Now then, had a good week? I’ve got a fair bit of news for you, and it’s all good, so I’ll crack on with it.

Gallops! are continuing along their seemingly destined path to glory. On Friday they are making their way down to the capital of Wales, Cardiff to support ‘This Town Needs Guns’ at The Barfly. You might as well make the most of being in the epicentre of Wales, right? And they will be, on the following day they will be recording a special live session for Bethan Elfyn’s BBC Radio 1 show with top producer Richard Jackson (he produced Future of the Left’s debut) at the ex ITV studios, the Machine Rooms. The session will be played on Bethan’s show during the week and the following week various tracks and stems from the sessions will be remixed by a collection of producers (unknown as yet) and will be broadcast as a ‘Gallops! live remix session’.

If all of that just isn’t enough, when they get back home (Wrexham), they will be recording another live session, this time for Radio Wales’ Adam Walton on his Mystery Tour show. To be aired on Sunday 1st March, the tracks will be recorded locally at The Filter Rooms in Wrexham.

Those who were at the Panic gig the other week when Stokoz to Moscow were recording their video for ‘DLC’ can now have a chufters at a teaser for the video by clicking on to www.newagerocketeer.com. Other great news from the Stokoz camp includes a support slot with Suicoperro at the Barfly in Liverpool on 1st May. They’re signed to Maybe Records and have toured with the likes of, Biffy Clyro, Hell Is For Heroes, Oceansize and their label mates, Reuben.

Panic Promotions are having a metal night tonight with a pinch of the punk stuff. Slightly Generic will be kicking the night off at McLean’s in their usual fashion, followed by The Vehicle Field from Manchester and then Mold’s The Day Before Morality will be finishing off the night before the cleaners come round the next morning to sponge up the mosher sweat. Its £4 entry and doors are 7:45pm.

The Red Stripe Music Award is back again at Central Station tonight. It doesn’t seem a year ago since the last time and does anyone know who won the national final? No, I don’t either, but you’ve got to be in it to win it and all that and the winning prize is more than enough to tantilise you.

Over 25 regional events will whittle over 1500 bands down to just 4 finalists who will then play at the London Kentish Town Forum in front of a panel of judges and a decent sized crowd. The winner will then get to record a single and play 3 of music festivals over the summer. Our local hopefuls who are playing tonight are I Am Austin, Stolen Volume, The Lupin Thieves and Mitsu’s Run. It’s a paltry £2 entry, that’s 50p per band, and doors are 7:30pm. Good luck!

The Tiv in Buckley continue their valued support of local music tonight with Out From Animals from Chester and Trader from Wrexham playing. Also playing are Carjack Malone and Bystander. It will be Out From Animals’ last local gig before they make their way across to the SXSW Festival in March.

Last month they had a photo shoot with Danny North, who is regarded as one of the best music photographers in the land. He regularly has his shots used on the cover of the NME and has a reputation for being a bit ‘out there’ with his shoot ideas. And with Out From Animals, he didn’t let them down.

For the first part of the shoot he dressed them up in paper overalls and took them to a bamboo field just outside of Lincoln. For the second part they went to a disused Insane Asylum where he got them to strip off, squirted them with paint and then doused them with cold water – on a Baltic day in January, and they didn’t even flinch – now that is professionalism. You can have a nose at the photos on the Out From Animals MySpace: www.myspace.com/outfromanimals.

I’ve never mentioned the Red Lion in Marford before but that’s about to change as on Saturday night Wrexham’s The Maydays are playing with support from Craig Williams and The Unseen Archives. It starts at 8pm and is free entry.

Talking of pubs and live music, Milners on the high street in Wrexham is after bands to play on Saturday nights. If you are interested, drop a CD off for the attention of Nick, with a contact number, and they promise to have a listen and then get back to you.

I’ve got a stag do to attend this weekend; I may or may not be alive next week. Email me at ben@wrexhammusic.co.uk with any news you have. Take care.