The Lucky Strikes + Grassoline + Tom Baxendale @ Shakespeares Nov 20th

[Amsterdamned]

On Wednesday November 20th, WagonWheel Presents… welcomes The Lucky Strikes back to Shakespeares. On the road in support of their brand new album The Exile & The Sea, from Leigh-On-Sea they’re carrying on the finest musical traditions of the Thames Delta, from initial forays in garage-blues towards an impressive melange of roots music and southern rock. Joining them for the Sheffield date of their tour will be Grassoline who recently released their brand new EP Here But Not At Home Vol. 1 and Tom Baxendale of The Rainy Day Club who tonight plays a solo set. Advance tickets priced at £6 are available from http://www.wegottickets.com/event/241116. Entry on the night will be £7. Doors open 8pm.

 

 

***THE LUCKY STRIKES***

 

 

Essex folk-rock champions The Lucky Strikes put the seal on a busy summer with the release of their long-awaited fourth album, The Exile And The Sea. And like its two predecessors, The Exile… is based around a concept, something that the band have retrieved from the prog-rock doldrums and breathed new life into. Previous long players, The Chronicles Of Solomon Quick and Gabriel, Forgive My 22 Sins were based on stories set in the Southern States of the US – inspired in part by their travels there. But this time the band have drawn on the local history of their Thames Estuary homeland for each song.

 

Submerging themselves in the folklore of the area, the band trawled local newspaper archives and journals as well as the working men’s clubs of their hometown to unearth stories of fishermen, ghosts, smugglers and poets. The infamous fire that partially destroyed Southend Pier in 2005 is retold in ‘The Beast Burnt Down’, where “timbers crack, black smoke moves skyward”. Meanwhile, ‘Goldspring’ recalls the story of Goldspring Thompson, press-ganged in the 19th Century, only to escape and hide out for three days in the wheat fields of Canvey Island, surviving on corn and ditchwater. All songs loosely gravitate towards one of Southend’s cultural landmarks, the now sadly closed Grand Hotel. Once the hangout of choice for Dr Feelgood and Eddie & The Hot Rods, it was the starting point for the album. Indeed the phantom that supposedly haunted the pub is the subject in the waltzing ‘Ghost And The Actress’. Aurally, the band’s sound has morphed through garage-blues and country-rock to a sound all their own, much more rooted in English and Celtic folk.

 

It’s more than two and a half years since The Lucky Strikes released the acclaimed Gabriel, Forgive My 22 Sins, but in that time the band has not rested. The writing and recording of The Exile has been intensive but has been built around extensive touring. Moreover, frontman Matthew Boulter has found time to release two solo albums, as well as touring and recording with Simone Felice which has brought greater depth, strength and experience to the partnership. Now happily established on their own Harbour Song label, The Lucky Strikes are ready to set sail once again.

 

“I honestly can’t think of anyone else who is exploring this musical ground right now and as such The Lucky Strikes are pretty unique” 9/10, Americana-UK

 

“this one is a real contender and will floor you with it’s left jab, body shot, right hook and upper cut combo of guitars, fiddle, keyboards and drums” Beat Surrender

 

“dark and dirty Americana to chill your soul” Classic Rock Magazine

 

“simply too good to ignore” R2 Magazine

 

http://www.facebook.com/TheLuckyStrikesOfficial

 

 

***GRASSOLINE***

 

 

Chesterfield’s Grassoline play a bluegrass influenced brand of alt-country featuring guitar, double bass, fiddle, banjo and mandolin and sometimes more. Late last year they released their debut CD “Mountain & Grave”. Americana UK described the 6 tracks as having “the makings of something really special”. We wouldn’t disagree.

 

“Grassoline are not made for these times. Theirs is a music of epic grandeur and epic heartbreak that is so complete within itself that it is not of the tradition, it’s not just bluegrass or folk tinged transplanted balladry, it’s the living music of a colonised landscape. Grassoline are a band more than worthy of your attention whether on record or live.” Americana-UK.com

 

They’ve since followed up that release with their new EP Here But Not At Home Vol. 1 which has been winning them many more plaudits.

 

“Exquisite, jewel-like songs of a seriously pin drop nature.” Fatea Magazine

 

“This quartet aren’t your archetypal country band. This music is genuine. These are people with an exquisite talent who unpretentiously love making music.” Now Then Magazine

 

“This is the proof, if it was needed, that Grassoline is a band of substance, as they have consolidated their sound with another set of perfect songs. If you’re going to watch a band, then this is the band to watch.” Americana-UK.com

 

http://www.facebook.com/Grassoline

 

 

***TOM BAXENDALE***

 

 

The Rainy Day Club are a Sheffield three piece whose distinct songs combine elements of alt. country, new wave, rockabilly, pre-Beatles pop and post-Dylan americana. With their debut album, Pale White Hands – recorded by Bromheads’ Tim Hampton at his Crystal Ship studio – just released, this is an exciting time for the band. Tonight frontman Tom Baxendale plays a solo set of his solo material.

 

http://www.therainydayclub.co.uk/

 

 

Facebook Event page:

 

http://www.facebook.com/events/415757635214188

 

Last.Fm Event page:

 

http://www.last.fm/event/3722503

[Amsterdamned]

The Lucky Strikes start their UK tour today and are here in Sheffield tomorrow night. If you're one of the lucky people who saw them in April you know this will be something not to be missed.

 

Live music kicks off at 8.15pm with Tom Baxendale.