Seismic Alt Rock Artists/Audiences AWEtumn
By 2018, artists and audiences under the radar have created a 2020 vision which DIY rock geared up a few years before the tory Brexit/Narnia nonsense.
Following June's introduction "Our Newer Wave Music Future" (excerpt pictured left), our situationism continues to be inspired by this reality.
Pix in that article included Monefa, Katie and Fahima at The Great Escape in May - Alan Wells and Rohan Murray at Abbie McCarthy's Good Karma Club, last May, Ms Mohammed (Off The Record Manchester), Bang Bang Romeo (SoccerSixFest), Mark n Bev of Music Venue Trust (Venues Day), The Surrenders and Asylums (Reading Festival 2017), Sahera Walker (Some Might Say) with Luke Griffiths of False Heads and 485C.
There were also mentions for fresh essential industry mover-shakers; End Of The Trail, Benumu, Kick Out The Jams and Modern Age Music.
All part of UK underground alt rock music movement. Boldly starting with "Equality Is The Future", Part 1 ended with the image; "What Happens Next?" that will start TheZineUK's next picture book. Since June, very much has happened.
Asylums have joined 485C in releasing outstandingly sharp and instantly classic albums. Slaves, Idles, Goat Girl, Shame, Cabbage etc. .What a year! With Big Joanie, The Blinders, Bang Bang Romeo, Black Honey and more set to make 2018 a landmark.
Bugeye, are also helping to shape this year with dayglo punky disco poptastica. Latest single 'Is This Love' is raising their name/game.
They're creating.
DIY powered sold out gigs, Pride Festival, widespread major airplay (currently on Radio X playlist), at one point, lead singer, Angela Martin, even led Nottingham Forest FC onto the pitch.
Ha... that's going in our Beautiful Game article...
Pic, Bugeye were invited to be part of the #Genesisters event as part of the Feminist Film Festival screening of 'L7: Pretend We're Dead' movie with live music and more at Genesis Cinema.
TheZineUK situationism, I bumped into the east end's Mr Movies, Merthyr's Michael, after the Trampolene gig at The Scala, and said we would meet again soon.
He's a long time friend (and another multi talent) so it had made my day already.
Waddya know? Bugeye are gigging at his cinema a few months later!
Gonna get to that picture house again soon. LOVED it. Loads goes on. 5-10 mins walk from Whitechapel Station. Boom.
A renaissance of all arts of all kinds crossing over with fresh technology and media, grass roots music upwards. Firmer foundations with sussed brands in support.
Trampolene are on the #Alive tour this Autumn with The Surrenders and Lacuna Bloome (also all on Red Stripe's This Feeling TV, too).
Our beloved Nova Twins have just played a Pirate Studios live stream show. They were also one of five bands recommended by Rolling Stone for their New York Afropunk appearance.
Also LOVED The Velvet Hands (pictured left at the Benumu minifest a few days after Sisteray) on Pirate Studios, recently too. #LivingTheStream
Fresh from the summer festivals, including Boardmasters main stage) will headline The Camden Mix Up Volume 1 (Kick Out The Jams monthly music socials at The Good Mixer) on 15th September with Bugeye and politico punky reggae party one band festival, Smiley & The Underclass. "The Dub Clash" who have around 100 gigs (UK, Europe, Japan with no agent but much wicked reputation). Katie O, another up and comer of the new music world, whose first filmed interview was with this band for TheZineUK, is on the decks!
See you there?
The above mentioned Benumu not only introduced the brilliant Couples into our story (though lead singer, Conor, is down the front at The Velvet Hands last spring in the picture book) but also staged the War Child show with False Heads and Calva Louise this summer, and are connecting bands with BT TV.
#NewerWave? There's no such scene, genre etc?
It's a no nonsense non-scene with two fingers up to the tired "guitar bands are dead" churnalism.
Also, that equity for equality social inclusion thing is definitely going on.
All generations of all genders make for added diversity. Engagism is escapism. As a vintage Black rock chick, I'm all for that. Also for an industry that doesn't take advantage/the piss out of youth power.
Pic: DJ /radio presenter/promoter Peggy From Earth with musicians and fellow multi-tasking-talents Monefa Walker (Rocklands ArtBeat) and Kat Five of Feral Five partying at the Sisteray launch in Camden's Good Mixer last week.
Feral Five, who along with Lucie Barat, are among artists that have worked with/remixed Sisteray, were special guests. The UK's first 3D electropunks, they support Black Grape in November.
Next day, the headliners were in the charts (again). The 'Sisteray Said' EP, iTunes chart Top 10. Well deserved.
Many music faces out that night. Massive congratulations to the band and Vallance Records - both integral threads of this tapestry. Head honcho (love that word) Elliot Hale was having a Beach Riot of a weekend at Reading and Leeds Festivals. Bumped into him at the BBC Introducing stage (with Susan Hansen of Its All Indie/TheZineUK and the above mentioned Alan Wells (about to tour with False Heads again). Another band tipped even heavier recently.
We're the charity chic party in Armageddon. Sociopathic World Leaders Apocalypse (Austerity remix with added celebrity clusterfuck distractions) is NOW but our gigs are so much fun that we truly laugh a lot.
Big up all the radio music passion for what's going on, really making a noticeable difference to this tale.
90s music fans starting to join the teens n twenty somethings.
Big up another new chart star, Tom Grennan, (papped at Neighbourhood Weekender in May) just announced a breakthrough nominee, with Goat Girl, at this year's Q Awards.
This is the BEST not a scene era since the 60s/70s. Poetic. Psychaedelic. Literature laced. Genuine.
T Shirts at The Borderline included Trampolene, SHEAFS, Black Honey, Sisteray, Strange Bones, Himalayas ... felt like a newer wave invasion of Soho for The Blinders and White Room.
The Tuts empowering young girls.
Loud Women, Get In Her Ears and Clit Rock femme powering up. Cool Thing Records family totally smashing it. The visual arts are the best in ages too, as are the icons. We've got positivity from Stormzy and Janelle Monae as an example of world leadership, and will continue to wage R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Individual sounds, ideas and styles. Friendly rivalry raising everybody's game. One-band scenes but one love vibes, cos hate is boring now. Friendship anthems like 'Cause You Got Me' by MOSES soundtrack our 4REAL parallel dimension (as well as the 'Tomb Raider' movie).
This anomaly is seeping through to Planet Earth mentions. Asylums, False Heads in Kerrang!, The Independent, NME. Bang Bang Romeo and Idles on MTV and BBC News At Ten. The latter are Top 5 with a brilliant second album. The Blinders (The Guardian, MTV and headlining the BBC Introducing Stages and Festival Republic Stage at this year's Reading and Leeds Festivals), Sisteray, The Velvet Hands and 485C played on E4/Channel 4 TV shows... Recently Financial Times (?) noted guitar bands were back, citing Goat Girl, Sisteray, Bang Bang Romeo and The Blinders in the mix. The Cosmics made it to Glastonbury last year, living the dream.
A seismic shift in perception of marketability and potential. A compilation worth of songs by skint superstars that would have charted in the 20th century.
Rock n Roll. Black music aural sex, I'll let the inspirational Ms Momammed, on behalf of the awesome Decolonise Festival have the last word. "We are the future - stop fucking ignoring us".
It's the first word, too, because that's not the end of it...
Caffy St Luce.
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