Chris Helme 's Upcoming Gigs
Fri 19 Dec, 14 
Solo Show, St Peters Church, Sudbury, United Kingdom

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Chris Helme, who first rose to prominence as the front man of John Squire’s post-Stone Roses band ‘The Seahorses’ will release his brand new solo album on August 27th. Still rightfully remembered for the anthemic Britpop classics Love Is The Law and Blinded By The Sun - songs that evoked everything the 90’s stood for, the excitement, the culture and the bands that provided a voice in a period of political and social imbalance. Present day societal context may well in fact mirror those times but the man himself, now, appears cut from an entirely different cloth. 

Helme’s is an enviable back catalogue, bolstered further by his acclaimed works with The Yards, but it’s The Rookery’s knack for melody and imaginative, intricate, three-way guitar interplay that brings each track to such lush, blossoming, climaxes. Add to this Helme’s keen ear for arranging and those brooding string passages resonate even more deeply. 

Recorded in just 9 days at The Rookery, a country hideaway nestled in the wilds of the Yorkshire Dales, the album reveals a beguiling vulnerability in both Helme’s voice and lyrics. The wonderfully restrained Darkest Days’ somber refrain, ‘Following you, leads me astray’, rings out with the sentiment of changing direction, putting paid to past misdemeanors, while on the forthcoming single Long Way Round, Helme is found resolute in his plaintive cry, ‘Now you’ve found yourself, you’re on your own’.  An apt lyric indeed as his solo path turns this dramatic corner. 

There is plenty on offer here as Chris and producer Sam Forrest (Nine Black Alps) showcase their depth of sonic understanding as fuzzed out guitars are married with distorted Mellotron, melting strings, whistling feedback and haunting orchestral vocals. Melodies rooted in traditional folk structures are vividly reimagined on an album of startlingly rich variation. Even the Rolling Stones’ stomp of Daddy’s Farm bookended between the blues filth of Pleased and the gorgeously mellow Summer Girl, doesn’t stick out, testament to Helme’s most powerful weapon – his voice. 

This aspect to his music was never in question. From the earliest days of his career, his voice always commanded attention, and The Rookery’s variation is seemingly bound by this one continuous thread. File next to CSN&Y, Led Zeppelin 3, Buckley, The Coral, and enjoy. 

For all press enquiries please contact Jay Taylor at: jay@prescriptionpr.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1223 505328 

For all management enquires please contact Kate Smith at : kate@magnificentartists.com or call
 + 44 (0) 7969 421 943

www.chrishelme.co.uk


Jay McCurdy is back in the studio again, this time, no holding back. 

"With a mix of bootleg remixes, back to his roots dance tracks and some close to the bone truths the skills are still there for all to hear"

Drunken Munks
Jmack and Jiddy may sound like characters from a 70’s Blaxploitation flick especially when you throw DJ Frankie Fearless into the mix, but in fact they’re Jason McCurdy, Paul Joseph and Martin Adshead respectively, a 3 piece Hip Hop act from in and around Greater Manchester.
The Drunken Munks combine a love for a wide range of music genres, and a mutual disinterest for the tedium arising from much of the recent and current hip hop trends (“were not gangsta and don’t intend to be pimps!”); creating an exciting and uncompromising style and approach to the game whilst they continue to embrace the the techniques of past and contemporary greats they are also contributing to the development of the future.
Its been an incredible year for The Drunken Munks so far having supported some huge names in the music industry the biggest being the Sugar Hill Gang, also they were due to support the Furious 5 unfortunately this was cancelled. However they have hyped up crowds in support for K-Lashnekoff, DJ Food, The Dub Pistols and recently the up coming Clement Marfo & the Frontline. For the lads though it was the headline warm up spot for Mix Master Mike on his November date in Manchester that really got the crowds talking.
However the year does not stop there for the lads, they have since been featured on BBC Manchester Introducing as the Artists of the week and their music is now starting filter out to the masses, spreading its infectious party vibe and hard-line no nonsense beats.
The DM’s have been formed for around 6 years now and after early jaunts out supporting the People Under the Stairs and Giant Panda in the mid naughties have since gone back under the radar to develop and busy themselves in the creation and performance aspects of what they do, so that when they do it now, they do it well. Their difference of opinion and also varying musical tastes and influences can be heard throughout their music from the highly popular hard-line “Wack Mc’s” to the smooth and funky “You Gave Me Music” and the depth of “Darkness” featuring the Happy Monday’s Julie Gordon, its clear to see that whilst the lads clearly sing from the same rap sheet they have taken totally different paths to arrive at their chosen musical destination.
So as the DM’s continue to energise the scene with their distinctive aesthetic, infusing break beat, jazz, rock and funk with their hip hop roots we hope that you will enjoy what you hear and support the Drunken Munks with their future exploits.

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Dreamer are a funk, disco and soul band from Manchester.

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