Thursday 4th June 2009

Good day to you, it’s that time of the week again and I hope everyone has been suitably kindled into a beetroot colour.

What’s happened in the world of music this week? Legendary ‘Wall of Sound’ producer Phil Spector has been sent down for 19 years for murder. He obviously thoroughly deserved it but it’s still a shame that his legacy will probably be overshadowed by this. Now, let’s get local.

Our very own Gallops have been included on BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens’ first-ever compilation of exciting new talent and music in conjunction with über cool label Wichita Recordings.

Featuring 21 tracks hand-picked by the face of BBC’s ‘Introducing’, Music Sounds Better With Huw: Volume 1 is a snapshot of the new talent that is regularly played out on Huw Stephen’s Radio 1 show, showcased on his Wales C4 TV appearances and curated at the annual SWN Festival in Cardiff, as well as various festival stages at the likes of Reading/Leeds, Glastonbury and Latitude.

The majority of tracks are exclusive to the compilation and include talent from the whole spectrum of the UK – Leed’s Dinosaur Pile Up and Pulled Apart By Horses, Scotland’s Copy Haho, Swanton Bombs and Sweet Baboo, Gallops (of course) plus talent from Iceland (Hjaltalin) and the US (Wax Fang).

On June 9th Gallops are playing the launch show for the compilation at Huw Stephen’s monthly night at the Social in London alongside Stricken City, Gold Panda and Copy Haho.

The compilation is available exclusively from iTunes at a measly £4.49 – go and buy it now! To hear all the tracks and see more information about the bands, including a Q + A with Huw, point your internet this way: www.musicsoundsbetterwithhuw.com.

After two performances at last week’s Liverpool Sound City festival, Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle returned to Liverpool last Sunday night to support The Joy Formidable at the start of TJF’s first headlining tour of the UK which opened at Liverpool Barfly.

After a frenetic 8 weeks which included appearances at SXSW, The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City and three showcase London gigs, Polly and the band are restricting their live performances to the North West over the next couple of months to enable them to devote time to writing and rehearsing new material.

Deeply heavy Chester band Supernought are playing Telfords Warehouse tonight. Having been together just over a year they have recently released a 5 track demo and won the Manchester Rock Radio 106.1FM Future Classics competition. Doors are 8pm and it’s free entry.

Staying at Telfords, on Saturday night they have the hoedown crowd favourites The Loving Cup playing. They have recently been confirmed for the Wychwood Music Festival in Cheltenham where they will be playing alongside Super Furry Animals, Supergrass, Little Boots and ermm The Wonder Stuff. Saturday’s gig is free before 10pm and £4 thereafter.

Wrexham band Revurb will be playing a live set of 4 tracks and an interview for BBC Radio Shropshire on Friday 12th June. They have recently recorded a 5 track E.P in the Forge Studio’s in Oswestry last week.

This coming weekend see’s the return of the Redi Daze event in Bellevue Park in Wrexham. Following a year off the free event is returning with 20 live acts spread over 2 days with pre and after show gigs happening in various venues in the town. Bands playing on Saturday and Sunday include; Mother of Six, Trader, I Am Austin, The Roseville Band, No Room For Heroes, Polly Mackey & The Pleasure Principle and many more – pretty much every band in the area.

The pre-event gig is happening at Milners on the High Street tomorrow night with performances from The Mayors and The Fag Machine. On Saturday night the after show gig takes place in the Guild Bar on the Glyndwr University campus – Trader, I Am Austin and The Django’s will be playing.

Sunday’s after show party takes place in The Commercial with a set from covers band Superfly and acoustic performances from the artists who played over the weekend.

Quite a big event then and what’s good is that any proceeds made will be given to the Nightingale House Hospice charity. There is no camping on the site and apparently there is a 4 can drink limit in place. I presume that’s 4 cans of alcohol, not 7 Up.

Don’t forget your suntan lotion factor 30+. Email me at ben@wrexhammusic.co.uk with your news. Have a great week, take care.