Hey Bulldog - Video Of The Week

Brian's favourite video this week is Al Lupo by Hey Bulldog. 

Like many bands before, Hey Bulldog began as a germ of an idea of main man Rob Manton. The multi-talented Manchester-based musician recorded the debut EP, New York City Blues, by himself with the help of a drum machine.

Before turning the project into a fully-fledged band, Manton created a buzz with the help of music websites and a variety of fanzines. 


Finding a pair of like-minded cohorts Matt Parry (bass) and Ben Howarth-Lees (drums) Manton turned Hey Bulldog into a live bluesy three-piece psychedelic rock band known for their musicianship and live improvisations.

Track on Bandsintown

May 01

Soup Kitchen

w/ The Liminanas

Tuesday, 7:00PM

Manchester, United Kingdom

Tickets

May 05

The Garage

Saturday, 7:00PM

London, United Kingdom

Tickets

Jul 20

Blackthorn Festival

w/ We Are Scientists, The Blinders, Peter Hook & The Light

Friday, 7:00PM

Stockport, United Kingdom

Tickets

Freak - Video Of The Week

Brian's favourite video this week is Everyone's The Same by Freak.

They had a hectic 2017 including a co-headline tour with King Nun, played the 10th Anniversary gig for BBC Introducing in Essex and a sold out show with The Great Escape. 

Freak are very much at the top of our 'Ones To Watch' for 2018 and you can get a chance to do just that as they'll be playing Brighton's The Great Escape Festival in May.

Video directed by Phil Poole.

Lindisfarne Festival

I've been a fan of crowdfunding since raising £5,000 using crowdfunder.co.uk on Twitter to produce the 40 track Ralph's Life CD which enabled Ralph to present funds to Rethink Mental Illness and put on two reward benefit events in London and Edinburgh.  

No surprises then when my attention was piqued by an attempt to raise a world record beating £70,000 by Lindisfarne Festival to ensure their event goes ahead successfully in 2018.

Lindisfarne Festival takes place on Beal Farm on Northumberland and next year sees a stellar line-up including a jaunt southwards by some of the very best in Scottish indie bands; including long time Ralph's Life favourites, Bombskare, Colonel Mustard, Mickey 9s, Girobabies and Have Mercy Las Vegas. 

But the great thing about the crowdfunder is, you'll be able to have a say in who takes part in Lindisfarne Festival 2018!

Renowned for their eclectic range of performers - from Thursday evening through to the early hours of Sunday, their 8 unique music venues will once again play host to another incredible variety of both local and world renowned talent. With over 100 acts, spanning almost every imaginable genre - the only problem you'll have is deciding who to go and see next at Lindisfarne Festival 2018.

They have their collective eyes eye on some unbelievably brilliant acts for 2018 and if they smash this world record breaking crowdfunding target they'll be able to land the strongest lineup yet!

HAVE YOUR SAY - tell them who YOU want to see on the line up HERE. 

Just donate

• £10
• £20
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Or choose a reward

Pledge £49

EARLY BIRD TICKET (Sat - Sun) // ***SAVE £10 on your 1 day festival ticket!*** FREE camping included.

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EARLY BIRD TICKET (Fri - Sun) // ***SAVE £20 on your 2 day festival ticket!*** FREE camping included.

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EARLY BIRD TICKET (Thurs - Sun) // ***SAVE £20 on your 3 day festival ticket!*** FREE camping included.

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CHROMA

South Wales trio CHROMA set to release their explosive new single Vampires October 27th via Datod Records with the track already available to download.

Vampires is their first release since playing the BBC R1 Introducing Stages at Reading & Leeds Festival 2017. Needless to say Ralph's giving Vampires a spin on the Radio KC Indie Show so tune in on Sunday 5th November for the Bonfire Night Special from 5-7pm UK time.

CHROMA has seen plays from Huw Stephens plus Inclusion on The Best Of BBC Radio 1 Introducing playlist; a feature in Metro Newspaper; 5 weeks Playlisting on The New Rock Show on Planet Rock, BBC Radio Wales; BBC Radio Cymru; Amazing Radio; Hoxton Radio and Roundhouse Radio.

CHROMA are a three-piece bilingual band from the South Wales valleys which formed in the summer of 2015. They won the Cardiff Music Award for Best Breakthrough Act 2017 and C2 BBC Radio Cymru's Brwydr y Bandiau 2016 as well as reveling in Katie Hall's obvious love of big woolly jumpers.

Vampires is the second cut off their self-titled 2016 EP, is a ferocious offering from the young, Welsh upstarts and is driven by a angry, noisy thundering bass riff and the powerful vocals of Katie. So much so, it's been on replay here in the kennel all week.

The pacey new CHROMA single sits comfortably alongside the big hitters in the world of indie and alt rock. In fact you’d be forgiven for thinking that there is more than just three members to this frenetic young band.



LIVE

Debut Headline Show - Le Pub, Newport - November 10

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - supporting ESTRONS - December 9

Paves

London four-piece PAVES are set to release their new single Baby via the reformed This Feeling Records, digitally as of now and on limited edition 7” vinyl on November 17th.

BABY is an upbeat, ready made guitar classic that wouldn’t be out of place in a feel good, Hollywood rock n roll movie. Speaking on the track, the band said, "Baby went down a blast all summer. It stood out at every festival we performed at, as the track punters got into the most. It's got that summer vibe, so we only felt it natural to release it with This Feeling who have supported big time from day one."

Needless to say Ralph's giving the track a spin on the Radio KC Indie Show Sunday 29th October so remember to tune in from 5-7pm on rkc.noip.me internet radio.

Paves are the London faces of Britain’s new rock and roll movement. When they’re not bringing their Stonesesque swagger, with what Clash describe as “wah-wah flavoured guitar matched to some scorching vocals", live on stage, they’re out nearly every night in support of their musical peers. Literally, the faces of the scene; Luke Shield (Lead Vocals and Guitar), Mike Whitaker (Lead Guitar), Perry Read (Bass and Backing Vocals), Tom Triggs (Drums).


This Feeling Records is the instinctive next step for one of the UK’s most influential names in guitar music promotion and have played their part in the rise of the likes of Catfish and The Bottlemen, Blossoms, Cabbage, and more.

The London 4-piece have gone down a storm at Isle of Wight Festival, TRNSMT & Tramlines, playing to packed stages.

Catch Paves live over the new few months.

NOVEMBER: 16th: London The Monarch (Single Launch Party) 24th: Glasgow Broadcast 25th: Leicester O2 Academy 26th: Manchester Jimmy's DECEMBER: 12th: Doncaster Social Bar + Bang Bang Romeo

RiD

RiD are a Coventry based band with links to Birmingham and Wales. In 2007, Dave
Cooke (rhythm guitar and songwriter) and Ricky Hogan (vocals) formed the band as a response to frustration over the media’s obsession with the current dire X Factor pop culture. 

In 2012, after various line-up changes, RiD were joined by Tony Cox (drums) and Kathryn Marsh (vocals). 2014 saw the departure of their guitarist and bass player, but in 2015 they were joined by James D. Nelson (lead guitar) and Jason Riggs (bass), which completed their current line-up. 

Despite having widely varying musical influences, the six band members mesh seamlessly to produce original music, which is melodic, yet rocky, with honest and sometimes hard-hitting lyrics that deal with real life issues in a frank and open way.

RiD have recently completed their first album titled No Way Back, which was released earlier this month and it highlights the excellence of Kathryn's vocal stylings as well as the obvious quality of the band's songwriting and musicianship. 




Three singles have been released in the run up to the album; one in each month - April, May and June of this year. 


These first three singles What You Are, Rock n Roll and now Without You are available from all major online platforms. 

Gigs coming up include a free entry album launch in Coventry on 14th July and Warton Music festival on 22nd July 2017.

Make sure you tune in to Ralph's Indie Show on Radio KC next Sunday to hear Without You.

SONDER Festival 2017

SONDER Festival is a three day music, comedy and arts festival based in Manchester’s iconic Northern Quarter. The festival looks to bring together creative talent from across the region and also supports some amazing causes while doing so. The aim at SONDER is to create an incredible festival while also being able to stay at a price that is inclusive and offers great value for attendees.

This year SONDER is showcasing some of the best rising talent around with a plethora of artist who have performed on BBC Introducing, Radio 1, Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 1 Xtra, XFM and many more.

An average ticket price in Manchester city center could easily set you back over £8. SONDER have created a festival which allows attendees to see more acts for less! At just £10 for a full day ticket and £15 for the full three days they have created a festival that is not only affordable but is also fantastic value.



Not only will Ralph be playing some tracks by bands playing SONDER Festival on the Radio KC Indie Show next Sunday (11.6.17) from 5-7pm but we'll be having an online competition to win 2 wristbands PLUS you'll find him wandering around the Northern Quarter enjoying the food, atmosphere, quality bands and the odd beer plus I'm sure apres-festival reviews will ensue as some of his favourites are playing over the weekend including the newly added Boston Shakers.


              Ticket link: Full Weekend Ticket - £15

Sweet Sweet Records

Ralph has been known to enjoy the odd festival but interest in Dot To Dot this year was heightened by the news that Sweet Sweet Records were hosting a stage on May 26th and Ralph's long-time favourites Duke and The Darlings were taking to it.

Manchester's fiercely independent Sweet Sweet Records will host a stage at the national Dot To Dot Festival 2017.

Sweet Sweet Records will host seven acts at No1 Watson Street on Friday May 26th as part of the Manchester leg of the three-part Dot To Dot Festival.

Music will start at 4pm with darling of BBC Introducing Liam McClair and climax with the neo-soul grooves and vocal moves of Alice Gasson, with an eclectic mix of lauded local acts in between. A free album with songs from all the acts is available to stream on Spotify: 

Curated and organised by local independent label Sweet Sweet Records, the stage at No1 Watson Street boasts a wide range of musicians, and an even wider range of craft beers, with 12 taps, including Manchester beer heroes Cloudwater and Blackjack, and over 50 bottles. Attendees can also savour any of the craft pizzas on offer, with the All Day Breakfast pizza perfect for curing hangovers and getting you gig-ready.

The Sweet Sweet Records stage at No1 Watson Street is situated across from the main stage at Royal Albert Hall, and a few minutes away from other festival venues.

Alex Reed, founder of Sweet Sweet Records said: "It is simply the best way to celebrate what is happening in and around Manchester. Awesome local music and local food washed down with brilliant local beer.　We have hosted many gigs for many acts, many of which in breweries, but this is the most exciting combination to date."

Tickets are only available pre-event and can be purchased here: http://bit.ly/2mPGpaf

The full line-up for the Sweet Sweet Records Stage at No1 Watson Street is as follows:

4pm　Liam McClair

5pm　Hannah Ashcroft

6pm　George Fell

7pm　KITS

8pm　Duke and The Darlings

9pm　South Island Son

10pm　Alice Gasson

No1 Watson Street is a craft pizza and craft beer bar right in the heart of the Peter Street/Great Northern area, with a big and tasty range of both.

Sweet Sweet Records started in 2010, offering a small roster of acts a chance to share their music. Manchester-proud, the label dedicate most of their time to arranging unique events for local acts who really deserve a bit of a fuss. Residencies have included Brewdog Manchester, The Brink, Seven Bro7hers Beerhouse and Beer Nouveau Brewery.