Saxoctopus

Formed by chance when eight saxophonists found themselves in a room together, Saxoctopus - as the name suggests - is an all-saxophone improvising octet featuring some key figures from the UK improv scene. The Saxoctopus album was recorded live at The Vortex Jazz Club in London, and has been released on CD and download by Raw Tonk Records:

The Saxoctopus line-up is: Dee Byrne (Alto Sax), Oliver Dover (Alto Sax), Julie Kjær (Alto Sax), Sam Andreae (Tenor Sax), Rachel Musson (Tenor Sax), Tom Ward (Tenor Sax), Cath Roberts (Baritone Sax), Colin Webster (Baritone Sax).

Webster / Holub Duo Mini-Tour

My duo with Mark Holub is playing a series of UK dates in April:

April 13th - The Cowley Club, Brighton

http://clubzygotic.wordpress.com

April 14th - The Lamp Tavern, Birmingham

http://improvisationuk.wix.com/fizzlebirmingham

April 15th - The Vortex, London

http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/event/double-duo-plus-mark-holubcolin-webster-mark-holubirene-kepl/

All three dates will be double-bills with Mark's duo with Austrian violinist Irene Kepl.

Dead Neanderthals Tour Flyers

We will also play at The Vortex, London on Feb 3rd in a double bill with Dead Days Beyond Help w/ Alan Wilkinson.

Dead Neanderthals UK Tour 2014

In January I'm playing a short UK tour with Dead Neanderthals. The dates are:

31st Jan - Dulcimer Bar, Manchester

1st Feb - AAE, Sheffield

2nd Feb - Green Door Store, Brighton

3rd Feb - The Vortex, London

The Dutch duo incorporate elements from free jazz, grind and noise culminating in a pummeling sound that is akin to Painkiller and Borbetomagus. They are a household name in the Dutch experimental music scene, and have played tours and festivals all over Europe and the US.

Our collaborative album '...And It Ended Badly' was released on Gaffer / Raw Tonk Records in October 2013.

http://rawtonkrecords.bandcamp.com
http://deadneanderthals.wordpress.com

Collaboration With Dead Neanderthals

In May I'll be guesting with Dutch duo Dead Neanderthals for a couple of UK dates:

May 16th - The Vortex, London
http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/gigs.php?gd=20130516#.UVxHP6X3DLY

May 17th - The Cowley Club, Brighton
http://clubzygotic.wordpress.com

Both dates will be double-bills with another excellent heavy Dutch trio 'Albatre'. Both bands are part of the burgeoning micro-scene of artists in Europe highlighting the crossover of improv, noise-rock, and jazz. Last August I put on a show for Dead Neanderthals in London and it was one of the heaviest sets I saw all year. In December we recorded a collaborative album, and these gigs will be the first time we perform together live.

Info on Dead Neanderthals here.
Info on Albatre here.

Webster/Holub Duo Micro-Tour

My duo with Mark Holub has a couple of rare live appearances at the end of March at The Cowley Club in Brighton and The Vortex in London. The London date is a double bill with Alex Ward's band 'Dead Days Beyond Help'. Details here:

March 24th: The Cowley Club, 12 London Road, Brighton, BN1 4JA. 8pm, £5
http://clubzygotic.wordpress.com

March 25th: The Vortex, 11 Gillet Street, London, N16 8AZ. 8pm, £9 (w/ Dead Days Beyond Help)
http://www.ents24.com/web/event/Mark-Holub-The-Vortex-Jazz-Club-London-3248166.html

Recent Airplay/Podcasts/Mixtapes

Some tracks from the Webster/Holub/Anorak album 'Languages..' have been played on various radio shows and podcasts recently. Some are still available for streaming or download, so I've posted the links below:

Free Form Freakout:
http://fffreakout.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/fffoxy-podcast-11.html

The Mystery Lesson:
http://mysterylesson.posterous.com/archive/1/2013

Majjem Radio Show:
http://www.majjem.com/20121114majjempart1.mp3

The album also got a mention on Brazilian blog Free Form Free Jazz:
http://www.freeformfreejazz.com/2012/11/sons-novos-de-varios-cantos-lancamentos.html

Webster/Holub/Anorak - Languages..

'Languages..' is the new live album recorded by the trio of Mark Holub, Sheik Anorak and myself at The Vortex jazz club in London earlier this year. It's out now on Gaffer Records on CD and all formats download.

Stream it or download it from here:

Anorak/Webster/Holub tour recordings

Here's an audio excerpt from the Anorak/Webster/Holub set at Port Mahon in Oxford during our mini-tour back in March:



There's also this excellent video of the whole set:



We also have a video clip from our set at Green Door Store in Brighton:



..and we have an excellent recording of the set at The Vortex that we're hoping to release later in the year.

Sheik Anorak / Colin Webster / Mark Holub - Tour

In March the new trio of Sheik Anorak, Mark Holub, and Colin Webster are on tour in the UK:

March 19th - Port Mahon, Oxford
March 20th - The Vortex, London
March 21st - Green Door Store, Brighton

Lyon-based guitar-shredder, and free jazz noisenik Sheik Anorak is known for collaborating with like-minded souls all over the world, including: Mario Rechtern, Weasel Walter (from the Flying Luttenbachers), Clement Edouard, Yoann Durant, and Matthieu Peyraud. He also moonlights as head-honcho of Gaffer Records, releasing amazing music by the likes of Mats Gustafsson, Talibam!, OffOnOff, Jazkamer, and many others. 
For this tour Sheik Anorak is joining forces with Led Bib sticksman Mark Holub, and saxophonist Colin Webster.
www.sheikanorak.com


For all three dates they are joined by Lyon-based power-jazz-trio Lunatic Toys, and for the Brighton gig by Bolide as well.


Also, on March 7th the trio of Sheik Anorak, Colin Webster, and Clement Edouard (from Lunatic Toys / Loup) are performing a special show at Buffet Froid in Lyon.