Tag Archives: Rosetta Fire

Chasing Deer, Gigs, Musical equipment, Pretty Rascals, Rosetta Fire, Venues, Zephyr Lounge Leamington

When Rosetta met the Rascals: Zephyr gig’s big name bands

July 27, 2014 plugandamp

Leamington’s Zephyr Lounge is the place to be for live music on Saturday 2 August as local heroes, Rosetta Fire, return to the town following a busy summer of gigs and festival appearances.

They’ll headline as a full band with support from Coventry’s Pretty Rascals, who have created a big buzz following a number of London dates and a recent support slot for none other than The Enemy.

Rosetta Fire and Pretty Rascals will be joined by young up and coming Stratford and Leamington-based band, Chasing Deer, to complete what promises to be an incredible line up of local bands from across Coventry & Warwickshire.

The ‘one night only’ event will give music fans an opportunity to see all three acts in one place before they go on to release new music and gig further afield in the autumn.

The headline appearance as a full five-piece band for Warwick’s Rosetta Fire follows hot on the heels from a number of gigs around the Midlands for the band and its core songwriters, Anthony Gliddon and James Lapworth.

The band have recently been in the studio working on new live tracks and a video documentary that will form part of a crowd-funding campaign to be launched in the autumn, which will help fund the recording of their next EP.

Rosetta Fire’s eclectic sound, drawing on indie, folk, rock and jazz, coupled with their harmonious vocals and infectious pop melodies will top off a brilliant line-up of local talent achieving big things. The following Wednesday (6 August), Rosetta Fire head to London to play a showcase gig at The Bedford in Balham, home of the annual FolkFest music event.

After only their third live show at London’s 02 Academy, Islington (attended by a number of music industry executives), young Midland’s rock group, Pretty Rascals have played Wychwood Festival and recently supported The Enemy.

Formed in March 2014, five-piece Pretty Rascals are already making a big impression and are currently demoing songs for their debut album. The group grew from the core songwriting talent of Steve Malik and Loz Pettite, who first met in a Coventry club when Steve was just 13 and Loz 15. They soon began performing and writing together and developed an impressive, songwriting maturity, which now combines with the similarly huge range of musical influences of the other three members of Pretty Rascals, to make for an original sound that is at once both classic and fresh.

Chasing Deer are a brand new three-piece band from Stratford and Leamington, consisting of Rob Hodkinson (vocals/piano), James Cushing (guitar/vocals) and Adam Biddlecombe (drums/percussion). The band describe their music as acoustic/alternative and will be treating the crowd to their own unique take on some well-known songs as they start to work on their own original material.

Limited advance tickets for the gig, priced at £4.50, can be booked online now via www.rosettafire.com including a free digital Rosetta Fire track that will be sent to everyone who makes a booking. Doors open at 7.30pm with on the door tickets priced at £5.

Cause of the Month, Dead Crooners, Gigs, Huffy, Joe Dolman, Jonny Concrete, Rosetta Fire, Rosie Malones Coventry, Special Feature, The Prophets

Preview: Let’s Say F to Cancer @ Rosie Malones 17.05.14

May 11, 2014 plugandamp

Read our preview of the upcoming ‘Let’s Say F to Cancer’ charity event by Plug&Amp contributor, Richard Ounsworth…

LET’S SAY F TO CANCER

Cancer affects everyone. Not to sound like one of those adverts you see or one of the charity collectors you see on the streets, but it does. It’s not a disease that targets race, sex, age, trend or the music you listen to, as illustrated all too well by Stephen’s Story. It affects people you may pass on the street or people you know personally.

Well now is the time to ‘Say F to cancer’. If you’re in the Coventry area on the 17 May, you want to be a part of some fundraising for Macmillan and listen to some awesome music, then head down to Rosie Malones and get involved.

This incredible evening has been set up by someone whose friend has sadly been affected by the disease. I personally think this is an amazing thing to do for a friend.

Doors open at 5.30pm and the event will run until midnight. The organiser is asking that people donate £2 to the charity but I implore you to donate a bit more. This awesome lineup is easily worth £10.

The lineup includes:

Joe Dolman – a talented young guitarist and songwriter (17) with a big online following who could be destined for big things.

Rosetta Fire – playing an acoustic set tonight, their happy, infectious indie tunes and harmonious vocals will have you dancing. This band are definitely one to see.

Huffy – describes himself as a solo acoustic punk with folk influences. He writes about and campaign for causes close to his heart and is a regular face at anti-fascist and anti-racism events.

Dead Crooners – these four guys sound like ‘what if The League of Gentleman had a band’ and will definitely be fun to see!

War Engine – A bit of Midlands metal is always needed! War Engine will definitely fill the gap for that! Expect awesome guitar work and a lot of pits.

Jonny Concrete – Hip hop/rock/rap/r and b/pretty much everything! Since Dean Ingram decided to make his solo career into a group project, he and the band have created amazing anthems to appeal to a lot of audiences. This is one of Coventry’s best groups and you should definitely catch them.

The Prophets – The Prophets recently spent a week in London making their brand new EP and after supporting the huge Neck Deep at a packed Kasbah, these guys and girl are definitely going to bring their A game to Rosie Malones.

So get down to Rosie Malones on 17 May for some awesome music from some amazing local talent, all in aid of a very worthy cause.

Bunsen Honey, Gigs, Musical equipment, Rosetta Fire, Shanade, Venues, Zephyr Lounge Leamington

Preview: Local acts making a big noise at Zephyr, Tuesday 20 May

April 27, 2014 plugandamp

An incredible line up of local artists comes to Zephyr Lounge on Tuesday 20 May as Shanade, Bunsen Honey and Rosetta Fire join forces for one night only.

The event will give music fans an opportunity to see all three acts in one place before they go on to release new music and gig further afield in the summer.

Shanade’s career is on a rapid ascendency; her latest release, ‘Saviour’, has been extremely well received by both fans and the industry, making her hot property right now. Recent gigs included the legendary The Bedford in Balham, London in March. With a new EP on its way, this is your chance to see Shanade back on home ground. @shanademorrow

Bunsen Honey, the brainchild of Thom Kirkpatrick (aka Thomas Bunsen), joined by fellow musicians Jason J Page and Nathan Anderson-Barr, describe themselves as ‘pop piano-rocking geeks’. They’ve recently been in the studio recording their first single, ‘Give It Up’, following on from a select number of well-received gigs at LAMP. Check out the buzz around Bunsen Honey for yourself. @bunsenmusic

Warwick’s Rosetta Fire will play the Zephyr gig as a full band, following hot on the heels from a number of appearances around the county for the band’s core songwriters, Anthony Gliddon and James Lapworth. With new material to showcase, more releases later this year and a busy gig schedule to be announced, including a trip to the capital in August, now is a good time to see them in action. @rosettafire

Entry is £3 on the door, doors open at 7.30pm.

Gigs, Love Music Magazine, Musical equipment, Rosetta Fire, TJs Leamington

Love Music Magazine featured interview: Rosetta Fire

April 27, 2014 plugandamp

Rosetta Fire were the Plug&Amp featured band that appeared in the April issue of Love Music Magazine.

You can read the full article here, but here are some of the highlights from their interview together with photos from their recent gig at TJs in Leamington…

What would you say inspires your music?

That’s a tough question! We draw inspiration from all sorts of things. Life experience serves for a lot of the lyrical content. Musically, it’s a whole mixed bag of everything from 40s style jazz to stadium type rockers, but when you put all of it through the Rosetta Fire filter there is broadly an overall sound characterised by tight harmonies, strong melodies and strong songwriting. The focus is very much on the song and what is best for that rather than individual members.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

One of our first gigs was at Warwick Folk Festival in the Market Square on a cold rainy day, just the two of us (Ant – vox, Jim – guitar/vox). People were just milling about and as the set went on more and more people came out of the pubs and into the rain to hear us. Looking back it was a really strange event. We got interviewed live on the radio after that by BBC Coventry and Warwickshire.

What advice would you offer to other new musicians looking to get where you are in their career?

You have to start of with the end goal in mind and someone driving that along with some effective management of how to get there, otherwise you tread water. If you’re in it just to play to your mates you can do that when you pop around their house for a beer!

We’ve always had faith in the songs and how we sound as a band, but you’ve got to have someone driving the development side of things publicity wise, business wise, pushing to the right venues rather than taking the wrong kind of gigs. Saying no can sometimes do you favours. It’s tough to find someone who is good at that side of things. You have to trust in their abilities, energy and personality and vice versa.

What is coming up for you this year?

2014 has the potential to be a really exciting year. We’ve got some good management behind us, we’re getting gigs at some good venues on the bill with some really good acts, and a deal struck with a studio for doing an album. We’re at the start of sorting out the funding for that last part. We did a single a couple of years ago with George Shilling, who has worked with the likes of Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, Bernard Butler…..many more….. the results were fantastic so we want to do the album with him.

Gig wise we’re going to be out a lot more to build up more of a fan base. That is very hard in an age where people have so many distractions!

Read the rest of the Rosetta Fire interview on page 52 of the April issue of Love Music Magazine here.

Photos courtesy of Chris Barrow Photography.

God Is In The TV, Huffy, Jonny Concrete, Musical equipment, Rosetta Fire, The Prophets

God Is In The TV: Plug&Amp’s April scene report

April 27, 2014 plugandamp

Our latest Coventry & Warwickshire scene report, published by God Is In The TV music and culture zine, features Rosetta Fire, Jonny Concrete, Huffy & The Prophets.

Read extracts from it here, then click on the links to read the full article…

Heaps of worthy music to report on from Coventry & Warwickshire this month; it really is a struggle to choose who to feature. But we thought we’d give you a flavour of just how diverse our music scene is around here. Sometimes even within the same band, the styles and inspirations are so numerous that it’s very hard to pin down what the sound is.

Rosetta Fire are one such band. You may recognise the name, as band member Jimmy (James) Lapworth featured on the recent GIITTV ‘Shine (Again)’ Brtipop compilation with his cover of Love Spreads.

Following the release of their debut single, ‘Against the Odds’, produced by George Shilling (Primal Scream, Teenage Fanclub, Paul Weller), the band from Warwick continue their busy gig schedule this year, taking their eclectic sound – a mash of pop melodies, 40s jazz inspired hooks and folk rock vibes – around the UK, including a date at The Bedford in Balham in August. Read more here…

Ok, now for something completely different…

Jonny Concrete are a band from which to expect the unexpected and, once again, the sound is problematic to pin down… but we’ll do our best. One thing is certain: anyone who says “young people don’t do politics” should listen to Jonny Concrete. This six piece hip hop/rock/punk band from Coventry were voted ‘Best live band of 2013’ by Room Thirteen website and named best local band in a recent competition we held on the Plug & Amp website. We weren’t at all surprised. Read more here…

So we’re going to continue the punk/politics theme here a little…

Huffy (aka Ian Hough) describes himself as a solo acoustic punk with folk influences. He reckons his musical style attests to him hearing a lot of jazz, country and Irish folk growing up (plus the Beatles, Old Grey Whistle Test and a weekly fix of 70s Top of the Pops).

In his own words, “David Bowie freaked me out, heavy rock was exciting, glam rock and then at last punk reached Birmingham via John Peel and from listener I wanted to be a music maker. Years of bass playing in various bands, writing poems, anarchist activism, Union activity, alcoholism, suicides, life changes led a path to ditching the bands and picking up a proper guitar.”

Seven years and hundreds of compositions and gigs later, Huffy continues to write about and campaign for causes close to his heart and is a regular face at anti-fascist and anti-racism events. He consciously never play the same set twice and says he never will.

“Art like life must evolve and move. Many songs are a minute long, why go on for 10 minutes if you’ve said it in 1?” Read more here…

And finally for this month, Coventry’s The Prophets. Demonstrating just how incestuous any local music scene can be, the band shares a member with Jonny Concrete (Nathan Gummery) – but don’t let that fool you into thinking they are anything alike.

The Prophets are a four piece pop punk band, currently venturing off to play shows in different towns across England. Made up of one girl upfront and three guys, they’ve just finished recording their debut EP, which is set for release this summer, followed by a music video later in the year. Read more here…

Louise Ali, Plug&Amp

God Is In The TV, News, Rosetta Fire, The Wild Boar Warwick

Rosetta Fire track features on Britpop compilation

April 10, 2014 plugandamp

A Warwickshire band have had their track featured on a brand new compilation celebrating the Britpop era, 20 years on from when the likes of Oasis, Blur and Suede ruled our airwaves and our CD collections.

Jimmy Lapworth, of Warwick band Rosetta Fire, is one of just ten artists to feature on the ‘Shine (Again)’ compilation of covers of classic Britpop tracks, which has been compiled by God Is In The TV (www.godisinthetv.co.uk), one of the UK’s most popular music and culture zines.

Jimmy, guitarist and vocalist for Rosetta Fire – who headline this Saturday’s Night of the Musicians at The Wild Boar in Warwick – has his interpretation of the Stone Roses classic, Love Spreads, featured on the compilation, which is available to listen to online here: http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2014/04/08/stream-shine-again-a-compilation-of-covers-of-british-pop-songs-from-the-1990s-side-a

Other famous Britpop era acts to be covered by independent and unsigned bands and artists on the compilation include Sleeper, Edwyn Collins, Kenickie, Baby Bird and Shed Seven.

Rosetta Fire are the only Midlands band to be represented on the God Is In The TV compilation. Its release comes just days after the BBC’s celebration of ‘Britpop at the BBC’ last week with a series of special programmes across TV and radio.

Bill Cummings, Editor of God Is In The TV, decided to pull together the Britpop compilation as “both a celebration and a reappraisal of the wave of new British music that was just making its mark 20 years ago this year”,after running a ‘Britpop month’ in February.

“Being a thirty-something, Britpop was the dominant musical force in my formative years,” says Jimmy Lapworth. “At the time it seemed like Britpop ruled the world, whereas in reality it ruled London, Liverpool and Manchester.

“Retrospect is a wonderful thing and we now realise that for the most part it was a music industry fallacy that was nowhere near as clever as it thought it was (much like the 90s in general). However, there were a few genuine moments of cultural importance that leave us with musical and artistic hangovers to this day.”

Asked why he decided to cover The Stone Roses, Jimmy says: “Ever since I first picked up on The Stone Roses in 1997 I’ve been a huge fan. There’s just something menacing but cool about that song. The heavy guitars mixed with that insistent groove from the drums and bass and Ian (Brown)’s almost whispered delivery. It’s a perfect record of where the band were at when they were recording the album; John Squire going off on his own tangent and the other three reigning him in to that Roses sound.

“All of this and it’s just a fantastic song musically that dares to portray Jesus as a black woman. There you have the classic Roses paradox – they challenged organised religion only to build up an almost religious fan base themselves.”

Asked whether he thinks we’ll see another Britpop era, Jimmy says: “The way those acts paved the way for future bands is still with us in one form or another. And the fact a some of them still tour shows that having created the monster, the music industry and the public don’t know how to let it go. But will we see another Britpop? Probably not. Do we need to? No. Let it live where it belongs. Forever. In 1994.”

Upcoming dates for the band include:

Saturday 19 April: Whitefriars Festival, Whitefriars Ale House, Coventry (acoustic trio)

Sunday 4 May: Whitefriars Ale House, Coventry

Thursday 8 May: Café vin Cinq Acoustic Night, Rugby (featured artist, acoustic trio)

Tuesday 20 May: Zephyr Lounge, Leamington (full band with Shanade & Bunsen Honey)

Friday 1 August: The Windmill, Coventry (acoustic trio)

Wednesday 6 August: The Bedford, Balham, London (full band)

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