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
If you have enjoyed this article feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;
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.
If you have enjoyed this article feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;
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!
If you have enjoyed this article feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;
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!
If you have enjoyed this article feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;
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?
If you have enjoyed this article feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;
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!
If you have enjoyed this article feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;
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.
If you have enjoyed this article feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;
In the 60s when Eric Clapton was revered by many as one of the greatest living guitarists. Graffiti stating that “Clapton Is God” was seen in numerous locations in London. When Clapton first saw Jimi Hendrix play he was allegedly truly blown away. Apart from the odd gem with Cream and perhaps “Layla” (although it was Duane Allman who was mostly responsible for that iconic lick), I believe that Clapton’s solo output has been somewhat mediocre. I saw him at the Royal Albert Hall in the 90s and my conclusion then was that he was a good guitar player with an ok voice and not many great songs. Perhaps the nadir arrived earlier this year in his collaboration with fellow Covid anti-vaxxer, or at least vaccine sceptic, Van Morrison. In June under the name Slowhand & Van he released a song called “The Rebels”. It was pretty atrocious in my view. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse they released “This Has Gotta Stop” in September. If you wish to check out more dire recordings search for Van Morrison’s “No More Lockdown”. So that you can see how poor both songs are the videos are included in this post. Yes, I recognise the irony of giving such crap airtime, but I thought it was appropriate for this post. I would be happy to step out from behind my computer screen and debate this.
Clapton has a history of racism, his drunken rant on stage at a UK gig in 1976 where he asked foreigners to put their hands up. He then told them they should leave, stating “Not just leave the hall, leave our country… I don’t want you here, in the room or in my country, The Black w—s and c—s and Arabs and f—ing Jamaicans don’t belong here, we don’t want them here,” This is England, this is a white country, we don’t want any Black w—s and c—s living here. We need to make clear to them they are not welcome.” This racist rant concluded with Clapton calling England a white country made for white people. This rant went some way to help start the whole Rock Against Racism movement. He has addressed this attitude in at least one interview, although to be fair that was with the Daily Mail. He described himself in the ’70s as a “semi-racist” and said that he was “so ashamed of who I was” at the time. He also said that he once dated a Black woman, had Black friends, and said that he “championed Black music.” That old chestnut of racists, “I have black friends” really doesn’t wash Mr. Clapton, particularly 42 years after the original statement. Thanks to Clapton’s Covid related views acclaimed guitarist and decent human being Robert Cray has pulled out of touring with him.
The icing on the cake arrived this week when it was reported that Clapton’s lawyers had sued a woman who was selling a live compilation CD of Clapton playing in the 80s entitled ‘Live USA’ which she said her husband had purchased from a German department store years ago. According to the lawyers it was a bootleg recording. The woman now has to pay legal costs of nearly £3,000 for a CD that she was offering for sale at less than £10. Clapton, through his lawyers, claims that bootlegging is rife and that he has been unable to earn during Covid. Seriously? Wobble your head, Clapton, this woman was really taking nothing from you with a cheap CD of recordings that to my knowledge have never been commercially released. Click here to read the full report in the Guardian. I can no longer bear to listen to Clapton’s music, nor Van Morrison and for that matter Ian Brown and Morrissey too. If Clapton really was God then he has made a shit job of it!
If you have enjoyed this article feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;
I am sure you will know by now that this year’s 12 Days of Christmas series showcases a collection of songs about hope. So far there have been songs from Bill Withers, The Beatles, Johnny Nash, Bob Marley, ELO, and Sam Cooke. 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. The world is a particularly horrible place for so many people right now and I fear that things may not improve quickly, so I really hope that these songs at least brighten the darkness a little. Today’s song is the Monty Python classic from ‘The Life Of Brian’ film, “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life”. This song always makes me smile, which songs do that for you? 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!
If you have enjoyed this article feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;
Most of you will know by now that this year’s 12 Days of Christmas series showcases a collection of songs that communicate hope. So far there have been songs from Bill Withers, The Beatles, Johnny Nash, Bob Marley, and ELO. 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. These past couple of years have been awful for many and I fear that things may get worse before they get better, so I hope that these songs make you even slightly happier. Today it is the turn of the late, great Sam Cooke with “A Change Is Gonna Come”. The song was apparently inspired by a number of events in Sam’s life, particularly when he and his entourage were turned away from a whites-only motel in Louisiana. He has said that he felt compelled to write a song that spoke to his struggle and of those around him, and that pertained to the Civil Rights Movement and African Americans. This song always inspires me, what songs do that for you? Once again stay strong people, and if you are feeling particularly low talk to someone. I am happy to be here for you if you need me!
If you have enjoyed this article feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;
