Lost Weekend - Best Bands, Venues, Labels - United 28 April to 1st May
End Of The Trail Records, SouthCoast Recordings and TheZineUK present Blush, Mantras, Mourning Birds and local special guests, on a Sarf by Sarf East of England, Lost Weekend around London, Hastings, Thurrock and Brighton Thursday 28th April - Sunday 1st May 2016.
A variety show of tipped new artists that unites musicians, fans, independent record labels, ideas, a situationist-transmedia-arts- movement tale (ourselves) and even a barber shop (you can never have too much StageStyle!). You are invited to be part of it. On line or on land. Band links at the events pages (scroll down)
Indie rockers, Blush celebrate their new single, 'Daggers'. The reviews (and airplay) for are already highly encouraging; Gary Crowley of BBC London finds it "Incredible". Essex is HAVING it right now. Discovered at an End Of The Trail Records showcase (at Traitors Gate, Grays) in December this Southend band are going from strength to strength at a rate of knots that suggests you catch them at close range, while you can.
Blush's, angular-tinted, classic alt-pop is performed live with the kind of magnetic confidence that attracts new fans and industry/media attention alike. The UK's top live rock n roll club, This Feeling notes that "Blush have attracted attention quickly" while one of the UK's most influential tipsters, Little Indie Blogs notes that they are "On the cusp of big things." Not only that, they're also on a mini tour of talents making a name for themselves. At a time when Britain is being divided to be conquered by crapitalism, Lost Weekend is doing something completely different. Venues and promoters are coming together to create a trail for credible artists.
There are pockets of (r)Evolution popping up all over BritainIreland as great song crafting battles to escape the dystopian eruption of blatant corruption we, the every day people, are shackled to. Electro-Techno mind warps, massive Dance beats, the Rap spitfire of poetry, lyrics and verse. ArtBeat fuses the audiovisual renaissance in the small and medium venues. Guitar music is annually given the "rock is dead" treatment, despite being one of the most successful global genres of the last six decades. Don't believe the hype. It's only Rock n Roll but we love it. That's how we met Ian Hurd in the first place, when he booked Mourning Birds. There is a real movement happening in music, these events are socially inclusive. Make yourself known at the FB event or in the venue.
The aforementioned Traitors Gate in Thurrock has become a hub of creativity (filming and photographing artists, visual art exhibitions, included) and networking since Golden Cage Media events (also with sound technician skills for hire) started in September (to the point of it being one of BBC's locations for The Voice UK auditions soon).
Having recommended Voice UK semi finalist, Jordan Gray (from Paloma Faith's most recent team) to TheZine last year (Tall Dark Friend on our Boxing Day's watchlist a.k.a. #WildeLifeAwards) Ian Hurd of Golden Cage really knows his stuff. We're honoured that he is part of TheZineUK sessions team. Increasingly busy, mind! The venue has already staged a couple of all dayer mini festivals and even launched its own brewery. Lost Weekend calls in there on Saturday April 30th when Blush are joined by Kieran Mcloughlin-Spink
It's electronic rock'n'roll ahoy with Brighton's equally acclaimed Mantras who have been described by David Hillier (Sabotage Times) as being “Like Primal Scream wearing Serge Pizzorno’s cubans; as ready for a sweat box as it is the Pyramid Stage”.
In an article titled “New psyche For The Hacienca Mindset” he introduces Mantras: “What’s Your Story’ is the band’s debut single, and other than the fact they’re from Brighton they’re still an unknown quantity. The single was premiered by Fred Perry Subculture, and judging by the boy’s hair and threads, the two are are made for each other.” Top music site GigSlutz cite "Mesmeric garage psych rock that recalls early Kasabian.” and This Feeling adding; “real quality”. Off to a flying start, Mantras have also have played and DJd at TF events.
When their psychadelic but tight grooves rock out loosely, you get a glimpse into what the stylish delivery of Mantras is capable of. Ones to watch, for sure.
It's all happening in Brighton, especially at Latest Music Bar where Mantras will be live on stage, and where TheZineUK staged our official 2014 and 2015 events at The Great Escape Festival in this awesome venue (theatrical upstairs, rock n roll downstairs). We have a lot of love for them inviting us back after these shows, so are extra glad to be there on May 1st!
End Of The Trail's start of the trail is in South East London:
With 'Daggers' being chosen by the Apple iTunes editors in their Best Of The Week "collection of the world's most exciting new music" on release, Blush have much to celebrate. New Cross Inn is their special 7.45pm show to kick things off, so join us for Happy Hour and conversations, from 6pm while its free to get in. That night, they are joined by the "Blondie x Pixies" rush of Bugeye read on for more about these #FuturePicks
This gig also introduces Mourning Birds as they reveal the results of a prolific song writing bursst over the last few months. A brilliant riot at inception, their accidental chemistry created a QOTSA meets Nirvana racket that has had nothing but awed praise so far. “Superb” (Tom Robinson, BBC) “Garage rock at it's best” (BBC Fresh On The Net).
Their "British balls-out garage-rock ” (NME) won a deal with Japan's P-Vine Records. They spent 2015 working on new songs, were joined by their producer Rhys Downing in Autumn, discovered they'd sold 1.5k releases (mainly by word of mouth) in Japan and had the seeds of a following.
“Something has happened to transform them from mere rabble rousing rebels without much of a clue into a keenly focussed class act", (God Is In The TV).
Mourning Birds play New Cross 28 April (8.30pm) & Brighton May 1st.
Not so long ago, TheZineUK's gig punkin' fashion director, Ben Dodd, got very excited by the sound of the aforementioned Bugeye, and spread the word about 'Is This Love'. The team liked what they heard at the band's SoundCloud and became fans too.
Fresh out of the traps, Bugeye sound like they've already been booked for bigger stages. They know how to hook your mind with earworm melodies, head nodding beats and minxy vocals. This is riot pop tuned, power punk at its instant finest.
We're not the only ones; Croydon Radio, Hoxton Radio, GigSlutz have been given them airplay love recently and they started this month with photographer to the stars, Jeff Moh, capturing their show and stating "London's indie/garage punk rock band with a touch of ''Lene Lovich'' performed an awesome gig in The Mau Mau Bar"
A new video, a film soundtrack and a brace of tour dates are on the way as music fans get the Bugeye bug, so we are chuffed as feck that we get to catch them live at our own show.
The above bands and the local special guests (and no doubt the odd impromptu performance) celebrates not only an exciting time for UK guitar talent but also for the uniqulture of collaborations across the genres of the arts. Musicians, industry and media making Music Venue Trust's newly formed Music Venues Alliance a working reality.
Kudos to the mighty Rough Trade, newly formed SouthCoast Recordings (who have already signed super hot newer wavers, and ArtBeat faves, The Au Revoirs), End Of The Trail Records, and stylish Sharps Barber shop (“maintenance matters!”), this is an opportunity to not only catch fresh exciters at close range, but also to connect personally with them and the near future of music, personally.
StageStyle is part of TheZineUK's foundations (and catching on, Pirate Treasures jewellery, who fashion director, Ben, weaved into ArtBeat and onto artists in Autumn, even has a Stage Style page on their site).
It makes sense that Sharps Barbers - who formed to "spark a major movement around new-school barbering" is a sponsor of this mini tour. http://sharpsbarbers.com/
Hot sounds, cool styles, warm welcomes. We are always starting something new. Here we go again. Be part of #LostWeekend - its BAND HOLIDAY! Making a scene;
Blush, Bugeye, Mourning Birds and special guests. Show starts 7.30pm with Blush on stage at 7.45pm. Happy hour and free entry before 8pm then £3. New Cross Inn.
Blush and Special Guests at Hastings Albion
Catch Blush for free entry with special guest Kieran Mcloughlin-Spink opening the show with his own unique fusion of styles at Traitors Gate, Grays, Thurrock, Essex.
Blush, Mantras, Mourning Birds and special guests at Latest Music Bar, Brighton
Twitteratti : @blushsucks @mantrasmusic @MourningBirds Bugeyeband
@endof_thetrail @SouthCoastRecs @NewCrossInn @TraitorsGatePub @latestmusicbar @TheZineUK @SharpsBarbers