Gene Drayton Unit at the 100 Club

Having spent the spring exploring Greek grooves, Brummie beats and Flemish foibles, the Gene Drayton Unit is back in London this month, playing the 100 Club on Friday July 17th 2009.

For the first set, the band will play the whole of the Smells Like '66 album in its entirety - and if you like what you hear, you can buy the album for £3 on the night. There's also DJ support from Tim Fuller, who will be spinning soul, jazz, blues and R&B 45s.

As you probably know, the 100 Club is at 100 Oxford Street, W1, doors 7.30pm with admission at £10 / £7 with flyer.

Gene Drayton Unit website

1960s Rave Magazine issues on eBay

They're becoming ever-more collectable, so investing in some of the issues of Rave Magazine on eBay might be a shrewd investment.

One particular seller (cactuskay123) seems to have a number of issues of the 60s teen culture magazine, as well as a number of issues of Beat Monthly and allsorts of memorabilia of the day.

Prices aren't cheap though, although you can pick up the March 1967 issue above (which features a Steve Marriott/Crissie Shrimpton photo article) for £18 on a Buy It Now. Check out all the magazines for sale via the link below.

Rave Magazine at eBay

Pete McKee mod-inspired artwork

If you're after something cool, stylish and with more than a hint of mod inspiration for your walls, check out Pete McKee's mod-inspired artwork, which is available to buy on his site.

Sheffield lad McKee has recently done the tour artwork for Oasis and even if you're not a fan of the band, there's every chance you'll appreciate the rather hip graphics above.

The Oasis is available to buy as a special edition at £190 unframed or £240 framed, but if you want something a little more affordable, other unlimited prints are available for around the £20 mark. Check out the website to view them all.

Find out more at the Pete McKee website

The Specials live CD giveaway

Yesterday we mentioned the free Specials track to download, now we hear that a full album is being given away - in this weekend's Sunday Times (12th July 2009).

According to the newspaper's website, a 12-track live CD will be given away, all the tracks recorded live at the Brixton Academy during the recent gigs there. if that's not enough, there's also an 'exclusive' interview in the newspaper's magazine too.

Which means it might be worth getting up a little bit earlier this Sunday and beating a path to the newsagents - it's certain to be in short supply.

The Specials website

Paul Weller UK tour dates

Not just doing the rounds at the festivals, Paul Weller has just announced a UK tour for later in the year.

It kicks off in Derby on 25th November, ending in Margate on 8th December, missing out a lot of the 'traditional' ports of call. Tickets go on sale on Friday 10th July at 9am, but there are a lot of priority booking invitations doing the rounds with the various sellers, so if you want to be certain of a decent ticket, search or ask around from right now really.

Tour dates in full are over the page.

Free Specials track from iTunes

Fancy a live Specials track for nothing? Legally and with no catch? Well, you can have one, courtesy of iTunes.

You can download a love version of Too Hot, recorded during the current tour, just by following our link. What's the catch? Well, you need to be a registered iTunes user to get it - or you need to sign up with iTunes to download it (which doesn't cost you anything).

So if you want the free track, just follow the link below to get it.

Free Specials track from iTunes

Kids Are Alright Festival in London

A festival with a difference - there are no tents and sleeping bags needs for the Kids are Alright Festival in London.

Specifically held at the HMV Forum, Kentish Town over the weekend of July 24th and 25th, it's described rather ambitiously as 'a potted history of the best british rock over the last 30 years', but does include a few acts that might have 'mod' appeal, including From The Jam, Trio Valore and Connett, along with the return of Wendy May's Locomotion Club.

Check out the website to make your own mind about it - tickets are priced at £20.

Find out more at the Kids Are Alright website

Jazz movie screenings in Manchester

To coincide with the Manchester Jazz Festival, Manchester's Cornerhouse is running a short series of jazz-related movies under the title Birth of the Cool.

Kicking of with the classic Chet Baker-inspired movie Let's Get Lost from '88 on 22nd July, the cinema is also showing Jazz On A Summer's Day, Mo' Better Blues and Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown. If that's not enough jazz for you, there's also a gallery of photos shot by jazz photographer William Ellis.

Want to know more? See the website below.

Cornerhouse website

Via Cinedelica

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We'll do our best to list everything relevant - whether it's an upcoming club or event, record releases, live gigs, anything you've seen for sale (fashion, music, merchandise - whatever), interesting clips you've found on YouTube, exhibitions, films, DVDs, books, fanzines, anything you've seen in magazines - if it's likely to be of interest to readers of this site, feel free to send it in.

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Terry Rawlings benefit gigs

Rather than my words, here are the words of Gary Crowley on Terry Rawlings and the upcoming benefit gigs for the man:

'I first met Terry Rawlings back in early 1979. Over 30 years ago! Jeez, where did that time bleedin' go? We were both music obsessed teens, hip deep into the Mod Revival scene, who also just happened to love Punk. Especially the Clash and the Buzzcocks. I guess that was our connection. That, and the fact we both loved an occasional tipple! Terry then replaced me as the office boy at Decca Records and we were both up and running and went on to become life long buddies.

I made a living out of playing and talking about music, whilst Terry wrote a series of acclaimed books on his heroes: Brian Jones, the Rolling Stones, Small Faces, Ronnie Wood, and the Buzzcocks' Steve Diggle, amongst others... as well as writing definitive books about his two main passions - British beat groups and all things Mod. These forthcoming gigs, and the range of people offering their services, are testimony to how well loved Terry is by all of us. They'll be celebrations, certainly, and hopefully in the process we'll be able to raise as much dosh as possible to help Terry and his family through this very difficult time...

After all that's what you do for your muckers isn't it?'

The details of both London gigs are now in the events sections of Modculture, taking place on Sunday 19th July and Sunday 26th July. See below for links to the flyers and news of who will be appearing.

Terry Rawlings Benefit at the Rhythm Factory, London E1

Terry Rawlings Benefit at the 100 Club, London W1