Tongue Tired 15/02/23

A POEM BY LAURA SMITH

‘How lucky am I?’

I wake up each day in a bed with a cover, A roof over my head and a hug from my lover.

With a kiss on the cheek and maybe another,

And I think how lucky am I?

I open the fridge and there’s not much to see,

But there’s enough for us so it’s breakfast for me.

I eat my toast and drink a warm cup of tea,

And I think how lucky am I?

It’s freezing outside so I put on a hat, But the car is warm so there’s always that,

And I like my job selling books and crafts.

And I think how lucky am I?

It’s a train and a bus to university,

As a mature student earning my degree.

I’m safe enough to have this opportunity,

And I think how lucky am I?

I’ve had my struggles with deep depression, Eating disorders and emotional repression.

But I’m recovering well through therapy sessions,

And I think how lucky am I?

I often think about the rest of the world, How different countries treat their girls,

And their lack of rights and the abuse that is hurled.

And I think how lucky am I?

There’s progress to be made still, even here,

And if utopia is possible it’s nowhere near,

But my life is safe from control and fear.

And I think how lucky am I?

I look at the humans and the freedoms wanted,

And consider all the small things I take for granted.

We eat, sleep, and act like we don’t know our advantage,

And I think how lucky am I?

We watch in horror at the scenes in Europe,

And express our outrage at the events that develop.

All from our sofas and sat with our feet up,

And I think how lucky am I?

Families scattered and children lying dead,

While we sit in nice restaurants waiting to be fed.

While we ignore our loved ones for our phones instead,

Do you know how lucky we are?

Meet the Community: Metalines Studios

Metalines Studios is a community-based recording, production, and promotion studio for East Yorkshire. They offer cheap rates and focus on smaller, local artists.

Alex Verda is the man behind the studio. He wanted to help grow the larger music community beyond open mics and covers bands.

The original business started back in September, 2017. The name comes from a time when Alex was invested in metaphysics philosophy, especially the area of cycles and regrowth.

Everything kicked off for Metalines when they landed their first gig in April 2018. The gig

featured ‘The Confines’, ‘Sightmares’, ‘Violette’, and ‘The Froot’. The summer following this gig was spent building the studio into what it is today.

Metalines offers rates of £35 per day for studio use. Giving smaller artists a great opportunity to see their work recorded.

An Open Dialogue:

Bi-anually, Metalines will put on a charity event under CALM –Campaign against living miserably. The charity seeks to provide aid to those suffering with mental health issues. The event is always sold out, as every lineup has been a massive success.

The first show of the

year takes place in July, and the second in December, every time at Black Lion. Previous line-ups have included:

‘Pleasure Centre’

‘Hans Umlaut’

‘

Argham’

‘Follow Deep’

Sproose Moose’

‘Vegan Queen V’

In addition to supporting a charity, these events are so massive that even several local communities and businesses sponsor them.

A gig review for one of Metalines’ events will cover the next few pages!

Logo by Metalines Studios

GIG REVIEW: PLEASURE

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CENTRE

Aptly named, seeing Pleasure Centre live feels like a trip without the come down. Live, their music becomes much noisier, and much more ethereal. It was hard not to be taken away by their incredible sound, which can only be described as an experience.

Writing notes for Pleasure Centre felt like an impossible feat. As soon as their first notes hit the amp, their band was alive and moving to the music. Even during times where the lead guitarist and drummer were playing off against each other, the silence and stillness of the other members felt like they were lost in the sound.

A mixture of only four instruments is beautifully managed into a full orchestra of sound. The stage felt as though a hidden band was playing behind the figures we could see. Each song is brimming with effects that have been masterfully crafted together. Pleasure Centre capture Shoegaze so strongly that it feels the genre was made for them.

Photo by sshutter_upp_photography

Q&A With Pleasure Centre

When did you form/start playing shows?

A few of us went to school together but we all met and formed at college in Scarborough and we’ve been playing live for those 3 years since.

How many live shows have you played?

Too many to count. Somewhere in the 100s after a busy summer where it felt like we were playing two shows a week. It was an amazing experience but took us out a bit.

Who are your major influences?

We can’t not acknowledge the influence of 90s Shoegaze bands. Especially, Ride and My Bloody Valentine. But more and more we find outselves influenced by our friends in the scene: Crush, Felt, and Van Houten.

Have you had any interesting fan interactions?

Just hearing the name of the band out in public sometimes is quite jarring in a good way. At Leedsfest we heard our name shouted from the drinks stands. A special mention goes to Ros who loves the scene and attends most of our gigs.

How would you describe your music?

It’s definitely alternative rock; it’s noisy and atmospheric. Shoegaze is a handy label and we take a lot of inspiration from that genre and the scene.

Is there anything you’d like readers to know?

There’s plenty more in the works. We gave the audience a taste of it at Black Lion. And make sure you give all the support you can to local music venues. They make the scene special and let us keep doing what we love to do.

Photo by sshutter_upp_photography

GIG REVIEW: PENNINE SUITE

As the second line-up begins and the crowd falls silent, ethereal keys are met with a duet of male and female voices. Blending Shoegaze and alternate rock, Pennine Suite are grounded with attitude as their riffs ring over the punch of drums, and layering of bass.

When the attitude settles, it settles into melodic synth tracks matched by vocals reminiscent of the 80s. The contrast between the heavy sections, and the lighter elements of their music bathes the stage in intricate layers that feel like organised chaos.

From the rocking riffs of Crescent Moon Heart, to the 80s pop of Far, the incredible myriad of inspiration is expertly crafted into an unforgettable line-up.

Live, Pennine Suite fill the show with life and stir the crowd into a groove. The synth player could be seen dancing away to their songs which encouraged the crowd further. At a point both singers shared the mic as the song jammed on.

With such a variety to their music, the live show feels like seeing a band play all three sets without ever overstaying its welcome.

Photo by sshutter_upp_photography

Q&A With Pennine Suite

When did you form/start playing shows?

We formed mid 2021 after three of us were in a previous band together. The idea for our sound came from Louis and I thinking of ways to combine our love for classic pop, and 80s/90s alternative stuff. Lousie fit perfectly as a synth player, and Moses built our sound with heavier, beatorientated stuff.

Is there anything you’d like readers to know?

We’re putting out four new singles this year, and we want to play as much as we can.

How many live shows have you played?

Not sure exactly, but around 70 now in a year and a half. Playing at home in York is always a pleasure, but we do love a weekend away. Special mentions to Sheffield and Liverpool, they have great crowds.

Have you had any interesting fan interactions?

Somebody once gave us a really cool handdrawn picture of us playing, after a gig. That was super nice. Another good one is somebody bought each of us a beer anonamously, after a gig in Hull because we said on stage how much we enjoyed the bottles of Millers.

How would you describe your music?

Fuzzed-up pop music I’d say. We take a lot of influence from Shoegaze and Dreampop bands as well. The textures and soundscapes are something we really want to replicate.

Who are your major influences?

We all have individual influences. As a band I’d say Slowdive, Alvvays, and DIIV. As a songwriter, I love the simplicity of Tom Ogden of Blossoms’ writing; a basic pop song that is decorated with sounds and layers, is how we like to do it. I also love Stephen Fretwell, Richard Hawley, and Alex Turner.

GIG REVIEW: BEDSIT

Bedsit open with a chorus of instruments that converge into an explosion of hard 90’s rock. Their sound crescendos until settling into a distorted calm that ends their set with an augmented flourish. With a setlist full of early rock energy, Bedsit come in swinging and don’t let themselves go out without a bang. As they announced their single “go outside” the singer quickly followed with but don’t actually which was met with a hall of laughter. Their final song performed was finished only four days before the show. It was written as a letter of love to Pleasure Centre, who Bedsit were excited to be playing alongside.

Utilising all the favourites of 90s rock and early punk, their set is elevated with heavy riffs, distortion, overdrive, and controlled feedback. Vocals are shouted through the microphone to sharpen the edge of their sound. This is not to take away from the variety of talent in the band, which played its recently-finished Shoegaze-style song with effortless success. Overall, Bedsit could be the only performance for a show and the audience would not leave disappointed. They have more on the way, with a recent EP which was handed out after their set, and plenty of future shows to be seen at.

Photo by Sshutter_upp_photography

Meet the Community: Sasha’s Studio Pottery

Having started her pottery classes five years ago, only five days after moving to Bridlington, Sasha has spent each following year developing her skills.

Her pottery is inspired by textures, with Sasha citing the sand just after the tide as something she enjoys the most. There is also a great use of colours through glazes and mixing of clays. Described as ‘alchemy’ the result of new experiments is always an unknown, including the chance for an explosion!

Since setting her pottery business up in 2020, and with the past year seeing craft fairs reopen, Sasha is looking to make this a viable business.

She can be found at @sashas_studio_pottery on Instagram. @sashasstudio on Facebook. Or visit her website

www.sashastudiopottery.co.uk

Photos by sasha_studio_pottery

Meet the Artists: Argham

Argham are a progressive, three-piece rock band that incorporate all member’s favourite genres into one sound. Having been in the band Argham Circus together, the members analysed their failures as that band, and decided on a direction to take themselves in. From there, they began putting music together, allowing a narrative of notes to lead them through each song. Their music contains few lyrics, instead telling a story through the powerful melodies and rhythms which take on a life of their own.

Last year, Argham played at the Beats for Ukraine charity event, and even went on to host their own Halloween show ‘Tales from the Grimoire’ which saw massive success. The Halloween show was a collection of stories told by Argham keyboardist Tom Morris’ character ‘The Victorian Gentleman’. The narratives of these stories were intertwined with music performed by Argham, as well as Sproose Moose and the Speedholes, and Ian ‘Screamo’ Hayward.

Photo from Argham Facebook

CAYLEE MACKAY

‘Enjoying your own company’

I understand this is very hard for some people, myself included to begin with, but in fact learning to spend time with myself has led me to feel a lot calmer and more collected. Things that have happenedalthough were difficult at the time- have overall led me to a much more positive mindset.

To begin with, I hated the thought of not having a big group of friends, I hated the thought of never having plans with other people, and most of all I hated the thought of doing things alone. It's a scary thing. Going places, doing things without the comfort of friends or other people in general, but instead, if you step out of your comfort zone, you may find yourself being more at peace and a lot more productive. We all tell ourselves that ’we

don’t care‘ on the regular, and sometimes that isn’t always the truth; that’s okay. However, you instead can use your time to do things you enjoy, go places and catch up on overdue tasks; you may find yourself not having room for negative thoughts.

Today I took myself for a long walk, on my own. I sat and drank coffee. I did an English paper. I read my book in a forest. All without the fear of upsetting, not pleasing or having to change for someone. It was just myself to think about, and I found it wasn’t a challenging task. I know many worry that being seen on your own is embarrassing, feeling like your being judged is the worst. So, block it out. Easier said than done but if you really put your mind to it I'm sure you’ll realise that worrying about other

people‘s thoughts will not be a top priority.

I have found that taking myself off to do things for my own mental health has proven to be successful in terms of keeping it in good shape. Instead having to think has allowed me to remember what I enjoy, instead of following a crowd. In fact, I’m writing this while in a field, finishing some school work and not worrying about a thing. Try doing something for yourself, by yourself. It might get you back on track. Worked for me.

Caylee Mackay is a writer who enjoys poems and creative stories, as well as using her writing to inspire others. She hopes to influence in others a new style of thinking to aid mental health.

Looking to save money on your travel plans? Are you tired of having to organise holidays abroad more than a year in advance? Scared of the possibility that your holiday could be cancelled due to another global pandemic? Fear not, Fossil Fuels have the answer for you.

Worried about the winter? Don’t be! You’ll never have to fear icy roads or dressing in twelve layers again. In fact, the only 0 you’ll ever see on your thermometer, is at the end of a nice, fat 40 degrees or higher.

Saving money will have never been easier. All you have to do is wait out the rise in heat until the UK is breaking record temperatures each passing year. You’ll even get free pool access as the oceans rise and erode coastal towns.

THE PETITION HERE!

If you disagree with Fossil Free East Yorkshire, who have a petition online that can be signed by anyone to show support for their greener cause, then fear not. All you have to do is wait out the inevitable slow-roast of the Earth.

Photo by Markus Distelrath

Photo by Gabriel Kuettel

Photo by Pixabay

FIND

WANT SUPPORT?

If you or someone you know is in need of urgent support please contact emergency services. Samaritans are available on 116 123 or text SHOUT to 85258 for text-based support.

GET IN TOUCH

If you would like to submit your art, whether it be poetry, drawings, paintings, short stories, or even do an interview on it, then get in touch.

If you would like to join one of the events/organisations mentioned but are unable to contact them, get in touch with us and we can arrange it for you. Want an event setting up? We’re happy to help. With several events already under our belts, we’ve got plenty of experience and connections. Contact us here: tonguetiredbridlington@gmail.com

CREDITS AND MENTIONS

Joe Kenway –

The graphic designer that made us a selection of fantastic logos. His designs can be found @joe.kenway on Instagram.

The logo he created is brilliantly simple and unique, and his other designs are even more incredible.

Metalines Studios –

Insta: @filthyswans

Facebook: Metalines Studios

Email: metalinesstudios@gmail.com

Photography –

Insta: @Sshutter_upp_photography

Pleasure Centre –

Insta: @pleasurecentreband

Facebook: Pleasure Centre

Click here for Spotify!

Pennine Suite –

Insta: @penninesuite

Facebook: Pennine Suite

Click here for Spotify!

Bedsit –

Insta: @bedsitband

Facebook: Bedsit

Click here for Spotify!

Sasha Studio

Insta: @sashas_studio_pottery on

Facebook: @sashasstudio

Or visit her website

www.sashastudiopottery.co.uk