Steeped in history the event has attracted the best artists that the music world has to offer in its many years of existence, names such as The Who, The Yardbirds, Eric Clapton, The Small Faces, T Rex, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple have all supported the festival over the years.

More recently Nirvana made their last UK appearance at the festival in 1992, Stone Roses played their last show together in 1996, and Metallica reached their full potential in 1997.

The headline acts at this years Reading & Leeds festivals include the return of Guns N’ Roses, Blink 182 and Arcade Fire, supported by Queens of the Stoneage, Paramore and The Libertines.

As with all music festivals it is not just about the headline acts and as usual at Reading & Leeds there is a stellar line up across all the stages at this years event.

LCD Soundsystem, Pendulum and Klaxons head up the NME/Radio1 stage, while Alkaline Trio, Bad Religion and Roots Manuva headline the Lock Up Stage.

Marina & The Diamonds, Ash and British Sea Power head the Festival Republic Stage, while the Alternative Stage will be home to comedians Emo Phillips, Stephen K Amos, Jason Byrne, Kevin Bridges, Russell Kane and Rufus Hound.

An incredible line up of support on all stages throughout the weekend is promised at Reading and Leeds and some forward planning may be required to fit in all your favourite acts.

As part of an agreement with Reading Borough Council made in 2009, to increase the capacity at the festival by 10,000 over three years, an extra 3,500 tickets for the Reading Festival were released for sale over the weekend.

If you haven’t done so already, there couldn’t be a better time to purchase tickets for Reading/Leeds Festivals.

Reading & Leeds Festival Ticket Information
At viagogo, every Reading & Leeds Festival transaction is 100% guaranteed to be safe and secure. As well as making it easy and simple to buy Reading & Leeds Festival tickets or sell Reading & Leeds Festival tickets, viagogo ensure their safe and prompt delivery with online tracking.

xfm bestnonfest

The UK radio station that loves music, XFM, have announced the launch of their BestNonFest competition that offers one lucky winner the ultimate non festival package – the ultimate collection of gig tickets to see some of the greatest bands around.

Top bands already lined up for the grand prize include Mumford & Sons, Foals, MGMT, Biffy Clyro, Darwin Deez, Manic Street Preachers and Klaxons, with many more artists to be announced through July and August.

XFM invite music fans to join a virtual queue on Facebook whereby each position is constantly determined by a series of daily music Q&As.

Questions answered correctly enable entrants to move forward whilst incorrect answers move them backwards in the queue.  Each person that enters the competition gets the chance to win weekly spot-prizes of gig tickets, CDs, and festival paraphernalia.

The first person in the queue by the end of the competition wins the grand prize of gig tickets to see an incredible line-up of BestNonFest bands.

The competition is easy to enter by simply clicking on the BestNonFest tab on XFM’s Facebook page where you will find details of how you could win the grand prize.

Good luck!

In case you have not heard Reef reformed recently and as a consequence of their reformation a new band is also born, as Reef members Gary Stringer and Jack Bessant release their first album as a duo, Yard which was released this week.

Both Reef and StringerBessant, as the duo are known, will be hitting the road to promote their respective new material over the coming months, the duo are in Newquay tomorrow.

Justice Force Five are a group of Superhero rockers who have just released a video single or vingle if you will called Fight the Fight. The video can be seen below and the band will be performing live in London and Bath this month if that takes your fancy.

In addition there are live dates announced for Frank Turner and Fighting Fiction as well as two of my current favourite bands Straight Lines and The Xcerts.

Full details of upcoming XtraMile artists live dates in the UK:

STRINGERBESSANT
16 July KOOLA BAR, NEWQUAY
17 July MISS PEAPODS, FALMOUTH
21 July THUNDERBOLT, BRISTOL
23 July THE VIC, SWINDON

JUSTICE FORCE 5
20 July – 93 Feet East, London
23 July – Belushi’s, Bath

FIGHTING FICTION
25 Sep Frog Fest @ Frog and Fiddle, Cheltnham
13 Nov The Royal Oak, Ipswich

FRANK TURNER
16 Jul 2000 Trees Festival, Cheltenham
17 Jul Latitude Festival, Southwold
19 Jul iTunes Festival, London
1 Dec Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
2 Dec ABC, Glasgow
3 Dec 53 Degrees, Preston
4 Dec The Plug, Sheffield
5 Dec The Regal, Oxford
6 Dec Corn Exchange, Cambridge
7 Dec The Guildhall, Southampton
8 Dec Lemon Grove, Exeter
10 Dec The Academy, Leicester
11 Dec The Academy, Liverpool
12 Dec O2 Academy Brixton, London

REEF
4 Sep Bingley Music Live, Yorkshire
18 Sep Racecourse, Devon
26 Nov Hall For, Cornwall
27 Nov Portsmouth Pyramids, Portsmouth
2 Dec Kentish Town Forum, London
3 Dec Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton
4 Dec Rock City, Nottingham

STRAIGHT LINES
22 Jul Buffalo Bar, Cardiff
30 Jul The Empire, Abertillery
1 Aug Sonisphere Festival (Bowtime Bar Stage @ 2pm), Knebworth
30 Sep Camden Barfly, London
13 Oct Arts Centre, Norwich, UNITED KINGDOM
14 Oct Rock City Basement, Nottingham, UNITED KINGDOM
15 Oct Sugarmill, Stoke, UNITED KINGDOM
16 Oct Sound Control, Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM
17 Oct Cockpit 2, Leeds, UNITED KINGDOM
19 Oct IronWorks, Inverness, UNITED KINGDOM
20 Oct King Tuts, Glasgow, UNITED KINGDOM
21 Oct Newcastle 02 Academy, Newcastle, UNITED KINGDOM
22 Oct Masque, Liverpool
23 Oct Leicester Academy 2, Leicester
23 Oct Leicester Academy 2, Leicester

THE XCERTS
16 July 2000 Trees Festival, Cheltenham
17 Jul Guilfest (Rocksound Cave stage), Surrey
18 Jul Wimbledon Calling, London
20 Jul Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
21 Jul Le Pub, Newport
24 Jul Rythms of the world festival, Hitchin
27 Jul Harley’s, Bathgate
28 Jul King Tut’s, Glasgow
29 Jul Da Vinci’s, Livingston, Scotland
30 Jul The Doghouse, Dundee
1 Aug Sonisphere Festival, Knebworth
10 Aug Deaf Institute, Manchester w/Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly
11 Aug Borderline, London w/Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly
12 Aug Rock City Basement, Nottingham w/Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly
13 Aug Inn On The Square, Barnstable w/Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly
13 Aug Electric Circus, Edinburgh w/Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly
18 Sep Southsea festival, Portsmouth
26 Sep Underground Festival, Gloucester

Wizard Festival

As the Festival season gets underway here is news of the wonderful award winning Wizard Festival that takes place in Scotland on August 27th and 28th at the New Deer Showground near Aberdeen.

Winner of the Evening Express Award for Tourism the Wizard Festival celebrates it’s fourth anniversary this year in the beautiful setting of the New Deer Showground just outside the ancient village of New Deer, 30 miles outside Aberdeen.

Made up of three stages, over fifty acts are scheduled for the festival over the two days, featuring headliners James, Happy Mondays and Alabama3. Others confirmed include the official tribute to Manchester’s finest, The Complete Stone Roses, Celtic masters from the Isle of Skye, The Peatbog Faeries, Pearl & The Puppets, DJ Slam and much more.

Wizard is also a family friendly event with no upper or lower age limit. The festival organises and runs a full two day children’s programme and there is a dedicated arena, Wee Wizards, where families and young people can get involved in creative and musical activities and workshops.

For the first time ever a Happy Bus will be running return coaches from Aberdeen city centre each day and this will also bring festival goers from various regions across Scotland too with pick-ups from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth, Dundee, Peterhead, Dunfermline, Mintlaw and Ellon.

Last year the festival attracted 4,000 fans and since 2007 it has grown in size year on year, and is the only two-day music held in the North-East of Scotland.

Camping and car parking are included in the price of the weekend ticket, with a dedicated caravan and campervan area as well as a quiet camping area for families.

Ticket prices:
Full weekend – £70 + Booking Fee
Saturday Day Ticket – £45 + Booking Fee
Child (age 0-12) – FREE
Campervan / Caravan – £20 + Booking Fee
Kids age 12 and under go FREE when accompanied by a responsible adult.
Camping and car parking are free with a Weekend or Saturday ticket.

Tickets are available from HMV and Ticketmaster or visit the Wizard website. Visit the happybus site for details of transport to and from the festival.

In 2009’s the series line up included the wonderful Grace Jones, The Ting Tings, Pendulum and Athlete.  This year two all time great soul acts will join contemporary pop music favourites for another one of a kind series of London concerts.

Between Thursday 8th and Sunday 18th July performances by contemporary artists like Florence & the Machine, The Temper Trap and N-Dubz will sit alongside one-off shows from soul legends Soul II Soul and Gil Scott Heron.

Soul II Soul were formed in the late 1980’s by Jazzie B and are best remembered for their UK chart hit Back to Life (However Do You Want Me).  Before their chart success as a soul group they were know in London as a ‘sound system’ playing records at parties.

Gil Scott Heron has been recording records since the early 1970’s.  His music has been described as soul, jazz, funk and proto-rap; and he has been called “the godfather of rap” and the “black Bob Dylan”.  His political views often drive his songs including classic tracks like The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, The Bottle, Winter In America and Johannesburg.  The most bizarre fact relating to Gil Scott-Heron that I know is that in November 2009 BBC tv’s current affairs programme, Newsnight interviewed Gil Scott-Heron for a feature titled ‘The Legendary Godfather of Rap Returns‘.

The Summer Series concert tickets for Soul II Soul and Gil Scott Heron have already sold out though tickets are still available for other nights.

Summer Series Concerts @ Somerset House

Thursday 8th July
Mystery Jets

Friday 9th July
Air

Saturday 10th July
Noah & the Whale

Sunday 11th July
N-Dubz

Monday 12th July
The Temper Trap

Tuesday 13th July
The XX

Wednesday 14th July
Gil Scott-Heron

Thursday 15th July
Florence & the Machine

Friday 16th July
Corinne Bailey Rae

Saturday 17th July
The Divine Comedy (solo show)

Sunday 18th July
Soul II Soul

Summer Series at Somerset House Tickets

At viagogo, every Summer Series at Somerset House transaction is 100% guaranteed to be safe and secure. As well as making it easy and simple to buy Summer Series at Somerset House tickets or sell Summer Series at Somerset House tickets, viagogo ensure their safe and prompt delivery with online tracking. Every Summer Series at Somerset House ticket transaction is supported by the viagogo customer service team which can be contacted by phone and e-mail.

viagogo is your online ticket exchange for UK concert tickets.

First up were Icelandic duo Feldberg. Given the recent financial and geological shenanigans emanating from their homeland one might have found Rósa Birgitta Ísfeld & Einar Tönsberg nervous of the reception that awaited them but once into their  stride with the gentle melody of ‘Dreamin’ and upbeat tone of ‘Don’t be a Stranger’ the packed auditorium was easily won over. Perhaps some of the subtlety of the former track was lost in a bass-heavy sound, but well supported by a grafted-on rhythm section the simplicity of the composition filtered through.

It was all over too soon as at breakneck speed it was the turn of Fenech Soler to set up and get going in the similarly small time allotted to them.  This meant they could manage only 4 tracks before their time too was up prematurely, but in that short time they did their lustrous best to make an impression. Taking to the stage resplendent in sparkly tops to a man, they exuded a Gallic charm reminiscent of Daft Punk, a commendable feat for a group of young men from Cambridgeshire.

They threw themselves into their synth-heavy repertoire with ‘Lies’ best representing what they’re all about. Bass driven but with a keen-eyed pop sensibility, singer Ben Duffy has a chunky exuberance that does put one in mind of Simon le Bon for a fleeting moment. Backing this up with ‘Stop & Stare’ the packed crowd were certainly getting into Fenech Soler’s anthemic style when things were cut short by the night’s tight schedule.

The headline act These New Puritans were allowed a little more time to let their sound build over a number of songs. A sombre, measured start, blended a series of disparate sounds from what I believe were bass clarinets, synth drums, guitars and various percussions elements. A meandering opening number gave way to the punchy, bombastic sound of ‘Attack Music’. Singer Jack Barnett leads from the front with a staccato delivery that reflects the experimental nature of his band’s work, staying on the right side of avant-garde.  Classical references abound alongside a grand-scale, primal percussion backbeat, driven along by Jack’s twin brother George, that generates a lot of the energy in the performance. ‘We Want War’ is the focal point of the evening’s show, drawing upon influences of electronic pop, hip hop, classical and indie guitar that infuse The New Puritan’s variety of sound. A seven-minute mini-epic, with shades of Massive Attack, it’s very much on the dark-side of their oeuvre with the trade-mark clattering percussion to the fore.

Once again it was all over too soon on a night where the acts had to be precise and focused.  This was probably just as well, with the audience heading off for their next slice of action as The Great Escape continued across the city into the early hours.

city festival

London’s most exciting City Festival gets under way on May 5th and runs until May 9th across the capital. The event will bring live performances from over 150 acts to London, in many different venues from shops in Carnaby Street to the O2.

There are also a series of workshops taking place at the festival, which will offer advice to aspiring producers, musicians and music entrepreneurs on how best to find their place in this ever changing industry.

The 9th annual City Festival returns to the place that it all began for its launch, Chinatown where east meets west is the chosen venue for a fantastic free outdoor gig on Gerrard Street in the heart of the West End. The launch gig will introduce new artists Tuanne, Rebel Control and Cherry Lee.

Headlining at the British Music Experience at The O2 on 8 May is Master Shortie celebrating his new label deal and his 21^st birthday and on 9 May  City Showcase will expand its music line-up with UK’s first, stand-alone classical and world music event – City Showcase: Roots and Flutes.

This unique festival will introduce London’s musical roots to a whole new audience and demonstrate the breadth of our culture with a day of music in restaurants and bars at The O2 as well as a rolling programme of talented new acts at the British Music Experience.

Headlining are Camilla Kerslake and Raghu Dixit. Participating restaurants include Gaucho, Union Square, The O2 Store, Slug & Lettuce, S&M, Frankie & Benny’s, Las Iguanas, Tahir Silk, Spur, Water Margin and the Ha Ha Bar.

Alternative, Electro and Rock events in association with Xfm and Rock Sound Magazine

XFMs John Kennedy hosts the New Music night at the borderline on May 6th, featuring May 68, Lunar Youth, Hungry Kids Of Hungary and Fever Season for a fine evening of alternative music.

The line up for the XFM and Rock Sounds magazine night on May 7th includes The Plight, These Monsters, Tek-One and Floor & Walls. The gig is sponsored by Jagermeister so expect plenty of party freebies through the night.

Continuing the XFM nights on May 8th, Borderline will be catering for electro fans , the evening will feature CoCo Electrik, Ski Bunny and Muchuu & Friends.

All this and SO much more going on in the capital at London’s City Festival from May 5th to May 9th.

Wristbands that ‘get you in to virtually anything at no extra charge’ are available for just £5.00 from City Showcase.

Alternatively become a City Showcase member for just £9.00 for free entry to the festival and to regular open mic nights at The Regal in Hammersmith.

Levi's® Onestowatch® Plans Anoher Great Escape

Following two incredibly successful years at The Great Escape, Levi’s® OnesToWatch® returns to the Brighton Festival this May with another line-up of live and acoustic bands, DJ’s, a secret show, and some not so-secret after parties.

Once again Levi’s® takeover the entire Audio nightclub for the three days, bringing some of the best up and coming acts to their stage. Levi’s® will host a series of afternoon terrace parties with super-cool French four-piece Kid Bombardos, electro-poppers Fortune and Canadian indie-kids Young Rival, who’ll be rocking the party in the summer sun. You’ll need special wristbands for entry to these sessions and these will be available exclusively at The Levi’s® Store in Brighton’s Churchill Square, every day from 9th – 15th May. Also watch out for Levi’s® one-off secret gig that you won’t want to miss…

Evenings will be a not-to-miss affair with some the industry’s top talents performing to a packed out house. Thursday’s headliner will be British art-rock powerhouse These New Puritans with support from hot dance-floor property that is Fenech Soler, and Icelandic duo Feldberg.

On Friday Vancouver Garage Rock band Japandroids lead the way with a little help from west Londoners Goldhawks, and self proclaimed ‘mad studio scientists’ North Atlantic Oscillation.

Summer Camp top the bill with their dreamy summer anthems on the Saturday, supported perfectly by the retro pop sounds of Frankie & The Heartstrings, and the psychedelic art-pop of Djanjo Django.

As the night draws in, Audio will play host to three Levi’s® After Parties which will featuring Alex Metric from Radio 1’s In New DJ’s We Trust, Primary One and Joe and Will Ask who will be supplying the soundtrack to the evenings proceedings.

The Levi’s® OnesToWatch® at The Great Escape Festival 2010 confirmed line-up:

Thursday 13th May
Levi’s® Kid Bombardos – Afternoon terrace set with Levi’s® 5.01
Levi’s® Feldberg
Levi’s® Fenech Soler
Levi’s® These New Puritans
Levi’s® After Party: TBC & TBC

Friday 14th May
Levi’s® Fortune – Afternoon terrace set with Levi’s® 5.01
Levi’s® North Atlantic Oscillation
Levi’s® Goldhawks
Levi’s® Japandroids
Levi’s® After Party: Alex Metric (Radio 1) & Primary One

Saturday 15th May
Levi’s® Young Rival – Afternoon terrace set with Levi’s® 5.01
Levi’s® Django Django -
Levi’s® Frankie and the Heartstrings
Levi’s® OnesToWatch® Summer Camp
Levi’s® After Party: TBC & Joe and Will Ask

Audio, Brighton, 10 Marine Parade, Brighton, BN2 1TL

These New Puritans
A British Art-Rock outfit from Southend-on-Sea, These New Puritans are influenced equally by hip-hop, synth pop, alt rock and classical music.  Their live show often includes a variety of instruments and sounds, from bassoon to taiko drums.  The band first came to prominence through series of high profile live appearances alongside the likes of The Kills and Klaxons, and their 2008 debut album, Beat Pyramid which was hailed by the music press.  Latest album Hidden incorporates elements of dancehall, electronica and pop, with songs that set them well apart from their guitar contemporaries.

Japandroids
Japandroids (AKA Jpndrds) is a two-piece band from Vancouver, Canada, conceived in 2006 as a creative outlet for the post-teenage angst of Brian King and David Prowse. Originally intended to be a trio, the boys decided to forgo the logistical nightmare of having a ‘lead singer’ and do it themselves. As a consequence, Japandroids are 1 guitar, 1 set of drums, and 2 vocalizers.  They call it garage rock.  They don’t care what you call it, as long as it’s not minimal. Japandroids are maximal – a two-piece band trying to sound like a five piece.

Summer Camp (Headline)
Started almost by accident as a clandestine musical project by Elizabeth Sankey and Jeremy Warmsley (their first ever track was a haunting, fuzzed out take on The Flamingos’ “I Only Have Eyes For You”), Summer Camp create the kind of utterly mesmeric, sepia-toned dream pop which seems predestined to form the perfect soundtrack to first kisses and adolescent crushes; romance and yearning. The melancholic “Ghost Train”, for instance, sounds not unlike girl groups from the 60’s wrapped in a warm blanket of lo-fi gauze and dusted lightly with pure pop sugar, while the cinematic “Montgomery Avenue 1984”, like a snippet from a classic film, manages to evoke an entire universe of love and longing in its brief running time. Their single, out on Moshi Moshi this month, signals the arrival of a new and most unusual talent in the pop firmament, while also serving as an utterly spellbinding introduction to the slanted and enchanted world of Summer Camp.

Fenech Soler
Fenech-Soler are hot dancefloor property right now, having recently collaborated on Groove Armada’s remarkable Paper Romance and remixed the latest Marina & The Diamonds single Hollywood into a club and blog sensation.  New single Stop And Stare, released on Moda Music on 19th April, once again taps the band’s gift for radio-friendly hooks and peak time floor filling.
Originally conceived as a studio project by brothers Ben and Ross Duffy, with child hood friend Dan Soler – whiling away the hours of a sleepy existence in provincial Cambridgeshire – the trio combined with drummer and studio partner Andrew Lindsay to create an unlikely production powerhouse and a formidable live act. Brewing their own brand of fantasy pop, they were first spotted by French dance don Alan Braxe, who released debut single The Cult Of Romance on his Vulture label last summer. Introduced to London via Paris, the band have picked up plays from Pete Tong, Kissy Sell Out, Eddie Temple Morris, and Annie Mac, Zane Lowe and daytime Radio 1.

Goldhawks
Named after the street where brothers Bobby and Jack Cook grew up, west London five-piece Goldhawks are a band with ambition, clearly demonstrated by the sheer depth and breadth of front-man Bobby’s vocal range and charisma. A new band that have already got fans blogging like crazy about their semi-legendary live shows that are more like revivalist meetings than gigs, their debut single Running Away features giant opening guitar riffs, and Bobby breathing fire and brimstone, swaying to the beat, tearing the songs from his soul.

Frankie & The Heartstrings
Produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Klaxons, Florence & The Machine), Frankie & The Heartstrings’ new 7” single Tender & I Want You Back (released on Popsex in April) is a recording of pure retro-pop class.  Currently working on their debut album, due for release at the end of the summer, the band have racked up performances at the NME Award show, Radio 1’s In Music We Trust and support slots with fellow North-Easteners The Futureheads.

Feldberg
Featuring the bluesy, soulful sound of vocalist Rosa Birgitta Isfeld, Icelandic duo Feldberg create music, which is a combination of electronic, acoustic, folk and percussion elements, whilst maintaining a pop sensibility.  The track Dreaming from their forthcoming album Don’t be a Stranger will be featured on the much-coveted 2010 Kitsune Maison compilation set.

North Atlantic Oscillation
Often compared to the likes of Brian Wilson, Pink Floyd and Sigur Ros, Edinburgh-based three piece North Atlantic Oscillation cite influences that range from Blur, to Orbital and Chick Corea, melding timeless rock moves with sequencing, and the latest laptop technology.  An ever-evolving entity, mad studio scientists who prefer to conduct their sound experiments on stage, NAO have shared stages with the likes of Explosions In The Sky, Everything Everything, Stardeath and White Dwarfs. Debut album ‘Grappling Hooks’ is a subtle yet powerful kaleidoscope of purring electronics, atmospheric layers and hook-laden melodies – out now on Kscope.

Django Django
Django Django are a four piece that met at Art School in Edinburgh, they sport a unique sound, almost impossible to put into words, perhaps best described as Psychedelic Art pop focusing on cadence and mixing live instrumentation with electronic sounds.  Buzzed by the music press, this band is gaining a strong following thanks to their great live show.

Kid Bombardos
Their average age may only be 19, but this four piece; hailing from Bordeaux in France have already made their mark on the uber-cool French music scene.  Comprising of three brothers – Thomas, Vincent and Simon Martinelli, along with childhood friend David Loridan, the band have appeared at a number of festivals including Le Printemps de Bourges, Garorock, Francofolies of La Rochelle, and Garden Nef Party in Angoulême. Influenced by New York rock acts such as The Strokes, the candor of British pop, and Velvet Underground, the band have opened for the likes of Hushpuppies and Vampire Weekend.

Fortune
Picked and mixed from a variety of genres, from classic pop to electro and disco, Fortune write dance-floor-ready youth-anthems, which still manage to retain a ferocious rock dynamic.

Young Rival
Canadian indie-rockers Young Rival describe their sound as combining the subtlety of The Zombies with the brashness of Arctic Monkeys, and have toured with the likes of Tokyo Police Club and Born Ruffians.

Save BBC6 Headlined by Ian McNabb & Goldheart Assembly

Ian McNabb (Icicle Works) and Goldheart Assembly headline a free Save BBC6 concert at 93 Feet East on May 4th.

The evening features eight fantastic acts who have featured on the station over the last year including I Like Trains, RedTrack, We Rock Like Girls Dont, Shabby Rogue, Isa & The Filthy Tongues and Alexander Price.

Hosting the evening will be Andrew Harrison from The Word magazine and the gig is designed to show solidarity, artist support and raise awareness for people to write in to protest against the decision to ditch BBC6. The gig is also a thank you from the artist / bands for showcasing their music and is probably the best gig in town that night!

Headliner Ian McNabb is a passionate supporter and says “6Music needs to stay open because it is the only station in the UK that mixes up music by the minute. You’ll hear Goldheart Assembly into a John Peel session version of an Orange Juice tune and then Communication Breakdown by Led Zeppelin. I mean come on, who else does that? Also…a rare thing, the DJ’s actually know something about music and realize we’re there to hear music – not how quickly frogs spawn or what film premiere they’re attending tonight.”

Shaun Litton from Shabby Rogue echo’s fellow musicians feeling to the news when he says:

“It is vital that the BBC continue to provide Radio 6 , not only it is free of drab playlist’s , it gives unsigned bands am important outlet for their music . Anyone who cares about music in this country should be worried if it closes.”

His sentiments are backed up by We Rock Like Girls Dont who say ‘6 Music is the only BBC radio station for discerning, non mainsteam listeners of all ages. We Rock Like Girls Don’t both listen to and appreciate the support of 6 Music in playing our music. Without it the opportunites for alternative UK bands to reach a national audience -the way John Peel’s show used to do – will be diminished futher.’

EVENT : Save BBC6 Headlined by Ian McNabb & Goldheart Assembly
VENUE : 93 Feet East, 150 Brick Lane, London E1 6RU
DATE : Tue May 4th 2010
TEL : 020 7247 3293
PRICE : FREE
DOORS : 6pm
NEAREST TUBE : Aldgate East

STAGE TIMES :
6.30-Alexander Price
7.30-Isa & The Filthy Tongues
8.00-Ian McNabb
8.30- Shabby Rogue
9.00- I Like Trains
9.30- We Rock Like Girls Dont
10.00 – RedTrack
10.30 – Goldheart Assembly

To show your support for the Save 6 campaign, please visit www.facebook.com/save6music.

michael monroe - the band

Michael Monroe, formerly of Hanoi Rocks, has a new band featuring Ginger from The Wildhearts among others – and the band name is…Michael Monroe

Michael Monroe are just back from appearing at the SXSW where they played a string of shows and have now announced that they will be making their UK debut at Islington Academy on April 9th.

Michael Monroe has long been at the forefront of breaking music barriers.  The Finnish musician and multi instrumentalist rose to fame as the singer for Hanoi Rocks and has served as the frontman for many all-star collaborations including Guns ‘n Roses and Demolition 23 with Little Steven.

Coming off the Hanoi Rocks reunion from 2002-2008, Michael returns with his highly anticipated new group.  Together they will perform an assortment of material ranging from Hanoi Rocks and Demolition 23 classics, Michael Monroe solo favorites and three to four brand new songs the band has written over the last few months.

The band features a formidable line up with bassist Sami Yaffa who has played with a remarkable variety of bands including Hanoi Rocks, New York Dolls and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, and guitarist Ginger who has dazzled audiences over the world with his band The Wildhearts. Also on guitar is Steve Conte, the New York Dolls master fretman who also has fronted his own band The Contes and was a member of Crown Jewels and Company of Wolves. Rounding out the band is drummer Karl “Rockfist” Rosqvist, whose resume includes providing rhythm for the likes of Danzig and Chelsea Smiles.

Having made his long-awaited mark on America with SXSW and West Coast U.S. dates in March, Michael Monroe, man and band will be attempting the same in London at their debut UK appearance on April 9th at Islington Academy.

For more information visit the Michael Monroe MySpace page.