We Couldn't Wait Until Next Easter... Our Next Event is Halloween!

That's right, The Hippy Hippy Shake Company is so addicted to putting on events following the success of HippyHaze over Easter and the Summer Nights this summer, that we couldn't possibly wait until next Easter to organize another biggie! So, Halloween it is.

We're calling it HippyHorror and the event will be quite as jam-packed with fantastic local bands as HippyHaze, if you don't believe us, just check out the provisional event flyer...

So those are the initial details! As you can see, back by popular demand, The Get Alongs will be headlining the first night, so once you've finished school, college, uni, work and just generally dossing around for half-term, head straight over to Foxfields Railway to enjoy our three-day-long Halloween party. 

The second night we have The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Events virgins, The Control topping the bill which is very exciting... Wrapping us up on the Sunday night will be The Rivalry, yet another fantastic local group. With such talented headliners, we're spoiling you guys big-time by having a huge group of brilliant supporting acts from returners such as 3's A Riot, Jo-Ee-T and Moral Panics, plus a variety of first-timers including Dirt Box Disco, Twinkle and the Sluts and Troops of the Mafeking, ready to pop their The Hippy Hippy Shake Company  Events cherries.

So please come along and support your local music scene and you absolutely won't be disappointed. As it will be Halloween, we have a few well-planned tricks up our sleeves which will be worth the bargain-a-licious £26 weekend ticket fee alone. Plus, don't forget, although this is a three-day-Halloween-party, you are more than welcome to camp in the field for the duration of the event. This means you don't have to watch how much you drink because you know you'll be heading home to your disapproving parents. You don't have to pay for a taxi back home after the bands have finished. You don't have to miss out on the after-band excitement because you and your tent will be right in the middle of all the fun. 

And don't forget, since we're going the whole hog with Halloween theming, we want you guys to get into the spirit too! This means costumes, pumpkin carving, alcoholic bobbing for apples, ghost story drinking games and fighting over sweets and treats which will be available at various locations over the weekend. Can you commit to that?

Do you have any other Halloween ideas we should include? Who are you most excited about seeing? What costume ideas do you have so far?

Love and shakes

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

x

Band Profile: Swim into Scarlet

So it's crunch time... The marquee has gone up, our toilets have arrived and it's time for our last Band Profile for this HippyHaze! We can honestly say we've had a fantastic time watching bands, interviewing them and (ahem) drinking with them too and it's been great to learn what the Staffordshire music scene really has to offer. For our last Band Profile, we have Swim into Scarlet who will be playing on the Monday of HippyHaze. These boys were recruited not long ago in order to replace another band who were unable to perform... We can honestly say it was a huge error on our part not to ask them to perform in the first place as they really are one of a kind! Swim into Scarlet is all about talent, fun and most importantly working hard on their music and that's why we love them. Check out what they had to say about themselves...

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Who is Swim into Scarlet? 
Swim into Scarlet is me, Aidan Razzall and I'm on guitar,keys and vocals. Then there's Zachary Thomas on guitar and vocals, Matthew Vaughan on bass, synth and vocals and David Nash on drums and vocals. We also have an occasional live member Sam Robertson, who plays saxophone. 

Wow, you're a very vocal group! And what do you get up to when you're not gigging and practicing? 

We are all college students and have varying degrees of part-time work including everything from bar jobs to working at printing firms in our native Nantwich.

Busy bees. So did you meet at college? How did you get started?
Well, we formed in the autumn of 2009 after spending the summer deliberating over whether our primitive jams from the summer prior to that were worth honing into songs. None of us can actually really remember why we decided to become a band, but it seemed to be natural progression from our experimentation in practise rooms in the latter of half of that year.

Like, fate conspired to make you into a band? Haha, so who writes the lyrics and what are the words inspired by?
I write the lyrics for the most part, but some songs have contributions from other members, the chorus of ‘Trophy’, for example. I suppose my lyrics are inspired by glimpses of moments, observations and thievery from conversation. I try to create lyrics which are cinematic and visual and present a place within a song, as if it’s a snow globe to be peered into. I admire Matt Berninger from The National's lyrics, the simplicity is effortless. I like Keats, too, he chooses such vivid language to create his microcosmic worlds yet conveyed his poetry in a very direct way.

Wow, I'm an English student and even I don't know the meanings of a big bunch of those words! You must be really clever! Who are your biggest influences?
In terms of music our tastes vary in the band from ambient house to 70’s prog and psychadelia, to contemporary alternative music and heavier stuff. We find that when we write, what comes naturally through experimentation is the material that works, rather than consciously deciding on how we can integrate our influences into a song. A lot of the music we listen to also doesn’t actually reflect in our work itself, our latest single ‘The Promised Land’ for example, doesn’t sound like anything we normally enjoy!

That's cool, like you want to be inspired but not a copy-cat. What's been your best gig so far? Or best rock star moment...

Our best gig so far has probably been the Stoke Sounds Festival last year, it was our first time on an outdoor stage and we relished the opportunity. It’s a strange one to choose because we have had some brilliant gigs in Manchester and London, but we played one of our best sets and felt a brilliant connection with the crowd. Our best rock star moment has probably been when our drummer David clambered off the stage to place one of our t shirts in between a wall of death at one of our shows, inducing mass gladiatorial combat. You can see it here...

Oh wow, that looks pretty crazy! So what's been your worst band moment?
Being described as a female fronted pop punk outfit on a gig flyer in Camden.

Ouchey... let's not dwell on that, eh? Who are you excited about seeing at HippyHaze?
We are friends with Sian Matthews and have enjoyed her work with Faux Feet and Heritage, so catching their opening set on the Monday will be great. Unfortunately we’re missing Aaron Mobberley’s performance, but we’ve definitely planned to drink with him after our set.

We like it when the performers are all friends :) What's next for Swim into Scarlet after HippyHaze?
We are playing The Dirty Dozen Festival on April 21st, and continuing recording our new single in Leeds in preparation for its release later on this year!

Sounds great! Well, good luck with it and we can't wait to see you perform!

***

We told you they're lovely! And how clever does Aidan sound??? Haha, they're on of our most promising acts so if you want a taster of the excitement to come, head over to youtube to see a couple of Swim into Scarlet's recent gigs. Looks like a lot of fun! They'll be playing on the Monday at HippyHaze so make sure you get yourself in the marquee in time... it should be packed out for these lads.

If you haven't grabbed your tickets yet, then you'd better beg, steal and borrow the money to buy one because they're flying out! 

HEAD INTO MUSIC MANIA OR THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. A COUPLE OF THE BANDS ARE STILL FLOGGING TICKETS, BUT THEY'RE RAPIDLY RUNNING OUT NOW SO GET THEM WHILE YOU CAN! £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET. See you there :)

Love and milkshakes

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

Band Profile: Blue Origin

So we're on a bit of a roll with these interviews and band profiles at the moment, aren't we? We just figured it would be a nice way for all HippyHazers to get to know the bands a bit better and create a friendly relationship between our rock-stars and festival goers :) Speaking of friendliness, we really must let you know what happened when we sat down with Blue Origin as Tom and Nick are a couple of the most genuine lads we've had the pleasure of meeting...

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Tell me all about Blue Origin... 
Tom: Blue Origin is a five piece rock and metal act from the glorious town of Stoke-on-Trent! The band consists of Nick on Vocals, Mike on Guitar, Jim on Guitar, Danny on Bass, and me on Drums. We do have day jobs but the main focus has been and always will be our music and this band. 

 

Good stuff, and how did you guys get started?
Nick: Blue Origin started about seven years ago when I met Tom. He was air drumming to Puddle of Mudd's She Hates Me at a party…

Tom: Blue Origin has been through a number of small line-up changes but the line up we have now is the strongest we've ever had!

Onwards and upwards :) Who writes the lyrics?
Nick: I write the lyrics for all of our songs. All of my writing starts off as short poems usually which I later bash into a song structure. This is kind of where my background as a writer comes in useful! I’ve been writing from such an early age I think I started around 12. I wasn't all that cool in high school!

Haha, well now you’re in an awesome rock-band... you don’t get much cooler than that! What do you base your lyrics on?

Nick: In terms of inspiration, I'm quite an introvert writer, usually writing about a lot of the things going on in my life when we wrote the song, though I'm trying to push towards a wider, more outward style at the moment. I never stop learning and changing how I write, nor should any writer. If you think you've got nothing to learn then you need a reality check!

That’s really cool to have a constantly evolving style. So who are your biggest influences?
Tom: Every single member of this band has different influences that they bring to the music we write, BUT if we were to say overall, we are greatly influenced by bands such as Shinedown, Black Stone Cherry, Alter Bridge and so many more. 

And what's been your best gig so far? Or best rock star moment?
Tom: I don't really know what Nick thinks but for me I would say it was our big headliner at the Sugarmill at the beginning of 2011. The place was just rammed and the crowd was insane. We had an intro video shown through a load of broken TV's scattered around the stage. The crowd was insane and the energy on stage was absolutely immense! 

Yes, I’d have to agree that sounds pretty cool. However, things don’t always go so good do they? What's been your worst moment as a band so far?
Tom: For me it was our slot supporting another band in a popular Stoke venue... The headliners were a great bunch of guys and they play what they play very well. The only issue was the crowd did not like us at all! The place was full of skinheads dressed in Doc martins and dungarees, like a scene from 'This is England' it was mental.

That sounds quite nerve-wracking. Onto more positive things, who are you excited about seeing at HippyHaze?
Tom: I am excited about seeing our good friends in Nameless, they put on a great show and are a fantastic bunch of guys. As well as them I am looking forward to seeing Sworn To Oath as I haven't been to a show of theirs in a while but the last one I went to was mental and I’m sure this one will be just as great. 
Nick: Yeah, for me Nameless are going to be fantastic! Those guys always put on a great show, and everyone thinks Josh (the singer) is Tom's son… It's a bit of a running joke really!

Haha, I see the resemblance with the lovely locks of long hair! Finally, just to wrap things up what's next for Blue Origin after HippyHaze?

Nick: Well HippyHaze will be the 5th gig on our 2K12 Spring Smashup UK Tour so it’s all busy, busy for us currently. Aside from that it's all about our Debut Album due for release later this year! We currently have a crowd funding campaign going on through pleasefund.us and we're offering all sorts of cool rewards for people helping us out with this. For example, do you want us playing a gig in your living room? Yeah, we can arrange that! Things are becoming very exciting for us here in Blue Origin and this is just the beginning... watch this space!

***

Getting to know all the great musical talent Staffordshire has to offer has been one of our favorite things about organizing HippyHaze, and Blue Origin are some lads we're hoping to stay in touch with long after the festival. If you'd like to give your ears a sweet sweet preview of their music then go check out their Myspace page. Then if you're feeling generous, go donate a bit of your spare dollar to their band at pleasefund.us. We're sure they'd greatly appreciate it, and if you're looking for a band to play in your living room hold them to Nick's promise! Blue Origin will be supporting Sworn To Oath at HippyHaze on the Saturday, so make sure you head over to their marquee during their set, because this is one band you don't want to miss.

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT RAPIDLY NOW. MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO MUSIC MANIA OR THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. A COUPLE OF THE BANDS ARE STILL FLOGGING TICKETS, BUT THEY'RE RAPIDLY RUNNING OUT NOW SO GET THEM WHILE YOU CAN! £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET. See you there :)

Love and milkshakes

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

Band Profile: Dirty Money No 5

In two weeks, HippyHaze will be rocking its final evening and we'll be throwing ourselves around the marquee to the lovely sounds of Sherry Counsellors, Six Towns and Already Gone. And perhaps most importantly for this post, we will have just experienced the magic that is Dirty Money no5.

 

Now, as things have been sickeningly busy for us recently, we didn't quite have time to sit down with the boys and run and full length interview. However, Dirty Money no5 very kindly made time to answer a couple of our questions and this is what we got...

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So, who is Dirty Money no5?

Dirty Money no5 are Marcus on guitar and vocals, Steve (Doon) Dunn on lead guitar, Carl (Vinnie) Jones on decks, Tom Carter on drums and Geordie Nic McCarthy on bass guitar.

 

And without being extremely nosy... how old are you guys?

If you add our total ages and then divide it by the members of the band it totals 36... It is a good job Tom's in the band otherwise the average would be a lot higher... That's all we're saying on that matter!

Oooh mysterious, we like it :) So, aside from Dirty Money no5 do you guys have day jobs?

Our day jobs consist of a student mentor, a live music venue manager, a couple of graphic designers and a production manager at a well known heavy plant company.

Hard workers! Tell us in a nutshell, how did Dirty Money no5 begin?

Myself (Geordie) and Marcus used to be in a band called Mysteriously Cultured many moons ago and myself and Doon have worked together on various musical projects in the past. After Mysteriously Cultured split up in 2000 myself and Marcus formed Dirty Money along with Vinnie and Doon in 2001. We had also had a female co vocalist back then (Samantha Cope) who now is the editor of the Sunday People magazine! After 6 years of gigging, recording and gaining quite a large following Sam moved to London and the drummer left the band so we decided to split up. Marcus Doon and myself worked on other musical projects. Doon was in Jug of Punch a folk band and I was in Senseless a hardcore punk band. In 2010 I got a phone call from Marcus asking if I wanted to have a jam session with him and Doon as they had been doing some acoustic stuff along with Vinnie... The out-come was Dirty Money. The no5 part came about because we couldn't get just Dirty Money as our Facebook page because some other band had nicked our name while we had had our sabbatical. So technically we are really called Dirty Money!

Nice bit of trivia there! Who writes the lyrics and who are your influences?

Marcus writes the lyrics. They mainly come from every day observations and life experiences. As for our influences, they range widely, from from Ska, Reggae , Punk, Folk, Jazz, Funk and Hip Hop. Everyone from Bob  Marley, to Grand Master Flash via The Clash, James Taylor, Bootsy Collins Massive Attack and about a 1001 other musicians are our inspiration. When anyone asks us what we sound like or what type of band we are, we usually say, 'Come and listen and you tell us.' We couldn't tell you really, because we try not to copy anyone else. I know it sounds cliched but it is really true for us!

I love Dirty Money no5... Its true, I've never heard anything like you before, you're so unique! Tell us about your best and worst gigs...

Since reforming, two gigs stand out as the best. The first was supporting The King Blues at a sold out show last year. We won the crowd over which is quiet hard to achieve when they just want to see the headliners. The pressure's on even more when the headliner is a band as big as The King Blues! Also playing at the Night for Joey G earlier this year was outstanding, an event full of great bands. The atmosphere was amazing and all for a worth while cause.

Ahh I popped my Dirty Money no5 cherry at the night for Joey G! It really was a fantastic night and a cause quite close to our Hippy Hippy hearts.

Yeah, Joey was a great guy and sadly missed.

And your worst gig?

Last year we were booked to play a Birmingham venue with an American band. We confirmed everything and double-checked with the venue tons of times, spoke about sound checks and even had a conversation with the venue manager on the day about load-in at the place. When we arrived for sound check we were told by staff at the club that the manager had cancelled the show thirty minutes before. They hadn't even told the touring band that they had cancelled the gig. It cost us a lot of money as we had payed out for transport fuel and a driver to do the gig. The American group were even worse off as they were stranded in Birmingham for the night without any money or a place to stay for the night!

That's horrendous! I guess you'll never play there again... Let's talk about a fantastic musical establishment instead... who are you looking forward to catching at HippyHaze?

Unfortunately due to work commitments I can't make the first couple of days so I'm going to miss Sea Based Turtles, Nameless (a great young band), Sworn to Oath and The Hiding Place on Saturday. As for the Sunday I would have liked to see Faux Feet, Moral Panics, In the Cards and The Get Alongs. Luckily, on the Monday I'll be able to get along to see Jim Mcshee and the Sherry Counsellors!

Awhh we'll be missing you on the first couple of days, but we'll let you off :) So finally, what's next for Dirty Money No 5?

Well, after Hippy Haze we are going to be writing some new material and getting the rest of the album recorded. We need to get a video made then get back out play lots of live gigs in the summer. Hopefully we'll do a few more festivals after HippyHaze... I think we have a great sound for a warm sunny day!

Thank you very much for your time Geordie :) Can't wait to see you guys perform!

***

Dirty Money No 5 have a really different sound which is like nothing you've heard before. Go check out their Soundcloud and listen to Old England... It's our favorite song and a certain festival organizer's daughter is dying to hear it at HippyHaze. The boys will not disappoint! We absolutely can't wait to see them perform on the Monday of the festival and they're a definite 'can't miss' act, so...

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT RAPIDLY NOW. MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO MUSIC MANIA OR THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. A COUPLE OF THE BANDS ARE STILL FLOGGING TICKETS, BUT THEY'RE RAPIDLY RUNNING OUT NOW SO GET THEM WHILE YOU CAN! £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET. See you there :)

Love and milkshakes

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

More than Just the Music...

So of course most people with an interest in the local music scene will be aware that HippyHaze 2012 is a 'who's who' of the Stoke scene. With forty local bands spanning a variety of genres (yes, we threw country and folk in with indie and heavy rock... sue us!) HippyHaze will be an excellent opportunity to hear some raw talent, meet a bunch of new people and escape from the real world for three whole days. Well, as if that's not enough, we've also thrown together a nice chunk of retail and refreshment stalls in order to make sure that you're never hungry or naked. Unless of course you want to be, and you're in the privacy of your own tent. Or someone else's in a consensual tryst... We digress.

We thought we'd write this quick post in order to let you know about some great local businesses that HippyHaze 2012 will be supporting over the Easter weekend. Let's start with the food, shall we? We know that's what we'll be hunting down all weekend!

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The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Milkshakes...

 

Shameless plug we know, but when The Hippy Hippy Shake Company presents a music festival it would be somewhat bizarre if we weren't serving our delicious beverages throughout the event. Now, we know our shakes are yummy enough as they are what with chocolate bars and sweeties all blended up inside. Plus, we've also got breakfast covered with our refreshing frozen fruit smoothies. However, we've decided to 'mix things up' a bit (did you see what we did there?) So for the first time in Hippy Hippy History, we're making our shakes crazier than ever by pouring one or two cheeky shots into our blenders and seeing what comes out. Our absolute favorites include Terry's Chocolate Orange with Cointreau, Nutella with Bailey's and Strawberry Fields with Smirnoff. Bet you're salivating right now. We'll also be serving paninis, nachos and waffles. AND ice lollies and our signature ice-cream sundaes. Nomnomnom.

Sprinkles and Twinkles Cupcakes

 

You know how The Hippy Hippy Shake Company loves anything that is super-duper sweet? Well, this local cupcake business is right up our alley. Think creamy-thick icing, soft-moist sponge and bright-beautiful colours. Then imagine how happy your belly will be after eating five. What are you waiting for? What's that? You can't wait until HippyHaze for these yummy-scrummy bites of heaven? Never fear, if you head into our Newcastle shop you can get your mitts on a sneak-preview which will definitely have you coming back for more!

Mr Simm's Olde Sweet Shoppe

 

Candy is so much cooler when it's in old-school plastic baggies. We rapidly came to this realization after our first Mr Simm's experience which allowed us to see that vintage sweeties are still as indulgent as they were in our childhoods! Sugar mice, herbal tablets, barley sugar, rhubarb and custards, kop kops, bon bons and more... Our teeth will rot and it will be worth it.  

Food

Burgers, hot dogs, bacon sandwiches, chips and tons more. Head over to the food tent to grab some decent grub!

Donut Van

Speaks for itself :) Covered in sugar. Yes.

Dirty Slut Clothing

 

Let's face it, when we're away from our parents for three days it's highly likely that without the use of clothes washing facilities, we will walk around for days on end with milkshake and ketchup down our shirts if we have a spillage. However, thanks to Dirty Slut Clothing, you will be able to buy an emergency replacement T-shirt within minutes of virtually any stain-causing (wink wink) alcohol-inducing embarrassment. Winner. 

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Gift-Wares

 

We feel so bad for all of your friends that may not be able to make it that we've chosen a selection of the gift-wares that we sell in our Hanley store so that you can take them a piece of the magic! Isn't that sweet of us :) We'll have hand-bags, incense sticks, essential oils, candles, sun catchers, oil burners and way more cool stuff so make sure you come check us out.

Krafty J's Gift-Wares

 

If you're after cute and unique jewelry then Krafty J's is the stall you want to be hitting up. Brightly-coloured strings with heart-shaped pendents, pretty wall plaques and dream catchers are what this local company is all about so you're definitely going to want to check it out for a couple of HippyHaze souvenirs.

The 'Cigarette Man'

That's right, we've really got you covered on all fronts, to the extent where even if the smokers out there forget or run out of their cigs they have a one-stop-shop for all their smoking needs. Great success.

Band Merch

Heard a great band and want to hear more? Thinking Aaron Mobberly is so talented you want your loser-mate who missed out on tickets to share your passion? Lusting after the lead singer of The Get Alongs and want to listen to him in your bedroom? Well, whilst it's actually against the law to kidnap Shaneth, you might be able to grab a CD or some other band merchandise over in our imaginatively named 'Band Merch' tent. Plus, if you head over to this tent you might actually get to meet some of your local music heroes! 

Joe Gilligan Trust

 

Easter is a time for giving. Whether you're religious or not, there is no better time to support a charity than when you're having the time of your life. So how about buying a T-shirt or wrist-band from the one charity in Stoke-On-Trent which not only improves the lives of young people fighting cancer, but also provides support for young musicians like many of those performing over the weekend? The Joe Gilligan Trust is a charity which has always been close to The Hippy Hippy Shake Company's heart so we'd really love for our festival-goers to mosey on over to the Band Merch tent and get giving! 

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So, what are you waiting for? A lot of time and effort has gone into organizing HippyHaze so that everyone can have a great time without a care in the world!

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT RAPIDLY NOW. MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO MUSIC MANIA OR THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET. See you there :)

Love and milkshakes

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Sits Down With... Aaron Mobberly from Clockwork Owls!

You know how the Hippy Hippy Shake Company likes hitting two birds with one stone? Well, imagine our luck when we realized that on the same night as Jim McShee was playing at The Old Brown Jug, so was the lovely bespectacled Aaron Mobberly from Clockwork Owls. Naturally we leapt at the opportunity to grab a quick interview with him in between sound-checks and despite my concern that I might begin to get a reputation, I dragged him out of the back-door just like I did with Jim, so we could talk in 'private'. Not nearly as naughty as it sounds, we spent the next ten minutes talking about music, college and milkshakes. My kind of conversation...

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It's so very nice to meet you Aaron. I've heard so much about you! Am I right in thinking you're not actually performing with Clockwork Owls tonight?
Yeah, that's right. I'm taking a slight break from Clockwork for a little bit at the moment just to focus more on my acoustic stuff. This is my solo act. But don't worry, we'll be back on form for HippyHaze!

Good. Or else *smiles sweetly yet with what I like to believe is a dangerous looks behind the eyes* So, tell me about Clockwork Owls...
I'm on bass and vocals, we have Jimmy T on guitar, then Josh Morris and he's the drummer. We're alternative rock, with post-punk influences. We love Joy Division for our bass and drums post-punk element. Then Foals have a huge influence on us, and Wild Beasts too. Jim likes Radiohead and anything that's more progressive whilst Josh prefers more punk music.

Big mix. Like a cocktail. Yum. So how did you guys meet?
Me and James met at Newcastle college. I'm studying photography now (which is an expensive hobby...) but I was originally doing music technology which is where I first met Jim and Luke our past band member. Luke's at uni now. Then as for Josh, well, he goes to our college too but we actually met him at a gig here at The Old Brown Jug!

Ahh no way small world! Well I guess the music scene relies heavily on people being sociable, introducing themselves to new people and networking, right?
Yeah definitely. I mean that's how we've got a lot of our gigs really. After college Jim and I used to go around Newcastle, come to The Old Brown Jug and The Full Moon and we used to just talk to people and make new friends. It's all about making friends and knowing people who know people.

Ok, so around about how many gigs have you done together?
With Clockwork Owls we've done about twenty gigs probably. My favorite gig was on the 23rd of December. We supported The Control and the atmosphere was fantastic. It was the fullest gig I've ever played and we even had a small mosh-pit for our music so I was amazed, it was really cool.

Sure you'll probably have a lot of that at HippyHaze too what with all the beer. How do you get along in terms of writing the music?
We all write the songs together. Like I'll come up with a bass-line, then Jimmy and Josh will write to it. Lyrics usually come last and I don't really think about them. I usually write lyrics when I'm tired and I find that my subconscious comes out. Like a stream-of-consciousness rather than a planned out thing.

That's so refreshing! I like that. Now, if you could choose any act that is playing at HippyHaze to collaborate with who would you choose?
Ahh it's funny because some of the acts are already doing that for Stoke Sounds this summer. But apart from those that I'm working with on that, I guess I'd have to say Shane from The Get Alongs. He's like my brother. Oh, and Jo-ee-T. I met him at Mark Askew's gig at The Underground a couple of weeks ago. He's a bit of an icon for the Stoke scene.

Yeah, everyone gets really excited about Jo-ee-T! Anyways, let's wrap this up so you can get on with your folksy-acoustic set shall we? The one thing I really want to know is *drumroll please* what's your favorite Hippy Hippy Shake Milkshake?
*Laughs guiltily* I've had way too many to count... that's why I've got a bit of *gropes at stomach and trails off* Anyway, Ferrero Rocher has to be my favorite.

Mmm, good choice. Well thanks for your time Aaron, break a leg!
Thanks.

***

I can honestly say that Aaron's acoustic set was so easy to listen to, I could have listened all day. AND THEN when I got home and did a bit of Clockwork Owls listening on their Myspace page, I was amazed that this was the same guy! The quality of both projects is undoubtedly fantastic, yet they're so different that you can really tell that this is a guy with serious talent and flair for music. Clockwork Owls are officially on my Must See list for HippyHaze this Easter, and I strongly suggest you add them to yours too, especially if you've got a thing for handsome rebellious artists with catchy choruses. The ladies out there are going to adore Not My Face, and if they don't then they're stupid. 'Nuff said. :P

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT FAST SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET. PLUS IF YOU BUY A 3 NIGHT TICKET, GET ANY REGULAR SHAKE FOR FREE!

Love and milkshakes

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Sits Down With... Jim McShee!

So last weekend, The Hippy Hippy Shake was invited to The Old Brown Jug pub just down the street from our Newcastle branch, by a couple of the bands who will be gracing the HippyHaze festival this Easter with their musical talents. You can only imagine my excitement when I realized that one of these acts was country/blues singer Jim McShee. Now, I'm sure you're all aware that The Hippy Hippy Shake Company has never been one to follow the crowd, and as a family of self-confessed country music lovers (it's just so American!) once we heard about Jim, we knew we had to have him. More than a little bit intrigued by a 20-year-old, Stoke-on-Trent-based, country singer, I had to compose myself in order to make sure I asked all of the right questions. Of course, Jim's so down-to-Earth that seconds after slipping out of the back door for a 'quieter' interview location (OO-ER madam...) I automatically felt relaxed and we were having a right laugh. Here's what came of it...

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Tell me about Jim McShee then...
Well, it's just basically me playing country and blues music. Simples. Obviously it's something different as there aren't many people doing it in my generation. I'm only twenty.

I'm a huge country music fan and my dad's always been a total nerd about country too. We're huge Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire fanatics. So who are your biggest musical inspirations?
Musically I've got loads of influences. I started with rock music before coming over to country. Nowadays I'd say my biggest influences are Johnny Cash and Bruce Springsteen.

Good stuff, I approve. With such an unusual genre of music, I wonder how you've been received?
Well, I started just last February, and since then I've probably done about 50 shows in the local area with one in Manchester also. I think a lot of people around my age who don't really dig that kind of music have been warming to it because I am the age I am, and I think they are starting to think, 'Mmm this is something I could get into' and that's exactly what I want. I really believe in the Stoke music scene and at the moment it's exploding with loads of different genres and people are receiving it all really well. Country, folk, blues. They all have their overlaps but with subtle variations meaning it never gets too samey. People like something new after they get used to it.

Definitely. Throwing something unique in with the mainstream mixes things up and keeps it exciting. Like, obviously at HippyHaze, your genre is definitely going to stand out as we have a bunch of fab rock bands but only a handful of folk/country/blues-y type stuff which is great!
Yeah I can't wait! Sure it will become one of my favorite gigs.

*Massive dazzling grin catches my breath a bit* Let's hope so! What have been your other favorite gigs?
I have three.

Greedy boy. Go on then...
My first favorite was one where I supported Pete Doherty at the Undergound.

WOW!!! Subtle name drop... *We both laugh*
Yeah, it was a huge show. I'm close friends with a promoter from the Underground and because they were looking for acoustic artists he got in touch with me on Facebook. It sold out in a day and none of my friends got tickets. I thought I'd be eaten alive by a crowd that was there to hear Libertines songs and got me as their support act. But, after my first song everyone cheered and I've never felt so humbled. People were literally screaming, 'I love you Jim' and I couldn't believe it.
Then there was my first headline show at The Sugarmill. People were singing along to my lyrics and basically wouldn't let me off stage!
My third favorite was my gig in Manchester. There was only ten people in the audience. It had a folk-Americana vibe going on. I was the second one on and despite the small audience, I didn't have to fight over anyone talking which is often a bit of a pain. They were all there to listen to my kind of music so it was such an amazing experience. It was a huge learning curve. I didn't think gigs like that existed anymore!

Jeez, you've had some great times this past year! I'm sure you've also had some not-so-great times though too, and if I know country music, I know that the lyrics always tell a story right?
Yeah, they all are very personal and are usually about something sad that's happened but has since been resolved and ends in happiness. So my lyrics are definitely from personal experience. I like writing about things I WANT to happen too which haven't happened yet. Always looking forward. My favorite track at the moment is The Coffin Nail Blues which is going to be the title track on my upcoming EP.

Nice little bit of self-PR there Jim *I try to wink cheekily but remember I can't*
Haha. No-one else likes that song as much as I do, but that song is like a conversation between me and God. It's really personal. It's not my newest one but that's the song I'll always play even if the crowd don't like it, because it's just me.

I'm sure we'll all love it! Finally, what's your favorite Hippy Hippy Shake Milkshake?
Oreo or Double Decker. Actually definitely the Double Decker. I've had one too many of them without a doubt.

***

Jim McShee is what HippyHaze is all about. Getting something new and exciting out there and embracing it! He's a lovely guy with a beautiful voice and between you and me, The Coffin Nail Blues is my favorite of his songs too. Despite being touching and tackling some pretty heavy issues, it's actually surprisingly catchy too. This is definitely an act for anyone looking for the next big thing as Jim is definitely one to keep an eye out for. Not to mention the fact that his lullaby-style will be a treat for your aching heads as you'll all be recovering from the absolute rave that will be Easter weekend! Catch Jim McShee on Monday the 9th of April at HippyHaze and if you totally and completely cannot wait until then, check out his Facebook page for a bit of a teaser... Swear to God, you'll be back for more!

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT FAST SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET. PLUS IF YOU BUY A 3 NIGHT TICKET, GET ANY REGULAR SHAKE FOR FREE!

Love and milkshakes

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Sits Down With... The Pretty Great Whites!

On the same evening and I was lucky enough to grab some time with The Get Alongs and 3's A Riot, The Pretty Great Whites also made time for a quick interview. As well as being awesome musicians, this is a band of four of the nicest gentlemen I've had the pleasure of meeting. Bringing me my drink, making space for me and my friend to sit down and politely waiting for me as I faffed around with all my uni notes, these boys have the whole package... and their fans know it! So what did the Kris, Dave, Kane and Liam have to say for themselves?

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First of all, boring question but, who are your biggest influences?


Liam: The Who, The Jam, all that really!
Dave and Kris (in unison): Sham 69
Liam: Yeah, Sham 69
Kane: Paul Weller too, legend.


Ahh Paul Weller, I'm a fan. Looking forward to hearing your stuff then... So they are huge rockers with loads of stories to tell, but I want to know what's been your biggest rock and roll moment so far?


Dave: Rugfest
Liam:        Rugfest
Kane:               Rugfest
Kris:                        Rugfest was a rock and roll moment because... well... I can't remember much of it... We had no shoes on... guitars got broken and it went down quite well!
Liam: Basically we drank beer from a wellie!


Eeeew. That reminds me of particularly treacherous game of Ring of Fire...


Kris: Grim. Yeah, you know really the people who come follow us regularly... they're all off it. That's partially because we hang out with them. We drink with the fans, everyone gets smashed and has a good time.


Awh that's nice you have a close relationship with fans! So, you're not adverse to being drunk on stage at all, what with those two alcoholic drinks in your hands Kris...


Kris: *Shrugs* It gives you the courage. The majority of my life I spend...
Liam: Wasted. On the p**s.
Kane: On the floor.
Kris: Drunk. And that's where the songs come from. When you're drunk you're more likely to take in what's around you and when you do that, you write a song. If they're written under the influence, they should be performed under the influence! It puts your heart in it!


Makes sense! So you guys write all of your lyrics then? Where does the inspiration for the songs come from... apart from the bottle...


Kris: Every song is inspired by something in the world around us. Like, the first song is inspired by a prostitute druggie wino, then the last one is about government propaganda and oppression and stuff. Like, none of our songs are commercialized they're all social commentary.


*Rest of the band gazes in awe at the eloquence of their drunkest member* Wow ok, so you're tackling some pretty heavy issues there, not going to lie.


Kris: Well, David Cameron is a f**king w***er, he just sits there behind his desk.


Do I sense a labour voter then? Lib Dem perhaps?


Kris: I don't follow any of them. To be fair, Lib Dem told me they'd legalize marijuana. 


Yeah, and they told me that they'd make uni free. They lied.


Kris: They chat sh*t don't they? They just want a bit of that *rubbing fingers together to signify money* don't they? We're the ones that work and pack cheese for a living so they should just f**k off. 
Liam: Pack cheese?
*Band laughs*
Dave: But yeah, in answer to your question, we write our own lyrics.


*Can't help but laugh* Ok, do you know the other bands that are performing at HippyHaze? Who would you like to perform with if you could?


Liam: Emilio Pinci straight up. 
Kris: We've known him for like, seven years and he's an amazing writer and guitarist


Yeah well I haven't had much experience of meeting him yet but I hear great things so I'm looking forward to it. I'm probably going to need to interview him soon...


Kris: Well you know what, at any point when you're there and he's there, just come and find me and I'll introduce you. Are you going to be at HippyHaze? *Everyone looks baffled at his question*


Yeah... my dad is the organizer, remember? 


Kris: Oh yeah, yeah yeah. Anyway, I'll introduce you. He's a top guy!


Fab! Ok, so who has a girlfriend and who hasn't? 


Kris: Liam is a dedicated boyfriend!
Liam: If it counts, we met at our first gig...


Awhh that's sweet!


Kane: Basically she's a groupie. 


*Laughing* Leads me to my next question. Would you s**g a groupie?


Dave: Oh yes.
Kris: Hell yeah.
Kane: Without a doubt.


That's what we like to hear! One more question... what's your favorite milkshake from The Hippy Hippy Shake?


Kris: Have you done a Pretty Great Whites one yet? That one.


No we haven't yet, but we will, I promise.


Liam: The Kinder Bueno one.
Dave: White Maltesers.
Random stranger: Blackcurrent Cheesecake.
Kris: To be honest, I've only tried a bit of the 3's A Riot one. It was dead good. It tasted pukka!


Well it's been really nice to meet you guys, I'm so glad I've had an opportunity to interview you all. Thanks for your time.


The Pretty Great Whites: Thanks.

***

Labeling themselves an 'indie/post punk' band, The Pretty Great Whites seem to have a very large following of Stoke-based fans and I'm now one of them! Songs to listen out for are Fake Romance and Pretty Little Scumbag... check out their MySpace page and see if you can resist bouncing around your bedroom to these two tunes. I challenge you. Can't wait to see them perform at HippyHaze this Easter, not sure about you guys, but I'll be directly in front of the stage screaming like I love them. Join me? Like you'd be able to resist, The Pretty Great Whites really know how to rock a venue, and we're chuffed to have them on-board :)

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT FAST SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET. PLUS IF YOU BUY A 3 NIGHT TICKET, GET ANY REGULAR SHAKE FOR FREE!

Love and milkshakes

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Sits Down With... Shaneth Davis from The Get Alongs

For our first band interview, we wanted to choose a band which we felt really epitomized what this festival is all about, and featured the sorts of people who we can't wait to work with. This is why we jumped at the opportunity to head to The Underground in Hanley on the 20th January to get up close and personal with the exceptionally professional and sickeningly cool Shaneth Davis from The Get Alongs. It was all very rock and roll being invited backstage to conduct our short interview before Shaneth was whisked off for another interview with Radio Stoke. So, what did we ask the man with so little time yet so much to say...

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Shane it's nice to meet you! *Conservatively shake hands before being invited backstage* I'm sure you're pretty busy tonight so I'll get straight to it with a question I'm sure you get asked all the time, but we really want to know... who are The Get Alongs' biggest influences? 

Ahhh it's dead hard because it varies from band member to band member and there's so many...

List them.

Number Girl, Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, Sparta Locals, The Housemartins, The Smiths, Billy Bragg, The Libertines, Stiff Little Fingers, The Jam, Morrissey, The Mars Volta, At The Drive in, Sex Pistols, Flogging Molly, The Cribs, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Ned's Atomic Dustbin... more?

Wow, no that's fine! So you're obviously into quite a diverse range of music which I guess is great when trying to throw some tunes together...

Yeah it's great to have all our different tastes. That's why our audience is a bit of a mix of people. Because we don't stick to one style, the crowd doesn't either so we have everything from mods to skaters. We like it that way. 

What's been your best rock and roll moment as a band to date? And you can't choose a sexual conquest.

I'm not like that! Loads of people think I am but I hate all that. 

That's what we like to hear, he's a good boy!

Well, the way I look at it is, I don't go to a restaurant to try out the toilet, I go there to eat the food. I'm in it for the music.

I love that phrase although I don't quite understand it... As for your rock and roll moment?

Selling out The Sugarmill before Christmas and having it packed full of people singing my songs is the best feeling ever. Smashing up my guitar, getting shut down by riot police when a crowd got a bit mental, supporting great bands... Music means more to me than life. I should be in hospital right now, but I've taken my medication and come here just because I'd rather be playing than getting better.

WOW that's pretty rock and roll! Don't die on me... Going back to the topic of girls... The Get Alongs write all their own lyrics right? So what inspires the words? Girls? 

Yeah sometimes! All of our songs are really personal. There's loads of hidden stuff! We have one song about them annoying girls who are orange. I always say before performing it, 'This is for all those orange f**king s**gs out there!' And there's loads of hidden stuff in that track. They are really personal... I write a lot of poetry and so a lot of the lyrics come from that, obviously the rest of the band add in their bits and we all share ideas.

Right! Next question... What would be your dream collaboration if you had to choose another act that will be playing at Hippy Haze?

Ahh that's a good one. We're good friends with Clockwork Owls although we'll probably do something with them anyway. We're pretty close to Sworn To Oath. Who else... Dirty Money No 5 are really good. The Pretty Great Whites, 3's A Riot we tour with these all the time. Heritage, Faux Feet. Anybody really... Joey T's on about doing a remix of one of our songs too...

That would be really good! I hear fab things about him. Finally, just out of interest, what's your fave Hippy Hippy Shake milkshake?

Oh, I had a 3's A Riot this week and that was really good, although I reckon when you put out a flavour named after The Get Alongs that will be the best!

Cheeky! I'll have to put in a good word for you :) Well thanks Shaneth, you've been great, I'll let you get on with all your other Rock Star Duties.

Thanks, better go find Radio Stoke for my next interview!

***

And just like that he was gone! Simon, Gavin, Jack and the lovely Shane (aka. The Get Alongs) appear to be constantly selling out venues to the extent where The Undergound reached capacity by 8pm on the night this interview took place, and it's easy to see why. This Stoke-based, band mixes alternative, indie and 'post punk' into one huge mess of oral pleasure. And who doesn't want that ;) If you're into stage presence, hilarious lyrics with dual meanings and fancy a good time, The Get Alongs are definitely one to watch at HippyHaze this Easter.

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT FAST SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET.

Love and milkshakes

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company