Midsummer Modness 2010

If you're a fan of revival bands or just live music, you might want to get yourself to Midsummer Modness 2010, which takes place at the Sound Bar in Birmingham.

Taking place on the 17th July 2010 from midday to 4am, the event features the likes of The Purple hearts, Squire, The Scene, DC Fontana, The Universal and...well, you can see all the names on the flyer above. There's also DJ support, raffles and various other bits and pieces.

Tickets are £20, with proceeds going to the Teenage Cancer Trust. More details at the website listed.

Modsummer Modness website

Retro TV W/C 30th April 2010

Barry Murphy returns once more to trawl the TV and radio guides (so you don't have to), finding anything worth tuning into this week. All listings are for UK terrestrial TV, Freeview and national radio, with the shows running from Friday 30th April to Thursday 6th May 2010.

Highlights of the week

What is the DNA of a great rock 'n' roll band? New series I'm in a Rock 'n' Roll Band! (BBC 2. Saturday 1st, 9.40pm. Repeated Thursday 6th, 11.40pm) breaks this mythical beast down into its constituent parts: singer, guitarist, drummer as well as the shadowy 'other one', whose face we don't quite know but without whom the magic wouldn't happen. The evidence is examined closely in forensic studies of what makes these rock 'n' roll types tick, starting with the lead singer. Often he's the leader, sometimes the dictator, benign or otherwise. His voice is his instrument and out front there's nowhere to hide. He hires. He fires. And when it all goes wrong and the backlash begins, he will get the blame.

DNA Groove silk ties / pocket squares

DNA Groove has some new gear online for the dapper mod gent, a selection of hand-stitched silk pocket squares and some fine silk knitted ties.

Al are made by Calabrese of Napoli and are sold in nice gift pouches, the ties (one of which is pictured above) are 100 per cent silk with flat bottom and neck lining, the pocket squares (one pictured over the page) also 100 per cent silk, hand-stitched and available in various paisley, floral and geometric patterns.

The ties sell for 40 Euros, the pocket squares for 25 Euros.

DNA Groove website

Barefootin' in Sheffield

Perhaps aimed as much at the 50s crowd as a mod crowd, but if you like your R&B, you might want to check out Barefootin' in Sheffield.

It's a new monthly night playing Rhythm & Blues with a side helping of Jump Jive and Rock 'n' Roll, all from original vinyl of course. The first date is Thursday 6th May 2010 at The Harley Hotel, Glossop Road, Sheffield (just on the edge of the city centre), then the 1st Thursday of every month thereafter.

Free entry, it runs from 9pm til late (somewhere between 1am and 3am) with tunes from regular DJs Cherryred & El Jackster with special guest DJs for future events. Email here for more details.

Lifestyle Illustrations of the 60s

A new glossy illustrated book from a new publishing house, Lifestyle Illustrations of the 60s by Rian Hughes is a new take on an ever popular decade. 

This book is one of the first titles to be released by Fiell Publishing, the new book enterprise from Charlotte and Peter Fiell. If their names sound familiar it's because they were previously editors of many of Taschen's design titles (including the one on Scandinavian design we featured ages ago) and now have decided to bring their expertise to their own publishing company.

Like the Scandinavian design book, this publication is jammed full of images. It features over 1000 illustrations in its 576 pages, focused on magazine artwork from that period. So while you get a survey of that decade's commercial artistic talent, you also get a sense of the social and material aspirations of that period - and how they were affected by the youthquake that took place within its years. Definitely worth a flick through then. Fans of the Fifties will be pleased to note a companion volume focusing on that decade is due in September. 

The book is available for £23.70 from Amazon

Via Retro To Go