Those Christmas messages keep on rolling, the latest is from the very new, and very good, Pennine Suite. A band formed during Covid which includes three members of the Receivers, a band who are sadly no longer with us. The Receivers are dead, long live Pennine Suite! They have a gig at the Crescent in York on 27th December with support from Trueman & The Indoor League and Pavilion, get yourself down there if you can. This band are so new they don’t have any merch yet, but follow their FaceBook page to keep up to date with Nick, Louis, Moses, Harry and Louise, just click here to do that. Also you need to check out the tracks they currently have on Spotify, click here to be transported to the Pennine Suite! Thier Christmas message is rather wonderful and you really need to watch it right to the end. I have been asked to inform you that no actual elves were harmed in the making of this video, but maybe the Little Drummer Boy was!
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Three more sleeps, not counting tonight until the bearded weirdy pops down your chimney. Obviously, I mean Santa Claus and not me ok? We are at day 10 (albeit a little late) of this year’s 12 Days of Christmas series which as regular readers know showcases a collection of songs about hope. The first eight posts have given you songs from Bill Withers, The Beatles, Johnny Nash, Bob Marley, ELO, Sam Cooke, Monty Python, Curtis Mayfield, and Fleetwood Mac. At the end of the twelve days, there will be a playlist of all twelve tunes and any that you recommend. It has gone so quick for me with only two more songs to go after this one. The world is a strange, dark place right now and I hope that these songs help you even in a small way. Today’s song is a 60s classic, “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops. Levi Stubbs Jr had one of the greatest soul voices ever in my opinion. Once again stay strong good people, we will get through all the shit that life throws at us eventually and there will be light at the end of this time. If you are feeling particularly low talk to someone. I am happy to be here for you if you need me!
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The Dead Zoo promoting their “In The End” CD. The music is so tasty it’s edible!
Here comes the seventh Christmas Message for this year and it is from the rather wonderful Dead Zoo, who also provided a fab message last year too. Like many bands this year has been relatively slow for the Dead Zoo. However, that has not stopped them from releasing a fabulous single “In The End” which came with some banging dance mixes and a great cover of Mr. Bowie’s “Everyone Says Hi”. They have also played a few live dates recently. The Dead Zoo are on my bucket list of bands to see playing live next year! Click here to check them out on Bandcamp, there are still a handful of CD copies of the “In The End” CD available. Their merch is also on Bandcamp too. How about a particularly tasteful T-Shirt or a lighter/ bottle opener combo, now the latter is pretty ace in my humble opinion!
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Today’s Christmas message is from Apollo Junction courtesy of singer Jamie. These lads have had a great year in spite of the Covid chaos. Hometown headline shows, Festival appearances, supporting the likes of the Kaiser Chiefs, a pub tour, and a stonking new album. I reckon this lot will become huge and deservedly so. Click here to go to the band’s site and buy yourself some classy vinyl, hats, T-Shirts, and even a Tea Towel! If you want to jump right into their great tunes click here to find them on Spotify
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Today’s second Christmas message (our 5th in all) is from AP Tobler, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who is overflowing with talent. Regular readers will know her as she has featured in these pages quite regularly. A few months back AP, who resides in San Jose, released a rather magnificent EP, ‘Alternate Vision’. Her singles have all been classy and she seems to get better with every release. Personally, I am always interested in new stuff from AP Tobler, click here to check her music out on Spotify and visit her site and get yourself a classy T-Shirt. After that take a look at the delightful Yuletide message she has recorded for the readers of With Just A Hint Of Mayhem.
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For the second year in a row, those West Yorkshire Superheroes PERCY have sent all the readers of With Just A Hint Of Mayhem a Christmas message.
Here is what they have to say! “Happy Christmas everyone and a hard-rockin’ New Year from Percy. Live opportunities were rare for us in 2021 and we want to thank all the venues and punters who braved the circumstances to keep the live music scene in York alive. We are a busy bunch and as well as putting in the hours growing our hair long we have managed to get together and write a brand new album that we plan to bring to you in the early Spring. It is a fast-paced set probably reflective of us all being wound up tight all 2021… The working title is ‘Chunks’ which is about living in a big pie. Yep, a big pie. That is Percy for you.
You can have a listen in to that track live recorded in October at the Crescent by clicking here a few other new tunes from that set on the channel too.
have an awesome New Year everyone. Percy
Follow PERCY on Twitter for news of the release and gigs @percybanduk
You can listen to and buy Vinyl and CDs at the PERCY Bandcamp site, just click here!
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Wow, where does the time go? We are already at day 9 of this year’s 12 Days of Christmas series which as regular readers know showcases a collection of songs about hope. The first seven posts have given you songs from Bill Withers, The Beatles, Johnny Nash, Bob Marley, ELO, Sam Cooke, Monty Python, and Curtis Mayfield. At the end of the twelve days, there will be a playlist of all twelve tunes. Covid has turned the world upside down and highlighted so many mental health issues for many of us. So I hope these songs help even in a small way. Today’s song is a 70s classic, “Move On Up” by Fleetwood Mac. Once again stay strong good people, we will get through all the shit that life throws at us and if you are feeling particularly low talk to someone. I am happy to be here for you if you need me!
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The limited-edition T-Shirt, guess who bought one? 🙂
This would be the first time I have ever seen the same band play three times in one day and unsurprisingly the first time I have ever been on a band one-day tour/ pub crawl in a vintage bus. This opportunity came about because I purchased the Yorkshire special edition of Apollo Junction’s new album, ‘All In’ as well as it being limited, signed, coloured vinyl and with a tea towel it also came with a ticket to this very different way to spend a Saturday. The first venue was in Otley at an old hotel called the Black Horse. I briefly watched the band setting up in a relatively small function room on the first floor. All of the band’s kids were in attendance, and we came close to getting a set from the Apollo Juniors. This first set was an acoustic run-through of some classy tracks from their first album ‘Mystery’. Bassist Ben nailed his acoustic for that difficult opener. The band also added an acoustic stomp through “Two Car Family” from the new album. As it was December the boys played a Yuletide standard, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, towards the end Jamie admitted that they had spent time rehearsing it, but hadn’t confirmed how to end it! But they did it with style and aplomb. This was perhaps one of the most intimate sets I have been to, the band were even provided with chips by one of the punters.
After this Mr. Shedload Records himself a.k.a. Mick took us lucky lot to the vintage bus which would take us to the next venue. That was a great, but bloody cold, journey on which I was able to chat with quite a few more Apollo Junction fans. The second venue was the Bridge Inn at Kirkstall for another acoustic set, this one focussed on the new album ‘All In’ and many of the, so far, seven singles released from the album were included. Along with another take on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. Jamie did his usual wander in the crowd while still singing, which is always something special. The venue was incredible a huge double teepee at the back of the pub exclusively for us. There were fires too and once again a really intimate set.
Then it was back on the bus for a shorter trip, just down the road to Kirkstall Brewery in Leeds. I hope I heard it right, but I think they have produced an Apollo Junction beer. This was the largest venue of the three and was the setting for a full-on electric set. The band was firing on all cylinders and finished the day with a stunning, entertaining, emotional set. This is a band that gets better all the time. A great bunch of lads, ace musicians, and oh boy do they know their audience. This closing set was very special indeed and if I had to pick a highlight it was the storming and emotional “Are You Happy” a great singalong anthem and possibly my current Apollo Junction favourite. “Light Up The Sky” was electrifying as well. This was to be my final gig of the year and if I count each set individually then I have seen this band four times in 2021! I reckon this bus and pub tour should become an annual thing, how about it lads?
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This year’s 12 Days of Christmas series showcases a collection of songs about hope which by now I’m sure you’re aware of. The first seven posts have given you songs from Bill Withers, The Beatles, Johnny Nash, Bob Marley, ELO, Sam Cooke, and Monty Python. At the end of the twelve days, there will be a playlist of all twelve tunes and maybe even some of your choices added to that list. It is clear that the world is very dark for so many people right now and I worry that this will not get better quickly, so I really hope that these songs light up your darkness. Today’s song is perhaps one of my favourite songs ever, “Move On Up” by the late, great Curtis Mayfield. Once again stay strong good people, we will get through all the shit that life throws at us and if you are feeling particularly low talk to someone. I am happy to be here for you if you need me!
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Today’s Christmas message is from ace York band Skylights and presented by guitarist supreme Turnbull. The band has had a phenomenal year by so many standards, which is even more amazing given the Covid restrictions that have existed for much of that time. There was a delicious stripped-back version of “Darkness Falls” back in April and sell-out shows which stretched to Scotland and Ireland and of course plenty in Yorkshire. They were due to close the year with two more sellout shows billed as “homecoming” gigs in York at the Acomb Working Men’s Club. Sadly Covid has meant those two shows have been postponed until April. I will be there! Then of course there will, hopefully, be the eagerly awaited album on the shelves in 2022. If you haven’t got into Skylights yet then where have you been? Click here to check out more of their music and to get yourself some tasty Skylights merch.
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With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 