MUSIC & STAGE
We Will Sur vive EP Out now smarturl.it/WeWillSur viveEP
BEWARE THE BEAR with SEAN SMITH
Beware The Bear may be yet to play a proper gig – but it’s not for lack of wanting to. The band came together when former Same Difference singer Sean Smith met the other guys in the recording studio a couple of years ago. At the time Sean, from Widleey, was recording his debut soloo album. Tired of continual trips to London to record, he looked for somewhere closer to home, and picked The Old Blacksmiths Studios in Hilsea.
The studio is run by Neil Elliott and Ben Whyntie, who along with Tom Cattermole, Russell Edmonds complete the band’s line-up. ‘Because I was in there so much recording,’ Sean recalls, ‘we just ended up becoming friends. I was sat there one day in the studio and they said: “Listen to this demo that we've got, we were thinking you might want to do a vocal on it”. Despite liking it, Sean felt it wasn’t the right direction for him to take at that point.
‘But I went in one day and recorded a vocal for them for the fun of it, really. When the track came back I thought it was so good.’
The song, Show Me Love,
#SAVETHE30 CAMPAIGN
Music Venue Trust has launched a new phase of its #Saveourvenues campaign which focuses on securing the future of 30 venues most at risk of closure as the pandemic continues.
On that list are Hampshire venuesues The Railway Inn in Winchester and The 1865 in Southampton. Co-owners of The Railway Inn, Dan Lloyd and Lucy Knight, say: ‘For more than 40 years the Railway Inn has been at the heart of Winchester's music scene.
‘In the last 10 years it has embraced all genres of the arts, including theatre, exhibitions, lectures and community projects. found its way to the BBC and was used in an episode of the Richard Gere-starring drama MotherFatherSon, which aired in spring 2019.
‘I knew there was something in this, and I thought, we've got to get this out now. If the BBC is picking up on it, it's clearly a great record – let's just see what happens with it.’ The track has since racked up hhundrdreds of thousands of layys on Spotify. t ka kind of blew my mind at it streamed so ell,’ adds Sean, ‘so we ought there must be mething in this.’ wever, as the band startedrted to comeco together, lockdown hit. Songwriter Russell took full advantage of the time on his hands.
‘It seemed like every day I was getting a demo from him asking: “What do you think of that?”’
The resulting five-song EP features polished indie-pop, packed with soaring choruses designed to be sung en masse. ‘We landed on five really solid records. In with the band it's so chilled – they're such pros.
‘It felt like doing music just for the love of it.’
Now they’re champing at the bit to show what they can do live.
‘Once we're out of this pandemic, we can play and people will realise the quality of these guys and the musicianship. Hopefully we can get a real cult following and build from there.
‘All it takes is a little spark to get it to take-off and we'll be away...’ ‘Whilst many artists have begun their careers here, and we're proud of it, the greatest achievement has always been its community. They are our family and drive the very ethos of our belobloved venue. Today, we ree at risk of never being ble to see you again.’ ranger of activity under e #saveourvenues nneer has been announced, basedbd around a combined effort by audiences, local communities, local councils and the creative community to prevent their permanent closure.
MVT is urging everyone who cares about these venues to write to their local MP, council, local charities, and anyone they can think of to demand action to prevent them being closed for good.