David Bash and the International Pop Overthrow Festival
David Bash mc'ing at The Cavern in Liverpool. (photo by the late-great Wil Woodrowe)
For years now, David Bash has put these festivals together. (The Los Angeles edition will have it’s FOURTEENTH (!!) annual run this summer.)
The “IPO” as it’s called for short, happens in many cities in the U.S. including: L.A., Detroit, Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix, San Diego, Chicago (the list goes on) as well as internationally in Vancouver, Liverpool and London.
More than just a festival, the IPO has created a network and a community amongst independent, melodic pop/rock bands that is immensely valuable. Both the Liverpool and London shows we did were part of the IPO in those cities. In fact, our Manchester appearances were set up by one Olly Neasham (see below)–whom we connected with through our mutual connection to the IPO. They’ve been a valuable resource to us and hundreds of other bands. Viva la IPO!
[Our next appearance at the IPO festival will be in Los Angeles on the afternoon of Saturday, August 13th at a club called Fais Do Do.]
for more info, visit: www.internationalpopoverthrow.com
Olly Neasham
Olly last summer at Spinner's Records in Fresno
Neasham and his family took us in, housed us, fed us and treated us one of their own. We owe them great thanks.
Olly set up our gig at Manchester’s “Tiger Lounge” as well as an opportunity to talk with and perform for some of his fellow students at the music college that he attends.
Neasham is a soulful singer and songwriter who performs solo and with his band Jacksonville Skyline. Great stuff! Check his music out by clicking here.
Andrew Hickey
Another friend we saw on this trip was Andrew Hickey. We met him after some internet correspondence during The Trike Shop’s last trip to Liverpool in 2007. Hickey is working on a multi-book project detailing the work of The Beach Boys on CD. I ordered his book at and devoured it within a few days. I’d t hought I’d read enough about this subject, but the mark of a good book of this type?—it made me want to go back and listen to the albums all over again to pick up on the things he was talking about. Fun too, that while the Beach Boys are such an archetypical California experience, here’s their recordings covered by someone who grew up nowhere around here, and has fun with the fact that the American high school experience and the surf/hot rod culture (and it’s lingo) is quite foreign to him.
check out this page to order: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/andrew1308 It features a few different books that he’s written, and hardcover, softcover and downloadable versions of the Beach Boys book.