WTA? November

We're live again on Saturday (14Nov) with Killamonjambo as our What's The Alternative? guest, seven piece hot ska funk to wake up the night. Ignore the chill in the air outside as Killamonjambo bring their raging hot ska-funk to Manchester.  August 2014 saw the release of their debut studio album “Fiesta Moon Landing” which reached number 16 on iTunes reggae/ska album chart. 2014 saw their Glastonbury debut on the Avalon Café and Croissant Neuf stages following which they were hotly tipped by BBC Radio 2’s Jonny Walker.

And The Speed Of Sound start the next five live shows of the solar year.

IndependenTs Day at the Fringe

It was a hot night at Kings Arms on stage and off at IndependenTs Day; the "What's The Alternative?..." acoustic special for Greater Manchester Fringe, ending with a grand finale of everyone singing Sympathy For The Devil in a completely unrehearsed and spontaneous closing shot.

The Speed Of Sound opened proceedings with an acoustic drum-less set

Love,
The Wargame,
Seen It All Before,
Day In Day Out
and
returned three hours later for the finale.

Troy Fridge played his first Manchester gig for 25 years and delighted with his beautifully quirky Diana's Kiss about building a time machine to visit Diana Rigg in 1966 and Wishing Boy... a song so memorable that it reminded Jason Edge he'd seen Troy at The Witchwood in 1989

and a rare treat as Rob Coleman was coaxed out of his reclusive-ness to play 
Luke Gallagher performed songs from his forthcoming EP as well as starting his set with the highly appropriate choice of Heatwave followed by Richie Syrett's remarkable blend of Anglicania 

 

Una Baines and her current band Poppycock gave a completely eclectic set ranging from flute driven incense powered floating gossamer lightness to jungle rhythm fuzz drenched menace.

 

Jason Edge of The Electric Stars did a solo set (partly accompanied by Louise Turner on backing vocals) giving an airing to new songs from the as yet unreleased second album as well as stripped away versions of Stoned Again and Isolation from the first.

Turner performed her own set with just piano accompaniment including new songs from her imminent debut album before the grand finale closed the night. Spectacular. A whole festival packed into one evening. And certainly in the words of The Electric Stars it was Beautiful Music For Beautiful People.

 
If you missed the acoustic special the electric Triple Bill is 25th July also at the Kings Arms.

Live with Little Sparrow

What's The Alaternative?...THIS IS! with Little Sparrow adding some other worldly vocals to Day In Day Out, before playing her own shimmering set.
The Speed Of Sound set was:
Only Everything
Chalk Circle
Checkered Land
I Can't Say
Maid Of The Grey
Girl On The Roof
Seen It All Before
Love
Day In Day Out (with Little Sparrow)
There's No One There

Bright lights and action

Live photo's from 'What's The Alternative?...THIS IS!'
With Turner playing I'm Real one of ours that hadn't had an airing for 25 years
Fantastic.
Set List:
The Changes
Sit By The River
Checkpoint Charlie
Glide On By
Maid Of The Grey
Seen It All Before
Day In Day Out
Checkered Land
Love
Girl On The Roof
I'm Real (with turner)
There's No One There

Whats The Alternative?... THIS IS! in the Manchester Evening News

The Manchester Evening News has a preview of February's What's The Alternative?... gig with Little Sparrow:

You can read it on their website here

Reject corporate pop and revel in true independence.

South Manchester's Little Sparrow has developed into a uniquely talented artist through her imaginative song writing and the captivating delivery demonstrated in her live performances.

The delicately crafted songs contained within her debut album ‘Wishing Tree’ and her new EP ’Struck Gold’ combine flawless vocals, angelic strings and tender harmonies, taking listeners on a journey from heart breaking sadness to uplifting joy.

And Manchester's The Speed Of Sound continue to ply their original music that manages to cross the Velvet Underground with The Jam and Neil Young with Siouxsie & The Banshees in their own idiosyncratic manner.

Both will play 40 minute sets.

Live from 9pm.

Little Sparrow is as captivating to watch as she is to listen to.
Her beautifully emotive use of expression mirrors the sincerity of her delivery, making her someone not to be missed.
Her delicately crafted songs are created with a combination of flawless vocals, strings, guitars, percussion and tender harmonies.

Singer-songwriter Katie Ware adopted the name Little Sparrow about four years ago as she felt it characteristic of the sound she was beginning to create and the direction in which she wished to travel.
Drawing upon influences as diverse as Kate Bush, All About Eve and PJ Harvey she creates songs that are filled with a blend of styles, woven into the colourful tapestry of her music, often with a mysterious fairy tale quality.

Her debut album ‘Wishing Tree’ features brand new tracks written for the album and also those which have become favourites through her live performances.

She recently released her new EP 'Struck Gold' which along with the title track (taken from her album) contains two previously unreleased tracks.

www.itunes.apple.com/gb/album/wishing-tree/id871212909
www.uklittlesparrow.bandcamp.com/album/struck-gold-ep

A growing amount of media attention and live appearances in 2014 culminated in her making an appearance at the beautiful Union Chapel in London.

2015 promises to be a very exciting year for Little Sparrow.
www.littlesparrow.org/
www.twitter.com/uklittlesparrow
www.facebook.com/singinglittlesparrow
www.youtube.com/user/uklittlesparrow

The Speed Of Sound

Purveyors of original independent Manchester music since 1989 with various lineup changes along the way but always retaining the same guitar/vocal combination of founder John Armstrong, Kevin Roache is the bands longest serving bass player and the pair are now joined by 18 year old powerhouse drummer Owen Deane.

"A cool mix of punk and The Byrds 5th Dimension LP" - LORD LITTER Radio DJ Berlin Germany

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to hear a merger between Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and Lou Reed?... The vocals are dark and melancholy - they have an intense quality that makes me stop everything I'm doing and just listen. The music surrounding the words pulls me along like a tide, making me drift away from reality without feeling that I have an option" MUSICVSTHEWORLD BLOG

"Quite a modern folk rock feel with a definite dash of 80's post punk/alt thrown in... vocally there is a hint of Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, bit of Jagger, great sound. Musically the sound alternates between Rock; verging on heavy/psych to alt/punk with some great instrumentation along the way." MADFERRETS MUSICBLOG

http://thespeedofsounduk.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.reverbnation.com/thespeedofsound

http://thespeedofsound.bandcamp.com/

£7.00 (£4.00 concessions)

live photos

Thanks to the audience, here are some Photos from our gig on 7Nov 

Set List:

I See You Everywhere That I Go

Checkered Land

Uhrwerk

The Wargame

Girl On The Roof

Maid Of The Grey

I Can't Say

Love

Sit By The River

There's No One There

Post gig, outside the Kings Arms

The Transmitters also played an excellent high energy set, big thanks to them too

Viva Magazine has done a preview feature on our 7Th November gig with The Transmitters: 

Manchester’s underground alternative band The Speed Of Sound are back in action after their Night and Day gig on 16^th October with their new drummer; 18 year old Owen Deane joined veterans of the independent music scene John Armstrong and Kevin Roache in their new pan-generational line-up.

 “Age isn’t important in music, it’s about enthusiasm and ability” said bass player Kevin.

John added that “Every time the line-up changes the songs evolve, everyone brings something different in their style. Pete (the last drummer) was sparse and minimal where Owen’s drumming hits you like a waterfall - it’s very different.”

Following on the success of their Manchester Fringe all day “What’s the alternative?” event, the band will be returning to the theatre at The Kings Arms in Salford to host a series of gigs featuring other independent and minor-label artists. The first is on 7^th November with visitors The Transmitters have a change from their tour slots supporting music legend Bruce Foxton’s From The Jam. David Lees, singer with the Bolton based four piece said“We are mixing new recordings at the moment and we will have some new songs for you in the Kings Arms set.”

The “What’s The Alternative?” nights will continue to run in alternate months throughout 2015. John from The Speed Of Sound said “It’s great to be back playing in such an intimate space as the Kings Arms Theatre again with some very exciting bands; some we’ve played with before, others are bands I’ve only seen from the audience. Music in the 21^stcentury is very much alive and well, we want people to realise there is an alternative out there.”

You can hear The Transmitters on Soundcloud HERE

The Speed Of Sound’s recent double-A single is on sale in Piccadilly Records and Vinyl Revival as well as on the internet via Bandcamp plus the usual digital retailers. 

You can listen it HERE

Advance tickets are available on the Kings Arms website HERE

You can see the full article on Viva's Site HERE

The Transmitters

What's The Alternative

Live with Greater Manchester Fringe at The Kings Arms Salford, 27 July 2014

Set List:

Girl On The Roof
Maid Of The Grey
I See You Everywhere That I Go
I Can't Say
Love
Checkered Land
Only Everything
Chalk Circle
Sit By The River
There's No One There

It was pretty hot, I couldn't read the set list because my eyes were full of sweat, we missed out Checkered Land and did it out of sequence at the end instead. Felt good though. I've not seen a picture with Pete in yet but you can see his knee and elbow in this one.

The Repeat Offenders high octane delivery and their third gig in thirty hours having played Pretty Green and Liverpool Calling the day before.


Millie Manders perfect pop a real entertainer, give her a crowd and she will make them hers. Her first gig in Manchester for a year and endured a five hour journey to do it.


The Getsettes great harmonies with a 60's vibe, it was going to be an acoustic set anyway, but became a duet when their bass player got food poisoning the day before. Craig on the right is normally their drummer.

Anticipation

We should have had The Swiines as well  but their travel plans got scuppered at the last moment and they couldn't get over from Nottingham. Another time.

Rock And Roll Lounge DJ'd before and after the sets, superb venue Thanks Fringe and Thanks Kings Arms.

Waiting to get in and set up.
Very un-Salford weather, Lowry never painted it like that, but it is just across the river from famously sunny Manchester.