Wednesday 29nd March 06 - Heat 9, Best Original Band at The Springhead (1/2) By Anita Blakeston

(1/2), (2/2).

Heat Nine - Turn left at Spaghetti Junction for Hollywood town ...

Tinsel Town it ain't in Hull but I reckon our entertainment is just as glam and glossy as theirs. We had our very own A listers performing - our very own Brad Pitt alias David Elf, our very own Danii Minogue on bass and Meg Ryan on keyboards....not to mention Magnum PI as MC. First band to provide top entertainment was The Maker. They traveled from another town competing with Hull for glitz capital of the UK - Immingham. Well, someone has to live there ...

Their Indie rock set with rock 'n' roll in parts was performed extremely well - helped I am sure by having the Edge on stage with them. Chris was lead vocalist and rhythm guitar with Lee on lead guitar and good he was, too. Andy kept the boys in line at the back and Alex on bass played a good support line - not sure he knows what the mic is for, though!

They finished a great set with an attack on people who sit about all day and Chris seemed to suggest that most of the audience did that. I am sure he didn't mean it that way - good job the audience weren't voting!!

Second band were Hollywood. Ben had obviously chosen to steal the show in a rather dubious fashion. It may have been nerves that caused his beer arm to be over-used before they came on stage, but he should still have used the time to tune his voice! F**king ... am I allowed to swear, he asked? I'm twiddling with these guitar knobs but I still don't know what they do. He was very funny in a you had to be there sort of way.

The backing provided by Tom on drums and Dani on bass - not Denise or Richard, was top notch. How can you have a pop star called Denise? Final member was Joe, hot foot from army manoevres, on lead guitar playing some brilliant riffs, despite his home made guitar cab - I think his very expensive Marshall had broken down ... He looked to be having a great time. They finished a really entertaining set, which would have been great but for the vocals, with my favourite, the Bastard to sing song!

Words fail me now. You have to see the photos to really understand the impact the next band had. I am glad we had stage presentation as a category - Elf wins hands down. I have never seen anything like the spaghetti on the floor at David's feet. He has a full PA system on the stage (as well as ours) and a computer system that would have run NASA. And why? The band is so talented that he didn't need a single cable to enhance what they did!

I missed man of the match, as I can't stand football, but David's guitar playing was a wonder to behold, marvelous and easily the best of the night.

Continued...Next Page (2/2)

Music Reviews - Tuesday 25th April - Swellbellys, Assert, C-Squat and Undefeated at The Ringside By Dick Spring Photo Gallery By Mo
	When it rains it pours, as the saying goes, and this was very much true of Hull this evening, with big shows on at pretty much every proper Hull venue. Ringside weighed in with a heavyweight punk show, literally, with the monster that is a Swellbellys and Assert tour, their first together in over three years. Kicking off tonight's proceedings rather early, it has to be said, were Read more...

Music Reviews - Wednesday 12th April 06 - Tarifa at Quayside Quintessential Sessions By Michelle Dee
	I have known of Tarifa since they opened the Renegade Writers Live Event at Ringside last year. Since then they have been hard at work practicing, writing and strengthening the ties within the band. Tarifa recently played at Music Man but tonight was the first time I'd seen them since last year. After a delayed start (they didn't take Read more...

Music Reviews - Wednesday 22nd March 06 - Heat 8, Best Original Band at The Springhead By Anita Blakeston
	Heat Eight - Sheriff Check, scenes from the exorcist and can't wait to be famous so I can get a guitar tech Callum Blackout! First on stage was Dressed for Stealing with lead singer Check Kilpatrick (great name!) on bass, sporting a smart full-western-jacket and tie. Looking like the sheriff who meant business he charmed his Read more...

Music Reviews - Wednesday 15th March 06 - Heat 7, Best Original Band at The Springhead By Anita Blakeston
	Heat Seven - Girls will be girls ... The night where Mr. Blake has, thankfully, recovered from his 'flu and is back on sarcasm and shirts. Good to see and hear, but beware the faint hearted. He never did tell us the Everly Brothers tale, by the way. Also a night for mysterious goings-on with the bands....two girls from Quick! went out shopping and never Read more...

Music Reviews - Mak's Birthday Sunday Sesh 2006 By Chu Nin
	Just come home from a top night at Sunday Sesh at Linnet and Lark pub. Unbeknownst to me DJ Mak decided to have a birthday (another one?). There were at least eighty to a hundred people in, maybe more. I walked in and caught the last of Matt Edible's set. I have experienced the intensity of his music before, songs that combine beautiful Read more...

Music Reviews - Wednesday 1st March - Larrikin Love at UTI at The Adelphi By Emily Photographs by Mo
	Larrikin Love playing at Adelphi was a very interesting idea for everyone that turned up to the gig: they're known to be a very fresh and promising new band, yet although they have a wide internet audience, they still have quite a lot to prove. Me, I'm not so sure that they won everyone over. Park and Ride did their best to rouse the crowd, and put in a lot of effort with their Read more...

Music Gig Gallery - Republished with unseen pictures - The Ordinary Boys at Sweet N Sour at The Welly Monday 4th October 04 by Darren Rogers
	Checkout this incredible 7 page Photo Gallery of The Ordinary Boys at the The Welly Monday 4th October 2004 by Darren Rogers. Darrens photographs are brilliant, almost as good as being there and too good to miss so I'm republishing it with unseen pictures for all the music fans to enjoy... and thanks Darren. Read more...

Music Reviews - Monday 3rd April 06 - Abrasive Wheels, Slander and Certified at The Ringside, Hull By Dick Spring Photo Gallery By Mo
	Tonight had all the promise of being a giant of a gig, and was eagerly awaited by the punks of Hull young and old. But, sadly due to a family emergency, one of the billed headline acts, Discharge, had to fly back home to the States where he now lives. Understandably there was massive disappointment at this bad news, though front man Rat turned up at the show (he was Read more...

Music Reviews - Monday 27th March 06 - Raw-UK Launch at The Welly By Joe Hakim Photos by Darren Rogers
	So the night starts with me getting my wires crossed and spending twenty minutes standing outside the wrong venue. It's freezing cold and it takes two cigarettes to make the correct synapses in my brain fire up, and then I realise my mistake. Somewhat sheepishly I make my way to The Welly, my face half paralysed by the wind. Once I get there I have the task of actually Read more...

Music Reviews - Thursday 2nd March - HULLucinations Launch at Silhouette - Dirty Dreamers, 10,000 Things, Your Vegas and The Johnsons By Michelle Dee Gallery by Darren Rogers
	Tonight was the first night of the latest live music night to hit Hull. Organised by a team of dedicated music fanatics and not shadowy, uncaring corporate faces Hullucinations promised a top night of quality musical entertainment. Paul and Dave the men behind the project had used all tools at their disposal to start advertising the night well in advance. Along with the usual flyers and posters, they had a half Read more...

Music Reviews - Wednesday 1st March 06 - Heat Five, Best Original Band at The Springhead By Anita Blakeston
	Heat Five - A test for The Bonnitts This proved to be an interesting evening's entertainment between The Bonnitts, who were strong contenders in the final of BOB 2004, and two bands that are pretty new to the Hull scene. Secretly Soulmates, who traveled from Scunthorpe - yes there is a thriving music scene there and it isn't very far by car and Read more...

Music Reviews - Tuesday 31st January 06 - The Sesh featuring Kill Surf City, Rednite Strip, The Chase and John Copley By Michelle Dee Photographs by Darren Rogers
	Last night I made my way down Princes Ave towards Linnet and Lark and a night of live music that promised to be rather good. By the time I arrived the newly refurbished hostelry was filling up quicker than the 5.30 tube from Fenchurch Street. After a few local demos, including a noteworthy new one from GST Cardinals called Dirty little, The Chase took to the stage. They had had to Read more...

Music Reviews - Wednesday 8th March 06 - Jethro Tull at Hull City Hall By Dave Fox
	In 1968 Jethro Tull's first album titled This Was first hit Britain, and nearly 40 years later I'm buzzing my tits off at the prospect of seeing them live. So what is it about this band that has kept them going for all this time? Jethro Tull were the first real experimental/prog rock band to really make their mark, but what really makes them stand out is the incredible talents Read more...

Music Reviews - Thursday 2nd March 06 - Mr. Mojo, Arcade and Mr Big at The Mainbrace By David Smith
	Gigs were aplenty in Hull last night. With bands performing at both The Piper and The Adelphi, I felt obliged to check out the alternative choice. Following their highly enjoyable acoustic set at The Wellington Inn in early January, I attended the Mainbrace pub on Beverley Road last night, hoping to be equally impressed with Arcade's full band showing. Unfortunately I missed Read more...

Music Reviews - Wednesday 22nd February 06 -Heat Four, Best Original Band at The Springhead By Anita Blakeston Photos By Jane Foster
	Everyone anticipated a busy night. Both Steve Fulsham and Meg Williams are very popular bands in these heats. The Gig Shop team flew in hot from a sound engineering course in Liverpool run by none other than 'Big Mick' Hughes who has done a massive 1340 gigs for Metallica. ('Glutton' and 'punishment' spring to mind). Also engineers from Scissor Sisters, Texas and Read more...