Anarchy in the Ukulele EP
The cover of the Anarchy in the Ukulele EP.
Of course I love Crokodile Tears and the multi-talented Chris Sidwell.
Back in 2023 he wrote a song about me entitled From Ball Hill with Louvre, with a chorus I challenged him to write: “He’s got a tuba in his Uber,” which he rather successfully did.
Now he is back under the guise of Christopher Crocodile, here with a new EP Anarchy in the Ukulele. The EP comprises three tracks: The Spreading Chestnut Tree, Yoo-Hoo! and Bottles on the Green.
Chris explains the first track: “In old England there was a song that my Mother used to sing to me. It is called The Spreading Chestnut Tree, or, Neath the Spreading Chestnut Tree.
“The song speaks of younger generations being raised under and swinging on the Chestnut tree. It was a different world then and I can’t remember there being any ‘antisocial behaviour’ or litter, even.”
On track two, entitled Yoo-Hoo, Chris said: “In those days women of a certain age would call you with a ‘woo hoo!’ All very innocent of course. When I was out with my friends, my Mum would call me sometimes and I’d get all embarrassed. I wish that she was here now to call me.”
And on the third track, Bottles on the Green: “These days our green is covered in balloons, nitrous oxide containers, cans and, sometimes hundreds of miniature vodka bottles.
“Anarchy might be a relative concept but, if our green is a barometer, then our world has changed for the worse. We might still have chestnut trees but swinging from them these days is more likely to be doggy poo bags.”
Visit https://therainbows2.bandcamp.com/album/anarchy-in-the-ukelele for more information.
The Session. Picture by Mark Pemberton Photography.
The Session are back on tour for 2025
Lovers of great music will be overjoyed to see that one of Coventry’s finest bands are making their mark again on the live stage throughout 2025.
The Session have now played over 600 shows all over the UK, have recorded six original albums, and are now in their 23rd year together.
They are a band that tick all the boxes: musically brilliant, vocally superb and their self-penned songs are as good as anyone’s out there.
Live, they own every stage they play, with co-vocalist Shezza and her sublime rock voice that radiates elements of Janis Joplin and Elkie Brooks.
Session dates so far for your diary include Kenfest (May 2), Kineton Music Festival (June 21), Tag Festival (July 12), The Tin Arts (July 18), Sent2Coventry Festival (July 19), Cov Pride Festival (August 9) and The Leamington Food Festival (September 6).
Stone Foundation
Stone Foundation have arranged a special bank holiday matinee gig on May 4 at HMV Empire Coventry.
MASSIVE congratulations go to local lads Stone Foundation for once again hitting the charts with their new album ‘The Revival of Survival’ – number three on the Indie chart and number seven in the physical chart.
Stone Foundation celebrated an incredible 25 years of success in 2023 with the release of the retrospective anthology ‘Standing In The Light’ through 100 Percent Records. Their last four albums all charted UK Top 40, including of course 2022’s ‘Outside Looking In’.
Known for their collaborative spirit and inclusive approach, the band team up regularly with Paul Weller who sings lead on a number of their songs. He has worked with them frequently across the last decade, on both the Stone Foundation catalogue and his own solo work.
Along the way they have always ploughed their own furrow and made their own luck, enjoying national airplay from BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 2, receiving rave reviews from a huge range of publications, playing Glastonbury Festival and selling out headline shows at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Koko and the Electric Ballroom.
Stone Foundation have opened for Madness, The Specials, Jamiroquai, Mavis Staples, Paul Weller, Grace Jones and Tom Jones.
They have arranged a special bank holiday matinee gig on May 4 at HMV Empire Coventry to celebrate the amazing chart success of ‘The Revival OF Survival’.
Doors open at 2pm. Support comes from MA MUSIC, who are on at 2.30pm, before Stone Foundation take to the stage at 3.30pm. Over 14’s only; under 16s must come with an adult. Visit https://tinyurl.com/ymvcyhpd for tickets.
Thomas Truax at The Tin
Thomas Truax is a musician like no other, an American singer but so very much more.
A regular over the years at The Tin, this was the first time I would witness the master of the sonic profound for myself. Watching the show was something like entering the lab of a mad scientist, where you are taken on a musical journey into a world of wonderful yet slightly unsettling songs that are both enchanting and bewildering at the very same time.
His unique self-made ‘band mates’ include a motorised drum machine made of bike wheels, spoons and other found items called ‘Mother Superior,’ and a souped up Gramophone called ‘The Hornicator.’
It’s all quite brilliant, and begs the question, how does he think of such things? Though I’m happy to say he does.
It was a brilliant night, and I will certainly be there when he returns sometime in the future. Hats off to the support Jonny Nicholds too, and his beautifully crafted songs.
