Spring 2021,
it’s time to
STAR Like
THE VELVET HANDS!
Star date: 11th April 2021. #TheZineUK doc Spring season. Cover image: The Velvet Hands, photographed by Harvey Wallbanger, with art design by Elle Shoel The up and coming punky rockers are another of the golden threads weaving a tapestry of guitar blessed music movement in history’s most historic times. Any musician that has made it through to 2021, still doing what they were born to do, deserves a bloody medal. The Velvet Hands, included. The loud and lush endearment of their new single, Star, is a glam escapist thrill with presence. In this diary documentary, we’ve seen them organically develop from after-school exciters (playing their first - bonkers - London headline at one of TheZineUK music social) to rightly deserved wide acclaim, a (prescient!) key debut album ‘Party’s Over’ and hitting some pretty darn big stages. It’s time to celebrate our “song ‘n’ dance” heritage and pump new music collective joy into doomy days. Get ready to twinkle - it’s time to be a STAR.
We - “Brexitannia”(?) - are still under virtual house arrest, venturing out, occasionally, Since our last episode (December to join the caring, masked ball community 2020 to January 2021 with Nadia and dreaming of being at a gig again. Sheikh on the front page) things And yet, the music movement story of rock have been far from dull (of course) but n roll from the grassroots circuit point of you know what? Music really IS view, didn’t end when the venues closed. #TheZineUK doc continues
saving us. Let’s face it, we definitely At time of writing, there is a palpable need saving… wealth of significant talent pumping out of … (?) …nope, still don’t know what this place is actually called since January 1st. Seriously, friends, how do you describe this flagshaggy compound without using the untrue words “Great” or “United”? Hopefully it won’t be nicknamed Plague Island, soon, at least. Life opens up a bit more on 12th April - Roll on Summer!
February 2021
The Fertile
Environment is keeping it positive. Zeenagers, Anita Maj and Jean Genie are making a mark on Spring 2021. By April, Anita’s Lil Minx Records has released Monefa Walker’s first single - while there is a first video in the pipleline from JG! #MusicWomen
February 9th article: Big In 2021, Big In Music History “
’s ‘Big In 2021' is a potential album of the year on many levels.”
31 tracks, recorded nationwide at Pirate Studios, will be mixed and mastered for 500 hand-numbered, double 12" vinyl in association with Scotts Live. ‘Big In 2021’ helps Music Venue Trust to #SaveOurVenues so we can feel the power in our sacred gig spaces again one day. I stick with my firm belief that MVT are the closest we come to people-first government with employment, economy, education and national and regional collusion in the mix. It is inconceivable where we would be without them. Their achievements, saving our legendary grassroots trail of global repute are a future movie.
(Music Venue Trust)
The Royston Club (image by Kirsty Leanne Photography)
You had to act fast to grab a slice of music history. This Feeling #BigIn2021
February 11th 2021
Emily Magpie
Photography: Sari Soininen
February (Love Month)
, the debut single from Robin Ashcroft is a refreshing antidote to our times.
February 2021
We also had VERY FUN TIMES With STERLING PRESS
Their debut single, release was a lively, neu britpop smasher with horns on!
February News: We feel that , the third single from Manchester rock band, SHADE, is “audibly main stage”. Produced by Gavin Monaghan, it was released at the end of March (Fear Records), read more about the band’s next chapter in the following issue. Photography: Asupremeshot
26th February 2021 - Monefa Walker releases a dramatic debut single on Lil Minx Records. performing her compositions Classical piano tunes added to the F-List Spotify Playlist of #MusicWomen Art by musician, Emma Whitworth
Pic Lisa Perry Photography Monefa Walker is an astrologer, and also one of TheZineUK writers and promoters. Possibly most recently in this docu-diary pictured introducing The Rezner at The Music People Party (Dec 2019) That was just before Planet Lockdown. Now she is soundtracking this new dimension of Planet Earth Bandcamp, Resonate, Spotify, New single ‘Libra’/’Scorpio’ (Lil Minx Records) 30th April https://facebook.com/monefastar
March 2021
Y!KES By
Kris Askey
March 2021
Platform-7 Events created a Discussion Festival in their digital lounge at the end of February. Throughout March it grew into an international creative, virtual table hopping, inclusive community of conversational interaction.
#TheZineUK doc Events Department (Rocklands) - honoured to be included as one of the #DiscussionFestival hosts at half of the events, so far.
March 2021 was the most memorable “Women’s Month” to date via social media awareness -v- state broadcasting. That and the Selfservatives “Greed Is Good” mantra announced publicly to the nation. Love Flags and Statues - Hate Humans
?
No. This is STILL (also) the isles of #GR8brtn and Ireland - where we (mostly) continue to Dislike Bigotry - LOVE PEOPLE AND PLANET.
8th March 2021
Happy International Women’s Day That → Page
Industry Gem’s by Play It Loud UK
Louise, Peggy and Sahera via Melli #MusicWomen woven into #TheZineUK story of now and next.
@playitlouduk | @sahera_walker | @peggyfromearth | @louiseschofieldtv
March 10th 2021 It’s All Happening #TheZineUK dropped into the creation of a new multi media presentation. Ooh to the euphoria of experiencing live music again. Double Ooh to this showcasing exactly what we’re talking about. Expect LOADS of exciting music tips! A few snapshots from behind the scenes. Our friends were involved. The Velvet Hands performing and Louise Schofield presenting.
March 10th 2021 - Oops, possibly over emotionally excited to catch up with another friend at the Smiley & The Underclass acoustic set, that day.
10th March 2021 #Safety1stGigs - We are a nation of rock n roll bandits. It’s been an amazing day seeing End Of The Trail and the crew making memorable musical magic. Also got to hear new Velvet Hands tunes including their stonesy next single, ‘Star’. Pictured above Louise Schofield, Lisa Knight, Kelly Munro (End Of The Trail) and The Velvet Hands after their set.
14th March 2014 uploaded the first picture book of #TheZineUK documentary 14th March 2021 Seven Year (W)itch - That has been some ride! With no events to stage for almost a year and a half, now, it’s been a pleasure collating diary pix as the new rockers keep rolling by any means necessary. Big love for our editor, Dizzy Spell, and her spud of uniqulture which celebrates creativity and posterity from so many friends, that this music movement is one helluva “back story”. The perfect gift for a love pirate. Made me SO happy/chips. Our 2021 cast and crew have ridden the roller coaster of whatever this virtual rock opera is hurtling towards. Essentially, the newer wave of music industrious are reshaping the industry and media, artists and ethics first. Uploaded to https://youtube.com/c/TheZineUKMagazine Slideshow 1 (Zeenagers Season 1, 2014 to 2017) | Season 2 = (The #MusicPeopleParty December 2017 to WTF Was That? - a.k.a. January 2021)
The Velvet Hands A masterclass in How To STAR The “hints of” comparisons come thick and fast, A punkier Brit remix of The Rolling Stones x The Beatles x The Strokes with overtones of The Undertones. In short, entertainers (on and off stage) with big tunes of their own classic rock sound, engaging presence (feeling down? - find their social media) and an energetic exuberance that is exactly what we need right now. On tour in Autumn 2021, pandemic permitting, The Velvet Hands epitomise the Fertile Environment starting to bloom this Spring.
Toby Mitchell and Dan Able an early post-school pic.
Their double-vocalist-guitarists rock band, The Velvet Hands (like many more in our story) have evolved over the last few years with their potential becoming increasingly audible and visible. In a time of varying fortunes and misfortunes - i.e. real life - we are all personally sound-tracked with the earworms of our mind. Are you a fan of high quality guitar bands? You know about - right? They’re one of the themes that run through our diary pictures of DIY-based music movement, on merit.
For some of us the Cornwall quartet, emit songs for all occasions and it’s heart warming fun to see their audience growing.
April 2016 - First things first, pop to the supermarket for some rider then The Velvet Hands bring a rowdy riot of fun to TheZineUK’sEast End music social
The Velvet Hands, January 2017
The Velvet Hands, January 2017
“There’s a tint of Hamburg era Beatles in their charismatic delivery and Carnaby Street swagger, in their effortlessly cool nature. The Velvet Hands may be fresh out of the traps, but have already been compared to The Damned, The Stones and The Strokes, played shows with landmark live club, This Feeling, been the surprise hit at The Great Escape Festival, and earned a 60 second interview on the Steve Lamacq show and BBC London record of the week and interview with Gary Crowley.” (northern-exposure.co/) Pictured: Playing This Feeling at The Rock Steady club in Dalston. Record Store Day, April 2017
Winter 2017, The Velvet Hands return to Camden Monarch with This Feeling in November (pictured), then in December, our first Modern Age Music show (Paper Dress Vintage with Sisteray), then on a snowy Sunday night (17th December) they get The Music People Party started at The Hawley Arms. (continues)
Newer Wave Music Industrious: Marshall Live Agency - 2021 “A new booking agency for a new era of live music. Aimed solely at supporting artists, crew and promoters to provide the live music industry with the tools it needs to be successful today. Over the last 60 years Marshall has revolutionised music. MLA is the next step in that journey.” https://marshall.com/marshall-live-agency
M O S E S Modern Age Music tour
21/08 London The Grace (14+) 03/09 Birmingham Sunflower Lounge (16+) 09/09 Brighton Prince Albert 18/09 Manchester Gullivers then
25/09 Leeds Lending Room 06/11 Ghost Road Fest London
mosesofficial.com
The Velvet Hands 2018 January This Feeling - Big In 2018 (The Music People Party host DJ, Katie Owen, does her first filmed interview, it’s with the band for TheZineUK in The Water Rats Theatre at this show) April The debut album… a Radio 1 Album Of The Week. Obviously there is so much more to these years, but in Spring 2021, all bands are starting anew, again…
Summer 2018, This Feeling’s Isle Of Wight Festival launch gig at The Camden Monarch. This blur by Caffy St Luce, following pages - The Velvet Hands band photography by Lorna Cort
15th September 2018 - The Camden Mix-Up launches with an all star cast presented by Kick Out The Jams, sponsored by Rotor Videos and in association with Musicians Against Homelessness and TheZineUK. Guitar band power: The venue is rammed before the first live note has been played. It’s a one-out, one-in, riot fest of noisy fun. Party’s ON!
By 2019 The Velvet Hands had played MANY main festivals, become faves on This Feeling’s circuit, supported Liam Gallagher, Fontaines D.C., The Bluetones, more- all underpinned with non stop tunes that, to quote John Kennedy of Radio X (they played his Remedy night before the album release in 2018), all sounded like chart hits! Pic: Brian Robinson Photography
From October 2019 I have a memory of their first headline tour for This Feeling launching with the (increasingly regular) stage invasion sing alongs courtesy of international radio play, Channel 4 TV’s Made In Chelsea, Independent Venue Week and especially word of mouth from people who love to jump around!
December 2019 - The Music People Party. Toby with DJ Nineties Mike at Camden Monarch in support of fellow Cornwall rockers, The Rezner
2020 Vision - The Velvet Hands rousing Summer single ‘When This Is Over’ declared one of the year’s catchiest songs. The band are on BBC TV and perform on the OBTV launch in December.
2020 The Velvet Hands ← Photographed by Harvey Wallbanger and definitely
(BBC Radio 1 and 6Music airplay, included!) Vivacious artwork on the singles by
January 2021 Is it Independent Venue Week if it doesn’t include circuit faves The Velvet Hands a regular high-light over the last few years. They celebrated with an #IVW21 week-only release ‘ from their December 2020 return to the increasingly legendary back bar stage of New Cross Amersham Arms (where TheZineUK was born). Pic: Harvey Wallbanger, Art; Elle Shoel
Photo by Harvey Wallbanger
Getting Ready To
(The Velvet Hands)
Louis, Toby, Dan, Sam - The Velvet Hands, End Of The Trail STAR date 10th March 2021
17th March 2020 A week later, End Of The Trail Creative and Fierce Panda Records made a huge international impact with Caiine, Jekyll, Family Jools, Scrounge and Enjoyable Listens playing their Official Stage at SXSW 2021 At time of writing (11th April 2021) the feedback and results are still coming!
Spring 2021 - we need all the escapism, love, fun and good times that we can get. The pandemic and climate emergency were already sad and scary enough before Brexitannia - so take another listen to the musically STAR shaped #SaveOurVenues community of the grassroots circuit…
“Yeah we’re really going to the pub”… Tomorrow (April 12th) we can get pissed and have our hair done, (‘cos Britain) it’s looking like live music, physically distanced or otherwise, may really be happening again from June 21st. Pleeeeeease let Reading and Leeds Festivals go ahead just so that Nova Twins can strut that main stage and really Bring The Noise. OMG. Major festivals are selling out. Interdependent promoters have future heritage guitar bands making their mark. Mainstream bookers could look to the likes of CroCroLand, DecoloniseFest, Ghost Road Fest, Jam On The Farm by Kick Out The Jams and Melfest, Loud Women Fest and Modern Age Music’s Soma Fest for 2022 inspiration. With the aforementioned This Feeling Big In 2021 stars smashing it, Tiger Mimic, Bugeye, Bang Bang Romeo, Weekend Recovery, Arxx, Feral Five and Berries are among many threads through this tale (alumni of the above mentioned promoters. They help to make 21st century festivals look sussed) See The Velvet Hands? Now investigate all of them, it’s just a fraction of the really all happening escape from Plague Island action - or you can just keep reading TheZineUK! Hope that you get some pleasure.
New Femme Fronted Festive Fun for 2021
November 6-7 Multi-City Rock Weekender: #GhostRoadFest A brilliant line up of bands, plus DJs Charlie Ashcroft (Amazing Radio) & Kelly Chard (We Can Do It Record BBC Introducing’s Shell Zenner and Christian Carlisle in Leeds.
- Ghost Road Fest Poster by Laurence Crow Illustration Limited early bird tickets go off sale 30th April so get in a.s.a.p.! https://ghostroadfest.bigcartel.com/
Uniqulture: Thank you, Jean Genie’s Massive Hugs! Feeling blessed to have witnessed The Bringer Of Sunshine do her magical thing - Summer came early in Spring that beautiful afternoon.
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