Lost Weekend 24 and 25 January

Mark 24 and 25 January as red letter days in your 2015 calendar because the Lost Weekend is back and it’s star-studded.

On Saturday 24 January at the Union Chapel, Darren Hayman is launching his new album, Chants for Socialists, a powerful new collection of songs based on William Morris's writing featuring a choir of left-leaning locals. The music will please anyone who’s ever thought, correctly, ‘early 70s Kinks were rather good’.

The Papas and the Mamas
These mamas are Sarah Cracknell and Debsey Wykes. The papas are Martin and Paul Kelly. You know them as, variously, members of Saint Etienne, Dolly Mixture and East Village.

These two sets of parents will be playing some Mamas & The Papas songs as well as songs by their older bands (I *think* this means East Village songs; I certainly suggested to them it does and even prepared a set list they could use). This is their debut gig as The Papas & The Mamas. We are, understandably, very excited.

The Catenary Wires were formed in 2014 when Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey (Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Tender Trap) moved out of London.

They started playing songs on their daughter's 3/4 size acoustic guitar, and are still refusing to give it back.

The Catenary Wires function as a simple two-piece, but will often feature guest musicians when playing live. Their first ever show was on 3 May 2014 at the Arnolfini in Bristol. Their songs are quiet and (mostly) sad.

The Union Chapel opens at 12pm. It’s free, but please donate at the door as all money goes to the bands and running the venue. All money from cafe sales goes to the Margins Homelessness Project based at Union Chapel so do enjoy a coffee and cake.

The Union Chapel gig finishes by 2.30pm, at which time we'll be going to the pub. See off your hangover in style the following day, Sunday 25 January, at the Lexington, where the live music starts upstairs at 3pm sharp, featuring:

eagleowl are "a lethargic pop band from Edinburgh" who've averaged one release a year over the past 6 years, each one exquisite and just-so. Of course it's a pared-down version of the band playing acoustically. It will be low-key but not lo-fi.

Their music is slow and sad like Low. It's sepulchral and bewitching like Galaxie 500 and it's rich and earthy like Alasdair Roberts. You need to see this gig.

Rozi Plain, Bristolian folk chanteuse whose spectral shanties have graced the Hangover Lounge's decks (many times) and our stage (not enough times), returns. We are, naturally, delighted.

Recent single Jogalong showed Rozi at a career high - a dusty folk groove warmed by a distant heat -that suggests her third album will be her best. We look forward to hearing her new songs.

Robert Rotifer is a Robert Wyatt- and Edwyn Collins-endorsed, Frankfurt Kitchen-loving, Canvey Island-referencing, Austrian-born songwriter. Robert spent most of his musical 2014 moonlighting as a guitarist on albums by Alex Highton and Papernut Cambridge, as well as writing and recording with seventies legend John Howard and plotting the next album of his own band, due out in 2015. The Hangover Lounge gig is the perfect opportunity to introduce some of his new material.

Jazz warning
The bands we have playing are upstairs at the Lexington, and start at 3pm - the Lexington have a live jazz band (the Acoustic Nomads) playing downstairs in the bar from 2-5, so don't be surprised when you come in - it's not Robert Rotifer's new direction, and you are in the right place.

We’ll be DJing downstairs from 5pm where our usual rule apply (keep it quiet, play music to heal hurting heads, your new favourite tunes), so stay a while and chat with your chums.