For those of you off to End of the Road festival this weekend, there are lots of Willkommen related bands that you should go and see.

FRIDAY

• Woodpecker Wooliams at 12:30pm on the Garden Stage
• Landshapes at 1pm on the Wood stage
• Rachael Dadd at 1:45pm in the Tipi Tent

SATURDAY

• Laish at 1:45pm in the Tipi Tent
• Eyes & No Eyes at 2:45pm in the Tipi Tent
• The Leisure Society at 5:15pm on the Wood Stage

SUNDAY

• Ichi at 12:30pm in the Tipi Tent

We should have our own stage shouldn’t we?! Yes I think so too. We also highly recommend but aren’t yet affiliated with Joe Gideon and the Shark (0:30am, Saturday night, Tipi Tent), Bo Ningen (5pm, Sunday, Big Top) and the mighty David Byrne (9:30pm, Friday, Woods Stage) – one of the best live performers I’ve ever seen. This is quite a handy page for seeing all the stage times in one place. See you there!

Laish‘s new album Obituaries is out now and has been receiving rave reviews. You can hear and buy it here, and hear the songs played live at the following shows:

APRIL TOUR

Friday 19th – Prince Albert, Brighton
Saturday 20th – The Wilmington Arms, London
Sunday 21st – The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle
Monday 22nd – The Castle Hotel, Manchester
Tuesday 23rd – The Bicycle Shop, Norwich
Wednesday 24th – Ort Café, Birmingham
Thursday 25th – Golden Lion, Bristol
Friday 26th – The Revelry, Exeter
Saturday 27th – Miss Peapod’s, Cornwall

All those shows also include supporting sets from Emma Gatrill and Martha Rose. Laish then play the following one-offs:

May 7th –  Daniel Green solo, Golden Lion, Bristol
May 26th – MEADOWLANDS FESTIVAL
June 1st – Sebright Arms, London
August 30-Sept 1 – END OF THE ROAD FESTIVAL

In the past we’ve created several collaborative Willkommen projects for free download over the Christmas period.

This year we asked as many Willkommen related artists as possible to simply contribute thirty seconds of sound. I stitched them together in the order in which they arrived to make a sonic patchwork quilt. The result is incredibly diverse and beautiful despite the random nature of its composition and form.

Thank you to the following people for contributing:

Alessi Laurent-Marke (Alessi’s Ark)
Woodpecker Wooliams
Said Speaks
Landshapes
Marcus Hamblett
Soccer96
Eyes & No Eyes
Hamilton Yarns
Thomas Heather
Danny Green (Laish)
Gravenhurst
John Smith
Fiona Sally Miller
Nick Hemming (The Leisure Society)
This Is The Kit
Rachael Dadd & Ichi
Rozi Plain
Birdengine
Helen Whitaker (The Leisure Society)
Steve Aston Trio
Rowan Coupland
Turbo & Silke (Martha Rose / OCDC)
Jacob Richardson (Sons of Noel and Adrian)
Emma Gatrill
Chimes (Christian Hardy)
Mary Hampton
Alphabets Heaven
François Marry (François & the Atlas Mountains)

Here are a few links to past collaborative projects for free download on last.fm:

• Willkommen Covers The Sleeper – various artists covered each song from The Leisure Society’s debut album. Originally released as a free Rough Trade bonus CD.
• Willkommen Foxswap – various artists covered each other’s songs before the Foxtrot festival
• Willkommen Christmas 2008 – again various Willkommen related bands covering each other’s songs

Laish are off on tour, including a few places they’ve never been before:

26th Oct, BRIGHTON, The Hope – Tickets
2nd Nov – TOTNES, The Blackbird Collective at Studio Lounge – Tickets
3rd Nov- FALMOUTH, Miss Peapod’s – Tickets
5th Nov, LONDON, Slaughtered Lamb: Tickets
6th Nov, BRISTOL, Golden Lion
7th Nov, NORWICH, Bicycle Shop, Tickets
8th Nov, BIRMINGHAM, Ort Cafe
9th Nov, SOWERBY BRIDGE, Puzzle Hall Inn
10th Nov, ELSTREE (HERTS), Waggon and Horses

You can read a recent interview with the band here or download a new track here.

It’s The Great Escape in Brighton next weekend (10th-12th May). There are many Willkommen related bands playing as part of the Alternative Escape on Friday and Saturday, thanks to our friends at Neighbourhood Music. These events are free to wristband-holders and “normals” alike.

Friday 11th May at the Fishbowl (Facebook event here) features Woodpecker Wooliams, Rozi Plain, Emma Gatrill, Eyes & No Eyes and The Mariner’s Children (solo). Plus many more great but less affiliated people including Hot Feet and Sam Brookes.

Saturday 12th May at the Hydrant (Facebook event here) features Redwood Red and Laish plus Emily & The Woods and more.

Both events start super early at midday so set your alarm for 10am latest so you can get some breakfast.