The expression of hard-fought optimism encapsulates The Good Kind, an album exploring themes of sexuality, relationships, community, and illness. Our Girl’s trademark dynamics permeate the record, from heavy guitars and soaring lead lines to ear worm choruses and intimate vocal moments. Filled with warmth and honesty, The Good Kind is a celebration of determination – of choosing to recommit to what matters, against all opposition. “A lot of the songs are about taking setbacks and turning them into superpowers” says drummer Lauren Wilson.
“I only realised then, when I thought it out loud,” begins singer/guitarist Soph Nathan on ‘Relief’, the first single released from the album, “And I feel better now”. This song is aptly named, invoking a long-awaited exhale – the feeling of finally emerging from a long and lonely period of uncertainty and self-doubt. Beginning with a single airy strum, Nathan’s reverb-drenched guitar attaches itself to Joshua Tyler’s grounding bass chords, as Wilson’s quietly insistent drum beat throws its weight behind Nathan’s words of reassurance: “You’ve gotta see it to believe it/ Well, I see it in you already.”
This song speaks honestly to the life-giving importance of queer community. From the warmth and immediacy of her delivery, Nathan could be comforting a friend. But as ‘Relief’ builds from that cautious opening to a determinedly, driving force, it becomes clear: these aren’t empty platitudes. Nathan believes in you, because she’s learned to believe in herself.
The Deep Blue are quietly outspoken with an air of rebelliousness and punk attitudes fused with hypnotically beautiful harmonies and intertwined instrumentations. Their lyrics range from small, detailed vignettes and musings to anthemic calls to arms, with strong elements of storytelling and always deeply personal and reflective. Coming together in lockdown, The Deep Blue burst onto the scene in May 2021 with the release of the first track from their debut EP “Taking on Water”. This led to key indie press such as Dork, The Line of Best Fit and Atwood Magazine clambering to get the inside scoop on Manchester’s hottest new band.
Fresh off the back of their sophomore EP, “Sugarcoat”, The Deep Blue embarked on a sparkling debut UK tour, selling out Camden Assembly, London and their home-coming show at Deaf Institute. “Sugarcoat” caught the ears of tastemakers such as Dork, Rodeo, Groupie and New Wave with the title track anointed ‘track of the month’ on Amazing Radio and receiving some meaty airtime on BBC Radio 6. This year the band have added Y Not, Tramlines, Victorious, Greenbelt and Underneath the Stars to their touring itinerary for summer including Truck Festival, having won the Band App vote to play. Winning votes came from respected indie industry tastemakers including So Young Magazine and John Kennedy of Radio X.
John Otway is an English singer-songwriter who has built a sizeable cult audience through extensive touring, a surreal sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona.
From the age of 9, Otway knew he wanted to be a pop star. But even at that young age, having listened to his sister’s Beatles and Stones records, he knew he would never be able to do what they do. However, when his sister got the latest Bob Dylan album, he knew there was a place for him and he set about learning how to play guitar.
Otway had to wait until 1977 and the rise of punk before his dream of fame and fortune would finally become a reality. Having caught the eye of the producers of the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test, Otway’s performance on that show would grab the attention of the watching audience. Otway, ever the showman, decided to jump on to the amplifier of his colleague during a performance of Bob Lind’s Cheryl’s Going Home. (Un)fortunately for Otway, he misjudged his leap and sent Wild Willy Barrett’s amplifier tumbling as he crashed down straddling the box under the amp.
The full force of the impact was absorbed by the most tender body parts, but in doing this one simple act of recklessness and his wanton disregard for his own safety, Otway was the talk of everyone who watched that evening’s programme.
Emily Barker is an award-winning singer-songwriter, best known as the writer and performer of the theme to the hugely successful BBC crime drama “Wallander” starring Kenneth Branagh.
Her last album, 2020’s “A Dark Murmuration of Words”, was produced by Greg Freeman and recorded at StudiOwz, a converted chapel in the Welsh countryside. Lyrically probing, by turns both dark and optimistic, Barker searches for meaning through the deafening clamour of fake news and algorithmically filtered conversation, delivering a timely exploration of the grand themes of our age. It garnered widespread acclaim, with Uncut calling it “…a kind of Australian equivalent of PJ Harvey’s ‘Let England Shake'”.
Barker has released music and toured as a solo artist as well as with various bands and collaborations, most notably her long association with Frank Turner, and has written for TV and film, including composing the soundtrack for Jake Gavin’s lauded debut feature “Hector” starring Peter Mullan and Keith Allen.
The 900 are the UK’s first and only “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” cover band. Formed by their mutual understanding that no other soundtrack could ever top THPS, The 900 gives you a reason for your back to hurt in the morning. With the approval of the Birdman himself, as well as Goldfinger’s John Feldmann, they’re ready to kickflip into every big banger from THPS1 to American Wasteland.
Expect to hear tunes spanning all the games including AFI, Alien Ant Farm, Bad Religion, Black Flag, CKY, Dead Kennedys, Goldfinger, Green Day, Lagwagon, Less Than Jake, Millencolin, Motorhead, NOFX, Papa Roach, Powerman 5000, Rage Against The Machine, The Ramones, Refused, Suicidal Tendencies, System of a Down and many more!
£1 from each ticket will be donated to CamSkate.
Singles & B-Sides Tour
So you know 10 Years Asleep, Really Scrape the Sky, Lucy’s Down and Eat Yourself Whole right? Maybe Armchair Anarchist and Two Headed Yellow Bellied Hole Digger?
But how about Celebrated Working Man? And what about those B-sides?
Over five years in the early 90s Hull’s finest indie rockers produced almost 30 tracks that never made it on to albums; the likes of Everything’s Changed Since You’ve Been To London, Kissing Under Anaesthetic, I’m In Love and Another Bad Dose of Home Truths.
For the first time ever the band will play a set including all their A- sides and a selection of their favourite back up tracks.
Approximate times:
19:00 doors open
19:30 support
20:15 Kingmaker
Green Mind presents… acts TBA
Alberta Cross were formed by Swedish-born lead singer and guitarist Petter Ericson Stakee, and his London pal Terry Wolfers in the mid-00s. in the mid-00s. Their anthemic Americana-tinged songs possess a vulnerability and earthiness, and it soon showed in how hugely their debut record ?The Thief & The Heartbreaker? began to connect
2024 will see a reworked re-release of this album which will feature of wealth of musical collobarations such as Katie Melua, Jack Savoretti and Band of Skulls
This tour will be celebrating the album and the man that helped bring it to life, Petter Ericson Stakee
Green Mind presents… acts TBA
Green Mind presents… acts TBA
Hailing from the Welsh town of Carmarthen, Adwaith grew up surrounded by a rich tradition of Welsh-language indie-rock, and a tight-knit scene of experimental, artistically-minded bands that frequented their beloved local venue The Parrot. Inspired by the lineage of boldly experimental bands that emerged out of Wales in the ‘80s – Datblygu, TraddodiadOfnus and Fflaps to name three groups spearheading new wave Welsh rock music at the time – Adwaith knew that they wanted to be similarly uncompromising in their own vision. When Hollie Singer, Gwenllian Anthony and Heledd Owen first went about founding their own band in 2015, they were also equally influenced by newer acts they’d seen playing at local indie venues and Welsh-Language music festivals, where they bore witness to another new wave of musicians wielding Welsh as an exciting musical instrument.
Now, the dynamic Welsh trio Adwaith proudly announce the release of their highly anticipated third album, Solas. Meaning “light of being” or “enlightenment” in Celtic, Solas marks a significant milestone in the band’s journey. Recorded across diverse locations—including the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, Lisbon in Portugal, and multiple studios in Wales—Solas reflects Adwaith’s growth and evolution as artists. Overflowing with romance and magic, this 23-track double album completes a coming-of-age trilogy chronicling their transformation from teenagers into empowered women, exploring themes of self-discovery, escape, and resilience.
While WH Lung’s name might suggest a nod to the likes of WH Auden and similarly austere literary figures, it actually comes from a Chinese supermarket in their native Manchester. This deliberate blurring of high and low culture is part of the appeal of the enigmatic three-piece (Joseph E on vocals/synths, Tom S on guitar and Tom P on bass), their songs juxtaposing simplicity with free-ranging experimentation. But even more key is their ability to seamlessly meld genres – krautrock, post-punk and synthpop, most prominently – to create songs that are fresh and exciting yet familiar-sounding and accessible.
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