LISTEN TO THIS
Metal Presents:
LISTEN TO THIS
No Talking: Just Listening / A Celebration of Popular Music Live
Friday 29th June 2012 – 7.30-12pm
Park View Suite, Chalkwell Park, London Road, Southend
Tickets £5 - book here.
MORTON VALENCE , DOOYAH!, ALIEN, THE TUPPENNY BUNTERS
bands, visuals, dancing
Your hosts and DJs for the evening: Andrew Branch and Daryl Easlea
Morton Valence - With two critically acclaimed albums under their belt and a third album on its way, Morton Valence take time out from the studio for a rare live outing, showcasing songs from their forthcoming album and playing some old classics.
Fronted by the vocal pairing of Robert Hacker Jessett and Anne Gilpin, blending styles partly trawled from straight talking old country and western records, disco divas and other such musical curios, yet always with an astute eye on the modern tribulations of their home city of London. With a body of work that has been described as a rich treasure trove of songs, sometimes tragic, at times hilarious but always wry and witty, be it recounting the woes of an ex-Hare Krishna turned civil servant, taking a spin in a minicab at 3am or just telling it like is, Morton Valence continue to flourish and have developed a cult status on their home turf of south London.
Robert "Hacker" Jessett: Vocals, Guitars, Trumpet, Harmonica. Anne Gilpin: Vocals, Keyboards. Joe Udwin: Bass. Alejo Palaez: Keyboards, Lap Steel Guitar, Electronics. Daryl Holley: Drums.
Some time back in the mid 00's, after a monthly residency in the Soho Theatre Arts Club, support slots with British Sea Power, Jeff Lewis and Art Brut, Morton Valence won the 2006 Fopp/PRSF award for best new band, signed a deal with indie label 'Cheap Date' and released a single. Frustrated with an industry in apparent melt-down, Morton Valence became pioneers in what is known as crowd funding, cutting out the middlemen and self-financing their album through offering shares to their fans. This proved an incredible success, the band set up their own label (Bastard Recordings), and the much coveted 'Bob & Veronica Ride Again' was released in 2009, complete with a 100 page novella written by Hacker. The album was well received in the press, garnering four star reviews pretty much across the board, including Q Magazine, Uncut, the BBC, Drowned in Sound as well as a 'Pick n Mix' record of the week on Radcliffe and Maconie's BBC Radio 2 show.
They went on to tour the UK and Germany, playing in Haldern, the Reeperbahn festival in Hamburg, as well as some shows in New York (a city that the band regard as a musical Mecca) building up a small but fanatical bunch of devotees along the way. They released their second album - Me and Home James - in 2011 described as a collection of urban country songs which has again had great critical acclaim including 4 stars in Mojo magazine.
They are currently working on a 3rd album due for release later this year.
The Tuppenny Bunters - A piano/Drums-Boy/Girl outfit. Jazz-punk originals, 60's TV themes and other sped-up garagey stuff, sort of like a 2-piece Jim Jones, loud dirty piano and hard'n'fast drums.
Read more about our Listen to This series here.
Written by Colette Bailey 19 June 2012