Front Page
My Passion
Pages 2 and 3
Contents/Twatter
Pages 4and 5
Muntjac/ Blue Root Zoots
Pages 6 and 7
Goodnight July / Bedlams Cube
Pages 8 and 9
Pete Guy / Eighteen Hours
Pages 10 and 11
Le Carla / Red Dollar
Pages 12 and 13
Problems/ Zodiac
Pages 14 and 15
Webscape
Pages 16 and 17
Boxing/ Sound Arc
Pages 18 and 19
Fluff Luff/ Shoot from The Lip
Pages 20 and 21
Seethe / Snakebite
Pages 22 and 23
Ventflow /Scallywags
Pages 24 and 25
Gadget Review
Pages 26 and 27
Tinker Jack / Jose Vanders
Pages 28 and 29
Beta Boy/ The October Game
Pages 30 and 31
Weightloss
Pages 32 and 33
Business Opportunities/ Bruce Hamilton
Pages 34 and 35
My Passion
Pages 36 and 37
Chaos Baby
Pages 38 and 39
Efferus (Angeni)/ Panda Police
Pages 40 and 41
Kate Is The Decoy / Monaco Bears
Pages 42 and 43
The Billy Hunts / c.c. Smugglers
Pages 44 and 45
Eastside Jimmy
Pages 46 and 47
Facebook Events
Pages 48 and 49
ArcFest
Pages 50 and 51
Hitchin Gigettes
Back Page
Front Page T Shirts
Barrack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize My friend is studying Physics at Oxford, he tells me he will soon discover the secret to time travel.... yeah well we all have a dream. This is not to discourage him, but I don't think this in itself is worthy of a physics Nobel prize. Barrack Obama has several noble ideas on how to bring around a world of a more peaceful people, however, nothing much has happened yet. Afghanistan is ready to receive an increase in troops, Iraq is still war torn and Guantanamo Bay is no closer to being closed than it was ten months ago, when he promised its demise in a year. The Israelis and the Palestinians may be at some sort of unsteady stand off, but this is no different to the periods that been seen in the past. The Nobel peace prize given to Barrack Obama must really be an award to the American people, for voting in an optimistic diplomat over the war monger that was Bush. Other than that it is at best previous, perhaps even foolhardy to recognise an aspiration with the most celebrated award in the world
Muntjac This band always so remind me of Lindisfarne, especially tonight , because they are doing an acoustic set, as a couple of their members are missing. I preffered it, the acoustic, well played strumming guitar, lovely melodic vocals. The mandolin is so pretty and the double bass gives that mellow background beat. These guys are great entertainment, a preferred taste obviously, but you have to be impressed by their talent and the crowd loved them. Muntjac are an older band, who ooze confidence and experience, but subsequently their music can seem a bit dated. This is not a band looking for accolades, this is a band who perform because they love what they do and we love them for it. A great set guys, as always, I really did enjoy it, much improved on last time. I preferred the acoustic set and hope to see them again soon.
Blue Root Zoots Blue Root Zoots are a punk/rock band, whose overall performance is stunning. Very strong down beat bass and rhythm are the emphasis here, backed by excellent drumming and the vocalist is possibly the most active we have seen. The vocals are performed with a raunchy rude boy attitude and are matched perfectly by superb screaming guitars. Blue Root Zoots are a force to reckoned with for sure, once they get going. The beginning of the set, for perhaps two tunes was a little slow, but once they got in the groove, they were amazing ! I have listened to their My Space recordings and these guys are actually better live, very unusual ! There are places where their tunes are almost metal and during these sections the lead guitar is out of this world. There is definitely a Led Zepplin influence going on. In my review notes on this band I have actually written swear words to describe how good they were ! So you get where I’m coming from ! Blue Root Zoots are from Stevenage, so if you check their My Space you will see where you can next see them locally and I strongly recommend you do. Loved it chaps, can’t wait till next time !
Goodnight July There are only two guys in this band, a vocal/guitar and a drummer. The vocal starts the set with a couple of acoustic tunes, he has a pleasant voice and plays quite well, but not really the best vpart of the set. The drummer then joins in and they take the tunes to a heavier level, but the guitar accompniamentis pre-recorded on backing tracks and the vocal is sung over it. As you all know by now, I do not consider this to be live music and it simply is not ! This is tantamount to cheating, he had already shown he could play and sing at the same time, so mwhy not do it and let us hear the real McCoy. The electric set was much better and really quite punky in places, this did allow the vocalist to jump around the stage a bit, but nonetheless, it was not real. These guys are very young, only Fifteen I was told and maybe they feel that this is the modern way forward for live music, but I respectfully disagree and this is a bad habit to form. Good, but no cigar from me.
Bedlams Cube The drummer in this band is fantastic, within minutes you know you are in the presence of greatness. Their first tune was pretty poor I have to say, but the second promised a better set. There was a distinct lack of giscipline in places though, the guitars sounded jumbled and here and there it gave the impression they were out of tune. There was a definite feeling of them having a problem getting into their stride and I couldn’t work out why. The vocal also seemed a bit bland at first, but by the third tune it all started coming together. I guess their music would be rock/ska and then I discovered what the problem with their performance was. Immediately before going on stage, the trumpet player had a hissy fit and refused to go on ! He mocked them from the audience. This had obviously affected everyone and ruined their overall sound. I asked the guys what had happened, but like true professionals they declined to tell me. Sufficient to say we all think the trumpet geezer is a twat and we’ll leave it at that. So in light of the obvious trauma such a thing can cause, the rest of the guys did really well. Their set improved as it went on and they ended up with rapturous applause from a very appreciative audience. The show must go on, well done to them for proving the point.
Pete Guy We have two guitars, one on vocal and a drummer with only one drum. The performance was quite good and the crowd seemed to enjoy their music. They are an older band and play a kind of blues/rock. You can tell by looking at them that they have years of experience under their collectibe belts. They play with ease and confidence and once again we see love of music pouring into the room. The vocal was very similar to Michael Stipe of REM, so much so that it almosy sounded forced, but we enjoyed it anyway. As is always the case with the older bands, the music is an acquired taste, but you cannot help but be impressed with the dedication of these guys to their art. Still gigging and bringing much pleasure to crowds around the region. Pete Guy has a My Space page, take a look, you might find an album on there that your parents would like for Christmas or something. You never know, if you like blues, you might want it for yourself !
Eighteen Hours Sometimes you have to stand back and wonder at the level of talent we have performing on the live gig stages in Hitchin. Eighteen Hours are right up there with the gob smackingly great bands I’m talking about. Everything about these guys is first class, superb drumming, superb vocal, superb guitars, superb, superb, superb ! Their tunes are really original, with great disjointed sections of choruses, guitar riffs to blow your socks off and crowned with a vocal that just doesn’t quit. This not just a good local band, this is a world class band and how they are still available to play gigs in Hitchin is totally beyond me. If you go to ArcFest in December for no other reson, it should be to catch Eighteen Hours, they are worth every penny. If I was going to criticise anything, which I am not, it would be to say the singer could look at the audience more and make some eye contact, but that’s all, everything else is astounding !
LeCarla The drummer in this band reminded me of Animal, from the Muppet Show, he’s all hair and arms and plays like a maniac. I mean absolutely no offence, he was tremendous. The vocal I thought was quite weak against the crashing guitars and amazingly loud drums. As you can see, they are a band of three girls and two boys, very pretty to look at, but in the talent stakes not quite there yet. Their lead guitar is quite impressive, some good solos and original riffs, but as a band you feel they are just making a lot of noise about nothing. At times the vocal is just an annoying squeak in the background. I appreciated their energy and commitment and they did have some interesting bass led intros to their tunes, but they will need to do some serious work on their music, if they want to achieve real success. They have an album out soon, possibly by the time you read this. They have a My Space page where you can listen to them, I suspect the recorded stuff will be an improvement. A not bad effort from LeCarla, but more discipline I’m thinking.
Red Dollar If this band is not influenced by U2, then I don’t know who is ! Their first tune sounded so much like Sunday Bloody Sunday, I was surprised when it took a turn and they sang different lyrics. Their subsequent tunes were much more individual and so the set improved as we went on. The band have a very heavy rock beat going on and a surprisingly talented vocal. Not the rough and ready vocals we hear so often with rock bands, but someone wh can actually carry a tune ! His voice is studied and melodic and very, very pleasant to listen to. The drum rolls and beat changes throughout the set are very impressive, the tunes march along and before you know it you are tapping your feet and bouncing your head, wishing you knew the words. You would never say that Red Dollar are the best band you have ever heard, but they are what I like to call a great staple band. They will always be entertaining and good fun to see, but I don’t think they have that special ingredient that takes bands from good to great. Look forward to seeing them at ArcFest.
rs
A Problem Shared Money Matters Dear Sexy Nanna,
Dear Sexy Nanna,
My girlfriend and I are saving to move into a place of our own and we have agreed that we will stay home at night to save as quickly as possible. However, it is driving me mad, she does not mind staying at home, but I do, especially on a Saturday, when I always go and watch football in the pub with my mates. I have enough money after giving her my savings, but she days I’m being selfish. It’s my one pleasure, football and spending some time with the lads. What do you think ? Paul
I am happily married to a lovely woman, but there is one problem. She spends money like there’s no tomorrow and it doesn't matter how much I earn, she spends it all within a few days, often leaving us nothing left to get through the week. I don’t even have money to buy coffee at work and I never get any money to spend on myself, she says she can buy me everything I need. Please help. Ron
Dear Paul, It doesn’t matter how far along the evolutionary scale we come,, men will always want to have their cake and eat it ! Of course you are being selfish, but not for the reasons you may think. Not once in your letter do you say that you have even offered to take your girlfriend with you on your days out, nor have you offered to spend some of your extra money on taking her to the pub in the evening for a few hours break. This is not the way relationships work and I think you should grow up and see what you have instead of obsessing like a child about what you may have to give up for a while. If you can’t behave more maturely, I do not hold out much hope for you in this, or any future relationships.
Dear Ron, From your letter it sounds as though you are handing all your money over to your wife every week. If this is true, then the solution is simple, stop giving her all your money. I think it’s time for you to strap a pair on and have a word with your wife. If she cannot understand that a man needs to have his own money, then there is something seriously wrong with her and you may like to find her some help. Talk to her and tell her that she can have housekeeping money, but you are keeping some back for your own expenses. You might also want to check if she is using any of your money to pay bills etc, before you get a nasty surprise. Come on Ron, stand up for yourself !
Your Future In The Stars With Gypsy Rose Lee Aries You are usually an enigmatic and energetic person, but for some reason you do not feel yourself at the moment. Don’t worry too much, this is just a phase, you will recover shortly.
Leo You feel your problems are too huge to handle, but perhaps you are trying to do too much at once. Break down the various situations, deal with one factor at a time. Be patient, you can cope.
Sagittarius Strike while the iron is hot, you have an opportunity now to make great improvements to your life but they will not be there forever. Do not hesitate.
Taurus You have been feeling that your guardian angel has deserted you recently, but fear not, there is an abundance of opportunity about to present itself to you. Keep your eyes open.
Virgo You have a feeling that you cannot trust a situation, or maybe a person, which you have relied upon for many years. Is this true, or is it paranoia. You must investigate.
Capricorn Right and might are both on your side at the moment and your positive attitude has never been stronger. Walk the rice paper Grasshopper, it is your time !
Gemini Don’t think too long or too hard about what you want to do or say. Rely on your instincts to guide you, they have always been reliable in the past. Don’t be persuaded against your judgement.
Libra There are some things we simply have to get on with and that os the situation for you now. Stop prevaricating, the sooner you start the sooner it will be done.
Aquarius You are play acting a role that does not suit you. Why are you pretending to be happy with a situation which actually makes you very unhappy. No-one will thank you, you know that from experience.
Cancer You are entering a time of great emotion and some of it will be pleasant, but there is darkness on the horizon. Look to those close to you for comfort, they understand your feelings very well.
Scorpio A surge of excitement is building up in your life and you would be well advised to male the most of it. The feelings of euphoria will not last long, there is always something to dampen your spirit.
Pisces You feel surrounded by mystery, there are things you do not understand and yet still you strive to know. Rest now and let knowledge come to you, you may not want to know in any case.
rian e g i N d epose d a y unt. b o c c 0 a 0 0 k $300, y ban m d e e r s e u f en of s is to t n a w rm?. I’ve be a e h h l e l h a t l, What’s Genera Internet scams have been around since 1994 and the dot com boom, easy access to email made communication easy for us and for the criminals. OK some scams are obvious but how do they work? Here’s four of the most common
Coarse Phishing
Fly Phishing
This scam is an email sent to millions of people at a time. It looks like it comes from your bank, stating there has been unusual activity on your account and you need to rectify it. It offers you a link to a page that looks identical to your on line banking page and prompts you to enter all your security details so you can reset your password.
So called because of the sexual nature of the sites, this scam involves duping the user into believing he/she will get to view free porn. They do get to see porn, but its not free.
Of course we are all worried about the security of our bank account and if the bank says it needs to be done we should, shouldn’t we ?
Because this site looks to be an honest and respectable site( well as honest and respectable as a porn site can be) it claims to ensure no minors minds are scarred by the content it will require to verify your age.
Well no, a bank will never send you an email with a link , nor ask for your full details, and most genuine emails from banks will include the last 4 digits of your account or card number.
You can do this easily by entering your credit card details, however no charge will be made…....Promise, Honest.
If you enter the details as requested you will soon be much poorer for it
This is probably true , however if they don’t use your card details themselves they will almost certainly sell it on.
REMEMBER: always type in your banks URL into your browser, never follow links to on line banking.
Many people have fallen for this scam but fail to report it due to the embarrassment REMEMBER there is no such thing as free…...well you know
The Nigerian General/ Hong Kong Banker. This is a fee forward scam and an email which most people receive within 1 year of opening an email account. This shoul not affect you unless you have access to a sizeable sum yourself $3,000,0000 needs to be moved to the UK from a foreign country due to some shady encounter or government insurgence, you can have 30% of it if you transfer it into your bank and pay the rest elsewhere. So you meet the man, he’s a bit nervous giving you this amount of money and wants a security, say £30,000 , well why not your going to make $300,000. Oh by the way local by laws state that you can’t carry that much cash, so to get round this they’ve dyed all the bills black. This no problem because it will clean off with a special solution you can buy from a contact in London at £1,000 a bottle. For this much cash you’ll need about 5 bottles. He’s a bit of jumpy character so don’t take any dyed bills or he won’t serve you and he only accepts Sterling so you’ll need to fund this yourself. However you can take the expenses out of the proceeds before you forward it on. Wow, sounds too good to be true, and it is, £35,000 for a suitcase of black paper is the sort of con you could see in a film REMEMBER: if it sounds too good to be true it probably is and never trust a man who sends an email asking for help from someone they haven’t met. A twist on this scam is the inheritance from a long lost relative, from an overseas solicitor who will sort out the probate for fee.
Overseas Cheque Scam You have a valuable item for sale typically over £2,000 but under £10,000 (the point at which deposits are alerted to the fraud office), on an auction or listing site. A Buyer from the Republic of Ireland contacts you and says he’ll send you a cheque, which you receive in the next two days. He’s a bit of a dimwit and cocked up his exchange rate and rather than send you the £2,500 equivalent actually sent you £5,500. Never mind you’re an honest chap, so once the cheque clears send the remainder via Western Union to this address, and send the item after. The buyer knows however that high street banks will clear any cheque in five working days, however a foreign cheque can take up to 14 days to bounce. So on day five you wire the buyer £3,000 and on day 14 the bank takes £5,500 out of your account. Having believed the deal to be genuine you have also posted the valuable article to a completely bogus address, as he was never really interested, and it is lost in international waters. The £2,500 profit has turned into a loss of £8,000, and your bank won’t help you ! ! !
REMEMBER: never assume a cleared cheque is not going to bounce until you’ve checked with your bank. Beware of people buying from abroad, why would they buy in the UK ( one of the most expensive EU countries) and not from their home country.
Fluff Luff by holly Hello, I’m Holly and this is my new column for Hichin Gigs and Gadgets. i will be updating you every issue about my week,what ive done,what gigs ive been to and just anything else that springs to my fragile little mind I should warn u now,its going to be very random and probally a little confusing to those people who are actaully able to have intellectual converstations. Simple Holly Firstly, I love anything Hello Kitty. I love rainbows, puppies and fluff , I dislike nonnon-fluffy items ! I will be updating you in every isseue about my week, what I’ve done, what gigs I’ve been to and just anything else that springs into my my fragile little mind. Well, it’s Sunday and my week is coming ro an end and what a week it’s been.I’m recovering from a three night weekweek-end ! Last night was the My Passion gig at Remix and I was just blown away ! It was my second time seeing the band live and they seriously get better evry time. They really know how to put on a show. I also enjoyed Chaos Baby’s performance ! The night before that I went to the album launch for October Game at The Sun Hotel and that was really good too ! A great turn out for the band. Thursday I went to see a band called 100 Foot Drop, They fo cover songs of other bands, that was at The Arena Tavern in Letchworth, So all in all I’ve had a good weekweek-end and now I’m absolutely knackered and ready for my bed, but I don’t see that happening somehow ! Feel free to e mail Hitchingigs.co.uk if you have any questions for me, or you want to know where I’ll be at the weekweek-end. It would be great to see some of you out and about, come and have a chat with me ! Fluffy Peace Out For Now XXXX
Shoot from the Lip With the low turnouts at Club 85 for Metal gigs, the promoters behind Bloodline are beginning to think about throwing in the towel after years and years of quality gigs. Does that sentence strike you with feelings of dread? or do you remain indifferent ? think carefully because if you love Metal there is a right answer. Other than going out on the beer, getting ripped off for drinks and complaining what else is there to do in Hitchin, I would like to personally say how disappointed I am in all of the people who call themselves Metal Heads in Hertfordshire and that includes a lot of my closest friends, because its only by getting people through the door and showing their support that we can create something bigger and better in this town of ours. Imagine a more cohesive Metal scene in Hitchin where we could comfortably put on bands from all over the country and know that there would be an audience for it, imagine if Hitchin was put back on the map for Metal as it once was, I know people still go to see their friends bands, but that's all. You can always rely on the promoters at Club 85 to put on quality line ups for your pleasure, but if it's not appreciated and the effort not matched by the local scene then why shold they continue to put on Metal over Indie Rock or Hardcore? Do any of you remember the glory days of Black Eye and Downcaste ? I'm pretty sure you do remember the times with 150+ people rammed into Club 85 for each Metal show, whiskey on the ceiling and blood drawn in the pits and I ask you when was the last time you had a decent mosh pit ? back a year ago the gigs were packed even when the bands were no one you'd heard of and the only reason for that was because of promoter,s bands and fans making the effort through the love of the music and having a good time, knowing that there would always be people you knew there and good music. This change is reversible, but its simply up to you to build it. In a small town that has managed to host Arthur Brown, Brutal Deluxe, Fell Slent, Carcer City, Meggido, Fields of the Nephilim, The U.k. Subs, The Eyes of a Traitor, our own local Metal talent of Gilla Bruja and Aghast (amongst many others) and somehow managed to nurture Enter Shikari, Flamboyant Bella and My Passion since they were a glint in the milkman's eye simply because we knew we were onto something good you can't even find it between you to support the gigs put on for you once a month... and you call yourself Metal? Even the hardcore kids got it together enough to bring in Nueva Etica all the way from Argentina. What have you done of late? - this is your scene, Club 85 is a community project if you aren't bothered then neither can we, because we're here to put on what the people of Herts want to see so if you want to see metal what are you going to do about it? If you want to be angry or offended at any of the words above because you think they are aimed at you, then be angry, that's fine I don't care, but at the end of the day are you going to moan or are you going to do something about your scene and show your love for your music before you lose Metal in this town forever? If you want to be a part of the solution and not the problem then get in touch with Steve who runs Bloodline on Myspace.com/bloodlinepromotions or search out Club 85 on Facebook. The opinion of Matt Turner
Seethe I remember Seethe from a while ago because of their ferocity and its good to see they haven't mellowed, each song is a slab of punishment reminiscent of Biohazard having a fight with Pantera (of course Pantera would win) with less use of space than the previous band but just as much energy. Actually the longer the set goes on the more I realise that the the lack of space in some of the bands tunes tonight is simply due to a lack of willingness to play anything other than extreme metal punishment at all times. To be so relentless and keep things interesting is a rare skill in metal bands most of which seem to have one or the other. I haven't got a clue what the vocalist is saying throughout the set but I know I agree wholeheartedly and for some reason I'm feeling ready to compare this to the metal version of hardcore hip hop purely on the attitude and aggression on show here. If there is one criticism of the band before me it's the lack of a chorus or something to remember and hold onto musically after the show but there is a definite compromise throughout the set with the lanky guitarist with his Dimebag custom guitar adding the melody to the mix whilst his band mates concentrate on bringing the pain and rhythm. Again it's all over too quickly for me but the band draw some much deserved cheers from the baying crowd.
Snakebite Headliner's Snakebite don't dissapoint with a similar set up and sound to the previous band, they continue the theme of punishing riffs and use of space this time occasionally throwing a hint of a slower stoner vibe into the mix to bring tension into their sound. I don't know how this band are creating so much dynamic play out of two riffs but I cannot get enough of this and you should already be looking them up online trying to find their next gig. I don't know much about this band as they weren't here to chat to during Soundcheck, but they are certainly abrasive and talented. Parts of their set remind me scarily of 'Cowboys From Hell' era, Pantera with slightly less emphasis on the kickdrum and with the vocals, guitar and drum sounds all making sharp statements. Even as I write this the band segway to a disjointed solo and vocal pattern followed by stacatto riffs that wouldn't sound out of place on the now legendary 'Great Southern Trendkill' album - what is going on Tonight ? Why do these bands have hints of Pantera about them? maybe we're just lucky. Musically this is one of the best metal nights Club 85 has seen in a while and all three of the bands deserve to be recognised.
Ventflow Ventflow, from Swindon are explosive ! This is one of the tightest and heaviest metal bands I've seen in ages! signed to casket records they really show their aggression and power within the opening moments of their set. The only thing I don't like about Ventflow is the name which makes them sound like some kind of air conditioning company, but be warned they are a seriously good band in their own right. They mix up the styles really well which is always a strong point in the metal scene where an entire half hour of 'doom' or 'thrash' metal can seem really gimmicky. The use of rhythmic riffage and the constant changing of the band's use of aural space is higher than the standard of any band from round here so if you're in a local band and you're reading this I seriously suggest you seek them out and listen. During the whole set there's seldom a pause between each song allowing the set to carry on at a relentless pace, the drummer hardly seeming bothered by the constant shifting in and out of blast beats he has to do and there's a lot of variety going on keeping things fresh the delayed solo in the opening number turns a few heads and it's a good example from a band who have real control over their own song writing which is admittedly a bit rare in metal with a lot of bands going for quantity over quality with their music. The thing is it hardly seems like it was any effort for them to escape the clichĂŠs and bring something refreshing to the table.
Scallywags Another packed house for the band who defy all logic and remain popular and successful, despite being a copy band ! It was an extravaganza of party poppers, silly string, the audience playing tambourines and singing along to all the well known tunes. I have to say though, that for me they committed a massive faux pas, they did their rendition of Shed 7’s Chasing Rainbows and absolutely murdered it ! I would be extremely grateful if they would never do that again ! Anyhoo, there is no doubt that whatever these boys do is loved by all, there are very few bands who can encourage upwards of a hundred people to get into the pub and have a good old fashioned sing song. Fair play to them. Scallwags will be doing an acoustic set during ArcFest in December, make sure you get there early and get your seat ! Kev, John and Guy, legends in their own lunchtime !
oogles G t a h t onfirm c o t m nd see e over a b k y e a e m is w fts ded th but Microso r a w a e s wer to stay g e n r o e G h adget ance is T3’s G domin
In T3’s awards last week google won the best brand award and best search engine and their dominance despite the emergence of bling, they also won awards for their Chrome browser and Android operating system for mobile phones. In reality, away from the showbiz, self congratulatory award ceremonies google will mean little to any one except for the search engine. As this they have achieved a great feat only previously completed by Coca Cola, and Hoover. To have a coke, is a generic term for any cola drink. To hoover your house means to vacuum and to google is synonymous with to search the internet for. In this industry only Microsoft have had such a monopoly on markets, but that said , it may all be set to change.
The ultra cool iphone , ipod touch , and ipod range have brought apple the recognition they have strived and failed to achieve through computing alone. The astute marketing of aesthetics and functionality fill the gap, where before there was a lap top in pink. The iphone in particular appeal to the gadget hungry and the fashionistas alike. iTunes and iPhone apps keep the brand in mind constantly, and even with the apple mac air laptop, a laptop thinner than 5 sheets of paper, their computers are looking more and more appealing. Apple do charge a premium for their products, a Laptop of similar pc spec will cost you at least 1/3 less, and a quality mp3 player can be half the price of a similar spec iPod.
Apple have set themselves out to appeal to the ‘Chic’ and the ‘Geek’
This however is not the bar for Apple taking over the market and pushing Microsoft into the corner.
The Mac has always been the firm favourite of graphic designers and the new ly sexed up products have introduced the brand to a new generation.
The truth is I love the look of the Mac Air the functionality of the PowerMac Notebook, the sexiness of the iPhone But its not the price that stops me buying them.
Either Microsoft have really lost the plot, fired all their real marketing staff, or have been taken entirely over by geeks. Windows 7 is a being seen not as a launch but as an apology for the bug maligned Vista and Microsoft seem to be rolling over and accepting it. Has Gate’s taken his eye off the ball or is Jobs just a better man. Which ever way you look the Microsoft empire is under threat.
The truth is I’m rapidly approaching 40 and I have always been a PC. I don’t trust Macs, not for any sane reason, but I like windows, will always like windows, and never want to be without it. I’ve had Windows since 3.0 and had to make a shift to Windows 95, that wasn’t nice, since then Windows 98, ME, XP Vista, have been comfortable moves, now Windows 7. So fight the good fight, and keep the world on a compatible system I am comfortable with Microsoft will surely come up with a stunning array of commercial activities to knock the pants off Apple. With an enquiring journalistic instinct I enquired. They are suggesting we each hold a ‘Windows 7 Party’ They’ll even send you a party pack, containing playing cards , streamers balloons , party bags , puzzle and a poster. Then you invite your friends over and show them how quick you can complete a spreadsheet, produce a powerpoint presentation, and organize an access database. Heady Times
So what would we like to see. I would like a sexy windows laptop, a mac that runs office. I know before you write in you can get assimilators to run on a mac, but that’s not the point. Apple have an inferior product, computer wise, but market it better, make it look better and you want it. I have a PC I need, I look forward to buying a computer, and operating system I actually want. Apple may not take over the world, but they are sure to win our hearts.
Tinker Jack A lady on keyboards and vocals, an acoustic guitar and a bass guitar, make up the sound of Tinker Jack. They play folk/indie and are very pleasant, nice vocals and musically bery proficient. The music has a psychedelic feel to it and moody, but one felt that all the songs went on just a tad too long. In fact, they started one song on the wrong key and were at the chorus before they realised ! It was all a bit mundane and repetitive and the best you could say is that it was OK, nothing outstanding and very difficult to see where they would get their following. A bit so what, is the feeling I was left with, there was not really anything to make a comment on. Sorry guys, I didn’t get it.
Jose Vanders A female vocalist on keyboards, singing in that very annoying ‘mockney’ accent all female artists seem to adopt these days. Jose (pronounced Jo-see) is a very pretty btalented young lady and seems to be doing well for herself on the circuit. She will have played the Albert Hall by the time you read this ! No mean feat. However, she tells stories between songs and I for one found this very annouying. Jose is not good at jokes and stories and she should stick to singing. This act for me is also a big so what ? The singing is nothing we have not heard before and quite often we have heard it done better. There is no originality here, the songs were entertaining at times, but again the same old subjects preside. I can’t imagine people being too enthusiastic about seeking Jose out, but she can hold her own as a support act.
Betaboy Betaboy are a young, good looking band, I know some of you don’t think that’s important, but it has it’s place in the commercial world. The lead singer has a great vocal and he really looks the part. They have a kick ass drummer, who gives real fullness and flava to the tunes. The three guitars could use a little discipline, they are sometimes out of synch with each other, but again, their stage performance is bang on it and they have the look of a commercially successful band. Betaboy are an indie/rock band, but they throw in just a pinch of punk to make it more interesting. These guys have everything in place to be a great band, not just good, but great ! They have all the appropriate interaction on stage and produce a mature and well rehearsed performance. A little more rehearsal to bring the guitars together and they will be cooking with gas ! Betaboy are one of the bands appearing at ArcFest in December, so you can catch them if you want. They also have their My Space page, where you can give them a listen.
October Game CD Review Wild Blood is the new album from October Game and is due to be released in the New Year. I feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity to hear it first and let you know what I think It is an album of soft and gentle tunes, for some reason not anything like I was expecting ! It is almost rock/opera in it’s stylish composition and the execution of the tunes is very classy. The vocals are haunting and melodic and all in all it is a very strange and wonderful album indeed. The test of any new tunes is if they stay with you and these tunes definitely do, I found myself humming them to myself throughout the day. Wild Blood Greenbacks Right on Time Concrete (When we’re invisible) Boxing Underwater Something Wrong Biplanes at 2am Where the Devil Loses Out Cast These Waves These words of Mine Night Vessels These are the tunes to look out for on their My Space, give them a listen if they come up. An excellent album and I hope they will play a few tunes from it when they perform at ArcFest later this year.
Weightloss Dan with raunchy/sexy vocal, TJ on trumpet, Goody on guitar, Alex on sax, Joe on bass, Dave on trombone and Phil on drums. Weightloss have lost none of their enthusiasm for the live gig performance, despite the fact they have not played together since they were at Rhythms of The World earlier this year. They frankly and with their usual humour, admitted that this was more or less their first rehearsal in months, but no matter, they are as brilliant and as feisty as ever. They had the crowd whipped up into a mosh frenzy within minutes. These boys are worth every penny ! Such talent from such a motley crew ! They love to give the impression they don’t care about anything, but secretly they do care very much and are all very serious musicians in their own right. Their couldn’t care less attitude is of course prolific on stage as they bang out their punk/ska music with style and passion. The brass section is second to none and who knew Goody was so good and Joe’s bass is kicking. Phil plays mean drums and all in all they are excellent. We’ve missed them, I hope we see a lot more of them.
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Bruce Hamilton CD Review
Sometimes artists send CDs to me for review and this is one such case. On The Right Track, is the new album by Bruce Hamilton and he is accompanied by Emma Underhay on vocal for a couple of the trascks. Bruce is a very skilled and diverse musician, it is my belief that he could probably play any instrument if he put his minf to it, but on this alnum he plays mostly guitar and sitar. The music has a very sixties hippy feel to it and I cannot say it would be to everyone’s taste. The recording is of poor quality and smacks of being home-made. There are places where the tunes are not very tuneful and the vocal leaves a little to be desired. I cannot in good conscience recommend this album to anyone, it is poor to say the least. I am frankly shocked that someone of Bruce’s talent and experience would send this to me, I cannot believe he is happy with it. Could do better Bruce, sorry.
My Passion At the risk of sounding like every other girlie in this town, O my god, they are so brilliant ! Four other bands played on this stage today and their performances used the same lights and sound system, but My Passion come on and suddenly everything is like a million times more spectacular. They are far and away the best live band I have ever seen and I have seen Bowie in his heyday ! Lawrence has an awesome magnetism when on stage, it’s tangible, everyone trying to get a piece of him, I don’t know how he gets out alive ! Not only that, he’s a fantastic singer too - some guys just have everything. John, Jonathon and Simon are also fab and have their own share of fans to fight off, it really is like going back to the sixties, with mobs of teenagers screaming and clutching at the band. Fabulous ! The attention to detail is stunning, no detail is overlooked. From their painted faces, to their great stage clothes, to the lights, the sound, the tunes, everything is perfect. The music has been described as many things, punk, rock, electro/punk, but whatever you want to call it, I just call it Perfection ! My Passion are now so famous all over the UK and Europe, we are very lucky they had the time to come and play for us, but you never know we might get lucky again next year. They are playing the 2010 Kerrang tour in the New Year and you can check their My Space for all their other gig dates, but lots are in Europe. Shame.
Chaos Baby Giving her usual thrilling rude-girl performance, the Lovely Laura growls and screams her way through her brilliant songs of every day life. People so scummy they have aids ! Scat bitches, perverts and friends who turn out to be twats and so are fair game ! I love this band, they are a breath of fresh air in a world of political correctness gone mad. They sing it like it is, I defy you to not agree with the sentiments they scream at us. Superb. The boys of the band are also brilliant in their own right, Tiny Tim giving his all on bass, but so laid back we have to prod him every now and again just to make sure he’s still with us ! Joe takes lead guitar and he is so good and so cute, his slashing style perfectly complimenting the screaming vocals. On drums we have Gorgeous George, who quite simply just never gives up, he is relentless in his pursuit of the rhythm and he is so cool with it. A great bunch of talented young people, on aned off the stage, who in my mind are not appreciated nearly enough in this area. I would love to see them on the same bill as Bleach Boys, that would be such a night to remember. I don’t know when they will be on stage again, I’m sure they will let me know and I’ll let you all know.
Efferus Formerly Angeni
This was like being at the birth of the next major heavy metal band. These young men are the most promising group I have seen since I started doing this job. They have recently reformed, with a new front man, I never heard them as Ageni, but they could not possibly have been better than this. The whole band is like the Bambi of the metal world and we certainly will be hearing more of them in the future. You just know that although they are young and in some places trying perhaps a little too hard, they are going to transform at any moment into the fully fledged stags of . As you can tell, I loved them. I could go on about the fantastic guitars, the slashing and crashing guitars, which are a credit to their obvious talent and dedication. The excellent screaming vocal, which transports the tunes to the levels of soul ripping brilliance. The drums, which beat strongly and relentlessly in the background and again, transport the tunes to levels of brilliance. I can’t wait to see how these guys turn out, there is of course always the chance they won’t stay together, but I sincerely hope they will and continue to thrill us for years to come.
Panda Police Panda Police are a very young band, who have been together for almost two years. I have seen them before, about four months ago, at which time I felt they were good, but in the early stages of their development. They had the largest following of any of the support bands today, they are all still at school, but in terms of their performance, I did not feel that they hag moved forward at all. Their performance was childlike in places and at times they were borderline annoying. They have en excellent drummer, who does a good job holding the band together, the vocal is strong, but lacks consistency and waivers far too much to be convincing. The saving grace here is that the boys are still very young and have lots of time to put things right. More rehearsal, I know that they were not rehearsing very much last time I spoke to them and I think it must still be the case. Lots more work required boys, stricter attention to detail and an overall tightening up of the performance.
Kate Is The Decoy I had been looking forward to seeing this band, as they are actually quite well respected on the local circuit. I saw them afterwards and they did not seem to be impressed with the gig at all, they were very disgruntled with the whole event, but I never found out why. However, I am not surprised really, because their performance was not great and I had been assured that it would be. The sound was all over the place and if any of the other bands had suffered this problem, I would have blamed the sound check boys. The vocal was awful, I mean no offence and I will be watching this band again to see if it was in fact the sound levels or if she was merely having a bad day. The rest of the band were all over the place too and I can only assume from their disgruntled attitude after the gig, that this was indeed a disappointing performance for all of them. I am sure that the e-mails will come flooding in to put me right on this and I hope they do. I can only say that this was disappointing and I cannot believe that My Passion would have a poor band on their gig list, so I give them the benefit of the doubt. They are playing ArcFest, I will be looking at them again then. I look forward to them being a lot more impressive.
Monaco Bears Monaco bears play sickly sweet pop rock and bring you some interesting facts about the origin of filing cabinets. I’m not kidding. Invented in 1887 no less! I’ve seen this band play before and the thing that strikes me is that for a young band they avoid the common trap of rushing through their set at hyper-speed due to nerves. They seem cool and calm under the stage lights and even happy to be here and there is something very endearing about that. Musically they are all about the jangly pop rock with a bit of an indie twinge here and there, but in a world full of hardcore bands a band with their own sound such as this stand out like a musical sore thumb. I think it’s a combination of the bands nervousness offstage and their confidence onstage that makes them so instantly likeable and I’m especially impressed with the singer who is easily the most animated member of the band and is clearly singing not only from the heart but from experience too. Maybe the use of backing vocals could use a bit of work in the rehearsal to make them stand out a bit more or a bit more Interesting. If they take a few more risks and can have some fun adding in some different influences in order to develop their sound, they will be a really good band.
The Billy Hunts The Billy Hunts take the wall of sound, approach with lashings of gutsy rock n roll with a trashy edge and no frills. In places the band’s sound reminds me of the Damned or the Wildhearts and I think there is even a Damned cover version in the set there somewhere, but I can’t be sure. Technically the band is brilliant and really well rehearsed with some great lead guitar parts and big crashing drum fills and despite the trashy edge to the sound everything sounds exactly in it’s place and I guess this is also the problem because like Monaco Bears I’m enjoying it, but a part of me is begging for more dynamics in the songs. A hook perhaps? A chorus to remember and sing along to, something that will shock me and demand my attention. Maybe a faster or slower song added to the set to separate it all out would help? I’m not sure, but I can’t help but feel like I’ve heard a lot of it before, even if it is done particularly well on this occasion. I feel bad knowing that whilst I’m enjoying watching this band I’m just not sure how much of it I’ll remember tomorrow. If you like the Imperial Vipers or The Wildhearts, then check this band out.
c.c. Smugglers Gracing the stage at Club 85 after their storming introduction to the Hitchin music scene at this year’s Rhythm’s of The World. I think that the c.c. Smugglers are one of the most exciting, innovative and original bands to come out of Hertfordshire in years and I don’t think there’s anyone out there who would disagree. Consisting of electric and acoustic guitars, a double bass, a stripped down drum kit and fronted by the infamous Richie Prynne, who is ever the showman and a talented blues harp player (that’s a harmonica to me and you) The band combine blues, rock n roll and country music to create their own sound whilst referencing countless other artists and genres and it is this mish mash and each individual’s talent on his instrument, that make them so unique yet accessible. Even when playing a normal blues progression the band are still able to craft thoroughly enjoyable songs with a hint of punk rock about them and their performance with drummer Spark L Horse rising from his drum stool to beat out a rhythm with his sticks on the double bass in a break in one of the songs. If you like rockabilly, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams the Third or you just want to see something fun, I cannot recommend this band highly enough. I sincerely hope they will reappear at next years Rhythms of The World festival.
Eastside Jimmy East Side Jimmy are another band I’ve heard about for ages, but I’ve never been around for their shows until tonight I was expecting good things and a dose of local musical history, but instead I’m not quite sure what I got. Maybe I’m not old enough to appreciate the hype behind the band, but to me it simply sounds like thrashy rock with a punk edge to it. Musically the band are terribly safe and almost plodding in places. It almost breaks my heart to not enjoy something that guitarist John is doing, because I have always adored his other bands and his attitude, but I can’t help it. Things are not helped by the fact that the band are playing to a somewhat subdued crowd tonight, even though there are a lot of bodies filling the room. Rhey seem more content to sup and stare, bathing in musical nostalgia and yearning for the good old days. They don’t jive and shout and show their Appreciation, or perhaps like me they just aren’t sure what to be excited about? As is often the way, the start of the set seems really promising with some great gang vocals and some good hooks, but after a while the set descends into being much of a muchness and it all becomes impossible for me to review. If you followed Eastside Jimmy back in the day, then I’m sure it would’ve been a blast, but I personally am left severely wanting.
FRIDAY
Club 85
OCTOBER 23rd
7.45
Don Broco Kate is The Decoy Lights Go Blue Gun Crime Dub Step
SATURDAY
CLUB 85
Kunt and the Gang Smoking Hearts Wolf Law
OCTOBER 24TH
7.45
SATURDAY
REMIX
OCTOBER 24TH
7.30PM
THURSDAY
HITCHIN Base in The FOOTBALL CLUB Place
The Holloways Vaults City Kings Rebellion of Genaro
OCTOBER 29TH
8.OOPM
This House presents
THURSDAY
REMIX
Halloween
OCTOBER 29TH
9.00PM
With o children or wildlife
FRIDAY
THE VENUE
Monk-Phish
FRIDAY
CLUB 85
OCTOBER 30TH
7 .45 PM
The Otters Never Means Maybe Wooden Casino This Part Is Us
FRIDAY
REMIX
Sweet and Sexy
OCTOBER 30TH
9.00PM
Remix 2nd Birthday Party
SATURDAY
REMIX
OCTOBER 31ST
4PM
Stanton Warriors Altern-8 Jay Cunning Andy Theakstone
SATURDAY
CLUB 85
OCTOBER 31ST
7.45 PM
OCTOBER 30TH
Scar My Eyes Post-Mortem Promises This is Colour Heart of A Coward
ArcFest The Final Line Up – We Hope ! 3rd Law
9 Yards Up
Angels Standing By
Scar Cuty
Arms and The Man
Brinante
Burn My Enemies
In Remission
There Were Bears
Sterile Profit
Shakey Jake
Optimist
Red Dollar
Rogue Radio
The Van Cleef
Gun Crime
Eighteen Hours
Spiked
Suzuka
The Billy Hunts
The October Game
The Rock Factor
This Empire
Monaco Bears
Agile Beast
Betaboy
New Town Centres
Wooden Casino
Tonight We’re Electric
The Rhythm & Blues Band
Scallywags
Tinker Jack
Andy Neaves
Jihnny Hotwheels/ Stardust Thompson
Rich Sexton