Sounds Around Town with Dave Franklin (From This Is Wiltshire)

Sounds Around Town with Dave Franklin

12:25pm Thursday 29th July 2010 in

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Even though the Swindon Shuffle, the town’s annual showcase of local music is still a couple of weeks away, there are plenty of little gatherings to get you into the mood in the meantime.

This weekend The Summer of Love and Music hits its second year, now with two stages and new location in the form of The Lysley Arms at Pewsham near Chippenham. Falling into the compact and bijou category, it is a great little event, cheap, friendly and overflowing with great music.

There is a bit of a bias towards the folkier and more mellow acts such as The Off Chance, Kicaberry and Sweet Plums on Saturday, and Bateleurs, The Hub and The Shudders on Sunday, but then again the man behind it all is a bit of a hippie so you sort of expect it. No offence John, but you are.

This rural vibe will be balanced out by the likes of The Porn Issue, Mortdelamer and Elwood, so there really is something for everyone. This is the sort of little festival that with your support could grow into something a bit special.

All that aside, there is plenty of other musical distraction to eat through your disposable income. Tonight, for example there a wide range of different genres on offer…okay, four.

Anaheim will be at The Rolleston to fill it with their folky, indie rock vibes with Luke De Sciscio, pictured, and Ali Finneran starting the night off.

If something more full-on is your particular cup of Earl Grey then in their run up to Sonisphere, the quite brilliant Firebug will be getting their Yankee rock groove on at Riffs Bar. Support comes in the form of Rammstein tribute Volkerstein and sleazy, street rockers The Love Rockets.

If younger, more fashionable, indie rock is more your style then The 12 Bar is the place to be for BBC radio favourites Out Like a Lion. Local support comes from Make Out Kids and Plastic Fiction.

The most interesting band of the night is to be found at The Beehive, where Zetan Spore will be combining searing guitars, and pounding didgeridoo into high energy, adrenaline fuelled, psytrance. Blimey!

Friday kicks in with a band that are putting the passion back into music. Krakatoa have been marked down as having the same spirit as The Clash or The Jam, and with Dress to Kill and Zoidberg amongst the supports, it really is the place to be. That said, the gothic weirdness of femme fatale Belle Phoenix at The Rolleston will appeal to fans of The Banshees, Bowie and Joy Division so some tricky decisions might be on the cards. Out of town Gaz Brookfield spreads his anti-folk message at The Bear in Marlborough.

The Barge at Honeystreet have their summer music party on Saturday, so if live bands and such alliterations as camping, canals and crop circles appeal to you then pack your tent and your dancing trousers and head on down to this great little pub. For the more indoorsy types, a Stranglers tribute at The 12 Bar or covers at the Rolleston are on offer, if you must!

The Victoria kicks off the Sabbath day with a brilliant acoustic line up. Luke Pickett, famed for a unique soaring vocals and signature falsetto, claims to be the troubadour sent back from the future to wake us up from the banality of shoe-gazing retro hippies. I think he might be right.

Gavin Butler, of The Blackout, returns minus a band but with a guitar and a handful of songs but I’m sure many will be pleased to catch the return of local girl made good, Charlie Bath, opening up the evening.

The Beehive has a couple of tricks up its sleeve as the week plays out. On Monday Loonaloop bring their intoxicating, high energy performance woven from drum & bass, trance, house and electronica. Party time!

Wednesday sees Courtney Yasmineh return to these shores, so if Joan Jet meets Chrissie Hind sounds good to you, the Beehive it is.

Finally, also on Wednesday, Flash Echo Fire will be storming Riffs Bar with their re-invented classic rock sounds. I Am Forever and Patchwork Prophets will be helping the night go with a swing.