March 20th - Special 5th Bithday do...

THE SUZUKIS + The Steals + Cool Piano Roll + The Planets + The Personas

The Suzukis

From Jerry Lee Lewis to At The Drive-In, via The Stooges and The Sex Pistols, there is a lineage of rock and roll bands united by the same primeval energy and visceral power.

Hailing from Wigan, a quartet called The Suzukis, are creating a mighty storm that taps into this same raw, primal aggression and marks them out as one of the most exciting new bands to reignite people’s faith in rock and roll. It’s been a long time coming, but The Suzukis may just be the first new British group for a long while for the disaffected youth to embrace. A band that matches the sullen boredom and nihilistic pent-up anger of battered, small-town Britain with a fistful of big anthems.

Released on March 22nd through Deltasonic, Built In is The Suzukis’ debut single and a scathing demolition of celebrity culture to boot. Cutting lyrics over wall of sound guitars and over driven bass make for an exhilarating listen that stands the band out from both the current crop of limp indie bands and also the faux-emo punk from the US.

These are songs born out of dead-end jobs and tough times. The anger and adrenalin so lacking in many other bands, positively bursts from the speakers when listening to The Suzukis. Both Built In and b-side Back At The Factory, swagger with barbed, punk menace and choruses that batter their way into your head.

To witness The Suzukis’ front man Chris Veasey’s spat out vocal delivery and staring-into-the-void stance, is to realise that for some people, being in a band is simply more than a career choice. Some people are born to do nothing else. A front man who manages to scare the first five rows at the band’s gigs, whilst also writing some of the most succinct lyrics about what it is to be living in Britain in 2010. 

The Suzukis have got that punk rock, raw power, except there is no agenda here, no freaky wardrobe; just four lads creating a huge wall of sound the only way they know how.

The Steals

With Powerful song-writing, big guitars, achingly detailed production and hauntingly melodic vocals, THE STEALS are passionately driven to create mysterious, soul-cleansing, heart-breaking, life-affirming music.

Following their 2006 critically acclaimed EP ‘Floodlights’ and an intense creative sabbatical, ‘THE STEALS’ latest Album ‘Static Kingdom’ on Faun Records, sees Singer and long- standing member Jayn Hanna  return with a new line up, rekindling a musical union with Guitarist and co-producer Mark Peters of  ‘Engineers’ notoriety ( Echo/ K Scope Label) , Drummer Chris Smith and  2ndGuitarist Daniel Land from Manchester  Shoegazers 'Daniel Land and The Modern Painters'. The Album was largely completed between the   Landscapes of Hebden Bridge and a San Francisco studio.

Cool Piano Roll 

"Cool Piano Roll are a West Yorkshire based four piece experimental band. Combining Jazz, post-rock and trip-hop influences they return to the doghouse almost exactly a year after their well received debut in March 2009."

The Planets 

 "The Planets invade proceedings next and this four piece have an epic brew of blues, country, leftfield rock and straight up tunefulness. Before you know it, you’re traveling along at a fair lick as their tempered jangly pop, does a quick shuffle into sudden, dense, pockets of heavy rock. As their set progresses they cover various elements of 60’s and 70’s guitar styles. There's even a litte smattering of Pavement. “Something Hillbillies” is a bluesy skiffle with some superb melody ringing its way out, in this mixture of prog, indie and all sorts of rock and roll psychedelia. The Planets are something of a find I'd say... "

ManchesterMusic.co.uk

The Personas 

The Personas were born in late 2007 in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, when Ed and Mike got together to initially perform as a duo, writing songs and playing acoustic-based original material. A singer joined; Simon Price, ex-vocalist with Leeds-based ‘90s indie-hopefuls The Fabians. After several months of rehearsing as Melophobia, Simon left due to personal commitments; Ed and Mike played one gig in November 2007 at Holmfirth’s Number 11 Club.  

In the audience that night was Simon Piper, drummer-extraordinaire and ex-Fabian. Mike and Mr Piper had also played in various bands, going back to 1984 when they both lived in Scarborough. Simon joined on drums, Ed reverted to lead vocals and Albi was recruited on bass. The Personas were born.......... 

The band’s debut gig came several months later at Scarborough’s Solstice Festival in June 2008. Since then the band have gone on to play numerous gigs in the North of England and are planning a number of gigs for later in 2010. One gig just confirmed is a support slot at Holmfirth’s Picturedrome supporting 80’s ska-pop giants The Beat, on May 14th.  

Musically The Personas play edgy, fast-paced guitar-based indie powerpop. Ed’s gravel-toned vocals add an extra depth to the songs, which take their influences from many many sources. All the material is original, with Ed and Mike both writing the songs. The band are due to enter the studios in March 2010 to record the follow-up to their sold-out 2008 CD, “Live At Leeds”............... 

The band are not spring-chickens; Mike and Simon have played in bands for over 20 years. Far from being a negative factor, the band like the fact that they do not feel the pressure to achieve something specific, that would dog a younger band of hopefuls. Says Mike: “We’re all busy guys, who work full-time and fit The Personas into our lives. We’re realistic about our musical future; we write good songs and we like playing music- our gigs are brilliant fun; you can’t ask much more than that- back in 1988 I would have been fretting about not writing enough material and egos would have definitely have clashed more...!”