Embed and breakfast man: Northampton Roadmender's

A much-more-rare-than-it-should-be hurrah for provincial venues this weekend, as we shuffle a few miles north from the No Rock epicentre to watch some bands on the Roadmender stage in Northampton.

Originally a great example of what council funding and enthusiasm can do for to create an arts centre, the thirty-ish year history of the venue has turned into a series of near-disasters, temporary closues, bankruptcy and reopenings. Wikipedia helpfully claims that it is the biggest venue between London and Birmingham, which might explain something of its longevity; you suspect, though, that it's more 'not so far from London as to be unpleasant for record company people to nip over to see a new signing early on in their tour; far enough from London to be a bit of a fag to travel down to the city regularly to see bands' might be a bit nearer the truth. If harder to paint over the door.

Anyway, back in 2009, there were Little Boots stomping all over the stage:



[Buy: Little Boots - Hands]

More to come
Arthur Lee
Casiokid
Kate Nash
Glasvegas
Ash