He first came to my attention in the duo Birdpen, an act that is dark and inventive in the studio while on stage they stand out as totally professional unit, that produces a sound so large it fills every inch of available space in the venue.

Occasionally Dave would mention he was in a collective called ‘Archive‘ who were doing quite well in Europe. As my brief at the time focused on the south coast it took a while to investigate this strand of his career, especially as the albums were just available on the continent.

It was only when I bought Bridpen’s debut album from Amazon France did I realise how modest Dave had been as, on the cover, was a sticker proclaiming ‘On, Off, Safety, Danger’ featured ‘Dave Pen from Archive’

This success abroad was on the back of Archive’s albums ‘Lights’ & ‘Live at the Zenith’ just before Archive’s 2009 release ‘Controlling Crowds parts I-IV’ which is a double album of rare beauty.

Ironically it’s also the last recording they made under their deal with Warners who, for some inexplicable reason, have dropped the band just at the wrong time. It’s a bit like the Beatles being ditched after Sgt. Peppers.

Controlling Crowds will feature in later editions of ‘Xan Phillips presents…‘, however for this episode we concentrate on Birdpen’s debut album ‘On, Off, Safety, Danger’ and Archive’s ‘Live at the Zenith’ which the French Rolling Stone magazine stated was one of the best live recordings around.

We’ve also got more music from the UK’s south coast including our hottest export to Europe and America: Band of Skulls. Along with them you can investigate Betika, Boe Weaver, The Shanklin Freak Show, Big Num, Scarlett Soho and The Moulettes.

Xan Phillips presents is brought to you by Playdio.com and is currently available on Spotify.

Produced by Romesh Dodangoda (Motorhead, Funeral For A Friend, Kids in Glass Houses) and sleeve artwork by Marvel artist Boo Cook it has reviewers like Dorset Rock Online pondering whether they should: “draw comparisons to other unsigned local artists, or major label acts such as Silverchair, 30 Seconds to Mars and Muse.”

www.dorsetrockonline.com/?p=5415

The video for their latest release  ‘Step Aside‘ gives a humorous, yet poignant vision of the night life experience in virtually every UK city and town.

On the south coast it seems most prevalent in Southampton with the Daily Echo posting the story ‘On-spot fines for boozed-up ‘ladettes’ in Hampshire’ (14th August 2010). They report that…

“according to Inspector Phil Bates said: “I have been a police officer for 28 years and the number of women being out in public getting drunk has increased.

“The problem has grown. It’s not what I would consider epidemic or something that causes me huge alarm, but the fact it is increasing is something we need to address.”

The woman in this instance is singer Emma Friendship-Kilburn who’s drunken escapades are interupted by the straight faced Lyrical Agent who plays the sober side of everyone’s night out.

If this video stops people getting plastered any night of the week I’ll be surprised but, as a observation of a modern ‘good night out’ Moontown are spot on.

Next summer Simon Morice is shooting a documentary about a polar expedition involving some brave men from Lymington who hope to break the record for the: “fastest, unsupported, unassisted crossing from edge of continent to South Pole”.

The above promo has music scored by Southampton’s Mike Torr.

See also: South pole soundtrack for Mike Torr

They are one of the new breed of bands using their fan base to raise funds for projects and new releases.

It will be the subject of my next column.

First published in the Southern Daily Echo, Friday 25th July 2010

You know you’re getting old when you drop your biro beside a mosh pit… and try to pick it up.

And when the mosh is in full swing you have to watch your back, front and ball point pen in The Joiners!

The whirling revellers beside me were propelled by Southampton’s ‘Kids Can’t Fly’ one of six bands competing in Southampton Takedown.

Up for grabs was the chance to support Welsh band ‘The Blackout’ at the Takedown Festival in Salisbury on 24^th July.

As a judge I was delighted to see all entrants approaching the event at full steam and, whatever time you walked in, you would have thought it was the headliners on stage.

But for me ‘Kids Can’t Fly’ ticked all the essential boxes: attitude, songs and entertainment.

With 50% of the vote coming from the audience their win was confirmation that many there agreed.

They mix Ska-punk with an infectious attitude that causes the body to pogo with a smile on the face.

Surprisingly they’re formed around a brass section of Ryan (trombone) and Dave (saxophone) who told me: “We’re trying to be something original, adding a horn section to a pop-punk backing, rather than copying bands of the past.”

The brass also gives a touch of class (and proper metal) and completes a line-up whose infectious energy engages the audience while playing songs that lodge in the memory.

This band might claim to lack the ability of flight but they definitely walk the walk.

Houses of Parliament

The justified anger about MP’s expenses has led many people to demand that something must be done about the government.

But have you noticed that in times of stress and frustration with politicians we blame ‘the’ government? It’s almost seen a foreign entity that prods and pokes us in a most irritating manner. It’s blamed for almost everything yet we forget it is ‘our’ government.

We vote them into the House of Commons to spend ‘our’ money and so we are not only responsible for who takes charge of this country, but we also give them the funds to keep it going.

It is time to reclaim ‘our’ government and demand that ‘it’ work for ‘us’.

But we should not go down the route suggested by Lord Tebbit. (Boycott big parties, says Tebbit) He’s calling for people to demonstrate their anger by voting for minority parties at the forthcoming European elections and thereby give the main parties a “right kicking” (my words not his).

It’s difficult to see how this childish idea will help those in the real world and, when you remember that Lord Tebbit is unelected and can not be voted out, you wonder if a serious political, if not physical, revolution is required to get ‘our’ government back into ‘our’ hands.

However we, the voters, have to undergo our own mental revolution. We have to remember that pressure can be easily put on MPs by writing letters, sending emails, going to meetings and speaking out: telling the elected exactly how the electorate feel.

We also have to remember that voting is a privilege which was won by many brave and determined people in our past. As they say: “If you don’t vote, you can’t complain.”

National apathy about politics has put us in this position and voting for minority parties, parties who are mainly concerned with single issues, will not make the situation any better.

We need the party system to disappear and a solution to this awful mess found without Labour or the Conservatives receiving beneficial spin from their actions or proposals.

A possible option could be a Government of National Unity.

It was suggested as a fantasy idea by Michael White when the financial crisis took hold in 2008. (Financial crisis may lead to government of national unity) and would mean that MPs work together for a common cause.

Seeing as Members of Parliament are so discredited, it could be the stop-gap that gives us an opportunity to reclaim “our government”.

They’ve just had a fantastic week in America and provided us with an excellent account of the amazing New York visit and then South by Southwest support of the Proclaimers in Austin, Texas.

For their manager Mark “Smutz” Smith the trip ticked every box: “The band really raised their game and, in wealth of experience alone, it was worth every penny.”

Experiences like the gig they performed in Harlem, New York, for which their fee was bar tips; a midnight photo shoot on the Empire State; or meeting the fans they’ve met through myspace.

Of course hanging out with the Proclaimers was pure joy and meeting members of the New York Dolls, Graham Coxon from Blur and a variety of music industry contacts has everyone wanting more.

For Mark the hard work continues with following up all the leads but if even half come off then we could see the band touring and being published in various parts of the world plus gigging again in New York.

There is so much more in the blog but my favourite part is when they are having fun in the back of a taxi.

A truck pulls up alongside, the driver winds down his window and says: “First time out west?” The band reply “Yeah” and the trucker puffs on his cigar and says; “You can tell!”

Read more at myspace.com/dlugokecki

First published by the Southern Daily Echo 27th March 2009

Two satellites have collided in space (first time ever) and also a pair of nuclear submarines have ‘touched’ mid-Atlantic (equally rare).

No doubt these two incidents have been demonstrations of a dastardly device created by an ‘evil one’ (possibly Dr Collido) just to prove how she, or he, can control our best machinery and make it look, well, stupid.

So if Big Ben strikes twice at one o’clock then no doubt our leaders will have given in the demands of the deranged Dr Collido.

And if, dear Hollywood, this scenario is too simplistic for our cinema goers, why not add a twist of science fiction with meteors flying over Sweden and Texas as seen below.

We could call the film: “Dr Collido’s Moon Threat”

Sweden

Texas