CW Nine Northwich Salty Dog gigs

Hello again!

Most of these dates are now sold out! Check the feature anyways!

CW Nine at The Salty Dog – The Charlatans support band lowdown preview.

Northwich is in for a treat come this May due to Tim Burgess taking over the town for 11 days of arts and music. He picked The Salty Dog as the main venue for his array of support bands so I set to the task of speaking to each band about the event. Tim explains himself why the bands are playing.

“We picked some of our favourite bands to play at The Salty Dog. All of them have supported us in the last couple of years apart from Deja Vega. They’re a band that Martin introduced to us and they come from up the road so we asked them if they’d like to play. We’ll be nipping over the road to catch them. Average Sex just supported us in Paris and Amsterdam so it’s good to introduce them to the glamour of Northwich. It’ll be good to see Yucatan again, they supported us in Cardiff but have been through a tough time as Iwan their drummer died earlier this year. It will be hugely emotional for them to play again. BMX Bandits are always a pleasure to watch and it’s been a while since we caught up with Riding The Low. The Blinders are finishing things off on the Sunday and it’s safe to say they will put on a fitting performance. One of the best new bands around”

Chris Mundie who runs The Dog and books all the gigs answers the questions that I set to the bands.

How did you get involved in CW9?

Completely out of the blue I had an e-mail from TIM, nothing was set in stone and he was simply checking the availability of the venue for the week with a view to putting on some bands. It wasn’t until a few weeks later I got a call from Nick (PR) explaining the full scale of the project. Needless to say we jumped at the chance to be involved.

Smaller venues like yours seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What’s your stance on this?

There are a few venues popping up around the country at the minute, Redrum in Stafford is a great example. We have a very similar approach to them. I was very much influenced by Dan at The Owl Sanctuary in Norwich. There has also been a growth in independent promoters and people looking to do things away from the mainstream. There are great independent labels popping up and there is a real feeling of community building up across multiple scenes and genres. Independent press like LTW also makes a big difference. The mainstream has always been dominant and always will be but the underground has never been better armed than it is now, we have the tools, we have the technology!

What’s your favourite Charlatans song?

I have to confess although I grew up in Cheshire I was a teenage punk rocker so I didn’t really get into the band first time round. I really love the concept of Sproston Green though. It put a place on the map that was always my junction of the M6. Whenever I was heading anywhere I would go through it and it has always been a milestone on my way home.

What can we expect from you during these gigs?

Stress, panic and eventually adulation.

Describe your venue in a quick quote.

Small but perfectly formed.

I next got the chance to speak to all six bands playing over the course of the week to get a taster of the week ahead.

Deja Vega

Deja Vega are vocalist and guitarist Jack Fearon, drummer Tom Webster and bassist Mike Newton. After forming in Cheshire they made a short journey to Manchester, a fitting backdrop to their gritty, guitar led psychedelia. Rhythmic and rage fuelled and boasting surging riffs, Fearon’s hypnotic slurring lyrics lurch in and out of poetic chants, battling over chaotic drums and the razor sharp bass lines underneath. Live, Deja Vega demonstrate they’re a force to be reckoned with… I speak to Jack the lead singer.

How did you get involved in CW Nine?

Our manager used to take photos of The Charlatans back in the day, so from back then he grew a friendship with Martin Blunt. He’s been a fan of the band for some time now so when he offered us a slot we couldn’t turn down the opportunity.

Smaller venues like the Dog seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What’s your stance on this?

I’m personally a big fan of the smaller venue gigs. It’s the intimacy of the crowd and their reaction as well as witnessing a working bands starting point. I’ve watched many bands start from small and go to big and when it comes to the likes of seeing bands grow and live sound quality, I definitely prefer the smaller venue.

Small towns usually suffer when it comes to bands touring, who normally favour the larger places. Would you do a small town tour?

I would love to do a small town tour. We’ve played cities for some time now and our following, and the reaction we get, is always brilliant. But when we’ve played some towns we’ve had reactions that are just as good if not better. There’s a more welcoming feel as well.

What’s your favourite Charlatans song?

That’s a hard question to answer. Can I pick a few? My Beautiful Friend, Forever, Feel Flows or Bullet Comes. I really can’t pick sorry haha.

What can we expect from you during these gigs?

A loud and intense energetic start to your CW9 festival.

Describe your band in a quick quote!

Fast and bulbous.

Yucutan

This band are made up of itinerant multi instrumentalists Dilwyn Llwyd, Alex Morrison, Gwyn Llewelyn and Osian Howells, is led by Llwyd’s profound, quiet artistry on the edges of Wales’ Snowdonia National Park.  Uwch Gopa’r Mynydd (Above The Mountain Summit) has sweeping instrumentation which achieves cinematic emotional weight with the most delicate of touches. Equally a people’s band and musician’s band, Yucatan receives the continued support of Tim Burgess, having supported the legendary band on their UK tour in 2015. Tim is effusive when asked about their album “Such a good recording. There’s a magic to Yucatan’s music. A kind of uplifting melancholy that takes you to beautiful places”. I speak to Dilywn from the band.

How did you get involved in CW Nine?

We are involved in a load of stuff with Tim Peaks and have supported The Charlatans a couple of times. It feels like we’re part of the family.

Smaller venues like the Dog seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What’s your stance on this?

When you’re starting off the smaller venue the better. It’s way better to fill a small venue than play a big venue that’s empty. And very often smaller venues have a great friendly vibe and have real music loving types.

Small towns usually suffer when it comes to bands touring, who normally favour the larger places. Would you do a small town tour?

As a band we live in villages and put gigs on in villages. Agents miss a trick with not touring in smaller places. Very often you can get a much better crowd for a band as there is less competition. It seems really boring that bands only tour big cities. I’ve always liked when bands tour smaller places like when Echo & The Bunnymen toured the Outer Hebrides in the 80’s. So yes we would.

What’s your favourite Charlatans song?

Polar Bear. Great dance track that’s so deep and mysterious. It’s been in my head for half my life. That first album was something really special.

What can we expect from you during these gigs?

We are working on some new stuff so we are looking to play something fresh. We don’t do much showmanship. The focus is on the songs and we get lost in them ans suck some people in with us.

Describe your band in a quick quote!

Sort of soft rock with bells! No idea really.

Average Sex

2017 was a fantastic break through year for London band Average Sex - Having played sold out shows for the likes of Fortuna Pop and Art Is Hard, releasing their debut single on limited edition pink cassette (which sold out almost straight away) and finishing the year with the release of their debut EP ‘Ice Cream’ on 1st December through Tim Burgess’ O Genesis Recordings, as well as joining The Charlatans on a 9 date U.K tour. How did they catch Tim’s ear? Well, after being sent a link to the band’s work from drummer Finnigan Kidd, Burgess just couldn’t get enough. “They have the pop sensibilities and the hooks and melodies that never leave your head”, he says. Sam O Donovan gives me the answers.

 How did you get involved in CW Nine?

 We were on tour with The Charlatans back in December and Tim and Nick asked us if we'd like to take part. 

 Smaller venues like The Salty Dog seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What's your stance on this?

I think smaller venues have always been hugely important for new bands, it's vital for people to support small venues as they're the ones giving exciting new bands a chance to perform. 

 Small towns usually suffer when it comes to bands touring, who normally favour the larger places. Would you do a small town tour?

We'd definitely like to do a small town tour if the opportunity arose 

What's your favourite Charlatans song?

Difficult question as they have so many great songs, we got to know their latest record really well from being on tour with them and it's fantastic, "Different Days"  "Plastic Machinery" really stood out 

 What can we expect from you during these gigs?

   

We've been doing lots of writing and we're going in the studio with Tim in March to record our next EP so we'll have be playing our new material for the first time. 

 Describe your band in a quick quote!

Well Art is Hard called us "Bad ass power-pop champs sucking on ice cream and the tears of their ex's."

BMX Bandits

BMX Bandits were formed in the ex-industrial town of Bellshill by songwriter and lead vocalist Duglas T Stewart out of the ashes of The Pretty Flowers, a group that featured Stewart alongside Frances McKee (The Vaselines), Sean Dickson (The Soup Dragons) and Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub). BMX Bandits' songs mix melodic qualities and humour with, at times, raw and heartbreaking pathos. Duglas describes their songs as being his world put to music. Starting with the exuberant 'E102' in 1986 BMX Bandits released a series of singles on Stephen's Pastels' 53rd & 3rd label. Later they joined Creation Records, home of Teenage Fanclub, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream and many others. The group's most celebrated song is the autobiographical 'Serious Drugs', banned by Radio 1 as its release coincided with their antidrugs week. The band have had ever changing line ups with Duglas as the one constant as chief songwriter and eternal “troubled teenager” at its heart. Duglas says the personnel changes are because BMX Bandits aren’t a conventional group but rather an extended musical family. Stewart’s writing has been compared to Brian Wilson, Ennio Morricone, Michel Legrand and even Alan Bennett. In 2017 they released the album BMX Bandits Forever on Elefant Records. The new album features the band's newest member, multi-instrumentalist and singer Chloe Philip. Chloe brings an extra exuberance to BMX Bandits live shows and is the perfect partner in crime for chief Bandito Duglas, the Bonnie to his Clyde. Forever also features a brand new collaboration between Duglas and Brian Jonestown Massacre leader Anton Newcombe. Duglas does me the honours.

How did you get involved in CW Nine?

Tim has been very supportive of BMX Bandits. We've played his Tim Peaks stage at festivals a few times and opened for The Charlatans. Tim and Nick contacted me and told me about the event and asked if we wanted to be part of it. I didn't need any time to think. We said "yes" without hesitatation.

Smaller venues like The Salty Dog seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What's your stance on this?

Of course there's something pleasing about playing bigger stages in front of large numbers of people but usually the gigs that are most fun abd feel the best are venues like this. I like top be close to the people we're playing for. It feels more organic. When we started out 33 years ago it there were more smaller venues putting on exciting gigs and it feels like that's gradually coming back again. That's a good thing.

Small towns usually suffer when it comes to bands touring, who normally favour the larger places. Would you do a small town tour?

We have played small towns and remote areas and we are very up for that. I came from a small town outside Glasgow and so I appreciate the idea of playing these places.

What's your favourite Charlatans song?

Come Home Baby. Tim always dedicates it to me when he knows I'm at a show. It was a song that saved my life. It gave me hope and kept me hanging on when I was going through a very difficult time in my life. 

What can we expect from you during these gigs?

At our shows we want to make a real connection with the people who have come to see us. We want people to feel better after the show than they did before. Hopefully there will be smiles, laughter, a few tears and dancing (from us and the audience).

Describe your band in a quick quote!

BMX Bandits are an extended musical family out to make new friends through music.

Photo credit: Neil Johnson LTW

Riding The Low

Riding the Low hail from Burton on Trent. Look it up. They play rock and roll. Look that up.
They have released their second album 'Riding the Low are Here to Help the Neighbourhood'. Listen to it. Listen to all of their shit. It's good. They have guitars and drums and stuff. They make noise. Sweet noise. I chat with Chris Baldwin about their upcoming date.

How did you get involved in CW Nine?

Through Tim Burgess and Nick Fraser. Tim and the Charlatans were kind enough to let us support them on a couple of dates a few years back. We’ve played Tim Peaks at a few different festivals and Tim and Nick have always been incredibly supportive of the band. I think what they do with Tim Peaks is fantastic and it’s becoming the place to be at a lot of festivals.

Smaller venues like The Salty Dog seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What's your stance on this?

 I think it’s important we keep music alive in these kind of venues. We cannot let it die. The desire to see new bands and find new music is still out there. Music has to be accessible to everyone.

Small towns usually suffer when it comes to bands touring, who normally favour the larger places. Would you do a small town tour?

We’d play anywhere! Any old toilet! Whatever you’ve got.

What's your favourite Charlatans song?

 (Paddy) It’s a battle between ‘Crashin’ In’ and ‘Just Lookin’) for me. But I could pick loads. So many great memories of grooving to ‘Jesus Hairdo’ in the Basement in Brighton back in the day. (Chris) ‘The Only One I Know’ has a lot of heady memories attached to it also! (Rich) I love Tellin’ Stories!

 What can we expect from you during these gigs?

Just doing what we strive to do best. Bring it. Bring an all out rock and roll assault and have the craic. What else should we do?

 Describe your band in a quick quote!

 Riding the Low are tall, wide, hairy and loud.

Image credit: Nasty Man Creations.

The Blinders

Punky and psychedelic, The Blinders are partly inspired by poetry and literature. Their live show is a charismatic, theatrical live experience of intensity, possessed by the spirits of musical greatness. 

Amidst a myriad of widely varying comparisons, their energy pulses with a unique, punkadelic sound. In turn, the music is building a movement. The Blinders bring with them a youthful, vibrant collective of friends and believers. 

Musical maverick peers, creators, performers and dreamers, outsiders and insiders, united in support of something new and very now. The band respond to my questions.

 How did you get involved in CW Nine?

"We were a part of the Charlatans last album launch with their Oldham Street take. It was a great experience which also lead to us being given the opportunity to support The Charlatans in Leeds and Nottingham on their previous tour. We’re not too sure how it all happened, I think a lot of it comes down to the simple fact that Tim is a fan of the band. Any event with them feels like an honour."

Smaller venues like The Salty Dog seem to be making a difference for up and coming bands. What's your stance on this?

"Such venues are imperative to the music scene. It’s where bands like ourselves cut their teeth, it’s where you learn to play and grow as performers. The constant attack on small venues is really an attack on culture or indeed sub-culture. It seems designed to prevent such movements from rearing their heads."

Small towns usually suffer when it comes to bands touring, who normally favour the larger places. Would you do a small town tour?

"We understand it completely. We’re from Doncaster, it may not be the smallest of towns, but bands are hardly queuing up to play. The problem is, of course, bands have got to play where the crowds are, but we’d have no protests against playing a ‘small town tour’."

What's your favourite Charlatans song?

'Sproston Green'

 What can we expect from you during these gigs?

"Buckfast fuelled rage."

 Describe your band in a quick quote!

"A tempest raging across a schizophrenic desert, or something along those lines."

This will be an interesting week of music for Northwich  and an eye opener for music fans with the diverse range of sound on offer. See you there!

Tickets for all gigs available on Saturday 3^rd March through DICE or venue.

Monday 14^th May – Deja Vega.

Tuesday 15^th May – Charlatans Quiz with Chris Hawkins plus very special guests.

Wednesday 16^th May – Yucatan.

Thursday 17^th May – Average Sex.

Friday 18^th May – BMX Bandits.

Saturday 19^th May – Riding The Low.

Sunday 20^th May – The Blinders.

www.salty-dog.co.uk