By Matt Jackson

Another sweaty night down the Cavern with DJ Critter making his debut at Evolution with an opening set of good old fashioned mash up in the style of Shitmat rinsing out Prodigy’s Hyperspeed on 45rpm and some mad new Toecutter track glitching it up a treat. After many years of Critter aka Christ being a formidable flailing force on lots of dancefloors it was good to see his DJ’ing match his enthusiasm for funky shapes and moshing manoeuvres.

Next up was Barny taking everyone way back in to time with an awesome selection of 91-94 rave tunes. Starting off deep and dark his set built on a solid foundation of tracks echoing in long forgotten warehouses of years gone by and shifting in to more euphoric territory as his set went on.

Junglist Souljar was on at 10 spinning some ragga and built up in to amen frenzy topped off with Splash- Babylon and plenty of other ragga jungle classics old and new as more people started to arrive and got bouncing on the dancefloor.

Then it was time for Count Vanderhoff to take control playing some of his own productions and mash ups, a highlight being the one blending (EIB) - Planet Dust and Brisk & Trixxy’s Exe Opener and some dark tecchy drum and bass and gabber.

Judith came on afterwards sadly not in priest’s robes on this occasion but hammered out some hardcore techno rhythms over a variety of horror samples and noise, sliced and diced in to tiny shards of abrasive sound nevertheless. Everyone was on the dancefloor by this point going bananas to his onslaught of comedic breakcore mayhem and loving it as his set twisted and turned through plenty of time signatures and breaks.

To finish Noisemonkey rounded off proceedings with a set of junglism from across the years spinning some 93 Dillinja, Equinox, Fanu and [NSF] Crew amongst others. All in all a quality night of eclectic mayhem.

By Jenna Richards

When a performer walks on stage and informs you the show is entirely improvised using random sentences generated by the audience you wonder what the evening has in store.

In Seven Ages Kevin Tomlinson takes the seven stages of life as set out by Shakespeare in As you like it and improvises characters at each stage of life using anecdotes from his life and the lives of the audience.

The unseen audience ‘script’ is scattered on the floor as the audience is taken on a journey though infancy, childhood, work, justice and wisdom, retirement and second childishness. Tomlinson dons a series of masks, gently encourages audience participation and portrays a story that is both hilarious and surprisingly coherent.

At intervals Kevin picks an unseen audience generated line off the floor and works it into the show, some fit extremely well others are a little disjoined but all are impressively worked into the character portrayal and all raise a laugh from the audience.

This sometime serious but mostly comedic performance sees Tomlinson bounding around the stage changing characters with ease, encouraging audience participation and leaves us all with a grin on our faces. It is Tomlinson’s ability to slip with ease into an improvised character and the randomly generated lines that make the show. Each show is different and on this occasion no line raised a bigger laugh than the last of the show. An old man took us back through the stages of his life then said: “If I don’t make it through the night, put on my gravestone….” picked a line form the pile and finished with: “…Mummy are you wearing your hairy knickers today?!”

By Jenna Richards

Human beat box Beardyman took centre stage in Exeter last month when he showed off his unique talent to sell out crowds at The Hub.

No sooner had he walked onto the stage than the crowd was in awe of his unique talent as he pushed the boundaries of what you can expect from a human beatbox. Using cutting edge sound-mangling technology he created dance inducing layered rhythms, incredible soundscapes, songs and tunes all improvised and created entirely from the human voice.

The British Beatbox champion, sporting a disappointing beard(!), whipped the already sweaty crowd into a frenzy with his extraordinary vocal percussion skills. He is capable of a lot more than beatboxing adding improvised phrases from the crowd into his set, scratching (yes with his voice) and his reverse technique is simply mind blowing.

Beardyman’s phenomenal beatbox skills, left-field sense of humour and incredible musicality (yes he can sing as well) made for a thoroughly enjoyable night, despite the sell out crowd almost drinking the bar dry! But to really believe in the musical acrobatics emanating from the microphone you need to see Beardyman live. Next time he is in the area make sure you get a ticket early cause one things for sure it’ll sell out.

By David Knox

Sanguine
On first look at Exeter based Sanguine, you want to think Evanessence, then vocalist Tarin Kerrey, screams in a way that belies her gender, whilst also sucking you in by sweetly injecting some melody. I found myself a mixture of terrified and delighted by Sanguine, by the sheer power and sonic assault of the band and Tarin’s primeval howl that puts many male hardcore vocalists to shame. Their stage presence enhanced at one point by dancers heralded by the end of the world siren, their live show is an intense experience, It’s easy to see great things ahead for Sanguine - they will destroy everyone!

Spitting blood
Spitting Blood define their influences in the context of ‘all the above regurgitated and spat back into a cement mixer’ and so I’m expecting to see the band butchering pigs on stage in Kiss make up. Thankfully London based spitting blood have neither pigs nor makeup, but their set is fierce, intense, shouty and full of machine gun drum fills.

Idiom

Touring nationally with Skindred has been working well for Idiom

Skindred
Exeter loves Skindred and Skindred love Exeter it seems that every time I’ve seen them here in the past few years, there is always a great buzz and a huge atmosphere. The energy was up at full tilt tonight and with such a wide range of influences encompassing dub, metal, ragga and dancehall, Skindred’s unique sound is always a treat. I love the track ‘Pressure’ from their recordings the best, but with so much to choose from tonight, I come away with new horizons. They are easily one of the best live bands around just now, but still manage to make you feel that you’re watching one of the UK’s best-kept secrets. Singer Benji is the entertainer’s entertainer, engaging the crowd with almost open arms, whilst spitting rapid-fire lyrics and his rancehall ragga delivery injects sunshine into an otherwise complex and intense brew. The Phoenix doesn’t often rock as hard as this!

Overall a top night, a capacity crowd of up for it metallers which threatened to break the very seams of the Phoenix, and at one point looked like it would when the fire alarm tried to draw a halt to the proceedings. However, the sheer momentum of the evening won out, packing some of the biggest riffs and sending a crowd of sweaty, smiley people in black out into the mild spring night.

Show: Wax the Van

When are you on?
The show is on on Mondays from 8pm to 10pm.

What type of music can we expect to hear on your show?
Soulful disco and House, quality Soul music – soul food.

How did you discover this music?
I never got into a specific type of music, I’ve been into music all my life. I’m a musician, I’m in two bands and I’ve been playing the bass guitar for 20 years.

I’m in a band called Melaosa we’ve been playing gigs and stuff for a while. My other band called Two Hats has just started getting gigs.

I got into dance music through the early Acid House scene in ’89, ’90, that’s what turned me on to dance music and the origins of dance music are Disco.

How long have you been DJ’ing?
I’ve been DJ’ing since about 1991.

How did you start DJ’ing?
I went back to a house party after a rave, jumped on the decks and it went from there.

Can we find you DJ’ing anywhere other than on Phonic FM?
I occasionally DJ at bars, pubs, clubs, and free parties usually playing Deep House and Soulful House.

What has been your most embarrassing DJ’ing moment?
I’ve had a couple of DJ’ing nightmares but nothing really embarrassing.

I had a gig at the Amber Rooms a while ago and there was just one bar man and no staff. A couple of chavs from the private party upstairs walked in by mistake and asked if I could play some R&B! I told them it was billed as a house night and I’d see what I could do. It really was an upsetting experience!

Also someone once asked me for Christina Aguilera at a house night at the Thee Fat Fish (before it was The Hub). She came behind the decks, I turned around and there was this woman there asking for Christina Aguilera! I said: “Well Rococo’s is just up the road you may have better luck there!”

What has been your best DJ’ing moment?
One of my best experiences was New Year 07/08. I had a gig with Melosa then just after midnight I DJ’ed for four hours. That was a real moment, it was fantastic.

Who is your favourite artist?
My hero bass player is Jaco Pastorius and my favourite DJ is José Padilla the original Café Del Mar DJ.

What is you all time favourite album?
Innervisions by Stevie Wonder, it’s just fantastic music.

Where do you shop for music?
Reform Records or the internet.

Presenters names: DJ Spider and DJ Mustard

Show time and day: Monday 8pm – 10pm.

What type of music can we expect to hear on the show?
DJ Spider: If you tune into Wax the Van you can expect to hear plenty of Soulful Disco and Electronica some of it from as far back as the early 70s.
DJ Mustard: Yeah, Soulful Disco, a little bit of Soulful House and Deep House.

Why appeals to you about this kind of music?
DJ Spider: I find that straight up house music has got no soul and I prefer music that has got more emotion to it. Personally I think they got it right in the 70s and early 80s. So why did they have to change it – although I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who would disagree with me.
DJ Mustard: I like it because it soulful, I like anything soulful, it makes you feel good – soul food.

What is the format of your show?
DJ Spider: If I’m doing the show alone I just go in with a bag of records knowing what the first record will be and see what happens. I play as though I am playing to a crowd of people and see how the music flows.
DJ Mustard: Spider usually opens the show cause he started Wax the Van years ago. He plays three records, I play three records and it seems to work. We have a bit of a chat and a bit of banter in between records.

Why should we listen to your show?
DJ Spider: People should listen to Wax the Van because it is the only Disco show and we play happy, soulful, party music. People have an idea about disco being the YMCA and Abba - it’s not - Disco is a long way from that.
DJ Mustard: If you like quality music you should tune in.

How did your show come about?
DJ Mustard: It was only recently Spider got me on board. I played a gig and Spider DJ’ed after me. He asked me there and then if I would do the show with him because we like similar music.

What goes on behind the scenes in the studio?
DJ Spider: If I am alone in the studio I am completely involved in the mixing the next record and trying to think three or four records ahead but it is good to have Mustard there to bounce off.
DJ Mustard: Usually drinking, chilling, chatting and playing records.

What has been you best on air moment?
DJ Spider: My favourite on air moments are any show where the music flows and I think it sounds like something I would pay money to listen to. Often I play my best shows under pressure, when I’m expecting someone to turn up and they don’t and I have to stretch my records to cover an extra hour or something – for some reason those shows are always really good.
DJ Mustard: I don’t know if I have one in particular. I haven’t been doing it for that long. But the second or third show I did with Spider it gelled and we both had a feeling at the time that it was a fantastic couple of hours. I have a recording of one of those shows and it really did come across well.

What has been your worst/ most embarrassing on air moment?
DJ Spider: I did a show once and realised after the broadcast you could hear me opening cans of beer over the mic!! Also, accidentally saying I played Funky House on air - that describes the worst kind of music played in the worst possible clubs!!
DJ Mustard: I got onto the microphone and called myself Spider who I’m clearly not! At the time Spider completely cracked up - but I think I got away with it!

Who is your favourite artist?
DJ Spider: If you pressed me I would say my favourite singer is Jonny Bristol. Otherwise in Disco terms - Tom Moulton, Todd Terje, Idjut Boys, Rahaan, DJ Harvey, Lindstrom and loads more.
DJ Mustard: My hero bass player is Jaco Pastorius and my favourite DJ is José Padilla the original Café Del Mar DJ.

What is you all time favourite album?
DJ Spider: Hmm, probably mixtapes from DJs Rahann or Harvey.
DJ Mustard: Innervisions by Stevie Wonder, it’s just fantastic music.

Show: Roots and Shoots.

When are you on?
Roots and Shoots is on on Monday’s from 6pm to 8 pm. I am one of a team of three on the show. My colleagues are Martin Henning and Rich Cooke. Sometimes there’s one of us, more often two. On special occasions, all three of us are on!

What can we expect to hear on the show?
Folk, roots, world music. I am encouraging – and getting – more and more live music from local artists on the show and we also do interviews with people involved in music locally.

How did you discover this type of music?
Listening and dancing to the various forms of folk/roots music over the years and developing a passion for it. I am active as a participant and dance leader of British, French/Breton and Eastern European dance. I am not much of a musician myself but have lots of friends who are!

From time to time I also organise and promote folk/roots music events in Devon.

How long have you been DJ’ing?
It’s been a lifelong ambition achieved. I began with Vibraphonic in 2006.

How did start DJ’ing?
Martin Henning had put in an application to present a show called ‘Roots and Shoots’ on Vibraphonic FM in 2006 and suggested to me that I share the presenting with him – which I was keen to do. I always wanted to be a DJ playing music I like!

Do you DJ anywhere other than on Phonic FM?
I’m only on Phonic FM.

What has been your most embarrassing DJ’ing moment?
Going for an on the spot interview with someone who (I discovered) had very little command of English. I failed to get much out of him!

What has been your best DJ’ing moment?
Playing music by and interviewing local singer, songwriter, guitarist Tobias Ben Jacob, a joy to be with: intelligent, calm, relaxed and informative – and so talented. I get a real buzz out of interviewing interesting people on air.

Who is your favourite artist?
I can never think about one favourite though the quintessentially English singer Shirley Collins comes to mind.

What is you all time favourite album?
Difficult again but I’ll go for Shirley Collins’ Power of the True Love Knot, simple, soulful and beautifully crafted music that sends me to another place!

Where do you shop for music?
I don’t really shop in any one place, but I do like Solo Records.

Show: Ja-Fu-Re!

When are you on?
I am on every Tuesday between 2pm and 4pm.

What type of music can we expect to hear on your show?
Jazz, Latin, Funk, Reggae and everything in between.

How did you discover this music?
I was listening to other DJs in Plymouth and one of them had a record shop. Whenever I went into the record shop he would recommend music. He would always give me stuff that he knew I liked not what he liked. It wasn’t just about selling me records cause I could go though a whole lot and say no I don’t want any of those, he’d be fine about it and do the same for me again the next week. The shop certainly lived up to its name – Really Good Records.

From there we started doing Cuban solidarity campaign nights to raise money for the Cuban solidarity campaign. I just got really into Cuban music in particular and Latin Jazz and Brazilian music.

How long have you been DJ’ing?
I’ve been on the radio since the start of Vibraphonic four years ago but have been DJ’ing for about 12 years.

How did you start DJ’ing?
I ran a pub and started filling in for people when they didn’t turn up. Then they started including me in their sets and getting me work elsewhere and inviting me to parties saying can you bring your records.

I got into Vibraphonic when they were looking for volunteers to do a show.

Can we find you DJ’ing anywhere other than on Phonic FM?
I play at the North Bridge Inn every Sunday, the Kino Bar, Exeter Phoenix, Monkey Bars events, AEON Festival, Culm Valley FM and Squeeze.

What has been your most embarrassing DJ’ing moment?
Missing the beat on a breakfast show on the internet and somebody in Latvia noticing.

What has been your best DJ’ing moment?
The next week when the same people in Latvia loved it!

Who is your favourite artist?
Herbie Hancock – If you have to ask me why that’s insulting!

What is you all time favourite album?
Herbie Hancock and Fat Albert Rotunda, Fat Mama – our theme tune.

Where do you shop for music?
I shop in lots of different places but mainly Oxfam, Rooster Records, Solo, record fairs and charity shops.

Show: Dusty Toys, Space Junk

When are you on?
I’m on roughly every third Wednesday between 4pm and 6pm.

What type of music can we expect to hear on your show?
Whatever you hear on the show is a happy accident concocted from the records I’ve had my whole life.

How did you discover this music?
Because it’s what I have in my record collection! The reason it’s so unintentional is because I do a lot of stuff that is very intentional. It’s a nice break to stand in the studio for a bit and play some records. I do a lot of crazy projects and this isn’t one of them!

How long have you been DJ’ing?
I don’t know. I started doing parties for my grandparent when I was three.

How did you start DJ’ing?
My grandparents gave me a load of records and I started off playing at people’s parties. I’ve always DJ’ed for a bit of fun.

Can we find you DJ’ing anywhere other than on Phonic FM?
I do DJ in other places but nowhere regularly.

What was has been your most embarrassing DJ’ing moment?
There are hundreds and hundreds. I once accidentally pulled the power out and cut the sound at a 1000 capacity gig. On my blog there is a list of embarrassing things I’ve done.

What has been your best DJ’ing moment?
I don’t think it got any better than playing for my grandparents – it was definitely the most love.

Who is your favourite artist?
Les Dawson did this thing where he played the piano really badly, but he was actually working really hard to play it so badly – genius.

What is you all time favourite album?
I’d have to say The Muppet Show album!

Where do you shop for music?
I own about 3000 records so haven’t brought any for about two years.

Presenters name: Vik Mohan

Show time and day: Every third or fourth Friday from 4pm to 6pm.

What type of music can we expect to hear on the show?
I play a lot of Soul, a lot of Funk and I also really enjoy Jazz. My favourite sort of Jazz is 60s Jazz onwards but I also play a little bit of contemporary Jazz.

Why do you like this music?
Fundamentally it makes you want to dance. If it makes you want to dance then usually I like it. The next reason is because it is music I conceive as beautiful.

What is the format of your show?
Two hours of my favourite tunes and as little chat as possible. The show is about the music not about me and what I enjoy is the opportunity to share the music that I am passionate about with other people.

Why should we listen to your show?
Because the show is about the music and you may hear something you haven’t heard before.

How did your show come about?
I started listening to Vibraphonic when it first appeared five years ago and I thought this is exactly the kind of music I want to come out of the radio. I’ve been a passionate supporter ever since and listened to hours and hours of Vibraphonic every day during its broadcasting period. Then just through enthusiasm and willing I got the opportunity to do a show.

What goes on behind the scenes in the studio?
I get up and swing my pants!!

What has been you best on air moment?
It would be either when you get really good feedback or when the timing is perfect. It’s great when you get an email through from someone you don’t know saying ‘I loved that track’ or ‘that was wicked’. Cause that’s what it’s all about – giving people the pleasure of good music.

Now and again you will cue something up and get the timing just right and that feels good as well.

Some of it is about the process getting it right and feeling competent, The rest of it is about feeling that they get it, that someone out there understand what you are playing!

What has been your worst/ most embarrassing on air moment?
Well it wasn’t exactly on air but…. One of my friends recorded my first ever show and played it at a dinner party whilst we were all sitting having dinner. There were a couple of really bad cock ups, not only that but it my first ever time on the radio so I felt like a prat anyway. Having to sit through my whole two hour show with my mates around the dinner table. Oh man! It was painful!

Who is your favourite artist?
It depends what day of the week you catch me. If I had to pick one artist that I’ve loved in an enduring way I’d probably say Stevie Wonder. I’ve got such respect for that guy. Another guy I think is great is George Benson; he’s such a great performer, he’s been going for forty years and he’s still a good performer. In terms of Jazz I’m a big Miles Davis fan. My favourite Jazz pianist is Bill Evans and then Herbie Hancock.

What is you all time favourite album?
Kind of Blue by Miles Davis because it’s the greatest Jazz album ever produced.