If ever there was a "ronseal" name for a club night then this really is it.
As it says on the Assembly web page this Saturday night event plays "Anthems from the 90's, 00's to the present day"
Ive already commented on what a fantastic venue the Assembly is for seeing bands but I wasn't too sure how it would hold up to a club night -mainly due to the very large open main hall and indeed the size of the dance floor itself but I shouldn't have worried. It proved to be an excellent way to spend a late Saturday Night.
As for the music it really was classic song after classic song. It all started off with some fantastic stuff from the "Brit pop" era. Guess I am showing my age here but really there were some great songs written during this period. Most importantly they provided the perfect back drop to having a few more beers and to allow the atmosphere to build up in the venue. The music then moved more along in to the "Anthems" a bit more of the dance style of music. It is important to realise that the emphasis remained on great tunes which would have got anyone up on the dance floor, It was really impressive to look around the venue and see loads of people of different ages and styles just looking like they were having a great time.
I am conscious with pubs now being able to open to 2am at least and with nearly all of them free entry that the on the door price of £8 may look steep. However it is worth noting that the advance cost is only £5 and perhaps most importantly the prices of the drinks are very reasonable (Far lower than most club prices and indeed lower than most the bars in Leamington!!)
The best demonstration of how good this club night is, is the fact they I can honestly say I have never been to a night where such a high proportion of the people in attendance were actually on the dance floor and indeed looking like they were having fun! Overall this is a top night out and the best late night venue in Leamington
This is a blog aimed at trying to develop a site for people who want Leamington to have a heart of art, music and culture. Perhaps a little off beat and certainly away from the sterile Corporate world that surrounds us It is a place which will be reliant on you letting us know the cool places to be and the inspired people in the town.
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Forever Ink - Art Inspired by Ink
A bit ashamed of this as really should have posted a blog on this prior to the event to give it some publicity!! Oh well hopefully it will happen again and I can give you pre notice.
This was basically an event to allow local artist to show case their talents but was much more than a boring art exhibition, For a start all the art was tattoo inspired and the majority (all??) the artists were tattooists.
As to be expected, given these people earn a living making permanent pieces of art on bodies, the quality of the art was excellent. Lots of different styles which would appeal to people with different tastes.
In addition there was a load of other stuff including Burlesque performers, a Hula Hooper, live band, cake stall and jewellery stall and not forgetting free drink and sweets!!!
It was held at the Custard Factory in Birmingham and the place was absolutely rammed! Which is even more impressive given it was held on a Sunday night!!!!
More details on their face book page so take a look
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=183153635059424
Really great event which attracted a wide variety of people and I'm definitely looking forward to attending any future events
This was basically an event to allow local artist to show case their talents but was much more than a boring art exhibition, For a start all the art was tattoo inspired and the majority (all??) the artists were tattooists.
As to be expected, given these people earn a living making permanent pieces of art on bodies, the quality of the art was excellent. Lots of different styles which would appeal to people with different tastes.
In addition there was a load of other stuff including Burlesque performers, a Hula Hooper, live band, cake stall and jewellery stall and not forgetting free drink and sweets!!!
It was held at the Custard Factory in Birmingham and the place was absolutely rammed! Which is even more impressive given it was held on a Sunday night!!!!
More details on their face book page so take a look
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=183153635059424
Really great event which attracted a wide variety of people and I'm definitely looking forward to attending any future events
Sunday, 27 February 2011
gigs coming our way
As mentioned one of the main aims of this blog is to try and generate a 'music scene' so we can get some more decent bands to play in Leamington. So far this seems to be an aim that the Assembly has been valiantly performing on its own!
So a heads up on a few top bands that have been booked for the next couple of months. Now I am sure that you will all know that Peter Doherty is playing because he is such a "public" figure (although for me I'm still not convinced - I love the romantic notion of a song writer who is really a poet with a troubled state of mind -hey just look at the picture at the top of the page! but for me despite a few excellent tunes he is still missing the quality song book required)
Of more interest to me are the Drive By Truckers who are playing at the Assembly on Wednesday 4th May (day after Pete -sorry Peter!). Now given the considerable amount of interest in Kings of Leon, Gaslight Anthem etc I am surprised more people haven't picked up on the Drive by Truckers. I guess they don't have the same kind of air of cool about them and have been going for much longer but the sound is very similar i.e. rock with a country and Americana twist.
Having released 2 albums in the past 12 months the Truckers are clearly not seeing any creative drought!! This is exactly the sort of band we need to be supporting - great musicians, top quality song writing and the desire to keep touring and putting on a show for the fans.
Tickets are selling out fast so make sure you get yours and don't miss out!!
Interestingly the next day sees another well known but perhaps forgotten name playing - Cerys Matthews. I guess many people will sadly remember her for being in the jungle!!! However she has a wide musical background from being at the fore front of Brit pop with Catatonia (who can forget the rolling Rs on road rage) through to dueting with the legend known as Tom Jones on to her more recent material which again shows a leaning towards the more countrified/folk sound.
Round of applause then to the Assembly for hosting 3 quality artists on the trot - lets make sure we support them all and maybe one day you will be able to go out on any night of the week and see a good band!!!
So a heads up on a few top bands that have been booked for the next couple of months. Now I am sure that you will all know that Peter Doherty is playing because he is such a "public" figure (although for me I'm still not convinced - I love the romantic notion of a song writer who is really a poet with a troubled state of mind -hey just look at the picture at the top of the page! but for me despite a few excellent tunes he is still missing the quality song book required)
Of more interest to me are the Drive By Truckers who are playing at the Assembly on Wednesday 4th May (day after Pete -sorry Peter!). Now given the considerable amount of interest in Kings of Leon, Gaslight Anthem etc I am surprised more people haven't picked up on the Drive by Truckers. I guess they don't have the same kind of air of cool about them and have been going for much longer but the sound is very similar i.e. rock with a country and Americana twist.
Having released 2 albums in the past 12 months the Truckers are clearly not seeing any creative drought!! This is exactly the sort of band we need to be supporting - great musicians, top quality song writing and the desire to keep touring and putting on a show for the fans.
Tickets are selling out fast so make sure you get yours and don't miss out!!
Interestingly the next day sees another well known but perhaps forgotten name playing - Cerys Matthews. I guess many people will sadly remember her for being in the jungle!!! However she has a wide musical background from being at the fore front of Brit pop with Catatonia (who can forget the rolling Rs on road rage) through to dueting with the legend known as Tom Jones on to her more recent material which again shows a leaning towards the more countrified/folk sound.
Round of applause then to the Assembly for hosting 3 quality artists on the trot - lets make sure we support them all and maybe one day you will be able to go out on any night of the week and see a good band!!!
Friday, 18 February 2011
Cool places 3 The Clarendon
Now nights out are sadly not as common as they use to be for me so when I am out I really want to make sure I go somewhere decent.
Went to the Clarendon last Friday and can now officially confirm it as my favourite pub in Leamington. So good to go in to a place which has a mixture of people and a really good atmosphere. Really seemed like a place where everybody was there to have a few beers and a good time (not like some of the places in Leamington which appear the aim is just to pose and look good rather than have fun!!)
Without wishing to really sound like an old man one of the best factors was the bar staff - actually amazing to see staff who wanted to serve the customers and can actually remember the prices of drinks and add them up as they go along without the need to swipe a bar code after every drink. I honestly cant remember last time I was in a pub which was so busy but had such a well run bar that queuing was kept to a minimum and staff actually checked if you had been served rather than ignoring you.
Of Course it also helped that the pub has a real music feel to it with all the posters decorating the wall and the great music being played. They also host various themed nights including a Jam session on a Thursday that I will definitely check out
One thing that's for certain is that I will definitely be at the next "Voodoo Googa Mooga night" - a great pub playing rock n roll , surf, rockabilly etc now that is right up my street!!!
See you there?
http://www.theclarendonpub.com/index.htm
Went to the Clarendon last Friday and can now officially confirm it as my favourite pub in Leamington. So good to go in to a place which has a mixture of people and a really good atmosphere. Really seemed like a place where everybody was there to have a few beers and a good time (not like some of the places in Leamington which appear the aim is just to pose and look good rather than have fun!!)
Without wishing to really sound like an old man one of the best factors was the bar staff - actually amazing to see staff who wanted to serve the customers and can actually remember the prices of drinks and add them up as they go along without the need to swipe a bar code after every drink. I honestly cant remember last time I was in a pub which was so busy but had such a well run bar that queuing was kept to a minimum and staff actually checked if you had been served rather than ignoring you.
Of Course it also helped that the pub has a real music feel to it with all the posters decorating the wall and the great music being played. They also host various themed nights including a Jam session on a Thursday that I will definitely check out
One thing that's for certain is that I will definitely be at the next "Voodoo Googa Mooga night" - a great pub playing rock n roll , surf, rockabilly etc now that is right up my street!!!
See you there?
http://www.theclarendonpub.com/index.htm
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Record clubs
Recently came across this really interesting article about record clubs springing up in parts of the country
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12209143
Basic concept is that every week people get together to listen to a classic album all the way through.
Must admit that I'm not really a vinyl junkie (although some things go just sound better on vinyl i.e. The Doors) and have fully bought in to the "i pod " generation. Indeed the Ipod is probably my favourite invention ever.
However like others I have become a bit of a victim of shuffling between songs or artists and it can be easy to just skip some of the less interesting songs on albums.
This idea of a record club therefore really appeals for number of reasons
1) Can listen to a classic album all the way through
2) Opportunity to hear unheard albums
3) Mix with people who share my passion for music
4) Hey maybe have a few beers as well
Given the above I now intend to try and find a suitable venue and see if anyone else is interested
If you are reading this and would like to attend just drop me an email and I'll keep you informed as and when the first one happens
Cheers
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12209143
Basic concept is that every week people get together to listen to a classic album all the way through.
Must admit that I'm not really a vinyl junkie (although some things go just sound better on vinyl i.e. The Doors) and have fully bought in to the "i pod " generation. Indeed the Ipod is probably my favourite invention ever.
However like others I have become a bit of a victim of shuffling between songs or artists and it can be easy to just skip some of the less interesting songs on albums.
This idea of a record club therefore really appeals for number of reasons
1) Can listen to a classic album all the way through
2) Opportunity to hear unheard albums
3) Mix with people who share my passion for music
4) Hey maybe have a few beers as well
Given the above I now intend to try and find a suitable venue and see if anyone else is interested
If you are reading this and would like to attend just drop me an email and I'll keep you informed as and when the first one happens
Cheers
Cool Places 2) The Assembly
I had been waiting years for a decent venue to open in Leamington and therefore was very excited at the opening of the Assembly. At last I though i could put an end to the drives to Birmingham - not that I minded the driving it was more the fact I couldnt have a few drinks whilst watching some decent bands.
I certainly wasnt dissapointed when the venue opened - clearly a lot of money was spent on it and it really is a very impressive venue. In fact weirdly my only real complaint is that it was a bit too nice and "clean" - guess I had just got use to dirty, sticky floored, dark venues and to be honest that kind of supports the type of music I like anyhow!
The Assembly has certainly had some classic acts there as well in a relatively short career - still cant quite believe that the Legendary New York Dolls actually played in Leamington!! They've also attracted a few other big names including Razorlight, Sisters of Mercy, Patti Smith The Enemy, The Stranglers and not forgetting the legend that is Peter Andre!!!!
As time has gone on it does seem that the venue still has a struggle to get some of the more sought after acts where guess they see Birmingham as the bigger draw and perhaps Leamington is too close to have second date there (?) so does seem to be a fair few tribute acts which is a shame.
However given they have recently booked Pete Doherty and Drive by Truckers perhaps we are in for a great 2011 for gigs in Leamington. The main thing is that we all need to support the venue because lots of punters will certainly encourage both the owners and the bands!!
I certainly wasnt dissapointed when the venue opened - clearly a lot of money was spent on it and it really is a very impressive venue. In fact weirdly my only real complaint is that it was a bit too nice and "clean" - guess I had just got use to dirty, sticky floored, dark venues and to be honest that kind of supports the type of music I like anyhow!
The Assembly has certainly had some classic acts there as well in a relatively short career - still cant quite believe that the Legendary New York Dolls actually played in Leamington!! They've also attracted a few other big names including Razorlight, Sisters of Mercy, Patti Smith The Enemy, The Stranglers and not forgetting the legend that is Peter Andre!!!!
As time has gone on it does seem that the venue still has a struggle to get some of the more sought after acts where guess they see Birmingham as the bigger draw and perhaps Leamington is too close to have second date there (?) so does seem to be a fair few tribute acts which is a shame.
However given they have recently booked Pete Doherty and Drive by Truckers perhaps we are in for a great 2011 for gigs in Leamington. The main thing is that we all need to support the venue because lots of punters will certainly encourage both the owners and the bands!!
Sunday, 2 January 2011
My top ten albums of 2010 (No particular order)
- Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
2. Butch Walker and the Black Widows - I liked it Better
Butch Walker is a legend - who I hear you ask??? - well later I may do a full profile but for now just go out and buy this album (and all his others). This CD shows the full breadth of his repertoire. Going from the power pop (emphasis on power) of " Pretty Melody" and "Trash Talk" to the more acoustic/thought provoking "Don't you think someone". He is also not too afraid to take a humorous look at his past in "she Likes Hair Bands".
Seriously this is one of the most talented Musicians/songwriters ever.
3. Jesse Malin and the St Marks Social - "love it to Life
Similar to Butch this is a singer songwriter who has been around for some time but has never hit the heights his talent deserves (he had a brief spell when people picked up on him via his friend Ryan Adams),
Scarily Jesse was close to packing it all in but decided to have a go and making another rockier album in comparison to the more recent singer/songwriter stuff. It certainly pays off and its great to hear him performing with a full band sound. Songs such as "Burning the Bowery", " Disco Ghetto " and "Burn the Bridge" suggests he has decided he wants to just kick out and enjoy things again (as does the album title). If you want singer/songwriter stuff but with a kick this is for you
4. Semi Precious Weapons
Bit of a different one this - this band are on Lady Gagas label and supported her on tour - hold on, come back!!
This band really rock in old style Glam Metal way - the songs are rude and bad - If you want to relive the days of drinking JD in a rock club this is "awesome", Just listen to the song "Magnetic Baby" at full blast and you will be grabbing the bottle and the lipstick
5. Manic Street Preachers -Postcard from a young man
This is in my top 10 mainly because as a result of this I went to see their gig in Birmingham and they played the best set I have ever seen, It reminded me of how much I REALLY use to love this band, OK none of the songs are up there with You love us or Motorcycle Emptiness but there are some really good modern rock songs on here i.e. Its not war, Postcards, and all we are is entertainment.
OK so they appeared on strictly come dancing but NO one jumps on stage like Nicky Wire!
6. Fake Problems
Another relatively unknown band here in the UK and one which is really hard to describe, Sound is based around a kind of "Pop Punk" style but we're not talking about a Blink 182 style thing here, mainly because the song writing is way too good for that, It starts with a real "call to arms song" called ADT which will have you singing along and really wanting to see them live, My favourite track is "Song for Teenagers" a classic example of a really good "pop" song in the true meaning of the word.
7. Two Cow Garage - Sweet Saint Me
Guess its the effect of the TV series "True Blood" but last year I have really got in to the "Americana/Country/Punk" sounding bands i.e. the ones you could imagine playing in "Merlottes" whilst men drink whiskey and beer and women look hot. The best discovery of this type is Two Cow Garage. This album has songs you will want to sing, dance, drink and **** along to !
8. Blacklist Royals -Semper Liberi
A band in a similar vein as the Gaslight Anthem but perhaps with a rougher more punkier sound, Just looking at some of the song titles will give you an instant impression of this band "Rock N Roll", "Howling at the Moon", "Tennessee Blues" and "love in the back seat". This has been my go to album when I have had a bad day in the office and just want to get in my car and drive home as fast as possible (legally of course ;) ). Another album that HAS to be played at top volume and you're soon imagining you're on an American free way.
9. Imelda May - Mayhem
Bit of a different one to the rest of the list but still a great album, Imelda has a style and sound that just drips off old school rock N roll. Now I must admit I'm more of a fan of the more up tempo numbers which have a real 50s sound but even the slower ones offer a good change of pace which we all need at some times. Really annoyed I missed her at the assembly as would love to see her live where I am sure many of these songs would really come alive. If you're looking for something to listen to as you prepare to go to a burlesque night you could do a lot worse than this
10. Bruce Springsteen - The Collection 73-84
No real need for me to write a review of this other than to say you get 7 absolute classic albums in one nifty set, If you don't own these already or if you only have a Boss greatest hits CD then you really should buy this. AND at the time of writing you can buy it in Head in Leamington for just £12.99 - surely one of the best bargains ever!!
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