Ryan's Gig Guide - April 2019

Friday 12th April Claptrap, Stourbridge  Glass & Keys is the second album from Grande Valise (French for ‘big suitcase’). Formerly a duo, Andy Miles and Becky Pickin are now a full-blown band of synth- pop pioneers. Conceived as a personal history of the Black Country, Glass & Keys is named after the industries linked to towns where Andy and Becky grew up at either end of the region.Taking inspiration from places, industries, feats of engi- neering and local pioneers, the band wanted Glass & Keys to be more nuanced than either a sim- ple rose-tinted view of the Black Country or a misty-eyed lament about post-industrial wastelands. Influenced by the sounds of OMD, The Flaming Lips, of Mon- treal, Kraftwerk and Destroyer, the songs are about identity, rela- tionships,‘progress’, memory, loss and hope. Perhaps they’re what you’d expect from a librarian and an ex-histori- an! This album has been years in the making. Since coming up with the concept, a series of fortunate and less fortunate events brought Andy and Becky together with some wonderful people who’ve given encouragement, inspiration and sparkle to the album, and the GrandeValise line up has expand- ed.The band includes John Napier (Combined Authority, Real Velour, The Snowflakes,Waler) and Carl Bayliss (Amoeba Teen, Flying Ant Day, The Humdrum Express, Sleuth). The album features other players including Dan Hartland and Ted Cartwright (Raphaella Kornarskis, Smokin’ Pilchards) as well as lo- cal actors, and it’s been produced, mixed and mastered by Sean Lloyd at Claptrap the Studio. To celebrate its release, Grande Valise will be playing tracks from Glass & Keys live at a special al- bum launch party on Friday 12 April at Claptrap the Venue, Stourbridge (8pm). They’ll be supported by post-punk guitar wizard The Psychotic Male Voice Choir and powerpop maestros Amoeba Teen.  www.facebook.com/gvalise GRANDE VALISE www.ryansgigguide.com 12 rgg Apr 2019