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Across The Border: Oct 16 – Oct 23

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After a two-week absence (sorry – life etc…), Across The Border is back with a brief run down of some of the best gigs going on in our surrounding counties…

After a two-week absence (sorry – life etc…), Across The Border is back with a brief run down of some of the best gigs going on in our surrounding counties in the next seven days. Our personal -picks, go to either Henge or HMLTD. Or both, or more. 

THYLA
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Thursday, October 17
Brighton dream-pop outfit Thyla’s EP What’s On Your Mind was released to critical acclaim, drawing comparisons To Wolf Alice and Cocteau Twins. They have recently shared stages with the likes of Rolling Blackout CF and Dream Wife. Their latest track Only Ever is out now. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £7.

LADY NADE
The Stables, Milton Keynes
Friday, October 18
Lady Nade is touring in support of her new album Safe Place which combines soul, jazz blues, roots and folk-pop. This Bristolian singer-songwriter has been likened to a fusion of musical greats, bearing the velvet tones of Joan Armarading and Nina Simone and adding a heady, folk-jazz splash of John Martyn for good measure. Support is by Chloe Wilson. Doors 8.45pm, tickets £10.

HMLTD
Esquires, Bedford
Friday, October 18
London based five-piece HMLTD recently released their new single Loaded. They meld glam punk and electro with 80’s influences. Loaded is a story of self-deprecation, self-aggrandisement and self-commodification. They have been described as one of the most exciting and visceral live acts to have broken out of the UK scene in recent years. Support is by Drug Store Romeos. Doors 8pm, tickets £10.

JAWBONE
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Saturday, October 19
Beginning as a collaboration between Paddy Milner and Marcus Bonfanti, Jawbone quickly become a band with a unique sound. Band members have previously played with the likes of Tom Jones, Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Van Morrison and Robert Plant. They release their self-titled LP last year. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £15.

FEET
Esquires, Bedford
Monday, October 21
Feet released their debut LP What’s Inside Is More Than Just Ham this month and are out on their biggest UK tour to date. Recently see playing live on Soccer AM, the indie five-piece from Coventry’s new single Petty Thieving is out now. Support is by The Courts. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £7.50.

LOGAN MIZE
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Tuesday, October 22
Playing polished but muscular contemporary country music with an extra portion of rock n’ roll guitar, Logan Mize is a singer, guitarist and songwriter who was born in Clearwater, Kansas. Mize came from a family with roots in country music. In 2009 he released a self-titled LP. His latest record Come Back Road was released in 2017. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £15.

SOFT MACHINE
The Stables, Milton Keynes
Tuesday, October 22
Soft Machine are one of the greatest UK avant-garde / jazz-rock bands and their work continues to be name-checked by today’s experimentalists. The band comprises of John Etheridge, Roy Babbington, John Marshall and Theo Travis. Doors 8pm, tickets £18.

WAYNE HUSSEY
Esquires, Bedford
Wednesday, October 23
Perhaps best known as frontman of goth-rock originals The Mission, Wayne Hussey has also played in The Sisters Of Mercy and Dead Or Alive and toured the world with everyone from The Cure to Gary Numan and Iggy Pop and more. At this gig he’s going to be chatting about his life and playing songs that have soundtracked it, marking the release of his new autobiography Salad Daze.
Support is by Evi Vine. Doors 8pm, tickets £22.

HENGE
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Wednesday, October 23
Intergalactic ravers Henge are embarking on their latest adventure, The Cosmic Dross Experiment Tour. The aim of these experimental gatherings is to explore the potential of Cosmic Dross to alter psychological and physiological states in human beings. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £13.

THE PITMEN POETS
The Stables, Milton Keynes
Wednesday, October 23
Following a sold-out UK tour in 2017, the four Pitmen Poets are back for their final tour. Ex-Lindisfarne singer and songwriter Billy Mitchell, Warhorse Songman Bob Fox, leading exponent of Tyneside song Benny Graham and Durham songwriter Jez Lowe individually and collectively celebrate the triumphs, tragedy, humour and hard times of North-East England’s coal mining tradition in an evening of music, song and spoken word. Doors 8pm, tickets £20.

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Across The Border: Sept 23 – Oct 2

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We were doing so well – but it’s only a day late. Here’s this week’s gig round up of what’s going on at some of our favourite venues across our…

We were doing so well – but it’s only a day late. Here’s this week’s gig round up of what’s going on at some of our favourite venues across our border which we think you should have your eyes on.

MARTIN SIMPSON
Thursday, September 26
The Stables, Milton Keynes
More than 40 years after he recorded his first album Golden Vanity, Martin Simpson is renowned as a guitarist of formidable talent. Equally at home playing English traditional folk, American folk and blues and his own compositions, he is consistently named as one of the finest fingerstyle guitar players in the world. Doors 8pm, tickets £17.50.

THE PALE WHITE
Friday, September 27
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Following support slots with the likes of Sam Fender, Foals and The Amazons, a run of sold out Northern dates, huge festival slots across the country and acclaimed releases, Newcastle indie-rock outfit The Pale White are headlining The Craufurd Arms. Their latest single Unnatural is out now. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £8.

TRASH KIT
Friday, September 27
Esquires, Bedford
Trashkit released their new album Horizon earlier this year and have previously shared stages with the likes of Deerhoof and The Ex as well as playing at Stewart Lee’s ATP Festival and at Thurston Moore’s 60th birthday party. For fans of The Raincoats, The Slits, Marnie Stern and rhythmic guitar music. Doors 8pm, tickets £7.

COLLAPSED LUNG
Friday, September 27
MK11, Milton Keynes
Collapsed Lung gained prominence with their hit football anthem Eat My Goal. Support at MK11 is by Wah Wah Club and Candidates. Doors 8pm, tickets £6.

SMITH & BREWER
Friday, September 27
The Stables, Milton Milton Keynes
Ben Smith and Jimmy Brewer met at an event organised by Joan Armatrading for the acts she had chosen to support her on her 2015 tour. Since then, they have performed across the UK, notably as the support act to 10cc and Ralph McTell. They recently finished work on their debut album, Another Shade Of. Doors 8.45pm, tickets £10.

PULLED APART BY HORSES
Sunday, September 29
Esquires, Bedford
Leeds’ alt rock four piece Pulled Apart By Horses will be road testing material expected to feature on their fifth album on this short UK run of dates. The band’s latest LP The Haze was released in 2017. Support by Baba Naga and Faces Of Eve. Doors 8pm, tickets £11.

MUSICIANS AGAINST HOMELESSNESS
Sunday, September 29
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Ian Guillermo and Dudes, Jacobi Maro, NOVA, LestWeForget, Longbottom Leaf and Cerberus will all be playing at this charity gig which is raising money for Musicians Against Homelessness. There will also be food stalls including AVegetativeState. Doors 2pm, tickets £5.

MAN
Monday, September 30
The Stables, Milton Keynes
With roots firmly planted in the fertile ground of the South Wales rock scene, Man were formed in 1968 and, pausing for a brief intake of breath in the late 1970s, have continued as a recording and gigging to this day. 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of the band. Expect some old classics and new songs with a new studio album also scheduled for release. Support is by Edgar Broughton. Doors 8pm, tickets £17.50.

TIDES FROM NEBULA
Wednesday, October 2
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Warsaw trio Tides From Nebula kick off their UK tour in support of their new album From Voodoo To Zen which is out this month. Support is by Tides Of Man. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £8.

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Across The Border: Sept 18th – Sept 25th

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Here’s our now regular Across The Border weekly round up of what’s going on at some of our favourite venues in neighboring counties. VICTORS Thursday, September 19 The Craufurd Arms,…

Here’s our now regular Across The Border weekly round up of what’s going on at some of our favourite venues in neighboring counties.

VICTORS
Thursday, September 19
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Leeds based four-piece Victors blur the lines between 1980’s synth pop, indie rock and atmospheric electronica. Forming in 2016, Harry Irving, Simon Appleson, Leon Davies and Dominic Brooks have been featured on BBC Radio 1, Spotify Weekly Discover and had tracks playlisted in Topman / Topshop stores. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £6.

CLIVE CARROLL
Thursday, September 19
The Stables, Milton Keynes
Expect a night of medieval lute music, Spanish guitar classics, Delta Blues and hints of Chet Atkins and Django Reinhardt, through to the Beatles. Having started playing guitar aged nine, Carroll graduated from Trinity College with a First Class Honours Degree in Composition & Guitar and is now regarded as one of the leading acoustic guitar players in the world. Doors 8.45pm, tickets £10.

MR B THE GENTLEMAN RHYMER
Friday, September 20
Esquires, Bedford
From deepest darkest Surrey and with a decade of gentlemanly catterwalling under his belt, Mr B brings you Chap-Hop, re-acquainting hip-hop with the Queen’s English. His legendary live recitals have earned him plaudits, largely from top shelf gentlemen’s quarterlies. Support is by Thomas Benjamin Esq who went stratospheric earlier this year, with his single No More F’s To Give hitting several viral video channels, racking up tens of millions of views and propelling his album into the charts. Doors 8pm, tickets £10.

HANNAH SCOTT
Friday, September 20
The Stables, Milton Keynes
Hannah Scott performs contemporary folk music and is picking up a loyal following thanks to her distinctive voice, strong melodies and thought-provoking lyrics. She has found her musical home with creative partner Stefano Della Casa and their well-received album Pieces Of The Night was released in 2018. Doors 8.45pm, tickets £10.

THE TOTAL STONE ROSES
Saturday, September 21
Esquires, Bedford
We don’t regularly feature cover acts on New Boots, but The Total Stone Roses are the UK’s leading tribute act to the seminal band. They will be marking the 30th anniversary of the band’s self-titled debut by playing it in full. Doors 8pm, tickets £13.

THE VELVETEERS
Saturday, September 21
Esquires, Bedford
The Velveteers are an American Rock trio from Denver, Colorado that is the epiphany of punk with the aggressive sound and grungy wisdom that transcends through 21-year-old guitarist and lead singer Demi Demitro and her two drummers. Through fuzzed out guitar riffs and thunderous drums they lure their audience with vibes that come right out of a classic horror flick. In 2018 the band released their self-titled debut EP and have since been busy on the road touring. Support is by Coldharbour and Joyland. Doors 8pm, tickets £10.

STEVE WINCH & THE INCEPTION
Saturday, September 21
The Stables, Milton Keynes
Inspired by mod fashion and culture, punk attitude and 1960s melodies and harmonies, Steve and the boys are a retro-fuelled, high octane shot of adrenaline. Expect an evening of catchy, killer tunes married to insightful lyrics covering life, love and everything in-between. Doors 8:45pm, tickets £12.

ROYAL SOUTH
Sunday, September 22
The Stables, Milton Keynes
Combining southern twang, a British accent and three-part harmonies, Royal South mix country and bluegrass influences with acoustic contemporary sounds. The trio of SaraBeth, Glen Mitchell and Vickie Vaughn are Individual artists in their own right, with chart topping songs, Grand Ole Opry performances, industry awards, a fiercely loyal social media following and world tours between them. Doors 8pm, tickets £16.00.

PAUL GILBERT
Tuesday, September 24
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Acclaimed American guitarist Paul Gilbert is co-founder of the hard rock band Mr. Big and a founding member of the now-defunct heavy metal band Racer X. He’s heading to the Craufurd Arms as part of his Behold, The Electric Guitar tour. He has previously been named among GuitarOne magazine’s Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time and Guitar World’s 50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £22.50.

THE LEISURE SOCIETY
Tuesday, September 24
The Stables, Milton Keynes
Even before you get to the music there’s plenty to pique one’s interest with The Leisure Society. Main-man Nick Hemming began his career in shoegaze band The Telescopes and shared a further outfit with Paddy Considine and Shane Meadows. They’ve had two consecutive Ivor Novello nominations for Best Song Musically and Lyrically, and have enjoyed the endorsement of everyone from Guy Garvey to Brian Eno. Their long-awaited fifth album, Arrivals & Departures, was released this year. Doors 8pm, tickets £16.

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Across The Border: Sept 11th – Sept 18th

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Three in three weeks! Across The Border is well and truly back. Here’s what we think you should be considering going to see at venues in our neighbouring counties in…

Three in three weeks! Across The Border is well and truly back. Here’s what we think you should be considering going to see at venues in our neighbouring counties in the coming days.

GRYPHON
Thursday, September 12th
The Stables, Milton Keynes,
Prog rockers Gryphon are headlining The Stables. Since their last appearance at the venue, the band have released the LP ReInvention, a studio album of new material and their first for more than 40 years. Doors open at 8pm, tickets cost £18.50.

CHILDCARE
Friday, September 13th
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
London’s softcore-psych quartet Childcare head to the region next week for two gigs, the first at the Craufurd Arms. Childcare are on the road touring in support of their debut album Wabi-Sabi. They were formed by Ed Cares, formerly one of West London’s most in-demand male nannies. Cares enlisted bassist Emma Topolski, guitarist Rich Le Gate and drummer David Dyson to complete the group. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £8.

JOE BROWN
Friday, September 13th to Sunday, September 15th
The Stables, Milton Keynes
Rock‘n’roll legend Joe Brown is out on his 60th anniversary tour and playing three nights at The Stables. His Very Best Of album achieved Gold Record Status and was on the UK charts for eight weeks staying four weeks in the Top 20. Ten years ago, he celebrated with a sell-out show at the Royal Albert Hall and his Ukulele Album caused a similar stir breaking new territory for Joe. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £33.

SARA SPADE
Saturday, September 14th
The Stables, Milton Keynes
Hailed as ‘Britain’s New Age Vintage Nightingale’, Sara Spade brings her new show to The Stables on Saturday. It will feature songs from her latest album and selections from early 20th century music. Doors 8.45pm, tickets £10.

SOLSTICE
Saturday, September 14th
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
More prog – this time in the form of progressive folk rockers Solstice who are heading to the Craufud Arms for a hometown gig. They recently played at The Secret Widget Festival and New Day Festivals. Their latest LP Prophecy was released in 2013. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £8

SPEAR OF DESTINY ‘ONE EYED JACKS’ 35TH ANNIVERSARY
Saturday, September 14th
Esquires, Bedford
Spear of Destiny are returning to Esquires to play their classic LP One Eyed Jacks in full.
With the exception of a few songs, all of the songs had been played by the original line-up for nearly a year prior to the LP’s recording and the record remains a classic in Kirk’s back catalogue and a firm fan favourite. Doors 8.00 pm, tickets £19.

CHILDCARE
Sunday, September 15th
Esquires, Bedford
The second of this week’s gig by Childcare, this time the quartet are at Esquires and will be joined by Jeana and Among The Citizens. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £8.

DEITWEILER
Sunday, September 15th
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Deitweiler are launching their new single How Can I Make A Difference on Sunday as well as playing other new material. Support by Leopard Rays. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £5.

ED ARM
Wednesday, September 18th
MK11, Milton Keynes
Eduardas Armonas is an award-winning guitarist from Lithuania, based in the UK. A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music, he performs regularly in London and across Europe. He will be playing with the venue’s house band who also host a jam session in the second set. Doors 8.30pm, free.

VICTORS
Thursday, September 19th
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Leeds based pop / electronic quartet Victors have been busy playing festivals this summer and are now out on a UK tour which is heading to Milton Keynes. Their latest single I’ve Been Missing You was released in June. Support is by Jeana and Garden. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £6.

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Across The Border: Sept 4th – Sept 11th

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Across The Border is back with its second edition in consecutive weeks! If you didn’t see last week’s, it’s same idea as before – we love NN, but there’s great…

Across The Border is back with its second edition in consecutive weeks! If you didn’t see last week’s, it’s same idea as before – we love NN, but there’s great venues across the border who are putting on cracking gigs which deserve shouting about.

Fewer gigs this week, but here’s what you should have your eyes on outside Northants over the next seven days.

VALIS ABLAZE
Wednesday, September 4th
Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Valis Ablaze set out to provide an intriguing alternative to the progressive metal norm, low end grooves juxtaposed with soaring vocal lines, and atmospheric synths, all driven by intricate rhythm work and growling bass. Their sophomore album, Render was released in July. Support by Derange. Doors 7.30pm, Tickets £8.

IAN W BROWN
Thursday, September 5th
The Stables, Milton Keynes
Former pig farmer and Ivor Novello Award nominee Ian W Brown is headlining The Stables. Daniel Mays plays a better-looking version of him in the Fisherman’s Friends film and Gregor Fisher’s downtrodden manager character in 2003’s Love Actually may have been based on how he transported an ex-prog rocker to the top of the Christmas charts in real life in 2001, but folk’s favourite former farmer and secret hit maker Brown is on tour playing some of the songs which have graced the charts and many more that haven’t. Doors 8pm, tickets £10 in advance.

THE OUSE VALLEY SINGLES CLUB – LP LAUNCH
Friday, September 6th
Esquires, Bedford
The Ouse Valley Singles Club are launching their new LP Gammonista at Esquires. The five-piece band use sounds and traditions of 1950’s skiffle combined with the energy of punk and a splash of rub ‘n’ dub reggae to relay hilarious folk-like story-telling within their infectious songs, often crossing the parameters of what is deemed to be socially acceptable. Support is by Skimmington Ride. Doors 8pm, tickets £8.

KARIBOW
Friday, September 6th
Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
KariBow play neo-progressive melodic rock, with shades of Marillion, reflecting AOR giants such as Toto, Journey and Asia. With a string of award-winning albums, their latest LP Supernatural Foe Rebirth was released this year. Support by This Winter Machine. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £15.

THE DEKKERTONES
Saturday, September 7th
Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Members of Nine-piece ska reggae rocksteady band The Dekkertones have been involved in the ska scene for more than 30 years. Since forming in 2013, they have supported the likes of The Neville Staple Band The Dualers. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £10.

CREAM OF THE CROP – PUNK ALL-DAYER
Saturday, September 7th
Esquires, Bedford
Dozens of acts will be playing at the Cream Of The Crop All-dayer at Esquires on Saturday. Music is across two floors and will feature Peter & The Test Tube Babies, Infa-Riot, The Crack, East End Badoes, Arch Rivals, The Angry Agenda, Guitar Gangsters, The Warriors, Rat’s Nest, Murdaball, Jack The Lad, Feckin Ejits, Charred Hearts, Hazard, The Tendons, Dogtown Rebels, Terminal Heads, Out Of Order (Both British and Canadian bands), Bleach Boys, Subculture, The Mistakes, Spring Park, Johnny & The Mental Breakdowns and L.O.A.D. Doors 1pm, tickets £27.50.

GORDON GILTRAP
Sunday, September 8th
The Stables, Milton Keynes.
The recipient of an MBE in the 2019 New Year’s Honour List for services to Music and Charity, legendary British Guitarist Gordon Giltrap is headlining The Stables. Over five decades, Giltrap has graced the music business with his dedication to his craft. He will be playing songs from his latest album, The Last Of England. Doors 8pm, tickets £17.50.

DOUGIE MACLEAN
Wednesday, September 11
The Stables, Milton Keyes
Dougie MacLean is one of Scotland’s pre-eminent singer-songwriters and a national musical treasure. His performance during the closing ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with Kylie Minogue and Lulu was viewed by more than one billion people worldwide. Doors 8pm, tickets £18.50.

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Across The Border: Aug 28th – Sept 4th

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REJOICE! The New Boots ‘Across The Border’ gig guide is back. We started this last year but it didn’t last (mainly because its writer kept forgetting to do it). Anyway,…

REJOICE! The New Boots ‘Across The Border’ gig guide is back. We started this last year but it didn’t last (mainly because its writer kept forgetting to do it). Anyway, he’s promised to do better this time and we thought now festival season is coming to an end, it was worth bringing it back. Same idea as before – we love NN, but there’s some mega venues across the border who are putting on cracking gigs which deserve shouting about.

So, without further ado, here’s some things you should have your eye on which are taking place over the next seven days.

POTTERY / EGYPTIAN BLUE
Wednesday, August 28th
Esquires, Bedford
There’s tons of hype around Montreal five-piece Pottery and Brighton’s Egyptian Blue who both play Esquires this week. Pottery recently released The Craft, taken from their debut EP, No. 1, which was released in May while Egyptian Blue recently released their debut EP Collateral Damage. Doors 8pm, tickets £8.

BODEGA / WORKING MEN’S CLUB
Thursday, August 29th
Esquires, Bedford
Not content with one hugely hyped gig this week, Esquires also hosts New York art punks Bodega and Working Men’s Club on Thursday. Bodega’s debut album Endless Scroll was released to rave reviews earlier this year. Doors 8pm, tickets £12.50.

ERICA DRIVE / SLACKRR / BASEMENT LEAGUE
Thursday, August 29th
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Yes, they’re playing at The Black Prince in Northampton as well, but if you can’t make that show, you’ve another chance to see Bournemouth emo punk five-piece Erica Drive, Basement League and Slackrr who are on a co-headline tour across the UK. Erica Drive’s latest single The Fall is out now. Support is by Lost Without A Cause. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £5.

HEAVY PETTIN’
Friday, August 30th
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Heavy Pettin’ return to The Craufurd Arms to kick off part two of their Back On The Road Again Tour with special guests rockers Tytan. If you like 1980s Scottish NWOHM, this one’s for you. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £12. Another band who think they’re playing the Crauford Arms…

BEN WATERS BIG BAND
Saturday, August 31st
The Stables, Milton Keynes
Following a 30-year career, Ben Waters has decided to retire from public performances and will be joined by a line-up of top musicians one last time for a night of boogie woogie, rock ‘n’ roll and blues in Wavendon. Doors open at 8pm, tickets cost £18.50.

AN EVENING WITH RICHARD JOBSON OF THE SKIDS
Sunday, September 1st
The Stables, Milton Keynes
From school punk to modern day film producer, Richard Jobson has lived a full and colourful life. A harrowing incident as a child left him suffering with epilepsy but he was a mere 15 year old when he launched the punk rock band The Skids in 1977 with his songwriting partner Stuart Adamson. Support is by Bruce and Jamie Watson from Big Country who will play their own set before joining Richard for acoustic versions of his back catalogue. Doors 8pm, tickets £20.

THE SOAP GIRLS
Sunday, September 1st
Esquires, Bedford
Armed with unforgettable melodies and catchy choruses, punk duo The SoapGirls’ energy, rawness and authenticity has earned a formidable reputation. The French born sisters Millie and Mie been touring relentlessly since 2015 and released their latest album Elephant In The Room in July. They head to Bedford as part of their Sniff My Strap tour. Support is by Trouble County and Cuecliche. Doors 7.30 pm, tickets £10.

LIFESIGNS
Sunday, September 1st
The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Founded in Leighton Buzzard, in 2008, veteran keyboard player John Young realised he had never done a pure prog album. The band Lifesigns is the direct result of that realisation. John started writing the music for the album in 2008 working closely with sound engineer and next door neighbour Steve Rispin. The band has a modern sound with lush, multi layered keyboards. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £20.

INDIA ELECTRIC COMPANY
Wednesday, September 4th
The Stables, Milton Keynes
Folk duo Joseph O’Keefe and Cole Stacey return to The Stables next week. The pair use traditional instruments in contemporary styles, exploring diverse themes from Eastern Europe, Irish traditions and modern urban alienation. After releasing their debut album The Girl I Left Behind Me in 2015 they began extensively supporting and accompanying Midge Ure across the world. Doors 8pm, tickets £15.

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Twinfest organisers reveal the acts visiting from Northampton’s twinned towns

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The organisers of Twinfest have revealed the bands which will be visiting Northampton from Germany and France when the annual festival returns in July. There will be three acts from…

The organisers of Twinfest have revealed the bands which will be visiting Northampton from Germany and France when the annual festival returns in July.
There will be three acts from Marburg and two from Poitiers joining other musicians from across Northampton for the four day festival.

Visiting from Marburg will be:
Oclaire – www.facebook.com/oclairemusic
Cressy Jaw – www.facebook.com/Cressy.Jaw
Bazooka Groove Club – www.facebook.com/bazoukagrooveclub

Visting from Poitiers will be:
The Aries – www.facebook.com/lesariesmusique
Full Fiction – www.facebook.com/fullfictionband

Organisers are currently finalising the acts from Northampton which will be playing Twinfest.
Twinfest is from Thursday, July 25, to Sunday, July 28, and will include performances at venues across Northampton.

For more details, visit www.fb.com/twinfest.northampton

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Live Review: The Barratts, The Covasettes, Fox Chapel, Krankhead at The Roadmender

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THE BARRATTS The Roadmender, Northampton April 13th 2019 Regular music scene champions, the well-loved Same Old Kids from ShoeTown with the ShoeName have now grown up quite a bit. Their…

THE BARRATTS
The Roadmender, Northampton
April 13th 2019

Regular music scene champions, the well-loved Same Old Kids from ShoeTown with the ShoeName have now grown up quite a bit. Their maturity into season, travelled musicians wowing crowds with their nifty guitar ditties and exciting live show is established now. A big hometown show in front a few hundred fans feels both rather deserved and gloriously celebratory. It would be amiss to miss it, frankly.

As people who know what’s what they have tonight bought along their besties to join in. The opening set from Krankhead, the rising hip-hop pairing of Mio Flux and Patchy The Rockstar is sweary and sweaty, and they are absolutely on it. The likes of ‘SNL’ and ‘Sabo’ are party starters, and they will be headliners in their own right if things play out the way New Boots suspect it might.

Fox Chapel are ace tonight. They’ve been away, Lying Low – this is their first show in almost 12 months – but they are still tight as. Rumours abound this might be their last show, and if so then their bouncy post-punk will be sorely missed. Yet they promise from the stage to release some new material soon, so maybe this isn’t the last we have seen of them. Like gluttonous toddlers we collectively remain hopeful for more ‘Ice Cream’.

The Covasettes are four good-looking lads from Manchester with a line in bass-driven ditties. They are a strong match for our headliners, but they are lacking bite. ‘Like You’ and ‘This Feeling’ and ‘Top Drawer’ are indebted to noughties guitar rock and, further back, The Smiths, but the melodies and hooks are a little too polite and predictable, perhaps. A great live show though; their enthusiasm for what they do is unquestionably infectious. Northampton seems to appreciate them, and ultimately here and now that’s all that matters. There is space and time to grow and make their mark, and make New Boots take a second look.

By the time The Barratts come on the party is in full swing. Frontman James Faulkner is resplendent in black cape, feathered hat and tailored cream jacket – the dandy frontman transported in from 1890 that you never knew you needed. He conducts the crowd from start to finish with confidence, which is immediately needed as guitarist Brandon Essom has a broken cable before we’ve even begun. No matter. That the band have only released six of the 15 songs they play over their hour onstage does present them with a significant problem. But winning over a sizeable crowd who don’t know a lot of the material is all in a days’ work apparently, as no one seems to lose interest at any point. This is helped by a constant change in pace: new songs coming thick and fast from different sonic places, but all clearly the work of the same band. From the spiky indie dancefloor numbers to the ballads the public give their love back to every one, and in spades. 

‘Match Of The Day’, from 2016, brings the first round of moshing. But it’s the five song finale, all tunes in the public domain, that feels like one big cup final goal celebration – and deftly recalls all that’s best in British guitar music from the last four decades. ‘Satellites’ has a double chorus that’s heaven sent, all whilst Faulkner dissects society’s woes. New single ‘Lights Out In London’ is the Doherty/Morrissey-esque missive that should see them take big steps forward towards the nation’s heart. They save their jewel in their crown, ‘The Garrison’, to the very end. Not only does it contain a colossal heavy backbeat from the engine room of Will Smith and Evan Bridgstock that’s pummels anyone within earshot into easy submission, it’s exactly the sort of rowdy singalong anthem they seem to excel at.

The five Barratts seem to be having the times of their young lives. Long may it continue.

The Barratts setlist in full:
The Crooked Mile
Marooned
Lift Song
Certain Time Of Night
Name Badge
Smokey Ghosts
Backache
Emotional Machine
Match Of The Day
Self-Inflicted 
Satellites
Lights Out In London
Encore:
IV
Same Old Kids
The Garrison

Words by Phil Moore. Photos by David Jackson

 

 

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Photos: Hands Off Gretel, Wishing Wolf, Deaf Trap, EGO at The Black Prince, Northampton

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Barnsley quartet Hands Off Gretel brought their I Want The World album tour to Northampton last Friday [April 5th], and didn’t Northampton enjoy it. Terrific support from Wishing Wolf, Deaf…

Barnsley quartet Hands Off Gretel brought their I Want The World album tour to Northampton last Friday [April 5th], and didn’t Northampton enjoy it. Terrific support from Wishing Wolf, Deaf Trap and EGO too. Here’s pictorial evidence, courtesy of David Jackson

Hands Off Gretel



 

Wishing Wolf

 

Deaf Trap

 

EGO

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Photos: Nailbreaker, Worry, Ex-Pets at The Garibaldi, Northampton

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Nailbreaker celebrated the release of his debut EP ‘Spectrum Songs’ at The Garibaldi Hotel in Northampton last night.  New Boots were in attendance at the venue’s recently converted basement for…

Nailbreaker celebrated the release of his debut EP ‘Spectrum Songs’ at The Garibaldi Hotel in Northampton last night. 

New Boots were in attendance at the venue’s recently converted basement for the show which saw the Rushden-based purveyor of digital hardcore joined by Worry, Ex-Pets and fellow NN10 Noise Club scene man Dylon Dean [apologies to Dylon for not getting there in time to get some photos; his performance was excellent though, as were all the acts].

Here’s a few photos from the night courtesy of @davidtjackson

Check back with New Boots for an interview with Nailbreaker on April 5th

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