The annual Bedford Alternative Music Top Ten local C.D. Chart is now up in the C.D. Demo review section. Well done to all the bands that got through.

There are some new C.D. Reviews in the Review section featuring an updated review of the Speedshot C.D. a newer version with more tracks added.
The Radiating Eyes also get their C.D. looked at as indeed to Don Broco. But who will enter the Top Ten? Stay tuned in a few days pop pickers.

I recommend you get your mitts on the latest C.D. from Ex-Nihilo ... See the review in the C.D. Demo Review section ... A definite contender for this years Local Top Ten at the end of the year!

Pop punk band Rench get their C.D. reviewed in the C.D. Demo Review section. Look out for Radiating Eyes and Ex Nihilo C.D. Reviews coming soon. Also who will be reaching this years Top Ten of local C.D.s

Local legends in the making SPEEDSHOT will be handing out a 2 track C.D. at their future gigs, find out more in the C.D and Demo Review section.

Not only did he provide the lighting for last weeks amazing Halloween gig, Martin Stapleton is going to enlighten us with his review of the evening. See the second review added to that page. Thanks Martin.

As everybody knows, that came to Bedford Alternative Musics Metal Zombies Vs Punk Ghouls Halloween night at Esquires will testify was an amazing night and was so good to see everybody suitably spookily dressed up for the occasion. A full gig review is now up in the Review section. See the photos also, where you can view both the bands and a selection of you lot as well.
My thanks to James Betts and Jez Brown for photos used.

There is now an album dedicated to the Halloween gig at Esquires Check all the posters being used for this event, for best results put them in slideshow mode, my thanks to Dazz and Benj for their designs included. Check the album after the gig also for full gig photos.

New Interview up featuring our Halloween Headliners The Dilenquents, also included is a link to some previously unseen photos from their theatrical stage show as part of a BOTB gig at The Bedford Corn Exchange last year.

Photos taken at the Sid Worth Fund gig at the weekend now up in the Photo section, my thanks to James Betts for sending his ones used.
The fund is a voluntary organization raising money at gigs to provide funds for Bedford bands and was good to see the event on both levels well attended.
Highlights included amazing sounds from the cool people in Horseman Shakes & The Dreymen, special guest appearance of the lovely Amy Leader during The A Band set, well played old style rock from the Who influenced The Escape, while Deus Ex Machina (which means an unexpected event getting you out of a believed impossible situation) performed some great self written songs including a great song among others about a funeral parlour!
Lev one was in use for the gig also, with Olivia Holter demonstrating her acoustic talents, a rock out knockabout from Vegus Nerve and a member of the Sid teams own band Lost 4 Words with a rather good Ziggy Stardust Bowie cover. Im sure the SWMTF fund raisers were pleased with the support. Go check the photos.

This years annual Cravenfest was last Saturday see the gig Review section. There is also a link to photos of the event, Look out for more photos to follow.

Photos have now been added to the following gig reviews:

The Bedford Metal Thursday Showcase - Plain Blue, The Race Against Silence, Fit To Be Tied. - Bedford Esquires Danny's Bar Level 1. Thursday 06th March 2008.

The Bedford Metal Thursday Showcase - Apex Unplugged, Dan Short, Chaos Faerie, The Polite Underground. - Bedford Esquires Danny's Bar Level 1. Thursday 13th March 2008.

The (Best Of) Bedford Metal Thursday Showcase - Chaos Fairie, The Polite Underground, The Race Against Silence and The Radiating Eyes. -Bedford Esquires Level 2. Thursday 20th March 2008.

Bedford Metal Night - Showing Tonight, Me vs the Atlantic, Elements of Refusal, Headshot Heros. - Bedford Esquires Level 2. Thursday 27th March 2008.

The SWMTF May Fest Gig. - The Padington, Midland Road Bedford. Bank Hol Sunday May 4th 2008.
See the Reviews section.
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Photos are now up in the "Photo" section of the latest Bedford Alternative Music night at Esquires Lev 2 featuring Ex-Nihilo, Valentone, Till Seasons Fall and Chaos Faerie. My thanks to James Betts for sending them in.

Winners of our Battle Of The Bands we held last year Minimal Damage along with a prize gig of playing a slot at The River Festival also got some recording time at a studio. The result is their C.D. which has been reviewed by Dan Robert Shaw from Valentone fame and appears in the 'C.D. Demo Review' section, his first review so Many thanks Dan for sending it in.

Rock Opera at Esquires with a review of Captain Loveguns and The Tail Telling Dead Men, with Fairies Wear Boots and Valentone Acoustic, - See Gig Reviews section. Photos from the gig and their River Festival warm up show included .

Randall Davis interviews Steve Parker, lively bassist of Elements Of Refusal. My thanks to Steve for his time and permission to use some of the photos from his site and to Randall Davis for submitting the interview.
Look out for the new competition to win a pair of BOTB Grand Final tickets that Bedford Alternative is running in association with the corn exchange. See the gig list and forum.

Last year we Prepared For War, this year theres The Silence - the title of the new C.D. from Bedford band Slave To Nature. Check out the review in the C.D. Demo Reviews section.

The New Photo Album has now been added to the site, featuring the live alternative music scene featured in a number of venues in and around the Bedford area. Take a nostalgic trip through the gigs featured over the years. Photos have been taken by us and various people over the years. If you have any gig photos you would like including please send them in. Thanks go to Adam Taylor (Tay) for the album construction .

Welcome to the new look website from Bedford Metal, now under the more broader name of BEDFORD ALTERNATIVE MUSIC featuring News, Gig Listings, Gig and C.D. Reviews, Interviews and other features connected to Metal, Punk, Rock, Ska, Indie, Goth etc. Anything that is local, original and alternative music. We hope you enjoy the site and will contribute C.D. or Gig reviews to the editorial address.
My grateful thanks to Cheryl for the infrastructure design, and Dazz Warr (Radiating Eyes) for the logo design. Special help also from Adam Taylor and Ritch Theodore.

All New Photos in the Danny's Bar section and linked to the reviews of the Thursday Showcase nights also. My thanks to James Betts and Paul Bush for sending them in. Also a huge thanks for the video made by Mikey from Chaos Faerie who are playing this week, if you havent seen it already - check this: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yVQvdq92__c Cheers chaps. Coming up: More Dannys Bar gig photos soon.

Resident Esquires web reviewer Martin Stapleton has submitted a great review of week two of Bedford Metal's Thursday showcase - (the gig where from now on the stage barrier fencing you now see at Danny's bar has now been installed). Thanks Martin. Also Week three reviewed - Photos to follow.

The Bedford Metal Thursday Showcase started last week, there is a review up of the night in the 'Review' section.

My thanks to Owen Davies for the review of the Modern World Promotions gig at Esquires on 15/2/08. Which featured - DMS And The Kraze, Pirate Radio, Valentone and Ed from Bowfinger. - See gig Reviews.

One of the first bands at regular Bedford Metal nights at The Ath and Danny's bar being the only promoter to have put them on in Bedford and gained quite a following - Atikka are calling it a day (but look out for band members in Apex, Pariah, to name a few). At their last gig - where it all started for them, a C.D. by the band was on sale, we take a look at the disk, the gig and the band in the C.D. Demo Review section.

Two C.D. Reviews in the C.D. Demo Review section, featuring indie rock band The Escape, and metal band Temples Burning.

Find out how MK band Keep Calm And Carry On became a vampyre in the demo review featured in the - CD Demo Review section. Next Up: The Escape.

Our first C.D. Review this year is of Bedford band Symbo described by the NME as "Head-spinning Rock". Check what we thought in the C.D. Demo Review section.