The Grey Lady Music Lounge, Sunday 8th May 2011

Laveer, (vrb) - to beat against the wind.

“That’s what the dictionary says it means”, explains the band, “it's like we see ourselves as sailors, sailing into the wind and riding the waves against all adversity.... that or something like that. Would you like another biscuit?”

Laveer are four tea-spilling musicians who favour acoustic instruments and like playing songs together. Their music has been called, among other things, compelling and melodic. They like to play live and have recorded one album called “Fingermouth” (available cdbaby, amazon, itunes etc). They are working on some new recordings which will be available later in the year.

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BigFishLittleFish formed in 2008 and, having swiftly moved in on the Tunbridge Wells music scene when they were awarded first place in a local song writing competition, have been making a name for themselves in the area ever since, playing anything from local weddings to music lounges, and from pubs to open-air gigs in Barcelona. The band comprises of Eden Fish (guitar, piano and vocals) and Ollie Bream McIntosh (lead vocals) and their buoyant enthusiasm and polished confidence combined with infamous banter and light hearted style make for a wholly enjoyable performance. They started writing their own music the moment they joined forces and have honed their collective crafts for over four years, which has resulted in a distinctly striking and attractive acoustic sound. The pair’s influences are wide ranging: soul, funk and jazz through folk, blues and indie pop. The duet recorded their first four-track EP in Southampton last summer (which is on sale today), and is looking to spend some more time in the studio in the coming months. Still writing and developing their act, they have high hopes for the future and are always looking for opportunities to perform and gain esteem in the musical world. Along with original material, they perform an endless list of covers, similarly spanning in variety – from old blues classics to current top ten hits, always reworked slightly to add something new and deliver an increasingly recognisable BFLF punch.

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Singer-songwriter, Paul Dunton leads his own unique cross-over orchestra providing an atmospheric fusion of alternative and pop with a classical twist. Paul & his Orchestra take influences from varying modern day artists such as Pink Floyd, Elbow, ELO, Turin Brakes, Massive Attack, Damien Rice and contemporary composers such as Samuel Barber, Ludovico Einaudi, John Barry and Hans Zimmerman. The Orchestra performs Paul's own compositions and a varied selection of uniquely arranged standards from a wide range of artists. The line-up of 8 violins, 4 cellos, guitar, flute, bass and percussion accompanies Paul on vocals and piano, joined by his lead vocalists, Charlotte Andrew and Poppy Raine. Paul and his Orchestra regularly perform at concerts, festivals and private events throughout the UK and internationally, including headlining the Theatrium Wilhelmstraße Festival in Wiesbaden, Germany and an 8 state tour of the USA which culminated in a spectacular roof-top performance on top of the New York Strand Hotel. Increased attention and success led to the orchestra being featured on BBC Radio 2 by Joan Armatrading with interviews and airplay of one of Paul's songs, 'Don't Forget'. This led to Paul supporting Joan Armatrading on five occasions during her recent UK tours.

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Acoustic singer-songwriter James Kirby tours the UK this spring. Recently returning from a run of concerts in the US & Europe,
his beautiful & melodic songs captivate audiences of all ages and sizes and with his unique style of guitar playing, he is not to be missed!

’Beautifully Done’ -- BBC Introducing

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