28th February releases and re-releases

Here’s what we have planned for February 28th and also some gig news

CRAB DANCE GIs

The Crab Dancers return with another quality slice of Manchester Music. A two track single double A side entitled – Cover Aversion/I’m Sorry (But You’ve Got To Go)

Crab Dance GIs is the side project for KIT B’s Danny Cusick which also features Craig Bodell and Paul Smith, all three of whom were in the excellent band The Hidden Gem.

Packed with Cusick’s sardonic wit and great melodies this is a welcome addition to a collection of great tunes produced by the band

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MOFF SKELLINGTON

The bard of Abstercot is never far from our minds and in anticipation of a new EP in around a months time we are re-issuing Moff Skellington’s excellent album The Pukes of A Hot Cloister.

The dark days of January 2012 were brightened somewhat by the arrival of The Pukes Of A Hot Cloister album. As usual there was a feast of lyrical athleticism, Moff plucks words out of the ether and re-arranges them in a completely unique and totally compelling way. This album is particularly full of memorable “Moffism’s”, too many to mention and all rather special, there is some degree of continuity from prior releases in parts, with several references to molecules, and the usual bovine references that are scattered across the albums, and the opening instrumental “House of New Bricks” is quoted in the words/music of the penultimate track “Four Peg Wooden Unit”. Two of the tracks “Time for Nervous Questions In The Pub” and “Confident of Pending Treats” formed part of the six song set Moff recorded for the “Reformation” radio show (Salford City Radio), the other four appearing on the previous years Embers from the Rapid Eye album, so there is some specific continuity between those two albums. As is usual with Moff you know what you are going to get – the difference with each album though is how he has progressed his art and which particular parts of his “dreamscape” he is addressing in this instance.

The opening “House of New Bricks” sets the scene with a stately waltz around the accordion with bluesy harp wailing – this soon transforms into the strange and somehow beautiful “Crap and Ugly Toys” which is Eddodi in its purest sense. From there on we are gently led through a journey of fascinating words and unique music. A contemporary “manifesto” of Moff’s work, whether it be his art or his music, described a reality comprising three interacting factors – octoberness, perfection and slapstick. Simply put these three elements , anticipation, entropy, and the essentially comedic nature of existence, intertwine to allow innovation, expression and interpretation. We are resisting the urge to release spoilers about the content of this album as we believe that the listener should absorb this marvellous work and draw their own conclusions from the text/sound. All we will say is that the other-worldliness of Moff’s output is never more apparent as it is here. He has always been unique. no one else is doing music like this – it just seems he has built on his work to date to create something rather special. Variety is the watchword here and it is all good. Comparisons, bench-marks, yardsticks etc are impossible so the listener needs to approach it from his/her perspective.

It is with great pleasure that we re-release this album for wider consumption.

RE-INTRODUCING THE SCISSORS

We thought it was timely to bring the oft neglected and rather marvellous band The Scissors back to forefront.

The Cambridge based band offer a unique sound encompassing carnival freakshow organ, primitive synths, and rock’n’roll guitar powered psych-punk-pop. Their influences are varied, but their sound has been likened to The Teardrop Explodes, The Doors, The Chameleons, Wire, The Damned, and XTC.

The current line-up of the band is: Stewart Harris – vocals/bass, Toby Lefever – guitars, Simon Powell – keys/tronica, Huw Wallace – drums

The Scissors 1 — Photo credit : http://www.annielovettphotography.com

The Scissors started in 2006 in Cambridge as a trio; adding organ and primitive analogue synths a year later to mould their sound into a mix of psychpop and post-punk that they continue to develop. They have played alongside great acts including Glasvegas, Hey Sholay, Raglans, ex-Kook Max Rafferty, James McCartney (son of Sir Paul), Make Model and Jakil. In terms of venues they have delivered well-received sets in London (Dublin Castle, Camden Enterprise, Hope and Anchor), and in the East of England (The John Peel Centre in Stowmarket, Epic Studios in Norwich). In their home town they’ve played at the Portland Arms, Cambridge Junction, the Corn Exchange, Mill Road Winter Fair and comic/sci-fi convention CamCon. They have even ventured north to play the Salford Music Festival They’re no strangers to local radio, especially Cambridge 105’s ‘Stagger Indie’ show and Dave Hammond’s Smelly Flowerpot on Cambridge 105.

We re-release their two latest offerings to a wider audience from the 28th.

FILED FANGS

As trailed last week the debut release (it’s not a single!) from Filed Fangs is officially released on 28th February – here’s a link to a review from Louder Than War.

GIGS

Gigs for the remainder of February and March

Umbrella Assassins
21 Feb 2020
Haverhill Art Centre, High St, Haverhill CB9 8AR, UK

Electric Cheese
22 Feb 2020
The Whip & Kitten, 8, 12 Burnley Rd, Rawtenstall, Rossendale BB4 8EW, UK

Adventures of Salvador, Loop-Aznavour
28 Feb 2020
Shangri-La at the Carlton Club, 279 Bury Old Rd, Prestwich, Manchester M25 1JA, UK

Elastikbande
28 Feb 2020
The Whip & Kitten, 8, 12 Burnley Rd, Rawtenstall, Rossendale BB4 8EW, UK

Bouquet of Dead Crows
29 Feb 2020
The Blue Moon, 2 Norfolk St, Cambridge CB1 2LF, UK

The Junta with Section 25 Industrial Unit
29 Feb 2020
Aatma, 1st Floor, 14-16 Faraday St, Manchester M1 1BE, UK

Poppycock
8 Mar 2020
The Spinning Top 20 Wellington Road South, SK4 1AA Stockport

Inferior Complex
13 Mar 2020
HOLROYD ARMS, 36 Aldershot Rd, Guildford GU2 8AF, UK

Weimar
13 Mar 2020
Railway Inn (Didsbury), 3 Lapwing Ln, Manchester M20 2NT, UK

The Mind Sweepers with The Red Propellers
14 Mar 2020
The Peer Hat, 14-16 Faraday St, Manchester M1 1BE, UK

Inferior Complex
14 Mar 2020
The Acoustic Couch, 11 Market St, Bracknell RG12 1JG, UK

Inferior Complex
20 Mar 2020
Winchester Football Club Hillier Way, Winchester SO23 0JD, UK

Four Candles and Adventures of Salvador
20 Mar 2020
The Salty Dog, 23 High St, Northwich CW9 5BZ, UK

The English Disease
23 Mar 2020
The Hatch Sheffield

Kit B and Inferior Complex
26 Mar 2020
The Dublin Castle, 94 Parkway, Camden Town, London NW1 7AN, UK

Inferior Complex and Bouquet of Dead Crows
29 Mar 2020
The Smokehouse, South Street Studios 6 South Street, Ipswich IP1 3NU, UK

What’s Coming In February?

This time around we are looking forward to what’s happening during February with German Shepherd Records…..

FEBRUARY RELEASES

7th -Positronik – Work

We kick off the month with a new four track EP from Manchester soul-pop trio Positronik. With songs from both instrumentalist Jeff “Captain” Black and singer Nathalie Haley there’s a certainly a lot of variety in the mix. Kicking off with Jeff Black’s Aretha inspired soul stomper, and EP lead track, W-O-R-K the stage is set for a set of dance floor classics. Nathalie’s dream-pop epic “Good So Bad” follows changing the mood, and next the soulful “Easy Money” again shifts gears highlighting her strong vocals. The set is completed with the hyper active pop drenched “When You Call Me ‘Sweetheart'”.

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14th – Inferior Complex – Live on Sheppey FM

The ever busy Inferior Complex bring their post-punk sounds to the fore again with a live radio session album recorded live with Phil Crowder at Sheppey FM on his End of the Week show. This great collection reveals the trio’s great live sound. More information on this release next week. The band have a new single ready for release in May.

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21st – Auster Boys – Lost In The Former East

The Austers are back with a new album of music from a flâneur perspective which this time focuses on a trip to Berlin and three jazz concerts in London. Iain Sinclair’s “The Last London” provides a literary back-drop to a psycho-geographical journey which slips between dreams and waking and where time and meaning/intent are blurred.

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28th – Moff Skellington The Pukes of a Hot Cloister

We begin the monumental task of redistributing the bulk of Moff Skellington’s back catalogue this month. Moff will be providing brand new cover art for some editions. We begin with the memorable “Pukes of a Hot Cloister” a large portion of which was originally launched as a session of Bob’s Reformation Show on Salford City Radio some years back. New material from Moff is due in a few months time.

28th – Crab Dance GIs – I’m Sorry(But You’ve Got To Go) / Cover Aversion

Manchester pop terrorists Crab Dance GIs return with a brand new single. Featuring KIT Bs Danny Cusick and former Hidden Gem Band Mates Craig Bodell and Paul Smith. This is their third single with us
CDGIs Option A

28th – The Scissors – Look Good In Cheap Clothes, and Smokehouse and Mirrors

We redistribute the last two releases from Cambridge freakbeat/punkpop/new wave quartet – they return to Spotify/Apple/Google/Amazon etc

28th – Filed Fangs – Calcify (pre-released 14th)

Time for something new?

It is “Calcify” – a track NOT a single.

A hint. An introduction. The first of many tracks from a staggered album – a collection of songs that will track by track / drip by drip / bite by bite reveal a body of work

Distressed sounds, walls of guitars (bass and lead), layers of keyboards

Snatches of vocals, needle hitting red, music from a broken radio just off the dial through a splintered culture, motes of sound breaking through.

Calcification – hardening, insoluble deposits, disruption of systems and functions

They are Filed Fangs – Paul (Slum Turkeys) and Boz (Flea) collaborating – echoes of sound from Manchester 30 years back brought up to date. Time flowing back and forward, echoes and future memories.

Grunge, dub, electronica, noise.
Hypnotic.
Epic and enigmatic.

When everything else these days sounds like somebody else’s stuff (recycled post punk brit pop black blah blah) this sounds unique, special. compelling. Something to get your teeth into?

A preview….

FEBRUARY GIGS

A busy month ahead ……

1st –
- The Harveys – Jimmy’s, Liverpool L7 6HE, UK
- The Mind Sweepers – Big Burns Supper, Eskdale House, Crichton Business Park, Dumfries DG1 4UQ, UK
2nd
- Bouquet of Dead Crows – The Fiddler’s Elbow – Music Venue, 1 Malden Rd, Belsize Park, London NW5 3HS, UK
7th
- Inferior Complex – The Alexandra, 6 Bellevue Rd, Southampton SO15 2AY, UK
8th
- Four Candles & The Ombudsmen – Fuel Cafe Bar, 448 Wilmslow Rd, Manchester M20 3BW, UK
- Weimar – Hoylake Social Club, 11 Trinity Rd, Hoylake, Wirral CH47 2BR, UK
15th
- The Mind Sweepers – The Vaults Arts Centre, Newton Stewart
21st
- Umbrella Assassins – Bury Sound, Bury St Edmonds
28th
- Elastikbande – The Whip & Kitten, 8, 12 Burnley Rd, Rawtenstall, Rossendale BB4 8EW, UK
29th
- Bouquet of Dead Crows – The Blue Moon, 2 Norfolk St, Cambridge CB1 2LF, UK
- The Junta with Section 25 Industrial Unit – Aatma, 1st Floor, 14-16 Faraday St, Manchester M1 1BE, UK

Newsletter 57 – Lots of new releases and a big gig or two!

Hi Folks

We have a busy last week of October with four new releases planned for October 25th and a couple of high profile gigs for that weekend.

All releases are digital except where indicated and will be available from our Bandcamp Page and via Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and all of the other usual digital platforms

ELASTIKBANDE – VACUUM CLEANER EP

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Elastikbande are a brand new Manchester UK based three piece (post punk / grunge / garage rock) outfit featuring ex members of The Fall / Polythene, (Una Baines’) Poppycock and Rose & The Diamond Hand. Featuring Kate Themen on drums, Luisa Maraffino on guitar / backing vocals and Mark Corrin on bass / vocals.

The band’s sound is dynamic, melodic, catchy and often witty. Previously band member’s other work has featured on The John Peel Show, BBC Radio 1, 6 Music and BBC 3’s Late Junction, plus covered in blogs such as The Quietus and Louder Than War.

Their debut EP Vacuum Cleaner was recorded entirely live in the studio in Salford in August 2019 to capture the energy of the group’s stage show.

Musically Elastikbande have been compared to a blend of The Fall, Pavement, The Pixies and more. These early songs are about everything from household appliances to stage diving etiquette.

The band will be appearing at our showcase gig on October 25th at Gullivers, Manchester (see below)
Mark’s solo album from this year “Pub Bin” is also still available

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BOUQUET OF DEAD CROWS – LEFT TO ROT

Following the success of their album “Motus Octo” and a line-up change Cambridge alternative rock band “Bouquet of Dead Crows” is back with a brand new single “Left to Rot”. With new bassist Karen Gadd the band embark on the next phase in their career with a heavier sound …. they will be playing Manchester Gullivers on October 25th – and the Blue Moon Cambridge on 1st November as part of a gig swap with Manchester rockers The Parish Church Fire.
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MOFF SKELLINGTON – THE INFRASOUND GUEST

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Moff follows up his “Strange Acrylic Night Custard” album with another journey into the mysterious realm of Abstercot in the company of The Infrasound Guest – tales of Pardonian customs, squirrels and Seraphs, and pillows for your Spasms amongst other strangeness add to the over 20 + albums he has released to date. Moff is the natural successor to Ivor Cutler and Viv Stanshall if those two had been fed on a diet of Pere Ubu, Cabaret Voltaire, Tom Waits and The Fall. Moff defies description so we won’t bother, you either get it or you don’t – we understand that to – but if you do get it please trumpet it from the highest pinnacles in your neighbourhood so he get the attention he rightly deserves.

Moff will be back next months with a fascinating new album via The Sleeping Ducks.

If you want to have a further taste of Strange Acrylic Night Custard …….

THE JUNTA – JE SUIS

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Salford’s premier electrohead is back with a new six track EP The Junta is the alter-ego of Salford musician John “Monty” Montague. Monty, aside from delivering electronica via The Junta also plays bass in Kit B and Positronik and is a DJ on Salford City Radio and can be seen DJing at Wangies in Eccles on a Friday Night.

His new EP follows on from the highly regarded “Network” album and is packed with dance friendly beats inspired by the likes of Jean Michel Jarre, and Chemical Brothers.
The EP is launched on October 26th at The London Road Inn, Buxton with support from 243 Ida and Neural Dance

A limited edition CD version will be available at gigs and via our Bandcamp page.

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SHOW CASE GIG

We end October with a showcase gig (as mentioned above) at Gullivers, Oldham Street, Manchester with a great line up of

THE PARISH CHURCH FIRE
BOUQUET OF DEAD CROWS
ELASTIKBANDE

With the more rock/punk elements of our releases in play this promises to be a great evening of music with some special surprises promised by the headliners.

Tickets are available at SEETICKET.COM and the whole thing kicks off at 7pm

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New Moff – Strange Acrylic Night Custard

We are pleased to announce a brand new album from the master of Eddodi – Moff Skellington.

Entitled “Strange Acrylic Night Custard” the 12 track release is the latest in Moff’s unique journey through the Brigadoon of Dreamsleep – Abstercot

It is released in digital format only on 4th October via our Bandcamp Page as well as via all the usual digital platforms through AWAL.

Moff, whose given name is Andy Quayle, is an iconoclast blessed with a unique talent with words and music that defies convention and operates in a separate and quite distinct time continuum to the rest of the world of entertainment. His prolific and prodigious output, over thirty albums, EPs and one DVD since 1999, offers some of the most exciting and challenging work you are ever likely to hear. Aside from his musical endeavours he is also a gifted and talented visual artist who has exhibited his unique painting and drawings in many different locations.

Moff also works alongside Ian Moss as “Moss Skellington” and “The Colourful Disease”, and has also collaborated with Auster Boys, and with Hazel Fairburn in the project Sleeping Ducks.

The vast majority of the Moff Skellington albums are home recordings, on which Andy sings, talks and plays a variety of instruments, including accordion, melodica, harmonicas, whistles, ukulele, guitar, huttyphone, stylophone, bodhran, jaw harp, kalimba, dulcimer, metronome, tenor horn, baritone euphonium, various percussion and elastic bands.. The results are then mixed and mastered to create amazing collections of songs and poems. Everything is recorded in real-time, there is no cut and paste, no sampling, in fact nothing artificial at all, except perhaps the stylophone and the occasional drum machine.

Moff’s manifesto is simple and quite direct

“The chosen musical form is that of Edoddi, a species of folk music which celebrates the very individual and often skewed perceptions of the world engendered by modern life. Edoddi provides a refreshing alternative to the prescriptions and formulas of mainstream and “alternative” folk music. Edoddi philosophy: nothing is arbitrary. Make it up as you go along, it’s bound to be authentic!”.

Moff’s is inspired by a disparate variety of artists from Pere Ubu, through to Tom Waits via Cabaret Voltaire and The Red Krayola. This is “folk music” viewed through a post-punk prism.

Our promotional package for this release includes a thirty minute audio presentation from Moff on the thinking behind the album where he introduces each track this will be available on release date from our Mixcloud Select page.

In addition to the above Moff has prepared a one hour podcast for our Mixcloud Select channel which will include three songs from the album and a fascinating selection of music that has inspired him over the years including some rare and unique artists that we hadn’t even heard of here at German Shepherd HQ.

Strange Acrylic Night Custard will be followed by a second album “The Infrasound Guest” on October 25th and a new Sleeping Ducks album “The Radio People” on November 29th.

Strange Acrylic Night Custard cover Hi res

Newsletter 41 : More Moff, Live Scissors album, Adventures of Salvador album, Umbrella Assassins T Shirts and Gigs!

Hello and welcome to your weekly news for all things German Shepherd Records

This week

– The Pukes of a Hot Cloister re-released
– New Scissors live album coming soon
– Adventures of Salvador new album trailed
– Umbrella Assassins T Shirts now available
– More Gigs announced

MORE MOFF SKELLINGTON

As we continue our programme of re-releasing Moff Skellington’s huge back catalogue we have reached the landmark “The Pukes of a Hot Cloister” which will be re-released digitally on May 3rd.

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The dark days of January 2012 were brightened somewhat by the arrival of The Pukes Of A Hot Cloister album. As usual there was a feast of lyrical athleticism, Moff plucks words out of the ether and re-arranges them in a completely unique and totally compelling way. This album is particularly full of memorable “Moffism’s”, too many to mention and all rather special, there is some degree of continuity from prior releases in parts, with several references to molecules, and the usual bovine references that are scattered across the albums, and the opening instrumental “House of New Bricks” is quoted in the words/music of the penultimate track “Four Peg Wooden Unit”. Two of the tracks “Time for Nervous Questions In The Pub” and “Confident of Pending Treats” formed part of the six song set Moff recorded for Bob Osborne’s “Reformation” radio show on Salford City Radio, the other four appearing on the previous years Embers from the Rapid Eye album, so there is some specific continuity between those two albums. As is usual with Moff you know what you are going to get – the difference with each album though is how he has progressed his art and which particular parts of his “dreamscape” he is addressing in this instance.

Moff has a major exhibition of his art at the Canwood Gallery and Sculpture Park during May. Exhibition will run from 11am to 4pm each week Tuesday to Sunday. 30 canvasses and 40 prints will be on show at the exhibition.

LIVE SCISSORS

We are pleased to announce the return of Cambridge band the Scissors with a live album recorded at The Smokehouse in Ipswich earlier this year. The raw sound of the live Scissors experience is captured perfectly and demonstrates the pure energy of the band on stage. Release date is planned for 10th May.

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ADVENTURES OF SALVADOR ALBUM TRAILED

The much anticipated new album from Adventures of Salvador “Welcome to our Village” is coming in June. Pending that the band play The Peer Hat, Manchester this Thursday (25th) and Ramsbottom Cricket Club on May 10th, Liverpool Fringe on June 6th with the album launch scheduled for June 28th at The Castle, Oldham Street, Manchester. Watch this space for more details.

UMBRELLA ASSASSINS T’S

Haverhill’s finest are hard at work on new material with an album promised later in the year pending that you can increase your sartorial eloquence by acquiring one of their rather fine T-Shirts at this LOCATION. The trio play The Smokehouse, Ipswich on July 13th.

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GIGS

The Spring Summer gig list is hotting up with extra gigs for Inferior Complex, Keltrix and Four Candles emerging…..the full list is below

April
25th – Adventures of Salvador play the Peer Hat, Manchester
26th – Mark Corrin plays The Railway, Didsbury
May
1st to 31st – Moff Skellington has an art exhibition at Canwood Gallery and Sculpture Park, Checkley, Hertfordshire
3rd – Inferior Complex play Winchester Gate, Salisbury
3rd – The Scissors play The Blue Moon, Cambridge
4th – Positronik and Pearl Divers play Music on the Market Place, Buxton
4th – The Mind Sweepers play The Frunge Festival, The Elmerglen Hotel, Thornhill
5th – Keltrix play The Green Man Brew Ballyhoo, Granchester
7th – Ian Moss performs in Unseasonal Beasts project with Simon “Ding” Archer at the Castle Hotel, Manchester as part of the MASS assembly event. This is a free event but you must reserve a ticket
10th – Adventures of Salvador play Ramsbottom Cricket Club
11th – Keltrix play The Haymakers, Cambridge (Acoustic Set)
18th -Weimar play the Eagle, Salford supporting St Lucifer
20th – Stewart Harris from Scissors on Dave Hammonds Smellypot Show on Cambridge 105 talking about the new live album
24th – Four Candles play Strummercamp at Oldham Rugby Club
25th – Sam Smith plays Strummercamp at Oldham Rugby Club
June
1st – Keltrix play Strawberry Fair, Midsummer Common, Cambridge
2nd – Inferior Complex play Bandstand, Eastleigh
5th – The Junta plays West Street Live, Sheffield
6th – Adventures of Salvador and Matthew Hopkins play Liverpool Fringe Festival
7th – The Parish Church Fire and Four Candles are playing The Eagle, Salford

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7th – Inferior Complex play The Alexandra, Southampton
8th – Keltrix play Pride!, Jesus Green, Cambridge
8th – Inferior Complex play The Red House, Yeovil
15th – The Mind Sweepers and Paul Winter (solo set) supporting JD Meatyard at Leith Depot Edinburgh tickets are £5 with £1 going to local homeless charity.

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20th – Inferior Complex play The King Charles, Poole
21st – Weimar play The Eagle, Salford
24th – The Junta plays The Peer Hat, Manchester with Lucky + Love.
26th – Dominic Carlton Jones plays Cuckoo Calling (Featured Artist) Bury New Road, Prestwich
28th – Adventures of Salvador play The Castle, Oldham Street, Manchester – ALBUM RELEASE SHOW
July
5th – Mark Corrin’s Elastikbande play The Railway, Didsbury
5th – Inferior Complex play The Shooting Star, Southampton
6th – The Mind Sweepers play Electric Fields Festival, SWG3, Glasgow
13th – Umbrella Assassins play The Smokehouse, Ipswich
13th – Electric Cheese play Indiefest 2019 at The Boulevard, Wigan
19th – The Scissors with Ember Rev at Blue Moon Cambridge
20th – Keltrix play Whoosh Festival, The Missing Sock, Sto-Cum-Quy
28th – Monkeys In Love celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing at The Klondyke Club, Levenshulme – afternoon show between 1pm and 5pm
31st – The Junta plays The Peer Hat
August
9th – Mark Corrin’s Elastikbande play The Railway, Didsbury
10th – Weimar play Scarborough Apollo
16th – Keltrix play The Green Man, Granchester
25th – Toska Wilde plays It Came From The Sea II at The Centre, Margate