Wednesday 21 March 2018

Cabbage press release


One of my reviews quoted in a press release!!


‘NIHILISTIC GLAMOUR SHOTS’ THE DEBUT ALBUM OUT MARCH 30
“indie scuzz heroes” **** Q
“a punk blast with thrilling riffs and screaming choruses”
9/10 Louder Than War
+ CABBAGE TO FEATURE IN NEW RADIO 4 DOCUMENTARY THIS WEEK
Cabbage have announced a ‘Nihilistic Glamour Shots’ Art Exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery on Tuesday April 3. The exhibition will feature paintings, sculptures, and installations inspired by Cabbage’s debut album ‘Nihilistic Glamour Shots’, plus live performance art from Kallum Nolan and a stripped back live performance by the band.
Dear the internet and all those semi conscious. It gives us great pleasure to announce ‘Nihilistic Glamour Shots: Art Exhibition’ on Tuesday 3rd April. We will host an evening at Manchester Art Gallery where we will reveal the autopsy of our debut record and produce pieces ranging from performance art, paintings, sculptures and installations that coincide with each track on the album. The experiment itself will be documented by our dear lens coordinator Kallum Nolan and all members will be taking part in the performance. The evening will also us performing a live stripped back show. There are a limited amount of tickets due to the size of the venue so to all who find a deep interest in scrap books and bathtubs make haste for the tickets. Keep yer eyes peeled for more information. MUA! x
Cabbage will feature in the upcoming Radio 4 documentary ‘The Art of Now: Band Politics’. The ‘Art Of Now’ series sees BBC 6Music’s Chris Hawkins look at bands at the forefront of a new wave of interest in politics, including Nadine Shah, Cabbage and Life, and considers if changes in the music industry could be shaping their political and social outlook. The documentary airs on March 22 at 11.30am on Radio 4.
Containing the BBC 6Music playlisted singles ‘Gibraltar Ape’, ‘Celebration Of A Disease’ and ‘Arms Of Pleonexia’, ‘Nihilistic Glamour Shots’ is released March 30 on Infectious Music. Produced by James Skelly and Rich Turvey (Blossoms, The Coral, She Drew The Gun) at Parr Street Studios in Liverpool, ‘Nihilistic Glamour Shots’ is an album that confirms Cabbage as one of the most nuanced bands in years. Equally drawn to socialist politics and mucking about, they’re devotees of both big choruses and anarchic totems like GG Allin, Genesis P Orridge and Butthole Surfers.
While it broadens Cabbage’s sound further still from their already eclectic previous five EPs, ‘Nihilistic Glamour Shots’ also does a superb job of capturing the raw energy of their freewheeling live shows. The band have kept the gigs fresh partly by theming each tour, with autumn’s Healing Brexit Towns Experiment living up to its name.
Cabbage recently finished the first leg of their 2018 UK tour, including a sold-out show at London’s 100 Club. They embark on further dates in April following the release of the album, with support from She Drew The Gun. On May 19, the band will curate ‘Glamour At Thee Ritz’ at Manchester’s O2 Ritz. Starting at 5pm and headlined by Cabbage, the event across 2 rooms at The Ritz will feature PINS, The Blinders, Rhythm Method, Witch Fever, Lady Bird, Sports Team + more to be announced over the coming weeks.
CABBAGE LIVE:
April 4 Aberdeen, The Tunnels
April 5 Edinburgh, The Mash House
April 6 Kendal, Brewery Art Centre
April 7 Middlesbrough, Westgarth Social Club
April 11 York, The Crescent Community Venue
April 12 Leicester, Dryden Street Social
April 13 Norwich, Norwich Arts Centre
April 14 Coventry, Empire
April 18 Oxford O2 Academy 2
April 19 Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
April 20 Brighton, Patterns
April 21 Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
Main support on all April dates (except 21st): She Drew The Gun
May 19 Manchester O2 Ritz, Cabbage Present… Glamour At Thee Ritz
Also featuring PINS, The Blinders, Rhythm Method, Witch Fever, Lady Bird, Sports Team + more to be announced


Tickets for all gigs http://gigst.rs/CABBAGE

John Bramwell - Leave Alone The Empty Spaces album review.


Hi there Blog followers. I've been a fan of I Am Kloot for many years and I'm now glad to have the privilege of reviewing something for them after seeing them live so many times. Here it is courtesy of Louder Than War.


John Bramwell: Leave Alone The Empty Spaces – album review

4
John Bramwell                                     
                                      
Leave Alone The Empty Spaces
27/27 Records / Believe
Available now CD/DL/LP
Bramwell returns from his camper van journey around the UK and Europe with his dog Henry on fine form with this stunning solo album after 20 plus years of songwriting under his belt and a musical past to be proud of.
I first crossed paths with John during the halycon days of The Boardwalk in Manchester where I was a regular and saw him play under his old moniker of Johnny Dangerously. I was more of a grunge / post punk listener back then after the explosion of Nirvana and didn’t take much notice, however I knew there was a glimmer of magic in this confident guy armed with his acoustic guitar and John Lennonist vocals. To be truthful I only realised how good he was when I witnessed I Am Kloot supporting Turin Brakes many year later at The Academy, and I was hooked. He looked like a man pouring sweat and tears into his craft rather than going through the motions. Last time I saw him was at The Deaf Institute with his backing band and he was on top form. This latest offering sounds personal and pleasurable in many ways and although short is a masterclass in songwriting.
It kicks off with A Field Full Of Secrets, a sublime one note organ sound which carries through with some nice cinematic piano licks and some clacking sound which gives it a dusty western feel. Who Is Anybody is a nice folk number which asks questions and also has that great sound which John has been able to produce for some time. Times Arrow is a cracking number, again with thought provoking lyrics and great stripped down acoustic guitar. From The Shore is a highlight to me as it’s one of those songs that if you close your eyes you could be sat on the English shoreline in the sun basking with a great tune in your head. There’s the beautiful The Whipperwill again asking questions, and the glory of title track Leave Alone The Empty Spaces with it’s stunning harmonies. Tallulah is a nice instrumental with the lyrics “Wherever you go, wherever you are, I’ll love you” coming in towards the end. A lover? His mother? Who knows? Last track Meet Me At The Station closes the album with lyrics suggesting he’s had a run in with the tax man but John has always had a sense of humour in his lyrics and is probably taking the piss! I’d say it’s a great debut solo album but he’s been writing good songs for that long I’d be lying. Top notch stuff and I’ll even go out on a limb here and call him the Nick Drake of our era. Pete Doherty (The Libertines) once called him one of the greatest songwriters in the UK. I doubt he was wrong.

John Bramwell tour dates:
Fri 23/3 – Leicester Soundhouse.
Fri 6/4 – Leeds – Brudenell Social Club.
Sat 21/4 – Copenhagen – Denmark – Ideal Bar.
Sat 28/4 – Dun Laoghaire – Purty Kitchen.
Thu 10/5 – London Putney – Half Moon.
Fri 11/5 – London Putney – Half Moon. – SOLD OUT
Sat 2/6 – Saltburn – The Spa Hotel.
Fri 8/6 – Bury Met.
Sat 23/6 – Liverpool Arts Club.
Fri 6/7 – Manchester – Waterside Arts.
~
Words by Wayne Carey

Monday 5 March 2018

Cabbage - Nihilistic Glamour Shots album review

Aye aye Blogwatchers. Debut album from the Mossley boys courtesy of Infectious Music reviewed for LTW.

CABBAGE                                                                                  

NIHILISTIC GLAMOUR SHOTS
CD / DL / LP
Release date 30 March 2018
9/10
There’s stuff brewing in Manchester again at the moment with a new wave of excellent Manchester bands coming through in their own unique ways. Cabbage have always been at the forefront introducing us to other bands like The Blinders, Proletariat and more. Their debut album doesn’t disappoint.
The dirty side of Greater Manchester has reared it’s ugly head with this band of misfits who don’t want to conform to the colour by numbers indie state of the norm we have had for years. Cruising away from the Manc swagger of the you know who’s they ramp up the odds with a dirty sound that still encaptures the anthems inbetween the mess of lovely noise.
This may surprise people as a daft comparison but Inspiral Carpets had the same game plan way back in the early nineties with their garage rock hammond organ led  take on alt indie. Always prolific releasing shit loads of songs before their debut album and nailing it. Come on, who can compare Life their first album with their ridiculously difficult 2nd album The Beast Inside? (One of my favourites). This is the path Cabbage seem to be going down, mixing serious issues with comedy and getting the right result.
They kick off with the surf punk stormer Preach To The Converted that sets the scene for the excellent Arms Of Plexoria which keeps the pace going while addressing the corrupt world of arms trading. This doesn’t stop as we get another blast of wonk punk with Molotov Alcopop. The pace slows down a notch with the Tarantino soundtrack like intro of Disinfect Us which sounds like it was written around the same era of It’s Grim Up North Korea with the catchy sea shanty like chorus. The killer Postmodernist Caligula was recorded and mixed in four days as a replacement for Kevin, a track they were not happy with it as they felt they had moved on.The result is a punk blast with a thrilling riff and screaming chorus most bands dream of coming up with. Exhibit A slows it down again with it’s country style and lyrics about “putting you mother first” and again has that catchy chorus we are getting used to with Cabbage songs. Celebration Of  A Disease you will have heard by now from their last EP and then the excellent Perdurabo with it’s nod towards Lee’s fascination with the occult. This Psychic TV tinged tune sounds menacing and will surely feature live soon enough as a breather between the manic numbers. The brilliant Gibraltor Ape still has one of the best bass lines going and I’m glad they kept it for the album as it’s a joy to hear again.
The totally bonkers and infectious Obligatory Castration comes at you like a bullet with it’s futuristic lyrics about compulsory castration on all males reaching puberty to cull the population figures (who knows…). They then go dark and industrial with the brilliantly named Reptiles State Funeral which is quite a scary track (they mention Michael Gove!) and a little unnerving. Not a song to play to the uninitiated.  Album closer Subhuman is a psychedelic four minute funeral march which has James Skelly’s (The Coral) production skills written all over it. An amazing difficult (second) debut album.
I’ve seen many Manchester bands come and go however Cabbage have had me from day one. I bought their first effort Le Chou after hearing Kevin and was immediately hooked by their Gronk Wonk sound (a John Robb phrase everyone!) and sought to see them live. Blown away by their post punk youth I have followed them ever since. They have a massive back catalogue of tunes to die for and although I don’t want to mention The Fall I have to. The most original stuff since early Inspiral Carpets stuff like the Plane Crash EP. I don’t reckon we’ve had such a band in these parts for years. Their output has always been excellent and 20 odd songs in I thought they’d do a debut album full of old songs polished up. But this is it. A marmite band for the uninitiated crowd but to me a fantastic debut from the new leaders of alternative music. Some people might say I’m biased about Cabbage. Fuck em.
This album has been long awaited and I had to review it due to the pure diverse magnitude of It’s scope. Not your average indie band going through the ropes they have nailed it by surprising everyone with an album that defies categories and will always leave you guessing where they want to be. Steve (bassist) says “None of what we do is contrived. It’s always with a bit of humour and the best intentions. There’s no bravado for us to maintain. We can’t get caught out, because we’ve got nothing to hide”
Watch the video for Arms Of Pleonexia video here:

 Cabbage tour dates below.
April 4     Aberdeen, The Tunnels
April 5     Edinburgh, The Mash House
April 6     Kendal, Brewery Art Centre
April 7     Middlesbrough, Westgarth Social Club
April 11   York, The Crescent Community Venue
April 12  Leicester, Dryden Street Social
April 13  Norwich, Norwich Arts Centre
April 14  Coventry, Empire
April 18  Oxford O2 Academy 2
April 19 Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
April 20  Brighton, Patterns
April 21  Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
Main support on all April dates(except 21st): She Drew The Gun
May 19   Manchester O2 Ritz, Cabbage Present… Glamour At Thee Ritz
Also featuring PINS, The Blinders, Rhythm Method, Witch Fever, Lady Bird, Sports Team + more to be announced
You can catch Cabbage here on Bandcamp
They are also on Facebook and  Twitter
~
All words by Wayne Carey, who has his blog here: wayneacarey.blogspot.co.uk

CW Nine Northwich Salty Dog gigs

Hello again!

Most of these dates are now sold out! Check the feature anyways!







CW Nine at The Salty Dog – The Charlatans support band lowdown preview.

Northwich is in for a treat come this May due to Tim Burgess taking over the town for 11 days of arts and music. He picked The Salty Dog as the main venue for his array of support bands so I set to the task of speaking to each band about the event. Tim explains himself why the bands are playing.
“We picked some of our favourite bands to play at The Salty Dog. All of them have supported us in the last couple of years apart from Deja Vega. They’re a band that Martin introduced to us and they come from up the road so we asked them if they’d like to play. We’ll be nipping over the road to catch them. Average Sex just supported us in Paris and Amsterdam so it’s good to introduce them to the glamour of Northwich. It’ll be good to see Yucatan again, they supported us in Cardiff but have been through a tough time as Iwan their drummer died earlier this year. It will be hugely emotional for them to play again. BMX Bandits are always a pleasure to watch and it’s been a while since we caught up with Riding The Low. The Blinders are finishing things off on the Sunday and it’s safe to say they will put on a fitting performance. One of the best new bands around”

Chris Mundie who runs The Dog and books all the gigs answers the questions that I set to the bands.
How did you get involved in CW9?
Completely out of the blue I had an e-mail from TIM, nothing was set in stone and he was simply checking the availability of the venue for the week with a view to putting on some bands. It wasn’t until a few weeks later I got a call from Nick (PR) explaining the full scale of the project. Needless to say we jumped at the chance to be involved.
Smaller venues like yours seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What’s your stance on this?
There are a few venues popping up around the country at the minute, Redrum in Stafford is a great example. We have a very similar approach to them. I was very much influenced by Dan at The Owl Sanctuary in Norwich. There has also been a growth in independent promoters and people looking to do things away from the mainstream. There are great independent labels popping up and there is a real feeling of community building up across multiple scenes and genres. Independent press like LTW also makes a big difference. The mainstream has always been dominant and always will be but the underground has never been better armed than it is now, we have the tools, we have the technology!
What’s your favourite Charlatans song?
I have to confess although I grew up in Cheshire I was a teenage punk rocker so I didn’t really get into the band first time round. I really love the concept of Sproston Green though. It put a place on the map that was always my junction of the M6. Whenever I was heading anywhere I would go through it and it has always been a milestone on my way home.
What can we expect from you during these gigs?
Stress, panic and eventually adulation.
Describe your venue in a quick quote.
Small but perfectly formed.
I next got the chance to speak to all six bands playing over the course of the week to get a taster of the week ahead.

Deja Vega
Deja Vega are vocalist and guitarist Jack Fearon, drummer Tom Webster and bassist Mike Newton. After forming in Cheshire they made a short journey to Manchester, a fitting backdrop to their gritty, guitar led psychedelia. Rhythmic and rage fuelled and boasting surging riffs, Fearon’s hypnotic slurring lyrics lurch in and out of poetic chants, battling over chaotic drums and the razor sharp bass lines underneath. Live, Deja Vega demonstrate they’re a force to be reckoned with… I speak to Jack the lead singer.
How did you get involved in CW Nine?
Our manager used to take photos of The Charlatans back in the day, so from back then he grew a friendship with Martin Blunt. He’s been a fan of the band for some time now so when he offered us a slot we couldn’t turn down the opportunity.
Smaller venues like the Dog seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What’s your stance on this?
I’m personally a big fan of the smaller venue gigs. It’s the intimacy of the crowd and their reaction as well as witnessing a working bands starting point. I’ve watched many bands start from small and go to big and when it comes to the likes of seeing bands grow and live sound quality, I definitely prefer the smaller venue.
Small towns usually suffer when it comes to bands touring, who normally favour the larger places. Would you do a small town tour?
I would love to do a small town tour. We’ve played cities for some time now and our following, and the reaction we get, is always brilliant. But when we’ve played some towns we’ve had reactions that are just as good if not better. There’s a more welcoming feel as well.
What’s your favourite Charlatans song?
That’s a hard question to answer. Can I pick a few? My Beautiful Friend, Forever, Feel Flows or Bullet Comes. I really can’t pick sorry haha.
What can we expect from you during these gigs?
A loud and intense energetic start to your CW9 festival.
Describe your band in a quick quote!
Fast and bulbous.

Yucutan
This band are made up of itinerant multi instrumentalists Dilwyn Llwyd, Alex Morrison, Gwyn Llewelyn and Osian Howells, is led by Llwyd’s profound, quiet artistry on the edges of Wales’ Snowdonia National Park.  Uwch Gopa’r Mynydd (Above The Mountain Summit) has sweeping instrumentation which achieves cinematic emotional weight with the most delicate of touches. Equally a people’s band and musician’s band, Yucatan receives the continued support of Tim Burgess, having supported the legendary band on their UK tour in 2015. Tim is effusive when asked about their album “Such a good recording. There’s a magic to Yucatan’s music. A kind of uplifting melancholy that takes you to beautiful places”. I speak to Dilywn from the band.
How did you get involved in CW Nine?
We are involved in a load of stuff with Tim Peaks and have supported The Charlatans a couple of times. It feels like we’re part of the family.
Smaller venues like the Dog seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What’s your stance on this?
When you’re starting off the smaller venue the better. It’s way better to fill a small venue than play a big venue that’s empty. And very often smaller venues have a great friendly vibe and have real music loving types.
Small towns usually suffer when it comes to bands touring, who normally favour the larger places. Would you do a small town tour?
As a band we live in villages and put gigs on in villages. Agents miss a trick with not touring in smaller places. Very often you can get a much better crowd for a band as there is less competition. It seems really boring that bands only tour big cities. I’ve always liked when bands tour smaller places like when Echo & The Bunnymen toured the Outer Hebrides in the 80’s. So yes we would.
What’s your favourite Charlatans song?
Polar Bear. Great dance track that’s so deep and mysterious. It’s been in my head for half my life. That first album was something really special.
What can we expect from you during these gigs?
We are working on some new stuff so we are looking to play something fresh. We don’t do much showmanship. The focus is on the songs and we get lost in them ans suck some people in with us.
Describe your band in a quick quote!
Sort of soft rock with bells! No idea really.

Average Sex
2017 was a fantastic break through year for London band Average Sex - Having played sold out shows for the likes of Fortuna Pop and Art Is Hard, releasing their debut single on limited edition pink cassette (which sold out almost straight away) and finishing the year with the release of their debut EP ‘Ice Cream’ on 1st December through Tim Burgess’ O Genesis Recordings, as well as joining The Charlatans on a 9 date U.K tour. How did they catch Tim’s ear? Well, after being sent a link to the band’s work from drummer Finnigan Kidd, Burgess just couldn’t get enough. “They have the pop sensibilities and the hooks and melodies that never leave your head”, he says. Sam O Donovan gives me the answers.
 How did you get involved in CW Nine?

 We were on tour with The Charlatans back in December and Tim and Nick asked us if we'd like to take part. 

 Smaller venues like The Salty Dog seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What's your stance on this?

I think smaller venues have always been hugely important for new bands, it's vital for people to support small venues as they're the ones giving exciting new bands a chance to perform. 

 Small towns usually suffer when it comes to bands touring, who normally favour the larger places. Would you do a small town tour?

We'd definitely like to do a small town tour if the opportunity arose 

What's your favourite Charlatans song?

Difficult question as they have so many great songs, we got to know their latest record really well from being on tour with them and it's fantastic, "Different Days"  "Plastic Machinery" really stood out 

 What can we expect from you during these gigs?
   
We've been doing lots of writing and we're going in the studio with Tim in March to record our next EP so we'll have be playing our new material for the first time. 

 Describe your band in a quick quote!

Well Art is Hard called us "Bad ass power-pop champs sucking on ice cream and the tears of their ex's."



BMX Bandits

BMX Bandits were formed in the ex-industrial town of Bellshill by songwriter and lead vocalist Duglas T Stewart out of the ashes of The Pretty Flowers, a group that featured Stewart alongside Frances McKee (The Vaselines), Sean Dickson (The Soup Dragons) and Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub). BMX Bandits' songs mix melodic qualities and humour with, at times, raw and heartbreaking pathos. Duglas describes their songs as being his world put to music. Starting with the exuberant 'E102' in 1986 BMX Bandits released a series of singles on Stephen's Pastels' 53rd & 3rd label. Later they joined Creation Records, home of Teenage Fanclub, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream and many others. The group's most celebrated song is the autobiographical 'Serious Drugs', banned by Radio 1 as its release coincided with their antidrugs week. The band have had ever changing line ups with Duglas as the one constant as chief songwriter and eternal “troubled teenager” at its heart. Duglas says the personnel changes are because BMX Bandits aren’t a conventional group but rather an extended musical family. Stewart’s writing has been compared to Brian Wilson, Ennio Morricone, Michel Legrand and even Alan Bennett. In 2017 they released the album BMX Bandits Forever on Elefant Records. The new album features the band's newest member, multi-instrumentalist and singer Chloe Philip. Chloe brings an extra exuberance to BMX Bandits live shows and is the perfect partner in crime for chief Bandito Duglas, the Bonnie to his Clyde. Forever also features a brand new collaboration between Duglas and Brian Jonestown Massacre leader Anton Newcombe. Duglas does me the honours.

How did you get involved in CW Nine?
Tim has been very supportive of BMX Bandits. We've played his Tim Peaks stage at festivals a few times and opened for The Charlatans. Tim and Nick contacted me and told me about the event and asked if we wanted to be part of it. I didn't need any time to think. We said "yes" without hesitatation.

Smaller venues like The Salty Dog seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What's your stance on this?
Of course there's something pleasing about playing bigger stages in front of large numbers of people but usually the gigs that are most fun abd feel the best are venues like this. I like top be close to the people we're playing for. It feels more organic. When we started out 33 years ago it there were more smaller venues putting on exciting gigs and it feels like that's gradually coming back again. That's a good thing.

Small towns usually suffer when it comes to bands touring, who normally favour the larger places. Would you do a small town tour?
We have played small towns and remote areas and we are very up for that. I came from a small town outside Glasgow and so I appreciate the idea of playing these places.

What's your favourite Charlatans song?
Come Home Baby. Tim always dedicates it to me when he knows I'm at a show. It was a song that saved my life. It gave me hope and kept me hanging on when I was going through a very difficult time in my life. 

What can we expect from you during these gigs?
At our shows we want to make a real connection with the people who have come to see us. We want people to feel better after the show than they did before. Hopefully there will be smiles, laughter, a few tears and dancing (from us and the audience).

Describe your band in a quick quote!
BMX Bandits are an extended musical family out to make new friends through music.

Photo credit: Neil Johnson LTW


Riding The Low

Riding the Low hail from Burton on Trent. Look it up. They play rock and roll. Look that up.
They have released their second album 'Riding the Low are Here to Help the Neighbourhood'. Listen to it. Listen to all of their shit. It's good. They have guitars and drums and stuff. They make noise. Sweet noise. I chat with Chris Baldwin about their upcoming date.

How did you get involved in CW Nine?

Through Tim Burgess and Nick Fraser. Tim and the Charlatans were kind enough to let us support them on a couple of dates a few years back. We’ve played Tim Peaks at a few different festivals and Tim and Nick have always been incredibly supportive of the band. I think what they do with Tim Peaks is fantastic and it’s becoming the place to be at a lot of festivals.

Smaller venues like The Salty Dog seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What's your stance on this?

 I think it’s important we keep music alive in these kind of venues. We cannot let it die. The desire to see new bands and find new music is still out there. Music has to be accessible to everyone.

Small towns usually suffer when it comes to bands touring, who normally favour the larger places. Would you do a small town tour?

We’d play anywhere! Any old toilet! Whatever you’ve got.

What's your favourite Charlatans song?

 (Paddy) It’s a battle between ‘Crashin’ In’ and ‘Just Lookin’) for me. But I could pick loads. So many great memories of grooving to ‘Jesus Hairdo’ in the Basement in Brighton back in the day. (Chris) ‘The Only One I Know’ has a lot of heady memories attached to it also! (Rich) I love Tellin’ Stories!

 What can we expect from you during these gigs?

Just doing what we strive to do best. Bring it. Bring an all out rock and roll assault and have the craic. What else should we do?

 Describe your band in a quick quote!

 Riding the Low are tall, wide, hairy and loud.

Image credit: Nasty Man Creations.


The Blinders

Punky and psychedelic, The Blinders are partly inspired by poetry and literature. Their live show is a charismatic, theatrical live experience of intensity, possessed by the spirits of musical greatness. 

Amidst a myriad of widely varying comparisons, their energy pulses with a unique, punkadelic sound. In turn, the music is building a movement. The Blinders bring with them a youthful, vibrant collective of friends and believers. 

Musical maverick peers, creators, performers and dreamers, outsiders and insiders, united in support of something new and very now. The band respond to my questions.

 How did you get involved in CW Nine?

"We were a part of the Charlatans last album launch with their Oldham Street take. It was a great experience which also lead to us being given the opportunity to support The Charlatans in Leeds and Nottingham on their previous tour. We’re not too sure how it all happened, I think a lot of it comes down to the simple fact that Tim is a fan of the band. Any event with them feels like an honour."


Smaller venues like The Salty Dog seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What's your stance on this?

"Such venues are imperative to the music scene. It’s where bands like ourselves cut their teeth, it’s where you learn to play and grow as performers. The constant attack on small venues is really an attack on culture or indeed sub-culture. It seems designed to prevent such movements from rearing their heads."

Small towns usually suffer when it comes to bands touring, who normally favour the larger places. Would you do a small town tour?

"We understand it completely. We’re from Doncaster, it may not be the smallest of towns, but bands are hardly queuing up to play. The problem is, of course, bands have got to play where the crowds are, but we’d have no protests against playing a ‘small town tour’."

What's your favourite Charlatans song?

'Sproston Green'

 What can we expect from you during these gigs?

"Buckfast fuelled rage."


 Describe your band in a quick quote!

"A tempest raging across a schizophrenic desert, or something along those lines."


This will be an interesting week of music for Northwich  and an eye opener for music fans with the diverse range of sound on offer. See you there!

Tickets for all gigs available on Saturday 3rd March through DICE or venue.

Monday 14th May – Deja Vega.

Tuesday 15th May – Charlatans Quiz with Chris Hawkins plus very special guests.

Wednesday 16th May – Yucatan.

Thursday 17th May – Average Sex.

Friday 18th May – BMX Bandits.

Saturday 19th May – Riding The Low.

Sunday 20th May – The Blinders.

www.salty-dog.co.uk