Random Hand, JB Conspiracy and Stillbust Photo special

Random Hand, JB Conspiracy and Stillbust @ The Frog and Fiddle Cheltenham. Wednesday 13th October 2010

As far as first shows go Thirsty & Miserable’s first show in Cheltenham showed a level of ambition which is rare in new promoters. To put a line up on with essentially two headline quality acts is a huge statement of intent and shows that there are big things to come from this company. With tickets at a bargain seven pounds on the door the show unsurprisingly started to fill out as soon as doors opened giving openers Stillbust an adequate audience.



Within seconds of the opening song local hardcore four-piece Stillbust had enthralled the growing audience with their unique musical styling. The combination of hardcore, punk and occasional ska styled upstroke certainly make this band memorable. This is a band who put everything into every live performance and I could never imagine them playing at half effort. Within what didn’t seem like long enough the band finished after compelling the entire crowd for the full length of the set.



After the audience had been warmed up with the energetic performance from Stillbust the JB Conspiracy took the stage and proceeded to fly through a balanced set of old and new songs with brief pauses for witty intermissions. The technical skill level of the band was highlighted with a combination of saxophone and organ playing at the same time. This is a band whose reputation is widely based on their live performances and it is clear that every part of this reputation has been earned and is deserved. JB Conspiracy have a unique take on the ska punk genre and are deservedly at the fore front of the scene in this country alongside tonight’s headliners Random Hand.



Random Hand linked the line up together by taking similar hardcore elements to Stillbust and combining them with the more traditional ska and skacore styles taken by JB Conspiracy. The varied styles that have been mixed together to form the developed sound of Random Hand are diverse and numerous but one thing is clear every aspect has been beautifully combined into something fresh and original.



Again the live performances have been a large part in creating the reputation the band has and if tonight was anything to go by they deserve to increase in reputation ten fold. Every song was perfectly balanced within the set as tracks from the new album ‘Seething is Believing’ were mixed with offerings from the previous two records. As the set continued the audience became more and more enthralled and it was clear this was a special show.



Those who missed this show missed three bands at the top of their game playing their hearts out. The intensity, which each act played with, created a fantastic spectacle and credit must be given to the promoters for putting together such a show. If I were to give you one piece of advice it would be to go and see all three bands at the earliest opportunity you have, also don’t forget to support your local DIY promoters as without them there would be no music scene in your town.

Rookie/Error Photo Special

Stillbust Photo Special

The Victory Show Photo Special

Thirsty & Miserable is born

Thirsty & Miserable has been born, starting with two shows in Cheltenham, one in Wolverhampton and two in Birmingham.

The first show will be a joint double show with Cheltenham based Simatic Promotions and will take place on consecutive days at Alchemy Bar in Wolverhampton on Monday September 27th and then at Boogie Lounge in Cheltenham on Tuesday September 28th to celebrate the launch of Agent 15 a new weekly alternative night. Both nights will include both Thirsty & Miserable DJ's and Simatic DJ's until late.

Next up we return to Cheltenham on Wednesday 13th October, bringing Random Hand and JB Conspiracy to Cheltenham to be supported by local legends Stillbust at The Frog & Fiddle you can get tickets by following the link bellow.
 

Tickets now available for Thirsty and Miserable presents Random Hand from   http://www.wegottickets.com/event/90273

After that great line up we are proud to present another line up we are very proud of on Sunday 31st October we will be celebrating Halloween at The Flapper in Birmingham with Have Nots (Paper + Plastick records USA), Swindon Skapunks Slarjeri and Midlands brass rockers Advantage again for tickets click the banner below.

Tickets now available for Thirsty & Miserable presents THE HAVE NOTS http://www.wegottickets.com/event/90791

Finaly The 4th of November see's us back in Birmingham at The Flapper for Swiss Rocabilly legends The Peacocks with support to be announced very soon!

Tickets now available for THE PEACOCKS + SUPPORT from http://www.wegottickets.com/event/90790

For the moment that's everything we have to announce but keep an eye out for updates very soon.

Rookie/Error EP Launch @ The Frog and Fiddle

The Frog and Fiddle was the setting for yet another launch party last night starring local post-hardcore heroes Rookie/Error who were celebrating the release of their latest EP Back To The Drawing Board.

The Victory Show kicked the night off with an energetic live performance of their twist on modern hardcore music. The sound they create is made individual with the lack of a bassist whose position is filled by a second guitarist creating driving guitars to back the vocals. Vocally TVS balance passionate shouting with occasional singing into a fascinating live style. Overall the band is not yet the finished article but have a great deal of potential and look likely to create something special as they develop their sound. With a live performance as energetic and eye catching as tonight’s this band would struggle not to impress an audience.

After the audience had been well and truly warmed up by The Victory Show, Stillbust took the stage and continued the hardcore theme in their own unique style. As I have come to expect when watching them live every minute of the set was filled with passionate intensity. There were debuts of new songs, which show a progression from the last EP, filling me with anticipation for their next release. The set ended with a challenge from the band, to audience, to see how many people could be touching the guardrail for the climax of their set.

With the audience whipped into a frenzy and filled with anticipation Rookie/Error took the stage and burst into a frantic live set. The band combined tracks from the new EP with some very interesting new material to create a perfectly balanced set. Once more R/E have a completely different take on hardcore inspired music, which combines post-hardcore with a punk edge and creates an individual style. It would be impossible not to respect the passion delivered from members of the band throughout their live set, which makes the set memorable. When you combine the passion and energy of the live performance with front man Jason’s stage presence, and old school front man style of performance, you have a winning combination.

It’s always great to see a band enjoy a live performance and as the set progressed that’s exactly what seemed to be happening. Between songs the band were humble and extremely grateful to the audience for coming down to celebrate their latest release. The show climaxed with the members of all three bands performing the final song in a chaotic style.

The only question I was left with after the show was when is the next Rookie/Error record coming out?