ROCK LYNX Magazine - First Ever Issue!

August 2020 1st Issue

LINCOLNSHIRE’S PREMIER ROCK MAGAZINE

FEATURING: Man Made Fate InRetrospect DB Jones KAYLYDE + More...

WHAT WILL LIVE MUSIC LOOK LIKE AFTER LOCKDOWN?

THE HOTTEST NEW LOCAL BORN MUSIC

LINCOLN ROCK HISTORY: UNLOCKING THE VAULTS

BRAND NEW LINCOLNSHIRE ROCK MAGAZINE

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DB Jones - Live at The Engine Shed Photography by Tyler Rayner IG - @ty_raynerphoto

CoNTENTS Editor’s notes

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Flashback:

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a collection of great gig shots

Live music after lockdown?

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Lincoln rock history:

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Unlocking the vaults

Tone Talk:

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Blackstar HT MKii series

Cover Credit: Photography by Sam Freeman IG - @canoninthecountry

single reviews

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new releases

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Rock Lynx Editor Jordan Merrett

I’ve started this magazine; our magazine, because I want to see this amazing community grow and reach even more people, and to keep the spirit of rock and roll alive! Connect with me online, let me hear your thoughts!

IG/FB - @bigjordsguitar YouTube - Big Jords Guitar

s e t o N s ’ r o t i Ed Our mission here at Rock Lynx magazine is to bring all of the finest Lincoln based rock music to a wider audience. We love rock music in all forms, and we want to show the world some of the incredible rock bands we have here in our small city and across the county.

As well as featuring the local talent we are dedicated to producing high quality content such as exclusive interviews, local rock history and articles from industry leaders.

I’ve been sitting on the idea of this magazine for nearly a year, and I think it’s about time we had something like this. I aim to make this the publication that the Lincoln Rock Community deserves! But I can’t do it alone and so special thanks go out to each and every person that has contributed in their own way to making this dream come to life!

Special Thanks!

An Honourable mention to the following contributors.

Sam Freeman - Photography | Tyler Rayner - Photography | Anna - Cornhill Vaults Interview | Former Vaults Patrons | Neil Crud - Formerly of 4Q Band | Richard Farthing & The Confident Tricksters Band |MarkAtkinson|NathanClarke|MichaelLogan|MartynBewick|GeorgeShelley|BenJanisch|AlexEardley-Scott | Jordan Makin | Kieran Campbell | Rowan Diskin | Lucianna Michael | InRetrospect | Man Made Fate | Carry The Crown | Audio Tap | G.L. Shelley | KAYLYDE | DB Jones | Bear Makes Ninja | Faith In Casinos | Gazelle |

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Photography by Sam Freeman IG - @canoninthecountry

“Live, Laugh, Love Rock ‘N’ Roll”

K C A B H S A L F

A Collection of great gig shots from

TYLER RAYNER PHOTOGRAPHY INSTAGRAM - @ty_raynerphoto

Faith In Casinos

Live at the Linc oln Imp

G a z ze l le

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L i ve a t t h e E

ng i ne Sh e d

K AY LY DE

Live at the Lin coln Imp

s e n o DB J Live at the Engine Shed

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The Wildflowers Live at Rock Night The Joiners Arms Lincoln Photography by Sam Freeman IG - @canoninthecountry

Live Music After Lockdown?

Lockdown, Social distancing, Self-isolation... What does all this mean for live music, and more importantly bringing it back?

By Jordan Merrett

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n order to answer the BIG questions, I brought together some of the Lincolnshire based music industry Pros and hosted a discussion. I spoke with international tour manager Nathan Clarke, music producer and studio owner Martyn Bewick, promoter and improv musician Jamie Logan, local indie artist George Shelley, and, guitarist from the hard rock band Kaylyde Ben Janisch. A few of the strongest points made in the conversation are mentioned here, to hear the full discussion check out the Rock Lynx YouTube channel, just search for Rock Lynx Magazine!

When will live music be coming back?

There are a lot of opinions on this subject, and it seems each opinion is worse than the last, with every conversation I have with people the projected date seems to be pushed further and further back. On one end of the spectrum, we have people who say: JL “in 4 weeks everything will be back to normal” which is believable when you consider that the general population are itching to ‘get back to normal’ and easing lockdown restrictions is a slippery slope to try and control a crowd through. But on the other hand, we have the opinion that NC “It ain’t happening this year!”.

When speaking to a local venue owner recently, they remarked that the government will need pubs, bars, and restaurants to return to normal before the end of the year, as policing any sort of distancing policies around the Christmas period will be next to impossible!

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Why hasn’t the government given a date for live music?

Without getting too political, it’s easy to understand why the government hasn’t set a date for live music events yet. The very nature of live music is bringing people together both figuratively and physically, and the potential to spread a virus is very high... I’m sure we’ve all caught a cold from a gig before! And the point that Nathan brought up on this topic is “If (venues are) going to put a 2m distance in, if you look a theatre, you’re going to have 2 or a maximum of 3 people in seats. Then 2m away from that you’re going to have 6 empty seats both ways, left, right, down and up. So, you’re looking at a fifth of the audience.”

Ultimately meaning that these venues need social distancing measures to be non-existent to make opening feasible!

How will it be phased back in?

Ultimately with what’s been said up to this point, we can pretty much put to bed the idea that gigs will be put on with social distancing measures in place, or at least they will be very minimal by that point. Gigs will unfortunately be one of the last things to come back, and that will still be a couple of months from now at the minimum would be my informed estimate. Even then, that will be small shows where there will most likely be a maximum gathering size in place, there will be a delay in larger shows coming back not just because of possible restrictions but also due to the level of organising a larger event takes. So, when it was mentioned that it won’t be happening this year, that will most likely be true of your favourite big bands playing stadium tours. However, smaller local shows to crowds of less than 100 could quite possibly be back as early as august?

Don't Fear...

At this point, you may think this all sounds quite negative but fear not, because as we still have a good chunk of summer left ahead of us there are some things we can probably look forward to. For instance, due to the nature of the virus outdoor events are much more favourable and there may be the chance of some of those happening sooner than you think: A small festival that I had booked in for this summer has contacted me to say that they are planning on going ahead with the festival putting in place any necessary measures needed by that time. And Call of the Wild festival has set a new date of September 20th with fall back plans in place if that date is not possible. Massive rock salute to them for that one! Be sure to grab a ticket and support them.

Disclaimer

On June 25th 2020, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden released a plan for the phased return of live performances. However, these stages have been given no timeline, so there is still no definite date of when live music will be allowed to legally return! Here are the exact proposed stages according to the BBC news website:

Stage 1

Rehearsal and training (no audiences and adhering to social distancing guidelines)

Stage 2

Stage 4

Stage 3

Stage 5

Performances for broadcast and recording purposes (adhering to social distancing guidelines)

Performances outdoors with an audience plus pilots for indoor performances with a limited distance audience

Performances allowed indoors/outdoors (but with a limited distance audience indoors)

Performances allowed indoors/outdoors (with a fuller audience indoors)

Rock Night These two shots were captured at Rock Night at The Joiners Arms, Lincoln.

One of the last live shows before the COVID-19 lockdown. A night that was Scheduled to be the first of many legendary live music nights designed to bring an exciting new take on original rock gigs!

The night saw the venue more packed than it had ever been, to the point that the bar nearly ran dry! All the bands said it was one of the best gigs they’ve ever done.

Full article coming soon.

Photography by Sam Freeman - Canon in the Country IG - @canoninthecountry

Photography by Sam Freeman IG - @canoninthecountry

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k c o r n l o c n i L y r o t s hi

The Vaults:

Unlocking Lincoln Rock’s Biggest Secret Have you ever heard of Lincoln’s Cornhill Vaults? Do you remember it? What happened to it and what was it?

By Jordan Merrett, Rock Lynx Editor

The mere mention of the Cornhill Vaults will send shivers down the spine of many. In the 1980’s it was Lincoln’s answer to LA’s Sunset Strip, (queue opening scenes of ‘The Dirt’) with rock bands and fans travelling from far and wide to enjoy the rock and roll hub that lay beneath the unsuspecting city streets.

To look at the location of the vaults today it’s hard to believe there was ever any form of drinking establishment there let alone a full-blown rock bar. What is now used as a stock room, was once seen by many as the most popular small music venue in Lincolnshire. After all, how many pubs can you think of that shut nearly 20 years ago now have a Facebook group with hundreds of members dedicated to its memory?

In order to learn more about this legendary place, I interviewed Anna the former landlady and current landlady of The Strugglers Inn in Lincoln. Here’s what she had to say: Photograph - Dom Martin Band - Over The Limit

How did the vaults start?

Started in November 76, I didn’t have anything to do with it until November 79 and I was the land lady from March 84 and stayed there until it closed in 2002.

We went through a period where we had groups every night of the week.

We also had a daytime crowd from the offices, banks, estate agents then at 5 o’clock onwards we got into the evening crowd there were the Mohicans and skinheads and bikers, and they knew it was a safe environment and they could do their thing within the parameters that we laid out.

What inspired you go down the rock bar route?

Because it lent itself to it, being an underground venue, it lent itself to being that.

We had the best jukebox in town as well, that went down in record We put on there what people were looking for not just what the jukebox company wanted to put on it.

In your own words what was the Cornhill Vaults community really like?

Oh dear, it was mad! It was just such a mixture of people that all just gelled together so well it really, really was like a little village underneath Lincoln city.

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Who was your favourite band that played the vaults?

Oh dear, that would be a terrible thing to be asking! The Jump Boys spring to mind because they’re still about. Bamboo beat band, 4 Million Telephones, Ergo, the list is endless really but they’re the ones that spring to mind.

Any famous names that played the vaults?

No I don’t think so. Ergo did a tour abroad, Germany, Belgium and such like.

Bamboo beat bands did disks and such like.

I’ve heard of the all-nighters with breakfast in the morning the vaults used to host, could you explain more about those?

That came from when everyone used to go down to Stonehenge for the mid-summer night 21st of June, so I thought oh damn it we’ll have an all-nighter here and celebrate it in the vaults. And so, it was amazing! And we had it in subsequent years because we had no bother and no trouble and so the courts allowed it.

Photograph by Richard Farthing The Confident Tricksters

You put on a festival as well didn’t you?

Yes! 1986 Lincoln Live, but the police wouldn’t allow it again, but we never had any bother. I had to go and see the chief inspector after the event. And he said ‘look I know you didn’t have any bother and I have to thank you for that but it was just too much worry and stress behind the scenes wondering if anything was going to happen, if you do it again take it out to the grandstand. Do it outside of Lincoln, but don’t do it in the vaults!’ Well the mayor and his wife came to open the damn thing!

What was your favourite thing about the vaults?

Everybody that went there. I still see so many of them and they’ve all got good words to say and that’s got be something worth thinking isn’t it? Cracking crowd, great guys. Some of them have said ‘oh you kept us on the straight and narrow’ or ‘oh god it was like coming home to mum’ all these silly comments!

Why did it all end?

Well it was a leasehold from the co-op and Sam Smiths had a 21 year lease which expired probably 97/98 and we stayed and tried to fight the decision to close it and we finally had to give in January 2002.

What was the reaction of the regulars when the end was announced?

We knew for definite probably in the September 2001 and so I just made a point of making sure that we could have the new year into 2002 to celebrate the last new year which we did and I handed over the keys and locked it up on the 18th of January (2002)

Have you managed to keep some of the Vault’s regulars now you’re at The Strugglers?

Oh yes a lot of my regular customers here were back in the day in their teens and early 20’s down there! We continue to have music here, we’ve had some humdingers in the garden it’s almost like having a mini outside rock concert, so keep an eye open for those when they come back!

Photograph by John Daly

Photograph - Dom Martin

The dull fate of a great venue; the present interior of the brick catacombs under the city street.

o t in s d n e l b t s ju w o n s t l u a V e h T o t e c n The entra d n a p o h s k o o b a n e e w t e B . p o r d k c a b n its urba a W e h t h it w r o o d g in t c e p u s n u e h t ; k n and ba g e l e h t o t in n w o d s d a e l it e v o b a o g o l terstones g in z z u b e c n o s a w h ic h w s t l u a V l il h n r o endary C with rock music.

d ye la p ng vi ha , ts en ev ic us m e liv e id ts ou rs le g g ru st e th r fo h uc vo y ll na so er I can p e th c, ti as nt fa is re he p os m at e th u yo ll te n ca I ) ow el b d re tu ic (p f el ys m le up a co s! g in en ev er m m su e th in nk ri d a perfect place to have

Emma Brice and Jordan Merrett performing at The Strugglers Inn beer garden Photograph by Gemma Dalgliesh

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In order to get an even fuller picture of what the vaults was I tracked down some regulars from ‘back in the day’ to see what they had to say: “she didn’t care what we looked like as long as we behaved ourselves” Terence I was a regular there from the mid 80’s, loved the place, I mean, a Heavy Metal pub in a cave, what’s not to like?

Used to play at the end of the left-hand tunnel, but as you can imagine, being a narrow brick tube, the acoustics weren’t great, but then neither were the bands so at least they had some excuse.

Regulars occupying their allocated place each week, and us young hyenas prowling around looking for a spot. After a few drinks (Sam Smith’s Nut Brown quite often) when we’d gathered a critical mass, we’d then mooch off to ‘Lasers’ Nightclub Kelly A place full of beautiful people, doing what the hell they wanted on the weekend. Everyone was always nice, chatty and inclusive. many used to come during the week in the day for lunch, but looked completely different, in work suits, face without make up, hair tidy, less hairspray.

During the day was the same folks from the weekend, they were just in suits. Not heavy make-up and wild hair. They all came in for one of Malc’s sandwiches, which were bloody yum.

Steve Malcom was Anna’s other half. Famous for his enormous doorstep toastie sandwiches.

I could go down there and once your eyes adjusted to the dark, I would know or recognise 90% of the people there I was home.

Andrew It was the only place in Lincoln that would regularly feature in the gig guide in the national rock paper... can’t remember which one... either NME, Sounds or Melody Maker... maybe all.

Dom It was the only place in Lincoln that actually had any live gigs to feature in their gig guides!

Rachel I was a student in Lincoln in the early to mid 90s and we started to spend more time in the Vaults than in class. This was just before much of the population got mobile phones - the tail end of the times when you had to just find people, or arrange to meet somewhere. We would drift down there and just hang around and see who turned up. During the day it was fairly quiet but there was always the door banging and someone’s shoes echoing down the tunnel. Cloppy cowboy boots with clinking chains...

There are a couple of songs that were always on the juke box and I can’t hear them now without feeling like I’m back there - Shine On You Crazy Diamond and Paint it Black.

Malc We used to go down there a lot in the late 70s early 80s as it was one of the few places that would let us in because of the way we dressed we were all Punks, Anna told us that she didn’t care what we looked like as long as we behaved ourselves, we had some brilliant times down there....

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Angela It was a brilliant pub... shoppers, bank managers, Rustons workers, market traders in the day… Then at night a full on rockers pub.... what a shame nothing like this is around today

On top of the bands that Anna mentioned, I managed to track down a couple of others that played the Vaults in its hayday. Here’s what they had to say: Punk band 4Q (obvious pun intended) Neil Crud -

“I used to play in a rubbish punk band called 4Q - rubbish we may have been but we had enthusiasm and the balls to get out on the road and play as much as we could.

Being a punk band in the late 80s was no fun. Punk was dead - I mean, really dead; with only pockets of resistance scattered here and there. We were in our late teens and none of us had passed our driving tests, so I would borrow a driving licence off a work colleague to hire vans in order to play gigs. In those days you only needed a signature and I forged his perfectly every time.

I used to search for venues in the gig guides in Sounds and NME magazines and The Cornhill Vaults in Lincoln was one that kept popping up, so I gave them a call. We played there 3 times between Sept 88 and Feb 89 and got paid £50 each night - that doesn’t sound like a lot, but believe me, even 30 years later (bands) still only get paid that amount (if they’re lucky).

The first time, we were on a badly organised tour with hardcore band Blitzkrieg, who had been a big deal in the early 80s, We had some crazy gigs with them, and some really sh*t ones too! We nicknamed the venue The Cornhole Vaults; not that there was anything wrong with the place, and it was one of the few venues that invited us back to play again!

I recall the room being made of brick arches - it may have been downstairs and the bar in the cellar?

The second and third times we played there with no other bands, but had built up a bit of a following and saw some familiar faces. It was crazy that for one gig we would finish work at 4.30 in Colwyn Bay, get the van and everyone together and drive for 3.½ hours to Lincoln to play one gig then drive back again!”

4Q 1988 Photo from Neil Crud

DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately some of the 4Q’s statement was a little too rock ‘n’ roll for print so had to be redacted, but it was everything I hoped and more from a rock band in the 80’s!

Confident Tricksters “The Confident Tricksters played at the Cornhill Vaults 3 times in 1986. 4 Aug, 14 Sept and 24 Oct. The 14 Sept gig was in aid of PHAB charity and an all-dayer. The other 2 gigs were normal gigs.

I remember it was always awkward setting up as we had to go downstairs and we always had a lot of gear. I think we only brought backline and used the PA system provided for the PHAB gig. I seemed to remember we enjoyed playing all the gigs at the Cornhill Vaults.

We played at Bishop Grosseteste College in Lincoln quite a lot around the same time though we always got paid more at the College. There was a lot more money in those days in the student unions.

Lineup of The Confident Tricksters 1986 and for that matter 2020!

Richard Farthing Guitar/Vocals Steve Crowe Bass Chris Daffern Drums/Vocals We always made sure we got on BBC Radio Lincolnshire’s Livewire programme to help us promote the gigs. They used to play all our demos back then.” ! n o rs a e y 4 3 p u e n li al in g ri o ir e th h it w g in y la p still re a s y u g e s e th ly g in z a Am rs te s k c ri tT n e d fi n o C e h T @ Find them on Facebook The Confident Tricksters 2020 Photo from Richard Farthing

The Confident Tricksters 1986 Photo from Richard Farthing

The Cornhill Vaults is a venue that will go down in legend in Lincoln, that I’m saddened our generation missed out on. I count myself lucky that I did actually step foot inside it, even if in the ‘daytime hours’ and I was still a wee nipper. I have my parents to thank for even knowing of this place’s existence as I’ve heard it mentioned many times in reference to ‘great nights’ and the feel of community that it created. I feel it its my duty to pay homage to the Vaults as a part of Lincoln’s rock history and educate of my peers of what used to be, and possibly what could one day be again, perhaps a future Lincoln venue will emerge and be daring enough to venture into the treacherous waters of being an alternative live rock venue!

What do you think? Let us know online!

Instagram - @rocklynx.magazine Facebook - @rocklynx19 YouTube - Rock Lynx Magazine

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k l a T e n o T

WITH

Alex Eardley-Scott

Alex Eardley-scott Music Room Guitar Specialist Facebook - @AEardleyScott Youtube.com/alexeardleyscott

The Blackstar HT-20RmkII - Valve Goodness from Bedroom to Stage “do any t h i ng you master like wi volume t h t h your n e w i t hout da eighbou maging rs love l y colle of fine c tion china!”

A

s somebody who still owns a model from Blackstar’s previous HT amp line, I was interested to hear how they could possibly improve upon them. In my eyes, my little five-watt combo was an absolute workhorse and could do no wrong. By the time that the new mkII models were released last year (much to the dismay of my girlfriend and my wallet), I was shopping for a new amp. Like many musicians at the moment, I was looking to move away from the huge stack for gigging and to have something which sounded rich at low volumes for home recording and practice. This would have been a difficult venture a few years ago but today you can find plenty to fit the bill. For me though, nothing got close to the HT-20RmkII. Blackstar have completely redesigned their new range from the ground up - this is far from just a new lick of paint and a few new buttons. The new addition to the HT range definitely holds up a modern take on what a valve amp should be.

The first thing I notice about the amp is how classy it looks, in particular the slightly slanted cab and the silver woven into the grill cloth. Blackstar must have listened to customer feedback on the aesthetics as functionality, as the control panel is a vast improvement from previous HT amps. On my older model, I found the dials hard to read with only a small dimple in the control to indicate the settings. They have replaced some of the hard-to-see chrome control knobs with chicken-head style ones, atop a brushed black metal panel. The contrast really helps! With this addressed, I doubt that difficulty will ever be a problem again.

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The Blackstar HT-20RmkII is powered by two ECC83 preamp valves and two EL84 Power amp valves. These are combined with their own in-house designed speaker, and this blend of these components gives this amp one hell of a voice. The amplifier has both a clean and distortion channel, but they have added a ‘voice’ alteration into the mix. To me, the clean channel voice sounds like switching from a glassy Fender tone to a more mid-boosted Vox or Marshall Bluesbreaker style sound. This works tremendously well when you only have a single tone control to use for shaping on this channel. On the gain side, you get a full 3-band-EQ, gain, volume, ISF and voice control too. This channel can alone go from bluesy-breakup to screaming lead, but the addition of the voice switch gives you a smoother and looser distortion similar to an overdrive pedal in the front of an amp. For those unfamiliar to Blackstar, their patented ISF control allows a shift in the tone characteristics, so you can emphasize either a crisper, more American sound or sweep to the other side for a warmer, mid-driven British flavour. This is a great asset if you like some particular amps from either side of the Atlantic and would rather not carry two amps with you!

Versatility is where the amp comes into its own. If you like to gig, run it on stage while sending the XLR or ¼” jack to your mixing desk. The signal is full and rich, the amplifier runs the reverb in stereo, which makes it sound fantastic through a PA. There is also an option for linking to other cabs for when you need to pack a punch in a live situation. Although I rarely use pedals in my gigs or videos, there is an effects loop with either +4db or -10db depending on what you want to put through it. I have tested this with a few reverbs and loopers and it definitely gets the job done, although maybe an adjustable volume control for it could have been better for those who need it.

Usage Recommendations

If you are considering looking for a similar amplifier, or perhaps something smaller for home use, I have drawn up a list of what I would recommend:

Head or Cab?

All of the following are able to be bought as heads or combos depending on what you need. Do you have a good cab already? Save some money and get a head, these still have USB connectivity and emulated/headphone-outs, which Blackstar say you can use without a cab. I personally went for the combo so I didn’t have to deal with the setup, plus you get the speaker and the option for external cabs as well if needed.

HT-1R mkII

For usage at home or in a studio the emulated outputs are a force to be reckoned with. They can be used for silent recording and still have a great, rich sound. I’ve found this lacking in some amps, but never with the HT ranges and is definitely not the case here. Similarly, the same outputs also allow you to select 1x12 or 4x12 cab emulation for variable mid and bass response. Using this helps dial in exactly what you need from the amp to record, or mess around with your headphones on. The biggest tick in the box for me is the power scaling. Combine all of the above, and add the ability to power the amp on only 10% of its original power (previously 20watts, now 2watts), and it makes the amplifier truly formidable at any volume. You can pretty much do anything you like with the master volume without damaging your neighbours lovely collection of fine china!

I only have a few downsides to this product. Although the idea of USB connectivity was a great addition, for me it doesn’t work all that well and I can’t seem to get it to function well playing back and recording to my headphones. Sadly, I have had to avoid it and just record as I normally do, through the emulated output. If you are buying this just for the ability to USB record, you should look at getting something like a Boss Katana as they thrive digitally. Secondly, the footswitch is not anything close to the robust original of my old HT-5r, which was a full metal enclosure with a wonderful click to the switches. The new footswitch on the HT-20RmkII seems a bit flimsy, but works perfectly well. Thirdly, - although more of an idea than a criticism - the addition of a variable watts control, like that on Laney’s latest Ironheart series, would have been a fabulous inclusion to the flexibility in this amplifier.

All the products in this range are superb for their size and price point. For me, the standout in the range was the 20watt combo. For me it combined everything I needed - power and versatility for gigs, and yet it is still quiet enough for home and recording use.

You get incredible tone from this tiny amp, it’s only 1cm tall! It would make a great amp to mess around on if you are saving space but still want some of that old-school valve goodness. If you can spend a bit more, I would recommend the HT-5R mkII as you have more versatility with the tone and gain controls, which is definitely worth the extra money.

HT-5R mkII

This amplifier is familiar territory for me and I will always maintain it is hard to go wrong with this model, particularly as a practice amp. I have played it next to a drummer in rehearsals and it will get the job done. The ability to have power reduction to 10% on the upgraded model means you can crank the master volume and get those classic rock and driven clean tones from your favourite albums.

HT-20R mkII

If you are looking for the best allrounder which can comfortably gig, record and practice at home at 10% power (2 watts) then this is your amp. This amplifier is nothing short of superb and well worth the money. If you are after a slim vertical 2x12 to make your stage look cool, then the head and cab version of the 20watt looks and sounds fantastic.

Need something a bit more industrial than all the above?

Then you should check out their Venue mkII range. They still have excellent recording outputs, but have a bit more oomph and functionality for live usage, such as two reverb types, boost and reverb footswitching. For a full spec sheet and other models then visit Blackstaramps.com, or visit me in the musicroom, lincoln.

Author: Alex Eardley-Scott, guitar specialist, musicroom lincoln.

Find me on facebook @AEardleyScott or youtube at youtube.com/alexeardleyscott.

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Bear Makes Ninja live at The Lincoln Imp Photography - Tyler Rayner @ty_raynerphoto

s w e i v e R Man made fate - 18 t e r In

9 1 t c e p s o r

Jasmine lingard -2

0 Jaz beeson - 21

1 2 y b w e n e k ja 17

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Man Made Fate After All Review by Jay Makin

Far be it from me to determine the best of what the Lincoln music scene has to offer but here it goes anyway. Man Made Fate, I’ve only recently been introduced to the sound of this band but I find its one of those band that you kinda keep going back to listen to, they give you stuff to digest, you find the time for their music because of some of the complexity of it. It tends to stir away from the standard four on floor drums beats and the Am, C, G, D chord progressions and still give you something where you can sense where it’s going. Not that I’m saying there is anything wrong with four on the floor and a standard chord progression! This is what keeps Ben Simmons and George Shelly in business.

What I would like to do is probably the worst thing possible and review this band on their latest release. I feel by doing this you can see, hear and grasp the general gist and direction of the band in their most current state, you can see and hear them how they want to be seen and heard right now. So, I’d like to take their latest song After All. So first off when I first heard this I didn’t know how to take it, I don’t mean that negatively but y’know when you hear a song and you LOVE IT, but you’re trying to work out if it’s in your Gym Playlist or in your 420 Playlist? It was like that for me, I didn’t know where to place it at first but it found its place for me in a playlist of stuff I listen to when I’m looking for a bit drive, not getting pumped drive (literally never seen a gym in my life) but I’m looking to feel a bit invigorated.

Facebook - @ManMadeFate

So, what I’d like to do is, like I said before is review this band by its latest release. After All, ok so to start things off this starts with one of those bass lines where when you first hear you’re like “This could go either way, it’s going to be good cos them drums are going to come in and keep it together or it’s just going to go into this spectrum where I’m too mentally challenged (or too old) to understand it”. Fortunately, it’s the first one of those two. So, the drums come in with this cool single slam on the Four, and it’s literally straight into Man Made Fate territory on the One. I like the vibe Alan the drummer is giving off in this track, reminds me a bit of Chad Smith from RHCP (If that’s an insult, I’m sorry). Alans giving the song a nice backbeat but not keeping it super-duper predictable, which is hard to do without simply just overplaying the song. I love Steve’s playing on the guitar in this track because it’s so symbiotic of the drums throughout the entire track, they have good chemistry of what to play on the changes in the song, the entire band does!

Just before the chorus, I think they call that a bridge or something, I’m not sure. Anyway, they do this change where Steve on the guitar goes into this funk vibe and Alan on the drums boils down into this groove where he’s playing the ride bell on the offbeat. Cats pyjamas that part, not just any Cats pyjamas, like proper Italian lace Cats pyjamas.

We move into the chorus and it’s got a real hook to it, again not keeping it too predictable but predictable enough for you to sense where it’s going and I feel its in the chorus the band shines its most, pulling off some nice ice-cold stabs! Here we get a really good grasp of the band sound and direction without having to wait too long for it. We get a sweet breakdown after the second chorus that has a nice snare roll and build up, the band gets to show off some real dynamic here, showing up how they can go from some jet highs to some sweet lows but they work hard on keeping us attached to see where the song goes next.

We get to see Magz on the bass sort of taking the lead here, offering something that I guess most bassists kill for, a bit of a lead break in the breakdown. This sweet bass line moves us into Steve’s guitar solo, he takes us down this mellow delayed lead break where he gives of a “less is more” sort of vibe that reminds me a bit of John Frusciante (RHCP again), he really played for this song on this bit and the band back him up and fill the space.

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We then move into a punchier dynamic where the band comes together with a kick-ass riff that really lends itself to the song, the band comes back to one with some light fuzz, rundowns and some wicked stabs before we reach the last chorus. By this point, we’ve been shown some really cool musically dynamic stuff and the song really just flows like a river. We can really appreciate how much time and effort has gone into this catchy number and I feel that deserves some attention.

I’ll leave the best for last. Sarah’s vocals in this band are simply incredible, I really feel this song would not have its feel is anyone else even attempted to sing it. She gives it this real laidback sort of vibe but keeps you so entwined with what’s going off, she raises and lowers with the band and is a really good wellmatched paint for this canvas. Lyrically were not restrained by a typical storyline however storylines in songs have their place but I like that this song is a little less about the lines following each other and little more about every line being individual. Some may disagree, BUT. What Sarah does offer us here is relativity, we have good, clear, crisp vocals and were offered a branch to

relate to the song no matter how we feel. I feel that this relatability is only something someone as artistic as Sarah could offer and in this particular track were offered a peek into what Man Made Fate has to offer us as a whole. I feel this is genuinely only the beginning.

Like I’ve said earlier, I’m only reviewing this band on their latest release After All because I feel its how the band wants to currently come across to their fans. Great balance and again dynamic. Really good effort guys and I’m looking forward to what’s to follow!

Pros:

Lyrical and mood relatability Great overall band dynamic, awesome ups, and downs.

Bernard the skeleton is awesome in the video.

Cons:

Needs more cowbell.

Rating out of 10?

Cats Pyjamas

InRetrospect Sun Settings Review by Martyn Bewick

Facebook - @InRetrospectUK

InRetrospect have evidently worked out how to bring a bit of light back to their notoriously rainy hometown of Grimsby with their new single ‘Sun Settings’. After what initially feels like a brief threat of some generic ‘Djent’ tropes, it quickly grabs the listeners attention and sets out to prove that these Lincolnshire metalhead are more than meets the eyes/ears. The track packs a true gut punch of crisp heaviness, while retaining a good bit of melodic sensibility, without (thankfully) falling down the pop-metal rabbit hole of mega clean choruses and whining that has cursed alot of similar bands. Overall it gives me a nostalgic feel that harks back some the 2nd wave of Swedish metal (Soilwork, In Flames) while retaining a healthy, modern feel. I look forward to hearing them back this single up live on stage when we can.

InRetrospect Photography - Tyler Rayner IG - @ty_raynerphoto

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w e i v e r c i t s u o Ac

With Kieran Campbell

Here at Rock Lynx we embrace all forms of rock, and so we believe in showing some love to our acoustic friends on the mellower side of rock too!

JASMINE LINGARD Jazz Lingard is a young singer-songwriter from Louth, Lincolnshire. With inspiration from Radiohead and David Bowie, Jazz creates a dreamy atmosphere with just her guitar, a distinctive voice, and honest lyrics. Growing up in a small village in the countryside, Jazz taught herself to play guitar and soon started putting together songs. In August last year, she released her debut album ‘Blame It On The Moon’ independently before venturing to London for university.

I have seen Jasmine perform many a time, she is well worth seeing, trust me, you do not want to miss her. I actually had her music playing in the Winter of 2017, had her song ‘Happy Endings’ on repeat, still listen to it now, along with Jasmine’s new tunes, she had

Facebook - @jazzlingard

I had the great opportunity to interview Jasmine Lingard in the summer of 2020, Here are the questions that were asked below.

Hello Jasmine, How are you today?

I’m very well thank you, hope you’re good too!

What made you pick up the guitar and start writing your own songs?

When I was 15 I struggled with a problem with my legs that caused me to basically be stuck in bed for a good few months, so when I received an acoustic guitar for my birthday I thought I might as well give it a go!

Around that time I was very into Ed Sheeran so he was probably my main influence for playing the guitar. After I got to grips with the basics I started to write my own songs inspired by Gabrielle Aplin and got more into indie rock stuff like Wolf Alice and Radiohead.

What local musicians (Lincolnshire area) have caught your eye as a musician?

Lincolnshire is so talented and there’s so many bands & artists that come to mind, including yourself! In terms of bands, I’d have to say Indigo Bay & Who’s Misty are faves, both have really unique styles and their original songs are brilliant. I love Jaz Beeson’s music too and hers was actually the last gig I attended before the lockdown!

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If you were stuck on an island on your own with ONLY 3 albums to listen to, what would they be?

Ooh that’s a hard one! I’d probably go for the classic Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, Wolf Alice’s debut My Love Is Cool, which is the ultimate mix of moods, and then the Beatles’ Let It Be album because it has so my of my favourites on it.

Did you ever feel like you were stuck in a loop of playing the same kind of shows in the Lincolnshire area?

I don’t think I ever felt like I was in a loop of the same shows, but sometimes I definitely felt quite stuck in the countryside and wanted to play in other areas of the UK to mix it up a bit. But now after living in London for a while where there’s so much going on, it’s great to come back to Louth where all the familiar shows/musicians are - or it would be if it wasn’t for the virus!

Is there anything in the works of a possible tour? or would like to tour?

I would love to tour! It’s definitely something I’ve wanted to do for a while, it’s just a case of saving up some money to do so really!

If you could pick any country to play, where would that be?

Hmm, I’d probably go for Canada, just because I’ve always wanted to go, and there’s a lot of ground to cover so it’d always be interesting!

Artist: Jaz Beeson Song: Coffee Machine Sounds Review by: Kieran Campbell Rating: 4.3/5 Jaz Beeson is a Acoustic artist from the backroads of Louth Lincolnshire as well as being based in London. She has been in the scene for a long time and hopefully for time to come, when she is not domonating the london scene.

The new song ‘Coffee Machine Sound’ is a really heartflet sounding song with a simple acoustic guitar, syths and drums, it is not over produced and just perfect. “it’s about wanting more than the mundane repetition of everyday life, of work-sleep-work. I recently had to move back home to Lincolnshire, and I love where I come from and my home, but the uncertainty of my future and career due to the pandemic left me feeling a bit trapped here - which is how the song came about.” - Jaz Beeson This song just makes you want to grab your belongings, jump in your car and drive with no plans or directions, just you, the outside wilderness and the open road.

I have seen Jaz Beeson perform many times, even played the same shows as her and i must say, she is everything you want from a singer/songwriter, emotion and meaning to every word.

Facebook - @jazbeesonmusic

ARTIST: JAKE NEWBY SONG: BLINKING HELL REVIEW BY: KIERAN CAMPBELL Rating: 4/5 Here is a track by the Rock/Acoustic artist known as Jake Newby, he is known for his catchy and feel good songs of his personal life and what he has seen over the years.

The song ‘Blinking hell’ by Jake Newby is a piece about Jake’s new feeling in a fresh relationship with his current partner, from there first date to now. It is a beautiful song for the more easy listeners and carries a good weight of emotion to it.

“I wrote Blinking Hell when my partner Lindsay and I first got together. The lyrics are made up of the little in jokes and stupid conversations that you have when are you first getting together with someone (and to be fair we still do!).

So although it might seem like nonsense, it actually means quite a lot to me” - Jake Newby.

After listening to the song, i did just sit there for a minute and think about the story of the song and the life they have had since then, it is powerful stuff in a sweet story.

The song itself is a lockdown tune of inventive instruments of household items “shoebox in a towel being smacked for the kick drum sound and a travel cup full of rice and things like that.” - Jake Newby.

Facebook - @jakenewbymusic

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New releases

Brand new music from some great local artists

Indie G.L. Shelley Bring You Round George has an awesome indie rock sound and churns out bangers like nobodys business, this single being no exception! If you’re into your indie you’re gonna wanna check this out

Alt Rock Carry The Crown Never Be The Same These guys are starting to gain some real traction in the alt rock scene, and its easy to see why, This punchy post-emo tune has really got some feel to it. And is if this track wasn’t great enough these lads are donating the profits to the NHS. Good effort lads!

Classic Rock Audio Tap Only Way I Know

These guys have got a ‘classic rock’ sound, kind of refreshing to hear again these days. If you like your classics such as Def Leppard and Van Halen you’re going to want to listen to this

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Back Cover Credit: Photography by Sam Freeman IG - @canoninthecountry

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