{"id":1338,"date":"2013-07-07T15:44:13","date_gmt":"2013-07-07T14:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=1338"},"modified":"2019-01-25T16:42:34","modified_gmt":"2019-01-25T16:42:34","slug":"music-diary-june-2013","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/reviews\/music-diary-june-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"Music Diary July 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n<h1>Live music diary July 2013<\/h1>\n<p>A diary of gigs that we visited.<\/p>\n<p>2nd July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Open-mic night at The Exchange with Jason Smith and Dan Freestone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Jason Smith<\/strong> is a singer with a distinctive voice that he uses to give an characteristic edge to his vocals. His lyrics are striking but his set can be a little sombre.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Sixteen year-old \u00a0<strong>Dan Freestone<\/strong> is making his debut on the Leicester song circuit. whilst his voice still sounds young, you could hear the power behind it and his vocal technique was reasonably good. A lot of potential there I think.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Open-mic night at the Soundhouse with Samuel Idwal.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1417\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1417\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1417\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/samuelidwal_soundhouse-600x487.jpg?resize=600%2C487\" alt=\"sam idwal\" width=\"600\" height=\"487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/samuelidwal_soundhouse.jpg?resize=600%2C487&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/samuelidwal_soundhouse.jpg?resize=300%2C243&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/samuelidwal_soundhouse.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1417\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sam Idwal at the Soundhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">I rate the work of <strong>Samuel Idwal<\/strong> very highly. His voice is beautifully well toned, his on-stage manner calm and confident and his guitar-work impressive. Tonight&#8217;s feature set allowed him to showcase his set of original songs that fall somewhere between folk and indie. What stands out is Idwal&#8217;s sublime ability to range between subtle and strong in his songs, at one moment projecting delicate emotions and following with a crescendo of power. Idwal is a good song-writer; his words have an extraordinary literary quality which he deploys with an agile knack of weaving them in to his highly \u00a0listenable melodies. His complex and delicate picking of the guitar strings is a real pleasure.<\/p>\n<p>5th July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The Glastonbudget Wrap party at Thurmaston<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1416\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1416\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1416\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/chrisostler_thumaston-600x467.jpg?resize=600%2C467\" alt=\"chris ostler\" width=\"600\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/chrisostler_thumaston.jpg?resize=600%2C467&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/chrisostler_thumaston.jpg?resize=300%2C233&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/chrisostler_thumaston.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1416\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Ostler at the Glastonbudget Wrap show<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Chris Ostler<\/strong> and <strong>Oasish<\/strong> were the stars at this event held at the Harrow in Thurmaston, put on by the organisers of the Glastonbudget Music festival.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">At The Shed, I saw a band that had come here on tour from their homeland of Cornwall. \u00a0I very much enjoyed the songs of <strong>The Jonathan Stafford Band<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1418\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1418\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1418\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/jonathanstaffordband-600x450.jpg?resize=600%2C450\" alt=\"Jonathan Stafford Band\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/jonathanstaffordband.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/jonathanstaffordband.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/jonathanstaffordband.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1418\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Jonathan Stafford Band<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Their acoustic-folk was a great pleasure, well played and delivered with feeling. I read:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><em>Described as a &#8216;singer-songwriter of exceptional talent&#8217;, Jonathan Stafford&#8217;s vocal elasticity, songcraft and meticulous arrangements are a breath of fresh air &#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Nice one! I wish more people from Leicester had been there to enjoy the band&#8217;s musical talents! I have to say though their audience (me and Ian) did appreciate them very much.<\/p>\n<p>6th July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">A big day for live music in Leicester. Two big festivals on one day:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"Glastonblaby\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=1313\">Glastonblaby festival<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"Western Park Festival 2013\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=965\">Western Park Festival<\/a><\/p>\n<p>7th July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Launch night of the <strong>Singers of Distinction 2013<\/strong> with Meri Everett, \u00a0Ravel Lumba and Samuel Idwal. <a title=\"Singers of Distinction 2013 \u2013 reviews\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=1365\">See our reviews of the Singers of Distinction shows<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>9th July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The Brandy Thieves perform an acoustic set at the SoundHouse.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1419\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1419\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1419\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/brandythievesacoustic-600x566.jpg?resize=600%2C566\" alt=\"brnady thieves\" width=\"600\" height=\"566\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/brandythievesacoustic.jpg?resize=600%2C566&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/brandythievesacoustic.jpg?resize=300%2C283&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/brandythievesacoustic.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1419\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Acoustic set from The Brandy Thieves<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">I have never before seen <strong>The Brandy Thieves<\/strong> perform an acoustic set. Tonight&#8217;s performance by Andrea Kenny was superb, accompanied by bassist Joe Carey. Equally as sensational acoustically as they are when playing as a full electric band.<\/p>\n<p>10th July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The second Singers of Distinction show with Dan Wright, Beth Pearce, Ian Bourne, Jonezy and Rhett Barrow. <a title=\"Singers of Distinction 2013 \u2013 reviews\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=1365\">Read our review<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>13th July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Soft Touch Arts put on live music in Orton Square, where a\u00a0variety of music styles were represented on stage.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1461\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1461\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1461\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/ashleyphillipson.jpg?resize=600%2C450\" alt=\"singers Ashley Phillipson and Jason Gilding\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/ashleyphillipson.jpg?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/ashleyphillipson.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1461\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ashley Phillipson and Jason Gilding<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Singers <strong>Ashley Phillipson<\/strong> and <strong>Jason Gilding<\/strong> delivered a good set of songs including jazz and beatboxing.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">A number of solo artists were on the line-up<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1460\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1460\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1460\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/rosiedoyle-510x600.jpg?resize=510%2C600\" alt=\"rosie doyle\" width=\"510\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/rosiedoyle.jpg?resize=510%2C600&amp;ssl=1 510w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/rosiedoyle.jpg?resize=255%2C300&amp;ssl=1 255w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/rosiedoyle.jpg?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1460\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rosie Doyle at the Soft Touch Arts show<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Singer <strong>Rosie Doyle<\/strong> was on stage with a lovely set of songs.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1462\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1462\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1462\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/free-control-600x432.jpg?resize=600%2C432\" alt=\"free control band\" width=\"600\" height=\"432\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/free-control.jpg?resize=600%2C432&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/free-control.jpg?resize=300%2C216&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/free-control.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1462\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artists from Free Control band at the Soft Touch Arts show<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Members of Leicester&#8217;s <strong>Free Control<\/strong> band performed a set. We heard from The Bellatones and hip-hop artists Boo Nation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lola King and The Kickstarts<\/strong> headline at the Soundhouse with Leicester band\u00a0<strong>Violet Cities<\/strong> and singer <strong>Michael Vickers.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Quirky songs with a vocal layer, plenty of personality and jaunty rhythms. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/loladangerking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lola King and the Kickstarts<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Violet Cities<\/strong> featured singer James Lewis. The band&#8217;s set of vibrant indie songs had plenty of catchy rhythms. Energetic and tight, their set was highly listenable. Plenty of style and verve made this an enjoyable set. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VioletCitiesUK?fref=ts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Violet Cities<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Singer <strong>Michael Vickers<\/strong> is back in Leicester for the summer, during his vacation from Bristol. So it was good to see him again and enjoy his set of well-written original songs. He uses his strong voice and character-full stage presence to good effect. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MichaelVickersMusic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Vickers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Meri Everritt<\/strong> sings one of her songs live on Radio Leicester.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1458\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1458\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1458\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/merieverittandtonywadsworth.jpg?resize=600%2C445\" alt=\"tony wadsworth and meri everritt\" width=\"600\" height=\"445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/merieverittandtonywadsworth.jpg?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/merieverittandtonywadsworth.jpg?resize=300%2C222&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1458\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Radio Leicester&#8217;s Tony Wadsworth interviews singer Meri Everritt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">An outside broadcast from the Tennis Club in which Meri sang one of her songs live.<\/p>\n<p>16th July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Leicester band <strong>The Jav&#8217;lins<\/strong> played their last gig at the Soundhouse to a large audience. Those guys were awesome.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Also on stage tonight was <strong>Mark Ryman<\/strong>. With his strong voice, Mark delivered songs with plenty of impact. It was an impressive performance. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/markrymanmusic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mark Ryman<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\u00a0The Soundhouse and Paul Collins put on a strong line-up of acts, providing a worthy night out for a Friday.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Young singer <strong>Dan Freestone<\/strong> opened the evening. Various people have spotted the talent of this artist and he\u00a0is\u00a0beginning to make a name for himself on the local acoustic circuits.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Samuel Idwal<\/strong> provided a set of highly impressive and enjoyable songs. As always his skills on the strings were mind-bogglingly good.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1547\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1547\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/deadshoot.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1547\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/deadshoot.jpg?resize=600%2C499\" alt=\"Dead Shoot band sound house\" width=\"600\" height=\"499\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/deadshoot.jpg?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/deadshoot.jpg?resize=300%2C249&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1547\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Dead Shoot band at the Soundhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The first band of the night was Leicester&#8217;s The\u00a0<strong>Dead Shoot<\/strong>. \u00a0The band&#8217;s set of rock songs were very agreeable, full of immediacy and attack, they were roundly delivered and the singing of\u00a0Craig Bennett kept it all going. Their rock songs had an edge and plenty of rhythms. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thedeadshoot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Dead Shoot<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1546\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1546\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/sonofglenn.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1546\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/sonofglenn.jpg?resize=600%2C494\" alt=\"son of glenn band\" width=\"600\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/sonofglenn.jpg?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/sonofglenn.jpg?resize=300%2C247&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1546\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Son of Glenn at the Soundhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The main attraction of the night was <strong>Son of Glenn<\/strong>. Normally a four piece, tonight three of them were on stage but the band&#8217;s music offering was still 100% as good as always. \u00a0 Their songs were melodic, full of ear-pleasing sounds, lead by the vocals of Josh Oakley. I have followed this band for a long time and what I heard tonight represents an impressive level\u00a0of steady development. They have come a long way since they started and now rightly deserve to be recognised as one of Leicester&#8217;s outstanding young bands. The band has an EP out now, \u00a0including two very good songs that ably demonstrate the qualities of their music. \u00a0See them <a href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/QuIcP8R8gEo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">performing live on Takeover Radio<\/a>.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sonofglenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Son of Glenn<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>19th July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">At the Soundhouse, <strong>Dan Freestone<\/strong> began the evening&#8217;s line-up. \u00a0Dan is a young singer who is setting out to make his mark on the local acoustic circuit. He was followed by established artist <strong>Samuel Idwal<\/strong>, one of the most distinguished singer\/songwriters of Leicester. The first band of the evening was <strong>Dead Shoot<\/strong>. I had not seen them before but looking at what they did tonight, I would say they are worth seeing again. Their agreeable set of rock songs was well performed and their music immediate and likeable. <strong>Son of Glenn<\/strong> delivered an impressive set and their work has grown and developed since they launched in early 2011.<\/p>\n<p>20th July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">There are often nights when there is too much happening and this was one of them. \u00a0At the Soundhouse, I went to see <strong>Empire<\/strong>. Their set of indie songs were very good, lead by the vocals of Andy Cooper.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1580\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1580\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/empire_andycooper.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1580\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/empire_andycooper.jpg?resize=600%2C450\" alt=\"andy cooper empire\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/empire_andycooper.jpg?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/empire_andycooper.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1580\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andy Cooper of Empire<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">This is a band that ticks all the boxes: \u00a0good songs, strong musicianship from all the members and memorable melodies. \u00a0They have sparkle and passion.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Flip Like Wilson<\/strong> came on stage to deliver a very enjoyable set of pop-punk music, again, delivered with energy and passion. When it comes to enjoyable and likeable music, you cannot go wrong with these two bands. They always put on a \u00a0good show. Lead singer Jake Sterland is never short on stage presence and the rest of the team give him top support.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Sadly I had to leave to get to the O2 Academy to see <strong>Neon Sarcastic<\/strong>. \u00a0I have followed this band pretty much since they started and have been to gigs with them outside of Leicester. \u00a0This was the last performance with drummer Jamie Flanagan; sad to see him leave because he has been an ace drummer and a major part of the band. With lead singer John Willson the band gave us a completely satisfying set of their songs, old and new. Supporting NS was Leicester band <strong>FourPointOh<\/strong>; \u00a0I was disappointed to have missed them; they are another of the top bands in the local area as far as I am concerned.<\/p>\n<p>21st July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">At the <strong>Singers of Distinction<\/strong> night, we had Nile McGregor, Theo Miller and Becky Edwards. A night of superbly good music. <a title=\"Singers of Distinction 2013 \u2013 reviews\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=1365\">Read the review<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>23rd July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">At the Soundhouse, I saw a new act that I liked. I thought their material was fresh and original. They were Lon Fisher and Celia Allsop.<\/p>\n<p>24th July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Our <strong>Singers of Distinction<\/strong> night went really well; \u00a0the line-up of five acts was superb. <a title=\"Singers of Distinction 2013 \u2013 reviews\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=1365\">Read the review<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>25th July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>City Link-up show<\/strong> at the Music Cafe with a line-up of not notch acts. A review of this is on the way. Read our review of the <a title=\"City Link-Up Unsigned July\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=1599\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">City Link Up show<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>26th July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">I went to the Shed to see one of my favourite hardcore bands: <strong>Drowning Grace<\/strong>. I love this band. The music was head-banging, full of hugely good grinding bass-lines and face-melting blasts of storming, thunderous riffs. Ben Cotton put on another dazzling performance, jumping around the room and swinging from the &#8216;rafters&#8217; and kicking the sh*t out of a beer crate. It was utterly rad. What a good band!<\/p>\n<p>28th July<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Something completely different! \u00a0At the Guildhall, an ensemble of musicians and singers played songs from the time of King Richard III. \u00a0Members of the Orpheus Project performed songs from the 15th century, playing on instruments similar to those in use at the time, including lutes and recorders. \u00a0See the article about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.artsinleicestershire.co.uk\/architecture\/kingrichardIII_artandmusic.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arts and Music from the time of Richard III in Arts in Leicester<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>30th July<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1793\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1793\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/joshkemp.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1793\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/joshkemp.jpg?resize=600%2C450\" alt=\"singer josh kemp\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/joshkemp.jpg?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/joshkemp.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1793\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Josh Kemp at the Soundhouse, 30th July<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Went to see singer <strong>Josh Kemp<\/strong> at the Soundhouse. He is a particularly good solo artist. He&#8217;s so sharp. \u00a0I really liked his songs. \u00a0he also uses a loop pedal to beef up some of his backing music. Whether playing his own songs or covers, Josh delivers a sparkling act. \u00a0I liked his high-speed rap song.<\/p>\n<p>Comments are now closed.<\/p>\n<p>See also:<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Music Diary October 2013\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=2304\">Music diary for October<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Music Diary September 2013\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=2150\">Music diary for September<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Music Diary August 2013\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=1772\">Music diary for August<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Music Diary July 2013\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=1338\">Music Diary for July<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Music Diary June 2013\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=1263\">Live music diary June<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.artsinleicestershire.co.uk\/music\/musicdiary.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Live music diary from January to May 2013 \u00a0on Arts in Leicester<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Gig Reviews\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=171\">Home page for the gig reviews section<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Live Music Gigs\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=313\">Gig dates<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Reviews\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/?page_id=148\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Record reviews<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\">Live music diary July 2013 A diary of gigs that we visited. 2nd July Open-mic night at The Exchange with Jason Smith and Dan Freestone. <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/reviews\/music-diary-june-2013\/\" title=\"Music Diary July 2013\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":1318,"parent":148,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1338","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P73uhX-lA","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":313,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/listings\/live-music-gigs\/","url_meta":{"origin":1338,"position":0},"title":"Live Music Gigs","author":"Trevor Locke","date":"23\/05\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Live music gigs and shows This page contains general news and links about live music in Leicester. Gigs list To see our \u00a0main list of gigs go to our Gigs list or also see postings from individual venues or promoters, such as Gigs at the Cookie Jar Lock42 The Musician\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"nile kaeman mcgegor","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/nilemcgreggor.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/nilemcgreggor.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/nilemcgreggor.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1215,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/festivals\/hinckley-music-festival\/friday-the-hinckley-music-festival\/","url_meta":{"origin":1338,"position":1},"title":"Hinckley Music Festival Friday","author":"Trevor Locke","date":"30\/06\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The Hinckley Music Festival report Friday Read our reports on The Hinckley Music festival For Saturday 22nd June For Sunday Sunday 23rd June It was \u00a0ten minutes to go to the first band. A few tents were up in the public camp-site. It was a weekday, not a holiday, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"leicester band axis mundi","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/ameixmundi.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/ameixmundi.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/ameixmundi.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/ameixmundi.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1263,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/reviews\/music-diary-june-2013-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":1338,"position":2},"title":"Music Diary June 2013","author":"Trevor Locke","date":"02\/07\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Live music diary for June 2013 A diary of gigs that we went to in June\u00a0\u220f scroll down to the end for links to other months 1st June The Riverside festival - read our review for Saturday Alexander O'Neal at the O2 Academy One Suspicious Monkey at the Shed and\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"calvin jeffrey","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/calvinjeffrey.jpg?fit=800%2C691&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/calvinjeffrey.jpg?fit=800%2C691&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/calvinjeffrey.jpg?fit=800%2C691&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/calvinjeffrey.jpg?fit=800%2C691&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1249,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/music\/singers\/singers-of-distinction-2013\/","url_meta":{"origin":1338,"position":3},"title":"Singers of Distinction 2013","author":"Trevor Locke","date":"01\/07\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Singers of Distinction 2013 Following our series of showcase events last year, ArtsIn Productions ran its 2013 series of shows featuring Singers of Distinction. The final show of the current season was \u00a0held on \u00a0Wednesday 21st August. See our reviews of the Singers of Distinction shows 2013\u00a0where you will be\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"sam idwal","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/samuelidwall_radioLeicester2.jpg?fit=600%2C462&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/samuelidwall_radioLeicester2.jpg?fit=600%2C462&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/samuelidwall_radioLeicester2.jpg?fit=600%2C462&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3220,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/music\/singers\/unplugged-2014\/","url_meta":{"origin":1338,"position":4},"title":"Unplugged 2014","author":"Trevor Locke","date":"03\/01\/2014","format":false,"excerpt":"3rd January 2014 The 2014 obsUnplugged shows Now in its fourth year, obsUnplugged is\u00a0a series of showcases to make selections for this years Musician Stage acoustic acts, both festival and support slots. 80+ Acoustic\/Electro Acoustic Acts, playing over two weeks, \u00a0in a series\u00a0showcasing some of the best local and national\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"sam idwal","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/samuelidwal_soundhouse.jpg?fit=800%2C650&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/samuelidwal_soundhouse.jpg?fit=800%2C650&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/samuelidwal_soundhouse.jpg?fit=800%2C650&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/samuelidwal_soundhouse.jpg?fit=800%2C650&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1365,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/reviews\/singers-of-distinction-2013-reviews\/","url_meta":{"origin":1338,"position":5},"title":"Singers of Distinction 2013 &#8211; reviews","author":"Trevor Locke","date":"08\/07\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Reviews of the Singers of Distinction 2013 The final show of the 2013 series was held on Wednesday 21st August. The series has finished for this year. We are now inviting comments on the 2013 series as a whole - so please give us your feedback. Scroll down for reviews,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Singer Nate Swettenham","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/skunkboyproject-e1455269688365.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/skunkboyproject-e1455269688365.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/skunkboyproject-e1455269688365.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1338"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16172,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1338\/revisions\/16172"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/148"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}