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Diary Dates
Alternativ Karaoke – Every Friday
The Shed
Get Friday night done right with Alternativ Karaoke! From 10pm – late you can take over The Vault stage at The Shed and jump around like your favourite rock star. Alternativ Karaoke is all about the big anthems, so whether you’re pop punk or hardcore, get warming up those vocal cords.
High Fade – Thursday 29 February
The Soundhouse
On a three-man crusade to set dance floors alight with their inimitable brand of razor-sharp funk and disco, High Fade can already count Jack Black, Cypress Hill, Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes and Brad Wilk from Rage Against the Machine as fans. With over one thousand gigs now under their belt, High Fade’s refined, infectious live performances have become an integral part of the band’s DNA, allowing them to put on a show that supersedes anything their fans have seen before!
The Zutons – Friday 1 March
O2 Academy
The Liverpool band known for their big, ballsy anthems brimming with urgent saxophone and meaty riffs; swampy rhythms and pop to jump around to. The Zutons scored two Top 10 hits with Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love? and Valerie which went on to become one of Amy Winehouse’s biggest hits produced by Mark Ronson.
Sub Focus – Saturday 9 March
O2 Academy
From his beginnings as a bedroom DJ five years ago, to headlining the Glade stage at Glastonbury in 2010, Nick Douwma, better known as Sub Focus, has become one of the most interesting, innovative and important voices working in British electronic music today. Douwma has created compositions for Chase & Status (Flashing Lights) and Example (Kickstarts), remixed The Prodigy, Deadmau5 and Dizzee Rascal, while his own tracks (including Airplane, X-Ray, Rock It, Could This Be Real) have won Sub Focus fans in the form of Zane Lowe, Annie Mac, Grooverider and Mistajam.
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INTERVIEW: Liz Stringer comes to The Soundhouse
Australian indie folk singer, Liz Stringer, is coming to Leicester as part of her upcoming UK tour. A must see for fans of Martha Wainwright and Bonnie Raitt, we caught up with Liz to find out more about her career.
How would you describe your music for someone who’s never seen you perform before?
I write indie folk songs on guitar and sing about the shared human experience; peoples’ stories and my own story. I grew up listening to a lot of Irish folk music so I love a melancholy hook but I also like a chat between songs. The scintillating commentary (rubbish) I talk tends to lighten things up!!
You’ve been performing for many years now, what has changed in the industry during that time?
I think the biggest change is the shift in demographic of people on stage and in the industry in general. When I started playing gigs in the mid-noughties, the overwhelming majority of musicians in visible bands were white men (at least in Australia) but that’s shifted a lot in the last twenty years and there’s a more true representation of the makeup of Australia’s cities and towns, including way more women, on the stages and in industry roles now. There’s still a way to go but it’s been great to see things become more balanced.
How do audiences in the UK differ from Australia?
I haven’t played a huge number of gigs in the UK yet but of the ones I’ve played, and the ones I’ve been to, I would say that UK punters are a bit looser and a bit more ready to open up. Aussie audiences can be pretty shy until they’ve got a lot of booze under the belt!!
Who inspired you to get into music?
My dad is a retired music teacher and an amazing musician. And so are my siblings. So music was all around me growing up and has always felt like a natural path for me to take.
Which 3 acts would be listed under your “For fans of” section?
Martha Wainwright, Bonnie Raitt, Sharon Van Etten
What’s your favourite show you’ve ever done?
I played a festival once called the Kimberley Moon Fest in Kununurra in north-east Western Australia. It was on the Ord River and is just completely stunning country. I love it up there. It was a beautiful night and I’ll never forget it!
What else is coming up in 2024?
I have a new record that I recorded in Brixton last summer which I’m planning to release later this year or early 2025, so all my focus is on getting that ready to make its way out into the world.
Where can people find out more about you?
My website or insta are two good places to start
www.lizstringer.com and instagram/lizstringeraus
Liz plays at The Soundhouse on Saturday 16 March. Tickets are available from Seetickets.
PLAYLIST
Wondering exactly what to expect from Liz’s gig? Take a listen to her latest album then book your ticket.
