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(Almost) everybody loves Christmas. (Almost) everybody loves parties.
So, West London’s Xtra Mile Recordings and Oxford’s Big Scary Monsters,
united by a similar independent and creative spirit, have come up with
a delightful little proposition: a Christmas Party Tour! Each date of
the mini-tour will feature Xtra Mile’s Dartz along with BSM’s This Town
Needs Guns and Secondsmile, with everyone’s favourite folk/punk hero
Frank Turner celebrating his incredible year with an intimate headline
slot on the London date. There’ll be freebie festive giveaways
available at all of the gigs too - including a limited edition 16 track
Xtra Mile/BSM sampler CD. Nice. Having toured with the likes of Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, I Was A Cub Scout, Hot Club De Paris and The Rumble Strips, as well as sharing stages with everybody from We Are Scientists to Melt Banana to Badly Drawn Boy to Make Believe, young Teesside post-punk trio Dartz are no strangers to playing a gig or two. Over the past couple of years, they've played almost 200 shows - taking in 8 different countries - and they also found time to release one of 2007's most critically acclaimed debut albums in the form of 'This Is My Ship'; which has recently been released in North America and Japan via the legendary Deep Elm imprint. Hailing from Bridport in deepest, darkest Dorset, soaring post-hardcore chaps Secondsmile are back with new material and their second full length album is due out in 2008. Their split 7' with Meet Me In St. Louis, released earlier this year, showed just what they’re capable of and fresh from dates with such luminaries as Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Planes Mistaken For Stars and The Fall of Troy, it’s no surprise that Rock Sound reckon they’re 'one of the UK's finest young bands.' Oxford's This Town Needs Guns have been making waves in 2007. A recent Maida Vale live session recorded for Huw Stephens Introducing show on Radio 1 and a split EP with the equally frantic Cats and Cats and Cats have made TTNG a band to look out for. Intricate guitar pieces, towering drum rolls and bass lines that would put jazz’s best to shame somehow combine beautifully with soothing piano led vocals to create a sound that effortlessly merges influences such as American Football, Cap'n Jazz and Mineral. Xtra Mile Recordings and Big Scary Monsters Christmas Party Tour 2007: Thursday 13th December 2007 at The Luminaire in London. Frank Turner + Dartz + Secondsmile + This Town Needs Guns + guest DJ Chris T-T. Friday 14th December 2007 at The Wheatsheaf in Oxford. This Town Needs Guns + Dartz + Secondsmile. Saturday 15th December 2007 at Dr. Browns in Middlesbrough. Dartz (playing their 200th ever gig!) + Tellison + Secondsmile + This Town Needs Guns. Sunday 16th December 2007 at The Flapper in Birmingham. Dartz + This Town Needs Guns + Secondsmile + Blakfish. Monday 17th December 2007 at The Red House in Sheffield. Dartz + This Town Needs Guns + Secondsmile + special guests. Tickets for London and Middlesbrough can be purchased in advance from www.wegottickets.com, all of the other gigs are £5 on the door. In addition to the above dates, Dartz and This Town Needs Guns are playing at The Roadhouse in Manchester on Wednesday 19th December 2007. story by Rob Barnett @music-news.com image courtesy of myspace.com/thistownneedsguns |