Eclectic, original and damn good fun, Cornwalls’ Three Daft Monkeys combine foot stomping celtic, world, Spanish and good old twiddly folk rythms into their melting pot of startingly original songs. They have that knack, that the Levellers also posess, of being able to match serious lyrics to upbeat music.

Darlings of the festival scene all over Europe, they always deliver a stunning set that defies you not to dance. Accomplished musicians with a background in dance, ska and traditional folk; they create contemporary world music not constrained by ‘tradition’, but always informed by it.

‘What Dylan would’ve been like if had he grown up in Cornwall’ NME says of singer-songwriter Ruarri Joseph. His songs have one foot firmly planted in the best of UK folk tradition – Nick Drake, John Martyn, Cat Stevens, Richard Thompson – and the other in the contemporary songwriting movement of David Gray, Newton Faulkner, Paolo Nutini and the late Elliot Smith.

‘Genius… a breath of the freshest air’ THE OBSERVER

WEBSITE HERE

Tuesday 16 November
Komedia Studio Bar, £8 advance, doors 7.30pm

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23 year old Canadian indie folk artist and Verge Music Awards Artist of the Year, Dan Mangan has been getting rave reviews in the press including NME for his sophomore album, Nice, Nice, Very Nice, as well as for his live shows. Described by NME as sounding like if Woody Guthrie listened to Godspeed You Black Emperor, Mangan weaves unique lyrical phrases that simply and subtly unfurl complicated ideas, delivered with his signature gravelled vocals and understated humour.

“…Knocks you flat on your ass… Mangan’s career is clearly on the rise. Hop on board and enjoy the ride.” Exclaim!

MYSPACE HERE

Wednesday 6 October
Komedia Studio Bar, £6, doors 7.30pm

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Born out of love for Jamaican sound clash, forged with a do-it-yourself punk rock ethos and delivered with a raw hip hop swagger, the unstoppable Babyhead sound is drawn from all quarters of the musical universe, in true Bristol fashion. They have been a live phenomenon in the clubs and on the festival circuit for a decade plus, rocking stages from Glastonbury to Fabric and attracting onstage collaborations from Ozomatli, Rodney P, Alice Russell, scores of children, transvestites and even a three legged one eyed dog!

Keith Allen called them “bastard child of Ian Dury and Iggy Pop” while the legendary Toots of The Maytals fame proclaimed the band “Irie, despite their beards and suits”.

After two years in the lab reworking their sound, and newly signed to reggae label Rockers Revolt, Bristol’s bastard sons Babyhead are back out on the road with full horn section, to deliver their extraordinary and energetic live show.

Plus UK festival favourites Samsara support.

BABYHEAD WEBSITE
SAMSARA WEBSITE

Friday 17 September
Coalition, Brighton beach, £8.50 adv, doors 7.30pm

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MARK CHADWICK – ALL THE PIECES TOUR

The Levellers frontman with full band plays from his debut solo album All The Pieces, an honest and heartfelt, yet highly accessible and endearingly upbeat collection of songs written and refined over the course of two decades fronting one of the UK’s greatest folk/punk bands.

Sharing many of its hallmarks with the great folk revival albums of the 60s and early 70s, Mark Chadwick was inspired by the “myriad of lesser travelled paths that opened up somewhere between the break up of the Beatles and the formation of Led Zeppelin.”

Mark Chadwick website here

Wednesday 13 October
Concorde 2, £14 + booking fee, doors 7.30pm

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The ultimate purveyors of Jamaican history bring their roots rock reggae and one love to town. The Wailers epitomise Jamaican roots and culture, with the sound that sold Bob Marley and his music around the world.

Familyman on bass continues to be the main axis of the Wailers, bringing roots authenticity to the Wailers unstoppable live show.

The Wailers website here

Support Samsara

Thursday 19 August
Concorde 2, £19.50 + booking fee, doors 7pm

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After three decades in the business, the once bad boys of folk have matured into the rightful custodians and godfathers of the modern folk, a role which has seen them lose none of the revolutionary fervour and punk ethos that drove Oysterband from local ceilidh to the world stage and on to the forefront of an entire musical movement.

An acoustic journey through classic and rare gems from the Oysterband songbook presented in the inimitable, upfront Oyster style – energetic and melodic songs sparked by clever and insightful lyrics.

“..great tunes, superb voices, clever lyrics and a big dollop of the stuff that turns a band into a Great British Institution.
**** ” (R2)

Oysterband website here

Monday 18 October
Komedia, £16, doors 7.30pm

John Grant, former singer/songwriter with Bella Union cult favourites The Czars, returns with an extraordinary debut solo album made with Midlake. Queen of Denmark “has it all… framed within some of the finest songs you’ll hear in this or any other year.”

“one of the most deeply satisfying debut albums of recent times.” Garry Mulholland, BBC

Grant-Lee Phillips is best known as the voice and vision of the acclaimed Grant Lee Buffalo, the band’s debut Fuzzy was one of the rock landmarks of the early 90s and their biggest hit Mockingbirds filling the airways in the mid-90s.

As a solo artist Phillips’ emotive, widescreen songwriting is stripped down to its essence – exposing a deeply human side, a unique, off beat sense of humour and love of spontaneity. If you like REM, Ryan Adams, Divine Comedy don’t miss.

WEBSITE HERE

Support BIRDPEN

Monday 4 October
Komedia, £14.50 adv, doors 7.30pm

Trower Power is back as one of the finest guitarists in rock n’ roll history returns to the European live circuit. The highly influential English rock guitarist Robin Trower was considered by music press of the day as the ‘White Hendrix’, initially gaining success with Procol Harum during the 1960s, Trower went to form his own power trio and has been wowing fans ever since.

Trowerpower website here

Support from Jon Amor www.jonamor.com