With 30 Stages and 15 venues, the choice of where to go and what to
see is deliciously exhausting ! So we have come up with 12 Artists
you should not miss … add these to your weekend ‘check list’ …
Dub Pistols
The Town Centre Stage
Try this FREE download of summer vibes Rompa’s Reggae Shack – Dub Pistols Mix by @RompaUrbanNerds via #soundcloud to get an idea of why you should not miss this band.
Moonshine and waves of silk start this song going – light drums
glisten the surface before a huge bass wallows into view. This bassline
sets up the gleaming reggae – for all it’s worth. Rude yet civilized
vocals limp around. And they add piquancy and flavor when they are most
needed. You won’t be able to stop your shimmy to the vibrating beat
though – it’s so shakable. Tense yourself. And wait for release.
First Degree Burns
Oldtown Theatre
Born out of a city that often echoes the bassy hypnotic sounds of Dub
influenced music come ‘First Degree Burns’ or more simply known FDB.
Having coined the term ‘Skip-Hop’ to sum up their unique blend of
genres, FDB have held onto their roots, developing their unique sound
into their impressive 8-piece band and creating a seamless fusion of
Ska, Reggae, Hip-Hop and Rock.With a trunk load of new material being
finely tuned in their Bristol studio and various videos projects due to
launch this year, FDB are set to turn even more heads in 2012.
‘Hip Hop Why’ – has an enormous expanse – almost a hollywood movie in intent and ambition. The horns bump, gleam and intrude. The vocals and lyrics are timeless and splendid. Rappy at times, they also hold on tight to their vintage heritage. The percussion sparkles and the whole piece dances along- shoving slow-coaches out of the way to get to the centre of the dance-floor. Stupendous.
And ‘Narcissus’ has some gorgeous steelpan harmonies and then a twisting horny instrumental, that comes in like a python on the kill, and soon takes over. The place turns into a fiery wreck, as things speed up to a break-neck assault. The vocalist manages to hang on, but has to spatter out vocals as fast as a scatter gun. A lesson in shaking and vibrating.
‘Hip Hop Why’ – has an enormous expanse – almost a hollywood movie in intent and ambition. The horns bump, gleam and intrude. The vocals and lyrics are timeless and splendid. Rappy at times, they also hold on tight to their vintage heritage. The percussion sparkles and the whole piece dances along- shoving slow-coaches out of the way to get to the centre of the dance-floor. Stupendous.
And ‘Narcissus’ has some gorgeous steelpan harmonies and then a twisting horny instrumental, that comes in like a python on the kill, and soon takes over. The place turns into a fiery wreck, as things speed up to a break-neck assault. The vocalist manages to hang on, but has to spatter out vocals as fast as a scatter gun. A lesson in shaking and vibrating.
BaByHeAd
The Town Centre Stage
Born out of love for Jamaican sound clash, forged through a do it
yourself punk rock ethic and delivered with a raw hip hop swagger, the
unstoppable BaByHeAd sound is drawn from all quarters of the musical
universe, in true Bristol fashion. They have been a live phenomenon in
the clubs and on the festival circuit, for a decade plus, rocking stages
from Glastonbury to Fabric and Keith Allen once called them the
“bastard child of Ian Dury and Iggy pop” while the legendary Toots
Hibbert has, himself, tipped the band.Rapid-fire vocals illuminate the
bruising fleshy sounds that are stout in girth and all encompassing in
ambition. Every now and then, things get glued down, and then things can
become hot, anarchic and raunchy. This is when trumpets flare and the
audience skanks. Come alive to BaByHeAd !
Link: http://babyhead.co.uk/
The Empress of Fur
The Devil Kicks Dancehall
The Devil Kicks Dancehall
This freaky fur-piece voodoo billy outfit from Fenland farming
country look like the bastard offspring of an unholy four-way bunk up
between Bettie Page, Zorro, Uncle Fester and Mr Macphisto.
They sound like the equally unwanted children of the Cramps, Link
Wray, Nancy Sinatra and the Rezillos. And they just wanna be loved…
So, so sexy, melodramatic and twangy.
Check ‘em out at the Dirty Water Club here: http://youtu.be/y3ZlR560dBM
The Go Go Cult
The Devil Kicks Dancehall
From a heavily armed farmhouse in the swamplands of Reading the Go
Go Cult play crazy & surreal 50’s Psychedelic Punk. It’s like
crossing Johnny Cash with The Clash (perhaps Johnny Clash) and seeing
what happens.
The chemical mix is explosive.
And it will shake your pants.
Link:
Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons
The Devil Kicks Dancehall
Basingstoke rock ‘n’ rollers Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons have
all the twang necessary to shake your quiff and get those winkle-pickers
a-popping. Toyah-sounding vocals leer and veer about, as the crunchy
rock beats glisten and glitter.
Check out “Trouble with the Devil” here: http://youtu.be/8Y5swwI5N4w
Link: http://www.facebook.com/thedirtyjohnsons
Lady Chann
The Lion’s Den
Billed as the U.K’s number one dance-hall queen… When this lady
steps on stage it is an explosion of vibes and energy. Combine that with
her magnetic good looks and huge collaborations with names such as
Toddla T, The Heatwave and UK star Sticky, this girl is not to be
missed!
‘Sticky Situation’ – is a confluence of icky glutinous vocal sounds
creating a breezy intro – then the muscular reggae gets stuck in, to
root out what’s what. But the ‘sticky situation’ chorus is like a sail
seen on the horizon. It can be seen, but never reached. This song
gloops, it wallows and finally it delights the listener.
Check out ‘Sticky Situation’ here: http://youtu.be/bUobXtV3Vfo
Stush
The Lion’s Den
Reggae influenced Recording artist Stush is signed to Island records
and known for UK top ten single ‘Get Down’ alongside Groove Armada.
Currently Stush is recording new material, and has recently launched her
‘already popular’ jewellery line Stushlery.
Link:
Honeyfeet
The Wandering Word
Put simply, Honeyfeet are Manchester’s best ethno-trad, barrel-house
pop, cowpunk folk-hop band. It’s as easy as that to categorise them!
Honeyfeet have already garnered a magnificent reputation as one of the
best live acts in Manchester, down – in no small part - to the vocal
prowess of front-woman Ríoghnach Connolly, assisted by a tight rhythm
section and a hefty bank of horns.
Honeyfeet will be releasing their debut EP “Little Boat” on Debt Records in the summer of 2012.
‘Knocking on Another Man’s Door’ is a soft elegy, preposterously shaky - and about to collapse in a faint at any given moment. The accommodating blues sounds tend to hold things up a little, but this shaky confection is just too fragile, it cannot stand on it’s own two legs. Calamity awaits.
‘You Let Me Down’ is smoky and jazzy. The clarinet twines around the Blue Café, lingering a while on the empty tables, before meeting with the claggy air outside. The voice is livid. You will feel terribly sad. The drip-drip of unwanted rain in your life will shock you. Yes, you will have been let me down, lover. But the lingering taste of rich jazz will captivate the soul.
Honeyfeet will be releasing their debut EP “Little Boat” on Debt Records in the summer of 2012.
‘Knocking on Another Man’s Door’ is a soft elegy, preposterously shaky - and about to collapse in a faint at any given moment. The accommodating blues sounds tend to hold things up a little, but this shaky confection is just too fragile, it cannot stand on it’s own two legs. Calamity awaits.
‘You Let Me Down’ is smoky and jazzy. The clarinet twines around the Blue Café, lingering a while on the empty tables, before meeting with the claggy air outside. The voice is livid. You will feel terribly sad. The drip-drip of unwanted rain in your life will shock you. Yes, you will have been let me down, lover. But the lingering taste of rich jazz will captivate the soul.
The Infinite Collective
The Hanging Gardens
The Hanging Gardens
The Ska/funk/electro outfit The Infinite Collective from Plymouth
just buzz and purr. This group of like minded musicians, encompassing
many styles and backgrounds, aim to come together and partake in nights
of fun and creativity.
They’ve had many successful times at festivals and running nights in gig venues across the southwest… and now they have been let loose at Boomtown!
They’ve had many successful times at festivals and running nights in gig venues across the southwest… and now they have been let loose at Boomtown!
They are as greasy as a grey seal on a slimy rock. But as potent as a red rutting rooster on the strut.
Link:
The Meow Meows
The Hanging Gardens
The Meow Meows are a legendary eight piece traditional Ska ‘n’ Roll
supergroup from Brighton, UK. with vocals from Danny and Hanna and a
whole pile of juicy sounds from saxophone, trumpet and guitars.
Their unique sound is something of an amalgamation of 60s garage rock ‘n’ roll, 80’s 2 tone ska and anything else they may feel like chucking in. They formed back in summer 2005 mainly as an excuse to drink on a week-night, but since then they have played with major international acts including The Beat, King Blues, Bad Manners, The Slackers, and The Aggrolites.
Song ‘Bad Man’ is refreshingly bright with stashes of breezy chords and an upbeat attitude. A profusion of drums is the precursor to those flamboyant Meow Meow horns – and then you realise that this is a ‘Twist’ – so get twistin’ sister! Absolutely superb!
Their unique sound is something of an amalgamation of 60s garage rock ‘n’ roll, 80’s 2 tone ska and anything else they may feel like chucking in. They formed back in summer 2005 mainly as an excuse to drink on a week-night, but since then they have played with major international acts including The Beat, King Blues, Bad Manners, The Slackers, and The Aggrolites.
Song ‘Bad Man’ is refreshingly bright with stashes of breezy chords and an upbeat attitude. A profusion of drums is the precursor to those flamboyant Meow Meow horns – and then you realise that this is a ‘Twist’ – so get twistin’ sister! Absolutely superb!
Link:
Keltrix
The Hanging Gardens
Say it with a song… and why not indeed especially when you have a lot
to say and a voice strong enough to ensure that you are heard! Keltrix
is a varied beast, grooving it up one minute with freak folk foot
stomping crowd pleaser’s before sliding into ambient acoustic moments
then rousing it up all over again with hints of ska, rock disco and
dubfunk. An eclectic mix but one that appears to work…
Keltrix are led, most fearlessly into battle by Keri. Better known as ‘Scouse’ for obvious reasons after a few ciders, Keri’s fiery, temperament is just as apparent in her voice as it is in her general demeanour, though she and the rest of the band are really quite nice when you get to know them.
With a flourish of Spanish guitar and some wavering strings ‘Different But The Same’ starts. Kerri’s vocals may remind you of Grace Slick crossed with Sandy Denny. Seeping enough to shiver your timbers, but protesting and hard faced when the nuances need it. This is a spiky song – as spiny as the holly that is lyrically painted- the pain and aggravation is hardly hidden. But the quality is like a highly polished piece of furniture. It even smells rich and waxy!
Keltrix are led, most fearlessly into battle by Keri. Better known as ‘Scouse’ for obvious reasons after a few ciders, Keri’s fiery, temperament is just as apparent in her voice as it is in her general demeanour, though she and the rest of the band are really quite nice when you get to know them.
With a flourish of Spanish guitar and some wavering strings ‘Different But The Same’ starts. Kerri’s vocals may remind you of Grace Slick crossed with Sandy Denny. Seeping enough to shiver your timbers, but protesting and hard faced when the nuances need it. This is a spiky song – as spiny as the holly that is lyrically painted- the pain and aggravation is hardly hidden. But the quality is like a highly polished piece of furniture. It even smells rich and waxy!
Check ‘em out here:
http://youtu.be/hMMFpLANmu8
http://youtu.be/hMMFpLANmu8
