The best for Miles around

Miles Hunt is back in Northampton (Jan 13) with a date at The Black Prince for SBD, and The Wonder Stuff fella will arrive armed to the back teeth with material – he’s got nearly four decades worth of produce to choose from, including material from his latest album, Things Can Change.

There was no new formula when it came to rustling up tracks for the opus; he just made use of the tried and tested way; writing about things that were happening around him, and the things that had happened to him in the past.

Oh, and he wanted to make the music as uplifting as possible, accepting that we live in a constant state of flux, and that things can, and will change.

Indie-soul trio Skinny Living (Jan 30) are coming to Shoe Town from their homeland of Wakefield. Are they any good? Well, 75 million worldwide streams is hardly an insignificant amount, is it? And they’ve got close to 200K followers on FB. That’s no fluke.

Their blurb says that ‘Skinny Living’s story is one of struggle, troubling situations and relentless hard graft. It’s also one of synchronicity, chance meetings, and the unflinching belief that their glorious indie soul music will reach the audience it deserves.’

The band will be celebrating its 10th decade in 2024, which will be a double celebration as the band will be releasing its debut album too.

As for that name? It’s got nothing to do with eating disorders or refusing a sweet treat. The official term describes the financial reality and lifestyle of the working class; ‘Hard graft on a low income with a lust for life, passion for family and an optimistic attitude about the future.’

Hotel Lux (Jan 31) delivers the first Independent Venue Week show.

This lot – once contenders for the mantle of Britain’s most self-conscious band – cut loose their debut album in 2023, and Hands Across The Creek was a bold delivery.

So far as influences go, they must have cool record collections of their own, citing Ian Dury, The Stranglers, Dr Feelgood and Neil Young.

The first single from the aforementioned album Common Sense was apparently inspired by the RMT strikes, trade union leader Mick Lynch, and the media’s treatment of Jeremy Corbyn. The band says it’s their most euphoric and danceable single to date.

A big bill of sounds is further swelled by Bloody/Bath and Latent Dream.

Visit sbdpromotions.com for ticket links