Hi everyone

January hasn't been the busiest of times at the Rising Sun, and in fairness, we do have to admit that we have to put our feet up once in a while.  Especially when there's a chance to have a steaming hot mug of cocoa, some nice biscuits and get round to having a read of Paul McKenna's latest book I Can Take Your Money (before I, your humble narrator, flog it on eBay.)

However we have a packed weekend to tell you about.  This weekend Club Velocity and the Rising Sun play host to INDEPENDENT VENUE WEEK!!

Independent Venue Week is a 7 day celebration of small music venues around the UK and a nod to the people that own, run and work in them, week in, week out. It's supported using public funding by Arts Council England, bringing together great venues across the land along with breaking and established artists, promoters, labels, media, bloggers and tastemakers to create a nationwide series of gigs at the end of January and the start of February.

... and thanks to Sid Siddle and Club Velocity, we've got three fantastic gigs lined-up...

On Friday...

PINK DIAMOND REVUE
Beatsnroll.  More punk than you.

HEAD DROP

New local 'supergroup'.  They play aggressive fuzzed-out psyche groove for
people who can't drink caffeine after 5pm.

TYPICAL HUNKS
Two piece. Steve Albini greatness

Sorry Blimp have had to cancel..........

We'll be open at 8pm.  And it'll cost you £8 on the door to get in (£6 in advance from www.wegottickets.com).

On Saturday...

THE GO GO CULT
If we have anything to do it with it-then 2019 will be a year where more of you pop kids are aware of the 'Cult' Are they are a garage band?  Are they a surf band?  Are they a billy band?  To our ears they remind us of great long lost bands like Man Or Astroman and the Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet.  Great DIY labels like Estrus and Get Hip.  Washington before Kurt.  Cheap beer and ribs. Flipside and Maximum Rocknroll.  John Peel would have got the Go Go Cult and so should you.
 
THE OTHER DRAMAS
From Oxford.  Two piece rollnpop.  Dealing in delightful-just the left side of bubble glam pop for punks who never had green hair.Exceptionally good
ear fodder that more people should hear.
 
THE SONIC FLOWERS
Three sassy teenagers.  Punk as fudge.  Fierce.

We'll be open at 8pm.  And it'll cost you £8 on the door to get in (£6 in advance from www.wegottickets.com).

And on Sunday...

JESSICA LEE MORGAN
...is a singer and songwriter raised on a wholesome diet of folk and rock. Her on-stage style is honest yet playful, with songs and a voice that come from the heart.
 
Born to Welsh singer Mary Hopkin and American-Italian producer Tony Visconti, a musical career was inevitable but Jessica has also worked in fields such as health and social care, with people from all sorts of backgrounds, and this reflects in her songwriting.
 
All Jessica's own writing, new album 'Around The Block' is a return to her acoustic roots. Jessica sings, plays guitar, saxophone, ukelele and kazoo. She is supported by Christian Thomas on bass and Simon Adams on drums and percussion, with guest appearances from her brother Morgan Visconti, Paul Cuddeford and Jules Hay.
 
'Around The Block' is a completely acoustic album. This is in contrast to her previous album release 'I Am Not', which is an eclectic mix of acoustic and electronic music. Jessica co-produced the new album with partner Christian Thomas, who recorded and mixed the album.
 
Jessica said "I wanted to have a more organic feel to this album. I felt that I wanted to break away from the rigid formality of a studio album, so wherever possible, we recorded in different places. Most of the guitars were tracked in our mobile recording studio in an orchard in Ross on Wye, and the saxophones were recorded on the A470 to Brecon!"
 
Jessica also tours with Bowie supergroup Holy Holy alongside her father Tony Visconti (Bowie, T.Rex), Woody Woodmansey (Spiders from Mars) and Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17), as well as Paul Cuddeford, James Stevenson and Berenice Scott. They have toured in the USA, Canada, Japan and the UK.
 
Jessica sings and plays saxophone, 12-string guitar and percussion in the band

HARROLAND
Best New Band In Reading
 
MASTER Of NONE
Ian from Little Red with his solo action-project

We'll be open at 7.30pm.  And it'll cost you £8 on the door to get in (£6 in advance from www.wegottickets.com)

By the way, we've got our own little page on the IVW website
https://www.independentvenueweek.com/portfolio/reading-rising-sun-arts-centre/

That's everything for another week, just to remind you that we are, as always, at 30 Silver Street, Reading, RG1 2ST (If you pop it into your satnav or Google, we shall magically appear!)