REAL GONE GOES OUT: The Utopia Strong – Ramsgate Music Hall, Ramsgate, Kent 18/10/2025

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It’s approximately 8:45 on a Saturday night in Ramsgate. A crowd are gathered outside of the Music Hall, and in the venue’s lobby area, various people are milling around in a frighteningly compact space. Even before getting to the gig area, there’s a feeling that this is one of the Music Hall’s busiest nights.

Everyone’s out to see The Utopia Strong – a trio made up of Kavus Torabi (Knifeworld/Gong/Cardiacs), Michael York (Current 93) and 80s snooker legend Steve Davis – who’ve just released a new album. ‘Doperider’ has been well received by those occupying the more “cult” corners of the online press, and those who’ve seen the band before know how special the live experience can be, so this is a night that has a lot riding on it even before the musicians take the stage.

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Watch: Wax Mechanix shares new video clip for ‘Saltwalter Sisters’

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Those who’ve been paying attention to the rock underground over the post-lockdown years will probably be aware of Wax Mechanix. The multi-instrumentalist has released a succession of great sounding, retro influenced tunes – and here’s another.

In the artist’s own words, it’s “a unique heavy jam”, and it’s easy to hear what he means. The opening riffs play off a bluesy melody, but the semi-busy acoustic slant gives the melody the kind of feel that seems a little proggy. Moving into the meat of the track, programmed loops and a chunkier riff lend a little influence from early Beck, but a huge vocal ensures any simarities end there.

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Real Gone Presents: A Boston Round-Up, October 2025

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As the Real Gone inbox continues to fill up, Boston continues to be a city that delivers a huge amount of new music every month. This trip back to the US will reacquaint people with a few familiar names: Lovina Falls presents some terrific alt-pop, Tiberius share a moody number that showcases their low key approach really effectively, and scene stalwarts The Dogmatics show their more melodic side on a great single. There are new faces to be discovered too, with a band celebrating a perfect post punk sound, a slice of reggae to remind you of the summer you’ve just left behind, and something dubbed “low rock”, which blends genres in an interesting way. We’re sure this lightning tour with the some of the city’s cult acts will see you coming away with a couple of new favourites!

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CHEAP FIX – Soul Tune / Dead Mouth

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‘Re-Animator Blues’, the first release from Texan garage punks Cheap Fix, really didn’t mess around. The two track 7” hit their potential audience with two speed driven bangers that valued an authentically raw sound. This immediately set them as an act to watch, assuming they didn’t suffer an immediate creative burnout.

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