HARROGATE’s most exciting venture in live music for years isn’t even open yet and news is already seeping out of gigs to look forward to.
Local promoters DMB are about to cast their net away from Ripon to Harrogate for a series of live shows at said venue, Rehab.
Formerly Native State and situated on Parliament Street, its official champagne launch night is next Thursday, November 13, invitation only.
If you don’t manage to make that, Gig Scene knows about at least two gigs that are booked for Rehab and its new purpose-built stage.
A great triple ‘indie’ bill of Pavilion/The Birdman Rallies/Gary Stewart takes place there on Friday, November 28, presented by DMB Promotions.
Former La's bassist and Cast frontman John Power has been booked for a Christmas show on Thursday, December 18, again courtesy of DMB.
More info from www.dmblivemusic.co.uk
KNARESBOROUGH is certainly attracting the cream of the folk scene these days.
On top of the success of recent shows by the likes of Eliza Carthy, Frazer Theatre is shortly to host Jackie Oates and Belinda O'Hooley , two of the finest singers and musicians on the modern folk scene.
Oates and O'Hooley met as part of Mercury Prize nominated Rachel Unthank & the Winterset and count among their fans Mike Harding of BBC Radio 2
The twosome will be performing separately & together for a handful of intimate shows this winter, including Frazer Theatre on Saturday, November 15
The show starts at 8pm and tickets priced at £7 are available at PEAR Record Shop in Knaresboorugh or by calling 01484 460839.
THEY’VE been together, on and off, give and take a line-up change or two, for 15 years or more yet MFOR remain as popular as ever.
You can catch the rock and pop covers kings, led by powerful vocalist Paul Kettley, at Monteys Rock Cafe off Parliament Street in Harrogate tomorrow night, Saturday from 9pm-ish.
FORMER songwriter in Harrogate’s nearly indie greats IV Play Nader Mabadi is launching a new band with a debut show at Katana in Harrogate next week.
Mabadi, who worked successfully with singer Liam Gray for years, now plays with new band Faces of Dorian.
The band will be unveiling 14 brand new tracks at Katana on Union Street in Harrogate on Tuesday, November 11.
For more info and details on downloads, visit www.faceofdorian.com
AS a sort of farewell to Ripon, local promoters DMB are holding a special ‘living room’ gig with Swedish singer Josefina Sanner tomorrow, Saturday, November 8.
Sanner, who is much influenced by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Ron Sexsmith, Kate Bush and Neil Young, will be supported by fast-rising Scottish singer-songwriter Gary Stewart who’s been compared to both Paul Simon and The Smiths.
Entry by invitation and donation. This supercedes the planned show by Sanner at Ripon Rugby Club which had to be cancelled because of unforseen licensing issues.
For more details go to www.dmblivemusic.co.uk
or email dmb@greenlanegroup.co.uk
LIVE music is going strong at newish venue No 19 Bar & Grill on Parliament Street (ex-Yates’s) plus there’s comedy next week, too.
On the bill this week are tonight, Friday: The Decades (up-tempo Harrogate indie rockers) & The Moonshine Crows (Hull-based dirty blues band). Sat: rock covers band Speedsta (Foo Fighters/QOTSA and more). Tuesday: Stand-up comedy with Dave Twentyman, Gavin Webster and Sally-Anne Hayward.
MAJOR Harrogate audio visual installation firm FTAV is organising a big rock show for Christmas.
The first Harrogate Music Mafia Christmas Party will be held on Saturday, December 27 at the Crown Hotel with a full line-up of local bands for a fiver (not forgetting a free curry/chilli!)
Among the acts so far are rock band Knievel, local blues legend Paul Middleton, singer Dan Burnett, the Lucy Mizen Band and more.
The sponsors for the concert are FTAV, Rock Steady Music shop, BASH and Valley House Studios.
YOU might have noticed a few familiar faces in a new reality TV programme on Channel 4 on Tuesdays.
As well as Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrissey, this show based at Ye Olde Punch Bowl Inn in Marton cum Grafton also stars local celebrity chef Richard Fox, the renowned ‘beer chef’ who originally opened Harrogate’s most famous music venue, the Blues Bar.
That was 21 years ago and now its current owners Simon and Sharon Colgan are preparing to celebrates its 21st anniversary with a week of special gigs at the end of November.
Fox and friends Morriseey and fellow actor Hugo Spier have all been known to pop into the Blues Bar for a drink, especially now that the fruits of their efforts, Morrissey Fox Blonde Ale, is now on sale there!
The Blues Bar has also launched a three CD ‘best of’ compilation whose proceeds will be donated to the Montpellier Parade bar's neighbouring Oxfam shop as part of the region's Oxjam campaign, a series of charity events which will culminate in a month-long music festival in March.
For more information visit www.bluesbar.co.uk or www.oxfam.co.uk
KNARESBOROUGH promoters Kula Productions have emailed Gig Scene to say that tickets are now on sale for next year’s Deborah Bonham show at both Rummages and Blind Jacks in town.
More info from www.kula-productions.com
IF you can’t wait for the real Led Zepplelin to announce tour dates next year, grab the next best thing.
Playing at Harrogate’s Royal Hall this Friday, November 7 are Zeppelin tribute act, Letz Zep whose fans include Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson and Jonathan Ross.
For tickets contact the HIC box office on 0845 130 8840.
ONE of the region’s most popular singer-songwriters, Chris Milner teams up with south coast songstress Anita Jardine for a show at Harrogate’s St Mary’s Church near Cold Bath Road on Sunday, November 16 from 7.45pm.
Tickets cost £3.
SUCCESSFUL local music promoters RipleyBlues forthcoming shows include - Nov 9: The Counterfeit Stones (sold out). Nov 29: The Ian Parker Band. Dec 20: Nine Below Zero.
Visit www.ripleyblues.com
Tickets by post: send a cheque payable to Ripley Blues and s.a.e. to Andy Herrington, 1 Foundry Gardens, Knaresborough HG5 8BB.
Alternatively book online at www.ripleyblues.com
TIM Hornsby’s Duchess venue in York always seems to have great acts these days.
Situated just along from Fibbers, among those playing shortly are – Sun, Nov 9: The Guillemots. Thurs, Nov 13: The Fall. Mon, Nov 17: Uriah Heep. Wed, Nov 19: John Otway Big Band & Ashley Reaks. Sun, Nov 23: Cage The Elephant.
For tickets, tel 08700 600 100 or visit www.theduchessyork.co.uk
A MAJOR charity gig for young local bands is to take place at The Old Swan Hotel next month.
Called Breaking Acts 08, more than 100 tickets have already been sold for the show on November 22 which features five of the best young bands from around Yorkshire.
Playing the gig, which is in support of the Michael Varah Memorial Fund, will be the following: Stop Motion, the hard rocking headliners from Leeds/York, pop/punk/rock/dance act A Lot Like Eskimos, Wetherby’s The Superlatives (who won Stray FM’s Battle of the Bands a few years back) plus melodic Harrogate band Kid October and local acoustic act Anton Larkin.
Tickets costing £7 are on sale from G23 in Harrogate.
Doors open at 6.45pm and the show runs to 11pm.
www.myspace.com/breakingacts08
MILES Hunt, famed for hits with The Wonder Stuff, is to play a return engagement for North Yorkshire promoters In The Dock.
Two years ago, Hunt and fiddler Erica Nockalls went down a storm in the grand but intimate surroundings of The Old Courthouse in Thirsk.
Now they’re back, as part of a national tour, on Friday, December 12 - and the good news for promoters, if not fans, is it has sold out immediately.
The duo will be performing acoustic versions of old and new Wonder Stuff songs, as well as some of Hunt’s solo material.
Support comes from excellent and literate Morrissey-esque band Education who are also doing a live session on The BBC Radio York Raw Talent Show on December 4.
More info: www.areyoueducated.com/inthedock
THE feedback from pub-goers has reportedly been great for the One Eyed Rat pub’s Sunday afternoon acoustic sessions in Ripon.
More info from www.oneeyedrat.com
1960s cover kings The Diamonds are playing at The Manhattan Club in Harrogate on New Year’s Eve. Tickets costing 10 in advance are available from the club or by phoning 01937 586330.
Fancy dress is being positively encouraged.
YOU might remember a young, powerful rock band called Trigger, who made a bg impression in Harrogate earlier in the decade in the days when the Little Wonder pub on Ripon Road held battles of the bands contests?
Well, not quite as young but possibly even more talented, guitarist/singer/songwriter Graham Parry says the band have been rehearsing together again in preparation for their first live gig in nearly four years.
The date for their ‘comeback’ show has now been announced. It’s Saturday, December 20 at Harrogate Football Club’s ground on Wetherby News (we’re assuming it’s the clubhouse, not the pitch).
Keep up to date with Parry and the boys’ various musical activities at www.webjam/graham_parry
BEDALE-based indie rock band The Conspirators have secured support slots with two top bands of the Britpop era.
The local five-piece will be playing dates with 90s hit groups Ocean Colour Scene and Dodgy.
Genevieve Parker, songwriter/guitarist John Gillies and co also completed their debut album recently.
More info from www.myspace.com/theconspiratorsuk
IT seems the unfancied Crabtrees pub in Harrogate is definitely making a real effort to turn into a proper ‘rock bar’.
Landlord Dave Townsend is starting to organise bands and rock nights such as Full Metal Racket.
THE Eggcorns, that great young Black Keys-influenced bluesy-rock outfit who played Charm’s Christmas Party at Monteys in Harrogate last year, have sort of evolved into a new outfit called Idle Maestro.
You can hear one of their new tracks at www.myspace.com/idlemaestro
LOCAL CD REVIEW
Education: Turbines (single)
The tell-tale sign of a really good song (and songwriter) is what’s left when you strip away most of the instrumental backing.
On Turbines it’s just lead singer Christopher Taylor and an acoustic guitar - oh and a typically catchy little ditty about hypocritical NIMBYs blocking wind farms.
Being far from one-dimensional, Taylor’s cutting lyrics reveal the opponents of progress not to be born and bred rural folk but outsiders who’ve bought property.
It’s another fantastic, midget gem from the acerbic North Yorkshire-based poppy-punky outfit Education.
The lyrics are simply too good for me to waste more space, so here’s part of the song to savour with a glass of wine, very dry, naturally.
“You said the turbines were fine, until you sat down to dine – and you heard them whine.”
For more info visit www.myspace.com/educati0n
Education support Miles Hunt at The Old Courthouse, Thirsk on December 12.
You can also hear them in session on BBC Radio York’s Raw Talent Show on December 4.
