9.29°C This editorial currently features in the December 2010 issue of The Colchester Circle, available throughout the town right now.
Thanks for the great feedback from last month’s column. It’s good to have something in print each month to support the Keep Colchester Cool website and Facebook activity, and it’s great to be part of The Colchester Circle team.
Here are just some of the events taking place this month that you can head to, safe in the knowledge of hearing some great music.
The hip hop scene has come alive again in Colchester this year, and this can be witnessed at the University of Essex in December. Rapshack.co.uk and Tru-spinna.com present We Got Next… on Friday 3 December, promising hip hop at its finest. Headlining is DJ MK, whose mixtapes earned him a slot on the Capital Rap Show alongside Tim Westwood from 1993 to 1995. After that, he spent four years at Itch FM before moving to his current weekly residency on Kiss FM with DJ Shortee Blitz. MK has produced for leading UK rap artists including Roots Manuva, Task Force and Plan B, and has judged the UK DMC Finals since 1999 and the World Finals since 2004. Joining him on the decks are A.Gee and Bounce Bros.
On a slightly different tip, the University also hosts some of the world’s finest breakdancing, popping, beatboxing, rapping and graffiti battles on Thursday 9 December at Sub Zero as B-boy & B-girl present Battle Sessions. The night features breakdancing YouTube phenomenon B-boy Junior and 2009 and 2010 UK Beatbox champion Reeps One. There will be 2 vs 2 breakdance battles, last-man-standing popping battles, and an open circle to round things off. Judges include representatives from Flava Squad UK, Methods Of Movement and the British B-boy Association – Badger, Unique and Bee. DJ A.Gee returns alongside FB Fresh, Bobba Fett and Dark Fader, with the night hosted by Monkey.
“Colchester is going off! Great night, cool venue & wonderful, friendly, fabulous people. Essex, you rock!” That’s what legendary DJ Graeme Park tweeted following his Colchester debut at Silk Road last month. On Saturday, 11 December, Silk Road welcomes another major name in Justin Robertson, whose dance career stretches back to the Madchester era when he was spinning at clubs such as Spice and Most Excellent. Now based in London, Robertson works as a DJ, producer and lead singer of Thee Earls. The night is brought to town by the Electric Boutique team, who are installing a Funktion One sound system and providing a strong supporting line-up featuring Modelick6, Graham Good, Novello & Napoletani and Paul T.
A band that has caught the attention of Ronnie Wood, Paul Weller and Steve Craddock headlines The Soundhouse at The Bull on Thursday 16 December. Marner Brown have played three sets at Glastonbury and supported Ocean Colour Scene twice, including a memorable show at a packed Astoria. Steve Craddock described Aaron A Grimes as “currently the best young guitarist in the UK” and called Marner Brown “possibly the best support we’ve ever had”, while Ronnie Wood told Word magazine they were “really good” with “a bit of a Led Zeppelin / Guns N’ Roses type thing.” The five-piece have recorded in Paul Weller’s studio, released their debut single ‘Dirty Weekend’, and had ‘Open Road’ featured in a Grolsch TV and cinema advert earlier this year. They’re joined by Farnborough-based The Fins, with two more Colchester bands completing this Raging Bull Christmas Cracker.
Hotly tipped for success next year is Colchester’s Ady Johnson. Having fronted FuzzFace for years, Ady has established himself as a compelling solo artist. This year he headlined the Castle Stage at Colchester Free Festival, performed live in a maze in Trafalgar Square and gained national media attention for his impromptu set at 6Fest, the event celebrating the successful campaign to save BBC 6 Music. He has also been in Long Track Studios recording his debut album, Tell The Worry Dolls. On Sunday, 19 December at Colchester Arts Centre, the Official Album Release Party will see the album performed live with his backing band in full running order for the first time. Support comes from Lady Bird And The Larks and Animal Noise, completing a line-up of acts all set for an exciting 2011.
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