Playgroup have become one of Brighton’s biggest susses stories with a string of events that have pushed them in to uncharted territory. Their infamous “Dead Famous” Halloween night at Komdia is still yet to be beat. And now things are looking even bigger for the group as they take over Hectors House with their Pop Up Playgroup.

This bank holiday weekend sees Mean Poppa Lean, A.L.A.N and much more come to the Pop Up Playgroup showing just why you need to pay more attention to the biggest new venue in Brighton…and if that wasn’t enough there will be FREE cocktails before 9pm, can it get better than that.

The Set List

Friday 27th – MEAN POPPA LEAN

This Sussex 6 piece have been making people dance a happy step since coming together in their current format around 4 years ago. They have played Dublin Castle and have toured the UK including many Northern cities (not an easy feat for Southerns) and they are set to storm Friday night with their mix of funk that will make you want to get up, dance, and prove once and for all you ARE the best dancer in the room.

Saturday 28th – A.L.A.N

We are told that this is one of London’s Happiest Club Nights and will be just what we need to make this another memorable weekend!

Sunday 29th – DJ Format

Another Brighton musician Matt Ford aka DJ Format is going to be bringing his unique sound to the Pop Up on Sunday night. With 2 Albums under his belt and with The Sun calling “If You Can’t Join ‘Em…Beat ‘Em” one of the top 100 albums of 2005.

This really is a show you can’t afford to miss!

Monday 30th – 8 Bit Beats

From 1pm there is going to be some musical electronics workshops for you to ease off your Bank Holiday weekend, can anything be better.

What makes Playgroup different is that they actually know, well ahead of the crowd, just what to put on making their events next to none in Brighton. Another aspect of the Playgroup is that they support so much of Brighton’s local musicians which too few people are doing these days.

The 5-7th August will see the 2nd instalment of the Playgroup Festival and we have more on that to follow!

Simply Vinyl, at Volks this Thursday, is the FIRST night being put on after the Easter Break and is one that is simply going to be a storm. Few nights now have dedicated vinyl DJ’s, a greater skill I think than the CD using digital mixing drones (though it does have its place) so when we got told by the guys behind the night I knew this was going to be one hell of a night!

Nights in Brighton have just got interesting!

As if we needed any justification to be completely taken by vinyl DJing Junglist For Life gave us 5 Reasons why Vinyl beats Digital DJing and we think they make a pretty strong argument!

(1) Sound quality. If people think that music played off of a CD or MP3 sound the same or better than vinyl, I recommend they get their ears checked. Vinyl is fuller, rounder, and has deeper bass. There is no warmth from an MP3. The slightest bit of clipping created by the DJ will cause harsh distortion coming from a digital medium; vinyl is much more forgiving.

(2) It’s a tangible product. You OWN the music. It isn’t some folder sitting on a hard drive with little thumbnails for all of the cover art, conveniently viewed in iTunes. You have a shelf full of records, every one telling a story about where and how you obtained each title. You can’t hold an MP3 in your hands. You can’t smell an MP3. We aren’t even sure if a CD or a digital file has the ability to last for more than 50 years, yet vinyl has proven itself for double that amount of time.

(3) Quality versus Quantity. As a DJ, walking into a party with 50,000 tunes on a MacBook does NOT make you a better candidate to work a dancefloor. When DJs used to spin vinyl, they would put far more effort into the songs they purchased. Because they had fewer tracks in their arsenal, they were able to practise with each one far more, meaning they knew how to navigate through their music much more effectively than someone who randomly plays free MP3s they downloaded off some blog the day of their gig.

(4) Now in the digital era, people sit on their computers, listening away to everything. Newer artists will just get tossed by the wayside in favour of the status quo. What this breeds is the “Beatport Top 100″ syndrome, where everyone just ends up downloading the same stuff that stagnates on said chart for weeks at a time.

And at the end of the day, people wonder why the music played at EVERY party sounds the same. It’s because it IS.

(5) The music itself used to have VALUE when vinyl was the dominant medium. With the proliferation of digital, music has become more disposable than ever thought possible. The tangible product is no longer there, and with all of the free content popping up online and the lack of quality control, EVERYTHING becomes noise. Everything has a shelf life that now lasts days, not months. Songs are no longer judged by how good they are, but instead how NEW they are. As digital technology continues to push away vinyl, you can count on the headaches endured from the breakneck speed at which we consume music (for free) now to only get worse.

And just as a taster of what this night is all about we found a little treat from DJ A.M.C, hands down one of the best clips I have seen this year!

The name ‘Buzzcocks’ will no doubt conjure thoughts of the irreverent BBC quiz show for the majority of Britain’s youth. But aside from the slightly insulting quiz show connotations, The Buzzcocks boast a magnificent legacy as one of the founders, and great innovators of the much touted UK Punk scene.

The consummate 3 minute burst of Pop-Punk: Ever Fallen In Love may remain their familiar calling card, but The Buzzcocks are much, much more than that. Combining Punk’s energy with a penchant for song craft, they emerged as one of the most enduring and inventive acts of the punk scene. In setting up The Sex Pistols first Manchester gig, they unwittingly influenced the face of Britain’s popular culture, inspiring the formation of some of the UK’s most iconic acts, such as Joy Division, The Fall & The Smiths, all with members present at the infamous ’76 gig.

Contrary to popular mythology, Buzzcocks proved to be more influential than the ‘Pistols in establishing the DIY ethic integral to punk’s philosophy: they were based in Manchester away from the London obsessed music industry, and their seminal EP Spiral Scratch was recorded and released independently with £500 borrowed from friends. Following the success of their debut EP, co – founder Howard Devoto left the group to form the post-punk outfit Magazine, allowing Shelley to spearhead the groups direction.

Their sound evolved from no frills (if immaculately executed) punk to a more carefully sculpted song writing style, whilst retaining the bristling energy of the movement, with some critics dubbing them ‘The Beatles of punk.’ In their initial career period they recorded three revered studio albums, spawning a cluster of classic singles - What Do I Get; Lipstick; Orgasm Addict. And their guitar hooks can be heard echoing through today’s Indie/ Rock scene, and in marrying punk energy and pop song craft they would create the template for punk influenced traditionalists such as The Libertines and the Arctic Monkeys.

Few iconic bands manage to gain such a high-profile fan base like Buzzcocks and includes bands such as Nirvana (whom they later toured with) citing them as an influence. Lyrical themes are witty and candid, with songs such as Orgasm Addict and Boredom allowing a disillusioned youth to once again relate to the songs of rock, which by this time had become somewhat obscured by a malady of pretence and narcissistic mythology.

Although they brought rock back to the ‘average Joe’, Shelley’s distinctive vocals paid tribute to intellectual influences such as Naked Lunch author William S. Burroughs, and this was indicative of the Buzzcock’s charm: they stayed clever, but grounded. Since disbanding in 1981, they have since gone on to reform various times producing a wealth of new material and touring extensively. They have gone through several line-up reworkings, with original members Pete Shelley & Steve Diggle presently joined by seasoned drummer Danny Farrant and bassist Tony Barber.

Currently performing a mixture of their new and classic material at venues around the country, The Buzzcocks are a must see act for any serious rock fan and an integral staple in the progress of British Popular music of the last forty years: I think it’s time we started minding them again.

Buzzcocks will be at The Auditorium in Leicester on the 29th January 2010

By Nathan Maisey, TNC  Leicester Music/Interview

Anita Blay (CocknBullKid) have a new single I can’t get enough of – still on now! The new single ‘One Eye Closed’ was release this week and she will be perfoming at XOYO Monday 6th December which marks her first London Headlining date in almost two years.

This is set to be a memorable night and the single is an incredible introduction to an artist you need to pay some serious attention to. Tickets for the night are available now and you can get them here:

See Tickets 0870 264 3333

Ticket Web 0844 477 1000

This is a TNC MUST SEE show and a perfect way to get to see an amazing artist live and from the vibe am getting in the office CocknBullkid is simply stunning…it’s going to be unfair being the one who gets to review her headlining show!