So Easter and the Jazz Festival are over for another year. But the beat goes on...

Actually, this weekend is a quiet one. Perhaps everyone needs time to recover from the excesses of Easter and the coincidence of yesterday's public holiday coming so soon.

There is actually a great gig happening this week, but since it has – impressively – sold out, you won't be able to go. L.A.B., the fantastic funk/reggae/rock band who feature Tauranga's own Joel Shadbolt on guitar, have sold out, not one night at Totara Street but three in a row! Kudos to the band.

If you had been hoping to catch them you could check out their second album instead, released at the end of last year and called simply L.A.B. II. Head to their website - http://hyperurl.co/LABII – where there are links to it and their latest video, 'Rocketship”, a cool reggae groover, also sung by Joel. The man is a star.

As I said, this is a quiet weekend apart from L.A.B. But next weekend all sorts of groovy indie things are occurring, particularly on Saturday.

Let's start on Friday, at The Historic Village, where The Jam Factory hosts Auckland band Swallow The Rat, who proved they're serious about this music lark by travelling to the US to perform at prestigious industry showcase SXSW. Now they're back and buzzing round the country, launching their new self-titled single.

Grown downz

Swallow The Rat have enlisted local support for the gig in the form of some serious shredders from Mount Maunganui, Grown Downz, a duo comprising brother and sister Joel and Ellie.

Rounding out the bill is We Will Ride Fast, a fascinating musical project from local multi-media artist Kyle Sattler, formerly bassist and vocalist with punk band Frayden. In 2018, Sattler joined forces with Hemordroid bassist Simon Fritchley (lead and rhythm guitar) and they produced an album, The Maelstrom, which was released last month. Find it on Bandcamp.

Prior to that, Kyle, as We Will Ride Fast, had released a self-titled album, an EP and a single, playing, recording and producing everything himself. I don't think I can do much better than Kyle's description of his music: 'distorted, yet twisted and creepy vocals in a sea of reverberating synths twinkling and dancing above the contained melodic chaos below”. Actually, it's not as weird as that...

Find out for yourselves at The Jam Factory, Friday, May 3. Doors open 6.30pm, tickets are $10 on the door.

Busy Saturday

The following day is a busy one. The Jam Factory has another show and it's totally different. If a little Southern-style Americana, country and rock is your bag then Auckland's Catherine Tunks & her Bona Fide Band should be a good fit. Award-nominated singer/songwriter Cat Tunks has released three albums and promises 'the full rodeo of original country soul, gospel, strong vocals, sweet tunes and downhome country blues.” Show - 7pm; tickets - $15.

Meanwhile across at Totora Street there are a couple of tribute bands. They're playing the songs of both Marilyn Manson and Slipknot and the night is fittingly called The Beautiful Maggots. Sounds like a bunch of fun. Tickets are $25, mayhem starts at 8pm.

And out across town in Whakamarama, home of The Boatshed Studio and Soundtree Productions, the Black Sheep Bar & Grill has been getting into a little music with regular jam sessions over summer, and is going all out on Saturday with Rock For Hospice. To explain the bleedin' obvious, it's a rock concert and money raised goes to the Waipuna Hospice.

There are three local bands playing, all with interesting stories and music: Electric Universe are a seven-piece including Shane Davis, 'Mutt” Furness (of the Phil Rudd Band), Patrick Hawkins, Jeff Nilson and Baz Mantis amongst others; Stones In The Ocean were formed way back in 1993, but took a 16-year break along the way; and Hybrid Blues, led by singer/guitarist/harp player Roy Hudson, who have a recently-released EP.

Things kick off at 4.30pm and cost $25 ($30 on the door).