New Year, New Gigs

So 2011 is nearly here, hope you're all having a reasonable Christmas.

I've put up the gigs I'll be playing over the next few months, in such far flung places as Madrid and Hounslow. I'm looking forward to a busy year with VTQ and PoC, but also to getting out there and doing more playing for myself. I've spent so much time focussing on my role in bands, I've almost forgotten what it's like to be just Liz Mitchell - Saxophonist.

So I'm pushing for the freelance as well as the band stuff now, and seeing what turns up. Any studios in Cambridge and London looking for a session player, I'm your horn! Steady now...

Best wishes to you all who read this gig commentary from it seems many corners of the world. Googlestats is marvellous thing.

Have a wonderful new year. Stay safe.
Saxylizbeth x

Have a Reasonable Christmas!

The Voodoo Trombone Quartet's Christmas Party was an amazing success! After a few fusebox related scares at the venue South London Pacific, the gig went off without a hitch. The first set was wall to wall crowd pleasers, Major Taylor, The Phantom and Chinese Burns all got the party bouncing.

The second opened with the VTQ Nativity (more pictures here) and then our traditional Christmas covers set. 'Stop the Cavalry', 'Xmas Rapping', and our possibly irreverant version of 'Feed the World'. The audience loved it and sang along with gusto. Our set opener (and encore) was 'Winter Wonderland', which will be available as a free download as soon as we've finished recording it!

The only letdown of the night was the DJ afterwards. Playing generic house in a far from generic Tiki bar seemed like a wasted opportunity. It would have been great to hear some loungecore and exotica, befitting with the decor and decadence of the cocktail bar, but not this time.

So thats nearly my last gig of the year. I'm playing with PoC at The Windmill in Brixton this Thursday (details here) and I'm looking forward to a few weeks off! I'll be updating the gig list for January shortly, so you can start the year with your skanking shoes on.

Oh, one more thing. Over there ------------> is the twitter button! Give it a click to follow me on Twitter!

Have a reasonable Christmas y'all!

Lizbeth

Popes of Islo-Town

Thanks to everyone who came, saw and skanked to our set at Islington Academy yesterday. Especially to the dude down the front dancing like a mad thing who found my mic when the clip pinged off half way through 'Brave'. Much appreciated Sir! The rest of the set went without a hitch I'm pleased to say and it was one of our best yet.

So now its onwards to the Voodoo Trombone Quartet Xmas bash. The festivities are just about ready, including some xmas-flavoured songs you might recognise, and a chance to see VTQ performing in something other than our red'n'blacks. Some of us will even be in drag. Want to know more? Then we'll see you there.

Please remember to get there early cos South London Pacific does have a habit of getting very full, very quickly!

Lizbeth x

December Gigs

So its December next week. Chuff.

Lots of gigs, and lots of new songs across both bands. I'll be playing with Popes of Chillitown on 4th December at Islington Academy, where we'll be running out our new track 'Person Under a Train'. Its early doors, PoC will be on at 5.30ish, so either finish a hard days Xmas shopping by skanking with your gift bags, or use PoC as the perfect launch for a great night out!

The Voodoo Trombone Quartet Xmas Party is shaping up to be the best yet, we're all really excited about it. Costumes and covers are all being prepared for our annual extravanganza at South London Pacific, and this year even the venue are getting involved. The VTQ will be performing with the staff of SLP as they debut the bars signature song 'Dude Wheres My Cocktail?' 

The VTQ also now has its own facebook group up and running, so go and show some love :-)

Mod It.

Last night I went to a great club night at The Cow in Cambridge, hosted by The Alley Club. Ska'N'B is 6 hours of Jamaican Ska, Blue Beat and Northern Soul floorfillers, and not a duff track played all night. All the tracks played are on original 7 inch vinyl, the whole night is a real labour of love. Its held bi-monthly and only £5 to get in. So I'll see you at the next one, yes?

In gig news, Popes of Chillitown are playing Notting Hill Arts club on Tuesday night. Yes its a school night, but as its a local one for the original Chillitown faithful, we're on at 10.30. New choons!

Finally heres the link for the Voodoo Trombone Quartet Christmas Party. We've started planning costumes and covers, we're determined to top last years gig when we packed the club to bursting. I'll be dropping hints of the songs we'll be covering over the next few weeks...

Saxylizbeth x

Christmas Gigs News!

I've just updated the next pile of gigs I'll be blowing at over the next two months.

Included in these is the VTQ Christmas Party, which I can now confirm will be on 11th December at our spiritual home, South London Pacific, in Kennington.  The annual festive knees up will be the best night out you'll have all December, so instead of getting drunk and telling your boss what you really think of them, come to us, and dance like no-ones watching.

Two years ago, we shot Santa. Last year there were questionable drawings of The Chuckle Brothers.
What will happen this year? Be there and find out.

VTQ pics from The Portland Arms

Here are some pics from the Breakthrough Breast Cancer gig, courtesy of AWE Photograpy

Voodoo Christmas

So The Voodoo Trombone Quartet legendary Christmas Gig has been confirmed, but I can't tell you all the info just yet.

You'll find us where you usually find us at Christmas, and it will be in December! (Funny that...)

Once we've decided the set and someones done the artwork, I shall tell you more. But if its going to be anything like as busy as last years, I'd have your finger hovering over the 'book tickets' button...

3 days, 3 gigs!

Well what a few days its been!

First off was the Voodoo Trombone Quartet at Breakthrough Bands Night, The Portland Arms, Cambridge. We stayed with the same set we played for The Amazing Meeting crowd, and it was equally well received. The Cambo gig goers are not as bouncy as the London ones, but from the feedback afterwards (words like 'Awesome', 'Blown Away') we definitely left there with a few new friends. As soon as the total amount raised for Breakthrough is confirmed, I'll post that up. I should have some pics soon too!

Then came the Popes of Chillitown back to back 'Gigs in places beginning with K'. Friday night was Kettering, at Sawyers. This venue is truly the Cistine Chapel of UK punk venues and always has a good crowd up for a good time. We were opening for Mouthwash and The Skints, and a great time doing so. Quite thankful for the crash barrier at the front of the stage though.

October is Oxjam season, and PoC have been involved with Oxjam numerous times over the years. We were playing with some awesome bands at Knights Bar in Kingston, and again, raising lots of money.
Pics for this one will be up shortly.

Stay tuned for news of the Voodoo Trombone Quartets Christmas party!

Breakthrough Bands - Tomorrow Night

Ticket booking method for this gig has changed!

If you still haven't booked your ticket to see The Voodoo Trombone Quartet, Jacqui & Geoff and Run for Cover (and why the heck not?) please click here for info. Its a somewhat genius way of getting round ticket sales commission and making sure all the money goes to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

See you down the front!

VTQ at The Amazing Meeting Party, Camden

And what an amazing gig it was!

The VTQ bashed through a ska-tinged set, leaving the house laced tracks for another day. This was definitely a crowd in the mood for bouncing.

Despite being a trombone short (the second airport related gig fail this month!) we played all the favourites from the first and second album. VTQ opened with The Latest Sound (recently featured on BBC3's 'Don't Tell The Bride') and Major Taylor was dedicated to both Claire Rayner and Norman Wisdom.

We're all set for our second charity gig of the week, supporting Breakthrough Breast Cancer at the Portland Arms on Thursday night. There's some great support bands that night so you might as well come and make a night of it.

Voodoo Trombone Quartet to play The Portland Arms

Hello all! Long time no blog, I've been on holibobs.

Trying to organise this charity gig whilst being on holibobs has been a tad tricky, but I'm happy to confirm that the VTQ will be headlining the Breakthrough Breast Cancer night at The Portland Arms in Cambridge on 21st October.

Its the first time VTQ have played live in Camboshire since The Secret Garden Party last year, and of course its for a great cause. This night, run by Patrick Sheil of Moth Conspiracy, always has a great bill of music and promises to be a lot of fun.

See you down the front?!?

The Fastest VTQ set in history...

...oh dear, our poor drummer.

Still, it was a great gig by the VTQ, who kept the party going following Special Benny and their album launch set. SB sounded awesome, you can listen to their new album here

There was a special moment for me when 'Major Taylor' (VTQ's song for the recently departed) was dedicated to my own cat, Chance, who died at the weekend. Truly a honour for a very rock'n'roll pusscat.

Thanks to all who came to see us, sorry I couldn't stay and chat, but the last train from Kings X is stupidly early!

More Gigs!

I've just updated the gig page with some new bookings, some exciting stuff coming up!
The Voodoo Trombone Quartet will be performing at The Amazing Meeting knees up at the Monarch, the crowd containing lots of people I hope will give us work in 2011. Fingers crossed!

Also Popes of Chillitown have been confirmed on possibly the best ska bill of the year. Returning to the amazing Sawyers in Kettering, PoC are supporting Mouthwash, and if thats not amazing enough, The Skints are headlining. I'm aiming to play the best badass Badman squeal of the year at this one, so make sure you come down and hear it!

The Haymakers

Thanks to everyone who came along to The Haymakers on Saturday night for the Popes of Chillitown gig! To those who danced around, sang along with 'Daily Fail' and bought our cds, we really appreciate you coming out and supporting live music and not increasing Simon Cowells bank balance.

Another PoC Gig confirmed!!!

Well, its all busy busy busy for me with Popes of Chillitown at the moment. We've just secured another great support slot with The Skints at Sawyers in Kettering.

Stay tuned for the event links and press!

Special Benny Album Launch

More details are now available about the Special Bennys Album Launch, at which the Voodoo Trombone Quartet will be warming things up nicely.

Mouthwash!

Its just been confirmed that Popes of Chillitown are supporting Mouthwash at Islington Academy on 4th December 2010!!!

What can I say?

Have.
It.

More Gigs!

Just added two more PoC gigs for October! Nice.

Popes of Chillitown at The Haymakers!

Heres the poster for our next gig!

Voodoo Trombone Quartet

The Voodoo Trombone Quartet and I have been making music together for five years now. Two albums, and EP and a shed load of festivals later, we're now working the corporate circuit, and doing the occasional fan gig at any cocktail bar who'll have us.

Here is the footage from a festival we did earlier this year, Chagstock 2010. We're playing at Special Bennys album launch next month and The Amazing Meeting in October. Expecting big stuff from that one!

We've been on many adventures, drunk lots of cocktails and a fair amount of Brothers Pear Cider, and been up and down the A303 more times than any band ever should. They are the VTQ, and as far as bands go, they're definitely the Husband

Popes of Chillitown

Check out my band Popes of Chillitown and their new video for 'I See Dub People'. This track is available on the 'Ten Tone Tour' EP available here .

A London based ska-punk outfit, PoC have been causing me merriment and monumental petrol bills for 4 years now. With a good mix of personalities, and a drummer record to rival Spinal Tap, they're great fun and we play great songs. They are my pool boy.

Saxamaphone!

Hi. My name is...

Lizbeth, and I play saxophone! Alto, tenor and bari, I'll read anything. And I'll play anything. Except Baker Street. So don't ask.

And this is my blog.