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Diary Dates
Punk Rock Factory – Monday 14 October
O2 Academy Leicester

High energy, punk rock powerhouses Punk Rock Factory make easy work of their special brand of punk covers.
Hear them combine everything you love about 1990s/2000s punk rock, and reimagine classic and hit songs like you’ve never heard them before. From Meat Loaf to Disney, nothing is off limits to them.
Paint Me in Colour – Thursday 17 October
The Soundhouse

Paint Me In Colour is a Liverpool-based four-piece, whose sound has evolved from classic indie numbers to genre-hopping anthems.
Green Haze – Saturday 19 October
Duffys

If you missed the real thing on tour this summer, don’t panic… Based in South Wales, Green Haze are an energetic tribute to one of the best punk rock & rock’n’roll bands, Green Day.
The Smyths – Saturday 19 October
O2 Academy Leicester

An outstandingly accurate and thrilling tribute to live sound and feeling of The Smiths. Formed in 2003, The Smyths are the UK’s longest-established tribute to the one of the greatest bands of all time.
The Smyths are often cited as one of the world’s best tribute bands with shows home, abroad and at festivals – including Glastonbury – reinforcing the band’s status amongst the elite tributes.
Marisa and The Moths – Friday 25 October
The Musician

“Sharp, chunky modern hard rock that makes you think of Halestorm, Foo Fighters and In This Moment, alongside touches of various classic rock heavyweights “ – Classic Rock Magazine, UK Issue 269
Marisa And The Moths are turning heads with their alternative rock sound and powerhouse female vocals. Their 2019 self-titled debut album received rave reviews from press outlets like Kerrang!, Classic Rock, Primordial Radio, and BBC Radio 2’s Rock Show.
Skindred – Saturday 26 October
O2 Academy Leicester

A powerful mixture of ragga, punk and metal, Skindred have to be heard to be believed. With bits of dancehall, drum’n’bass and jungle thrown in for good measure, Skindred have a truly original sound; ‘For Skindred, its all about the music, education, entertainment and 100% vibes.’ (Benji – Skindred)
••••
INTERVIEW: Gaz Brookfield
West Country folkie, Gaz Brookfield, knows a thing about touring. Former Acoustic Magazine Singer-Songwriter of the year, he’s played festivals from Glastonbury to Beautiful Days and has shared the stage with the likes of Frank Turner, Ferocious Dog and Beans on Toast.
With his latest album having gone to number 1 in the folk charts, he brings his new tour to The Musician on Friday 11 October, we caught up with him to find out more.

How would you describe your music for anyone who isn’t familiar with you?
Upbeat solo acoustic folk tales of love, life, and all things therein.
Which 3 artists would be listed in your “for fans of” section?
Levellers, Loudon Wainwright III, Frank Turner.
What’s been the highlight of your music career so far?
My most recent album went top 40 in the main album charts and number 1 in the folk charts. I’m pretty chuffed with that.

You’re a completely independent artist, with no label, management or agent. How do you manage touring so much with handling it all yourself?
I think I just get on with it. No one has ever offered to sign me to anything, so I just crack on and do it myself. I realised a long time ago that no one owes you a living in this business, so waiting around to be “discovered” is just daft. As is the concept of being “discovered”. I’m a working musician. It’s my job, by choice, and I have bills to pay. Poverty is a great motivator. If I don’t fire out the emails, book the tours, play the gigs, write, record and release the songs, drive the van, sell the t-shirts, etc, I can’t pay the mortgage. I’m just very lucky that actually enjoy doing all of that.
You’ve played a number of top festivals, from Glastonbury to Beautiful Days, which has been your favourite?
Beautiful Days, without a shadow of a doubt. I’ve been fortunate enough to play it many times, solo, duo with my fiddle player, Ben Wain, and full band, both on the big top stage and main stage. It’s always the highlight of the year for me. The people who run it, and those who attend are all wonderful. I always go as a punter on the years when I’m not playing it. It really feels like going home.
For anyone new to your music, which 3 songs should they go to first on Spotify?
Loud and Clear
Be The Bigger Man
The Diabetes Blues

Which song gets the crowd going the most at your gigs?
As my songs rarely get played on the radio, it’s hard to know which songs to play each night. Be The Bigger Man and Diabetes Blues always seem to go down well. As does a silly little song about how much I love maps…it’s called Maps.
Gaz Brookfield plays at The Musician on Friday 11 October 2024. Tickets are priced at £12 and are on sale from Ticketweb.
Playlist
Time to plan in some gigs for the autumn? Take a listen to this week’s playlist to discover some of the acts who are playing in Leicester over the coming weeks.