It’s been far too long since Bristol-based singer-songwriter Gaz Brookfield has had a mention on our pages, so here’s a belated Christmas present from this amazing performer, a name-your-price download of a live album you’ll be sorry to have missed out on otherwise.
Of course, I only say belated because I’ve failed to mention it between munching on Quality Street until only toffee pennies and empty wrappers remain, and putting batteries in things, for Gaz released this Christmas Eve. It’s recorded live at Esquires in Bedford, back in November as part of a tour whereby his Patreon page members chose the setlist. So, expect a mixture of the best songs old and new, but be safe in the knowledge they’re accomplished acoustically. Without backing from The Company of Thieves, here is Gaz, warts, and all, as he apologises for a sore throat but, as you could imagine if you’ve seen this character before, still manages to pull a blinder.
I honestly didn’t expect to pick up on tracks I’d recall, but was reminded of one particularly adroitly written chef-d’oeuvre, The Tale of Gunner Haines, a true story of a solider assigned to Somerset’s Brean Down Fort, who was reprimanded for reporting in late from an unauthorised leave, due to a flat tyre on his bicycle, and promptly took 5,000 lbs of gunpowder and blew himself and the barracks to smithereens.
If this comes across rather Ralph McTell or Eric Bogle, historical narratives are a scarcity in Gaz’s repertoire, rather drawing influences from everyday observations and personal reflections. And to argue these subjects are cliché, I’d nod, but allow me thus, Gaz does it so incredibly well, the thoughts and observations of many others pale by comparison. So, as every good live album should, there’s abridged chat, confidently amusing and relative, and then there’s these ingenious prose pieces of aging and his youth, of medical issues, his affection for the ordinary from maps to gardening, and much to deliberate on the matter of being a musician on the road, self-deemed a “land pirate,” and particularly amusing when character assassinating drunks at his gigs.
Within it, Gaz states he follows a serious song with a “silly” one, but the lines between sentimental and amusing are blurred, you take what you want from each, for if a good sign for the performer who uses the tenet of personal reflection as topic is that you come away from listening thinking you know the person, Gaz will seem like your best mate. This open fellow is a lively Billy Bragg at his peak, a West Country Springsteen of storytelling, with the carefree attitude to pigeonholing of James Taylor and the coolness of Leonard Cohen. The sum of these parts is a highly entertaining show.
If this live recording shouldn’t be treated as comprehensive, but a teaser for you to explore more of his discography, I guarantee you’ll come away from it wanting more.
Abrilli, sole Director and owner of Tonka Bean Cafe Bar in Devizes announced today, due to “significant changes in personal and financial circumstances due to…
White Horse Opera members, Soprano Barbara Gompels, Mezzo Soprano Paula Boyagis, Tenor Carlos Alonso together with pianist Tony James join forces with international cellist Anup…
Patiently waiting for a good reason to feature ZambaLando, Wiltshire’s premier funksters of Afro-Latino beats, so upon the release of the follow-up album to 2020’s Carry On, off we virtually trot to Swindon for a worthy tropical musical expedition!
If there’s ever a criticism over Ry Cooper’s nineties Son adventures with the Buena Vista Social Club, it’s usually the style projected was rather outdated, and not in line with the popular sounds of Cuba at the time. Naturally the counter-argument here is advances in music technology arriving in developing worlds often creates much sparser, avant-garde, and radical subgenres within their pop, which to the western world’s untrained ear can be difficult to differentiate and adopt. So, makes sense for world music bands in Europe and USA to implement a melting pot, fusing styles under blanket terms such as Afro-beat and Afro-Funk.
While I could throw this debate on ZambaLando’s table, given Carry Onis an unconditionally unique and beautiful album, its melting pot is spiced with salsa, merengue, lando, festejo, samba and bossa nova, yet all conveyed in a rather traditional and jazzy fashion, the world is smaller place than it was when Cooper popularised the Buena Vista Social Club, thanks to the internet, and through websites like Bandcamp one can easily backpack the planet virtually and be more aware of current global trends. I’m pleased to report back, that ZambaLando have stepped it up a colossal “modernised” notch with this month’s newly released Explosive Mind.
As the title suggests, it is such; explosive, with more contemporary offerings than the styles incorporated within Carry On, which if akin to Antônio Carlos Jobim, Latino-wise, and Fela Kuti and Tony Allen’s archaic afrobeat originations, Explosive Mind really pushes the boundaries of experimentation, often with the serenest ambient soundscapes, like the track Hay Mi Lando, or exotically dubbed, like Siku Funk, but what is more, from the off, the title track, it comes across with a greater and more wholesome funk tenet; irresistibly danceable and strikingly modern.
It doesn’t lose sight of their roots, though, and pre-subgenres of salsa, merengue, lando, festejo, samba and bossa nova are clearly still present. At times it embraces them fully, as Carry On did, yet at others it plays with them; this makes it the “journey” I suggested it is. So, if I expressed how Hay Mi Landos loses you in electronic ambience, it also ingeniously encompasses bossa nova too. Again, the following songs Little Baby and Sorry, are soulfully blessed, yet wouldn’t look out of place of NYP’s Mukambo Global Beats anthologies, which offers only the most contemporary of world music.
There’s mellower moments of romantically-themed jazzy blues-fashioned bliss as the album progresses, with masterpieces like Walking Along the River but the finale of this ten-track marvel, Quédate No Te Vayas is precisely the definition of what I’m trying to convey here; it rocks steady, samba fashion, incorporating up-to-date techniques to present this traditional, magical blend of Latino afro-funk subgenres as something worthy for your modern ears, and it doesn’t try to trick you with complexities of the ever-changing global pop either, just smooths all the way through.
I’m so pleased ZambaLando have provided this option locally, for their musical multiplicity is a blessing in a somewhat narrowly sundry circuit, and this album presents it in such a sublime way, while they gig prolifically in their hometown, I can imagine this will bring them to wider appeal. If I let you into a secret I might get in trouble for leaking, you won’t tell, will you?! But on my recommendation, Devizes Arts Festival are in talks with ZambaLando, entreating my passion to get them in playing our humble town, of which I’m thoroughly grateful for, and this album, Explosive Mind, illustrates exactly why I’ve such enthusiasm to do this!
Give it a listen this winter, it’ll warm you up cheaper than British Gas will!
A group of local women and their families are gathering together to lay a huge installation of children’s clothes outside the office of Justin Tomlinson…
Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs report some great news, ahead of the Avon Vale Hunt’sBoxing Day Hunt, happening in Lacock today….
Wadworth-owned Lacock pub, The Red Lion, traditionally the meeting point for the start of the hunt, has made the decision to not open until after the hunt has left the village.
The National Trust has also restricted usage of their carpark in the village for the hunt supporters. Although we’ve currently heard The Bell on Bowden Hill will provide car parking, people are being urged to contact them to let them know their feelings on this. Devizine has done this, and we await their response.
If brewery owners of The Red Lion, who part-own the hunt kennels, and have been masters of this hunt in years past, can make the right decision to restrict their facilities to the Avon Vale Hunt in light of the violence last year, so can the community as a whole.
Let’s hope for a peaceful protest, and for Wiltshire Police to provide a more efficient and impartial service this time, as it seems the support for the hunt is dwindling rapidly, and a majority present today will be campaigning against hunting rather than supporting it.
Okay let’s get this out there before the kids munch through all the Quality Street, and have a double whammy Christmas and New Year run down of everything (we’ve found so far) happening around these parts over the yuletide; I feel like the Radio Times for live local entertainment!
But first, allow me take to take this opportunity to wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year…. I hope you are all on the good list. Find all links and further details on our event calendar, and keep scrolling to plan ahead and scan for updates, they do occasionally happen!
Sustainable Devizes’ The Advent{ure} Reuse Christmas continues at The Little Green, Devizes until Christmas Eve.
Wednesday 21st is Winter Solstice, for sunset at 16:00, and sunrise on Thursday at 7:30. See here for advice if visiting Stonehenge or Avebury. Meanwhile Andy will be on the piano at The Barge on Honey-Street for some carols. And you’ll find The Hammervilles at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.
Thursday 22ndMelksham Assembly Hall hold The Polar Express Pyjama Party.
Fin & Mark entertain at The Condado Lounge, Devizes, while Matt Owens & The Delusional Vanity Project play the Tuppenny, Swindon, and Far Cue attend the Three Horseshoes Bradford-on-Avon.
Friday 23rd Illingworth play The Three Crowns, Devizes, while One trick Pony takes over the Southgate for a Ugandan Children Centre fundraiser, with the promise of an afterparty with nibbles and funky disco. Talking funky, Funked Up play the Pelican Inn, while it’s the Long Street Blues Club’s Christmas party with Gee Baby I Love You. Any of these options can be washed down with a stint at The Exchange nightclub, where Stevie MC is behind the wheels of steel for an Ugly Christmas Jumper retro party night till 2am.
Outside of Devizes I’ve not got much to offer you, Rave Against the Machine play The Vic in Swindon, ska punk outfit Operation 77 will be at The Lamb in Marlborough, while Marchella are down The Wellington.
Pogues tribute, The P’Hogues are at Frome’s Tree House, Frenzy at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.
Saturday 24th, Christmas Eve finds 12 Bars Later at The Crown in Bishops Cannings, (UPDATED: Blondie & Ska have stepped in last minute as 12 Bars couldn’t make it) and a Christmas Eve party with DJ Lynx in the mix at The Exchange, Devizes. Illingworth play Old Town’s The Royal Oak in Swindon.
Sun 25th is Christmas day, and all silent night, enjoy your Brussel sprouts!
Our calendar from Monday 26th to Friday 30th has also drawn pretty much a blank to-date, hence while I’m getting the fortnight over and done with one big shebang today! Play it safe if protesting against Boxing Day fox hunts in Lacock or elsewhere. Find details for the protest at Lacock HERE.
Live music can be found at The Beehive in Swindon on Wednesday 28th with the Experimental Blues Orchestra, and on Thursday 29thwith The Shudders, both start at 8.30pm.
Kick back into the live music action in Devizes on Friday 30th when Jon Amor plays The Southgate, and then it’s……
New Year’s Eve, Saturday 31st, and we’ve lots to get through, obviously. Seend Community Centre win my Editor’s Pick of the Week, even if it’s a fortnight special, where the Train to Skaville will be boarding. You need to get tickets for this steaming New Year’s Eve ska social.
Meanwhile in Devizes, DJ Andy Saunders is at The Conservative Club, there’s Glitzy New Year’s Eve Karaoke Party at The Pelican, and Plan of Action play The Crown at Bishop’s Cannings. Then, it’s all fancy dress at the Exchange with DJ Lynx.
Here’s what we’ve also found round-and-about for seeing in 2023, Get Carter play the Consti Club, Chippenham, while The Salutation Inn have a NYE party.
NYE disco party at The Civic in Trowbridge, and a party at The Wiltshire Yeoman too.
The Tuppeny in Swindon hos a New Year’s Eve Party, and that’s all we know about in Swindon.
Shindig Festival takes over Club Lomah in Bath for a Shimmy Discotheque.
No Middle Ground play The Burbage British Legion, the reBBels play Mere Social Club. Paul Jude Wilson is live at The George Inn, Middle Wallop.
New Year’s Eve Parties at The Lord Nelson, Marshfield, Players Traditional Carvery, Westbury, and The Packhorse, Larkhill.
Subgiant at The Winchester Gate, Salisbury, while The Deloreons play Salisbury Arts Centre, and find Miss Chief and the Makers at The Old Ale & Coffee House, and a NYE party at Ox Row.
In Frome the Foo Fakers and Nirvanot tributes play the Tree House, while The Hammervilles take the Cheese & Grain’s New Year’s Eve party.
If we missed something, let us know, for now though, we’re into 2023, happy new year, see you on the other side. Event organisers, your new year’s resolution should be to inform Devizine of your events, and don’t make us come looking for you!
by Ian Diddamsimages from Mark Harrison Facebook Last summer I was lucky enough to see Mark Harrison play at the “Tangled Roots” festival over Radstock…
In what appears to be a deliberate attempt to smear the campaign of opposition candidate for Wiltshire Police Crime Commissioner, independent Mike Rees, it seems…
If we spoke only last month about Wiltshire Council’s threats to prosecute Wiltshire Music Events over posters advertising a Bob Marley tribute event in Devizes,…
Another perishingly cold weekend in D-Town, but there was plenty of music and entertainment on offer to warm the heart. So I went off on a Winter wander to see what was on offer.
Unfortunately I had to miss Friday night’s Butch Hopkins Memorial Gig at The Corn Exchange, featuring Jon Amor and Innes Sibun. I would dearly loved to have gone, but was prevented by another commitment. Talking to people who did go, however, I was told that a great night was had by all.
But by Saturday I was fully on my mission. Whilst the editor of this esteemed digital mag was indulging his nostalgic love of Ford Cortinas and Slade tribute bands in Marlborough, I took to the mean streets of D-Town.
First off to St John’s for the Big Sound’s Christmas concert. This was a gig of two halves. The first half featured songs by a number of individual guest singers, including some very young soloists, each one of whom knocked it out of the park, despite the daunting prospect of standing up alone in front of hundreds of people. Hats off!
The second half moved up a gear and featured the big guns of the eponymous The Big Sound – a massive and marvellous choir, marshalled by the enthusiastic Jemma Brown. The choir was not formed particularly with formal concerts in mind, but more as an ongoing exercise in what Jemma herself describes as “music, singing, wellbeing, friendship, laughter and fun” (the choir meets and sings every Tuesday night). Those values certainly shone through as the choir strode their way through a number of Christmas-related songs. The highlight, particularly in the fun department, was the audience participation in The Twelve Days Of Christmas. Everyone on stage looked as if they were enjoying themselves hugely, and the audience were kept warm both by singing and by the mulled wine being served at the back. And to top all that, it would appear that the two charities being supported last night (Devizes Open Doors and Dorothy House) would have benefited somewhere in the region of £2000 – a terrific performance all round. Given that this was the choir’s first-ever gig, it was what I can only describe as a stunning success.
Of course there was other stuff on around town, but my next venue of choice for the night was The Southgate. Unfortunately, due to Covid, Dr. Zebo’s Wheezy Club had had to cancel at the very last minute, but the ever-resourceful Debbie had managed to find her friends (and fantastic musicians) Tim Madden (guitar and vocals) and Melinda Rozsahegyi (12-string pedal-steel guitar), both of The Duskers to play at the last moment. From a relatively quiet start, the crowd grew as the evening wore on, and the place was pretty packed by the end. Tim’s laid-back and mournful vocals, accompanied by gentle and under-stated guitar proved a perfect foil for Melinda’s pedal-steel. I think it’s the association with Country music and the heart-rending lyrics of you-done-me-wrong songs, but there’s something infinitely sad and haunting about the sound of pedal-steel. As it was, we had two great hour-long sets, and I left for home with just a liddle biddy tear in my eye.
But there was still more to come. D-Town doesn’t stop after Saturday night, it carries on until we all have to go back to work on Monday morning.
So Sunday got off to an early start. When there’s a Market Place full of farm machinery, why would you want to be anywhere else? Due to (as I understand it) insurance issues, Devizes Young Farmers were unable to stage their now-usual Tinsel & Tractor run through the Wiltshire countryside, ending up in D-Town, and so they did the next best thing – a static display. Whilst this might have been a little less exciting, and to feature rather less units, having the machines parked up in neat rows in The Market Place gave everyone a chance to get really close up. I’ve never seen so much clean (and often new) farm machinery – just makes you appreciate the level of modern technology that goes into producing the food that we all take for granted. I’ve also never seen so many strapping and weather-beaten chaps proudly displaying their vehicles. There were loads of stalls, including food offerings, and stuff for the kiddi-winkies to do too. Hopefully the day raised a shedload of money for Dorothy House, so another hats off to the organisers.
Afternoon is the time to go the pub, right? Keen to observe this custom in full, and never one to shirk my reporting responsibilities, I fearlessly went to two of our finest establishments. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.
First to The White Bear to see my mate Jamie R Hawkins in a now-rare solo performance away from his Lost Trades buddies. It was really good to see and hear him in action again, and good to see that he’s retained all his good humour and singer/ songwriter skills. The songs were still there, that distinctive voice was still in evidence. Always a class act.
Finally it was back up to The Southgate, following the football, to catch It’s Complicated’s Christmas party. Again it was good to see an old mate, this time in the shape of Tim Watts behind the drums. Accompanied by Jacqi Sherlock (keys and vocals), Tom Evans (guitar and vocals), and Adrian Mundy (bass guitar), it was another of those gigs that really built momentum ass it went along. They’re a covers band, but definitely a musical step up from yer average pub band. They don’t just play the more “obvious” cloud-pleasers – they’re happy to take on some less well-known stuff. The musicianship, and their ability to use their own arrangements to lift a number out of the ditch of a mere slavish copy, means that they’re a notch or two better than the mere average. Jacqi’s vocals, in particular, really lifted some of the songs.
And because it was a Christmas party, the set-list included a number of Crimbo classics that we could all belt out. You don’t have to go all the way to Marlborough to see a Slade tribute act to get a dose of “Here It Is – Merry Christmas”. Tim did a passable impression of Noddy Holder, belting out the song, whilst doing some heavy-duty tub-thumping.
So – all-in-all – plenty of stuff to keep me out of trouble. And away from the football.
And – as a final note – I’d like to add a massive thank-you to all those shakers and movers, the organisers and planners, those people who get off their arses in our little town and put all of these events on for us to enjoy. There are lots of them throughout the year, and at a lot of venues, but just based on the above things that fed my particular week-end, a big hats off to Ian Hopkins (Long Street Blues), Dave & Debbie (The Southgate), Marc & Georgie (The White Bear), Jemma Brown (The Big Sound) and the Devizes Young Farmers. Hats off. Well done to all of them.
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NOTE: This article gives no advise on what to do for the best, honestly, I don’t know what to make of all this, or what side to sit on, as a second swan died on the Crammer in Devizes yesterday, after two Canada geese did prior, only in that the two debating sides are of the same motivation, and I’m assured they only wish to do what is best for the birds.
The Crammer Watch page announced the RSPCA attended the Crammer today, Sunday, and said, “in the absence of a positive test for bird flu there is no reason to withdraw feeding safely.” In this it is my understanding, though face it, no one arguing any of this are experts, no matter how much some think they are, as the Crammer has no natural food source, not feeding the birds there will either see them move on, thus spreading any potential flu elsewhere (or will it disperse it, I simply don’t know), or stay on the Crammer and die in the freezing conditions. My only condolence in this is the recent higher temperatures. Still, the wildfowl there are under-nourished and this effects their ability to survive in these extreme conditions.
Crammer Watch reasons with heartfelt plea, “why did Crammer Watch carry on feeding wildfowl on the Crammer? We monitor these birds daily, saw no classic symptoms of bird flu but expected deaths of weakened birds from the extreme cold. When individual large birds were found dead, one each day, but none of the smaller species – we contacted the official Agency for advice on two separate occasions. We continue to speak daily to wildlife professionals. In the absence of identifiable symptoms or a positive test we continued feeding safely following the safety measures. Crammer Watch has always promoted feeding only what birds eat straight away – one reason why our few volunteers visit more than once a day in winter. We are only attempting to keep our lovely Crammer birds alive.”
It is contradicting advise from Devizes Town Council, who state not to feed the birds at all. At times I consider Crammer Watch running on heartstrings, but as of the current situation we are unaware if the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs are even engaging in tests, let alone when we can expect confirmation. Putting the importance of confirmation to Devizes Town Councillor Chris Greenwood yesterday, who has confirmed the birds are dying because of bird flu, writing on Devizes News Facebook group; “Bird Flu has been confirmed in Devizes, with several birds having been reported with the virus,” I consider this greatly misleading, as to-date he later confessed there is no such apparent confirmation.
Despite the DEFRA website not reporting any bird flu outbreaks in our area, Chris contradicted himself, now saying confirmation is “irrelevant,” as the situation should be treated as if there is bird flu on the Crammer, according to guidelines. He stated, “the three cases of death are being treated as infected, under guidance from government and wildlife agencies. Losing three birds within such a short period of time, can only be regarded as potential for grave concern about the health of the Town’s birdlife. Until we have the “All Clear” it is imperative that feeding large groups of birds and wildfowl is avoided.”
So, I asked Chris on the grounds that nowhere on the link provided (the DEFRA guidelines) suggests confirmation is irrelevant, but in fact says; These signs can indicate bird flu, but the avian influenza virus can only be confirmed through laboratory tests, if “DEFRA has done such tests, and if so, when will the results of test be announced?”
His responsewas frank: “If and when it is categorically diagnosed as bird flu, then APHA will come along, capture everything, and cull them. We are desperately trying to stop people feeding birds, which encourages them to congregate, and potentially become infected. There is no middle ground here, and attracting birds to a suspected site of infection, is effectively giving them a death sentence either way. Two more birds have been recorded as sick, which could potentially place the site in danger of a total cull. There are no facilities for hospitalisation or recovery, no fluffy blankets, or hot drinks – the birds will die! As far as the actual testing is concerned, it is highly unlikely that many birds will have post mortem examinations, due to the vast numbers being reported, and collected.” And to add to our concerns, he became quite agitated with my line of fire which was only so because of said inconsistencies, “Does this reply answer your question, or would you prefer to wait until APHA turn up with their nets and euthanasia equipment?!”
“There’s unlikely to be any announcement,” Chris claimed, “the next step would be a total cull of all wildfowl, including gulls, pigeons, and any other birds in the area.” Which is bizarre considering friendly town councillor Iain Wallis, in charge of the area the Crammer is in, has been positively open about campaigning for the culling of pigeons for months, and I must wonder if this is the answer to his prayers, though he refuses to cooperate with us due to other disagreements we have had in the past; which is, to be frank, while we’re all obviously being frank here, petty bullshit.
Of course, no one really wants this to happen, and consider my thoughts unfair on the hard-working councillors, but as said, unlike a natural waterside, if the birds there rely on handouts, they will either fly off elsewhere if they can, or die anyway if no one feeds them; that’s the problem, they will die no matter what we do, then again, such is the natural circle of life, I sigh.
“There’s currently no real possibility of providing a natural food source in or near the Crammer, due to it potentially restricting flight paths for the swans and geese,” he continued, “it would also disrupt the aesthetics of the area, by changing the very nature of a feature of our Town.” The first point is above my sphere of knowledge on the subject, the reasons birds need organised flight paths, like air traffic control, or what?! But the latter is most concerning, yes, it might change the very nature of the unsuitable for wildfowl pond for the better, a mini wildlife reserve on our doorstep would be far better in my honest opinion than a concrete kerb into a duck shit tarn! Though this is costly, I know, accept this, and have said this too in the past. No one is expecting miracles overnight, but cards need to be thrown on the table because overnight the wildfowl are sadly dying.
It is a conundrum “that’s providing an answer of its own,” Chris suggested, because “following detailed examination and analysis of the silt and water content, by competent professionals, we will shortly be in a position to confirm that there is barely any difference between those recent results, and those taken in 2008. The drainage from the roadside, is currently providing the only method of restoring water content to an optimum level.” Poisonous matter has been dribbling into the water in the Crammer long before 2008.
The concerning conclusion here was when Chris finished, after thanking him for his time, “we are faced with a situation that affects the long-term welfare of birds, and we have been given sound advice which is being ignored by a few – having the potential for a large loss of birdlife, to the detriment of the very things that the vast majority of us are trying to protect. I find it inconceivable that those few people insist on quibbling over semantics, when faced with the real possibility of a mass cull.”
If quibbling means “the action of raising objections about a trivial matter,” this is terrible wording I’d ask him to take back, for those asking the questions are needing to know, because they’re equally as concerned, and the deaths of animals is far from trivial. Still, we must take these ideas as red, coming from the top, and no matter the dire circumstances and how our hearts drive us, accept that feeding the birds is damaging to the situation, if it is so.
The jury is out, I’m sitting on the fence here and cannot advise what to do for the best, other than follow the advice from the council, and hope and pray for the bird’s welfare. Though I also remain in the dark about how anyone can officially claim bird flu has been confirmed when clearly it hasn’t, and this gives me understandable reason for concern. Dammit, where’s Chris Packham when we need him?!
In an attempt at a humorous Facebook status update a few years back I wrote a list headlined “it’s not Christmas until….” One option was “Hanz Gruber falls from the Nakatomi Plaza,” and another was “Noddy Holder calls it.” With Alan Rickman sadly passed, and a “will-they-won’t-they” Slade reform scenario apt for NME speculation clickbait, neither look likely. But the latter was as close as dammit last night in the glorious Marlborough College Memorial Hall, when, thanks to the MantonFest team, Slade tribute Slyde supremely tore down the impressively high ceiling with a retrospective seventies glam rock extravaganza. Yep, it’s now officially Christmas by my reckoning!
Though the Noddy-a-like frontman teased the audience he wouldn’t play Slade’s seasonal magnum opus, when they did, obviously for a finale, I was deep in conversation with purple goatee-bearded harmonica player, Nick Beere of supporting act Barrelhouse, about our dad’s make of cars in the seventies! The topic spurred by something the Noddy-alike (let’s call him by stage-name Nobby Boulder hereafter,) jested on stage, in true Black Country fashion, praising their attributing decade, “we all knew someone who drove a Ford Cortina!” Which coincidentally occurred just as I was contemplating the best method of assessing the value of a tribute act is to consider if a fan you know would appreciate them, and my dad loved Slade….and yeah, he drove a brown Cortina too!
For while uncannily looking and sounding akin to Slade to the point Nobby was mistaken for him in the street and actual band members endorse them, Slyde refrained from simply belting out their celebrated discography, opting to meld them with other sing-along classics of the glam era, only in the fashion Slade would’ve covered them in. This formed more a seventies nostalgia show than simply a tribute to one act, yet somehow retained the ambience of a Slade gig with silver disc top hats on. I mention this element now to answer the last paragraph’s question, would my dad have loved it? Undoubtedly, he would’ve, and been up doing his unique dad dancing, to the point I could envision his smirk through the crowds of bopping Marlborough folk. I was nailing “most definitely” prior to the icing on the cake, that being the final blast of Jeff Beck’s Hi Ho Silver Lining, as here is a tune which uncompromisingly dragged my dad to any dancefloor, to the point I parodied the lyrics into my eulogy to him.
But covers came thick, fast, and accomplished, much to the audience’s delight. Betwixt Slade’s greatest hits they were treated to Bowie’s Rebel Rebel, Sweet’s Fox on the Run and, Blockbuster in a medley with Gene Genie, Rod’s Maggie May, even Showaddywaddy’s Under theMoon of Love and Joan Jett’s I Love Rock n Roll, among others which included seasonal favourite Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day. In YouTubing other Slade tributes, including the ingeniously named all-female one Slady, nothing appears to be of the calibre of Slyde, such is the ethos when MantonFest choose a tribute act, heralding two at this summer’s festival; Rolling Stones Now and Badness.
For me personally, I might, on another day, rant on a loathing of the glam rock genre, because I’m of the era just past this, when it was considered uncool to like what your parents liked. But hearing these seventies anthems, played so thoroughly loud and proudly, was pure and embracing nostalgia for me, and certainly too for the elders of the vast age demographic present.
As reminiscences flooded my neurons last night, of family parties, of driving to the tip with my dad, and so many others when these classics were embedded in my mind from the Cortina’s mono shortwave radio, I’m at the age when I can shake off trends, and proudly announce these were my songs of growing up, no matter how I’d never wear platform shoes with goldfish in, they were what shaped my eclectic tastes. In conclusion to this point, it is one thing for me to praise a Bob Marley tribute act, or other firmly of my darlings, but for something slightly out of my like bracket, like Slade, I might be a tad more critical, yet Slyde ticked every box for me, and were utterly fantastic.
One could deem Slade an easy target to tribute, on account as was the era, Noddy was a shouty vocalist and the band took themselves with a pinch of salt, but those memorable gritty choruses were performed in such a precise manner by Nobby, that this ranks topper-most on the tribute acts list I’ve borne witness to.
Of course, this was assisted by the astounding venue and its acoustics, something which took the support act, Barrelhouse to another level of professionalism. Ah, yeah, let’s not forget to mention, before all this, this vintage blues band stalwart of any MantonFest event was present, and typically performed a belter. A set change due to a broken string on Tim’s handmade cigar-box guitar didn’t falter their blinding performance, for if seeing a Springsteen gig in New Jersey is on another level from seeing a Springsteen gig elsewhere, it’s a similarity with Barrelhouse on their home turf of Marlborough.
It never ceases to amaze me how this band, their excellence in being united, can attract such a vast age demographic by both covering the old-timey jump blues classics of Bo Diddly and Howlin’ Wolf et al, and arranging their own original songs akin to this notion. It can only be these are timeless, as Barrelhouse knock out their regular setlist I never tire of hearing, of Hoochie Coochie Man, and You Can’t Judge a Book, alongside the 12-bar version of Ace of Spades, finale of Everybody Needs Somebody to Love and an added Shakey Christmas cover for seasonal effect.
Breathtakingly on form Barrelhouse looked last night in these impressive surroundings, and making full use of the circular extended stage. Wow, what a venue, and what a night; It’s Christmasssss at Marlborough College’s Memorial Hall!
Saddened to hear of the death of a swan on the Crammer today, via Devizes Police who were called to its attention last night.…
The Crammer Watch team keep regular watches of the Crammer. Undoubtedly the swans are miserable with the cold spell, but at this current time the cause of its death it’s undetermined. In speculating it may be avian bird flu, the operative word is “may.” The mere mention of it on social media, which has already occured for the purpose of a warning to keep away from the swan, risks the spreading unsolicited rumours.
“Crammer Watcher” Brian, who regularly visits the pond, noted “at no time has any of them shown any respiratory problems. No classic signs of avian flu at all.” Obviously we should all take the advise to keep away from any dead wildfowl, but the last thing we need is scaremonging Chinese whispers.
The bird’s plight of not having a natural food source on the Crammer is an ongoing issue. Recently the Facebook page reached out to the public, suggesting you should feed the swans, ducks and geese, if you can. Some of the swans on the Crammer are underweight, they are all very hungry and need food to get them through this cold spell.
But there was a plea to all from the page, not to feed the wildfowl mouldy food. They need specific food, which you can buy at Rangebourne Pet Care on New Park Street, and the store is offering a 10% discount during this cold spell. But if you are going to feed them, you must keep your distance at this time, and contact the RSPCA or Wiltshire Wildlife Hospital if you are concerned about any of the birds on the Crammer.
What better time than when the temperature drops like a sack of potatoes on official potato sack dropping day, to think about next year and all the fun you can have without having to trek over mountainous landscapes or oceans?Sometimes even with your clothes on!
So, without further ado, let’s take a sneaky peek at some of the many festivals and large events happening around these supposed “cultureless backwaters” in 2023, and I think it’ll put any critics on their ass……
It should be noted this list in far from comprehensive, and many other events will surely come to our attention, ensure you’ve message us with your events we may’ve missed. Meanwhile, some of our favourite regular events have yet to secure a date. As soon as they do, we will add them to our event calendar, and slot them into place on this here article too.
No dates set yet for Trowbridge Festival, Devizes Arts Festival, and Swindon Pride, among others, but we suspect they’ll announce soon; watch this space. But what we do know is this……
Now, before we headlong into the summer months, some folks are like polar bears and do not allow winter to spoil their party, so let’s kick this off in January. Don’t let me sound like your mum, but take a warm coat!
January
21st January: Bradford Roots Music Festival
A stable and reliable indoor multi-day event at the ever-busy Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon, where you can find a series of events, showcasing the very best of local talent. Expect folk, jazz, indie and, of course, roots music, combined with crafty local beverages and delicious food offerings for the ultimate celebration of this iconic community festival. Last year the festivities were broadcasted online too for the first time, and we assume this will happen again this time. Details are HERE.
28th January: Winterfest Clevedon
Perhaps a little early for a trip to the seaside, but WinterFest in Clevedon offers sixteen bands over two stages at The Salthouse. Line-up is a who’s-who of local Bristol-based talent: Adam & The Hellcats, The Shucks, Mr Zippy, Louis Stone Band, Captain Zero, Mireille Mathlener, Eddie Mole Band, Ragz, The Black Museum, Sophie & The Sticks, Magpie 22, Telhalla, Billy Driscoll, MJ Reynolds, and Drew Bryant.
Bowled over by boasting all this, they however neglected to give any tickets details! But we know previous years hasn’t cost much over a fiver, habitually on the door, and is usually charity fundraising. Info HERE.
February
3rd-5th February: Incider Festival (Weston-Super-Mare)
Staying west coast, this one is dangerously entertaining, and fuelled by cider! A trio of days indoors at Sand Bay Holiday Village near Weston-Super-Mare. Starting at £159 per person with no booking fees, your ticket includes chalet accommodation, meals, live music, entertainment, and leisure facilities; all you need to bring is a towel, a big smile and money for the bar!
To put things into perspective, the festival states these strict rules: No tribute bands. No X-Factor. No Carling lager. No tossers! Which should give you a vauge indication of what to expect! Tickets on sale now.
18th February: Festival of Winter Ales (Devizes)
DOCA in association with Stealth Brewery kick off 2023’s Devizes event calendar with this regular beauty. The Festival of Winter Ales is essential fundraising for DOCA, but what is more, it’s a whole lot of drinking fun with entertainment and a more types of beer and cider than you could sensibly test them all; but who said anything about sensible, you can least try! Our roving reporter Andy might be able to shed some light on the line-up, he has leaked that Alex Roberts will be present for the afternoon, and the fantastic Dr Zebo’s Wheezy Club for the evening session, and that’s all I got for now!
Two sessions running on the Saturday, first from 11am-5pm, and later from 5:30-11pm, at The Corn Exchange, Devizes. Tickets on sale now.
March
I’ve got nothing yet for March, what the heck is wrong with March?! But I will be celebrating my 50th at the Three Crowns, Devizes on March 4th and hope you can come to that? Talk in Code, Ruzz Guitar Trio, Ben Borrill and hopefully and few other special guests will be coming, they might even give us a tune or two! It’s free but I plan to have a whip round for a chosen charity, so bring your purse; yes, the pink one.
April
15th April: Swindon Jazz & Soul Festival
The Jazz Knights return for their 3rd year of the Swindon Jazz & Soul Festival at the Christ Church in Old Town, the venue with undoubtedly the best acoustics in Swindon. Not much more to go on this for now, other than there maybe some extra days around the weekend added, but for now, it’s the Saturday only. More info to follow, here’s the Jazz Knights website.
May
1st-7th May: Swindon Festival of Literature
At thirty years strong, plans are now underway for the next live in-person Swindon Festival of Literature. If you have any authors or speakers you would like to recommend, please get in touch with them HERE.
12th-21st May: Bath Festival
From books to music, Bath Festival is the city’s long-established gem. Sign up for their newsletter to find out more, HERE.
25th-28th May: Shindig Festival (Ilminster)
The dance music Mecca, Shindig is set in the posh grounds of the Dillington Estate in Somerset and while looks too good to be true, is well-established and known for its reliability. As well as camping and glamping, you can, at a price, stay in the plush hotel, and Shindig has an inspiring children’s program. Tickets are on sale, hurry, HERE.
26th-29th May: Chippenham Folk Festival
Early bird tickets are on sale for Chippenham’s gem in folk music. The High Street is engulfed in a sea of colour and sound. Dance Sides, representing traditional styles from the UK and beyond, perform at key points around the high street and the main festival site at Island Park. Sides can also be found dancing and singing in the local pubs, as well as showcases on three public stages around Island Park. Open to the Public is a craft tent showcasing traditional crafts, hand produced wares and tasty treats from fudge to mead, also a music fair and many varied food stalls.
Those wanting a more participative festival experience can immerse themselves in tune and song sessions, both programmed and spontaneous, across the towns pubs. Beside the towns historic Butter Cross an outdoor ceilidh takes place each lunch time.
Inside more formal festival venues there are over 200 events. These allow ticket holders to plan a weekend to suit their own tastes. To soak in the sounds at the concerts, perform in club style events, develop skills in a vast array of workshops or stomp, twirl, and swing into the night with a choice of ceilidh, contra, and folk-dance events…. sound good? It’s just up the road! HERE.
27th-28th May: Devizes International Street Festival
The best day in Devizes, fact! DOCA’s International Street Festival is a double-day of music, street theatre, food, and drink, and it’s all free! The Market Place and all around it becomes a colourful festival; be rude not to…. go HERE
June
17th June: Test Fest (Taunton)
Taunton Rugby Club plays host to a one-day music festival, fundraising for It’s in the Bag Testicular Cancer Support, and offers great music, good food, beer, children’s activities and a silent disco. Details HERE.
21st-25th June: Glastonbury Festival
Elton John headlines the Saturday night at unarguably the world’s most historic festival, only across the county border. Need I say more about this one?!
24th June: Melksham Pride
Plans still underway for Melksham’s second Pride, but to mark it your diary will be good enough for now. HERE.
30th June-2nd July: Minety Music Festival (nr Malmesbury)
This renowed festival continues to go from strength-to-strength. Tickets are up for grabs already, and they’re boasting Owen Paul, Reef, Dodgy, EMF and locally based legends such as Gaz Brookfield, The Dirty Smooth, Rave Against the Regime, Talk in Code, Will Lawton & The Alchemists and too many more to list. Not been myself, but everything I hear about Minety tells me to make the effort! Tickets out now, HERE.
July
1st July: Mantonfest (Marlborough)
This is one which should be on everyone’s agenda, it’s quaint and simple but effective and fun. If Marlborough was a festival, this would be it! A friendly vibe with a vast demographic, it is the gem on Marlborough’s event calendar. Rolling Stones Now tribute headline, with James Oliver, Madness tribute Badness and of course, the constant jewel of MantonFest, Barrelhouse. I love it there, and I say, do this one if nothing else!! Tickets and Info HERE.
1st July: Devizes Beer & Cider Festival
In its 22nd year, The Devizes Beer & Cider Festival is the stable must-do for everyone in Devizes, because they all love beer! Spoiled for choice, hundreds of brands of real ale and cider, and the dependable music program which supports our local scene; I’m there already in my mind! HERE.
6th-9th July: Nass Festival (Shepton Mallet)
If Shepton Mallet was never a hip hop capital, it is now. Nass is all about high energy stuff; skating, BMX, street art and an urban musical line-up, including the Wu-Tang Clan, there to celebrate their 30th anniversary. There’s camping, and tickets are up for grabs now, HERE.
8th July: CrownFest (Bishops Cannings)
Terrible poster, great event! To list here every local pub which puts a man with a guitar in a gazebo, flogs some manky hotdogs and tries passing it off as a festival would be insanely unfair on those who really makes an effort, and last year’s inaugural CrownFest was one of them, one of the best of them; it was top notch. With proper-job stage and pyrotechnics, lots of food choices and kids’ entertainment, camping and generally all-round good vibes, this has bags of potential for a second year.
8th July sets the date for 2023, at thirty quid, tickets will go on sale from 3rd January, and camping is £15 extra. It’s all rather tribute top-heavy with Bob Marley & The Wailers, Abba and Tina Turner tributes, with Cap’n Rasty’s Skiffle City Rockers, Junkyard Dogs, and The Leon Daye Band. There’s me contemplating a few more original local acts would better suit, but that’s just my personal preference, it’s a good day out nonetheless.
8th & 9th July: Chippenham Food & Drink Festival
Double-day food and drink festival at Monkton Park, Chippenham, bringing some of the best chefs, wine tasting and talks, craft beer and cider, live music, children’s entertainment (kids go free,) and cheese masterclasses; tickets are going like hot cakes, HERE!
15th-16th July: Market Lavington Vintage Meet
This ever-popular family fun event in aid of Wiltshire Air Ambulance and local community projects will have displays of vintage and classic cars/vans/motorcycles/commercial and tractors, military vehicles, stationary engines, miniature & full-size steam engines and miniature train for kids to ride on.
Several car clubs will be having club stands. Wiltshire Air Ambulance fund raising team will be there as well as Wiltshire Police and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. There’s a static display of birds of prey from K&H Falconry, who will also be doing a flying demonstration in the arena on both days. There will be gun dog demonstrations in the arena from BASC. A fun dog show will take place in the arena on Sunday followed by the popular tug of war competition. There will be numerous trade and craft stalls as well as demonstrations & collectables. Several catering outlets will provide a delicious range of food and Botanico bars will be providing beer, wines and spirits from their converted classic 1976 VW bay window camper van. Children’s entertainment will be a bouncy castle, swing carousel, fun house. Organisers have again applied to the RAF for a flypast by aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and the Red Arrows.
22nd July: My Dad’s Bigger Than Your Dad (Swindon)
The inaugural Swindon Shuffle organised one day music festival at the Old Town Bowl, in tribute to Swindon’s premier music promoter, Dave Young, and raising money for Swindon’s Prospect Hospice was heralded legendary last year, and though few details have been released to-date for 2023, I’ll guarantee you right now, this one will be very worthy or your attention. Backing the very best of our local music scene, My Dad’s Bigger Than Your Dad’s tickets are up for grabs now, HERE.
22nd July: Marlborough Festival
If Marlborough has scrambled somewhat in the dark since the closure of its historic Jazz Festival, Marlborough Rising set to replace it but phased out, this year we see a new kid on the block, simply titled “Marlborough Festival;” why not?!
This inaugural one dayer takes place at Marlborough Town Hall, where they outline the plans for a community Music & Arts festival in 2023 and beyond. Suggestions welcome, but it already offers guest speakers, live music from Romeo Stodart of The Magic Numbers, a champagne reception with food from Rick Stein, Tipi Tapa and Pie’s Pies. Tickets are £30 each, available from Sound Knowledge, The Lamb, and HERE.
27th-30th July: Womad (Malmesbury)
Pricey, but you get what you pay for, and this is nothing short of legendary. This most diverse, world music extravaganza is on our doorstep, and attracts people worldwide. How they are coping with post Brexit visa issues will no doubt add to the ticket stub, but this magical festival really speaks for itself. If you can, do it, and report back to me, if nothing more than to make me jealous! Tickets not on sale yet, but HERE is the link where you can add your name to the mailing list.
27th-30th July: Camp Bestival (Lulworth, Dorset)
Se in two locations, the other in Shropshire, the Jurassic Dorset coast is within reach for us, and this one also speaks for itself. Tickets up for grabs now, HERE.
28th-29th July: Mfor Festival, Lydiard Park (Swindon)
Postponed from last year’s cancelled festival, this pop-based festival at Lydiard Park has been cancelled again, claiming the next one will be July 2024. Unless you apply for a refund your ticket will automatically be transferred to the 2024 date…. this is including the already transferred tickets from this year! With this track record I’d be asking for a refund if I was you, rather than hope and pray your 2022 tickets will see you into a festival two years too late. It is a shame, but it also sticks as a warning to festival-goers; be vigilant in where you splash your festival budget. The other side of the coin says advance ticket buyers are essential for organisers to make ends meet, and without them it risks the future of the event; a double-edged sword. All enquiries should be directed to info@mforfestival.co.uk
28th-30th July: Devizes Scooter Rally
If Mfor was the only local large event we currently know of clashing with Devizes Scooter Rally, its cancellation might be Devizes Scooter Club’s advantage, not that the clientele rests in similar genres. The Devizes Scooter Rally is nuts and bolts modest, retrospective goodness of the mod, skinhead and scooterist variety. Though for some it’s a niche they’re prepared to trek the country to attend, on their hairdryers, one thing which separates this from other scooter rallies is its continued devotion to attracting and catering for locals with only a passing interest too. That is why I will sing its praises, plus for two other simple facts; it’s affordable and won’t leave you feeling ripped off, and after two previous years it is surprisingly reliable, for a bunch of skins!
Look, see what I mean, early bird weekend passes include camping, and that’s a snip at £25.00, but a weekend pass anyway is only £30. There are also day passes for half-price, and a Saturday day pass is only a fiver. Live music from ska legends Orange Street, who were the highlight of their inaugural rally in 2019, Sharp Class, The Butterfly Collective, and local ska covers from Killertones. DJs also play a large part of the scene, and Fenton, Big Phil and Phil Seymour spin the tunes ahead of Northern Soul legendary DJ Terry Hendrick. The Devizes Scooter Club work tirelessly to bring us this annual event, and it’s worth every penny. Tickets HERE.
August
3rd-7th August: Wilderness Festival (Chipping Norton)
Complete change of scene now from our Devizes mods, Wilderness is a four-day boutique festival spanning music, the arts, food, and wellbeing, all set amidst the idyllic surroundings of Cornbury Park, near Chipping Norton. The Chemical Brothers, Christine and The Queens, Fatboy Slim, Sugababes, Confidence Man and Pip Millett are amoung the hefty line-up. I’m in dark on this one, but it looks rather special, in a hippy-love freakout kinda fashion; have I got time to grow and beard and buy a straw hat? Tickets on sale now, HERE.
25th-27th August: Reading Festival
Reading festival, the younger man with tighter jeans and high-tops’ Glasto! Say no more, it’s fairly local, it’s grounded in historic legend, perhaps only overshadowed by Glastonbury itself. I could research the line-up but being honest, I think you’re like me, and too old to know any of them!
Okay, just in case you’re not, Billie Eilish, Sam Fender, Foals, The Killers, Imagine Dragons and Lewis Capaldi headline; lucky tickets HERE.
26th-27th August: FullTone Festival (Devizes)
Not much to go on yet, but early bird tickets are up for grabs for Devizes’ third orchestral merges with pop extravaganza. On the Green, as usual, The Full Tone Orchestra’s homecoming plans to serve up six amazing sets from Proms to Iconic Themes from TV and Film, Huge Dance Anthems, Big Band, Massive Great Big Musical Theatre and The Absolute Best of Elton John. Plus, of course guests which are to be confirmed. Though I know a secret which Jemma might tell me off for breaking, so I’ll keep it under my hat, for now, but it will be something to look forward to, trust me!
Sunday of the bank holiday is also the regular date of another great shindig which sells out faster than it takes to drive there from Devizes, just down the road in Potterne. The Potterne Festival, not called “PotFest,” or it might have different connotations, organised by Potterne Cricket Club, is a regular mini-festival which punches above its weight. Details to follow on this, but see HERE for updates.
31st August-3rd September: End of the Road Festival (Blandford)
End of The Road Festival is located at Larmer Tree Gardens, near Blandford, in Dorset. Line-up yet to be announced, but it offers as much alternative shows as well as music, from comedy, talks and films to literature and healing workshops. Seems like a great all-rounder. Get in quick though, this sells out fast. HERE.
September
10th-17th September: Pewsey Carnival
We’d surely be here all night if I was to list every local town and village carnival, but Pewsey’s is different, for a week it is Wiltshire’s Rio de Janeiro! Okay, usually a chilly Rio de Janeiro, but a Rio de Janeiro all the same. The marvellous things about it is the simple notion that everyone comes out to enjoy it, and truly is historically our county’s most widely renowned carnival, so put it in your diary and I’ll see you feeling sorry for yourself in the Cooper’s field come September! HERE.
14th-17th September: Swindon Shuffle (Swindon)
Swindon is the place to head this weekend, if you wish to worship our local music scene. The Shuffle is free, supplies multiple gigs in all of Old Town’s pub venues, and raises vital funds for Prospect House. No details yet, though it offers no headliners, no hierarchy, just the very best of local live music; just another to stick firmly in your diary. HERE.
23rd September -1st October: Devizes Food & Drink Festival
Always with a packed program to fill your bellies, Devizes Food & Drink Festival is a stalwart for foodies. Details of this year’s festival are yet to be announced, stay in touch with them by signing up for their newsletter HERE.
23rd September- 2nd October: Bath Children’s Literature Festival
From Bath Festival comes a second event, just for your little bookworms. This is grounded in absolute top-notch guest authors, and no doubt will be no different this time. More info HERE.
28th September- 1st November: Marlborough Literature Festival
Pam Ayres has been rescheduled from the pandemic year, and goes to show just how prestigious the Marlborough Literature Festival has become. Check the link for info and the brochure, and where to get some tickets.
October
14th October: Swindon Ska Fest
A new one from last year, I believe, though The Moonrakers Inn in Swindon has always hosted the best local ska bands. This sees The Killertones, The Corsairs UK, The Bee-Skas, Ska’d For Life, and Sister Sister, an Amy Winehouse tribute from Caroline Lowe and DJ Dave Clark. This is a Specialized project, fundraising for various charities, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, and wait for it, tickets, on sale soon, are only a fiver; pick em up, pick em up, HERE.
Do not take this list as exhaustive, though it might make for exhausting reading! But for now, that’s all folks! Updates will be added, when details of more large events are released, so bookmark the page, or pay attention to our event calendar. Let’s make 2023 a real belter!
Wiltshire Council’s ambitious plans to resurface all the roads in Devizes before the next ice age have been cancelled because rare dinosaur fossils have been…
With howling, coarse baritones Nick Fletcher, the main vocalist of Marlborough’s gothic duo, Deadlight Dance chants, “here comes the rain, and I love the rain,…
An exodus of musical lovers and, I’d assume, a healthy handful of friends and family, trekked southwards through winter’s final ambush last night, to enjoy…
The first Kamikaze moth of the year dive-bombed my face the other morning. Forget blossoming trees and tulips, that’s a milkman’s sure sign of spring…because…
The Liberal Democrat’s are today celebrating a historic election win in the heart of Marlborough, in the first contested Town Council election for thirteen years….…
After a larger quantity of social media teasers than previous years, Devizes Arts Festival has today revealed their full line-up for 2024. Better take a…
Image: Czampal I’m laughing, not at the Glasto lineup, but the incalculable comments of negativity it has encouraged in Facebookland. It should be said though,…
Ian Diddams Written by Jonathan LarsonPresented by Maple Theatre Company It’s always hard reviewing a show that one has seen multiple times before, performed by…
In true Royston Vasey style, unfortunately due to time and resources we don’t review international music as we did during lockdown, choosing to focus more…
On International Women’s Day a group of women from the Swindon community decided to organise a clothes memorial for the over 11,500 Palestinian children killed…
Wowzers! Huge congratulations and a colossal thanks to young Chloe Boyle from Devizes, who is planning to spend the night of April 5th sleeping outside…
Newly formed and locally based collective Palooza hosted their opening night at The Exchange nightclub in Devizes yesterday, offering house music with universal appeal and…
What is this life if, full of jostle, we have no time to stand and waffle? A truckload of stuff to do this coming week, don’t let me ramble on pointlessly, you know how it works, more info and links can be found on our event calendar, HERE.
Sustainable Devizes’ Advent{ure} Reuse Christmas continues at The Little Green, Devizes, and runs until Christmas Eve. Little Red Riding Hood continues at the Wharf, but alas, is sold out.
Tuesday 13th there will be beer & carols at The Southgate, Devizes, and some Christmas Memories at Melksham Assembly Hall.
Wednesday 14th and it’s the regular Acoustic Jam at The Southgate, Devizes. Also, a lunchtime harp recital by Lise Vandermissen at Pound Arts, Corsham, and the regular Chuckles Comedy Club at Meca, Swindon.
Thursday 15th and Kairo Beats, Chloe Hepburn and PX do the Tuppeny, Swindon, while Christmas by Candlelight is happening at Meca.
Friday 16thsees the Butch Hopkins Memorial Gig at The Corn Exchange, Devizes.
Humdinger play The Cooper’s Arms, Pewsey.
80s-90s Christmas Party at Melksham Assembly Hall.
Highly recommended Monkey Bizzle play The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon, while you’ll find Bluesoul at The Boathouse, and Swinging at the Cotton Club at Wiltshire Music Centre, after a related swing dance workshop.
There’s a Rockin’ & Swingin’ Evening at Chapel Arts, Bath.
Over in Swindon, find Barrelhouse at The Queen’s Tap, Bublé at Christmas is happening at Meca, but don’t get over excited, Bublé fans, he’s not there, rather it’s some of the country’s top musicians celebrating the music, the arrangements, and the tours that the man himself has made so successful…. apparently!
The Sweet play the Cheese & Grain, Frome, with Abba tribute SOS at the Tree House.
Saturday 17thand it’s Lego club at Chippenham Library from 3-4pm.
Christmas in the Park at Hillworth Park, Devizes, though tickets to see Father Christmas are sold out now. Sustainable Devizes will be at St James for a toy and book swap (details) until 2pm. The Corn Exchange has the Devizes Christmas Vegan Fair.
Near sold out, it’s everyone’s favourite soprano, Chloe Jordan, who is at Devizes Town Hall with a Classic Christmas concert in aid of Wiltshire Air Ambulance. Devizes Community Choir are at St Johns, for a Big Sing Christmas Concert in aid of Dorothy House and Open-Doors. Highly recommended, Dr Zeebos Wheezy Club play The Southgate.
Editor’s Pick of the Week
It’s Chrrriissssssmmmasss at Marlborough Memorial Hall, when MantonFest hosts a Christmas Concert with Slade tribute Slyde, and naturally, the fantastic Barrelhouse. Despite all the amazing stuff going on this weekend, it’s not Christmas until Noddy, or least a Noddy-a-like calls it, so I’m thinking this should be Editor’s Pick of the Week.
Meanwhile, Pete Lamb’s Heartbeats play Woodborough Social Club’s Christmas Dance, and throw in a free ploughman’s lunch on the deal!
In the Sham, the Assembly Hall has The Rock-A-Toons for a Melksham Rock N Roll Club dance, and The Beverley May Band plays The Milk Churn.
Double-header at The Lamb, Trowbridge with Lucky Number Seven & The Foundations. John Kirkpatrick’s Carolling & Crumpets at Pound Arts, Corsham. It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year show at Chapel Arts, Bath.
Danny and the Randoms do The Swiss Chalet in Swindon, while it’s the annual 12 Bands of Christmas at The Vic, and the Tuppeny has a DJ set from Random Rules, “I’ll Make You a Tape.”
Shy FX featuring Stamina MC at the Cheese & Grain, Frome, with The Ramonas at The Tree House, and Flash Harry plays The Cornerhouse.
Sunday 18thThe Christmas Celebration of Music for Miniatures will be at Devizes Corn Exchange. It’s Christmas Party time with It’s Complicated at The Southgate, and Jamie R Hawkins does an afternoon set at The White Bear.
St Agnes Fountain play Marlborough Folk Roots club, at Marlborough Town Hall.
GBH Big Band at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon, while The Worried Men plays The Three Horseshoes.
Christmas Sunday Swingout Social at Meca, Swindon, finishes off our weekend listings, and if I have to type the word “Christmas” one more time, I’m going to come over all Uncle Scrooge! Note though, this list is NEVER exhaustive, more events are coming to our attention, so keep one eye on our event calendar and the other on our social media pages.
Monday 19th, find Scratchworks Theatre at Pound Arts, Corsham with a show Wild, Wild Woods. Tuesday 20th and I’ve got nothing; hide under the duvet!
And you know what, events for New Year’s Eve are looking pretty thin at the moment, perhaps you need to send us details of what you’re doing for the big one?!
Salisbury-based event organisation Wiltshire Music Events has been ordered to remove posters advertising the Marley Experience gig at the Devizes Corn Exchange on 13th April,…
Members of Swindon Palestine Solidarity made themselves heard at the Labour Party fundraising dinner, where Jess Phillips MP was the guest of honour, protesting at…
Swindon indie popsters Talk in Code return tomorrow (1st March) with a new single, Something Of Nothing …..hold tight to your Deely-Boppers, things are about…
I’ve only gone and done another podcast, and I apologise. But it is in keeping with the season…..
Please note: this podcast contains adult themes and language, and is NOT for children.
Here we are then, bar humbug, my second monthly podcast goes all Christmassy…. sort of, as I discuss shopping, Christmas meal deals, the hype, and the true meaning of Christmas, the big day itself, and have myself a teary-eyed temper tantrum!
Gathering local Christmas songs, moaning about them grumpily, and having a seasonal ska mix at the end. With songs from Tickle Your Fancy, The Lost Trades, Timid Deer, Danni W, Illingworth, Tom Harris, Eddie Mole, and Knati P, and our ska mix from Baked-A-La-Ska, Sir Jay & The Skatanauts and The Copacetics. Have a merry Christmas one all all!
Thanks to everyone who sent me a song, even if you didn’t expect it to be on such an appalling podcast as this!!
Over three years since my most memorable “Spider-Milk-Man” run in aid of Carmela’s Stand Up to Muscular Dystrophy, it’s always nice to catch up with Carmela Chillery-Watson and her family. If I expressed then how much of an inspiration to us all Carmela is, agelessly, it was never said in a patronising manner simply because she was just six years old at the time, because she’s growing up, and surely proving my point…...
This week has seen Carmela in hospital for an operation, for a monitoring device to be implanted near her heart, and still, she comes up smiles! We all wish you the very best here at Devizine, Carmela, and of course, a very happy Christmas too, but the news Carmela plans to start helping one of our local care homes in the new year is outstanding.
Mum, Lucy explained, “on one of Carmela’s sad days a few weeks back, we discovered she was really keen to help put smiles on the elderly who can’t get outside to do sports and fun activities.”
“Carmela said she gets sad because her body won’t allow her to do lots of things she was once able to and she said her weak body is like the elderly. But having me in her life helps her to do lots of other fun stuff. So that’s why she felt she could help the elderly like I do for her.”
Carmela will be coaching bean bag boccia and fun hand sensory activities once a month after Christmas, and visited the home last week where she got to have a brief chat with one of the residents who was 99 years old. See what I mean now? She really is an inspiration to us all.
Well done, Carmela, and I just know you’re going to win their hearts!
Last August a team of fundraisers, led by Carmela’s mum, Lucy, cycled 66 miles through Wiltshire villages for Muscular Dystrophy UK, and plan to do it again in 2023. You can register your interest HERE, or you can donate to the Courageous Carmela fundraising HERE, or the Cure for Carmela HERE.
Think early nineties dance-indie crossover and the Madchester circuit might understandably spring to mind. Yet Pop Will Eat Itself were Brunmies, The Shamen were Scots,…
I trouble procrastinating upon being gifted a previously released CD from an artist for review, unfortunately they land on the backburner, prioritising upcoming news items.…
Bit Wintery, innit? Calendars are going forward, weather is going backwards! Here’s what’s happening over the coming week in the wilds of Wiltshire, hold onto…
Grab some free Christmas gifts, clear some space at home, and reduce waste… “try swapping not shopping this Christmas,” says Sustainable Devizes, as they host a Christmas Toy & Book Swap at St James Church this Saturday (17th December,) from 11am-2pm.
Bring your unwanted toys, games and books to swap for something new, or simply donate some of your older toys and books. Crazy how they grow out of them so fast, isn’t it? While me, I secretly still want to play with them, but I can’t, because they’d moan at me, call me “babyish,” and what’s worse; they’ll tell on me!
Books for adults are also welcome. Toys should be clean and undamaged please (a little bit of wear and tear is ok!) Please note that they cannot accept electrical mains powered items, battery powered toys are fine.
If you’ve nothing to swap, that’s okay too, everything is still free! And there will be refreshments from Fairtrade Devizes. What a wonderful thing for those feeling the pinch this Christmas; thank you Keith at St James, Sam and all at Sustainable Devizes.
West-side in the Lavingtons last night, tumbleweeds could’ve blown along the High Street as an army of highway operatives rode into the village with heavy…
Featured image by LoraDore After an impressive forty-five years of Guiding in Worton, through Brownies, Guides, Young Leadership, and as the Unit Leader there for…
This Saturday sees Bristol’s Hip Hop phenonium, The Scribes bringing their Boombox show to The Pump, Trowbridge, and will be the group’s only performance in…
On a perishingly cold night in D-Town, the one thing you needed was to get warm as soon as possible. And fortunately for us there was some genuine Australian heat waiting for us.…
Paul Chandler’s Longcroft Productions had done the business yet again. Pulling off something of a coup by securing the Lachy Doley band’s only UK date on their current European tour, they were rewarded by a very large crowd filling all the tables in the Corn Exchange, including folks who had travelled enormous distances just to be there on the night. Would it all be worthwhile? Would the reality live up to the hype of the publicity?
There was no support act (and none was needed to be fair), so we were straight on with the entertainment. After a clearly emotional introduction from Paul, the Aussies hit the stage. Although perhaps less well known in Europe than in his native Australia, virtuoso keyboard player Lachy Doley (dubbed the Jimi Hendrix of the Hammond), had a lot to live up to. He was joined by bassist Joel Burton and drummer Jackie Barnes.
Playing a mixture of self-penned pieces, with a leavening of classic covers, the band absolutely lit up the stage from the get-go, producing a mounting wave of high-energy numbers. Lachy himself was an absolute bundle of enthusiasm and commitment, attacking his keyboards with total commitment, from every angle and using every part of his body (it seemed) to produce some astonishing music. Sitting, kneeling, standing, crouching – it made no difference. Everything came out to stunning effect.
((Just for the technically-minded, he was playing a 1971 UK spec B3 Hammond with two 122 Leslies, and a vintage Hohner D6 Whammy Clavinet. The Clavinet is an electrically amplified clavichord invented in the 1960s, which produces sounds by a rubber pad striking a point on a tensioned string, and designed to resemble the Renaissance-era clavichord. The clavinet was pushed through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amp.)) And for the less technically-minded (like me), the upshot of all this clever stuff was a set-up that enabled him to play the keyboard as if it were a guitar. And it was quite something to both watch and to listen to. As an early demonstration of just what it could do, the band’s version of Hendrix’s Voodoo Chile a couple of numbers in nearly brought the house down.
He’d got us – from there on it was all downhill. Two hours of soul, blues, funk and rock followed, with each number drawing huge applause. Lachy’s own numbers such as The Only Cure For The Blues Is The Blues, Making It Up As I Go Along, and the storming Frankly My Dear I Don’t Give A Damn were certainly superb, but the biggest applause went to astonishingly good covers of Procul Harum’s Whiter Shade Of Pale, and Chicago’s I’m A Man. There were set pieces, there was some jazz-like improv, and there were spaces for solos, but the trio was always tight as gnat’s armpit when it mattered.
It’s hard to stay away from superlatives. My friend described the man as “awesome”. Another word I heard used by several people was “genius”, and “virtuoso”. We certainly saw and heard something very special. The evening ended with an encore, a standing/ stomping/ clapping ovation, and another encore. Astonishing, great entertainment.
And finally a big shout-out (yet again) to all those who made this possible – stage set-up, the light show, spot-on sound, and general organisation from Longcroft Productions. All very professional and well presented. D-Town is indeed lucky to have you guys doing what you do.
Here we go again, Lacock’s Boxing Day incongruous pageant of corruption and barbarism plans to go ahead this year, despite protests, as The Avon Vale Hunt will gather in showy and shameless glory.….
Safe in the knowledge the single patrolling WPC, Laura Hughes was a member of the hunt, and it was suggested did little to remain impartial, last year’s Boxing Day fiasco turned nasty, with violent clashes between hunt supporters and protesters. The protesters intend to be in attendance again, for peaceful intent as always, but hoping for safety in numbers.
While you’d like to think Wiltshire Police have learned a lesson, and this year’s event will be more efficiently manned, no charges or disciplinary was deemed necessary for the officer in question, despite publicly stating “we do accept a potential conflict of interests should have been declared,” and claiming they were unaware of her association with the hunt. Well, they’re aware now, only time will tell.
We also hope Wiltshire PCC Phillip Wilkinson’s recent crackdown on rural crime strategies, which has seen recent arrests for hare coursing, will extend to hunting, but he has shown little respect for hunt protesters in the past, apparently calling anti-hunt individuals, “balaclava wearing thugs.” In similar logic as Nelson Mandela was a deemed terrorist, no doubt.
With Conservative MP James Gray accused of being in attendance last year, in support of the hunt, sonething he later denied although photographed there, it would seem there’s a clear aborehence of the Hunting Act within many powers that be, resulting in these clashes, which sadly takes costly lawsuits to justifiably resolve. Something avoidable with proactive policing, me thinks; or is that a tad too bleeding obvious?!
In April, three hunt supporters were convicted after pleading guilty to using “threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause unlawful violence.” In September though, the anti-hunt individuals were acquitted. Judge Dickens said, “ultimately, the evidence is pretty thin, wafer thin…While there is just about a case to answer, the evidence is wafer thin and it won’t get any better, and for those reasons I won’t be able to be sure they were not acting in self-defence.”
What is becoming clearer through this, is the wheels of the ‘trail hunting’ smokescreen are coming off, as the populous accept it’s a charade, and leaving hunters frustrated, and aggressive. I can understand this, they’ve taken their toys away, and in the name of tradition it would seem a shame, if the activity wasn’t a completely unnecessary bloodthirsty and barbaric activity which has been democratically deemed unwanted and unlawful in today’s society.
It now falls on town and parish councils, landowners and pub landlords to accept the majority’s appeal on this matter, and outright ban all hunting meets and activities on their land, regardless of these petty bogus claims of lawfulness, until such a time they can prove no acts of animal welfare have been breached. Which, and let’s be frank, they can’t, ergo they react in force of vengeance. For if they could, there would be no valid reason to behave with this thuggish mentality.
So, I cannot advise you attend, for your own safety, but the Boxing Day meet will start at 10am in Lacock, but doing so at your own risk will show support for the rising campaign against this, and, as I said, it is the responsibility of Wiltshire Police to ensure the event runs more smoothly this time. Here’s to a peaceful protest, then, and also to those risking themselves to protect our wildlife, not just on Boxing Day, but throughout the year.
It’s beginning to look a lot like…. another week in early December; bar humbug! Therefore, here’s what’s doing in and around Wiltshire, all of which can be found on our event calendar, with further info and ticket links.….
If we missed your event, did you tell us about it? It’s free to be listed on Devizine, just drop us a message.
Ongoing, is Sustainable Devizes’ Advent{ure} Reuse Christmas on The Little Green, Devizes, where you can be part of a living Advent Calendar! So many organisations have gathered for this, it’s all very festive, and running until Christmas Eve.
Wednesday 7th is the regular acoustic jam at The Southgate, Devizes, while White Horse Opera hold their Christmas Concert at St John’s.
Thursday 8th, there’s Craft and Chat at Chippenham Library, and the 14th Annual Pound Arts Open Exhibition at Pound Arts in Corsham.
Find a Vocation Naughty & Nice Drink-a-Long at The Snuffbox, Devizes, Oxbowlake & Shedric play The Tuppenny, Swindon, while Boo Hewerdine’s Understudy Tour happens at Chapel Arts, Bath, with The Wurzels’ Christmas Tour comes to Komedia.
Friday 9th Southbroom St James Academy in Devizes have a Christmas Fayre from 5-7pm.
Little Red Riding Hood – The Panto opens at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes, running until December 17th, sorry, this has sold out.
Elsewhere in Devizes though, find a Christmas Celebration Concert with Devizes Good Afternoon Choir at St Andrews, and it’s the grand evening for Longcroft Productions with Lachy Doley at The Corn Exchange. Sour Apple play The Three Crowns, and The Muck & Dunder have a Ten Hides Distillery Tasting session.
Sandi Thom plays Pound Arts in Corsham, Courtney Pine’s Spirituality is at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon, while Severance plays The Three Horseshoes there. The Super Skas at Chapel Arts, Bath. On my must-see list, Ant Trouble, Adam & His Ants tribute plays The Tree House, Frome.
The Guns & Roses Experience at The Vic, Swindon, while The Britpop Boys takes Level III, Behind Bars at The Rolleston, and the Tuppeny has The Electric Kool-Aid Audio Test. Night one of The Great Gatsby at MECA.
Saturday 10th, regular Lego Club at Chippenham Library from 3-4pm.
Mark Smallman plays The Southgate, Devizes, while Illingworth are at The Crown, Bishops Cannings.
Be Like Will play The Talbot, Calne, while Old Friends are at The Wheatsheaf.
Homer plays The Lamb, Marlborough, while its sound system night at The Barge on Honeystreet, with the Jah Lion Movement Sound System, a fiver on the door.
Looking For Me Friend: The Music of Victoria Wood by The Cabaret Geek at Pound Arts, Corsham, while The Choir of Clare College Cambridge are at the Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon.
Untamed Burlesque at Chapel Arts, Bath.
While The Great Gatsby continues at MECA in Swindon, ZambaLando are live at Baristocats, and ravers flock to Level III for the Midlife Krisis Crew will be in effect.
Sunday 11thDevizes Town Band have a Christmas Party at The Corn Exchange.
Wiltshire Young Musicians Christmas Festival at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon, while Cydernide & Tharsis play The Three Horseshoes.
A Winter Union at Chapel Arts, Bath, and Frome Vegan Fair at the Cheese & Grain.
Monday 12th and Saint Michael and All Angels in Hilperton have a concert; Follow the Star – Doves Peace Choir & Ebonite. And there’s the Rock the Tots Christmas Show at Pound Arts, Corsham
Tuesday 13th and find Beer & Carols at The Southgate, Devizes, and some Christmas Memories at Melksham Assembly Hall.
Wednesday 14th regular acoustic Jam at The Southgate, Devizes, a lunchtime harp recital by Lise Vandermissen at Pound Arts, Corsham, and Chuckles Comedy Club at MECA in Swindon.
And that’s all I got so far, folks, but we do update regularly, so keep one eye on our event calendar. It’s also good for future planning, just keep on scrollin’, dude!
Things you need to be thinking about for the following weeks ahead: starter for ten, the Butch Hopkins Memorial Gig at The Corn Exchange, Devizes Friday 16th and you’ll be hard pressed for tickets to Bublé at MECA or The Sweet at the Cheese & Grain on that day.
Breathtakingly amazing local soprano Chole Jordan’s Classical Christmas on Saturday 17th at Devizes Town Hall, in aid of Wiltshire Air Ambulance, but I’m planning be at Marlborough Memorial Hall for MantonFest are having a Christmas party with Barrelhouse and Slade tribute Slyde, and you know it’s not Christmas until Noddy calls it! Do join me for that one.
Have a great weekend but behave; he knows if you’ve been bad or good!
As part of the global Kidical Mass movement, this event combined a family-friendly cycle ride with a protest, calling for safe streets for everyone. The ride…
On Saturday, people from across Swindon came to Swindon Palestine Solidarity’s charity dinner to raise funds for Medical Aid Palestine and raise awareness of the…
To international acclaim on the folk circuit, we’ve loved to follow the progress of the Lost Trades since day dot, when Phil Cooper enthusiastically told…
A third instalment of space rock swirls and cosmic heavy duty guitar riffs was unleashed in January from our homegrown purveyors of psychedelia, Cracked Machine.…
Feeel the melody that’s in the (Devizes) air! If the nineties house clubbing revival is what’s happening elsewhere around the nation, we have to admit,…
We ventured out to the Barge to catch Alex Roberts after first seeing him at The Southgate, Devizes on the highest recommendation of Devizes favourite Vince Bell. That was an introduction to an artist well worth following; so we duly did!
The Barge has had its challenges in years past with unique past owners and misplaced concepts of what this particular Inn’s place in the community actually is, but happily this experience was more like earliest memories of folk gigs there twenty years before and a great venue to visit once again.
There was a warm welcome into a crowd of characters, some from miles away, pleased to follow Alex and regulars of the Inn and many boaters amongst them. A good foil for a talented folk singer, this crowd knowing as many on the cut do, how to sing and encourage willing musicians!
Alex loves the Barge, and settled into the ‘stage’ corner with a plethora of instruments, we were treated to interpretations of many great songs in the folk/blues traditions and of course brilliant songs of his own pen.
Pyramid – Alex Roberts a fantastic song of his own writing, my favourite from his songbook this gig. Then covers such as ‘Girl from the North Country’, Bob Dylan delivered with such warmth and sensibility and a lifelong Dylan fan (such as myself) was enthralled.
So a lovely return to a great local venue and a great gig; everything you want from a Saturday eagerly awaited for this very reason.
The Barge has a very active Facebook page and many gigs / events, we will certainly be making more of an effort to fit some in following this gig.
Perhaps best known as the frontman of Afro Celt Sound System, the Belgium-based artist N’Faly Kouyaté will be hitting the road for nine intimate shows…
The Importance of Being Earnest is rather like a newfound interest in jazz, you must “unlearn” the four-beat pop you’re accustomed to, to fully appreciate…
Hey frozen duckling, here’s what’s happening over the coming week in the wilds of Wiltshire…… Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there…
See, I’m not sure ol’ Alfred the Great would’ve approved of the whopping gurt folly erected in his name near Bruton. He was there to rally Saxon troops for the Battle of Edington, and if you’re planning to go kick some Viking butt you need to be inconspicuous, not have a hundred-and-sixty-foot redbrick tower sticking out like a sore thumb. He might well have liked this though, a new Wiltshire four-piece named after the tower; because good tunes can be a real morale boost when going into battle……
And good tunes they are, though the group cite from Chippenham on their Bandcamp page, substantial mileage from the Stourhead estate where Alfred’s Tower is situated. Perhaps it’s the connotations of Alfred being the founder of English liberty, as these four tracks they sent us have a Brit “mod” tinge, and mods are patriotic at best. I didn’t like to ask, through fear of coming across all history teacher, and I’m all out of leather elbow patches for my Tweed jacket. The important part is there’s some beguiling original songs on offer here, uplifting in a manner Paul Weller, at his most optimistic.
Parachute Baby is a prime example, it’s sauntering along on the sunny side of the street of a crazy world, where only the attention of the object of his desires matters to this character, and it’s got that apt harmonica riff to lighten the darkest of moods. Though, if it’s got it, Roy Orbison style, switching to the next tune, Nothing Good and we’re foot-tapping on an offbeat, bouncy one-drop reggae melody, which counteracts the more dejected romantic theme; I’m smitten.
Though we’re getting ahead of ourselves now, for these two tracks are forthcoming, the first one out around Christmas time and the latter in the new year, but their Bandcamp page has two other songs equally worthy of your attention. This World is their inaugural release, and while uplifting too, it’s tender and mellowed. With a soulful piano intro, it’s certainly anthemic, with an allowance to note the astute writing, and showy in Alfred’s Tower’s potential.
It is however in the amalgamation of all these tunes which displays their diversity, an EP is a necessity, I feel. The second released single, So Long, is soulful again, along similar lines to This World, but balancing a poignant electric blues element, akin to a meld of The Who at their smoothest and Pink Floyd does pop. And perhaps there’s a clue to the chosen name in this; it’s a tower of variety, influences wise, reaching for the skies in uplifting narratives, strengthened by some skilfully executed original designs. Catchy within a rock classic formula, oh yeah, if this is foundational, the construction of Alfred’s Tower is one to watch. Like ‘em up on Facebook for updates on said progress. We NEED to see them live!
Devizes-based chocolate engineer Holly Garner, 2023 Chocolate Champion for the Southwest, has launched her new chocolate classes for the first half of 2024…… From learning…
Tuesday before Christmas I’m in New Society. I gazed across to a table by the window, recalling an optimistic response from local Labour candidate Rachael…
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