Tin

Lower George

Inn

Gloucester Rock Metal

20th CODY Victoria Inn Brockworth Covers

20th Andy Nowak Trio (12pm) Daffodil Cheltenham Pianist

20th Koheesion Albion House Cheltenham Party band

PLEASE CHECK WITH THE VENUE BEFORE YOU TRAVEL

AS THINGS OFTEN CHANGE AT THE LAST MINUTE!


20th Freefall, Tripwire, Born At The

River, Jay Mansfield

2 Pigs Cheltenham Pop Punk

20th Jennifer T Soldiers &

Sailors

Cinderford Solo

20th Keith Thompson Band SMV Subtone Cheltenham Blues Rock

20th Annette Berlin Prince Albert Stroud Post Rock

20th Frogfest Frog & Fiddle Cheltenham Festival

20th Two Anchors Brewery Stroud Sea shanties

20th Michigan Avenue Bayshill Cheltenham Blues Rock

20th Chris Hannis Charlton Kings

Club

Cheltenham Solo singer

20th Fallingham Fair Convent Stroud Folk

20th Larry Miller Band Guildhall Gloucester Rock

21st Sam Nolan (3.30pm) Albion House Cheltenham Solo singer

21st Open Mic Cotswold Inn Cheltenham Open Mic

21st Mick Ryan & Paul Downes Miners Arms Whitecroft Folk

21st Ultimate Eagles Town Hall Cheltenham Tribute

21st The Little Unsaid Prince Albert Stroud Music poetry

22nd Queen Extravaganza Town Hall Cheltenham Tribute

22nd Sarah Smith Quartet Daffodil Cheltenham Gypsy Jazz

23rd Acoustic Open Mic St Paul’s

Tavern

Cheltenham Open Mic

23rd Baroque Night Prince Albert Stroud Baroque

24th Jazz Club with Mrs Peel Theoc House Tewkesbury Jazz

24th Warren James Café Rene Gloucester Skiffle Blues

24th Johnny Duff’s Open Mic Night Bayshill Cheltenham Open Mic



Tavern

Cheltenham Open Mic





25th The South Guildhall Gloucester Pop

25th Open Mic Berkeley Arms Tewkesbury Open Mic

26th King Solomon Café Rene Gloucester Reggae Ska

26th Lonesome Crow Queen Vic Stroud Rock Covers


Roberts’ Family, Bill Bond



Separation

Cheltenham Open Mic

26th Memphis Cross Keys Inn Gloucester Americana

26th Jasper In The Company Of

Others

SMV Subtone Cheltenham Folk Pop

26th The Rebecca Downes Blues Band New Brewery

Arts

Cirencester Blues

26th Darren Eedens Convent Stroud Folk

Bluegrass

26th Bad Dads Black Horse Inn Nibley Rock covers

26th Shadowflag, Lord Misery,

Raptorgeist

Frog & Fiddle Cheltenham Metal

26th Open Mic Miners Hall Cinderford Open Mic

26th Dallahan Prince Albert Stroud Irish

27th A Design For Life (Manic Street

Preachers)

SMV Subtone Cheltenham Tribute

27th When We Were Wolves, The

Valiant, Prolong The Agony,

Crown Me King, Within These

Walls, I’m The Envy

2 Pigs Cheltenham Metal

Hardcore

27th Jennifer T King’s Arms Ross-On-Wye Solo

27th Which One’s Gerry? Woolpack Stonehouse Covers

27th Marley Railway Inn Newnham Acoustic

covers

27th Binomial Globe Stonehouse Synth-Pop

Covers

27th Tundra Albion House Cheltenham Rock covers



27th Thunderstruck (AC/DC), The

Kings Of Madness

Hillview Music

Venue

Cheltenham Tribute

27th Folk Festival –

Session 1: Folklaw, Cottillion,

The Willows.

Session 2: Heg & The Wolf

Chorus, Chris Cleverly, Lady

Maisery.

Session 3: Black Feathers, Folk

Award Winners, Jim Moray.

Subscription

Rooms

Stroud Folk

27th The Godseys Miners Arms Whitecroft Americana

27th Lost Monkey Queen Vic Stroud Pop Covers

27th Black Forge, Rolling Sixes,

Breaking Illusion

Two Rivers Cheltenham Rock Metal

27th Underground Festival Guildhall Gloucester Festival

27th Remy Harris Trio (12pm) Daffodil Cheltenham Gypsy Jazz

28th Irish Acoustic Night with Tim

Potts

Crown &

Sceptre

Stroud Irish

28th Shayne Bee (3.30pm) Albion House Cheltenham Vocal

Guitarist


28th Underground Festival Guildhall Gloucester Festival

29th Catherine Sykes Quartet Daffodil Cheltenham Blues Jazz


Tavern

Cheltenham Open Mic

30th Jess Klein, Mike June Prince Albert Stroud Folk Country

IF YOUR GIG ISN’T LISTED IT’S BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T SEND IT

TO ME! HERE’S MY E-MAIL FOR NEXT MONTH…

[email protected]

If you use our gig guide to inform your website, radio show, blog

etc, then we’d love for you to give us a credit. It’ll make the hours

spent collating it worth it and spread the word that little further!

DEADLINES ARE ON THE BACK PAGE OF THE MAGAZINE

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=55_Fs10w64aVmM&tbnid=_pHFVhMkSGxhjM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.123rf.com/photo_3640107_golden-ticket-for-an-event-on-a-black-background.html&ei=QUIDU6GoIMSe0QWHx4DAAg&bvm=bv.61535280,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNHxX2eloHQ58BPI6DzR8eSCUAXe_w&ust=1392808882970648

LAKEFEST Croft Farm Waterpark, Tewkesbury (10.08.14)

As I arrive at LAKEFEST, I imagine this is what the end of the world will look like.

Rain is falling relentlessly and has been all night. Men and women are loading their

cars up with sopping tents, sodden children and enough cereal bars to keep them

going when they encounter that inevitable traffic jam on the M5. With cars fit to

burst, the men turn the ignition on and put their foot down through the mud

that is threatening to turn the car park entrance into Woodstock 1969. Yet, some

hardy souls stick around, as they know that Nostradamus wasn’t always right and

Noah hasn’t been called to build an ark in Tewkesbury just yet. Today is the final

day of LAKEFEST and although some festival goers choose to leave a day early

because Hurricane Bertha has decided to empty herself over the southern half of

the country in one sweeping gesture, others are made of tougher stuff and stick

around to the end – apocalypse or no apocalypse. Here’s what we thought…

SET OF THE DAY:

GAZ BROOKFIELD - This is what

The Levellers would sound like if

Frank Turner was singing for

them whilst simultaneously

reading from Gaz’s diary. ‘Black

Dog Days’ and ‘Be The Bigger

Man’ deal with the trials of

depression and bullying, whilst a

tent silencing rendition of ‘Tell It

To The Beer’ sums up the hopes

and dreams of a young musician

whose band was never going to

make it. Mums and dads do some

embarrassing ‘mum and dad

dancing’ as the fiddle takes

charge of the more up-tempo

songs. After nearly 1000 gigs,

Gaz just keeps getting better and

better.

OTHER NOTABLE BAND MENTIONS:

CHEVY CHASE STOLE MY WIFE - terrible

name, but utterly enchanting slices of

innocent late 90’s Britpop somewhere

between Sleeper and Kenickie.

EDD DONOVAN & THE WANDERING MOLES

playing dreamy folk to a flagging, late Sunday

afternoon crowd who listened mostly whilst

lying down in the Floating Globe tent. It

seems that three days of drinking your body

weight in cider really can take its toll.

RELIEF OF THE DAY:

That the few small children on

the teacups did not take off into

the stratosphere as strong gusts

of wind blew across the on-site

fairground mid-afternoon.



YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN:

AARON YORKE - Beautiful keyboard ballads from the likeable AARON YORKE in a

sparsely populated BBC Hereford & Worcester Introducing tent. If he was appearing

on X-Factor on a Saturday night then the whole family would let out a little

“wow” and then reach for their phones to cast a vote for him.

THE PERFECT BAND FOR A FESTIVAL:

THE ROVING CROWS – Mixing traditional and original Celtic music might have first

been done by the Pogues thirty years ago, but there isn’t a better band in the

country than Gloucestershire’s THE ROVING CROWS for whipping up a festival

crowd.

‘OH, THAT’S A SHAME’ OF THE

DAY:

Mumbled apologies from PHONEYS

& THE FREAKS for Bonehead’s

non-appearance on guitar for their

set (something about the former

Oasis man falling ill and/or being in

Spain). To be honest, lead singer

Alex Lipinski’s vocals made up for

it by being reminiscent of all those

90’s indie bands you used to love,

and the bass player looked a bit

like Bonehead anyway if you

squinted a bit and tilted your

head to one side.

www.lakefest2015.co.uk

GUILTY PLEASURE:

DR & THE MEDICS – Cheesy 70’s and 80’s pop covers, outrageous costumes and

cringe worthy dancing put a smile on the faces of parents who’d spent the previous

3 days in a field with no access to CBeebies.

BEST KEPT SECRET:

THE SALAM TENT – Tucked away in the corner, the Salam Tent had live

performances, fresh pizzas and nice, dry hay bales to sit on. Pizza orders were

shouted out between songs and a spot of dancing warmed the bits a hot cup of

tea couldn’t get to.

SAME AGAIN NEXT YEAR?

For sure. Lakefest has a little bit of something for everyone.

Edd Donovan & The Wandering Moles at

Lakefest Photo credit: Jess Jones Photography

…IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE with BENITA JOHNSON

FAVOURITE VENUE/PUB...

I've been running live music on the last

Sunday afternoon of each month at Black

Book Cafe in Stroud - mostly singer-

songwriter stuff, really wide-ranging in

style. Amazingly supportive audience,

interesting setting and somehow - it

works. I'm quitting now to go to

Brighton but the music there will

continue. We've had some awesome acts

on, free to the audience and at times

the place has been bursting at the

seams. It's felt like a real privilege to

have been a part of that and provide

some funky music for folks who don't

always get out of an evening.

LAST GIG YOU WENT TO…

Poetry gig featuring Johnny Fluffypunk,

Matt Harvey and the most awesome

comic-tragic performance ever from an

Aussie called Wil Greenway (at Edinburgh

Fringe 2014). This was recently at SVA

in Stroud.

BEST THING ABOUT MUSIC…

Your listings! Local rag listings have not

been adequately helping or representing

the music scene until now. You're all

about the music and that's much needed

GIVE YOURSELF A PLUG…

Well, my website is

www.benitajohnson.co.uk and you'll find

my profiles everywhere on Facebook,

Reverbnation, MySpace, Linked In ...

some I've forgotten. I'm a gigging singer-

songwriter, event promoter, manager and

teacher too. I have loved being in

Gloucestershire for the short 3 year spell

I've lived here. Off to pastures new now,

but I'll still be around. Support your local

music scene!

FAVOURITE BAND/MUSICIAN…

Ben Maggs.

BEST GIG YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO…

Fundraising gig at Under The Edge Arts

in Wotton a couple of years ago. Ben

Maggs was playing.

BEST KEPT SECRET…

Stroud. It's pretty rich in musical folks

and folks into music. For a small place

it's got a lot going on and still plenty

of audience to go around.

ONE THING YOU WOULD CHANGE

ABOUT MUSIC…

It would be nice to see more going on in

Cheltenham and Gloucester, and people

daring to be different in terms of what

they're prepared to book. Gig scenes can

get a bit formulaic, and if the scene is

small to start with this means it never

gets the chance to grow.

THE BURNING GLASS

FROG & FIDDLE,

CHELTENHAM

FRIDAY 12th SEPTEMBER

ALSO ON THE BILL:

Jono & The Uke Dealers (a 4 piece

ukulele band from Northampton) and

Ukejunkies (a duo from Cheltenham).

PRICE: 6 of your English pounds.

FOR FANS OF: Folk music, ukuleles and

George Formby.

WHERE CAN I LISTEN TO THEIR

MUSIC?

http://theburningglass.bandcamp.com/

THEY DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS:

“Story telling star gazing ukulele agit-

pop.”

WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?

I have no idea.

WHY ARE UKULELES SO POPULAR

NOW?

Because they are just so tiny. And they

come in a variety of colours like pink

and blue.

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

Glass cannot actually burn, it just

melts.

TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM:

https://www.wegottickets.com/event/27

9533

ANNETTE BERLIN

PRINCE ALBERT, STROUD

20th SEPTEMBER

WHO’S IN THIS BAND THEN?

Guitarist/vocalist Annette Berlin and

drummer Keith Hall.

SO KIND OF LIKE A REVERSE WHITE

STRIPES? If you like.

WHERE ARE THEY FROM? Bristol.

GENRE: Filthy, grungy post-rock.

IF YOU LIKE PJ HARVEY: Then you’ll

also like Annette Berlin.

I’VE NEVER BEEN TO THE PRINCE

ALBERT BEFORE: The atmosphere is

relaxed, the music is always carefully

chosen and you’ll probably spot Stroud

musical types at the bar.

HOW DO I GET THERE? Drive up

Rodborough Hill and you will see it on

the corner. Walk up Rodborough Hill

and you’ll get all hot and sweaty

before the gig has even begun.

IS THERE AN ENTRY FEE? It’s free

to get in, but have some change

handy in case they pass a jug around

for the musicians.

The Mystery Train Radio show on Severn FM

Every Sunday from 10.00pm-12.00am, THE MYSTERY TRAIN RADIO SHOW

plays host to the best local and national songwriters, old and new.

If you miss the show then you can catch up by visiting Severn FM’s ‘Listen

Again’ facility.

http://www.severnfm.com/ http://www.themysterytrainradioshow.com

10th August 2014

Hattie Briggs, Old Eyes (Single) www.hattiebriggs.co.uk/

Sundae Club, Everything is Fine (Single) www.facebook.com/sundaeclub

Vena Portae, Before The Winter Came (Vena Portae) www.venaportae.net/

GLOUCESTERSHIRE ACTS PLAYED ON THE MYSTERY

TRAIN RADIO SHOW IN AUGUST…

24th August 2014

Vena Portae, Flames and Fury (Vena Portae) www.venaportae.net/

Hattie Briggs, Old Eyes (Single) www.hattiebriggs.co.uk/

17th August2014

Edd Donovan And The Wandering Moles, The Stone 4:38 (The Stone EP)

www.edddonovan.co.uk/

Drawing Of The Three, Ashes (Broken Walls) www.drawingofthethree.co.uk/

31st August 2014

Dan Hartland, Young Man’s Game (Young Man’s Game)

www.danhartland.com/

Edd Donovan And The Wandering Moles, It Must Be Love (The Stone EP)

www.edddonovan.co.uk/

Dear Behind The Scene Gloucestershire,

Why don’t bands like to be pigeon-holed? My boyfriend’s band sound just like

Nirvana (they even do a cover of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’) yet he gets angry

when I call them a ‘grunge’ band. He prefers the term, ‘Post-fuzzy-apocolyptic-

90’s-garage-hardcore.’ Or even worse, he says that they have such diverse

influences that they can’t be pigeon-holed.

Yours,

Sarah

Dear Sarah,

I sympathise. Boys in bands like to think that the music they are making is

wholly unique and original. But in reality, they are probably using the same four

chords and verse-chorus-verse structure as every other band out there. Oasis

copied the Beatles and Bob Dylan just rehashed Woody Guthrie’s songs. They are

all at it! In truth, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of pigeon-holing as it helps

ordinary people like you or I decide whether to watch or listen to a band. But

for the sake of your relationship, just leave him be and let him have his way.

Thanks for writing in,

BTS Glos

Dear Behind The Scene Gloucestershire,

What is the best way of supporting your excellent magazine?

Yours,

A. Bigfan

Dear A. Bigfan,

Thanks for asking! You can share the magazine each month on Facebook and

Twitter, use our gig guide and tell your friends about it. If you’re a venue, pub,

promoter, shop or band then why not take out an advert to help with our

running costs? Thanks for asking!

Yours,

BTS Glos

[email protected]

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=Av5-gBr6KVlO3M&tbnid=Gub3eN6jvVyPYM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://lovestoned786.deviantart.com/art/Lined-Paper-Stock-83323267&ei=GZekU_7SJYygyATmsYDwCw&bvm=bv.69411363,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNGASBYO8EzbAlsoqXb6oabEPFro0w&ust=1403381900647145


http://www.thoughtden.co.uk/blog/2009/03/whats-on-your-mind-facebook-becomes-dear-deirdre/

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BEHIND THE SCENE GLOUCESTERSHIRE.

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BEHIND THE SCENE GLOUCESTERSHIRE

ISSUE #11 SEPTEMBER 2014

ISSUE MONTH Deadline for

submissions for

PRINT EDITION

(reviews,

interviews, gig

guide, adverts)

Missed the

deadline for the

print edition (gig

guide & adverts)?

Deadline for the

ONLINE EDITION

ONLINE ON…

October Monday 22rd

September

Saturday 27th

September

Monday 29th

September

November Friday 24th

October

Tuesday 28th

October

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October

December Saturday 22nd

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Behind The Scene Gloucestershire Issue 11 September 2014