Working Sting Issue 14
Download the PDF version of Issue No.14

HybridLab Who?

Are you a musician/artist/designer? interested in widening your fan base? or hankering after your own career in media?
HybridLab is a unique social enterprise set up by charity IEA (Innovative Enteprise Action). We profile unsigned artists for free. Check out www.hybridlab.org/featuredartist/
aboutus.php for more info, and get in touch!
HybridLab is about promoting you and the work that you do. We are different from other organisations as we focus on the individuals behind their work, giving a more personal approach to promotion. We also have a featured artist every fortnight check out www.hybridlab.org/featuredartist/
home.php


"Art Inspired"
Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club probably needs some clarification, it’s not really a club for working men and you can use it if you’re a women. Glad we got that sorted. It is a Party House, Arts & Culture venue, Gallery, Café, Events Management and Artist Agency. The centre houses many different nights but they are all art inspired and defiantly fall into the alternative category. Sunday was the Boxbot all-dayer, which involved turning up at 2pm to a hall full of craft materials – tonnes of cardboard, glue, balloons, tinfoil and glitter – you build yourself a robot head/suit depending how adventurous you’re feeling. Whilst the evening is a total laugh real effort was expended on some of the suits. Along with a binary raffle and bakesale the evening culminated in Boxfactor where a tandem robot cow suit won first place. Live music was provided by the wonderful Bee Stings and DJ’s plied us with a mix of electronica and 80’s. Nights to come include ‘You Me Umbabungo Game Show’ – a tribal game show and ‘Grind A Go Go’- a revolving mirrored stage with dancers. Trust me, you won’t be bored. Claire Quinn
www.workersplaytime.net
The Bee Stings
"a complex,punchy album"
Watching the Bee Stings play at the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club last Sunday night was a real treat. The band played a night called ‘Boxbot’ where attendees make their own robot outfit from the materials provided – you heard me correctly – this leads to something called Boxfactor. All set around a vaudeville style stage. See venue review for lurid details. Luckily their music is just as idiosyncratic, Dance-Rock-Pop-Electro ….oh who cares probably all of the above in all the right proportions. Whilst the band has genre flux they certainly don’t lack identity, listening to them live they present a well-rehearsed band with a love of their own music ….and maybe each other! While tracks vary in pace each one has a multilayered quality mixing plenty of live bass and drums with some programmed material and synth. Tracks like ‘Misadventure’ take you straight into a bangin ‘Underworld’ style intro lightened by Valkyrie’s lead vocals, the track then builds itself to epic proportions. ‘Pressure Running Away’ is real pop/rock fusion; a bouncy intro swiftly dips into some punk style vocals, really showing the bands diversity and energy. My main point of excitement about this band was listening to their complex, punchy album – Life by Misadventure – better was listening to it performed live to the same high standard. Claire Quinn
www.myspace.com/beestingsmusic

Happy Shoppers
at
Columbia Road

Wednesday 12th of December was the second of three special festive openings for the traders and artists based at Columbia Road in London’s East End. With gracious weather the evening kicked off at 5pm when shop owners pulled back wooden shutters and gates to reveal their goodies. Normally only open at weekends, the street was lined with dainty yellow Christmas lights and had a definite feel of nostalgia. In harsh contrast to the noise and glare of most high streets, the quiet cobbled street was devoid of traffic and neon allowing shoppers to wonder peacefully and explore 40 small independent shops. The street layout and shops have remain unchanged for 60 years and whilst proprietors may have changed their friendly welcoming approach has not. As the evening progressed the street filled with sounds of happy shoppers accompanied by the tunes of a Klezmer band. Adding to the delights, customers were treated to mince pies at several shops and the Royal Oak perched on the corner of Ezra Street served mulled wine. Columbia road artists and traders will open their shops again on the evening of Wednesday 19th of December. Claire Quinn
www.myspace.com/christmaswednesdays
Danelle Harvey: upcoming album
"Tortured Soul"

Danelle’s debut solo album Tortured Soul is a reality. Written, composed and produced by Danelle herself, the album is now finished. Years of effort and hard work are finally rewarded. Congratulations Danelle! For all of you that can wait, we expect the release of Tortured Soul early in 2008. www.myspace/danelleharvey

The Bad Robots
Hurray!
News is generally something of a revelation. In that case we shouldn’t really be reporting that The Bad Robots have only gone and got themselves into the SEMI-FINALS of T4’SmobileAct unsigned. Hurrah!
They need your votes now! Claire Quinnwww.hybridlab.org/featuredartist/badrobots.php www.myspace.com/thebadrobots

Old Street Musical Union
Old Street Musical Union have released their eponymous debut album. The nine-track CD costs £9.99 and is available from www.cdunsigned.com
www.myspace.com/oldstreetmusicalunion


After producing a self-penned album ‘Loose Cannons’ Lyla D’souza is currently gigging with Groovejet, a prestigious covers band whose past clients include Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and, last but not least, the Queen. Lyla’s dazzling vocal sophistication and charismatic stage presence will be well used with Groovejet, who regularly play major venues such as The Savoy, Kew Gardens and Goodwood House. The group cater to all tastes, bringing gut energy and slick professionalism to classics from all eras, from teddy-boy rock to 70s funk, night fever disco to laid-back jazz. Looks like Lyla’s got her work cut out for her! www.myspace.com/lyladsouza
Plakka
Plakka, the ongoing pop/electro/rock/punk musical project now has a new friend! Their members tend to come and go, adding to and diversifying Plakka’s psychedelic sound. Headed by best mates BK13 on vocals and guitarist Spanna, the band took a new direction by welcoming its first electronic band member – a retro 80s drum machine. The on/off mechanism may be a little primitive but the crowd at Oh Bar in Camden last Friday went wild for the electro beats. It looks like this new member is here to stay, at least until Plakka hits its next wave of experimentation.
www.myspace.com/plakkagroup



Lyla D'Souza

The Light
The Light, formerly known as The Change, are working on a mini rock opera named Attack of the Chevron Flasher. A16 minute gem, Attack of the Chevron Flasher tells the tale of a small boy with a stammer - Sylus - and his encounter in a park with an ex-corporate businessman turned flasher. The Light use classic, toe-tapping rock tunes to tell this controversial tale, with their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks. The mini opera will be performed in full early next year, along with accompanying Anime visuals to bring alive the tale of Sylus and his bizarre adventures. Attack of the Chevron Flasher will also be recorded as part of The Light’s debut album, to be released mid 2008. myspace.com/thelightgateway