In the Club 032 April 2017

‘IN THE CLUB’, IS THE OFFICIAL TUESDAY CLUB

INTERACTIVE MAGAZINE - BROUGHT TO YOU IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PERFECT POP CO-OP

WHO & YOUZ ARMY!

Dear Tuesday Clubbers and Pop Pickers!

Whereas 2016 was a flipping crazy year on so many levels 2017 has started for us at the PPCO and Tuesday Club a little like a Sunday after a big day session! While we’ve watched many friends bands and others we admire firing off tours and gigs like they are going out of fashion, we’ve done a couple of yawns, rolled over and gone back to sleep!... It didn’t help that we started the year by losing the master tapes for half of album 3 (we did that on album 1 too you know, but at least we’d released that bugger first!)... This new digital age definitely has it’s down side especially when it comes to backing stuff up...

Anyway enough of that dull stuff... Thankfully the malaise is about to be consigned to history as we embark on a busy April! Not only is it record store day (more of that to follow), we are also back gigging at the ‘Fab’ Farmers on April 6, we have a great festival Alice’s Wicked Tea Party lined up in Dorset for June, but that’s not all and we’re also doing a date with an ‘Ex-TCers’ new band at another date in May too! Not only that our sister, brother partners in crime The Perfect Pop Co have some exciting new releases, not least the long anticipated Reverse Family vinyl only album, due out on RSD17 and to be ‘launched’ at Trestle Arts base on 29th. Add

to that a new single from another ‘Ex-TCer’ (see we’re all still good friends!) The Beautiful Wolf and our own AVBD under the guise of Andreas and The Wolf, with a new album to follow.

Not to mention the 3rd long awaited and temporarily halted Tuesday Club album, which due to the above and a couple of other factors has now been slated for an autumn release, it’s been a big honour to work once more with the mighty Steve Honest, who has temporarily postponed his retirement from the music biz, to help us get the record out.

So there you go in our new quarterly slot we welcome you all back to our world and hope you will continue to support us throughout 2017, both with your social follows, shares likes and utterings and also your physicalness at our gigs events, it’s always the best thing for us to be able to say thanks in person!

See you soon we hope, The Tuesday Club Forever. AVBD xx

AVBD - @Vnderbraindrain

R. Marauder - @YTDS

DATE NIGHTS 2017

Farmers Boy, St.Albans (+The Pocket Gods)

April

The Bear, Northampton (+ Knock Off, Wreckage, Jonny and The Mental Breakdowns)

(+

2-3 June

June

The Nags head, Great Linford (+ Mad Mods, The Keepers, Indie Scence) Sat 8th July Farmers Boy, St.Albans

“The Tuesday Club are synth punk pop at its catchiest if you’re thinking about Blondie and Roxy Music you’re on the right track... it’s infectious and uplifting”

Vive Le Rock

Rock-a-holic Will Crewdson is back with Shahena Dax for the the dynamic duos 2nd album. THE FRANTIC LEGION

The new She Made Me Do It album is out NOW! You can also see them LIVE and in Support of Rachel Stamp on April 13th!

CD/download on Catranstic thru Cargo Records UK

Download through iTunes, bandcamp and all major digital outlets: https://itun.es/gb/EUPkdb

Frantic video by Jeff Conway @ www.pushingnormal.com

YouTube channel youtube.com/user/pushingnormal

www.SheMMDI.com

OUT 31 MARCH 2017

digital only single release includes the beautiful wolf remix

album review

- my songs about life mid-crisis

’My songs about life mid crisis’ is shortly set for record counter action via perfect pop co-op – incidentally catalogue number PPCO50 – indeed it’s the small details that never fail to escape our attention – just the actual records – and is set to arrive in a strictly limited to 200 only wax edition with a possible CD variant pencilled for probable happening later in the year. In short here be fourteen tracks staring out of the late 70’s for all the world sounding as though they’ve been rifling through the best bits of your well-worn stash of prized 7 inch platters from back in the day whilst junking the bad ’uns and then wiring copious amounts of angular riffage along with the applying of oodles of prickly pristine pop make up, the daubing of a fair amount off tongue in cheek candidness and then the dipping of the bugger in dayglo dye – which all adds up to – voila – a new wave party pack that sounds as though its torn its way from a vintage early issue of Smash Hits or Superpop.

comes wired upon a killer Beefheart / Fall coda unless I'm very much mistaken – and i’m not), Jona Lewie, Vic Goddard, the Leyton Buzzards and of course Adam Ant whose influence is clearly about this collection like a rash. Add to the mixture an impish kookily crooked pop dynamic that absorbs elements of glam and the bubble grooved echoes of an at times 50’s teen buzz (refer yourselves to WIREd out ’plastic punks’) and you have a collection of cuts which from the power popped pub rocking 'Zigginess' of ’business or pleasure’ to the previously mentioned here a while back ’way it goes’ with its schizoid club rumbling cool – think Gary Wilson rewiring Robin Scott’s M – a set that fizzes, pops and crackles with a retro electricity. Elsewhere the dub doused ’I sense their watching eyes’ under certain conditions wouldn’t look to far out of place on one of six sides of ’Sandinista’ where it not for the fact that it’s waywardly cut in the likeness of Klark Kent which before the letters of concern start flying in – and they will believe you me – is no bad thing. ’electronic 6’ is just, well quite frankly – pure classic era weird earness from Landscape while those with a thing for spaghetti western grandstanding with hints of Marco’ s post Ants Wolfhound grooves might do well to amble over to the cool arrest of the bruising wound licking ’higher power ’. Elsewhere ’hand of god’ side 2’s opening salvo is cut as a floor rumbling funk struck mirror ball very much channelling heavy on a Gary Wilson influence while distant echoes of ’dirk wears white sox’ s ’ lacerates the grooves of the parting shot ’odd mix newgates’

reversefamily.co.uk

Posted on March 12, 2017 by marklosingtoday marklosingtoday.wordpress.com/2017/03/12/reverse-family

LIVE DATES:

SATURDAY 29 APRIL TRESTLE

ARTS Base

ST.ALBANs

SUNDAY 14 MAY

EMPIRE RECORDS

Where the Scratch wore their Buzzcocks / Magazine affections like badges of honour, reverse family though grazing similar sonic fields appear more content in hooking their spike topped new wave communal tent to the likes of Wreckless Eric, Captain Sensible (see the gloriously dishevelled ’alcohopoppers on fast food’ which impishly

ST.ALBANS

SATURDAY 28 MAY

CORN EXCHANGE

HERTFORD

In the club

RSD17 SPECIAL

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

This month we offer a big thanks and welcome the guys at Empire Records In the Club! We asked Dave and Eddie to give us a bit of background on St.Albans’ much prized record shop.

As far as the origins of the shop go, it was all Derek (Watson). Obviously a huge music fan, he had been following the growth in vinyl sales for a few years and when HMV was closing stores, he saw the opportunity to buck the trend and open up a record store. Having owned Chaos City Comics next door (In Heritage Close, St.Albans) for years, he knew that there was still demand for physical product in this digital age, but also that people needed a place to buy it.

Going fully vinyl himself, he used his extensive CD collection to stock the shelves, along with a couple of good second hand record collections and a selection of some of the best albums that were currently available on vinyl as our first stock and it’s grown from there.

He really wanted to make a great place for all things music in St Albans, championing the local scene, as demonstrated through the bands we had play on our opening day and every weekend after that, something that we still do, but obviously not as often. As far as I go (Dave), I worked with Derek in the comic shop for 11 years, then HMV for 5, at which time I was made redundant, still good friends, Derek offered me the job of managing the store, knowing my work ethic and love of music. After his untimely passing in 2015, I took over the full role of managing the store, and hope that he would be proud of how the business has grown.

The mighty Eddie and Dave, posied to give it some Rabbit, Rabbit, Jabber Bunny!

“It’s great to see you giving local bands a section in the shop, how does it sell?”

“We love providing the opportunity for local bands to have a venue to point people towards to come and buy their music. It sells well when we have the band themselves come in and play live, but sadly, doesn’t sell much outside of that, as they are mostly unknowns, or the fans already have them. We get the odd customer coming in looking for something from local bands, which allows us to push them, but unfortunately it doesn’t happen very often.”

“We help this along by sometimes playing the local stuff in store, to help attract attention.”

OK firstly, we are sitting in the ‘cyber’ pub doing this interview, and it’s our round. What do you want to drink?

Dave: Jack and Coke for me

Eddie: The most interesting looking real ale, thanks.

What was the last thing you heard/watched that was so good you had to tell someone about it?

D: Heard would be either Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes new, second album, Modern Ruin, which is a departure from the hardcore of the first album, revealing a more indie/rock side to Frank and allowing his heartfelt lyrics to really shine through, or Drunk, by Thundercat, a mixture of hip-hop, jazz, funk and soul in a bizarre masterpiece that winds it’s way through his consciousness with a real sense of humour. As far as watched, Heartbreak Ridge was an unexpected gem of both acting and film making and John Wick 2 was mindless, brutal fun!

E: When I hear an album I absolutely love, I have to share it, and I normally do that by making up a bunch of CDr’s and distributing them amongst the friends I think will appreciate it the most. The last album I did that for was Bleeding Heart Pigeons’ debut ‘Is’, from last Spring. Utterly beautiful prog-pop with hints of Radiohead, Coldplay and Everything Everything. Watched would have to be one of the under-the-radar films I’ve seen recently, films that never seem to get too much exposure in the mainstream press. Something like The Lobster, Anomalisa, or The Neon

Demon. I always feel the need to tell people that great cinema exists outside of the Hollywood blockbusters that are rammed down our throats so often!

With all the recent news about Chuck Berry and sending music into the stratosphere... What four items would you put in a time capsule?

E: A record deck, an amplifier, a decent set of speakers, and a copy of the extended version of Open Your Heart by Madonna on 12”, so future generations can learn the full extent of the 1980s.

D: Well, as Eddie has provided the means, some classics to play on it! One from each decade, Sgt. Pepper’s from the 60s, Bowie deserves to be preserved for the ages, so a copy of Hunky Dory, Eddie’s got the 80’s, Mezzanine from the 90s and To The 5 Boroughs from 2004.

And sticking with the space theme... What one LP would you recommend to an extra terrestrial?

D: The eerie, haunting sounds of The Mysterons on Portishead’s Dummy seem appropriate, they might like that?

E: Maaan, depends on the extra terrestrial! Probably Led Zeppelin II. Dunno why though…

In your esteemed opinions, Is Vinyl really making a serious comeback?

E: I think so. It is really difficult to know for certain, but in terms of “trends” this one seems to have lasted longer than, say, Pogz or any of that 80s shit. Seriously though, the fact that not only major labels are getting behind the so called ‘revival’,

Down Hatfield way lurks a surprisingly good rock venue! The brainchild of Dean Archer and a few of his mates who were disappointed at the lack of rock music or music generally in Hatfield – instead of moaning about it – they decided to get up of their arses and do something about it and so was born The Rock Den in 2013.

A 300 capacity venue with a fantastic set up and great sound that hosts monthly rock nights. The bands get paid (yes really!) the charity, who own the venue, get the bar take and Dean and his mates get to hear the kinda music they want! Along come High Treason to play a gig and history was in the making, as you will know, if you

read my later article, HT guitarist Malcolm Scott is also director of 3Ms Music and so began a collaboration that resulted in a Rock Den compilation album that is out on 22nd April and being launched at The Rock Den with no less that 6 of the bands featured playing live!

facebook.com/TheRockDen/?fref=ts twitter.com/TheRockDen

last year selling more than has been sold for 25 years and in December, making more money than downloads! It’s not just a nostalgia trip or a passing fad, there’s a whole new generation that want their music in a physical format and embracing vinyl as the ultimate form of doing that.

If you could be any character in a film, what film and who would it be?

E: Probably Mark from Empire Records,

but also major advertisers and corporations, seems to suggest it is here to stay. And if it is, it’s early days yet. I’m sure there are bigger and better things yet to come from this amazing comeback, and I’m totally on board.

D: It certainly seems to be. Vinyl has been growing in sales, year on year for the last 10 years,

as he always seems to be having a good time and nothing bad happens to him in the film. I think I’d make a good Mark.

D: One of the Goonies, always wanted to go on a Goonies adventure!

You are now In The Club, but what club do you actually wish it was?

D: CBGB, in the mid 70s, such a

legendary venue, that saw so many amazing bands take the stage and also just be in the crowd, I would have loved to experience that!

E: Fabric, as I’ve never been. Better be some decent drum’n’bass DJs playing though!

Who’d be in your four-piece fantasy band. Guitar, bass, drums and vocals...

E: Ok, so… Vocals: Andre 3000, guitar: Hendrix, or Jonny Greenwood, bass: Squarepusher, Drums: me old mate TR-808

D: Currently headlining in the afterlife, Prince on guitar, Cliff Burton on bass, John Bonham on drums and Layne Staley on vocals

If you had a time machine and could go back to any year in music, what would it be and why?

E: ANY year from 19631977 so I could pick up as many first pressings of all the amazing albums from those times as possible! If I had to pick one year though, probably 1967 so I could get fuzzed up during the summer of love whilst collecting my Beatles, Hendrix and Doors records.

D: There’s too many to choose from, but Eddie’s pick of ‘67 is a good one, purely for the opportunity to see bands like Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Beatles and Mama’s and Papa’s live, maybe early 70’s to see Bowie, The Stones and The Who or to have been older and more aware during the early 90’s to see Nirvana, Metallica, Beastie Boys and The Prodigy smashing it live!

Is Record Store Day still for all, or has it been hijacked by the majors? E: I believe it is still for everyone. Yes, the majors may have taken over a little, to the point that some items made available seem like pointless cashins, but there’s still loads put out each year which is unique, unusual or undiscovered! You just gotta look in the right places. Look up that weirdass label you’ve never heard of that’s putting out a compilation! Research that band you’ve kinda heard of but have no idea what they sound like, you might want that limited edition coloured-vinyl reissue of their debut they’re

putting out on the day! You never know! It’s easy to glance at the list and say ‘Urgh, loads of mainstream crap I don’t care about’, but read between the lines and I guarantee you’ll find something you want, even if you don’t know you want it. Ultimately though, the best thing about Record Store Day is that it celebrates the little guys, guys like us. No amount of major label tat can detract from the fact that this day is exclusively for indies, and that’s a really good thing. It helps us, it helps our customers, it helps the communities. And it’s always a heckload of fun!

D: Record Store Day is definitely for all, as, outside of the limited releases, it’s all about the love of music and supporting independent record stores. Yes, the major labels tend to have the biggest releases that will have people queueing through the night to guarantee a copy, but the whole day is about celebrating the record store, bringing attention to everything that we do and all the things that we sell and buying some records, be they by they biggest band in the world, or by your next favourite band from St. Albans!

Have you ever been in a band? If so who? If not, who do you wish you were in?

E: Never been in a band, except for a school jazz band, if that counts? I’d like to be in any band in which I could play flute, as that’s my instrument. So, Focus, Jethro Tull, King Crimson.

D: I’ve also never been in a band, as I’m far too lazy to learn to play an

It’s great to see you giving local bands a section in the shop, how does it sell?

D: We love providing the opportunity for local bands to have a venue to point people towards to come and buy their music. It sells well when we have the band themselves come in and play live, but sadly, doesn’t sell much outside of that, as they are mostly unknowns, or the fans already have them. We get the odd customer coming in looking for something from local bands, which allows us to push them, but unfortunately it doesn’t happen very often.

E: Relatively slowly. What helps it along is when the bands who feature let their fans know that we’re stockists of their stuff, whether via social media or mentions at gigs, or anything else. One of the reasons for it selling slowly is that all the locals who come in look at it and say ‘oh yeah I know that band, bought the CD at their gig’, and anyone from out of town looks it and says ‘dunno what they sound like, won’t bother’. We help this along by sometimes playing the local stuff in store, to help attract attention.

What style of music sells best in St.Albans? And what doesn’t sell!?

D: Rock is the biggest genre, but outside of that, we sell a lot of hip-hop, jazz and soul. Classical doesn’t sell very well, it seems that as one generation dies out, a

new generation hasn’t discovered classical music, so there isn’t much demand for it.

E: Prog, Punk, Metal, all sell well. We could always use more secondhand punk & metal! Dreadful generic pop-rock from the 70s is the slowest seller. Oh, and Sammy Hagar. If you know a Sammy Hagar fan, send them our way! Please!

If you could pick one band to make a comeback who would it be?

D: I feel that when bands reform, quite often the original magic that brought the band together is gone, in lieu of a greatest hits cash grab, but if I could see the Smashing Pumpkins as they were in 1995, that would be amazing!

E: Mansun. So I could actually pay attention and appreciate one of their gigs, which I didn’t do the two times I went to see them in the 90s. I’m seeing frontman Paul Draper live in September, so hopefully that’ll partly make up for it!

What question haven’t we asked you that you wish we had?

D & E: “Do you want another drink?”

Cheers, Dave & Eddie

Thanks loads chaps, for those not familiar with the best record shop in the World... Here’s the address and stuff, see you all there on record store day, if not before!

EMPIRE RECORDS, 21 Heritage Close

St Albans, AL3 4EB

www.empirestalbans.com

Tel: 01727 860890

instrument, so maybe I could join Bez in the Happy Mondays!

“The brain child of USA’s Justin Jennings and Joseph Vitterito, this act creates an eclectic yet harmonic soundtrack of songs.”

FLAUNT’S new album SPECTRA is their first on Nub Music/ADA and as the title suggests it encompasses all shades and styles of music from Electro/Indie to Rock to EDM and Pop. It’s already born comparisons to contemporary acts such as Twenty One Pilots, The 1975. Muse, The Black Keys, Danger Mouse’s side project Broken Bells, Clock Opera, and Athlete.

Recorded as 2 sides like a traditional LP, the band wanted to make an ALBUM “That people will want to listen to from start to finish and NOT become bored because everything sounds like the track before it.”

Hailing from two similar but distant areas of the United States (Colorado and Maine) the duo formed via social media and have been recording since. Each share band responsibilities with one main goal - Making music that is art, in an age where the album has been declared “dead!”

It all began with the CODON album - mainly instrumental ‘turntablism’, but ignited by it’s two hit singles swathed in the vocal and guitar prowess of Justin Jennings.

Buoyed by this success they sort to explore new sounds and more lyrical based songs with their next release - the synth/electronic EP that contained the independent music number one hit ‘National Anthem’ with an eclectic selection of songs and videos that included a left field cover of Donna Summer’s ‘Grand Illusion’, plus a rock epic with

accompanying short film “My Clone Sleeps Alone,” (originally performed by Pat Benatar). The latter receiving rich praise from the song’s original writer (and bass player) Roger Capps.

Now with greater experience to add to their passion, the duo sought to step back into the disparate sounds of CODON but embellish them with lyrics and more song structure. The subsequent blend of electronics and organics resulted in an 18 track mammoth project which included narrative videos for each song. Entitled the RAVE NOIR the tracks are an amalgamation of guitars, keyboards, swamp rock and emotive vocals.

“We wanted to make an album that was reminiscent to some extent of what radio used to sound like... Where a Zeppelin tune would be followed by a hit single by the Little River Band and then something by the Gap Band.”

This statement alone surely begs exploration into the sounds of RAVE NOIR does it not!?

SPECTRA - Album - July 14th

VOWS - Single - May 5th

“With their musical aesthetic being on the same wavelength as artists such as Bloc Party, The Killers, and even Spooky Black, Flaunt makes their music completely unique and addicting to the auditory sense.”

“Flaunt’s premise is to make music that is art, and that is what they do”

Lisa Hafey – Essentially Pop

Music Clout

Tuesday Club expanded See You Next Tuesday The Complete Sessions

In 2013 as a bristling 8 piece - 2 bass, keys, drums, 3 guitars, 2 vocals and a Minx!... The Tuesday Club released ‘See you next Tuesday’ on an unsuspecting world... “Roxy Music played by The Rocky Horror Show”... here for the first time you can grab for your collection - The Complete sessions... featuring the lost tracks and unreleased material... 5 of which have been released on varying eps and singles, 3 of which have never been released... and now due to loss of the original masters - 1 of which was never and will never be finished! Released on Ltd editon of only 50 cds and a digital download. You’d be a definite SYNT not to want this?!

CD1: Original Album:

Dolly Dynamite

Ain’t Got No Class

Money Means Nothing

Nanananana

She Splayed My Teeth

New Regime (Slow Swing)

Replication and Montage

All You Do Is Wow

New Glamour

Wish My Slate Was Cleaner

Vinyl As a Manifesto

Oh Daddy Please

Little Miss Attitude

Human inhuman being

New

Glamour Single

A new version of the song from the debut album with a it’s B-side, live fave Old before your time. Available on Gold enhanced CD, with special video and MP3 download!

CD 2:

Previously released Material

True Sex Appeal (Free Xmas single)

These Dogs Bite (B-Side Dolly Dynamite EP)

Old Before Your Time (Original mix)

One Idea and a Lonely Voice (From Forbidden Kiss EP)

New Regime (Punkd) (B-Side Ain’t got no Class)

Previously Unreleased Material

Erotism And Machinery

It Ain’t Changed Me Gordon

Curfew (unfinished Mix)

Zerox

Recorded in 2015 with the legendar y Steve Honest at the controls, this version of Zerox features; The Minx, J-Rod and The Beautiful Wolf and also features a guest appearance on the drums of our friend and ace session man Francesco Lucidi (Who also made a cameo appearance in our Forbidden Kiss video too).

Released at the start of June 2016 by popular demand following our Farmers Boy, appearance where we performed it with Will Crewdson, Adam Ants guitarist.

Other releases currently available from The Tuesday Club

My Consciousness EP

My Consciousness, Harsh tales of ancient news and Something Major. Available on Silver and MP3 download!

EP001

Forbidden Kiss EP

Forbidden Kiss, Cities Alive and One Idea and a lonely voice. Available on Silver and MP3 download! EP002

Lady Gargar EP

Lady Gargar, Scars are Superstars and Resistance makes your heart groan fonder. Available on Silver and MP3 download! EP003

Boo Hoo EP

Boo Hoo, Beat Oven, Greyer Shades Of Grey Available on Silver and MP3 download! EP004

FIND ALL OF THE TCs BACK CATALOGUE AT:

theperfectpopco-op.bandcamp.com

DEBUT SINGLE31.03.17

This track is based on a cassette demo from the B-Wolf from the mid 1980s with new lyrics added by Andy.

Back in 1984 Wargames, the postpunk/new wave band B-Wolf was in, called it a day. But The Wolf carried on writing material for a new album for when he found a new band. He had a portastudio, a couple of guitars, a Casio CZ101 keyboard and a drum machine. As he can’t sing he ended up with a lot of instrumental demos. Fast forward 30 years and when clearing the attic he came across a box full of old cassettes and fancied giving them a listen…

He thought it would be an interesting project to revisit these tracks written by his twenty year old self. In some cases he had the original 4 tracks so he used these and added to them and in other cases where he only had a mixed down track he re-recorded everything. At the time he was influenced by the likes of Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Cure, Psychedelic Furs, The Banshees/ Cure offshoot, The Glove, and Magazine.

soundcloud.com/freshnet/sets/noairplay

PLUS introducing GAND... no releases yet but a playlist on Tom Robinson’s Fresh on the net for starters...

THE BLEEED THE DODO

Life is for winners and only winners... 'Dream boy doing well' is about dead winners, dead from life... dead ending... dead bored... dead frustrated... imagine... Johnny the horrifying man from Repetition by David Bowie in a scene from a 1970's Hammer Horror Film... infused with the dark hopeless sarcasm of the queen in snow white... that's what the Bleeed are serving up for you this time dear friends, go on take a bite!

The Silent Scream

Valerie Leon (Queen of Neon) Super Juice

theperfectpopco-op.bandcamp.com/ album/the-silent-scream-ep

Plus to commemorate 40 years since the Ramones debut LP. Here’s a FREE download of our version of their classic track Commando

theperfectpopco-op.bandcamp.com/album/ commando

The Dodo - The Album. Finally released in it’s full digital tragedy... Taking 3 weeks of evenings to produce in the autumn of the late late noughties... unplanned and adrenalised. It sounds more like a the soundtrack to Saint-Saens carnival of the animals transported to a lost autumn somewhere in a darker, richer, swinging 60’s... the 1860’s that is. Harpsichord, strings, bells, and tormented otherwordly backing vocals provide the backdrop to this feast of psychedelic melancholia laid bare to inspire and unhinge in equal measure. From the soaring yet forbidding, puritanical bleak, wailing, death mask procession of ‘Into the Black’, to the 60’s apple blossom infused cold war time bomb - ‘Waiting for the walls to come down. The DIY or DIE Organisation sound like a ghostly ice-cream van stalking the neighbourhoods of the as yet unwritten Tim Burton animation… ‘Gothic Pop Victoriana’. The DODO was born, it grew and ultimately demised, leaving this as it’s epitaph... Into the mists of time and tragedy it fades... the last Thylacine resplendent in a Tin Foil Crown.

Imagine Scrooge hadn’t had his dream and he’d carried on blissfully and corporatly crushing the spirit of his loyal workforce, this is Bob Cratchits revenge. Despite all the hardship Bob’s soul elevated his family to higher consciousness where they dispensed with traditon and used the foil for something alltogether more glam than a turkeys marathon runners blanket. Melancholic yet up lifting Tin Foil Crown is an anthem of Hope and fortitude against the odds!

theperfectpopco-op.bandcamp.com/track/tinfoil-crown

DIAMOND MEADOWS DEBUT EP

Serving up a heady cocktail of synthpop, electro, post punk, disco, funk and acid house, Diamond Meadows are inspired by a love of bands such as Travelogue era Human League, Soft Cell and Cabaret Voltaire

theperfectpopco-op.bandcamp.com/album/ morbid-fascination

SUEYSIDE PACKED

DEBUT SINGLE

...muffled...intense...breathless...

Taking influence from Viviene Goldman, the dub side of the PIL brain and the other worldliness of Donald Pleasance... The SueySide Packed, lure you in, ply you with hallucinogens and lock you in a dark cupboard in next doors house... the one marked for demolition... and there's a JCB outside with it's engine running

theperfectpopco-op.bandcamp.com/album/minotaur-heart

In the club

with

SLYDIGS

According to their website, SLYDIGS are a rock n roll band. We agree! We first came across them supporting Vintage Trouble, they supported The Who on tour last year, and they’ll on the road in May and June as they release their “How Animal Are You? EP. Joining us in the club this month, from SLYDIGS, Mr Dean Fairhurst...

1) OK firstly, we are sitting in the cyber pub doing this interview, and it’s our round. What do you want to drink?

A pint of answers as to how we got ourselves in this mess.

2) What was the last thing you heard/ watched that was so good you had to tell someone about it?

The history of The Eagles documentary. Even the cheesy 80’s era is great. Joe Walsh is king.

3) What four items would you put in a RBD time capsule?

1. Another time capsule

2. An egg

3. A half-eaten shoe

4. And a knife and fork

4) In terms of new bands starting out, is the internet a help or hindrance?

Both, whilst you can reach an inordinate amount of people

Dean Fairhust

with one click of a button, an inordinate amount of people can reach you.

It’s exciting to live in a time that moves as fast as it does. It’s a positive to be able to keep in touch with fans in distant regions. However, I think that the internet has created a new world in which talentless people are glorified. Some can argue that’s always been the case but you can’t deny it’s far worse off now. It’s sort of cool not to be fucking famous these days. A world of knowledge at our finger times and we chose to search YouTube looking for couples pranking each other. I think that has had a greater, negative affect on ‘the arts’ as a whole than anything else. Maybe it’s all derived from the reality TV shows. But having said that, some cat in Brazil may have never heard of us or

All photos by Adam Kennedy

our music without the internet so I see the merits. I mean, that in itself becomes a full time job, maybe it detracts from the music a little but it’s just another medium to get yourself recognised and appreciated, which is ultimately what any artist really wants, recognition for their creation.

All artists need reassuring in some capacity and if they say they don’t then clearly they’re pricks. There’s always newer platforms in which to listen to music, whether that be CD, vinyl, streaming or whatever, now we have everything. The choices are endless and the genres are endless. For me as a fan of music, personally it’s great to be able to find new music through things like Spotify. I’m a big fan of the discover weekly playlists.

5) If football is the current ‘rock &’roll (in terms of Superstar status), what do you think could or should be next big thing?

Snail Racing

6) If you could be any character in a film, what film and who would it be?

Randle McMurphy - One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

7) You are now In The Club, but what club do you actually wish it was?

The Catholic Club in Burtonwood

8) Who’d be in your four-piece fantasy band. Guitar, bass, drums and vocals... I’m already in it

9) If you had a time machine and could go back to any year in music, what would it be and why?

For a long time it’s been the 1960’s but I’d say 1972 today. I think exile on main street would of been out then. Yeah, cool time. To be alive.

10) How animal are you? I eat what I find and I have an inability to think and act rationally.

11) What question haven’t we asked you that you wish we had?

How many eggs can you fit in your mouth?

12) Where’s the best place to find you on the internet?

Porn Hub or

www.slydigs.co.uk either works for me.

Wild Nights and Crazy Days before the birth of The Trailer Trash Orchestra and Los Chicos Muertos!

So my old friend Huw popped over the other day. I’ve known Huw for about 38 years and for 36 of those he’s joined me on stage at various gigs in various incarnations blowing on his clarinet, flute and soprano sax. Huw is also a great photographer and has documented various bands, gigs and happenings through the years.

Huw had been having a bit of a sort out and came along with two boxes and a plastic bag of old prints to see if I wanted any. It was fun looking through and I posted a bunch up on Facebook which brought back some fine memories to a number of friends. The pics are mostly from the period between the mid eighties and mid nineties. Some are from Sketch Pad events – an eclectic club night that Clive Pig and I ran firstly upstairs at The Beehive and later at Allsorts Community Arts Centre on Alma Road (where we both worked as youth arts workers thanks to Charlie Dearden).

That corner of St Albans that took in Alma Road and the lower end of London Road was quite a creative hub in those days due to there being a number of affordable shared houses and flats around. Andy (Trailer Trash Orchestra) Bill Johnson (Blue Angel Acoustic Cafe) and Justine (future wife) all lived in the flat next door to Allsorts at one time. Dez (Trailer Trash Orchestra) lived round the corner at London Road with other musician friends (including Duncan who now plays

with Hillbilly Moon Explosion) and also worked at Allsorts teaching circus skills.

Clive and I had both lived round the corner on Bedford Road as had St Albans finest accordion player Mike Adcock. Our friend Emanon ran the Off Licence on Lattimore Road which was pretty handy some nights! So Clive and I gigged as a duo for a while, made a video and appeared on late night telly as well as setting up Sketch Pad. When we went our separate ways I set about making a solo album with Pete Ridley on fiddle, Dez on trumpet and Jez Guest guesting on sax.

Soon after The Young Trash Lovers were born which would

include Dez on bass, Andy on fiddle, Mary on Drums and Huw on blowy things. We recorded the Standing on the ledge album and appeared on the Big Breakfast with Barbara Windsor.

Around the same time we put together The Sindys – a louder, punkier outfit again with Dez on bass and MK1 Kev on drums, MK11 Steve on drums. Sometimes Justine and Mary would join us on go-go dancing duties for a few songs! Both The Lovers and The Sindys toured in France – and those times alone could merit a substantial biography!

Other collaborations were born from those Sketch Pad days including Destiny Angel which was Mary and our sadly missed friend Karen on vocals with me (and sometimes Kev live) making the music.

What’s cool is that almost all the folks I’ve played with over the years have remained great friends and in many cases I’m still playing with today. Other outfits (maybe photos will appear sometime!) from that period included Jumble Sale and Shine X Crew whilst pre Young Trash Lovers there was The Outdoor Cafe Quartet (borne of The 47 Swing Jam Band).

I guess I should do one of those band family tree things sometime going right back to Fae Jane & The Burning Docs. As the new millennium dawned so too did The Trailer Trash Orchestra (who have a new video -

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VszqGMK06B0

and Los Chicos Muertos. So raise a glass of absinthe to wild nights and crazy days both long gone still to come!

Grae J. Wall

www.facebook.com/TrashvilleUK/?fref=ts

– So Lets Make Great Records!

By Denise Parsons

Run by musicians for musicians

3Ms Music is a little independent record label set up to put the fun back into making music. Being musicians themselves they understand what artists need. They strive to make top notch albums with new and established artists alike!

Errol Michael Henry – A legend in the music business, having recorded the likes of Bobby Womack, Lula, The Jones Girls & many more. Some call him a Mogul, some call him a Dandy – (luckily he has a sense of humour!) Whatever his title may be he is a very impressive businessman and knows the industry inside and out. He is also a motivational speaker, author, founder of Intimate Records (a soul label that does very well indeed),a songwriter and a producer himself, so he understands what it takes to make a great record.

Malcolm Scott – Malc brings a wealth of business experience too via his successful Market Research business

but at heart, is a musician through & through - I think he always wanted to own a record label! Often seen ‘dressed in black’ playing loud & complicated guitar stuff with heavy rockers ‘High Treason’, he’s living the dream and loving every minute!

Paul Madden – Originally found lurking behind the large desk at Smokehouse Studios – the recording arm of 3Ms – He is now located at The Coach House in France, with a wealth of recording & producing expertise as well as being a drummer. Paul is well know in the industry.

Errol and The Sharks

Bands currently signed to the 3Ms label include: The Sharks, Jah Wobble, 360 Band (basically The Average White Band) High Treason, Scream Serenity and Supercharge indeed!

Recently I had the pleasure of working with 3Ms & The Sharks on their new album release for Killers of The Deep. The Sharks are a reformed supergrpoup from the 70’s. Originally founded by Andy Fraser (from Free) with original members Steve ‘Snip’ Parsons on vocals, Chris Spedding on guitar, Nick Judd on keys plus new members Paul Cook on drums & Tosh on bass.

If you don’t recognise some of those legendary names, then shame on you!

It all began was a well attended album launch party at Orbit comics in Covent Garden, all sorts of people came along and it was great fun! The cover for the album was designed by Shaky Kane a well renowned comic book artist. This was basically the pre- PR to the gig at The 100 club a few days later.

I have such fond memories of that place from so many gigs in days gone by, but have not been there for years – pleased to say it hasn’t changed much! The dressing room is still tiny and covered with graffiti from visiting bands and there are still two massive pillars stage left

High Treason featuring Malcolm on guitar

and right to block your view or as I always preferred to lean against.

Having been a huge Sex Pistols fan it was a pleasure to meet Paul Cookapparently I didn’t do the big girl fan thing, which I was pleased about – just a casual, how you doing/nice to meet you – even though I was immediately catapulted to my bedroom age 14 with a copy of ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ & dreams of Anarchy in the UK!

Chris Spedding, was a gentleman – he’s played with virtually everyone I have ever admired – Bryan Ferry, Chrissie Hynde the list goes on. But the best bit for me was the raw energy and driving force that is ‘Snip’ Parsons (no relation!) though he did ask! Despite the bands more mature position they can still rock the joint & ‘Snip’ as a frontman is electric. Stunning vocals and he knows how to perform and work the crowd, which I like, I want to see a show! No wonder Tom Robinson is a fan – he was there apparently but I didn’t recognise him – shame I would have liked to have met him – another hero of mine then and now!

So my 14 year old self finds this all rather exciting!

You can get the album here 3msmusic.com/shop along with the rest of the catalogue.

Next big release for the label is Jah Wobble due out in April/May.

I will keep you updated on my adventures with 3Ms next time... & top tip... The Wobble album is gonna be very cool.

sharks-band.com

twitter.com/realjahwobble

twitter.com/3MsMusicUK

facebook.com/3Msmusic/?fref=ts

Parsons Knows The

By Denise Parsons – Music Promoter –

‘The Live Music Project’ Trestle Arts Base, St.Albans and Radio Verulam DJ

My latest Tips, TOP BANDS, ARTISTS and EVENTS!

Tulip time! Yep its that time of year again – Spring!

So much been happening in the world of Local Music I am not sure where to begin! I have met so many excellent bands and been to countless gigs and played lots of excellent music on my show so its hard to pick out just a few but here goes!

Magicians Nephews Band

Going from strength to strength! Lots of new music coming from these cuties too! They’ve just applied for the ‘emerging’ stage at Glastonbury so best of luck with that. They are performing a rather special gig in front of The Clock Tower in St Albans on Saturday 8th April in aid of Home Start St Albans –introduced by yours truly so pop along about 12 and join us!

facebook.com/magiciansnephewband/?fref=ts

We had been friends for a while on Facebook but never crossed paths until Becky joined me on the radio a couple of weeks ago & its was musical love at 1st listen! Just adore the easy way she performs and tells a story! She does some rather interesting poetry as well. Her new single is a current favourite of mine – ‘There you are’ out now on all the usual platforms. Do yourself a favour and go check out her music.

facebook.com/ Beckyphillipsmusic/?fref=ts

Becky Phillips

Lasers 8 O’Clock Day One

Just brilliant brilliant brilliant! They had been stalking me for a while on social media –begging to be allowed on the show and finally I gave in!! Well.. what fun we had.. mainly because I made them do acoustic and they don’t really do that! Seriously though, I really love these guys.. bright.. imaginative.. catchy.. cool.. quirky.. (running out of adverbs here.. but you get the idea!) Best of all they baked a Victoria Sponge and brought Shloer to the studios – just for me – although ‘someone’ (naming no names here) started the cake without me.. they have been warned that such behaviour will not be tolerated! Sorry just cant stay serious with these guys around – top top band – that you simply MUST go and see! If not before then on 28th May at Hertford Corn Exchange – hosted by yours truly! Geek rock, sea shanties & filthy beast.. yep that about sums it up and yes I nicked it coz I couldn’t have put it better myself!that he is doing some recording at the moment. Me thinks this boy will go far!

facebook.com/ lasers8oclockdayone/?fref=ts

A ROCK CAKE!

Gender Bender & other storiesunderdog

by Kevee Lynch

A local St.Albans author has just released a book of short stories to a packed house at Waterstones in the town centre.

We all root for the underdog. We all want to see ultimate success for those who strive to do the right thing. Sometimes this involves sweet revenge, but people are usually the authors of their own destiny anyway. Kevee Lynch has written a trio of inspiring and engaging stories

that we can all relate to. Addressing both timeless and contemporary issues, he gives us perceptive insights into ordinary lives, each story having a refrain to which we will all sing along enthusiastically, and as loud as we can, while we dance through life.

Well worth a read!

K Cobb - “3 great stories exploring themes of friendship, morals, love, hate, revenge and more! You’ll recognise the characters - we all know people like these! It’s a perfect holiday book, easy to read, funny & thought provoking.”

Boohoo - “Really enjoyed this well written, highly entertaining book. Very funny and once started couldn’t stop.”

Available on Amazon & all good book shops!

http://tinyurl.com/luv6qch

Last but not least we come to the all important #DateForYourDiaries – THE LIVE MUSIC PROJECT - Trestle Arts Base - Its our birthday – yep we are a whopping 4 years old on 29th April 2017 and we intend to party!! I cannot quite believe how far my little project has come over the last 4 years – how many bands we have had play, how many people through the doors and what a community we have created. Very proud Mum to say the least. So to celebrate we have another amazing line up of local original bands for you.

Headlining we have ‘The TrailerTrash Orchestra’ coz they enjoy a good party! In support we have Reverse Family & Thermofish – both excellent choices! (Check out the poster on page 41)

So please come along and join us.

Dress to impress - £5.00 OTD trestle.org.uk/whats-on/the-arts-base/thelive-music-project-4th-birthday-bash

let the same dog bite you twice.”

“Don’t

Chuck Berry #RIP Chuck Berry