Well we would just like say a special thanks to Jake for helping us out over that last few weeks. Our regular drummer was away getting some much needed rest and relaxation so we had managed to book Jake as a reserve, playing at the Northway public house and Charlton Kings social club - Both of which went extremely well.
Charlton Kings had a very mixed audience ranging from 18 yrs to 75yrs. (makes me laugh seeing o.a.p.s singing the chorus to teenage kicks!) We should definitely get a re-booking at both venues so watch this space.
Next weekend (Saturday 15th September) we will heading down to another favourite venue of ours, the 'Yew Tree' in Dursley.
Last weekend the band minus drummer Simon, played another acoustic set, which went down a storm. James our bass player joined us on acoustic guitar for the first time and did a great job. Our acoustic sets always go down really well. It allows us to create even more diversity with our set list and play some great songs by popular artists of today including Scissor Sisters, Paolo Nutini, Jessie J and Ed Sheeran to name but a few.
This coming weekend we are fully booked up (whoop whoop)...
On Friday 7th September we will be playing at The Northway Pub in Tewkesbury. They host live music once a month and this month we are the lucky chosen ones (1 out of 12 isn't bad). It's been a few years since we last played at this venue but it's definitely one to come along to. The crowd at the Northway love to rock and get down to basics so expect a great night with party rockin tunes and great company to match!
Saturday 8th September we will return to Charlton Kings Social Club in Cheltenham, which again has been an eagerly awaited return. We last played here about a year ago and as expected we went down a storm (blowing our own trumpet I know!). This venue generally books up well in advance so we unfortunately missed the boat a little... Hence our late return.
Anyway, enough dwelling on what could have been... It's going to a great night with sociable people, cracking music and we'll be there too. It is a club booking so there may be a £2 admission fee on the door. However, I would strongly recommend chatting up the steward and you may well get in free (depending on gender of course)!!
P.S. You didn't hear that from us!!!
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
We have played a string of private party's and wedding receptions
recently, which is usually the case during July through to October most years. As far as gigs go for Kickback last Saturdays was another successful
night.
It was a 50th birthday bash, which was held on a local farm in Forthampton. Luckily it was a beautiful day and the sun was shining. The organisers hired large gazebos and put in dance floors where we were successfully able to entertain their guests.
In the afternoon, they had a steel band on, which was brilliant. I hadn't seen or heard anything like it before. I have no idea what they were singing but it had a lot of Bacardi and rum in it!!!
On Saturday 27th July Kickback returned to Huntley Beer Festival for the second year running. Despite the bad weather we have experienced this summer, the sun managed to shine for us and the rain held off which was grand!
We played our first set at 8PM where the crowd enjoyed our music in the relaxed surroundings of the cricket grounds. In between sets we managed to catch a glimpse of band Born to be Jovi. We all thought they did an amazing job and put on a fantastic show.
Our second set was at 11PM and we were the final act to play, bringing the festival to a close at just after midnight. The second set was awesome as by this time the crowd were full of booze and more than ready to party. Everyone was up on their feet, dancing the night away.
It makes such a difference when the crowd are so receptive. We all have such a good time... We are doing what we love and it means a great deal to us that others enjoy it too!
The highlight of the evening was when our singer Steve had a flip flop malfunction and ended up flat on his back mid song... He still kept singing mind (ha ha).
All n all, an absolutely fantastic gig and we hope to get invited back next year.
Well, it finally happened... Lakefest 2012 is done and dusted and what a weekend it has been. The whole weekend was such a blast. Some of us arrived Friday night and enjoyed various bands like Toploader, EMF and Reef to name but a few.
We all met up bright and early Saturday morning for a good size breakfast in Tewkesbury before heading off to the festival to get ready for our big moment. We were one of the first bands on, so we were a little worried that we'd have a small audience but they soon came flooding in, once we started playing.
We got to meet lots of famous artists including the 'one and only' Chesney Hawkes. Absolutely top bloke and was definitely Saturdays highlight... The crowd went wild for him and I shan't tell you what got thrown on the stage at him! Ha ha!!!
The final band and headliner of the festival was Athlete. They were bought in pretty last minute to replace The Levellers who unfortunately had to pull out due to one of the band members sustaining an injury.
Finally, a huge thank you to Lee Martin for allowing us the privilege
of playing on the main stage. Also a very special thank you to the
sound guys who somehow managed to make us sound 10 times better - Jamie didn't sound like he was playing a guitar... More like an entire guitar factory (ha ha)
Awesome sound!
A memorable day - Let's hope it is the first of many!!!
Comments from the band:
Jamie: "Lakefest was a fantastic experience enjoyed every second of it!! The
only criticism that people have said is that we were on too early, but
if that's a criticism then I'll take it as a compliment..... Loved meeting Chesney Hawkes and all the other musical legends!"
Steve: "Amazing, surreal, exhilarating and bonkers fun. Enjoyed the whole experience from the time I arrived not knowing what to expect, to the time that we graced the stage and watched the main stage area fill with onlookers. Thanks to everyone who organised this event - I know it consumed your lives leading up to the day. Hopefully you can put yourselves through it again and again - and book us again of course! Live long Lakefest!!
James: "Just an amazing day playing Lakefest, good fun & great bands especially Missing Andy, everybody should check them out. It's rare to find a faultless event, from the organisation, engineering
& just a great bunch of people! I even have my own Lakefest mug, how
good is that!
I think Kickback can't wait 'til next time sure we all agree! Thanks All!"
Simon: "Time to put up our rates now we are famous!! First class festival! Great vibe! Started our set with a few people in the front of the stage and by the time we finished it was rammed. A great feeling playing to such a wonderful audience so thanks to everyone that dropped in for a listen".
It is with much sadness that we learned of the passing of British guitar playing and teaching legend, Bert Weedon – one of the Jim Marshall’s closest and dearest friends. Bert secured himself a place in six-string history decades ago, not only as the first British solo guitarist to enter the hit parade with instrumentals such as “Guitar Boogie Shuffle,” but with his ground breaking Play in a Day teaching book. The list of current British six-string-stars who cut their teeth on Bert’s book reads like a veritable “who’s who” of rock guitar and it is the best selling UK book of its ilk, of all time. No wonder the Shadows dedicated a song to the man. So, in addition to just getting louder with Jim’s arrival, heaven now has another wonderful guitarist up there...and two dear friends are united once more.
Our sincere sympathy goes out to Bert’s wonderful wife, Maggie, and the entire Weedon family for their loss. All at Marshall will miss his friendship, generosity, good natured banter and that ever-present, endearing, trademark Bert grin.
R.I.P. Bert “Mr. Guitar Man” Weedon
May, 1920 – April, 2012
04/2012 - Jim Marshall OBE 1923 - 2012
It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved founder and leader for the past 50 years, Jim Marshall. While mourning the Guv’nor though, we also salute a legendary man who led a full and truly remarkable life.
Jim’s ascent into the history books as ‘the Father of Loud’ and the man responsible for ‘the Sound of Rock’ is a true rags-to-riches tale. Cruelly robbed of his youth by tubercular bones, Jim rose to become one of the four forefathers responsible for creating the tools that allowed rock guitar as we know and love it today to be born. The ground breaking quartet also included the late, great trio of Leo Fender, Les Paul and Seth Lover – together with Jim, they truly are the cornerstones of all things rock.
In addition to the creation of the amps chosen by countless guitar heroes and game changing bands, Jim was also an incredibly humble and generous man who, over the past several decades, has quietly donated many millions of pounds to worthy causes.
While the entire Marshall Amplification family mourns Jim’s passing and will miss him tremendously, we all feel richer for having known him and are happy in the knowledge that he is now in a much better place which has just got a whole lot louder!
Rest in Peace & thank you Jim.
Your memory; the music and joy your amps have brought to countless millions for the past five decades; and that world-famous, omnipresent script logo that proudly bears your name will always live on.
In April Kickback spend a weekend in the recording studio 'Two Rivers' in Knightsbridge, Cheltenham. Pete Newdeck ripped just about everything he could out of the band during our time there and pushed a lot of boundaries.
We decided it was time to capture a brand new recording of the band for 2012 and get it across the web. The last 6 months, we have spent boosting our online profile with our blog, website and social media activities, so it will be great for people that find us online to be able to sample our sound and hopefully then book us!
We recorded I'm on Fire by Kasabien, Teenage Kicks by The Undertones, Tears of a Clown by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis and The Last Time by Rolling Stones.
On day 1,we laid down the drum track, followed by guitar and then bass guitar, so basically you can get all of the rhythm tracks down first. Day 2 was all about the main vocals and backing vocals.
I think we did well to complete 5 tracks in 2 days and it was certainly an exhausting 2 days... Oh wait, that doesn't sound very rock n roll does it!!! Ha ha!!
On a serious note, the band are really pleased with the end result and hopefully you'll get to hear some of the recorded tracks soon!Thanks for all your efforts Pete!
Last night Kickback returned to the Queen Vic in Stroud. Unfortunately singer Steve has the flu and lead guitarist Jamie is also unwell so the evening was a bit of a struggle, but we got the job done.
As per usual, the Queen Vic delivered a big crowd of party people and everyone had a great time. We have a few regular fans who always come to our Queen V. gigs (hi Marion), so it's always nice to see some familiar faces.
Despite Steve been unwell and hitting a few bum notes he still managed to attract the women... Well one women in particular. I suspect she will be a regular from now on (check out picture below).
Popular songs of the night were Echo Beach by Martha & The Muffins, Johnny B Goode by Chuck Berry,and our rocked up version of Tears of a Clown by Smokey Robinson. The highlight of the night was the first airing of the new cover Happy Hour by The Housemartins.
We will be back performing at the Queen Vic in Stroud Saturday 21st April and we are all very much looking forward to it.
The Queen Vic never fails to deliver big crowds of people, looking for a good time. We love playing gigs when the energy is high and everyone is quite obviously having a good time.
The fun loving Queen Vic is situated in Stroud town centre on Gloucester Street. If your in the area or even if your not... Come on down.
Glos Directories is an independent community magazine covering Tewkesbury and surrounding villages such as Bredon, Twyning, Apperley and then some!
The April/May 2012 was put through local letterboxes last week and features an article on Kickback (exciting!!!). The article is about Kickback playing at local festival 'Lakefest' in May, which we are very proud to be a part of.
The article does say that we will be playing on Friday 18th. However, there have been a few changes made to the line up since this article was published, so we will actually be playing at 1pm on Saturday 19th May.
We played a gig at the Ridge and Furrow in Gloucester last night, which is one of our more regular venues. It was a really great night... The band played really well and there was a great mix of people.
Jamie had his moment to shine and took the lead on Johnny Be Good by Chuck Berry, which went down a storm. As per usual Sex on Fire by the great Kings of Leon had all the women up on their feet. Other hits of the night were Your all that I have by Snow Patrol, Chelsea Dagger by The Fratelli's, Tainted Love by Soft Cell and In The Morning by Razorlight.
We will be back at the Ridge and Furrow on Thursday 26th April, so put the date in your diary and come on down to see us!!!
Kickback will be playing another explosive evenings entertainment at the Ridge and Furrow in Abbeydale, Gloucester this coming Saturday.
Songs will be included from the usual set list, but there will also be a few new numbers thrown in for good measure too, including our take on an old classic "I fought the law" and 80's pop song "Happy hour". We may also do a Ramones number as well (ear plugs not included).
Overall, it should be a great evening so come along and enjoy the super sound of Kickback.
Charity band night at The Irish Club in Gloucester raised over £1000 for their chosen charities on Friday evening. We all felt very humbled to be able to play a role in this event, which raised money for some really fantastic charities.
Kickback headlined the gig and went down a storm with the crowd, especially Kings of Leon, Razorlight, and Snow Patrol covers which we performed. Debut band Slither also went down a treat. We all really enjoyed listening to them rock it out to classics by AC/DC, Metallica, Deep Purple and Linkin Park.
By the time Kickback performed, the place was buzzing, which not only made it a great night for the audience, but an enjoyable one for the band as well!
The raffle was also a hit and some awesome prizes were donated. Steve (singer), the jammy dodger won two prizes and will soon be enjoying Cinderella on ice at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham (ha ha).
Kickback had a rare Saturday night off from gigging this weekend, so I went to see a band at the Bayshill pub in Cheltenham called 'Too Rock For Country', formally known as the 'Johnny Duff Band'.
The place was packed and although it's not really my cup of tea, I really enjoyed their performance. The guitarist Mike Franklin is amazing and Johnny Duff on vocals, was on form as usual.
Overall, I had a really good evening and would recommend seeing them play next time they are in the area!
For many years Kickback mainly got gigs from repeat venues, approaching new live music venues and band hire agencies. We also get approached a lot by people who come to our gigs to do private functions such as weddings, birthday parties, etc.
However, we have now seen the light and are working just as hard on building our online presence as we are practicing sweet music. There is a high demand for band hire in the United Kingdom, but not everybody knows about us.
We are using our blog, website and social media channels to build awareness of the band on the internet, so more people will be able to find us.
Visit our website... It is a working progress (but definitely worth the visit)!
On Friday 16th March, the full band will be doing a gig at The Irish Club in Gloucester, all in the name of charity.
The event aims to raise money for BLISS, the premature baby charity and for Get Kids Going, so if this is a topic close to your heart then you should definitely come along.
There will be a second band performing called Slither and there will also be a raffle. Tickets are available to purchase for £8 each and will be available to purchase online soon. Alternatively tickets will be available to buy on the door, on the night.
Check out the Band Charity Night page on Facebook for more information and whilst we are on the subject of Facebook... Don't forget to swing by our new page and give us a little likey!!!
On Friday night we played our third ever acoustic set at The Anchor in Tewkesbury. It's unfamiliar territory for us in the sense that we are so used to going out as a foursome, it feels like there is something missing. However our bass player James and lady Erica did come along to the gig to give us some support which was much appreciated.
Sixteen out of twenty five songs played on the night were new songs outside of our normal set list with the full band so was pretty experimental.
Overall, the gig went well and the crowd liked us. Below are a few video clips from the night, so hope you enjoy!
Name: Simon Wynn - Nicknames vary... Pooh (obvious really!), Wynnie, Twink, Drumbo Instrument/role in band: Drums, percussion, gurning, grunts, breaking wind Musical influences: Many - Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker, Aynsley Dunbar, Billy Cobham, Richie Hayward, Jim Keltner, Drumbo (Captain Beefheart) Favourite flavour of crisps: Meerkat flavour - Just like the adverts, they keep repeating on you! First car: Minivan (With a matress in the back - Really!!) When did you join Kickback and why? Too long ago to remember... Around 2004 I think. Reason for joining was simple - nobody else would have me!! Serious answer - I wanted to join a top class band and I found one. What is the most random thing about you? I have OCD Who is your favourite Spice Girl and why? None of them - they're all rubbish! Tell a lie, that Mel C... She's alright actually, in a Mel C sort of way!
Name: James Abraham Instrument/role in band: Bass guitar and backing vocals Musical influences: The Beatles if anything Favourite flavour of crisps: Smokey bacon First car: VW Beatle When did you join Kickback and why? Joined the band in 2010. I stopped playing for a while but you can only stay away from music for so long! What is the most random thing about you? Life is too important to take seriously... My random thought! Who is your favourite Spice Girl and why? My favourite Spice Girl is Gerry. It was a toss up between her and Posh... They are the only two I actually remember
Name: Steven Cowdrey Instrument/role in band: Singer Musical influences: The first albums I ever bought were Bros and Milli Vanilli. Not very influential but we've all got to start somewhere. Favourite flavour crisps: Pickled onion Monster Munch First car: A brown Ford Fiesta 1.1. Lasted 3 days before I wrote it off, but it still has a very special place in my heart. When did you join Kickback and why: At the very beginning... Jamie pestered me in to it and I got bored of singing to myself in the shower. I used to sing in to a hair brush too but lost my hair, so had to ditch the brush. Swapping it for a microphone seemed like a good idea! What is the most random thing about you? I use to be a private investigator. My sense of humour is pretty random too. Who is your favourite Spice Girl and why? Baby Spice... She looks so innocent but I reckon she's got a real naughty side.
Name: Jamie Ball Instrument/role in band: I play guitar and my role is try and keep things moving (looking after bookings, etc)... All for the sake of rock n roll. Musical influences: Status Quo, The Beetles. I like anything cheesey and singalongable. I also like a bit of punk rockin too! Favourite flavour of crisps: I love cheese and onion. I use to like smokey bacon but they kept repeating on me. They kept going 'smokey bacon, smokey bacon, smokey bacon, smokey bacon, smokey bacon, smokey bacon, smokey bacon, smokey bacon, smokey bacon, smokey bacon, smokey bacon'. First car: 2.8i Ford Capri... Say no more on that one! When did you join Kickback and why? I was the founder of Kickback. It use to be called Quest for a short time. I joined because I like the kind of music we play and have a great laugh with the guys! What is the most random thing about you? I am a regular blood donor (is that random enough?) Who is your favourite Spice Girl and why? Spice Girls!! They're knocking on a bit no aren't they!? I like Girls Aloud but my favourite Spice Girl back in the day was Posh... She had a cracking set of pins! She is a bit too skinny now though!
On Friday 2nd March guitarist Jamie Ball and singer Steven Cowdrey will be performing an acoustic set at The Anchor pub in Tewkesbury.
This will be our third public acoustic appearance and we are really looking forward to it. Our set includes The A Team by Ed Sheeran, Take your mama by The Scissor Sisters, Pretty Vacant by The Sex Pistols and Everlong by The Foo Fighters, to name but a few.
We will be going on about 9:30 pm so be sure to make it down!
The Anchor Pub,
42 High Street,
Tewkesbury,
Gloucestershire,
GL20 5BH
Lakefest is a 2-day festival held 18th-19th May at Croft Farm in Bredons Hardwick near Tewkesbury. We are really excited to be playing such a massive gig right on our doorstep, accompanied by some great bands including The Levellers, Reef, EMF, Toploader and not forgetting the one and only Chesney Hawkes!
We will be playing Friday 18th in The Garden Tent, so make sure you come and check us out!
Tickets for Lakesfest can be purchased from HMV and from the official Lakefest 2012 website.
Kickback went down a storm at Huntley Beer Festival last year. Unfortunately the video is not very complimentary of the crowd... There was a huge turn out!
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