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Music & Gigs

Marti Pellow at Blackpool Grand Theatre
18 Mar

Marti Pellow at Blackpool Grand Theatre

Vicky Ellis0 CommentsMusic & Gigs
Damn that Marti Pellow's a smooth gentleman.  Isn't he though?  Dulcet, like an Italian dessert.  Eyebrows like a befuddled puppy.  That easy, half-hitched smile?  Remember when he wore his hair long like Anthony Kiedis?  I haven't even touched on the sexy West Glasgow accent.   But forget the details.  If you need to know how smooth Pellow is, head over to his website.  He's so smooth that women feel the compulsion to strip down to their suspenders and lounge uncomfortably on his coffee table while he observes them without so much as a smile.  Presumably we are supposed to imagine him…
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De Palma Interview
01 Mar

De Palma Interview

Vicky Ellis0 CommentsMusic & Gigs
De Palma is the new band on the block.  Their line up reads like the cast list of a surrealist play.  Their backgrounds are eclectic and their set-list beguiling.  Altblackpool interviewed Hector the Toad (bass guitarist) to find out what they're up to. Vicky Ellis: Who are you? Hector the Toad: We are De Palma – a six piece band playing ‘dirty reggae’. Four of us have played with Ska Face at some point or other, Tommy the drummer plays for punk band One Way System, Rob the guitarist played in the classic Stiff Richard line up and Stu the…
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Preview: Blackpool Roller Coasters Band Night Fundraiser
12 Feb

Preview: Blackpool Roller Coasters Band Night Fundraiser

Catherine Mugonyi0 CommentsMusic & Gigs
Blackpool Roller Coasters are Blackpool's first roller derby team and this Friday they’re holding a band night fundraiser to raise money to help them bring all manner of derby goodness to Blackpool. For those of you who haven't heard of roller derby, it’s not all tattoos and booty shorts (though they do occasionally feature).  Roller derby arrived in the 1920‘s, evolving from marathon skating on a raised track to a more physical sport where two teams of five skaters score points by passing members of the opposing team.  Women’s flat-track roller derby has grown explosively over the past decade from…
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Review: Band Off The Wall – Live Showcase
04 Feb

Review: Band Off The Wall – Live Showcase

Claire Griffiths0 CommentsMusic & Gigs
Last week I was invited to photograph a new musical venture, Band Off The Wall, based at The Music School near Oxford Square, Blackpool.  I chatted to the team to find out more: How did it come about? Well, the Showcase came about originally through an idea by Vic Mulvey, with the blessing and enthusiasm of Blackpool Music Academy (BMA) founder and Chairman John Shaw and fellow director Ray Jones. The idea was to raise awareness of the wonderful work of the Academy in helping young, old and disabled people to learn to play a musical instrument, from donations through…
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Interview: DJ Marshall
23 Jan

Interview: DJ Marshall

Vicky Ellis1 CommentMusic & Gigs
Ben Marshall (aka DJ Marshall) is a DJ and music producer from Blackpool.  Keywords: hip hop, trance, house, jazz, bass funk.  He has featured on the BBC and alongside Little Boots and DJ Fresh.  His skills are in demand across the UK and on the continent.  Did I mention he has an EP out?  Somehow, in his manic schedule, he managed to find the time to answer some ridiculous questions for altblackpool.          (more…)
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Best of 2012: Alfresco Cowbell Carnival
28 Dec

Best of 2012: Alfresco Cowbell Carnival

Claire Griffiths1 CommentMusic & Gigs, Visual Arts & Exhibitions
 I was lucky enough to attend both Alfresco events earlier on in the year at Blackpool Cricket Ground. Hosted by Cowbell Radio, they took place in May and September. This article is mostly concerning May's event.  Prior to that first event, the weather had been absolutely gorgeous and temperatures were souring.  Anticipation was building. As the day approached, ticket sales were peaking and the promise of an amazing line up for the adults and special entertainments geared towards the children was stoking expectations. The Cricket Ground is a great location: parking, seating, grass for children to run and play on…
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Interview: Pacha Christmas Ball
21 Dec

Interview: Pacha Christmas Ball

Claire Griffiths0 CommentsMusic & Gigs
With the Pacha Christmas Ball coming up on Saturday, Claire Griffiths interviewed one of the organisers to discover the stories behind the event. Claire Griffiths: Who are you and what’s your background? Kevan Schools:  I used to be a secondary school English teacher in London. I moved back to Blackpool and now own and run children's homes for teenagers in care. Parallel to that I've always been involved in the live music and clubbing scene. My band, Touch the Pearl, has been going on and off for over 20 years now.  It is a 10-piece band knocking out unique versions…
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Preview: A Very Messy Christmas 7
19 Dec

Preview: A Very Messy Christmas 7

Clancy2 CommentsMusic & Gigs
It's that time of the year again, when Blackpool’s finest musicians forget how talented they are for one night and play some of the worst songs ever written. Thank god it's them instead of you as they are the ones who have been trapped in rooms for the past two months learning Christmas pop songs. Each band gets a three song set list consisting of at least one Christmas cover. The Messy Christmas veterans are returning: Dinosaurs Are Shit Dragons, The Senton Bombs, Escape Artist, Kraul, The Colours, Laura Catlow and Uncle Paul as well as some newcomers: Fighting, The…
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Review: Edit Records at The Copacabana
13 Dec

Review: Edit Records at The Copacabana

Claire Griffiths0 CommentsMusic & Gigs
On Saturday 6 December, I attended Edit's Christmas Party at The Copacabana, previously Schofields. Edit and The Editlife brand is the creation of Andy Senior a DJ of over 25 years who has played in the UK and internationally with the likes of Sasha, Laurent Garnier, John Morales & Groove Assassin. Andy, originally from Blackpool is one of the orginal Warehouse party DJ's and has played at venues such as Monroes, Manhatten Heights, Park Hall and on the Baleric Isle of Ibiza to name a few.  On Saturday night he was joined by Blonde Flash, Bon, Oli Frances, Bon, Glenn…
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