A Manchester debut for Les BOF!

Les BOF! make their Manchester Debut at What's The Alternative on 9th May, The guest band for May is Edinburgh’s Les Bof! Fronted by Laurent Mombel of Marseilles accompanied by three ex-Thanes; their album Nous Sommes… was described as “a damn fine collection of snotty rock’n’roll” by Shindig! “wailing harp, searing guitar licks and groovy organ… the heart-pounding rhythms and spine-tingling guitar runs will have Dr Feelgood and Hamburg-era Beatles fans alike drooling for more”

A first visit to Manchester for Les Bof! - a Scottish quartet playing French garage-punk on a German label, Les Bof! “sound like a psychedelic, trippy blend of The Kinks swapping chat-up lines on a cultural school exchange with Jacque Dutronc.” The List (Edinburgh)

“Look no further to satisfy your 1960s French language garage-rock needs than this sharply attired combo from Edinburgh, fronted by the super suave Laurent Mombel and featuring members of the cult beat revivalists The Thanes and Preston Pfanz & the Seaton Sands.” Their debut album “recorded in their own custom-built studio for that authentic period fuzz, is le dernier cri in distorted guitars, groovy go-go dance, percussive safari, crunchy mod stomp and 13^th Floor Elevatoresqu bluesy psych.” The Scotsman

“Scotland’s premier Francophone retro-garage outfit the full pelt sounds will delight admirers of The Kinks early work and Billy Childish’s oeuvre as well as those that just like to get their yé-yé’s out” Mojo

‘BOF!’ literally translates as `don’t care!' or `not interested!' but this is not a group without interest, but a group universally rejected by the established order - a situation, we are sure, you all know too well and with which you can only sympathize.

seeing stars

Rock and Roll slick and glam The Electric Stars did their thing they shook some new songs out of the tune bag and kicked off their series of gigs culminating in their new album expected in the summer. Their first show since September was for 'What's The Alternative?...' Ace stuff, hot and groovy.
Top to see so many cool people turn out for them too. Turner made a guest appearance stepping out of the audience and grabbing a mic to add backing vocals. Much more than a gig; its a happening.

Total disregarders of comfort zones that we are, we added a brand new song into the set that John & Kevin had only played through twice before and Jonny (massive thanks for sitting in on our drum stool again, much appreciated) hadn't played at all. It went good. Shut All The Clubs is about cultural vandalism ripping the heart out of city centres replacing pubs and clubs with glass fronted gym's and business opporunities. It will be coming out again.
Set List:

Only Everything
Shut All The Clubs
Girl On The Roof
Checkered Land
Sit By The River
Love
Maid Of The Grey
Day In Day Out
The Wargame
There's No One There

What's Next? Les Bof! on 9th May
http://www.lesbof.fr/

Electric Easter

Easter Saturday sees the next 'What's The Alternative?...' as The Electric Stars visit, and play their first gig of the year, they will be unleashing a selection of new songs for their second album so this is an exclusive, a chance to hear them first.

and, if you want to hear a preview there's a radio interview and session here

Live with Bone Box and a borrowed drummer

it was a Fab gig with Bone Box on Saturday, as their frontman Jay Taylor said "we had a blast". Great sound from KingsArms again and MASSIVE Thanks to Jonathan French of The Electric Stars for sitting in on drums for us while we're looking for a new drummer. He did a superb job.

Set List:

The Wargame
Uhrwerk
Checkered Land
Sit by The River
Girl On The Roof
Love
Maid Of The Grey
Day In Day Out
There's No One There

Bone Box did a terrific set, a seven piece band with brass too, ace to see them in such an intimate setting - big thanks to them and to everyone that was there; we're back in three weeks with The Electric stars as our next guest. Catch us if you can

looking for a new drummer

This is on Saturday (14Mar), we've got drum-assistance from Jonny of The Electric Stars so massive thanks to him/them for that as we're looking for a new drummer. If anyone knows someone that might be interested get in touch on any of the social media things. Gender/hair-colour/whatever are all irrelevant, we're just after a drummer. Spread the word. Thanks.

Stuff about Bone-Box:

"Lyrics that sometimes sound like Milton... a sound that somehow transplants Manchester to a plain near Tucson" Q MAGAZINE

"Darkly insidious and wonderful" CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE 

"Shudderingly Ace" MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS

"Bone-Box weave webs of faded fairytales and cross palms with slivers of shattered tales of the everyday thrown from an out of control carousel...a ghostly gospel of drama and dented dreams far more feral than the plaintive lap-steel sometimes suggests. As an epic whole, they are The Master and Margharita filmed by Glenn Ford and scripted by Tom Waits with executive producer Leonard Cohen" BBC.CO.UK

"'Death Of A Prize Fighter' marries its brooding, bruised feel and a distant foreboding that reflects the darker Northern skies these tracks were penned under, with Americana flourishes and a musical yearning and heart located over the other side of the Atlantic" NEW-NOISE.NET 

Independent shop selling independent music

The Speed Of Sound CDs and vinyl (and badges) are as of today stocked in Muse Music
(38 Market Street Hebden Bridge, HX7 6AA) an independent record shop run by enthusiast Sid Jones.

A cool shop with an in-store cafe too, so browsing can be a leisurely affair.

This makes physical shops selling the physical music in four counties so far, as Muse Music join Spivey's Web in Macclesfield, Vinyl Revival and Piccadilly records in Manchester and Thomson & Co. in Haslingden.

Muse Music are here 
(NB: that's not a real dog)

Evolution

No fuss, no drama, we're evolving again and looking for a new drummer.

Everything changes.
"It is not possible to step into the same river twice" (Chinese proverb).
Between the middle of October and last week Owen played six gigs with us, recorded two songs, gave two interviews, did a photo shoot and filmed a video. Packed a lot in. We like to stay busy.  
We have cover for the gig with Bone-Box on 14March. But if anyone knows anyone that would be interested, let us know. We want get working with whoever the new person turns out to be as soon as possible. Spread the word. Thanks.

Thanks to Owen & to the next drummer.