Continuing our underlying theme that there is a great song writing scene on the UK’s south coast, the second edition of ‘Xan Phillips presents…‘ features south coast singer and songwriter Dave Pen.

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.

The supporting of new music is a strange and sometimes frustrating road to travel but occasionally you stumble across a great moment.

Last year Amazing Radio invited me to be the first new voice on their national station.

This year I embark on a new show for Playdio who are adding shows to Spotify, the piece of software that has made listening to music a simple and beautiful pleasure.

For example as I type this I’m listening to Jackie Leven’s ‘Forbidden Songs of the Dying West’. It’s a great slab of Celtic rock but something I would never have owned due to lack of funds.

My CD collection is not as extensive as you might imagine, most of it will have stickers from second-hand shops and it’s currently in storage thanks to Spotify.

The good news is that many of the South coast’s musicians are on there too: Birdpen, Dlugokecki, Broken Links, The Moulettes and Band of Skulls.

The new show is called ‘Xan Phillips presents…” will not only feature acts like them but also top names visiting the area. The first show has an interview with Badly Drawn Boy from the 2010 Eastleigh Music Festival

There is no denying a pure south coast show would be fantastic but new bands need new listeners and the bigger the name the bigger the exposure.

So following the BDB interview will be Andrew Foster, Lou Brown and Haunted Stereo.

It’s a great opportunity to get their music heard on a wider platform and once again promote the great song writing scene we have in the south. Visit www.playdio.com

First published 8th Agust 2010 in the Southern Daily Echo

An Irish book has been causing marital divisions across the UK leading some wives to ban it from the bedroom.

Belfast born Eamon Nancarrow didn’t expect his autobiography ‘Holywood Star to cause such ructions seeing as the climax of his rock career was a disastrous tour of Scotland during a bleak winter.

But the singer’s tales of rock and roll misadventure have sent beds rocking with uncontrollable laughter leaving many partners irritated and awake.

‘It would start with Michael’s shoulders shaking,’ said bank manager Angela O’Sullivan (49) of her husband’s reaction to certain passages, “and then turn into a belly laugh.”

As a resident of Holywood, County Down, her irritation was needing to know what, and more importantly who, in Eamon’s adventure was making Michael laugh so much.

‘ “Eventually I told him: “anywhere but the bedroom!” But even when he was in the en suite I could still hear suppressed giggling.”

This reaction has spread to the mainland with Rhian French (37), a copy writer from Andover, Hampshire, suffering the same fate. Although her wound was self inflicted as she bought the book as a Christmas present for her husband Alan (right), another struggling musician.

“I had to ask him to stop making so much noise. Every night he was having a bit of a snort and if it wasn’t an outright guffaw there would be a lot of giggling and more snorting. It’s a bit worrying when someone is having so much fun on their own in the same bed.”

Her solution was simple: “He had to read it downstairs before he came up to sleep.”

Eamon’s Irish eyes might be smiling at the thought of bringing laughter into some people’s lives but the negative aspect is beginning to concern him:

“It is never great to cause friction in the boudoir, especially when there are nylon sheets involved, and it was never my intention to set marital sparks flying. The book was only supposed to make people laugh and that seems to be the crux of the problem.”

If this is another calamity to befall Eamon Nancarrow at least he’s used to it. From the horrors of his first perm in the early 80’s to the moment a misplaced stage pyrotechnic almost curtailed his parenting capabilities, he has still been able to see the funny side of life.

However, in some bedrooms around the country, there is only one side of the bed laughing.

Holywood Star is available in paperback priced £9.99 (Showcase UK) from Amazon, WH Smith and www.showcaseuk.tv