Each week we like to champion the music scene with ten songs in our playlist that all have a connection to the RaW (Reading and Wokingham) area and sometimes beyond. We’ve got three new entries this week, connected with the area. As always, we have a wide variety of musical styles, but we think they’re all worth a listen and we hope you find something new to enjoy as well as maybe getting out to experience the thrill of live music.
1. Perfect Beasts – Perfect Beasts –
Day 3 of Wokingham Festival has traditionally been MC’d by well known Planet Rock radio presenter Darren Redick and this year to add to his role, Darren had a very special treat for everyone. His band, Perfect Beasts, played a brilliant live set showing that Darren clearly has many talents. Playing bass, he was joined in the band by a super group of musicians. On drums was Steve Hales, who also played an amazing set with Kepler Ten, mega musician Nick Andrew played guitar whilst impressive new front person, Stuart Simpson provided vocals and guitar. The epic title track of their debut album, entitled simply Perfect Beasts closed the set in fine style with the band being joined on stage by dancing dinosaurs! They perfectly complemented a couple of other perfect beasts in the audience as a dinosaur and unicorn from the excellent Wokingham based Home-Start charity danced along too. Check out the band live if you get the chance. You might not get dinosaurs and unicorns but you won’t be disappointed. You will get a perfect beast of a rock band – https://perfectbeasts.co.uk
2. Nicole Allan – Put ‘em Up –
Here’s another great piece of original Americana from local legend Nicole Allan, one of the tracks on her latest EP, Tomorrow Comes, her third release of the year. She’s also been busy with live gigs and organising events including the open mic at The Butler. In this track Nicole lays out a spirited manifesto of defiance, with boxing metaphors and freight train references alongside jangly guitar solos. https://www.instagram.com/nicoleallan95/
3. Lab 4 – Concept of Love (Alex Mo Remix) –
This is a brilliant remix of the classic track from trance legends, Lab 4 (and entirely unconnected with the track below of the same name from Ibibio Sound Machine!). The original version stormed the clubs in the early 2000’s and this more recent remix enhances it even further! It’s here’s because this coming Sunday (27th) Future Transmissions are hosting the next in their series of incredible afternoon Day Raves featuring legendary DJ’s at Reading Facebar. These events really are a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon and this Sunday’s Day Rave 4 certainly has an exciting line up. DJ sets from the aforementioned Lab 4 as well as Tim Samsara, Juno Leigh & Tasha KP – https:// www.facebook.com/ftransmissions
4. Ibibio Sound Machine – Concept of Love –
The other weekend had perfect weather for Down At The Abbey, which returned to the Reading Abbey ruins after a couple of years off, to round off the festival season, and once again provided a great selection of music. Ibibio Sound Machine, from London, got the crowd dancing along to their fusion of styles, including afrobeat and drum-and-bass, with their aim to promote love, unity and resistance through music. https://www.facebook.com/IbibioSoundMachine
5. White Label – Don’t Say Goodbye –
At Reading Pride the Colours and Fires stage, named in memory of Sophie Sheehan, had a host of local musicians performing. We caught White Label’s set, which included this, their latest single which also features on their just-released EP Imaginary Jokes. Talking of festivals, Toby and Joe met at Reading Festival and decided they should form a band. This track deals with a relationship that perhaps has gone stale, but maybe there’s still some hope. They play at the Wheat Sheaf in Slough on October 3rd. https://www.instagram.com/whitelabeltheband/
6. Verdagears – Ballad of a Return –
To complete a trio of end-of-season festivals, the Purple Turtle hosted the Radio Wigwam X Festival, celebrating 10 years of the internet and DAB radio station promoting grassroots music. One of the young bands they’ve helped nurture (as have we, in our own way) is Verdagears, who have impressed from their very first performances and who get better with each gig, and this latest single shows off their developing grunge-influenced sound. https://www.instagram.com/ verdagears/
7. Arthur Brown – Nature –
Arthur certainly showed that he is a force of nature as he stunned the Wokingham Festival crowd with an incredible set! What a lovely man he is too! He took the time to speak to fans afterwards and the huge smiles on the faces of those who met him was heartwarming to see. Ok, we know we’ve included this song before but it’s from his new album of the same name and he performed a brilliant version of it at the festival and it’s a great track – so here it is again – https:// www.thegodofhellfire.com
8. Emerson – Daisy Chain –
We do like this band. Every song they release has an infectious uplifting feel with melody and a perfect indie pop rock sound. This new single is no exception. It grabs you straight way with its jangly guitar intro. Wonderful! They are playing in Guildford at The Boileroom on 9th October. That’s not too far away so is worth a visit – https://linktr.ee/emerson.band99?
9. The Amazons – One Hot July –
The Amazons are a Reading band who have made it big, but who, like Only The Poets who we’ve also featured, have not forgotten their roots. They headlined the Readipop Fiesta last year, and just the other week had a free show at the Purple Turtle to mark the release of the deluxe version of the 21st Century Fiction album. One Hot July is one of the additional tracks – enjoy! https://
www.theamazons.co.uk/
10. Dikajee, Avandra, Vikram Shanka –
Home of the Wind – There’s not many musicians that have played on both stages of Wokingham Festival two years running but Dikajee has. Here’s her new single – a beautifully haunting piece of cinematic piano based progressive rock taken from her forthcoming new album, ‘The Frame’. This extremely talented artist will be touring very soon – solo, with her band and with The Paradox Twin – https://dikajee.bandcamp.com
You can listen to all the songs featured in our Spotify playlist at https://bit.ly/rawsoundstoday
