(photos – Tony Bowall)
Thank you to everybody who came to our special event at the Brunswick at the start of the month. It really felt like a true celebration of everything the Real Music Club has been over 20 years and, we hope, will continue to be. At the show I said some words about Gregg McKella who has announced his intention to step back from the RMC and allow himself the time to work on his solo album and find some space to be creative in.
I echo my words and thanks again to Gregg who really has been an unsung hero, doggedly determined to keep the RMC going and true to its roots and foundations. I’m sure Gregg will continue to be a visible presence at the gigs and we look forward to seeing him on stage with Paradise 9 or to feature his solo material at some point in the future.
Proceeds from the gig and sales on the night of Judge Trev’s ‘God and Man’ cd means we are able to make a £200 donation to Pancreatic Cancer UK which is a nice cherry on the cake for a hugely enjoyable and successful evening.
What is happening with the Real Music Club now? Well, Sean Wallis and Tristian Watson O’Brien from Decadent Dayze have now bedded in on the committee and we also have Simon Young (Qwarks and Celler dweller promotor) adding ideas and contacts to help us bring an exciting program of events in the future. Neal Rogers and myself, Joe Bridge, are also still involved and we may see some more presence from Stuart Avis (Servants of Science) again.
So we have plenty of hands on deck to keep the RMC going and we wanted to have a bit of a relaunch, starting with the logo and also the website which really does look great now thanks to the efforts of Steve Cooke and Tristian. Please do visit it and we will continue to populate with archive and links to our youtube channel which we also plan to grow with access to live footage from RMC gigs and also official promos and live clips from the many bands that have featured at the RMC over the years.
We have had a lot of interest from bands wanting gigs with the RMC and I know you have been patiently waiting for updates. Once we have secured dates with venues we will be in touch with offers and begin our usual process of event programming. Hopefully soon!
We do have one gig to launch the new era with tho, so please do join us at the Prince Albert on Sunday March 9th as we host the live debut from The Sixx and welcome back the brilliant Son of Ugly!
https://wegottickets.com/event/642516
We see it as a real coup to get The Sixx live debut as the calibre of musicianship and determination to succeed within this group means I think they will only go on to be a popular fixture on the live circuit and at festivals after this innaugral performance.
Featuring lead vocalist Maxine Talulah, drummer Marty Love (Johnny Moped/Wingmen/Sensible Gray Cells) guitarist Calle Engelmark (Eddie Roxy & The Adjacent Kings), bassist Ricky Maguir (The Men They Couldn’t Hang) and on keyboards, Dave Blackman (Smalltown Glory) this is a band of top, seasoned musicians who want to flex their creative muscles and put all their years of experience in various bands and roles within the music biz to project something of class, quality and depth.
The band have been building their repetoire, been promoted on radio such as the Griff Griffith’s drivetime show on New Dawn FM, got a prestigious booking at West World Fest (sadly now postponed) amongst a whole host of classic punk/post-punk, ska and new wave bands and have lots of exciting plans for 2025 – already dropping debut single ‘Shadows’
Undercover agents of musical espionage Son of Ugly bring new material for their return to the Real Music Club laced with their (un)usual groovy, cinematic sound. Their first album ‘Invitation To Danger’ was a suspense-laden, multi-genre adventure piece, that plays out like a movie soundtrack love letter to cult cinema. B-movie monsters, spaghetti western showdowns, spy jazz, and ambient terror, are some of the themes explored on an album chock full of dynamic twists and turns.
Both ‘Invitation to Drama’ and its companion remix and rework album ‘Derailed’ are set to have their first vinyl release on March 1st, with additional bonus tracks.
Cheers,
Joe