The Grey Lady Music Lounge, Sunday 16th December 2018

Alex van is an indie singer/songwriter with a passion for writing honest and melodic pop tunes. 

Growing up in Australia, at the age of 18 his first band ‘Noogie’ signed to Los Angeles based label Trauma Records, who had made their mark with ‘Tragic Kingdom’ by ‘No Doubt’ a few years earlier. Noogie toured and released albums in the USA and Australia, supporting acts including: Midnight Oil, Pink, Goo Goo Dolls, The Tea Party, and Garbage. 

Van has continued writing and performing on and off during his 10+ years in the UK. He called Leeds home for 8 years, before moving south in 2013, and after a period of writing songs never heard outside of his bedroom studio, he’s keen to get out and feel the buzz of playing live again.

Taking influence from a wide range of music, but being particularly inspired by artists such as: Elliott Smith; Crowded House; John Frusciante; Eels; Nirvana; Green Day; You Am I; The Vines; and Josh Rouse - Van’s aim is to, ‘connect with people, and inspire them the way music inspires me.’

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Skippy Gonzalez is a 17-year-old singer-songwriter hailing from Haslemere, Surrey. When not performing with his group ‘Skippy and the Smokers,’ he opts for a more stripped-back and acoustic version of his songs and accompanies his vocals with either guitar or piano. He started to learn the guitar at the age of 10 and grew up listening to the likes of Oasis, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks. His eclectic taste in music has been influenced by his Dad and was fully exposed when, at the tender age of 11, he asked his guitar teacher to tab Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’ for him.

With a combination of poetic and intricate guitar picking, his songs conjure up a strong sense of nostalgia and warmth. He has penned lyrics for several of the songs of his good friends and fellow musicians Harry Whitty and Guy Sharpe. His main inspirations include the likes of George Harrison, Mac DeMarco, Bon Iver and The Smiths.

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Guy Sharpe is a 17 year old electro-acoustic singer-songwriter, inspired by the likes of Sampha and James Blake. His live performances comprise primarily of piano and vocals, with acoustic arrangements of his songs. But, he does also perform his electro-acoustic tracks live. He is currently working on an EP, and hopes to study composition when he leaves school. 

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