The Grey Lady Music Lounge, Sunday 4th October 2009

A retro Swing sound with feverish Latino curves, Hip-Hop head nods and a cool dark Alternative rock twist!

Formed and fronted by songwriter, producer, musical ‘mixologist’ Steve Spall -Guitar/Vocals as a platform for his vibrantly original material. The band features Paul Beeching on the 'cupboard of love' aka Double Bass, and rhythmic rebel Matt Wilson on Drums, alongside Spall's mesmerizing vocals and highly revered 'filthy Spy-esque' swing/alternative guitar prowess. Influences include The Jungle Book soundtrack, Portishead, Soundgarden, Brian Setzer/ Stray Cats, Tarantino Sountracks, The Gotan Project, Tom Waits, Beastie Boys & Beyond.

“Fresh ideas, retro vibes and a healthy dose of musical juxtaposition, will engage fans of widely varying musical genres” –Timeout.

A debut originals album ’Far Flung’ was released on the band’s label Pitch-Ray Records in 2008, a mellow yet tantalizingly dark introduction to The Violet Jive sound (available on iTunes), and a new album ‘Rhythm Mythology’ is due Spring 2011.

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Local singer/songwriter Lupah made her debut at the show a few months ago. She has recently returned from Europe where she has been touring and promoting her music in various countries. Having traveled through Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic and Amsterdam with fellow local musician Paul Bennett of Longspoon, she's now ready to focus on her UK project. She has nearly completed an album, which she hopes to release in the coming months entitled 'First Cuts', which is a culmination of work created over the past four years. Currently she's involved in a new project together with various musicians from the local area called Shakewell which aims to fuse genres in order to produce a new and interesting sound with meaningful soulful lyrics set to innovative tunes, which will set the pace for an entertaining live act!

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Tunbridge Wells-based singer/songwriter Fran Hemsley's alternative style is laced with mood and atmosphere, edgy lyrics and distinct vocals. In her own words she says " Having previously collaborated with other musicians and gaining experience in a metal band from 2004 to 2007 I felt driven to carve out my own sound. For me it was all about cutting down to the basics of piano and voice, so that I could air all the influences and experiences that drive me. For me the words are important and I find those artists who communicate honestly and intelligently are magnetic. I number among my influences The Stooges, Patti Smith, Al Stewart, The Doors, Thom Yorke and The Pixies. When I listen to music and hear something that I can relate to, I feel moved and inspired and that is what I aim for. I strive for a raw and interesting sound and a lyrical honesty that is not glib or affectedly pretty."

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Walking On Sunday are Henry & Nick, who have been writing together for 10 years and have played, busked, and recorded their way across Kent and London. Their unique mix of acoustic mellowness and insightful lyrics has helped them establish a solid and ever increasing fan base. The duo's take on their music is as follows "The first song that really got us noticed was ‘Camden Town'. This started out as a story about one of our favourite places to see live music and grew into a song about their own experiences there and hopes about performing there in the future. Shortly after writing Camden Town we were asked to join a band called C7. Nick as the main vocalist and me as the drummer and though this band we headlined Maidstone river festival for 3 years in a row. Although mainly a covers band C7 allowed us to play our own tracks for a 20 minute slot in the middle of the set which increased our fan base and gave us the boost in confidence we needed to write more of our own music. One of our favourite things to do is to busk. It gives us a chance to try out new songs on people wandering past and gives us a really good idea on what sort of music people enjoy and what works".

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