Friday 23rd January -pm me for cheaplistx

Playhard is kicking off 2015 in style with raucous live bands and DJ's and dancing into the small hours.

Zak Starkey (The Who, Oasis) along with dynamic front woman Sshh Liguz lead the charge of our top picks for 2015. Don’t miss this extraordinary old school Rock and Indie club night!

DOORS 7PM-3AM
THE PHOENIX, (Downstairs)
37 Cavendish Square, London, W1G 0PP

PENGUINSRISING
https://www.facebook.com/pages/PENGUINSRISING/168058286696185?fref=ts

"A pelvis swinging slice of gnarly power-pop rock with vocals so saucy they make ketchup seem like mere water' NME

Penguins Rising was born in a primal fashion. Writhing into the world not unlike The Creatures after The Banshees.
Early incarnations saw the band as a rocknroll 4 piece.

They took a look at the scene and played a various London club nights including Gaz's Rockin Blues, 93 ft East & This Feeling.

Concentrating on writing they expanded musically to incorporate a range of styles. Creating a fusion of electronic, punk, funk, glam, rocknroll.

Taking to the stage once again to play with Kasabian & Beady Eye. Penguins performed as a duo with Zak Starkey on guitar, and Sshh Liguz on harmonica and vocals.

Reborn as PENGUINS RISING released 'HateMale' the film, featuring Perry Benson, at the end of 2013. It was well received and shown on a variety of online sources including MTV, Rolling Stone and BBC America.

The nucleus of PENGUINS RISING is Zak Starkey and Sshh Liguz. Although the line-up has evolved and has included Javier Weyler (Stereophonics) Darren Mooney (Primal Scream) Dale Davis (Amy Winehouse) and Julien Fenton (Arthur Brown).

2014 saw the band play a number of shows with Kasabian as well as various club gigs includingProud Camden, The Macbeth, Reading Town Hall and the Ace Hotel.

The band continues its unique and exciting journey of sound that is PENGUINS RISINGGET READY NOW!

Bad Wolf
https://www.facebook.com/ukbadwolf

“When they turn berserker, they sound like Matt Bellamy chained to a monster truck being dragged around a derby” NME

“Everything you want a band to be. These guys rock!” XFM

“Bold, driving and almost Muse-esque at times” KERRANG!

“In one hand you’ve got the epic scale of Muse at their best, in the other you’ve the searing power of a Queens Of The Stone Age record. Smash them together and you’ve got Bad Wolf!” ENTS24

Where as so many other bands scamper around their genres like little lost puppies, Bad Wolf mean business! They let rip and take you on a full-on trip, revealing the missing link between Indie and Punk with a full-throttle howl at the moon!

Debut album "False Conscience" is out now and available to stream/free download or pay for via https://ukbadwolf.bandcamp.com/

The Valves

https://www.facebook.com/HotValves1?fref=ts

The Valves was formed by frontman and lead guitarist, Mehdi Vismara in July 2013. The London three piece play Blues Rock ’n’ Roll with a Punk undertone. Influences include The Rolling stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Clash, Jonny Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Sun House, Jack White, The White Stripes to name a few.

Mixing big dirty guitar and bass riffs with a huge drum sound and overdriven vocals, the trio make anyone who has ever seen them want to move.

They are fairly new to the London scene, but have already made their mark as one of the most cool, exciting and energetic live shows in Rock & Roll.

At the end of 2013 they secured a recording session with Mick Jones of The Clash, based on his appreciation of the band, and recorded the song “57”.

They have also supported various established acts such as Willie Nile and a UK tour with the band Gun.

With a high level of industry interest in the past couple of months, due to the quality of live shows performed, they are set to be one of the main culprits in the return of Rock & Roll and guitar based music.

CHINA WHITE - WINACHI TRIBE

https://www.facebook.com/chinawhite001?fref=ts

John Robb's - (Louder Than War)
China White pummelled the audience with their own brand of alternative music, incorporating guitars, symbols and bongo drums in a way that has never been seen before.

Described by Rolling Stones producer Danny Saber as “… the most exciting, edgy band I have worked with since Black Grape,” it is easy to imagine the atmosphere they generated in the smoky Manchester venue. - See more at: https://louderthanwar.com/the-laboratory-project-manchester-an-alternative-review/#sthash.proHocHv.dpuf

'Viva Magazine' - China White have established themselves as firmly popular and solidly Northern. A talent that sees the venues they play packed to the rafters. Their little black book is one that the industry must envy fiercely. What with collaborations with Keith Allen, The Alabama 3 and Rowetta under their belt. Not to mention infrequent comparisons to The Happy Mondays. China White have a massively original sound that still manages to employ catchy hooks. They are set to become Manchester's biggest band this year!!!

Liam Gallagher's (Pretty Green) - Exciting, edgy band, with infectious energy, that embodies the attitude of the Pretty Green brand.’

We are incredibly excited to have Special Guest DJ Sets from:

Seye
www.seyemusic.com

If the name Adelekan sounds familiar, it’s because Seye (pronounced Shey-ah) is Gbenga from Metronomy’s younger brother – Gbenga’s also done a brilliant stripped back remix of ‘White Noise’ which you'll hear soon. Proving that musical talent runs in the family, Seye made a name for himself playing guitar for big name pop artists such as Ellie Goulding, Paloma Faith, and The Noisettes. Now he’s going it alone and ‘White Noise’ is the first offering from a formidable and multi-cultural new talent. Born in Nigeria and now living in Bromley via Ecuador and Holland, Seye’s sound is a melting pot of colourful music and electronic beats, pulled together with a pure pop sensibility.

Referencing bands as diverse as Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer via Rihanna and a touch of fellow Nigerian born D’Banj, Seye is a truly modern pop star in the making. With strong links to his West African heritage, ‘White Noise’ fuses Afrobeat with grime and guitars, rounded off with playful electronic production.

Influenced by some of the great adventurist songwriters of our time such as Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel, Seye is bringing African-fused music to whole new younger generation. Fellow Afrobeat experimentalists The Very Best have already tapped into Seye’s songwriting talent and breezy vocals, having asked him to sing on their upcoming single ‘Kondaine’ and Johan Hugo from TVB is also working with Seye on his debut album, due out later this year. Seye joined Johan and his band in Malawi recently, playing with a host of local Malawian musicians who will feature on the finished record.

Looking and sounding like nothing else around right now, ‘White Noise’ marks Seye’s arrival as a true original, a brilliant songwriter and musician, as well as a bonafide pop star.

Alix Brown NYC
https://legrandshumba.com/
DJ, musician, stylist and fashion muse Alix Brown was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia by music-loving parents. After a 4-year stint playing in a band, touring the world and running Shattered Records with Jay Reatard in Memphis, Tennessee, Alix decided to make the move to NYC.

She immediately got a job at Academy Records in Brooklyn and began to play bass in Golden Triangle. The band gained great success, winning Battle of the Bands at SXSW, which led to being signed by the Sub Pop subsidiary, Hardly Art, and the band landing a song in an international BMW commercial.

Just like many bands on top of the world, however, they soon dissolved. Having worked in vintage clothing and record stores growing up, Alix realized she had amassed thousands of records, a vast digital music library, and quite the jaw-dropping wardrobe. With such an impressive arsenal of pop culture artifacts, she began to pursue her career as a DJ and a stylist.

Since then, she has landed increasingly more high profile DJ gigs at Don Hills, Kenmare, Paul’s Baby Grand, The Standard Hotel NYC, weekly parties with co-DJ Tennessee Thomas at Soho Grand, TriBeCa Grand, Hotel Chantelle; and parties for the likes of Jill Stuart, Ralph Lauren, Helmut Lang, Pamela Love, and many more.

On the styling side, she has dressed Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, and the Black Lips for their album cover “Underneath the Rainbow” shot by legendary rock n roll photographer Mick Rock.

With her carefully developed taste for vintage sounds and style, it’s no wonder that she now wields an encyclopaedic knowledge of rock n roll and fashion history.
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