Which is the toppest Whitby band?

The weekly giglisting's review of 2008 is just published, and it ranks local North Yorkshire coast bands by their online fanbase. So .. which is the biggest Whitby artist? Panda Lasagne? High Tide? You'll just have to take a peek won't you? Fascinating stuff.

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Merkin Christmas!

ALL CHANGE

Yes, as promised new music from Whitby Now 2008 has been posted on the Whitby Popwatch MySpace site, which is at the top of the links there, if you cast your eyes across.

You can now listen to...

THE MERKINS
HIGH TIDE
SACK THE JUGGLER
FIVE X NINE

Without leaving the centrally heated comfort of your front room. As long as you've got a computer in your front room. Or a laptop that you can take into your front room. I'll shut up now, shall I?

You can download any of the tracks using the extremely simple method outlined here.

THE MERKINS CALL IT A DAY

The Merkins have finally decided to throw in the towel.

In a message to Popwatch, Pug said "After much soul searching we have decided to bring the Merkins rock 'n' rollercoaster to an end . There's no hard feelings between us, we just decided enough was enough. We would like to thank everyone who supported us over the last couple of years, especially Whitby Now who gave us our first and last gig . We had a blast ... We came we saw and most of all we ROCKED!!!"

So have you got something else up your sleeve then Pug? "I am in the middle of putting together a new band which is so different to The Merkins and so much heavier ... Rocking times are comin' and I think your gonna like it!"

Popwatch loved those pesky Merkins. Now let's see what the future has in store. We wait with bated breath.

PETITION AGAINST FORM 696 A THREAT TO LIVE MUSIC

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Scrapthe696/

If you wish to register your opposition to form 696 (see earlier post), you can do so at the above link.

NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS, WHERE ARE ALL THE WOMEN?

I have recently had the privilege to be involved in two really great events for local bands: Whitby Now and the Battle of the Sands featuring between them 30 bands all from Whitby and Scarborough or just beyond all of incredibly high quality and with a really diverse range of styles and influences. It looks to me like the local music scene is the strongest it has been for ages.

BUT... out of these bands, featuring, let's say an average of 4 members each, so roughly 120 people only 2 were women, solo artist Tania Rodway and frontwoman of the DTs Alethea Estill (or Leafy). That's a pretty lousy 1.6%, and, whilst I have no wish to cast aspersions on either Leafy or Tania, they are both singers and frontwomen (and long may they continue). There was not one woman playing an instrument at either event.

So I'm throwing down the gauntlet. Come on girls, put on some Patti Smith, or Gossip or Supremes or Hole or PJ Harvey or Fiona Apple or Eliza Carthy or The Slits or Bjork or The Dixie Chicks or Madonna or Joan Jett or Siouxsie Sioux or Girls Aloud, whatever floats your proverbial boat. Then pick up your guitars, basses, fiddles, trumpets, get behind your drumkit or keyboard and get ready for next winters Whitby Now and Battle of the Sands. If you don't, I might just be forced to!!

WHITBY NOW, BECAUSE TWO WORDS SAY IT ALL

Ladies and gentlemen, Dave Corner of The Forefathers presents his amazing two word reviews of WHITBY NOW 2008.

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FRIDAY

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JAMES AUGER

Lovely voice

DISCARNATE

Missed them

THE SCARLETT ALLIANCE

And them

3 FOOT NINJA

Very impressive

WASTING CHARLIE

Tight as...

THE COMMITTEE

Great voice

PANDA LASAGNE

Mad as...

YABBADABBADOO

Crowd jumping

THE BANTER

Young energy

THE MERKINS

Back stage

FIVE X NINE

Raw angst

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SATURDAY

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WHITBY NOW BAND

Sublime tone

ALEX KIRBY

Conversational ambience

CARL ROBINSON

Hendrix heaven

HIGH TIDE

Introverted melancholy

SACK THE JUGGLER

Blues explosion

TANIA RODWAY

Quality surprise

THE DTS

Funkin' mint

LOKI

Sadly backstage

THE GOREFATHERS

Goretastically unique

Whitby Now 2008 video

I don't think Whitby Now 2008 was videoed, so here's my contribution to the aftermath, The DTs playing Unmarked Helicopters. I was especially chuffed that the lighting guy was sufficiently awake to give us UFO lighting, thanks :-)

FORM 696 REQUIRED FOR TEENAGE KICKS

A new piece of licensing legislation which currently exists in 21 boroughs of London could have huge implications for events like Whitby Now and the live music scene in Whitby and beyond if it becomes nationally accepted.

"The form demands that licensees give police a mass of detail, including the names, aliases, private addresses and phone numbers of all musicians and other performers appearing at their venue, and the ethnic background of the likely audience. Failure to comply could mean the loss of a licence or even a fine and imprisonment. The police say they need the information demanded on Form 696, which runs to eight pages, so they can pinpoint which acts and venues attract troublemakers, and make sure venues are safe. But Feargal Sharkey, who rose to fame during the punk era as the vocalist on the single "Teenage Kicks" by the Undertones, is so angry about what he sees as a threat to live music that he is consulting lawyers about how to stop it."

Sharkey cited one such statement from Hillingdon Council in west London, which he says "tries to make a direct connection not only between crime and disorder and live music, but most astonishingly - I'm still knocked over in disbelief - between live music and the prevention of terrorism."

You can read more at: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/how-form-696-could-pull-the-plug-on-the-capitals-music-scene-1028240.html or at: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/11/met_police_live_music_terror_trawl/

If you want to join the campaign against Form 696 you can join the Facebook group: http://tiny.cc/IuIS4 or follow the blog at: http://form696.blogspot.com

DOWNLOAD THE WHITBY NOW TRACKS TO YOUR COMPUTER

A lot of people are asking if they can download the tracks from the Popwatch MySpace page to their own computers. The answer is yes. You used to be able to do it direct from the player, but that function seems to have been disabled in the new player MySpace are now using.
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This is how to do it, and it's dead easy.
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1. Go to this site http://www.file2hd.com/Default.aspx
2. Copy and paste the URL http://www.myspace.com/christhepoetuk into the bar at the top
3. Tick 'I have read and agree to the terms of service'
4. Highlight 'Audio' in the list of file types
5. Click on 'Get Files'.
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The files will all appear underneath and you can save them to your computer.
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You can use this to get any files from any MySpace site, and lots of other things besides.
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POPWATCH. Here to help with life's little difficulties.