Northeast Music Guide

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT ANNOUNCED AS SOLE SUPPORT FOR  ERASURE 2018 TOUR ‘CHOREOGRAPHY’ - THE NEW ALBUM - OUT NOW NEW SINGLE - ‘LITTLE BIT’ - OUT 26 JAN 2018 BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT's album 'Choreography' has taken him on a whirlwind ride in the last year or so, and the journey gets even more exciting as Rod Thomas (aka BLBL) tours Europe, including the UK and Ireland, opening for his musical heroes ERASURE from January 29th to March 9th. Having previously remixed BLBL’s 'Running Back To You', Vince Clarke is a friend of Rod’s, and with Erasure being one of his biggest influences, plus Rod signing to Mute Song last year, both acts hitting the road together makes perfect sense, and will undoubtedly be a great tour to start 2018 in fine style. Speaking about the upcoming tour Rod Thomas says: "My love of Erasure and how important I think they are both to the LGBT community and to music in general has been well documented. Being able t...

THE BELLRAYS ANNOUNCE UK TOUR FOR MARCH 2018 TICKETS from our affiliate SeeTickets ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM ‘PUNK FUNK ROCK SOUL VOLUME TWO’ RELEASED VIA CARGO RECORDS UK ON FEBRUARY 2ND 2018 Punk. Funk. Rock. Soul. The main ingredients in a potent witch’s brew that the Bellrays have been mixing for a long time now. Returning with their first full new album since the release of ‘Black Lightning’ in 2010, ‘Punk Funk Rock Soul Volume 2’ follows the release of ‘Volume One’, the four-track taster EP released in 2017 as an appetiser for the main feast. ‘Volume Two’ arrives February 2nd via Cargo Record UK.  If music is food for the soul, then the Bellrays are thanksgiving and they know how to cook. The Bellrays strip down to the meat of what music means to them.  Growing up in SoCal, they thrived on radio channels that broadcast more than once one kind of music. It was a party. ‘Punk Funk Rock Soul’ is their party with their songs and friends. “We take our ear where ou...

CATHOLIC ACTION ANNOUNCE HEADLINE TOUR FOR FEB/MARCH 2018 //  DEBUT ALBUM IN MEMORY OF OUT NOW Watch ‘Black & White’ video on YouTube | Vevo  TICKETS “ In Memory Of is the sound of Catholic Action setting their sights on success” DIY **** “… a debut album that fizzes with energy and charm with an immediacy that’ll have them crowned as your new favourite band after the very first play” Dork **** “… In Memory Of doesn’t disappoint” London In Stereo Glasgow’s CATHOLIC ACTION have announced a fourteen-date UK headline tour next year that will see them bring their raucous live show to venues across the country, including London’s Birthdays on 23rd February.  Frontman Chris McCrory says:  “ In Memory Of has been a long time coming for us, and it wouldn’t have happened were it not for you. It’s a record we’re incredibly proud of and we hope you are too. So, we’re thrilled to be heading out on a headline tour of the UK to ...

Review: To Kill a King, Fours and Soham De All Killer, no Filler The Cluny 15/01/2018 The respectably-sized crowd at The Cluny were treated to a rare thing at this gig. All three acts were outstanding. Soham De opened with his thoughtful songs with beautiful minimalist guitar and his soulful voice. I get the impression he will go far and still has more to give as a songwriter and performer. He says he doesn’t tend to name songs however his website https://www.sohamde.com/ is coming along nicely and look out for his upcoming single Brave .  Fours consists of a frontwoman, Edith Violet and three amazing blokes providing the live backing, drums and bass in addition to sparkly synth loops that life the indie to indie pop in a rather magical way. They could be compared to Florence and the Machine but I’m just not fussed with FATM and Fours did something more to get the audience dancing: they moved them emotionally.They play with enthusiasm that’s infectious and they are music...

BUDDY HOLLY TRIBUTE ACT IS ‘A LEGEND REBORN’ Relive the rockin’ 1950s music scene at The Customs House this month. The UK’s number one Buddy Holly tribute act, Marc Robinson, stars as the musician who changed the face of rock ‘n’ roll. Clutching a Fender Stratocaster, sporting a pair of heavy-rimmed glasses and sounding exactly like Buddy in his heyday, a legend is reborn. Buddy Holly: A Legend Reborn is an all-new production celebrating an artist who shot straight into the limelight as soon as That’ll Be The Day hit the radio.  Though his career was short, this one-man powerhouse gave the world a stack of hits that will never be forgotten, including Peggy Sue, Oh Boy, Heartbeat, It Doesn’t Matter Anymore, Words of Love, It’s So Easy and Rave On. Marc fell in love with Buddy Holly’s music at the age of eight and donned his first pair of Buddy-style specs in his early 20s, when he and a few friends started performing as a tribute rock ‘n’ roll band. He hit the limel...

INTERVIEW: Ahead of their UK Tour, Adam Wakeman and Damian Wilson talk to Mark Rawlings and Joanne Oliver  I decided to draft in my old school friend, Mark Rawlings as he had a penchant for the clever side of rock. I remember him being the first person I knew with an electric violin. Mark is now an astrophycist. Thank you Mark for your excellent questions.. MR : Having grown up in and around the music business, what are your thoughts on how it's changed over the years? Is it more "business" and less "music" these days? AW : Sadly, that's a sign of the times. When I was younger you'd get an album deal and advance payment. Nowadays you have to raise the money, be proactive with marketing, social media  and be a business manager as well as crafting your art as a musician. That said, I think it was a much bigger step since my dads days in the 70's. Personally, I like being more in control of what's going on and where every penny is...

Wilson & Wakeman to tour the UK early 2018 ‘Great musicianship, great singing, great songs and a great atmosphere. You can’t ask for much more than that really’  Mark Radcliffe - BBC Radio 2 / 6 Music ‘A guaranteed night of premier entertainment from two of the UK's finest young musicians.  I cannot recommend their Weir Keeper's Tale album highly enough’  Jerry Ewing - Prog Magazine On February 1st 2018, Adam Wakeman and Damian Wilson will embark on their latest acoustic tour ahead of their brand new album release. Featuring Damian on vocals and acoustic guitar and Adam on piano, vocals and acoustic guitar, they’ll be playing songs from their individual back catalogues and artists they have worked with, along with tracks from their joint albums.  The 18 date UK tour will see them travel the whole of the UK and the acoustic led performance will be complimented with stories and memories from their extensive touring careers in a show not to b...

THE AMERICANS Return for Jan/Feb 2018 Tour Debut album I'll Be Yours out now via Loose Watch video for The Right Stuff: Listen to title track " I'll Be Yours " "The whiskey-soaked rockers and gritty ballads of their debut LP roll with hell-bent immediacy, as frontman Patrick Ferris straddles primal ferocity and haunted vulnerability." Uncut 8/10 "Forward-thinking roots rock in the vein of Bruce Springsteen." Evening Standard (Virtually Famous) "Their primal rock'n'roll roots ground this album and vocalist Patrick Ferris's voice bleeds, pleads and yearns." The Mirror ★★★★ THE AMERICANS are delighted to return to the UK in January to play Celtic Connections and the UK Americana Music Awards, as well as club shows in Newcastle, Oxford and Leeds. Full dates as follows: S AT 27 JAN - Newcastle, The Cluny   SUN 28 JAN - Glasgow, Celtic Connections @ Oran Mor TUE 30 JAN - Oxfor...