Good On Paper Playlist December 2017

Each month we put together a YouTube playlist featuring artists taken from our music listings and features. Click here to listen and see track list with dates below…

PlaylistDec.png

1. Boca 45: We’re Right Here (Fri 1st, the Marshall Rooms) | 2. Mammal Hands: Hourglass (Fri 8th, SVA Goods Shed) | 3. Honeyfeet: Sinner (Fri 8th, the Marshall Rooms) 4. Euros Childs: My Colander (Tues 5th, The Prince Albert) | 5.  Pictish Trail: Dead Connection (Thurs 7th, The Prince Albert) | 6.  Emily Barker: Little Deaths (Sat 2nd, The Marshall Rooms) | 7. Thabo: Run and Tell (Sat 30th, the Marshall Rooms) | 8. Dreadzone: Iron Shirt (Fri 8th, Subscription Rooms) | 9. Macka B: Rasta Rise Again (Sat 16th, The Marshall Rooms) | 10. Dr. Feelgood: Roxette (Sun 3rd, Subscription Rooms) | 11. Nick Helm and the Helmettes: Let’s Get Married (Thurs 21st, the Marshall Rooms) | 12. Chinese Burn: Shut Your Mouth (Sat 23rd, Crown and Sceptre) | 13. The Ballina Whalers: Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy (Mon 18th, The Prince Albert) | 14.  Le Page Ensemble: Barcos (Fri 22nd, St Laurence Church) 

Pick up issue #33 (out now!) for further info...

Good On Paper Playlist November 2017

Each month we put together a YouTube playlist featuring artists taken from our music listings and features. Click here to listen and see track list with dates below…

1. Syd Arthur: Sun Rays (Fri 3rd, The Marshall Rooms) | 2. Cousin Kula: Hesitation (Fri 3rd, The Marshall Rooms) | 3. William the Conqueror: Tend to the Thorns (Sat 11th, The Prince Albert) | 4. Jono McCleery: Ballade (Thurs 30th, SVA Goods Shed) | 5. Martha Tilston: Nomad Blood (Fri 17th, SVA Goods Shed) | 6. Leonie Evans: Distractions (Thurs 9th, The Prince Albert) | 7. The Spindle Ensemble: Panic Amongst the Dragon Flies (Fri 24th, SVA Goods Shed) | 8. Pierre Kwenders: Mardi Gras (Thurs 2nd, The Marshall Rooms) | 9. Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra: Something Blue (Fri 3rd, The Prince Albert) | 10. Margo Cilker: Used to Be Montana (Tues 7th, the Prince Albert) | 11. The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc (Fri 17th, Ruskin Mill, Horsley) | 12. Blowzabella (Fri 3rd, Prema Arts Centre, Uley) 

Pick up issue #32 (out now!) for further info...

Good On Paper Playlist October 2017

Each month we put together a YouTube playlist featuring artists taken from our music listings and features.

Click here to listen and see track list with dates below…

1. Low Chimes: Sleepwalking (Sat 28th, SVA Goods Shed) | 2. Moviestar: Monroe (Sat 21st, the Prince Albert) | 3. Ian Dury and the Blockheads: Wake Up and Love Me (the Blockheads, Fri 13th Subscription Rooms) | 4. Soccer96: Megadrive Lamborghini (Sat 21st, SVA John Street) | 5. Rachel Baiman: Shame (Sun 15th, the Prince Albert) | 6. The Magic Lantern: No One’s Fault (Sat 28th, SVA Goods Shed) | 7. Yolanda Brown: Tokyo Sunset (Sat 28th, Subscription Rooms) | 8. Kevin Figes: New Clothes (Thurs 12th, SVA John Street) | 9. Swing from Paris: Sweet Georgia Brown (Sat 28th, Stroud Brewery) | 10. Don Kipper: Stamena (Sun 22nd, the Prince Albert) 

Pick up issue #31 Oct 2017 (out now!) for further info

 

Stroud Fringe: Sing Along Social by Anna Jacob

You lucky people!

Amongst the many delights on the Stroud Fringe programme this year, one to look out for (if you’re a fan of singing, dancing and ‘the craic’ in general)  is the first UK outing of an Irish phenomenon: Sing Along Social.

What is it? The Sing Along Social is a zero-commitment choir, or ‘mob karaoke’ depending on how you want to look at it. You don’t need to be able to sing, you don't need to practice, you don't even need to know the words. It's about caterwauling along to some great songs in the company of friends and strangers. We choose a different playlist for every event, often with a theme, for example: ‘Pop Battle’, ‘Guilty Pleasures’ or ‘Kate Bush vs. Stevie Nicks’.

Conceived in 2015 by writer/DJ/events organiser Aoife McElwain, Sing Along Social has gathered a dedicated, sell-out monthly audience in a Dublin pub and pretty massive crowds at festivals and events around the country. I jumped on board as co-host earlier this year to help manage the extreme excitement of 2000 people screaming along to ABBA, Britney and Mariah (amongst others) at this year’s Body & Soul festival in Westmeath, (and because Aoife couldn’t set off two confetti cannons at once). Being a Stroudie myself and knowing how much the fringe crowd would dig a good singalong I managed to sneak myself and Aoife on to the festival programme this year. You. Are. Welcome.

When is this wonderful thing happening? Saturday eve, Canal Stage. Exact time TBC, check the fringe programme out soon...

What should I bring? Bring your lungs and your enthusiasm. You may walk away with a prize if we think you’ve given it your all.

What kind of songs will there be? We are working on a playlist tailored to the very musically discerning Stroud crowd… expect a bit ‘o’ Prince… Queen… Kate Bush… plus some surprises.

Where else can I find this brilliant event? We will be at Another Love Story (Co. Meath) and Electric Picnic festival (Co. Laois) and there’s an Irish tour planned for October. If you’re in the Emerald Isle, the monthly Singalong happens at MVP (Harold’s Cross) on the last Sunday of every month. More UK dates will almost certainly be announced for 2018...

I’m confused… More info pls? Click here for a lovely article about SAS 

Follow @singalongsocial on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram for videos, photos and more, and we’ll see you at the fringe!

Anna Jacob is a renaissance man who splits her time between Stroud and Dublin. Check out her latest nonsense @annaflaps

 

Good On Paper Stroud Fringe 2017 Playlist

This month's playlist features some of the musicians, bands and artists confirmed so far for this year's Stroud Fringe...Click here to listen and see track list below!

1. Sweet Baboo: Pink Rainbow / 2. Low Chimes: Blood Orange / 3. Bryde: Honey / 4. Lowes: Awake At Night /5. Douglas Dare: New York / 6. Body Clocks: Dialogue / 7. The Nextmen ft. Dynamite MC: Round of Applause / 8. DJ Format: Seperated At Birth / 9. Manu Delago: Almost Thirty / 10. Adam Betts: Drumbones / 11. WOWH: Right Away / 12. Fours: Fade To Love / 13. Blurt: Vous Etes Ici / 14. Run Logan Run: No Body / 15. Modulus III: Waiting for Network / 16. Mira Calix: Umbra/Penumbra / 17. Curtis Eller’s American Circus: Busby Berkeley Funeral / 18. Bert Miller and the Animal Folk: My Dad Can Fly / 19. Simon McCorry: Second Light / 20. Emily Hall: Mantra / 21. Emily Barker: Sister Goodbye / 22. Rhain: Time Traveller / 23. The Magic Lantern: No One’s Fault

 

Live Review: Hattie Briggs by John McLellan

Duffle Vintage Outfitters in John Street isn't an obvious place for a gig but it provided a glorious setting for the gems offered up by Hattie Briggs last Friday evening (May 19th).

Back in January this focused 24 year old announced 12 Months of Madness and boldly promised to issue a different limited edition CD in each month of 2017. So it was that over 100 people squeezed into this eye-catching venue to catch Stroud's sweetest songbird launching May's release, the 5 track EP Hide... 

Amidst a colourful array of jackets, shirts, dresses, footwear, furniture, lamps and guitars the audience were first treated to a Tennessee-drenched set from husband and wife duo The Black Feathers. It was the perfect warm-up: opening up ears to harmonies and hearts to human warmth. There was a brief interval punctuated with free cup cakes courtesy of one of Hattie's super-fans before we resumed. 

Tonight Hattie is flanked by cellist/vocalist Jasmine Scott Neale and guitarist/pedal steel maestro Matt Park, and the sound is sensational. Something about the soft furnishings, the crowd, the ambience, the evening, colludes to create such a sumptuous sonic landscape and from the off it's clear we're all in for a treat. 

Hattie moves effortlessly between keyboard and guitar, the songs interspersed with stories and tales of her, her life, how each slice of ear-watering aural brilliance came about.  Never one to avoid covering any song she loved, she now has a back catalogue many artists would die for and can re-visit her own earlier material and breathe new life into it. It's a measure of how much she has developed as an artist that she can do this. Not only that. She writes to order. "A gentleman approached me" she tells us in crystal clear soft tones. "His wife is a well known poet. He asked me to put one of her poems to music and record it for her birthday." She continues. "The poem was only 8 lines long". Her eyebrows shoot up and she bursts into a broad smile. "That will get you about, I don't know..." she shrugs "30 seconds". The audience laugh. We've all taken her into our hearts. "So I wrote another four verses, and it goes like this". With that she turns to her companions to check they are ready. They must have heard that story many times before, but they're looking at her. They are ready, and like us, they love her too. 

The EP itself is a marvel. Not a duff track on it and both the title track and her song “Just Breathe" stand out for the strength of her songwriting, the extraordinary depth of her voice, the wisdom in her lyrics and the sheer downright musicality of it all.  If she comes anywhere near you or your friends, do yourself and them a favour. Go see her. Buy something. Tell everyone. She's unlikely to fit into venues like the marvellous Duffle for much longer...

Hide is out now and available via hattiebriggs.co.uk  

John McLellan (@JohnMacOchAye) is a music-loving Scot regularly found dancing inappropriately in the Stroud area. He cut his writing teeth with the Stroud Pamphlet Poets and regularly polishes them with the Montpelier Writing Group in Cheltenham. . 

Mr Marko’s Outer Space Emporium Beams into Stroud...

Image by Andrew Longhurst

Image by Andrew Longhurst

If you’ve been paying attention to the news coming from the scientific community, particularly the recently beamed-down images from NASA showing stars that hold seven planets in their orbits only a handful of light years away, you’ll have been getting pretty excited by the possibilities of life beyond the reaches of the currently bewildering atmosphere of Earth.

You may not yet have noticed a space collective who have recently beamed down into Stroud, who have chosen to come to this quiet backwater of the galaxy to spread the word that this is just the beginning for the next great space adventure – through the medium of beat-infested synth driven dance music which they will be bringing to the venues of Stroud this summer. “We are exploring the universe one small town at a time!” says Mr Marko, founder of the Outer Space Emporium, who was initially drawn to this planet by big beat and early 80s synth pop. “A little like Doctor Who, but with bigger beats.”

Mr Marko is accompanied in the Emporium by a disco dervish in a glitter dress, the space siren Cheroona Moonchild, as well as rapper Jake Kirton and, as a terrestrial extra, poet Adam Horovitz. “We want to create a euphoric, beautiful place where aliens, space robots and humans mingle in glorious multi-hued harmony, listening to Quantum Physics they can dance to,” says Mr Marko.

Think Barbarella meets 60s Star Trek in a club somewhere off the autobahn playing an eclectic mix of the Chemical Brothers, 70s and 80s synth legends such as Kraftwerk and variations on the work of Ron Grainer’s theme for Doctor Who, written in the darkest, strangest and most delightful recesses of the Radiophonic Workshop. “That’s what we’re aiming for,” adds Mr Marko, “sci-fi with a sense of fun.We don’t want to think outside the box so much as imagine a universe where there is no box, where we can take our place in the great wide forever amongst the stars!”

Mr. Marko’s Outer Space Emporium will be beaming into a venue near you in late May and early June. You’ll find them at Mr Twitchett’s Café at the Subscription Rooms on May 26th from 8pm (tickets cost £3 - click here for further info)and at the Crown and Sceptre, Horns Road on June 9th from 8.30pm  (entry free click here for further info).

Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/mr-marko-2  / Facebook: facebook.com/Mmosemporium

Moviestar by Sarah Phaedre Watson

Is Stroud ready for time travelling Norwegians from the future sent to save our musical souls? (YES).

A month or so ago I got a message from the esteemed Pavlos Kyraciou of infamous Stroud band Square Bomb asking me if I’d be interested in helping put on a gig with a visiting band. Now before I go on I’d like to remind you all of the Daddy Long Legs gig they put on with the SVA at the Good’s Shed on last year. THAT gig. That gig was one of the best bands I have ever had the pleasure of seeing in the town. So, based on the reputation of the mighty Squares and their immaculate musical contacts I was pretty certain I was going to say yes.

By the time I’d watched the first few seconds of their video Monroe (bearded ladies, men in sequinned hot pants AND Adam Ant-esque face paint?) I realised that Norwegian band Moviestar were exactly what Stroud has been waiting for. 

“There are bands that are quite ordinary and traditional and there are those that are, well, quite unique. Norway’s Moviestar definitely fall into the latter camp.”

Of course I’m completely unfazed when I’m told that Moviestar claim to originate from the distant future, or that band members Infinity Vik, Anaconda and The Octopus Goddess, claim to have landed their spaceship in Norway before touring the UK, France and the US. That’s like an everyday thing in Stroud, right? In fact, I have it in good authority that Viktoria Winge (AKA Vik Inifinity) used to live in Stroud, but that's pretty similar to having lived in the distant future is it?

So how can I describe their sound? Well, although they may define themselves as Sci-Fi Rock, as I have no idea what that is I am going to presume you don’t either, but you might recognise it as a new incarnation of Art Punk Pop, reminiscent of bands like Television, B52’s and LCD Soundsystem.

“Some might call them ‘quirky’ whilst others might grope for different synonyms. You cannot deny they stand out from the crowd and bring character, colour and oddity into music.”

Watching their live shows (about a hundred times a day over the last few weeks) I have fallen in love with their performance, their impeccably delivered theatrical ridiculousness: costume, humour, music…  Infinity Vik is a true performance queen with an explosive stage presence, the love child of a tryst between David Bowie, Freddy Mercury and James Brown.

“(Vik) sounds like a young Debbie Harry, a little less crazy than Juliette Lewis, more edgy than Lily Allen…"

The band cite Queen, David Bowie, Björk, Elvis, Goldfrapp, Michael Jackson, Genesis, LCD Soundsystem, and Daft Punk as their inspiration and promise a live performance out of the ordinary, steeped in cosmic chaos.

And so Movistar will be appearing in Stroud on May 25th at the Old Town Hall, for a sneak preview of their debut album, Stupid People Happy Days, due to be released in 2017. (I’m not sure if they took their spaceship or a more traditional mode of transport, but make sure you watch the skies for flashing lights next week just in case??)

They’ll be supported by Square Bomb, because who else could possibly match such an extraordinary band, and between them they promise an evening of musical playfulness, punk poetry, extreme anti-pretentiousness, and another unforgettable night for Stroud.

And on a Thursday too. Oh, Stroud, we spoil you.

MovieStar + Square Bomb Thursday 25th May, Old Town Hall, Shambles, Stroud. Doors 7.30pm - midnight. Tickets £6 (adv) from Trading Post Records, or £8 (door). Visit the facebook event page here for further info. 

You can find out more about the extraordinary Moviestar by visiting their website moviestartheband.com, capture a flavour of their performances via the May Good On Paper playlist here or peruse their EP on Bandcamp at moviestar.bandcamp.com 

No one knows what Sarah Phaedre Watson really does, she spends time gallivanting off to Africa to make films, writing for various publications, or passionately supporting community arts and events. She certainly gets about a bit

Good On Paper Playlist May 2017

Each month we put together a YouTube playlist featuring artists taken from our music listings. Click here to listen and see track list with dates below…

1.Mammal Hands: Hourglass (Sat 27th, SVA Goods Shed) / 2.Get the Blessing: Phaenomena (Fri 26th, SVA Goods Shed) / 3.The Evil Usses: Pre Op Pop (Sun 28th, SVA John Street) / 4.Eyebrow: Eye Pod (Sat 20th, The Prince Albert) / 5.Moviestar: Monroe (Thurs 25th, Old Town Hall) / 6.Mik Artistik: David Bowie Was A Funny Man (Sun 21st, the Prince Albert) / 7.Jordan Mackampa: Midnight (Fri 26th, the Prince Albert) / 8.The Breath: Antwerp (Fri 5th, SVA Goods Shed) / 9.WAAJU: Alis Mali (Fri 5th, The Prince Albert) / 10.Tezeta: Wormhole (Sun 28th, SVA John Street) / 11.Dakhla: Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla (Fri 26th, SVA Goods Shed) / 12.Run Logan Run: No Body (Sat 27th, SVA John Street) / 13.Spindle Ensemble: Panic Amongst the Dragonflies (Sun 28th, SVA John Street) / 14.The London Bridge Trio: Mendelssohn Piano Trio No 2 (Sun 21st, Christ Church, Nailsworth) / 15.The Sixteen: Handel – Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened (Sat 13th, St Mary’s Church Painswick) / 16.The Schmoozenbergs: Sweet Georgia Brown (Ale House, Sat 27th) / 17.Barbarellas Bang Bang: Here and Now (Thurs 18th, The Prince Albert) / 18.Emily Barker: Sunrise (Thurs 11th, SVA Goods Shed) / 19.Kathryn Williams: Monday Morning (Thurs 25th, Nailsworth Town Hall) / 20.Hattie Briggs: Share Your Heart (Fri 19th, Duffle) 

Pick up issue #26 (out now) for further info!

Record Store Day 2017 @ Trading Post by Dan Guthrie

Image by James Kriszyk (kriszyk.com), from Good On Paper, Issue #2

Image by James Kriszyk (kriszyk.com), from Good On Paper, Issue #2

This year’s Record Store Day takes place this Saturday the 22nd April, and Stroud’s cherished independent record shop Trading Post will once again be celebrating it in style...

With 300 to 400 vinyl exclusives shipped in by owner Simon Vincent especially for the day, covering everything from the hardest dance music to sixties Japanese psychedelia, there’s something for everyone in stock. As always it’s on a first come, first served basis, so if you want to get your hands on the best releases I suggest you get down and queue up early!

The doors open at 8 am, where the day kicks off with a DJ set from Dubbu (aka Neil Wilson). After him at 9 is Steve Brown from Marling School and he’s followed at 10 by Andy Edwards playing straight soul through to 11. Carl Harrison (Sisters of Mercy) is on till quarter to 12, where Threebagsfull takes over for forty five minutes of dub and jungle. Will Cookson, one half of DJ duo Stroud Calling is on till 1 pm, when it’s the turn of Neil Walker from the SVA followed by Neil Arthur from synthpop legends Blancmange. Clare Honeyfield, director of Made in Stroud is spinning till quarter past 3, and then Nadine Phillips (Simon’s better half) is playing music till 4. The day then finishes at Trading Post with a joint set from Keith Allen and Tamzin Malleson (actors, musicians, parents and restaurateurs). 

But the music doesn’t stop there! In the evening, Simon and Neil Wilson have organised a gig at the Prince Albert, all in aid of the National Star College in Cheltenham. Live music comes in the form of Rev Schneider and the Band of Angels providing wacked out country and western weirdness and Stroud’s favourite punk rockers Chinese Burn. After they’ve finished, the DJ sets continue into the night, all raising money for a great cause. "None of this would be possible without the coordinating extraordinaire and right hand man that is Neil Wilson, along with the assistance of Lottie and Miles from the Prince Albert and Ed Butcher of Chinese Burn." adds Simon.

Visit the RSD at Trading Post facebook event page here for news and regularly updated lists of titles and here for further info on the evening event at the Prince Albert.

Simon’s Top 5 Picks for Record Store Day 2017:

  • Reissue of Elastica’s self titled debut album on red vinyl, complete with a 7” flexidisc and a fanzine
  • Picture-disc version of Vangelis’ Blade Runner soundtrack, released 35 years on from the premiere of the film
  • Limited edition Thelonious Monk double LP made up of songs he recorded for the 1960s film Les Liaisons Dangereuses
  • Boxset of ten pre-eighties, US released Ramones seven inch singles
  • Soul Jazz Records Studio One Hi-Fi Special box set , featuring rare collectors tracks

Dan Guthrie is an aspiring teenage journalist with a passion for music, who lives in Stroud. He can be found on twitter at @danylkurtbeng, and writes a blog called Black Boy in Da Burbs

Ruth Royall by Adam Horovitz

Image by James Kriszyk (kriszyk.com)

Image by James Kriszyk (kriszyk.com)

I meet Ruth Royall in Woodruffs cafe. ‘My favourite spot!’ she says, settling in at the table by the window upstairs, from where we can see the hardier worthies of Stroud pottering blithely about their business on a chilly March afternoon.

Having moved back to Stroud after nearly a decade of living between Bristol and London, studying and making music, Ruth has come back to the town an accomplished and sought-after musician, described by BBC Introducing’s Sam Bonham as ‘the South West’s Princess of Soul’. She left Stroud aged sixteen and, after studying in Bristol, has been working with the likes of Mo Pleasure from Earth Wind and Fire, Kevin Mark Trail from The Streets and Vula from Basement Jaxx. She has also toured Germany, Holland and the UK, and has performed in the iconic Abbey Road studios, at Glastonbury Festival, in The Roundhouse, the Jazz Cafe, and the legendary Ronnie Scott’s Club.

This hectic session musician schedule hasn’t stopped her from working on her own music, however – she is about to release her debut EP, recorded in the UK and the USA, about which we will no doubt be hearing more soon, but in the meantime she is about to embark on a tour, which will stop off at the Lansdown Hall in the heart of her home town, with a group of musicians she met in Berlin.

Perhaps slightly awkwardly for an accomplished musician about to release her official debut record, I remember Ruth from years back, when I was editing the arts pages of a Stroud newspaper. Aged just 13, she had formed SubJustice with a group of friends, and took their chunky, funky sound out to the venues of Stroud, full of youthful energy and fire when in full throttle performance mode, but always charmingly coy between songs.  I wrote encouraging reviews, which I note with glee are quoted on the internet in write ups of Ruth’s progress. At the time, though, they were one of the most exciting bands in Stroud, a young group that clearly had potential – especially Ruth, who wrote most of the songs – and warranted such enthusiasm.  Ruth blushes, winces and laughs when I remind her of the band - ‘you don’t still listen to that do you?’ she asks, a sort of pleased embarrassment painted all over her face.  ‘I’ve always been drawn to ballads and mood music, and jazz was a big part of my life when I was a child,’ she says, moving on. ‘I progressed into soul from jazz and I think that all that was naturally there when I began writing music – I never consciously sought out a style, it just came up. I come from a musical family. There were always instruments in the house, so writing was something that I just did, and didn’t think about. I was about 12 or 13 and my uncle asked in passing what I wanted to do when I grew up, and I said I think I want to do something with my songs. I hadn’t realised until I said it out loud and I was like, "Oh! Actually yeah, that’s what I want to do". I never had any formal song writing training, it all came about just from writing as much as possible.'

I tell her that I have been listening to SubJustice’s self-produced album Cato Street on and off for years and that, set against her recent recordings, I can hear a definite progression in her voice from the sometimes awkward rock’n’funk stylings of that debut to the very powerful and polished jazz- and soul-inflected vocals she delivers now, influences which filter through alluringly into even the poppiest music she makes. It’s definitely a progression rather than a change I’ve noticed. There was always something unique and potent waiting to be fully unleashed in her voice, I tell her.  ‘I was a very earnest, misunderstood teenager,’ she says with a self-deprecating chuckle. ‘I’ll have to listen to that again. I’ll have to re-listen and see if I can see it!’

Not entirely misunderstood, mind; Ruth has clearly had a great deal of support for her choice of career from her family, notably her mother Helen, who gave Ruth the space to be creative from the age of eight. That support has paid off in spades – the track I was lucky enough to hear from her forthcoming debut EP, Lover You Need, which is to be released in the summer, is a beautiful nu-soul song that, whilst it clearly owes a certain amount to bands like The XX and London Grammar, is distinctly and defiantly Ruth. The live videos she posts on her social media are equally exquisite and accomplished. This is a voice that has been allowed a little time to reach its peak, and Ruth has clearly relished the space to find something original to say with her songs. Shows like The Voice often neglect the inner voice, but Ruth has that in spades, to go with her potent singing voice.

Ruth has without doubt put in a great deal of hard work and slog over the past few years – she has paid her dues as far as musicianship goes several times over – but the big step up, the thing that has got her firing on all cylinders, seems to have been a trip to Berlin a few months ago. ‘I went to Berlin for a holiday,’ she tells me, ‘and got up to sing in a couple of clubs. I hit it off with some of the musicians so much that they asked me back. I also kept getting asked by the audience when I was going to do some more sets, so I went back to Berlin twice and connected with some seriously wonderful musicians.’

Now she is about to embark on a pre-EP tour called The Berlin Connection, a show featuring some of her favourite musicians from the city, including Lionel Haas on keyboards, producer, composer and drummer Jerome Bonaparte and Or Rosenfeld on bass.  Ruth and the band will be celebrating the jazzier side of her musicianship on the tour. ‘I love that city,’ she says, ‘and can’t wait to show off what I found there.’ 

Ruth Royall and The Berlin Connection come to Stroud’s Lansdown Hall on Friday, April 28th. Tickets are £10 in advance and £12 on the door and the band will be playing their longest set of the tour there in honour of Ruth’s home town. Visit the facebook event page here for further info. 

It’ll be very interesting to see where her music takes her next...

Adam Horovitz is a writer with a particular interest in poetry, which allows him to scrape a living and keeps him (for the most part) off the streets. He has also worked as a journalist and editor for local papers, literature festivals and, from 2000 to 2008, Glastonbury Festival’s official website.

Dispensing With the #Altfacts, What is the Real Value of the Subs? by Sarah Phaedre Watson

Image by Tammy-Lynn Photography tammylynn.co.uk

Image by Tammy-Lynn Photography tammylynn.co.uk

Facts and figures are brilliant aren’t they?  As someone who works in marketing (or “hot air” as my friends like to call it) I am more than aware of how powerful a statement with some good old £ signs and statistics can be, and just how much they are manipulated.

The events of the last week or so has proven one thing to me for certain, there has to be transparency and honesty from everyone in order for a genuine debate to take place on the future of the Subscription Rooms. So, lets take a few minutes to look at some pretty powerful statements or beliefs that surround the building (apart from how much we all hate the colour of the ceiling in the ballroom), before we move onto the real questions that need to be answered.

You can thank me for trawling through so many mind-numbingly tedious documents on your behalfby buying me wine when I see you. Several times today I nearly gnawed my arm off with frustration trying to find some of the figures and statistics here.

To make it more fun I’ve made some stuff up too.

Fact #1 The Subscription Rooms only benefits Stroud Town residents

People seem to think that only the people of Stroud step through the doors of the venue but  *clears throat to divulge some actual facts* “Using 11,500 unique postcodes from ticket purchases it was discovered that visitors attending events in the past two and a half years came from well outside the county, with concentrations in Bristol, Birmingham and London, with further large attendances from Gloucester and Cheltenham.” 75% of tickets sales are across the whole district, the rest are people from people who visit the town because of the Subscription Rooms. Those people will visit our shops, pubs, bars and restaurants too if we do a bit of clever marketing right? With a capacity of 450 people in the Ballroom, the building has the ability pull in acts and performers, to provide arts, culture, education and entertainment for the whole district, that our smaller (and equally brilliant) venues just aren’t able to do. And ticket sales show that everyone throughout the area appreciates that.

Fact #2 The Subs only puts on Tribute Bands

*sigh* No. It. Doesn’t.  Can I leave that there?  No? Ok so, yes, over the course of year, you can expect to find around 8 tribute bands playing in the building. Now bearing in mind that the annual programme includes at least 400 performances and workshops, that actually can’t be true now can it? People love tribute bands, they contact the venue asking when the next Chuckle Brothers impersonators will be there all the time*, those events sell out, those people spend money on the bar, and that helps to keep the doors open so that a whole range of performances can be put on. I will never personally understand why someone would buy a tribute band’s CD, but they do you know, and if the building’s job is to provide something for everyone then they need to cater for people who buy tribute bands CDs too.

*this is a lie, but other favourite tributes are requested.

Fact #3 The programming is terrible

Nope. I’m just not having it.

Now given, not every performance, band, workshop or class is for everyone, but that’s the whole point of a community venue isn’t it? To provide something for all tastes.  And if you are providing something for a whole district (and beyond) i stands to reason that people will like one thing and not another. So when someone says “the programming is terrible”, what they’re really saying is “there’s a huge range of stuff available at the venue, but only a small amount is what I’m interested in.” Which is pretty much as it should be, and is the only thing that stops me from screaming in frustration when I hear this said for the 27th time in one day. Could the programme be improved? Yes. Which is why it is always being reviewed and the venue loves it when people get involved, or make suggestions.

Fact #4 There is already too much arts and culture in the area, forcing competition

Repeated over and over again; we already have so many cultural and entertainment venues that the Subscription Rooms just can’t compete, or it detracts from the over venues. But then I take solace in reading a report that our very own Council had the foresight to have put together a decade ago which suggests that (prepare for more actual facts from an actual Council report): “However the centre has to draw on a very fragmented settlement. Real success means appealing to diverse communities, not just ‘pubbers and clubbers’, as one consul-tee put it. This is difficult as the venues are very dispersed. Hence getting the basics right is fundamental. Promotion is also key. The Sub Rooms should become the focus for efforts to promote activities in Stroud outside normal shopping hours, working with a Leisure Forum to encourage joint marketing of activities that bring people together, including arts, sport and continuing education…” Maybe they forgot about that report?Surely if the District is to build upon their reputation as a thriving, alternative arts and entertainment community, which will continue to attract people from all over the UK (see excellent Fact #1) closing down the largest venue, right in the heart of the town would be bonkers right? What if they were to use it as a hub for the whole District, marketing and promoting all of our leisure facilities from one convenient location to underpin a carefully considered arts and culture strategy (which doesn't exist). Blimey, what would happen then?

Fact #5 The Council aren’t very good at running the Subs so they shouldn’t do it anymore

Erm…  What?  So let’s get this straight shall we? “The Council is committed to providing leadership to the community, to serve those who live, work and visit the Stroud District, and to improve the quality of life for all members of the community.” At no point do they say “except for the Subscription Rooms or other arts and culture stuff because, you know *shrug* it’s not our strong point”. We all pay our taxes, which in turn they are supposed to manage for us. Full stop. If they are failing in a specific area, or they have “some weaknesses to address”, how about they pop on their big boy pants and sort it out. Because I’ve tried to get out of all the things that I don’t like doing (and the list is extensive believe me) by sulkily kicking the ground with my hands in my pockets and through lowered eye-lashes suggesting that I shouldn’t have to because, well you know, I’m just not very good at vacuuming. And not a lot happened. Let’s hold the Council accountable the way my children hold me accountable for things, like getting out of bed and functioning as a human being.

Fact #6 The Sub Rooms is an empty shell of empty seats and empty souls*

Ticket sales in the building have doubled since last year, the programme for the coming months looks AMAZING, and the venue is voted the fourth best arts and entertainment in the Cotswolds on TripAdvisor I’ll have you know. Over 400 events take place over the year, with tens of thousands of people in attendance. Only last week there was a queue around the block to get into the building, and events are selling out regularly. It's rated one of the most poplar places to visit in Stroud, both by international and national guests, and the people of Stroud on FaceBook.

To be fair I just provided you with a long list of facts, and not a huge amount of description, but that’s how good those facts are. They’re called stand alone facts I believe, and not just because they are a bit boring and no one wants to talk to them in the pub.

*a bit of melodrama does the world of good when you're trying to break up a #longread right?

Fact #7 If the Subs is “sorted out” all of our arts and culture venues will be saved

Ah, I’ve got some bad news for you on this one. This isn’t a “Sophie’s Choice” of the arts venues in the area, this is a clear signal as to what our Central and Local Government believe to be importantand a priority for spending. This is their tester, if we let this venue go then how on earth are we going to fight for the rest? I say we do what Stroud does best, we pull to our collective bosom what we believe to be important to this town, and we work out how to make it work… and then we all listen to some great bands, dance, and drink a bit too much of our local ale obviously.

Fact #8 Everyone who works for the Council is doing a terrible job and is pushing lies

One of the worst messages I received over the last week was from someone in the Council who felt demoralised by the attention being given to the Subscription Rooms, and the negative press that the Council, and therefore the Council workers are getting. This made me really sad.  I know a lot of people who work for Stroud District Council, they’re passionate about working for our district, and brilliant at their jobs. The issues surrounding the Subscription Rooms, and many other departments down at Ebley Mill, are not their fault and without those committed, dedicated people we’d all be buggered quite frankly.  So next time you see someone who works there, give them a little hug. As an added bonus the few bad apples among the extensive good ones will hate that.

Fact #9 The Council “loses” £415,000 per year on The Subscription Rooms

£415,000 per year lost on one building, during these times of Central Government cuts is a hell ofa lot! And a HUGE CONCERN. If it were actually true.  This is probably my favourite #alternativefact and guaranteed to cause a lengthy debate. So, let’s get to the bottom of it shall we?  Deep breath now kids, we’re nearly there!

Two big figures which can be taken off that £415,000 figure: Depreciation of £60k per year is included: To quote someone anonymously when I asked what that actually was“Whatever it is, it's not a real running cost, just a % of the estimated market value of the building, which is crazy and only a local government accounting thing.” Which pretty much sums it up. *puts maths brain on* So now we’re down to £365,000 a year “lost” by the Council. That still seems like quite a lot right? Ok, so now if you remove the “uncontrollable costs” (they sound like LOADS of fun to have at a party right?) what would happen then?  “Uncontrollable costs” are sadly not a rebellious lot you’d find dancing on a table at a party (*whistles nonchalantly*), they are costs that the council racks up throughout the authority, which are then split out across departments.  They cover exciting things like IT, HR, legal services… You get the drift. So how much does the Subscription Rooms pay each year for these services I hear you ask! Surely these services are being economically provided centrally by the Council and would absolutely save the building money, and provide a valuable service?? The answer is approximately £120,000 per year.  £10,000 per month. Nope. So, without me falling down the never ending worm hole of the minutiae of the rest of the annual accounts you can see what happens once you start to dismantle this annual “loss”.Let’s whip that £180,000 off the figure and see what we’re left with; £235,000 - that’s more realistic, but I’m not done yet because…

Fact #10 If over £400,000 weren’t being spent on the Subscription Rooms (which we all know it isn’t now right?) we could buy a new Brexit Bus

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.  But let’s get this straight shall we? If the amount that it is claimed is being “lost” on the venue each year is being “saved” by leasing it to another organisation, or heaven forbid, selling it, then that money would most certainly not be ploughed into another area. For starters, as noted above, the budgetary amounts stated are some rather bizarre Council accountancy practices…And also the money for Council-wide “uncontrollable costs” would have to be found elsewhere anyway, removing it from the Subscription Rooms “budget line” (I know, I know, I should quit with my sexy talk), will only result it having to be allocated to another department within the Council. And that remaining quarter of a million pounds, will it be used to ensure that the revenue that the town and local businesses gain from the Subscription Rooms customers is maintained through marketing and promoting of the District? Will the District use it to ensure that the arts and cultural provision for every resident is preserved? I’ll leave you to answer that yourselves shall I?

Before I go and rest my repetitive strain injury that writing this long article has brought on, I’d like to pose the questions that I think we should all be answering in reality: Stroud District Council subsidise the Subscription Rooms by a current figure of around £235,000 per annum.  Do we believe that during this time of austerity and budget cuts this is a good use of the tax payers money? How can we work together to ensure that the Subscription Rooms becomes a hub for our vibrant district using a progressive and economically beneficial arts and culture strategy?And how can the Council ensure that they fulfil their public duty to oversee the future of just one of the area’s most historic buildings?

And finally…

Isn’t it interesting how “an annual loss of £415,000” sounds so much worse than say:  The Council is committed to addressing how a subsidy of just £2.08 per person, per year for the biggest, and oldest, arts and culture venue right in the heart of our town, can be reduced further, whilst service is further improved for the benefit of the District and it’s visitors.

An on-line petition has recently been set up by  Save Our Subs click here for further information. A Celebrate the Subscription Rooms event has also been organised for Saturday 1st April ft. Boss Morris, Spaniel in the Works Theatre Company, Adam Horovitz. Crispin Thomas and more tba...

No one knows what Sarah Phaedre Watson really does, she spends time gallivanting off to Africa to make films, writing for various publications, or passionately supporting community arts and events. She certainly gets about a bit

Good On Paper Playlist April 2017

Each month we put together a YouTube playlist featuring artists taken from our music listings. Click here to listen and see track list with dates below…

1. Sam Brookes: My Girl Drinks Coffee (Fri 21st, SVA) 

2. Body Clocks: Dialogue (Mon 17th, The Prince Albert) 

3. The Greyhounds: Kohtakt (Thurs 13th, Meme) 

4. Dub Pistols: Cyclone (Fri 14th, the Subscription Rooms) 

5. Hackney Colliery Band: Prodigy Medley (Sat 22nd, the Subscription Rooms)

6. Whiskey Moon Face: So Long (Sun 16th, The Prince Albert)

7. Swing from Paris: Sweet Georgia Brown (Sat 22nd, The Ale House)

8. Alessi Laurent-Marke: Wives (Weds 5th, The Prince Albert) 

9. Carducci String Quartet: Shostakovich 8th String Quartet (Sat 8th, St Mary’s Church Painswick)

10. Fibonacci Squence (Kathron Sturrock): Beethoven String Sonata (Sat 29th,  St Mary’s Church Painswick)

11. Kleefstra/Bakker/Kleefstra: Oant Safier (Sat 15th, the Museum in the Park) 

12. Anne Chris Bakker: Weerzien (Sat 15th, the Museum in the Park) 

13. Andrew Heath: Requiem (Sat 15th, the Museum in the Park) 

14. Other Animals: Oh Lordy! (Fri 14th, Subscription Rooms) 

15. Lensmen: Diving Bells (Fri 14th, Crown and Sceptre) 

16. Police Dog Hogan: West Country Boy (Sat 29th, the Subscription Rooms)

17. Kathryn Williams: Monday Morning (Tues 18th, the Prince Albert) 

Pick up issue #25 (out now) for further info!

Good On Paper Playlist March 2017

Each month we put together a YouTube playlist featuring artists taken from our music listings. Click here to listen and see track list with dates below…

1. The Evil Usses: Gambino (Sat 11th, The Prince Albert)

2. Run Logan Run: No Body (Sat 11th, The Prince Albert)

3. Nina Harries: Icarus (Sat 4th, SVA) 

4. Kabeção: Mergulho (Fri 10th, British School Hall) 

5. John Lenehan: Philip Glass – the Piano Music (Sat 25th, St Mary’s Church, Painswick) 

6. Tasmin Little: Arvo Part – Spiegel im Spiegel (Sat 25th, St Mary’s Church, Painswick) 

7. Katya Apekishiva: Faure's Dolly Suite Le Pas Espagnole (Sat 25th, Holy Trinity Church w/       the Stroud Symphony Orchestra) 

8. Griz-O: Go Griz (Sat 18th, Star Anise) 

9. Buggsy: Bris Ting (Sat 18th, Star Anise) 

10. Baby Queens: Tired of Love (Sat 4th, The Prince Albert) 

11. Andy Nowak: (We’ve Got To) Bring It Down (Thurs 9th, SVA) 

12. Alasdair Roberts: As I Came In By Huntley Town (Thurs 23rd, The Prince Albert)

13. Maddy Prior: The Lark in the Morning (Sat 25th, Prema Arts Centre) 

14. Della Lupa: Phoebe’s Song (Weds 22nd, The Prince Albert) 

Pick up issue #24 (out now) for further info!

Stroud Subscription Rooms: What’s the Big Deal? By Sarah Phaedre Watson

A couple of weeks ago I sat in Meme and watched the forecourt at the Subs, enjoying the diorama; the man hastily buying (apology?) flowers from the vintage van, the couple on the bench eatingsteaming sausage rolls out of paper bags. On the steps were a group of teenagers furiously texting; frowning and biting their lips whilst pointedly ignoring a side of Morris Dancers leaping and wooping in front of them.

It was such a beautiful window into Stroud life, the ‘People’s Republic of Stroud’ flag on the balcony formed the perfect triangulation to the scene. If I were a French film director I would have had my couple wordlessly parting right here, right in the middle of the forecourt, certainly with some intense snogging. The film, (definitely French New Wave in case you’re wondering) would be solely based on the Subs Forecourt and would probably end with one of the lovers being hit by a rogue Morris Dancer’s stick. Probably fatally.

Earlier in the week a regular visitor had appeared in the foyer of the Subs, this mature gentleman occasionally loses his bearings around town.  He’s a little cold and slightly confused - so we take him through to the cafe, make him comfortable and press a warm drink into his hands - the building reassures him. When his wife appears stumbling over her words and her feet, so grateful, so relieved, I feel so proud - a little choked if I’m honest.

When we met after work the other evening to discuss how everyone feels about their jobs, the attention the building is getting in the town, how it’s affecting people (it does you know) one of the team confessed that on her way into work every morning she’ll stop and touch the building. They’ve worked here for years, seen the managers and bands and councillors and public come and go, it’s family to them. It’s home. And she’ll kill me for telling people.

So I’d like you all to appreciate the extreme reserve I am showing when I hear why people don’t go and don’t use the building. It’s a bit like one of your mates telling you that that funny old aunt of yours, the one that has the heart of gold and will do anything for you, the one that tries so hard to please every single member of the extended dysfunctional family, is not quite cool enough. Have you ever tried to please 13,000 people in a creative, slightly bonkers small Cotswold town? I tried not to offend a whole room full off people once, it was exhausting. At least 50,000 people go through the doors each year - so I reckon she’s doing quite well.

I’m angry.  As I think of that older gentleman, those teenagers, the Morris Dancers. The woman who has worked here for decades and can feel the building right to it’s very foundations. The people who dismiss The Subs and the space she offers to this community. I’m angry.

So, it’s great to hear how concerned the town is that the building may not belong to them any more, there’s strong feeling, people are vocal - it’s a Stroud family trait to stand up for what we believe in, right? But there’s a difference between getting angry and actually doing something isn’t there?

Stroud is a special town; we are a community with a heart.  The Subscription Rooms is the very fabric of our community and our town.  It stands for every single one of us, our grandparents who met during tea dances, our teens angrily addressing the world one FaceBook post at a time, our apologetic young man, and the weary wife relieved to find her husband safe and well.

There sits The Subs, you might not like it, or visit it, you don’t even realise what an important role it plays. But this building doesn’t belong to us, it’s been here for nearly 200 years - built for the public to enjoy art, culture and entertainment. We’re supposed to be looking after it for future generations, let’s take a moment to do that shall we? 

Come to the Ballroom at The Subscription Rooms (you know the building right?) on Saturday 18th February 9.30am-2pm. There you can hear more about the asset review process, ask questions, tell the Council what you think (nicely please), and also tell us what events you’d like to see here. 

You can book existing events on the website too; use it, or lose it people...

And yes, I am accepting applications for the role of “jilted lover who gets killed by a Morris Dancer’s stick" right now.

No one knows what Sarah Phaedre Watson really does, she spends time gallivanting off to Africa to make films, writing for various publications, or passionately supporting community arts and events. She certainly gets about a bit

Good On Paper Playlist February 2017

Each month we put together a YouTube playlist featuring artists taken from our music listings. Click here to listen and see track list with dates below…

1. Soccer96: Megadrive Lamborghini (Thurs 9th. The Prince Albert)

2. 9Bach: Llyn Du (Mon 13th, The Prince Albert)

3. Spiro: Burning Bridge (Sat 11th, The Subscription Rooms)

4. Anne Niepold: Vetrarvals (Sat 11th, Prema Arts Centre) 

5. Swing from Paris: Sweet Georgia Brown (Sat 25th, The Golden Fleece) 

6. Narco Lounge Combo: Miserlou (Fri 17th, Crown and Sceptre) 

7. Alcuna Wilds: Faithless (Weds 22nd, The Prince Albert)

8. Angela Hewitt: Debussy - Clair de Lune (Sun 5th, The Subscription Rooms)

9. Angie Hardy and Lukas Drinkwater: By the Tides (Fri 3rd, Ruskin Mill) 

Pick up issue #23 (out now) for further info!

Good On Paper Playlist January 2017

Each month we put together a YouTube playlist featuring artists taken from our music listings.

Click here to listen and see track list with dates below…

1 - Tezeta: Wormhole (Sat 7th, The Prince Albert) 

2 - Son Yambu: Baila Con Mi Tumbao (21st, France Lynch Church Rooms) 

3 - The Uplifter (7th, SVA John Street)

4 - Baby Queens: Tired Of Love (Fri 6th, The Prince Albert) 

5 - Emily Barker: Anywhere Away (7th, The Prince Albert)

6 - Emily Wood: It Was Right There (7th, The Prince Albert)

7 - Bristol Ensemble: BBC’s Mountain Gorillas (Sun 15th, Christ Church, Nailsworth) 

8 - Craig Ogden: Memories of Alhambra (Fri 6th, Hawkwood College) 

9 - From the Jam (with Bruce Foxton): Going Underground (Sat 28th, Sub Rooms) 

Pick up issue #22 (out now) for further info!

Vaults: Caught In Still Life by Dan Guthrie

Caught In Still Life is the debut album by London band Vaults and it’s filled with thirteen tracks of perfectly refined electronica. The band is made up of Ben Vella and Barney Freeman, who provide the synths and beats over which the vocals of Stroud based Blythe Pepino’s soar. 

The album has been a while in the making, but they have been pretty busy, having released their debut EP Vultures in 2014, and amassing over 20 million YouTube views since then. They’ve also landed a couple of big gigs in their time such as recording songs for the sultry scenes of the Fifty Shades of Grey movie, and more recently for the canine capers of the John Lewis Christmas advert where they covered Randy Crawford’s iconic One Day I’ll Fly Away with a full orchestra. Even so, their first full length release shows them at their finest.

The album gets off to a great start with Cry No More, which opens with twinkling bells and soft strings backing Blythe’s lovesick vocals, before the synthesised bass kicks in after a minute and a half to ramp up the viciousness of the track. Songs such as One Last Night, with its glacial strings, and the piano-led Overcome highlight the heartbreak that has gone into the shaping of this album. But for me, Poison, featuring Björk-esque vocals against a thumping drumbeat, best highlights the band’s talents. Here Pepino’s voice works perfectly with Vella and Freeman’s electronic soundscape of emotions. Vaults are sure to go to big places in future, and this album is just a taster of what they have planned...

Dan Guthrie is an aspiring teenage journalist with a passion for music, who lives in Stroud. He can be found on twitter at @danylkurtbeng, and writes a blog called Black Boy in Da Burbs

Good On Paper's Alternative Christmas Playlist

Each month we usually create a YouTube playlist featuring artists taken from our music listings. This month we've worked ourselves into a kind of fettered festive spirit and put together our own Christmas playlist for ye instead...Click on the image below to listen and see track list further down! Have a swell Christmas...

1 - Mark Kozelek I Believe In Father Christmas

2 - Josh T Pearson Angels We Have Heard On High

3 - Sufjan Stevens That Was The Worst Christmas Ever!

4 - Low Silent Night

5 - Bonnie Prince Billy and Dawn McCarthy Christmas Eve Can Kill You

6 - Feist Lo, How A Rose E’re Blooming

7 - Iain Archer Little Drummer Boy

8 - The Civil War Years I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

9 - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs All I Want For Christmas

10 - Minuteman Last Christmas

11 - Sufjan Stevens Coventry Carol

12 - Mark Lanegan We Three Kings

13 - Mark Kozelek The Christmas Song

14 - The Polyphonic Spree Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

15 - Bright Eyes God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

16 - Andrew Bird Auld Lang Syne

 

 

Good On Paper Playlist November 2016

Each month we put together a YouTube playlist featuring artists taken from our music listings.

Click here to listen and see track list with dates below…

1 - MARINE: Rapunzel (Sun 20th, The Prince Albert) 

2 - Brooke Sharkey: Bottletop Blues (Sun 13th, The Convent) 

3 - Martha Tilston: Stags Bellow (Fri 18th, SVA) 

4 - Yama Warashi: Quagmire Moon (Weds 30th, The Prince Albert) 

5 - Applewood Road: Applewood Road (Sun 20th, St Laurence Church) 

6 - Erin Rae and the Meanwhiles: Minolta (Sat 5th, The Convent) 

7 - Leonie Evans: Distractions (Sat 26th, SVA) 

8 - Andy Nowak Trio: In The Leaving (Thurs 24th, Subscription Rooms) 

9 - The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc: Fjellvåk (Thurs 3rd, The Convent)

10 - The Langan Band: Aquaplane (Thurs 17th, The Prince Albert) 

11 - Sheelanagig: Di Tristano (Sat 12th, The Convent) 

12 - Tankus the Henge: Cakewalk (Fri 11th, Prema Arts Centre, Uley)

13 - Swing from Paris (Sat 5th, The Golden Fleece)

14 - Ma Polaine’s Great Decline: Been Loved Too Much (Sun 6th, The Prince Albert) 

15 - Mik Artistik’s EgoTrip: Cheap Watch From The Market (Sun 27th, The Prince Albert) 

16 - Thee Ones: Mr Shepherd (Sat 5th, SVA) 

17 - Cam Penner: House of Liars (Sat 19th, The Convent)

Pick up issue #20 (out now) for further info!