LISTEN up struggling musicians.
You work hard, gig every venue, and often come home with less money than you left with at the start of the evening.
But it’s worth it and those who have done it before are here to give you faith.
Un-Convention, on Saturday, is part of the Roundhouse Rising Festival, which has filled the past week with masterclasses in band photography, sound engineering and music video masterclasses for youngsters.
But Saturday is for all ages. While top artists scramble to record an album in 10 hours, the timetable is heaving under the musical wisdom from panels of veterans, gurus and experts keen to share their insights.
Highlights include ‘Music as a Tool for Social Change’ – featuring figures from music projects in Sri Lanka, Brazil, Colombia and the UK, ‘Sustainable careers in music’ with Jon McClure (Reverend and the Makers), ‘The Politicisation of Music’ and ‘Women in Music’ with Viv Albertine and Zoe Street Howe. Guests include Green Man Festival’s Fiona Stewar, John Dyer from Domino Records and BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson.
There are also speed networking sessions, workshops and demos.
The festival wouldn’t be complete without some great live new music, see Ghost Eyes, Teeth of the Sea and Prizes, curated by Eat Your Own Ears (EYOE) on (Thursday), Swimming, DT, Beaty Heart and Chicago DJ Brenmar tomorrow (Friday) and EKO, DELS, Sampha and RoxXxan on Saturday.
More info from www.roundhouse.org.uk/rising
Showing posts with label Reverend and the Makers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reverend and the Makers. Show all posts
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Friday, 28 January 2011
GABBY YOUNG'S NO ORDINARY REDHEAD, SHE'S A BARBICAN-SINGING CIRCUS SWING-ER
GABBY Young sounds like she’s smiling over the phone.
Every story she tells has a happy ending and she sees the brightest side of the very darkest tales.
The eccentric flame-haired singer’s positive nature casts an effective veil over a history that could have ended her singing career before she even began.
At just 22, Gabby’s fledgling path was halted for a year as she fought thyroid cancer in her throat, while medics warned her she may lose her voice.
You wouldn’t know it now.
Gabby’s rich vocals are stronger than ever – so strong in fact that she, and her band Other Animals, share the bill with 10-piece ‘performance orchestra’ The Irrepressibles at The Barbican on Saturday for Disruption – a fashion and music performance inspired by the gallery’s exhibition Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion and the diversity of East London.
It is the culmination of a three-month project by 50 young people aged 14-19 working with the Barbican, London College of Fashion and Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
Purveyors of “circus swing”, Gabby Young and Other Animals are emerging from their underground lair as a live phenomena.
Said Gabby, who will be wearing a dress made entirely from newspapers: “We’ve definitely got a spectacle planned. We always try and do something different each show...There’ll be a bang and the end of our set.”
Look at her pictures and you’d never guess Gabby grew up “in the sticks” in Wiltshire, to a horsey life “my mother trained racehorses”, at times sharing a home with the Australian equestrian team.
She even went to boarding school.
Instead, Gabby rejected the outdoors in favour of singing and the piano.
She said: “From the start I rebelled against any kind of sport and always wanted to be the musician. We had a little upright pink piano and my sister and I would write songs. Whenever mum and dad had friends over, we’d insist on giving them a concert, make them queue outside and pay to see us. That’s probably my earliest musical memory.”
Her parents now run her label, while Gabby lives in Kentish Town with boyfriend Stephen Ellis, frontman of band Revere and dog Hobbes (named after the comic strip stuffed tiger).
She said: “I absolutely love north London. We live right next to Hampstead Heath and I’m obsessed with the place. I’ve lived in lots of different parts of London, west, south, Chelsea for a bit, which I didn’t like, but the moment I got up north I thought this is where London is for me. I love the creativeness, you can do your own thing, don’t have to worry about being judged, everyone seems helpful and friendly. I love all my neighbours.”
She met Stephen when still travelling from Wiltshire to play gigs at Monkey Chews.
She said: “I didn’t know many musicians. The other band on the bill was Revere, I’d never heard of them before and never seen a band that made me just want to follow them around. They blew me away. I remember seeing Stephen and thinking he’s so cool I want him to be my friend but now I live with him.”
As well as her music, Gabby’s become something of a fashion icon and writes a style blog as well as running pop-up store Gabbydashery.
She said: “Gabbydashery mainly has accessories, hairpieces, bags, everything we sell is something I’d wear or have on my wall, it’s all got to be inspired by or for the music. People expect me to have made the stuff but I’m not very good with a sewing machine and glue. My first ever art report said do not let Gabby near glitter or glue.”
Fashion is definitely an important element to Gabby’s persona.
“I’ve always loved dressing up and every time I did a gig I would make an effort because I never liked seeing bands standing around in their jeans. I love the spectacle behind big stage shows, love what Bjork wears, the fact she plays with her outfits when onstage and it becomes part of the theatre of it, that is really important for me.
“I’ve always loved vintage clothes from much further back. I’ve loved Victorian clothes for so long. I’ve got bright red hair but that’s not actually that different anymore because so do all the female artists out there so I’ve got to find a way to stand out.”
Her memories of being diagnosed with cancer are still raw but she’s grateful for what it brought: “It was a huge life-changing experience to be on a path with my band, knowing my goal and to have a huge stop sign on that. But I’m so thankful for it because everything that has happened to me that’s been positive has been almost a direct result from that. Moving to London was a catalyst – I had to change my life to do what I wanted. The most terrifying thing was the operation. To be told as a singer that you might lose your voice that is a fate worse than death in a way.”
She added: “I’ve written some material about that which I’m really proud of – Too Young to Die on the album is about it. It’s changed the way I think about absolutely everything in my life. I’m a lot happier because I feel I’ve got a get out of jail free card and a real chance to do something different and have a story that might help people through hard times.”
Every story she tells has a happy ending and she sees the brightest side of the very darkest tales.
The eccentric flame-haired singer’s positive nature casts an effective veil over a history that could have ended her singing career before she even began.
At just 22, Gabby’s fledgling path was halted for a year as she fought thyroid cancer in her throat, while medics warned her she may lose her voice.
Gabby’s rich vocals are stronger than ever – so strong in fact that she, and her band Other Animals, share the bill with 10-piece ‘performance orchestra’ The Irrepressibles at The Barbican on Saturday for Disruption – a fashion and music performance inspired by the gallery’s exhibition Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion and the diversity of East London.
It is the culmination of a three-month project by 50 young people aged 14-19 working with the Barbican, London College of Fashion and Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
Purveyors of “circus swing”, Gabby Young and Other Animals are emerging from their underground lair as a live phenomena.
Said Gabby, who will be wearing a dress made entirely from newspapers: “We’ve definitely got a spectacle planned. We always try and do something different each show...There’ll be a bang and the end of our set.”
Look at her pictures and you’d never guess Gabby grew up “in the sticks” in Wiltshire, to a horsey life “my mother trained racehorses”, at times sharing a home with the Australian equestrian team.
She even went to boarding school.
Instead, Gabby rejected the outdoors in favour of singing and the piano.
She said: “From the start I rebelled against any kind of sport and always wanted to be the musician. We had a little upright pink piano and my sister and I would write songs. Whenever mum and dad had friends over, we’d insist on giving them a concert, make them queue outside and pay to see us. That’s probably my earliest musical memory.”
Her parents now run her label, while Gabby lives in Kentish Town with boyfriend Stephen Ellis, frontman of band Revere and dog Hobbes (named after the comic strip stuffed tiger).
She said: “I absolutely love north London. We live right next to Hampstead Heath and I’m obsessed with the place. I’ve lived in lots of different parts of London, west, south, Chelsea for a bit, which I didn’t like, but the moment I got up north I thought this is where London is for me. I love the creativeness, you can do your own thing, don’t have to worry about being judged, everyone seems helpful and friendly. I love all my neighbours.”
She met Stephen when still travelling from Wiltshire to play gigs at Monkey Chews.
She said: “I didn’t know many musicians. The other band on the bill was Revere, I’d never heard of them before and never seen a band that made me just want to follow them around. They blew me away. I remember seeing Stephen and thinking he’s so cool I want him to be my friend but now I live with him.”
As well as her music, Gabby’s become something of a fashion icon and writes a style blog as well as running pop-up store Gabbydashery.
She said: “Gabbydashery mainly has accessories, hairpieces, bags, everything we sell is something I’d wear or have on my wall, it’s all got to be inspired by or for the music. People expect me to have made the stuff but I’m not very good with a sewing machine and glue. My first ever art report said do not let Gabby near glitter or glue.”
Fashion is definitely an important element to Gabby’s persona.
“I’ve always loved dressing up and every time I did a gig I would make an effort because I never liked seeing bands standing around in their jeans. I love the spectacle behind big stage shows, love what Bjork wears, the fact she plays with her outfits when onstage and it becomes part of the theatre of it, that is really important for me.
“I’ve always loved vintage clothes from much further back. I’ve loved Victorian clothes for so long. I’ve got bright red hair but that’s not actually that different anymore because so do all the female artists out there so I’ve got to find a way to stand out.”
Her memories of being diagnosed with cancer are still raw but she’s grateful for what it brought: “It was a huge life-changing experience to be on a path with my band, knowing my goal and to have a huge stop sign on that. But I’m so thankful for it because everything that has happened to me that’s been positive has been almost a direct result from that. Moving to London was a catalyst – I had to change my life to do what I wanted. The most terrifying thing was the operation. To be told as a singer that you might lose your voice that is a fate worse than death in a way.”
She added: “I’ve written some material about that which I’m really proud of – Too Young to Die on the album is about it. It’s changed the way I think about absolutely everything in my life. I’m a lot happier because I feel I’ve got a get out of jail free card and a real chance to do something different and have a story that might help people through hard times.”
Thursday, 19 August 2010
FIND THE FLOWERPOT AND YOU WON'T WANT TO LEAVE
IT LOOKS like the dream student living room – couches and lamps, arcade machines with space invaders, table football, and a bar on one wall.
But how many students get to play host to Mumford and Sons, Laura Marling, Reverend and the Makers and The Drums?
You get the sense they want to keep it that way.
Born from the disaster that was the great fire of Nambucca, bar staff, musicians and the remnants of those who lived over the fashionable Holloway Road pub clubbed together and moved into Camden.
Jay said: “People were homeless and jobless. We rooted around and got hold of the club.”
The staff live above the bar and do much more than serve drinks.
Jay said: “Seven of us live there. We DJ, book bands and promote it. We’ve a wicked back line, we provide guitars, drum kits and amps so bands can just turn up.”
Their listings boast an ambitious line-up from the newest talent to surprise appearances, after-show gigs and established acts – and the punters never have to pay for the privilege.
Most of the staff are in bands or have had some involvement with the music industry and it is these connections that form the heart and soul of the venue – and explain how they scoop the big names.
Recently Mumford and Sons, Kill it Kid, The Joker and the Thief and others transformed the venue into a studio for a week-long project writing and recording tracks from start to finish, for a Communion Records compilation. Singer Damien Rice turned up to jam with them at one point.
Jay said: “The whole thing will to be put on vinyl and released in autumn. People had to write the songs here, it was all pretty off the wall. We’ve definitely got some exciting things coming up and New Year at HMV The Forum again with some big bands.”
But how many students get to play host to Mumford and Sons, Laura Marling, Reverend and the Makers and The Drums?
In the 18 months The Flowerpot's been in Kentish Town, it’s become the unofficial social club for Camden musicians, creating a niche for itself quite possibly unrivalled in London – a respected bill of new and established acts every night totally free.
Although it’s known to those who know, in some ways it’s Camden’s best kept secret, just enough off the beaten track to avoid the paparazzi attention given to Proud and The Hawley Arms, yet with the pulling power to attract Madness, Jamie T and Florence and the Machine.
You get the sense they want to keep it that way.
The website is as low-key as it gets and getting manager and promoter Jay Sensible to gossip about the acts is tough.
“I’m not really a namedropper,” he said. “It’s more about looking after bands than promoters.”
Even so, Eliza Doolittle’s has told us she likes to hang out there, Kate Nash has spun records on a Saturday night and Damien Rice has dropped by for a quick jam.
Even so, Eliza Doolittle’s has told us she likes to hang out there, Kate Nash has spun records on a Saturday night and Damien Rice has dropped by for a quick jam.
Born from the disaster that was the great fire of Nambucca, bar staff, musicians and the remnants of those who lived over the fashionable Holloway Road pub clubbed together and moved into Camden.
Jay said: “People were homeless and jobless. We rooted around and got hold of the club.”
The staff live above the bar and do much more than serve drinks.
Jay said: “Seven of us live there. We DJ, book bands and promote it. We’ve a wicked back line, we provide guitars, drum kits and amps so bands can just turn up.”
Their listings boast an ambitious line-up from the newest talent to surprise appearances, after-show gigs and established acts – and the punters never have to pay for the privilege.
Most of the staff are in bands or have had some involvement with the music industry and it is these connections that form the heart and soul of the venue – and explain how they scoop the big names.
Jay said: “If you do nice things, nice things happen. We try and help out other bands by putting things on for free. All of us have worked with bands in the past and say we put on early gigs when they were small, now they’re selling records and doing better, they come back and repay the favour.”
He added: “We didn’t want to be a standard music venue. People trust that we’re going to put good bands on. We try and make it as welcoming as possible. Because the bar staff all know each other it’s got a kind of community atmosphere. Our crowd are young, fun, arty...and drunk. They like Jaegerbombs.”
He added: “We didn’t want to be a standard music venue. People trust that we’re going to put good bands on. We try and make it as welcoming as possible. Because the bar staff all know each other it’s got a kind of community atmosphere. Our crowd are young, fun, arty...and drunk. They like Jaegerbombs.”
Recently Mumford and Sons, Kill it Kid, The Joker and the Thief and others transformed the venue into a studio for a week-long project writing and recording tracks from start to finish, for a Communion Records compilation. Singer Damien Rice turned up to jam with them at one point.
Jay said: “The whole thing will to be put on vinyl and released in autumn. People had to write the songs here, it was all pretty off the wall. We’ve definitely got some exciting things coming up and New Year at HMV The Forum again with some big bands.”
• US indie girl band The Like play a pre Reading and Leeds Festival warm-up gig at The Flowerpot next week (Wednesday).
Thursday, 29 April 2010
JON MCCLURE'S PARTY ALBUM
I MET Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure at Islington’s Union Chapel on Monday. Usually preoccupied with bigger world issues, he told me he’s branching out into lighter things: “I’m working on Reverend Soundsystem. I’m making my electronic music with five of my old songs and five new songs with Kano and Roots Manuva and others. It’s pure party music. I’ve done kitchen sink drama, hip-hop, now I’m doing party. It’s coming out this summer. I deserve to make a party record. I’m very proud of it.”
I know it's old now but here's a reminder of why Reverend and the Makers first caught my attention.
• UK fusion band Dreadzone celebrated the launch of ninth album Eye on the Horizon with a party at Cargo on Wednesday. Legendary punk filmmaker Don Letts made a special DJ appearance. Single Gangster is out on May 23.
•The JD Set’s remake of Human League’s album Dare is at Dingwalls (May 5). Shy Child, Infadels, Zoot Woman, The Shortwave Set and Kids on Bridges spent a week rehashing the tunes.
• Rizz Promotions is running a special night of Camden acts including Mark Perrin ft Crony and Blues Tattoo at Camden Rock, Kentish Town Road on May 5. There’s an open mic invite to all political candidates.
Saturday, 10 April 2010
FIRST HE BREAKS HIS SHOULDER, NOW JON MCCLURE IS ROBBED - NOT A GOOD WEEK
I'M not quite sure what this is all about yet but I'm sure it'll become apparent in the next few hours.
Reverend and the Makers' frontman Jon McClure appears to have been robbed.
He put out a Twitter plea yesterday for equipment donors to come to their aid in time for Amsterdam gig tonight.
He said: "Help gig in Amsterdam we have been robbed. we need a Nord electro 3 in Amsterdam tomorrow. Plz RT help!!!!!"
Can anyone help?
Jon McClure's Snowy Break
Reverend and the Makers' frontman Jon McClure appears to have been robbed.
He put out a Twitter plea yesterday for equipment donors to come to their aid in time for Amsterdam gig tonight.
He said: "Help gig in Amsterdam we have been robbed. we need a Nord electro 3 in Amsterdam tomorrow. Plz RT help!!!!!"
Can anyone help?
Jon McClure's Snowy Break
JON MCCLURE'S SNOWY BREAKS, CHARLIE SLOTH AND DAPPY TALK GRUESOME DISCOVERIES AND ARE THE RUMBLE STRIPS SERVING PINTS?
MY spies tell me Charlie Waller, frontman of The Rumble Strips, was seen serving pints at a Dalston pub last week. Does anyone know if it’s true? And, if so, is it because they need to make ends meet or just an Amy-Winehouse-behind-the-Dublin-Castle-bar kind of favour to a fave venue? Although there’s nothing wrong with having a day – or in this case night – job, I only hope it’s the latter. It’s a long way from playing the Roundhouse with Mark Ronson.
• Archive moment, for any who haven’t seen Charlie Sloth’s Guided Tour of Camden, here’s a reminder – look out for our favourite Greek restaurant – Andy's Taverna - scene of many awkward office Christmas parties.
There's also a reference to where Camden Ripper Anthony Hardy's victims' bodies were found - timely in light of Dappy from N-Dubz' claims in his biography that he witnessed the body parts dumped in a bin bag at the back of his flats.
• Gleeks unite! Camden Jazz Café’s Hairbrush Heroes Glee night is next week (April 16). Dress as a US teen and belt out those tunes – hard to believe this comes from the same people behind Feeling Gloomy.
• Get well soon to Reverend and the Makers’ Jon McClure. He’s just broken his shoulder on the slopes at Snowbombing but was able to tweet all about it while lying on a stretcher waiting for his operation.
• Archive moment, for any who haven’t seen Charlie Sloth’s Guided Tour of Camden, here’s a reminder – look out for our favourite Greek restaurant – Andy's Taverna - scene of many awkward office Christmas parties.
There's also a reference to where Camden Ripper Anthony Hardy's victims' bodies were found - timely in light of Dappy from N-Dubz' claims in his biography that he witnessed the body parts dumped in a bin bag at the back of his flats.
• Gleeks unite! Camden Jazz Café’s Hairbrush Heroes Glee night is next week (April 16). Dress as a US teen and belt out those tunes – hard to believe this comes from the same people behind Feeling Gloomy.
• Get well soon to Reverend and the Makers’ Jon McClure. He’s just broken his shoulder on the slopes at Snowbombing but was able to tweet all about it while lying on a stretcher waiting for his operation.
Sunday, 4 April 2010
SHY CHILD v VAMPIRE WEEKEND - REVEREND AND THE MAKERS FRONTMAN JON MCCLURE HEARS DOUBLE
NEW York electro-pop duo Shy Child may not be as immediately well known as their fellow citymen Vampire Weekend but that doesn't mean they've escaped notice.
Reverend and The Makers and Mongrel frontman Jon McClure clearly knows who they are and he's fighting their corner, whether they want him to or not.
He recently complained on Twitter that Vampire Weekend's new single Giving Up The Gun sounds like it's been "borrowed" heavily from Shy Child's 2007 release Summer.
In his actual words, posted on April 1: "Vampire weekend r robbing f****. New single is summer by shychild virtually!"
I'm not so sure.
What do you think?
Sound familiar??
Reverend and The Makers and Mongrel frontman Jon McClure clearly knows who they are and he's fighting their corner, whether they want him to or not.
He recently complained on Twitter that Vampire Weekend's new single Giving Up The Gun sounds like it's been "borrowed" heavily from Shy Child's 2007 release Summer.
In his actual words, posted on April 1: "Vampire weekend r robbing f****. New single is summer by shychild virtually!"
I'm not so sure.
What do you think?
Sound familiar??
Thursday, 4 February 2010
PAUL WELLER AND SEASICK STEVE HEADLINE HAITI CONCERT AT CAMDEN ROUNDHOUSE
THE line-up for the Roundhouse's Haiti Earthquake Fundraiser on Feb 25 is shaping up nicely.
Paul Weller, KT Tunstall and Reverend and the Makers, confirmed this week, join Bombay Bicycle Club, Seasick Steve, Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, Magic Numbers, Mr Hudson and The Futureheads for a night of comedy, music and most importantly to raise as much as possible for Haiti.
Due to the success of the night, a sister event has been set up at Proud Camden, including The Hoosiers, Adam Ficek Charlotte O'Connor, Example, The Strangeways and Stornoway. And Faithless' Maxi Jazz, Zero7 and Stereo MCs are amongst the list of DJs booked for the night.
All money raised will go to Medecins Sans Frontieres and ActionAid.
Tickets from www.haitiearthquakefundraiser.com
Paul Weller, KT Tunstall and Reverend and the Makers, confirmed this week, join Bombay Bicycle Club, Seasick Steve, Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, Magic Numbers, Mr Hudson and The Futureheads for a night of comedy, music and most importantly to raise as much as possible for Haiti.
Due to the success of the night, a sister event has been set up at Proud Camden, including The Hoosiers, Adam Ficek Charlotte O'Connor, Example, The Strangeways and Stornoway. And Faithless' Maxi Jazz, Zero7 and Stereo MCs are amongst the list of DJs booked for the night.
All money raised will go to Medecins Sans Frontieres and ActionAid.
Tickets from www.haitiearthquakefundraiser.com
Sunday, 31 January 2010
DEAD LIKE HARRY - How to make an album without spending a cent
DEAD LIKE HARRY
DEAD Like Harry have serenaded a stranger's girlfriend, played to nothing but the sea when the ill-timed tide came in too fast and will soon hit Camden's most celebrated bowling alley.
Named after an eccentric uncle, the Sheffield six-piece, who place themselves somewhere between Fleetwood Mac and Bruce Springsteen, play Bloomsbury Lanes on February 25.
But the real story is how they managed to cut their debut album Know The Joy of Good Living (released Feb 15) without spending a cent.
Vocalist Sam Taylor, whose brother Matt is also in the band, said: "Without the backing of a major label it's hard to finance a professional album. It wasn't like we could do it in our rooms, we needed that big sound."
They approached Alan Smythe, who produced Arctic Monkeys, Reverend and the Makers, Richard Hawley and Pulp, and made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
"We asked him for a bit of a deal. We knew he wanted a new studio but also knew he was low on finance. We proposed the six of us would work for free and we'd get an album made at the end of it. For three months we lifted plaster board and made new walls in an old factory space and at the end of that we recorded our album. Alan put his heart and soul into it."
The end product is something to be beheld: "It's as vinyl as you can get. We were listening to classic albums and I just got obsessed with making a record sleeve. I talked to designers and came up with even the crinkly paper when you take the CD out. When you put the record on you think you're going to be listening to something which has that earthy feel. Nearly everybody listens to music on their i-pods and you have to accept that but some people want a souvenir or something tactile you can pass to your friends."
He describes the band's sound as being "rooted in traditional genres, blues, rock and coloured by a pop sentiment", adding: "It has the pop sensibilities like Fleetwood Mac meets the anthemic ideas of Bruce Springsteen or something like that - Born to Run mixed with something a lot more subtle, I'm not quite sure what."
Their moniker is in tribute to lead guitarist John Redgrave's great uncle, after he neglected to tell his mother Harry had died for some weeks.
"Harry was an eccentric, the crazy uncle who walked down the stairs at 7am picked up the whisky bottle and sat down with a cigar, the sort of guy who asked me and John when we were about 12 to go to off-licence for him, not realising the crazy thing he was asking us. Harry passed away and the message wasn't passed on. It's in tribute to the fact that the way Harry ended was similar to the way he lived - wild and
quite chaotic."
They decided to play Bloomsbury Lanes on recommendation from Jamie from Goldheart Assembly, who was full of compliments about the place, only adding to the eclectic venues they've played so far.
"In Chester a guy asked if we could play for his girlfriend. He gave me £20 and said he really wanted me to play next to the canal. It was a bit weird him watching me play his girlfriend a song along the canal."
Then at the Beached Festival in Scarborough, they soon realised their crowd had disappeared: "We were onstage as the tide was crawling in but increasing quite fast and so there was nobody stood in front of us for a while. We were just playing to the sea, to the lapping waves against the stage. I think they timed it a bit wrong. A nice moon, in the middle of the bay."
DEAD Like Harry have serenaded a stranger's girlfriend, played to nothing but the sea when the ill-timed tide came in too fast and will soon hit Camden's most celebrated bowling alley.
Named after an eccentric uncle, the Sheffield six-piece, who place themselves somewhere between Fleetwood Mac and Bruce Springsteen, play Bloomsbury Lanes on February 25.
But the real story is how they managed to cut their debut album Know The Joy of Good Living (released Feb 15) without spending a cent.
Vocalist Sam Taylor, whose brother Matt is also in the band, said: "Without the backing of a major label it's hard to finance a professional album. It wasn't like we could do it in our rooms, we needed that big sound."
They approached Alan Smythe, who produced Arctic Monkeys, Reverend and the Makers, Richard Hawley and Pulp, and made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
"We asked him for a bit of a deal. We knew he wanted a new studio but also knew he was low on finance. We proposed the six of us would work for free and we'd get an album made at the end of it. For three months we lifted plaster board and made new walls in an old factory space and at the end of that we recorded our album. Alan put his heart and soul into it."
The end product is something to be beheld: "It's as vinyl as you can get. We were listening to classic albums and I just got obsessed with making a record sleeve. I talked to designers and came up with even the crinkly paper when you take the CD out. When you put the record on you think you're going to be listening to something which has that earthy feel. Nearly everybody listens to music on their i-pods and you have to accept that but some people want a souvenir or something tactile you can pass to your friends."
He describes the band's sound as being "rooted in traditional genres, blues, rock and coloured by a pop sentiment", adding: "It has the pop sensibilities like Fleetwood Mac meets the anthemic ideas of Bruce Springsteen or something like that - Born to Run mixed with something a lot more subtle, I'm not quite sure what."
Their moniker is in tribute to lead guitarist John Redgrave's great uncle, after he neglected to tell his mother Harry had died for some weeks.
"Harry was an eccentric, the crazy uncle who walked down the stairs at 7am picked up the whisky bottle and sat down with a cigar, the sort of guy who asked me and John when we were about 12 to go to off-licence for him, not realising the crazy thing he was asking us. Harry passed away and the message wasn't passed on. It's in tribute to the fact that the way Harry ended was similar to the way he lived - wild and
quite chaotic."
They decided to play Bloomsbury Lanes on recommendation from Jamie from Goldheart Assembly, who was full of compliments about the place, only adding to the eclectic venues they've played so far.
"In Chester a guy asked if we could play for his girlfriend. He gave me £20 and said he really wanted me to play next to the canal. It was a bit weird him watching me play his girlfriend a song along the canal."
Then at the Beached Festival in Scarborough, they soon realised their crowd had disappeared: "We were onstage as the tide was crawling in but increasing quite fast and so there was nobody stood in front of us for a while. We were just playing to the sea, to the lapping waves against the stage. I think they timed it a bit wrong. A nice moon, in the middle of the bay."
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