BBC Music Introducing In The Channel Islands: December 2019 – Live Session Special

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard Click here to listen to the show For my December 2019 edition of BBC Music Introducing in the Channel Islands I presented a look back at some of the best of the live sessions we’ve featured across the year. Along with the sessions recorded in our studio from the...

Music in Guernsey in 2019

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard After a couple of years where music in Guernsey had upped its game, across the board, to a level that continues to surprise many visitors to the island, or those who hear Guernsey based bands when they venture away, 2019 has had to me a slightly different feel. While...

Vale Earth Fair Weekend 2019 – 24-25/08/19

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard The Neville Staple BandFor the third year in a row the Vale Earth Fair expanded to a two day event with the main festival, this year celebrating 43 years, in its usual place at the Vale Castle on the Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend but with Sound...

BBC Music Introducing In The Channel Islands – August 2019 – Unplugged Club, Hip Hop Coffee Shop and Tadhg Daly

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard Click here to listen to the show For my edition of BBC Music Introducing In The Channel Islands for August 2019 there was a packed line up. Rather than the usual live, acoustic session in the studio I headed to the Guernsey Gigs Unplugged Club and recorded some tracks...

BBC Music Introducing In The Channel Islands – July 2019 – Vale Earth Fair and King Nun

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard Vale Earth Fair Collective and King NunClick here to listen to the show For my BBC Introducing In The Channel Islands radio show there was a lot going on being deep in the midst of summer festival season. With that in mind, as well as a little look back...

BBC Music Introducing In The Channel Islands – June 2019 – Arts Sunday and Sark Folk Festival

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard Click here to listen to the show For my latest stint in the hot seat on BBC Music Introducing in the Channel Islands I had two features in amongst the music. First was a look back at three of the five artists who played the BBC Introducing on Arts...

The Cor Damme Lars – Tangled Lies

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard The last year and half has seen the The Cor Damme Lars build a solid reputation for themselves on Guernsey’s music scene, first as a trio and then really hitting their stride as a five piece with bass (Tom Bradshaw) and drums (Andy Nicholson) added to their mandolin (Gemma...

The Cor Damme Lars album launch – The Mariners Inn – 07/06/19

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard The Cor Damme LarsBarely a year and a half since their first show, at the 2018 Vale Earth Fair Unplugged event, The Cor Damme Lars launched their debut album, Tangled Lies, with a show at The Mariners Inn on The Bridge. Before they hit the stage though Dave ‘Duke’...

BBC Music Introducing in the Channel Islands – May 2019 – The Cor Damme Lars

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard The Cor Damme Lars in the studioClick here to listen to the show This month I was back across all Channel Islands once again for BBC Music Introducing In The Channel Islands with new music from Guernsey, Jersey, Sark and Alderney all represented (I’ve still not got anything from...

Baghdaddies, The Recks and The Cor Damme Lars Take 2 – St James Concert Hall – 06/04/19

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard BaghdaddiesTowards the end of last year, just as St James was starting to establish itself as a venue of broader use once again, they held a mid-week event headlined by visiting act Baghdaddies. Despite being a Wednesday night it proved rather popular and it wasn’t long before a return...

St James Presents… Lord Vapour And The Buds In Bloom – St James Concert Hall – 30/03/19

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard Lord Vapour and The Buds In BloomFor the second of their monthly St James Presents series the new managers at the concert hall, who have spearheaded something of a revolution in the concert hall, had booked Guernsey’s preeminent vintage style stoner rockers Lord Vapour. However, in the lead up...

The Eleanor Foundation present The Recks, The Cor Damme Lars, Episode 2 and Nick Coleman – The Fermain Tavern – 15/02/19

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard The RecksIt feels like an age since I last ventured up to The Fermain Tavern as, for a number of reasons, it seems bands have been focussing on shows in and around town more over the last few months (though the Tav is hardly a great distance out-of-town, but...

Music In Guernsey In 2018

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard A year ago, when I was writing my review of music in Guernsey in 2017, I commented that it felt like a year when the bands and musicians in and from the island had all, collectively, taken a great step forward I terms of the quality of what was...

Kiya Ashton EP Launch with The Cor Damme Lars, Gregory Harrison and Elisha Horsepool – The Doghouse – 05/12/18

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard Kiya AshtonAfter the previous week’s mid-week show at St James it was time for another Wednesday night outing, this time at The Doghouse to celebrate the release of Sweet Decadence, the debut EP from 15-year-old musician and songwriter Kiya Ashton, along with support in the night from The Cor...

Baghdaddies, The Recks and The Cor Damme Lars – St James Concert Hall – 28/11/18

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard Baghdaddies at St JamesIn recent years at least, mid-week in Guernsey has, when it comes to music, largely been reserved for more low-key events like acoustic showcases or open mic nights. So, when St James announced a show with Newcastle’s Baghdaddies along with perennial party starters The Recks and...

Guernsey Photography Festival Closing Party – Old Tax Office – 20/10/18

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard Richey Powers of The RecksThe past few years have seen the Guernsey Photography Festival take over different, empty and abandoned, spaces around St Peter Port to exhibit a wide range from works from photographers of various styles with collections from all over the world (including Guernsey). 2018 was no...

The Recks present… – The Fermain Tavern – 17/08/18

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard The RecksWith one mini-tour, a set at Latitude Festival and several of the Guernsey’s main summer festivals behind them, The Recks returned to The Fermain Tavern for a rare indoor summer show with three of the island’s top up and coming bands. It may not mean much to many,...

Chaos 14 – Pleinmont, Guernsey – 29/06-01/07/18

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard Now in its 14th year I think it’s safe to say that, after the Vale Earth Fair, Chaos (aka Chaos Weekend or Chaos Festival) is one of the most established events in the Channel Islands music calendar regularly attracting visitors from Jersey, the U.K. and mainland Europe. Over that...

Sound In The Market – Market Square, St Peter Port – 02/06/18

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard KingsIn the past there has been something of a tradition of energetic live music performances in the heart of St Peter Port. From the likes of My Generation being famously photographed in Church Square in the 1960s to the Market Rock events in the 90s there was often a...

Vale Earth Fair Unplugged – The Fermain Tavern – 03/02/18

This is an excerpt of an article written by Tom Girard The Rectory Hill Skillet LickersIt might be the name of another of the Guernsey’s big musical events but ‘Chaos’ is a word more easily applied to this annual kick starter for the Vale Earth Fair than pretty much any other regular show on the island. With eight acts, across...