The Brook, 466 Portswood Road, Portswood, Southampton SO17 3SD
Box Office Hours - 1.00pm - 7.00pm Mon - Sat (023) 8055 5366
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October 2009 @ The Brook

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Kajagoogoo are back with their original 5 piece line up.

Limahl, Nick Beggs, Jez Strode, Stuart Neale & Steve Askew are back together for the first time in 25 years.

Kajagoogoo are currently in rehearsals for several festivals and gigs around the world, as well as planning a new album.

Kajagoogoo are a British pop band best known for their first single, "Too Shy", which reached number one in the UK Singles Chart and number five in the U.S Billboard Hot 100 in 1983. The single was produced by keyboardist Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran and Colin Thurston who was, at the time, Duran Duran's in-house producer.

The band was founded in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, in 1979 as a four piece avant-garde instrumental group called Art Nouveau, with Nick Beggs on bass guitar, Steve Askew on lead guitar, Stuart Croxford Neale ..boards and Jez Strode on drums. Art Nouveau released a track called "The Fear Machine". The single sold a few hundred copies, and was played on the John Peel show, but the band could not get a record deal.

In 1981, they advertised for and auditioned lead singers, and finally chose Christopher Hamill. He made his profile, and therefore that of the band, catchier by using an anagram of his surname for his stage name, becoming Limahl. The name of the band was then changed to Kajagoogoo.

The band attracted the interest of three record labels (and Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes) while performing at the Embassy Club in London. The band was signed to EMI in July of 1982, and Rhodes was signed to produce their first album, White Feathers. In between they supported Birmingham New Romantic band Fashion on tour. The debut single "Too Shy" was released in January of 1983 and went to the top of the charts (before any of Duran Duran's singles had done so, Rhodes noted ruefully). Follow-up releases "Ooh to Be Aah" and "Hang on Now" both reached the UK top twenty as well.

Following the departure of Limahl, Kajagoogoo continued with Bassist, Nick Beggs taking the helm as the bands frontman. The singles that followed, "Big Apple" made the Top Ten in late 1983. and "The Lion's Mouth", made the Top 30,

The band briefly joined forces again on VH1's Bands Reunited (26 January 2004, Season 1, Episode 6) and performed at the Scala club in London, England for the show.

In 2007, Nick Beggs, Steve Askew and Stuart Neale continued to play together as Kajagoogoo and a new album is about to be released.

June 24th, 2007 saw the release of "Rocket Boy" the first Kajagoogoo single in 22 years. The single received airplay on Steve Wright's Radio 2 show in the UK.

In September 2007 Kajagoogoo performed the opening set with other 1980s acts at Retrofest at Culzean Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland.

February 2008, Kajagoogoo, announced their reunion with original members, lead singer Limahl and drummer Jez Strode, bringing the band back together officially for the first time in 25 years.

The band performed at several festivals in Denmark, Slovakia and again at Retrofest 2008.

2009 will see the band writing new material for a new album...and perfoming LIVE throughout Europe....watch this space.

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Marc is Robbing Williams, the alter-ego has landed.

Top Robbie sound-a-like Marc recreates perfectly the pure entertainment that is Robbie Williams. Backed by a live band, expect to be entertained by a high quality, bang up to date show including tracks from the latest album Intensive Care, such as Tripping, Advertising Space & A Place To Crash!!

Formed in the autumn of 1999 by singer Marc Hockley, Robbing Williams quickly became one of the most popular tribute shows in the UK.

They have to date played some 850 shows in the UK alone, as well as live shows in Ireland, The Channel Islands, Germany, Holland, Italy & Switzerland. The touring show covers the full range of venue's, from parties & clubs to theatres & festivals and is available as Solo, Duo or with live band from the regular 4 piece to the epic 12 piece.

Band members are made up of International session musicians with current regulars having played with: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Lionel Ritchie, Gareth Gates, Gabrielle, Mr. Mister, Chicane, Delta Goodrem & Jamie Cullum to name but a few.

Recent client's include Chicago Rock Cafe, Jumpin' Jaks, Butlins, Brannigans, Tennants Bass Group, The Marriott & Hilton Hotel Chains, Signal Radio, Galaxy FM & BFBS Radio One as well as university's and independent hotels, nightclubs & live venues and festivals the country over.

In 2005, the band supported Alanis Morrisette and has even supported Jason Donovan (in February 2002), when asked about it Marc said 'Rob got to work with Kylie; we got to work with Jason... I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles... 'The closest there is to an official tribute, the band even supported Jonathan Wilkes at the launch party for his single 'Just Another Day' held at the King's Hall, Stoke on Trent.

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The Easy Star All-Stars entered a new chapter of their career with the April 2011 release of First Light - their first full-length album of original material.  After a packed summer playing festivals including Womad, Camp Bestival and Kendal Calling the band will be heading back to the UK in October for a short tour before they head out to Europe for the rest of that month. The band will be playing tracks from First Light plus hits from previous albums including Dub Side of The Moon and Radiodread on their September and October dates.

For over a decade, the Easy Star All-Stars have brought reggae to the masses by releasing a highly successful series of tribute albums. Dub Side of the Moon (2003), a reggae re-invention of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, put Easy Star All-Stars on the map. The success of that album led to an ever-growing demand from fans to see the band live. That year, the band played its first live shows outside of New York and since then, they have played on 6 continents in over 30 countries. Following up Dub Side was Radiodread (2006), the band's version of Radiohead's OK Computer. In 2009 came Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band, a cover of Sgt. Pepper's that was the first reggae record to crack the Billboard Top 200 chart in over 2 years. In 2010, the band worked with outside producers to remix Dub Side of the Moon; the resulting record, Dubber Side of the Moon, debuted at number 2 on the reggae chart.

On First Light, the eclectic, multi-ethnic group builds on its love of reggae traditions and finding progressive ways to expand their craft while showcasing their individual talents. Known for their trendsetting catalog of reggae re-interpretations of classics, the Easy Star All-Stars are taking this opportunity to introduce fans to a different side of the band.
           
In early 2012, Easy Star All-Stars will release their next (top secret!) tribute album to take the music world by storm again.

Come have a hoot with Paul Young & his tequila drinkin' party boys

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Los Pacaminos are a band you can absolutely count on for a great night out! & some tasty nosh!!! Tex-Mex music is somewhere between the Mariachi and Norteno styles of Mexico and the country/blues sounds of South-Western America. The band empathises with Ry Cooder, Flaco Jiminez, The Texas Tornadoes, Los Lobos and Sir Douglas Quintet. (Their set includes songs like "Wooly Bully" the national anthem "La Bamba" and sometimes, if enough tequila is flowing, even "Speedy Gonzales"…) The band comprise some of the best known names in the business. From a variety of backgrounds they've covered all kinds of music but are all in accord on one - the sound that's brought them together as Los Pacaminos. (Photo - Keith Curtis)

The line-up is as follows: Drew Barfield: Guitar / Vocals. From A&M signings The Keys and The Big Heat, his song-writing credits include Go West, Joe Jackson, Paul Young and Level 42.

Melvyn Duffy: Pedal steel. Probably the finest young pedal steel guitar player in Britain, his credits include Jimmy Nail, Leo Sayer, and Deana Carter while his most recent tour was with Robbie Williams.

Steve Greetham: Bass / Vocals. Has worked with Joan Armatrading, Paul Young, Julia Fordham and Chris De Burgh.

Matt Irving: Keyboards / Accordion / Vocals. Has played with a whole host of artists including Lords Of The New Church, Paul Young, Squeeze, Chris Rea, Jools Holland, Roger Waters and Manfred Mann.

Jamie Moses: Guitar / Vocals. An accomplished session player, he's worked with The Pretenders, Mike And The Mechanics, Chaka Khan, Gary Barlow, Mica Paris, Tony Hadley, Pete Townsend, Karl Wallinger, Paul Rodgers, Curtis Stiegers and Dave Stewart…to name but a few.

Mark Pinder: Drums. Several renowned cult acts claimed Mark's services including the Vampire Bats From Lewisham and Zaine Griff before he headed off to join Paul Young and Alison Moyet.

Paul Young: Guitar / Vocals / Super-Chef. Needs little introduction… from his days with Q –Tips to his number one solo hits "Wherever I Lay My Hat" and "Come Back And Stay", as well as "Every Time You Go Away", his hit albums and his collaboration with top Italian star Zucchero, Paul has always been loved for his unique vocal style and great personality and making a jolly good sauce!!!

Cunningly combining Fab with the name of pop group ABBA & adding Zoe & Susie to get FABBAGIRLS. Genius!

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THE FABBAGIRLS are quite simply the best Abba tribute band in the business…. which is why they are regulars at The Royal Albert Hall. They are now recognised as the best Abba Tribute band in the busIness. Their saucy sense of humour and fabulous vocals, coupled with stunning costumes and choreography puts them right at the top of their game!

After fronting Abba tribute band Bjorn Again, they decided to form a band of their own. Along with their 'world class' band, this Abba tribute band have performed all over the world; In USA for Microsoft on numerous occasions, Marrakesh for an amazing 40th brithday, Trinidad for the Islanders, on a yacht in Sardinia - for Royalty, on beaches in the Caribbean & South of France and in Sweden, where they dressed up as nuns before ripping off their habits to reveal their saucy white satin costumes! Since its inception, THE FABBAGIRLS - fronted by Susie Webb and Zoe Nicholas, has become the No.1 Abba tribute band.

As two of London's most established vocalists and away from THE FABBAGIRLS .COM, Susie and Zoe have worked together with QUEEN, LIONEL RITCHIE, THE WHO, BILLY IDOL, WILL YOUNG, PHIL COLLINS, PAVAROTTI and many more of the greatest rock/pop bands in the world . They are always in the studio with various artists and their singing and speaking voices can be heard on TV commercials for PEPSI, MACDONALDS, FISHER PRICE, CALGON, WOOLWORTHS and many more……….

Susie and Zoe have performed at PARTY IN THE PARK on numerous occasions to audiences of hundreds of thousands and they were given the honour to sing with 'QUEEN' at Buckingham Palace for the Queen's Golden Jubilee concert, where BRIAN MAY played his legendary guitar on the roof. Here, they sung alongside all artistes including STING, THE BEACH BOYS and WILL YOUNG. The girls were then invited to Modena, Italy with QUEEN, to perform in the home town of the great PAVAROTTI, for a special concert 'PAVAROTTI & FRIENDS' singing with ERIC CLAPTON, BONO, ANDREA BOCELLI, LIONEL RITCHIE and other great performers from around the world.

THE FABBAGIRLS are a great team and have a brilliant sense of humour, which derives from having worked with many of the great British comedians. They are also longstanding members of the SAS BAND (Spike's All Stars) with whom they perform on a regular basis.

'We love what we do'!!

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Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent have appeared at The Brook before with their band, but this time they return as The Zombies. As Rod Argent explains: "Suddenly, and for the first time in all these years, it felt honest and right to include the name 'Zombies' on our last album; a way of acknowledging the heritage. We haven't come together cynically, or to make a buck; everything has fallen in to place almost without realising it. It still feels important to include our own names as well – a way of expressing something about the future as well as acknowledging the past".

We've appreciated the talents of Colin and Rod at The Brook for years - it must be eight years ago since Colin first appeared with his band and became a regular visitor. Since he teamed up with Rod again, audiences have built up and it seems that everybody is talking about The Zombies again. Many current stars have professed admiration of The Zombies - Badly Drawn Boy cited the band in NME's poll of the most influential artists of all time, Tom Petty said: "If a group like The Zombies appeared now, they would own the world," and Bruce Springsteen turned up at a New York Concert a couple of years ago. More recently The Beautiful South recorded Zombies ' song 'This Will Be Our Year' for their current 'Golddiggers' CD - a track that is getting loads of radio play. In their heyday the band enjoyed massive hits such as the Argent-penned 'She's Not There' (a major hit several years later for Santana) and 'Time of the Season'. Indeed, America took them even more to their hearts than Britain; 'Time of the Season' is one of only a handful of UK hits to have been certified as receiving 4 million plays on US radio, while the LA Times named them as one of the all time top ten British bands. 'Vanity Fair' magazine in 2002 chose the bands' second album 'Odessey and Oracle' as being the defining pop album of the sixties! Even Elvis had Zombies singles on his juke box at Gracelands! .

When the group split in 1968, Rod went on to form his eponymous band Argent and scored hits with such rock anthems as 'Hold Your Head Up' and 'God Gave Rock n Roll To You' (covered by Kiss, amongst others), and has since achieved huge success in the fields of record production, television and stage musicals. Along with drummer Peter Van Hooke (Mike & The Mechanics) , Rod produced three albums for Tanita Tikaram including the massive 'Ancient Heart' album which included the world-wide hit singles, 'Twist in My Sobriety' and 'New Tradition'. Colin, meanwhile, remained a familiar chart presence through hits like 'Say You Don't Mind', a cover of the Motown hit 'What Becomes of the Broken Hearted' with Dave Stewart and highly rated solo albums such as 'One Year' and 'Ennismore'. He also achieved huge success as featured vocalist on a string of albums by the Alan Parsons Project – the brainchild of the former Pink Floyd engineer. Since coming together again, two or three years ago Colin and Rod have performed extensively in Japan, Europe and America, always to acclaim. The Chicago Tribune's review during the 2002 US tour was typical, writing of "warmth bordering on hysteria…the aura still remains!" So The Zombies are well and truly alive again! Don't miss them!

Preview by Peter Ashton

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Acoustic Rooster

A three piece outfit, comprising of two guitars and three part harmonies giving an acoustic take on well known covers from '69 -'09. '

The Mid-life Crisis

The Midlife Crisis are a 4 - piece guitar cover band of gifted musicians that not only put on kick-ass covers evening, but are so charming you could take them home to your grandmother!

Hattie Jacques' Playlist:

An eight piece band "Hattie Jacques' Playlist", play music from the Soul / Mod / Indie era, playing songs in their own unique style with a full horn section. Hattie Jacques Playlist are their best playing live and have a big signature sound.

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Mick Slacker & Co's tounge in cheek tribute act just gets better and better.

The BOG ROLLING STONES have earned a reputation as one of the most authentic sounding tribute acts around. Satisfaction's always guaranteed when these long haired boys come home to the Brook!

Their tongue in cheek humour, wigs, stripy trousers and boundless energy make them an act not to be missed. The question is.....would you let your daughter go???

Never mind your Wigan Casino, Rufus Stone at the Brook is where it's at.

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Time to dance the night away with the band who make every gig a party night! Those that have followed the band will know that the Rufus Stone Soul Band, based in their home town of Southampton, has been around in many guises since their start in late 1984. After all this time you would expect that some of the sparkle would have gone, not a bit. They still have the same distinctive sound, which ensures that they get the maximum involvement from their audience.

Over the years they have built a loyal following and it is this support that has kept the band not only on the road but still as soulful as when they started. The music is authentic soul with selections from The Blues Brothers and The Commitments, but the bulk of the set comes from the soul greats such as Otis Redding, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Joe Tex and many others.

During their time together there have been a number of highlights that include support to some of the top soul artists like Jimmy Ruffin, Edwin Starr, Curtis Mayfield, Geno Washington, Ben E King, and Gloria Gaynor.

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Miles Jupp

Miles Jupp was nominated for the Perrier Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Fringe 2003, for his show 'Gentlemen Prefer Brogues'. He has been described as "A clever, dead pan, dead funny upper-class bloke, physically reminiscent of Martin Clunes but funnier… his musings are classic" [The Scotsman]. Other awards include winner of Channel 4's - SO YOU THINK YOU'RE FUNNY 2001 and winner of the Leicester Festival Comedian of The Year Award 2001.
On television Miles recently appeared as a regular on the (BAFTA nominated) LIVE FLOOR SHOW (BBC Scotland - 2 series) and guested on DOES DOUG KNOW (CH4). Other TV includes the hit children's series BALAMORY (BBC 126 episodes), T in THE PARK (BBC Scotland), CALEDONIAN MACBRAINS (BBC Scotland), YOU MUST BE JOKING (Channel 4), REVOLVER (BBC Choice), WEIRDSVILLE - MILES JUPP INVESTIGATES (BBC Choice Scotland) and BBC NEW COMEDY AWARDS (BBC Choice).
On radio Miles's credits include ROBIN & WENDY'S WET WEEKEND (BBC Radio 4), FRINGE CUT'S (BBC Radio 4), THE MOTION SHOW (BBC Radio 4), SPANKING NEW (BBC Radio 7), FAMOUS FOR FIVE MINUTES (BBC Scotland), VELVET CABARET (BBC Radio Scotland) and HENS (BBC Radio 4). He also regularly appears in his own slot JUPP'S EYE on the FRED MACAULEY SHOW (BBC Radio Scotland).
He was recently seen on the network series of THE LIVE FLOOR SHOW (BBC 2) and WIFE FOR WILLIAM for Channel 4.
Miles has recently completed a successful run with The Lost and Lonely Rebels and he's soon to start writing a commissioned comedy series for BBC Radio 4.

"Miles Jupp's gloriously offensive posh-boy persona makes for an hour's great entertainment." The Independent 2003
"Landed Gentry to the comedy cognoscenti" Evening News
"Laugh? I nearly dropped my Debretts" Evening Standard 2003

Rob Deering

Rob Deering exploded on to the comedy scene in 2000, reaching the Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award semi-finals, the finals of the BBC New Comedy Award and the final of the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year Competition, as well as winning the prestigious Amused Moose New Talent Award. 2001 brought further success with Rob hosting the legendary Comedy Zone at the Edinburgh Festival; this led to a personal request from Emo Phillips to support him for his festival run.
With his easy charm, cheesy singing voice, razor-sharp wit and clownish physicality Rob has quickly established himself as a firm favourite on the london circuit and has played at all the major comedy clubs nationwide. He slayed audiences as a headliner on The Comedy Network and has been commissioned by channel 4 to write and host the comedy series Lesser-Spotted Britain.
Rob returns to the Edinburgh Festival in 2003, having performed in The World Comedy Tour TV show (Paramount/Granada) in Australia in which he starred alongside the very best international stand-up comedians from around the world. Over the past year Rob has written and performed in Movie Mistakes Uncovered Uncut (Five), was team captain in 20 episodes of the new comedy panel show Totally Top Trumps (Challenge TV), presented a new live TV show entitled Flipside, which critiques TV shows live as they go out on air, and toured the UK with John Oliver, Andy Zaltzman and The Reverend Obadiah Steppenwolf III on the Paramount Presents the Edinburgh and Beyond Comedy Tour.
Rob's previous Edinburgh Festival shows have included: Superkings (2003), The Facts (2002) and The Comedy Zone (2001). He has also starred in 99 Things To Do Before You Die (Five), appeared on RI:SE (C4), performed in 4 at the Store (BBC Radio 4) and written and presented Lesser-Spotted Britain (C4).
"Sterling stand-up from one of the circuit's rising stars. A safe place to bet your comedy dollar" - The Sunday Times
"Bruisingly Hilarious." Time Out
"Truly wonderful stand-up." The Sunday Times
"Comedy's man of the moment." Metro
"Self-deprecating and immensely likable…hugely enjoyable." **** Sunday Herald
"He captures the audience's imagination and creates a show where audience participation actually works." **** The Herald
"Sterling stand-up from one of the circuit's rising stars. A safe place to bet your comedy dollar." Sunday Times
"The award-winning comic performs his engaging brand of stand-up humour." The Guardian
"Highly enjoyable…A rising star who combines an easy-going cheeky chappie demeanour with a quickfire wit." Evening Standard
"Amiable charm and softly spoken sarcasm." **** The Metro
"He has such confidence, control and ease with an audience." The Stage
"An utter delight from start to finish." ***** Three Weeks

If classical music moves to the beat of the conductor's baton, then Manfred Mann is the orchestrator of much memorable music in the fields of pop and rock. He's been building bands, picking great songs and mixing styles ever since the early 1960s – and even if statistics told the whole story, a hit-list of 22 UK chart singles, six EPs and 12 albums would be impressive enough.

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The Six Decades of Manfred Mann

In the last two or three years several new artists have discovered the music of Manfred Mann and included it in their own work. These include The Prodigy / Stand Up (One Way Glass); Massive Attack / Black Milk (Tribute) and Kanye West / So Appalled (You Are, I Am). Remixed versions of the Earth Band's Blinded By The Light and For You have entered the German charts by Michael Mind and Disco Boys. This is evidence of the lasting legacy of Manfred Mann.

Manfred Mann's career has now spanned a remarkable six decades as he approaches his 50th year in the UK music industry. While his star has waxed and waned (at least from a UK media perspective) he has continued to build bands, record new music, collaborate with fellow musicians and tour to the present day. From the outset Manfred has been best known as an interpreter of other performer's material, selecting often obscure or undiscovered tracks and adding his own interpretation, often resulting in a very different take. Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Mike Heron, Sting, Paul Weller, Del Amitri, Super Furry Animals plus many more have all been given the Manfred treatment resulting in many memorable singles or album tracks.

Arriving in the UK in 1961 from his native South Africa, Manfred quickly established himself and was soon working with Mike Hugg, forming The Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers. With the addition of Paul Jones and a move to performing R&B material, the stage was set for their emergence onto a national stage. Signing a contract with EMI's HMV label a change of name was suggested, Manfred Mann had arrived.

The breakthrough for the band came when they were invited to write the new theme tune for the TV show "Ready Steady Go", the song co-written by Manfred with Mike Hugg and Paul Jones was '5-4-3-2-1' and it established the band who would register consistent chart success throughout most of the rest of the Sixties. Three UK Number 1 records, "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" (also a US number 1), "Pretty Flamingo" and "Mighty Quinn" cemented their place in the pop firmament. However the pop 'straight-jacket' restricted the band from expressing their own tastes and would eventually lead the break up in 1968.

As a reaction to the years of pop success, Manfred and Mike Hugg formed Manfred Mann Chapter Three is 1969. The band was to be shortlived, suffering under its own self imposed rules. "It was a conscious decision to turn our back on what we'd been doing, but we had too many anti-pop rules; no guitar, we had only to write our own songs." Two free form jazz albums were recorded which had little pretence at any commercial value. Despite the 'failure' at the time, these albums when re-evaluated at more than 40 years distance do contain some remarkable music and 'One Way Glass' has been sampled by The Prodigy for their track 'Stand Up' which has received considerable air play, especially as backing for many TV programmes since its release.

The demise of Chapter Three led to the formation Manfred's next band – the Earth Band – they first played together in March 1971. With the shackles of the Chapter Three rules disposed of, the band developed its own style which has evolved constantly since then. Earth Band have lived up to their name, touring the States, almost all of Europe and as far a field as Australia during their 40 years existence. An eponymous first album was released in 1972. A year later saw Manfred returning to the charts with the single "Joybringer", based on Gustav Holtz's "Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity".

Earth Band hit the headlines in 1976 with the release of the album "The Roaring Silence" and the hit single "Blinded By The Light" which provided the band with their 2nd Top 10 UK single and a Number 1 record in the US. Despite this success and a culmination of 4 years touring of the States, it was at this time that the band turned their back on this major market. "We went around America for siz weeks, with me not seeing my children, and came back with $1500 dollars in my pocket – on a Number 1 record! We didn't break the market, just had one big hit. So we were never really famous in America."

By the time of the next album release, 'Watch' in 1978, Punk had arrived and the new wave had supposedly consigned Manfred and his Earth Band to history in the UK. However the different musical tastes on the continent offered a new market, in particular Germany. 'Watch' was the best selling album in Germany behind Grease and Saturday Night Fever. Over the next 8 years a steady flow of albums saw the band touring extensively in Europe.

A brief hiatus in the late 80's saw Earth Band off the road. The purchase of a 70+ year old song book of American Indian tribal chants inspired Manfred to develop his personal masterpiece 'Plains Music'. Of all the material he has recorded over the years "it's the only thing I can listen to that's reasonably natural, not trying to be anything. The other stuff I keep hearing how I should have done it differently!"

Earth Band re-emerged into the spotlight in 1991 and have continued to tour to this day. Whilst the output of new albums has diminished, they have toured regularly with Germany continuing to form a significant part of their rota. Manfred has no plans to hang up his keyboard, "Count Basie rocked till he dropped, Beethoven rocked till he dropped, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald…it doesn't seem that odd that people should play music for their lives, if that's what they do. Pop, rock and jazz is the music of the 20th century, certainly the last half, and the best music will last. I started off being a musician and I'm carrying on being a musician. As long as people will pay to see us do gigs, I'll perform."

Their first UK Tour since the passing of The Man In Black

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The Tennessee Three

Johnny Cash's award winning Tennessee Three bring their legendary country and rockabilly back to the UK

Johnny Cash's award winning band 'THE TENNESSEE THREE' have announced they will be returning to the UK this October for their first full UK tour since the passing of 'The Man in Black'. The tour comes in support of the announcement that the band will be releasing the charity single 'Ring Of Fire' in aid of Children in Need this November.

The multi-platinum selling band will kick off the exclusive tour on 21st October, with an intimate date at the Jool's Holland Jam House, Birmingham, where the band will be performing a two set show celebrating the works of the legendary Johnny Cash, and will climax with a headline set at the Yorkshire Rock'n'Blues Festival in Wakefield.

Bob Wootton, also known as Johnny's right hand man, will lead the group, along side his wife Vicky Wootton (ex-The Carter Family). "It's an honour to have this opportunity to perform back in the UK, Johnny and June would be proud. In the words of my dear friend, the sound must go on..."

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AC/DC is a band whose appeal is huge, widespread through the generations and totally indifferent to musical fashions. Their unique formula of tight riffs and fat rhythm combines dance ability with hard-rocking anthems that flow through the blood of all who have been smitten by their cheeky-but-colossal offerings. If you want to see AC/DC, but your options are limited, then check out DIRTY DC. You will not be disappointed. All the energy and electricity of an AC/DC show along with completely faithful renditions will leave you trembling, with a smile on your face.

DIRTY DC have been playing throughout Britain and parts of Europe since 1998, and have developed the line-up and dynamic stage show that has made their current reputation seriously strong amongst AC/DC fans, whether die-hard fanatics, or just people who want a good night out. Every visual detail has been fine-tuned; from drum kit model to footwear, but most importantly, the musical delivery and stage show has an impact that does not fail to impress. DIRTY DC gives real value for money where others seem to fail. Every superlative in the book has been repeatedly used in describing the DIRTY DC show. From "I was totally amazed by your performance", "The best tribute band we have seen for ages, and we've seen a few"," The whole band are amazing, you guys are so good that you look and sound just like the real thing" and from Chris Slade himself (AC/DC drummer from 1989-94) "You have it spot on, excellent, I really enjoyed the gig." The extraordinary passion that AC/DC arouse, and which has ensured they remain one of the biggest, if not the biggest band in rock flows through the DIRTY DC performance and through their audiences. If you really want to rock and can get to a DIRTY DC gig, do not miss the chance.

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Achtung Baby were one of the first tribute bands to be formed in the early 90's along with Abba tribute Bjorn Again and the Bootleg Beatles.

In 1995 Andy (vocalist) appeared on "Stars in their eyes" as Bono singing "With or Without You". Andy won his heat and appeared in the live final and again later that year on the Christmas special.

In 1996 the band supported Irish band "Aslan" at the Point Depot in Dublin. To date this is the biggest audience Achtung Baby has ever played to…8000 Irish folk.

In 1997 the band appeared in numerous magazines including NME, Now and Heat and is firmly established as one of the worlds leading tribute acts.

1998 was a big year for the band as they embarked on a huge tour of the Middle East. After several sell out shows in Bahrain, the band returned to Europe and played in Belgium, Portugal and finally Holland with a sell-out show at the UZ in Rotterdam. Achtung Baby then returned to the UK and supported "Echo and the Bunnymen" for their comeback show in London to an audience including celebrities such as Eddie Izzard and Denise Van Outen. To round off this amazing year the band supported "The Lightening Seeds" at Wimbledon University and "Shed 7" at Cheltenham University.

The band toured Ireland in 1999 with shows in Galway, Cork and the Olympia Theatre in Dublin. In Belfast, Achtung Baby played a sell out show to 2000 fans with "Samantha Mumba" on the bill. To promote this show the band also made an appearance on The John Daly Show on Irish TV where they performed "Pride".

Also in 1999, Achtung Baby made their Sky TV debut with an exclusive interview on the 11th Hour Show. They performed two songs, "Desire" and "Angel of Harlem". The band was then approached by an Irish film company to record "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", for a short film called "Buskers". U2 themselves listened to the recording and gave the film company permission to use it. The Film won best short film award at the Aberdeen film festival and has been broadcast on CH4 and Sky Moviemax.

In early 2000 the band received the greatest compliment possible. In an exclusive interview to MTV, Bono is asked how he feels about the U2 tribute Achtung Baby; he replied "I'm quite flattered by what they do".

Later that year Achtung Baby were chosen from 200 tributes to appear with 5 other acts in the search for the UK's finest on BBC1's "Battle of the Tribute Bands", a one hour TV Special hosted by Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson. The band won the much coveted award for "Best sound-alike tribute band in the UK".

In 2001, Andy (vocalist) appeared on the "Pulp" single, "Bad Cover Version" as Bono. The single is a send up of the 1985 band aid song, Do They Know It's Christmas and along with the DVD Video is still available at HMV stores and online on iTunes.

Following this hectic period and having established themselves as the very best at what they do, the subsequent years have seen Achtung Baby perform the whole U2 catalogue from "Out of Control" to "Vertigo" on a regular basis throughout the UK and Europe, with frequent performances in the Channel Islands, Germany and Romania as well as appearing in front of thousands of people at Tribfest in North Yorkshire in 2007 and 2008.

The band would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone - family, friends, agents, venue owners and mostly you, The Fans, for what has been the most amazing adventure. Long may it continue.

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"The only band on the planet to have successfully fused rock based music with the power, dynamics and scale of symphonic classical music. They are the absolute masters of their art and their achievements over more than twenty years of creative work set them apart from everything else which calls itself progressive"
The Guardian

"The Orb Meets Pink Floyd Meets The Berlin Philharmonic"
Time Out
"One of the greatest composers this country has ever had."
Tommy Vance

UK LIVE DATES

In 1988 after nearly ten years of continuous touring, Robert John Godfrey called an official halt to The Enid with two back to back sold-out shows at The Dominion Theatre, London and the band dissolved.

Except for a few one-off adventures during the nineties, the band lay dormant whilst Godfrey fought his demons.

In 2002, Robert John Godfrey met by chance a young guitarist, Jason Ducker. For the following years Jason and Robert have been working on The Enid's music. Now he is ready to step into the unique role left vacant by Steve Stewart.

The original drummer, Dave Storey together with Jason Ducker and Max Read (member since 1995), join Robert John Godfrey, founding member and driving force within the band for a succession of live shows in support of their new album entitled Journey's End.

Said Godfrey in a recent letter to his fans; "I haven't been entirely idle over these years of inactivity. I have developed both as a composer and a person. I think you will all love these new interpretations of some of our most famous tracks."

In Jason, I have found the guitarist I so missed after Steve Stewart left in 1988. Dave is in magnificent form and Max is, as ever, a stalwart in all things."

***

NEW RECORDINGS

"Arise & Shine"
Now completed is a special recording featuring the new line up performing all the music which was performed at The Bush Hall, London on May 29th.

This special CD is not intended for general release and will only be available at gigs, festivals and mail order through the band's fan club, The Enidi.

"Journeys End"
The end of this year will see the completion of what may be Godfrey's last major work, aptly called, Journey's End.

In a recent radio interview Godfrey said, "I believe that if I am finally able to get this task done, I will have surpassed myself; and if that turns out to be true, then my struggles will be over and I will have nothing left to do."

THE ENID – BRIEF HISTORY

The Enid emerged in the latter half of the seventies as a radical answer to all those young people who couldn't identify with punk but were nevertheless as tired and fed with the current music scene as nearly everyone else.

By 1983, Tommy Vance on Radio One had dubbed them "The biggest cult band in Europe". Not because they were, but because the main radio station in the UK assumed they must be!

Record companies feared them; Glastonbury banned them. The band was even investigated by MI5. By the mid eighties, just about everybody in the UK had heard of The Enid; and the amount of misinformation, which surrounded them, was staggering.

They've been called "fascists" (by people who had been told of, but obviously had never actually experienced at first hand, their sacrilegious on-stage renditions of "Land of Hope and Glory"), "leftists" (because of RJG's vociferous insistence that "all people are interdependent whether they know it or not and that individuality has no fundamental meaning"), and "anarchists" (some truth in that).

Many people assumed that they were some sort of insane punk band. That particular assumption could scarcely have been further from the mark. In fact they were probably the most enigmatic and intellectually challenging of any band to have emerged in the UK.

Quotes

NEARFest 2010, USA

"I was completely stunned by their performance at NEARFest."

"I thought they were awesome!"

"Seems they were the runaway fave of the weekend from the looks of the reviews. I would consider this a triumph for them and their fans."

"The performance was so intense I do not think listening to the CD would even come close (as others seem to be alluding to). In particular, there was a full tympani set, a huge bass drum and a drum set on stage, and when the music was building into loud intense moments it really felt like the theatre was going to explode. It was a sensation unlike any other rock show I've ever heard - not simply a matter of volume, but overall dynamics, playing intensity and orchestration."

"…the runaway (and unexpected) hit with me was most definitely The Enid, whose performance was so powerful, emotional, and sonically rich and beautiful...it drew me (and several others with whom I spoke) to tears."

"It was definitely an incredible experience, and quite unexpected. They almost lost me during the opener, but then something clicked and I was totally mesmerized by the last two songs. The dynamics and intensity were indeed unmatched."

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Stiff Little Fingers are a punk band, originally based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, formed in 1977.

Prior to becoming Stiff Little Fingers, Jake Burns, Vocals and Guitar, Henry Cluney, Guitar, Gordon Blair, Bass, and Brian Faloon, Drums, were playing in a cover band, Highway Star, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Upon the departure of Gordon Blair (who went on to play with another Belfast group, Rudi), Ali McMordie took over the duties on Bass. Henry had by this time discovered punk, and introduced the rest of the band to it. They decided that Highway Star wasn't a punky enough name, and after a brief flirtation with the name The Fast, decided to call themselves Stiff Little Fingers, Jake taking the name from the Vibrators track.

In November of '77, Gordon Ogilvie, a local journalist, caught their live show and was impressed. He encouraged them to write their own songs about what they knew best--life in Belfast. Jake came back twelve days later with "Suspect Device" and "Wasted Life". These were the first of what became SLF's signature style: lyrics that meld the personal and political, music that combines the energy of punk with infectious hooks, and delivery that rings of honesty and commitment.

With Ogilvie's help, they released those two songs on their own Rigid Digits label, with an initial pressing of only 350. Ogilvie sent a copy to BBC Radio One DJ John Peel, who started playing it every night. The interest generated resulted in a distribution deal through Rough Trade in England.

A local fanzine named Alternative Ulster asked the band to write a song specially for a giveaway flexi-disc. Although the plans for the flexi fell through, "Alternative Ulster" became the first single released by Rough Trade in October of '78. Jake once introduced it as "a song about having nothing to do." It became a punk rock classic.

In the fall of '78, SLF toured the UK supporting the Tom Robinson band and gathered a solid following. That plus airplay by John Peel resulted in their first album, the now legendary Inflammable Material LP, debuting in the UK charts at #14. The album chronicles the band's anger and frustration at "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland, and calls on youth to create their own reality.

In '79 the band moved to London and Brian Faloon decided not to go, which inspired the lyrics to "Wait and See". He was replaced by Jim Reilly who made his debut on the "Gotta Gettaway" single. In the spring they played on the Rock Against Racism tour. By the summer of 1979, SLF signed a deal with Chrysalis Records which included unusually broad artistic control by the band. They released the LP Nobody's Heroes in 1980. It combined the DIY ethic of the first album with more universal themes of alienation, anti-militarism, and anti-racism.

Their live shows continued to be special events of energy and power. The Go For It LP in '81 revealed more sophisticated songwriting and musicianship, and another step in the shift from punk to power pop. Soon after the Go For It tour, Jim Reilly left the band and was replaced by Dolphin Taylor, formerly drummer for the Tom Robinson band.

The Now Then album of '82 alienated many of SLF's punk followers with its pop sound, and despite some glowing critical reviews, never got the recognition it deserved.

The band split in early '83. At the time, Jake said, "Our last LP Now Then was to my mind the best album we have made. But it is also unfortunately the best I think we will ever make. So I have decided to call it a day." He later revealed, "The first split was a bit acrimonious. Instead of talking through our difficulties we wound up having fist fights."

During the five years they spent apart, each member pursued musical projects, as detailed in the Discography. But none were as satisfying, or as successful, as SLF. Said Ali, "It wasn't until we got back together again did we realize this was the only thing we were ever completely happy with."

In '87, Jake "...got a phone call from Ali, asking if I fancied going to see a reunion gig by the Tom Robinson band. At this period everybody seemed to be getting back together again." Jake couldn't go to the gig, but they soon got together for drinks, which led to more nights of drinking, which eventually led to the idea that they play a few reunion shows, partly as an inexpensive way of returning to Belfast to see their parents at Christmastime.

The audience response to the reunion shows was overwhelming, with sell-out crowds larger than any that SLF had played in their original incarnation. The two shows at the Brixton Academy in '88 pulled in over 10,000 people over two nights. Fans from the U.S., Japan, Switzerland and elsewhere flew in to see them. Recordings from those shows were released as the See You Up There album and video, considered by many to be the best SLF live recordings ever. The response to the shows across the world surprised and delighted the band, and their following continued to grow, with younger "new" fans alongside the old diehards.

By '90 their thoughts had turned to reforming the band permanently and recording new material. But Ali decided his commitments wouldkeep him from recording an album or touring. He officially left about a week before they were scheduled to tour Japan. Jake phoned Bruce Foxton (formerly of The Jam), who jumped in at the last minute, and has been a member ever since.

The Flags and Emblems LP released in '91, featured the single "Beirut Moon," which was immediately banned in Britain. The song criticized the British government for not acting to free hostage John McCarthy in Lebanon. Although overall the LP's material was not as strong as earlier albums, it still served to satisfy fans starved for new SLF songs, and the subsequent tour continued the tradition of powerful shows where the crowd reacts "to most of SLF's numbers in much the same way as kernels react to a plugged-in popcorn maker," as noted in the Los Angeles Times in '92.

In 1993 Jake made what he describes in the book Stiff Little Fingers-Song by Song as being one of the hardest decisions of his life, and asked Henry Cluney to leave the band, and the trio of Jake Burns, Bruce Foxton and Dolphin Taylor continued, for the next four years, joined on tour by guitarists Dave Sharp or Ian McCallum. In '94 they released the Get a Life LP in the UK, later released in the US in '95. The album helped renew interest in SLF just as newer bands that sited them as a major influence, such as Bad Religion, Sugar, Rancid, and Therapy, were coming to prominence.

At the end of '96 Dolphin Taylor left the band, due to family and business obligations. The new drummer was Steve Grantley, who some will remember as the drummer for Jake Burns and the Big Wheel. Ian McCallum joined permanently on guitar, balancing SLF tours with solo recordings and performances. SLF released the studio album, Tinderbox,in '97 and toured extensively throughout that year to promote it.

Stiff Little Fingers released the studio album Hope Street,in two different formats in 1999. The UK release on EMI is packaged with a special The Best Of AllCD, containing remastered classic cuts from the band's entire back catalogue. The North American release on King Biscuit/Oxygen includes a second live CD, from the Newcastle Riverside concert from September '98. Said Jake Burns, "'Last Train From The Wasteland' (on Hope Street) is the first optimistic song I have ever written about Belfast, while Hope Street the album is generally more optimistic than people have given us credit for in the past."

In 1999 also SLF released a live CD of all new live material, titled Handheld and Rigidly Digital, available exclusively on this Web site and at SLF gigs. Much of the material was recorded at a special Hope Street Premier Party held in London, at which the band played over two hours of new songs, rarities, plus all the favorites.

In August 2003, Stiff Little Fingers released their ninth studio album, Guitar and Drum, which includes a moving tribute to Joe Strummer, entitled "Strummerville".

In 2006, Bruce Foxton left Stiff Little Fingers amicably, and original bassist Ali McMordie returned after 15 years. Response from the fans has been tremendous.

Though focused on their new material, they always play the old favorites at gigs. Jake said, "You have to strike a balance. The difficulty with a band like ourselves is to try not make it sound like a cabaret band. Obviously, it'd be very easy to go, 'Hey, here's another old one you may remember.' A lot of the old songs the audience greet like old friends....I suppose it's the same as any band that's been around for any length of time....And yes, there are nights that we don't particularly want to play "Alternative Ulster" or "Suspect Device" because we've heard them 'til they're coming out our ears. But there's always the possibility that somebody out there has never seen the band before, never heard them."

Walter Trout always looks in on The Brook when he tours the UK

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In a BBC radio poll, Trout was ranked #6 out of the top 20 all-time greatest guitarists (where a few more votes would've landed him snugly in the Top 5 amongst Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page!). Trout has his sites set on similar stateside notoriety.

His 1998 self-titled release (and his American debut) was locked on Blues Revue's Top 40 sales chart for a year where it peaked at number 18. Consistently packing crowds into 1,000+ seat venues and sought out for all the key Blues Festivals nationwide, Walter Trout & The Radicals will continue to ride coast to coast playing their hearts out and lighting up their audiences. Both on record and on stage, Trout keeps the art of blues thriving and vivacious. Blues Revue comments "Trout gets into the groove where the magic happens. But each night offers a particular set of circumstances that keep the music fresh." From introspection to full blown rockin' blues, Trout's music is always marked by his adept song writing, sturdy vocals, searing guitar work and ability to enhance the boundaries of one of music's oldest forms. But as Trout is quick to point out, "the blues shouldn't be a museum. The music ought to constantly expand and be alive."

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Smerins Anti-Social Club

Well renowned for their sell-out triumphant gigs across the UK, Smerins Anti-Social Club are creating choas on the festival fields and dancefloors of England. Huge horns, heavy beats, room shaking bass and tunes set to make your granny tremble with excitement - the buzz created around them is electric. This 10 piece lineup fuse the delights of ska, funk, dub, drum'n'bass and swing to maximum effect in their epic, brass instrumental marathons. Regular guest vocalists, including sassy Aussie songstress Nuala Honan, are now bringing a new dimension to their incredible live shows. These guys are poised for great things, catch them while you can!

Yes it's the comic genius behind Bottom & The Young Ones. Expect punk and the unexpected! Last year was bonkers & this is the last night of the tour!

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‘Punk songs on  folk instruments – genius'

ADRIAN EDMONDSON (Vocals, ‘thrash mandolin')
Ade is best known as a comedian in The Young Ones, Bottom, and The Comic Strip Presents. Though he's no stranger to the music world having played the Monsters of Rock and Reading Festivals with Bad News, the Hootenanny with Jools Holland, Hyde Park with The Who, and he's toured with The Bonzo Dog Doo-dah Band. He's also had a No 1 single with Cliff Richard!  And as a director he made lots of music videos in the 80's for the likes of The Pogues, Squeeze, Elvis Costello and 10,000 Maniacs.

TROY DONOCKLEY  (Uillean pipes, cittern, whistles, vocals)
Troy has built up a formidable reputation as both a Composer/Arranger/ Musician/Performer and as a leading virtuoso of the Uilleann Pipes. He's released three critically acclaimed solo albums, is a member of Iona, and also finds time to record and tour with the likes of Maddy Prior (he has co-produced four albums), Barbara Dickson (produced two albums) Maire Brennan (Clannad), Midge Ure, Nightwish, Lesley Garrett , Roy Harper, Status Quo, Alan Stivell, Del Amitri and many more…

ANDY DINAN (Fiddle)      
Andy won the All-Ireland Fiddle Championship… twice.  He's best known for playing with Toss the Feathers and Mike McGoldrick, but he's also supported Dervish, Lunasa, Capercaillie and solo artists Martin Hayes and Liz Carroll. He recently performed at the Armagh Pipers club Festival with Mike and Ian Fletcher with a new project involving Portugese, Brazilian and Irish music. 

WHAT ARE THE BAD SHEPHERDS?

The Bad Shepherds play punk songs on folk instruments. Not as a gag, but because they really like the noise. They think the songs are better than people remember. They love folk instruments. It works. They do songs by The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Stranglers, The Jam, Sham 69, The Undertones, The Ramones, The Buzzcocks, The Specials, Talking Heads, Squeeze and others, even Kraftwerk! Alright, they're not all punk, but they come from roughly the same era. They've mostly given the songs a kind of Celtic feel, and they've stuck in the odd reel and jig here and there. But occassionally they just thrash! They've always thought the excitement of a reel taking off is the nearest thing to the excitement of watching punk live in the 70's.

HOW THE BAD SHEPHERDS CAME TO BE…

Adrian Edmondson was a teenager when punk arrived. The songs of The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Jam and The Stranglers were the soundtrack to his life through the late 70's and early 80's, and like a lot of people of his generation he was fond of playing these songs to himself at home on his acoustic guitar.

Cut forward to 2007: after a rather boozy pre-Christmas lunch in Soho, Adrian stumbled along Denmark Street, home of many alluring musical instrument shops, and whilst slightly inebriated, ‘accidentally' bought a mandolin. Surprised to see it sitting there on his kitchen table the following morning he nevertheless picked it up, worked out a few chords, and started playing the same songs with a mandolin accompaniment – it sounded really interesting.

Adrian was touring with the Bonzos at the time and he took his mandolin along, and with Neil Innes on acoustic guitar, they had a go at London Calling in the dressing room. It sounded good, but Neil said ‘What you need are some shit-hot folk musicians.'

Adrian had seen Troy Donockley playing and had fallen in love with the sound of his Uillean pipes. He scratched around and got hold of Troy's number. It seemed a bit bold, but after a couple of days of being worried how Troy might react Adrian gave him a ring. ‘Hi, this is Ade Edmondson, I've got this idea for playing punk songs on folk instruments...' Slight pause. ‘That's a brilliant idea, I'm in,' said Troy. They talked for over an hour. 

They agreed to meet for a couple of days to mess about with the idea. If it didn't work they could just walk away. But within the first hour they knew they were onto something. In the two days they drank numerous beers, ate 2 curries and arranged 8 songs - and the band was born. The band has been through a few line up changes as Adrian and Troy sought the exact sound they were after, but Andy Dinan was a real find, and the three of them now form the core of the band with occassional guest musicians.

After a short tour in 2008 they made an album,‘Yan Tyan Tethera Methera!' which was released in April 2009. It was a critical and a commercial success – the signing queue after their appearance at Cropredy in August 2009  was two hours long!

"...not just the hit of this festival [Leceister Big Session], but probably every other Festival this summer"
fRoots