Sinners,

Some of you may already have seen our Myspace page or our website and read that we are calling it a day from promoting. Some of you have already been in touch to say nice things about the shows you’ve seen. Thank you for that: it really is appreciated. However, after very nearly nine years of Gilded Palace revelry, it’s time for us to bid farewell. Apologies if you were hoping to see Drag The River, Fruit Bats or Lightning Dust: those shows are now cancelled. We have one last belter in the bag for you – and it would be great if you could join us for what promises to be a party for more than one reason…

CARRIE ELKIN & DANNY SCHMIDT
Thursday 26th November (Thanksgiving Day!), 8:00pm
Prince Albert, Trafalgar St, Brighton
A co-promotion with ARK PR (Thanks, Del!)
(Pumpkin pie and ‘welcome’ Thanksgiving drinks on us! Get ‘em while they last!)

Tickets £6.50 advance (£8 on door) available from Rounder, Resident and online at http://www.wegottickets.com/event/61420

Appropriately (ironically?) enough, on Thanksgiving Day, this will be the last Gilded Palace of Sin show. After nine years of promoting the best in Americana and alt.country shows we’ve chosen the biggest holiday in the American calendar to call it a day. We're very happy that - before we leave - we get a chance to host CARRIE ELKIN.

Carrie first came to my attention in March 2008, via a CD package from Medicine Music (based way up in Inverness, but omnipresent in cool Americana circles). Hers was a new name on me, but I noted the mention of Devon Sproule in the press release. Carrie (and Danny) are both friends of Devon (and Paul Curreri), having spent time on the Charlottesville scene where the Sproule-Curreris are based. Nine months after first hearing the album, Jeopardy made #3 on the Festive Fifteen 2008 (the full list, if you’re interested, is here: http://www.thegildedpalaceofsin.com/pages/festive08.html)

Why so besotted? Obadiah, Questions About Angels, Black Lung, Roots And Wings… the list of great songs on this record goes on and on. After almost two years, the album is (honestly) shaping up to be one of my favourite records of all time. And while we're at bold claims...

... there are many reviews comparing DANNY SCHMIDT to people like TOWNES VAN ZANDT and LEONARD COHEN. Normally, such claims can be taken with a pinch of salt (especially as I’m not particularly a fan of Laughing Lenny) but Danny’s an engaging lyricist and guitarist – less inclined to wallow (oh, I can hear the Cohen fans sharpening their knives already!). I have yet to see Danny play ‘live’, but everyone I know who has done so raves about his enigmatic performances. His Parable and Primes album was a favourite of some years back and new release, Instead The Forest Rose To Sing, is something special too.

There are a bunch of tunes for you to download at both Carrie and Danny’s websites - and you can, of course, pick up full albums at the show. For once I shall let the music do the talking…

Link to Carrie’s songs: http://www.carrieelkin.com/Music.html
Link to Danny’s songs: http://www.dannyschmidt.com/media.html

NOTE: Carrie will open the show with a ‘solo’ set, joined at times by Danny. He will then perform his own set, and will likewise be joined by Carrie. Expect live music to start around 8.30pm. Gilded Palace classics on the Jukebox of Misery before, betwixt and after the stage antics.

I approach this show with mixed – not to say, conflicting - emotions. After a difficult past few months (attendances down and band fees increasing) I’ll be relieved of the financial burden of risk inherent in promoting shows that ever-fewer people are able/willing to attend. This has never been about making money. I often describe it as a hobby that got out hand: a train-set that took over the house. No, money made on shows that did well has supported the greater number of still legendary, but loss-making nights. I shudder to think how much we’ve lost over the years, but I’m confident we leave a legacy of looking after bands (I know this to be true all the more since I started touring with bands!) and paying them well (ditto!) even when the money wasn’t always in the pot at the end of the night. We couldn’t have done this without some fantastic agents representing these artists – Bob Paterson Agency, Belmont Bookings and Toutpartout Agency should take an especially large bow. Yes, we’ve been lucky to have avoided most of the nest-feathering charlatans peopling the music industry so, after six years of involvement in (and nine years attending) The Gilded Palace of Sin, I’ll be sad to see it go.

There have been many, many happy memories and it has literally been a life-changing experience. Let me blow our trumpet: we’ve had to over the years, since we’re not cool enough for The Source (I got that from the horses mouth) and Latest 7 doesn’t seem to know on what day our shows take place – when they could be arsed to list them.

Those of you newer to this list won’t care much but we’ve had some high times over the years. The halcyon days when the Hanbury was our second home, brain-searing and sweaty nights at the Prince Albert, rare but special forays to the enormous (to us!) Concorde 2… all had their genesis in low-budget, founding shows at the Sanctuary Cella. We can be proud of our achievements…

In 2001, Tom Sheriff (Dave) and My Good Self (Charlie) simply set out to bring bands they liked to Brighton: they could hardly have anticipated that this would result in the likes of GILLIAN WELCH & DAVID RAWLINGS, MY MORNING JACKET and DINOSAUR JR coming to town under our wing, less still that we would meet and befriend artists of the stature of RICHMOND FONTAINE, THE SADIES and WILLARD GRANT CONSPIRACY.

We’ve had UK debut shows from CHATHAM COUNTY LINE, DOLOREAN, JESSE SYKES, GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS, JUSTIN RUTLEDGE, CHARLEMAGNE, JAMES ‘SLIM’ HAND and more. We even got to indulge ourselves hosting our long-standing heroes like STEVE WYNN, JASON RINGENBERG, ALAN TYLER, MARK MULCAHY, MARK EITZEL - and the first UK show in 10 years from AMERICAN MUSIC CLUB. There are lots more (almost 300!) bands I could mention here but I’ll stick to the headline grabbers.

And without the mercurial Mat Benzies (and his predecessor, Jer Reid) at the controls for 95 percent of our shows, they wouldn’t have sounded nearly as good as they did. Gold dust, the pair of ‘em. Lastly, I know I speak for all three of us (Dave, Charlie and myself) when I say I’m eternally grateful to the hardcore amongst you who have kept the faith with us – you know who you are; it’s no exaggeration to call you friends, not just casual acquaintances.

Incidentally, I know it’s almost 300, as I’ve commissioned local screen-print artist, The Pinch, to design a poster commemorating all the bands who’ve played for us – and I had to make a list. To be more exact, it’s 296 bands and 197 shows. A limited number of these posters will be for sale on Thursday.

It will be an emotional night – and I’m definitely not bringing the car into town this time ;-) It would be nice to see as many of you there as possible – for the performances of course, but also to help us go out with a bang. Do they ‘do’ fireworks for Thanksgiving? We’ll have pie at least!


#2: Generous to the last…
Still punting out other people’s shows… do stick around as I expect from time to time I will mail out to you about those artists who’ve been through our doors and who are coming back to Brighton under another promoter’s banner. Only if I think you’ll be interested.

This one’s not a gig, but as it’s organised by someone without whom I wouldn’t have got through the past year or so, here’s a night of decks and debauchery I reckon is worth a look. I'm going anyway...

Indie DJ Night (everything from crowd-pleasers to cult classics)
Rose Hill Tavern (the best-kept-secret boozer in town!),
70-71 Rose Hill Terrace (off London Road nr. Preston Circus)
Brighton, BN1 4JL
Saturday 21st November, 8.30pm onwards £free


#3: Radio:
For the foreseeable future, there will still be a Gilded Palace radio show. Hopefully we can still encourage artists to come in for sessions/interviews (hey, it might even be easier without having to run a gig at the same time). Assuming hangovers are not too punishing, I may even have Danny Schmidt and Carrie Elkin on the show next week! You can still catch our session with Rob Lutes (supported Eilen Jewell recently) - he was great fun and played a blinder.

Right, I’ll get me coat.

Scorcher Shane (2003-2009)
…and on behalf of…
My Good Self (2001-2005)
Tom Sheriff (2001-2006)

The Gilded Palace of Sin – Close Up The Honky-Tonks

Portland's The Shaky Hands, whose new album Let It Die is getting some great reviews (Uncut, Q, Flx etc.) make their UK debut this Sunday in Brighton. The Shaky Hands have just been on the road with THE THERMALS and the legendary MEAT PUPPETS. We expect great things of them. Join us...

THE SHAKY HANDS (UK DEBUT SHOW!) plus FLASH BANG BAND
Sunday 1st November, 7.30pm
Prince Albert, Trafalgar St, Brighton

Tickets £6 advance (£7 on door) available from Rounder, Resident, Punker Bunker and online at http://www.wegottickets.com/event/60399

Making their first visit to the UK, at the time of writing this looks like being their debut show. Shaky hands? We're way more excited than that :-)

Hailing from the well-spring of fantastic music that is Portland, Oregon, Shaky Hands are compared in their homeland to British Invasion bands like THE KINKS and THE ZOMBIES, which is funny because when I first heard them I thought more of early REM and bands like THE FEELIES (promise I had that in mind before the reissues :-D), who arguably both sucked in plenty of UK influences in their infancy.

The Shaky Hands' second album, Lunglight (Memphis Industries) carries two of my favourite tunes of the past 12 months (Air Better Come and We Are Young: both energetic, angular and entirely unforgettable). New release Let It Die (Kill Rock Stars) is at times a darker affair but still shakes like a beast. Someone I know compared it to early KINGS OF LEON the other day, and assuming they were talking about Aha Shake The Heartbreak, I see what they mean... bearing in mind my belief that KoL nicked their best moves from The Features ;-)

http://www.myspace.com/shakyhands
http://theshakyhands.blogspot.com
http://www.killrockstars.com/

Download #1: Allison & The Ancient Eyes (http://krs5rc.com/krs/bands/shakyhands/audio/Allison.mp3)
Download #2: We Are Young (http://krs5rc.com/krs/bands/shakyhands/audio/WeAreYoung.mp3)
Download #3: Whales Can Sing (http://auralstates.com/Music/113-Whales%20Sing.mp3)
Download #4: The Sleepless (http://www.holocenemusic.com/media_files/TheShakyHands_TheSleepless.mp3)


How to describe Brighton's FLASH BANG BAND? I'm still confounded, but I'm smiling like a loon. I've got a list of reference including (amongst others) GORKY'S, MISTY'S, SUPER FURRY ANIMALS and FLAMING LIPS . FBB appear to share the same unfettered experimental approach to their music: what I like most about them is that they sound like they aren't making music for anyone but themselves. Their debut ep RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS is a great calling-card. You can pick one up at Resident or Rounder while you're getting your tickets to the show :-)

http://www.myspace.com/flashbangwallop
http://www.last.fm/music/FLASH+BANG+BAND

IF you were at the gig, you know what a great performer Otis Gibbs is - you also probably realised the guy not only likes a chat but has some interesting things to say too. So. it made sense to get him into the Gilded Palace radio show. The results are being broadcast now (until 30th October) via the totallyradio website: http://www.totallyradio.com ... or visit our website: www.thegildedpalaceofsin.com and click the banner for a direct link to the show.

Also featured are tracks from excellent new albums by MALCOLM HOLCOMBE, GUY CLARK and FRED EAGLESMITH (amongst others) and a track from DANNI NICHOLLS - who was such a great support act at the Otis Gibbs show - and thanks to Otis for turning us onto ADAM CARROLL.

Look forward to having you back in Brighton, Otis! Safe travels.

Busy for next September? Made any plans yet? You might want to consider this little jaunt... bet you a pound to a penny it sells out! A measure of the fervour with which some people follow this man and his music. Quite right too - he's just made what could be a career-defining album (Tinderbox) - like TOM WAITS jamming with WOODY GUTHRIE... I'm not kidding!

THE FRED EAGLESMITH ATLANTIC ADVENTURE
September 13-18, 2010
Halifax, NS - Cape Breton - France -Newfoundland - St. Johns, NF
w/ Fred Eaglesmith Band, Washboard Hank, Lance Loree & friends

Join Fred Eaglesmith, his band and friends (including musical madcaps Washboard Hank and Lance Loree) for an amazing adventure in Atlantic Canada.
Prices start at 3 grand (USD) a pop. Worth every cent of course for such a unique event - but if that's a little out of your reach, we have this...

On Terra Firma! And only down the road in Brighton...

FRED EAGLESMITH (band show) plus Kerri Powers
Thursday 22nd October 2009, 8:00pm
Prince Albert, Trafalgar St, Brighton

Tickets £8 advance (£10 on door) available from Rounder, Resident, Punker Bunker and online at http://www.wegottickets.com

http://www.fredeaglesmith.com/

Fred lets loose as only he can (not sure about the jacket though...):
http://vimeo.com/920503
Oh yes, he likes a chat - loves to wind people up too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kul_5M7Z4I8
A site dedicated to Fred's performances in Holland (lots of great live stuff here!)
http://www.49tons.nl/
Fred Eaglesmith Forum:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/portputley/

Kerri Powers: http://www.myspace.com/kerripowers

It looks like we'll be seeing a fair few of you this evening for Eilen and co., but if you find the shops are out of tickets, don't fret: there will be more available on the door. Rob Lutes will be on around 8.30, Eilen around 9.30 (don't hold me to that though ;-)

EILEN JEWELL plus ROB LUTES
TUESDAY 6TH OCTOBER, 8pm
THE BASEMENT, KENSINGTON ST., BRIGHTON
Tickets £9 advance (£10 on door) available from Rounder, Resident, Punker Bunker and online at https://www.wegottickets.com/event/54659

www.eilenjewell.com
www.myspace.com/eilenjewell

There are also still tickets available for Thursday's gig with Mark Eitzel and Franz Nicolay. It's rare that we have a bill where the support act is making as much of a splash as the headliner, but Nicolay’s tenure as keyboard/accordion player with THE HOLD STEADY assures some of the spotlight falls on him too. Now, I know THS are a bit of a ‘Marmite band’ and some people can’t bear them: it would of course be foolish (not to say lazy) of Nicolay to pursue a solo career that retreads the same ground. He hasn’t – Pitchfork sums up the eclectic nature of the record (what would you expect from someone who also plays with Dresden Dolls and World/Inferno Friendship Society) thus “ his skill at playing punk sage on one song and troubled troubadour on the next is really something special”. Major General has been released in the UK by Richmond Fontaine’s label, Décor Records. (I for one am looking forward to seeing him play safe in the hands of our sound-tech Mat, after the normally reliable End of The Road crew massacred his late show there).

It’s hard for me to objectively preview Mark Eitzel’s performance for us. Still can’t quite believe that we’ve had a brace of both American Music Club and Eitzel gigs already – a band we grew up on and were/are massive fans of, playing for us?! It’s rare that both Rounder and Resident confer a ‘gig of the week’ accolade on us at once: they have for this one.

I almost want to give a ‘money-back’ guarantee that this show will be nothing less than spellbinding. I said “almost”, but you get my drift. There is NO-ONE who can touch Mark Eitzel for songwriting, singing and performance: God forbid it will take an untimely demise for people to start appreciating his genius (a la John Martyn, Nick Drake, etc…).

His last two solo shows have been among the best we have ever hosted – even forgetting lyrics at the last show caused one punter (not me!) to comment “even half an Eitzel tune is better than a whole one from most people”. Mark went on to reprise the song in full in the encore – and left most of us forgetting to breath in the process.

His current show is billed as “…Sings American Music Club” and features Mark accompanied on piano by Marc Capelle (former AMC/Virgil Shaw). So, expect very special renditions of all the AMC “hits”(Firefly, Western Sky, Blue & Grey Shirt, Johnny Mathis’ Feet, Why Won’t You Stay, I’ve Been A Mess… oh, the list is almost endless!) as well as tunes from his solo records including new release, Klamath, which is easily his strongest solo effort in years.

Scoot on over to Last FM where they have a ton of AMC tunes streaming. http://www.last.fm/music/American+Music+Club/+tracks - and, on Thursday, wear loose-fitting clothing: the hairs on the back of your neck will be getting a workout. You’ll thank us later.

MARK EITZEL & FRANZ NICOLAY (Hold Steady)
THURSDAY 8TH OCTOBER, 8pm
THE BASEMENT, KENSINGTON ST., BRIGHTON
Tickets £9 advance (£10 on door) available from Rounder, Resident and Punker Bunker and also online at https://www.wegottickets.com/event/56625

www.myspace.com/markeitzel
www.franznicolay.com

Tickets are now on sale for THE SHAKY HANDS, FRUIT BATS and LIGHTNING DUST (w. EARLY DAY MINERS!). Check the Gilded Palace website for more details...

Lastly, regular listeners to the Gilded Palace radio show will know that nary a broadcast goes by without me mentioning Suburban Home Records of Denver, Colorado . Arguably the best small label out there at the moment, they are celebrating their 14th anniversary and must have bumped their heads at the office party, because they're GIVING AWAY albums! I would not give you a bum steer: you can find out what alll the Austin Lucas fuss is about, have your head spun by Ninja Gun, rockl out to the awesome Two Cow Garage, get the heads up on Drag The River (due here in December!) - or feed your Drive-By Truckers/Slobberbome fetish with the debt by The Takers. For free and legit. Visit http://www.suburbanhomerecords.com/2009/09/08/suburban-home-turns-14-wants-to-give-it-to-you/ to find out how. You can of course buy stuff too - what home is complete without an engraved Austin Lucas beer glass?

Scorcher Shane

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http://www.thegildedpalaceofsin.com
http://www.myspace.com/gildedpalace
Gilded Palace radio show - online at Totally Radio:
http://www.totallyradio.com/show_pages/shows.php?show=66
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A reminder about the DEADSTRING BROTHERS show at PRINCE ALBERT this Thursday 24th September. After their numerous trips to the Gilded Palace we cannot recommend these guys highly enough…

DEADSTRING BROTHERS plus Two Fingers of Firewater
Thursday 24th September, 8:00pm
Prince Albert, Trafalgar St
(Presented by The Prince Albert)

Tickets £7 advance available from Rounder (01273 325440), Resident (01273 606312), Punker Bunker (Sydney St.) and online at http://www.wegottickets.com/event/57746

Crunching, gritty, Stones-y country/rock your thing? Few do it better than the Deadstrings: every show they've played for us to date would likely feature in our 'best gigs' list. Now featuring a new (all-male) transatlantic line-up, their new album Sao Paolo (on the rarely shabby Bloodshot) is as full-throttle as they get. Do not miss this gig!

http://www.myspace.com/deadstringbrothers
Deadstring Brothers 'live' on My Old Kentucky Blog Radio:
http://myoldkyhome.blogspot.com/2007/10/deadstring-brothers-live-on-mokb-sirius.html

Support comes from Two Fingers Of Firewater, who one Maverick magazine contributor has been moved to describe as “the best young band around in any genre”. The fact that they choose to mine a seam of Byrds-y pysch-country should also endear them to many of you reading this.

http://www.myspace.com/twofingersoffirewater

(Note: it bears explanation, I think, as to why this is no longer a Gilded Palace gig, as it was intended to be. Nothing more simple than my being unavoidably away from Brighton on the night. Wish I could be there: you can…)

I'm not in the habit of ignoring anyone who bothers to get in touch on Myspace, so I get particularly riled when the technology conspires to give such an impression.

Firstly, it appears I'm not alone in not being able to respond to mail messages. http://forums.myspace.com/t/4568340.aspx?fuseaction=forums.viewthread
Since the introduction of the new Mail client (beta - what are you doing, going live with a beta version!?!!) I can't even write a response to messages received. So, apologies (particularly to Vaclav from Selfbrush!) if I haven't got back to you. Can you imagine if Murdoch sold a newspaper that you couldn't open or a TV programme with no picture... same difference. I signed up to Myspace under duress as it was a marketing tool for GPOS/BAH shows; hated the idea that it was part of News International - I will always remember Wapping, and The S(c)u(m)n post-Hillsborough, but it would be a dis-service to the bands we book if I wasn't using at least one of these viral/social networking sites.

Secondly, I always try to deal with friend requests properly, so if you're a band/musician who wants to befriend us, I'll listen to your music and make sure it's something I think the majority of GPOS followers would be interested in (even - sometimes - if it's not really floating my own personal boat). This takes time, of course, and I don't want to give it only a cursory listen. Consequently, I may take a while to deal with requests, waiting until I've got time to sit down and give them proper consideration. Frustrating then, to find that a heap of pending friend requests have disappeared... is there a time limit on these things? Yes, it may have been months, but there you go...

A pox on Myspace: no wonder the kids are using Facebook (or have they moved on to something else now?!)

Does anyone know how to fix this Mail nonsense? Can I switch back to the old one please?

Wannabe friends: please, if you can be bothered with us, please make another friend request. Apologies again.

Scorcher Shane

Sincere apologies to those of you on our mailing list (too many, it seems) who didn’t receive the mailouts for Willy Vlautin and/or Jason Ringenberg. It seems our host has started to limit the number of emails that can be sent – be nice if they’d told us beforehand, don't you think? I hope to be able to bring you some of the recordings from that weekend on the radio show. Talking of which…

#1: A Plea:
More gremlins: I continue to receive reports that people are unable to listen to the Gilded Palace radio show. Believe me, considering how much effort it takes to get the thing ready, I’m twice as frustrated as you are. Would you indulge me for a moment and see how you fare when logging onto www.totallyradio.com (you’ll find us under ‘new shows’)? I’d be grateful if you’d let me know if you’re successful or not so that I hopefully can sort out just what is going wrong.

#2: Our Next Show:
So, given the grief caused by all this technology, it’s a relief to report that our next attraction are all acoustic: the trusty combination of guitar, fiddle, double bass and banjo forms the fiery bluegrass of Portland’s WATER TOWER BUCKET BOYS. Banjo-picker Kenny Fenstein was in touch a while back enquiring about a doing a show. I loved what I heard online and once I’d heard the new album, Catfish On The Line, it was a cert we’d have them sooner or later.

In a nutshell if you’ve enjoyed our past shows with The Hackensaw Boys, Chatham County Line or Southern Tenant Folk Union, you’d be nuts to miss this one.

WATER TOWER BUCKET BOYS
The Geese, Southover Street (Hanover) Brighton
MONDAY 3rd AUGUST, 8:00pm
No tickets - entry by donation
http://www.watertowerbucketboys.com
http://www.myspace.com/watertowerbucketboys

Formed in Portland in 2005 when founding members Josh and Kenny were in their senior year of high school – oh, how much more fun High School Musical would have been with bluegrass songs! They were joined by Cory and Walter who made up the then-named Water Tower String Band. They cut their teeth busking and playing local square dances, so don’t expect to be standing around admiring the décor on Monday night. Any one of three of them plays guitar, two of them play banjo; throw in a fiddle and upright bass and we’re set for a Muesli Mountain hoedown!

They have released two albums. Their debut, The Squid & The Fiddle under the Water Tower String Band, is a trail through Bill Monroe, Louvin Brothers, Norman Blake and many traditional tunes – but, in the folk tradition, they make them their own with new verses and arrangements. The album showcases a band who can play the heck out of their instruments, and who clearly love the music. So, when the time came for second album, Catfish on The Line, all that remained was to pen some tunes of their own. They have fun with “You Smell Weird” and get (just a little) deep on Wide Open Spaces. A cracking album and boding well for the third which promises all original compositions. Rest assured, with playing like this, they’ll be modern belters.

And later this year, they’ll join Chuck Ragan’s Revivial Tour (with the likes Lucero, Austin Lucas - wish they’d bring it to the UK... http://www.myspace.com/therevivaltour)

I’ll be dragging the Boys (most likely hungover) into the Gilded Palace radio show the morning after the gig, so keep an eye out for news on that (link below). You will also hear them on Mark Lamaar’s God’s Jukebox show on Radio 2 (not sure if that’s before or after our show).

Another new venue (both the Basement and St Joseph’s worked out very well last weekend) for us in the form of The Geese on Southover Street (or to give the place its full name, The Geese Have Gone Over The Water). We saw David Celia put on a great show there on Tuesday. The landlord’s a big fan of many Gilded Palace bands, so we’re hoping to make it a hat-trick of new ‘homes’ in which to host our shows.

Rather than set a ticket price for this one, we’re going to try out the ‘donation on entry’ idea. There’ll be a pot on the door, you sling a few quid in to show your appreciation for the band. And, to encourage you along, the Geese has offered a bottle of spirits (as yet un-named) to one lucky punter (we'll give you a raffle ticket when you come in). The Willy Vlautin CD raffle was good fun, so – who knows – we could make a habit of this! Suggest you arrive early (7.30-8pm) to secure yourself a spot. Band start around 8.30pm. No Support - two sets from WTTB.

See you halfway up that hill on Monday night.

#3: Bipolar Gig Attendance:
Finally, you may think me mad, but there’s another event on Monday night which some of you might want to attend. It has some significance and can’t pass without mention here (and there may be a few among us who don’t dig bluegrass – no comment, each to their own).

On the first Monday of every month at the Prince Albert for the past six years, The Bleeding Hearts Club has been putting on some of the finest music you’ll find in town outside of our own shindigs. They have done this for no financial reward, and yet have nurtured some cracking local talent down the years. They’ve even been known to cram on 12 bands in one night – a feat even Tom Sheriff in his quixotic, bill-busting heyday would have balked at.

Sadly, they’ve finally decided to call it a day, and Monday night (marking their 6th anniversary) will be the last Bleeding Hearts Club. Chris and Davey (and, latterly, Charlie) will have their names written in the 'Real History of Brighton Music Legends'. I'll wager we haven't seen the back of them yet...

We salute them, and I only wish the Water Tower Bucket Boys could have made it another night. http://www.myspace.com/thebleedingheartsclub

#4: Ticket Update
- Dinosaur Jr about to sell out (even as I write)
- Mark Eitzel/Franz Nicolay (of Hold Steady) tickets in shops Tuesday 4th August.

Scorcher Shane x

The Gilded Palace of Sin - You Know What It Feels Like To Be Left Alone

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http://www.thegildedpalaceofsin.com
http://www.myspace.com/gildedpalace
Gilded Palace radio show - online at Totally Radio:
http://www.totallyradio.com/show_pages/shows.php?show=66
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#1: Cry, Cry, Cry...

As far as I recall, November 2007 wasn't a particularly vulnerable time for me emotionally. But, as it happened, watching Phosphorescent at the Pressure Point was one of the few occasions when a performance has literally moved me to tears (a feat only otherwise achieved by Fred Eaglesmith, Rory McLeod (twice) and Danny George Wilson). Consequently I wondered whether booking this week's show was such a good idea - you can't have the promoter red-eyed and blubbing when sitting down to pay the artist at the end of the night, can you?

Phosphorescent (the moniker adopted by Matthew Houck back in 2002) has been widely acclaimed since his stunning 'Pride' album of 2007, and has made even bigger waves with his recent release 'To Willie' - an album in tribute to Willie Nelson, featuring the red-headed stranger's own compositions given a Phosphorescent make-over. Bathing "Can I Sleep In Your Arms Tonight?' in a haunting choral arrangement, romping to 'Gotta Get Drunk', Houck proves himself a great interpreter of other people's songs. It's a skill that extends beyond the Willie tunes he loves so much - cast around the web for his take on Nick Cave, Kris Kristofferson, Pink Floyd or The Righteous Brothers.

Mojo magazine also went doo-lally after seeing Phosphorescent play in March - "If last year's SXSW was defined by seeing Fleet Foxes for the first time, then this year Phosphorescent have made the same impact". They weren't the first either, although The Evening Standard's eulogy to "the most significant American in his field since Kurt Cobain" is perhaps praise few artists would want to carry around with them. So, I'll qualify my attempts to compare him to Gram Parsons - but I really do think he sings with the same untutored, faltering ache in his voice that you hear on Hot Burrito #1.

This evening's show will I believe be the first time the band has played in the UK. You can expect to read glowing reports of the ensuing tour.

Since having Phosphorescent was already likely to test my emotions. I thought I might as well chance my arm and invite Danny George Wilson to support on the bill. It has been far too long since we had him down. He only went and said Yes! Through Grand Drive, his solo work and now with Danny & The Champions of The World, Danny has written and sung some of the most heart-wrenching songs I've ever heard.

There's an awful lot happening on Wednesday 27th May, and I'm sure a few of you have cast your votes elsewhere for your entertainment. Me, I'm convinced there's nowhere to be but the Engine Room. Then again if you're feeling emotionally fragile, you might want to stay in and watch the footy.

Doors at 8. Don't be late.

PHOSPHORESCENT plus DANNY GEORGE WILSON
WEDS. 27th MAY: 8.00pm
Engine Room
Tickets £8.00 advance (or £10 on door) available NOW from Rounder (01273 325440), Resident (01273 606312), Punker Bunker (Sydney St.) and online at http://www.wegottickets.com/event/44534

http://www.myspace.com/phosphorescent
more links, including downloads, at our website
http://www.myspace.com/dannygeorgewilson


#2: Forthcoming shows

Austin Lucas/ Mike Hale/ Josh Small - Sat 20th June - Prince Albert (a co-pro with Punker Bunker) - on sale now

The following shows will be on sale very soon. Will advise you first via mailing list… stay tuned.

Farmer Jason - Sun 19th July - venue tbc
Jason Ringenberg - Sun 19th July - Prince Albert
Water Tower Bucket Boys - Mon 3rd Aug - venue tbc
Deadstring Brothers - Thurs 24th Sept - Prince Albert
Otis Gibbs/Danni Nicholls - Tues 29th Sept - Prince Albert
Eilen Jewell - Mon 6th Oct - venue tbc
Dick Dale - Tues 3rd Nov - venue tbc
The Sadies - Weds 4th Nov - venue tbc
(yes, I know those last two would have been awesome on the same bill!)

#3: Gilded Palace Radio
>From Friday 29th May, the Gilded Palace radio show will be a (belated) Canadian Victoria Day special, mainly by virtue of the fact that Helen Britten of Sixshooter Records was in town recently. Considering Sixshooter has released numerous records by many of our favourite artists (NQ Arbuckle, Justin Rutledge, Elliott Brood…) we thought we'd have her in for an interview and to pay tribute to their great taste! There are bound to be some good tunes on the show. Link below.

Scorcher Shane
The Gilded Palace of Sin - RIP Jay Bennett


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http://www.thegildedpalaceofsin.com
http://www.myspace.com/gildedpalace
Gilded Palace radio show - online at Totally Radio:
http://www.totallyradio.com/show_pages/shows.php?show=66
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