IT’S that time of year again as Coventry Music Museum curator Pete Chambers BEM reveals the winners of his annual ‘Pete Awards’.
Best local Artist- Duke Keats
Original, inventive and entertaining, if you get those three working for you, you know you are on to something, and Duke Keats is certainly all that and more.
Where was I when I first witnessed Duke Keats’s mastery on stage, well as I recall it was at the Tin, and wow did he make some kind of impact, he certainly did.
He has played all over local and national BBC, been Band Of The Month, and it’s little wonder- on stage the Hendrix vibe is never far away, but he’s much more than that.
Be excited, as new material is on its way.
Best Local Gig-–Wreckless Eric- Just Dropped In, Fargo.
With the best seats in the house, the Stiff legend gave us an uber-entertaining set punctuated by some grade-one banter.
The audience was on his side from the first track and although the set was cherry-picked from the latter part of his career, he did do his greatest non-hit “Whole Wide World” that brought the house down.
It was great to welcome him to the museum pre-gig too.
Best Local Single-Red Flag Abz Winter
Abz has probably moved on with two great singles since this track, but I’m sorry, I can’t get past this dynamic masterpiece of a record, I hope it’s not just going to be forgotten.
I said at the time it would make a perfect Eurovision entry (and I mean that as the ultimate compliment).
These were my words on its release: “This is a powerhouse of a song; here we have Abz and her super controlled vocals, handling the verse like a good un’, but you already know that we are on some kind of sonic journey this is leading up to something?
“Then suddenly without warning there, it is at critical mass: a killer chorus full tilt maximum at the highest energy, one of the best choruses I have heard in a long time, it’s atmospheric, it’s glorious and it’s perfect”.
Best local Album- Justify by Chrissie Dux
Chrissie’s new album “Justify” is a wonderful and stunning debut.
“Hey Moon”, “Justify”, “The Liar And The Fool”, “Make It Through The Year” and of course, the majestic “Hold On” are just some of the amazing tracks here, and it is enough to make this my Album Of The Year.
Most Promising Local Newcomers- The Rollocks
The Rollocks is a band that never takes themselves too seriously, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t make some incredible music.
After releasing their debut EP in October, the band have been picking up loads of fans- 2024 looks to be their year.
Outstanding Contribution To Cov Music- Joe Colombi
An unsung hero of the local scene, Joe works tirelessly with his Sink Or Swim Promotions to put great gigs on at the Tin and Just Dropped In records at FarGo and the like.
A real top bloke who has a finger on the pulse when it comes to local music and beyond.
