What's on in Norfolk

Norfolk is a piece of land that is all about water. Casting a net over a wide coastal corner of eastern England, Norfolk is a county of rivers, streams, lakes and waterways as well as, of course, the famous Norfolk Broads. Holidaymakers come in their thousands and yet it still remains one of the most peaceful and tranquil regions of the UK. Perhaps this is because the holidaymakers that come to Norfolk do so for quiet pursuits such as boating holidays or canoeing, bird watching or hiking, none of which are very noisy activities.

Norfolk has been inhabited for thousands of years, from the Icenie tribe in the first century BC to the Roman invasion of 47AD to Boudica’s rebellion in 60AD and back to the Romans. The Romans, always useful invaders, laid down roads and ports throughout the county as well as forts and to this day there are some fantastic ancient sites worth visiting. Norfolk also went on to become the independent kingdom of East Anglia. It is packed full of historic buildings and some of the best can be found in the monuments and crooked streets of the historic city of Norwich.

However, with respect to the historic sites and cities, and even the fantastic seaside resorts, as well as some of the finest British beaches, (at Holkham Bay, Cromer, Waxham and Great Yarmouth), most people come to Norfolk for the stunning Broads and the areas of outstanding natural beauty, with Norfolk often seeming like one big nature reserve. From marshes and peatland to incredible wildlife and flora and fauna, Norfolk is stunning.

The Norfolk Broads, though actually man-made, are the UK’s most important and diverse wetlands habitat welcoming enormous migratory and native bird populations (as well as researchers and bird watchers) from all over the world. In 1989 the area was given National Park status.

Big Country

Hailing from Scotland, the classic eighties band, Big Country, are best known for their big anthems, In A Big Country, and Fields Of Fire. This gutsy guitar band have a truly authentic sound created by blending their big guitar sound with folk accents from their mother country. With eight albums and almost thirty singles under their belt, they are one of the best loved British bands around. During the eighties, they were seldom out of the charts with five Top Ten hits to their name. Their farewell tour took place in 2000. Following the death of the original lead singer, Stuart Adamson, …

Rizzle Kicks

Rizzle Kicks are a hip-hop duo from Southend in London. The duo consists of Jordan “Rizzle” Stephens and Harley “Sylvester” Alexander-Sule . They released their debut album ‘Stereo Typical’ on 31 October 2011. Rizzle Kicks have been making music together since they attended school in Sussex. They realised that their style fitted together when Alexander-Sule sang over one of Stephens’ tracks. A promotional single ‘Miss Cigarette’ was released in December 2010; they then released their debut single ‘Prophet (Better Watch It) in May 2011, which was offered as a free download on their website. The…

When it comes to metal bands, Alestorm of Perth, Scotland definitely has something that others do not. They pack quite a punch and focus on pirate-related topics and terminology rather than other popular topics. Being able to move forward in the correct direction with regard to a new sound that is still catchy is something that Alestorm has excelled at, and they have brought this sound to many listeners. They are a favorite of young and older people alike due to their unique sound, and this does a whole lot to secure the band's reputation as a very creative group. Being able to adequately …

Skrillex

Skrillex is an electronic dance music producer also known as Sonny Moore and has been previously known on the internet as Twipx. Skrillex is from LA in California and is the former frontman from an American band called The First To last. He began performing in clubs in LA in 2007. Skrillex embarked on his first solo tour, Team Sleep Tour with Team Sleep, Strata and the Monster in the Machine. He then toured North America on the Alternative Press Tour supporting bands including All Time Low and The Rocket Summer. Moore has also appeared on the cover of Alternative Press in the 100 Bands You Nee…

2011 and has been a triumphant year for twenty-three year old Ben Howard. With catchy single "The Wolves" he caught the attention of potential fans away from his growing fan base in Devon and Cornwall - Howard being both a Totnes resident and former Falmouth University student - due to extensive plays on both national radio and TV. Through this song he proved that comparisons to the lengendary John Martyn was just, but also that he should not be dismissed as just another new folk act on the scene. Debut album "Every Kingdom, released just last November, is sure to place him firmly in the publi…

Paul Carrack

English singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist 'Paul Carrack' has seen major music success as a band member and solo performer since the 1970s. Playing with 'Ace', 'Roxy Music' 'Squeeze', 'Mike and the Mechanics' he has also released 15 solo albums between 1980 and 2010. His latest release was 'A Different Hat' which featured his solo performance alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.…

Band of Skulls is an alternative garage rock band from England. They originally performed as Fleeing New York before becoming Band of Skulls in 2008. The band formed when Russel Marsden, Emma Richardson and Matt Hayward met in college and connected over their shared love of music. Though they’ve only released one full album (and an EP in 2010), they have had a great deal of commercial success. Their music has been featured in advertising, TV series, and video games. They are planning to release their latest album, “Sweet Sour” in February, 2012. Like their first album, “Sweet Sour” is fi…

Killing Joke

Post-punk, Killing Joke are still creating pandemonium with Jaz Coleman's intense vocal style leading the way. These apocalyptic musical alchemists have woven a mesmerising beat with resonant guitar chords to create an art house metal sound that is undeniably theirs alone. After pursuing individual projects for a time, the remaining original band members reformed in 2008 following the death of former bassist, Paul Raven. With over a dozen albums to their name, one of their best known songs, Love Like Blood, reached number sixteen in the UK singles chart. Killing Joke have just come out…

Rise To Remain

The metalcore scene in Britain is alive and kicking and 'Rise to Remain' is a perfect example of that. These boys from London have been giving the metal heads in Britain a good time. With a solid lineup 'Rise to Remain' is certainly bracing for good things to come in the future. With front man Austin Dickinson, son of legendary vocalist Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden, on the vocals these guys will surely give other bands a run for their money. Rise to Remain in their short career as a metalcore band have already made their presence felt at music festivals like the Sonisphere and Download …

Black Stone Cherry

The swaggering rock band, “Black Stone Cherry” has become infamous for packing each of their songs with the kind of energy that brings AC/DC to mind. They will be riding this train of head-banging momentum all the way to the U.K. this March. The seven-year-old band now has tacked up four full-length albums to their name, and has been enjoying the fruits of their labor by building a loyal fan base and enjoying loads of quality radio air-time. Their southern hard-rock style was born in 2001, straight out of Kentucky - a birth location their band shares with Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey. Like Jim…