Things to know about the music industry
from 2013 to 2016
This is our post called current awareness.
This page offers a wide range of topics from the huge amount of stuff that comes in here every day from emails, Tweets, Facebook postings and what people tell us when we are out and about on Leicester’s live music scene.
It includes information from the national level music industry that might be of interest to local people.
Although it appears to be about 2013 we also use it for what has come in since then.
Fun Lovin’ Criminals
Fun Lovin’ Criminals will be back on the road again early 2017. After a massive anniversary year, amplified by a summer full of headline festivals across Europe, they are doing it all again starting in February 2017. They will be playing Rock City in Nottingham on the 3rd of March 2017.
Leo Stannard
20-year-old multi-instrumentalist and artist, Leo Stannard laid his soul bare in his brooding single, In My Blood, released via Black Butter Records. Leo headlined at The Cookie in Leicester on the 22nd October 2016.
Clean Cut Kid
Fresh from a brilliant performance at Glastonbury Festival, Clean Cut Kid have announced a 10 date UK headline tour including a show at The Bodega in Nottingham on Friday 28th October.
The band is enjoying a fantastic 2016, releasing acclaimed single ‘Pick Me Up’appearing on the BBC R1 Live Lounge, as well as playing shows up and down the country.
The hardest working band in fuzzy pop Clean Cut Kid have announced a headline tour of the UK in the autumn. After a summer spent playing a colossal 29 festivals, the Liverpool four-piece barely pause for breath before they get back in the tour van and head out on a 10 date nationwide tour.
Clean Cut Kid’s first three singles ‘Vitamin C’, ‘Runaway’ and ‘Pick Me Up’ introduced a band brimming with unshakeable hooks and full of imagination, with songs that demanded your attention from the first second to the last.
Time spent hunkered down in their Liverpool HQ honing their sound and endlessly writing and re-writing has resulted in Clean Cut Kid emerging fully-formed with a truckload of great songs at their disposal, gaining them plaudits across the board, ranging from NME, Clash and DIY (“Clean Cut Kid are the thing missing in your life”) to Sunday Times Culture (“Earworms that channel Fleetwood Mac, Prefab Sprout and the White Stripes”) and Line Of Best Fit (“Melodies that will lodge cleverly and instantly between your ears”).
Clean Cut Kid headline dates:
Wed 19 Oct 2016 Newcastle upon Tyne Cluny 2
Thu 20 Oct 2016 Glasgow Nice n Sleazy
Fri 21 Oct 2016 Leeds Headrow House
Sat 22 Oct 2016 Coventry Kasbah
Mon 24 Oct 2016 Bristol The Louisiana
Tue 25 Oct 2016 Brighton The Prince Albert
Wed 26 Oct 2016 London Dingwalls
Fri 28 Oct 2016 Nottingham The Bodega
Sat 29 Oct 2016 Liverpool East Village Arts Club – Theatre
Sun 30 Oct 2016 Oxford Jericho Tavern
1st July
Lonely The Brave
Following the release of their critically acclaimed sophomore release ‘Things Will Matter’ last month, Lonely The Brave have announced a UK headline tour for autumn, including Camden’s Electriic Ballroom, their biggest London headline show to date. The band, who have previously supported the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Deftones, will also be playing at this year’s Latitude and 2000 Trees Festival.
The tour will stop off at the O2 Academy2 in Leicester on the 14th of October.
“Things Will Matter”, their second album, marks their first full LP featuring second guitarist Ross Smithwick; the interplay between himself and founding guitarist Mark Trotter adding more depth to an already significant sound. Experimentation and ambition are a key part of a record brimming with ideas – from the pulse behind the minimalist, claustrophobic opener “Wait In The Car” to the cataclysmic post-rock magnificence of closer “Jaws Of Hell”, this is a play-through album. There’s the doomy intensity of comeback track “Black Mire”, through to the hooks David Jakes is already well known for in the anthemic choruses to “Rattlesnakes”, “Dust & Bones” and “Radar”.
UK Tour just announced:
*with special guests Tall Ships
03.10.16 The Haunt Brighton*
04.10.16 Chinnerys Southend*
06.10.16 Electric Ballroom London*
07.10.16 Marble Factory Bristol*
10.10.16 Rescue Rooms Nottingham*
11.10.16 King Tuts Glasgow*
14.10.16 O2 Academy 2 Leicester*
15.10.16 The Key Club Leeds*
18.10.16 O2 Academy 2 Oxford*
19.10.16 Welly Hull*
21.10.16 O2 Academy 2 Birmingham*
22.10.16 SWN Festival Cardiff
24th May
Declan McKenna
Declan McKenna is pleased to announce details of his new single, Bethlehem. Bethlehem is Declan’s third release, and continues his run of hugely impressive leftfield pop singles. It was produced by the acclaimed James Ford in London. Bethlehem is available to buy digitally from Friday 20th May, and on vinyl from the 1st July through Columbia Records.
Bethlehem finds Declan in scintillating, provocative form. Recently described as ‘the musical social conscious of gen z’ by i-D, the characters he creates in his lyrics become the mouthpieces for Declan to tackle topics not widely tackled in contemporary music, and wraps them up into moreish, colourful guitar tunes.
Religion is the (not often recommended) subject matter of Bethlehem, and specifically how it is used as justification for the acts of hate and war. Sit down with the young musician, and he’ll describe how these oft stigmatised matters are exactly what his generation are interested in discussing, and that art is a direct means of doing so.
Following a breakthrough run of performances at this year’s SXSW in Texas, Declan spent the next month in the US riding the crest of a wave following the runaway success of his debut single, Brazil. He’s spent almost as many days in the US as he has the UK this year, and right in the middle of that US run, he dropped the video to his second single Paracetamol, a fascinating, inspirational portrayal of transgender teens shot alongside celebrated director, Matt Lambert.
Declan McKenna was in Leicester on 22nd January.
Read Tanyel Gumushan’s review of this gig.
Declan McKenna Live:
27th May – The Underground, Plymouth Tickets
28th May – Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Exeter
1st June – Courtyard Theatre, London (Field Day Preview Party) Tickets
10th June – The Empire, Coventry Tickets
11th June – West End Centre, Aldershot Tickets
12th June – Field Day, London
17th July – Latitude Festival, Southwold
22nd June – The Boileroom, Guildford Tickets
23rd June – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff Tickets
23rd July – Deer Shed Festival, Thirsk
28th July – Kendal Calling, Hackthorpe
29th July – Standon Calling, Hertfordshire
20th May 2016
Hunna tour
One of the most exciting bands in the UK, THE HUNNA have announced details of their much-anticipated debut album. An accompanying album tour will take in 13 dates across the UK culminating at London’s Kentish Town Forum on 5th October.
They play Nottingham Rescue Rooms on 22nd September and it would be great if this date could be included in any previews where possible. Please also let me know if you had someone keen to head on down!
“It’s another clear sign that Brit boys with guitars can make music with global appeal because this killer tune deserves to be blasting out of radios worldwide all summer long“ – Record Of The Day
Establishing themselves as one of hottest emerging artists on the planet, The Hunna have revealed news of their debut album, ‘100’, due for release this summer (26.08.2016) via High Time Records / 300 Entertainment. The Hertfordshire four-piece have also announced plans for an album tour, their biggest UK tour to date, including a massive London headline show at the Kentish Town Forum.
Since bursting out the blocks in October 2015, with their debut single Bonfire/She’s Casual, The Hunna’s rise has been phenomenal. With a collection of guitar-driven anthems, The Hunna quickly made a name for themselves by selling out 3X nights at London’s Boston Music Rooms in March, having previously never headlined a show. This was quickly followed by a sold out EU/UK Spring tour.
The Hunna will be appearing in Leicester on 9th June at The Cookie.
15th April 2016
Neon Coconut
The Neon Coconut has landed! We are super proud to present our brand new stage (gushes the Y Not Festival); The Neon Coconut, the best party venue the world has ever seen anywhere, ever. In any era. Joining us on headline duties will be the amazing CRAIG CHARLES FUNK & SOUL CLUB the legend that is MIKE SKINNER (DJ) and DJ YODA for what promises to be the after hours destination of the weekend. Also confirmed is:
Tiggs Da Author, Uncle Frank, ThePetebox, Mullally, I Set The Sea On Fire, Plus more to come…
The venue has been a long time in the making and we are super excited to finally be able to share our brand new creation with you, it will feature as part of a new area of the site (more info on that soon!) and we can feel the summery good vibes from here. More information is on the website for Y Not Festival.
See our page listing festivals in 2016.
7th April 2016
Eric Clapton’s new album
ERIC CLAPTON has announced that his 23rd studio album, I Still Do, will be released on 20th May 2016.
Eric Clapton Announces New Album – I STILL DO – Reunites With Esteemed Slowhand Producer Glyn Johns
Album Available May 20, 2016 On Clapton’s Bushbranch Records/Surfdog Records
Music legend Eric Clapton has reunited with famed producer Glyn Johns for his forthcoming 23rd studio album I Still Do, set for release on May 20, 2016 on his Bushbranch Records/Surfdog Records. Clapton and Johns – who has also produced albums for The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Who – most famously worked together on Clapton’s iconic Slowhand album, which is RIAA-certified 3x-platinum and topped charts globally. The 12-track record includes some original songs written by Clapton. This album follows his last release, the 2014 chart-topping Eric Clapton & Friends: The Breeze, An Appreciation of JJ Cale.
17th September 2015
Ever wondered how a festival line-up is put together? Us too! In the first part of an exclusive series, MusicRadar speaks to the curators, directors and bookers from three top UK music festivals to find out, as well as asking them how your band can get on their bill in 2012!
The opening lines of an interesting article we found about to get to play at festivals. Still worth a read, we think.
How to land your first festival gig
29th November 2013
Live Nation
Live Nation has partnered with Parallel Contemporary Music to form a new company to boost its marketing activities across Asia.
The new company is called Live Nation Marketing Partnerships Asia Limited and it will provide live music marketing for both local and international brands across the territory.
Report on Live Nation web site.
13 November 2013
Economics
The economics of local live music is the subject of a blog article that I wrote on my music blog in 2010, writes Trevor Locke. The article talks about the impact of the credit crunch on the music industry and delves into some of the pros and cons of running venues.
We also found an article that is interesting, if a little academic, on the Live Music Exchange web site.
See also:
Notes about the national music scene.
