Archives: August 12, 2023

Since 2022 my children have been attending a fantastic organisation – namely #YouthZone in #Warrington, Cheshire and they had told me that a very young band ( average age 17 ) had been rehearsing there since they formed in May 2023 and they were performing a half hour gig at #HMV Music store in #Warrington town centre on Saturday 12th Aug as a bit of a showcase. Naturally I was inquisitive so popped down with my wife and children to check them out .

The band were ‘The Odeens’ with Lex on Lead Vocals, Anthony on Lead Guitar, Tyler on Rhythm Guitar and backing vocals , Lunar on Bass Guitar and Gordon on Drums. Their performance space was literally a 15ft by 15 ft square in the middle of the shop and they had brought along their small box amps and dampened drums to keep the noise down before starting their short set of original material and a couple of covers. There were a number of teenage fans and family members in support and many passers-by stopped to watch the performance , obviously the lads were a little nervous but that didn’t last for long and with deserved applause for this rock like band they quickly settled down.

Their performance brought back vivid memories for myself many (many!) moons ago when our timing was a little out here and there, the sound was a bit screechy for obvious reasons and we weren’t always certain how to finish songs. Yes, there were mistakes by The Odeens, but they recovered very well and at one point Gordon on drums had a stick break, and without a replacement he did a magnificent job playing Arctic Monkeys ‘Good on the Dancefloor’ with half a stick!! Our frontman back in my day also had to refer to notes for the lyrics but once Lex gets to know the songs better he will rid himself of his ‘comfort blanket’ phone and adapt the role of the true frontman – he certainly looks the part!

I liked these lads , they can play their instruments and they do have something about them, it’s in there somewhere! Hopefully they will soon acquire the gear they are short of and Gordon’s drums desperately need replacing! With a decent sound system and a gig booked on the 8th Sept at #The Pyramid in Warrington, plus a DIY recording of their first single ‘Dirtbag’ being produced by the Sound Engineer (Loz) on the 18th Aug at #YouthZone, I will be watching very closely and reporting their progress, well done lads – great job.

Remember you heard it here first folks @unsignedhub.com

Does the name sound familiar?  If you were at Warringtons Music Fest in June this year it should be , as they played a short, yet very entertaining set and stirred the crowd from a bit of a mid-afternoon slumber.

So who are Muddy Elephant? 

Following a sold-out gig at Telford Warehouse in Chester I caught up with them for a chat at the Cheesefields Festival in Latchford. Muddy Elephant are Sam on lead vocals and Rhythm Guitar, Warrington born Carlos on Lead Guitar, Matt on Bass and Harry on drums. The band officially formed in 2019 but the seeds were sown some years before when frontman Sam and Matt studied GCSE music together at school.

Describing their music genre as Indie/Rock with a sprinkling of pop, the band released their first single ‘Alice’ in 2019 and this D.I.Y recording relates to Alice Morgan, played by Ruth Wilson in the detective series ‘ Luther’ . Alice has murdered her parents (and their dog) – in such a calculated fashion, that not even Luther is able to prove her guilt, of which he is absolutely certain. Quite a macabre subject to write about but it shows the level of thought that frontman Sam invests into his lyrics and was perhaps, an indication of what was to follow in subsequent years.When you hear the band play ‘Alice’ in a live setting now in 2023 it demonstrates how the band have matured, it is a more complete and polished sound.

2020 was a busy time for the band, they released their second single ‘Helter Skelter’ –  a fast ‘Spandau Ballet’ sounding song with very strong vocals from Sam and lyrics that reflect another Groundhog day- that recurring situation in which events that have happened before happen again, in what seems to be exactly the same way, the 9 to 5 of daily life.   See what you think of it here;

‘Helter Skelter’ was closely followed by ‘Tusk’ and it is here that Muddy Elephant’s signature sound was being firmly established – fast tempo from a very tight rhythm section , driving- jangling guitars , excellent lead vocals again and solid backing vocals from Matt.  My mention of  “the reason for the lyrics of Tusk?”  was the only time I had witnessed Sam break from his jovial and relaxed demeanour as he alluded to the Ivory trade in this song,  and the lifting of the ban by Donald Trump , something he is clearly very passionate about. You can view the You Tube lyrics video here:

Quickly moving on to their fourth release ‘When in Rome’ in 2021- this is an easy going  ‘Summery’ sound, a nod to Indy Pop with occasional Viola Beach chords which are now difficult to avoid in this genre of music. When you go to see the band expect them to invite you to join in the chorus as this is a feel-good singalong song , it’s not hard , even for the mature reader!  Again, and through the power of You Tube , the lads can be seen enjoying themselves in this very well produced video which is a pleasure to watch;

Finally, this year the band released ‘Lonely’ and although you will only find the acoustic video of this on You Tube at the moment , they are working on the new video for release soon. In the meantime why not check out the track on Spotify for the ultimate audio experience of the band in their latest and final guise (with new drummer Harry ). ‘Lonely’ was another track recorded at Gareth Nuttall’s – The Lounge Recording Studio in Wigan, who also produced The Lottery Winners and Frank Turner , and what an excellent job he has done . You can hear the progress and development in a band that has settled down nicely .Witness the clever transition in tempo and dynamics between verse and chorus with riffs that border on Foo Fighters and as usual – superb, resonant vocals high in the mix. 

Just for a laugh I asked ” do you actually play anything slow?” and surprisingly they are planning something this year, but for now the band content themselves with a few covers to change the set tempo and I can vouch they do it very well , especially ‘Mardy Bum’ by the Arctic Monkeys.  With more and more gigs planned for the remainder of the year it would be a complete travesty if these likeable lads didn’t get more recognition from the record industry and an even bigger fan base. However, with their usual modesty Matt states their aim is to play full time , get noticed and do more festivals and if a deal comes their way so be it . For now they just love to play and they are certainly doing that this summer, they are an excellent and entertaining outfit who are working very hard and music lovers should catch them quickly and tell me I’m not biased!  

Readers can check out the band and follow them on any of the usual platforms:

Website: http://www.muddyelephantband.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/muddyelephantmusic 

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/muddyelephant

Twitter – https://twitter.com/ElephantMuddy

Spotify – search Muddy Elephant

Approximately 300 revellers thoroughly enjoyed an excellent ‘sold out’ festival of music at The Cheshire Cheese Pub in Latchford for their inaugural event on Saturday 29th July.

Unlike the previous fortnight of unpredictable weather that sadly hampered a few festivals, the mornings ominous looking clouds thankfully held off and brollies were discarded. From the gates opening at 2pm the day ran like clockwork and the blend of talented covers bands and original artists on the bill, coupled with changeover music by DJ Diddy of Lizard Records in Warrington kept the crowd entertained throughout. 

Several music journalists and photographers were present and no doubt they will report on the performances in their own inimitable style, but in the early stages the author noted solid sets from local soloist Vicky Williams, who is very active on the Warrington music scene and hosts open mic nights at Austins Bar and Pashas Lounge in town. Another fine performance from soloist Paul Nixon, the soulful sound of Maya McConell and her band, Suede lookalikes ‘The Lunar Youth’, entertaining ‘What the Hell’s a Gigawatt’ with a mix of very well executed 80’s covers, tuneful original artists ‘Ben & The Believers’ who dished out EP’s in true Rock n Roll fashion, and local soloist Louis Collier with strong renditions of popular covers prior to the music break .

Unusually for a festival, comedian Adam Hughes appeared during the changeover and preyed on the unsuspecting audience with typical ‘Scouse’ banter but it was all received in good humour and he managed to escape with his life before Indie Rock Band  ‘Muddy Elephant’ took to the stage delivering their own music with the polish and panache acquired since their inception in 2019. They are an extremely confident band who are clearly enjoying what they do, and they do it very well indeed – look out for a separate interview with the lads coming shortly in this column.

Next band up at 9pm was ‘Crayven’, a heavy rock covers band who delivered a loud, blistering set in total contrast to the other artists, and the festival dancers of the day- Mr Steampunk and his accomplice Pikachu were upping their game and had the girls dancing in a true festival atmosphere. There followed a quick break by the Manager of The Cheshire Cheese – Alex Wright , who graciously and sometimes emotionally thanked everybody who had contributed to this very successful event and closed with a nice touch by presenting his hard working Assistant Manager Gemma with a lovely bunch of flowers.

By 9.45 the daylight had faded, the superb fluorescent lights bounced around the stage in a myriad of colour and the smoke machine billowed out across the garden as local headliners ‘The Ambersons’ swaggered on with supreme confidence and, looking very relaxed launched into their own set of folky- rock numbers with a hint of ‘The Levellers’ mixed with fun and on-stage laughter, an excellent closing act who were very well received.

Sadly the author had to leave shortly before the end, but did so to the sound of rapturous applause for ‘The Ambersons’ in the distance and a good feeling for the future of Live music in Latchford –  be sure to follow The Cheshire Cheese on Facebook as their August programme is already published with some promising new acts.

Final congratulations must go to all the hard working bar staff, local sponsors, builders, electricians, and of course the sound engineers, courtesy of Priestley College for keeping it crystal clear and running smoothly, live music would struggle without them!. 

The Ambersons

Muddy Elephant

Sound Guys!

Outside Barman

One of the festival sponsors ‘The Dining Room’

Revellers!

Ben and The Believers

The final category of the Arts blog at Unsignedhub.com is now occupied as Warren Millar Photography has kindly subscribed to it , have a look at the main menu under Photographers and check out his excellent work.

What a coup , the fantastic poet #PieEaterKev kindly allowed his bio, photo and even a brief recital to be uploaded on our site .Go check him out on the Music Poets page in the site menu above , where you find details of his books on Amazon as well . Thank you so much Kevin , we are delighted !

Following a successful set on the bill at Woodfest on the 22nd July it was time to catch up with the lads for a quick chat in a wet tent off-stage ,and what a nice bunch they are.

The band line-up consists of frontman Finn Richards on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Max Morrow on lead guitar, Evan O’Toole on bass guitar and Alex on drums, and with an average age of just 19-20 years old don’t let that fact mislead you as the band have matured considerably over the past 12 months. Hailing from the Warrington area it is hardly surprising that the feel-good vibes of songsters Viola Beach had a positive effect on their young lives, but apart from occasional guitar riffs in their own music there is no direct comparison. Moreover, there is a definite leaning towards Funk, and with vocalist Finn mentioning that their genre is probably more Funk/Pop, their collaborative approach to songwriting is clearly influenced by the likes of Prince, Earth Wind & Fire and Jamiroquai.

The band’s first single ‘Nights with You’ was released in July 2022 and with (what sounds like) Nile Rogers-type chords it is a very accomplished piece of work indeed and could have easily slotted in with the funk era of the late 70’s. In fact this is clearly the image that the band projects and garbed in flares,stacked shoes and short denim jackets they certainly look the part ( the author knows, he was playing in the 70’s!!). Their second single ‘Follow Your Nose ‘ was released in January 2023 and was recorded at the famous Motor Museum studios in Liverpool, also home to recording artists Oasis,The La’s and The Coral to name a few, and with Ben Harper producing they were in very good company. Lead guitarist Max mentioned this latest single was an ode to family holidays when he often inquired of his dad “where are we going?” to which he replied ” follow your nose and go” – it’s fascinating how lyrics can arise and this jaunty, summery tune is the type you would hear in a beach bar abroad and bring home with you. It really is a clever, catchy tune and quite unforgettable.

‘Follow your Nose’ was their opening song at Woodfest and people who were not familiar with the band were clearly lifted by it as another downpour threatened to spoil the day. However, the band were an absolute pleasure to watch as frontman Finn gyrated his way across the stage in true Jay-Kay/Prince style.with supreme confidence that belied his youth and was accompanied by a superb lead guitar from Max and a rock-solid funky rhythm section of Evan and Alex. Guitarist Max hinted at another single some time this year but if you want to hear more of the band again you can find them by logging on to their website www.theraymondsband.co.uk and selecting the Spotify icon or by entering The Raymonds directly on Spotify but ensure you select the right band or you could end up with a bit of punk rock! 

Keep an eye on these hard working lads and catch them now is the authors advice, before the corporates snap them up and are given a chance to sanitize their music as they deserve every success in their own right in this fickle business.

If you are searching for a break from the ‘get rich quick – talent show’ saturated music scene , then you could no better than checking out Indie/Rock band @Balancing Act .

With 5 tracks on Spotify ranging from the high energy (and very well produced) ‘Before I Shoot ‘ , to the slower and more melodic ‘Rabbit Hole ‘ , think of a blend between Longview/Arctic Monkeys/Prefab Sprout and The Eels and you won’t be far off course!

Listen on headphones to hear the masterful effects , superb vocals and often angelic harmonies and you will be hooked. I can’t recall such an effective use of instruments and vocals since 10cc. I will be in the audience at #thedeafinstitute on the 7th Sept if I can get a ticket!

Discounting the 1 week when the site was down , unsignedhub.com is now 4 weeks old and what a busy time it’s been. I have met some lovely people , had some very nice e-mails , been on a radio show twice and even landed a post as a music correspondant on #warringtonworldwidemagazine !

Ok, admittedly I submit articles for approval and subsequent posting at the moment, but who knows where it will lead and for me it’s a dream hobby. The show on #RadioWarrington1332AM and on-line via the app is a blast!! Hosted by the self-titled ‘Rock God’ DJ Gary Skentlebery, I am given the task of selecting 24 Classic Rock tracks for discussion /banter and there is plenty of it! Why not tune in and judge for yourself, the show is aired every Saturday night from 10-12pm GMT and repeated on Sundays at the same time.

In the first 4 weeks it’s been my pleasure to interview Gordon Shaw aka #Gigthepoet , Artist #allsortsbyBen , Sam Heathcote of EVENTIVE and I have the lads of popular bands #MuddyElephant and #TheRaymonds lined up.

Along with other festival organisers to schedule and interview , plus some ideas I have on the ‘back burner’ it’s brilliant to do something I am.passionate about for a change and I hope people keep checking in. Come back soon and spread the word for the arts.

Eventive North West are counting down the days to their inaugural music festival on the 22nd July at the Woodlands Pub in Great Sankey , Warrington .

This 1 day event features live music from 5 acts, including the electro-acoustic sound of soloists Lee Egerton and Kerry Sheree , 5 piece local covers band ‘Jonny Foreigner’ , Warrington’s very own ‘The Raymonds’ and closes with the tribute band ‘No Gallaghers High Flying Birds’ . 

It promises to be an excellent day of entertainment from 1 till 9pm with food and drink on offer from the pub and all are welcome at this family friendly event.

Tickets, with a number of options are selling well and are available from Skiddle by scanning the QR code on the poster or by visiting www.skiddle.com and entering Woodfest 2023 in the search field. 

Let’s hope the weather is kind!

Unsurprisingly this brand new acoustic / electro-acoustic showcase of musicians on the 29th July at #TheCheshireCheesePub in Latchford , Warrington has sold out already! Alex and the team have done a magnificent job at this pub and the hard work continues. Lets hope the weather is kind to them , but if you are not ‘Glastonbury prepared’ you can always pop inside for #NitsThaiFood . Have a great day folks and check back in here for a new post when it’s all over.

Start time is 2pm.