Fast rising 'lad' rockers Don Broco are a band who've been on a good many people's lips recently, and there's good reason for that. Find out what's the fuss in about when they return to Norwich for a headline date. PLus; Fairport Convention, Dervish and Your Demise.
FAIRPORT CONVENTION
Open, February 16
Fairport Convention is one of best loved live bands on today's concert circuit. Their sell-out gigs attract critical acclaim and delight audiences.
Formed in 1967's 'summer of love', Fairport are hailed as the originators of British folk-rock, and this latest visit to Norwich will see the band perform a selection of favourites chosen in a fans' poll — and the band has a vast repertoire to draw on.
Fairport have won a coveted BBC Lifetime Achievement Award and Radio 2 listeners voted their groundbreaking album Liege & Lief the most influential folk album of all time.
The set is sure to mix established favourites with newer songs and will feature Simon Nicol on guitar and lead vocals, Dave Pegg on bass and backing vocals, Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin and lead vocals, Ric Sanders on violin and Gerry Conway on percussion.
The concert will open with a short set by John Watterson (known as Fake Thackray) who will be performing his own interpretation of the 'English chanson' songs of the late, great Jake Thackray.
Whether you are a long-time fan or a newcomer to Fairport, this will be an evening of top quality musicianship that is sure to delight.
t Further listening: www.fairportconvention.com
DON BROCO
Norwich Arts Centre, February 18
Fast rising 'lad' rockers Don Broco are a band who've been on a good many people's lips recently, and there's good reason for that.
The past couple of years have seen the Bedford band take on a relentless touring regime, which is incidentally why they took an age to release their time debut album Priorities.
Having formed officially in 2008 after a number of years playing together, and in various other bands, vocalist Rob Damiani, guitarist Simon Delaney and drummer Matt Donnelly honed the art of hard-riffing power-pop with a gloriously melodic edge.
'Our beginning is kind of a bit murky,' says Damiani. 'We've all been playing together in various guises since we were 15. We had our first school gig when we were doing our GCSEs.' 'All our songs sounded like different Lost Prophets and Incubus songs mashed into one,' interjects guitarist Simon Delaney. 'It was very all over the place, as you'd expect. We didn't take things that seriously then…'
Joined by new recruit Tom Doyle on bass, the quartet's debut album, which finally emerged last summer, with fan's appetite having previously been whetted by 2011's mini-album Big Fat Smile, was one of the most adrenaline-veined, hook-heavy rock debuts of 2012.
And while on previous visits to Norwich they've been in the supporting slot, this time they're headlining a sell-out date suggesting they've made a breakthrough.
t Further listening: www.donbroco.com
DERVISH
Norwich Arts Centre, February 19
From the Great Wall of China to packed auditoriums in the Holy Land and more recently being the first Irish band to perform at huge Rock in Rio music festival, in front of an estimated audience of 240,000 people, Dervish have come a long way in 17 years.
Formed in 1989 by a group of five musicians, Liam Kelly, Shane Mitchell, Martin Mc Ginley, Brian Mc Donagh and Michael Holmes who came together to record an album of local music which was released as The Boys of Sligo.
Inspired by the project they decided to develop this informal gathering (which gathered weekly to play sessions in local pubs) into a working band under the name Dervish, which was chosen as it related to any group of spiritual people who become enraptured by music.
The first Dervish album, Harmony Hill, emerged in 1992 winning widespread critical acclaim and marking the band out at the forefront of the bands working on traditional Irish music.
Since then they've become one of the stalwarts of the Celtic music scene, but without ever becoming stale. Their sound sees mouzouki, mandola, flute, fiddle, bodhran and accordion combining with the unique vocals of the entrancing Cathy Jordan to capture intricate Celtic flavours.
t Further listening: www.dervish.ie
YOUR DEMISE
Waterfront, February 21
Hailing from the normally genteel suburbs of St Albans, in leafy Hertfordshire, Your Demise are anything but cosy home counties chaps. The five-piece draw inspiration from bands like Sick of It All, Agnostic Front and Hatebreed for their aggressive, metal-laden brand of hardcore.
Founded in 2003 — originally as a Suicidal Tendencies cover band — the quintet quickly took the leap to writing its own material, and after debuting in 2005 with the Your Days are Numbered EP, recorded its first full-length album You Only Make Us Stronger.
The quickly built a fan base on the road by touring with bands like Biohazard, Bury Your Dead and especially fellow Hertfordshire noise-merchants Enter Shikari.
Their second album, Ignorance Never Dies, built on this success and even the departure of original vocalist George Noble chose to quit, replaced by Centurion frontman Ed McRae, failed to slow their progress.
Not bracketing themselves into one genre; their musical style ranges from hardcore, metal and punk vibes, the band arrive at the Waterfront in support of their just released latest EP Cold Chillin, and heading a bill that also includes hardcore band Heights, who hailed from down the road from St Albans in Welwyn Garden City, Canadian outfit Counterparts and Ukrainian post-hardcore oddities Fact.
t Further listening: www.yourdemiseofficial.com
SOUNDS IN THE CITY
FEBRUARY 15
NME Awards Tour: feat. Django Django + Miles Kane + Palma Violets + Peace (indie/rock/pop) — UEA
Dubfront Version 2: feat. Young Warrior + Free King Sound + Full Tone Sound (reggae/dub) — Waterfront
Monster Ceilidh Band (roots/alternative) — Arts Centre
Bon Giovi + Bad Touch (rock/tribute) — Brickmakers
Upload Tour: feat. Dave J Giles + Tom Law + Eddplant + Bribry (acoustic) — B2
Feral Mouth (folk) — Blueberry
Kamikaze Hotshot + Saigon Kiss (metal/rock) — King Edward VII
Naked Wizard Explosion: feat. Hello Bear + Dreadbeats + Grant Ley + John Mackay (indie/acoustic) — The Birdcage
Dove & Boweevil Band (blues) — Brewery Tap
Norwich Folk Club: feat. Martyn Wyndham-Read (folk) — Christ Church Centre
We Ghosts (indie) — Silver Road Cottage
Lou & The Diamonds (60s) — Walnut Tree Shades
Bluemoon (rock'n'roll) — Arkwrights
The Misfit Collective (skiffle) — Jurnet's Bar
Dub Fiesta: feat. Doc Scott + more (drum n bass/dance) — Hideout
Pyevarotti — Boundary
FEBRUARY 16
Kyle Eastwood (jazz) — Playhouse
Fairport Convention + Fake Thackery (folk) — Open
Big C Night: Killamonjambo + Keep It Secret + T Bone & The Horn + The Sepiatones (funk/pop/rock/charity) — Waterfront
Danny Tricksters (punk/indie) — Blueberry
The Glamtastics (glam/rock) — Brickmakers
— B2
Stealer + AKA (rock)— King Edward VII
Danny Porter Trio (blues/rock) — Walnut Tree Shades
Floating Greyhounds (rock) — Old Catton Maids Head
Burning Crows (Americana/rock) — The Stanley
Mel & The Strollers (rock'n'roll) — Arkwrights
Outathablues (blues) — Heartsease
Bare Feet Records Alldayer (from 3pm/local) — The Birdcage
Mustang Sally (soul) — Keir Hardie Hall
Hard Rain (rock/pop) — Trowel & Hammer
Battle of the Bands (competition) — Compleat Angler
Slightly Offensive Steve & Noah Fence — Union Street Coach & Horses
Rip-Off Chili Peppers (tribute) — The Wildman
The Dirigibles — Golden Star
Rob Charles (easy) — Sprowston Social Club
Something Happened — The Champion
Lisa Marie — Angel Gardens
Tony Cann — Bread & Cheese
Alen Ley — Quebec Tavern
Hannah — Robin Hood
FEBRUARY 17
Jake Bugg (pop/indie) — UEA
The He Hews (rock'n'roll/roots) — Brewery Tap
Lou & The Diamonds (60s/5pm) — Silver Road Cottage
Black Diamond Duo (acoustic/3pm) — Moles Rest
Lee Vasey Big Band (12pm) — Brickmakers
FEBRUARY 18
Don Broco (pop/indie) — Arts Centre
Jazz Jam: feat. Rich Buddie — Walnut Tree Shades
Jazz Jam: feat. Brendan Young + Lee Vasey + Ian Hireson + Mark Jolley (jazz) — Silver Road Cottage
Brickie Session (open mic) — Brickmakers
FEBRUARY 19
Rumours Of Fleetwood Mac (rock/tribute) — Theatre Royal
Dervish (roots) — Arts Centre
Gerard & The Watchmen + Heart Of A Dog (indie/folk) — Bicycle Shop
Tannoys (rock/pop) — Brickmakers
Renato D'Aiello (jazz) — Oaklands Hotel
Stop Drop Rock Tour: feat. Glass City Vice + Reachback + Bentley Park + Room Service (rock) — B2
Front Porch: Kevan Taplin (acoustic/solo) — Olives
Phab Club: feat. Roger Dowe (pop/folk) — Vauxhall Centre
Jam Night — Rumsey Wells
FEBRUARY 20
Harry Seaton Music (acoustic/singer-songwriter) — B2
Pure Acoustic (open mic) — Brickmakers
Traditional Irish — Gatehouse
Open Mic — Garden House
FEBRUARY 21
Your Demise + Heights + Counterparts + Fact (metal/punk) — Waterfront
Exit Ten + My Preserver (indie/rock) — Waterfront Studio
Brother and Bones + Crumbs For Comfort (indie) — Open
Black River Falls (rock) — Brickmakers
Sheesh (pop/rock) — B2
Pangaea (world/jazz) — Rose Tavern
Ghostriders Western Club: feat. Jeff Gallant Band (country) — TA Centre
Part Time Blues: feat. Paul Tinkler (blues) — Walnut Tree Shades
T Bone & The Horn (funk/hip hop/soul) — Ten Bells
Pangaea (world/jazz) — Rose Tavern
Acoustic Jukebox — Brewery Tap
Open Mic — The Lounge
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