Naila- super sassy French chanteuse with excellent band specialising in what they adroitly call ‘futuristic soul’. Wonderful. Ogre Melodies- busktastic young men of song you may well have seen and been royally impressed with on the streets of London town.

Lach-  the founder of the Antifolk movement,  seven album releases under his belt, and more recently star of the BBC Radio 4 comedy show The Lach Chronicles. Lach’s first book of poetry, The Thin Book of Poems (Desert Hearts Pub.) has just been published on January 19th (Edgar Allen Poe’s birthday) and Lach is touring the UK to promote the book by doing readings during the day at independent book shops and rocking the independent clubs at night. Tonight’s performance is part of Independent Venue Week….if you haven’t yet checked out the radio series on BBC Radio 4 it’s a winner…has received the top choice radio pick from every major newspaper (The Times, The Observer, The Independent, The Telegraph and RadioTimes!). Lach himself ran several independent music venues for many years in New York City and recently in Edinburgh . The Antifolk art and music movement is sited as a main inspiration by hundreds of performers today from Beck and Jeffrey Lewis to Hamell on Trial, The Moldy Peaches and Regina Spektor in the US to the likes of Laura Marling in the UK. Lach has been joined spontaneously onstage for duets by such performers as Jeff Buckley, Suzanne Vega and Florence and The Machine. We guess he just brings out the passion in folks!.. as Dabster puts it  ‘On stage he’s engaging, curious and dynamic. He recounts stories from behind his guitar, with a rockstar’s vision and a folk singer’s modesty….’  Think David Sedaris meets Bob Dylan in Joe Strummer’s squat. “Lach is NYC’s living legend, riotously catchy. The roots of modern songwriting: Bob Dylan, Syd Barrett, The New York Dolls, Nick Drake and Lach!” – Timeout London  “Lach is incredibly bright, he’s influential, he’s funny, he’s smart, and he’s got his own, sort of, counter-culture charm. A very intelligent songwriter, funny, poetic. He became part of New York folklore.” – Suzanne Vega  “Lach – one of the originators, and one of the sharpest arrows of the New York Antifolk scene. A Lach show is rarely less than a face-ache funny, beat-punk-unplugged joy, and likely to send you home with several favourite new songs” – The Guardian BBC Radio 4’s recently aired season two of The Lach Chronicles was selected as the Top Radio Pick of the Night by The London Times, The Observer, The Telegraph, The Independent and RadioTimes!   PLUS!… …Recklings-Quirky but winningly catchy female fronted indie rock remids of Throwing Muses and has elements of the Breeders too, great stuff. Cholesterol Jones- a riddim box ticks away like a metronome gone astray, the fella Jones intones noir-ish indie ballads of loss and regret…kinda outsider oriented I guess, oddball lyrics delivered like Michael Stipe on insert whacky drug of choice!…intriguing, captivating songtime…’Tiny skulls on a bracelet, carved from the bones of a life unlived’

Legendary Manchester band Dub Sex announce their first London show for over 26 years! In 2014 the band reformed for a limited number of shows and festival appearance including breath-taking performances at Kendal Calling and Manchester’s Sound Control. DUB SEX frontman Mark Hoyle: “The shows this year have been very special, Dub Sex are sounding better than ever. We always loved playing in London; we can’t wait for this one. It’s the only London show in the diary for the first 6 months of next year at least, so it’s a must come to show for our fans in the capital” DUB SEX are often cited as one of Manchester’s greatest “lost” bands. Formed in the concrete landscape of 1980’s Hulme they had a unique, raw and at times brutal sound all of their own. The band came to prominence in the late 80’s releasing 4 critically acclaimed EP’s, recording 4 John Peel sessions and performing on local and national TV (Snub TV and Tony Wilson’s Granada TV show, The Other Side of Midnight) with the release of the classic Swerve EP in 1989. DUB SEX never fitted into Madchester scene and disappeared in 1990 with members Mark Hoyle (vocals/guitar) and Cathy Brooks (bass) going on to form Dumb and guitarist Chris Bridgett going on to form Rude Club. Tonight Bug Bear are very peased to host this show as a part of Independent Venues Week 2015.

DSC-   ‘60s Psychedelia and the pulsating sounds of future-clubs, Desert Sound Colony is both infectious and ethereal, shrouding the listener in a gentle, rhythmical canopy. Deut EP, ‘The Way I Began’ on New York’s Scissor &Thread is the first release on the label from an artist not based in NYC. Desert Sound Colony’s second EP release is due out soon.  Harripaul- -Very well executed m.o.r pop sounds like a late 80’s Fleetwood Mac via swish stadium pop of the 80’s Simple Minds maybe Web Sheldon-Electro pop with urbane breathy vocals interchanged between guy n gal… reminds of The Beloved with a soulful tinge to the female vocal contrasting nicely with the more cultured approach of the geez. Some nice funky guitar embellishments and crisp moderne production/FX/riddims. The Takes-Righteously ramshackle indie rock with a nod to early Kings Of Leon but there’s also the rough hewn charm of Babyshambles in the mix and at times The Kinks.

Trash Money- Glammed up electropop with power and gritty wit a bit like Earl Brutus used to do but also elements of The Fall and there’s a Mighty Boosh connection,which you might say is reflected in the general kookiness of the music on offer. Muchly entertaining. Madcap Stranger- powerfully realized blend of Pistols, Stooges, NY Dolls etc- schlocky sleazeball vocalising and general low slung sleazy rock and bastard roll moves in a modern indie friendly style.  Enjoy that Replacements like loose authenticity. Darkbeat- Female fronted goth outfit with prowling grinding bass and a melevolent Joy Div fee Fiende Fatalel..Frantic indie-garage-punk with a sorta Fat White Family via early Fall vibe  pretty raw ‘n ramshackle but good fun

Colour Of Bone- Over driven electro rock with proggish tendencies and ’80s nuances… heavy drums, fierce guitar noise. Having amassed tens of thousands of stream and video plays, Colour Of Bone are garnering adulation online as well as on the airwaves. BBC6 Music define the act as sounding “like God’s balls colliding” whilst Artrocker described Colour Of Bone as “dazzling and excellent…. fuzzy-grunge guitar does not sound better than this” in a rave 4 star review. Eyelid Movies- you gotta see these frighteningly young and just as scarily talented chaps….should be mega. Picture Oceansize and Radiohead seered with a heady alt blues rock sensibility and some punker surf twang with a prog twitch more akin to The Wytches. Bravo. Dear Life- Lo Fi indie. Male/female harmonies….Sweet skuzzy reverb and a nigh on Californye-ayyy teenage indie kid vibe. Along the lines of Best Coast or Dum Dum Girls. The Plains- shimmersome overdriven wall of guitar that speaks loudly of ’90s indie/punk influences from Husker Du to MBV to Teenage Fanclub but mainly early R.E.M…  Yeah Sugar meets R.E.M… Rousing pop punk tunes, lively performances, promising work.

Lem and the White Fire-A fusion of soul indie and pop, with some of their tunes (and hair styles) bringing Gabby Young & Other Animals to mind and some more indie pop oriented stuff – think Gossip meets Adele. Original and well done so hats off. Leader- Distill the esssence of emotive balladry and combine it with intense indie a-la Keane, or more likely Snow Patrol…and they do it very well, commercially astute you would say.Your Cat is a Landmine- Alt rock meets indie pop think Foo Fighters meets Biffy Clyro via Cage The Elephant. Dynamic tunes with plenty of conviction execution-wise. Article Ten- Metaled up hard rock with a twist of grunge.  Skid Rowmeets Black Sabbath with some early Metallica like guitar shreddings via a finely placed pop sensibility

Doctor Turner And The Shrinks- An eclectic mix of snappy pop funk, blues and soul, with some gutsy female vocals out front….  a lot going on in the mix but it holds the attention by way of good tunes and decent hooks. Simon Kent- A band rather than merely an individual it seems-  a good stab at turning the Coldplay style into something a lot more biting, care of a genuinely fresh and impassioned vocal style- coming on somewhere between Jon Anderson and Julian Cope a la falsetto…nice vocal, highly accomplished music played by top musician Julie Dano-Interesting- and very French- songstrel…forceful performances…think of Laetitia Sadier on getting all forceful and empowered. A bit of that French yea yea girls thing s but via perky show music and left field prog and new wave influences, great vocal performance. Alice and The Lovers - launching their new record tonite, this wonderful all female pop rock band certainly do echo elements of The Bangles and maybe even Haim, but their mix of Smiths toned indie and considered groovy rock is all their own. Great stuff. 5 Goal Thriller- indie rock mover shakers with elements of The Cure and Dinosaur Jr.

Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons- Glam schlock punkabilly combo who should be huge with the inimitable Puss up front and plenty of sleazeball rocknroll vibes agogo to enjoy. With elements of The White Stripes, The Cramps, X , The Ramones and The Pistols in addition to healthy dose of Brit psychobilly like yer Polecats/Guana Batz. Why aren’t they mahoosive? I dunno…2 great albums and an heroic touring schedule, a proper rocknroll band…headlining tonite’s Friday the 13th Anti Valentine Love Infor your pleasure.  100% Beefcock And The TitsBurster- And a 100% great name for flicking the premenstrual discharge and smegma at star crossed lovers..full blown guitar distortion and erratic bass lines to a backdrop of borderline psychotic drumming: Aphex Twin meets early Butthole Surfers at a mental institution…plenty ofStooges and Black Flag n stuff…bin working with Steve Albini you know… dig it!

The Eccentric Sensibles – combining a galloping beat with Stranglersy keys and a bit of a scally pop vibe via super fast vocalising. Fresh., fun and frisky…A real charm to the songs, sort of like The Divine Comedy meets early Stranglers. The Systematics-Female fronted punky indie band form Manc- part Buzzcocks, part Blondie and some of the John Barry inspired filmic qualities of Magazine too…the guitar work is quite John McGeough like…can’t be bad… all via that Harryesque NYC type attitude n drawl of front chick Roxie…sound great. Rhonda- excellent nouveau soul chantress and groovy psych pop informed band rocking some fab tunes with a really attractively original aloof vocal style..schweeeeeet…Manilow- Beefy punky kit with a hint of glam rock…a blend of Bauhaus, Wire and The Ruts and done with vigour and upfront charm…a bit of early Adam and the Ants n all. Rhonda And The Great Unknown- excellent nouveau soul chantress and groovy psych pop informed band rocking some fab tunes with a really attractively original aloof vocal style..schweeeeeet. Night Dials- A nice slice of brit psych via yer more experimental late 60’s U.S. acid rock West Coast Pop Art Experimental band and the trippier end of the nuggets ouvre Electric Prunes, Strawberry Alarm Clock etc..the production is really authentic too, especially on their version of Kim Fowleys “The Trip” also sounds a bit Spiritualized at times and references Spacemen 3 and J.A.M.C but pretty much their own sound, great tunes too

War Child charity fund raiser ‘Passport Back To The Bars’ …The Vaccines chose The Dublin Castle as their small venue of choice for this wonderful event. Passport Back To The Bars 2015 also features Elbow , You Me At Six,  Duran Duran, Bastille and Ride. Go to www.warchild.org.uk/passport for your chance to get a ticket!

Moriaty-Referencing White Stripes, with a Led Zep undertow via something a bit bluesier, if not Black Keys maybe Grand Funk Railroad, Blue Cheer or summit, sounds a bit like a heavier version of Pop Levi in places.  Knaves- Jaunty up-beat indie pop with a decidedly old school feel like Orange Juice by way of The Smiths, frothy effervescent tunes with decent hooks. Clang Group-  Uber producer (Madness, Dexys, Julian Cope et al) and Deaf School head honcho Clive Langer has got together with some high ballin’ cats including to produce an art rock angsty pop noir taking in the best of counter cultural British awkard squad tendencies and some searing rocknroll.

Othereyeswise- Stoner prog metal, rather dark mournful and nicely progressive, dynamic and suitably crunching of cranium… .Contraband-Punk infused metal with a screamer of a vocalist sorta Rob Halford on a punk tip. In fact the overall sound reminds of the faster N.W.O.B.H.M bands like Raven and Tank Uberkill-Blues rock/metal with some pretty tasty lead and a vocal reminiscent of Robert Plant in places. Sounds a bit like April Wine via Nazareth an early 80’s metal sound…

 Hunderground- another chance for Hungarians and others who love Stonesy bluesy hard ass rocknroll to get down to the best pub venue in London and engage with this legendary central European outfit…

Hardwicke Circus-Indie rock with a confident swagger and the tunes toback it up. Somehow manages to evoke the early 70’s post Altamont malevolence of the stones and the broodinrss of the Doors with modern indie sounds a-la Futureheads and Vampire Weekend. Works well. The Everglows-British ’60s classicism abounds here!   The Beatles, Small Faces, Weller and The Jam, Elvis Costello, The Who. The Stone Roses on a Move like psych lite tip. The Carnations-Chiming retro pop with really up-lifting tunes,  basically The Beatles circa Revolver, minus the psychedelia via The Kinks … great stuff…

Michele- She sounds a bit Bjorky it’s true (She’s been nicknamed “Brittany’s Bjork” by the French media) but the music is a crunchier, hard edged techy rock thing with deep dance music sensibilities…Michele has released two albums via Warner in a Trip Hop project called Kohann, before writing the music for French movie star Isabelle Adjani‘s latest movie (‘La Journée De La Jupe’) . Her songs are written in the Breton Celtic language but her live performances are wild and beautiful, a novalanguage of electronica, rock and pop…. Luna Drive- an arresting blend of funk tinged progressive  pop and syncopated post rock. Aladdin House- Gently undulating analogue synths with celestial vocals floating nicely over the top, deeply atmospheric electro-pop with a possible nod to Chvrches in places.

The Cortege-  rocking a Kings Of Leon cum Black Keys grooviosity... The Blow Up- Parisians approach a swinging London vibe – mod into psych style..Small Faces, The Creation, The Who, Beatles.. ..but they also embrace a bit of post punk into Britpop Blur sensibilities…and they do have some grand tunes and can play with much vigour…superb ca…. Peacock Affect- perfectly hewn blend of self effacing folk introspection and edgy indie artpop, all underplayed and sparky with left field energy.

Indigo Face-It’s a soul diva scenario with an uber dramatic impressive voice somewhere between Bjork and Lana Del Ray. Very promising..Et Tu Bruce-Sunny Beach Boys-type harmonies with great pop songwriting underscoring the whole thing. Bit of Blur great stuff.By Starlight-Female fronted alt/indie rock with nice 80s and 90s undertones think Ladyhawke, via Courtney Love (Malibu era) through Garbage, really strong tunes played with loadsa conviction. Trash Heads- melodic indie taking on the sort of material contemporary Arctic Monkeys explore..or Black Keys….they can rock out with aplomb fo sho.

Kitten Pyramid-  have garnered great reviews from The Guardian, Q mag, Prog mag and many more…take a Cardiacs type jaunty sound and combine it with some of the giants roughly Syd era Floyd whimsy and hard edged Crimson meets Tull passages , wig out Hendrix guitar, pastoral brass and a bit of Genesis too…but all played with aching originality and a contemporary indie noir edge…embrace the new prog! Cross Wires-Scratchy guitar and forceful vocals…somewhere between Wire and The Jam circa Sound Affects, have a bit of 1960s melodicism/harmonies that’s quite Who cum 1979 mod revival but thru a post punk lens and some funky as in punk funk guitars. Great delivery, class act. of Arrowe Hill- with their wonderful new lofi/hifi field music psych collection A Conspiracy Of Clocks garnering mucho praise right now it’s a perfect time to see the world’s finest hauntological 3 piece live… Mat Motte- former frontman of mathist slomo alt lord shouldabeens Mower Mat Motte’s solo show is a head turning affair. Displaying marvellous nuances of punk, electro, hiphop and hard rock, Mr Motte has been described by one wag as being the live embodiment if a nervous breakdown!  Can’t wait!

Night Of D Beat@! Starring Mob 47 direct from Sweden. ..

Special Kinda Madness are a Specials and Madness tribute band playing one set from each band. We don’t need to remind you of The Dublin Castle /Madness association! Basically as Suggs says, the DC is The Ancestral Seat Of Madness…and every ska act worth a skank has been through the doors too…as Phil Jupitus puts it, that’s a room with a lot of Mojo…This will definitely be a heaving heavenly happening, last year it sold out three months ahead so like the man said..Book Early! Plus ska, soul and reggae DJ action til 2am…

SECOND SHOW ADDED DUE TO HIGH DEMAND! Special Kinda Madness are a Specials and Madness tribute band playing one set from each band. We don’t need to remind you of The Dublin Castle /Madness association! Basically as Suggs says, the DC is The Ancestral Seat Of Madness…and every ska act worth a skank has been through the doors too…as Phil Jupitus puts it, that’s a room with a lot of Mojo…This will definitely be a heaving heavenly happening, with April’s date sold out three months ahead you need to make like Fred and book Early! Plus ska, soul and reggae DJ action til 2am…