SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2004

JUJU MEN HALLOWEEN SPECIAL (Sunday, 31st October 2004)
Hope you didn't miss The Juju Men at The Thomas Tripp, Christchurch on Halloween night. Their set included a whole load of new Halloween flavoured songs rehearsed at great expense especially for the occasion. Sorry, haven't got any pictures of the band, well known for the fact that they'prefer not to reveal their identities. To see a picture of a member of the audience, click here.

MANDRAGARA PRE-HALLOWEEN SPECIAL (Saturday, 30th October 2004)
Mandragara at the Green Room turned out to be a cracking gig. Dark, melodramatic and highly visual. The support band was excellent also. Sorry, didn't catch their name. The sound and lighting effects were particularly good, thanks to Lee at the control panel. And the Green Room, which looks pretty spooky at the best of times, was all decked out for the occasion. To see Mandragara about to explode into space, please click here.

BRUCE ROBERTS SETS RINGWOOD ON FIRE (26th October 2004)
The local "godfather" of blues/rock played the Inn On The Furlong on Tuesday night. Were you there? If so, please send us your review. In the meantime, here's a review of Bruce's gig earlier this month/year at the Green Room.

"Blues/rock played the way it should be played. Bruce is a skilled guitarist with a natural feel and a beautiful tone. Plus, he has a voice second only to Joe Cocker. Plus, he appears to be tottering on the brink of insanity. No daytime suited bank clerk playing blues as a hobby in the evening. Bruce's genuine passion oozes. "Lost in the music" is a phrase that comes to mind. Slight shame about the rhythm section. Never a mistake, never a bum note, but kind of mechanical when compared to Bruce. Not surprising because I understand that they are a temporary pick-up band. Maybe this will be rectified in due course." (Adrian Hurst)

REPTILES HIT THE NEW GANDER (16th October 2004)
Checked out the new upstairs version of The Gander on Saturday night. I was favourably surprised. And the band were playing some good old stonking rhythm and blues. The band in question was ......
...... The Reptiles ......, fronted by the eccentric hatted harpman, Peter Rudd. 'Not as scarey as he looks', is the way Pete is described at The Reptiles website. At one point during Saturday's gig Pete could be seen wandering round the room serenading bemused members of the drinking public.
To view pictures, click here.

SHROUDED IN MYSTERY (21st October 2004)
The Shrouds will be playing at The Gander on Thursday, 21st October. Check 'em out. Well worth the trip. If you don't believe me, check out their mp3's by clicking here. Nice to hear some cool undistorted guitar in an era dominated by dark mega-crunch. Thanks, guys.

NOT JUST PIE IN THE SKY (20th October 2004)
(Quote)Good morning, afternoon or evening,
It's that time again - erm, can't really think of anything witty to write here so I'll just tell you about the gig.
THE MISS HIGH5s @ THE HAYFIELD (aka Scream Pub),
BETHNAL GREEN, (nearest tube Mile End)
WEDNESDAY 20th OCTOBER, 9.30
We'll be playing with two other bands and drink is most resonable, especially if you are of the student persuasion. There are pool tables too! That should be all you need to know, other than the fact we'll be handing out free badges to whoever is interested enough to ask for one! Come on down, it'll be fun. And tell your friends.
Pieman (and the Miss High5s, of course)
PS: Anyone who has seen and even BETTER has on video the recent episode of the Simpsons featuring Homer Simpson as Pie Man, make me a copy and receive free beer, badges, love or freebie of choice. CIAO (Unquote)

NEW BANDS WANTED (Autumn 2004)
The Green Room urgently requires new bands to play on Wednesday nights. Any genre, any age, the crazier the better. PA and sound engineer provided. Are you having problems getting gigs. Look no further. The Green Room welcomes you with open arms. Or, if you are an organising type person and you have the contacts and a capability, would you like to organise this excellent showcase on a regular basis? For more info, telephone Zena on 01202 393499.

GRUMPY OLD MEN (Thursday, 21st October 2004)
The Grumpy Old Men, more commonly known as 'Grumpy', originally conceived more than 30 years ahead of the TV programme of the same name, and incredibly, still intact and unchanged, will be playing at The Malt & Hops next Thursday, 21st October. Be there and witness this unique phenomenum.

BOX CLEVER (Wednesday, 6th October 2004)
'Box Clever' played a nice set at The Green Room on Wednesday night, despite the fact that at one point the bass player had a tantrum and angrily stamped on his bass guitar (not a recommended practice). Nothing fazed frontman, Tom, who continued regardless. Good voice and a firey guitar sound. This man will go far. They had a massive following in attendance so they are definitely doing something right. I even detected some dancing on the "dancefloor". This is indeed a rare occurence at The Green Room on a Wednesday night.

LIQUOR & POKER (Saturday, 25th September 2004)
A firey performance at the weekend from Liquor & Poker at The Green Room. The expression "less is more" certainly does not spring to mind in the case of L & P's drummer. Keep taking the tablets, guys. To view pictures, click here.

CROSSCUT SAW GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH (Thursday, 23rd September 2004)
A couple of cracking sets from Crosscut Saw at The Malt and Hops, last night. Thanks, guys.

PARKSTONE GOES PSYCHEDELIC (Sunday, 19th September 2004)
This Sunday Ummagummaa played at Mr. Kyps in Parkstone. Described as an early Pink Floyd tribute with liquid light show, this was a rare treat for all us psychedelic freaks. I, for one, wouldn't have missed it for the world. 'Set the controls for the heart of the sun'. Sound advice, in my opinion.

THE END IS NIGH !!! (Autumn 2004)
Dear Friends, Bartonka has been hosting bands, DJ’s and private parties for seven years in Bournemouth. Sadly on the 10th October all of that will come to end as we open our doors for one last time. Yes, as I’m sure that many of you have already heard, Bartonka is closing. For reasons beyond our control we are being forced to vacate 39 Poole Hill. Our final day will be Sunday October 10th, when Solidair hosted by Conrad Barr and Paul Tucker, will be joining us with a historic all day event. As a grand finale we are hosting 10 days of Dj’s, Bands, and Parties celebrating the venue’s legacy and everyone who makes it special. These nights will kick off on Friday the 1st of October with ‘Blank Canvas’.

UPRISING (Autumn 2004)
Wednesday, September 15th - The Green Room - The place was heaving - haven't the faintest idea who the bands were, but what the hell, the Green Room is definitely doing something right. Be there next Wednesday.

BARTONKA IMPLODES (Autumn 2004)
Check out this important announcement from The Plymouths.
"Bartonka has played host to many local Bournemouth based and outside bands, plus numerous DJ's. Sadly Tonka is closing down to become a CLOTHES SHOP".......

("Well that says it all really !!!" ) (Roj)

"Please join us to bid farewell. We shall let you know via the web site who else is playing that night. We hope to be on last and to have a brilliant night."

21st CENTURY SKA FUSION (Monday, 29th September 2004)
21st Century Ska Fusion hits King Arthur's Court this month. Skankt + DJ's. Doors open @ 8pm.
Only £4 admission. Be there or be sad !!!

JUJU MANIA @ THE PUNCH & JUDY (Sunday, 5th September 2004)
Good crowd, good beer, good sound, good band. What more can I say? Oh, yes ...... Beautiful bar staff. How could I forget? ......'Sweet dreams are made of this' ......

KINGS PARK FESTIVAL AKA BOSCOMBE COMMUNITY FAIR(September 2004)
Lots of good stuff here. I managed to catch Breeze (acid jazz), Luqas (original rock - infs.=Zep, Preachers etc.) and Fans Of Kate (original indie - infs.= Mansun, Muse, New Order, etc.). Each band was excellent for different reasons. Look out for all three in the gig-guides.
To view pictures, click here.

AIR TRAFFIC (1st September 2004)
The first 'New Band Night' at The Green Room on Thursday, September 1st was a resounding success. There was a really good turnout of supporters, better than on an average Friday or Saturday, I would say. The second act of three was called 'Air Traffic'. This was no scooped-out, dark noise band. This was quality. 'Air Traffic' were not too proud to include a few covers from the likes of Radiohead and Supergrass amongst their own compositions. The singer had a really good soulful voice and played both guitar and keyboards. The band had a satisfyingly round sound and thankfully didn't play at ear shattering volume. A breath of fresh air. To sample the atmosphere, click here. Yeah, September is definitely here. So it's bye bye to the worst August in living memory. Thank you,'Air Traffic'. I hope that this a sign of things to come.

LIPSTICK - WATCH THE VIDEO (2004)
Bushbaby will be playing at The Joiners, Southampton on Saturday, 4th September. If you are unfamiliar with the band, check out the video for their song, 'Lipstick'. It's an absolute stonker. To watch the video, click here. Having watched the video, jump on that train for Southampton and catch the band in real live action.

NEW BAND NIGHT - WEDNESDAYS @ THE GREEN ROOM (2004)
Every Wednesday night in September a 'New Band Night' will take place at The Green Room, The Portman Hotel, Boscombe. Sounds interesting. So if you are a 'new band', get down there and get yourself a gig.

Mandragara @ The Green Room

Mayhem @ The Grange

Air Traffic @ The Green Room

Battered Action Figure

Liquor & Poker

Mandragara - Pre-Halloween Special
Bruce Roberts - On Fire
Reptiles Hit The New Gander
Not Just Pie In The Sky
Shrouded In Mystery
New Bands Wanted
Grumpy Old Men
Juju Men Halloween Special
Box Clever
Parkstone Goes Psychedelic
Liquor & Poker
Crosscut Saw - Unstoppable
The End Is Nigh !!!
Uprising @ The Green Room
Bartonka Implodes
21st Century Ska Fusion
Juju Mania
Air Traffic
Lipstick - Watch The Video