What's On Guide in Brighton - Friday 25th July - Thursday 31st July

Things to do in Brighton & Hove - Friday 25th July - Thursday 31st July

• 23rd July 2014
• Author: Tom Sayer
• 0 Comments

Brighton & Hove's Definitive What's On Guide

 

Friday 25th July

Bridge Over Troubled Lager
@TOMVenue
Expect wit, elegance and clever musical pastiche. This is the show where music and comedy meet, have a few drinks, fight, then stagger home singing hits from the 60s. Something to offend everybody.
8pm, £12/10 +£1 bf
T.O.M - 11a Upper Market Street, BN3 1AS

The Dubarrys
@TheDuBarrys
A fundraising event for the local domestic abuse charity RISE, showcasing the music of The Dubarrys, Monastery, grasshopper and Clipper. With a prize draw on the night to win an ipad mini, vouchers, gifts and much more.
7pm, £5/6 otd
The Haunt - 10 Pool Valley, BN1 1NJ

Saturday 26th July

Cable Club
@CableClubGigs
A great three-band line up at the famous upstairs of the Prince Albert featuring Glossy Coat, CUBA and one more act to be confirmed! Join the Cable Club!
8:30pm, £5
The Prince Albert - 48 Trafalgar Street, BN1 4ED

UK Foo Fighters
@ukfoofighters
The UK's finest Foo Fighters tribute act will be playing a double set of all of your Foo Fighters favourites, from Everlong to All My Life, with surely Monkey Wrench thrown in too!
8pm, £10 adv + bf
Concorde II - Madeira Drive, BN2 1EN

Sunday 27th July

Liane Carroll
@lianecarroll
The long-awaited return to The Brunswick of one of the most loved faces in the British jazz scene. Having seen her performance at Cheltenham Jazz Festival this year, I can say this is one not to miss!
8pm, £10
Brunswick - 1 Holland Road, BN3 1JF

QM Sessions 
@mesmeristbar
A bi-weekly showcase of local talent, hosted by Brighton-based hip-hop/soul band Normanton Street. Goes down great after their fantastic roast dinner. Sunday night is sorted!
8pm, Free entry
Mesmerist - 1-5 Prince Albert Street, BN1 1HE

Monday 28th July

Michael Fabbri
@MichaelSFabbri
Michael previews his new Edinburgh 2014 Solo Show, an un-themed collection of thoughts - that’s it really. Nominated Best Club Comic, 2012 Chortle Awards, he also Supported Micky Flanagan on his Out Out tour.
8:30pm, £5
Komedia - 44-47 Gardner Street, BN1 1UN

Tuesday 29th July

Scooby Doo
@TheatreRoyalBTN
Scooby-Doo and the gang are back by popular demand and with even more Spooky Mystery and fun - this time in the Pyramids... Warner Bros.’ Cartoon Classic Comes to Life!
6:30pm, Wed-Sat 2:30pm & 6:30pm, £21.40 + bf
Theatre Royal - New Road, BN1 1SD

Wednesday 30th July

afieldoftrees
@thehopebrighton
The long awaited EP launch from the local psych/folk outfit. With a solo acoustic set from Jimi Maffei and a stripped back set from Joymask.
8pm, £3
The Hope - 11 Queens Road, BN1 3WA

Thursday 31st July

Frankie Forman
@FrankieForman
Soulful and sultry, Frankie Forman sings from the heart. Likened to Mazzy Star and Portishead, her sound is a sexy Western esque trip-hop blues. With support from local acts EZ Stone and Pipe and Tabor.
8pm, Free entry before 9pm
Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar - 9-12 Middle Street, BN1 1AL

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Keep Brighton Hippodrome for Live Performance

With many of Brighton's great music venues changing hands and being shut down, we find that every pub with a PA is now running music nights. Whilst this is in no way a bad thing and as a consequence the local scene is full to the brim with fantastic talent, there is definitely an undeniable gap in the market for dedicated music venues, and what better place than the stunning Grade II listed Brighton Hippodrome?

The beauty of living in a city with such a rich cultural history is that all around we have signposts to our past, from the cast iron green railings on the promenade to the wreckage of the West Pier, which has found a new function as a photography hotspot all year around. I think that it is a terrible shame that this stunning venue is looking to be turned into a cinema, particularly as Brighton already has The Odeon, Cineword, Duke of York and Dukes at Komedia.

Below is a link to an online petition against the plans to turn Brighton Hippodrome into a multi-screen cinema. I urge you all to sign it and see if we can save the Hippodrome and support its return as a live music venue.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/keep-brighton-hippodrome-for-live-performance

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For more reviews, interviews and music features, check out whattomwrites.blogspot.com or follow me on twitter @tomsayeruk for updates. 

Jacko Hooper Live Review and EP 'For You' Review'

I arrived at The Brunswick just after doors had opened and already the venue was half full. By the time the first support Ellie Ford took the the stage, there was only standing room left at the back. The dimly lit lampshades and candles on the tables gave the room an aura of light orange and red. The audience was made up primarily of people of what I'd call parental age (30s-50s) which was good to see as this demographic isn't usually represented as fully on weeknight gigs. They clearly knew that they were in for a special evening and they were most definitely right.

Ellie Ford is a Brighton-based singer-songwriter who is also a very accomplished harpist. Having already seen her performing a number of support slots including local band Time for T and touring solo songwriter Tom Hickox, Ellie seems to be a popular choice for acoustic gigs and it is clear to see why. Her songs are enchanting, with her guitar and harp parts underpinning her sultry vocals. For an accomplished songwriter, she seems slightly uneasy in between songs, but I am sure that over time she will grow more comfortable under the spotlight, as she should well be.

The second support was Tom Staniford, who performs under the name of Staniford. He is surely used to being the tallest man in the room as his presence towered over the audience, which he broke with a friendly face and some lovely music. He seemed more comfortable engaging with audience, introducing his songs with clarity and performing them with a passion seen in artists such as Bon Iver and Glen Hansard. His guitar songs reminded me a little of Ryan Keen with a certain faint air of Something Corporate in his piano ones, which he played well despite the out of tune piano causing some problems. His lyrics were grounded, my favourite being in the last song which he played unplugged... "Should we play it safe or punch above our weight". Below is the video for his recent single Elizabeth, a haunting and beautiful track.

After these two wonderful support slots the man of the hour took to the stage, to great applause from the fully packed venue even before he's picked up his guitar. Dressed in a smart shirt, waistcoated and with and hat and his thick rimmed glasses he looked like a man who meant business. He opened without introducing himself, playing a song that showed off his vocal and guitar abilities immediately. The emotional intensity of his performance was overwhelming even from the start. He appeared to be quite a shy and introverted guy, describing himself as "an emotional chap", looking visibly moved by the first rapture of applause, which in such an intimate setting was by no means the usual response to a solo singer-songwriter. He humbly thanked the audience for being there and the supports, whom he endorsed enthusiastically. He seemed to have a mismatched confidence to his slightly nervous facade, a confidence grown from a young man finding the thing that he is meant to do and doing it: Jacko Hooper is meant to write and perform music and I, amongst the rest of the audience, am so very glad that he does.

I could go on and on about the performance but I think sometimes simplicity is best so I will try to be concise. I go to a lot of gigs, seeing a vast amount of bands and solo artists at all different stages in their careers, from people playing tiny pub gigs to festival headliners, and I have not been this excited about discovering a solo artist since first stumbling across Ben Howard in 2011. His set is filled with originals as there is no space for covers in it. There was not a single track that I would have dropped from it, no set-fillers or haphazard B-sides, simply a masterclass in songwriting and solo performance, both vocally and instrumentally. Jacko's voice is full of great grainy textures, from the deep gravelly bottom through the rich middles to the powerful falsetto, which each seem to come to him just as easily as breathing. He seems totally at home on the stage and hopefully with the continued support of his friends, family and supporters he will continue to spend a lot of time there!



Below is my review of his new EP 'For You', which has been over a year in the making and hits like an fine cask-aged whisky, burning straight to the heart.

1. Egg Shells

Starting gently with the acoustic guitar, banjo and subtle female backing vocals, the song builds til the drums enter at the second verse. It stays somewhat contained in the recording, but live the song is given more of a boost with vocal ad libbing, but in its recorded version it is still it is a neatly packaged gem, gentle and sparkling with very moving lyrics: "So you my lover, stay if I can gather all the reasons why I believe that we're together".

2. November 5th Song

Again starting gently, this song has a delicacy of a Damien Rice track until the chorus, which is fantastically catchy and simple; this could be easily be a song in the charts right now if marketed in the right way. The vocal is precise and heavy with emotions and will in all likelihood haunt you for weeks after hearing it.

3. Run Away With Me

Just when you think the songs can't get any more raw, the simple strumming and exposed vocal take it to another level. The chorus reminds me slightly of David Gray's 'Sail Away', not just because of the lyrical similarity but the style of the performance and professionalism of the song. Hints of James Morrison slip into the vocal in places too, which is by no means a bad thing.

4. Roaming

Closing the EP, Roaming is a song about travelling and not knowing where you will end up. This is a live recording with just vocals and guitar, doused in just the right amount of reverb to make it sparkle.

The EP is available to buy through itunes here for a meagre £2.49. But take it from me, you will want to catch this guy live soon, because if there is any justice in the world then he will be skyrocketing to the dizzy heights of the world stage sometime very soon! 

www.Jackohooper.com
@jacko_hooper

Things To Do in Brighton & Hove - 4th July to 10th July 2014

Things to do in Brighton & Hove - Friday 4th July - Thursday 10th July

• 2nd July 2014
• Author: Tom Sayer
• 0 Comments

Brighton & Hove's Definitive What's On Guide

 

Friday 4th July

Love Supreme Festival @lovesupremefest
Starting Friday for weekend ticket holders and with one day tickets available for Saturday and Sunday, Love Supreme covers a wide range of jazz from pop to soul, including sets from Jamie Cullum, Earth, Wind & Fire and De La Soul.
From 4pm, Sat and Sun 11am
Weekend tickets £125 camping/ £110 non-camping
Day tickets £55/30 under 18s
Glynde Place - The St, Glynde, BN8 6SX

Formidable Vegetable Sound System @BrighthelmURC
4-piece band Vegetable Sound System are the world’s most triumphant experiment in ‘ecological electroswing’ busting out energetic, quirky mashups of speakeasy-style antique-beats with live ukulele wonk, hyperactive horns and the principles of permaculture
7pm, £6
Brighthelm Centre – North Road, BN1 1YD

Saturday 5th July

Paddle Round The Pier @PRTP
A free weekend beach festival, filled with charity fundraising events in the water and on dry land, with live music, stalls and activities for the little ones. Fun (hopefully) in the sun for the whole family.
9am Sat and Sun, Free entry
Brighton Seafront - West Pier

Jim Holland - Shoegazing @jim__holland
It’s shoetime! Polite comedy maverick Jim Holland brings intelligent wit, conversational delivery and two tone shoes to his debut show of dapper introversion.
8pm, £5
Upstairs at Three & Ten - 10 Steine St, BN2 1TE

Sunday 6th July

Hush Hush @whiterabbitpub
A weekly showcase of local acoustic acts, featuring Jenny Stanley, Sam Brothers and host Chuck SJ Hay.
8pm, Free entry
White Rabbit - Kensington Gardens, BN1 4AL

Tom Craine @TomCraine
Previewing his show for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer, Tom has previously written for Mock The Week and a host of Channel 4 Comedy Shows. "Wise, funny, lyrical" - Observer.
8:30pm, £5
Komedia – 44-47 Gardner Street, BN1 1UN

Monday 7th July

The Brunswick Open Mic @Brunswickpub
An intimate platform to perform your latest songs or simply to listen to the best local acoustic talent, with cabaret seating, a well-lit stage and a silent audience.
8:30pm, Free entry
Brunswick – 1 Holland Road, BN3 1JF

Tuesday 8th July

Jamie Knox @JamieKnoxmusic
A Brighton-based singer-songwriter from South London performing with his 4 piece band, combining elements of the uplifting energetic with the soul of the brooding melancholic. Support from Rory Indiana and Fools Empire.
7:30pm, Free entry
Green Door Store - Unit 2,3&4 Trafalgar Arches, BN1 4FQ

Wednesday 9th July

Naked Upstairs @timefort
A lovely evening of live music performed for your listening pleasure under candle light, in the 'secret upstairs' at the Good Companions. Featuring Joe McCarthy, Ellie Ford, Oktoba and Time for T (solo).
7:30pm, Free entry
Good Companions – 132 Dyke Road, BN1 3TE

Thursday 10th July

Roam @audiobrighton
Eastbourne pop-punk 5-piece embark on a headline UK tour, starting in Brighton. Expect high energy music and a fresh melodic sound.
7pm, £6
Audio - 10 Marine Parade, BN2 1NB

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Preview - Shakedown Festival - 19th July 2014

For those of you looking to get involved with the summer festival season without forking out hundreds of pounds on tickets, travel and camping gear, Shakedown Festival might very well be the one for you!

Shakedown was established in 2011 as a one day music festival, originally held in Stanmer Park. Due to the success of previous years, the festival now boasts a three stage line-up, being held just outside of Brighton in Waterhall. This year's line up is filled with great dance acts including Basement Jaxx, Duke Dumont, Groove Armada and Zane Lowe, who has performed every year at the Festival.

The is a free coach service to the festival operating from St. Peter's Church at the Steine from 11am til 7pm, returning between 8pm and 1am. There is no parking on site so this is the best way to get the festival.

Tickets £45 + booking fee or £75 + booking fee for VIP.

http://www.shakedown.co.uk @ShakedownUK

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Reviews 

My Top Five Brighton & Hove Open Mic Nights -

A guide to my favourite weekly open mic nights, including the old and the new.

Ten Artists Not To Miss At Love Supreme 2014

For those of you heading down to Love Supreme, here is my pick of ten acts to be sure to catch to guarantee you a great weekend.

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For more reviews, interviews and music features, check out whattomwrites.blogspot.com or follow me on twitter @tomsayeruk for updates.

Things to do in Brighton & Hove - Friday 27th June - Thursday 3rd July