ME3: Album Line-Up and Launch Details

It’s that time of year again. Medway Eyes is three years old in October, and what a long way we’ve come. Three years of art, music, photography, community and fun can only be a cause for celebration, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do. In grand tradition, we’ll be releasing a download album of Medway music at midnight on Friday 7th October. You’ll be able to pay what you like for the album, and every penny raised will go to Oxjam. The album will be available via http://www.medwayeyes.co.uk.

We’d like to thank the following lovely, fluffy bands and musicians for contributing to the album we have so imaginitavely entitled ME3: The Ambience, Arcelia, Archie Wah Wahs, Baron Von Marlon, Ben Jones, Billy Wears Dresses, The Blissful Mop, Bob Collins, Brigadier Ambrose, Crybaby Special and the Monsters, Damsel, Dave Read, Didi Bergman, Falling Lucid, Firstborn Heroes, The Flowing, Frau Pouch, The Galileo 7, Glenn Barnes, Groovy Uncle, Houdini, James Doyle, The Kids Unique, Los Salvadores, The Love Family, Lupen Crook, Maker, Mr Bridger, One Eleven Edmund, Porlie Eidolon, Reavsey, The Reg Varney Trio, Science Noodles, The Shagmonroes, Simon Bunyan, The Singing Loins, Stuart Turner and the Flat Earth Society, Survivors Of Suki, Tape Error, Theatre Royal, Thomas Turner and the Contents, Tyrannosaurus Alan, Unlucky Fried Kitten, UpcDownc, Wheels, Wolfgang Riot and Z-Stacks.

That’s 47 tracks. Not bad for a dead music scene, eh? We’ll be plugging it shamelessly when we take over Fizzer’s show on Radio Sunlight between 8pm and 10pm on Monday 3rd October.

We’ll be celebrating the launch of the album at the Nag’s Head in Rochester from 8pm on Friday the 7th, in the splendid company of Singing Loins, with support to be announced soon. It’s the landlady’s birthday that day, so expect a top atmosphere. And get there early. It might get a bit busy.

UPDATE 02/10/2011:  We are delighted to announce that Singing Loins will be supported at Friday’s gig by Crybaby Special and Gary Robertson of The Love Family. That’s two more reasons to come along!

 

 

Medway Happenings 2011

Click on the poster to download it.

Medway Eyes    The Medway Broadside    Oxjam    Facebook Event

Medway Eyes Does Britpop

Saturday 6th November sees us back at the Barge in Gillingham for our last Oxjam fundraiser of 2010, where we’ll be celebrating the best of Britpop which, you may recall, was the UK’s last great bid for musical dominance. Back in the Nineties it was all M People, Spice Girls and Grunge, and previously dance music had ruled the waves. Now it was time for proper tunes you could whistle as you did the Lambeth Walk down to the newsagents to buy your copy of Loaded magazine, or surfed the tide of New Labour pre-millenial optimism on your way to procure your first ever DVD from the Virgin Megastore. Or something like that.

Like all of Medway Eyes’ Barge bashes, we reckon this will be big. Even bigger than the mobile phone you had during the great Blur vs Oasis made up media war of 1994, so get there early to bagsy a table. The live music will start some time between 8:30 and 9:00.

Please do your bit by coming along with a pocketful of change for Oxjam, by spreading the word and by clicking on the poster to download and share it.

As ever, our line up is subject to change. We’re relaxed and groovy like that. Expect some bonus performers.

See you on Saturday.

ME2: Medway Music for Oxjam

It’s out!  Released at midnight on Friday 15th October to celebrate our second birthday, and for the benefit of Oxjam, ME2 is a compilation of music from Medway and the surrounding area featuring Theatre Royal, Groovy Uncle, Brigadier Ambrose, One Eleven Edmund, Gavin Alexander, Ben Jones, Glenn Barnes, Archie Wah Wahs, The Shagmonroes, Nick Hughes, Unlucky Fried Kitten, Stuart Turner and the Flat Earth Society, The Bresslaws, The Flowing, Lupen Crook, Fires Took Over, Lauren Bateman, The Ambience, Clinker, The Galileo 7, Firstborn Heroes, Los Salvadores, Bob Collins, Reavsey, Rich Clark, The Deccas, The Effectives, Wheels, Chris Austin, The Dentists and Didi Bergman.

We hope you enjoyed our birthday bash at the Nag’s Head. Now you can enjoy a cracking 31 track download.

We did this for Medway. Now you can do it for Oxjam by donating as you download.

Click here to download ME2

Click here to donate to Oxjam

ME2: A birthday gig and the download of the year

With another year of community art events and a final salute to the summer behind us, Medway Eyes is crawling back into its autumnal grassroots for a 2nd birthday shindig at the Nag’s Head in Rochester.

ME2 begins at 8pm on Friday 15th October, and features live music from Stuart Turner & the Flat Earth Society, The Flowing and Fires Took Over.

Last year we celebrated our first birthday with a free (but donate if you will) download album of excellent Medway music. This year we’re doing it again, and we have thirty-one tracks of Medway music to blow your head clean off.

The ME2 compilation features hot-off-the-press demos, exclusive tracks and a live desk recording from a much anticipated reunion gig from earlier this year. The ME2 album will be available to download for free from midnight on the 15th October. A button will be installed for voluntary contributions, every penny of which will be donated to Oxjam.

Download the full press release HERE.

Back To The Seventies: Line Up Confirmed

Well, as confirmed as these things ever get anyway.  Click through to download and to find out about the original image.

Back to the Seventies

Retro Post #8: September 2009 – The Thatcher Years

On 12th September 2009, some of the great musicians of Medway got together once again in aid of Oxjam. This time round the Thatcher Years got the Medway Eyes treatment as we celebrated British music from 1979 -1990.

There’s a photo slideshow on the website.

Thanks to Rio for the videos. Here’s one of the brilliant Dave Pickett, front man of The Flowing, giving Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart his own unique treatment…

Retro Post #6: June 2009 – Medway Eyes Sings Dylan

June 2009 saw Medway Eyes return to the Barge in aid of Oxjam. This time, Medway’s musicians played the songs of Bob Dylan in honour of his recent visit to Desolation Row (see right).

You can read Reavsey’s account of the evening in the free e-zine still available to download as part of our birthday bundle, or check out the photos and video on our website.

Before you do either of those things, though, we recommend you give your ears a treat by listening to this beautiful ( some would say definitive) rendition of It Ain’t Me Babe by Didi Bergman, filmed by Groovy Uncle.