Voodoo Trombone Quartet - Live in London

This Friday sees the return of The Voodoo Trombone Quartet to the London gig scene, performing at The Worlds End.

No. Not that one. The one in Finsbury Park.

Good. Just so we're clear.

We are  performing as part of the Save Rubyyy Jones Revue, with a number of Burlesque artists, complementing the lounge-ska feel of tracks like 'Medium Wave' and 'Voodoo Trombones'

We will also be performing 4 songs from our new album, due out this summer. These will include our latest single Hello! Who Are You? / Easy to learn, as heard on BBC 6Music. There will also be an opportunity to pick up a copy of the single on CD or 7inch.

It's free-ish entry, donations only. We're on at 11, but entertainment starts at 8pm. So come along, drink, dance and be very, very merry.

Cambridge Wind Band - First Concert

After rehearsing together for only 4 months, Cambridge Wind Band have our first concert in May, at St Giles Church, Cambridge.

As much as I love ska, there's nothing to compete with the colours and textures created by a wind band. It will always create a special shiver down my spine.

The programme is quite open and available, something for the Symphonic Wind geeks and curious passing tourists alike. I'll be somewhere near the back, on bari sax.

With a running theme of 'Music from the Movies', the programme will feature music by Paul Hart, John Williams and Leonard Bernstein.

As most of my gigs involve late nights and bars, this will be a great opportunity for my younger students to check out what I do when I'm not teaching, and to see where all the scales and rhythm tree clapping can lead to! Tickets are £7 for adults and £3 for children, it would be great to get a big crowd in for our first concert.

Voodoo Trombone Quartet - Download Delays...

...so you may have noticed by now that the VTQ new single 'Hello! Who Are You?' isn't available online as yet.

As usual, things have gone breasts aloft on the admin side of things (making the music is the easy bit) and until all everything's sorted on the publishing/distribution side of things, we can't release the track online.

Hopefully this won't take too long. The CD and 7inch single are available from our website www.voodootrombonequartet.com and if you drop us a line there, we'll send it along.

Best Gig Ever!

And it's not even happened yet. It will be tomorrow.
I haven't developed psychic powers, but I know that two of the best ska bands I've ever seen will be appearing on the same bill tomorrow night at the O2 in Islington.

The Slackers - New York ska with a hint of old school Rock 'n' Roll. Amazing brass, amazing songs, and a curiously engaging keys front man.

Here they are with 'I'll Stay Away'

Supporting them are the New Town Kings, from much closer to home...Essex. These guys have been with Big 10 on the bill at The Junction recently, supporting touring ska revivalists The Beat and The Selector. Picking up fans wherever they gig, NTK have very strong songs that you simply have to dance to. You don't get a choice, those beats mean not skanking is not an option.

Here they are with 'Dynamite' from their latest album 'M.O.J.O'

There are still tickets available so don't miss this chance to dance.

lx

Just in case you missed it...

... the 'B' side to the new VTQ Single 'Easy to Learn' was played on the BBC 6 Music 'Freak Zone' show on Sunday.

Big thanks to Stuart Maconie for playing that, we'll forgive you getting the band name wrong...

Have a listen about 15 minutes in: Freak Zone

John Peel & The Zang...

...surely a match made in heaven?

Not far off.

I'd not been to the John Peel CCA before, and what a great venue it is, perfect to host Ultrazang. It was Voodoo Trombone Quartet's first Zang, and from the way the audience were dancing, I don't think it will be the last.

The lighting was amazing and really leant itself to the psych openers Butterfly, and the swirly organ sounds of The Scissors. The VTQ set was a selection of our more ska-tinged songs (being a Zang veteran, I know what makes the people dance) and our new single 'Hello! Who Are You?'. We closed the night with our single B side 'Easy to Learn'.

The only slight downside to the gig was the Rob Castellani set, as the large hall magnified the sound of an audience intent on carrying on their conversations, to the point where Castellani had to have his on stage monitors turned up. There is a place in hell set aside for people who talk through quiet music sets, and to see people yakking their way through a truly astounding performance had my inner Doncaster bubbling to the surface. Luckily no-one got hurt.

A great line up, and a great single launch. Thanks to Chris for putting on another great show. And it's not just me who thinks so - check out this great review here