Summer 2023: The Assist
Summer 2023
West Midlands Council Pop Kings, THE ASSIST, have taken their party on a tour of festivals this year.
Image: Sarah Gibson https://www.instagram.com/opia_photos/ Truck Festival
Our photographer, Sarah Gibson, caught up with them at Truck Festival’s happening This Feeling Stage.
'Council Pop' is the debut album from The Assist. Released in 2022, it lives up to it’s name and from the dance shapes that we saw fans cutting to the tunes, there’s a lot of people who love to sing along.
This is one of the bands who have organically woven into TheZineUK documentary, itself an ever changing landscape of the ups and downs of alternative music world lives.
We’ve witnessed The Assist on stages - initially via This Feeling live music club nights - and even on football pitches where they have been champions and runners up of the Music Industry Soccer Six Fest.
It’s been a while for this tale, since the riotous album launch shows last year, though, and so it was great to catch up. The Assist are a gang who live in the moment.
It’s fair to say that this band are having the time of their lives and living the rock n roll dream every time that they get on a stage!
Truck Festival turned out to be another big occasion where their reality-lyrical, indie-psych rhythms hit the happy spot for yet another crowd.
Shout out to the festival, as a live music presentation, was tweeted by key vlogger, Tim Senna: “full crowds across the tents especially for smaller/unsigned bands is a rare & beautiful thing to see but they did it.”
True. Truck Festival DID do it. A bonus being that there is always a genuine community - The Zone - out to play for and with This Feeling. If you go to enough grassroots music venue events and enjoy meeting people, even shyly, it’s as good a route into the alternative rocking music industry/media as any.
Now watch out because The Assist have got more lnews to come - when they get their minds (and breath) back from all this festivity!
https://linktr.ee/theassistband
Sarah Gibson https://www.instagram.com/opia_photos/
By fervent request: The Brighton Mix-Up, Vol.3!
Thursday 11th May to Saturday 13th May 2023
Kick Out The Jams x The Songbird x Bubblebrain Records present
The Brighton Mix-Up Vol 3
Free Entry alternative rock and pop music festival.
Thursday: After London, Creeping Jean, Currls, Dum Fun, Just Kids, Kopper, Mango In Euphoria, Sasha Assad, Shady Baby, Sour Kicks, Sovereigns, The Velvet Hands, This Is War
Friday: Ahsoka, Alien Chicks, Jean Genie’s Massive Hugs, Kill The Icon, London Ghost, Martha Makes Mistakes, Snake Eyes, Soaked, SONS, The Red Stains, Tom Lumley and the Brave Liaison
Saturday: Adult Trauma, Breakup Haircut, Cavalcade, Cross Wires, DAAY, F.O.E.S., The Gulps, Low Girl, The Novus, Sarpa Salpa, Scrounge, Sunday Club, Vixey, YUKE
Running orders and updates nearer the time.
https://linktr.ee/kickoutthejams
Arcobaleno, 120 St Georges Road, Kemptown, BN2 1EA.
Music, Food, Drink, Joy… at Brighton's newest LGBTQ+ Bar & Restaurant. A proper treat!🌈
This event is extra special because of how this documentary rolls, amidst what’s happening right now. This is one of the interdependent music industrious that seed the Fertile Environment.
In December 2022, rock n roll live music promoter, Kick Out The Jams i.e. Roger Kent of Kent had to stop presenting joyful entertainment because of the financial climate that our new music world finds itself in.
Major events need a “pipeline” of fresh talent to exist in the future. In turn, that pipeline, The Grassroots Circuit needs the oxygene of cash, faith and exposure to be the early doors enablers for the artists to take a next step. It’s a struggle tho - see Music Venue Trust etc for more on that!
It’s extra heart warming then, to see the #BrightonMixUp festivity of noisy fun return for a third time lucky.
A select line-up, that we highly recommend to our friends - and you should, too. Sparkly, funny, inclusive crowds. Afternoon to evening showing off (on stage and otherwise!). Credible quality, mind. Some faves are returning to the KOTJ stage for this show amidst new stars joining the extending family.
Come with mates. Come solo. Bring your groovy moves, laughter and stage style while mingling with key scouts and music documentarians or just chill and enjoy in a safe space.
No tickets, badges, laminates or wristbands are needed (though this event is consistently attended by sussed music industry and media from other events happening in Brighton over the same weekend).
Not surprising really…
…Kick Out The Jams has previously also presented A Void, Aargh Kid, Anna Wolf, Avalanche Party, Bang Bang Romeo, Berries, BLAB, Blackwaters, The Blinders, Bugeye, Calva Louise, Coach Party, Cross Wires, Cruel Hearts Club, Enjoyable Listens, False Heads, Fontaines D.C., Hawxx, Healthy Junkies, The Institutes, Jekyll, Mango In Euphoria, MOSES, Nadia Sheikh, Rews, Saint Agnes, Snayx, Trampolene, Vanity Fairy, The Velvet Hands, Voodoo Radio, Weekend Recovery, Wynona Bleach and MANY more names to KNOW since 2017!
Often needing a bigger venue.
We bear witness.
Mid May 2023, you can, too. It’s time to KICK OUT THE JAMS!, m…
