What’s On April’s in MAG? • Editor’s Musings

Pg 1 • The Gloucestershire Music Scene

Pg 2

• Cheltenham MND Pg 2

• Emily Johnson’s Local Music Pg 3

• BBC Gloucestershire Introducing

Pg 3 • Glos-Tone-Beret Review

Pg 4

• Farewell Festival Pg 4

• *Jazz Special* MAG @ Festivals Pg 5

• Gig Listings Pg 6-8

• The Detached Review Pg 9

• *Jazz Special* Eric Johnson Album Review

Pg 9 • MAG @ Comedy

Pg 11 • Magic of Motown Review

Pg 12

• Seth Lakeman Review Pg 12

• Playlist of the month

Pg 13

• Farewell from Linz Pg 13

• Club Night Review Pg 14

• Music According to Jen Duffy Pg 14

• The Wanted Competition Pg 15

Editor’s Musings . . .

Spring has most definitely sprung here in Gloucestershire and it seems it brings some great music to the county as well. This month’s issue as you can see is in glorious colour (well the covers at least) courtesy of the great people of The Barclay’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival who are very kindly sponsoring April’s MAG. In this issue we have a great opportunity for you to win a pair of tickets to The Wanted who are playing at Kingsholm and all you have to do is email in the answer to the question! We also have a great review of The Big Bang Festival and Robbie Pert’s experience from his first Jazz festival. We also have reviews of The Detached at The Frog and Fiddle and The Magic of Motown at The Centaur. We continue with our MAG @ Comedy page this month featuring a review of Lenny Henry at The Cheltenham Town Hall and Stephen K Amos. And of course make sure you head over to The Town Hall from the 28th April to the 2nd of May for the Jazz Festival, which as always promises world class international musicians and some very special guest performances. Of course full listings can be found as always in the centre of MAG I hope you all a lovely Easter and make yourself sick on chocolate eggs (in the nicest way possible of course) and get yourselves down to some of the great gigs happening in the county. I hope you all enjoy this month’s MAG remember if you want to contribute in any way email me ascognamiglio@glos.ac.uk. Amelia x

We Need You!

We are always looking for news and reviews for MAG from lovely people like you! Being a non-profit initiative we don’t pay but can get you into gigs and publish your work. Please contact Amelia if you want to contribute anything to this fanzine here: ascognamiglio@glos.ac.uk

The Gloucestershire Music Scene

Now that the county has got back to normal from the hoards of Irish men flooding the towns and city there is lots for you all to look forward to in April. Cheltenham plays host to the internationally renowned Barclay’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival with some fantastic acts including Jamie Cullum who returns as Guest Director and Hugh Laurie! Earlier in the month Ska Punk boys The Detached make a comeback to the town at The 2pigs and The Frog and Fiddle has a might line up of Talons, Peppermint Hunting Lodge, Gagreflex, I the lion & Among Brothers. Mean while in Gloucester The Guildhall has some great bands gracing their stage including Kate Nash, Funeral For A Friend and a Punk All Dayer brought to you by It’s Only Punk Promotions. Café Rene hold’s its 8th Birthday celebrations on the 1st of the month with Thrill Collins and Captain Hot Knives. Elsewhere in the county Lydney sees the Fused Festival at The Town Hall and Tewkesbury holds the West Country Music and Cider Festival at Croft Farm. Don’t forget Record Store Day, which is on the 16th April. Support the county’s independent record stores who tirelessly provide us with great music in some unique settings. Lot’s of stores are holding special events that day including Rise in Cheltenham, Badlands and The Record Store. Go out and about and enjoy some great music that the county has to offer. If you’ve loved it or dare I even say hate it and feel the need to tell everybody why not write a review and submit it to us at MAG? Just email the review to ascognamiglio@glos.ac.uk MAG is now also available online at www.musicatglos.co.uk

And now a brief word from Cheltenham’s MND . . .

Good April. I love this month. The mania of race week is behind us along with cooler temperatures and the need for two coats. It also helps that April sees the first hints of a week long summer and towards the end of the month we’ve got the Jazz Festival AND it’s my birthday. Let’s just hope the sun shines for it this year ey? Before I get on to that, let’s look back at March quickly. First off – I walked a number of times up and down Albert & Evesham Road during race week and was delighted to see how many buskers were at it. Can we start calling it Musician’s Mile or something? Weirdly it is just over a mile from the Racecourse entrance to Boots Corner/Emo Step in the centre of town... There has also been some good news regarding the possibility of getting to pitch the idea of a new community venue/arts centre a la Axiom to the Cheltenham Redevelopment Task Force, which is great as there seems to be a lot of support for arts and musicians within our town – supporting this culture seems a nice way to get together and make sure that provisions are being made for the future of our town. As MAG goes to press this month, I’m in the process of drawing up the initial document to justify our case and am arranging the public meeting to boot. Back to April and this month has a lot in it, plenty of gigs on in town – we start the month with the Cheltenham Poetry Festival (yay!) and an excellent festival to round us off into May. This month I have been listening to yet more local musicians and would suggest seeking out the following if you have time: Ellie Dussek, I, The Lion, Hurricane Seasons, Brown Torpedo (check them out at the Poetry Fest – I guarantee you’ll be entertained!) and Stereo Influence. More soon x

Resident columnist Emily Johnson is tallking about local band Zen Elephant in her column this month… Emily Johnson’s Local Music

Zen Elephant are originally from Stroud but now living in Bristol they consist of Jeremy on Vocals and guitar, James on Bass, Larry on Guitar and mandolin and Ebn on drums. Their second EP “No End in Sight” was released on the 3rd of January this year and is available from band camp. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got handed this bands CD but I think I would best describe them as a mixture of folk and laid back garage rock with a dollop of reggae. They are definitely something a bit different; they use a Melodica for a start which is always a plus in my book, but that’s not all! They also have a

twinkly guitar and poetic lyrics which instantly puts you at ease plus a vocalist who is oozing natural talent. It’s rare to find a local band with such a good vocalist so I was seriously taken aback, im not sure if they would like this comparison but his vocals reminds me of Bradley Nowell from Sublime… in the best way possible. My favorite track off the album is "off your Face" which is pretty much what you would expect it to be about, good old intoxicants. The entire album is pretty slow paced and it does seem like more of a Sunday afternoon record that a power-walking-to-work record. But they are good at what they do and I would suggest everybody have a little listen. They are playing at Thirsty & Miserable at Slak on the 28th of April if you want to go and see first hand they are also on Facebook, band camp and MySpace or you can always just collar me at a various pub and ill share and share alike.

BBC Gloucestershire Introducing… is the show for your new music. Every Saturday from 5:30pm on BBC Radio Gloucestershire, you can hear the tastiest new cuts of unsigned music from across the county. We might have only been on-air since the beginning of October, but the response has been fantastic with shed loads of you uploading your tracks at bbc.co.uk/introducing – keep em comin’! Catch Paul Moss presenting BBC Gloucestershire Introducing... every Saturday from 5:30pm to hear the tastiest cuts from the county's up and coming artists. The 30 minute show also includes interviews with the people behind the music and a gig guide for who to see play live, and where.

Paul Moss presents ‘BBC Gloucestershire Introducing…’ every Saturday from 5:30pm on BBC Radio Gloucestershire 104.7, 95, 95.8 FM, 1413 AM and on the BBC iPlayer

Glos-Tone-Beret Saturday 26th February 2011 Words: Ryan Butler The Frog & Fiddle was the location for what was my first Glos-Tone-Beret, and what a great evening of entertainment it was. A night of great music, fun and wonderful stereotypes. When Ellie Dussek took to the stage and I immediately thought I knew what was coming. I thought I was about to hear a simple run of the mill acoustic set, but in fact I heard a neat, acoustic set that was rather exquisite. It was clearly well thought out and well pieced together like a puzzle or a piece of art. The combination of French and English sang songs only added to the occasion. After Ellie we had Steff Sparks, with a more traditional acoustic set. A set which again was well thought out and was pieced together extremely well, both Ellie and Steff were met with a tremendous ovation at the end of their respective sets after successfully warming up the crowd for the rest of the nights entertainment. Next up were the band known as Chinese Finger Trap, a 4 piece band of guys who just looked like they were having fun throughout the night, not just their set. The highlight for me was infamous line of the lead singer “This is where we see if I know my lyrics...” What followed can only be described as musical 'sickness,' an acoustic set of R Kelly's Ignition (Remix). My highlight of not just the set but of the whole night. I, The Lion, P.O.T and KSH kept the night flowing with a variety of musical sounds during what was only a quiet and flat period in the night. The sub-headliner was Cynotia, a rock band who were really nervous at the start of their set. But they grew in confidence with every song and by the time they did my second highlight of the night- a rock cover of the atrocious song by Willow Smith, Whip My Hair, they had drawn in everyone in the room and won over new fans, including myself. The Fault-Line single handedly bought what was a wonderful show to a close with a great set of alternative rock anthems almost I would compare to have elements found in songs by Alexisonfire. This “man band” showed personality throughout and were fitting headliners to what was a magnificent night. The Fault-Line, Chinese Finger Trap and Cynotia were the stars of the show!

The Big Bang Festival Words: Zoe Harris & Liam Scriven Picture: Liam Scriven On Saturday 19th February, The Big Bang Festival was held at Gloucester Guild hall. The all-local event featured bands including headliners Swift Manouver and One-man- band Charlie Baxter. Doors opened at 4pm with a constant stream of festival-goers arriving. Charlotte Coupland and Chloe Foy kicked off with a soothing acoustic set; there beautiful vocals proving that great talent which Gloucestershire has to offer.

Charlie Baxter followed, filling the room with his techno genius and that party vibe, even getting a few dancing. After his set, Baxter told us what he thought about the development of the Gloucestershire music scene. “I started playing in bands about 5 years ago and back then you could play in one or two places if you were lucky, but not there are gigs every night that you can go out to”. As the Guildhall filled up, each band had their half an hour slot to showcase their talent with great performances by Courson, Lost Gonzos, Le Heroine and the international band Orchid Fever, whose members are from Gloucestershire, Birmingham and Canada! Orchid Fever head out for their UK tour in April and revealed that the Night Owl in Cheltenham is their favourite place to perform. The headline act of the night were swift Manouver. “We are very privileged and honoured to be headlining”. They expressed, continuing with: “It’s the fans that made it happen, we got asked to perform because fans have listened to our music and liked it”. They set the room alight with content from their new album and a brilliant cover of Leona Lewis’ Bleeding Love. All in all, a brilliant evening of live Gloucestershire music and just shows how much musical talent surrounds the county.

Robbie Pert gives his perspective on 2010’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival… Jazz Festival? Where? All these big white tents are in the way! Up until 2010 I had never been to the Cheltenham Jazz Festival. There I said it, and I’m not ashamed. Well maybe I’m a little ashamed, but I certainly don’t think I'm the only Cheltenham local who has let the Jazz Festival pass them by for years. Last April, I was thrown to the Jazz lions by running the official Jazz Festival radio station, Jazztown 87.7 FM, and it was a serious wake up call. I had a nasty feeling in my stomach all weekend. It wasn’t the festival itself, (although I did eat a heroic amount of pie and mash) but rather a creeping feeling of disappointment that there had been 8 years in which I lived in Cheltenham and let this wonderful festival slip past me. I had seen the posters, the flags on the lampposts and the white marquees taking over the imperial gardens for the weekend, and yet I had never ventured into the box office to pick up a programme or even (steady now) buy a ticket to a show. But don’t let me paint a picture of the poor little Jazz Festival, glumly sat in front of a cake with unlit candles, wondering why nobody came to its party. 2010 was their best year yet and the festival is, by any measure you care to apply, thriving. 10-15,000 people flock to Cheltenham during the long weekend from all over Europe, America and as far out as Asia and Australia. Well, of course my experience of the 2010 Jazz festival was a pure delight. Highlights for me included the 15-piece madness of The Destroyers, the rockabilly fun of Imelda May and the lovingly programmed Stewart Lee’s Freehouse. So why are so many of us locals failing to get the most out of the Jazz festival. Perhaps you share my old excuse, that the Jazz festival would be inaccessible to anyone without a PhD in Jazz History. Well just take a look at some of the acts coming up at the 2011 Jazz festival: Along side Jazz royalty like Clio Lane are modern artists like returning festival Guest Director Jamie Cullum, Edinburgh festival favourites The Horne Section and even live double bill of Roots Manuva and Bonobo. With Jazz being such a sprawling, ever evolving genre, it seems only fitting that the Jazz Festival programme features acts so current and relevant, acts you may not have ever thought about fitting so neatly under the Jazz umbrella. And hopefully acts like these might form a bridge for another Cheltenham local who has been missing out like I was to discover not only some great music, but also a wonderful festival experience on their own doorstep.

The Detached Review at The Frog and Fiddle Friday 25th February

For what I’m assured is their first gig trio The Lions, certainly to my ears and ears showed great promise! Although not entirely apparent quite yet, you can get a sense of what kind of sound the band is aiming for, I think given a little more time though, this could grow. Personally I would of like to have seen the singer of the group used a little more as parts when he introduced a vague hip-hop element to the show really added something, this combined with a little more crowd interaction could really manifest as something. I for one that the rumours about a Coxons Riot split have never came to fruition as the took to the stage next, despite a few technical hitches the band pulled off a well round set, comprised of well thought out and rehearsed tracks. A good solid performance, which paved the way and bridged the gap between The Lions and Everything We Left Behind, who’s songs sounded to me like England’s answer to Pennywise! Strong punk riffs influenced by the likes of NOFX coupled with an enthusiastic on stage show, brought some life into the barn at the frog and fiddle, definitely ones to go and see! Next up came Still Bust and pardon my French but my god!...Tre bien! Incredible stage presence and extremely well written stuff! Its clear to see and hear that theses guys really love what they do as not a second of stage time went by where they weren’t rocking their nads off, or joking about with the crowd. Truly brilliant stuff, and what EVERY rock band should aspire to be like in terms of loving every moment of a show! Headliners Detached followed suit providing a showcase of some of the finest Ska/Punk around! Having played in Cheltenham before they certainly weren’t shy of any following as a good healthy crowd turned out to watch them play! I even met a guy who told me that the band had convinced him to come to the gig after meeting him at the train station 3 hours before, a charm which carried into the bands on stage performance winning over even more fans to their ever growing base! If you missed Detached at the frog, fear not their tour dates are often filled to the brim and rest assured they will be back soon! Sterling stuff!

April’s CD Review…

Eric Johnson – Up Close

It is sometimes difficult when presented with a Jazz review not to think of the sketch ‘Jazz Club’ from the comedy series The Fastshow, however, this latest offering from guitar virtuoso Eric Johnson certainly leaves you saying more than just ‘Nice’ after a listen. Not an artist to ever be dubbed prolific, this 15 track release from the perennially young looking 56 year old provides some real gems for his ever anxious audience. With its unassuming eastern sounding opener ‘Awaken’ it appears to be business as usual on the Jazz front, however, as the tracks progress specifically with ‘Texas’ there is evidently a lot of blues soul in this record. Even with the inclusion of almost Clapton-esque blues numbers and licks this album is Eric Johnson, it offers plenty to enrich his already impressive back catalogue. Along with providing plenty of material for aspiring guitarists to get their teeth into, this album should be featured in any music lovers collection; it’s Jazz but in a very approachable fashion. The only problem from a personal view, is his voice, while there is no doubt that the tracks with vocals require them, does he have to do it? Frank Zappa’s album title ‘Shut Up And Play Yer Guitar’ does occasionally spring to mind when listening to this album, and personally I feel that his voice detracts from his soulful technique with the guitar. However, this is only a small gripe on what is an excellent album, perfect for relaxing with at the end of a long day, or providing part of a wider summer soundtrack. If you’re into Jazz buy this album, but more importantly, if you’re into music buy this album. Stand-out tracks: ‘Brilliant Room’ and ‘Vortexan’ Phil Cooper

Lenny Henry at The Cheltenham Town Hall Words: George Baines Lenny Henry in Cheltenham, was not just Lenny Henry in

Cheltenham, it was Lenny Henry being funny, Lenny Henry being cohesive, Lenny Henry talking music and Lenny Henry talking love. It began with a projection simply entitled ‘Cradle to rave’ before his dramatic entrance to an announcement of flashing white light. He began stating ‘this whole show is about my relationship with music’ before proceeding to play a piece himself on the piano. This didn’t transpire…for a while. It was all part of the joke. It was then time to announce the parental guidance of which he had received from his dad as a young boy, and the influences it made, on his music tastes. The truth is, not very much. His dad only ever said three things. One, “Stop arguing with your sister” two, “I’ve had a long day, I am very tired” and three, “Stop making that noise I’m trying to watch the cricket”. After moving the conversation on to how his dad spent his final days in hospital, without seemingly being able to stop talking, the subject turned to Itunes, more specifically his Ipod. Twenty Eight days of music that Lenny stores, or as he put it “A February’s worth.” Along with the customary joke this time of “I’d love to be stuck down a Chilean mine for 28 days, with all that music!” Swiftly evening entertainment moved on, through his days of living in Birmingham, his parents trying to set up a club in their house, “nearly” making love to his first girlfriend in the ‘lovemobile’ (a purple Ford Escort Van) owned by his mate Barrington, a fictitious impression of the Flintstones and how you never see them ‘discussing sex’, before finishing the first hour commenting about the infectious characteristic of the Brummy accent. The second half commenced on much the same note, with more sexual references, this time involving the artist Prince, and his ‘sexual’ music, before he proceeded to proclaim “All comedians want to be Rocksingers”. After explaining this notion by going through his various attempts at becoming a sister, with Kate Bush once declaring him good at just that, at a presentation for Amensty International, we progressed onto his final rejection by producer Trevor Horn at EMI records in London. One things for sure though, the man can certainly entertain a crowd, getting them on their feet, waving arms and hips galore to Fats Domino and Blueberry Hill before a resounding end on Luther Vandross and Aint No Stopping Us Now. With some final help from his assisting band, this was an evening not to be forgotten.

Stephen K Amos at The Cheltenham Town Hall Words: George Baines

Opening the show to much surprise and faces aghast in the audience was fellow comedian and friend Joe Rowntree. On an honest note however, I as the journalist was probably the most surprised person in the hall. At that point I wasn’t to know but this turned out to be the first good and proper stand up show, that I had actually ever laid eyes upon. On a rather cruel and precise point, the show opened with Joe expressing his joy at reveling in other people’s misfortune. His particular situation circled around watching 2 people share an intimate kiss. However when the kiss doesn’t happen “it’s funny to see the person who moves in get it wrong and suddenly start swaying from side to side, in mid air!”. After a relay of his recent trip to Quatar and relating it to their successful bid for the 2022 World Cup, and his fantasy about sex in the countdown studio with Carol Vorderman, the ‘new blonde girl’ and others, it was time to move on to the real person of the night, after an earlier than usual interval. Steven K Amos began with what was his recent trip to Torquay and how the locals should be perceived as monkeys….because they don’t know what a golliwog is. This then related to a trip he once had to Australia when he asked a lady whether they had any ‘gollywog’s’ about. She replied “no but we have WOG’S mate”. Golliwog was a type of Rag-doll in 19th century children’s books. WOGS on the other hand are what are called western orientated gentlemen. Therein lies the joke. Then came what could be seen as one of the funniest if not the funniest moments of the night. After divulging about ‘his wife’ who was apparently in the crowd watching (however Amos is actually gay), the microphone broke, prompting his tour manager to run on behind the stage and off again. With it came the loudest applause of the night so far. Unfortunately (and it had been coming) it was now my moment. Punished for making rough jottings about this very article is what it felt like, when actually it was just a joke. After being told that the name George was posh along with my surname Baines (truthfully I think Amos is posher) it was then assumed I went to private school. Unfortunately Steven thus confused me, prompting a response to what school did I attend as “Public”. I now know this unfortunately means private and therefore is not true. I went to a normal state school. Dam, he tripped me up I crowed at his line about flying and hearing “Our captain today is a keen fisherman and amateur pilot…” over the tannoy, before descending to pieces in front of 3 friends, plus course-mate Josh Lovatt as a result of taking notes. All in all, an entertaining night in more ways than one.

Magic of Motown at The Centaur Friday 11th March Words: Zoe Harris

The “wow” factor started as soon as we walked in! Met with a 2,600m2 auditorium and a sophisticated stage backdrop, proudly displaying the likes of Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder as well as the ‘Magic of Motown’ Banner, we knew we were in for a treat! The superbly talented stars took to the stage on Friday 11th March in The Centaur at Cheltenham Racecourse and being lead by Andre Lejaune and Natasha Burnett, they brought to life hit classics from The Four Tops, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye and many more!

Our ears being filled with impressive harmonies and stunning vocals, our eyes dazzled with glitzy costumes and colourful lighting and our bodies overtaken with the mandatory clicks and sways, the Michael Taylor production did not disappoint. I mustn’t forget to mention the fantastic ‘Magic of Motown’ band providing us with the heavy brass section and funky bass line so central to the Motown sound. By the end of the production, three quarters of the audience were dancing in the isles and we couldn’t resist having a boogie ourselves. Definitely a jaw aching night!

Seth Lakeman at The Gloucester Guildhall Friday 28th January Words: Dan Gutteridge & Arthur Bowden Well, what a way to kick off race week by having the folk legend that is Seth Lakeman play a very intimate gig at the Gloucester Guild hall. With five albums and a mercury award nomination to his name, the people at the Guildhall were very lucky to see Seth in such a intimate environment. Seth played a wide range of songs from all of his album and gave the lucky audience at sneak peek into his new album scheduled for release at the end of this year. His dedicated fan base sung and swayed along to some of his biggest hits such as ' Hearts & Minds' and 'Lady of the sea' which went down like a storm.

Seth’s every word was met with cheers and screams from a largely female front couple of rows. There excitement, resembling a young child on Christmas morning. It was clear to all that this is what he feeds of best. As the cheers got louder, he became more energetic, passionate and played louder. The hour that he played for flew right by and there wasn’t a single person in the packed out Guildhall who wouldn’t have stayed for another 60 minutes. As Seth returned for his encore he was greeted with the loudest cheers I have ever heard in the venue. After thanking the audience he launched straight into the remaining few songs. He ended with two Irish tunes. Which I found quite fitting, as his true talent is his extraordinary ability to play the fiddle. He plays with so much passion that even the biggest hater of folk would struggle to not be impressed. It shows his love for the genre which he is converting a whole new audience to. And I myself am well and truly converted to the Folk side.

This month’s Playlist comes from The Peppermint Hunting Lodge:

Campo (Electronics/Vocals) - Black Strobe - Brenn Di Ega Kjerke I've really been getting into recently are French band Black Strobe. Their track, 'Brenn Di Ega Kjerke', is a great example of the electronic/rock crossover, which I'm so fond of. It's the arrangement of this song that I really love as it's not necessarily the most complex track in the world; the guitars, bass and drums are doing some pretty simple stuff, while the electronics create the interest in the track. It's one of those tracks, which just seems to build up to a massive crescendo, with a dancability factor of 10/10. This is dance music for people who don't like dance music! Gorey (Guitar) - yourcodenameis:milo - all roads to fault I have been getting back into bands and checking out bands that were slightly before my time. The track I can't get enough of at the minute is "all roads to fault" by yourcodenameis:milo. It’s got a good rhythm with some strange accents in it, I don't like anything that's too easy to listen to. This track particularly has a very early “At the Drive-In" sound to it as well, although it's a little bit more tech and produced a lot better. I like everything about yourcodenameis:milo, it’s intelligent music in every aspect. Something I admire and that there isn’t enough of in this day and age. Dave (Guitar) - Sonic Youth - JC This track’s distinct sound comes from old Fender Jazzmasters tuned oddly and is characteristic of how Sonic Youth were expanding on their avant-garde routes and crafting their sound for the future. It has a lovely, tuneful ambience but at the same time there is a layer of out of tune, noisy guitars screeching to create a haunting atmosphere under the surface. The simple bass line and beat create an electronic feel to the track. Kim Gordan’s spoken word style of vocal really sets it off and it's a hidden gem from a band that have been a huge influence on me. Dan (Vox) - Joy Division - Transmission Joy Division rarely leaves my stereo. I love their haunting simplicity. They are so 'real' and epitomising that is their deified front man Ian Curtis, who happens to be one of my idols. His lyrics would not look out of place alongside the work of Byron, Shelley and Keats. Although not the best vocalist ever, he had a huge aura and presence that he unknowingly carried. My favourite track has to be Transmission. One of their more up tempo tracks it shows the band's brighter side and Ian's vocals really highlight his genuine passion and I believe every one of his utterances - which, with so much falsehood in today's music industry, is something to truly behold.

A Farewell from BBC Gloucestershire Introducing Linz Skankface You may have heard me on Radio Gloucestershire’s ‘Introducing’ Programme. 19th March was my last show and to say cheers for the last few months, I’ve written a bit on ‘what I’ve learned’ from my time at the BBC in the context of our local

music scene. Well, I’ve learned there are a lot of sick bands in Gloucestershire, a lot of enjoyable venues and hundreds of decent gigs happening locally. There aren’t enough people attending these gigs. There aren’t enough girls playing in these bands. Some people still aren’t aware of what’s happening on their doorstep. And that isn’t a criticism, it’s the truth. What can I tell you that will make a difference to your scene? Trevor . . . Always watch the support bands. Be polite to promoters, but don’t be fake. Write some fucking decent songs. Songs people will want to dance to and songs people will want to play to the significant people in their lives. If you’re not in a band, go watch some bands. Go see Swift Manouver and The Me! Me! Me’s? live. I say this the loudest. Take note of our local hip-hop acts. Raise a glass to the metal and hardcore scene; things are looking up. As for ska - keep the faith. Waiting for Kate. Try watching something at Cheltenham Jazz Festival. Have a listen to Alexander John. If Charlie Baxter or Brown Torpedo put on an event, make sure you’re there. There’s this girl called Tessa Frith from the forest. Check out her music online. Amy Spencer writes folk music I actually want to listen to. Go watch Anchorite, Orchid Fever, Courson and Yours on the same bill. Joe and The Sluts. Thank you for keeping it oi. “I’m lost and I can’t find my way” but luckily I can get to the Frog and Fiddle drunk and blindfolded. Get drunk and blindfolded and go dancing to Stillbust down St. Paul’s tavern. Mr. Witts is one of the finest people I’ve ever met. Watch his show, get his latest album and buy the man a drink. Get hold of the Vital Organz Ep. Toasted Rat = Happiness. Buy something from ISTF before they run out of stuff and it’s only going for mega bucks on e-bay. Laura Mitchell and Naomi Hill: Bring it on home you Riot Grrls. Ditto to all the women out there making this scene sound: musicians, promoters, Djs and all. Nothing beats live music and there’s plenty around Gloucestershire in which we should revel. Go to gigs. Go to gigs. Go to gigs. If you want to get your music heard upload it at www.bbc.co.uk/introducing Selfish and Boring: SkankFace xxxx

This Month’s Club Night Review is for Hurricane Season

Words: Jordan Penny Picture: The Lollipop Lounge The name Hurricane Season immediately creates some sort of wonder as to what the club night would involve. It’s a dubstep and drum and bass extravaganza that not only fuels all those crazy dance moves you thought you never had, but an insight into the wonderful world of the underground music scene. Since beginning university in 2009, the dubstep and drum and bass scene has evolved from unknown to mainstream and from that I’ve become an avid fan. Hurricane Season held at Boogie Lounge in Cheltenham is a club night created for those with a passion for the music scene, or for those who simply want to skank out and give it a try.

I missed the last event but was eager to catch this one, and it simply blew me away, literally, like an actual Hurricane. There’s a bit of music for everyone though, and not only just dubstep and drum and bass, but Grime, Hip-Hop, R&B and few real club classics, Darth Rayner & Grim, Sickers, Etha, Notion and Mr. Jingles all provided the best and hard filthy beats that made myself and everyone else on the dance floor dance like Grandparents at a wedding. Hurricane Season is not to be missed, so if you like strong bassy beats, amazing DJs, and strong vodka, this is the event for you! And if that’s not enough to get you excited for the next one, you can catch a glimpse of what Hurricane Season is all about with the weekly show on Tone Radio, Tuesdays at 10pm-12am. But, really you should get on down to Boogie Lounge for the next event, it will not disappoint. Music according to Jen Duffy…

If you’re like me, you probably haven’t heard about the Record Store Day or know what it is about. It started in America as a celebration of the unique culture surrounding the independently owned record stores in the US, and hundreds similar stores internationally. And it’s hit Cheltenham in a big way. Rise Cheltenham have gotten involved and are hosting a day full of live music on the 16th April live in their store. Having a range of live performers and DJ’s, as well as the staff of Rise playing their own personal playlists. It’s a fantastic way to promote themselves and the cause that is independent record stores and their benefit. It’s a completely different way of selling and purchasing new music, compared to the Internet, which has taken over in the past few years and continues to grow. It allows people to actually look for new music in person, rather than an endless list online.

Some of the stores will also have a number of exclusive releases (mainly on vinyl) for people to browse and also buy. Ranging from REM to Mastodon, there is certainly something there for everyone. In my opinion, I completely understand why people have decided to switch to buying their music online, mainly due to the convience and wide choice. But there is still a very prominent minoirty that find comfort that there is still independent record stores that offer records that may be hard to find online, and of course in hard form. Having a vinyl collection is still very popular, and shops like Rise allow people to carry this tradition on. I hope that this day will be a massive success for Rise and I hope that it will educate people that these shops are still around and thriving.

Gloucester Rugby hold their first concert on Sunday May 22nd at Kingsholm Stadium with Britain’s hottest boy band The Wanted and we have a pair of tickets up for grabs! Brit Award nominees The Wanted have proved huge hits in the charts with their catchy lyrics and upbeat tempo. Coming from Gloucester band member Nathan Sykes is sure to have some old friends in the crowd.

Pete Grzonka, Gloucester Rugby's Head of Marketing and Sales spoke of his delight at confirming The Wanted as headline act for the first music event at Kingsholm:

"We are extremely delighted to not only be hosting our first concert at Kingsholm Stadium but also to have secured such a high profile band as 'The Wanted' to headline the event. We hope that music fans in the area will jump at the chance of watching such a great band with a local interest perform live on their doorsteps".

Tickets for the event are now on sale, tickets are priced at £22 general admission. You can book online at www.liveatkingsholm.co.uk or contact the box office direct on 0871 871 8781 option 2.

For your chance to win a pair of tickets to the concert answer the following question correctly:

What is the name of The Wanted band member whose hometown is Gloucester?

Send your answers to ascognamiglio@glos.ac.uk along with your name, age and contact number. The winner will be contacted Monday 25th April and announced in May’s issue of MAG only one entry per person is permitted and the winner will be picked at random.

Want to contribute? Very much like this section states every month, we like listings, reviews, editorial, previews, pictures, art, cartoons and would like to fill these pages with things you care about. We‘d love to hear about anything to do with live music in the county really and can help with anything from promoting you here to getting you reviewed, played on student and local radio, putting you in touch with venues, musicians and artists across the county and just about anything else you can think of! Want to advertise? Put your gig posters in with the MAG for distribution? Ask what our favourite kind of ham is? You can contact Amelia – ascognamiglio@glos.ac.uk AD Music Editor Amelia Scognamiglio | PR/Listings Amelia Scognamiglio | Cover Design Dan Cooper | Listings Design Robbie Pert | Listings Contributor Ollie West | Staff Writer Jenny Duffy | Staff Writer Jack Higgins | Staff Writer Ryan Butler | Staff Writer Emily Johnson | Staff Writer Dan Gutteridge | Staff Writer Arthur Bowden| Staff Writer George Baines |Staff Writer Phil Cooper | Thanks to all the people who contributed to issue three of MAG, special thanks (again) goes to Nicky Hughes @ The University of Gloucestershire for organising the funding and production of this work and to Andrew Lansley for continuing to support MAG and everything musical in Gloucestershire| All work remains property of the original owner, used with permission. Reproduction in whole or any part (especially the listings) of this fanzine would be awesome as it’s great to spread the word people, just make sure you credit the fanzine : )

UoG students to broadcast the festival - check www.fromheretoear.co.uk for details.