Finding the right gigs for you!

Check back here regularly for up to date gig schedules!


Finding the right gigs for you in Canterbury may be difficult, as it all depends on your favourite style of music. Fortunately most of your favourite pubs which play live music, also employ many different varieties.

Take at look at the following dates!


January 2012



> The Black Dahlia Murder - The West Coat Bar - Margate - 31/01 - 20:30

> The Electric Beatles - Hole in the Roof - Deal - 29/01 - 19:00

> Smoking Grace, Tigerwolf & Concept - Beer Cart Arms - 26/01 - 19:30

> Bennedict Sanderson - CCCU SU - 25/0 - 20:00


February 2012


> Acoustic Strawbs - The Rock Plaza - Sevenoaks - 04/02 - 19:30

> Beyond the Barricade - Leas Cliff Hall - Folkestone - 18/02 - 19:30

> Nick Lowe - The Marlowe Theatre - Canterbury - 23/02 - 19:30

> The Hamsters - The Rock Plaza - Sevenoaks - 26/02 - 19:30



March - April 2012


> No gigs available yet, more to follow!

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Sound Bites

Ben Clements, 21, is a former guitarist from local Canterbury band, Zephyrus. Here he sheds some light on his opinion of music venues in Canterbury, and what bands can utilise to promote themselves.

Ben by Josh88


You can find the complete article here


Jake Meades, 19, a percussionist who is currently searching for a band in the Canterbury area, expresses his views on why he enjoys playing in Canterbury and gives a slight insight into the venues of the city.

Jake by Josh88

You can find the entire article here

The Advice takes to the streets of Canterbury to ask the public their opinions on whether the city would suffer if the licence for the local Lounge on the Farm festival was indeed revoked.

Voxpop by Josh88

You can find the complete article here

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Videos

An exclusive interview with barmen from different clubs in Canterbury letting The Advice know what they need to do, in order to find gigs.



You can find the full article Here


Never been any good at photoshop? Well follow this step by step guide and become a pro in under ten minutes!

Untitled from Josh Gray on Vimeo.

You can find the full article here


Rachel Tarr, bassist from House of Rogues tells The Advice exactly what she loves about being in a Canterbury based band.




You can find the complete article here


Stay tuned for all the new up to date videos from The Advice in Canterbury.

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Percussionist reveals what makes playing locally so good

The Penny Theatre

Jake Meades, 19, a student at Kent University has been playing live music in Canterbury for just over a year now.

Although he reiterates his love for playing in the city, he does suggest: "Pubs in Canterbury are pretty good. A lot are too small for live bands and it's really hard in the current climate to get a music licence, especially as Canterbury shuts at like two."

The Penny Theatre had been one of those venues that struggled for a music licence, as being near a residential area created complications due to many house owners not wanting extra noise in the evenings.

Christina Perry, 42, from New Ruttington Lane, lives near the pub said: "Over a year ago we received a letter from the Penny Theatre that they intended to apply for a new music licence. We signed a petition against it, but we lost anyway. Thankfully the noise in the evenings isn't as loud as we thought it would be."

Jake by Josh88

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Former Canterbury musician gives advice

Ben Clements rocking the guitar at a gig

Ben Clements, a former Canterbury musician spoke to The Advice to give us a first hand insight to what a band really needs to do to find a venue to play at.

Mr Clements also claimed that: "It (Canterbury) used to have such a great music scene, but because of the residents it's hard to actually get gigs as a lot of venues have closed down."

He also expressed that one of the main downfalls of the music scene at its current state is due to there being noise complaints amongst those living nearby.

Ben by Josh88

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Local musician enjoys playing live

Rachel Tarr, 21, from Bexley Heath is the bassist and backing vocalist of Canterbury based alternative rock band, House of Rogues.

Miss Tarr said: "I like to get together with the guys, and start making songs together and stuff and you're allowed to put your own opinions forward.. which I think is really interesting."

Despite joining the band a year after the formation, and only playing bass for six months she has made a real impact and given House of Rogues the edge they were truly missing.

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Fully interactive map of venues in Canterbury

For your convenience I have embedded an interactive map of all well known, and not so well known venues in Canterbury.

Although each place is very different, they each have something important to offer.. Great LIVE, LOCAL music!


View Places of musical interest in Canterbury in a larger map

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The top five local bands that you can't make an excuse not to see!

#5

Blaise Paisel

This exciting five piece alternative indie band originally came from Folkstone, Kent.

With lead vocalist Alie Richardson fronting the group, their delivery of their music is similar to nothing heard before. Think Florence Welch and Chris Martin's love child, unimaginable, right?

Since forming during the summer of 2010 the band has gone from strength, to strength whilst gaining a strong following. Blaise Paisel have played at many venues and festivals which makes them one to look out for in the future.

You can find their webpage here





#4




Jamie and the Potraits

Jamie and the Portraits are a three piece indie pop band, although they reside in Sittingbourne, you can usually catch them playing in and around Canterbury's most popular venues.

You can distinctly hear influences from popular acts such as Paolo Nutini and even a little bit Wolfmother from the vocal side.

This year is looking to be an extremely busy year for the young group as they're touring all around the UK, trying to break the ice into mainstream success.

They're definitely worth a listen and are a great act to watch live!

Click here to be redirected to their Myspace page.



#3

House of Rogues

House of Rogues formally known as Zephyrus, are a four piece alternative rock band. Although the majority of the members are from different districts around London, they currently reside in Canterbury.

Their energetic performances have given them the reputation as a must see local act, with influences such as the Arctic Monkeys and Hendrix inspired guitar solos they are without a doubt worth a good listen.

HoR's portfolio is also something to be proud of, after winning a local Canterbury competition for Lounge on the Farm they were given a fantastic opportunity to play their music at the festival during the summer.

They have also played other major high profile venues such as the world famous 100 Club in London, where bands such as Oasis and Radiohead have graced their stage.

Click here to be redirected to their Facebook page.



#2














Memro

Memro is a solo drum and bass project by 16 year old Will Rajan. Memro initially rose to relative fame two years ago after his song altitude had been played by Fabio on BBC Radio One.

Widely dubbed as a hot prospect for the future, Memro has been playing all around the UK at some of the top drum n bass and hip hop venues.

Although Memro doesn't play often in Canterbury, he is leading the race for the You Say They Play competition that Lounge on the Farm are offering to unsigned acts.

You can listen to Altitude below:



Click here for his Myspace page.


#1

The Shout
The Shout were formed from the remnants of Touriste (Le Touriste). Specialising in 'rock and soul' they have taken a completely new take on reviving a once extremely popular genre of music.

Weighing in from the Isles of Sheppey, The Shout have been searching to play gigs in Canterbury as explained by Sammie Harris: "Canterbury was the city that helped my last band kick start itself, and now we're looking to make a return."

You can listen to Touriste music here

Click here to find out more about The Shout!

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Need help promoting your band? Look no further!

Creating an eye catching poster is not only a challenge but is also a requirement for any local or professional bands success.

Venue owners across the board have stated that a band needs to promote themselves and not rely on the place they're playing at. This step by step guide, will guide you through an in-depth process of creating a high quality, glossy poster (or whatever you want it for) for the use of you, or your band.

Mark Jones a barman a Casey's Irish pub explains that bands need to promote themselves as much as possible and not just using posters but Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc as well.

It's also important to note that if a band manages to gain a following, they're more likely to earn a return gig in the future.

Finished Product

If you wish to contact me at any time, please click here


Photoshop is required for this process.

Untitled from Josh Gray on Vimeo.

Click here to be taken to dafont

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Lounge on the Farm faces complete eviction from site

Lounge on the Farm faces eviction if council vote in favour of licence removal


Canterbury's local festival, Lounge on the Farm which has been organised year after year by the owners of the Farmhouse is facing the possible eviction and licence removal from their site.

The problems surfaced once the festival had finished in late summer 2011, amid reports that crime had increased tenfold over the three day period.

Sean Baker the festivals founder released this statement at the end of the last year: "We feel the best way to progress onwards is to voluntarily relinquish the current license held for Lounge on the Farm and take out an application for a new one for 2012. This will allow us to discuss the issues of 2011 and improve our working relationship with Kent Police. With a new license we can take another step towards a safer, more secure event that is far better positioned to progress and build on the fantastic success we have enjoyed over the last few years."

Campaigners have fought tirelessly to keep the festival afloat as it brings a much needed source of income to the city, however local residents argue that the music event is having a profound negative effect on the environment.

Lucy Greenland, 24, a student at the University of Creative Arts in Canterbury claimed: "I have been to loads of festivals, there's always going to be a high crime rate, but you always see the festivals security do the best they can. It's rubbish really, the council need to get a grip and realise this is exactly what Canterbury needs."

The Advice took to the streets of Canterbury to ask the public, what sort of impact the community and the music scene would suffer if Lounge on the Farm truly did cease to exist.

Voxpop by Josh88

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Pubs in Canterbury aid musicians

Canterbury is known for it's rich heritage and an iconic music scene, however bands across the area have often cited how difficult they find it to play at venues.

The rejuvenation of the music industry has taken a positive increase in recent years with many pubs and bars offering local bands a chance to share their music.

Pubs such as the Penny Theatre which is located in North Gate have recently applied for a live music licence and have joined the ranks of other establishments that offer live music.

Chris Deane, 31, is the head barman of The Cherry Tree he claims: "We tell bands when they first get booked here, to do their own posters and own flyers." He went on to say that those who don't promote themselves, will usually have a poor turn up which could lead to them having difficulties finding further gigs in the area.

Rachel Tarr, 21, is a band member from local act 'House of Rogues', she emphasised: "We have to promote ourselves
rigorously otherwise we won't be paid, although we love playing in front of large crowds the extra money really is attractive.

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Who am I?

Who am i?

My name is Joshua Gray, I'm 24 and I'm a third year student studying Multimedia Journalism at Canterbury Christ Church University.

So what's this blog about?

This blog aims to inform you on all news, events, competitions regarding Canterbury and whether the cities music scene really does need some major rejuvenating.

Contact details

Email the editor

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Win a chance to see Ed Sheeran!

Canterbury Lifestyles are offering a fantastic chance to win two tickets to see UK pop sensation Ed Sheeran live at the Brixton O2.

However it doesn't stop there! Winners will also receive a signed poster by Mr Sheeran himself, his latest album and to top it all off a fantastic £100s of Canterbury goods!

Mr Sheeran who rose to fame from posting videos of himself on YouTube has quickly become a well established solo artist in the UK.

His debut album 'Plus' has been a mainstream success with a couple of singles reaching number one in the UK charts.

Click here to sign up to win!

Good luck!

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