 | Trail Debut Album 2010-02-18 Trail, a London five piece band are soon to release their debut album through independent label Twistid, and their new single City is soon to follow. With the debut being expected for the 22nd of Febuary, Trail have a wide array of influences from Bob Dylan to grunge to create an interesting and individual sound. Trail have managed to gain an extensive fabase, and managed to raise £20k to record their debut album, this attracting attention on a more wider scale. If you are fans of Editors, Biffy Clyro etc etc, be sure to check out Trail who are playing a wide range of dates, with more to be announced. 21 Feb- Tommy Flynns Camden- London 22 Feb- The Luminaire - London 26 Feb- The Met Lounge (14+) -Peterborough 3 March- The Zanzibar (16+)- Liverpool 4 March- Printworks- Manchester 5 March- Milo- Leeds 10 March- Tommy Flynns -London 25 March- Bar Music Hall -London 26 March -The Prince Albert- Brighton 31 March- The Central- Nottingham 22 April- Cross Kings- London 29 April- The Camden Rock -London RB | |
 | Straight Lines Debut Album | UK Tour 2010-02-18 After playing support slots with Kids In Glass Houses, The Automatic and Motorhead., 2010 seems a promising year for new comers Straight Lines. Playing gigs such as the SXSW Festival, Straight Lines are returning to the UK with a number of shows to promote their debut album ‘Persistence In This Game’ which was released on the 15th February through Xtra Mile Recordings, who is home to Frank Turner. Recorded in a shed studio, and including somes such as the infectious Loose Change and Set Me On Fire And Feed Me To The Wolves, Straight Lines are bound to take 2010 by storm. Catch them here at these dates: 17 Feb- Masque- Liverpool 18 Feb- Rock City- Nottingham 20 Feb- Cockpit- Leeds 22 Feb- Swansea Hall- Swansea 23 Feb- Enterprise- London 25 Feb- Twist- Colchester 27 Feb- Night N Day- Manchester 28 Feb- Fibbers- York 2 Mar- 12 Bar- Swindon 4 Mar- Cavern- Exeter 5 Mar- Princess Pavilion- Falmouth 6 Mar- Orange Box- Yeovil 7 Mar- Guild Hall- Gloucester 8 Mar- 02 Academy- Oxford 9 Mar- Arts Centre- Colchester 11 Mar- Roadmenders- Northampton 12 Mar- Sugarmill- Stoke 13 Mar- Adelphi- Hull 14 Mar- 02 Academy- Liverpool RB | |
 | Dan le Sac VS Scroobius Pip /// Spring Tour 2010-02-06 Two years on from their acclaimed debut Angles, Dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip announce a brand new UK tour and a new album for release in March 2010. The 13 date tour begins on 15th March and includes a headline show at London's Koko. Further details on the new album to follow in Mad Dog Magazine soon. Check the guys out in March: 14th SHEFFIELD Foundry/Fusion 15th CAMBRIDGE The Junction 16th NORWICH Waterfront 17th NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms 18th LEEDS Cockpit 19th LIVERPOOL O2 Academy 21st GLASGOW King Tuts 22nd MANCHESTER Club Academy 23rd LONDON Koko 25th PORTSMOUTH Wedgewood Rooms 26th BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy 2 27th BRISTOL O2 Academy 28th OXFORD O2 Academy 2 29th BRIGHTON Concorde 2 fb | |
 | /// THE BETRAYED /// LOSTPROPHETS /// INTERVIEW/// 2010-02-05 Lostprophets have finally graced back into our lives. After the anticipation and patient wait of three years, the Welsh lads are back with their fourth album: "The Betrayed". With their brand, new, spanking material sounding better than ever, and an exciting tour just around the corner; everyone's favourite Welsh band are well and truly back on the scene. Maddogs Kathryn had a chat with Lee from the band to discover what they've been up to, and why they've been away for so long! Your eagerly awaited fourth album took longer than expected due to a few false starts. Are you happy with the final outcome? Yes, very much so! Everything we had to do to get there, was worth it in the end. Much as it was a pain in the arse at times, its all good now. What sort of sound can fans expect to hear from The Betrayed Just like, pretty much typical Lostprophets really. I mean, there's all sorts on there. Ther's some heavy songs, there's some more big, like..anthemic songs. There's also like, some unexpected surprises on there. Some more British sounding stuff and some slow paced, chilled out stuff aswell. A bit of everything. Did you enjoy making it Yeah, it was a lot of fun eventually. Like, what we realised is that we could do it ourselves. That's when it becomes fun. Your fellow band member Stuart ended up producing the album, how was it working with him as both a bandmate and a producer? It was like going back to the old days really. 'Cause, before Stuart joined the band he produced our early demos. It worked out fine, like good old days! Bless him. He knows us better than anybody, we work together well. There was no pressure. No stress. Since Liberation Transmission, have you had chance to have a break at all? What did you get up to? We did, but I don't think it was long enough. I think that's why things started to go tits up as we started to go back to work. It was all too soon and quick. We just chilled out, had a holiday and all the rest. Then we started on the new album in Feb. 07 which has taken until now to finish, it's a long time. Having not toured since the last album in 2007, how was it playing Reading and Leeds Festival last August? We did some live shows in 2008 actually; we did an Asian tour and that. It's always a bit weird when you've been away for a while; it was strange but good fun. It was a good show. To be back in one of the tents we started at like five years ago (NME/Radio One stage). Yes, it was a good time. Have you got any plans to play any of the festivals this summer? Nothing yet, they should all start coming in soon next month, as they all get booked up early. We're open to any offers at the moment. What would you say would be your dream festival to perform at as a band? I think we've done 'em all really! To do them again would be a pleasure. It'd be awesome to headline Reading too. But yeah, we've played 'em all.. It's just been announced you're to play a gig at your old school. How did this come about? It was some sort of scheme they are doing back in the valleys, they approached us. It's an awesome opportunity. It's the school we all went to. My music teacher told me I would end up in prison! So it's a nice full circle for me as well, so hopefully he will still be there. I am sure there'll be some old ones (teachers) that will be still lurking in the background; it will be interesting to see who is still there. Will it be weird playing at the place where you used to learn? Yes, very surreal. It will be strange to go in there; I haven't been there since I walked out on my last day, so it will be very strange. What are your music tips for 2010? That's a good question. Kids In Glass Houses album should be goo,, that's out soon. I don't know who else. It was a pretty dry year for good music last year, so hopefully there will be something good, some nice surprises this year. Are Kids In Glass Houses supporting you on your new tour this coming February? Yes they are the main support for the tour, so that should be awesome! Do you all tend to hang out after? Yes, definitely. We know those boys really well so it will be good. We always try to take someone on tour that we really know, like our friends or something. As they are a good band it makes it even better! FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW, READ THE FEBRUARY ISSUE OF MAD DOG MAGAZINE Words : Kathryn Lewsey | |
 | The BirdCage Norwich presents BLITZ! 2010-02-04 The air raid has been sounded and the best thing is it to bunker down in the Birdcage for a night of 1930s/4's inspired fun! Expect: Live music from a bona fide german drinking band, a jazz crooner by the name of Natalie Monroe, the ever loved The Ferries, and burlesque from red-headed temptress Ginger Snaps. Some good ol' sing along songs by DJ78... ...and a whole lot more fun to boot! Correct attire is mandatory for this one folks, so boys, dust off your spats, and girls get your hair in curlers now! This one, will be a hoot! 10th of February - BLITZ - 2pounds for more info, go here: BLITZ! MYSPACE fb | |
 | classic clothing brand FENCHURCH turns 10 years old. 2010-02-03 Fenchurch is the grand old age of 10, and to celebrate they've created the collection of the decade! Using a palette of muted pastels alongside pop-out brights the range combines the confidence of a decade's service alongside the inspiration of a new era dawning. The result is an innovative collection, fresh but consistent with the age-old Fenchurch style, born in London - at home or anywhere. Fenchurch has continued its successful relationship with DJ's and artists as well as other key fashion ambassadors including Rusko, Just Jack, Krafty Kuts, the Next Men and Speech Debelle. In honour of the 10 years of Fenchurch, and just in for this season are these amazing new line of headphones... guaranteed to get you rocking to the sound of Fenchurch SS10 for more info, visit: FENCHURCH ONLINE franc | |
 | Florence And The Machine-Cosmic Love Tour 2010-01-27 2009 was the year of Florence, taking over our summer festivals with simply breath stopping performances and ruling our dancefloors with her cover of the classic You Got The Love. Florence has sold over 70,000 copies of her debut album Lungs, and has three Brits nominations including best female, best album and best breakthrough artist under her sparkly belt. Florence is set to take on a massive Cosmic Love tour this coming May, and tickets go on sale today. Catch her at these U.K dates. MAY 2010: 2nd Olympia Theatre Dublin 3rd Olympia Theatre Dublin 5th Corn Exchange Edinburgh 6th Corn Exchange Edinburgh 7th Empress Ballroom Blackpool 9th Empress Ballroom Blackpool 10th Civic Theatre Wolverhampton 11th Civic Theatre Wolverhampton 13th HMV Hammersmith Apollo London 14th HMV Hammersmith Apollo London 15th HMV Hammersmith Apollo London Buy Florence Here!! RB | |
 | BareFeet Records Norwich | February dates 2010-01-25 Norwichs' finest barefeet records are very pleased to announce a host of live tasty treats for everyone in the area for the fine month of february. So, warm your cockles, dont the scarves and gloves, and go get heated on a stupendous selection of live bands, for a credit-crunching, student-friendly price.... 1st February at The Bicycle Shop: * Slowbear the Great * * Girl in a Thunderbolt * * Michael Bailey * * Lucy Day * and * Milly Hirst * all topped off with a large dose of late-night djs. all for Two Measly Pounds. 10th February at The Birdcage * 1930s Burlesque and Dancing * * German Drinking Band * * Plus DJs * blitz night - please dress accordingly all for Two Measly Pounds 26th February at Jurnets Bar * Jess Morgan * * Grenouilles * * Characters From Books * * The Azores High * * Sim McGhee * all for One Measly Pound all shows start at 8pm for more info, visit : Bare Feet Myspace fb | |
 | Fingertips.net a new one-stop site for news 2010-01-21 Fingertips.net is a new news site with a twist, It grabs news from all over the net and pools it into one site. There you can customise the news feeds to your needs and interests. Offering a conventional format allied to a wealth of choice, Fingertips intends to deliver each user with an intuitive and fresh service, independent of political or commercial factors. Once provided with the information they want from the sources they choose, Fingertips then connects users to networks of News Buddies with shared passions and interests. Check out www.fingertips.net | |
 | I Blame Coco | New Single Featuring Robyn 2010-01-20 What would you expect from the daughter of Sting Coco Sumner? Apart from having one of the coolest dress senses of today, I Blame Coco is her musical alter ego. Although demos of her work have been roaming around for a while now, and Pete Doherty has been calling her praises, bringing her on board as support for his solo shows, Coco is just coming into the limelight. Her music, when stripped bare holds mass reggae influence, and contain the thoughtful and sometimes heartbreaking lyrics to match. But, exciting things are afoot, now with a fully produced first single caesar, featuring the vocals of Robyn, Coco is sure to become a massive star for 2010. RB | |
 | The Drums | Shockwaves NME Tour 2010-01-20 Hailed as one of the bands of this new year, and after an extremely successful Summertime! EP, released through the label as indie heroes Florence and The Machine and Friendly Fires, including song I Wanna Go Surfing, The Drums have big things to come. Now confirmed for the opening act for the ever famous Shockwaves NME Tour this coming February, The Drums are no strangers to highly anticipated tours. After playing many packed out shows in the UK late last year, the band are soon going on tour with The Big Pink and The Maccabees, two vital bands of 2009. The Drums include: Jonathan Pierce, Vocals Jacob Graham, Guitar Adam Kessler, Guitar Connor Hanwick, Drums The tour is as follows: 4th February Newcastle- O2 Academy 5th February Glasgow -Barrowlands 6th February Manchester- Academy 7th February Leeds- O2 Academy 9th February Nottingham- Rock City 10th February Norwich- UEA 11th February Birmingham- O2 Academy 13th February Cardiff- University 14th February Bristol- O2 Academy 15th February Brighton- Dome 16th February Bournemouth- O2 Academy 18th February Portsmouth- Pyramid / Portsmouth Guildhall 19th February Cambridge- Corn Exchange 20th February Brixton- O2 Academy RB | |
 | Fun Lovin Criminals| New Album| New Tour 2010-01-20 After being off the radar for a long 5 years, Fun Lovin Criminals return with a new album and a new tour to celebrate it. Classic Fantastic, which will be released on the 1st of March featuring collaborations with Roots Manuva and Paul Kaye. Tracklisting: 1. Mars 2. Classic Fantastic 3. The Originals 4. She Sings At The Sun 5. Keep On Yellin (featuring Roots Manuva) 6. Jimi Choo 7. El Malo 8. Conversations With Our Attorney (featuring Paul Kaye) 9. We, The Three 10. How Low? 11. Mister Sun 12. Rewind 13. Get Your Coat Catch the new album live here at these U.K dates. 6th March - Manchester - O2 Academy 7th March - Leeds - O2 Academy Mon 8th March - Glasgow - O2 ABC 9th March - Newcastle - O2 Academy 11th March - Bristol - O2 Academy 12th March - Oxford - O2 Academy 14th March - Leamington - Assembly 15th March - Nottingham - Rock City 16th March - London - Koko RB | |
 | Norwich Arts Centre outdoes itself once again.... lets shake our rumps with the Jigsaw House 2009-12-18 Always one to promote the best bands in the region, Mad Dogs favourite venue, Norwich Arts Centre is keeping the festive cheer rolling right into the new year with a folk-tastic feast for your eyes and ears. Our friends at Jigsaw House are presenting an explosion of goodness in the form of three great bands on the 15th of January. Alex Sheppard www.myspace.com/alexsheppard Adelaides Cape www.myspace.com/adelaidescape and... Stars of Sunday League www.myspace.com/starsofsundayleague will all be gracing the stage, so make sure you save your xmas pennies for the night. Entry is a measly Fiver, and you can get them HERE. doors open at 7.30pm. for more info, visit: Norwich Arts Centre Website franc botha | |
 | Sunshine Underground: Tour Tour Tour! 2009-12-17 After hearing that their latest Norwich gig was cancelled, we Mad Doggers were left feeling slightly heartbroken, but! Good news is on the horizon, with the release of new album early next year, the band have also announced a Febuary tour. Result! We can even announce the full tracklisting for the album which was produced by the band and Barny (Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian). The new album is to be called Nobody Is Coming To Save You, and the songs are as followed. 1. Coming To Save You 2. Spell It Out 3. Weve Always Been Your Friends 4. In Your Arms 5. A Warning Sign 6. Change Your Mind 7. Any Minute Now 8. Here It Comes 9. One By One 10. The Messiah And better, here are the Febuary dates. FEBRUARY 1st Sunderland The Independent 2nd Newcastle Academy 2 3rd Glasgow ABC 5th Manchester Ritz 6th Liverpooll Academy 2 8th Preston 53 Degrees 9th Sheffield Plug 10th Stoke Sugarmill 12th Derby Rock House 13th Coventry Kasbah 14th Norwich Waterfront 16th Southampton University 17th Brighton Digital 18th London Koko 19th Leeds Academy www.myspace.com/thesunshineunderground RB | |
 | Danny & The Champions Of The World: New Album : New Tour 2009-12-16 With influences such as The Muppets, camping and car boot sale EP's who could resist the charming sounds of Danny & The Champions Of The World. Supporting alt. folk sensation Fionn Regan early 2010, and releasing new album Streets Of Our Time, there is no other perfect time to get groovy with this gang of beardy hipsters. Recorded at Hill Farm Studios, this is Danny George Wilsons ninth album, being Danny & The Champions second. Catch the heros at these U.K dates next year. FEBRUARY 2010 13th Glasgow King Tuts 14th York Fibbers 16th Leeds Brudenell Social Club 17th Manchester Academy 3 18th Bristo Thekla 19th Exeter Cavern 20th Bath Moles 22nd Portsmouth Wedgwood Rooms 23rd Brighton Komedia 24th London ULU 25th Norwich Arts Centre 26th Oxford Jericho Tavern 28th Canterbury The Farmhouse MARCH 1st Nottingham Bodega 2nd Birmingham The Rainbow 6th Limerick Dolans 7th Cork School Of Music 10th Derry Nerve Centre 11th Belfast The Empire 12th Galway Roisin Dubh 13th Dublin Vicar Street 14th Newbridge Riverbank Theatre www.myspace.com/dannyandthechampionsoftheworld1 RB | |
 | Egyptian Hip Hop announce new tour with Is Tropical 2009-12-16 Hailed as one of the new sounds to capture the minds of 2010, with enough retro electro beats to ruffle your christmas joy to, these bands are sure to get you dancing in the early new year. Not only are they playing a number of dates next year BUT to the first 20 gig goers to grace the venues doors will be lucky enough to get their hands on an exclusive limited tour cd. With a number of rare tracks from the bands and a fold out poster of the tour, what fool would say no to this cheeky offer! So get your hawaiian shirts ready and do not miss this tour the future of the british music scene. Thurs 28th Jan - Start The Bus Bristol Fri 29th Jan - Bungalow & Bears Sheffield Fri 29th Jan - Soundcontrol Manchester Sat 30th Jan - Stealth Vs Rescued Nottingham Thurs 4th Feb - Stag's Head London Fri 5th Feb - Kraak Gallery Manchester Sat 6th Feb - A Nation Of Shopkeepers Leeds Sun 7th Feb - Captains Rest Glasgow Mon 8th Feb - Mojo Liverpool Fri 19th Feb - Bungalow & Bear Sheffield Sat 20th Feb - Evol @ Korova Liverpool egyptian hip hop website Is Tropical Official RB | |
 | Tiffany Page: Noisettes Support Tour 2009-12-16 Supporting The Noisettes next year new pop sensation Tiffany Page is set to rock your socks off. Everyone loves girls who play guitars and Miss Page is no exception, with a alternative country sound its no doubt that we will be hearing lots of this lady in 2010. Tiffany is supporting The Noisettes at these dates. Thursday 18th Feb Aberdeen Music Hall Friday 19th Feb Edinburgh Picture House Saturday 20th Feb Sheffield Academy Monday 22nd Feb Nottingham Rock City Tuesday 23rd Feb Cambridge Corn Exchange Wednesday 24th Feb Bournemouth Opera House Friday 26th Feb Brighton Dome Sat 27th Feb London Roundhouse Sun 28th Feb London Roundhouse Tuesday 2nd March Manchester Academy Wed 3rd March Newcastle Academy Thu 4th March Liverpool Academy Fri 5th March Bristol Academy For a free download check out Tiffanys Myspace www.myspace.com/tiffanypage RB | |
 | Lost Prophets: New Album and Febuary Tour 2009-12-16 Everyones favourite Welsh rock stars are back, and the latest on the hair straightening radar is that they are soon to release new album The Betrayed alongside a new set of Febuary shows across the country. After headlining the BBC Radio One/ NME Stage this summer at the famous Reading and Leeds Festival, Lost Prophets have gone from strength to strength, and have generated mass excitement with the release of their 4th studio album to date on the 18th of January next year. Recorded in Los Angeles, saw The Betrayed being the trickiest album the band have made, with bassist Stuart Richardson taking on production and mixing duties resulting in the bands most risky and ambitious record. After being teased with the infectious Its Not The End Of The World, new single Where We Belong is released on the 4th January just before The Betrayed. So get ready for some rocking welsh action, and embrace the prophets of all things rock and cool hairstyles. Lost Prophets will be playing these venues next year. 4 Feb - De Montfort Hall-Leicester 6 Feb -City Hall-Hull 7 Feb -Rock City - Nottingham 9 Feb -Margate Winter Gardens-Margate 10 Feb-Guildhall-Portsmouth 11 Feb -o2 Academy Brixton-London 13 Feb -53 Degrees-Preston 14 Feb -o2 Academy-Leeds 15 Feb -Corn Exchange-Cambridge 17 Feb-o2 Academy-Birmingham 21 Feb-Westland Leisure Complex-Yeovil 22 Feb-U.E.A.-Norwich 23 Feb -o2 Academy-Newcastle 25 Feb- Apollo-Manchester 26 Feb -Guildhall -Southampton 28 Feb -o2 Academy-Bristol 1 Mar -Afan Lido Leisure Centre-Port Talbot www.lostprophets.com www.myspace.com/lostprophets RB | |
 | Grace Solero: New Moon Debut Release 2009-12-16 Spiriting the energy of a female Jeff Buckley, out now is the enchanting and powerful sound of alternative sensation Grace Solero. Growing up off the west coast of Italy, and studying at the Academy of Drama in Rome, Grace has always lead a creative lifestyle, and soon moved to England to form her band and put her creativity into music. There she met Californian guitarist Dan Beaulaurier, and from there their musical partnership grew. Soon attracting attention in the underground London music scene, Grace has captured the minds of a large following of fans, and is soon spreading throughout the U.K with regular airplay on the BBC 6Music Rock Show. Sporting a number of influences her debut, New Moon (not to be confused with the dishy Robert Pattinson and some beefy werewolves) is an album filled with depth and timeless songs. Packed with insightful lyrical work, and enough sexy guitar to bake a cake on, Grace is the diva rock music has been calling for years. New Moon was released on 26th October. grace solero myspace RB | |
 | P . A . R . T . Y ?? because we wanna 2009-12-08 yes yes mad dawgs, once again, our friends in the fair city of Norwich are to host the pre-Xmas party of all pre-Xmas parties this Thursday at The Rumsey Wells. check it out, yo! CHRISTMAS PARTY LIKE NO OTHER Thursday 10th December Ustairs at The Rumsey Wells LIVE BAND + DJ FIZZY + 16mm and 1960s B Movie VISUALS + FESTIVE TIPPLES + REALLY AWFUL CHEESY DECS 8pm FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE ENTRY The Rumsey Wells 4 St. Andrews St Norwich Norfolk NR2 4AF Come and have a jolly dance to the latin tinged blues/world music of Azuloco fb | |
 | Bombay Bicycle Club announce December headline tour. 2009-11-25 London based fourpiece Bombay Bicycle Club own December headline tour is now on sale, plus later this month appearing at Xfms Winter Wonderland at Brixton Academy. Check out the full list of dates: 10 Dec: Academy 2 Liverpool 11 Dec: Academy 2 Birmingham 13 Dec: Academy 2 Newcastle 14 Dec: Oran Mor Glasgow 15 Dec: Crypt Hastings 16 Dec: Winter Wonderland London 17 Dec: Academy 2 Bristol 18 Dec: Koko London Bombay Bicycle Club re-release live favourite Always Like This on November 23rd through Island Records. Debut album I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose is out now. for more info, visit: BOMBAY BICYCLE MYSPACE To read the bands full interview go here: Bombay VS Rhian rb | |
 | Music Go Music announce new releases 2009-11-25 Hyped to the eye-balls over the last few months,(and rightly so) Californian musos Music Go Music release highly anticipated new single Just Me on Mercury/Secretly Canadian on December 7th, 2009. "...Music Go Music make pop music, in every sense: Chinn 'n Chapman-esque swathes of pitch perfect pop, ELO-like flights of musical fantasy, the theatrics of prime-period Meatloaf, and the tragic wistfulness of The Carpenters all played out in a world of tragic redemption... And in just over four minutes Just Me captures the essence of Music Go Music perfectly:perfect indie melodies produced by Stockholm hit-factories set to a Spector beat. You can watch the Video here: JUST ME VIDEO Their debut album, Expressions, will be released in early 2010. for any more info, visit: MUSIC GO MUSIC fb | |
 | indie-folksters MUMFORD AND SONS announce special Winter Fair performance 2009-11-25 Previous Mad Dog interviewees Mumford and Sons are very pleased to announce details of an exclusive outdoor Winter Fair gig in London. The British folk rockers will play St. Martin In The Fields, Trafalgar Square, London 2nd December for a unique festive performance. Tickets are 15 pounds, available exclusively through the bands website: MUMFORD OFFICIAL The band also release their new single, Winter Winds, on the 7th December through Gentlemen of the Road/Island Records. They then head off for a unique tour of India throughout December. Also, keep your eyes peeled for a full length interview with the guys in the next issue of Mad Dog Magazine, due out 12 December. fb | |
 | EXAMPLE plans MASSIVE tour in support of Lily Allen and Tinchy Stryder. 2009-11-14 Born 20 June 1982 at West London hospital in Hammersmith, and having entered his first "rap battle" at a house party in Shepherds Bush at the age of 15, Elliot John Gleave, AKA Example, has been surfing the crest of the UK charts for a good few years now, most notably with the recently smash The Credit Munch Mixtape. Examples' live shows are known for bringing down the roof and a '...crazy, houseparty-style frenzy...', so make sure you check him out on one of these end-of-year dates with Lily Allen: November 09 16 Academy Sheffield 17 Apollo Manchester 18 Apollo Manchester 20 BIC Bournemouth 21 Pavilion Plymouth 22 Oasis Swindon 24 NIA Birmingham 25 SECC Glasgow 27 Brixton Academy London 27 MAYHEM NIGHTCLUB Southend 28 Brixton Academy London 28 Essex Uni Colchester December 3 Tantra And Panache Bristol 5 Malibu Mish Mash London 8 O2 Dublin 9 Arena Liverpool 10 Arena Nottingham 11 Arena Cardiff 13 Brighton Centre Brighton 15 Brixton Academy London 17 Brixton Academy London 31 CLUB NME NYE BALL | KOKO London 2010 February Supporting Tinchy Stryder 4 Cliffs Pavilion Southend 5 UEA Norwich 6 Academy Sheffield 7 Academy Glasgow 9 Academy Newcastle 10 Academy Leeds 11 Academy Manchester 12 Academy Liverpool 14 Academy Birmingham 15 Regent Ipswich 16 Corn Exchange Cambridge 18 Roundhouse London 19 Westlands Yeovil 20 Opera House Bournemouth 21 Academy Bristol for tickets, and more info, go to: EXAMPLE MYSPACE fb | |
 | Lady GaGa announces huge UK arena dates: here comes the MONSTERS BALL. 2009-11-13 The master of all things in the pop industry, Lady GaGa has announced her biggest U.K shows ever, playing some of the largest venues in the country early next year. This lady of lycra, and wierd and wonderful costumes is going to be playing the pop shows of the decade. Do not miss your chance to see Lady GaGa at these dates coming soon. 18 February Manchester MEN Arena 24 February Liverpool Arena 26 February London O2 1 March Glasgow SECC 3 March Cardiff CIA 4 March Newcastle Arena 5 March Birmingham LG 7 March Sheffield Arena 8 March Nottingham Arena www.myspace.com/ladygaga www.ladygaga.co.uk Rhian Brighton | |
 | White Lies U.K Tour 2009-11-13 After a summer of playing some of the biggest and best known festivals around White Lies have gone from strength to strength with their dark indie tunes and styles. Now playing a host of sold out shows across the U.K, we can only expect more great things to come from this great band. Catch White Lies here. 18 Nov Bournemouth Academy Bournemouth 19 Nov Brixton Academy London 20 Nov Brixton Academy London 22 Nov Leeds Academy Leeds 23 Nov UEA Norwich 24 Nov Sheffield Academy Sheffield 25 Nov Rock City Nottingham 27 Nov Apollo Manchester 28 Nov Glasgow Academy Glasgow 29 Nov Newcastle Academy Newcastle 1 Dec Guildhall Portsmouth 2 Dec Bristol Academy Bristol 4 Dec Cardiff University Cardiff 5 Dec Birmingham Academy Birmingham 8 Dec Mandela Hall Belfast 9 Dec The Academy Dublin 10 Dec Opera House Cork 31 Dec BANGERS AND MASH NEW YEARS PARTY AT THE GARAGE London www.myspace.com/whitelies www.whitelies.com Rhian Brighton | |
 | La Roux U.K Tour 2009-11-13 The Queen of all things electo, pop and sheer brilliant tunes is now on tour around various venues and dates in the UK. With a massive hairstyle and even bigger anthems, this lady is not to be missed as she's sure to become music royalty soon. Also playing dates earlier next year, you can catch her here: 13 Nov University Leeds 14 Nov University Newcastle 16 Nov ABC Glasgow 17 Nov Rock City Nottingham 18 Nov O2 Academy Birmingham 20 Nov O2 Academy Bristol 21 Nov Warehouse Project Manchester 22 Nov UEA Norwich 24 Nov Guildhall Southampton 25 Nov Shepherd's Bush Empire London 26 Nov Shepherd's Bush Empire London 2010 Dates 26 Apr Hexagon Reading 28 Apr Dome Brighton 29 Apr Corn Exchange Cambridge 30 Apr O2 Academy Bournemouth 2 May O2 Academy Glasgow 3 May O2 Academy Sheffield 4 May Academy Manchester 6 May University Cardiff 7 May O2 Brixton Academy London www.myspace.com/larouxuk www.laroux.co.uk Rhian Brighton | |
 | Reverend And The Makers Support Kasabian On Arena Tour 2009-11-13 What do you get when you cross two great bands and a massive stage? You get a gig to remember, filled with anthems and attitude. The U.K's biggest band Kasabian, sporting new hairstyles are about to hit the road with their largest shows ever, and even better the outspoken and brilliant Reverend And The Makers are hitting the road to warm up the eager audiences with their unforgettable songs. Catch them here at these arena shows. 14th November LONDON, Wembley Arena 15th November LONDON, Wembley Arena 16th November LIVERPOOL, Echo Arena 18th November NOTTINGHAM, Trent FM Arena 19th November BIRMINGHAM, NIA 20th November MANCHESTER, MEN Arena 22nd November CARDIFF, International Arena 23rd November SHEFFIELD, Arena 5th December LEICESTERSHIRE, Louborough Uni 31st December LONDON, KoKo www.myspace.com/reverendmusic Rhian Brighton | |
 | Hot Chip announce UK tour for February 2010 2009-11-06 In a message posted on the dance posses website, the quintet of Alexis Taylor, Joe Goddard, Al Doyle, Felix Martin and Owen Clarke also revealed that they are putting the finishing touches to their fourth studio album. The album is available to preorder with tour tickets from today on the bands official website: www.hotchip.co.uk The tour dates in full are as follows: February 12th - Glasgow O2 Academy 13th – Edinburgh Picture House 15th – Nottingham Rock City 16th – Leeds O2 Academy 18th – Newcastle O2 Academy 19th – Manchester Academy 20th – Birmingham O2 Academy 22nd – Bournemouth O2 Academy 23rd – Bristol O2 Academy 24th – Norwich UEA 26th – London O2 Brixton Academy 27th - London O2 Brixton Academy fb | |
 | JACK SPARROW TAKES BABYBIRD UNDER HIS WING 2009-11-03 Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp is in talks to play an exclusive gig with his favourite British band this month. A scruffy Johnny has been spotted directing a new music video for Babybird, whose biggest hit was You're Gorgeous back in 1996. Babybird have said that the Pirates of the Caribbean star has helped hook singer Stephen Jones up with his music producer friends and has been instrumental in getting the album off the ground. A spokesperson for the group said: "...Grammy nominated producers Bruce Witkin and Ryan Dorn were introduced to Jones by long time fan Johnny Depp, who also makes a cameo appearance on the new recording..." Johnny has been involved in many previous music projects famously playing slide guitar on Oasis' track Fade In Out on their Be Here Now album back in '97, and with The Pogues singer, Shane McGowan, on his first solo album The Snake. The band's come back gig is rumoured to be in Londons Hoxton Bar and Kitchen on November 12th. Babybird were dropped from their record label, Echo, in 2000 causing the band to split. Their fifth album, Ex Maniac, is due for release in 2010. BW | |
 | Lisa Mitchell | debut album WONDER 2009-11-01 19 year old Australian singer songwriter Lisa Mitchell released her debut album Wonder on 26th October. Earlier this year, Lisa released her debut single Neopolitan Dreams, a track which was also widely known as featuring on the Surf washing powder advert. It has become an internet phenomenon having already received 1.7millon plays on Myspace, 800,000 plays on Youtube and selling over 20,000 copies in the UK alone. The track also received healthy radio support from Jo Whiley on Radio 1, Dermot O'Leary on Radio 2 and Jon Kennedy on XFM. Coin Laundry, the follow up single to Neopolitan Dreams, is a quirky and unique sounding single with gorgeous, endearing vocals that you cannot get out of your head. It sounds like what the result would be of collaboration between Bat For Lashes and Regina Spektor with production by M.I.A. It is a track that most definitely leaves you only wanting to hear more of the rare, exciting talent that is Lisa Mitchell. Born in England to a Scottish father, Lisa moved to Australia at three years old and made it her home. She grew up in something of a musical timewarp, grateful to her father for raising her on Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Van Morrison, all the while finding obsessions of her own, like Bright Eyes or The Killers. She recently performed packed out headline London shows, along with appearing at Glastonbury and Hard Rock Calling, and is currently touring the UK in support of her debut album, Wonder November 2009 07 Nov Birmingham Academy 3 08 Nov Leeds Brudanell Social Club 10 Nov Glasgow Brel 11 Nov Manchester Night & Day 12 Nov Portsmouth Eastney Cellars 13 Nov Bristol Louisiana 15 Nov Cambridge Portland for more info, visit: Lisa Mitchell Myspace fb | |
 | It's Christmas and Santa's Elves have got crafty! CLUTTER CITY MARKET 2009-11-01 Clutter City Market, Norwichs favourite alternative fair is returning imminently,some down for a twinkly, festive market with stalls, live music, warm, spicy cider and take-out food. A unique Christmas shopping experience with over 30 stall holders, live music, festive visuals, face painting and hula hooping all under one roof! With regulars and new faces too, the market will feature unique items including clothes, jewellery, badges, sewn items, paper goods, prints, paintings, comics, vintage accessories and more! Look out for the ever so talented Gemma Correll www.gemmacorrell.com Midnighttosix www.midnighttosix.etsy.com Pinkworks www.pinkworks.co.uk Flaming Melon www.flamingmelons.co.uk Custom Made www.custommadeuk.com Theres also a craft-tastic charity Christmas Lucky Dip at the entrance and live music from Follow Your Heart, Sam James Hill and DJs (wiQwar). Get down and support your local crafters and musicians! CLUTTER CITY MARKET Christmas Spectacular! Norwich Arts Centre Saturday 28 November 10am - 4pm FREE ENTRY franc botha | |
 | Los Campesinos! | These Are Listed Buildings ... and Kim | 2009-10-21 Mighty Cardiff indie-popstrels Los Campesinos! have unveiled the signing of Kim Campesinos as the newest member of the twee-core pop/rock band. The grand unveiling of the new player took place at Cardiff's LC! Stadium, and can be seen in full on the bands blog at: www.loscampesinos.com Kim will be making her Los Campesinos! live debut on the bands forthcoming UK tour, so be sure to check em out: OCTOBER 21 : Coventry Kasbah 22 : Southampton Joiners Arms 23 : Exeter Phoenix 24 : Cardiff The Gate (SWN Festival) 26 : Manchester Deaf Institute 27 : Newcastle University 28 : London Garage (SOLD OUT) 29 : Oxford Zodiac 30 : Leeds Cockpit 31 : Glasgow King Tuts Los Camps! are also pleased to announce the release of the first single from their forthcoming album - scheduled for early 2010 release. The new single There Are Listed Buildings will be released on one-sided 7 heavy vinyl and will initially be on sale exclusively on the October tour, before becoming available in limited quantities in stores afterwards. The artwork for the new single can also be viewed at the bands blog. www.loscampesinos.com franc | |
 | Manu Chao | Live CD/DVD Baionarena out 26th October 2009-10-21 Manu Chao and Radio Bemba will release Baionarena through Because Music on 26th October. The two CD/DVD set features recordings from the last night of his 2008 tour at the famous Roman ampitheatre in Bayonne. The two CDs contain many of Manus hits, including Clandestino, Tombola, Rainin In Paradize, Mala Vida as well as L'Hiver Est La, taken from the limited edition book and CD Siberie m'etait contee. The DVD features the show in its entirety as well as bonus material, including all the videos from 'La Radiolina' and a documentary entitled Carnet de Voyage, which documents some of the highlights from his world tour. Baionarena will be released in both standard and limited edition formats. Baionarena perfectly captures the spirit and success of Manu's songwriting over the last 15 years. His latest album La Radiolina, which has now sold almost a million copies worldwide, earnt Manu a Grammy nomination and took him and his band, Radio Bemba, on a two year world tour. During that time, Manu performed in front of three million people, sold out three shows at Brixton Academy (in a matter of hours), appeared below Jayz and Amy Winehouse at Glastonbury and headlined more than one hundred festivals from Russia to San Francisco....... for any more info on the release, or Manu, visit: www.myspace.com/manuchao fb | |
 | ROYKSOPP | MINI UK TOUR | NEW SINGLE 2009-10-21 Royksopp, aka Svein Berge & Torbjorn Brundtland, release their brand new single This Must Be It through Wall of Sound on October 26th 2009. This Must Be It is the latest single to be lifted from Royksopps highly acclaimed Junior album. This Must Be It comes complete with brand new mixes from the likes of Thin White Duke (Stuart Price), Apparat, Danton Eeprom, Florian Meindl, LehtMoJoe, Maxime Dangles, Moguai, Pete Herbert, Rex the Dog and The Bloody Sisters (TBS). Röyksopp arrive back in the UK to headline the following dates: Thursday 5/11 – LONDON - 02 Shepherds Bush Empire Wednesday 4/11 – LEEDS - Uni Stylus Tickets can be bought from: www.royksopp.com/tickets fb | |
 | Alice in Chains interview in next month's Maddog 2009-10-20 Following the release of latest album Black Gives Way To Blue, rock juggernauts Alice in Chains took some time out to speak to Maddog's Alec Plowman... pick up next month's magazine to check out the interview! | |
 | Rizla Invisible Players Tour lands in London 2009-10-19 The Rizla Invisible Players tour, currently in its third year, heads to London following a successful conquering of numerous music festivals across the country. The tour lands at Cargo, on Rivington Street in the east end on Friday 23rd October. With a mini-festival of a line up that will celebrate and showcase all that's great about the UK electronic music scene taking a five hour trip though hip hop, house, disco, jungle, dubstep and garage along the way. UK based jungle Producer and DJ Remarc has been plying his trade for years, his tracks appearing on over 111 releases worldwide. Remarc is widely proclaimed to be king of the Amen and a pioneer of ragga jungle due to his chopped up tracks for legendary labels such as Dollar, White House, Kemet, Labbello Blanco and Suburban Base. Hot City is much talked about London based Producer/ DJ who takes his influences from UK garage and hardcore but with a clear nod towards the ingrained influence of US house. Duke Dumont is one of the biggest and most talked about new names to emerge over the last few years, playing his own blend of upfront electronic music taking in house, techno and dubstep. A true DJ and production talent. Dels (Live) is a forward thinking Hip Hop act, most known for his great tunes and live show. He is currently in the studio working on an album with Joe Goddard from Hot Chip, and the album will feature the likes of Drums of Death and Kwes. The 2 Bears is a mysterious a new collaboration and remix project with one half an infamous London party DJ and the other a member of one of the country's hottest bands. They will play everything from R n B, disco, house and jungle and maybe even an exclusive PA of their first two releases. Rizla Invisible Players Present: Remarc Hot City Duke Dumont Dels (live) Two Bears Cargo, 83 Rivington Street, Shoreditch, London Friday 23rd October Doors 7pm Tickets: Free, arrive early to avoid disappointment www.cargo-london.com fb | |
 | Codeine Velvet Club | Fratellis frontman side project | UK tour 2009-10-19 Codeine Velvet Club, a new musical collaboration featuring Jon Lawler (lead singer and chief songwriter of The Fratellis) and singer/songwriter Lou Hickey, that celebrates their shared love of '60s girl/boy duets, dramatic orchestral pop, and dark post-war Hollywood and Las Vegas romanticism. Since their fantastically well reviewed debut headline shows in Glasgow at the Classic Grand and at London's Bush Hall, Codeine Velvet Club are heading out on a full UK tour throughout November and December to coincide with their releases. November 18 Manchester, Ruby Lounge 19 Nottingham, Rescue Rooms 20 Leeds, Cockpit 22 Bristol, Thekla 23 Brighton, Hanbury Ballroom 25 London, 100 Club 26 Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms 28 Glasgow, SECC Homecoming Festival 29 Dundee, Doghouse 30 Aberdeen, Warehouse December 02 Inverness, Ironworks 03 Newcastle, Academy 06 Sheffield, Steel Stage 07 Birmingham, Glee Club 08 Glasgow, TBA 09 Glasgow, TBA for more info, or details on forthcoming releases, visit: www.codeinevelvetclub.com fb | |
 | Just Jack | UK tour | tickets available 2009-10-19 Whats that in your eyes? Yes, its stars, and they've come from one man only Just Jack . Playing to a number of venues this winter, showcasing new singles Embers and emotional The Day I Died, coming from new album All Night Cinema, produced by the man Jack himself. Catch him here at these 12 UK dates... November Tue 3rd NEWCASTLE, O2 Academy Wed 4th LEEDS, O2 Academy Thu 5th MANCHESTER, Academy 2 Fri 6th GLASGOW, Arches Sun 8th BRIGHTON, Concorde 2 Mon 9th LONDON, Shepherd’s Bush empire Tue 10th NOTTINGHAM, Rock City Wed 11th BIRMINGHAM, Academy 2 Fri 13th CAMBRIDGE, Junction Sun 15th BOURNEMOUTH, Academy Mon 16th NORWICH, Waterfront Tue 17th BRISTOL, Academy fo any mor info, or tickets, visit: http://www.justjack.co.uk or www.myspace.com/justjackuk Rhian Brighton | |
 | Frank Turner - October 'Poetry Of The Deed Tour' 2009-10-16 The king of all things punk turned into folk, Frank Turner is back! Playing a number of sold out shows this October, showcasing new album Poetry Of The Deed be sure to catch this man while you can. With live performances always full of love, laughter and stories of yesterday , this tour is not to be missed! 16th Manchester - Sold Out 17th Newcastle - Sold Out 18th Nottingham Rock City 19th Wolverhampton Wulfrum 20th Oxford - Sold Out 22nd Leeds - Sold Out 23rd Cambridge - Sold Out 24th Plymouth Uni 25th Exeter - Sold Out 26th Bristol - Sold Out 27th Cardiff - Sold Out 28th Winchester - Sold Out 29th London - Sold Out Rhian Brighton | |
 | The Twilight Sad | Seven Years Of Letters | UK tour 2009-10-16 The Twilight Sad release a brand new single Seven Years Of Letters on 19th October, following the release of their sophomore Forget The Night Ahead album. Brimming with portent and pathos Seven Years Of Letters registers at the more restrained end of The Twilight Sads seismic scale, with guitarist Andy MacFarlanes distinctive overdriven tremolo and James Grahams bruising Caledonian burr framing the songs heartfelt lyric "...we're on a hiding to nowhere..." The Kilsyth quartet have also just announced their second US tour of 2009 during October, criss-crossing the States with labelmates Brakes, Frightened Rabbit and We Were Promised Jetpacks, before returning home for a run of October dates as follows: Tue 20 Newcastle Cluny Wed 21 Manchester Ruby Lounge Thu 22 Leeds Cockpit Fri 23 Cardiff The Gate (SWN Festival) Sat 24 Nottingham Bodega Mon 26 Birmingham Hare and Hounds Tue 27 Cambridge Portland Arms Wed 28 Norwich Arts Centre Thu 29 London Scala Fri 30 Brighton Freebutt for more info, or tickets, visit: www.myspace.com/thetwilightsad | |
 | Another cocktail to Mo out with 2009-10-07 Hello everybody, yesterday so was a busy day with the magazine and i have remembered that no cocktail so put up for you guys! (slacking)so here it is, the cokctail that was never there yesterday! (sorry guys!) Movember Mule "The updating of a true cocktail classic, but given that certain flair and penchant that Movember brings to the party." Ingredients: 50ml Finlandia classic 50ml apple juice 100ml ginger beer or ale One dash angostura bitters Garnish: Lime wedge Glass: Highball cocktail glass Method: Mix all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker. Shake and pour over cubed ice in a highball cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wedges to suit taste. | |
 | A daily Cocktail for you all you Maddog readers 2009-10-07 Here you guys another cocktail that is well worth your time to make. This cocktail is called the Mo'debonair, stylish and fruity, easy to please any pallet. Mo'debonair "Stylish, fresh and oozing with flavour, just like self-respecting Mo Bros or Mo Sistas should be." Ingredients: 50ml Finlandia Classic 15ml Crème de Peche 20ml peach puree 20ml lemon juice 10ml simple syrup Splash of sparkling wine Garnish: Peach slice Glass: Long cocktail glass Method: Mix all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker. Shake and pour over cubed ice in a long glass. Garnish with skin on peach slice. | |
 | DANCE! DANCE! DANCE! new MONDO night for the party folk of NORWICH 2009-10-06 yO! yO! yO! Norwich folks, a freshhhh new night coming soon to Bar Marzanos is sure to help you chase away the impending winter blues with an exciting new fusion of live Jazz, Blues, Salsa and Swing to some of the best visuals from Norwich's finest VJs. Be sure to catch the first in a host of moresome times: Launch party: Thursday 15th October Then: 29th Oct 12th Nov 26th Nov Mondo Bar Marzanos The Forum Millennium Plain Norwich FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT WOOOO. | |
 | Newton Faulkner | Rebuilt by Humans | UK TOUR 2009-10-05 Brit nominated Newton Faulkner returns this month with his eagerly anticipated second album REBUILT BY HUMANS released through RCA. Newton has also announced a 14 date tour, which kicks off on Friday 9th October in Dublin and includes Londons Shepherds Bush Empire on Tuesday 20th October. The full list of tour dates are - OCTOBER 2009 Fri 9th Dublin Academy Sat 10th Belfast Mandela Hall Mon 12th Glasgow ABC Tues 13th Newcastle City Hall Wed 14th York Opera House Fri 16th Ipswich Regent Theatre Sun 18th Warwick Arts Centre Mon 19thn Manchester The Lowry Tues 20th London Shepherds Bush Empire Thur 22nd Swansea Brangwyn Hall Fri 23rd Cambridge Corn Exchange Sun 25th Liverpool Philharmonic Mon 26th Truro The Hall For Cornwall Tues 27th Portsmouth Guildhall for more info, go to: www.newtonfaulkner.com fb | |
 | Movember Cocktails 2009-10-05 As you all know Movember is the month to be celebrating, so here thanks to Finlandia are some cocktails you must try out. We here at Maddog will be giving you all a cocktail to try everyday, so to start this all off is the Movember Rain cocktail. Enjoy! Movember Rain "The fruity twist of raspberries and pineapple combine together for this well-balanced drink packed with flavour." Ingredients: 35ml Finlandia Grapefruit fusion 15ml Chambord Five raspberries 15ml lemon juice Dash of simple syrup 40ml pineapple juice Garnish: Mint leaf and raspberry Glass: Highball cocktail glass Method: Add Finlandia Grapefruit Fusion and Chambord to a cocktail shaker, along with the pineapple juice. Shake ingredients to mix. Add the lemon juice, simple syrup, five raspberries and strain into a highball cocktail glass. Complete the cocktail with one mint leaf and two raspberries. Serve in chilled glass for best results. | |
 | Indie Rap Artist Master Shortie sets off on A.D.H.D Tour 2009-10-02 Recently described by the Guardian as the "poster boy of a DIY underground scene", this month sees Master Shortie flaunting his fresh, energetic sound across the UK on his first headline tour. The 20 year old entrepreneur/indie-rap pioneer released his album, A.D.H.D (said to be named after his short attention span) earlier this year, and it is the exciting result of his "aversion to being stereotyped". Shortie's kaleidoscopic brand of music makes it almost impossible to categorise, and his shows are set to be an exhilarating mixture of electro-soul, hip hop and power pop guitar. For a full list of tour dates, and other info, visit: www.myspace.com/mastershortie Katie Shevlin | |
 | Mo-growing cocktail flaring charity event of November! 2009-10-01 Raising money has never sounded so much fun! Cocktails and growing 'Mos'(Moustaches) is what this fundraiser is all about thanks to Finlandia Vodka, in order to create awareness for prostate cancer. Finlandia Vodka have called upon everyone to join in the fun and raise money for this very worthy cause, so throughout Movember (the month formerly known as November) people will be showing their support for the mo-growing charity. The mo-growing charity, which sees thousands of men in the UK getting hairy in aid of The Prostate Cancer Charity. Finlandia have enlisted legendary mixologists, The Soulshakers – brains behind menus at Quo Vadis, Milk & Honey and Whisky Mist, to create a range of suitably mo-vellous tasting cocktails. Available throughout the month in selected, stylish bars across the country, the cocktails have been designed with lip fuzz in mind. Each is suavely sipped through a straw to avoid any froth attaching to the 'mo' and money from the sale of each drink will go directly to the charity. The four cocktails, including the 'classic with a twist' Movember Mule and the simply sparkling Mo’debonair, will be available from Movember 1st, the registration day when all Mo bros (mo growing men) are required to be clean shaven. A list of venues is available at www.finlandia.com, or for those wanting to try out the drinks for themselves, recipes are also provided. | |
 | New Exhibitions at The Sainsbury Centre 2009-09-29 The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at UEA, Nowich is proud to present two new autumn exhibitions, which will open today through to 13th December. The exhibitions called The East Anglians and Subversive Spaces: Surrealism and Contemporary Art showcase photographs by Justin Partyka and work by Francis Alys, Lucy, Gunning, Paula Rego, Salvador Dali, Max Ernest and Rene Magrritte. "It is under the melancholy monochrome light of a still winter's day that the agrarian landscape of East Anglia best reveals it timelessness. This is when I prefer to walk the small fields of the farms: crunching across unploughed stubble, or side-stepping my way through a crop of leeks or Brussels sprouts. As if I was entering a secret door, I push myself backwards through the boundary hedgerow of ash, willow, and hawthorn. Emerging out on the other side, I find myself standing on the remains of an old drove that at one time accessed an isolated farmstead now long since vanished. In the distance, wind breaks of poplar and oak stand like skeletal ghosts-their silhouettes serving as reminders of the past men and women who once laboured these soils" - Justin Partyka. The East Anglians exhibition features 58 colour photographs revealing the disappearing way of rural life in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Featuring one of the last vestiges of East Anglia's deep-rooted agrarian community, allows this exhibition to provide an opportunity to reflect on this in a global context. The Subversive Spaces: Surrealism and Contemporary Art exhibition features work by leading contemporary artists such as Paula Rego and Lucy Gunning, examining the influence of the Surrealist art movement on contemporary artist practise. "The exhibition seeks to draw attention to affinities and in some cases, ongoing artistic dialogues between contemporary art and Surrealism. Psychic disturbance and interior space co-mingled in the Surrealist imaginary, while recent artists have explored themes such as hysteria in varying permutations of installation, video and performance." - David Lomas, Director, Centre for Studies of Surrealism and its Legacies. If you can only go to see one exhibition this year, these two are the ones to go see, so take a pick or see both of them and pop down to the Sainsbury Centre of Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich. Exhibition is open for 29th September - 13th December. Words: Kate Southgate Photograph: Suffolk, 2007 (c) Justin Partyka | |
 | Spotted: The Veronicas at LFW 2009-09-28 The Veronicas were spotted on the second day of London Fashion Week rehearsing for their big performance after the Blow Presents catwalks. The girls looking super cool in all black, showing off their rock 'n' roll edge took to their seats on the catwalk singing their no 1 hit Untouched and new single 4ever out 28th September. Their distinct style with leather jackets, knee high boots and strong sunglasses gave them the A list look and a presence in the room that would blow you away. The Veronicas new album Hook me up will be released on 12th October. Words Kate Southgate Photography: Lucy Brown | |
 | THE ARUSHA ACCORD + A TEXTBOOK TRADEGY | TOUR, NOVEMBER 2009 2009-09-27 The Arusha Accord are the leaders of this here tour package. The elite of their kind, and Britains finest young progressive metal band have recieved some incredible attention during their fresh career. Their angulared and spazzy posthardcore style is a unique jump from done before melodies, and the contrast of beautiful clear vocals and agonized yelps make The Arusha Accord one of the most exhilirating acts around! Joining them on tour are Canadian tech wizards A Textbook Tradegy, whos pained music is the result of bitter encounters and too many hours indoors perfecting the guitar! Also on the bill are the UKs Ghosts On Pegasus Bridge whos fresh faced brutality really knocks the nail on the head. TOUR DATES 10 / 11 / 09 Freebutt Brighton 11 / 11 / 09 Joiners Southmpton 12 / 11 / 09 The Cavern Exeter 13 / 11 / 09 Eddies Birmingham 14 / 11 / 09 mk crauford 15 / 11 / 09 Park Peterborough 16 / 11 / 09 Rock City Nottingham 17 / 11 / 09 Rockbar Doncaster 18 / 11 / 09 Rios Leeds 20 / 11 / 09 Drummonds Aberdeen 21 / 11 / 09 Capitol Glasgow 22 / 11 / 09 The Riverside Bar Selby 23 / 11 / 09 The Independant Sunderland 24 / 11 / 09 Moho Live Manchester 25 / 11 / 09 Sin City Swansea 26 / 11 / 09 The Croft Bristol 27 / 11 / 09 Club 85 Hitchin 28 / 11 / 09 Underworld London 29 / 11 / 09 Face Bar Reading for more info, visit : www.myspace.com/thearushaaccorduk franc botha | |
 | Later....with The CRIBS....with Jools Holland 2009-09-26 Hot footing it from their current UK tour, Wakefields The Cribs, still basking in the success of their recent Top 10 album Ignore The Ignorant, have just been confirmed for BBC2s Later With Jools Holland. For those who have yet to witness the live experience that is The Cribs, you can catch the band on TV when they appear on Tuesday September 29th (Later Live live half hour show) and Friday October 2nd (hour show). Meanwhile they criss cross the UK throughout the remainder of September and midway into October playing their biggest live dates yet, before making a whistlestop visit to Japan for some club shows followed by a brief Stateside stopover, after which they return to European shores to play as guests of Franz Ferdinand. franc botha | |
 | HMV & The Boxer Rebellion unite in ground breaking deal 2009-09-26 HMV and Londons The Boxer Rebellion have united in a ground breaking partnership that will see the music and entertainment specialist act as a lead outlet and strategic partner for the physical release of the bands anticipated second album, Union. What makes the deal significant is that The Boxer Rebellion have, by choice, accepted no record label backing and remain unsigned : a fact they are openly proud of. Instead, the four piece band are on a mission "to find innovative and meaningful ways to distribute their music and engage directly with their fans, on their own terms". As joint partner with the band in this venture, HMV is advancing the costs of manufacturing the CD, while also supporting the promotion and marketing of the product, in return for a share of the revenues. Union, was released on CD on 14th September across HMVs 270 stores nationwide as well as in select independent music stores, and can also be ordered/purchased via hmv.com and other online stores in both physical and digital formats. The CD version of The Boxer Rebellion will commence a UK tour on 22nd September, for which HMV will have an exclusive window on ticket sales. Sat 26 Sept : BRISTOL Thekla Sun 27 Sept : BIRMINGHAM Hare & Hounds Mon 28 Sept : LIVERPOOL Masque Tues 29 Sept : BELFAST Auntie Annie’s Wed 30 Sept : DUBLIN Academy 2 Thur 1 Oct : GLASGOW ABC 2 Fri 2 Oct : NEWCASTLE Other Rooms Sat 3 Oct : MANCHESTER Roadhouse Mon 5 Oct : LEEDS Faversham Tues 6 Oct : LONDON Relentless Garage www.theboxerrebellion.com franc botha | |
 | The Lights | January Blues | Nov 2nd 2009-09-26 Birmingham beauties The Lights new single January Blues is released on Nov 2nd, produced by renowned producer Gavin Monaghan, who has recently recorded with Travis, Editors & Kings of Leon. Low Hundreds, the bands previous single received airplay from Janice Long on both her BBC Radio 2 and BBC WM shows and in May 2009 they were invited into the Radio 2 studios for a live session. Steve Lamacq also featured Low Hundreds on his Radio 2 show earlier this month. * * * * * * * * * * * * The Lights are a lovely burst of energy, consisting of five bright eyed individuals with the heart and determination to be heard all over. Their sound is like nobody else, unique, eclectic and intimately epic with a touch of old enough to know better! With a highly promising array of unique sounds, ranging from soft and passionate to loud staggering moments, they've perfectly blended each other's influences and abilities to create one magnetic and appealing force. * * * * * * * * * * * * for more info / tour news, go to : www.myspace.com/lightsmusic fb | |
 | Spotted: Moloko and Jimmy Choo at LFW 2009-09-25 Moloko and shoe legend Jimmy Choo were both spotted enkjoying the deisgns from designer John Rocha. Moloko was easily spotted through the crowd as she graced the front row, however Jimmy Choo was a little more difficult to find, it took the help of John Rocha brother-in-law to help us spot him. SO thank you John Rocha's brother-in-law, thank you, now off to get to shoes! Check out the John Rocha catwalk review in the next issue of Maddog out 12th October! (Moloko can be found on the right handside of the picture wearing a camel colour coat.) | |
 | Spotted: Kelly Cutrone at LFW 2009-09-24 Kelly Cutrone is a fashion icon and the founder of the public relations, branding and marketing firm People's Revolution. Peoples revolution has presented many designers from Vivienne Westwood to Pat Fields and currently represents 46 clients. Kelly Cutrone has become famous due to the popular MTV hit shows The Hills and recently The City. Kelly Cutrone was spotted looking at the new Spring/Summer collections in 180 The Strand with cameras following her every move. As the People's Revolution goes, Black is the key. Always dress in black. | |
 | LEVIS | ONES TO WATCH | BACK WITH A BANG 2009-09-23 Now in its fifth year, Levis OnesToWatch has firmly established its reputation as a reliable indicator for artists about to hit the big time. With monthly shows at Barfly venues across the UK, 2008 saw charged performances by Metronomy, Esser, Santogold, Late of The Pier, Friendly Fires, Fight Like Apes, and Cage The Elephant. The Levis OnesToWatch music programme, which launched in 2005 as a series of monthly gigs at Barfly venues across the UK, has been a natural extension of Levi's long affiliation with music, showcasing the best in new talent and giving a unique opportunity for emerging artists to play to a discerning audience. The Levis OnesToWatch London Residencies are back in town with three hot servings of live gigs to warm your cockles as the colder months draw closer. The shindigs will showcase emerging talent from all over the UK, and a band all the way from Denmark. The October shows kick-off with a night of feel-good music to lift the spirits, lead by Londoners Citadels who will test out their psychedelic synthpop on the culture hungry revellers of East London. Their single 'Golden Islands' was recently released on Friends Vs Records on limited edition 7" and download. Supporting them at the Macbeth are Anders Kallmark protegees Ou Est Le Swimming Pool and Dansette Junior. The following week on 15 October, former Mumm-Ra front man James New brings his new band Mirrors to the stage, gracing Camdens Barfly with their popnoir sound. The band’s latest single, 'Look At Me' is currently out on Pure Groove Records. Also on the bill, Young Rebel Set, a band causing a stir among their local scene in the North East, and synth-poppers Turboweekend, over from Copenhagen. The third, and final October Residency held at The Borderline on 22nd October, sees joint headliners Kurran and the Wolfnotes and Exlovers strut their stuff at what is expected to be an oversubscribed show. Both bands are currently being produced by the legendary Stephen Street, of The Smiths and Blur fame, and both also share a penchant for a gypsy, indie folk sound, and close girl/boy vocals. Kurran And The Wolfnotes' latest single 'Whatabitch' is out on Oct 19 as a 7" on Chess Club Records, and Exlovers new five track EP 'You Forget So Easily' was released in September also through Chess Club. Completing the line-up are Little Death. For any more info on any of the bands, venues, or Levis Ones To Watch, go to: www.levi.co.uk/lotw franc botha | |
 | Lo Fi dance heavyweits Royksopp announce new single and 2 exclusive UK live dates 2009-09-23 Royksopp, aka Svein Berge & Torbjorn Brundtland, release their brand new single This Must Be It through Wall of Sound on October 26th 2009. Featuring the unmistakable vocals of fellow Scandinavian Karin Dreijer Andersson (The Knife, Fever Ray), This Must Be It is the latest single to be lifted from the duos highly acclaimed Junior album. Royksopps new album Junior has already been described as genius by The Sun, pop perfection by iDJ and our happy pill of the day by the Sunday Times. So, in support of the latest mammoth single, Royksopp arrive back in the UK to headline the following dates: Thursday 5th November – LONDON - 02 Shepherds Bush Empire Wednesday 4th November – LEEDS - Uni Stylus Bar For tickets, and more info, visit : www.royksopp.com franc botha | |
 | Spotted: VV Brown at LFW 2009-09-21 VV Brown played a huge part in the Blow Presents catwalks, hosting the children's catwalk. VV Brown looking like no other, with her style that has been recognised throughout many top fashion magazines, such as Glamour and Grazia sported black and white leggins, off shoulder jumper and her signature hat. VV Brown was also spotted at the Ashish catwalk on the front row next to none other than Michelle Williams from Destiny's Child' who was wearing an orange chiffon dress. Check out VV Brown's website Words: Kate Southgate Photography: Lucy Brown | |
 | London Fashion Week Designer interview: Bodyamr 2009-09-20 Amr Ali, designer of Bodyamr has returned to London Fashion Week, with an incredible, stylish and beautiful collection. The London based designer who studied at Chelsea College of Art and Design and Middlesex University, set up his own label while still at college and has also worked for Nicholas Haslam took a little time out and had a little chat with Editor in Cheif Kate Southgate. What is your collection all about? "The collection is all about distinguishing who Bodyamr is. Bodyamr is a strong woman, who is not afraid to use colour. It's sexy cool." What materials do you love working with? "Jersey, i absolutely love jersey. It is so easy to wear, i use block colours and simple lines. With Bodyamr dresses you can wear them however you like, as a top teamed with leggins or as a dress." What is future looking like for you and Bodyamr? "We are expanding in October wiht more stores. We are taking Bodyamr to another level and going international, going to LA." Words: Kate Southgate Photography: Lucy Brown | |
 | ABSOLUT rocks 2009-09-20 ABOSULT have put their heads together and come up with a limited edition bottle to join the ABSOLUT family. You Rock is what the bottle and campaign is called and by looking at the decoration of the bottle you will most certainly feel like a rock god or goddess. If you want to impress people at one of your parties you need this in your life. "ABSOLUT has been an integral part of rock culture, having previously collaborated with Lenny Kravitz and requested on many a celebrated rock rider. ABSOLUT Rock Edition is at the heart of our 'In an ABSOLUT World, You Rock' campaign, which over the coming weeks will allow people to experience the life of a rock star for themselves", said Mark Hamilton, Head of Marketing for Vodkas at Pernod Ricard UK. "They can expect to see a series of exciting activity that showcases the rock lifestyle, delivers a humorous insight into the world of backstage rider requests and ultimately draws them in to feeling like they are with the band." In conjunction with the launch of the new limited edition bottle, iconic US rock photographer and filmmaker Danny Clinch has captured rock band Wolfmother and the ABSOLUT ROCK EDITION bottle in a series of documentary photographs shot in L.A Rock fans can see the results at ABSOLUTE.COM ABSOLUT ROCK EDITION will be launched in the UK exclusively at Selfridges on 1st September before becoming available to leading supermarkets at the beginning of October, priced £14.99. Words: Kate Southgate | |
 | Spotted: Michelle Williams from Destiny's Child at LFW 2009-09-20 After walking from the Bora Aksu show walking down the ramp i managed to catch a glimpse of a very sparkly Michelle Williams before being chased by the LFW paparrazi. The Destiny's Child star waering a sequined mini dress was chaperoned by her entourage and boyfriend. The American superstar took to the middle seats in front row of the Bora Aksu catwalk show, arguably the best seats around. With many stars lining up to see the shows, the A listers can only get better. Words: Kate Southgate Photography: Lucy Brown | |
 | Alexa Chungs new 'it' bag 2009-09-20 Alexa Chung has been photographed with her Alexa Bag on many occasions. The British style icon has not been able to put it down for NYFW. She has been seen carrying the new it bag at the Marchesa and the 3.1 Phillip lim shows and previously to that she wore the bag at the Mulberry SS10 presentations. Throughout our time at London Fashion Week, we will be making sure you get all the pics and names of the stars that attend the shows. There will be online coverage of some of the shows but main coverage will be coming soon in the next issue, so keep your eyes peeled for it. Words: Kate Southgate | |
 | The Impossible Project 2009-09-16 "Don't undertake a project unless it is manifestly important and nearly impossible" is the quote by Edwin Land, founder of Polaroid, which inspired the name for The Impossible Project as well as the fact that "so many people used to tell us that's impossible before the project got started" says Marlene, part of the team of determined individuals with "a passion for the most analog media ever" who launched The Impossible Project. Their aim? "To save Polaroid: one of the greatest inventions of history in photography. To re-invent and re-start production of analog instant film for vintage Polaroid cameras." Despite the name sounding completely unachievable, The Impossible Project produced their first complete and stable picture last month, and to add to this positive news, they have reported "that there are no unsolvable road blocks ahead" meaning the long wait for Polaroid film should be over by the beginning of the new year. "We'll start off with a b&w film (probably ready on January 10) and from thereon we'll develop a colour film (ready in the middle of 2010). Impossible are keen to stress that they are not simply replicating vintage Polaroid film, one of the most obvious changes being that their film will work with both 600 and SX70 cameras. As a more technical example of the change Marlene states: "So far each film was equipped with a battery. We think that's no longer suitable with the ecological Zeitgeist and something that we want to replace." But where can we get our hands on this beautiful film, I hear you cry. "The upcoming distribution of the new film is something we're currently organising; it will take place via internet but also with selected retailers worldwide." One of the already confirmed retailers keen to partner with Impossible is Urban Outfitters, who have agreed to stock Impossible's film from the beginning of 2010 online as well as in selected stores (Glasgow, London Oxford Street, Manchester, Stockholm and Hamburg). Whilst it is still going to be an expensive hobby, with an 8 pack film selling for £15, Marlene insists this will not be a problem: "A 10-photo pack of the 600 film is currently GBP 15, but there are also other films for 19 or 35 GBP per pack, so the price of our new film will just range in the normal middle field and it won't put people off, cause Polaroid is a precious hobby or passion already. Cause it's worth it." For all of us who already possess a Polaroid camera this is the news we have been waiting for. However, for those of you who simply never got to own one of these beauties or foolishly sold it on eBay when Polaroid stopped producing the film in June 2008, this article must have been pretty gutting. Yet there is even good news for you, as Impossible have announced that they will produce their own modern instant camera by the end of 2010, aided by Mr Henny Waanders, former head of camera development at Polaroid, after which "special format film will hopefully follow." For more information CLICK HERE Words: Anna Spencer | |
 | White Air 2009 18-20 September 2009-09-16 White Air is Europe's largest Extreme Sports and Music festival and we're back for another year of hardcore action in a new venue - White Air is now based at the world-famous Madeira Drive in Brighton on a fantastic site accommodating over 40 sports and music arenas and events on water, land, air and beach! The live stage will feature Doves, Biffy Clyro, The Cribs, White Lies, British Sea Power... with more announcements soon. Meanwhile, Europe's largest action sports arena will showcase the amazing White Air freesports park, covering multiple sports with top level competitions in BMX freestyle & flatland, Skateboard street, ramps and slalom, Mountain Board, Inline, Streetboard, Mtn Trials Bike & freestyle and Parkour and the stunning arts of Street Dance, B Bop, Graffiti Jams and park Djing, which will create the focal point for the urban sports. The beach will also be packed with action sports and entertainment including the world’s very best High Divers throwing themselves into a 12ft deep pool from 90 ft, the Mixed Martial Arts village, Volleyball, new action sports such as Slackline and Ropeboarding, and the sea will be occupied by Thundercats, Jetskis, Windsurfing Freestyle and Racing Championships, Surfing, Kitesurfing on the White Air slider park, Wakeboards, Paddle Boards, Sailing, Canoes, Aquathlon, the tough Brighton Triathlon, Aquathlon, the 56 miles off road race starting in London and finishing at White Air in Brighton and the Marines fast support landing craft. Look to the sky you’ll see the incredible Red Arrows and RAF Falcons, and the awesome Chinook helicopter displays - this year’s elemental White Air festival covers Air, Water, Earth and Fire! The history behind White Air White Air was founded in 1997 by extreme sportsman Nigel Howell. Starting as a wind and surf-based event due to the attraction of the UK's superb beaches, it has rapidly expanded and now is the most prestigious international festival on the calendar involving some 40 sports on water, land, beach and in the air - combined with arts, music fringes, and extensive entertainment including the awesome Live Stage which features 2 huge nights of music on the beach front with top level groups each year. 2009 promises to be White Air's biggest year so far: you'd be mad to miss this extreme extravaganza! More Information Tickets £65 for the Weekend For more information on White Air, the events, ramps/multi-sport park, trade shows, TV and sponsorship please contact; White Air event management; EMAIL: info@whiteair.co.uk | |
 | Suffolk Pride 2009-09-15 There are approximately 35,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Suffolk, according to recent surveys, and on the 13th of September the first EVER Suffolk Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) Pride event was held in Christchurch Park in Ipswich. Despite some quite menacing grey clouds lurking around, the turnout wasn't bad and families, teenagers and assorted couples frolicked happily amongst the burger vans, community stalls and some actually-quite-good music. Taking to the stage were acts like electro DJ duo Suki & Science, soul singer Janine Small and guitar-y indie types such as Charlotte Eve and Lisa Ambrose. Trying not to get distracted by the nice pretty beats and cheap ice-cream I realised that the aim of the day was to bring the LGBT community together and also to raise awareness of it in Suffolk. Looking at the Community stalls I found an almost perplexing array of charities and associations giving away free biros with snappy little slogans on them. Everyone who is anyone was there from Outreach Youth, setting up outreach projects for LGBT teenagers, to Unison, a trade union campaigning to end discrimination from employees against LGBT workers. Janet Barker from Suffolk County Council who especially campaigns for gay couples trying to adopt said 'I think today is great, Norfolk has a LGBT newsletter but Suffolk doesn't so this is a great way to get our message across and to bring people together.' It's true that in Suffolk, awareness and appreciation of the LGBT community is much less than in other places, especially compared to areas like London. But organisers are confident that this day will have lots of positive repercussions in Suffolk and that it will soon become a huge annual event. Today I certainly went away with a much greater insight and understanding of the Suffolk Gay community and also the fact that LGBT really reminds me of BLT's and that they should somehow tie that into a sandwich-related campaign next time. Words: Jeni Gibbs Photos: Ricky Joe Burrage | |
 | Harvest at Jimmy's 2009-09-14 What a success, this weekend saw the first Harvest at Jimmy's and people turned up in the thousands. Jimmy Doherty's farm in the beautiful Suffolk countryside was taken over by an abundance of delicious, sustainable and freshly made food, a series of master class cooking demonstrations from top chefs, creative and inspirational kid's entertainment and of course, some of the best bands around. Harvest not only married music and food it created an outlet for everything locally sourced. From cupcakes that were beautifully decorated to a good old British hog roast there was something for everyone and knowing that we were eating local food and even drinking local cider made you aware of how good we have it here in Suffolk. The weekend was full of great music, food and an amazing atmosphere. Harvest was a great weekend, enjoyed by the masses, children where kept occupied by all the animals; pigs, goats, chickens and of course the adorable piglets. There was face painting, tours and fantastic activities for the whole family to enjoy. The main headline acts were KT Tunstall, who also made an appearance on the Saturday alongside Sam Lewis and his band, Athlete, Seth Lakeman and Badly Drawn Boy who all took to the stage with a massive reception from the crowd. Overall this event was a huge success for the area and of course for Jimmy, it is great that no matter the financial climate we are still getting ourselves out there and putting our money in local events and companies. Lets just hope there will be another Harvest to go to and enjoy equally as much. Words: Kate Southgate | |
 | Festival Annual - Upload your images! 2009-09-11 Upload and tag your pictures at www.MySpace.com/FestivalAnnual Play your part in history by contributing to a groundbreaking new festival book alongside Jaime Winstone, Edith Bowman, Orbital, Metronomy and many more… The UK’s first ever annual dedicated to festivals is to be launched this summer. Festival Annual will be the first ever ‘user-generated’ annual as festival-goers themselves will play a crucial role in the book’s creation. The photograph-led book will be a collection of iconic imagery and stories from the UK’s leading festivals. With more than 100 festivals taking place across the British Isles this summer, there are plenty of opportunities to capture once-in-a-lifetime moments. Whether it’s finding love in the Stone Circle, spending the weekend dressed as your favourite super hero or drinking your own body weight in pear cider, Festival Annual is calling out to you to share your most memorable experiences. Upload and tag pictures on Festival Annual’s digital galleries and share stories through comments and status updates. Every single contributor will get their name in the book, with the best photos and stories featuring throughout its pages and at its online home at www.myspace.com/festivalannual. Festival Annual 2009 will be the first of an annual celebration of each year’s festival season - the photographic embodiment of each and every summer - for all those who rejoice in festival culture, being outdoors and of course, covered in mud. It will feature chapters for each of the key festivals, running all the way from Isle of Wight to Lovebox and Latitude, right through to Bestival this weekend. UK celebrities will be making their own contributions to Festival Annual too – each chapter will also feature images and musings from some of the more famous die-hard festival attendees, there to experience exactly the same kinds of thrills as your average punter. Actress Jaime Winstone is regularly snapped at festivals: “I'm a proper festival-goer. I love having the excuse of going and getting messy in a field and rolling around in mud. This year Glastonbury was absolutely amazing, but it was a bit different for me as I had a Winnebago, so I got to have a shower and hang out with loads of mates in the VIP bit, but it did kind of take away from the experience as well - you can stay in a caravan in any field. Festivals are about everyone coming together and all sharing a brilliant time.” Radio One DJ Edith Bowman commented: "Six months of my year are devoted to festivals - my favourite time of the year actually. There is so much more to festivals in the UK than just the bands. There is real camaraderie that goes on with the people who devote their weekends to hanging out in fields up and down the country. Whether they are knee high in mud, dressed as goth fairies or discovering some new band, Festival Annual 09, with the help of these people, is documenting the essence of the UK festival season so we can look back in years to come and remind ourselves of the good times." Throughout the summer there'll be prizes for the best pics and you can cast your vote for the monthly winners of the Festival Annual Awards. This year's categories are: The Best FestiDress Award, Team Festival Award, Festifunniest Award and the Spirit of the Festival Award. The monthly winners and best of the nominees will be featured in the book. In its glossy, gorgeous, physical form, Festival Annual will be arriving on shelves and available to buy online in the Autumn but you can pre-order now online - the perfect end-of-year gift for the festival-loving, story-telling, digital generations. In the spirit of the festival season, Festival Annual ‘09 will donate 10% of all profits to Oxfam. How Do I Get In Festival Annual? • Upload Image to www.myspace.com/FestivalAnnual • Tag everyone In the picture • Everyone tagged will be in the credits • Best pictures go into book Need we say more? Get online and get involved, upload your own photos, tag you and your mates, and who knows, next year it could be your face on the front cover. Pre Order Festival Annual Online: www.festivalannual.com/shop Early Bird Discount: £20.00 (RRP £25.00) | |
 | Need For Speed: Shift 2009-09-10 Need For Speed: Shift is the latest in EAs long line of Need For Speed games. With 72 fully-licensed cars and 125 events to place first its set to be the best one so far. One of the features that really sets it apart from the last games is the highly detailed in car view with its realistic feel. As always cars can be tuned up inside and out and the dynamic crash effects are set to truly make the player feel like they were in the crash themselves. Need For Speed:Shift is in the shops 19/9/09 for more info check out www.shift.needforspeed.com | |
 | The New Wolsey Theatre presents: MARKUS THE SADIST 2009-09-09 Jonzi D Productions presents MARKUS THE SADIST New Wolsey Theatre, Fri 30 & Sat 31 Oct at 7.45pm African History Month 09 - Celebrating Birthright Jonzi D Productions, a leading Hip Hop theatre company, established in 2005 have returned to the theatre with a new and bold play, take a look at celebrity within the Hip Hop 'industry' and the manipulative players masterminding urban myths. Markus The Sadist tells the story of a talented young emcee who attracts the attentions of record companies and unscrupulous management. In order to make his dreams come to Markus has to agree to certain conditions; he must sound American, mention his sponsors and predictably have a gang affiliation. After signing and reaching the dizzy heights of rap superstardom, this story takes an unexpected turn as Markus decides to switch styles at the height of his popularity. Written and directed by Jonzi D who continues to set a precedent within Hip Hop theatre and dance, this modern rap fable includes brand new music from MOBO award winning jazz innovator Soweto Kinch. With a vibrant cast collectively portraying a diverse array of characters, the lead role of Markus comes courtesy of Bashy, a rising UK star and critically acclaimed musician/writer who won Most Inspiring Act at the Urban Music Awards in 2008. With his career in the ascendant, Bashy takes time out of recordings and shows to debut his acting skills and work with Jonzi D Productions on this explosive new work. Check him out at Youtube 1 Youtube 2 Youtube 3 Markus The Sadist plays two dates at the New Wolsey Theatre, Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October at 7.45pm. To book tickets please visit or call the New Wolsey Box Office on 01473 295900. This production contains strong language. Words: Kate Southgate | |
 | The invasion of the French | OUI LOVE is coming!! 2009-09-08 Oui Love is a brand new French music portal on a serious mission: to serve up the freshest and hottest Gallic talents around. Launching on the 8th September 2009 on myspace.com/ouilovexchange, Oui Love will be the main source to discover the up and coming acts from the French scene. The MySpace page also displays a live chart where viewers are invited to vote for their all time favourite French artists. Entering the poll will give access to a free download of a Oui Love compilation, which features the creme de la creme of the new French Wave. The track list includes dance duo The Shoes (XFMs remixers of the year), anthemic alt-rockers Phoenix and lo-fi disco of Flairs and Naive New Beaters. The launch of the Oui Love page and the Oui Love compilation is the first phase of an exchange program that is aimed to stimulate interaction between music fans from both sides of the Channel. The second phase will include a UK tour in October 2009 with four French bands and a fantastic opportunity for an English act to be on the Oui Love tour planned for March 2010. For more info, or to download the Oui Love compilation for free, go to : Oui Love Myspace franc botha | |
 | A Boy And His Blob 2009-09-05 When Blobolonia is threatened by an evil emperor, the blob comes to earth looking for help. Instead, he finds a young boy. Help the blob dethrone the evil Emperor that’s terrorizing Blobolonia and establish a friendship with the blob that will last a lifetime. A boy and his blob returns with an all new game play experience! True to the NES version, playing the boy, you feed your Blob jelly beans and watch it transform into cool and useful objects to solve puzzles and escape danger. With its robust and emotionally driven story, challenging puzzles, and visually impressive art style, a boy and his blob is nothing short of a heartwarming experience. | |
 | Mad Dog McCree hits the Wii 2009-09-01 Majesco Entertainment Company, an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, today announced Mad Dog McCree Gunslinger Pack for Wii has shipped to retail. When ruthless outlaw Mad Dog McCree goes on a rampage with a nasty pack of wanted fugitives in tow, they leave death and destruction in their wake. You are the only gun-slinging bounty hunter who can take him down in this three-in-one collection of classic arcade games that includes: Mad Dog McCree, Mad Dog 2: The Lost Gold and The Last Bounty Hunter. Players use their Wii Remote or Wii Zapper accessory as the ultimate six shooter in this Wild West adventure featuring live actors. Fast reflexes and precision shooting are the keys to survival when outlaws ambush from every angle and nail-biting showdowns are only a bullet away. As they pursue Mad Dog and four other wanted fugitives, players can choose from three different difficulty levels to hunt them alone or join forces with others in two multiplayer modes - Posse and Rebel. In Posse Mode, players work together with up to three friends in pursuit of a combined high score, while in Rebel Mode they work independently with up to four bounty hunters for individual high scores. Whether sharpshooting solo or with a posse, the Mad Dog McCree Gunslinger Pack lets players deliver their own brand of Wild West justice and walk away with their gun smokin'! | |
 | New additions to Offset Festival line-up 2009-09-01 Soon to be smashing its way through the forests of Hainult in Essex, Offset Festival is already on our doorstep. Along with its massively impressive alternative line-up this year, the organisors are ver please to announce two more additions..... Legendary indie experimentalists Clinic have been announced to play Offset, with bass-heavy post-punkers Gramme heading a very special appearance on Sunday evening too. Emerging from the recording studios where they're crafting what will no doubt be the album of the century (due for release shortly after Offset), Domino Records' Clinic will treat Offset-goers to ten astounding years worth of smoky lo-fi surf punk as well as must-be-heard new material. Head to the Guitar Hero stage on Sunday evening (after everything else has finished!) for an intimate session with Gramme, treating us to lustfully sharp post-punk goodness. With just over a week to go until the festival of the summer, it's time to get your tickets now - priced at a measly 45 pound for a full weekend of amazing music! check out the Offset line-up at the official website: Offset Official franc botha | |
 | GTA on PSP and Iphone 2009-09-01 Rockstar Games Announces Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for iPhone and iPod touch New York, NY - August 31, 2009 - Rockstar Games, the world-renowned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), is pleased to announce that the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars from Rockstar Leeds, the winners of the 2009 Develop Award for Best Handheld Game Studio, will be making its way to the iPhone and iPod touch this fall. "Chinatown Wars is a perfect match for the iPhone and iPod touch," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "We are very excited to bring this incredibly ambitious version of Liberty City, with this level of detail and immersive gameplay on Apple's new gaming platforms." Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is currently available for the Nintendo DS and is also coming this fall for the PlayStation Portable system. The game follows the story of Huang Lee, a young Triad who travels to Liberty City after the mysterious death of his father. Players will navigate their way through the streets as they uncover the truth behind an epic tale of crime and corruption within the Triad crime syndicate, delivering the unprecedented amount of depth that has become a true trademark of the Grand Theft Auto franchise. For more information, log onto www.rockstargames.com/chinatownwars. | |
 | Punky Allsorts's New Craze Line 2009-09-01 Punky Allsorts is a young, fun and quirky jewellery line designed by singer Alayna Salter. Maddog recently had a chat with the rising star and designer in the July/August issue, which can also be seen on the website. However, this time round Maddog and Punky Allsorts would like to share with you the three new designs that are now available on her website. As you all know from the July/August interview with Alayna, Punky Allsorts has become a national and global phenomenon with great help from Cheryl Cole, Fern Cotton, Lauren Conrad (star of MTV series The Hills) and Lady Gaga, who are just a few of the people who have been spotted sporting one of the latest designs. But, now its your turn to get into the latest craze and fashion trend that has hit London and L.A. The new designs are called the purple turtle bracelet, midnight stars bracelet and peace bracelet. So get yourself onto her website and get shopping. PUNKY ALLSORTS WEBSITE | |
 | Postal 3 (new) 2009-08-31 Our friends at Running With Scissors just sent us a Maddog exclusive pic of the dude eating ice-cream, dont forget you can get all the info you need on postal 3 at www.gopostal.com/pr/postal3 enjoy! | |
 | Forza 3 2009-08-31 Launching this October exclusively for Xbox 360, "Forza Motorsport 3" unites the racing game genre making it possible for everyone to experience the thrill of the world's most exotic and exquisite cars. Live the most realistic racing experience ever as you take the wheel of more than 400 of the most-beloved cars on over 100 renowned real-world tracks and exotic road courses from around the globe. With breathtaking HD graphics and the most advanced vehicle performance modeling in a video game, "Forza Motorsport 3" includes a host of driving assists and adjustable skill levels to make the game a gripping pick-up-and-play experience for audiences of all ages and skill levels. Your escape into the world of car culture in "Forza Motorsport 3" doesn't stop at the track. Turn 10 is a proven leader in user-generated content creation in games. "Forza Motorsport 3" further fuels the imaginations of its evergreen community of painters, tuners and photographers with improved customization tools and brand new ways to share creations with the world via Xbox LIVE*. Xbox LIVE makes your journey into the "Forza Motorsport" community and the world of user-generated content easy and fun. A love of cars lives in all of us. "Forza Motorsport 3" is the automotive playground we've all been waiting for. For more info check out www.forzamotorsport.net/ | |
 | Just Cause2 2009-08-31 The orders are simple: hunt down and execute a rogue agent that has stolen top-secret intelligence and millions in Agency cash. For agent Rico Rodriguez, the mission is anything but routine. The target is Tom Sheldon, Rico's former commanding officer, mentor and friend; a man who knows Rico better than he knows himself. Sheldon went dark while operating in the corrupt island nation of Panau. There, three rival gangs wage war in the streets while the ruthless dictator Baby Panay rules the island with an iron fist. With the resources of the Agency at his disposal, Rico must infiltrate the island and locate Sheldon, setting off a violent chain of events that will set Panau ablaze. Each of Rico's assignments can be tackled by land, sea or air with more than 100 vehicles including tactical jeeps, attack helicopters and jet fighters. As the Agency's best, Rico can execute a range of breathtaking new stunts, utilizing his trademark parachute and upgraded grapple to reach any location in Panau. Somewhere on the 400 square mile island of white sand beaches, scorching deserts and snow-capped peaks, Sheldon awaits. | |
 | Codemasters F1 2009 2009-08-31 F1 2009 will offer a fully authentic FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP experience with all the teams, drivers, cars and tracks from the enthralling 2009 season. Due for release this autumn, F1 2009 on the Wii version will set new standards for racing immersion and authenticity while remaining accessible for the entire family and the PSP version will allow fans the opportunity to enjoy the world's most thrilling and glamorous sport on the move. | |
 | Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising 2009-08-31 Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is the complete antithesis of the on-rails, run-and-gun shooter. Players are empowered with the freedom to handle military crisis situations on their own initiative, deploying the weaponry, vehicles and equipment of a contemporary fighting force. In Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising gamers play the decisive role in defusing a military flashpoint between two global superpowers that threatens the entire world. Players take the role of US Marines and Special Forces operatives dispatched to take back the oil-rich Russian island of Skira from an invading force of Chinese PLA. The 220km island becomes the ultimate open-world battlefield as players are empowered to make their own choices, deploy their own tactics and fight war on their own terms. Objectives are set - how they are accomplished is always up to the player who has the full resources of the US Marine Corps at their disposal and the ability to attack from any direction. Intelligent squad and enemy AI, based on authentic military tactics, react in real-time to situations as they unfold to ensure that no two games will ever play out the same. Players will become immersed in a stunningly realistic conflict with unprecedented levels of detail, freedom and authenticity. Every decision counts, every action has a consequence and every bullet can kill as Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising recreates the lethality, tension and adrenaline of real war like never before | |
 | Postal 3 2009-08-31 Tucson, AZ Almost a decade after the release of POSTAL, Running With Scissors (RWS), the creators behind the dark comedic video game franchise has announced development of POSTAL III, the first game in the long-running series aimed at both the computer and videogame console markets. Currently in development for the Xbox 360 and PC systems, POSTAL III will employ the Source engine (the same technology Valve created to drive Half-Life 2) to deliver a new and advanced technical level of social satire and politically incorrect virtual violence. "We started this series back in 1997," recalled RWS CEO Vince Desi, "and while the franchise has grown into an international computer game sensation during that time, it has always been our goal to bring it to the videogame console marketplace. For many years I've been asked by gamers around the world when POSTAL will appear on console. I'm so proud to be able to answer our fans' prayers." POSTAL III will include motion-captured performances by a wide array of celebrities - from film stars to Playboy Playmates - as well as a storyline that offers gamers vast latitude in terms of their behavior. "We've always maintained since publishing the original POSTAL that the game is only as violent as the player wants it to be and we're committed to expanding this unique form of gameplay in this next addition to the ongoing storyline," Desi vowed. Andrew Belkin, Producer for Akella stated "We here at Akella are big fans of the POSTAL series and so being involved in production of POSTAL III is both great fun and an honor for us. In cooperation with RWS talent I believe POSTAL III will be the sickest and craziest game ever! Definitely, this is the first project of such scale and a major step forward for our company" The player will once again be cast as the nameless "Postal Dude," the star of all previous versions of the game, including POSTAL 2: Share The Pain and POSTAL 2: Apocalypse Weekend. POSTAL III is scheduled for release some time in 2008 for more info on postal 3 check out www.gopostal.com/pr/postal3.php | |
 | Get StokEd! 2009-08-31 Head into the backcountry and experiance StokEd, an open world snowboarding game that lets you choose where, when and in what conditions as you owork your way up the ranks of the sport to become the hottest rider in the world! Every single inch of five huge mountains can be explored, complete with dynamic weather conditions that change how and where you can ride. Set a trend with style crafting as other riders on the mountain adapt to mimic how you ride and how you dress. For more info check out www.gettingstoked.com | |
 | Colin McRae: DiRT 2 2009-08-31 Melding turbo-charged off-roading with extreme sports attitude, the eagerly anticipated next chapter in the legendary racing series, Colin McRae: DiRT 2, will deliver a thrilling and stylish off-road racing experience. Colin McRae: DiRT 2 takes off-road racing games to a new level with thrilling new race types, big event atmosphere, stunning locations, a new breed of off-roading heroes and feature a peerless line-up of super-charged speed machines covering seven vehicle classes. Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will take players on a World Tour of adrenaline-fuelled extreme off-road events in stunning real-world locations. Events include exhilarating rally cross in the massive Los Angeles sports stadium's Stadium King Shootout, edge-of-control canyon racing of Utah's Creek Trailblazer event, the Rawang Rally Run along treacherous Malaysian rainforest tracks and the Battersea Battle, where night races are staged at the iconic London power station.Building on the technical and gameplay benchmark of Colin McRae: DiRT and borrowing from snowboarding and skateboarding lifestyle and culture, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will also add full online multiplayer and social networking functions, inviting players to become part of an extreme sports community. For more info check out the official site www.dirt2game.com/ | |
 | Beaterator - PSP's new music production software brought to you by Rockstar Games! 2009-08-26 Beaterator is the most advanced music production software brought out on the PSP, and possibly any hand-held format. The software of course uses alot samples made by Rockstar games, but they have managed to source one of the biggest names in popular music to do alot of them Aswell! Timbaland has jumped in to put his own twist on things with these samples so you can be sure you will be pumping out club anthems within a few hours. | |
 | Dunston Hall Charity Fashion Show 2009-08-24 Nestled within the beautiful grounds of Dunston Hall, the charity fashion show took place in a traditional white marquee decorated with sleek chandeliers and cascades of white fabric. We were greeted with champagne and canapés before settling down in the front row for a night of fashion delights. Hosted by model Kerri Parker and TV presenter Rob Lamarr, we were treated to the Autumn/Winter collections from Norwich's House of Fraser and online designer boutique my-wardrobe.com. All the models were from the Kerri Parker Academy and for many it was their first time on the runway. The night kicked off with designer diffusion ranges from my-wardrobe.com, including McQ Alexander McQueen, Paul Smith Paul and See by Chloe. The outfits were sleek and sophisticated, showcasing some gorgeous LBDs as well as some quirkier items such as slouchy jumpsuits and bright mini-skirts. The Vivienne Westwood diffusion line Anglomania was particularly impressive with its surprisingly simple asymmetric designs and crisp tailoring. House of Fraser was up next showcasing clothes from their house brands as well as designer diffusion line Lauren by Ralph Lauren. The catwalk was a sea of dusky purples and greys interspersed with the occasional flash of pink or burnt orange. Some of the outfits were a little uneventful but the luxurious occasion wear range Untold did impress with silk shift dresses and satin separates giving a relaxed luxe look. After surveying the trends for Autumn/Winter 09 we feasted on strawberries dipped in chocolate and danced the night away sipping champagne. Of course, such fun and frolics was all in aid of charity and all the money raised will go to East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) – a great night for a worthy cause! Words: Miranda York Photography: Gill and Barry Moppett | |
 | ManorFest - Charity Gig In AId of teh Hannah Mitchell Appeal 2009-08-21 This event is to raise money for the Hannah Mitchell Appeal. They are hoping to raise enough money for a special type of wheelchair for Hannah Mitchell that the NHS won't fund so its a very worthy cause! Its going to be a great event with an awesome lineup including: Missing Andy Jackson Warehouse Six Second Silence The Retro Tones The Jesters Dead Ed Sheeran Crossover A World Apart + more! The gig will be on the 13th of September at The Manor Ballroom and will be a amazing day of quality music! So come down guys and check out this list for more details! www.crossoverband.co.uk/id6.html | |
 | Norfolk Host's Brand New British Artificial Championships! 2009-08-21 A brand new British Artificial Snowboard and Freeski Championships and dedicated Schools Tour Programme is coming to Norwich next month. The tour begins on Monday 10th September, when it stops off at The Hewett and Earlham High School before heading over to Norfolk Snow-sports Centre on the 12th and 13th September. With arguably one of the best equipped and well kept dryslopes in the UK, Norfolk and the British Artificial Championships looks set to be an epic first event and new addition to this year's Tour. This event is a great opportunity for everyone in the area to show off their skills and maybe win the 200 FREE beginner lessons that are up for grabs. Over 300 of the UK's top snowboarders and skiers, including local rippers, 16 year old Tom Coe and Brothers Jamie and Robbie Debbage will descend upon Norfolk Snow-sport Centre to compete in the British Big Air, Animal Slopestyle and Trespass Snowboard and Skiercross Championships. The inspirational schools tour programme which runs alongside the Snow Tour and holds high impact presentations at each school will dish out 200 FREE beginner lessons, display breathtaking aerial tricks on the trampoline and hopefully inspire more local youngsters to get active with snow-sports. British Artificial Championship Schedule: Saturday 12th September, Norfolk Snowsports Centre: Trespass Snowboardcross Championships Snowboard Big Air Championships Animal Freeski Slopestyle Championships FREE Beginner Ski & Snowboard Lessons Sunday 13th September, Norfolk Snowsports Centre: Trespass Skiercross Championships Freeski Big Air Championships Animal Snowboard Slopestyle Championships FREE Beginner Ski & Snowboard Lessons The British Snow Tour is open to all ability levels and is served up across five age categories, Kids, Youth, Junior, Senior and Master. To pre-register to compete and keep up to date with event details go to: www.britishsnowtour.com | |
 | Only two weeks to go until Offset Festival 2009-08-20 Hailed as the Uks finest alternative festival, Offset Festival is about to crash its way through the very heart of Hainault Forest, just outside of London. Taking place on the 5th and 6th of Sepetember in this beautiful location just 30 minutes from The Big Smoke, the event features 7 stages with over 150 artists, hand-picked to represent the most exciting and creative lineup you'll see at any festival this year. Launched to massive acclaim in 2008, and brought together by the team behind TMF Rock Festival. TMF started as a small event and grew into an 8000 capacity festival, when it was decided to relaunch with a new name, location and offer even more - a full weekend of great new music Tickets are on sale priced from just £45 for a whole weekend. Join the mailing list now to ensure you don't miss out, and check out the full line-up here: OFFSET OFFICIAL WEBSITE franc botha | |
 | Offset Festival 2009 new line up announcements 2009-08-14 East Londons premier artrock and post punk Offset Festival have just announced more creative, exciting, and influential artists added to this years already astounding alternative lineup. Joining the likes of The Horrors, The Slits, and The Futureheads on 5-6th September will be: Damo Suzuki Dananananaykroyd Die! Die! Die! S.C.U.M and the ever amazing Chapman Family Plus: Kasms, Tim Burgess (DJ set), John and Jehn, R O M A N C E, Disconcerts, Cheval Sombre, Math Head, Gyratory System, Wild Palms, Teeth of the Sea and Private Trousers. Joining the dots between exciting new artists and their iconic influences, the boutique festival hosts over 200 artists on 7 stages throughout two days of debauchery. Offset Festival takes place every year at the beautiful Hainault Forest woodlands, East London, just 30 minutes from central London on the tube. The event has a license for 10,000 festival-goers. An old-fashioned fun fair, vintage clothing market (hosted by the renowned Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair), and performance art will also feature during the weekend. Glaswegian noise-niks Dananananaykroyd will also be bringing their feel-good, hands in the air, rock pop noise freakout to this years Offset. Having released their eagerly-awaited debut LP Hey Everyone! in April via Best Before records, Dananananaykroyd are set to decant their staccato tongue-in-cheek pop anthems all over Offsets Artrocker Stage. Raw, rough, deranged but melodic and danceable with polite lyrics, One of Mad Dog Magazines top festival bands, post-everything art rockers S.C.U.M will be bringing their adrenaline-fuelled inside-out music to the Artrocker stage on Sunday evening. Northern godafathers of everything of late, The Chapman Family will be blending dark, noisy folk and hardcore art-punk like only they do. The band released limited edition single 'Kids' back in April, and have been given airtime from XFM's John Kennedy, 'Single of the Week' for Steve Lamacq, a Radio One Live Session, and an exclusive interview in the June issue of Mad Dog Magazine. Kasms' confrontational, eerie art-punk is best experienced live, with singer Rachel notorious for hurling herself on the floor and staging assaults on photographers, amps and unwary bystanders. Definately one not to miss!! There'll also be a rare chance to catch New Yorks Math Head, Gyratory System's smoky bleepy music, and the mournful, sumptuous beeps and blasts from Teeth of the Sea. Venue: Hainault Forest Country Park, Redbridge, Essex/East London Date: 5th – 6th September 2009 Gates open: 11.30am Saturday and Sunday Ticket prices: Limited earlybird weekend tickets start from 45 (non-camping); 55 (camping) for more info on the ever-evolving line-up, check out the festivals official website: OFFSET OFFICIAL franc botha pic: Mike Burnell | |
 | BORN By Ted Baker gear launches best gig-going competition of all time 2009-08-13 In support of the their new offspring, BORN BY TED BAKER, the clothing label is bringing to UK music fans the chance of being immortalised in the pages of history… Ted Baker's new indie-chic cool brand BORN has launched possibly the best competition any gig-goer will ever get the chance to take part in - squeezing in as many gigs as humanly possible in the space of seven days! Welcome to Gig Race, the ultimate music challenge. Ted Baker are looking for courageous souls to brave beer spillages and rogue stage divers, in an attempt to become the Gig Race Champion of the world. But this isn't any ordinary gig competition. It'll require dedication: you will need the horse-like stamina to leap about at as many gigs as humanly possible in just two weeks (and possibly a sturdy pair of earplugs) and if you don’t die of a heart attack, there's a thousand pounds worth of BORN By Ted Baker gear up for grabs, and also a prestige place on the podium in the Guinness Book of Records. Ted Baker have also hooked up with the award-winning (and sold out) ultimate summer festival, Bestival (11, 12, 13 September), who will be throwing in two tickets just for the good of the cause!! Featuring Kraftwerk, Massive Attack, Lily Allen and Fleet Foxes, it promises to be the best 3 days in a muddy field this year. Plus you could go there as the holder of the world record for most gigs in 7 days. Sweet, eh?? Think you're up for the challenge?? Then head over to the Born by Ted Baker website: BORN BY TED BAKER for more details, and bask in the glory of being the best gig-goer in the world, EVER!! franc botha | |
 | Noah & the Whale announce tour, new album and film 2009-08-13 Folkster Noah & The Whale have just announced a string of UK headline tour dates in support of their up coming sophomore album First Days Of Spring. The band will be touring their new album, released on August 31st, for the first time this October. If Carlsberg did folk albums, The First Days of Spring would probably be the most beautiful record you will hear this year. The follow-up to the London-based quartets Gold-selling 2008 debut, Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down, the record comes accompanied by a film, directed by the bands Charlie Fink and starring model Daisy Lowe, which runs the length of the album. It will be preceded by a single, Blue Skies, on August 24th and launched with a run of screenings at cinemas across the UK, and the special two-night stand at Londons ICA on September 3rd and 4th. Fans buying one ticket to the ICA event will have access to two nights of The First Days of Spring, the first in the form of the film, the second as the band takes to the stage at the venue on the Mall. Noah & The Whale will be screening the film at cinemas in Bristol (Aug 30th), Manchester (31st), Glasgow (Sept 1st) and Sheffield (2nd) Live dates for the band are below: Sun 27-Sep Gateshead The Sage Mon 28-Sep Leeds The Cockpit Tue 29-Sep Manchester Club Academy Thu 01-Oct Oxford Oxford O2 Academy Fri 02-Oct London Koko Sun 04-Oct Norwich Waterfront Mon 05-Oct Cambridge Junction Wed 07-Oct Brighton Concorde Thu 08-Oct Derby Rockhouse Sat 10-Oct Exeter Phoenix Sun 11-Oct Bath Komedia Mon 12-Oct Falmouth Princess Pavillion Wed 14-Oct Sheffield Leadmill Thu 15-Oct Glasgow Oran Mor Auditorium For more about The First Days of Spring straight from the horse’s mouth, click yourself over to the band’s blog at: N.&.T.W BLOG franc botha | |
 | garage rockers LOVVERS release handful of UK dates. 2009-08-13 SO three years in, a million shows played, friendships won and lost… It's now time for LOVVERS to release their highly anticipated first LP, OCD GO GO GO GIRLS. En route from rocking The Smell in LA, playing with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and playing god knows how many shows at SXSW, LOVVERS set about making a record that in their own words is "...an unconventional weird pop record...". Comparisons to Mark Sultan and Clorox Girls are clear but it kicks off with something that almost resembles The Clash. Whilst this is budget rock, this time around the budget was actually pretty good so they relocated to Jackpot! Studios (owned by Larry Crane, editor of Tape Op Magazine) in the musical Mecca of Portland, Oregon. With Pat Kearns (Red Dons, Clorox Girls, Exploding Hearts) manning the desk they set about making a record that you're definitely going to want to keep spinning for some time from now. The band will be playing the following UK dates in support of the album : 16 Aug Bodega Social Nottingham 19 Aug Nation of Shopkeepers [FREE] Leeds 20 Aug Captains Rest Glasgow 21 Aug Sneaky Petes Edinburgh 28 Aug Reading Festival Reading 30 Aug Leeds Festival Leeds 18 Sep Auntie Annies Belfast 19 Sep Whelans Dublin 21 Sep Brudenell Social Club Leeds 22 Sep The Corner Manchester 23 Sep Chameleon Nottingham 24 Sep Buffalo Bar Cardiff 25 Sep Old Blue Last London 26 Sep The Cowley Club Brighton 27 Sep Rough Trade East London 28 Sep New Cross Inn London 29 Sep The Stockroom Sheffield 30 Sep The Masonic Arms Shrewsbury 1 Oct Corsica Studios London for any more info, see the Lovvers Myspace at: www.myspace.com/letscommunicate franc botha | |
 | DanceEast's new dance studio opening in September 2009-08-05 DanceEast's Jerwood DanceHouse opens its doors for classes and workshops on 14 September 2009. This is an exciting time for DanceEast, as all Ipswich activities will now take place at the brand new purpose built Jerwood DanceHouse, on the Ipswich waterfront. All classes at the DanceHouse run on a drop in basis, so why not pop in on your way to work, in your lunch break or in the evening, and try one out. From jazz and tap to contemporary technique and Egyptian Belly Dancing, there is something for all ages and abilities. For the first time DanceEast will offer a full Saturday programme of activities, and are thrilled to be opening a new cafe, danceeats, on the waterfront, the ideal meeting place for the community. DanceEast also brings opportunities to audiences around Suffolk, with its exciting programme of dance groups for young people and adults. For a copy of the autumn/winter class brochure call DanceEast on 01473 639230 or email 'Class brochure' to info@danceeast.co.uk leaving your full contact details. | |
 | Check out our preview of the Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2009-07-28 The Edinburgh Interactive Festival takes place on the 13th and 14th of August is an annual festival celebrating the creative culture of interactive entertainment. Spanning across a broad range of industries including videogames, social networking, mobile entertainment, education, film, music and television, Edinburgh Interactive attracts people from all walks of life such as conference delegates and industry luminaries from around the world, families, gaming fans, academics and students as well as national press. Edinburgh Interactive 2009 will pack in exclusive hands-on previews of the year's biggest titles as well as speakers from the key sectors of the videogames industry; all in one fantastic venue. The videogames market has more than doubled over the last five years. Last year, hardware and software sales combined totalled over 4 billion pounds. In addition, the current generation of hardware has now sold 24 million units - equalling the total estimated number of UK households. EI 2009 is all set to revel in those achievements, with the biggest industry names gathering to offer their thoughts on the past, present and future of videogaming. Alongside exclusive first looks at the likes of Batman: Arkham Asylum, FIFA 10 and Wii Sports Resort - this year's EI 2009 is simply unmissable. Read our full preview here and keep your eyes peeled for our exclusive festival coverage next month! | |
 | WOODSTOCK creator Michael Lang to open Big Chill Festival 2009 2009-07-23 40 years ago Woodstock first conjured up peoples emotions, and truly captured the essence of the festival spirit as we know it today. This year, The Big Chill Festival will be honouring the creator of Woodstock, Michael Lang, by celebrating the legendary festivals 40th birthday this August. The Woodstock Music and Art Fair is widely regarded as one of the most significant moments in popular music history, and was listed one of the 50 moments that changed the history of rock and roll by Rolling Stone magazine. Michael Lang will be appearing at the Words In Motion tent on the opening evening, so that Big Chill revellers will be able to meet the man himself in a special Q+A session. There will also be a chance for chillers to watch a 40th anniversary screening of the film, Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music. Big Chill co-founder Katrina Larkin said on the partnership: "Woodstock is seen as the perfect celebration of the 60's peace and love movement. An ideal which the founders of The Big Chill hold dear, and which has helped define the ethos of The Big Chill these past 15 years. It is yet to be seen if the skinny dipping that was so prevalent in the Filippini Pond in '69 will happen in the Eastnor pond this year. If it does then it is likely that Michael Lang will be the one leading the charge!" With only 14 sleeps, 10 hours, 5 minutes, and 13 seconds until the festival kicks off, you'd better start packing! for more info on Big Chill 2009, visit : BIG CHILL OFFICIAL fb | |
 | TANGERINE FIELDS - FESTIVAL CAMPING MADE EASY!! 2009-07-23 OK. So, it's time to go over the final checklist of what you need for 3/5 days in the sun watching countless amounts of your favourite bands. It should pretty much go something like this... 1) Alcohol, anything that's cheap. - check 2) Wellies - check 3) Food - check 4) More alcohol - (better to be safe) - check 5) A sense of dignity (optional). - undecided 6) Sleeping bag - check 7) Clean clothes - check 8) And a tent - che... wait, who's bringing the tent this year? As many of you happy campers know, there's nothing worse than the last minute rush of working out who's staying in whose tent. OK - so maybe that's not the difficult part, but surely we can all agree that trying to erect a tent at two o clock in the morning (after using the "yeah, I'll do it in a bit" excuse a hundred times) after bombing one too many cans of your favourite lukewarm beer. Well, you might as well put your feet up and not worry about it... that's if, of course you're in the very capable hands of TANGERINE FIELDS. Started by two seasoned festivals goers, Tangerine Fields are here to sort you out on a most enjoyable festival experience. From a little as 30quid per person, you can rent out a tent tailored to your very specific needs for your mud-fest weekend ahead – these include anything from 2, 4 and 6 man tents. The sleeping bags are even included with the tent! Also, at selected festivals across the UK, with a Tangerine Fields wrist band, you can use the exclusive toilets and showers for maximum festival luxury....MMmmMM.....cleannn. Tangerine Fields is every festival-goers camping dream: ~ Turn up and find the perfect camping spot already picked out for you. ~ Your tent is already up. ~ Your mates are all camped next to you. ~ All you need to do is start the party. Tangerine Fields can now be found at over 20 of the major festivals in th UK, so chances are, they'll be pitching where you want to go, including : Big Chill Bestival Latitude Hay Literary Greenbelt Greenman T in the Park Oxegen Isle of Wight Leeds and Reading Retrofest Rockness Creamfields Womad Beachdown and Rewind for more info, go to : WWW.TANGERINEFIELDS.CO.UK matthew bunkell & franc botha | |
 | It's Rush Hour All Day Long in Empire of Sports New UK City 2009-07-15 Empire of Sports, the first virtual world entirely dedicated to sport, has announced its partnership with legendary Welsh footballer, Ian Rush. His involvement in the game will coincide with a raft of in-game improvements and new features, foremost among them a brand new city for Empire of Sports - in the UK. The new UK location will allow English-speaking players to meet and plot their achievements within Empire of Sports. While former Liverpool and Juventus striker, Rush, will be featured in-game as an NPC (non-playable character), where he will be on standby to issue all players with special missions and new tricks. Alexis Galley, CEO of Empire of Sports, said: "We are delighted to announce the UK as a city within Empire of Sports. It has been our wish to incorporate this city as quickly as possible to make it more enjoyable for British players to play the game in their own language. We know that many people have been eagerly awaiting this version of the game and we hope they enjoy it." To celebrate the launch of the UK city, the first official video competition titled 'Good Morning UK' is being held for the Empire of Sports community. All you have to do to take part is visit the new city and be as creative and imaginative as possible, basically just show off and highlight some of its best features! More information on the competition can be found here If you are keen to check out the new UK city for yourself, all you need to do is download the game client from www.empireofsports.com (900 Mo), register and start playing for free! Empire of Sports is currently in the Prologue phase: this phase allows the game to expand progressively, with the help and feedback of its vast community of online players. | |
 | Norwich no-waver TAWNY OWL talks Latitude 2009-07-14 In the last of a series of exclusive interviews for this years imminent Latitude Festival Mad Dog Magazine is proud to bring you a few quick words with the regions freshest breath of bad air. Rhian Brighton had a few words with Norwichs' Tawny Owl + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + R : Heyup Tawny Owl, who are you most looking forward to seeing at this years Latitude festival? T.O : I'm just going to do a list of people I have to catch, reason being they are all uncredible. Nick Cave. Thom Yorke. St Vincent. Saint Ettiene. Spiritualized. The Vaselines. Fever Ray. !!! . Vivien Westwood. Jackie Kay. R : What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why? T.O : Its big enough to get your Nick Caves and your Thom Yorkes but not sprawling or overly corporate. Also the emphasis on literature and theatre makes the festival feel more kind of intimate, this is my first latitude but the band assure me that its a great place to stumble about for a day and find some nice weird stuff. R : What can people expect you to bring to the festival, and do you have anything special planned? T.O : Blood, masks, an art installation featuring stuff from our video plus the first Tawny Owl guitar - in bits these days of course. Loud guitars, some new never before heard songs and a really intense scary performance. R : If you weren't playing the festival, what would you be doing instead? T.O : Working in a pub / watching back to back episodes of The City and Fab life on MTV. R : What do you always bring to a festival? T.O : A canteen that carries two pints of gin and tonic and clips onto my belt. I look like a committed alcoholic / geography teacher. R : Have you been to Latitude before, and if so, what has your favourite performance been? T.O : LUCY of the Birds Of Prey : Arcade Fire headlining. Epic. R : Do you have any festival tips for those in attendance at Latitude? T.O : Clearly come and see Tawny Owl & The Birds of Prey. And I think I'm most excited about seeing Fever Ray who is one half of Swedish electro band The Knife, I have a suspicion that that will be pretty spesh. R : Finally, what is your favourite colour Sheep? T.O : A kind of Tawny down brown colour. Or pink. Or blood red. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + With only two days until this years festival kicks off, you'd better start getting ready! for any more info, check out : www.latitudefestival.co.uk Tawny Owl Myspace franc botha pic: rhian brighton | |
 | Marina & the Diamonds talks festivals 2009-07-10 Along with Ozzy girl-wonder Ladyhawke,Brightonian futurist Bat For Lashes, anti-folk princess Emmy the Great and New Yorker Regina Spektor, the feamle contingent will be out in force at this years Latitude Festival in Southwolds Henham Park. Welsh piano goddess Marina stopped by to have a natter with Mad Dog Magazines very own foot soldier Rhian Brighton to have a little looksy at what the plans are for next weekends big show.... R : Hi Marina, who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year's Latitude festival? M&tD : Bat for Lashes and St. Vincent.Defiantely. R : What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why? M&tD : The surroundings- the woods sound, look and feel magical. R : What can people expect you to bring to the festival, and do you have anything special planned? M&tD : We have got something special planned, but shhh! Its a secret R : If you weren't playing Latitude this year, what would you be doing instead? M&tD : Probably working, ie doing press/ shoots/ or recording my album. R : What's the most important thing to always bring to a festival? M&tD : Apples.... and also glitter. R : Have you been to Latitude before, and if so, what has your favourite performance been? M&tD : No, i havent been. really excited. R : Do you have any festival tips for those in attendance at Latitude? M&tD : Take baby wipes. R : What is your favourite colour Sheep? M&tD : Pink. for more info on Latitude, go to: www.latitudefestival.co.uk for more info on Marina & the Diamonds, go to: Marina Myspace franc botha | |
 | Nick Moran at Ipswich Hollywood Cinema to introduce Telstar this Sat!!! 2009-07-10 Nick Moran, star of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and writer/director of Telstar, the story of 60's music producer Joe Meek, will be stopping off at Hollywood Film Theater at The Corn Exchange Ipswich on his tour of the UK to promote his film. This is a rare and unique opportunity for film and music buffs in Ipswich. Adapted from the play by James Hicks, Telstar is a biopic of Joe Meek, the flamboyantly gay, songwriter-producer behind the '60s hits 'Have I the Right?', 'Just Like Eddie,' 'Johnny Remember Me' and 'Telstar.' The date of this special performance is Saturday 11th July at 7pm-10pm and tickets will be charged at the normal rates - £3.99 concessions/£6 standard adult For further details click here. | |
 | Jeremy Warmsley talks Latitude 2009-07-09 With this summers Latitude festival getting closer to kick-off by the minute, campers everywhere are readying themselves for some of the best shows of the year, from the likes of Thom Yorke to Florence & the Machine to Editors and Grace Jones. The seemingly never-endingly comical folk minstral Jeremy Warmsley caught up with Mad Dog Magazines Rhian Brighton to talk camping, crumbly vitimans and three-part harmonies..... R: Hey Jeremy, who are you most looking forward to seeing at this years Latitude? JW: Nick Cave. He's an incredible live performer and I've never seen him before. I've seen concert videos of his that were more engrossing than most actual gigs, so I've high hopes. R: What aspect of Latitude interests you the most? JW: Probably the lineup. And the atmosphere. R: What can people expect you to bring to the festival, and do you have anything special planned? JW: We're (honestly, we are) doing a set of Daniel Johnston & Tom Waits covers! With three-part harmonies and church hall piano, it should be a bit different and very nice. (11pm, Friday night, Music & Film tent). R: If you weren't playing, what would you be doing instead? JW:I'd be at home, enjoying the sunshine and listening to music. Not so different, I guess! R: What do you always bring to a festival? JW:Berocca. It's that amazing crumbly vitamin stuff you put in water that makes your pee go green and your vital signs go wang. R: Have you been to Latitude before, and if so, what has your favourite performance been? JW: Yep. Joanna Newsom last year was jolly good. Arcade Fire the year before that. R: Do you have any festival tips for those in attendance at Latitude? JW: Pace yourselves on the alcohol front. You don't want to be sick, then slip up in the sick, and fall in the sicky mud (which happened to a friend last year). R: What is your favourite colour Sheep at Latitude? JW: I prefer the natural look. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + for more info on Latitude go to : www.latitudefestival.co.uk for more info on Jeremy Warmsley go to : www.myspace.com/jeremywarmsley franc botha | |
 | FC Barcelona joins Empire of Sports 2009-07-09 Legendary football club, FC Barcelona today opens its 'VIP Room' inside the virtual world of Empire of Sports Empire of Sports, the first virtual world entirely dedicated to sport, is proud to announce further developments with Europe's brand new football champion, FC Barcelona. This week saw the opening of the VIP room in the virtual Barça Club house, where subscribers can enjoy all sorts of exclusives benefits. Further to the hugely successful partnership created earlier this year between Empire of Sports and FC Barcelona, many exciting new developments have taken shape both on and offline. While Barça has been taking the Champions League by storm and claimed the title to Manchester United, the virtual world of Empire of Sports has welcomed a substantial number of new Barça fans who have signed up to experience the joys of up to 10 vs. 10 football. The virtual Barça club inside Empire of Sports provides FC Barcelona with a unique opportunity to offer its fans a virtual online meeting place. No matter where they are in the world, fans can interact with each other through their avatar - their virtual three-dimensional representation in the game. Today, FC Barcelona further enriches its partnership and involvement with Empire of Sports by throwing open the doors to the new 'VIP room'. The VIP room will be situated within the resident virtual Barça club house and will provide subscribers with all kinds of exclusive benefits, such as a complete Barça strip for their avatar, reserved missions, events and competitions. If you love the 'beautiful game' and want to show your support for FC Barcelona, all you need to do is download the game client from www.empireofsports.com (900 Mo), register and start playing for free! Empire of Sports is currently in the Prologue phase: this phase allows the game to expand progressively, with the help and feedback of its vast community of online players. | |
 | Countdown to LATITUDE begins 2009-07-07 With just over a week to go before the sun comes up over Suffolks Latitude festival, punters across the region are readying themselves for what is looking to be one of this summers definitive highlights. With acts including Grace Jones, Editors, and 80s wonders The Pet Shop Boys among others, Henham Park will be buzzing with excitement as the four day event returns for another fantastic innings. From now, until the day Latitude kicks off on Thursday 16th, Mad Dog Magazine will be bringing you exclusive interviews with many of the bands, comedians, and people involved in getting the festival together, just to whet your appetite.... + + + + + + + + + + + + For starters, Mad Dogs very own Rhian Brighton chased down Lewis Morton, owner of Milkbar Records in Norwich to see what he will be getting up to while the festival rolls out..... Rhian : Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this years Latitude festival, and why? Lewis : Obviously the four bands on our label, (Milkbar) Tawny Owl, Cold Hands, Lunaire and The Romance of Ballooning, particularly as it will be the first time any of them have played here. Aside from that, Thom Yorke, Patrick Wolf and our good friend Jeremy Warmsley, (who is performing a covers set) will all be highlights that shouldn't be missed. Rhian : What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why? Lewis : I think its nice to have such a devotion to things other than music at a festival; that diversity creates a great atmosphere, and the literature and poetry tents are always really strong in terms of line up. However, it's the music that I'm most interested in, because Latitude always has the best new bands and some more obscure acts playing. Rhian : What can people expect the Milkbar bands to bring to the festival, and do you have anything special planned? Lewis : We, as a label are bringing four of the best new acts in the country so people can expect some amazing performances. As to whether any of the bands have anything special planned, Tawny Owl always throws in unexpected treats and even Cold Hands don't know what is going to happen in any of their sets. Rhian : What's the one thing you always bring to a festival? Lewis : Definately a dry change of clothes, a towel, sun cream and an empty water bottle - to refil whenever possible. Rhian : Have you been to Latitude before, and if so, what has your favourite performance been? Lewis : Yeah, I have been before, and my favourite performance has got to be either Jeremy Warmsley or Final Fantasy. It was the first time I'd seen them both live, and they were both incredible. Rhian : Do you have any festival tips for those who will be heading to Latitude this year? Lewis : The Lake Stage always has some really good new bands. Try to see at least one, and one you don't already know..... and be sure to come and see the Milkbar bands play on the friday and saturday between 12pm and 4pm Rhian : Lastly, what is your favourite colour Sheep? Lewis : Blue For more info on Latitude, go to : www.latitudefestival.co.uk franc botha | |
 | Damon Albarn Wins Indesit Sweatiest Musician Award 2009-07-02 Following a scorching hot Glastonbury this weekend, Indesit have awarded the sweatiest celeb prize to Blur's Damon Albarn. The sun shone over the festival as Blur closed it with a career-defining set. With Blur having recently reformed, it's perhaps a while since they did anything quite so energetic, with Albarn and the crowd really getting into it and working up, well, a sweat. To celebrate their comeback and help to get rid of the sweat, Indesit have offered a new Indesit Prime washing machine to Mr Albarn so he can get his Fred Perry t-shirt looking like new again. Indesit have given the second place sweatiest celeb award to Tom Jones, followed by Lady Gaga, who may also benefit from the delicates wash on the Indesit Prime washing machine so she doesn't run out of undies... | |
 | Playfish and former Edge editor confirmed for Edinburgh Interactive Fest 2009-06-23 Third Wave of Speakers confirmed for Edinburgh Interactive Festival. The Edinburgh Interactive Festival yesterday announced that Kristian Segerstrale, CEO and Co-founder of Playfish, and respected industry consultant, Margaret Robertson, are both confirmed to speak at this year's event. Segerstrale and Robertson join an impressive list of guest speakers: including, among others, Peter Moore, President of EA Sports and Peter Cowley, Managing Director of Digital Media for Endemol UK. Segerstrale will be addressing the audience with a session titled "Lessons from Social Games - or How Today's Social Networks Will Change the Way You Make, Play and Sell Games Tomorrow". He leads Playfish, one of the largest and fastest growing social games companies in the world, which creates titles for friends to play together over social and mobile platforms such as Facebook, MySpace, iPhone and Android. Each of the company's seven games has been a top 10 hit on Facebook, including Pet Society, the platform's most popular game enjoyed by more than 11 million people every month. Segerstale will discuss how social games - or games designed for play with friends on social networks such as Facebook and MySpace - have experienced explosive growth and are right at the centre of broader industry trends such as free-to-play, games-as-a-service, social game design, user-generated content, and digital distribution. He'll also offer some predictions of how the game industry might change as a result. Industry consultant and former EDGE magazine editor, Margaret Robertson, will offer the Edinburgh crowds a rare insight into the videogames industry with a session titled 'Stop Telling Tales'. What if someone told you that you could make fans just as happy for a fraction of the effort and cost? Typically, fans of triple 'A' game titles expect lavishly told and epic stories. Though anyone who's been on the thinking end of the development process for such titles will tell you that it's a very expensive, cumbersome and inefficient process - which can often take its toll on the overall quality, budget and deadline of a game. As a consultant and advisor to companies such as EA, Sony and Channel 4 on game design and industry trends, Robertson will draw on her consultancy experiences across a wide range of story-based games. While breaking down concepts and highlighting elements to which fans relate and demonstrating how studios might deliver these to consumers in a more timely and cost-effective fashion. Now celebrating its seventh year, the Edinburgh Interactive Festival is powered up to showcase the continued popularity, growth and influence of video games. The Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2009 will again host a Free Game Play and Recruitment areas specifically tailored to cater for the public - allowing them access to the latest games and job opportunities in games. | |
 | Angry VS the Bear club night - Friday 26 June - 2009-06-22 We're sure you'll all be very pleased to know, Colchesters very own indie-pop superstars Angry VS the Bear, are kicking off a new monthly residency at their hometowns Twist venue. The first night (in in what is hopefully going to be a long life of nights for Club AVB) will see some of the areas most sought after acts gracing the stage at the Twist in colchester. Says sultry singer Mitzi Fox of the line-up for the opening night this Friday: "...we've got Vellocetta, Angry vs The Bear, Koopa, Essex Rocks, and DJ Dweeb dj sets in between bands. These guys are known floor fillers - mainly 80's and modern, but anything goes!!.." Doors at 8pm Entry is £5 Bring ID. Tickets on sale in advance from The Twist front desk, or: 01206 562453 Get down early to avoid disappointment. for more info : www.thetwist.co.uk or www.myspace.com/angryvsthebear franc botha | |
 | Pulse 09 Hits a New High 2009-06-20 This year's PULSE Fringe Festival, produced by The New Wolsey Theatre, ended on Saturday 13 June on an incredible 82% having sold 2,900+ tickets for 35 events. PULSE 09 saw an unprecedented demand for tickets with 14 completely sold out shows including Gecko's No 5 and Linda Marlow's The World's Wife. The festival opened on 27 May with Songs from a Hotel Bedroom, and featured a mix of physical theatre, new writing, performance poetry, visual art, comedy, dance and drama including new pieces from The Ornate Johnsons, return visits from Tam Hinton, Axis of Evil Productions and Kath Burlinson and ended with The Adventures of Wound Man and Shirley by Queer Up North. "The quality and range of work presented in this year’s festival has been mind-blowing," says Stephen. "We had hundreds of applications and the selection process is not an easy one but I am very happy with the choices we made and applaud the participants for giving us such an amazing festival. Audience feedback has been wonderful and I'm looking forward to finding lots of great work for 2010." With events at 6 venues it's impossible to see everything but Stephen only missed three shows. "It has been a very busy couple of weeks and I think I became slightly addicted to seeing at least one show every day. I'm feeling a bit bereft now that it's all over. Highlights for me included Paperweight which is a really unique event and also Horse from Company FZ performed by the amazing Flick Ferdinando." New Wolsey Chief Executive Sarah Holmes is equally proud of what PULSE has become. "We established PULSE as a platform for new and emerging talent and it has become a stepping-stone for so many performers. The quality of work is undoubtedly rising year-on-year and the festival is now attracting work from abroad as well as the most exciting UK based companies. PULSE has achieved national recognition and is listed as one of the top 50 festivals. We have big plans for its future development and with the support of local media, the growing demand for new and exciting work and the support of other venues in Ipswich we are confident that PULSE will continue to grow." This year's festival featured work by six companies from the eastern region who are supported by Escalator, an Arts Council England, East initiative which aims to identify, nurture and develop artistic talent in the East. PULSE 2010 will also include Escalator supported artists many of whom present work which is en route to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. "I'm heading north myself in a couple of weeks," explains Stephen. "I'm going to spend a couple of weeks in Edinburgh looking for work for PULSE 2010 and meeting companies at the cutting–edge who we will invite to next year’s festival. The application process for 2010 will open in August and we hope to present a bigger programme next year with more venues and even more choice." If you are interested in knowing more about PULSE visit www.wolseytheatre.co.uk/pulse from 29 June. | |
.jpg) | Howlback Hum 10 Band Special! 2009-06-12 Norwich meets the Netherlands with a stunning line up of 10 bands at the Arts Centre on Friday, June 19. Headlining the Howlback Hum spectacular are femme fatale duo the Suicidal Birds from the Netherlands, who, armed with tube amps and dirty bass, Suicidal Birds promise a raging sound storm with comparisons to PJ-Harvey, The Slits, The Thermals and the White Stripes. Pony Pack, from Amsterdam draw on punk, post-punk, new-wave, psychedelia and grunge influences to create their own brand of scuzzy and impulsive indie punk. Having played in countless clubs, parties and festivals across Europe since early 2007, and released their debut album Claws & Fists on Tocado Records last year. The nights Norwich contingent for the night boasts super-duo My Visor with Kat Mac and Keith Brown playing new tracks from their forthcoming second album. Meanwhile Bearsuit spin-off the Cruiser Chimps have been championed by the likes of Steve Lamacq and Artrocker, and described by Drowned in Sound as "...demonic noise-rock overlords intent on teaching your ears who's boss"... Completing the line up on the main stage, Donkey Cock promise sex depraved psychedelic rock. Yes, really. As if all of that isn't enough, solo acts Cakesandale, Hoofus, Frank, Rawandcooked, and Lilith will all take to the stage in the Cafe Bar. Howlback Humruns from 8pm until midnight at Norwich Arts Centre on St Benedicts Street. Tickets, priced at 5 Quid in advance, are available on 01603 660352 or from: www.norwichartscentre.co.uk. franc botha | |
 | Dungeons UK Summer Tour 2009-06-06 To say Dungeons are the best hardcore band since the 3 Wise Men sat down next to the campfire and played the bongos, (probably) would be an understatement. With drummer Liam Dungeon throwing more blood around the room than Andrew WK in 2001, and tattood guitarist Matt Dungeon looking more colourful than a wet comic book gone satanic, these rum-soaked metallers will be tearing across the UK this summer, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.... make sure you check them out: June: **** 22 : Ice Bar - Ipswich 27 : Cockpit - Leeds July: **** 13 : Liquid - Ipswich 31 : King Alfred - Southampton August: ****** 1 : Rose & Crown - Ipswich 3 : Harrys Bar - Stoke 4 : Chameleon Cafe - Nottingham 5 : Sneaky Petes - Edinburgh 6 : The Cooperage - Newcastle 7 : The Fenton - Leeds 8 : Swinging Sporran - Birmingham 13 : Cambridge Arms - Colchester Download track Deathknell for free on our NetDog profile of the band. for more info: www.myspace.com/goteamdungeons franc botha | |
 | Rockstar Games and Take 2 announce Agent 2009-06-04 Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, has just made the exciting announcement that they will be working on a new title called agent. Developed by Rockstar North, the people behind Grand Theft Auto, Agent will be available exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3, and may be just the title the console needs to boast its profile. Agent is a game that Rockstar have clearly been dreaming up for a while. "We have always enjoyed making action games, and with Agent we are making what we believe will be the ultimate action game," says Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "Agent is a game we have wanted to make for a long time. The team in Edinburgh is doing an amazing job combining intense action, atmosphere and story in a great period setting to create something that feels quite unique. We cannot wait for people to experience this game." Well Sam, we can't wait to experience it! not many details are available yet but Agent will take players on a paranoid journey into the world of counter-intelligence, espionage and political assassinations during the height of the Cold War at the end of the 1970s. We'll bring you more details as they become available, in the meantime check out the Rockstar website. www.rockstargames.com | |
 | Full line up announced for guitar Hero 5 2009-06-03 The full line up for the eagerly awaited Guitar Hero 5 has just been revealed and features the most diversified set list to date, comprised of songs from some of the hottest bands of today to all-time favourite classic anthems, with music from a variety of genres including hard rock, classic rock, indie rock, metal and more. Get ready to shred, drum and wail with any in-game instrument combination as Guitar Hero announces the full list of artists and bands that will be offering up some of their greatest works to living room rockers everywhere. The complete list of artists and bands to be featured in Guitar Hero 5 when it hits store shelves this autumn will include songs from: • 3 Doors Down • A Perfect Circle • AFI • Attack! Attack! • Band Of Horses • Beastie Boys • Beck • Billy Idol • Billy Squier • Blink 182 • Blur • Bob Dylan • Bon Jovi • Brand New • Bush • Children of Bodom • Coldplay • Darker My Love • Darkest Hour • David Bowie • Deep Purple • Dire Straits • Duran Duran • Eagles Of Death Metal • Elliott Smith • Elton John • Face to Face • Garbage • Gorillaz • Gov't Mule • Grand Funk Railroad • Iggy Pop • Iron Maiden • Jeff Beck • Jimmy Eat World • John Mellencamp • Johnny Cash • Kaiser Chiefs • King Crimson • Kings Of Leon • Kiss • Love and Rockets • Megadeth • Motley Crue • Muse • My Morning Jacket • Nirvana • No Doubt • Peter Frampton • Public Enemy Featuring Zakk Wylde • Queen and David Bowie • Queens Of The Stone Age • Rammstein • Rose Hill Drive • Rush • Santana • Scars On Broadway • Screaming Trees • Smashing Pumpkins • Sonic Youth • Spacehog • Stevie Wonder • Sublime • Sunny Day Real Estate • T. Rex • The Bronx • The Derek Trucks Band • The Duke Spirit • The Killers • The Police • The Raconteurs • The Rolling Stones • The Sword • The White Stripes • Thin Lizzy • Thrice • Tom Petty • Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers • TV On The Radio • Vampire Weekend • Weezer • Wild Cherry • Wolfmother | |
 | Paul Weller announces live dates and DVD 2009-06-02 The modfather himself, Paul Weller has announced a series of gigs in spectacular woodland locations across the UK this summer as part of Forestry Commission Live Music 2009. This will be a long-awaited return for his fans, having last played some forest dates in 2004 to capacity crowds. Described as both the modfather of rock and Britpop's elder statesman, Weller is ultimately acknowledged by the media, fellow musicians and the public as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of British popular music. Since his early days in The Jam, then Style Council and subsequently as a hugely successful solo artist, Weller continues to make pioneering music with every waking breath. Last year saw the release of the critically acclaimed number one album 22 Dreams, his ninth solo album in a career spanning over three decades. Paul Weller will be performing at: Thetford Forest, Suffolk, Fri 05/06/2009 Delamere Forest, Cheshire, Fri 12/06/2009 Sherwood Pines Forest Park, Notts, Fri 19/06/2009 Westonbirt Arboretum, Glos, Sat 20/06/2009 Cannock Chase Forest, Staffs, Fri 2/06/2009 Dalby Forest, N Yorks, Sat 27/06/2009 Tickets: 33.00 (subject to booking fee) are available from the Forestry Commission Box Office 01842 814612, online at: Forestry Commision or over the counter from the venue. franc botha | |
 | See Out West Gate at the Pulse Festival 2009-06-02 The Pulse Festival is now in full swing and is keeping the crowds scurrying from one packed out quality performance to another, with barely time to down an espresso in between. One highlight coming up that should be marked in everyone's diary is Out Westgate showing at the New Wolsey Studio at 7.45pm on Saturday 6 June, which is about growing up in Suffolk (something many of us can relate to). Set on the day of John Peel’s funeral in 2004, Out Westgate, written and directed by Drew Taylor, is a blackly comedic 21st century drama. Set in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, the play explores our need to suppress, forget, and “carry-on-regardless”. Our forgotten childhood misdemeanors will always return to haunt us as adults... Drew, from Bury St Edmunds and now living in Glasgow where he went to Drama College and subsequently set up proudExposure with fellow performer/dramaturg Fi Alexander, is a young man with serious prospects. Recent productions include, Natural Selection [Site specific piece at Brunswick Hotel, Glasgow], Sub-Opera [As part of Glasgow’s Underground Festival] and a Scratch performance of our newest piece The Family at the Arches Theatre, Glasgow. Out Westgate is based on Drew’s experience of growing up in a small town in rural Suffolk and the limitations he believes this placed on him as a young person. This was further reinforced when he left Suffolk to study in Cambridge and later when he moved to Glasgow and realized how much support was available in bigger cities. “I loved growing up in Bury St Edmunds. It’s a wonderful town and will always be home but I became aware of a sense of predetermination, a feeling that my life was set to take a set course and that difference was not tolerated and definitely not encouraged. I knew I wanted something more but I only found it by moving away and Out Westgate is my attempt to show that rural Suffolk may be safe and beautiful but it’s not perfect and is not always providing the support young people need to become the best they can be.” Drew is clearly a young man with drive and ambition and his success to date is proof that he is also a man with talent. His first script, Quality Control, was short listed for an Old Vic New Voices Award, an award scheme which aims to support young and emerging talent. “Fi and I set up proudExposure to tell tales in the most interesting ways. We seek to present work that has a strong story rooted in traditions of literary practice – but developed and presented in a modern theatrical medium – utilising varying verbal and physical performance styles and production design techniques,” explains Drew. “To this end, our work is multi-faceted: we work in site specific locations, devise large ensemble productions and specialise in new writing development. Our work is always wholly collaborative with each project being closely developed alongside our ensemble of performers, each of whom brings a different skill-set to a rehearsal room.” “I am delighted to have the opportunity to present Out Westgate at PULSE and applaud the festival for providing a platform for new talent.” You can see Out Westgate at New Wolsey Studio at 7.45pm on Saturday 6 June. Tickets are just £5 and can be booked by calling the PULSE Ticket Hotline: 01473 295900 There's also a wealth of other pieces to see at the festival read our previews here: here Or check out the official website | |
 | Peter Cowley confirmed as speaker for Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2009-06-02 Peter Cowley, Managing Director of Digital Media for Endemol UK, will present a session at this Edinburgh Interactive Festival. Cowley is delivering a session titled: ‘Evolution of TV Branded Games’ – a subject he’s well versed on. Endemol has established itself as a global leader in entertainment programming, becoming the largest independent TV, cross platform and digital distribution company worldwide. Their recent history boasts TV hits such as Big Brother, Deal or No Deal and Wipeout. They’ve recently teamed up with Microsoft to bring the hit game show 1 vs. 100 to Xbox Live Primetime for the first time in console history. In his session, Cowley will cover games that support TV shows, the rise of social gaming and the convergence of TV game shows within games. The session will be followed with a moderated Q&A, in which the audience can put questions to Cowley on the theme of TV production and gaming. Wendy Rosenthal, Director of Edinburgh Interactive Festival, said “I am really excited about this year’s line-up. Once again, we have an impressive list of quality speakers covering a number of relevant, timely and occasionally, controversial subjects. It should make for an engaging and thought provoking two days. “Each year, the Edinburgh Interactive Festival’s diverse programme attracts a bigger audience representing a broad range of industries. People are quickly learning to appreciate the importance of incorporating both interactive gaming and media into their products and marketing. There is no other games conference in the world that provides this level of depth and relevant content.” As well as its industry focus, The Edinburgh Interactive Festival also has a broad public strand. www.edinburghinteractivefestival.com The Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2009 industry conference will run on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th August. The public showcase will run over Friday 14th and Saturday 15th August. | |
 | You Love Her Coz She's Dead - NEW TOUR DATES 2009-05-31 Mad Dogs favourite electro/8-bit screamathon that is the mammoth You Love Her Coz Shes Dead have just announced a handful of live dates. Currently featured in the drug-fueled party of the 3rd series of Skins, Bristol duo Elle Dead and Jay Dead play the following UK dates: Bristol - Louisiana - 16 June click HERE for tickets. Guildford - Boiler Room - 10 July Camden - Barfly - 29 July click HERE for tickets. for any other info: YLHCSD MYSPACE franc botha | |
| Pulse Festival is Here! First show tonight 2009-05-27 Yes guys after all the lead up its finally here. The Pulse Festival Fringe is among us, and over the next fortnight will be bringing the lucky people of Ipswich and beyond the best new theatre and dance pieces, many of which are en route to the prestigious Edinburgh festival - so you can get a privileged first peek now! Tonight at The New Wolsey Studio at 6pm you can see a work in progress from Segue Theatre of 'Songs from a Hotel bedroom'. These excerpts from a new musical theatre production introduce the timeless and bittersweet songs of composer Kurt Weill. Set in 1950s America, the scenario tells of a love affair between a touring singer and a writer who are accompanied by two tango dancers. Kate Flatt with creative team Peter Rowe dramaturg, award winning singer and actress France Ruffelle, and dancers Amir Giles and Tara Pilbow will show 4material from their esearch and development phase. www.segue.org.uk You can check out our preview features on Pulse here Or visit the official website here | |
 | Hachfest Tickets now on sale! 2009-05-20 Adrian Edmondson & 'The Bad Shepherds' to headline Hachfest 2009 (31st July - 2nd August) HACHFEST runs over 3 days with 2 stages of live music of all genres, providing a great weekend of entertainment for all the family. Showcasing local musicians and supporting local charities. (All profits go to charity). In 2009, the event kicks off with 'Foot Stompin' Friday' - an evening of folk & rock, with some of East Anglia's best known bands, including folk band 'Murphy's Lore', Pogues tribute - 'Waxie's Dargle', and headlined by 'The Bad Shepherds' featuring Adrian Edmondson. Saturday is 'Live, Local & Loud' - A hard hitting day of rock and pop acts of all ages, culminating in a double headline by local 60s sensation 'The Wild Oats', and top tribute act - 'Counterfeit Quo'. Throughout the day there will be performances from Road to V contenders 'Underline The Sky', local favourites 'Umbrella Assassins', and new young bands 'Walkway' & 'I Know Jack'. Energetic original indie band 'Jade' & space rock band 'Mohawk' promise to have the crowd jumping. Sunday is 'Alternative', with an eclectic mix of music and dance including original acoustic pop from 'The Caution Horses', & amazing jazz piano from 'Judi Willson'. Feel good pop band 'The Marvelous' (who have supported Hard-Fi, The Bluetones & The Dogs), and local Brazilian act 'Samboomba', ensure the weekend is rounded off with a bang! Organisers of this year's Hachfest have deliberately kept prices low: Friday: £10 Saturday: £10 Sunday: £5 Weekend: £20 Kids under 12: Free Tickets available from the following places in advance, as well as on the gate throughout the weekend (subject to availability): Wickham Market: Teapot Tearoom Framlingham: Bridge Street Cafe The White Horse pub Ipswich: Tourist Information Office 01473 258 070 Online at: Seetickets.com For more information and to find out what is happening over the weekend please visit www.hachfest.co.uk | |
 | Pulse Previews - youtube links to some of the plays in this month's festival 2009-05-20 tickets for Ipswich's theatre festival performances, Pulse (27 May-13 June) are selling fast, so if you wait around too long you'll miss out. What exactly will you be missing out on? Only the most exciting Theatre festival East Anglia has to offer! For a taste of things to come check out some of the youtube links below and then get booking your tickets on 01473 295 900. the Adventures of Woundman and Shirley A quirky and surreal coming of age story. Check out the absolutely astonishing animation showcase by Adam Smith, who is producing original pieces for the show. The Truth is I Can't Stop Telling Lies The hilarious Tam Hinton delivers another delerious slice of stand up comedy/performance poetry/storytelling madness. Check out scenes from last years amazingThe Naked Soul of Kirk Godless Mississippi & October Revolutions If you need a reason to see either of these pieces by the Python-esque Ornate Johnsons check out this video set in HG Wells' drawing room. It's one of the funniest things you'll see in ages! Britain's Best Mates Fan's of Ricky Gervais' humour won't want to miss this. Check out a preview here. Two Bye Two Into dance? Check out out of many dance performances peppering the Pulse programme. Jude Simpson The female Bill Bailey, except with less facial hair. Is Everybody OK? For evidence of theatre Nabokov's impressive abilities see this trailer for their previous production based on Gore Vidals essays on the Okhlahoma Bomber. Oh What a Shitty War! What do you get if you cross South Park with Rainbow? Shitty Deal Puppet theatre of course! Check out the trailer to their previous show to see what you can be in store for. Lost in the Wind Floating between hilarious comic scenarios and spectacular visual sequences Lost in the Wind blends clowning, puppetry, object manipulation and delicate physical performance; taking audiences gently by the hand and leading them into a dreamlike other-world. check the trailer out here. Circus Workshops Ever dreamed of running away with the circus? Well now here's your chance! www.companyfz.com Bully Check out Richard Fry's powerful, lyrical and comic acheivement. For more info on these and other shows check the Pulse website. | |
 | Peter Moore President of EA Sports to be keynote speaker at Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2009-05-19 Edinburgh Interactive Festival yesterday announced that Peter Moore, President of EA SPORTS, will deliver the keynote address for this year's Conference. The Edinburgh Interactive Festival Conference delivers a lively schedule from a wide range of industry sectors including games, social networking, mobile entertainment, education, music, film and television. It also plays host to a range of free events including a games showcase, Dare to be Digital's Dare ProtoPlay and the Games Screening programme. Moore, who is lined up to be this year's leading keynote speaker, will focus his session on the challenge of reinventing the iconic sports game brand. "I am honoured to be invited to deliver the opening keynote at the Edinburgh Games Festival. This event is a milestone on the interactive entertainment industry's calendar, and I look forward to contributing to this year's discussions." Edinburgh Interactive Festival Chairman, Chris Deering, said: "We are delighted Peter has agreed to give this year's Keynote. He is one of the industry's global leaders and his presence at Edinburgh is an indicator of the importance and influence of the Festival." Also confirmed to speak this year are Jim Crowley of Turbine Inc. (Lord of the Rings Online), Sean Dromgoole of Some Research and Martin Owen from Smalti Technology. The Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2009 will open its doors to the most creative industry in the world during the week of 10th August, with the industry conference running on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th August and the public showcase running over Friday 14th and Saturday 15th August. Keep your eyes peeled for more coverage of the festival in maddog! For more info check out: www.edinburghinteractivefestival.com | |
 | Stone Roses to release special anniversary boxset 2009-05-18 On 10th August, 2009, exactly twenty years to the day from the moment when four Manchester musicians stepped on to the stage of the Blackpool Empress Ballroom for what would become a legendary gig, Sony Music re-release the classic album that is The Stone Roses in 4 brand new formats. The Collectors Edition of this landmark album features a fully re-mastered version of the album by original producer John Leckie and Ian Brown alongside a host of bonus discs, unseen footage, additional tracks and interviews with famous Roses fans. The full DVD of that legendary Empress Ballroom show is enclosed whilst Disc 2 delivers a complete set of re-mastered B sides and non album A sides for the bands Silvertone singles, including such favourites as Mersey Paradise, Elephant Stone, Fools Gold, What The World Is Waiting For and One Love. And most importantly, the third CD features The Lost Demos, a previously unheard and much sought after selection of early recordings of the album tracks B side single tracks, plus the never before heard track Pearl Bastard. Whilst three heavyweight vinyls collate the material across 6 sides. Further unheard and unseen material comes in the form of five backwards tracks and John Leckies personal home movie Up at Sawmills: The Making of Fools Gold, which are contained on a Lemon shaped USB - in homage to the album’s iconic sleeve art. The DVD in this collection features the legendary Blackpool gig itself, plus all 6 of the promotional videos made during this period A 48 page bound book within the Collectors Edition features a host of unseen images of the band and brand new interviews with the members of the band, including a poem and sketch by Reni exclusively for the collection, as well interviews from high profile fans including the likes of Noel Gallagher, Peter Hook, Mark Ronson, Glasvegas and many others, and also those who were involved, including super producer John Leckie himself. This remarkable Collectors Edition also includes 6 John Squire 12 inch card art prints for the tracks I Wanna Be Adored, She Bangs The Drums, Elephant Stone, Fools Gold, One Love and I Am The Resurrection A Legacy Edition of the album, featuring the re-mastered album, The Lost Demos and the Blackpool Live DVD will also be made available on 10th August, plus there will be a further reduced 1CD Special Edition, which will contain the re-mastered album plus the full 9:53 version of Fools Gold bonus track, presented in a new gatefold digipack. On top of this there will also be a limited edition Gatefold Vinyl re-issue that will contain the re-mastered LP on heavyweight vinyl plus a bonus white label 7inch of Pearl Bastard In addition to all of this, the five classic singles, Elephant Stone, Made Of Stone, She Bangs The Drums, Fools Gold and One Love will be released as re-mastered 7s, and on iTunes, weekly throughout July and into August, in the lead up to the album release. franc botha | |
 | The Asteroids Galaxy Tour Confirmed for Latitude and Secret Garden Party 2009-05-15 Copenhagen's retro soul popsters The Asteroids Galaxy Tour are back with a new single 'The Golden Age' released through Small Giants in September 2009. A psychedelic blend of retro funky beats, brass band mayhem and an insatiable sing-a-long chorus, 'The Golden Age' will put the Asteroids at the forefront of the summer soundscape of 2009. Since fronting the Apple iPod Touch advert worldwide with 'Around The Bend' the band have gone from strength to cosmic strength since being discovered supporting Amy Winehouse by David Enthoven and Tim Clark (T-Rex, Roxy Music and Robbie Williams). And with support from the likes of Jo Whiley, Sara Cox, Jonathan Ross, Dermot O'Leary and an appearance on Never Mind The Buzzcocks they have already began to make their decent onto UK shores. The Asteroids are the latest exciting installment in the new wave of hip Scandinavian pop hitting the UK (think Robyn, Royksopp, A Camp), formed just over a year ago they are heading for fame faster than the speed of light. Sitting at core of the band is Lars Iversen and Mette Lindberg Pederson who together have fermented their love of soul and kaleidoscopic pop, and spectacularly brought it to life through Mette's utterly unique and very cool vocal - described by The Guardian as the Asteroids 'secret weapon'. Live, the band grow to a six-piece. Including a fully fledged horn section of trumpet and sax players, clavinet sounds, a drummer and a guitarist taking audiences on a gloriously woozy funkadelic musical trip. This summer the band tour extensively around Europe and join the fabulous Katy Perry on tour which hits the UK next month. Also catch them on the festival circuit with appearances at Secret Garden and Latitude. The Asteroid Galaxy Tour live dates 15th May: The Luminaire, London 7th June: The Academy, Birmingham (Katy Perry support) 9th June: Shepherds Bush Empire, London (Katy Perry Support) 10th June: Shepherds Bush Empire, London (Katy Perry Support) 11th June: The Dome, Brighton (Katy Perry support) 18th July: Latitude Festival, Southwold 24th July: Secret Garden Festival, Huntingdon 'The Golden Age' will be released in September 2009, followed by the album 'Fruit' | |
 | New Documentary on David Lynch Forthcoming 2009-05-14 Two essential releases for any David lynch fan! Lynch (one) Over the course of two years, beginning as director David Lynch started working on a project that would eventually become "Inland Empire", a small documentary crew was allowed to follow the director during his day-to-day business on location and at home. The result was LYNCH (ONE), an intimate portrait of the David Lynch's creative process, coming to DVD on 22nd June 2009 courtesy of Scanbox Entertainment. Given Lynch's usual reluctance to discuss the subjects and themes of his films, LYNCH (ONE) is, perhaps, the closest fans will ever get to a "making of" documentary, in this instance, the making of "Inland Empire". Compiled from over two years of footage, the film provides a fascinating insight into the creative mind of one of cinema's most original and interesting filmmakers and, as such, is essential viewing for David Lynch fans and general cineastes alike. Dumbland Prior to the release of LYNCH (ONE), on 8th June 2009 Scanbox Entertainment will also be releasing David Lynch's DUMBLAND for the first time on DVD in the UK. Consisting of eight animated vignettes written, directed, voiced and animated by Lynch himself (he also composed and performed the show's music) originally produced as exclusive content for his official website, DUMBLAND has been described by its director as "a crude, stupid, violent and absurd series." And he's not wrong. Every bit as weird, profane and provocative as you would expect from the man responsible for "Eraserhead", "Twin Peaks", "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive", DUMBLAND may be absurdist and deliberately low-brow in nature but it is also very funny and will delight fans of the director's more 'out there' works. | |
 | Norwich Lanes Summer Fair Announced 2009-05-12 The 2009 'Norwich Lanes Midsummer Fair' will take place on 21st June, between 11am-4pm. The event, which has grown from the popular St Benedict's Street Fair, is a day of fun for all the family celebrating the wonderful independent and historic part of Norwich known as 'Norwich Lanes'. On the day, celebrations will be taking place throughout the Norwich Lanes area with the main festivities occurring on St Benedict's Street and St Gregory's Green in the heart of Norwich Lanes. Planned activities include live music performances, games, food stalls, textiles and arts & crafts offerings. Last year thousands of people of all ages got involved in the day's events and organisers are hoping for an even bigger turn out this time around. "We are very excited about the event which seems to grow each year. It's great watching the children have such a fun time and it's also a perfect time for the unique businesses in Norwich Lanes to get together and celebrate our independence", said Clive Rowe, co-owner of Walkers of Pottergate and Chairman of the Norwich Lanes Traders Association. As a mostly voluntary organisation, Norwich Lanes Traders Association needs to raise around £2,000 to make the event possible and is appealing for anyone interested in sponsoring any element of the day to get in touch. Volunteers to help run the event are also required. Two fundraising events will take place to raise money for this year's Norwich Lanes Midsummer Fair. Both events will take place at The Birdcage on St Gregory's Green in Norwich Lanes. The first event is a mini-fair and will take place on Sunday May 17th. Vintage clothes will on sale and there will be refreshments and a raffle. The event will also feature music from artists due to perform at the Midsummer Fair. Tickets for the event cost £4 (£3 concessions) and are available on the door. The second event will take place on Bank Holiday Monday (May 25th) and will feature a "Brains of the Norwich Lanes" pub quiz. Businesses within Norwich Lanes and all supporters of the area are invited to enter a team to see who has the top brains in the lanes. After the quiz there will be music from a DJ, the event starts at 7:30pm and entry is £2 per person. For further details or to offer any assistance with sponsorship or to volunteer, please contact comms@norwichlanes.co.uk | |
 | Trailer for Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar's new western, now available 2009-05-12 Last week we reported on the exciting news that Rockstar games are working on a game set in the Wild West called Red Dead Redemption. A trailer is now available from the official website, and demonstrates without a doubt that this game will rock. A gruff frontier voice over, lamenting the hard life of the west, plays over a lushly realised world filled with dust, gattling guns and tumble weeds, immediately demonstrating how much effort has been put into the fine details of the game. Excellent voice acting, a cinematic sense of scale and a clearly sandbox style of game play will ensure that this is the best western game ever. Look out for a preview in a future issue of maddog. Check out the trailer here | |
 | Tawny Owl - Ghost Writer / Cinema available 8/6/2009 2009-05-12 Just when you thought Norwichs finest independant label Milkbar Records couldnt get any better, they go and lock one of there rising artists into a studio with Jeremy Warmsley to record a debut album. Brilliant no-wave popsters Tawny Owl & the Birds Of Prey are due to release the first slice of their gloriously doomed-sounding debut album with the single Ghost Writer / Cinema on the 8/6/2009. Ghostwriter, inspired by the novel of the same name by Philip Roth, deals with notions of the New York punk scene (particularly Richard Hell and the Voidoids) and the trappings of a society obsessed with popular culture, with singer Jacks voice haunting in it's wistful baritone croon, before re-imagining itself as a hook laden harmonious 50s pop number. Cinema was originally one of Jacks bedroom recordings and his been in the Tawny Owl catalogue for a few years. It is a more delicate affair than Ghostwriter to begin with, gradually carrying the listener to a break down, only to re-emerge as Tawny Owls most anthemic pop song, full of Arcade Fire-esque grandeur and vocal harmonies that Phil Spector would have been proud to preside over. for more info, check out : Tawny Owl Myspace or MilkBar Records Myspace franc botha | |
 | Vote for THE CHAPMAN FAMILY on Myspace 2009-05-11 yes yes, mad doggers, you can now vote for Teessides hottest new agro-rockers The Chapman Family on the Myspace charts. Possibly the craziest, funniest, most honest band around since, well, since Jesus. The more you vote for them on the Myspace charts, the more they will be played on MTV 2 ....oh yeah. These guys really do deserve your 100 per cent attention, check them out on Myspace, and grab a copy of their riotous debut single, Kids. CHAPMAN FAMILY MYSPACE vote for the video HERE franc botha | |
 | What do you get when a hip hop producer, an international junk band and a female vocalist combine their musical talent? 2009-05-10 "ECO HOP"! After pioneering the world of junk funk, international junk band 'Weapons of Sound' exploded onto the stage with high profile performances that include; opening the Commonwealth Games in 2002, playing along side a whole of host of stars at the Queens Jubilee (Buckingham Palace) and, more recently, wowing the crowds at The Champions League final, The Royal Albert Hall and many of the big UK and European festivals. Travelling the globe from the UK to as far as China and with fans such as 'Al Gore' and the legendary 'Neil Armstrong', the band try to continuously develop their unique sound, all crafted from recycled bits of junk! A project formed from the idea of up and coming 24 year old Uk producer 1 Step (Tom Sweetman) - who's previous projects include producing tracks for Akil The MC (Jurassic 5), Freestyle (The Arsonists), Dannu (Visionaries) and many more - to use Weapons of Sounds eco friendly sound as the basis for a new musical genre. The result is a thumping track by Weapons of Sound and 1 Step featuring one of America's rising female mc/vocalists Dominique Larue, based in Ohio. The trio are proud to have created a new musical genre that combines elements of hip hop, break beat and drum n bass. A stomping club number that leaves the listener wanting more! 2009 will be the year to remember - When 'Eco Hop' started! | |
 | Don Diablo and Example release their white-hot new track 'Hooligans' on June 29th 2009-05-09 An in-your-face, party-hard, club mash up, 'Hooligans' comes complete with a genius video that will make even the Skins blush and is unlikely to be seen on GMTV anytime soon. With its ultra hooky 'We Came, We Saw, We Killed The Crowd' chorus and deviant bassline, 'Hooligans' has already had the support of Zane Lowe on Radio 1. The track also comes with remixes from Noisia, Spor, Dooley, A1 Bassline and Don's Disco Mix. Meanwhile London singer/rapper/musician/producer Example is currently hard at work putting the finishing touches to his next album which is due for release very early in 2010, preceded by a brilliant new single in September. A true genre-busting musical eccentric, Example mixes up rap, electro, garage, drum and bass, pop and rock to produce a genuinely unique modern sound which led the NME to describe him as 'a dysfunctional electro pop sensation' Example takes his show on the road throughout the summer, with a range of his own headline shows, headlining the Wonky Pop tour and Calvin Harris support before going on to shows in Ibiza through the summer: May15th Doncaster Priory (HEADLINE) 25th Oxford Academy 2 (Wonky Pop Tour) 26th Manchester Roadhouse (Wonky Pop Tour) 27th Glasgow ABC2 (Wonky Pop Tour) 28th Liverpool Academy 2 (Wonky Pop Tour) 30th Newcastle Academy 2 (Wonky Pop Tour) 31st Birmingham Academy 3 (Wonky Pop Tour) June 1st Nottingham Stealth (Wonky Pop Tour) 3rd London Islington Academy (Wonky Pop Tour) 24th London Proud Galleries Camden (HEADLINE/SINGLE LAUNCH) July5th London Wireless Festival Aug 30th Liverpool Creamfields Watch the new video for ‘Hooligans’ at http://www.myspace.com/leadingbyexample | |
.jpg) | Aldeburgh Music celebrate's the opening of the new Hoffmann Building this weekend 2009-05-09 This weekend Aldeburgh music are celebrating the completion of phase one of their ambitious plans to renovate several empty buildings around the Snape Maltings Concert Hall, which was famously set up by Benjamin Britten and has since become one of the most important centres for music in the country. The new Hoffmann Building contains four new spaces including the Britten Studio and Jerwood Kiln Studio, both of which are ideal for rehearsals or performances. This weekend the new spaces will be put through their paces with a weekend of music and festivities including Mali Latino, and experimental electronica from Faster than Sound, featuring installations, innovative collaborations and appearances from Quayola, EXAUDI, Paul B Davis (DJ), the world premiere of a quartet by Salvatore Sciarrino performed by the Prometeo Quartet and an exchange with Barcelona's SONAR Festival in the form of Roland Olbeter's musical mechanical quartet Robots with new compositions by Tim Exile and John Hopkins. There will also be a giant ferris wheel from which to enjoy the scenic views around the Maltings and the surrounding reed land. If you're at a loose end this week and feel the urge for some great music and views then why not take a drive down to Snape? For more info see www.aldeburgh.co.uk | |
 | Win tickets to see the new Star Trek 2009-05-08 maddog boldly goes... to see the new Star Trek film. And guess what? It's pretty damn good. You can read our review here You can also win tickets to see it at Odeon Colchester from here. | |
 | Patrick Wolf announces new single. 2009-05-05 Hard Times is the second single to be taken from Patricks new fourth album The Bachelor. Following the first single Vulture, Hard Times is a track full of impatience, celebrating the idea of change and revolution. The single is released 15th of June Perhaps the strongest and most powerful track on the album, full of heavy guitar, angry sentiment, yet complimented by a stunning, Turkish style violin and cello riff which dances throughout the track and vocals, Hard Times is a work of art in its own right and continues to show Patricks diversity as an artist and songwriter. Patrick programmed the beats ...to be like a panicked soldier on the front line of a war desperately trying to send a message through a walkie talkie, battling against radio interference... The lead guitar solo is played by Tom White from the Brakes and the ondes martenot played by classical composer Thomas Bloch. for more info, see: Patrick Wolf Official franc botha | |
 | Jamie-T announces June live dates 2009-05-05 Wimbledon troubadour Jamie T has announced a string of live dates in support of his new EP, Stick n Stones to be released on June 29th, sees the London music maestro returning to a punkier vibe, with a hotly-awaited second album to be released later in the year. catch him live on the following dates : June: 11th - Cockpit - Leeds 12th - Junction - Cambridge 13th - Roadmender - Northampton 14th - Rescue Rooms - Nottingham 16th - Stage 2 - Newcastle 17th - Moshulu - Aberdeen 18th - Studio 24 - Edinburgh 19th - Casbah - Coventry 21st - Thekla - Bristol 23rd - Moho - Manchester 24th - Electric Ballroom - London for more info, or tickets, see : Jamie T Myspace franc botha | |
 | Ozzy rockers The Panics announce UK dates and new album. 2009-05-04 With their heaving, sweeping string arrangements, The Panics have recorded an album that brims with effervescent pop tunes and epic harmonies, draming comparisons from Echo & the Bunnymen, Bob Dylan and fellow Perth singer/songwriter and friend, Luke Steele of The Sleepy Jackson. Cruel Guards has already scooped a J award and Aria (Australian Recording Industry Award) and first single Dont Fight It has featured on hit tv shows Ugly Betty and Underbelly. In support of their 3rd album, The Panics will soon be bringing their unforgettable live show to a venue near you: May: 8th - Liverpool - Academy 11th - Norwich - UEA 12th - London - Electric Ballroom 13th - Bristol - Academy 14th - Wolverhampton - Wulfrun 16th - Aberdeen - Music Hall 17th - Kilmarnock - Grand Hall 18th - Dunfermline - Alhambra 19th - Inverness - Ironworks 20th - Glasgow - ABC 27th - London - Monto Water Rats 29th - Nottingham - The Bodega 30th - Manchester - The Roadhouse June: 1st - Glasgow - King Tuts 2nd - Edinburgh - Caberet Voltaire 3rd - Newcastle - The Cluny 5th - Bristol - Louisiana 6th - Leeds - Cockpit 11th - Preston - 53 degrees 12th - Lincoln - Engine Shed for more info, or tickets, go: The Panics Official franc botha | |
 | The return of Festinho 2009-05-04 Festinho is making its welcome return back to Kentwell Hall Long Melford Suffolk after a successful first year. The event raises money for the Action for Brazils Children Trust which helps kids living on the street in Brazil. The festival hosts all the Brazilian themes including BBQ Cuisine and travelling Samba bands. This year Big Chill founder Pete Lawrence will be bringing a showcase of his favourite chill-out and acoustic artists and curating the live stage. Festinho will also be sampling the back-foot Brazilian grooves of The Fontanas and raving one out with AGT Rave Cru. Other early line up includes Jon Kennedy live and hotly tipped folk outfit Mawkin. Full price adult weekend tickets are 60 pounds Children under 14 get in for free with an adult Sunday day tickets are 15 pounds There are no extra charges for campervans Take a look at the website for further information: Official Festinho Website Matthew Bunkell | |
 | Tombstone Bullets announce Summer tour. 2009-05-04 Tombstone Bullets are a hard rock band based in Milton Keynes, influenced by classic rock acts such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, songwriters such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young, and more modern acts including Pearl Jam, Radiohead and Rage Against The Machine. Tombstone Bullets have been playing sucessfully for three years and have played gigs in Buckingham, Milton Keynes and Bedford. Among the venues they have played are The Pitz Club, The Sno!Bar and Dannys Bar. They have also recently appeared in interview on BBC 3 Counties Radio. Having just recorded their latest EP, Broken Rhyme. Both the EP and the bands live performances have received several favourable reviews from publications including Ampjam.net, New Pollution magazine and the Bucks Herald. In support of the new E.P. Tombstone Bullets will be playing the following dates: 17th June Headjamz Luton 8th August Live!Zone Xscape Milton Keynes 15th August Top Bell Leighton Buzzard 22nd August Craufurd Arms Milton Keynes 27th August Band Jam Buckingham 28th August Fen Festival Ely Cambridgeshire 3rd September Sno!Bar Xscape Milton Keynes 6th September Ivory Hitchin For more info check out Tombstones Bullets myspace: Myspace Tombstone Bullets Or Tombstone Bullets Offical Page Picture by Robert Cook Matthew Bunkell | |
 | Ubisoft unsheath Red Steel 2 on the Wii 2009-05-03 Red Steel remains one of the most successful Wii titles and the only brand created specifically for the launch of the platform. Red Steel 2 is being developed by Ubisoft Paris and will be available for the 2009 holiday season. Set in a desert-bound, high-tech metropolis, Red Steel 2 is a revolution in the action-fighting genre, taking full advantage of the capabilities of the Wii MotionPlus accessory. Your movements are faithfully replicated on-screen, putting the emphasis on swinging, shooting and fun! With the ability of the Wii MotionPlus to sense the strength of a swing, you will literally be able to make an impact on your adversaries through power and precision. "Red Steel was a unique opportunity for Ubisoft to work in tandem with Nintendo to create a title exclusively for the launch of the Wii console," said John Parkes, EMEA marketing director at Ubisoft. "Red Steel 2 is another milestone for the company as it is the first Ubisoft title with full Wii MotionPlus integration." Just as Red Steel broke ground as the only third-party brand created for the launch of the Wii, Red Steel 2 will be the must-have game of Holiday 2009 for those who wish to stretch their own capacities and fully experience a game that was built from the ground up to take advantage of the Wii. For more info see www.redsteel2.com | |
 | Pulse Website now live 2009-05-03 The brochure for the Pulse festival fringe has been out for a couple of weeks and now its been joined by a sexy user friendly website that will help guide you through the wealth of quality content coming up at this year's festival. Look out for May's issue of maddog which has five pages of previews on the festival outlining our personal highlights. You can also see this here. We hear there's another magazine trying to cover the festival, but we know which one you'd rather read! Check out the new website here Make sure you start planning and book your tickets now. They're selling fast. | |
 | Rockstar unveil two new titles 2009-05-03 Rockstar games, famous for the Grand Theft Auto series (read our review of Chinatown Wars here) have just announced two fantastic new titles in development for later this year. First up is Red Dead Redemption, an original title set in the Wild West. Let's face it we've all been waiting for a decent western video game since Call of Juarez, and this looks like it's positively oozing with the frontier! See screens here Most importantly, however, is the announcement of Max Payne 3, a next gen installment into the celebrated series that mixes the aesthetics of film noir with the style of the Matrix. see the game here The gaming future is bright people! | |
 | JACK SAVORETTI RELEASES SECOND ALBUM 'HARDER THAN EASY' 2009-04-29 ULY 6th, 2009 Via De Angelis Records Following his critically acclaimed debut album Between The Minds singer-songwriter, Jack Savoretti, returns on July 6th with his second album, the charmingly titled Harder Than Easy via De Angelis Records. ************************* Full of inspirational soul, rock and blues, the album takes you on a unique journey, showcasing Jacks remarkable talent and re-introducing him as one of the fore-most and significant artists in the musical world. Keeping his signature sound yet displaying a new found raw, grittiness, this album exposes Jack Savoretti, the man, the musician, in all his glory. Recorded in LA at the legendary Jackson Brownes studio with members of Tom Waits band, the Counting Crows and members of The Suppliers. It was mixed by the Grammy award winning Jack Joseph Puig (U2, Snow Patrol, John Mayer, Klaxons), making this a record of musical supremacy. Harder Than Easy and single Map of The World are released on Monday, July 6th. to pre-order the single or album, go here. ***** H.M.V online ***** Play.com ***** Amazon ***** or visit : Jack Savoretti Myspace franc botha | |
 | General Fiasco announce UK tour 2009-04-29 Belfast indie-pop noise-niks General Fiasco formed in early 2007 and played their first gig at the Glasgowbury festival near their home town on July 26th of that year. More shows quickly followed and within the past twelve months they have supported the Wombats, One Night Only, The Pigeon Detectives and The Enemy and have also played at Oxegen, Belsonic and Reading / Leeds Festivals. Brothers Owen and Enda,along with drummer Stephen will be finishing off their debut album in their hometown of Belfast in the next couple of months before heading out all over the UK this summer for an extensive tour. They will also appear at several festivals including Download and Glastonbury. the tour is as follows: 30 : April Sheffield The Plug 2 May : LEEDS Cockpit 3 May : YORK Fibbers 5 May : BOURNEMOUTH Ibar 6 May : LONDON Fly 7 May : GILLINGHAM The Beacon 11 May : COVENTRY The Kasbah 13 May : READING Oakford Social Club 16 May : BRIGHTON Volks 17 May : PORTSMOUTH Cellars 19 May : HULL The Lamp 20 May : WOLVERHAMPTON Little Civic 22 May : YEOVIL Orange Box 27 May : ABERDEEN Café Drummond 28 May : INVERNESS Mad Hatters 29 May : STORNOWAY Woodlands Centre 30 May : ULLAPOOL The Arch Inn 31 May : FORT WILLIAM Fired Art 1 June : DUNDEE Doghouse 2 June : LIVERPOOL 02 Academy 2 4 June : CARDIFF Barfly 5 June : WAKEFIELD The Escobar 7 June : MIDDLESBROUGH Music Live Festival 8 June : LONDON Barfly 10 June : BRIGHTON Coalition 11 June : DERBY The Royal 13 June : DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 15 June : MANCHESTER Deaf Institute 16 June : BIRMINGHAM The Flapper 17 June : GLASGOW King Tuts 18 June : NEWCASTLE 02 Academy 19 June : YORK Fibbers 20 June : MIDDLESBROUGH Westgarth Social Club 21 June : SUNDERLAND Independent 24 June : SOUTHAMPTON Hamptons for more info : General Fiasco Myspace franc botha | |
 | The Mighty Roars announce UK tour 2009-04-29 The Mighty Roars from UK and Europe are set to release the first single Elvis Lives (and he drinks sake) from their second on June 1st. Artrocker magazine loved their first self recorded efforts, and released the song Daddy Oh on their website to great acclaim. Subsequently, they were invited to open the Isle of Wight Festival in the same year. The band have also previously been inviteded to perform live on XFM and BBC 6 music both in London and in Manchester. Throughout 2007/8 The Mighty Roars toured extensively in Europe playing over 60 gigs and festivals. In October 2008 The Mighty Roars upped sticks to embark on a quest across America and Europe writing, recording and discovering their fantastic second album: ZIP which will be released later this year on One Little Indian records. The single, Elvis lives (and he drinks sake) is a celebration of Japanese culture, in particular the Japanese interpretation of western pop culture and was written after the band made a short tour in Japan in 2007. Check out the fantastic and colourful animation made by vocalist/guitarist Lara Granqvist. make sure you check the band out live, at one of the following dates : Dates: 5 May - The Fly Bar London 1 June - Hoxton Bar London 5 June - Dry Bar Manchester 6 June - Bumper Liverpool 19 June - Proud Galleries London 27 June - 93 Feet East London 9 July - The Rhythm Factory London for more info : MIGHTY ROARS MYSPACE franc botha pic : dan sumption | |
.jpg) | Dub Pistols announce new Single, Album, and Tour. 2009-04-29 Barry Ashworth & Jason O’ Bryan – aka the legendary Dub Pistols - have unveiled the first single from their forthcoming new album Rum & Coke with the release of Back To Daylight, on May 18th. Back To Daylight features Ashley Slater (Freak Power) and is a class track, Ashley delivering a lovely nonchalant funky vocal over a bass-heavy electronic groove that oozes after-twilight sweetness. The single comes backed with Six Months which features the Cool Ruler himself, Mr Gregory Isaacs, dropping the ruff & riddim rhymes in classic Isaacs style alongside Dub Pistols regular and UK hip-hop don Rodney P. Dub Pistols will release their new album Rum & Coke through Sunday Best on June 15th. The follow-up to last year’s phenomanal ska-fest Speakers & Tweeters, it's the fourth and best album of their career, a brilliant hybrid of ska, hip-hop, electro, funk, lovers & soul. Featuring a host of top guests & Dub Pistols regulars, the album features appearances from Lindy Layton, Rodney P, Justin Robertson, Ashley Slater, Gregory Isaacs, Red Star Lion and T.K. Lawrence. Always a formidable & thrilling live entity, Dub Pistols will be headlining Londons KoKo on Friday May 1st and are confirmed support to The Specials at London’s Brixton Academy on May 6th & 7th. Dub Pistols festival appearances and a full UK tour will be announced shortly. Catch Dub Pistols live: FRIDAY MAY 1st – KOKO, LONDON With The Specials (SOLD OUT): WEDNESDAY MAY 6TH – BRIXTON ACADEMY, LONDON THURSDAY MAY 7TH – BRIXTON ACADEMY, LONDON franc botha | |
 | Pete Doherty announces one show for Rhythm Factory 2009-04-29 Babyshambles frontman Peter Doherty is set to play a one-off show at Londons famous Whitechapel Rhythm Factory in rememberance of personal friend and promoter Johnny 'Rhythm' Sedassy. Sedassy put on numerous gigs at The Rhythm Factory, including some of the Libertines most memorable gigs, as well as The Noisettes, Razorlight, Selfish Cunt and Scot rockers The View Sedassey passed away on March 16 after battling bowel cancer. Doherty, the Paddingtons, Red Roots and Melody Nelson are all confirmed for for the night, with more artists expected to be announced soon. All acts will be donating their fees to The Michael Sobell Charity in Oxford, and all door takings will go to the hospice. This is where Sedassy spent his final days. Tickets are £25 in advance, or £30 on the door. for more info, see: www.rhythmfactory.co.uk or www.justgiving.com franc botha pic : franc botha | |
 | WARHOL FACTORY REJECTS presents TRASH 2009-04-29 Introducing the new Alternative Wacky Dress party for Norwich Pride 2009. We’re talking Trash glam art movement, super kitch, circo, basically, a disco bloodbath! With prize for most imaginative outfit!......think Leigh Bowery, think New York Club Kids, think art glam with nos. and Playing everything from dirty electro to retro dance party feel good tunes. The Alternative Wacky Dress Fundraising Party For Norwich Pride 2009 Sat. 23rd May Take 5 Crypt, 17 Tombland, Norwich Featuring the delights of...... Miss. Adventure DJ Spangle Porta-Party And man more.... The night runs from 8PM – 1AM Entry is only: 3 – Wacky Dress 4.50 – Normal Attire Including: Prize for most imaginative outfit visuals And more… Sponsored by The Ship of Fools 45 St Benedicts Street 01603 662194 | |
 | HOLD FAST, Chelmsford presents...... 2009-04-28 Chelmsfords premier live music venue, the Barhouse is holding a night of pure acoustic chilled-outed-ness on Tueasday, 5th of May. Promotions group,Hold Fast, will be presenting your happy ears and eyes with two of the best frontmen this side of Timbuktu, to play an intimate, one-off acoustic performance. ....in the red corner.... the astounding...MARC HALLS of Fei Comodo Fei Comodo Myspace ....and in the blue corner.... the incredible...RENNY CARROLL of Forever Never Forever Never Myspace Both artists are ones to be keeping your eyes peeled for, and are fast becoming the best thing since sliced bread. So go see them do their thing, just on a more chilled out level! Hold Fast is also proud to be playing host to local DJ KeKe serenading you throughout the night. There simply couldnt be a better way to kick-start your summer. Magners, anyone? Entry is 3 pounds. Doors open at 7.30. ID will be asked for. For more info check out the Barhouse official site: Barhouse Chelmsford franc botha | |
 | CANNIBAL CORPSE announce European reunion tour. 2009-04-28 American Godfathers of Death Metal CANNIBAL CORPSE have just announced the dates for their European Plague Tour to take place in the fall. The Tour comes in support of new album EVISCERATION PLAGUE Direct support comes from American Death Metallers Dying Fetus. On the mainland the package will be completed by Evocation and Obscura while Trigger The Bloodshed and Annotations Of An Autopsy will support the bands in the UK. EUROPEAN PLAGUE TOUR 02/10/09 - DE - Oberhausen - Death Feast Ultimate 03/10/09 - DE - Lichtenfels - Way Of Darkness Festival 04/10/09 - CH - Pratteln - Z7 05/10/09 - DE - Saarbrücken - Garage 06/10/09 - BE - Vosselaar - Biebob 07/10/09 - FR - Paris - La Locomotive 09/10/09 - ES - Barcelona - Razzmatazz 2 10/10/09 - ES - Madrid - Heineken 11/10/09 - ES - Bilbao - Rock Star 12/10/09 - FR - Lyon - Transbordeur 13/10/09 - IT - Milan - Alcatraz 14/10/09 - IT - Rome - Alpheus 16/10/09 - GR - Athens - Gagarin 205 17/10/09 - GR - Thessaloniki - Principal Club Theatre 18/10/09 - RS - Belgrade - SKC 19/10/09 - SK - Bratislava - DK Dubravka 20/10/09 - PL - Cracow - Studio 21/10/09 - DE - Berlin - Columbia Club 23/10/09 - DE - München - Backstage 24/10/09 - AT - Linz - Posthof 25/10/09 - DE - Ludwigsburg - Rockfabrik 26/10/09 - NL - Dordrecht - Bibelot 27/10/09 - NL - Zwolle - Hedon 28/10/09 - UK - Colchester - Arts Centre 29/10/09 - UK - London - Koko 30/10/09 - UK - Sheffield - Corporation 31/10/09 - UK - Glasgow - ABC 01/11/09 - UK - Leamington Spa - Assembly for more info : CANNIBAL CORPSE MYSPACE franc botha photo: Alex Solca | |
 | INTERNATIONAL POP OVERTHROW FESTIVAL – LIVERPOOL 2009-04-27 THE INTERNATIONAL POP OVERTHROW FESTIVAL RETURNS TO LIVERPOOL FOR ITS SEVENTH STRAIGHT YEAR! 20-26 MAY Thousands of musicians and fans from around the United Kingdom (and the world) will converge on Liverpool this May as International Pop Overthrow heads to the grand city and the world famous Cavern Club for its seventh consecutive year, from 20-26 May. This years IPO Liverpool will be the largest yet – 178 bands from 15 different countries, including many local Liverpool artists - all performing some of the best pop and rock music available on the planet today on International Pop Overthrow has had eleven successful years in Los Angeles, and over the past several years has also had regular appearances in New York, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Atlanta, and Portland, and this year has added appearances in Phoenix and San Diego. Their debut in Liverpool in 2003 was the biggest to date and was the first to make the festival international. Their return to Liverpool and The Cavern each year is truly a highlight for everyone both playing and attending the festival. As in past years, IPO will feature a mixture of local artists from Liverpool, favorites and rising stars from elswhere in Britain and around the world, and opportunities for special appearances by pop luminaries from the past! With 178 bands, including 33 local bands from from Liverpool. This is definitely one event in your summer calender not to be missed! Featured performers at this year’s fesitval include: Charlotte O’Connor The Mayflowers Mike Badger (of The Las!) Mellowmen (from Sweden!) 10 Reasons to Live Dave Lloyd (of The Suns) Andy Lewis (bassist for Paul Weller!) Dave Rave Marc Kenny Jeremy (from the US!) The Dukes Jetty GK & The Renegades and many, many more!! Also, don’t miss the special Bongo Beat Records/Viper Label Showcases Wednesday, May 20 at The Cavern Pub, and Thursday, May 21 at The Cavern Club or the special solo performances by several artists at The Grapes Pub throughout the festival! For up to the minute event information: International Pop Overthrow Official Site Or International Pop Overthrow Myspace Franc botha | |
 | SCOTT MATTHEWS new album & tour 2009-04-27 Acclaimed Wolverhampton troubadour Scott Matthews will release his second album Elsewhere on May 18th 09 on the San Remo label through Island Records. Featuring 11 new Scott Matthews compositions it is produced by Scott and Gavin Monaghan (Mercury Rev, The Smiths, Joe Strummer, Elvis Costello). Says Scott: Elsewhere comes from the feelings and emotions that so often dictate my state of mind. It captures my thoughts, frustrations and memories and I also look back on a difficult time emotionally, where the music reveals its healing properties. Hopefully you’ll see Elsewhere as a place you can go visit once in a while to get lost in that moment and forget anything you feel needs to be forgotten. The full tracklisting for Elsewhere is: 1. Underlying Lies 2. Jagged Melody 3. Suddenly You Figure Out 4. Fractured 5. 12 Harps 6. Speeding Slowly 7. Into The Firing Line 8. Up On The Hill 9. Elsewhere 10. Fades In Vain 11. Nothing’s Quite Right Here The full list of 2009 shows is as follows: May 19 - Birmingham, Glee 21 - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms 23 - Oxford, Academy 24 - Cardiff, Glee Club 25 - Manchester, Ruby Lounge 26 - Bristol, Fleece 28 - Dublin, Whelans 29 - Liverpool, Academy 2 30 - Glasgow, Oran Mor 31 - Leeds, Brudenell Social Club June 3 – London, Bloomsbury Theatre This Wolverhampton singer plugs into the same creative socket that powered the more pastoral Led Zep work of his fellow Midlander Robert Plant. File beside Nick Drake, John Martyn, Ray Lamontagne… -Review of Passing Stranger -SUNDAY TIMES for more info, visit: www.scottmatthewsmusic.co.uk franc botha | |
 | Sometimes I pretend to be a writer 2009-04-26 Talented young Norwich bass player and aspiring writer has been celebrated by family, friends and fellow musicians of the area, with a posthumous book and a tribute CD. Ben Shepherd was hot on the heels of success with his writing and music, before he died unexpectedly of a heart attack two years ago, aged just 29. Various bands from the city (and further) afield were rocked by the loss of a popular and passionate artist and so, decided to cover Bens work for a posthumous Book and CD to celebrate Bens life. Many of the artists who feature on the CD, Songs in the Key of Ben, will perform their interpretations live for the first time on May 15, the second anniversary of his death, at Norwich Arts Centre. The gig coincides with the publication of a collection of his lyrics, poetry and prose, entitled …sometimes I pretend to be a writer, which will be sold together, as one package, on the night. Ben played bass in Lalia, which got to the final of the prestigious EDP Next Big Thing competition in 2005, and also launched his own solo venture, We Are The Dots, which features on the CD. His former band mates, Angela and Rob, pay tribute along with Bearsuit, Andrew from Magoo, Cruiser Chimps, Alto45, Master Solo and many more. Advance copies of the book will be available from May 18 from Borders at Chapelfield, the UEA branch of Waterstones, Jarrolds in Norwich, Soundclash records on St Benedict's and a site dedicated to Bens life, www.birdsofmalta.com. Tickets to the gig are available from the box offices at the arts centre and UEA, priced £3. for more info : www.birdsofmalta.com www.norwichartscentre.co.uk franc botha | |
 | - Lets Do Lunch - Presents Cats In Paris - May 18th 2009-04-26 Norwich Promo Company Lets Do Lunch, formed from the bones of indie, banjo-wielding Hair Traffic Control are doing very well indeed. Bringing to Norwich something a little different (and believe me, it is difficult to bring something different to Norwich!) in the way of Treasure Hunt-Style nights out, where their ticket buyers have to go to a venue and buy the ticket in the form of a Badge & a Map The nights are also hold a strict "Bring your own booze" rule, holding to the house-party vibe of the events Yowzers! now that sounds like fun....just dont get too drunk whilst reading the map! If not, you might miss the next show they are holding with Manchester kids CATS IN PARIS at Unit 5 off Magdelen St, on the 18th of May. Unit 5 is an intimate, 120 capacity venue, so it should be an absolute riot. Badges and Maps for the event are available at the Playhouse Bar in Norwich. for mor info, visit : LETS DO LUNCH | |
 | OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT new single and tour, and RAKES support 2009-04-25 Fresh off the release of their critically acclaimed debut album, Understanding Electricity One Little Indian is proud to present Official Secrets Acts brand new single, Bloodsport, out on June 15th. Following two previous singles, So Tomorrow and Girl From The BBC, Bloodsport sees the band moving towards much darker, more haunting territories. The song is said to be influenced by drummer Alex McKenzies cycling accident two-months ago, as the band felt it necessary to reflect their mood, deciding it was best to release something more evocative and brooding. While McKenzie has made a full recovery, he has spent the last eight weeks off the road, forcing the band to improvise and challenge themselves more, which Bloodsport truly epitomizes. It is intense, reflective and quite possibly, the best song the band has recorded yet. Already the band has been a Breaking Act with the Sunday Times, had a feature in NME and been lauded by press and radio alike, including Zane Lowes Single of The Week, Huw Stephens, Colin Murray, Lauren Laverne and featured interviews with The Sun, Daily Star and The Guardian Bloodsport is mixed by Liam Howe, and features an exclusive remix by The Filthy Dukes. The band will support The Rakes on tour in April, and then hit the festival circuit with gigs at The Great Escape, Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Rockness and many others. the full tour is as follows : April 16 Apr - Roisin, Galway 17 Apr - Auntie Annies, Belfast 18 Apr - Academy 2, Dublin 21 Apr - Concorde 2, Brighton * 22 Apr - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth * 23 Apr - Club Academy, Manchester * 25 Apr - Oran Mor, Glasgow * 26 Apr - The Cluny, Newcastle * 28 Apr - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham * 29 Apr - KOKO, London * May 2 May - Cockpit, Leeds (Afternoon set) 2 May - Music Festival, Stortford (Evening set) 15 May - Luminaire, London (Channel 4 JD Set) 16 May - The Latest Bar, Great Escape Festival, Brighton 22 May - Liverpool Sound City 23 May - Dot to Dot Festival, Bristol 24 May - Dot to Dot Festival, Nottingham June 7 Jun - Music Live Festival, Middlesborough 14 Jun - Rock Ness, Scotland 16 Jun - Beachbreak Festival, Cornwall 27 Jun - Glastonbury Festival July 4 Jul - Monarchy Festival, Warwickshire 24 Jul - Secret Garden Party, Herefordshire for more info on the band and tour : O.S.A myspace franc botha band photo by Rick Pushinsky www.pushinsky.com | |
 | DODOs announce new album and UK tour details 2009-04-25 Wichita Recordings' psychedelic folk pop duo The Dodos are currently in Seattle recording their new album with producer Phil Ek (The Shins, Band Of Horses, Fleet Foxes). It will be the follow up to last year’s eponymous debut lp, Visiter, which was released to massive critical acclaim, and charted high in many Album of the Year polls. Visiter showcased the duos subtle folk pop dexterity, awash with complex and urgent rhythms, which were no doubt gathered from lead singer Merics studies in West African Ewe drumming. The Dodos signature elements of primitive percussion and a low current of tribal drums are at their psychedelic best when witnessed live. The combination of Logan Kroeber on drums and Meric Long on guitar and vocals onstage makes for an utterly commanding, compelling show. Upcoming UK live shows; Sept 1st - Birmingham Glee Club Sept 2nd - Bristol Thekla Sept 3rd - London Bush Hall Sept 4th - Glasgow King Tuts Sept 5th - Manchester Ruby Lounge Sept 13th - Dorset End of the Road Festival Previously, The Dodos have toured with Les Savy Fav, Akron/Family, Jennifer Gentle and Peter & the Wolf. Next month they will start touring again and will be playing gigs in the US and Europe including Denmarks Roskilde Festival. They will also visit Finland, Norway, France, Belgium, Germany and Amsterdam before heading to the UK for this string of dates. for more info : DODOS OFFICIAL WEBSITE franc botha | |
 | Manchesters HUNGRY PIGEON music festival 2009-04-25 Hungry Pigeon is proud to announce the arts programme for this years festival including the Hungry Pigeon Art Treasure Trail which interlinks the city’s finest art galleries, music venues and creative outlets Also just confirmed on the music line up are Scottish rockers Zico Chain, troubadour Thomas Truax and rising chiptune star Henry Homesweet. Set in Manchester's Northern Quarter, one of the most unique districts of Manchester city centre Hungry Pigeon 2009 is destined to cast the spotlight on the creative artists both in Manchester and across the UK. Partnering with Manchester City Council, this year will see the weekend culminate in a large outdoor stage in Piccadilly Gardens on the May Bank Holiday for up to 5000 people. Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure for Manchester City Council said: "...this is a brand new festival for the city and we are proud to be supporting the new and upcoming talent involved. There will be free live entertainment in Piccadilly Gardens on Saturday 23rd May so that everyone can come along and enjoy the performances for the bank holiday." So far, confirmed acts for the festival are : KID BRITISH NINE BLACK ALPS KARIMA FRANCIS WAVE MACHINES MISTY’S BIG ADVENTURE THE TRAVELLING BAND TEN BEARS THE VORTEX THE MAYBES THE JESSIE ROSE TRIP FRAZER KING CASIO KID GIDEON CONN THE WHISKYCATS THE GAY BLADES VINNY PECULIAR ..... with lots more to be announced!! for more info on Hungry Pigeon Festival, go here : www.myspace.com/hungrypigeon franc botha | |
 | Twilight Sad - Album & Tour news 2009-04-25 “F*cking transcendent.” Pitchfork Scotlands incredible sulks, The Twilight Sad herald the arrival of brand new material in the late summer with a one-off appearance at Brightons Great Escape Festival and later, a short run of dates, including three Stag & Dagger events in London, Leeds and Glasgow. Currently putting the finishing touches to their eagerly anticipated follow up to 2007’s astonishing Fourteen Autumns And Fifteen Winters album, the band take to the road with lo-fi noise-mongers Mogwai in the US in preparation for the UK dates. Look out for a first taster of the as-yet-untitled new album in May when a track from the forthcoming album will be circulated online for free. ******************** Tour dates are: May Wed 13 Birmingham Rainbow Thur 14 The Great Escape @ Brighton Water Margin Fri 15 Cardiff Barfly Sun 17 Oxford Bullingdon Arms Mon 18 Nottingham Bodega Tues 19 Southampton Joiners Wed 20 Bristol Fleece Thur 21 London Stag & Dagger Fri 22 Leeds Stag & Dagger Sat 23 Glasgow Stag & Dagger www.escapegreat.com www.staganddagger.com www.myspace.com/thetwilightsad franc botha | |
 | Low Pass Promotions presents : COKI at Club Fire 2009-04-25 On May 15th, One of East Anglias favourite Dubstep DJs, and producer behind the extremely successful NIGHT events, will be playing a one-off show at Club Fire Ipswich. Local promotions group, Low Pass strongly advises you to put on you skanking shoes and pay CLUB FIRE a visit. With a main act from COKI in the main room, and support from the likes of FIBS AND THADE & DR ZOOTZ in room two, you should be in for a filthy night. Also playing on the night, UNIQE will be bringing the Old School Garage and UK Funky to the dancefloor. Advance Tickets are a measly £6, and available here : COKI/COKI/COKI/ Entry on the door will be more, so make sure you grab your tickets well in advance. franc both | |
 | Franz Ferdinand announce details of dub album 2009-04-22 Scot rockers Franz Ferdinand have announced details of the release of Blood, a dub version of their recent album Tonight:Franz Ferdinand which was released in january this year. Blood will be available for general releas on 1st of June through Domino Records, but only 500 vinyl copies of the album will be available through independent outlets. The album was mixed by Dan Carey, whos CV includes working with legendary South London dub specialist Mad Proffesor, owner of Ariwa Sounds, one of the UKs premier reggea labels. Blood was originally featured as part of the box set and special editions of Tonight:Franz Ferdinand, though the new version will include additional tracks Be Afraid and Dream Again The band are currently on tour in the US, and head to Japan before returning to the UK to play a number of festivals, including Glastonbury 2009 for further info see: Blood franc botha | |
 | Rare NIRVANA Reading Festival concert for DVD release 2009-04-21 Grunge legends Nirvana's headline gig at 1992's Reading Festival is to be released soon on DVD. The DVD is entitled 'Life Takes No Prisoners', Considered one of the bands most memorable ever gigs, the DVD sees frontman being wheeled out onto the stage in a white hospital gown, and play in it for the duration of the gig. The band paly 27 songs, including a version of the American national anthem Star Spangled Banner The DVD also marks the 15th anniversary of frontman Kurt Cobains death. This is the first time this material has been made available legally to the public. 'Life Takes No Prisoners' is released on May 4 2009. The tracklisting is as follows: 'The Rose'/ 'Intro' 'Breed' 'Drain You' 'Aneurysm' 'School' 'Sliver' 'In Bloom' 'Come As You Are' 'Lithium' 'About A Girl' 'Tourette's' 'Polly' 'Lounge Act' 'More Than A Feeling'/'Smells Like Teen Spirit' 'On A Plain' 'Negative Creep' 'Been A Son' 'All Apologies' 'Blew' 'Dumb' 'Stay Away' 'Spank Thru' 'Love Buzz' 'The Money Will Roll Right In' 'D-7' 'Territorial Pissings' 'The Star Spangled Banner' franc botha | |
 | Pulse Fringe Festival Programme Launched Today 2009-04-20 Today sees the announcement of the exciting programme of the Pulse Fringe Festival in Ipswich, bringing the best new theater, dance and performance art to the region for two jam packed weeks of mayhem. It's like a mini Edinburgh festival on our doorstep! This year maddog is proud to be media sponsor of the event. Keep your eyes pealed for May's issue in which we will be running a massive preview of the festival as well as posting reviews on our website as the festival goes on. The annual PULSE Fringe Festival, hosted by The New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, is a spring-board for fresh new artistic voices, as well as a home for risk-taking and cutting edge performance from more established artists. The Festival provides a platform for the development and presentation of work by regional, British and international artists of vision, nurturing artistic ambition and excellence across a range of art forms. Just like a proper festival Pulse takes place in several venues around the town including The New Wolsey, The New Wolsey Studio, Townhall Galleries, Sir John Mills Theatre and The St Nicholas Centre. "For 2 weeks Festival Frenzy takes over the town with audiences rushing from venue to venue desperate to see as many shows as possible," says festival director Stephen Freeman. "We have carefully scheduled events to make it possible to see almost everything but some tough decision will have to be made! Personally, I'm thinking of investing in a pair of roller blades so I can get from venue to venue in minutes. I can't wait and I know PULSE 09 will be a massive success." Tickets on sale now!!! www.pulsefringe.com | |
 | Anime and Italian Horror all nighters at the London International Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film 2009-04-18 This year's London International Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film will take place in the Apollo cinema in Piccadilly from 29th April to 4th May. Among the many events and screenings will be the festival’s regular Anime All-nighter plus a special Italian Horror All-nighter, both beginning at midnight on Saturday 2nd May. Screening at the Anime All-nighter will be GHOST IN THE SHELL 2.0, AFRO SAMURAI: RESURRECTION, NARUTO THE MOVIE 3: GUARDIANS OF THE CRESCENT MOON KINGDOM, PANDA! GO PANDA! and ORIGINS: SPIRITS FROM THE PAST. In celebration of Arrow Video’s forthcoming 29th June DVD releases of Dario Argento’s SLEEPLESS and Lamberto Bava’s MACABRE, the Italian Horror All-nighter presents a rare chance to catch these two acclaimed classics on the big screen. This special event will also include screenings of Mario Bava’s “The Mask of Satan” and “Black Sabbath”. This festival is a must for fans of cult cinema in the making. Check out the full programme here | |
 | INTERNATIONAL RECORD STORE DAY / SATURDAY 18 APRIL 2009-04-17 Remember the days of walking into your local record shop, flicking through the plethora of box-sets, records, t-shirts, memorablia and even concert posters? Remember being waved "hello" by the happy, long-haired hippy attendent behind the counter with the Greatful Dead t-shirt and ripped jeans? Remember going into the shop two months before your favourite bands latest album was released just to see if they were going to have it on the listening post? Remember those wonderful days passing you by quicker than you could blink your eyes, and say "goodbye, Woolworths" The death of the record shop makes us all here at Mad Dog Hq VERY VERY sad indeed, but in reality, it's a bit late to get teary-eyed about record shops now. They're already screwed. In the UK alone, 540 stores have closed in the last four years.... and this trend is not showing any signs of slowing down. A new generation of kids has grown up expecting music to be free. The next generation will have no concept of music in a physical form. which is why we bring to your attention...... INTERNATIONAL RECORD STORE DAY SATURDAY 18 APRIL 2009 Record stores all over the world will be celebrating the beauty of a dissappearing community, and trying to keep things alive and cooking. Heres what some of the last remaining record stors in the capital will be offering their punters for free: ROUGH TRADE RECORDS ******************* a massive host of ltd edition singles, albums, artwork and memoribilia for one day only as well as FREE instore performances by: BETTY & THE WEREWOLVES - 11.00am MY SAD CAPTAINS - 12.00pm NAT (Sonic Cathedral) DJ SET - 12.30pm WAVE MACHINES - 1.00pm NAT (Sonic Cathedral) DJ SET - 1.30pm SUNNY DAY SETS FIRE - 2.00pm CASPA DJ SET - 2.30pm LET'S WRESTLE - 3.00pm DUTCH UNCLES - 4.00pm FINDERS KEEPERS DJ SET - 4.30pm EBONY BONES - 5.00pm FINDERS KEEPERS DJ SET - 5.30pm LOVERMAN - 6.00pm ANDREW WEATHERALL DJ SET - 6.30pm PETE MOLINARI - 7.00pm JOE GIDEON & THE SHARK - 8.00pm www.roughtrade.com PURE GROOVE RECORDS ******************* Thousands, maybe even millions, of vinyl junkies will gather en masse at Pure Groove to celebrate new music, old music, music from the period in between... records, tapes, CDs, minidiscs, laserdiscs, DCCs and the myriad other amazing ways we consume the joy of music. It's a beautiful idea, and on this special Saturday - Pure Groove will feel a good, good place. And to celebrate, they have a few special instore shows across the day. OK, so we can proudly announce the following LIVE performances! Graham Coxon - LIVE! Patrick Wolf - LIVE! Dan Michaelson And The Coastguards (lead singer from Absentee's fine new project!) - LIVE! times to be announced soon at : www.puregroove.co.uk SISTER RAY RECORDS ****************** Sister Ray, the store situated in Sohos Berwick st is the store infamously featured on legendary caver artwork for Oasis - Whats the story (Morning glory) album. They will be holding a FREE instore gig from Brightons very own "dark poppers" The Maccabees for more info, see: www.sisterray.co.uk make sure you get down to your local record store this Saturday and show some support! franc botha | |
 | Funuke: Show Some Love, You Losers - limited theatrical run at ICA 2009-04-16 The excellent Funuke: Show Some Love, You Losers released by Third Window Films and reviewed by maddog this month is getting a limited theatrical release at the excellent ICA cinema in St James Park. The film is a deliciously dark and off kilter comedy set in rural Japan, in which three very different siblings are traumatically reunited after the death of their parents. It epitomises the brilliant new wave of comedy gems currently trickling out of Japan thanks to the efforts of companies like Third Window Films. It runs between 1-10 May with additional screenings on 16th and 17th. You can read maddog's review of the film here. | |
 | Mars Volta - New Album release details 2009-04-15 Following their international success and Grammy award winning album, Bedlam in Goliath, psycadelic Texan rockers The Mars Volta will be releasing their latest long-player Octohedron on June 23 2009 through Warner Bros Records. The band are also pencilled in for this years Bonnaroo festival and San Franciscos Outside Lands festival. for more info, see: www.thebedlam.net franc botha | |
 | Puregroove London FREE instore gigs 2009-04-14 Every now and again, the swirling, sickly, smoking city of London takes a big fat quenching gulp of fresh air in some way or other..... in the 60's....it had hippies in the 70's....it had punk in the 80's....it had...well, nothing really. in the 90's....it had Britpop now, in the noughties it has the mighty PURE GROOVE RECORDS At its core, Pure Groove is a record store. But it's actually more than that - it's a place to hold instore shows, playing host to music related art, and generally anything that grabs them and us by the goolies! Plus they now have the space for exciting installations! Here’s the thing ....their instore gigs are becoming absolutely legendary. Only two weeks ago, they had Kate Nash, Get Cape Wear Cape & Billy Bragg all play on the same afternoon. If you haven’t been to one before, heres what they have coming up in the next couple of months: April 14th - Frankmusik 15th - Frightened Rabbit 15th - Delphic 16th - Secret Special Guests 17th - Caspa dj set - Fabric album launch 18th - RECORD STORE DAY w/ Graham Coxon & Patrick Wolf 20th - Art Brut 21st - Video Nasties 22nd - Scroobius Pip's Satin Lizard Lounge 23rd - So So Glos 27th - Colour 28th - Blue Roses 29th - A Night Of Short Film With Future Shorts 30th - Roxy Rawson May 1st - Super Tennis 5th - Josh Weller 7th - Bishop Allen 8th - Wave Pictures 11th - Nate Campany 12th - Soy Un Caballo & This Is The Kit 12th - Kasms 13th - Hjaltalin 14th - Secret Special Guests 14th - Heartless Bastards 15th - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart 18th - Nathan Fake 19th - Magic Arm 19th - Crystal Fighters 29th - Theoretical Girl All of their instore gigs are FREE ENTRY so you really have no excuse to get down there and show some support for live music. You can find Pure Groove at : 6-7 WEST SMITHFIELD EC1A 9JX LONDON Tube: Farringdon / Barbican for more info on gig times, visit : www.puregroove.co.uk franc botha | |
 | The Thermals - UK tour just announced. 2009-04-13 Portland garage rockers The Thermals have just announced a string of UK dates in support of their latest album Now We Can See released on the American imprint Kill Rock Stars. the dates in June are : 14 Thekla Bristol 15 Brudenell Social Club Leeds 16 Sneaky Petes Edinburgh 17 Stereo Glasgow 18 Auntie Annies Belfast 19 Academy 2 Dublin 21 Ruby Lounge Manchester 22 Academy 3 Birmingham 23 Cargo London 24 Freebutt Brighton For an exclusive interview with the band about the album, download last months issue of Mad Dog Magazine free from our homepage. for more info visit : www.thethermals.com franc botha | |
 | Brownies - Our Knife, Your Back - 2009-04-12 Rawkas Norwich 5-piece Brownies are soon to release their eagerly-awaited debut album on NRone records. on June 22 2009 Sophie, Nathan, Stevie, Michael and Maxie will also soon be embarking across the length and breadth of the UK to promote the incredible Our Knife, Your Back.So make sure you check them out on at least one of the dates below: 19 Apr - artrocker all dayer - vibe bar london 25 Apr - proud galleries - camden london 29 Apr - waterfront - norwich 13 May - norwich fringe festival - (unit 5) norwich 23 May - the oakford - reading 26 May - old blue last - london 30 May - the crypt - norwich 4 Jun - the vine - sowerby bridge 5 Jun - the doghouse - halifax 9 Jun - whistlebinkies - edinburgh 10 Jun - monty's - dunfermline 11 Jun - the greenside - fife 12 Jun - cosmopol - glasgow 13 Jun - the moorings - aberdeen 14 Jun - cape - stirling 15 Jun - the shed - leicester 17 Jun - the macbeth - london 18 Jun - club nme - hitchin 19 Jun - the old maltings - bury 20 Jun - qjam - ipswich 21 Jun - saks - southend 23 Jun - b2 - norwich 24 Jun - bitterscene - chelmsford 6 Jul - the brickmakers - norwich for info on tickets, or how to pre-order copies of the album, go here : www.myspace.com/thebrownies or here: www.nrone.co.uk franc botha | |
 | Silhouette / new single / MASQUERADE 2009-04-10 London doom-pop princess Helena Gee aka Silhouette is finally releasing her latest slice of gloriously orchestrated musical genius on Cool for Cats. Masquerade will be available from the 18 May on ltd 7" vinyl and download. You can also catch Silhouette live : 10 April 2009 - Slaghtered Lamb - London ******************** for more info, go to : www.myspace.com/iamsilhouette | |
 | Godfather 2 hits the shelves 2009-04-10 Today sees the release of Godfather 2 on XBox 360, PS3 and PC courtesy of EA games. This delightful little hybrid of GTA style rampaging and Command and Conquer-esque RTS is sure to keep you closet meglamaniacs entertained for a good few days. Of course we've already been playing it for the last week or so and you can read our exclusive review here. It's an offer you can't refuse... | |
 | Beatles back catalogue September release 2009-04-08 The Beatles' entire back catalogue has been digitally remastered for release this September. Abbey Road technicians have spent four years remastering all 13 Beatles albums in stereo, resulting in the catalogue being available to buy at its highest fidelity since it was first released. Each album will be available to buy separately, or as part of a limited edition boxset. The collection will be released worldwide on September 9th at the same time as the new Rock Band, Beatles computer game. franc botha | |
 | Fuzzy Lights from Cambridge on tour 2009-04-04 Cambridge-based group FUZZY LIGHTS are playing some gigs this spring in support of their album, A Distant Voice, released at the end of 2008 on Little Red Rabbit Records. Read maddogs interview with the band here. In addition to these dates, on the 8th of May Fuzzy Lights will perform a live soundtrack to Chris Marker's 1962 film La Jetee (the film that inspired Twelve Monkeys) in the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse cinema. MAY 02 Cambridge, The Junction Shed (w/ The Puncture Repair Kit + Richard Swift) 15 Leeds, The Packhorse (w/ worriedaboutsatant) 16 Newcastle, Cluny 2 (w/ worriedaboutsatan) 20 York, The Basement (w/ Tim and Sam's Tim and the Sam Band) 22 London, Wilmington Arms (w/ Audrey + Nat Johnson) 23 Bristol, The Folkhouse (w/ Manyfingers + Kukicha) 24 Brighton, The Druids (as a two-piece, nice weather for airstrikes festival) JUNE 18th Norwich, Arts Centre | |
 | Wildbirds and Peacedrums UK tour underway 2009-04-04 Wildbirds & Peacedrums have begun their latest UK tour ahead of the release of acclaimed second album The Snake. The Swedish duo deliver a haunting and hypnotic display of vocals and percussion, that must be heard to be believed, and recently returned from a successful outing at SXSW - where Dazed & Confused named them Best Performance. Two dates, including the London show at The Luminaire on April 7, are with labelmates volcano! (new single 'So Many Lemons' available Monday). www.myspace.com/wildbirdsandpeacedrums www.volcanoisaband.com Wildbirds & Peacedrums have also been confirmed to play an instore at Pure Groove on April 7 at 1.15pm. In the meantime, you can see Mariam Wallentin and Andreas Werliin in action Bandstand Busking which was recorded at the beginning of March in London. This tour will see the band with steel drum in tow (see 'My Heart' on Bandstand Busking site): www.bandstandbusking.com Dean Bowman | |
 | Kasms debut album SPAYED & UK tour 2009-04-03 Enough to strip the skin from your face, London fourpiece Kasms are finally getting ready to release their highly-anticipated debut album, Spayed, through Trouble Records (home to Canadian noise-mongers Crystal Casyels) on May 11th "...I guess you could say Kasms' sound is punk/deathrock with a dose of Riotgirl, courtesy of the flailing menace of a frontwoman. This was a bit of a mouthful, so they coined the genre Shriekbeat to describe their music, which pretty much encapsulates the true essenc of what Kasms are all about..." ******************** Kasms will be touring throughout April and May with New Zealand punkers, Die! Die! Die! Kasms also play a FREE show at Rough Trade Records on Brick Lane, on 13 May ******************** for more info, check them out at : www.myspace.com/kasms or: www.kasms.co.uk franc botha | |
 | YEAH YEAH YEAHS! new single available in the UK for 1 week only! 2009-04-02 Following the release of their epic latest album Its Blitz!, New York rockers Yeah Yeah Yeahs are presenting the UK music loving public with latest single Zero. however.... It will only be available on physical format for one week only as of 13 April The CD and 7 vinyl will feature remixes by MSTRKRFT, Errol Alkan and Animal Collective. To promote Its Blitz!, Karen O, Brian Chase and Nick Zinner will be playing three dates in the capital: 24 April - Roundhouse - Camden 25 April - Empire - Shepherds Bush 26 April - Empire - Shepherds Bush for tickets, or more info on the single, visit: www.yeahyeahyeahs.com franc botha | |
 | Akira - New single / New tour 2009-04-02 AKIRA. Sarah, Joel and Gbenga. Two guys and a girl intent on infecting the world with their singular take on expansive, electronic post-rock pop. It’s taken Lagos, The Hague, Brixton, Southgate, Cambridge and London to bring them to this point.....along with various guitars, effects pedals, electronic drums and the knowledge of numerous computer programmes. Oh, and melody. "...the one overriding factor that they have going for them is the sheer scope of their vision. They're one of the few bands who you can really say are completely doing their own thing with no regard to what the outside world thinks it should be hearing..." DROWNEDINSOUND Shows?>/b> Yes. Akira will be embarking on a brief UK tour in April, their first. The live dates are in support of a brand new single ‘Together / Winning A Nuclear War’ that they will be releasing on April 20 through their own Orison imprint, and are as follows: April 7 - Tiggas Bar - Exeter April 9 - White Rabbit - Plymouth April 15 - The Twist - Colchester April 16 - Mentholmans - Sheffield April 19 - The Legion - London After this, the band will be entering the studio to complete work on another EP before playing at festivals in the summer both in the UK and abroad. for more info, or to download tracks for free, visit : www.myspace.com/akiraband franc botha | |
 | Black Dog Theatre Co. presents : Failing Narcissus 2009-04-01 Black Dog Theatre Company, in association with Arts On 5, presents a play set in modern day Greece in the party resort of Malia, Crete. A physical, contemporary and absurd tragedy written and directed by Paddy Francis ****************************** FAILING NARCISSUS ****************************** Thursday 23 - Friday 24 April 2009 at Lakeside Theatre, University of Essex, Colchester Tickets Prices: Full: £7.00, Concessions: £5.00, Students: £3.00 Ticket Hotline: 01206 573948 for more info: www.essex.ac.uk/artson5 franc botha | |
 | Foxes! April tour / Who Killed Rob ?single release 2009-04-01 Brighton pop noisenicks Foxes! are like a slice of sunny happyiness glowing on your face on a cold winters day. With their twee-style indie pop gorgeousness being the most infectious thing since your grandma started scratching that scab on her arthritic elbow.... And whats more is, the Brighton trio (Kayla, Adam & Al) are bringing their bass-driven, keyboard-plinking cheerfulness of a live show to a venue near you! check out the dates below: 3 April - The Lexington - London 4 April - Wedgewood Rooms - Portsmouth 5 April - The Phoenix - Exeter 6 April - The Mothers Ruin - Bristol 7 April - Bar Fresa - Liverpool 8 April - Mad Ferrit - Bristol 9 April - The Cellar - Oxford 10 April - Met Lounge - Peterborough 23 April - Fair Trade Gallery - Brighton 30 April - Prince Albert - Brighton 10 May - Windmill - London 13 June - West Hill Community Hall - Brighton ************************************ They also release increadible new single who killed rob? on o4/05/09. ************************************ "....Foxes! deliver sophisticated pop music that is as charming as it is catchy and as fresh as anything released on Cloudberry Records in the past 12 months...." - Lostmusic, December 2008. for more info and tickets, check out: www.myspace.com/foxesfoxesfoxes franc botha | |
| Dungeons UK Summer tour 2009-03-31 Always ones to support the local scene, Mad Dog Magazine is proud to announce that Ipswichs favourite Hardcore posse, Dungeons will be travelling the length and breadth of the UK to bring you the best in skull-smashing riffage! Dates are as follows: 1 Aug - Rose and Crown - Ipswich 2 Aug - tbc - Canterbury 3 Aug - Harrys Bar - Stoke 4 Aug - Chameleon Cafe - Nottingham 5 Aug - Sneaky Petes - Edinburgh 6 Aug - The Cooperage - Newcastle 7 Aug - tbc - Leeds 8 Aug - tbc - Birrmingham 13 Aug - Cambridge Arms - Colchester the Dungeon lads will be playing an intimate warm up show on 17 April at the Rose & Crown in Ipswich, with Save Your Breath, In This For Fun and Maycomb in support. for mor info, or to bag tickets, go here: www.myspace.com/goteamdungeons franc botha | |
 | Cinema Eye Honors winners announced in New York 2009-03-31 The Second Annual Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking were held last night at the Times Centre in New York. Over 350 guests from the independent film community, including directors, producers and distributors, attended the event - the only one of its kind to specifically recognise nonfiction film. The event was founded by Sponsor, IndiePix, the internet-based distributor of independent films, along with award-winning Producer AJ Schnack and Thom Powers, Documentary Programmer of the Toronto International Film Festival, to shine the spotlight on non-fiction filmmaking, which has reached an incredibly high standard in recent years with many titles breaking through into the mainstream. Ari Folman's 'Waltz With Bashir', an animated documentary depicting the horrors of the 1982 Lebanon war, was the big winner of the night beating off 20 other nominees to receive four out of the ten awards including Outstanding Direction. The excellent Man on Wire took three awards. Of the 110 eligible films, which were released in 2008, 26 were nominated for the awards by a panel of documentary programmers from 15 different film festivals in North America and across Europe. Over 200 documentary professionals - including filmmakers, distributors and journalists - were invited to cast their votes on the final winners. For more information please visit the www.cinemaeyehonors.com Winners of the 2009 Cinema Eye Honors: Debut Feature: Up The Yangtze (Yung Chang) | |
 | You Love Her Cos Shes Dead LTD "me vs you" 12inch vinyl 2009-03-30 You last heard the beastlike beauty of Jay & Elle Deads pulsating electronic beats, piercing through your eardrums and eyeballs at 1000bpm on the new hit series of Channel 4s SKINS. The electro-trash duo are about to release latest single Me Versus You on limited first edition 7" white vinyl with original artwork from American horror artist Andy Howl, and featuring exclusive remixes from Unicorn Kid and I Am Program. 500 hand-numbered copies only. First 100 copies signed. Official release date 27th April 2009 and you can only get it here: ylhcsd.bigcartel.com/product/very-limited-7-vinyl-coming-soon franc botha | |
 | Reading & Leeds Festival Line-up announced. 2009-03-30 All the fire, drunkedness and anarchy of the summer, culminating in the Uks ultimate weekend out, sees the residents of Berkshire moving out for an entire week every year.The worlds most famous rock festival takes place between August 28-30. Already, this years Kings Of Leon Radiohead Arctic Monkeys as well as the likes of : Kaiser Chiefs Placebo Fall Out Boy Funeral For A Friend Deftones Arctic Monkeys The Prodigy Maximo Park Ian Brown Courteeners Bloc Party Yeah Yeah Yeahs Vampire Weekend Tickets are on sale now at : www.readingfestival.com | |
 | Bat For Lashes confirmed for Latitude Festival 2009 2009-03-30 Brightons very own princess of pop, Natasha Khan, aka Bat For Lashes has just been confirmed for Latitude Festival 2009. Set in the picturesque wonderland that is Henham Park on the Sunrise Coast, Bat For Lashes is the latest addition to the already spellbinding line-up, including: Grace Jones The Pet Shop Boys Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Editors and The Doves The festival runs from Thursday, 16th of July until Sunday, 19th of July Weekend tickets (with camping) are priced at £150 and avalailable here: www.latitudefestival.co.uk franc botha | |
 | Adam Ficek - Roses Kings Castles/Babyshambles Exclusive Cassette! 2009-03-29 Yes! you heard right. Babyshambles sticksman Adam Ficek is releasing a one-off run of cassette tapes for his brilliant solo project Roses Kings Castles. This is just a sneaky peak of his forthcoming EP Apples & Engines. This genius piece of promotional 80's nostalgia sees Ficek "...trying to keep the spirit of lo-fi that I captured on my last album and maintain the same home-made essence that truly epitomises the Roses Kings Castles feel..." The cassette is seriously limited to 100 pieces, and signed by the man himself. If his previous singles, Entroubled, Sparkling Boots and christmas single Horses are anything to go by, you are in for a real treat! BUT! to get your grubby mits on one of these gems of pop history, you need to sign up to the Roses Kings Castles mailing list.....so you better hurry! you can sign up to the list here : www.roseskingscastles.com franc botha | |
 | Global Gathering 2009 Full Line Up Announced!! 2009-03-27 Hear it is guys! read and salavate at the dance music delights at Global Gathering for us lucky ravers this year! The Prodigy (Live) ~ Orbital (Live) ~ Pendulum (Live) Paul van Dyk* ~ Armin Van Buuren** Carl Cox ~ Above & Beyond ~ Eric Prydz ~ David Guetta ~ John Digweed Sasha ~ Richie Hawtin ~ Axwell ~ Dubfire ~ Erol Alkan ~ Fedde Le Grand James Zabiela ~ Steve Angello ~ Sander Kleinenberg~ Tiga Markus Schulz ~ Sander Van Doorn ~ Nic Fanciulli ~ Judge Jules ~ ATB Plump DJ's ~ Digitalism ~ Stanton Warriors Locodice ~ Scratch Perverts ~ DJ Yoda ~ Josh Wink ~ Andy C ~ Mark Knight ~ Lisa Lashes ~ Danny Howells ~ Magda Kissy Sellout (Live) ~ The Shapeshifters ~ Tidy Boys ~ John Dahlback Chase & Status ~ DJ Hype ~ Utah Saints ~ Hervé & Sinden present The Count & Sinden ~ High Contrast ~ Magnetik Man live Feat. Skream & Benga Andy Whitby ~ Rusko (Live) ~ Darren Styles & Breeze ~ DJ Marky ~ D Ramirez Altern 8 ~ Gaiser (Live) ~ Friction ~ Sebastien Leger ~ Menno De Jong Funkagenda ~ Fabio & Grooverider ~ Yousef ~ Micky Slim ~ Baby D (Live) Dave Spoon ~ Hixxy & Unknown ~ Noisia ~ Benny Benassi ~ Lisa Pin Up Paul Thomas ~ Joel Mull ~ Subfocus ~ Anne Savage ~ Caspa ~ Ratpack Mary Anne Hobbs ~ Kutski ~ A.T.F.C ~ Tom Middleton ~ DJ Sy & Gammer Hatcha & N Type ~ Josh Gabriel ~ Micky Finn ~ Dougal ~ Proteus ~ Gareth Emery Brisk & Ham ~ Nicky Blackmarket ~ Toddla T ~ Chris Lake ~ Hazard ~ Guy J Slipmatt ~ Rebekah ~ Pete Jordan ~ Jon Rundell ~ Mark Eteson ~ Kim Fai Re-Con & Squad E ~ Mark H ~ Robbie Long ~ Darkfire Dub ~ Stu Allen Garry K & Vapour + More to be Announced Its going to be awsome! | |
 | Minty Fresh Beats - Jaydiohead - Whole album free download! 2009-03-27 Brainchild of New York producer Minty Fresh Beats, Jaydiohead takes its lead from Danger Mouse's notorious Grey Album, the subject of mass panic in the music industry and several "cease and desist" orders from EMI. Where Danger Mouse focused entirely on sampling the Beatles' White Album and laying vocal tracks from Jay-Z's Black Album, Jaydiohead utilises various material in Radiohead and Jay-Z's respective musical cannons. Radiohead fans will recognise well sampled hooks from the likes of: I Might Be Wrong, Karma Police, Jigsaw Falling Into Place and The National Anthem fitting seamlessly with Jay-Z's brilliantly faultless delivery. To say this album comes highly recommended is an understatement. If you are a Radiohead and a Jay-Z fan then this is quite literally a must! You will enjoy experiencing the two artists music side by side, breathing in harmony together. If you are only a fan of one or the other it is still worth picking up and experiencing a new angle on either artist. A worthy addition to any music collection and one that's destined to be on my stereo for the foreseeable future. Oxford just got bling, who'd have thunk it? Download the whole album here : http://www.jaydiohead.com/imeem.php | |
 | Royksopp's new album in shops 2009-03-26 Junior, the new album by Norwegian electronica legends Royksopp, is now in store and first impressions suggest that it will be the electronica release of the year. Especially interesting is the amount of collaborations, for instance with Swedish Singer Songwriter Lykke Li, Europop sensation Robyn, and two tracks with Karin Dreijer Andersson, formerly vocalist for the brilliant electronica duo the Knife. Forthcoming is the companion album 'senior', which appropriately is set to be a downbeat and introspective counter to Junior's bubbly enthusiasm. Read the full review here | |
 | Single releases for the next few months... 2009-03-25 27th of April : Glasgows finest, Sinking Cities release their hotly anticipated debut single C Throo / End of an Era from their album Drowned Out the World. www.myspace.com/sinkingcitiesglasgow Liverpools, Violent Playground release EP Matter form their debut long-player Playground Management www.myspace.com/theviolentplayground 11th of May : Emerging from the shadow of the famous Blackpool Tower, Katlow is about to put the seaside town on the map with her debut single release Gorgeous/57 Manchester Road www.myspace.com/katlowmusic The Lights release new single Low Hundreds/Formerly Yours through Universal/Crash Records. www.myspace.com/lightsmusic Cutaways preceed their debut album Earth & Earthy Things with single Milo of Kroton www.myspace.com/cutaways 18th of May : Nephu Huzzband release their 4th single No Not Ever through Deep Recording Co. A one minute buzz saw of a track, breaking all rules, and not for the faint hearted! www.myspace.com/nephuhuzzband Jointpop release their new double A-side Please Dont Tell My Inlaws/Monday Morning Love Situation through Gallas Music. www.myspace.com/jointpop 1st of June : Two years on from their debut album, awash with new tunes, and bags more charisma, Edinburgh quartet Rieser mark their return with Drinking Den, a four-track EP steeped in quality song writing and execution. www.myspace.com/riesermusic Wigan five-piece Smudge release the Where I Go At Night EP through Animal Farm Records. www.myspace.com/smudge Allegro release their fantastic debut EP Allegro Forever through 7 Digital. Catch them live at The Red Light Festival on the 20th of June! www.myspace.com/allegroforever Fantastic London ska/rap outfit Kyoshi release super-sexy summer sizzler Bang! though Animal Farm Records www.myspace.com/kyoshimusic Esteban are a lifestyle of music, art, brotherhood, and touring. - Also a breath of fresh air! They release EP Deep Breath via Animal Farm Records. www.myspace.com/estebanuk franc botha | |
 | Peter Matthew Kasen / Spring UK Tour 2009-03-25 Originally from Miami, this singer/songwriter crosses comfartably between Jose Gonzalez and Andrew Lipike....his beautiful acoustic harmonies will definately leave you wondering why you hadnt discovered him before. EP 'A Year Worth Forgetting' and over 250 tour dates saw Peter Matthew Kasen getting his music featured on 3 major compilatind albums and on the film scores for 4 films. His album 'Dust, Doors & Debt' was released to high critical acclaim in April 2008. With a somewhat folky Aura, Peters vocals are often classed as emotional and raw. The lyrics are emotive, poetic, folky and magnetic. Make sure you check him out at a gig in your town : 14/05/2009 - The Adam & Eve Birmingham 25/05/2009 - The Cons Club Saltbun-by-the-sea 21/05/2009 - The First Chop Bury 26/05/2009 - Phibbers London 03/06/2009 - The Vale Bar Glasgow 09/06/2009 - Island Bar Birmingham 10/06/2009 - The Polish Club Barnsley 11/06/2009 - The Norfolk Inn Stoke 19/06/2009 - The Dorchester Arms Dorchester 24/06/2009 - Arts Centre Reading 27/06/2009 - The Canteen Manchester for more info : WWW.MYSPACE.COM/PETERMATTHEWKASEN franc botha | |
 | We Were Promised Jetpacks 2009-03-25 Here is another amazing band to introduce. Some of you may know already know We Were Promised Jetpacks, but great name aside however... since their debut single is finally ready (on FatCat Records) I think they are worthy of a proper introduction. Single, album and tour announcement below. Every show from June 9th onwards is a headline date. Introducing... We Were Promised Jetpacks 'Quiet Little Voices' - 7"/Download out May 4th 'These Four Walls' - CD/DL out June 15th www.myspace.com/wewerepromisedjetpacks Dates: 26 Mar - The End, Newcastle 15 Apr - Scala, London (supporting Frightened Rabbit) 30 Apr - Hinterland Festival, Glasgow 1 May - Hinterland Festival, Glasgow 14 May - Water Margin, Brighton (FatCat Showcase - Great Escape Festival) 15 May - DrownedinSound Stage, Brighton (Great Escape Festival) 09 Jun - Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh 10 Jun - Doghouse, Dundee 15 Jun - King Tuts, Glasgow 16 Jun - Night & Day, Manchester 17 Jun - Bodega, Nottingham 18 Jun - The Lexington, London 19 Jun - The Cockpit, Leeds 20 Jun - The End, Newcastle | |
 | Tickets on sale for Latitude! 2009-03-25 Tickets went on sale Monday of this week for the Forth edition of Latitude festival at Henham Park Estate, Southwold 16th - 19th July 2009. This innovative young festival caused a splash when it launched with its vibrant mix of arts and laid back atmosphere, provoking comparisons to Glastonbury in its early days. Organisers Festival Republic have so far managed to maintain this spirit whilst developing it in scale and scope at an impressive rate - this year will see over 700 artists entertaining the hordes. So far the confirmed headliners seem to be bearing out the 80s revival that is currently upon us with Pet Shop Boys, Grace Jones (yes that's THE Grace Jones) and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (ok two of three aint bad) all making an appearance on the Obelisk Arena. Also confirmed are Editors, the rather wonderful Doves and the emerging and drop dead gorgeous singer songwriter Bat for Lashes. Outside of the main stage the Uncut arena will host an eclectic mix of left field delights, whilst the Sunrise Stage (set in the woods) seeks to introduce audiences to the rising stars of tomorrow, and finally the Lake stage is this year curated by BBC Radio One DJ and music aficionado Huw Stephens. You can also catch a huge range of theatre, from companies as prestigious as The Royal Shakespeare Company (who you can help make a 30 meter portrait of the bard out of daisies and buttercups!), National Theatre, English Touring theatre, Lyric Hammersmith. There will also be a multitude of comedians and spoken word artists and you can even enjoy the prestigious Britten Sinfonia in those idyllic festival pastures. | |
 | Ridley Scott Awarded prestigious BFI Fellowship. 2009-03-24 The British Film Iinstitute (BFI) has just made *Ridley Scott *the 62nd recipient of a BFI Fellowship, joining other distinguished names in cinema history such as *David Lean*, *Clint Eastwood*, *Bernardo Bertolucci* and *Bette Davis*. Created in 1983, the BFI Fellowship is the highest accolade the BFI can bestow and is given in recognition of the outstanding achievement of those who have helped shape film and television culture in the UK. Director of */Thelma & Louise/*/ /(1991), */Gladiator /*(2000)/, and *American Gangster *(2007), /Ridley/ /Scott's first film */Boy and Bicycle /*(1965)/ /was made with the help of the *BFI Experimental Film Fund*. His career began in television in the mid-1960s, when he worked as a set designer, then director, on series such as */Z-Cars /*and */The Informer/*. He later moved into commercial advertising where he was renowned for his technical prowess and dazzling visuals. His debut feature film was */The Duellists/*/ /in 1977, which went on to win the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival; two years later he received universal acclaim with */Alien /*(1979)/, /which has since become a classic in the sci-fi genre. Following an on-stage discussion and celebration of his career to date at the *BFI* *Southbank*, the BFI Fellowship was presented by acclaimed director and former BFI Governor *Stephen Frears.* There was also a screening of Ridley Scott's magnificent sci-fi thriller */Blade Runner/* (1982), which took first place in the BFI's recent *75th* *birthday poll Visions for the Future*. The poll asked people to vote for one of 75 nominated films that they'd wish to preserve for future audiences. *Greg Dyke*, Chair of the BFI Governors said: Ridley Scott is one of the foremost directors of his generation. For me, /Thelma and Louise/ is among the most outstanding films of my lifetime. The scope and sweep of Ridley Scott's ambition, the astonishing detail in his portrayal of different worlds and different eras, is remarkable and unforgettable. Nearly all his films have become classics as his story-telling never fails to engage a huge range of audiences. But it is for his whole body of work that we celebrate with this BFI Fellowship. | |
 | What do you get when you cross a musical penguin, giraffe, monkey and an Eskimo child? 2009-03-24 There's not much we can tell you about the new four piece OneEskimO. Their charmingly twee and enigmatic biography begins: The little eskimO wondered and wondered. When he wasn't wondering he was thinking up stories, and singing along with tunes that lived inside his head. You see the little eskimO loved nothing more than to sing his little heart out. Eventually he teams up with a percussionist giraffe, a horn-playing monkey and a penguin who plays a mean guitar, and together they set off to the moon in the Eskimo's magic ark. It's unsurprising that the team behind the Gorrilaz is responsible for the traditional children's book style animations that accompany the bands songs, much like the wonderful 'Interstellar 5555: the Story of the Secret Star System' that accompanied Daft Punk's seminal album Discovery. Meanwhile Faithless producer Rollo lends his ample skills to producing the band's hypnotic electro-acoustic sound, which is reminiscent of Zero7 but with more melodic guitars (thanks penguin). But of course we at maddog know the identity of OneEskimo frontman to be reclusive singer-songwriter Kristian Leontiou, who received a modicum of fame some years ago as the 'male Dido', but left Polydor after being frustrated by how the music industry was twisting him into something he didn't want to be. Hence his radical reinvention, which he explains thus: I really wanted to make a beautiful, peaceful album, like a soundtrack to a film that didn't even exist. I didn't want my face slapped on the front, I thought it could be much more special to create visuals that represent the music I have always been Eskimo, it was a bit of an old nick name, and to me it represented something quite peaceful, making music in isolation. It seems OneEskimo's isolation will soon be over. After supporting Tricky at the Shepard's Bush Empire, the band embark on their own UK tour: May (with All Thieves and Bailey Tzuke) 6th - The Lamp, 2 Norfolk Street, HULL HU2 9AA, 7th - Korova, 39-41 Fleet Street, LIVERPOOL, L1 4AR 8th - MohoLive, Tib Street, MANCHESTER M4 9th - Brudenell Social Club , 33 Queens Road, LEEDS, LS6 1NY 10th - Hare and Hounds, BIRMINGHAM, B14 7JZ 12th - The Royal, DERBY, DE1 1EQ 13th - Bodega, 23 Pelham Street, NOTTINGHAM NG1 2ED 14th - ICA, The Mall LONDON SW1Y 5AH 15th - Fire Station Arts Centre, St Leonards Road, WINDSOR, SL4 3BL 16th - The Hippo, 9 Bath Street, PLYMOUTH 17th - Louisiana, Bathurst Terrace, BRISTOL, BS1 6UA 18th - The Joiners, 141 St. Mary St, SOUTHAMPTON, SO14 1NS 19th - The Cavern, 83-84 Queen St EXETER EX4 3RP 20th - The Perfect 5th, 61 High Street, TAUNTON, TA1 3PT 23rd - Cabaret Voltaire, 36 Blair St, EDINBURGH, EH1 1QR 24th - King Tuts, 272 St Vincent St, GLASGOW, G2 5RL One eskimO release their stunning, beautiful album 'All Balloons' on 1st June 2009. www.oneeskimo.co.uk | |
 | Shock and Horrors! 2009-03-24 After two long years Southend garage rock band The Horrors have finally returned with the release their new single 'Sea Within A Sea'. The song was released as free download on their website a couple of days ago accompanied by a dark psychedelic video directed by Douglas Hart of Jesus and the Mary Chain. Always keen to polarize opinion, The Horrors have taken on a completely different musical direction. Known for their short fast ferocious punk songs and Faris Badwan's deep snarling vocals, it will come as a surprise that 'Sea Within A Sea' is an almost 8 minute long track filled with spacey synths and mournful choir boy vocals. It starts off like 60s reinvention of 80s monotone art-punks Suicide, before taking off into the stratosphere with a beautifully epic Kraftwerk style finale. All of this however is still vaguely reminiscent of their cover of 'Shadazz' by Suicide, which was their only release of 2008. The biggest change is in Faris Badwans vocal style, which has been tamed and raised from the rock and roll crypt to a higher pitched chant like Morrissey, raising the dead with a voodoo prayer, seriously. Dare I say it, I believe The Horrors may have matured? All of this is a very exciting prospect for previous Horrors fans but also for those who were put off by their previous incarnation. Unfortunately some fans will probably be put off, 'Sheena Is A Parasite' this is not; 'Sea Within A Sea' requires a much longer attention span and a desire for more than just the noise onslaught of their first album 'Strange House'. The Horrors release their new album 'Primary Colours' on the 4th of May. Produced by Portishead's Geoff Barrow, NME's preview listen has suggested a gothic reinvention of shoegaze, lots of starry synths and surprisingly romantic lyrics. The Horrors will play an already sold out show in Rich Mix cinema in Bethnal Green before jetting off to tour the states with Kate Moss's favourite rock and roll band, The Kills. They then return to the UK for a tour ending with a show in the Electric Ballroom in Camden on the 5th of June. Words > Connor Crook | |
 | Milkbar Records & Mad Dog Records presents... 2009-03-18 Norwich's finest independant record label, MILKBAR is teaming up with MAD DOG MAGAZINE to bring you a night of foot-stomping, beer-swiggin' head-noddin' indie greatness. The first date on a massive tour for four of the best new bands from Norwich, and the introduction of Milkbar Records to the music loving public of Ipswich. LUNAIRE : www.myspace.com/lunaire1 TAWNY OWL : www.myspace.com/tawnyowlband COLD HANDS : www.myspace.com/cameronmoandjamesband THE ROMANCE OF BALLOONING : www.myspace.com/theromanceofballooning This is the first ever FULL Milkbar tour, and its starting right here! It's been a long time since any of us have seen bands of this calibre gracing our sleepy little town, so lets all get down to McGintys to show support........ .....and besides... ...what better way is there to start your Monday night shenanigans before you pop off to Liquid or Fire for even more messy times!!? ANNNND its only 3 quid entry all night! | |
 | Tweeoff! New night at Norwich Arts Centre 2009-03-17 TWEEOFF! is a reaction to the lack of decent, fun, indie punk and dance acts being promoted in norwich. we have a manifesto which is simply - VISCERAL TRASH MUSIC - we want nights to be fun again and with an edge too... The launch nite is on FRI 03 APRIL - N.A.C - 20,00h. only for 5 quid advance (box office 01603 660352) or online - ueaticketbookings.co.uk - Line up SELFISH C**T (HEADLINE - LONDON, INDIE PUNK UPSTARTS- VERY VERY UNPREDICTABLE) + FEVER FEVER (NORWICH'S OWN PUNK POP'ERS - TWO CRAZED GIRLS ON GUITAR AND A BEHEMOTH OF A MAN ON DRUMS!) + MICRO PENIS (FROM THE UNDERBELLY OF CAMBRIDGE COMES THIS GREAT ART-PUNK ELECTRO DUO) + TWEE OFF DEEJAYS and.... FREE RAFFLE WITH MANY TREATS TO WIN! OH! + THE JOY OF BEING!!!!!! WE HAVE A NIGHT EVERY MONTH, NEXT MONTH IS GOING TO BE HUGE! CRYSTAL ANTLERS FROM CALIFORNIA (PSYCHE PUNK) + DUCHESS SAYS (INDIE DANCE FROM MONTREAL!) + MEN (NORWICHS MOST EXCITING BAND SINCE FUN!YEAH!) ON MAY 20TH.... DETAILS OF NITE'S HERE > MYSPACE.COM/TWEEOFFNOW | |
 | Libertines Reforming 2010? 2009-03-17 Since their break up in 2004 relations between Doherty and Barat have been slowly building. In April 2007 at the Hackney Empire, London, Barat joined Doherty on stage to play through some old Libertines songs together, their first live performance since the pair originally split. This obviously led to rumours flying about a reunion which have been denied by both parties each time they arise. However, according to multiple sources, Barat has recently stated that the pair were still the Libertines, while Doherty admitted that he had tried to "twist [Barat's] arm" about a reformation, before saying "2010" for a possible date. This gets us at maddog very excited, keep your fingers crossed! | |
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Trail Debut Album |
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Straight Lines Debut Album | UK Tour |
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Dan le Sac VS Scroobius Pip /// Spring Tour |
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/// THE BETRAYED /// LOSTPROPHETS /// INTERVIEW/// |
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| 10.03.2010 | Legend Of Anarchy + more | Twist |
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| 10.03.2010 | The Cehlmsford Ballet Company | Civic Theatre |
| 10.03.2010 | Crash Mansion + Crazy Eights + more | Barhouse |
| 10.03.2010 | Green Man Tour | Portland Arms |
| 10.03.2010 | We Are Fiction + Everything Burns | Man on The Moon |
| 10.03.2010 | Mumford & Sons | Junction |
| 10.03.2010 | Jukebox | Grapes |
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| 10.03.2010 | Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club | Corn Exchange |
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