LoGOz - Foxcover - Ashington review & upcoming Solo/ Band Gig updates

Saturday May 21st saw LoGOz back in our hometown of Ashington playing a headline gig for the first time since August 2015. That kicked off the first day of the Premier League Football season, and now this one being FA Cup Final day, kinda traditionally signals the end of the English football season! This has no relevance whatsoever to the gig haha but being a Footy fan I do like to crowbar these useless bits of trivia in here when (un)necessary :)

So as previously mentioned in my last blog, I'm no stranger to the Fox Cover as a consuming punter, but as a gig venue this is a new one on me! 

With things running a little behind schedule, due to the nature of the place, afternoon drinkers and Cup Final day etc we managed to set up our gear and sound check as a very healthy crowd was already starting to gather! Sound was supplied by Steve Leyland, who actually was on board at the Conchie last August too, so we knew we were in safe hands!

Kicking off around 9:10pm this was gonna be a 2 set night so its cool to be playing some older stuff from the PSYCHO RADIO album that doesn't get much airing unless we're playing these double sets. Opening up with (non album track) INTERGALACTIC GIRL and then straight into ALIENATION giving us a fresh breezy start to the night! Our original 9 track album is still littered with mainstays of our current set including JUBILEEZER, UNEASY STREET, DEAD OR LIVING IN AMERICA and MEXICOLA. So these were nicely interspersed with old favourites like POISONADE and the ska influenced title track itself. I also broke up the set half way though with an acoustic/clean guitar solo version of my very own BALLAD OF THE DISENCHANTED. This went down very well and added variety to the first half of the night! 

After a short interval, drinks were ordered and necked as we mingled with the bustling enthusiastic hometown crowd! We smashed back into the second set with LONG TIME DEAD and straight into WHY AM I A LIAR. Everything was going smoothly until a technical problem involving my  usually trustee reliable Marshall started to cut out my guitar sound! This happens during S.O.S, a song we hadn't played Live for a long long time! Haha typical! So a decision to cut the song short yet still with its usual crescendo, I think we did well as it almost went unnoticed! After a short inspection to see whether it was guitar, cab or head was the problem, Steve with his technical wizardry and armed with Gaffer tape in place, the show rolled and rocked on! Always a nervy gig for me these hometown ones. Don't get me wrong, I always enjoy them. I think it's just the sea of very familiar friends and family faces lighting up the room that adds that extra bit of pressure to these big local shows. Or maybe it's just me :) As the set drew to a close and folk danced and sang the night away there was even time for a second helping of MEXICOLA as the cries for more were granted after a rousing PRETTY VACANT!!! A cracking gig once again for the band and an amazing turn out, we truly appreciate the support. Thanks to Ross the Boss and everyone at the Fox Cover, and also to Steve Leyland for a great job with the sound. 

Next up here's a few upcoming gigs to tell you about. This Sunday May 29th I'm back in the solo saddle with a slot for Acoustic Magic at The Travellers Rest, Witton Gilbert, Durham. I'll be projecting on the unsuspecting around 6:15pm. Sweet.

Then on Bank Holiday Monday May 30th I'll be performing another solo set (and possibly a mini LoGOz acoustic spot) at Druridge Bay Family picnic between 1-3pm. This is for the Save Druridge Bay campaign. So get yourselves down to help save one of our great beaches we've all enjoyed over the years as part of our great local heritage. Also appearing will be local musicians Steve Leyland and Brian English. So let's make this a huge success folks! Bring the kids along! Hey You could even bring ya granny! Bill Oddie is special guest too. It's gonna be goodie goodie yum yum :) 

Finally another LoGOz gig to stick in ya diaries! Saturday June 4th will see us make our first appearance at The Borough in Sunderland. This is FREE entry and support comes from the excellent Temple Avenue. It's gonna be a cracker!

Phew I think that's it for now. 

Thanks for reading!

Cheerz

Peesh X 

LoGOz - Blyth Tavern gig review 15/05/16

Sunday May 15th saw LoGOz back at The Tavern in Blyth for

a double headed early evening dose of modern day punk rock n roll! As we hit the venue just after 5:30pm we were met by support band The Relitics, and after a bit of friendly crack we edged inside to prepare for soundcheck. This was the first time we were playing on the spanking new stage The Tavern have recently installed. It really is an impressive foundation and a reminder of how serious the guys are here of establishing this place as a professional music venue. Soundcheck was as swift as ever and sporting a healthily pair of bollocks as we acclimatised ourselves to the new stage. 

First up was The Relitics from Durham. A band we had heard of but never yet seen Live. They describe themselves as new old skool punk, and I couldn't agree more! While taking inspiration from their heroes such as The Clash, The Stranglers and Siouxsie and the Banshees, the band bring their own original sound up to date with their modern twist on their world as they see it! Chief songwriter Mick Hall showcased a few nifty guitar licks throughout their melodic driven 45 minute set. Fronted by the striking presence of Carol Nichol this is a band that was sticking in our heads. Stand out track for me was the reggae esque swagger of 'Broken England'. Good set guys and we look forward to working together again in the near future. 

So just after 8pm and as the Northumberland sun was still shining away outside, we hit the stage as a healthy Sunday crowd had gathered for the band. Plenty of familiar faces littered the place as we blasted through a near perfect 50 minutes of what we do best! Even a slight Floor Tom problem for Carlos on the drums, failed to have any impact on the quality or ferocity of the songs as we ripped it up big style! Banter was flowing too as folk sang words back to us which gave us even more raw power, as we grinned satisfied grins from our sweaty faces. We weren't even running out of Gas as we hit the  fast last double blast of PRETTY VACANT and MEXICOLA! There were cries for an encore but time was literally up and sometimes it's good to leave the people wanting more! Another truly great gig for the band. Big thanks to everyone who came down to support us it's always much appreciated! Cheers, also to The Relitics for a great set, everyone at The Tavern and to Vince for booking us again!

Just to let you all know we have a great gig coming up this weekend at The Fox Cover in Ashington. A fine establishment of which I am no stranger to over the years but have yet to perform in! So this Saturday May 21st will change that, as LoGOz will be playing a double Live set here. It's FREE Entry and kicks off 8:30pm. So the good people of Ashington and surrounding areas do your best to help spread the word please and make this a massive successful gig we all know it can be! Looking forward to it already. See ya there! 

Thanks for reading. 

Cheerz 

Peesh X

LoGOz O2 Newcastle Academy Review 09/05/16

Photo (c) Jill Bee

Here we are Monday May 9th, just over a year ago since our debut here and LoGOz are back at the O2 Academy in Newcastle for the 3rd time in 12 months. Every gig we've played here has been with a difference. Popping our O2 cherry on May 2015 we supported our local metal buddies Ball of Mayhem, then in the September we were back with our very first triumphant headlining show, and now tonight opening up for world touring British rockers The Treatment. Also on the Bill were main support The Amorettes as well as Newcastle's Saints of Arcadia. We rolled into the venue and loaded up the gear around 5:15pm just in time to catch The Amorettes ripping through their soundcheck. Imagine Airbourne fronted by a young Joan Jett, and I think you get the picture! Nice. We were astounded at the amount of gear each of the 4 bands had brought to the table as it almost covered the entire floor of the upstairs venue room, and as many full drum kits as there almost was bands!! After a quick discussion and a stern warning from one of the Road Managers that we could share Amorettes kit but pay on the spot damages if anything was broken on the night! Ok dude. Chill man :)

With an unusual set up, as the three of us were all in direct line with each other because of the congested stage, this was gonna be interesting! But after a quick run through of NO WIN SITUATION we were in no danger. The sound was big and Ballsy and with the sound guy on our side, we were ready to rock! Literally.

Photo (c) Jill Bee

As the doors opened bang on 7pm the Tyneside rock aficionados started streaming in. So it was pleasing to see as we made our way onstage for 7:15pm kick off, that a healthy crowd had gathered to see the boys. We tore into LONG TIME DEAD and then with no time for breath, straight into JUBILEEZER. The beauty of this gig is we knew we'd be playing in front of a brand new crowd. A hard rock/metal audience if you like! This is the kind of diversity I so enjoy with being in LoGOZ. We weave in and out of so many genres without being typically defined or pigeon holed. To me this can only be a good thing. We always want mass appeal and proudly so. And tonight's crowd proves no exception. As they waited for their headline heroes we more than added our fair share of top quality songs, banter, power and sweat to a cracking line up! We managed to squeeze 9 songs into a perfect 30 minute set fit for the occasion. I'm pleased to say we went down just great man! A very satisfying hat trick of gigs now completed at the O2 Academy in 53 weeks! We really must do this again sometime yeah? Thanks to everyone who came down to support us, it never goes unnoticed. Cheers to all the bands, everyone at the venue, and to Phil Beevers for putting us on.

Back to the future. We return to our native Northumberland for a headline gig this Sunday May 15th at The Tavern in Blyth. This really is fast becoming the areas top Live music venue. Now boasting a brand new stage area, the place is really making an effort to be a successful gig establishment. It would be great to help contribute to this by getting a great crowd in this Sunday and end your weekend in style. Support comes from punksters The Relitics. It kicks off 6pm. It's also FREE Entry so let's make it another cracking evening of purely original Live music!

Thanks for reading

Cheerz

Peesh X 

LoGOz - Three Tuns review 5/5/16

Thursday May 5th saw LoGOz back at the Three Tuns for a headline gig following our successful support slot with Loaded 44 in April. Unfortunately first support band Hung Like Jack cancelled late in the day leaving it almost impossible to find a replacement act! Therefore instead of a 3 band bill it was to be left to All Out Attack and our goods selves to stretch the night out with slightly longer sets! No sweat. 

A bright Spring almost summer like evening had drawn a relatively modest crowd in for this one as All Out Attack took to the stage as the sun started to set outside in the Gateshead sky. This being their first gig of 2016 and also as a four piece, after losing their second guitarist earlier in the week. The band seemed tighter than ever and gave them a more edgier punk sound than the previous times I'd seen them as a five piece! Frontman Adam was in fine form leaping about the stage like a man repossessed, barking out their patriotic punk hymns from their old and new testaments! Good work lads.

So onto LoGOz as we returned to the stage of our last gig a full long month ago! Although that was still a great show, it was littered with a few niggling technical issues that took a certain shine off an otherwise storming set! Fortunately there was to be no gremlins in the works or ghosts in the machines tonight! From the opening introduction of LONG TIME DEAD to the final money shot blast of MEXICOLA we were on fine form, even if I do say so myself! After a cracking band rehearsal the previous night we were on fire tonight! Even the annoyance of my head cold and sore throat was swiftly forgotten as smashed out way through almost an hour of our original modern day punk rock n roll! SKELETONS got a rare live outing, especially for the AOA boys who are big fans of the song! 

All in all another brilliant gig for us, and sets up nicely for our support slot at The O2 Academy on Monday May 9th with The Treatment and Saints of Arcadia. Remember we have £6 concession guest list offers for this. So if you fancy a slice then please get in touch ASAP here or on our Facebook page or direct message on Twitter.

See you down the front!

Thanks for reading

Cheerz

Peesh x

12:OTHERS track #4 + LoGOz gigs!

Well it's the end of another month already folks as we're hurtling through 2016 at an alarming rate! So that means it's time for track #4 of my 12:OTHERS Project. This comes in the shape of "I Could Be So Good For You". This of course is the theme tune to the classic 1980s series Minder which I used to love as a kid and continue to enjoy repeats of it to this day! The original track being sung by Dennis Waterman himself who played Arthur Daley's sidekick Terry McCann in the programme. There's footage on YouTube of a Top of the Pops from 1980 where Waterman admirably nails a Live vocal performance of the song as it hit Number 3 in the charts that year! More recently you may remember the Little Britain sketch show parodying him as if he always assumes he's gonna write the theme tune and sing the theme tune. As he had also sang for TV Shows 'On the Up', 'Stay Lucky' and more recently 'New Tricks'. Anyway that's enough TV Trivia for now! You can download the song for FREE at www.logozworld.com/12-others and will be able to do so for a whole month until the next cover is uploaded on May 31st. 

Also got a few cool LoGOz gigs coming up to plug. On Thursday May 5th we return to The Three Tuns in Gateshead for a headline show through Insangel Promotions. Support comes from Hung Like Jack and All Out Attack. Doors open 7:30pm and it's FREE Entry so get down for a cracking even of original North East punk rock n roll! 

Then the following Monday May 9th we are pleased to tell you that we're back at the O2 Academy in Newcastle. We will be opening the night for successful British rockers The TREATMENT. The band formed in 2008 and over the years have played at the prestigious Download Festival as well as supporting and touring with some of the biggest acts in the world, including KISS, MOTLEY CRUE, ALICE COOPER, STATUS QUO, THIN LIZZY and SLASH. Also playing are Newcastle based Saints of Arcadia. We're on first 7:15pm so get down early it's gonna be a smoker! Tickets for this event are £10 bit of you get in touch with us here we have guest list concessions for £6 . So so let us know if you would like any of these ASAP thanks! Also please help us spread the word for both these gigs on social media etc and keep the LoGOz bandwagon rocking and rolling in the right direction :) Much appreciated! 

Thanks for reading

Cheerz

Peesh x

Library Vibes Solo Gig review 21/04/16

Thursday April 21st saw me perform a gig with a difference. This would be at the Marjorie Robinson Library Vibes event in conjunction with the Newcastle University. To say I was slightly nervous for this was an understatement so it was nice when the big day arrived and the sun was shining on Tyneside on this bright Thursday evening!

We hit the venue just after 5pm and were greeted by co organiser and friend Ms Karina Forrest. With a private room sectioned off for artists only, this was a cool quiet place to limber up and get my groove on before show time. After a little soundcheck just before the first performer it was cool to get my levels sorted as it was the time I'd be singing and playing purely through my Marshall acoustic vocalist combo amp. It was sounding sweet man I'm pleased to say!

We even had time to roll the video camera and capture a few Live renditions in the 'Green Room'. We hope to share these with you very soon! 

As I said earlier this was a gig with a difference, as it was the first time I'd played in a library for a start, and the acts that proceeded me were all spoken word performers. Big respect goes out to John Challis, Catherine Warner, John Gardner and Kathleen Kenny for their chosen pieces.

With the schedule running a little late I took to my spot at around 7pm. The pre gig nerves that had taunted me most of the week were soon forgotten after I introduced myself and breezed into THE BALLAD OF THE DISENCHANTED to enthusiastic receptive applause! The crowd was mainly made up of students, teachers, University workers and a scattering of family and friends. I took full advantage of the respectful library atmosphere and told, sometimes at length, the stories behind some of the songs from my AcoustiCalendar 2015 project. The audience lapped it up and listened intently as my confidence grew by every song! Personal highlights were CHARLIE CIGARETTES, and KEEP YA TIMBER IN AND YA POWDER DRY, complete with my Ashington miners tale and my Great Uncle Jackie Milburn link. Also BROKEN HEART STRINGS almost did exactly that as I really got inside that song and the raw emotion really came out I think. The whole gig was broadcast Live on Periscope via Twitter and had a fantastic response on there too! We also recorded the whole gig ourselves so we're happy to say my whole performance is now on YouTube for you all to enjoy! (video link for this is at the bottom of this blog. Ed) I very much look forward to this and hearing your feedback! I closed the show with OLD PUNKS NEVER DIE with AUF WEIDERSEHEN PET / LIKELY LADS outtro in homage to the great city itself! 

Personally this was a huge step forward for me on so many levels and a massive sense of pride and achievement was felt as we headed out of Newcastle in search of a suitable well deserved post gig pint! Big thanks goes to Karina, David and all the staff at Marjorie Robinson Library. Also thanks to Clemmy Scotswood and Jill Bee and everyone who came and enjoyed this unique experience! 

Also just to let you know I have uploaded some of my Acoustic tracks onto some of my web pages. So please check out www.soundcloud.com/Peesh-uk 

Also www.reverbnation.com/Peesh where I'm at #4 in the North East singer songwriter charts. The more hits and plays these sites get the better it is for me and the higher up the charts I go! Your help and support is hugely appreciated. 

Thanks in advance! 

Cheerz

All the Best

Peesh X 

Watch the whole gig here 

Solo Acoustic Magic gig review

Sunday April 19th saw me back at The Waterford Arms in Seaton Sluice for a solo gig with Acoustic Magic. The last time I was scheduled to play here the place had an unfortunate incident with a fire breaking out in the kitchen, resulting in the gig being cancelled! Thankfully this time as we rolled up to the venue on a bright sabbath evening, there was no signs of fire engines or burnt toast in sight! Good omens.

Upon entering the establishment and a quick hello to Mel, I was chuffed to see Mr Derek Allen! Long time no see. Derek and I go back a long way, to the days of our early bands, my Junkster to his Clear Blue Skies. He is the founder member of Acoustic Magic and a successful singer songwriter in touring recording duo We Steal Flyers, with Jason Vare (Shaggy). So it was cool to catch up and it was also the first time he would see my solo set. So after we chewed the fat for a bit, before I knew it was time for a quick soundcheck and I was away, kicking the event into action! There was a nice busy little crowd gathering in the live room, as I breezed into set opener THE BALLAD OF THE DISENCHANTED to generous applause. With a limited time of 30 minutes I was really finding my stride when suddenly it was time for my OLD PUNKS NEVER DIE climax. Complete with AUF WEIDERSEHEN / LIKELY LADS finale it was a great ending to a cracking set brilliantly received by a top crowd. Happy Sunday's!

Next up was J Page a young lad I'd never come across before. Playing a mix of covers and originals I was well impressed, along with the rest of the gang. With some cool trigger board effects going on complete with headphones, this boy could really play. A memorable original song about his first girlfriend and now ex wife, stood out for me and suggests J can go from strength to strength. 

Finishing the night off in style was Acoustic Magic regular and prolific live performer Sam Gibson. Playing covers from the likes of The Killers to Bruce Springsteen as well as tunes from his ever increasing back catalogue of old and new material. Sam ended the night with my favourite song of his WANNABE CHAMPION a rousing uptempo foot tapping top track! A fitting end to a brilliant night for me personally and all involved. Big thanks to Mel and Derek, J and Sam, and to everyone who came down to support this and help making it a successful event. You know who you are! 

Thanks for reading.

Cheerz 

Peesh X