After another sensational year Jack Savoretti releases a special edition of his new album ‘Sleep No More’ on September 8th on BMG. The 2 CD special edition contains a bonus disc of acoustic and live versions of tracks past and present and a new track, ‘Whiskey Tango’.
With sales of ‘Sleep No More’ approaching 100,000, Jack continues to cement his reputation as one of the UK’s standout male singer songwriters. He was recently announced as the special guest to John Legend on his European tour.
Alongside the huge radio hits ‘When We Were Lovers’, ‘We Are Bound’ and ‘Only You’, the ‘Sleep No More’ special edition includes a brand new single ‘Whiskey Tango’. Impacting September 15th, written by Jack and produced by Cam Blackwood (George Ezra/London Grammar), ‘Whiskey Tango’ is a summer anthem in the making with its bouncing bassline and irresistible hook.
‘Sleep No More’ special edition tracklisting below:
CD1: Sleep No More
1. When We Were Lovers
2. Deep Waters
3. I’m Yours
4. Helpless
5. We Are Bound
6. Tight Rope
7. Troubled Souls
8. Only You
9. Sleep No More
10. Any Other Way
11. Start Living In The Moment
12. Lullaby Loving
CD2: Live and Acoustic
1. Whiskey Tango
2. Soldiers Eyes (live)
3. Breaking The Rules (live)
4. Home (live)
5. Other Side Of Love (live)
6. Tie Me Down (live)
7. When We Were Lovers (Acoustic Version)
8. Deep Waters (Acoustic Version)
9. Start Living In The Moment (Acoustic Version)
10. Only You (Acoustic Version)
11. I’m Yours (Acoustic Version)
12. Whiskey Tango (Demo)
The special edition will be available to pre-order from the 11th August, with ‘Soldiers Eyes (Live)’ being immediately available as an instant download.
Jack Savoretti opens for John Legend on the following dates:
September
Fri 8th GLASGOW, The SSE Hydro
Sat 9th NEWCASTLE Metro Radio Arena,
Sun 10th NOTTINGHAM, Motorpoint Arena,
Tues 12th LONDON, O2 Arena,
Fri 15th LEEDS, First Direct Arena
Sat 16th MANCHESTER Manchester Arena,
Sun 17th LIVERPOOL Liverpool Echo Arena
Tues 19th CARDIFF Motorpoint Cardiff Arena
Weds 20th BIRMINGHAM Barclaycard Arena
Fri 22nd AMSTERDAM, Ziggo Dome,
Sat 23rd LUXEMBOURG, Rockhal, Luxembourg
Sun 24th HAMBURG, Mehr! Theater,
Tues 26th SWEDEN, Ericsson Globe, Stockholm
Weds 27th OSLO, Spektrum
Thurs 28th COPENHAGEN, Royal Arena
Sat 30th BERLIN, Columbia Halle, Berlin, Germany
October
Sun 1st MUNICH, Zenith
Weds 4th PARIS Accor Hotel Arena
Thurs 5th BELGIUM, Forest National
Sun 8th COLOGNE, Palladium,
Mon 9th FRANKFURT, Jahrhunderthalle,
Thurs 12th BARCELONA, Palau Sant Jordi,
Sat 14th LISBON, Meo Arena
NYC’s Charly Bliss add their signature 90’s alt-rock twist to Len’s pop classic “Steal My Sunshine” with a double-time final third and Eva Hendricks’ trademark vocals stamped all over it.
The band announced their first UK dates in June following on from the huge interest in their critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Guppy’, which is out now via Barsuk Records.
The band have also released a music video for “Westermarck”, a stand out – complete with infectious, immediate chorus – from Guppy. Billboard, who premiered the video, are saying it “captures summer camp in all its nostalgic, carefree glory.”
The band are also offering a free download of “Westermarck” with a follow here
9/12 – Cardiff, UK – Clwb iFor Bach
9/13 – London, UK – The Old Blue Last (Sold Out)
9/14 – London, UK – The Garage +
9/15 – Liverpool, UK – Studio 2
9/16 – Leeds, UK – Headrow House
9/17 – Glasgow, UK – Hug & Pint
9/19 – Manchester, UK – The Eagle Inn
9/20 – Birmingham, UK – The Sunflower Lounge
Johnny has an encyclopedic knowledge of music, and when we meet up we talk music in a quite obsessional way. Sometimes we swap cover versions, something that started in hugely long Facebook conversation. That said a covers column seemed a good way of easing Johnny into LSF.
Welcome aboard Johnny.
So for this column rather than just choosing covers and saying why we liked them, we decided it would be more entertaining – for both you and us – if we commented on each other’s choices.
‘Nuff said, lets dive right in…
‘Hitler Was a Vegetarian’ – The Residents
Originally by: we’ll see!
Frank: I adore The Residents, the bunch of weirdos. This choice is something that Johnny may well argue isn’t a cover or even one track. Maybe an ‘interpretation’ is a better choice of word. In this one track – and I’m sticking to it being one track – The Residents interpret 14 songs in their own unique way, hey it’s not just one cover it’s 14, how’s that for a bargain. The song listing is:
“Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)”
“96 Tears”
“It’s My Party”
“Light My Fire”
“Ballad of the Green Berets”
“Yummy Yummy Yummy”
“Rock Around the Clock”
“Pushin’ Too Hard”
“Good Lovin'”
“Gloria”
“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”
“Sunshine of Your Love”
“Hey Jude”
“Sympathy for the Devil”
OK so I admit that some of these are somewhat difficult to hear as separate things – in some cases two things are played ‘over’ each other. And I’m going to admit that this isn’t exactly an easy listen. What sort of drugs they were on when they made this I can only start to imagine. Still I find it strangely charming and laugh out loud funny in places
Johnny: I’m sorry – I just don’t get the Residents any more, although I spent many happy hours in my student days rolling around on the carpet to them laughing like a loon and thinking myself very cool and avant-garde. Now I can’t bear to listen to them for more than…oh, let’s say four and a half seconds. In the interests of fairness for this column I managed to extend that to around one and a half minutes (a painfully long fraction of its 12 plus minutes) of Hitler Was A Vegetarian. For all its artsy weirdness, it’s just a medley of cool and not so cool sixties tunes. Maybe I’ve just grown old and jaded, a stereotypical grumpy old man, but to me it was just grating noise and silliness for the sake of it and I’m afraid I can see no art or charm in it. My bucket list now has a new entry – to succeed in avoiding hearing the Residents ever again..
‘Sex Beat’ – Alejandro Escovedo
Originally by: The Gun Club
J: Let me get this clear from the start. The Gun Club’s ‘Sex Beat’ has always been one of my favourite songs – a contender for my Top Ten. In my eighteen year old mind it was the perfect rock n roll song – urgent, brash, dirty and dangerous – just like the song’s singer and author, Jeffrey Lee Pierce. Many years later, though, I actually paid attention to the lyrics, read up on Jeffrey Lee’s tragically short life and realised just what a desperately sad, lonely and confused song it is – the fantasy of an awkward, chubby suburban kid who couldn’t get a girlfriend, but fancied himself as an Elvis from Hell.
The eighteen year old me probably wouldn’t have ‘got’ Alejandro Escovedo’s alt country version – he would have wondered what the point of it was, where the sex had gone.
By slowing it down, and the sparing use of harmonica, strings and slide guitars, Escovedo cuts through the layers of swagger of the original and lays bare the bleeding soul of the song that I missed, back when I was too mesmerised by the tiger in Debra Ann’s hips to feel the emptiness. Reinvented with desert dust on its boots but still with bourbon in its veins, I like to think this is how an older, wiser, alive Jeffrey Lee would be doing the song now.
F: Johnny, I think I’m with the eighteen year old you here. This sounds like something I should like – you know the ‘it’s something a serious music fan should like’ thing – but it just isn’t working for me at all.
It all feels a little flat in terms of the vocal ‘styling’. It’s a pity because I like the music. I might even suggest that the music could have been used for an original song rather this cover. I much prefer the swagger and trash of the original.
I get that stripping a song down can work, bringing out something extra that wasn’t in the original. But this strips everything out and then adds back something that overwhelms the words. Style over substance, to coin a phrase.
‘Too Drunk To Fuck’ – Nouvelle Vague
Originally by: Dead Kennedys
F: I think I may be on slightly safer ground with this. After my last covers column people frequently said that I should have included something by Nouvelle Vague.
The French band have covered loads of things but I chose this because I really like the original which I first heard on daytime Radio One (this may have been the Chart Show) when The Dead Kennedys released it. Given it’s lyrics this turned into one long bleepfest.
Nouvelle Vague’s signature sound is this sort of French lounge jazz. This combined with the lovely lazy vocal turns this song into the tale of a drunken night out. It’s damn fine.
J: All Nouvelle Vague songs work on the premise that you can turn anything, absolutely anything, into a super-cool, super-sexy song if you slow it down, swathe it in a cloud of Gitanes smoke and get a girl to sing it. Sometimes it works spectacularly – often it doesn’t. This cover is definitely in the former category. I would go so far as to say it’s their best song, better than the original. – because, for all it’s cheekiness, it’s actually edgier and more dangerous. I’m scared of the vocalist on this, and scared for her at the same time – she sounds genuinely off her head, especially when singing (almost giggling) the words ‘16 beers and started a fight’. Utter Genius.
‘I’ve Been To A Marvellous Party’ – The Divine Comedy
Originally by Noel Coward
J: Well of course The Divine Comedy would cover a Noel Coward song. Nothing unexpected there. The precise, note perfect, classically-trained musicianship, the humour and Neil Hannon’s louche but perfectly pitched baritone were made for it. What is unexpected though is how they manage to fuse that aspect of their art with full-on, mind-bending techno to blast the song with a massive bang right into the 1990s and beyond. I doubt that any other band could have come up with this, or if they had, gotten away with it. I couldn’t have liked it more!
F: Somehow this has managed to slip past me, I don’t know how. So this is very much a first impression. Hmmm, not sure about this at all. Some of it I like, some of it not at all. The techno bits sound a little – how shall I phrase this – shoehorned into what was probably a note for note cover. And here I’m going to contradict myself, I actually quite liked the dance bit towards the end.
The problem I have with this is that although The Divine Comedy do the non-dance bits exceptionally well, and it’s almost a laugh out loud parody in a Bonzo or Neil Innes style, the techno bits are just average techno. If they’d managed to up those then I may have tipped into the ‘I like moderately’ camp. As it is, not for me.
‘Hotel California’ – The Cat Empire
Originally by: The Eagles
F: So what we have here is a cover of ‘Hotel California’ by Australia band The Cat Empire sang in French and accompanied by accordion. ‘Oh come on Frank’ I hear you shout ‘you’re just trying it on now’.
No I’m not, I actually find this rather effective. Yes it’s bizarre, but it’s bizarrely good. It’s rather Brel like. Actually while you’re about it check out The Wine Song by the band. This band is the find of the column for me, they’re still going perhaps we could get them to come over for a tour.
J: In 1989, while I was sitting on a train waiting to leave Nice station, guards chased a vagabond through the train and out of a window and a fellow passenger sung and strummed his way through Hotel California without batting an eyelid, linking the song with France in my mind forever. For that reason alone I want to like this version, but I just can’t. I have heard similar renditions in many a square in many a French city and tossed a few coins at the perpetrators. Mostly they were doing a cover of the Gipsy Kings’ cover.
Cat Empire’s version is plodding, pedestrian and kind of predictable, despite the minor whooping it up too near the end. More pertinently, it doesn’t actually add anything to my understanding of the song, doesn’t give me a new perspective. Just covering something in a different genre or language, doesn’t automatically give it a new slant, particularly if the performers don’t, as here, appear to have any real connection with it.
For a better ‘continental’ version check out the Gipsy Kings flamenco version – the real thing. Then there’s Alabama 3’s sexy, dancey, late-night-smokey take on it. Or, for a real lose-yourself-in-the-headphones-for-a-whole-7-minutes-headphones treat – try Nancy Sinatra’s 2002 recording.
‘Hurricane Fighter Plane’ – Sort Sol
Originally by: The Red Crayola
J: The Red Crayola’s ‘Hurricane Fighter Plane’ is psychedelia. Beautiful, awesome, terrible, sparse, frightening, incomprehensible, and downright silly. Filled with space and cramped as Hell. Deep and dark and shining in starlight. The Red Crayola’s Hurricane Fighter Plane is psychedelia. You need never hear another ‘psyche’ tune – all of it and more (yes- life, the universe and everything) are contained in these few sublime moments of weirdness. Whenever I hear it (and I choose these occasions carefully) something special always happens. Tiny mind orgasms. My brain explodes and I am lost in space. And I’m always left wanting more, something else that maybe wasn’t there.
Sort Sol deliver that something more – bollocks. Simple as that. Lost in Space? Sort Sol hit the warp speed and hyperspace buttons and rocket you out of there with a big punk ass kick in the nuts. But, unlike all the straight and not so straight covers out there, they manage to keep the creepiness, the paranoia and beautiful weird chord changes of the original. But you know what? – I’m still unsatisfied. I much preferred being lost in space in all its terrible beauty.
F: This is the first time I’ve actually heard this, and I have to thank Johnny for including it.
While I ‘understand’ that this is ‘meant’ to be the same song as Red Crayola’s song covered in their own sweet way. It’s actually a completely different thing all together, it just happens to have the same lyrics and (some of the) same chord changes. Frankly I find this quite a terrifying thing to listen to. I’m in the process of listening to it a third time in a row and I’m beginning to get twitchy. It’s a twitch I want more of though.
I’m trying hard to think of a way of describing this – the phrase ‘it sounds like a punky MC5 crossed with band trying to be the Cramps but not quite getting there’ keeps coming to mind. This may sound like a criticism, it isn’t.
Ah, now just to calm myself I’ve switched to the original. Bliss. I feel transported.
‘I’m Your Witchdoctor’ – Motörhead
Originally by: John Mayall
F: Everybody has their favourite Motorhead line-up and I’m very much in the original line-up fanbase – that’s Lemmy, Filthy Phil and Fast Eddie. Fast Eddie was for me the best, no arguments. Apart from the brief Brian Robertson period it took two guitarists to replacement him, so case closed on his guitar skills there.
Motorhead was the first band I saw that actually caused long-term hearing loss, I couldn’t actually hear properly for over a week the first time I saw them. This may have been something to do with being too close to the floor mounted bass stacks, who knows. Still that gig is one of my favourite ever.
‘I’m Your Witchdoctor’ is from the ‘Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers’ EP – something I have in a rather nice 12” blue vinyl form (it’s an original pressing, and no, it’s not for sale). I love the tracks on this EP – they were out-takes from the first album – and my particular favourite is this. This is one of the few tracks that Fast Eddie actually sang lead vocals on, so that’s a bonus.
Frankly I just love the fact that it’s just such a mess, it sounds like a first take. And yet somehow it just works. Yes, they’ve cleaned it up a bit and there’s some rather stunning stereo pans on the guitar but it’s raw, it’s actually quite punky.
J: I love the original of this and its supercool mid-sixties Deram mod vibe. I love Motorhead too – but sadly I’m no fan of this. It sounds so ordinary without Lemmy’s vocals – It adds nothing to the original – it’s just noisy and the vocals don’t have the urgency that the song requires, and which John Mayall manages to give it without shouting and breaking guitar strings and amps along the way. For me this falls firmly into the ‘nice try but doesn’t work’ category, which is a shame as Motorhead produced some mighty fine covers, but it was always that bass and Lemmy’s unmistakeable gruffness that made them for me.
‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Originally by: Marvin Gaye
J: I’m driving through the desert in a ‘67 Chevy Impala big block V8 with 425 bhp of muscle under the bonnet. I’m wearing my best chisel-toed Venezuelan boots, drinking Wild Turkey at the wheel. I’m wearing sunglasses. Motel’s another 200 miles off down that long straight road and I lost the cops back in Reno. CCR’s full 10 minute version of Grapevine on the stereo. Need I say more?
F: You don’t, I’m right there with you.
‘Another Girl Another Planet’ – Wolf Alice
Originally by: The Only Ones
F: ‘Another Girl Another Planet’ is in one of my top ten all time favourite songs. Wolf Alice are one of those bands I’m always forgetting I really like. This wistful acoustic cover turns the song into something rather sadder than the original. But I rather like a cover that brings something out that was there but only hinted at in the original.
J: To me this is a nice demo, a competent open mic cover – shows promise, but instantly forgettable.
‘I Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ – The Flaming Lips
Originally by: Kylie
J: Oh Kylie. Everyone you know someday will die. But not you, Kylie. You can bathe forever in your very own bombastic space opera, swathed in cosmic glitter, beamed from Alpha Centauri by The Flaming Lips whose sole purpose, it seems, is to achingly celebrate you and your perfect tiny goddess form. This is one of those rare covers that is instantly recognisable, but utterly, utterly other. That is so true to its performer but totally tuned in to its originator too. It’s alchemy. Oh, Kylie, we will always love you, forever.
F: The problem I have with this is that the original is just so so perfect it hurts. It’s a piece of perfect pop. There’s no flaws, nothing you might have tweaked or changed.
I find it really hard to think quite what the Flaming Lips bring to the party that makes their version ‘good’, or adds anything to the original. It just sounds a bit like a studio jam that somehow got out into public to me.
Actually a quick search shows that The Flaming Lips have ‘previous’ in terms of covers – quite what they thought they were doing covering ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ or ‘Space Oddity’ or joining up with Miley Cyrus to cover ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’ I don’t know. I’m not even going to link to those, you can Google them yourselves.
I used to quite like The Flaming Lips, but you can go right off bands sometimes…
‘Heroes’ – Motorhead
Originally by: Bowie
F: I was slightly wary about including another Motorhead cover but I just couldn’t resist. This is just fabulous. It just works. I don’t even mind all that much that Lemmy’s voice is a little strained. And that guitar solo…
J: I absolutely love this. One of my favourite Bowie songs – Motorhead beef it up, fuck with the lyrics and rock the hell out of it, while retaining the song’s optimism, soul and goosebumpy elements. I would love to have heard a studio version with bass to the fore and Lemmy’s voice in slightly finer fettle.
‘Heartbreak Hotel’ – John Cale
Originally by: Elvis
F: I had a few tracks in mind for my last choice – ‘Enter Sandman’ by Pat Boone (truly scary), ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ by Sinead O’Connor (truly perfect) and ‘Comfortably Numb’ by Luther Wright and The Wrongs (a sort of blue-grass version which is so awful it’s actually good and apparently ‘approved’) – but I decided to go with this.
What I liked about this version was the attack, the venom, with which he absolutely wrings the neck of the song. He just rips it apart. It’s quite quite stunning.
J: Now we’re talking. This is a cover that completely turns the original on its head to the point where it is barely recognisable, but in a good way. I love this live version for the same reasons as Frank – it’s raw and punky, ahead of its time and faintly reminiscent of the Birthday Party. Nevertheless I actually prefer the album version – yes, it’s smoother and more complex, the vocals and drums less primal. But it does, for me, have more heartbreak and some damned fine soul backing.
‘Get Lucky’ – Daughter
Originally by: Daft Punk
We both love this. We have no words to describe quite how wonderful this is.
Eclipsing all expectations – all tickets for the first ever Cotton Clouds Festival is now completely sold out.
COTTON CLOUDS FESTIVAL 2017 STAGE TIMES
Main Stage
21.15 – 22.00 The Sugarhill Gang
20.30 – 21.15 Gareth Brooks (DJ)
19.30 – 20.30 The Coral
19.00 – 19.30 Clint Boon (DJ)
18.15 – 19.00 Nick Heyward
17.45 – 18.15 Clint Boon (DJ)
17.00 – 17.45 The Whip
16.00 – 16.30 The Everly Pregnant Brothers
15.00 – 15.30 Rogue Emperor
14.00 – 14.30 Gardenback
13.00 – 13.30 Stillia
Tim Peaks Diner
20.30 – 21.15 The Rhythm Method
19.00 – 19.30 Yucatan
17.45 – 18.15 The G-O-D
16.30 – 17.00 Tear
15.30 – 16.00 The Sundowners
14.30 – 15.00 Nev Cottee
13.30 – 14.00 Colour Me Wednesday
12.30 – 13.00 Proletariat
Jimmy’s Stage
20.30 – 21.15 PINS
19.00 – 19.30 Howling Rhythm & The Howling Horns
17.45 – 18.15 The Blinders
16.30 – 17.00 Hello Operator
15.30 – 16.00 Rose Elinor Dougall
14.30 – 15.00 Ethan & The Reformation
13.30 – 14.00 Darling Club
12.30 – 13.00 Shadow Palace
* Set times may still be subject to minor change
NEW LINE UP ADDITION: ROGUE EMPEROR
Cotton Clouds is delighted to announce new additions – ROGUE EMPEROR – will be joining the line up gathered on the Main Stage. The emerging Manchester supergroup comprise a dazzling collaboration between former Elbow drummer Richard Jupp and Doves keyboardist Martin Rebelski. The pair are joined by 1,2,3,4’s guitarist Mike TV – who can often be found backing Badly Drawn Boy – and renowned session bassist Ollie Collins.
Speaking on Rogue Emperor’s soaring atmospheric sound, Jupp expands:
“Make no mistake, this is dance music. It’s designed for the dancefloor – its electronic but with our own take on it. It’s a seriously big sound and we can’t wait to play it live to an audience.”
Rogue Emperor’s debut single is called Holy Ghost, mixed by Doves guitarist/producer Jez Williams, is available from www.rogueemperor.com
FOOD & DRINK – A TASTER
Specially selected street food stalls, pop up bars and a real ale tent will be augmenting your experience, serving all manner of tantalising tastes and delectable drinks sure to cater to your every fancy…
Did someone say drinks? We’ll have you covered with our fully stocked bar & the addition of a special Prosecco bar courtesy of Prosecco At Tiffany’s!
Tim Peaks Diner has proved a real festival favourite over the past 6 years. We are honoured to welcome Tim Burgess’ legendary diner to the very first Cotton Clouds Festival. From damn fine coffee to mind-blowing secret sets. You never know who you might bump into!
We’re also looking forward to being joined by Grandpa Greene’s Luxury Ice Cream – it doesn’t get much better than sunshine, music and ice-cream! There’ll be plenty of banger for your buck at the Grandad’s Sausages stand, whilst for those conscientious consumers ISpice will be bringing their delicious fresh vegan street food to Cotton Clouds!
EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING: SUPPORTED CHARITIES
Committed to creating a festival “we can all be proud of”, our Cotton Clouds organisers have pledged to donate funds to the Manchester Arena Bombing appeal, as well as the British Tinnitus Association, in memory of Greenfield based Craig Gill, former drummer with the Inspiral Carpets.
FAMILY FUN!
Offering something for all the family, there’ll also be loads to keep the kids occupied at Cotton Clouds Festival 2017. Whether you get stuck in with our sensational “sand art” from Kids Bee Happy, go for a fantastical new look at our face painting tent or make your own special memento for the first ever festival at our brilliant badge making classes from Opag Oldham, there’ll be plenty on hand for all ages to enjoy.
COTTON CLOUDS 2017: INTRODUCING THE LINE UP
With over two decades of timeless songwriting and 8 celebrated albums now to their name – Cotton Clouds is delighted to announce – THE CORAL – will honour the Main Stage as festival headliners in 2017. Currently touring with the wispy psychedelia of their critically-acclaimed latest long-player “Distance Inbetween”, and with a back catalogue teeming with balmy and beatific indie pop hits such as “Dreaming of You”, “In The Morning”, “Pass It On”, “Jacqueline” and more, the wondrous Wirralers are in prime position to put you on cloud 9 this August.
With hopes-up for a red sky on the night, there’ll most certainly be Rappers Delight as US hip hop supremos – THE SUGARHILL GANG – bring their ground-breaking 1979 hit and a host of other treats to the main stage earlier in the evening. Plus a man who knows all the hallmarks of a Fantastic Day when he sees one from his years captaining Beckenham new-wave faves Haircut 100, – NICK HEYWARD – will be encouraging all to don their Favourite Shirts and join him for a sing-along through his time-tested Top 10 singles and highlights from his illustrious pop career.
Elsewhere on site, there’s a whirl of home-spun talent from the Northwest to be found with some dancefloor domination compliments of THE WHIP, eclectic and esoteric ukulele escapades with the EVERLY PREGNANT BROTHERS, plus full throttle rulebook-ripping outings from rockers THE BLINDERS, plus many, many more across three stages (full line up above).
LOCATION
Situated in the old, industrial textile powerhouse of Saddleworth and set against the breathtaking vista of the stunning Peak District National Park, Cotton Clouds Festival is just a short 30 minute trip by car or train east of Manchester.
By Car / Foot: – Address: Saddleworth Cricket Club, Well-I-Hole Rd, Greenfield, Oldham OL3 7HY
By Rail: – Nearest train station: Greenfield Station, OL3 7JZ
FOOTWEAR AND CLOTHING
The Cotton Clouds team would like to remind all attending the festival to bring sensible clothing & footwear. The festival takes place on a cricket pitch (which is not covered) so if it rains the day before or during the event it will be wet underfoot.
On the flip side, if it’s a glorious day – you’ll need to bring adequate sun protection as there will be limited cover on site. Keep an eye on the weather forecast in the run up to the event.
Aug 19 – The Underground at the Londoner, Barnsley
Sep 29 – The Phoenix Bar, High Wycombe
Sep 30 – Gullivers, Manchester
Oct 25 – Maguire’s Pizza Bar, Liverpool
Oct 28 – Westgarth Social Club, Middlesbrough
The Civic are supporting a Barnsley theatre company in reshaping their production of local musical No Horizon, in a hope to take the story of a remarkable Thurlstone Scientist from the 17th century on a national tour.
No Horizon is inspired by the inspirational, forgotten, true story of South Yorkshire’s blind genius, Nicholas Saunderson. Born in Thurlstone he lost his sight to Smallpox as a baby. He studied at Penistone Grammar School and despite his blindness went on to achieve remarkable success in a world before Braille become a leading scientist and mathematician. The musical was written by the former headmaster of Springvale Primary School in Penistone, Andy Platt to tell Saunderson’s spectacular story. Touchingly told through music the musical does more than entertain – it raises the spirit.
“Billed as the Yorkshire Les Mis… The musical shows incredible promise. It has much more to offer. If it shakes off the shackles of comparisons to its French cousin and enters a period of further development to hone elements of the production, there’s every chance that you’ll see this show on a far larger stage in the near future.” The Reviews Hub
The Civic have chosen Right Hand Theatre as one of their 2017 CARP artists (Civic Artistic Residency Programme). The Programme aims to help artists creating work and experimenting with new ideas in a creative, supportive arts environment.
Right Hand Theatre is a natural choice for Artist Residency, as a newly established company which has been formed to create and develop pieces of original, inspiring musical theatre. Based in Barnsley, the company has evolved from a highly successful run of No Horizon at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They took No Horizon to the festival where it received excellent reviews and feedback. Performing in front of audiences of over 200, the show was labelled a Top Four Pick by the Sunday Mail and labelled, ‘One to Watch Out For’ by Elaine Paige.
Alongside the generous support of The Civic through CARP Right Hand Theatre have been granted Arts Council Funding for a Research and Development project. They plan to use their time in CARP to develop this original musical, for touring in the professional theatre world, maximising its powerful story and reshaping it to make it practical for touring. As well as developing their own organisation to produce further pieces of great theatre.
Through participation in CARP Right Hand Theatre aim to bring this human story of hope, resilience and aspiration from Barnsley to a much wider audience.
Right Hand Theatre will be in residency at The Civic in Autumn 2017 and Spring 2018.
CARP 2018 will be open for applications later this year.
If you are an artist looking for opportunities for artistic development, visit The Civic website to see how we can help: www.barnsleycivic.co.uk/artists
The news comes as the T’s also debut new single ‘Hang Tight’ complete with the UK’s first Facebook Live music video. Planned in a single day, shot in one take on an iPhone and streamed straight to Facebook Live, the maverick live music video accompanies the latest track from their new album South City, out September 15th 2017 on South City Records.
The duo, Leon Rhymes and Ross Standaloft, have crafted a faithful following with their golden-era hip hop formula; positive vibes, trademark rapid back to back flows and turbo-charged live performances. Their latest track ‘Hang Tight’ personifies that sound. Listen HERE: – https://soundcloud.com/too-many-ts/hang-tight
Too Many T’s have built up a strong fan base with their electric performances and positive vibes stage shows, touring all over the UK over the last four years. They have supported some of hip-hop’s greats including Snoop Dogg, Big Daddy Kane, De La Soul and Public Enemy. But it’s now time for the T’s to step forward & take centre stage.
September 2017 will see Too Many T’s long-awaited debut album released. Produced alongside Flux Pavilion and Odjbox, ‘South City’ is one of the freshest hip-hop albums to come out of the UK, with a high-energy sound that will appeal to music lovers around the globe.
The first exclusive elements of the album campaign to be revealed are the artwork and extensive UK tour dates. With brand new tracks, an even newer show, a ton of incredible videos and huge collaborations, these coming months will see the T’s cement themselves as one of the UK’s most electrifying acts.
“For us, this just feels like the beginning. To work for over two years on the album and for everything to finally come together, we couldn’t be more hyped to get out there and show people what we’ve been cooking.” Leon Rhymes, Too Many T’s
Tickets for Too Many T’s UK tour will be available on Friday 7th July at 10am via www.toomanyts.com.
11TH OCT NEWCASTLE. THINK TANK
12TH OCT GLASGOW, HUG & PINT
13TH OCT INVERNESS, MAD HATTERS
14TH OCT LIVERPOOL, 24 KITCHEN STREET
18TH OCT MANCHESTER, THE DEAF INSTITUTE
19TH OCT LEEDS, HYDE PARK BOOK CLUB
20TH OCT NOTTINGHAM, ROCK CITY BASEMENT
21ST OCT BIRMINGHAM, THE SUNFLOWER LOUNGE
24TH OCT CARDIFF, CLWB IFOR BACH
25TH OCT BRISTOL, EXCHANGE
26TH OCT PLYMOUTH, THE JUNCTION
01ST NOV BRIGHTON, HOPE & RUIN
02ND NOV SOUTHAMPTON, JOINERS
03RD NOV OXFORD THE BURLINGTON
04TH NOV BATH, THE NEST
08TH NOV LONDON, OSLO
Blue Rose Code, aka acclaimed singer-songwriter Ross Wilson, releases ‘The Water Of Leith’, his first album for Navigator Records on October 27 on CD download and album stream.
A nomad both geographically and musically, Ross writes from the heart eschewing any specific genre and the twelve new songs on the album, addressing themes of love, loss, travel, home, accepting the past and embracing the future, are painted with colours of folk, jazz, soul and pop; an eclecticism that has become a hallmark of Blue Rose Code and has seen him compared to John Martyn, Van Morrison and Tom Waits.
Underlining the sense of movement and place in Ross’s work is rooted in his return to his Scottish homeland. There, he reconnected with the stellar musicians who were to become an integral part of the new album’s sound: multi award-winning singer Julie Fowlis, celebrated Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes, BBC Folk Award Winner, Ross Ainslie, 2017’s Scottish Jazz Awards’ instrumentalist of the year Konrad Wiszniewski, leading violinist Seonaid Aitken and three of Scotland’s finest jazz musicians; John Lowrie, Colin Steele and James Lindsay, to name just some of the contributors. Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman features on the opening track. Ross co-produced the album with Angus Lyon.
Aug 19 Argyll Gathering Argyll
Aug 26 Purbeck Folk Festival Dorset
Sep 21 St Luke’s Glasgow
Sep 22 Old Cinema Fest Durham
Oct 21 St Cuthbert’s House Seahouses
Oct 22 EH6 Festival Edinburgh
Nov 02 Woodend Barn Banchory
Nov 03 LAUNCH PARTY at Queen’s Hall Edinburgh
Nov 04 Denholm Festival Hawick
Nov 07 Cluny 2 Newcastle
Nov 08 Crescent York
Nov 10 Stables2 Milton Keynes
Nov 11 Music Hall Ramsgate
Nov 12 Kitchen Garden Cafe Birmingham
Nov 13 Latest Music Bar Brighton
Nov 14 LAUNCH PARTY at Bush Hall London
Nov 16 The Met Bury
Nov 17 Roots Club Doncaster
Nov 20 Perth Concert Hall Perth
Nov 24 Harbour Arts Irvine
Nashville singer-songwriter Kenny Foster is playing for the first time in the UK this month to celebrate the worldwide release of his album ‘Deep Cuts’.
Full tour dates
AUG 23 – After dark By The Park, CHEZ LE FAB, LIMERICK (IE)
AUG 24 – The Harbour, BRAY (IE)
AUG 25 – Under The Apple Tree @ WAREHOUSE RECORDING CO, HARROGATE
AUG 31 – The Bedford, LONDON
SEPT 3 – Meatopia Festival, TOBACCO DOCK, LONDON
More dates to be announced
The info
While Kenny Foster isn’t exactly ‘new’ to country music, the momentum behind the unmistakable balladeer’s 2017 release ‘Deep Cuts’ has a host of new fans flocking to the raw grit and brutal honesty of Foster’s remarkably mature, thoughtful and unapologetic songwriting.
While the pop-laden sounds of country radio have been trending away from the genre’s organic roots in recent times, Foster makes a case for preserving the foundations of country music while still allowing it the chance to comment on and even pine over the ever-evolving landscape.
Foster has shared the stage with artists including Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Brothers Osborne, Old Dominion, Lady Antebellum, Marc Broussard, Butch Walker, Buddy Miller and countless others, along with multiple appearances at the ACM and CMA music festivals.
Fiona Grey is embarking on a UK tour this August/September – with dates including Harrogate and Manchester
Fiona Grey is a twenty-two year old composer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, by way of Chicago. With a background in musical theater performance, and influences including David Bowie, Debbie Harry and Missing Persons, Grey pushes the boundaries of traditional pop music through her edgy songs and energetic live performances. Dubbed a “very worthy young pop talent” by Popmatters, Grey has performed at notable LA venues such as Troubadour and Resident, and shared the bill with popular acts including Charli XCX and Foals while touring as a backing vocalist for KITTEN.
To date, Grey has released two EPs, including ‘Striped Heart’ and ‘Belladonna’. The latter featured the acclaimed singles ‘Beauty Queen’ — “a heartfelt lowrider that woos its way into your teen dream heart”, according to Neon Gold Records — and ‘What You Want’.
Grey is currently gearing up for the release of her newest EP, due out this Autumn. The record, according to Grey, will examine our culture’s widespread infatuation with pop culture and obsession with love. With powerful vocals, live string instrumentation and a rock ‘n’ roll heartbeat, the EP invites listeners to tap into their own human emotions, taking them on a journey wrought with tenderness and uncertainty.
