DANDELION CHARM perform free-entry acoustic gig in support of music therapy charity

Venue: The Brunswick, 1 Holland Rd, Hove BN3 1JF

Date: Friday February 8th 2019, 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm. Free entry.

Prog folk duo Dandelion Charm will be performing a free-entry acoustic gig as part of Fifty Gigs In A Day, which is taking place world-wide on 8th February 2019 to support the work of the Nordoff Robbins music therapy charity. They will be joined by singer-songwriter duo Milton Hide.

Newhaven-based Dandelion Charm are John and Clare Fowler. They combine prog, folk and rock influences into a luxurious blend of intricate harmonies, soaring melodies, superb musicianship and heartfelt lyrics. Dandelion Charm’s debut album ‘Tiny Drop’ was released in 2015. This was followed by a five-track EP ‘Riding The Flood’ in February 2018. The duo’s exquisite studio work has received plaudits from across a range of genres – from prog to hard-rock to folk. Clare and John will be joined on stage by guitarist/vocalist Bob Burke.

“We are absolutely passionate about the power of music and this gig is a wonderful opportunity to support the work of Nordoff Robbins. Their music therapy work can be life-changing for so many people,“ says Dandelion Charm’s Clare Fowler.

Opening the evening will be Milton Hide who are husband and wife team, Jim and Josie Tipler. Natural storytellers with material that is rooted in folk traditions, they write and perform songs that are strong in melody and full of hooks. Sometimes personal, sometimes amusing, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes making a point – but always memorable.

Fifty Gigs In A Day is the brain-child of Jason Ritchie. “The idea was to create a whole host of gigs, events and social media posts mentioning Nordoff Robbins on and around the 8 February. As it was such a success last year I thought why not make it an annual event. This year it will be hopefully 51 gigs and the focus this time will be on up-and-coming bands, artists, comedians and authors – all supporting and plugging the work of Nordoff Robbins,” says Jason.

Nordoff Robins are the largest independent music therapy charity in the UK, dedicated to changing the lives of vulnerable and isolated people. They support thousands of people in their own centres as well as care homes, schools and hospitals. When delivered by a trained practitioner, music therapy can be used to support people living with a wide range of needs.

Donations – for those wishing to support the work of Nordoff Robbins through Fifty Gigs In A Day a Just Giving page has been set up here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fiftygigsinaday2019

Find out more here about Fifty Gigs In A Day here: https://therockinchairblog.wordpress.com/fifty-gigs-in-a-day-2019/

Find out more about Nordoff Robbins here: www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk

Media enquiries to: Darren Johnson

darrenjohnson@crowfliescommunications.com

Website: https://www.dandelioncharm.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dandelioncharmmusic

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dandelion_Charm

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Fifty Gigs In A Day 2019 – MARK STAY book launch for ‘The End of Magic’

Facebook event page

Friday, February 15, 2019 at 6:30 PM – 8 PM at Harbour Books, 21 Harbour Street, CT5 1AQ Whitstable

A very exciting event indeed! On the 15th February we’ll be celebrating the publication of ‘The End of Magic’ by Mark Stay! We’ve been expanding our sci-fi and fantasy section in the last year or so, and with this we’ve seen new faces, found some fabulous new titles, and now we get to host our first fantasy event with a fantastic author!

You know the drill, right? But this time we’re switching it up a little bit, because The End of Magic takes you back to a time when magic collapsed, and to celebrate this book the right way we’re encouraging all guests to give it their best shot and get into their magic-inspired costumes! Mark himself will be greeted by a special visitor (which you will not want to miss), and for every copy purchased on the night Mark will be donating £1 to Nordoff Robbins – a brilliant charity changing lives through music. We’ll be kicking off the evening at 6.30pm, and it’s all completely free as always! Be there, be in costume, and be ready for a truly magical evening!

‘There are epic fantasies where magic is a thing of the past, spoken of in hushed tones until some kid pulls a sword from a stone and it all kicks off again…

This is not one of those stories.

The End of Magic will take you back to a time when magic collapsed, when the world went mad, chaos reigned, and we’ll get to see it through the eyes of three people who have everything to lose…

Sander Bree is a royal mage. The personification of privilege, he lives a cushy life advising the king on matters of court and politics, yet still finds plenty of time to complain that he’s stuck in a rut.

Rosheen Katell is an immigrant freelancer and, with Anzu her griffin, she’s worked hard to build a reputation as a trustworthy truth seer. She never lies, never kills.

Oskar is Rosheen’s younger brother. Mute from birth he is a moonchild. Alone and vulnerable, he will endure more change than anyone.

Both Sander and Rosheen are entirely dependent on magic. The source of their power is the Lapis Moon in orbit above. Very soon, that magic will be gone, changing their lives and their world forever.

Sander must keep a promise that would have been difficult enough with magic, but is a suicide mission without it. Rosheen is forced to side with a murderous warlord, and her once-solid principles are tested and found wanting. Oskar needs to survive unthinkable terror and find his sister. All are set against one another in a war unlike anything the world has seen before.

The End of Magic is an exhilarating wild ride, by turns epic and intimate, funny and dark, and perfect for fans of Jen Williams, Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch.’

Music matters with…JOSH TAERK

I have been a fan of Josh Taerk since his early days and it is a real delight to see him gaining popularity for his heartfelt and moving songs. If he plays near to you go see him live and drop by on his socials as I am sure he would love to connect and here from you.

It’s all about making connections…

Music is everything to me because music is my way of communicating with the world. I feel like we as people are the most honest, heartfelt and emotionally raw we can be through the music we listen to and the music we write. Our stories go way beyond language barriers, national boarders and even personal experience when told through music. It all boils down to how something makes you feel, and when I listen to some of my favorite songs, knowing that other people are thinking and feeling the same things that I am.

Lately, I can’t stop listening to John Mayer’s album The Search For Everything, specifically his song “In The Blood.” I love how uncomplicated the music is, how simple the chord structure is, and how complicated the emotions he is talking about are. It’s such a perfect song for a record called, The Search For Everything because it feels he’s trying to figure out who he is in relation to where he came from, something I think everyone can relate to. Does our past make us who we are, or do we have a say in who we become? In life and in the song, it seems to come down to the choices we make.

‘How much like my brothers, do my brothers wanna be? Does a broken home become another broken family? Or will we be there for each other, like nobody ever could? Will it wash out in the water, or is it always in the blood?

I can feel love the I want, I can feel the love I need But it’s never gonna come the way I am Could I change it if I wanted, could I rise above the flood? Will it wash out in the water, or is it always in the blood?’

I also use music as motivation to continue following my dreams and making those dreams a reality. I listen to The Script’s song “Hall Of Fame” featuring will.i.am when I work out, I’m a bit of a fitness nut on and off the road, as well as the day of a show. This song just gets my heart pumping, that fire going in my chest, and gets me into that make it happen mindset.

I love Zac Brown Band’s song “Remedy” on their Jekyll + Hyde album. The message is so powerful and speaks to me as a musician and performer. My goal when I get up onstage, or release a song is, again, to connect with people, let them know they are not alone in how they are thinking and feeling, and try and leave this world a little better than how I found it. That is exactly what Zac Brown Band talks about in the Lyrics to “Remedy.” It’s not about what you believe in, or the specific details of your day to day. It’s about getting to the root of what we as people can do for each other and for ourselves, it’s about how everything boils down to love and how powerful love can be.

(Love is the remedy) We’re all in this world together Life’s a gift that we have to treasure Happiness, now that is the measure Love is the remedy

(Love is the remedy) Everyone can be forgiven One love and one religion Open up your heart and listen Love is the remedy Pray to be stronger and wiser And know you get what you give God is love one another Amen (amen), amen, amen (amen)

www.joshtaerk.com

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Music review – NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA re-issues

A band formed by members of Soilwork and Arch Enemy to perform their love of 80’s AOR/melodic rock doesn’t sound like it should work but it does and after forming in 2007, the Night Flight Orchestra are going from strength to strength, including a recent packed out UK debut show.

Nuclear Blast have recently re-issued the band’s first two albums, ‘Internal Affairs’ (2012) and ‘Skyline Whispers’ (2015), both previously released on the independent label Coroner Records.

Both albums have the band’s distinctive 80’s AOR/melodic rock feel of the likes of Survivor, REO Speedwagon and those mid-tempo rock songs that featured on 80’s movies. ‘Glowing City Madness’ off ‘Internal Affairs’ is a real stand out, shades of ELO on the harmony vocals and a melody to lift you out of a dark mood.

‘Skyline Whispers’ has the band using female backing vocals more and nowadays the band have two permanent female backing singers in their line-up. The epic nine minutes plus of ‘The Heather Report’ has a distinct 70’s West Coast AOR feel at the start before the guitars kick in and we have a John Miles approved epic on our hands.

Personally I prefer their most recent two albums as they have a slicker sound and feel, however both of these are worth owning if you are a newcomer to the band and/or love all things melodic rock with an 80’s sound.

Fifty Gigs In A Day 2019 – HANSON ASIEDU gig 19 January

It is free entry, however you need to register here for tickets

With support from:

● Ché Sampson
● Ogo Ajala

Hanson Asiedu and live band presents the first leg of 4 dates live in London, with songs from the debut EP titled ‘Stages’.

‘Listening to the EP is a MUST before attending as I would really love for you all to sing along. We make the music as a community and body’ ~ Hanson Asiedu

Music news – COLIN DEVLIN High Point

At a time when both politics and the planet seem to be spinning out of control, Colin Devlin’s new album High Point takes the sonic high ground. The world has shifted since this Irish singer and songwriter released his acclaimed solo debut Democracy of One in 2010, but his approach to finely crafted music remains steadfast, with warm arrangements and timely lyrics about exploring the darkness and light of human relationships.

Devlin first earned his reputation for atmospheric songs and nuanced vocals during the 1990s and early 2000s, when his band The Devlins received four stars from Rolling Stone and placed songs in more than a dozen films and TV shows. After the success of his first solo album, Devlin won “Best Irish Male” at the Meteor Music Awards in 2010 and co-wrote several tracks on Janiva Magness’s 2016 album Love Wins Again, which earned him a Grammy nomination.

Now, Colin Devlin continues his signature sound on 2018’s High Point. His second solo effort was produced by longtime collaborator Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan, Rufus Wainwright) and recalls the work of classic moodmasters such as David Bowie, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, and David Sylvian. Recorded in Los Angeles and Montreal in 2017, the album’s lineup includes Marchand and Devlin on piano, guitar and keyboards; guest guitarist Michael Brook; brother Peter Devlin on bass; Matt Chamberlain (Tori Amos, Garbage) on drums; and Jeremy Ruzumna (Fitz and the Tantrums) on piano and keys. Blue Elan artist Chelsea Williams adds vocal harmonies to several songs.

His cinematic tracks have been featured in more than a dozen films and TV shows over the past two decades. The title cut recalls the shadowy rhythms of Devlin’s rock band past (he toured the world with The Devlins in the 1990s and early 2000s).

Devlin says High Point has a “family and friends” vibe—with edge.

“The album was finished during nine days at Clear Lake Studios when all the musicians were together,” he says. “We rented a house in Los Feliz with a pool, and it all felt very rock and roll––until I realized that my three-year-old daughter had erased the production notes from my iPhone’s voice memos. Thankfully, it was perfect timing. We had just laid down the last track.”

“I could have made a traditional alternative rock album with High Point,” Devlin says. “Instead, I let each song determine its own direction. There’s so much noise out there in the industry, and this recording reflects a range of textures and total creative freedom.”

In a world of disposable pop music, High Point is another plateau for a songwriter who relishes the sounds of real instruments and the value of living in the present.

“Between my first album Democracy of One and the new one, I married, had two children, and started to see life through a different lens,” Devlin says of the writing a recording of High Point. “The songs express an awareness of the beauty and temporality of life. We get so caught up, sometimes we don’t stop to realize how momentous each day can be.”

All photos by Danny Clinch

www.colindevlin.com

Music news – GIN ANNIE announce debut album

UK melodic hard rock band, GIN ANNIE, have announced the release of their debut album ‘100% Proof‘ on January 25th, 2019 via Off Yer Rocka Recordings. ‘100% Proof‘ contains 10 tracks and will please fans of heavy guitar driven songs, with melodic vocal style; hook-laden choruses and classy melodies.

‘100% Proof‘ was produced and engineered by Jay Shredder and recorded at Shredder Live Lounge.

Track listing:

1. Love Ain’t Here
   2. Dead & Gone
   3. Chains
   4. New Bad Habit
   5. Next 2 Me
   6. Damage
   7. Fallin’
   8. All I Want
   9. Haunt Me
   10. Born to Rock n Roll

GIN ANNIE have launched a pre-order campaign through Pledge Music: www.pledgemusic.com/projects/gin-annie

A music video for the song ‘Chains‘ can be viewed here:

GIN ANNIE is a hard melodic rock 5-piece from Wolverhampton, England, featuring heavy guitar driven songs whilst maintaining a melodic vocal style; hook-laden choruses and classy melodies.

GIN ANNIE are based around the nucleus of cousins, Dave Foster (vocals) and Byron Garbett (guitars). In November 2017, the Black Country rockers saw a change of line-up to form MKII of the band, with the addition of Brian Green on guitar and Phill ‘Hammer’ Burrows on bass. Drumming powerhouse Jack Ryland-Smith completes the group.

Guitarist, Byron Garbett said: “We are thrilled to announce details of our debut album – 100% Proof. A lot of heavy riffs and heavy nights went into the writing and recording of this and we can’t wait for folks to get their ears around it. It’s just 5 guys from the Black Country making a racket but one we hope many will enjoy.”

www.ginannie.com
www.facebook.com/GinAnnieUK