Usually when doing a CD review, I adapt the writing style a little depending on the genre and pick up on different things, but when I put this particular one on I wasn’t quite sure what to write, enter Awesome Feline, and their name isn’t the only good thing about them as they put on quite a dynamic set down at the Sno! Bar before my last gig with BATR. (And righteously put our set to shame in the process)
It’s been a while, but we’re back at the Pitz once again and this time BBC Introducing are taking the helm with the featured bands tonight. The gig takes a host of talent from inside and outside of Milton Keynes with some familiar names with Firetone and Hiding In Reno while Starseed and This Part Is Us are definitely some new sounds to our ears. With that in mind, the sound of sound-checking is, as ever, our cue to get up front to see who’s causing some fuss tonight.
Sep.24th.09
It’s been a while, but Backstage at Stantonbury Campus is back once again after exams and all that have kept the students busy. The line-up for tonight is a fairly heavy one with local progressive hardcore purveyours Heart Of A Coward heading up the bill, while support comes from a helping of screamo metal with Into Erebus and The Kranx taking up the first slot for tonight. Not only that, but the night looks promising, it looks as busy as any of the other venues and people are actually getting up front quite quickly, but could it just be a good start?
I’m quite sure that the name Marshall is something that you will all know about, not only being one of the top manufacturers of amps and the like, but also being a local name to boot. They also have some news for you…
The guys and girls at Marshall have something pretty special for everyone, with a product release next Friday (the 2nd of October). This is usually done away from home-turf and in front of a lot of officials, but this time (and maybe this time only) it will be in front of the public with a show featuring “Kids In Glass Houses”, “In Case Of Fire” and our very own Primal Device. Calling it an exclusive event would only be scratching the surface.
It’s all pretty exciting (a possible understatement) and the tickets are quite limited for this event that will be hosted down at the Dons’ Stadium in Bletchely, so if you want a chance to not only see some great bands but also some new gear, get your tickets as soon as possible!
Tickets are either available from the Marshall factory itself or you can call the ticket hotline on 01908 272601.
See you there!
Craig \m/
A few people expressed that they wanted an MK based forum for chatting about music, so I’ve spent the past week getting one developed. It’s not exactly large or booming yet, but it’s all ready for you to log in and have a banter, feel free to sign up, have a natter, post some lolcats, share youtube videos, well, you get the point without me murmuring on anyway.
You can find the gates to the forum at www.ampjam.net/forums/ , see you there. 
Craig \m/
It’s a brisk Wednesday evening, and Peartree Bridge is apparently the place to go, after following the sound of music to The Old Rectory where there seems to be a sizeable field, then I see the light, literally. The source of the sound is a small lit-up tent, surrounded by fairy lights, which is where the gig is taking place, only it’s not that simple and it isn’t exactly a tent. To be blunt it’s a gazebo, on a canal boat, which is moored up with a captive audience sitting on the canal-side and the small dock, welcome to the aptly named “Canal Music”.
On a Saturday not too long ago, the hall at the Craufurd was taken over by Wreck Your Life promotions with an all day showcase of bands. Since earlier this year, the guys at WYL have been working to establish a solid hardcore scene in MK and it’s surroundings, so it’s no surprise that all of the bands are firmly in that niche but you have to hand it to the guys that twelve bands for around four quids is nothing to moan about.
If memory serves me right, I first seen these guys in their current format down at the County Arms, they were admittedly getting used to playing in their new lineup and really had to up their game. Down the line sometime, Firetone have shown that they’ve really focused with a new line of songs and a much sharper sound and it’s all recorded on a new six track Ep. We know the band have come some way, but the real question is “how far?”…
Summer’s over, or almost at least. But it seems that the good spirits are still around by the end of the night with a brand new promoter, the name to follow for this one is “New Town Promotions” who started up their first gig down in Bletchely at the Working Mens Club. It’s good to see a few familiar faces around too, with some of the Peartree Bridge/Rock Hard crew down who helped out with the sound. Though New Town hasn’t settled on a particular venue yet, this one seems a bit unorthodox, looking more like a bingo hall but still working out fairly well…
Admittedly, reviewing bands every so often allows you to see quite a bit, however there’s still a few things that are a bit of a rarity, take harps for example, as Garry Murphy says during tonight’s gig, “Harps are like mythical beasts, like unicorns, you hear a lot about them but you never see them.” Until now that is, slap bang in the middle of the stage on a hazy Monday night are a couple of huge harps, belonging to the aptly-named Harptallica who are touring Europe.
