11/06/09 – Redi Daze cancelled, Billy Bragg in Wrexham, Andy Hickie touring
by Ben Davis on 20 July, 2009 | 0 comments
Thursday 11th June 2009
Well, that was a shame, the Redi Daze was cancelled over the weekend but still, the after show party on Saturday night at Glyndwr’s Student Guild was a romping success. Let’s hope the weather is at its British best for the yet to be confirmed rescheduled weekend in August.
Let’s get on to some more consoling news, there are loads of gigs on this week and we can’t possibly complain.
Next Wednesday Central Station have Cardiff quintet People in Planes playing. Some readers of an older age might be able to squint far enough back in time to remember them when they were called ‘Tetra Splendour’… No? Me neither but Wikipedia tells me so and whatever Wikipedia says is absolute gospel. Well, ‘Tetra’ were dropped by their label EMI in 2002 and since then started working, building, amalgamating and generally procrastinating until they formed People in Planes in 2005. It was a good move, they’ve been play listed on some big TV and advert soundtracks including The Soprano’s, House and The 4400. Supporting them next Wednesday will be Deeside favourites Stokoz to Moscow and Wrexham’s doom lords Mother of Six. Doors are 7pm and tickets are £4.
Legendary political singer-songwriter Billy Bragg is playing in Wrexham tomorrow night as part of a tour to remember the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike and its legacy across Wales. The gig, at Glyndwr University’s William Aston Hall, is part of a 9 date tour, co-produced by Theatr Mwldan in Cardigan and the Big Pit National Coal Museum.
Bragg is an ex-punk, ex-soldier, and ex-member of the Labour Party and rose from a working class background in the 1980s to become one of the UK’s foremost pop and protest singers and left-wing icons. He rose to fame during the Miners’ Strike of 1984-5, when he became a fixture at political rallies and benefits with his political ‘songs for the people’ including Which Side Are You On and There Is Power In A Union.
Support comes from Cardiff’s Jakokoyak and Welsh poet Patrick Jones (brother of Manic’s bass player Nicky Wire). Tickets are £17 and are available from HMV in Wrexham.
Everyone’s favourite rambling troubadour Andy Hickie has been confirmed to play the massive Wickerman Festival in Scotland in on 24th and 25th July and he’ll be joined by Chester’s The Loose Kites. Other bands performing include The Human League, The Zutons and The Magic Numbers. Andy has just returned to home soil from a jaunt around Ireland and Catalonia in Spain.
On Saturday night at Telfords Warehouse they have Liverpool folki-tinged trio Peter and the Wolf playing. The NME has described them as ‘The White Stripes enjoying cocktail hour’, I’m not sure if that’s a compliment but I’ve heard them and they sound much like their Liverpool comtempories The Zutons mashed up with the lower-fied simplicity of Badly Drawn Boy.
Keeping in with the folky side of the track, Telfords have Manchester’s The Travelling Band playing tomorrow night. They won the Glastonbury New Talent competition in 2008 and have since released their debut album ‘Under the Pavement’ which sounded like bursting ball of sunshine pop folkiness. Excellent. Tonight’s gig is free entry before 9pm and £4 thereafter.
Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle have been announced as headliners at The Red Festival which takes place at Liverpool’s Barfly venue on 26th July.
The Red Festival is the biggest UK unsigned event, showcasing over 500 bands every 3 months at the UK’s best ‘local’ venues. It works on an ethos of giving all genres of band a chance to play tasty venues and the festival spans across many major cities in the UK and aims to fill several stages at once, hopefully running simultaneously. The Liverpool leg this year has 48 of the North West’s top bands performing on 3 stages and kicks off with the first band onstage at midday and ends 47 bands later with Polly and the boys taking to the stage around 10.15pm. Tickets are available from New Direction Music at £5, visit info@newdirectionmusic.com.
Panic Promotions have a rock night on tonight, playing are D-Minor from Deeside, Sixes and Sevens and Tayla Made. Rock on. Entry is £4 from 7:45pm.
Have a great week, whatever you’re up to – going to some of these gigs I hope. Email me at ben@wrexhammusic.co.uk with any news you have. Take care.