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Category:
Open Mic UK 2010
Lovemusic24 is partnering Open Mic UK - the biggest national music competition for solo artists in the UK And you can ENTER FOR FREE by e-mailing jenny.lock@archant.co.uk with your name, the name of your act, age, telephone number and e-mail address The UK's biggest unsigned music competition for vocalists and singers is coming to this region soon! Auditions for the nationwide competition, Open Mic UK, begin in August and will be coming to the Ipswich Regent Theatre on 11th September 2010 Open Mic UK is the national music competition for singers, songwriters, solo artists, rappers and vocalists. Auditions will be travelling across the country in a bid to find the UK's next major recording artist and this year it could be you! It's open to all genres - so whether you're into RnB, Acoustic, Pop, Rap or Classical - Open Mic UK has it all! All acts are auditioned live in front of a judging panel and, if successful, will battle it out on stage in the live shows for the chance to perform at the Grand Final at the 02 in London! There are plenty of opportunities to win prizes throughout the competition. There's over £50,000 worth of prizes up for grabs and the winning act will be offered a recording and management contract to develop their music and release their single. Competing acts will also have the chance to perform live in some of the best music venues in the country. The competition is divided into age categories. Under 18, 18-24, and 25 and over. All types of singers, vocal performers, groups and acoustic singer/songwriters are invited to enter Open Mic UK. It's all about finding an act that has the ability to become a professional recording artist. So, if you think you've got what it takes, get on the mic for Open Mic UK 2010! For more information go to the Open Mic UK website www.openmicuk.co.uk Also follow Open Mic UK on Twitter and Myspace! www.twitter.com/OPENMICUK www.myspace.com/openmicuk www.facebook.com/openmicuk
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Here's the full Ipswich Music Day stage line up - Sunday 4th July 2010 Lovemusic24 stage: 12:00 Crab Meat Moon 13:00 Stacy McCarthy & The Catfish Band 14:00 Fagan 15:00 Donshimoda 16:00 Ideals 17:00 The B. Goodes 18:00 Phantom Players 19:00 Suspect Devices BBC Radio Suffolk stage: 12:00 Smoking Hogs 13:00 The Floe 14:00 Matt White & The Emulsions 15:00 Star Club 16:00 Soul Town Chic 17:00 The Martells 18:00 United Reggae Band Town102 stage: 12:00 The Nik Wymer Band 13:00 The Spiderz 14:00 The Scoobs 15:00 Boulevard Blonde 16:00 The Tom Sanderson Band 17:00 Electric Dreams 18:00 Absent Kid ICR/CSV stage: 12:00 Walkway 12:45 Pixelh8 13:30 Umbrella Assassins 14:15 Blacktop Harrison 15:00 A Fate Untold 15:45 Millionaires by Morning 16:30 The Cads 17:15 Ed Sheeran 18:00 Underline the Sky Suffolk Passenger Transport stage: 12:00 Rob Castellani & Anna Pancaldi 12:30 Dragonfruit 13:00 Charlotte Emily 13:30 The Lullabys 14:00 Reb Capper 15:00 The Four Blokes 15:30 The Ghost Train Porters 16:30 Lady Bird and the Larks 17: Ady Johnson 17:30 Jack Rundell 18:00 Caution Horses East of England Co-op stage 12:00 Innerheart 12:50 Ipswich Youth Steel Band 13:40 The Proposition 14:30 Ipswich and Norwich Co-op Band 15:30 Co-op Juniors 16:30 Suffolk Soul Singers 17:20 Housework 18:10 Samboomba
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Exciting News! - lovemusic24 is hosting a stage at the Ipswich Music Day this year, Sunday 4th July 2010 Here's the line up of the great local bands who will be playing on our stage: 12:00 Crab Meat Moon 13:00 Stacy McCarthy & The Catfish Band 14:00 Fagan 15:00 DonShimoda 16:00 Ideals 17:00 The B. Goodes 18:00 Phantom Players 19:00 Suspect Devices Ipswich Music Day, part of the Ip-art Festival, is in its 19th year and is set to bring the whole of Christchurch Park alive on Sunday 4th July. One of the largest, free, one day music events in the country, Ipswich Music Day features six stages of live music in Christchurch Park, plus classical performances in the Mansion and nearby St Margaret's Church. With craft stalls, children's fairground and plenty of food on offer, Ipswich Music Day is the perfect opportunity to meet up with friends and family and enjoy the best of local talent, all in the glorious surroundings of Christchurch Park. Ip-art 2010 doesn't end with music day as the town is alive with a wide range of events from 25th June until 11th July with music, theatre, comedy, literature, and the visual arts all on offer. The beautiful setting of Christchurch Park will also play host to many other events this coming week, including Proms in the Park with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ipswich Mela, theatre on the Mansion lawn and two large scale open air cinemas. Andrew Cann Culture Portfolio Holder for Ipswich Borough Council said "The Council, in partnership with the private, public and third sector, works hard to offer an exciting programme of events throughout the year. Ip-art is an important part of our town's cultural development and we have a lot to live up to in 2010, after Ip-art winning the 'Tourism Event of the Year' at the East of England Regional Awards for Excellence. I hope as many people as possible are able to enjoy Ip-art other events the town has to offer this summer."
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Category:
Competition
Win tickets to the Live and Unsigned final at the 02, London! We have two pairs of all day passes to be won so simply answer the following question for your chance to go to the biggest festival in the UK for unsigned artists. Question: How many number 1 hits did the successful 70's rock band Slade have? E-mail your answer to press@liveandunsigned.uk.com with the subject 'Lovemusic24 L&U Festival Competition' by May 15th. The winners will be notified by e-mail by the end of May. If you aren't lucky enough to win the competition, you can still get tickets from the Live and Unsigned website: www.liveandunsigned.uk.com The biggest festival in the UK for unsigned artists: If you're looking for a festival that's a bit different this year, then look no further than Live and Unsigned. For festival goers who want to hear fresh, new music then the L&U Festival has to be the definitive choice because it's offereing something unique - it's all about presenting and supporting unsigned, original music in the UK. There'll be an eclectic mix of artists performing including Rock, RnB, Indie and Pop/Acoustic, so there's something for everyone! A host of celebrity judges will also be there including the legendary Slade front man Noddy Holder, Radio 1's prime time presenter Greg James, Urban DJ and Radio 1's Ras Kwame, RnB mega star Shola Ama and many more!
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Competition
Win tickets to the Live and Unsigned final at the 02, London! We have two pairs of all day passes to be won so simply answer the following question for your chance to go to the biggest festival in the UK for unsigned artists. Question: How many number 1 hits did the successful 70's rock band Slade have? E-mail your answer to press@liveandunsigned.uk.com with the subject 'Lovemusic24 L&U Festival Competition' by May 15th. The winners will be notified by e-mail by the end of May. If you aren't lucky enough to win the competition, you can still get tickets from the Live and Unsigned website: www.liveandunsigned.uk.com The biggest festival in the UK for unsigned artists: If you're looking for a festival that's a bit different this year, then look no further than Live and Unsigned. For festival goers who want to hear fresh, new music then the L&U Festival has to be the definitive choice because it's offereing something unique - it's all about presenting and supporting unsigned, original music in the UK. There'll be an eclectic mix of artists performing including Rock, RnB, Indie and Pop/Acoustic, so there's something for everyone! A host of celebrity judges will also be there including the legendary Slade front man Noddy Holder, Radio 1's prime time presenter Greg James, Urban DJ and Radio 1's Ras Kwame, RnB mega star Shola Ama and many more!
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 Cheryl Cole will be making her festival debut as a soloist this summer, it was announced today.
The singer, 26, has signed up to perform at the V Festival, which will be headlined by rockers Kings Of Leon and Kasabian.
Girls Aloud played at V, a weekend event at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Weston Park, Staffordshire, two years ago.
X Factor judge Cole announced last week that she and husband Ashley Cole were splitting following reports that the England and Chelsea football star had been repeatedly unfaithful.
Performers at the 15th anniversary festival will also include Florence And The Machine, Stereophonics, Faithless, The Prodigy, The Kooks, Paul Weller and Paolo Nutini.
La Roux, Ellie Goulding, Pet Shop Boys, Madness, Editors, Mika, Groove Armada, The Charlatans, Goldfrapp, Kate Nash, Paloma Faith, Plan B, Sugababes and Pixie Lott are among the others on the bill.
V Festival, sponsored by Virgin Media, takes place on August 21 and 22, with tickets going on sale on Friday.
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Harvest at Jimmy's
Headlining acts have been announced for the second year of the Harvest at Jimmy's music and food festival.
The two-day festival, at Jimmy's Farm, at Wherstead, near Ipswich, is taking place over the weekend of September 11-12.
The event aims to mix the best of the worlds of music and food, and topping the bill on the music stages will be pop-rock band The Zutons and acoustic guitar maestro Newton Faulkner. 
Organisers said they were keen to attract all the family and the festival can also boast a UK exclusive with the award-winning Charlie & Lola's Bestest Play, featuring the cartoon favourites from CBBC, along with a host of other children's activities.
Chefs will include Angela Hartnett, Valentine Warner, Thomasina Miers, Wahaca, Atul Kochhar, The Hairy Bikers, Rachel Allen, Mark Hix and Tom Parker-Bowles, and there will also be Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Canteen. 
Other acts confirmed for the music stages so far include Kate Rusby, Son of Dave and Kitty Daisy & Lewis. More names are set to be announced over the coming weeks.
Jimmy Doherty, who runs the farm, said: “The response to the debut of Harvest was absolutely overwhelming. It was everything that we'd hoped for - a truly family-orientated festival that celebrated all that's exciting about fine British food and music.
“It really felt like it fitted perfectly into the landscape and community.”
Last year's Harvest at Jimmy's, which was nominated for the Family Festival Award and Best New Festival, attracted 10,000 music and food-lovers over the course of the two-day event last year.
Alex Paul, from promotional agency Choose Suffolk, said the high-profile festival provided a welcome boost to the county's economy.
He said: “As well as attracting festival-goers from all over the UK, Harvest at Jimmy's retains its 'local' feel with the organisers going to great lengths to make sure food and services are sourced in the county.
“It is a terrific boost to the post-summer tourist economy.”
Other activities planned for this year's event include boutique camping, cooking master classes, gardening workshops, a farmers' market and plentiful bars and food stalls showcasing the best of the region.
For tickets to Harvest at Jimmy's and for the latest line-up of talent visit www.harvestatjimmys.com
Join the Harvest at Jimmy's Group
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One of the region's most popular music and arts festivals will be back this summer for a fifth year. Latitude Festival organisers have confirmed that this year's event will take place from July 15 until July 18 at Henham Park Estate, near Southwold. Tickets will go on sale on March 9 but as yet no details have been revealed of artists set to appear. Over the last few years Latitude has grown in size and become one of the most hotly anticipated events in the festival diary. Last year's event was heralded as being the best yet and headliners included disco icon Grace Jones and the Pet Shop Boys. Other big names on the line-up included artists such as Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Little Boots and Radiohead's Thom Yorke. The event has become renowned for featuring headline artists along with showcasing up and coming talent and local bands. Recommended in various national publications including Time Out, Latitude has become a favourite with revellers and performers alike. Last year, as well as the main music stages, there were arenas in poetry, literature, comedy, cabaret, film and music. The varied line-up featured fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, comedians Frank Skinner and Jo Brand and former poet laureate Andrew Motion as well as the Royal Shakespeare Company and Sadler's Wells. For more information about this year's event and tickets visit the event page or www.latitudefestival.co.uk
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Category:
Competition
Judging – Live and Unsigned – first round of auditions Arriving at quarter to nine to meet my fellow judges (Marlize a vocal tutor, Emma a choreographer, Steve from Grapevine Magazine and Chris from Live and Unsigned) I wondered just what the day had in store for me. With over 200 bands that had applied – just how many would turn up and what would they be like? In the end we saw 124 acts ranging across the ages and representing many styles of music from folk to death metal, pop to punk – it was all there. It was great to see so many people who obviously love what they do turn up and give it a go. Of course there was the usual array of nerves, flamboyance, natural talent and hopefuls but generally the standard was pretty high. When you are watching so many bands and need to make a decision on them it can be difficult. I am in a band myself but now, from being on the other end, I can say that I have learnt a few things; so here are my tips (if you want them) to make yourself stand out. 1: The song you choose to perform: know it, rehearse it, play it well, be in tune and keep time. This may sound like band 1.0.1 but it really is important. If you’re a singer – don’t forget to warm up – we had a few cracks and warbles. 2: Bring something original. If someone comes along and does a great Nirvana cover – so what? – We could go out and buy a Nirvana album. If you do go for a cover then perform it in a completely different style. 3: Stick within the time or cut it even shorter. I know there wasn’t much time at the weekend for each act but it was really refreshing when a band stuck within their allotted time – it felt like we had seen a whole piece instead of having to cut them off. (Be ready too, the longer you take to set up the more it eats in to your performing time.) 4: Get a look: Now I’m not saying have matching outfits but having a style that gives the band a ‘together’ look really will make you stand out. 5: Engage your audience: Difficult I know when you’re playing to five people in chairs in the middle of a hall and two guys on the sound desk BUT, if you don’t feel it then fake it. Talk to the audience, make eye contact and make them feel they are at a gig. And don’t forget to move – we saw a few cardboard cut outs – judges are looking for someone who can not only sing/play but also put on a performance. But most of all keep trying and take any advice given. I know some of you were disappointed at not making it through but the long and the short of it was this: there were 124 acts – not everyone could go through! Well done to everyone who came along and had a go. I look forward to seeing how those that got through get on in the next round. It would be great to see all of you come along and support them: 10th April, Ipswich Corn Exchange – we’ll post details nearer the time.
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More than 200 up-and-coming acts have auditioned before the judges of a national competition aiming to find the top unsigned talent in the country.
Solo artists, indie bands, folk singers and heavy rockers were all grabbing their chance to show off their abilities at the Regent Theatre's Circle Lounge.
 Among the acts hoping to impress the judges were Felixstowe rockers Seratoner, who have been together for nearly three years.
With each act getting only about 30 seconds to win over the decision-makers, singer/guitarist Paul Veal, 25, said the band had been rehearsing a lot over the previous few days.
He said: “We play around Felixstowe and Ipswich and have also played in London and Brighton. We've seen a few friendly faces here today but we're confident of getting through.
“We're just going to see what happens - 30 seconds is not a very long time, but it will be interesting. We're going to give it our all.”
Also waiting for their shot were The Mosquito Effect, from Witham and Clacton, who have been playing together for just over a year.
Guitarist Nick Griffin, 24, said the group signed up with the intention of getting as much exposure as possible, more so than actually winning the contest.
He said: “The people that surround these events are the people we need to play to. There's a little bit of an Essex circuit and we bump into some bands from time to time but there are so many people doing it (playing live).”
This is the third year of Live and Unsigned, the country's biggest search for undiscovered and original talent, and the Evening Star's Jenny Lock was among the judging panel for the Ipswich auditions - part of a nationwide tour.
All the successful performers will proceed to the next round and perform in front of a panel of industry experts at some of the UK's most prestigious venues.
Then the chosen few will go on to the grand final to share the stage with some of the country's finest talent at the Live and Unsigned Festival 2010.
Dave Payne, who has been running the auditions, said the standard had been very high.
He said: “I have to give the 'yes' or 'no' out after the auditions. The people of Ipswich have been very nice - we normally get a few divas, but people have been very friendly.
“On the whole, the recession is making people do some good music.” See more pictures here
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They were dancing in the aisles when a west Suffolk school rocked for charity. 
Pupils Angus Mackintosh and Amy Milner perform at Culford School Culford School pupils in Bury St Edmunds held their annual event on Sunday which raised £1,000 for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. The three-hour spectacular in front of an audience of more than 200 featured 30 different acts as pupils joined staff to perform dance, acoustic and rock music. A rendition of the Proclaimers’ hit, 500 Miles, was a fitting finale for a successful event organised by the school’s sixth and fifth-form pupils. "This was an event for the pupils by the pupils, and we are delighted to have raised some money for such a worthwhile cause," said Flo Taylor, who helped organise it. performances: Pupils Amy Milner, right, and Angus Mackintosh, left, perform at Culford School
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IPSWICH: Legendary beat-maker DJ Format will playing in the town for the first time this Saturday (Feb 13). The scratch DJ will be appearing at the Swan, in King Street, alongside his friend and the pub’s resident DJ Ben Marr as part of Rhythm Happening. “I used to live in Brighton and DJ-ed there quite a bit. He lived there at the time and I knew him from beat-digging and we hooked up to trade records. I’ve always wanted to get him here,” said the 34-year-old who has been staging semi-regular DJ nights at the venue for nearly two years. Format – aka Southampton-born Matt Ford – is one of the hottest hip hop tickets on the circuit thanks to his unique blend of hip hop, funk, jazz and alternative music. He has appeared at Reading and Leeds Festival as well as touring the whole of Europe, North America and Australia and London’s famous fabric club. He’s also worked with hip hop groups such as Jurassic 5 and released several solo albums. “This isn’t really pop or stuff you hear in the charts,” said Ben, who’ll start the ball rolling from 8pm. “It’s underground to a point but accessible. He plays things that may be from Turkey or Brazil, everything from hip hop to perhaps prog rock. “It’s taking things that shouldn’t be together and putting them together, which is one of the things of being a DJ – mixing the selection.” Entry to the event, from 8pm to 1am, costs £5 and tickets are available from the pub and Blacksheep shop. “If you’re open-minded, like good music, in to hip hop or even if you’re not and don’t know that much about it, it’ll be worth checking out, there’ll be some ear expanding sounds,” added Ben.
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Rock band Steel Pictures performed to a sell-out crowd at Chamberlin Village Hall, raising over £400 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. Local rock band Steel Pictures who performed to a sell out crowd at Chamberlin Village Hall, Bildeston, raising over £400 for EACH - East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. Special guests Hadleigh High School Vocal Squad, made up of 60 singers, performed a selection of songs arranged and conducted by music teacher Michelle Randé. Steel Pictures – who are Luke English on lead vocals, Harry Challis on drums, lead guitarist Andrew Kitchener, Nic Keeble on rhythm guitar and vocals, and bass guitarist Michael Whittle – took to the stage to perform a selection of rock covers and songs written by the band. The band, who are year 11 students at Hadleigh High, wanted to raise money for a local charity and decided upon EACH, which supports families throughout their experience of caring for children with life-threatening conditions and complex healthcare needs. Steel Pictures paid thanks to those who purchased tickets, people who assisted with the organising of the concert and Dave Keeble and Michelle Randé for their support.
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A popular band who entertained thousands of people at this year’s V Festival are planning a number of gigs to help those in earthquake struck Haiti. Ipswich-based Underline the Sky are hoping to tour around a number of schools to raise funds for the disaster hit island. Their first gig will be at Leiston High School on Monday 8th Feb but they are hoping even more will get in touch. Guitarist Dan Oaten said: “We were talking about how devastating the situation in Haiti is and what it must be like to have your life shattered like that. “The idea just grew from that really. Here we were with a talent and love to entertain people and we tried to think how we could raise funds using this medium. “The problem a lot of high school children have is that they love music and bands, but they are too young to go to the venues we and other bands perform at or cannot afford the larger organised festivals.” The five-strong power punk band are now hoping that a number of schools in the area get in touch so they can raise as much money as possible. Any schools interested in having Underline the Sky perform can contact Diana Bryce on 01473 652249.
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Fresh from his acclaimed return to television after more than a decade, comedian Stewart Lee is doing what he loves best – live stand-up. He’s been performing live since he was 20, co-created the BBC series Fist of Fun and This Morning With Richard Not Judy alongside former comedy partner Richard Herring as well as writing and directing acts such as the Mighty Boosh and Jerry Springer: The Opera. More recently he has won praise for the hit BBC2 show Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle. Now he is bringing his latest live show – If You Prefer A Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One – to Ipswich’s New Wolsey tonight (3rd Feb) and moves on to Chelmsford’s Civic Theatre, tomorrow. He is pleased with how it has gradually come together since he wrote it in a tiny room at Edinburgh’s Stand comedy club. “The show is three long half-hour routines that eventually coalesce into a despairing view of the world,” he laughs, despite being 150 dates in. “It has sort of gone through a kind of wall where I’ve found all sorts of way by necessity, I think, to improvise and change things and keep it alive. Also there are two or three bits that are very difficult to do and I never quite know if they’re going to work, so it is exciting every night. I think I’ve probably started to write those kinds of shows precisely because you need that element of danger to keep it spontaneous.” That includes throwing a song in the mix for the first time. Tonight’s show starts at 7.45pm. Tickets, priced £8.50 to £19.50 are available by calling the box office on 01473 295900.
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Brimming with excitement, hundreds of music fans queued around the block in the bitter February cold to get the chance to see pop sensations JLS live.
The band, who shot to fame as the runners-up of 2008's X-Factor, performed in front of a sell-out crowd at The Regent Theatre in Ipswich last night.
Groups of teenagers wearing JLS jumpers and T-shirts, some waving homemade banners and posters, waited, screaming with huge smiles on their faces for the theatre's doors to open.
For some the wait had lasted the whole afternoon, with dozens of fans turning up at noon to try to catch a glimpse of the band as they arrived. 
Becky Manning, 22, of Claydon said she was overcome with “14-year-old like excitement”.
Wearing their 'I love JLS' T-shirts, she and her friends said they had been “massive fans” of the group since their first X-Factor audition.
And younger fans, Tiana Bailey, ten, and Rochelle Scoulding, nine, from Ipswich, who were there with their mothers, said they had been “waiting forever” to get their chance to see the band live.
Rochelle said: “I am really, really excited. I have been waiting forever - for months and months. We are their biggest fans, Aston is so cute.
“I wish I was in my 20s then I could marry them.”
Another fan, Natalie Osborne, 18, travelled from college in Cambridge with her friends to get to the gig on time.
She said: “I am seriously excited. I could not sleep last night, I was so excited.”
Braving the cold, those lucky enough to have secured a ticket waited in line for hours, in a long queue snaking around the Odeon cinema and up Woodbridge Road.
Meanwhile, fans Emily Hall and Emma Hinds enjoyed a pre-gig treat when they bumped into the band on the Waterfront.
JLS had been eating lunch at the Salt House Harbour Hotel when the lads agreed to pose for a picture.
Did you see JLS in action? How did you rate their performance? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
JLS FastFacts: - JLS stands for Jack the Lad, Swing
- The group is made up of Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes, Jonathan “JB” Gill, and Oritsé Williams.
- They rose to fame during the 2008 X-Factor talent show, mentored by Louis Walsh and voted runners-up to Alexandra Burke.
- The group are nominated at this year's Brit Awards for Best Single for 'Beat Again', their debut single which went straight to number one in July last year.
- Their second single 'Everybody in Love' followed the success of their first reaching number one in November 2009, selling more than 120,000 copies in the first week.
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IPSWICH: Is anybody in love? Well everybody in the audience of the packed Ipswich Regent certainly was last night, when JLS, the X Factor Finalists turned pop sensations, stormed into town.
With their trademark colours of blue (Aston), red (Oritse), green (Marvin) and yellow (JB), these four London lads lit up an otherwise glum February evening.
Considering it was the first night of the tour and there surely must have been some pre-show nerves, JLS were all outstanding and it will take some stamina to maintain that level of enthusiasm for the rest of their sell-out tour.
It's rare to find a boy band where all four members can actually sing and dance fantastically well, and that's what sets JLS apart.
The Michael Jackson medley enabled them to take a song each, make it their own and wow the predominately pre-teen audience.
Effortlessly charming the audience with their patter and good looks (particularly when Marvin and Aston kept revealing carefully honed torsos), Ipswich went wild for hits such as 'Beat Again' and the new single 'One Shot'.
Aston's back-flips were something to behold, and the harmonising of their a cappella version of the East 17 classic 'If I Ever' was note perfect.
JLS are here to stay, and with the announcement this week of a planned arena tour at the end of the year, two Brit award nominations and American record companies battling to sign them up stateside, it's easy to see why.
EMMA NOYE
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Four young Suffolk musicians are hoping this will be their year after signing to new record label Manic Vision. Andrew Major, Ben Ward and Simon Wilson formed It’s A Trap! after meeting when they were all students at Holbrook High School. 
They’ve enjoyed success on the local stage over the years and recently added a fourth member to the line-up, lead guitarist Matthew Bunkell, 21, of Capel St Mary, formerly of Ipswich band Dungeons. Now the feel the time is right to develop a new, more mature identity – which includes changing their name to Ideals. Bass player Simon, 20, of Holbrook, said: “This band is not merely an extension of It’s A Trap! It is a natural evolution, a rebirth and gigantic step up in sound and maturity. “The songs are far more personal, the music far smarter and the attitude towards being more professional. Ideals as a name, represents what we have found in this band – the ideal combination of people creating sounds that we have always wanted to make. “The addition of a second guitarist has enabled us to expand our sound further and has added another dynamic that we always wanted. A lot of the bands which influence us have two guitarists, giving them a richer sound.” Signing to ethical Norwich label Manic Vision has given the foursome fresh focus. “We are very excited to have signed to Manic Vision,” added lead vocalist and guitarist Andrew, 19, of Chelmondiston. “We can now focus on writing and recording songs, safe in the knowledge the band’s management is being taken care of. We are hoping to form a very strong and long-lasting relationship with them in the years to come. It’s a great deal and works perfectly for us.” But there’s lot of hard work standing between them and success, especially with three of the band studying in South East London in Greenwich, Goldsmiths and the University of East London and the fourth at Roehampton University. It all kicks off with a gig at Ipswich’s PJ McGintys tomorrow. Next they will hit Atomic Studios in London to record their first single as Ideals under the deft touch of acclaimed producers Animal Farm, who have worked with bands such as Ipswich’s very own indie rockers Rosalita, The Levellers and One Night Only. The single, Lungs, will be out in April and promoted with a full UK tour.. Drummer Ben, 19, of Holbrook, said: “Releasing our first single on the Manic label is going to be great. We can’t wait for everyone to hear our music. It’s going to be a lot of work but we are looking forward to the challenge. “With a busy tour schedule we will be able to promote the single while promoting the band as well. We’re looking forward to our music gracing as many listeners as possible. “It’s going to be a great opportunity to have our music presented as a whole package with fantastic artwork, a music video as well as songs we are truly proud of.” Ideals will also be gigging intensely throughout the year with regular shows at a series of venues throughout the UK, with a large focus on London and surrounding towns as well as frequent shows in Ipswich. The ethos behind Manic Vision centres around forming an ethical and lasting relationship with the bands signed. The aim is to work with them long-term, with a view to providing the guidance they need to enable them to earn a living from their music – regardless of whether they get signed to a major label. Effectively, the package is a recording and management contract. Manic Vision’s Carl Hitchborn couldn’t be happier that the band has joined the Manic family. “I’m delighted to have added Ideals to the label. The band is made up of talented and committed individuals who draw upon many musical influences to create a truly unique sound,” he said. “The members have a really strong foundation, a strong unity among them all. They are hardworking and being in London opens up the door for big opportunities.” It is Carl’s plan to build them towards a licensing and publishing deal with a major label. “Should we get there, the other bands on the label will benefit with 50 per cent of any profits made by Manic Vision going to them to help them progress with their careers.” Ideals will also make a special appearance with the BBC at the Swan on February 11. The show will be going out live on air between 7-8pm on BBC Radio Suffolk and will tie in with the usual BBC Introducing show on a Thursday. After the broadcast there will be a normal gig with The Cads and Ideals both playing full live sets.
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IPSWICH: Funk fans can get their fill when a music festival returns to a popular town centre pub this weekend. The Steamboat Tavern in Ipswich will be hosting its latest FunkFest Weekend, featuring four talented bands spread over the Friday and Saturday nights. Housework and South of the Border will be appearing on Friday(22nd) night while on Saturday(23rd) it will be the turn of Small Town Bullies and The Jacob Trio. FunkFest organiser Daniel Harvey said there was no other event like it in the town and this year the festival had a line-up of “pure class”. He said: “Funk is definitely one of the most under-rated genres of music. No other form of music has the groove of funk and it makes for such a great party atmosphere. “All of the bands lined up to play on these two nights are pure class acts and we're really grateful to the Steamboat for staging FunkFest.” Entrance costs £3 on Friday and £4 on Saturday and on both evenings the music will start at about 8pm.
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 Tracks recorded by legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix more than 40 years ago are to be released for the first time, it was announced yesterday.
Many of the 12 songs to feature on new release Valleys Of Neptune were recorded in London's Olympic Studios as well as New York's Record Plant in 1969. The 60-plus minute album was mainly recorded in the months after the guitarist, pictured, released his Electric Ladyland album. Most tracks feature Hendrix's original Experience band. Hendrix died in London in 1970 at the age of 27
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