The Grey Lady Music Lounge, Wednesday 7th December 2011

Sarah Tonin are an alternative rock band from south east England who are on a musical quest of discovery and self exploration. They indulge in psychedelic and progressive rock with infectious material and fresh hooks, with improvisation and funk an integral aspect of the sound. The music fuses these styles and transcends into an unheard and exciting new sound with songs for a new era.

Front man of the group, Chris Parris, brings together influences from psychedelia and space rock, giving funk driven grooves a darker edge. With lyrics exploring topics of the human condition and the mysteries and surrealness of the universe, the arrangements of the songs often take the listeners to wonderful and unexpected places.

Parris and Marcus Chapman are the creative driving force behind the band, recording and producing their debut album 'Spinning Chaos'. Chapman has been playing piano most of his life and is an experienced music producer. He crafts magical sounds bringing out different colours in various sections of their songs. He has mean organ tones, beautiful piano parts and his hypnotic, progressive synth solos leave audiences breathless.

The band's killer rhythm section is incredibly talented and versatile Jez Palmer on drums and Bouncy Piper on the bass who has an amazing natural talent for plucking, slapping and laying down a solid groove. Their immense, jaw dropping sound gets the crowd moving every time at festival stages and venues across the south. Sarah Tonin are currently working on new material for their second studio album and are psyched about the future ahead, having already performed at the spring Equinox at Stonehenge on 19th March 2018, as well as confirmed slots at Small World, Live on BBC Radio Kent, Summer Stonehenge Free Festival, Sol Party and Green Gathering for this year. After performing to nearly 2000 people at last years Local & Live in Calverley Park and putting on a tremendous show the band are certainly ready for larger audiences.

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When Colours Collide is a band with their own particular style of melodic pop.

Hannah has been singing since the age of five, in everything from charity concerts and theatrical shows to a pop group that toured the country for two years. She began song writing at the age of 15 but it wasn’t until she teamed up with song-writing partner Luke, after meeting in a previous band, that everything came together. Luke’s catchy, harmonic rhythms and ‘twinkle fingers’ are the perfect accompaniment to Hannah’s beautiful, melodic vocals. Add Paul, with his Satriani guitar roots and fantastic technique, into the mix and you’ve got a fascinating combination that everyone describes as really different. One thing’s for certain, their sound will get your feet tapping.

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Guy says "I have been playing the guitar for about six or seven years now. When I started I was taught by the incomparable Paul Cheese for a couple of years but otherwise am largely self taught. Last year I studied music at West Kent College for a while but I left because. Well, it's difficult to explain. It's a good department and I was learning. I guess there's just something about school that gets under my skin.

For years I have been plagued by the phrase 'bedroom guitarist' and it's frankly accurate. My experiences of playing live amount to a few jam nights, a couple of school gigs and I once busked on the steps of the Sacre Coeur. I made €16 but unfortunately in Paris that's just about enough for two pints of beer and not enough for a hostel bed . About the point when I quit school which was February of this year I started writing songs. Not millions of the things but I think there are a couple of pretty interesting ones amongst them.

I suppose one of the things that really accelerated my development as a musician was when someone introduced me to Grace by Jeff Buckley (also the rest of his catalogue). Since that point everything I have done musically has had at least a hint of Buckleyesque flavour to it if it isn't just a straight rip off. My earlier influences do shine through, though: Led Zeppelin, Steely Dan, Rodrigo y Gabriela, for example, as well as some things that I have discovered since then. I recently got hold of Getz Gilberto and a some of my songs have a distinctly Bossa Nova flavour.

Needless to say my aim at the moment is to get used to playing live, something which does rather terrify me, and to increase my profile. I'm also working on getting a band (or maybe two bands) together and doing some recording."

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With a song already on the charts, no less in the top 100 on itunes Finland and recent grand prize winner of MTV’s “Steal The Spotlight”, Melinda Ortner is well on her way in the music world. She has three recent song placements in the feature films, I Hate Valentine’s Day by Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and American Pie 7: Book Of Love, She’s written for Chevrolet, and recently licensed a song to Glen Ballard’s young new artist also working with Desmond Child and The Jonas Brothers.

In August, she opened for Joe Jonas, Miguel and Cobra Starship at the pre-VMA's House Of Blues. 

Melinda was chosen as one of 15 songwriters of the year for ASCAP’s Johnny Mercer Project. She got to perform at Kate Hudson’s Christmas Party last year and was voted “Best of Sundance Music” also performing at SXSW. She was invited to perform the ESPN Dinner Party and several film premieres. Melinda is in the middle of a 4 month Europe tour and debut album launch.

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