We’re thrilled to announce that DINGUS KHAN will be headlining bitterscene on Wednesday 25th April with support from Things We Lost In The Fire.

All hail the rapid return of Dingus Khan! They blew us away in January, supporting the Kabeedies, and have since had tons of radio play and sessions and released their debut single on Fierce Panda Club Fandago label. The already legendary ‘Knifey Spoony’ ‘I couldn’t find a knife, so I had to use a spoon’ is something you will want to own (so bring some cash along)!

If you haven’t seen them before, you’re in for a treat. There’s a least seven of them and they’ve got 3 drummers. They are quite simply the best thing to come out of Manningtree, EVER! Knifey Spoony video here

Onto Things We Lost In the Fire. This band just get better and better the more we see them. Long time faves of ours, they’ve played for us quite a bit now and always put in a mesmerising set. Pulsating, escalating and well-honed.

See you Wednesday.

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We’re happy to announce that the most wonderful PINEY GIR will be headlining bitterscene on Wednesday 29th February. This will be a warm up show for Piney as she embarks in March on a tour to promote her latest album Geronimo (on Damaged Goods).

It’s been way too long since Piney played for us, so we’re superexcited that she’s back and if the new album’s anything to go by, she is sounding better than ever with a voice, sweeter than ever!

For those unfamiliar with Piney. She comes from Kansas but is based in London. She has played bitterscene several times, both as Piney Gir Country Roadshow and also as a member of the legendary all girl band The Schla La Las. Described as a cutesy-voiced, homely maiden, singing softly embellished country and western pop. We love her.

Warming up for Piney, a welcome return for Mandeville who played not so long ago for us on that crazy night of the Nightingales. Forged in the deepest pits of suburbia, Mandeville are a four piece garage rock outfit, with a strong emphasis on melody as well as racket! Bring it on!

Advance tickets here. We Got Tickets

And the marvellous Kabeedies, previewing songs from their eagerly anticipated new album Soap! We urge you to go and buy this record. Can’t stop playing it.

Moving along. Our next bitterscene is rather special. It’s our 11th birthday and it falls on 29th February, a leap year! We think it’s the first time in all those years that it’s fallen on the last Wednesday of the month! So it’s going to be spookily special and we are planning a great night for you. Line up will be announced very soon.

Advanced tickets coming soon.

The Kabeedies

Delighted to welcome back a firm bitterscene fave, The Kabeedies. Recently signed to Fierce Panda records – it’s all go at the moment, with the release of their second album SOAP on 23 Jan and a single from it, EYES on 30 Jan. They are sounding better than ever.

Dingus Khan

DK finally make their bitterscene debut, after many months … ! We’re looking forward to it and have heard good things.

Advanced tickets available from We Got Tickets

Advanced tickets available from We Got Tickets

The Nightingales

The Nightingales – they’re back and they’re marvellous, says Marc Riley of 6Music. We can only agree.

The Nightingales were formed by former members of The Prefects following that band’s demise in 1979. With an ever fluctuating line up, based around lyricist/singer Robert Lloyd, the Nightingales enjoyed cult status in the early ’80′s as darlings of the credible music scene and were championed by John Peel, who said of them – “Their performances will serve to confirm their excellence when we are far enough distanced from the 1980′s to look at the period rationally and other, infinitely better known, bands stand revealed as charlatans”.

The group recorded a bunch of critically acclaimed singles (Almost always ‘Single Of The Week’ in the music press) and three albums, plus many radio sessions for their great supporter Peel – more than any other band bar The Fall. They also regularly toured the UK and Northern Europe, as headliners and supporting acts as diverse as Bo Diddley and Nico.

In the late Eighties the Nightingales stopped working but, following the occasional gig between times, they re-grouped in 2004, with Lloyd being joined by original Prefects guitarist Alan Apperley.

Since restarting the group have been more productive than ever – releasing five 7″ vinyl singles and three studio albums (Plus two live albums).Their “Let’s Think About Living” 45 was ‘Single Of The Week’ on BBC 6 Music and they have continued to receive regular rave reviews for their records and live shows.

Their last album ‘Insult to Injury’ had rave reviews and there’s a new limited edition 10″ Vinyl ‘The Lost Plot’ EP which will be available on the night. Bring your pennies, bring your pounds. It’s gonna be a dirty old Sunday night.

Website:
www.thenightingales.org.uk

Ted Chippington

Ted Chippington is a stand-up comedian. He says of himself that he is an “anti-comedian” and that he only started doing his act “to annoy people”. He has even claimed that his main reason for retiring from the stage in the 1990s was that he was becoming too popular.

His act is one in which the conventions of his chosen craft are routinely flouted. Assuming a diffident on-stage persona and delivering his material in a West Midlands monotone, he shuns observational comedy in favour of anti-humour and jokes which are mostly variations on the same theme. This is interspersed with his own versions of well-known songs performed in a similarly listless style. This approach has left many audiences bemused or even hostile (his expertise at dealing with hecklers comes from frequent practice).

His deadpan style has won him a small but devoted number of followers. Probably his most notable fan is Stewart Lee, who has often cited Chippington as the reason he started doing stand-up comedy himself, and has described Chippington’s act as being “a mixture of surrealism and insolent provocation and uncompromising boredom”.

Website:
www.myspace.com/revtedchippington

Mandeville

Forged in the deepest pits of suburbia, Mandeville are a four peice garage rock band with influences like The White Stripes, The Hives, Blur and Manic Street Preachers. With a strong emphasis on melody as well as making lots of racket, Mandeville are coming to a bar near you to melt your faces off.

Website:
www.facebook.com/mandevilleuk

Advanced tickets available from We Got Tickets

Standard Fare

Standard Fare are back at bitterscene – hooray! The Sheffield trio are absolute favourites of ours and we love and play to death their debut album The Noyelle Beat.

Their songs are quirky, lovelorn, youthful and energetic.

“A riot of hormones, cut-to-the-chase lyrics, bolshie girl-boy vocals and jingle-jangle propusion…The best and most loveable aspects of indie guitar music.” The Sunday Times

“These indie pop darlings combine raw power and passion with excitable vocals and an ever present indie aesthetic. Infectiously catchy pop.” – Subba-Cultcha

Website:
www.myspace.com/standardfare

Listen:

Let’s Whisper

Indie pop duo Let’s Whisper come to bitterscene all the way from Burlington, Vermont. This is a side project from Colin Clary and Dana Kaplan of sunshine pop band The Smittens – faves at Indietracks – and they’ve just released their debut album ‘The Shortest Days’, on London-based WeePOP! Records.

The album, eight years in the making, spans the melancholy and majesty of everyday life. In short, it’s a celebration.

Perky pop, jellybean kinda sound that evokes blue skies and sunshine! Just what we all need.

Website:
www.letswhisper.com