Little Devils - New Song, New Shows, New Debate!

Following from the last article, Oranges, Greens and Blues, some more 
Little Devils;
London dates, 2011 European tour, Christmas release and the opinion starts here.


Caught up with Graeme from the band. "Apart from supporting the Pogues on 21st Dec - we are doing a lot of London gigs in December into the new year"

Saturday Dec 4              Hooper’s Bar, Ivanhoe Road, Dulwich, SE5

Wednesday Dec 8          Power’s Bar, 332 Kilburn High Road London NW6 2QN

Saturday Dec 11            Skehan’s Bar, Kitto Road, SE14

Saturday Dec 18            The Cell, 333 Old Street, Hoxton, EC1V 9LE

Tuesday Dec 21              The Pogues Xmas Party @ The Jamm, Brixton, SW2

Friday Jan 7                   Urban Golf, Tube Station, Kensington High St, W8 5SF

Wednesday Feb 16        Power’s Bar, 332 Kilburn High Road London NW6 2QN

Thursday Feb 24            Bar Music Hall, 134 Curtain Road, Shoreditch , EC2A 3AR

"We have a single out at the moment - "Let's All Hear The Christmas Cheer" - a punky country song cut with a slap and tickle of Benny Hill  available on itunes and all good download sites. Be playing it live at the shows, bringing a little light into everyone's lives with a simple tale of the over indulgence, mass comercialsm, marketing frenzy and "X"-cess that sums up the magic of Christmas these days!

We are touring Europe in May 2011 and hope after that to continue work on our new album and further consolidate plans for world domination."

With Central London turning into a no go zone for live music fantatics (aside from Tin Pan Alley and The Social) it was a shame when the West End's best blues bar was the latest venue to shut recently. What a shame, it was aural gold for the ears and a favourite haunt of those in the know. The 100 Club is under threat if it can't raise enough to save itself by Christmas. Star Soaked asked the Little Devils opinion.

"Charlotte Street Blues appeared to fall foul of Camden Council - we played there earlier this year - and had a great time - it's a shame to lose a central London venue - the Council must have their heads up their a**es - for God's sake - aren't times hard enuff for people - we need places like this - during summer there were loads of tourists in the place all really enjoying the music - it's embarassing to think of places like Chicago and Memphis that are not a patch on London - but have much better blues music venues - that are not restricted, constricted and otherwise screwed by the councils. People travel to Chicago from England just to go to the blues bars! Why can't we do things properly?

I hope the 100 Club doesn't go the same way - but we have to re-evaluate how music is presented in London.

There are a few things I would like to see discussed:

Open Mic nites - free entertainment / money for landlords - sod all for musicians - discuss!

Pay to play - bring 30 people to gig or do gig for nowt - discuss!

Bands playing for nothing - no cover charge - musicians selling themselves cheap - discuss!

Over exposure, over saturation, over kill - and no quality control - you can see a band playing most nights for free - good idea? What place has live music in today's society - we have over saturated the market - why pay to see a band? Why buy a band's album?

I am all for bands creating their own music and retaining control and creating their own cottage industry - building fan base thru playing - and little devils busk, play un-plugged, semi plugged and bloody loud! We can make friends everywhere we go - that's how we want it - but the world is awash with music pouring out of every hole - and it devalues the word "music" - it's a cheapened worthless commodity when it is everywhere. I would love to see some ideas on how we can claw back the value of music - it has to start with musicians - tho where and how it ends - i dunno!

Wow, did i say that?  

Got to be starting something...."Graeme - little devils
news of gigs, songs, pix and friends www.myspace.com/littledevilsmusic

videos of the band - busking, live, odds and sods www.youtube.com/littledevilvideos

THE FOLD - FriendsOf Little Devils

I think Graeme might have really started something. These are opinions that will make up further Star Soaked articles. Tune back. Many thanks to Graeme and Little Devils for the interview.

Oranges, Greens and Blues

An ad used to say The Future Is Orange. Now we want it to be green.


But it's not oranges music clubs that have sprung up noticeably lately, it's Blues. Quite a few since the mid 90s in London. Its a see saw. Some of them close, but it's still a sign. A longing for getting lost in music that means more than being rich and famous. Where is could mean more to an artist to see your head moving and foot tapping, than for Simon Cowell and his cling ons to say "you belong on that stage" to the latest karaoke phenomenom. Will return to this subject, but its a mere observation.


A group of London based musicians have been swelling their reputation over the last few years while spreading gospel of the spectrum of musical genres that blues touches. Congratulations to Little Devils, they are the live band at The Pogues after show party on December 21st (Brixton Jamm in South London). For a full list of dates, news and to join their mission.  "This is how it starts...." an apt title for their album.
http://www.myspace.com/littledevilsmusic

The Rock n Roll Revolution Is Not Being Televised

"God gave rock n roll to you."

Argent

Saint Jude, Marner Brown, Popskull, Mona, Hedoniacs and more in the vanguard of the rock n roll hard blues revolution.

Whats exciting me isn't on TV. There is no Snub, Old Grey Whistle Test today. Let alone Ready Steady Go or Top Of The Pops. Don't live in the past, but some cutting edge music for the future wouldn't go amiss. On everything broadcastable at the moment, Pixie Lott is very pretty and has a nice voice. Tinie Tempah is really cool. Beyonce, Kanye West and Lady Gaga etc  are genuine 21st century mega stars and the Warpaint, O Children, Everything Everything wave of music press tips are more than worth checking out. Must be having a female editor for NME that's making it readable again. N Dubz, well they are just nasty in every way but hey they're famous so tongue those butt holes. So yes, admittedly, modern music TV is sparkly, weakly witty, young and stylish. In the mean time, there's a stark side to the bleak future of real life. Raving and rocking are the down to earth escapism that doesn't come into, so therefore ever go out of, fashion.


This Autumn some of the most geniune audience and artist exchanges have been courtesy of Rock n Roll. That is the soul infused, sweat drenched, sex faced ROCK you can only see on BBC 4 in some documentary celebrating legends.


The thing is, at the time they were just the kind of excited exchanges that you can experience for yourself right now off the beaten trail of national music press radar. Having said that, Mona, a band recommended some time ago by one of the Rock Chick Institute, are getting noticed, so who knows? 2011 may actually ROCK!


They've been likened to Janis Joplin fronting The Faces but that just touches on the adoration for Lynne Jackaman's vocals and the might of Saint Jude live. Now very much in demand on the European circuit and more at home in venues like Bush Hall these days, these organically growing stars played an intimate set at The Bull & Gate recently with up and coming Swiss (garage rock n) rollers, The Dandies. Both bands raised the roof and kicked it in the crotch with a total rock show. Ronnie Wood of Rolling Stones is really on the ball and has not only given Saint Jude the thumbs up, but also Marner Brown. Five musicians made for young girls to throw their knickers at. They rock HARD and TIGHT live.


Jon Spencer Blues Explosion are back, and in timely fashion, the uber-groovy Hedoniacs and Popskull are ones to watch getting shows in Camden and The West End. London may be bleeding venues like a slashed wrist but what a soundtrack for Westminster to allow the capital's world live music scene to die to. Or www.savethe100club.co.uk 

Love for Saint Jude (October 2010) Kentish Town, London.

Like raving, rock n roll is for everybody. No limits. Get away from it all. You gotta roll with it.

Robert Johnson really started something.

Rhythm n Blues is not SO LAST CENTURY. From Electro and Metal to the inane day time radio sanctioned of mainstream media, jazz, blues and soul have aural and social power. Today I have been getting down to bass ics at http://www.realrockandblues.com/