Northeast Music Guide

THE LOVELY EGGS “I AM MORON” UK TOUR APRIL/MAY 2020 For the last two years THE LOVELY EGGS have sat back and watched England and the rest of the planet slowly eat itself. Their new album “I am Moron” is the result of their observations, a relentless analysis of a modern culture that is bringing the world to its knees.  “This Decision” is the first single to be released on 10th January - an outright attack on greed and mindless consumerism and a fierce defence of a no frills lifestyle they have chosen to pursue. “This Decision” goes further than capturing the zeitgeist of Brexit Britain. It’s about choice and the lack of choice in society. This decision is all mine. Is it?  “I am Moron” is the follow up to their critically acclaimed 2017 album “This is Eggland”. It is their second album co-produced and mixed by Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, MGMT, Tame Impala) and continues their journey through Eggland into the unknown.  Throughout their 13 yea...

Last Night I Dreamt I Had A Job Newcastle Loves Blancmange!  Even before we got to the Cluny building the penetrating bass of the music of Finlay Shakespeare greeted us from across the car park. This was loud: a loudness I hadn't experience maybe since Amphifest in Cologne. Some of Finlay's music would have been at home there. The intensity of his lyrics and vocals, the complexity of the beats, bass and his skills on the electronic bits and bobs (there was something suspiciously big and analogue in the centre) were mightily impressive. I felt this was a fitting support for Blancmange and I look forward to seeing him again.  Blancmange took to the stage in a very well-attended Cluny 1 venue. It's obvious the current lineup enjoy playing together and Neil Arthur made it obvious he enjoyed the Newcastle banter between songs. He's such a warm jovial, likeable guy on stage when he's not singing, and yet so intensely focused when performing. I enjoyed Blan...

THE BONNEVILLES CONFIRM UK & EIRE TOUR FOR MAY & JUNE  Newcastle Tickets THE BONNEVILLES have announced a series of UK & Ireland shows for this spring. The Bonnevilles are shaking Northern Ireland in a way it hasn't felt since Van Morrison & Them obliterated Club Rado in 1964 and Stiff Little Fingers blew apart The Trident in 1977! The Bonnevilles don't so much play punk blues as use it as a springboard to create a completely new genre. And now they release their 4th studio album Dirty Photographs with LA based Alive Natural Sound Records. The Lurgan duo take Mississippi Hill Blues and Punk Rock and mix their own unique dark Northern Irish Punk Blues stew which drew the attention of the fore mentioned Alive Natural Sound which saw them release the award nominated “Arrow Pierce My Heart” on the label in 2016.  The Bonnevilles formed in 2009 and quickly released their debut, and now, legendary album Good Suits & Fightin’ Boots on Mot...

THIS IS ROCK AND ROLL! Lovely Eggs Seriously though, when you get a band like Mouses opening with songs about cross dressing, Hollywood, Feet and Worm you know you're in for a good night. Anarchic, confident, in-your-face and off-the-stage at one point, Mouses really got the big Cluny crowd going. I've seen them before but they seem to have cranked the madness up to 11. They are like Fraggles on speed. This is not a bad thing. Mouses just seem to be getting better.  Mouses Mouses Porky the Poet (Phill Jupitus) started his set with a poems about Beano characters growing up. It was clear to me looking at the age range of the crowd that a large number were influenced to give a punk rock night a go, by the presence of a familiar BBC comedy face. However the balance worked really well. Phill's poem about supporting Madness was a hoot as was the one about fat mods. Relateable poetry presentle with expert comedy timing.  Strongbow and Poetry Break while am...

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...

MOULETTES ANNOUNCE EXTENSIVE UK DECEMBER TOUR 18 UK TOUR DATES CONCLUDING CHAPTER OF THEIR TWO-YEAR PRETERNATURAL TOUR MOULETTES have announced their extensive UK December Tour. In early 2015, lead singer and songwriter Hannah Miller read a New Scientist article that described how the discovery of a microscopic creature had redefined the perimeters of life as we know it. The ‘Halicephalobus Mephisto’ Nematode Worm has none of the requirements of other known life forms – able to survive deep underground, without oxygen or sunlight. The seed was sown for ‘Preternatural’ – an eclectic 11-track opus for the Natural World, and the strange and beautiful creatures in it. “It made me contemplate how much we still don’t know about the planet we live on, and to consider that moving space between what we do know, and what we can never know; at the frontier of science and discovery.” says Miller.  “The animal kingdom holds such a wealth of beauty, creat...

DAVID FORD UK TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED  ALL NEW UNMISSABLE TOUR BY ONE OF THE UK’S MOST IMPORTANT SINGER/SONGWRITERS   “Unmissable – 5 out of 5.”  The Guardian “One of Britain’s best.” The Times “Genuine depth and striking authority.” Rolling Stone "Smart, angry, witty, emotional songs, delivered with raw-throated passion.” The Telegraph “Puts everything into every word.” The LA Times “David Ford is the eternal thrill of a young man going way too far and pulling it off.” Word Magazine “Sends a chill up the spine.” The Sunday Times With four critically-acclaimed studio albums and a live show defined by the British music press as “unmissable,” DAVID FORD is essential listening for anyone who gives a damn about music. Ford’s songs combine Americana, English melodicism and a touch of rock ‘n’ roll, tied together with finely-crafted lyrics. His emotive stories of social commentary, politics and love in a world going to hell are powerful, engaging and...

GUADALUPE PLATA  NEW RECORD FILLED WITH MAGIC AND DEMONS COMING THIS SUMMER: "GUADALUPE PLATA" + JUNE LIVE UK DATES “Take rockabilly, flamenco, spaghetti western scores and jazz rhythms. Channel them through howling vocals, slide guitar and feedback. What have you got? Guadalupe Plata, a Spanish trio who sound like Jack White being lassoed by Os Mutantes in a Robert Rodriguez saloon scene” The Guardian “Culturally rich and instantly identifiable as excellent” - **** Mojo  “You don't need an extensive Spanish vocabulary to appreciate this boneshaking LP” -  Uncut  “Frenzied fusing of blues forms and punk attitude” - The Skinny  “the creaking, visceral noise they create out of the small southern Spanish town is rooted in the universal” -  Loud and Quiet Don’t be afraid.  The ghosts and demons of Andalusia are well known. The spirits of long-gone saints and sinners drift through the air, slam doors, rat...

Shows coming up from RFTK Promotions: *May 3rd - Milk Teeth + Black Foxxes + Eat Me @ Think Tank Milk Teeth (by Justin Worden) *May 5th - Chameleons Vox @ Think Tank Chamelians Vox  *May 14th - Chasity Belt + Tuff Love + Slurs @ Think Tank May 15th - Bloodstock Metal 2 Masses Semi-Final 1 @ Think Tank May 23rd - Mortiis + Seraph Sin + deadfilmstar @ Cluny May 27th - Dorje + Four Colour Ghosts @ Independent (Sunderland) May 29th - Bloodstock Metal 2 Masses Semi-Final 2 @ Think Tank May 30th - Cold in Berlin @ Head of Steam June 9th - Ayria + Inertia + EurasianeyeS @ Think Tank June 17th - Bloodstock Metal 2 Masses Final @ Cluny June 29th - Combchrist + Filter + Rabia Sorda @ Riverside October 5th - The Birthday Massacre @ Think Tank Tickets for all are available from www.seetickets.com , www.ticketweb.co.uk , Reflex Records.  Cluny shows are available from the bar. Bloodstock M2M Tickets com...

"We Love Elvis, We Utterly Love Nirvana"  : What's Not To Like? "Basically we love Elvis," enthuses Danny Cobain, vocalist in Elvana, "and we utterly love Nirvana and we hit upon the idea of combining the two" Elvana are a local Elvis fronted tribute to Nirvana, they've been playing their trade in Newcastle for 2 years and in that time they've done many awesome shows including headlining the Academy. "Some people don’t quite know what to expect at first," explains Danny, when asked about what the crowd thought, "after one song people get it and then they really enjoy it!" Elvana's next gig is a bit of an interesting one.  They are playing the Cluny on Saturday 5th of March with Tragedy : A Heavy Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees. "You can expect to be covered in glitter and not be able to stop smiling for days," promises guitarist Royce from Tragedy, "You may hate disco. You may hate metal. ...