Our end of year bash at the Adelphi took place on Tuesday and was generally a fun evening - there were some great performances and a debut - The Barking Spiders were excellent, with Izzy shining on vocals and some fine guitar work from Sophie, Jason and Dan; the rhythm section was solid and inventive with Tom on bass and Phil on drums; Ben gave a sterling performance on the keyboard and the whole thing was put together very nicely - it rocked!

Acrobatics were excellent - the former Woohoo Alright have some great material and are three highly-skilled musicians who gel together extremely well - top marks to Alex for his brilliant display of drumming prowess and vocalising; great guitar from Sean and fine individualistic bass and vocalising from Ben W.

The ladies of Next Chapter continue to grow stronger everytime they play; on Tuesday they were on top form, so much so that Adelphi Supremo Paul Jackson has asked them to support the legendary Shonen Knife tomorrow - you really should get yourself there.

Dr Unik started the night well and treated us to several doses of their musical medication; Dr Dave was on fine form, administering twangy Telecaster tinklings; Dr Tom laid down de groove and Dr Toni rounded the whole thing off with her fine vocal stylings; and Dr Jeff played bass.

The Steve Bull Experience featured a guest appearance from Professor Martin Jones who blew some hot horn into the mad melodic mix of Steve, Ade and Jeff although I'm not sure about the stage outfits!

Student attendance was pretty good - better than recent occasions but still not quite like the glory days. Here's hoping our first gig of the new academic year will be a good one - in the meantime get down tomorrow and groove to Next Chapter and Kurt Cobain's fave band (yes, really!) Shonen Knife.

You know it makes sense!

Hey 3A students! Do you know who you are? I hope so!

This is a reminder that you have a recording catch-up session with Professor Beadle at college on Monday starting at 10.30! Be there or be rectangular!

Some fine performances were delivered at the Adelphi last night, but unfortunately very few people were there to witness them!

It seems to be increasingly harder to get people to come to the college gigs - I realise that having a gig in half-term week is possibly a bad idea, but really, a gig is a gig and it takes place in the evening so there's no real reason why half term should have a negative impact on audience numbers (unless, of course, you're away on holiday! If this is the case you're half-excused!).

Notwithstanding the lack of punters we were treated to the debut of "Special Stuff" featuring Josh, Amy and Tara; Anima unplugged (with our very own Adam Dowd on vocals, guitar and charisma!) and a career-defining set from the redoubtable Next Chapter! who go from strength to strength. Kim and burpin' Bertie have made so much progress this year it's frightening! I'm beginning to see images of lonely crossroads at midnight and strange contracts being signed with a dude named Legba! (Where you been, boy? He done changed his name to Scratch!)

The ladies rocked out regally and are fast becoming rock royalty! Success is surely inevitable if they continue to improve at such an exponential rate!

You really should have been there!

And now I have to go and play bass with Dr Unik at Cross Keys in Cottingham - wonder how many punters I'll see in there!

Please come along to see some ATM bands at the Adelphi this Thursday - it's free on the door and a variety of music will be on offer including the redoubtable Next Chapter. And if you want more then get yourself to the CottinghamSpringboard Festival, where our very own Dr Unik will be playing at Cross Keys on Friday at 6.20pm! See you there (on both counts)!

The National Festival of New Music took place yesterday at the Custard Factory in central Birmingham; the main action was in a slightly different area to last year, and unfortunately the inclement weather didn't add to the occasion; however, by mid afternoon the worst was over and the assembled multitude did get to hear some great music of many different styles.

Representing Hull were Next Chapter!, who delivered what I believe to be their best gig yet, and new kids on the block Woohoo! Alright! Despite some sound problems (brought about by complaints from neighbours) both bands gave sterling performances, as did the Boy Wonder Adam Dowd and the redoubtable Fudgey, who both appeared on the acoustic stage situated in the cafe adjacent to the main Pool Stage.

As usual there was the customary eclectic mix of acts, seminars, workshops and meetings, and a chance to buy equipment and instruments at, quite frankly, silly prices! Electric guitars of good quality for fawaty spond! (That's £40 to you!)

Student turn out was a little disappointing, but maybe there are reasons; the view was expressed by one or two seasoned campaigners that maybe this is not the best time of the year for these kind of things to take place, as many learners have just woken up from a six-month long hibernation to find they have eight units to deliver in as few weeks!

Nevertheless, a good time was had by (pretty much) all; look out for photos and vids appearing over the next few days.

We can now announce two further gig opportunities for students of ATM, Hull! We will be putting on two shows at the legendary Adelphi club on Thu 28 May and Tue 16 June, primarily for people who have not yet gathered their performing unit evidence - please consult your programme leader/band tutor to discuss your inclusion on the bill. Let's also make sure we get as many people there as possible to create the best atmosphere we can!

Also, don't forget about the National Gig, in Birmingham on Wed 13 May!

We can now reveal that the two bands who will be representing Access to Music Hull at the National Festival of New Music on Wednesday 13 May 2009 at the Custard Factory in Birmingham are...............................................................................................
Woohoo! Alright! and Next Chapter!, both, intertestingly enough, bands who include an exclamation mark as part of their name!

We expect that the student body will turn out in force to enjoy a day of music, fun and frolics in sunny Birmingham - I anticipate that the coach will leave the St James Centre at 9.30 am sharp, and will leave Birmingham at 6pm to return to Hull.

Please do your best to attend - as well as the music there are seminars and workshops and all sorts of amusing diversions!

Be there or be rectangular.

Hey scenesters!
Here's the proposed running order for next Tuesday's gig at Adelphi (and don't forget you can groove to Dr Unik at Durty Nellie's on the Wednesday!)

Matt Taylor Experience 7.45 - 8.05
Mark Robinson Experience 8.15 - 8.35

Jason Diprose Experience 8.45 - 9.05

Tony Leadley Experience 9.05 - 9.25

Adam Dowd Experience 9.35 - 9.55

Jordan Farie Experience 10.05 - 10.25

Alex Gower Experience (Woohoo! Alright!) 10.35 - 10.55

Please make every effort humanly possible to get there and support the bands and live music in Hull!

Last night's gig at the Welly may be our last one at that fine venue; the reason? Lack of punters, I'm sorry to have to say; the music on offer was of a high standard, it's just that no-one (hardly) came. The turn out was, frankly, appalling, and I was embarrassed to have to look Jono in the eye and say "yes, this is all we can manage in Hull".
I know people have their reasons, but at the end of the day we are music students on a music course and we put on musical events at music venues and expect our music students to turn up to them. Well, good plan, but it don't really happen that way at all!
When I was a teenager I would walk miles to get to gigs and walk home in the dead of night - if I was in a band and we needed to rehearse I would move heaven and earth to get there. Sadly, nowadays it seems that people want everything brought to them on a plate (with fries, ketchup and a bucketful of coke!)
How nice it would be to put on a gig and be turning the punters away because the place is bursting at the seams. But there I go, daydreaming again!
Unfortunately, the memory of Jono telling me that we'll have to look at a smaller venue for next time as the numbers are so poor was not a daydream - it really happened!