Next Illness Show: Tues 11th w/ Nope

From Illness - Save the Freebutt!!!!

Howdy STA blog readers, Spencer from Illness here, just wanted to take a moment of your time to inform you of a live music crisis going on in Brighton at the mo. Over the last year or two a few great music venues like Pressure Point and The Barfly have closed in our hometown, and we've just found out that another, The Engine Rooms, is closed and the seemingly-invulnerable Freebutt is under threat of closure due to noise complaints (well, one noise complaint).

The Freebutt is an awesome venue and Illness played some of their first ever gigs there, thanks to the almighty Andy Rossiter, music promoter and venue manager extraordinaire. Andy took over the venue along with some other Brighton musical institutions like Alex from OIB Records, and they have done a really good job of putting on luscious new and established music pretty much every single night.

So, no matter where you live, if you want to, could you show some solidarity with our music scene could you head over to the Save The Freebutt campaign site for more info, and sign the petition to save the Freebutt

THANKS!

Spencer from Illness

Nice Little Earner Free Download Released Today

In case you missed the subtle banner at the top of the page...

Yep, you can download our track Nice Little Earner for free as of today!

It is currently available from Music Glue and Band Camp

It is also available on a massively limited CD (only 50 copies) with an exclusive b-side not available anywhere else - an alternate take of album track Out Of My Hands. This will only be available from us at shows for the sum of £1.50, so if you want one, you better come and see us play!

Talking of Brighton, anyone in our lovely city can come to our single launch tonight, Monday 12th October, at Hectors House. Again it is free entry and we are joined by our friends Man Ray Sky, Stagecoach, and Duke Raoul. Opens at 7:30pm, starts at 8:00pm, we are on about 10:00pm, or shortly after. Yes!

Also remember you can pre-order our album and receive a Live in Bristol bonus CD if you are one of the first 25. I know for a fact a few have already been pre-ordered as I have received a number of messages telling me (thanks to those of you that have contacted me!). So you better hurry up if you want the bonus CD!

Get downloading, and if you're in Brighton, see you later!

Dan x

Ice Sea Dead People - New Bass Player

Here's a update from Craig on changes to the Ice Sea Dead People board of directors:

So Eddy's in America, and David and I aren't. We're all cool to continue so I'm picking up the six strings and passing on the bass to Jamie.

His first gig with us is in Brighton today at the Hobgoblin, which is FREE. Playing with us are 5 other bands including chums Rodeo Death Burger and a secret act opening the night...

4 Or 5 Magicians Video for New Single

Here's the laugh-out-loud (or LOL as the yute say) and aptly zero budget video of a surprisingly athletic 4 Or 5 Magicians for their Nice Little Earner single which will be available as free download on October 12th.



Shot on location in Brighton by Graham Pembrey and edited by Mark Pembrey

There will also be 100 unique hand-finished CDs available from the merch desk at the plethora of 4 Or 5 M shows over the autumn - check the STA shows page over the coming weeks. And two weeks later will see the streeting of the band's long awaited debut full length record Empty, Derivative Pop Songs - STA pre-order customers can pick up an exclusive Live In Bristol bonus disc when pre-orers go live later this month.

Looking Back At The Great Escape

Last week saw The Great Escape take over more than 30 establishments in Brighton for three fun days of seaside venue pinball.

Calories kicked TGE off with a packed early evening show on the Thursday - a typically tight set boosted by the sing-along front row. This was followed by some hot footing down Pavilion Parade to catch And So I Watch You From Afar play probably their only gig this year in a drum and bass club next to a Sealife centre. Aquarium-rattling ensued. Thanks to all at both Hector's House and Volks for hosting these sets.

Nods also to yes-it-is-Dan-from-Redjetson scary guitar n drum duo Friendship, on-stage cottage pie flingers 4 Or 5 Magicians, very scary Dutch guitar n drum duo The Moi Non Plus, Andy Duckett's fantastic new project Tin Can Telephone (like early Seafood but fun!) as well as It Hugs Back, Pulled Apart By Horses, Marnie Stern, Dinosaur Pile-up, The Joy Formidable and the afternoon Artrocker shows at the Hope.

Tuts go out to Mr TGE for forgetting to display the venue that hot-ticket-for-the-over-30s The Leisure Society were playing on the map in the programme but remembering to list the venue's address...except the address was completely wrong and Day 2's frankly unecessary gale force winds. That said you'd be hard pressed to find a better festival - TGE represents excellent value for money (a 3 day wristband clocks in at around £40 I believe) and is always well-executed by the main organisers and the various venues. The city embraces the festival with open arms but there's none of the price-hiking exploitation associated with camping-based festivals. Inevitably with so many venues plus factoring in the short walking distances involved there are plenty of clashes but such a rich line-up means that while you might not get to see everything you wanted to, you'll come away having seen loads of great bands.

Tickets for TGE 2010 will go on sale soon at a discounted early bird rate.

Bring An Umbrella

Calories Great Escape Show Details

Word has come through of the venue details for the previously reported Calories appearence at this year's Great Escape festival in Brighton - Birmingham's finest play Thursday 14th May at...

Volks
3 Madeira Dr
Brighton, BN2 1PS

which is at the pier/fun/seasidey part of the town.

Buy buy buy

The Great Escape 2009

Calories and And So I Watch You From Afar will be sharing the stage at the Rock Sound curated line-up at one of the dozens of Brighton venues taking part in this year's Great Escape.

Among the 300 bands playing over the 3 day city-wide event between May 14th and 16th are Future Of The Left (returning after having loads of gear nicked at last year's TGE), Pulled Apart By Horses, Dananan, JoFo, Sky Larkin, Times New Viking, Tin Can Telephone and 4 Or 5 Magicians.

Tickets are still onsale.