Features

As ever BBC Radio Suffolk has lined up some superb music including at 3pm a celebration of what's widely regarded as the greatest album of all time - Sgt. Pepper by The Beatles.

Here's your essential guide to who's playing when on the BBC Radio Suffolk stage:

Midday CAUTION HORSES

One of the region's best pop/rock bands will ensure a cracking start to proceedings on the BBC Radio Suffolk stage. Caution Horses keep on raising the bar and are sounding sharper than ever in 2007.

Caution Horses

They've just released an excellent album, Accidental Music, which captures them at their very best. The CD comprises 10 Andy Heasman compositions including last year's double A side single Falling In Love Without The Pain and 24 Hours.

Those two tracks, and others from the album, have been picking up lots of airplay on my Drivetime show and their appearance at Ipswich Music Day is not to be missed.

The band comprise Heasman on lead vocals and guitar, Chris Ratcliffe on bass, Mark Always on drums and David Baalham on guitar. Andy and Chris also find time to host the regular Suffolk Songwriters sessions which these days are held at The Arboretum, High Street, Ipswich.

1.00pm MOHAWK

Hold on to your hats because this powerful rock trio from Felixstowe are set to make a big impact with a mix of strong originals and one or two classic rock covers.

Mohawk

Fronted by guitar virtuoso Spencer Lee Horton, Mohawk are quite rightly regarded as a band to be reckoned with. The rhythm section of bassist Graham 'Doogle' Hawkins and drummer Andy Burlace provide a formidable backbeat allowing Spencer the freedom to let fly with his guitar pyrotechnics.

Earlier this year Mohawk recorded a session at Broadcasting House in Ipswich and came mighty close to blowing the studio doors off their hinges. A tremendous little trio with a very big sound.

2.00pm THE GIANTS

This promises to be yet another performance on the BBC Radio Suffolk stage that people will be talking about for years to come. Some of the very best musicians in the land are joining forces to bring us a show that sold out two nights at Sudbury's Quay Theatre earlier this year.

All the musicians have quite a pedigree. The Giants are Lily Gonzalez on lead vocals and percussion, Lincoln Grounds on guitar, Adam Houghton on drums and Stung on bass.

Lily is a tremendous singer and it's little wonder that she's worked with the likes of Robbie Williams, Macy Gray, Duran Duran, Steve Harley and Suzi Quatro. Adam has also backed the rich and famous while Lincoln and Stung too command huge respect.

3.00pm WORDS & MUSIC BY LENNON/McCARTNEY 

It was 40 years ago this summer that The Beatles released their classic album Sgt. Pepper and we thought we'd celebrate by getting Words & Music to perform the whole album live in the park and live on air.

I'll be introducing this special programme which will also include other Fab Four favourites from the same era.

Words & Music by Lennon/McCartney

Brothers Graham and Steven Dye have been performing material by Lennon/McCartney for many years and have now recreated this great musical masterpiece.

To achieve this collage of sound they have combined the original live act with their own pre-produced sequenced performances, and by pushing technology to the limit, just as Sir George Martin did in 1967 with The Beatles, have managed to capture the magic of a day in the 60's.

The brothers first started singing songs by The Beatles when they were very young and later went on to enjoy a chart hit with one of their own songs, 101 Dam-nations. Their band Scarlet Party were signed to Parlophone EMI.

They've also recorded and played at Abbey Road, performing in front of Sir George Martin and Sir Paul McCartney.

Their first single was released on the same day as the 20 years re-release of The Beatles' first single Love Me Do. Graham's also recorded with the Alan Parsons Project.

4.15pm AFTER THE FIRE

Following appearances in previous years by Dr Feelgood and The Look, BBC Radio Suffolk is delighted to welcome another nationally known group with local connections to our stage.

After The Fire began life in the early 1970's as a progressive rock band but changed tack and by the end of the decade were signed to a major label and enjoying a hit single - One Rule For You.

By the early eighties their classy pop songs had found favour in America where the single Der Kommissar went top five. Record company wrangles saw ATF go their separate ways but a few years back keyboards player Peter Banks, who lives on Mersea Island, decided to re-awaken After The Fire.

And now they're heading to Ipswich - performing a set which we'll be recording for an August Bank Holiday special to be aired at 6pm.

The current ATF line up is Peter Banks, John Russell, Matt Russell and Ian Niblo.

5.15pm THE UGLY GUYS

Remember 1977 hit single Little Does She Know by Southend's Kursaal Flyers? Well 30 years on singer Paul Shuttleworth and pedal steel guitarist Vic Collins are reunited as members of country rockers The Ugly Guys.

The Ugly Guys

They've returned to the sort of music that the Kursaals made their name with before Mike Batt took them in a poppier direction.

The Ugly Guys recently released an album called Truckers, Kickers & Cowboy Angels, which is a tribute to the music and influence of Gram Parsons.

Paul and Vic's band mates are lead guitarist Steve Oliver, drummer Bob Clouter and bassist Andy Farrell. They were last in town supporting Dr Feelgood at the Manor Ballroom in December 2005 and went down a storm.

Their set will also be recorded by our engineer David Butcher and highlights will form part of the aforementioned Bank Holiday special.

6.15pm SOUL KITCHEN

What a way to end it all! The mother of all party bands are back where they belong.

Soul Kitchen

Soul Kitchen are an Ipswich Music Day institution, blending the very best in sixties soul with a bit of ska and anything else they feel like cooking up for an always appreciative Christchurch Park crowd.

Coming to the boil alongside lead singer Ed Chef will be guitarist Billy Ray Cypress, Big Gaz on bass, Tractor Boy on drums, Snoop Scotty Dog & Bazza The Jazza on saxes and Blaggers on trumpet and keyboards.

We guarantee you'll be up dancing from the word go. The perfect way to end a perfect day.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to all the bands for appearing at this year's Ipswich Music Day. Thanks also to Gofer for providing the sound, David Butcher, Norman Lloyd, Clare Williams and David Whiting for all their help leading up to the day, and on the day itself, and to you for your support.

We couldn't do it without you. Have a good one!
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Stephen Foster presents drivetime on BBC Radio Suffolk, Monday-Thursday from 4.00pm-7.00pm (including the After Six Music Mix), and Fridays from 4.00pm to 6.00pm.