The Zutons
never were like other bands. Emerging at the same time
as Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs back in 2004 - and
also in the wake of The Coral, Liverpool's then great
white hopes - their boisterous, hook-laden music was
compulsively odder than that of their peers. They sang
about zombies and dancehalls, and took inspiration not
just from their city's favourite sons but also from John
Barry, Talking Heads, Ennio Morricone and arcane 60s
acts long since forgotten by everyone else but them.
Their infectious songs made an instant connection with
the great British public, and their first album, Who
Killed The Zutons?, described by one critic as sci-fi
trash rock, sold over 600,000 in the UK alone, spawning
the hit singles Pressure Point and Confusion, and also
bagging a Nationwide Mercury Prize nomination.
In 2006, they released Tired Of
Hanging Around, a follow-up full of zest and one
perfectly crafted pop song after the other. This time,
tracks revolved around stalking and death, but the
melodies were strictly stratospheric, and the singles -
Oh Stacey (Look What You've Done), Why Won't You Give Me
Your Love among them - were huge hits. Like its
predecessor, the album quickly went double platinum,
cementing their reputation as one of the country's most
loved, and biggest, bands.
The album also spawned Valerie,
not only a massive hit single in its own right but a
song that uber producer Mark Ronson became so taken with
that he would later re-work it himself, now with Amy
Winehouse on lead vocals. It went on to become one of
the biggest selling singles in recent memory, and has
just spent its 100th week in the Top 100 Radio Airplay
Charts, testament not only to Winehouse's impeccable
vocal but also to the strength of the song itself and,
in turn, of Dave McCabe, songwriter. www.thezutons.com
Strikingly individual, twin brothers Craig and Charlie
Reid have over the years enjoyed huge success across the
globe as the emotional honesty, political fire, wit and
sing-along raucousness of their songs and their
extensive touring has enlightened and entertained fans
new and old. The Proclaimers have
carved out a niche for themselves in the netherworld
where pop, folk, new wave and punk collide. In the
process they have enjoyed Gold and Platinum singles and
albums in UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
After a rapid writing period in the second half of 2008,
Craig and Charlie Reid headed back to the legendary
Rockfield Studios in February with producer Steve Evans
(Robert Plant, Siouxsie) to record a new album ‘Notes &
Rhymes’ for release on 15th June.
Craig and Charlie then went over to Austin, Texas to
make their debut at SXSW where they performed a series
of seven acoustic showcases, including a one-off
Scottish extravaganza, sharing a bill with Glasvegas and
Primal Scream.
2008 saw The Proclaimers bring a
129 date, yearlong World tour to a triumphant conclusion
with 2 final shows July 19/20 in front of 15,000 fans at
Edinburgh Castle and a big top at Bught Park, Inverness.
Craig and Charlie then got down to writing new songs for
the remainder of the year.
March 2008 had seen The
Proclaimers tour across Europe before heading off to USA
& Canada for a 2 month coast to coast tour. They
followed that with a variety of shows from Muscat to
Bermuda, alongside English seaside resort gigs and
European festivals including their fourth Glastonbury
appearance.
September 2007 had seen The Proclaimers release their
seventh studio album ‘Life With You’ in the UK to
fantastic critical acclaim and great commercial success.
October then saw The Proclaimers kick off their biggest
ever UK & Ireland tour, 44 dates to over 100,000 fans.
In Scotland, they sold more gig tickets than any other
single act in 2007. The summer saw them play at a number
of festivals, including 2 exhilarating main stage
performances at V Festivals. http://www.proclaimers.co.uk
The Beautiful South
are now New
Beautiful South having taken a two-year
sabbatical.
Formed 20 years
ago, the band have sold over 15 million albums worldwide
and packed out stadiums and arenas throughout that
period. They've had a string of hit singles such as Old
Red Eyes Is Back, Rotterdam, Don't Marry Her, Perfect 10
and Number One single A Little Time. Their greatest hits
album, Carry On Up The Charts,
was one of the fastest-selling albums in
UK
history, entering at Number One and staying there for
weeks, becoming one of the country's most popular albums
ever.
Three lead singers now become two as
Paul Heaton has left to pursue a solo career. The band
will feature Dave Hemingway (vocals), Alison Wheeler
(Vocals), David Stead (Drums), Damon Butcher
(Keyboards), Gary Birtles & Tony Robinson.. . The band
will introduce their new guitarist, and bass player, on
stage.
The Sunshine
Underground are
originally from Shrewsbury
and Telford,
and formed while studying at New College, Telford. After
New College the band moved to Woodhouse in Leeds
where the band started to develop its sound.
They
sold out venues in London
and Leeds on their first headline tour. Following their
successful support slots for LCD Sound system,
the group earned the Live Band of the Year trophy at the
Leeds Music Awards.
Work on their debut album,
Raise the Alarm,
was completed in May 2006 and was released on August 28,
2006.
They appeared on the 2006 spring/summer European
festival circuit.
November saw the band play even
more gigs, at increasingly large venues throughout the
UK, including cities like Glasgow, Preston, Barnsley and
London with the addition of other concerts in May 2007.
Most notably they played the Other Stage at the Glastonbury Festival
in June and played a headline set on the future stage at
T in the Park
in July and performed at the Leeds/Reading Festival in
August 2007, playing on the NME stage. The band
headlined the Strathclyde University's
2007 fresher's week.
http://tsuarmy.blogspot.com
In a period of
a little over two years Secret Affair posted five releases in the UK Singles Chart,
and released three albums.
The debut single
"Time For Action" sold over 200,000 copies and reached
number 13 in the UK chart, putting them at the forefront
of the mod
revival movement. More chart
success followed with "Let Your Heart Dance", "My World"
and "Sound Of Confusion".
From their
very first gig,
opening for The Jam
at Reading University
in February 1979, the band were adopted by a group of
East End mods,
who readily embraced Page’s Glory Boy concept. This
group of fans began referring to themselves as Glory
Boys, often tattooing the name on their arms as a badge
of allegiance. Secret Affair had become so closely
linked to the emerging mod revival
that in March 1979 Cairns wrote what would become the
youth movement's main anthem,
"Time For Action".
In June 2002,
Page, Cairns, Smith, Bultitude and Winthrop reformed for
three gigs, including a performance at London's
Shepherds Bush Empire.
They returned in June the following year, playing at The
Scala in Islington
to promote the release of Time For Action: The Anthology
(Sanctuary),
a major CD
retrospective of hits, rarities and previously
unreleased tracks. The concert was filmed and released
on DVD.
In 2006 Page and Cairns attempted to mend their
sometimes fractious relationship and started work on a
fourth Secret Affair album. http://www.secretaffair.info
Charismatic, self-determined
and committed. Clement Marfo
is quickly proving to be one of the hottest new talents
to hit the British scene. Clement has been established
to be experimental with his unique style, permitting him
to have an unconventional means of deliverance.
Born and raised in South London,
England to Ghanaian (West African) parents. Clement has
blossomed into a determined recording artist with
engaging lyrics, illustrating conscious song writing
skills that reflect a mature outlook on reality.
At present, Clement Marfo is working closely with a
seven piece band ‘The
Frontline’ in
which this collaboration has significantly added a whole
new dimension to his music. Together Clement Marfo & The
Frontline exhibit a fusion of musical styles, with the
fundamental style of Hip Hop, being incorporated with
supporting styles of Rock, Indie, Soul, and Funk. This
unique blend of upbeat, colourful music has created a
refreshing mix that appeals to the European and
international market.
http://www.clementmarfo.com
Cleethorpes Rocks
Festival 2009 Solid Entertainments
