Down the RabBit Hole
Issue 7 1st january
contents Editor’s Note: Welcome to a New Year! We hope you are just as excited about the next year as we are. We can’t wait to share everything that we have planned with you! Anyway, onto this month’s E-Mag. We’ve got an even more packed issue this month if that’s possible. Along with the regular interviews and album reviews we have a Top 10 of the year where the team have chosen their top picks from the past year. We also have an artist in review for the whole year where the team picked out their top artists of 2016. Go and check those out to get some great recommendations. We also have our production article feature, our interactive page and our gig guide. We hope you’ve had a great Christmas and hope that you have a great new year. Happy Reading, Rachel Colley, Editor.
Interviews:
Josh Gonzales - 4-7 Moth Loves the Flame - 14-17
Album Reviews:
Childish Gambino - 10 The Weeknd - 11
Top 10 of 2016: Top 10 - 8-9
Interactive page:
Featured of the year - 18-19
Production Article:
From Rehearsal room to Recording - 20-23
Artist in review:
Joshua Burnell - 25 Lost Gloss - 25 Of Montreal - 25-27 Sugar Candy Mountain - 27 Flora Graysteel - 27
Releases of 2017
Future releases of 2017 - 3
Gig Guide:
January’s Gigs - 28
2017: upcoming releases Albums
The Village – Carnival of Fools, Release Date: Late Spring 2017 The Howling Lords - The Howling Lords, Release Date: 21st January 2017 Silver Tongue Bandoliers – The Tales of Mr Funkyson, Release Date: 28th January 2017 YANNA Y – TELL ‘EM ALL, Release Date: February 2017 Mr Happy Chainsaw – It’s Not My Ball, Release Date: March 2017 The Final Clause of Tacitus – Peace in Chaos, Release Date: 24th February 2017 Wolfe Sunday – TBC, Release Date: June 2017
EPs The Novus – Frost / What I Need, Release Date: March 2017 The Pink Diamond Revenue – TBC, Release Date: February 2017
Singles Glass Foundations – My Worst // My Best, Release Date: 24th February 2017 12 HOUR AVENUE – TBC, Release Date: February 2017
Josh GOnzales Can you give us a brief history of how you came about? The “band” formed in 2014 when me and Thomas (my guitarist/co-songwriter) decided to finally get together and do some tunes together. We’d known each other since our first year of high school, but Thomas always had other projects going on and I had never really focused on creating materials I wanted to share with other people. It was just the right time, and after we made a few decent tunes we got Jon (bass) Cyprian (drums) to join us.
The band has recently separated slightly due to Josh Gonzales studying in the UK. How has that affected you all musically? Has it challenged the band at all in anyway? Instrumentally I don’t think its affected much. I was already planning on incorporating more r&b/soul style writing and vocals for our next few tunes. The experiences though, man, they’ve given me so much new material. I’m just really excited to bring it all back home, get things arranged, finish off some lyrics, and get back to working with the boys, and potentially some other collaborators as well.
What is the experience of playing solo and without your band like? Playing solo is nerve wracking. I’m so used to playing in a 4-piece, getting on stage by myself is so weird. But it’s also a really great opportunity to grow. When you don’t have anyone else to rely on, you really gotta make sure you know your shit. It’s both limiting and freeing. A song of mine called “Sitting on a Fence” is really fun to play solo because its so raw. Then there are songs I won’t even play because I haven’t figured out how to arrange them for just my vocals and guitar haha.
Did you enjoy the experience of Yor Fest? I had a great time at Yor Fest! The organizers were great, great food, and the music was really neat, I’d never heard any of the bands before. I was able to catch a couple of the sets but unfortunately had to leave a little early. York seems to have a strong music scene though!
You originate from Regina, Saskatchewan in Canada. What was the music scene like over there while you were growing up?
getting from this trip I’m hoping to have at least 5-6 more done before we’re set to record. It’ll have more of a Motown/soul vibe to it, which I think people will really dig.
I was never really involved with the music scene growing up, but over the past two or three years I’ve really gotten to know a large part of it, and it’s extremely strong. I’m super proud to be a Saskatchewan artist at this point because everyone’s doing really neat things, not just within our province, but also all across the globe. You have guys from bigger established) acts like Library Voices and the Sheepdogs who are still doing their thing while also mentoring younger emerging artists. That’s why you see a lot of Sask artists like Poor Nameless Boy, DGS Samurai Champs, Surf Dads, etc., playing in the UK, Germany, and Australia, just everywhere.
Are Jack Johnson & John Mayer some of your main influences or are there others that helped shaped the EP?
What are the main differences you notice about the music scene in Regina to the one in York?
Our last album was pretty folk poppy, but I really want to incorporate soul/Motown/R&B elements into the next album. I’m just such a huge fan of that style of music, and as much as I’m proud of our debut album, those elements are pretty sparse, if they’re present at all. I think it’s a genre we could do well and we’re gonna do our best to fit it in the next album.
It’s more laid back in York. We don’t have as many pubs in such a dense area back home so the music scene is a little less busy on most nights with acoustic acts. We still get a lot of variety but the sheer volume of shows Is probably less. What are some venues that you loved to play in while residing in Regina? The Artful Dodger is my favourite. It’s just got a great little set up and the acoustics are amaze-balls. Creative City Centre is also a very neat little venue. We have the Artesian for larger scale shows/album releases. There’s a lot to like about many Regina venues. You’re current EP ‘When She Smiles’ was released last year. Is there any new material being worked on at the moment? Anything our readers can look forward to for the future? I’m hoping to release a new album next year. We have about 3-4 songs that are ready to go and with the new material I’m
John Mayer is definitely a huge influence, same as other singer-songwriter types like Ed Sheeran. I’m also a huge fan of soul and Motown, so people like Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers are people I really look up to. I also feel like I’m really influenced by R&B artists like Frank Ocean and Gallant, ‘cause that’s a lot of what I listen to now If there was a different genre that the band could try out what genre would that be and why?
Is there any future plans that you can share with us that you have in store for the band? Things are kind of up in the air other than trying to record this album in the next year. I finish my Masters in Psychology this year so I’ll be hunting out opportunities to keep me busy. You never know where life will take you!
Top 10 of 2016 Black Mirror After taking a three-year hiatus, the third season of Black Mirror had so much to live up to and due to the phenomenal power of Charlie Brooker’s imagination, it delivered 100%. The signature theme of technology gone rogue is taken to new heights with episodes like “Playtest” and “Nosedive” while “Shut Up And Dance” shows us that you don’t need to stray to far from reality to be terrifying and the final episode has an ending that will stay with you for a long long time. X-Men Apocalypse The third instalment in the young and sexy James McAvoy Professor Xavier phase of the X-Men movies was released in May of last year, to mixed reviews. Although it only accumulated 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. As a child my two favourite X-Men villains were Apocalypse and Mr Sinister, so it’s really great that they’re both now getting a nonanimated appearance (although nothing will ever top the 90s animated series in my opinion). Blood Orange – Freetown Sound I called this album one of the best albums of 2016 in my review of it back in September, so it would be frankly ridiculous to leave it off this list now. The 3rd album from Dev
Hynes produced under his ‘Blood Orange’ pseudonym; Freetown Sound is a gentle R&B album with a social conscience, which it uses to address contemporary issues in an accessible format. 10 Cloverfield Lane 10 Cloverfield Lane, one of my favourite films of the year, is also home to my favourite soundtrack of the year. Composed by Bear McCreary, who has also created eerie soundtracks for The Boy and The Forest. This soundtrack is the perfect balance of action-fuelled and creepy, adding effectively to the constant tension of the film. Planet Earth II Planet Earth II took me as a surprise. As a child, I was obsessed with Blue Planet and Planet Earth. David Attenborough made kids eager to learn about the natural world. The brand-new series has brought back that amazement in everyone I know. The feats to which the cameramen will go to get a shot is inspiring. It is quite simply one of the most visually stunning shows on TV – and it is all real!
Too Many Zooz - Subway Gawdz This album has constantly been on repeat for me since it’s release in the summer. If you want a catchy experimental album that infuses house and jazz music this album is definitely the one. There are also a few rappers that feature on the album, which adds variety to the instrumental album. Overall, this album provides danceable tunes with interesting choices of instrumentals and makes for a intriguing listen. FunForLious We have previously mentioned this British YouTuber before but I believe he needs mentioning again. If you have not heard of his channel in which he documents his travels around the world by vlogging them then you are definitely missing out. He provides stunning entertainment of many different countries and allows his viewers to learn many new facts about different cultures. This channel will definitely make you want to travel after you’ve watched the videos! Kungs - This Girl As an artist that seemed to come out of nowhere and then be played at every house party or club night Kungs is a true anomaly of 2016! But not in a kitsch way like Gangnam style of years gone by. This is
a song that can be placed on most playlists and should be. I doubt you’ve missed it this year, but it’s definitely worth another listen. The Record Café When a company supports local music, vinyl, Beer and cured meats! What is not to like! The Record Café from Bradford, supports all of these, from featuring several vinyl records, old through new in their mezzanine floor, they are sure to intrigue anyone that loves a decent pint with a conversation about what records you’re looking to invest in next! Deadpool Deadpool as a character has been growing in popularity since his debut back in 1991, he’s not your average hero, with fourth-wall breaking, morbid witty lines and being a general psychopath, its easy to see why he’s successful. He finally hit his true potential with his own film back in February, which as far as super hero films go, re-wrote the genre with his anti-superhero take on things, plus the tight budget helped!
Childish childish Gambino gambino Awaken, my love! I was in relatively the dark when I approached Childish Gambino’s new album, “Awaken, my love!”. Having grown attached to his 2013 album ‘Because the Internet’, I was excited to see what new, pun-stuffed verses Gambino would come up with. I was quite surprised to find a total lack of rap on this album, and much more psychedelic funk and r&b. The track ‘Me and Your Mama’ is slow and bassy. With choral vocals, the song builds towards an evil laugh, which signifies a total gear change. Nothing I write here can really do the introduction justice, and it is worth checking out when you get a chance. The song reminds me closely of the ‘New Harlem renaissance’ tracks from Netflix’s Luke Cage. Over the blues jazz, Gambino screams, ‘Do what you want! Compared to the aggressive rap tracks I’m used to hearing from Gambino (I.e. bonfire) this album is completely fresh, at times, his vocals are barely recognisable. The track, ‘Have Some Love’ is clearly soulbased, featuring a gospel-choir type of resonance, Gambino’s vocals are clearly altered a fair bit in the mixing process. ‘Boogieman’ features the same, slightly warped voice. The song is a question and response game, with a group asking
‘BOOGIEMAN! You’ve got to help us, can you?’ and Gambino responding, ‘Yes I can’ ‘Redbone’ is the first track I heard from this album. The song is very high-pitched, and the vocals are strangely croaky, but I was awestruck by its independence from surrounding music, and I still am. ‘Baby Boy’ is a long track. Its opening discusses ‘little hands’ and ‘tiny feet’, and the lyrics go on to beg, ‘don’t take my baby boy’. The final track, ‘Stand Tall’, is constantly changing. The sing hook of ‘keep all your dreams standing tall’ is mixed with raw vocals. There are many changes in instruments and style, all building to a small interlude of silence before a big dollop of synth closes the album. This album is a massive, impressive, departure from Childish Gambino’s established style. A departure so dramatic that it is hard not to commend him, especially since this piece is such a huge success. I’d rate this album 9/10 – sometimes Donald Glover’s vocal range lets him down, but the piece is genuinely thrilling and thoroughly enjoyable.
the Weeknd weeknd Starboy I’m just going to start this off by saying that I’ve been a fan of The Weeknd since I first heard I Can’t Feel My Face so I’ve been looking forward to this album for a long time and I’m very happy to say that it does not disappoint. Although Starboy keeps up The Weeknd’s trend thudding deep baselines and echoey vocals it seem lighter somehow. I can’t really describe it but it’s like instead of the songs sound like they should only be played loud enough to reverberate the walls of some like seedy unground club, they now sound like how to it feels to walk around an unfamiliar city at night. That’s not to say that Starboy doesn’t sound like a club album because everything The Weeknd puts out is guaranteed to get the club going again at 3 am but this album just feel different. It’s dancier, I guess. In previous albums like Beauty Behind The Madness the tracks were mostly fairly slow and chilled out whereas Starboy has songs like Love To Lay and A Lonely Night and even the title track, Starboy, which are just so much funkier. Maybe it’s just Daft Punk’s influences coming through but this is definitely a new sound for The Weeknd and I have to say it really suits him.
elsie franklin
Elsie Sings...
Debut EP is out now on BandCamp.
Click here to listen!
moth loves the flame Can you give our readers a brief history of the band? Moth Loves the Flame were formed from the ashes of a previous band with Graeme (guitars) and Christian (guitars) who’d lost both their singer and drummer over a period of about 12 months (they’re not dead, just moved on to different things). So Graeme and Christian soldiered on and hunted down a new drummer. Almost 2 years ago now we got a call from a Scots fella (Alan), following an ad we had placed. Subsequently, the band’s current incarnation began to solidify. Alan (drums) helped with the recruitment and the line
up has been strengthened over the past 18 months or so with first Nick (vocals) and finally Matt (bass). With each new addition, the sound has undergone slight changes in direction. What particular interests and elements does each member of the band contribute to the songs and how are they woven together? I think it helps that we all come from different musical backgrounds and the music we like, though occasionally there is crossover, is extremely wide ranging. This allows for germs of ideas to develop in
directions one of us alone writing a song or a riff, wouldn’t naturally go. I believe this helps create that sound which others have said is hard to pigeonhole. Songwriting usually starts with a riff or a melody one of us brings to rehearsal. Then as a group we jam and riff on that until we can hear and feel a structure developing. Usually we will then work on each part until its right and build the song, connecting its constituent parts until we are all happy with the whole. Your sound has definitely changed from your previous EP ‘Nothing.. Then This’. Has this been partly because of your personal influences changing? Are there
any other elements that have caused this change? Yes, mainly due to personnel changes, the EP was written by Graeme, Christian and the former vocalist (who was also a Nick). Christian programmed all the drums because we had no one to play them! With songs such as ‘Moon’ have interruptions throughout with people talking about what seems to be a space mission. Why did the band include these segments? ‘Moon’ was originally written as an
instrumental idea (we were between vocalists at that point). The delay on the guitars and the laid back beat lent itself to a feeling of vacuum and emptiness. Christian added the moon landings recording to give the track more of that atmosphere ( or lack of , if you like). Then when Nick joined the band he leapt on the sound to create the melody and lyrics around the beauty of the Earth’s satellite and the love of a good woman. You recently played Yorfest 2016. How was that experience and have you previously played in York before? We had previously only played in York once at the Duke of York. It was a decent gig in a scruffy pub. We arrived with a thirty minute set (as requested) but the two other bands never showed up so we did our best to add a couple of songs in to keep the punters happy. We got a good reception. Yorfest was a new experience in that it was our first outdoor festival gig. It was well organised and we really enjoyed playing on the large stage. We felt at home to be honest.
ambitious in recording both songs in a day and the final product suffered a little for that. On The Journey we had a better idea of what we wanted to do with the song and subsequently produced a better track. You produced a video for ‘The Journey’. How was that experience for the band? What different locations did you use when you were filming the video? The outdoor footage was filmed up on Saddleworth Moor, just a bunch of guys wandering around the hillside. And the studio footage was set up in our rehearsal room. It was a fun, if slightly alien experience, being filmed for 10-12 hours not doing very much. We did have the added excitement of trying not to set the moor alight as Nick set up his fireworks in the freezing cold as darkness descended though! What other songs would you like to do music videos for and why?
We have just finished recording a new song, ‘Lost Voices (part 1)’ and we are contemplating a video for that. We have What artists did you check out at YorFest often discussed making a video in which we 2016. Were there any particular highlight as individuals play no part artists that you saw there? If you could have the chance what bands Alan really enjoyed the openers (Stray would you love to play with and why? Scene), unfortunately the rest of us missed them as we arrived about 5 minutes after Very hard question as we all have many they had finished. Graeme and Christian different favourites. If I had to list on found a lot to like in Jade Assembly’s set. behalf of the band: Radiohead, Anathema, Nick and Matt are big fans of Slow Readers Porcupine Tree, REM, Tool may be in there? Club and were delighted to be on the bill with them. Have you got any big plans for the future that you can share with our readers? What were the major differences that you noticed as a band when you Well, we release the new single in recorded your newer songs from that of December (Lost Voices (Part 1)/The Journey) your EP? on CD and also on Amazon, iTunes and Spotify. For next year we are booked for As said previously the N..TT EP was pretty Fleecetonbury Festival in April and we much a different band, and the tracks were are venturing north to Scotland for the all recorded on Christian’s home studio. first time with some gigs in Aberdeen and Subway Lights and Moon were the product Inverness in May. We are hoping to play a of this line-up’s first real recording studio few more festivals this year and a full blown venture. We were, maybe, a little over EP is on the cards. Watch this space I guess!
From from rehearsal to recording Over the past few months of our E-Mag being released, I have been writing articles about how best to record, produce and mix your music. This article will be in essence a combination of all of the articles so far, we things we’ve discussed in the past, as well as some new information on certain fields. Lets start right at the beginning with microphone choices, with many choices in the way its good to get an idea of what microphones would work for you. The main two types I would recommend using would be dynamic microphones and condenser microphones. Not to say the other types are not useful for recording (as ribbon
microphones sound beautiful) but at a starting off stage, these are the two go to which are relatively cheap and work well. Dynamic microphones are mainly used for close miking as it can take a lot of loud sounds well, while the condenser doesn’t so much. The condenser can be used more for quieter things such as acoustic guitars, vocals and piano as well as room microphones. Microphone patterns also play a large part in their placement and their use, as omnidirectional (picks up from everywhere equally) is good for basic room microphones. And cardioid patterns are
better to pick so things such as vocals and amplifiers, due to them picking up sound in one area a lot better than others. Other patterns are available but these are two of the most common to be used. When it comes to recording acoustic guitar the main idea is recording the sound hole, the nearer it is to that, the more bass will be recorded. Putting a microphone on the neck can also be effective as it allows you to get the finger movements and can make it feel closer with it. Guitar amps are even easier to record, this is because they only realistically need
one microphone on them. Depending on the sound you are going for depends on the placement. Closer to the edge of the speaker cone creates a more harsh sound, while more in the middle of the cone creates a more smooth and warm sound. If you use two microphones in a similar way, it allows you to mix the two to create a tone that is desirable. Bass amps work in a similar way and can be miked up in a similar way. Drums are the largest thing to record and takes a long time to place the microphones, the way I usually record drums is using the Glynn John technique, which involves three
From rehearsal to recording microphones an equal distance away from the snare, this stops phasing issues from appearing. Adding other microphones on top of this method helps build a massive drum sound overall. The other way is the classic close miking technique, where every drum has a microphone (and the snare has one on the top and one on the bottom). As well as this, there is usually two overhead microphones placed to capture the cymbals, this makes mixing a lot easier as you can realistically place the drums in the space it would normally be. The latter technique works well on live drums too as it doesn’t pick up much sound from other instruments due to the close miking.
Piano is very simple to record, as it mainly uses two condenser microphones facing the strings in the back roughly three octaves apart (based around where you are playing on the piano). This is the way I have personally found most effective, other microphones may be used to capture the room if it sounds particularly nice but aren’t necessary. Room microphones are used well for other instruments, such as recording an orchestra as it allows all the sound to mould together and create a sound that sounds full. After recording these, mixing is the
next step, this involves a lot off different processes and effects, for creativeness, things such as echo, phaser and delay can be used to create a completely new sound over what is already there, but this is mainly creative, for making a track sound better overall you need some processes inputted. Processed include using EQ and compression to make the sounds blend and mix together in a desired fashion, which can take some time and practice, other effects that work where is reverb, which helps place the sounds into one area and sound coherent and not separate. Panning and levelling can also play a part in this, by
turning tracks up or down and placing them left or right in the stereo field really helps bring coherence in a mix. When it comes to recording and mixing, these are just some helpful tips I have been using over recent years, but some of the best sounds come from experimentation, os never be afraid of trying something different when recording or mixing as it may become the new standard for recording, you never know!
artist in review
Joshua Burnell ‘Into the Green’ is just as intricate and intriguing as the studio version. The album itself is laced with storytelling and folk inspired instrumentals. This definitely sets a mood for the whole album and makes it intriguing to listen to. The stories that Burnell tells are ones that are inspired by the fantasy and adventure genres. This is shown through the mystical creatures and the characters that Burnell creates and this allows the listener to be immersed in different worlds in every song. The listener can easily imagine the situations that Burnell is singing about and this creates a magical quality about the album. If you’re wanting to get into an album that is able to easily create strong images through the lyrics and also uses interesting instrumentals throughout this is the album for you to check out. Lost Gloss Although I have already done an artist in review of this particular artist, I loved his music so much, I needed to do it again for the year in review edition. Lost Gloss is just one of those strange artists that the majority of people may pass off as noise, or unlistenable. With strange reverbs to drown out his voice at times, things being set back that are usually brought forward. At times its strangely atmospheric and really plays with its experimental nature. You can hear the rock influences with guitar parts pushing throughout and being the main parts for most. Strange synths add to its strange dreamy nature and also help build the EP up. Of Montreal ‘Of Montreal’, one of the second wave bands to emerge from the 1990 indie pop collective project ‘Elephant 6’, is the creation of singer/guitarist Kevin Barnes. The cover art for their newest album ‘Innocence Reaches’ is laden with sexual imagery – appropriately, of course, since the biggest question this album poses is ‘how do you identify?’
artist in review
‘Of Montreal’ has a sound close to Crystal Castle’s and The Pet Shop Boys. The song ‘It’s Different For Girls’ discusses how ‘its different for girls from when they are children they are depersonalised, aggressively objectifies’. The album becomes progressively darker as it goes on. It begins to deal with themes of loss. The track, ‘Def Pacts’ is centred on liking someone too much to tell them about their flaws, and that they are ‘failing themselves’. There are some clear influences from the likes of Pink Floyd in Of Montreal’s style. Sugar Candy Mountain Sugar Candy Mountain was the first band that I reviewed for Mad Alice way back in July, and I can still remember thinking how odd it was that a band with a name so sickly sweet could release an album titled 666, but by the end of the review it was obvious that it just sort of worked. SCM are an astro-pop band making music that sounds like the 60s came back with more acid and modern equipment. Their sophomore album was released last year, who knows what’s coming up for 2017? Flora Greysteel Despite all the nonsense that’s gone on this year, 2016 has without a doubt been an amazing year for music, which made choosing my favourite artist of all the ones we’ve reviewed all the harder but I have to go with Flora Greysteel. A local York based band, Simon Bolley and Emily Rowan’s music is quirky, weird, and fills a gap that you didn’t even know was there. Emily’s ethereal singing voice complements their slight spooky sound wonderfully and their haunting lyrics guarantee that you won’t be able to get this kooky duo out of your head long after their EP has ended. I definitely think that Flora Greysteel is one to watch for and if you haven’t got it their self-titled album is available through their bandcamp and is an absolute must.
gig guide: 6th January - Native City, Two Reasons Why, Pura Vida, Luke Pierce, Fibbers, York, 7pm 6th January - Basement Jazz Club, Basement, York, 8pm 6th January - Badness, Ainsty, York, 9pm – 11.30pm 7th January - Open Mic Night, Basement, York, 8pm, Free 7th January – Fulford All Dayer, Fulford Arms, York, 12pm onwards 11th January – Martin Carthy, Black Swan, York 12th January – Luna Blue, The Horn, Saint Albans, 8pm 12th January – Mysterious Blues Experience, The Great Exhibition, Dulwich, 12th January – Devil You Know Feat Howard Jones (Ex-Killswitch Engage), Oni, Wearing Scars, Brutai, Fibbers, York, 7pm 12th January – Martin Carthy (Extra Date), Black Swan, York 13th January - New Travellers Rest, Cross Gates Lane, Cross Gates, Leeds 13th January – Absolute Bowie, Fibbers, York, 7.30pm 14th January – York and CD Record Fair, Basement, York, 10.30am – 4.30pm, Free 19th January – Cauda Pavonis, The Thunderbolt, Bristol, 7.30mpm – 11.00pm 19th January – Two’s Company Plus Jack Patchett, Black Swan, York 20th January – Alternate Function, Hammerdown Festival BOTB, Burgess Hill 20th January – Who Killed Nancy Johnson, The Rift, Sickoftheriot, AMY, The Anchor, Maidenhead, 7pm, Free. 20th January – Please Please You Presents Jolie Holland & Samantha Parton,
Basement, York, 8pm 21st January – Under the Influence Presents The Indigo Project, Basement, York, 8pm 21st January – The Wainstones, Ainsty, York, 9pm 22nd January – Northern Extremity IX: Trivax – Repulsive – Narayana, Fulford Arms, York, 8pm 26th January – Cash, Fibbers, York, 7.30pm 26th January – Flossie Malavialle, Black Swan, York 27th January – Alternate Function, Tunnel 267, Islington 27th January – Rick Witter & Paul Banks (Shed Seven) – an independent venue week show, Fibbers, York, 7.30pm 27th January – The Outsiders UK, Walter Mitty’s Head + Support, Basement, York, 8pm 27th January – John Verity with Special Guests RAM, The Golden Lion, Todmorden, 8pm 28th January – Melting Pot, Ainsty, York, 9pm – 11.30pm 29th January – York’s Winter Folk Day, Black Swan, York