Monthly Archives: August 2008

Thunder Live @ Exeter University

The Big Stage, ,

thunderThunder were tempted back into action by a slot on the touring Monsters of Rock UK arena shows in late 2002. They returned in 2003 with a new album called Shooting At The Sun released on their own label – STC Recordings.

Their second self-released album, The Magnificent Seventh spawned a top 30 single, “I Love You More Than Rock And Roll” in March 2005, reaching #27 in the UK Singles Chart.

Their resurgence can be traced through the venues booked for their live tours. In 2006 Thunder returned, for the first time since the days of the EMI released Back Street Symphony album, to headline the Hammersmith Apollo at the end of a 12 date UK tour.

The band also took part in the triumphant return of the Monsters of Rock festival in 2006 at Milton Keynes, sharing the bill with Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Journey, Queensrÿche, Ted Nugent and Roadstar. Hailed as one of the stars of the show Thunder justified their reputation as one of the best British live acts.

The band released their eighth studio album on 30 October 2006, entitled Robert Johnson’s Tombstone. It follows Thunder’s traditions of good honest blues rock albums, with big riffs and big sing-along choruses.

The single “The Devil Made Me Do It” taken from this album reached #40 in the UK Singles Chart on the 10th of December 2006, and the video, produced and animated by Andy Doran, also enjoyed significant success on its first week when uploaded to the YouTube site, and has received airplay on Scuzz TV.

Thunder undertook a European Tour in early 2007, their first in nearly 12 years, playing small venues in Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Italy. A further UK tour took place in November and December 2007. In February 2008 it was announced Thunder would be the opening act on the second leg of Def Leppard and Whitesnake’s co-headline UK arena tour. The second leg in July 2008 opens in Cardiff International Arena before heading to Exeter University on 21st November 2008

There are also some other fantastic concerts coming up at Exeter University

  • 24th Oct 08  The Stranglers
  • 29th Oct 08  Enter Shikari
  • 14th Nov 08  Feeder
  • 16th Nov 08  Seth Lakeman
  • 19th Nov 08  Motorhead
  • 21st Nov 08  Thunder

For all tickets and booking information please call 01392 263538 or visit  www: www.exeterboxoffice.com
Email: [email protected]

Interview: Level 42

Interviews & Exclusives, The Big Stage, , , ,

level42Level 42, one of the biggest and most popular bands of the 80s, are back on the road and heading to Plymouth Pavilions on Saturday 18th October as part of a 20 date tour of the UK.

Led by ever-present band-leader multi-talented bass maestro Mark King the group will feature Gary Husband, Lyndon Connah, Nathan King, Sean Freeman and original keyboardist Mike Lindup.

To date the band and Mark have released 14 studio albums, 7 live albums, 6 compilation albums; have had 18 top 40 singles including ‘Lessons in Love’, ‘Something About You’, ‘Leaving Me Now’, ‘Running in the Family’, and ‘Hot Water’; have sold out Wembley for a total of 21 nights and have sold in excess of 30 million albums worldwide. In short, Level 42 proved to be one of the biggest British bands of the 80s and the recent emergence of DVD as a major format has seen a host of re-masters and releases from Universal Music, Studio Hamburg, and River Records among others.

We managed to get a brief insight on what is happening with Level 42 with an exclusive interview with Mark King

Hi Mark, Level 42 are back on the road this October with a UK major tour! Are you looking forward to playing live?

Hi Colin Yes we are, we are in this bi-annual touring situation at the moment, we sort of do a year then we have a year off and then we go out on the road again and I think that kind of keeps things fresh and interesting for everybody concerned, we are playing 20 shows around the UK right the way through October.  We have been busy through the summer too – we’ve been doing festivals, I think we have done 7 or 8 festivals so far and we have got another 4 to go but the reaction we get has been great, we are all really enjoying it

It Sounds like you’re keeping busy

Yeah it’s great – I can’t complain.  I will be 50  years old this year and if anybody had said to me that you will still be shuffling around on stage, middle aged I’d have said you’ve got to be kidding – but here I am and I am thoroughly enjoying it. In fact we are loving every minute on stage.

Do you still enjoy the tours as much as you did when you first started out?  Does playing live still give you that buzz?

I enjoy the gigs more & more – I really do.  I don’t know if it is because the pressure isn’t as intense as it was back in the day, when we were trying to make it!  Having records high in the charts is kind of behind us now and that is fine – that is how it should be really.  But I think not having the pressure of having to come up and do that sort of thing gives you a lot more time to smell the roses as it were and I know that I speak for the rest of the guys in the band too that we enjoy it more than we ever did.

When you are starting off you are trying to prove yourself and it is about getting the money in, you don’t like to say that but now you just enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Yes that’s right – you are so heads down and intent on cracking this career thing and getting it going but then before you look around 10 years have shot by and that is not really the way to live your life.  It is far nicer now.

I’ve got four children – one of them is 11 but the other 3 are all grown up, graduated University and you just think where did that time go.

Level 42 has been such a big part of the UK music scene.  As you are going out on tour how on earth do you pick from the huge back catalogue you have got.

It is not the easiest thing to do and I am always very conscious of the fact that the fans that do come out a see us and have been with us for many years.  This time when we go out on the road  I have actually posted on the website www.level42.com a poll for people to choose three of their favourite songs from any period of ours over the years and if we get special numbers of votes for them then I am very happy to put them in the set.  It is all about playing what the audience want to hear from us and I don’t have a problem doing that at all so it is kind of half up to them and half up to us.

Sounds like a great way to get the involvement of the fans as well!

Yes I hope so – but somebody got a bit carried away on it two or three weeks ago and put in 600 votes  for the same song which kind of ruined everything – so you do get the over enthusiastic ones that can spoil things a bit.

It is great to see Mike Lindup back in the band.  Both you and Mike have been the nucleus of Level 42 – Is it good to have Mike back?

Yes it is wonderful having Mike in – He is such a talented guy and I thank that that has been the talent of Level 42 over the years – that we have always had members come and go and I am always very proud of the level of musicianship that is involved within the band but there is none better then Mike Lindup – he is quite unique and he only sounds like him when he sings and he has a wonderful way on the keyboard so it is always a joy to play with him.

The one thing that has always the signature of Level 42 is the way that bass guitar is played.  How on earth did you learn to play the bass guitar like that?

It is really like drumming on the bass guitar.  I use both hands and when I first started out I did want to be a drummer and I do still enjoy playing drums to this day.  A lot of my hero’s are drummers from past and present and so when I finally took the bass up which was quite late – I did it when I was 21 years old, when the band began – it just felt very natural for me to play it in this percussion way and fortunately the timing was right in the business that people wanted to hear this sort of music.

It is an awesome sound – what is the actual correct terminology – Is it plucking?

Well it is called Slapping or Thumping

Your tour starts on the 4th October and you are going to be down at the Plymouth Pavillions on the 18th October – any message for your fans in the South West?

We have had some great nights in Plymouth in the past so I don’t think this will be any different, we are really looking forward to Playing Plymouth, and the support has always been great in South West.

Thanks Mark, its been great talking to you, Have a great tour and we all look forward to seeing you at Plymouth Pavilions.

There is no doubt that Level 42 are in a league of their own – not only are they a bunch of hugely talented musicians, the song writing is brilliant and they are nothing far short of a total inspiration.  Long may it continue!

For more information on how to buy tickets check out the website www.plymouthpavilions.com or contact the Box Office on 0845 146 1460

Interview: Wishbone Ash

Interviews & Exclusives, The Big Stage, ,

wishbone1After 37 years in the music business Wishbone Ash are still one of the hottest live acts to grace any stage. Blistering live performances, packed venues and guitar harmonies, to die for are just some of the attributes awarded to one of the most influential bands of our time.  A new tour on the horizon and another chapter from the immense talent to emerge from Torquay.  From supporting The Who in their hay day to Bruce Springsteen opening shows for them in the USA, I had the honour of catching up with Andy Powell to find out what makes this musical atom bomb tick, Andy has been busy organising Ash Fest in Florida for 2008 which is a far cry from supporting The Who in Torquay Town Hall many many moons ago

In your long and illustrious career how do you find the music industry these days? Would Wishbone have succeeded back in your hayday if you were relying on downloads from the internet like itunes, tunetribe etc.

The music business has really changed in recent years. I believe we would have succeeded since we would have been in tune with these changes. Talent wins out but more importantly we would have been working the newer areas that young bands today are and don’t forget, we were a band of the people. Always were and still are.

Because of piracy and downloads it has become very easy to get any artists work and back catalogue. Do you think that bands will look to tour more heavily in the future as with downloads wouldn’t it be worth as a band working to get the £25 concert ticket or the 79p per track download?

Good question.  We are being squeezed at both ends because the huge rise in the costs of touring are making it more and more difficult at the lower end of the market which is where all the action and competition is. Plus, I have not seen any appreciable rise in income from downloads for our band working in this area. Touring and playing live is what a band is always about so I would hope that hotel costs and fuel prices don’t rise any higher but the feeling is that they will.

What do you think of acts like Coldplay, Prince, The Charlatans etc who have done just that, giving their music away in National papers and free downloads and hoping for the sell out tours.

It puts all the focus on tours but the situation will always be great for these acts since they can afford to play the market any way they like. In fact, they are the market. The newer acts on the other hand are then forced into these terrible so called 360 degree contracts where a live nation or whatever gets to own these people and every single thing they do; merchandise, downloads, touring – the whole nine yards.  This in my view is a step back for these upcoming acts. It’s like the 1950′s all over again – those terrible tin pan alley days.

At your forthcoming gig at Exeter you are playing with the highly acclaimed band The Hamsters – Is this the first time that you have played with them?

It is. I’ve heard all sorts of great reports and it should be a value for money show for the people, especially if you like guitar playing.

Do you plan on doing any more dates down in South Devon? A lot of people have asked over the years when you are going to play in Torquay which played such an important part in your career.

We will tour again in the spring of 2009 and there is a good chance we’ll play Torquay since it’ll be our 40th anniversary tour and as you say Torquay figures high in the Ash story, it being where the idea to move to London and try to make it first occurred to original members, Martin Turner and Steve Upton.  A lot of people believe that Wishbone Ash was formed in Devon but it actually was formed in London. The precursor to Wishbone Ash was from Devon and that was called Tanglewood which featured Martin Turner’s brother Glen on guitar and certainly was not a twin guitar band, which became the sound that Wishbone Ash is known for.

I see that you are running the Ashfest convention this year in Florida 4th -7th September. Would you ever consider doing a convention in the South Devon Area.

Why not? It’s beautiful down there in Devon and I’m sure we could find a great location. I’ll pass your suggestion on to the powers that be!

How about a message to all the younger Wishbone fans who are looking to catch you guys in concert. What would be a good album to get the essential feel of Wishbone – Recommend a Wishbone Ash starter pack?

”Live Dates’ or ‘Argus’  from the seventies but also, we’ve just done two compilations of the last ten years work; ‘Tough’ and ‘Tender’ which shows the rockier and then the dreamier side of the band’s sound. Our website is very deep and packed with info about the band’s recorded history too. www.wishboneash.com

If you are in a band or if you just love music here is your chance to see one of the great true pioneers of great British Rock live at Exeter Phoenix Centre with one of the most hard working bands in the country The Hamsters.

To buy tickets for the 10th October at Exeter Phoenix Theatre, Exeter call 01392 667 080

Wishbone are also playing on the 11th October at the Hall for Cornwall Truro 01872 262 466

Lee Evans: Big Tour 2008

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leeLee Evans, one of Britain’s best-loved stars of stage, screen and stand-up is once again poised to enter the record books with the UK’s biggest ever live comedy gig, returning to Plymouth Pavilions on Friday 29 & Saturday 30 August for 2 hilarious shows.

With a total of 300,000 tickets available, ‘Lee Evans – Big – UK Tour 2008′ will not only be Evans’ largest tour to date, but will make history by including the first comedy gig to grace the stage of the capitals London O2 Arena.

Lee Evans said: “I’m really keen to get back out on tour again and go all around the country. You get such a buzz from the live audience, the reactions are just so immediate and totally spur you on – there’s nothing else quite like it. Being the first comedian to play at the O2 Arena will be amazing, I’m so excited to be able to perform there, it’s a big space to fill but I love a challenge!”

Evans broke the Guinness World Record for a solo act performing to the biggest comedy audience at the Manchester Evening News Arena in 2005 when he played to a crowd of 10,108. However, he’s set to smash his own record by almost doubling that total in just two nights at the O2 Arena in London.

For more information check out the website  www.plymouthpavilions.com and to book tickets contact the Box Office on 0845 146 1460

You can also catch Lee Evans at the Cardiff International Arena on the 12th & 13th September and the Bournemouth International Centre on the 26th & 27th September.