Thrill Collins’ 3rd Annual Xmas Extravaganza!

Quite literally the most shameless, ridiculous and over-hyped celebration of the festive season presented by a skiffle band that Cheltenham will get to endure. If you’ve been to one before, you’ll know exactly what we mean…

Featuring!

- Tasty hot wine!
- Tasty booze!
- Tasty party food treats!
- A door charge of £3 that will go to a great cause!
- Gifts, treats & surprises!
- Thrill Collins’ chums line up!
- Thrill Collins playing whilst very drunk!
- Exclamation marks!
- A Facebook Event that went up in October because the bassist just can’t keep a lid on his love of Xmas time!
- Some excellent ideas that have originated from fellow Xmas nuts!

DRESSCODE: Smart, but warm, festive or slutty.

Line up!

THRILL COLLINS

No more needed in this bit, take a look at their website if you fancy : )

www.thrillcollins.co.uk

WISHFUL THINKING

The absolute hit of last year’s show we HAD to invite them back. Having spent their time “rocking the Cotswolds since 2000″ this genuinely awesome covers band have been coaxed from the surrounding hills to our town to do what they do best. If you saw them last year, you’ll know exactly what we mean…

http://www.wishfulthinking.me.uk/

CHARLIE BAXTER (ONE OFF SPECIAL SET)

YES! Sod the usual “amazing one man band” analogies usually attributed to CWBaxman, he is talented, entertaining and original. A regular feature of venues across our fair county and beyond, this is a one time opportunity to see a unique set from Charlie comprised of Xmas and covers. For goodness sake – don’t miss it, he’ll never want to do it again! Probably.

http://www.myspace.com/charleswbaxter

PETER BUTLER

In a stunning coup, we’ve also managed to bag THE Subtone piano-man to begin proceedings. He’s played everywhere from New York to the Caribbean and tonight he plays for us and you. Again, if you’ve seen this man play before you’ll know exactly what’s in store and why we’re so excited to have him on the bill. This is your excuse to get there early – no excuses.

http://www.petebutler.org/

Our first event will be held at Frog & Fiddle, Cheltenham on Friday 21st October. Doors 7pm, Screening 8pm, followed by Frank-N-Furter’s Monster Disco until midnight!

We have various ticket options available, including luxury VIP tables. Standard seats are just £5, with optional goodie bags containing all the props you need to accompany the show just £4!

Click here to buy your tickets: http://www.rockyhorrorcheltenham.eventbrite.com

This is an 18+ event.

http://www.rockyhorrorevents.co.uk

• Lamb at Town Hall Main Hall
• Saturday, April 30, 2011 – 23:00
• £20 standing, Members – 10% off

http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/find-events/jazz/j25-lamb

Following the success of the first Wychwood showcase last night, our second of three Wychwood Festival Showcase gigs is taking place tonight at the Frog and Fiddle, Cheltenham. Expect live music from:

Alexander John, Angela Collins, The Hundees and Emmett Brown.

TICKETS: £4 Advance // £3 NUS (bring student ID to be checked). Buy from The Frog and Fiddle and also available online or get on the door.

Find out more on facebook.

We are delighted to announce Shire Rock. Our friend Max has gone to great lengths to get 7 of the best bands in Gloucestershire, playing on the same stage, at one of the county’s most prestigious venues, with the aim of reinvigorating Gloucestershire’s music scene. Max is aiming to make Cheltenham the musical capital of the UK, Europe, the whole world as we know it…

To do this, we need your help, we need people from every corner of the country to come along and show their support, and press coverage would be greatly appreciated, because we feel that every one of these bands has the potential to be something great.

The line up is as follows, have a look at some of the music online, see what you think:

Weekend Warriors – perhaps the smallest and newest of the bands playing.

Stereo Influence – the boys have just recorded their debut album and will be playing some brand new material for you all.

Neurelics – a two piece band, definitely something a bit different.

Loftbeat – the name says it all, they rehearse in a loft.

Amateur Drive By – pop-punk superstars from the forest of dean.

The Envy – live and unsigned finalists in 2009, worth a listen even if you don’t come along.

AMOS – the headline act, with so much raw energy on stage that you will be moving by the end of the night, whether you like it or not!

Tickets are available from the Cheltenham Town Hall website. Any press interested in covering the event, do not hesitate to contact Max James.

Summerlin

Say hello to Summerlin; a group that’s on a mission to put the party back into pop rock. The Leeds based five piece set out to carve their own niche with a unique blend of lighthearted power-pop. With their debut E.P, So Make Your Move out in June, the group aims to give the musical masses something to smile about.

Drawing on a wide range of influences, the group crafted an upbeat pop-rock sound, “We wanted to write love songs you could party to”.

With their fan base growing rapidly, attention on the band began to swirl after playing shows across the UK with the likes of The Atari’s Chris Roe, Quitedrive, Set Your Goals, Sherwood and Army of Freshman. In 2009 Summerlin became one of the
top 20 played unsigned acts on Myspace, followed by being asked to appear on BBC Radio One where they were interviewed, recorded a jingle and they were tipped as one of the bands to look out for by Edith Bowman.

http://www.myspace.com/summerlin

The Echoes

The Echoes are a Cheltenham based pop punk band. Their catchy rifts and memorable lyrics have secured their place as a local favourite. The band are influenced by Futures, You Me At Six, Paige, Mayday Parade and All Time Low.

http://www.myspace.com/theechoesmusic

The Victory Show

The Victory Show are a new hardcore/punk 5 piece from Stroud who are going to be ripping venues apart throughout the summer. Mixing hardcore riffs with cutting melodies they create a fierce punk sound and blast out compelling live sets.

http://www.myspace.com/thevictoryshow

Pop / rock / punk / electronic

Poprockpunkelectronic is a powerful one man electro-acoustic extravaganza based in Gloucestershire.

http://www.myspace.com/poprockpunkelectronic

http://www.gloucester.gov.uk/Freetime/Guildhall/listings/music/wireddec.aspx

Also playing will be local young bands Slunk Monkey, Base 11 and Loftbeat.

A Genuine Freakshow

A Genuine Freakshow. An artful blend of experimentalism and pop sensibility from Reading comprising the traditional rock ‘n’ roll facets of guitars, bass and drums but augmented by the less obvious additions of cello, violin and trumpet. A band that embrace the icy soundscapes of Sigur Ros but remain entranced by the possibilities of the pop song. A post-rock band masquerading as a pop band, a pop band masquerading as a post-rock outfit.

The genesis of this multitude is, as you would expect, less than straightforward. A question as to how the band came into being brings forth a plethora of answers and a volley of disagreement. Various members’ recall of history blurs between fact and (assumed) fiction. What can be said for sure is that by 2008 the current line-up was settled and the previous experiments which saw them begin as “too pop to be challenging” and then swing the opposite way until they were “too post-rock to be fun” had been amended and developed to hit the sweet spot that remains their raison d’etre to this point.

http://www.agenuinefreakshow.com/

Slunk Monkey

Slunk Monkey are a four piece band from Cheltenham. They have played alongside bands includong Coxons Riot, I Call A strike, Loftbeat, Stereo Influence, Che and Kyoto Drive. Prepare to get Slunked!

http://www.myspace.com/slunkmonkey

Base 11

Base 11 are a progressive alt-rock trio from Gloucester. The band have been gaining a great reputation having played many of the best venues in the area.

http://www.myspace.com/base11uk

Loftbeat

Loftbeat, formed in the summer of 2009, are a true british rock band, influenced by many great artists such as the Jam and Oasis to create their own sound of alternative rock with catchy riffs which in turn produces a great unique interesting sound. The four piece bounce ideas off of each other coming up with new, exciting material with a differing sound to the current ‘indie’ music scene. Loftbeat look forward to the new year as an exciting prospect for their music, with a small E.P. to be released in the near future.

http://www.myspace.com/loftbeat

Support will be provided by Bushy Tail and Midnight Mile.

Zeus

Zeus was born from the musical friendship of Mike O’Brien and Carlin Nicholson. The two Toronto-based musicians have been living on the road for the past few years as the backing band for singer/songwriter and Broken Social Scene member Jason Collett. With a lineup rounded out by longtime friends and musical compatriots Rob Drake and Neil Quin, Zeus draws upon classic influences to craft timeless songs, complete with fuzzed out guitars and shimmering three-part harmonies.

The band signed management, recording and publishing deals with Arts & Crafts in early 2009. We have taken a slow and steady approach to developing the band. A five-song EP, entitled Sounds Like Zeus, which included a spirited cover of Genesis’ “That’s All”, was released in the summer of 2009. The band’s debut full length album, Say Us, was released to critical acclaim in early 2010.

Zeus has toured across Canada and the USA with with Metric, Jason Collett and Cuff The Duke. They have also showcased at CMJ (US), CMW (Canada), SXSW (US), NXNE (Canada), Great Escape (UK) and Rifflandia (Canada) over the past year. Zeus have played the hugely successful Bonfire Ball Revue (w/Jason Collet and Bahamas) covered most of U.S and Canada during March/April and drew great crowds and rave reviews. Zeus is confirmed as direct support for Jamie Lidell (UK) on upcoming US/Canada tour.

http://themusicofzeus.com/
http://www.myspace.com/themusicofzeus

Bushy Tail

Cheltenham based funk / reggae / soul band Bushy Tail will be providing the main support for this show.

http://www.myspace.com/thebushytail

Midnight Mile

Vocalist Romy Quinnen and Guitarist Andy Oliveri make up the soul-folk hit-machine that is Midnight Mile. Since their mutual musical exploits joined them via the voices of friends the band have honed their craft (a mix of Feist’s avant folk-pop and Damien Rice’s acoustica) in the quiet side streets of Cheltenham for a collection of years now. Whilst numerous magazine fabricated fashion genres pass by their window the ‘Mile peacefully wait to unleash their sound. And what a sound it is…a monstrous sculpted figure of fragility and innocence, of breaking bones and arresting love, strewn gracefully over foot-tapping snare rolls, country guitar chords, twinkled organs and sultry vocals.

Led by the beautiful Romy and her soulful songwriting, Midnight Mile arrange her engaging anecdotal lyric over a base of folk influenced rhythms of collective arrangement. The band have crossed musical paths before in previous Cheltenham outfits which becomes increasingly evident in their almost sibling relationship onstage and their ability to communicate ideas and feelings without explanation. The band’s abilites have taken them to perform at Wychwood and Two Thousand Trees festivals, support acts such as Nizlopi, Catherine Feeny and David Ford as well as having their material used on TV by Channel Four.

http://www.myspace.com/themidnightmile

Order tickets via Eventbrite:
http://catherinefeeny-efbevent.eventbrite.com

Catherine Feeny

Catherine recently moved to Portland, Oregon. When not touring, she indulges a newfound passion for growing vegetables. In 2008 she drove 12,000 miles with her husband-to-be in a 1990 Mazda 323 called Swansong playing more than 40 planned and impromptu shows in dens, livingrooms and gardens all over the United States.

Previous to arriving in Portland, Catherine lived for several years in Norfolk, England, releasing her second album to critical acclaim.

‘Hurricane Glass’ is one of those albums that soothes the listener into quietude… and only then coils its complications and ambiguities around you,” wrote Dain Cairns in the The Sunday Times.

After being picked up for the film “Running with Scissors,” and featured in “The O.C.,” the album’s lightning-rod track “Mr. Blue” reached the A-list at Britain’s most listened-to radio station, BBC Radio 2. Catherine toured the British Isles extensively, both as a headline act and in support of such artists as Martha Wainwright, Kelly Jones (The Stereophonics) and The Indigo Girls.

Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Catherine took guitar lessons at a local music shop, learning Led Zeppelin and The Cure covers, while also studying classical vocal techniques at Settlement Music School. Her love for popular music won out and in high school she joined a punk 4-piece called LAMPshADe that played at Philadelphia institutions J.C. Dobbs and the Khyber Pass.

After college, Catherine moved to Los Angeles and found her place in a burgeoning singer-songwriter scene. In 2003, she recorded a sparse self-titled debut with artist/producer Joe Purdy, which found an enthusiastic audience in Americana circles in Europe as well as America.

That same year, a performance at premiere LA acoustic club The Hotel Cafe caught the eye of English artist/producer Sebastian Rogers. Rogers became so enamored of her songs, that he offered to produce her second album. They made the album, titled “Hurricane Glass,” entirely on credit. Luckily, it paid off.

“Hurricane Glass” was picked up by EMI, but after a corporate takeover at the company, Catherine was dropped from the label. Her third album, “People in the Hole ” in hand, she moved back to the States to function as a singer-songwriter outside of the major-label machine.

The pre-release edition of “People in the Hole” has sold out. The album will be available in wider release as of June 25, 2010.

http://www.CatherineFeeny.com

http://www.myspace.com/catherinefeeny

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Catherine-Feeny/5780309319?v=info

Faded Circus

“Some of the most beautiful, chilled out music you will ever hope to hear was composed and recorded in Gloucestershire. Faded Circus’ atmospheric songs capture the most beautiful sunset, the most exhilarating hilltop view or the most peaceful lakeside walk and turn them into music. Utterly gorgeous” – BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

http://www.myspace.com/fadedcircus

Juey

Having been part of various bands Juey thought it was about time she could see what she could do on her own. It turned out to be a good decision. Juey plays soft, acoustic-folk songs. Juey is a three times semi finalist in the UK songwriting awards 2010 for songs from her current EP - Before the Devil Catches Me.

http://www.myspace.com/jueymusic

Dale Campbell

Dale is a solo acoustic guitarist and harp-guitarist from the UK. In 2009 he released “How The Light Gets In” his second album & first solo album which is available worldwide on itunes. An experienced teacher, Dale has made a popular video series based on his techniques, many of which are available as free video podcasts, and on Youtube. His performances have ranged from intimate smaller venues, to sell out concerts playing alongside acts such as Hanson, Rumble Strips, Ordinary Boys, Amrit Sond, John Doan, Erik Mongrain and Richard O’Brien. He plays percussion, chords and melody simultaneously, in a unique style that must be seen to be believed – hands and fingers a blur, flying all over the guitar; drumming, tapping, slapping, strumming and plucking. His performances include arrangements of songs such as Billie Jean, She Drives Me Crazy and Zombie, alongside his own compositions.

http://www.myspace.com/dalecampbell

Here’s what a few people have said about the My First Tooth:

“Makes you wish for a front porch, a sunset, and a song of your own to sing” – Artrocker

“A seriously impressive showing.” – The Fly”

“Simultaneously rough and delicate” – Marsha Shandur, XFM

http://www.myspace.com/myfirsttooth

Also playing at this event; three massively talented local, young bands – The Envy, Atakarma and Picture This.

The Envy

The Envy are a young 3 piece indie-rock band from Winchcombe, Gloucestershire. The band are made up of Dalton (lead guitar, lead vocals and songwriter), Jason (bass guitar) and Will (drummer and backing vocals). The band’s highlight so far was reaching the final of live and unsigned 2009.

http://www.myspace.com/theenvy01

Atakarma

Atakarma is a trio that formed in 2005. They have explored and developed their music to such a depth that it has been rated as the best in the region by the BBC. Their songs have reached the top 15 of the official UK unsigned chart.

Atakarma have announced the release of their third album and sixth body of work, “The Narrow Room” – with 15 tracks of sparkling new material. Atakarma continue to have significant live performances and headline gigs across the South of England and in London. The band have an unforgettable live sound and energy, and a diverse set of influences such as Arcade Fire, Idlewild, Streetlight Manifesto, Julian Casablancas and Modest Mouse.

http://www.myspace.com/atakarma

Picture This

Picture This are an exciting young two piece acoustic band from Cheltenham.

http://www.myspace.com/picturethisacoustic