2019 REVIEW SYTERIA AND GIRLSCHOOL

Hey everyone,

What a GREAT year 2019 was and 2020 setting up to be even better one.

First gig up for Syteria was at the Fabulous new festival 'Rockmantic' in Carlisle run by Raz White who also runs another fabulous UK festival 'Call of The Wild'. Then off to Blackpool to play my favourite gig in the UK 'The Waterloo Bar' which has the best musical decor I've seen in years, especially the Ladies toilets...lol

                                            THE LADIES TOILETS AT THE WATERLOO

Then in March a quick jaunt over to Prague to play with our friends 'The Agony' and a couple of days holiday before coming home to play Great Yarmouth 'Yarmageddon' and after a bit of car trouble we made it back up north to play the  'Grimm Up North' festivals.

                                                                        PRAGUE


Then for me a VERY special night in March as we got to present an award to Suzi Quatro at the Vive Le Rock Awards in London and on my birthday too. Got to hang out with the who's who of Punk and Ska for the night, Happy Birthday me.🙋

                                                  VIVE LE ROCK AWARDS Mar 27th

                                                          JAX AND SUZI QUATRO

Finally in April some gigs with Girlschool and with Tracey Lamb (ex Girlschool and Rock Goddess) back in the fold and off to Spain for a few gigs, even saw the sunshine again😼.

                                               JAX & TRACEY IN A SPANISH HOTEL

Then back to the UK for a few more gigs there with Syteria before flying off to Belgium with Girlschool again.

In May we played the 'Call of The Wild' festival just as we closed another successful Syteria Kickstarter campaign and in June started to record the second album Reflection with the wonderful Tim Hamill at Sonic One studios again, which will be released to the world  Feb 21st 2020 (not long now).

                                             JULIA ABOUT TO LAY DOWN A VOCAL

                          JAX AND TIM HAMILL WORKING HARD COMPARING SHIRTS

In the middle of all the recording we got to play at the Camden Rocks festival too, Wales and then London and then back again in the same day...bed at 6am and up to record at 9am rock n roll zzz.

In June Girlschool finally got to play In Australia after 40 years, a quick stop off in Japan, our luggage didn't make it though for 2 days so that was fun...not! but nothing was going to stop us getting to Oz and having a good time, we even made it with the luggage too. Had the best time ever visiting so many places with Tank and Raven with great venues and promoters too, hopefully we'll go back. We even had time to visit a few sites and go to our favourite pastime, an animal park... a very happy band🙋

                                           GIRLSCHOOL AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

                                                 GIRLSCHOOL, RAVEN AND TANK

                                                       AT THE END OF THE TOUR

Not long landed and off Girlschool went again to Ireland for 3 shows and then to the Wacken festival in Germany which is always a fun gig!

                                   IRELAND WITH RICHARD FOWLER & KAAREN DEAN

A few more gigs then back to Belgium to play at the town hall with the lord mayor present and he's a full on Motorhead fan with an office full of memorabilia, weird but fun!

                                                      LORD MAYOR OF BRUSSELS

                                          'NICE BIT OF RUMP THAT' ...SAID THE COW

Back to the UK for more Syteria gigs up north and then with a new manager Andy Turner and brand new bass player Steph Dawson, a few rehearsals later...

                                                    THE AMAZING STEPH DAWSON

          Another flight with Girlschool back to Spain, not been there for yrs then twice last year!

                                                                        SPAIN

                                 Next stop Hamburg to play with Demon and Praying Mantis

                                                           HAMBURG FESTIVAL

Back to the Waterloo in Blackpool this time to play with 1 of my personal favourite bands, Vice Squad, now that was a fun night for us.

                                                                    BLACKPOOL

Then time for some real fun, video time again... 1st up 'Gossips' with 'Fly Girls Films' which was 1 hilarious day, all dressing up and as 'chavy' as possible lol. I was supposed to be a Mrs Robinson (The Graduate) type but ended up being more Anne Robinson (weakest link UK) we spent the whole day laughing and changing but the results were great, coming very soon.

GUESS WHO'S WHO

                                                                     
The very next day we were up and off to do video number 2 with Jay Hillyer, this time Make Some Noise! a little more serious this one, but Richie Stone made us up a fun t-shirt to go with it.

                                                                        T SHIRT

Last gig of the year for Girlschool and back to Finland to play with Nazareth with friends Barbe-Q- Barbies. Always fun to catch up with those guys, been a while.

                                                    BARBE-Q-BARBIES IN FINLAND

         A quick photoshoot with Marc McGarraghy in Sheffield for the Reflection album sleeve.

                                                             SYTERIA NOV 2019

Only 2 more gigs for us with the last 1 of the year being in my town of birth Bradford in Yorkshire, a few family and friends there for a little Xmas get together, and a great way to end the year and decade by signing our contract with Cargo for the distribution of Reflection in Feb 2020.

CARGO CONTRACT SIGNED

                              JULIA THINKS SHES IN THE SUN, 'OI IT'S BRADFORD WOMAN'

Last but not least we were voted number 3 best live band of 2019 in the NWOCR poll at the end of December, so thats a great way to go into a brand new year which will be full of gigs. Hope to see some of you at them.

Make Some Noise video is coming soon

                                                     HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL


JAX  X




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Hey Syterians,

So here is the last blog of 2018. It's been another fun year for Syteria and thanks for supporting us throughout 😃. We have some promising things already in the works, starting with a new PLEDGE campaign for a brand new album, which should be up and running by the end of January. (Title coming soon...when we know!)

We hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas and wishing you a very Happy New Year!


So let's see

JAN 2018:


Our debut album RANTOBOT was nominated for the best Rock album of the year in the 'Idependent Music Awards' we got into the last 5.
I was also honoured to present  Lzzy Hale with an award at 'The Hall Of Heavy Metal History Awards' in LA just before attending Namm.

FEB:

I flew back to the UK to shoot the Revolution video with Syteria in freezing cold Sheffield (after LA anyway) but immediately afterwards we all flew to Thailand to do a few shows and have a few days holiday there too...it's a hard life but someone has to do it, right?🙋

MAR:

Syteria played at 'The Legends Of Rock' Festival otherwise known as 'Yarmaggedon', great fun, so much so we are doing it again this year 😃.
Then every year it seems I have one of those Birthday things, and looks like I'll be doing that again this year as well 😃.

APRIL:

We released the Revolution video to all along with a photo shoot with Marc McGarraghy of Yellow Mustang photography before heading off again to do a cruise ship in Sweden/Finland with both Syteria and Girlschool. That was fun, it was an all girl band event with Rock Goddess and the Amorettes too. April being the month that Girlschool's 40th Anniversary officially started

MAY:

Keira had a birthday, so she's catching up a bit (Not!) and we spent the whole month writing new songs...and doing some Girlschool interviews.


JUNE:

I spent this month playing festivals with Girlschool amongst them Sweden Rock, Tons Of Rock and big 1 in Spain too.

JULY:

Syteria headlined a festival at the Cutlers Arms, Rotherham and the following night headlined the Fringe Festival in Sheffield then more big Festivals with Girlschool abroad including Bang Your Head, H.O.A. and Metal Days.

AUG:

Syteria back in London to play at the New Cross Inn and then back up north to record our Halloween song ready in time for releasing in October. Then off again with Girlschool for gigs in Austria and Sweden.

SEPT:

Girlschool now heading off to tour with Rose Tattoo, now that was fun.😃All the shows were in the UK and Ireland where I met some old friends and met this young man below on the right in London on the last gig of the tour. (Mr Garry Bushell of 'Bushell on the box') who also loves a bit of punk rock so had a good chat with him. No sooner had I finished the last Girlschool gig, I was up early the next morning to get home to shoot part 1 of the Halloween Video and to make sure I didn't miss one of my favourite bands 'The Eureka Machines' at the Brudenell in Leeds.
A long drive then for Shoot number 2 for the Halloween video, this time in Essex where we managed to get Kim and Denise to play Zombies. We also roped in Kims mum, some friends from there and my little Brother Rick. I'd already persuaded my mum whilst we were up north 😃
1 day to recover then off Syteria flew again to Corfu to play a few shows and of course sit by the pool....oh and Julia had a birthday😃

OCT:

All nicely rested up, The Calvo's went on a family holiday, Pablo had a birthday and I flew off again with Girlschool. Syteria then played  a gig in Oldham and after that I headed to London to do an interview with Garry Bushell, where I bumped into another of my all time favourite bands 'The Ruts'  Ruffy and Segs were also there to do an interview as 'Ruts DC'. Of course Syteria had to do a Halloween gig, it would have been rude not to having recorded a song and a video 😃this is one of Julia's may changes of outfits that night...lol

NOV:

A busy month gig wise and managed to fit in yet another all time favourite band 'Killing Joke' before heading off to play HRH with Girlschool in Wales. The day after I drove back to Leeds for a support gig with 'The Quireboys' for Syteria and then another show at the Trades in Rotherham with 'The Soap Girls'. I also got a guitar endorsement with Hagstrom and used the guitar that night, Love it 😃

We then headed to Scotland to do a few shows of our own before joining Girlschool to play at the Winterstorm festival which we all love 😃 so double duty again for me that day before heading straight back down to Yorkshire and off again with Girlschool to Spain for our final festival this year!

DEC:

A very quiet month for both bands gig wise but managed to fit in the band who I would have to see are my number 1 band of the year, a long time fan and never got to see them in the 70's/80s' ' The Skids' they were fantastic, so of course my Christmas list consisted of The Skids latest album and the hits album seeing as though I sold all my albums years ago...what a way to finish the year! Roll on 2019, a new album, lots of gigs planned with a tour in April, look out for that one and more

                                          me with the lovely Richard Jobson of 'The Skids'


THANKS everyone HAPPY NEW YEAR!

JAX   X

JUNE to SEPTEMBER blog

WOW Syterians I've been so busy with the 2 bands I've not had time to do this of late, but I'm here to rectify that and catch up... lots going on :)

For starters we have a new video especially for HALLOWEEN so I am going to start with that as it's almost Halloween now and seeing as this could be a long one you may not even read to the bottom👻

You may recognise a couple of familiar faces in here too. Even got my mum and little brother in on this one too...I don't know, what friends and family do for each other eh?😉

So June was a busy month fro GIRLSCHOOL with it being our 40th anniversary and all that. Sweden Rock being one of the first festivals of the year and always one of my favourites to play🤘

Next up was Tons of Rock in Norway rained heavily but still great fun to do. Then off to Spain for another big festival and guess who got the penthouse suite that night 🙋 oh yes and lots of time the next day to spend in the sun. Next Bang Your Head in Germany.

JULY:

Back to playing some gigs with SYTERIA, local ones too so no airports...yay!
First up the Cutlers Arms in Rotherham and the the following day The Fringe Festival in Sheffield both fabulous gigs and venues.

Then to finish off the month Metal Days and HOA, 2 fab festivals in Germany...love it there too🤘

AUGUST :

SYTERIA head south finally to London to play the New Cross Inn, an 8 hour drive down in horrendous travel but worth it to see some lovely friends there again who'd come along to lend their support 😀

A couple more festivals for Girlschool in Austria and Sweden and then into the studio to record our Halloween single, we figured record it early and have lots of time to do a video and release it ready for Halloween...oh those best laid plans...lol  We recorded the single at Make Noise Studios in Sheffield with the wonderfully talented Alex Coulson.

SEPTEMBER:

Yay GIRLSCHOOL tour with Rose Tattoo time, been looking forward to this and it was a blast🤘 lovely lads and great crowds every night in the UK and Ireland.

No sooner had we done the last date I got home and up early the next day to go shoot the Halloween video with Syteria, shattered but I guess I didn't need to look glamorous or this one anyway. We decided to do this one ourselves on Pablo's iPhone and edit ourselves...wow never thought it would take so much work to do that but hey we got there and we're happy with the results too, not bad for a 1st go😁  hope you all like it...or else😠

Video filming done and straight off to Corfu to do 4 gigs with SYTERIA in Corfu. What a lovely place that is and we had such an amazing time day and night, good food, good hotel, good gigs nothing at all to complain about...oh wait damn midges😢

So here we are in October and almost Christmas...argh yes I said it, we'll have Santa's Harley out again before you know it...BUT for now PLEASE take a look at our hard work on the Halloween Video and if you like the song you can grab it as a download here

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/halloween/1439492985…

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07JX63PRM/ref=dm_ty_trk%3C/a%3E

Hopefully we will see all of you who are close enough to come and see us play our Halloween gig in Sheffield this weekend at the Royal Standard (Sat 27th Oct)

Look out for the next blog sooner than the gap I left between the last one here...

JAX  X

MARCH TO MAY

                                                            MARCH TO MAY



Hello fellow Syterians and welcome to our latest Blog. Lots of exciting things happening in the Syteria camp at the moment and there'll be a few announcements coming shortly.

Back in March we played a fabulous festival called YARMAGEDDON which was also named 'Legends Of Rock' and in Great Yarmouth of course.
Settled into a very luxurious caravan, feet up and a quick band cuppa before the show

Then it seems every year I have another one of those birthday things 😐 another year older and deeper in debt and all that, but no wiser 😕 This month was all about the new Revolution video, we were writing the intro music, the mad professor middle bit, editing it and preparing for it's release. A party, viewing night at the end of March for all those who kindly gave up their time to film and star in it 😀

April was a chance to get together with the wonderful Marc McGarraghy from Yellow Mustang Photography to do our first official photo shoot. We had a fun time doing it and came up with a few pictures we all finally agreed on to use 😁 these 3 amongst them.

Next we headed to Newcastle so had to stop off to see the Angel Of The North again, it would have been rude not to 😉

Then  onwards to Newcastle, another pit stop at a hotel to do an interview with Mark Taylor for Metal Talk.

A chit chat a drink and onwards to our final destination that night to play Trillians, a great venue and wonderful enthusiastic crowd too so we'll be going back there again for sure 😀

Then a gig I've really been looking forward to as I was doing double duty playing with Girlschool and Syteria on different nights on a ship going from Sweden to Finland and back. Now that was fun, lots of friends on the ship too which made it extra special, 2 days of catching up and watching bands, what could be better? 😀  As soon as we got off the flight we met all the other bands at the airport which led to a coach full of fun, Julia's just passed her test, so we let her drive...NOT!

The line up was packaged as an all girl extravaganza featuring Girlschool, Rock Goddess, The Amorettes and of course Syteria sneaked in there too even though we have our lovely Pablo on drums😁Of course for the last song in the Girlschool set, 'Emergency', everyone piled on for one last mash up 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

After the show the Captain invited the bands to come on to the bridge which was quite an experience ... a quick photo shoot  (Thanks to Helena Larsson from RocknRoll Agency) I then took over the ship, managed to dodge the icebergs as I couldn't see any life boats😱

We spent the most of May writing songs and rehearsing them, so anyone coming to see us in the near future will be our guinea pigs 😈 so see you all out there at a gig somewhere near you soon.😀 

JAX   X

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