Sounds Around Town...with Dave Franklin (From Swindon Advertiser)

Sounds Around Town...with Dave Franklin

3:29pm Thursday 12th August 2010 in

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I will apologise in advance that this week’s column is a bit one-sided, but tonight sees the launch of Swindon’s annual celebration of local music, The Shuffle. In this, its fourth year, it has, like much in these fiscally challenging times, undergone a slight downsizing, but is still hosting 53 acts in three venues across four days, and the most you will have to pay for any night is £3, with some of the stages actually being free.

Speaking as both a punter and a player at previous events, the one thing I love about this brilliant gathering is that it gives everyone who loves music or is involved in the local scene a chance to come together.

Normally bands are scattered around the local and not so local venues, engineers and promoters are working at their job at hand and punters probably being selective about what they spend their cash on.

This weekend, though, will see all of those elements coming together in one big party and if previous years are anything to go by, the atmosphere will be one of solidarity towards local music with more than a dash of laughter and buffoonery thrown in for good measure.

So tonight at The Victoria is where it all starts. As if to ease you in gently, it’s all about covers and tributes, not normally the sort of thing I go for, as you well know, but the calibre of this line up is so high, it’s one that you are not going to want to miss.

As if a tribute to Rammstein and the chaos that is 2 Sick Monkeys isn’t enough, Kova Me Badd have come out of retirement just to headline this show.

Friday, again at The Victoria, is when the original bands kick off and it’s a nice mixed bag, from the dulcet and ethereal tones of Matilda to the infectious alt-country grooves of The Shudders taking in the dark garage rock vibes of The Dacoits and the pop vigour of The Alfonz.

On a footnote, this will be The Alfonz last ever show and I’m sure I’m not the only one that wants to say a big thank you to them for some brilliant gigs over the last few years.

Saturday is where you will have to start deciding where to be and who to watch as the 12 Bar gets involved. The main stage will give some of the younger bands a chance to get some exposure with The Debuts, The Biskitts and Chuck Co-Stars starting things off before the more established bands take over.

For my money the ones to watch are excellent post rockers The Colorado, the genre hopping Let the Games Begin and, for those who like their music a bit more old school and sleazy, headliners The Love Rockets.

Outside on the garden stage it’s all a bit more sedate but always worth a look is the small girl with the big voice, Jo Stroud and the far too talented Theo Altieri.

Back up the hill and The Victoria also have two stages on offer. In the top bar the usual suspects, Gaz Brookfield and Tommaso Galati share the bill with newer faces such as Niall Badcock plus the legend that is Doza.

The main stage is one just brimming with brilliance. Buswell will be kicking proceedings off with his delicate string enhanced, graceful numbers. Both Charlie Bath and Matthew Kilford follow and my newest favourite band, The Off Chance, will be proving that folk music is back in fashion. Pignose will be delivering some southern spiritual blues and with Good Things Happen in Bad Towns and the brilliant Jon Trowbridge Band rounding the night off, it is a dream line up.

Sunday sees The Beehive getting in on the act, with a fairly acoustic bias from the likes of Billyjon, Moths and Leeches plus the crazy country and eastern of Lavington Bound plus Beehive regulars, gypsy folksters Sweet Plums.

And as that stage comes to an end there is just time to wander up to The Victoria for some cracking bands, including the electro tinged rockers, The Citizens, roots manoeuvres from HipRoute, vibrant anthems from Napoleon in Rags and The Disco PieRats blend of funk, hip hop, and indie rock.

The weekend bows out with the eight-legged rave machine that is Old School Tie.

Just remember to book Monday off.