I’m a writer, musician, film-maker and music promoter. Which means I do lots and lots of different but increasingly interrelated stuff – on a day-to-day freelance basis as well as longer term contacts

There’s copywriting across all media and marketing disciplines (SEARCH ‘COPYWRITING/CREATIVE DIRECTION TO FIND EXAMPLES) for lots of different commercial and charity/governmental clients for more than 20 years… There’s editing/proofreading of publishers’ fiction and non-fiction manuscripts…(SEARCH ‘BOOKS’ FOR EXAMPLES) There’s screenwriting and film projects (SEARCH ‘FILM’), novel and ghost writing (SEARCH ‘BOOKS’) … And finally there’s a range of live music events and festivals (SEARCH LIVE EVENTS), mostly working with young people through local authorities and youth organisations – and these involve pretty much all the other stuff I do. The posts here are just some of my more recent projects.

EMAIL ME AT: kev@kevsaunders.co.uk or call 07773845679 and I’ll tell you more!

LOS LADRONES DE AMOR LOGO

CHECK OUT OUR HASTY AND SUPER ROUGH VIDEO FOR KICK THE DOORS DOWN HERE! (It’s an anthem for the anti-cut protests!KICK THE DOORS DOWN

MORE ABOUT LOS LADRONES DE AMOR AT THE WEBSITE – DESIGNED, BUILT AND WRITTEN BY YOURS TRULY: www.losladronesdeamor.co.uk

Featuring Kev Saunders on vocals, Los Ladrones de Amor (The Thieves of Love) are raw, mostly acoustic and angry… Melodic and lyrical songs full of sleaze and soul with a heart of darkness mixing latin grooves and the spirit of punk in songs such as:

I WEAR BLACK – a defiantly melancholy singalong anthem mourning lost youth and refusing to grow old gracefully…. It’s also a bit of a paean to The Clash and Johnny Cash and everything they stand for.

KICK THE DOORS DOWN – with lyrics originally written about the poll tax back in the eighties, this is a furious, percussive 6/8 time, samba-driven protest song for the era of the ConDemNation. Featuring Margaret Thatcher on backing vocals!

VIEW THE VIDEO by clicking below (then click the appropriate video on the channelmogo page and click the full screen icon)

UNITY – PARTY IN THE PARK

OUR ROLE:

• Collaborating on identity, branding and theme
• Writing press releases
• Online marketing
• Band booking, liaison and scheduling
• Overseeing security and logistics, risk assessments and evacuation plans
• Co-ordinating PA, staging, lighting, engineers, stage managers, DJs and MCs
• Re-recording semi-instrumental version of ‘Unity’ by James Brown and Afrika Bambaata (to be used at the climax of the show with a tailor-written rap and the young MCs holding PEACE, UNITY, LOVE and HAVIN’ FUN placards).

Under 19s Halloween Rock Concert for Herts Police/Schools Extension Partnership

Who Says Teenagers are all Little Horrors?

Not Hertford Extended Services Partnership!

Getting tired of hearing horror stories about Nightmares on Fore Street; of young people up to no good around the town? Well so are Helen Grout, Hertford Police School Liaison Officer and Michelle Martin, Extended Schools Co-ordinator with the Hertford Extended Services Partnership, so they’ve teamed up with Kev Saunders and the local schools to do something positive by and for local young people.

The result of their deliberations is

DAWN OF THE DEAD COOL!

A special HALLOWEEN ROCK CONCERT

at Hertford’s Castle Hall on Saturday 31st October.

Featuring rock and pop bands from local secondary schools including Sele, Simon Balle and Chauncy as well as some terrific solo acoustic performers, the show’s going to be one big Halloween party from 6.30pm to 10pm.

‘We constantly hear negative things about young people in the news and the reality is that those who cause trouble and generally misbehave are in the minority.  Very little is said about the vast majority of young people who not only keep out of trouble but who also make a positive contribution to the community and are not often recognised or rewarded for it.  The ‘DAWN OF THE DEAD COOL’ event is for these young people – goodies for goodies as opposed to goodies for baddies!  Young people tell us that they want things to do that are affordable and accessible so hopefully this will hit the spot.’ says Michelle.

Helen and Michelle are keen to point out that this project’s much more than a token gesture. Determined to do the job properly they’ve enlisted the help of Kev Saunders who brings along the PA/sound engineering (Rob Muir and Co) and stage management team (Alex Duncan and Keith Lambert from Hertford music shop, Gig Gear) who have helped to make Rock at the Castle and Westmill Farm Festival sound so great for the last few years.

‘I was chuffed to invited to help out with DAWN OF THE DEAD COOL – and to get the whole Hertford Marquee/Rock at the Castle team back on the case. Since the Marquee was forced to close we’ve lacked a venue for bands and their fans who aren’t old enough to get into licensed premises – so I reckon this is going to be huge. Let’s hope it’s the first of many!’ says Kev.

The young bands confirmed so far are:

THE FUSES – from Chauncy School, winners of the school battle of the bands and the Westmill Farm Festival audience vote.

THE CEX – from Simon Balle School

FALSE ALARM – also from Chauncy School

ROSE FOR A THORN – from Sele School

Click here for a video from 2007

Marquee Allstars at Rock at the Castle 2007

Rock at the Castle – 2005 – 2009

I organise all the music, press, programme, technical operations and stage management for this annual one-day charity rock festival alongside Hertford Town Council. From a few hundred people when I helped to instigate the event in 2005, the audience has grown to 7000 people this summer (2009).

On the main stage we have 10 – 12 bands of all styles from reggae and rap to punk, funk and metal and in between acts the INSOMNIA MUSIC LIVE stage presents acoustic acts. All this for a suggested donation of just £2!

Check out this year’s press release and line-up!

KEV ROCKS THE CASTLE FOR MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE

ROCK AT THE CASTLE

Noon till 8pm at Hertford Castle. Sunday 2nd August 09

As instigator of the now sadly defunct Hertford Marquee, Music Director of Hertford Music Festival, Strum City and Westmill Farm Festival, Kev ‘Hertford’s Mr Music’ Saunders is promoting one event or another all year round… But this year’s ROCK AT THE CASTLE is particularly close to his heart because Susanne Mead and Hertford Town Council have kindly agreed to give the proceeds this year to the MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE ASSOCIATION; a charity dedicated to helping people suffering from the incurable – and particularly cruel – disease that killed his father Ken Saunders a few years ago.

‘To be honest it’s great to feel I’m involved in doing something worthwhile in my dad’s memory – and I’m hoping we can attract a record crowd and an unprecedented charity collection in his honour and for the benefit of everyone facing what my dad went through. The MNDA’s work is vital but because the disease affects relatively few people – about one in a hundred thousand, I believe – most of us are unaware what it does to people. Trust me, it’s not nice,’ says Kev.

‘That said, there’s nothing depressing about the day we’ve got in store for you. Between me, Susanne Mead, Insomnia Music and main stage sponsors Graphic Nature studios, we’ve lined up more than twenty terrific acts ranging from acoustic stuff to hard rock, ska, hip hop, reggae and a couple of covers bands thrown in to pump up the party atmosphere! I reckon it’s going to be the best Rock at the Castle ever.

As always, MC Jim Distortion and yours truly will have radio mics in hands and we intend to do a Bob Geldof and keep shouting out to remind everyone to put hands in pockets and money in buckets. We’ll also be collecting donations for the bands, all of whom are giving their time and talent for free – and while we’d love you to give till it hurts, I can promise everyone a rocking day out for all the family that’s the best value entertainment you’ll get anywhere!’

As has become almost traditional, Kev will be closing the day with a show by THE HERTFORD ALLSTARS – an ever-changing crew comprising some of the area’s hottest (and coolest) musicians, including all of CRIMZEN and some of Kev’s Clash tribute band, THE TRASH, playing a rabble-rousing set of rock covers. In past years, Kev’s shared lead vocal with Jim Distortion but this year Jim’s putting all his considerable vocal talents into his show with his new Dirt Rock band DISTORTED BREED, so Kev’s the front man this time round.

THE SEX, LIES AND LOVE STAGE at WESTMILL FARM FESTIVAL

(Click the pic to go to the festival website!)

Click below to see some of the channelmogo interviews with Sex, Lies and Love Stage bands:

SEX, LIES AND LOVE STAGE BAND INTERVIEWS

Thanks to a very fruitful collaboration between festival organiser Kev Saunders and nationally renowned youth work author and guru Vanessa Rogers (www.vanessarogers.co.uk), Herts County Council Youth Connexions and Hertfordshire Music Service, this year’s Westmill Farm Festival features an exciting new addition.

It’s called the SEX, LIES AND LOVE STAGE – a dedicated YOUNG BANDS’ STAGE on the Saturday of the festival, featuring about fifteen bands and soloists nominated by local schools, Youth Connexions and Hertfordshire Music Service.

Presented, compered and managed by a committee of young people overseen by Kev Saunders and Vanessa Rogers from Youth Connexions, this stage aims to promote ‘positive relationships for all young people’. With that in mind, the whole Youth Connexions team will be on hand at the festival with advice and counselling services on issues such as self-esteem, respect for yourself and others, sexual health, breast cancer, cervical cancer, bullying and much more besides. As well as T Shirts and balloons, there’ll be specially branded SEX, LIES AND LOVE condoms for the over-sixteens – and the team will be canvassing the audience for their thoughts on the subject.

But there’s much more to this project than music – the Westmill Farm Festival stage is just the launch event for a much bigger pan-media project involving video, exhibitions, a CD and a book.

THE SEX LIES AND LOVE BANDS

The following are just some of the bands confirmed – most of which have been proposed by the Youth Connexions Panel of young people, who all voted for the bands they’d like to appear. Four more acts appear courtesy of Herts Music Service, through their bi-annual songwriting competition and finally CONOR WALKER appears as winner of East Herts Council’s POP LUCK young vocalists’ competition (for which Kev was one of the judges).

POINT BLANK

THE PRICE OF AFFLICTION

HIGH RESORT

JUMP THE LIGHTS

ALL SYSTEMS GO

SWING YOUTH

CONOR WALKER – POP LUCK WINNER

HERTS MUSIC SERVICE SHOWCASE with TRAMP ETIQUETTE + PANDORA’S BOX + FRACTURE

KATE IS THE DECOY

ANYTHING IN MIND

BLUE ROOT ZOOTS

In addition to the young bands, there’ll be around forty others, notably soon-to-be-huge ZARIF, fresh from the BEYONCE UK tour, new wave legends EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS and a host of others playing everything from Death Metal to Ska and Reggae; Hip Hop to Hard Rock, Punk and Funk!

On Sunday that same stage becomes THE INSOMNIA MUSIC LIVE STAGE, presenting, among many others, JUAN ZELADA and TOM DIBB and then, just to be fair to the older crowd, there’s the THE OLD(ER!) BANDS’ stage, featuring THE DOCTORS, BLIND DRUNK JULES, JOAN OV ARC and BLACKBIRD playing adult-orientated rock and blues covers.

To find out more about Youth Connexions in general, the SEX, LIES AND LOVE project and a host of other information about young people’s activities in the county, visit www.channelmogo.org.

www.westmillfarmfestival.co.uk

Westmill Farm Festival

SPONSORED, PARTNERED AND BACKED BY: YOUTH CONNEXIONS, HERTFORDSHIRE MUSIC SERVICE, GRAPHIC NATURE STUDIOS, THE CREAM ROOM STUDIO and YP SOUND

After a hugely enjoyable weekend last year, Westmill Farm Festival is back for 2009 on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st June – and since it straddles the Summer Solstice, organisers Kev ‘Hertford’s Mr Music’ Saunders and Pippa Deeble-Rogers are making sure we can look forward to two enjoyably long, lazy days with more than 50 of the best established and up and coming bands and solo performers from the Herts area and beyond.

‘This year, we’re planning to keep all the action in the main field with a main stage roughly where it was last year and a slightly smaller one further downhill towards the lakes – and we’ll be alternating music styles between the stages so that there’s always a choice!’ says Kev.

Thanks to the organisers’ collaboration with Hertfordshire Music Service and Herts Youth Connexions, the festival will be featuring a dedicated YOUNG BANDS’ STAGE on the Saturday. Entitled the SEX LIES AND LOVE STAGE, this will feature about 12 bands and soloists nominated by local schools and Hertfordshire Music Service.

Presented and managed by a committee of young people overseen by Kev and Vanessa Rogers from Youth Connexions, this stage aims to promote ‘positive relationships among young people’ – with advice and counselling services on issues such as self-esteem, respect for yourself and others, sexual health, breast cancer, cervical cancer, bullying and much more besides.

On Sunday that same stage becomes THE INSOMNIA MUSIC LIVE STAGE, presenting, among many others, JUAN ZELADA and TOM DIBB.

AND THEN… Just to be fair to the older crowd, Kev and Pippa are adding THE OLD(ER!) BANDS’ stage, featuring THE DOCTORS, BLIND DRUNK JULES and BLACKBIRD playing adult-orientated rock and blues covers.

As well as all the bands(and loads more to come!) and truly beautiful lakeside scenery, the festival offers a host of other activities and attractions including Sphereing, rock climbing wall, archery, shooting range, kids’ karting, family music workshops and a Wild West Rodeo bull riding competition.

MAIN STAGE LINE-UP

BEN WESTBEECH (DJ set)  – performing as a special favour to Kev, Ben’s now something of a local and international legend, having gone from strength to strength since signing with Gilles Peterson’s BROWNSWOOD label and enjoying global success with his debut album of Drum ‘n’ Bass, Trip Hop and House flavoured grooves.

ZARIF – Fresh from supporting BEYONCE (on her UK tour) and ALESHA DIXON, fast-rising star ZARIF hits Westmill Farm, where she’s headlining the INSOMNIA MUSIC LIVE STAGE on Sunday 21st June with an acoustic set featuring ZARIF herself plus three members of the band.

EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS – the legendary post-punk R&B rockers, playing all their hits, including DO ANYTHING YOU WANNA DO, TEENAGE DEPRESSION and GET OUT OF MEMPHIS

THE KAISER THIEFS – awesome tribute to THE KAISER CHIEFS, playing all their hits including Ruby and I Predict a Riot.

BLURB – Red-hot BLUR tribute

THE TRAILER TRASH ORCHESTRA – regulars at Glastonbury, this cowboy hatted, fiddle and banjo-toting combo are a hugely enjoyable cross between Johnny Cash and The Ramones with their selection of country punk classics in the making.

THE PALM TREE CLUB – one of the area’s most popular bands of the late eighties, featuring BROTHER’S BEYOND’S NATHAN MOORE (though sadly not for this show) the PTC recently re-formed after a gap of more than 20 years – and their good time rebel reggae still never fails to get the audience on its feet!

THE TRASH - featuring Kev Saunders in the Joe Strummer role, the only CLASH tribute band that matters, plays all the Clash classics from London Calling, I Fought the Law and Bankrobber to Rock the Casbah and Should I Stay or Should I go.

DISTORTED BREED – Jim Distortion of Perfect Distortion and Hertford Marquee fame-is back with a hot new ‘dirt rock’ band, a lethal rock cocktail that’s powerful, passionate, poisonous… And addictive.

PROCEED - Hertford’s hottest metal band. “a combination of rich melodies, prog influences, and occasional staccato bursts of screamo, a genuine sense of warmth infusing their set. [KKKK]” 
- Kerrang Magazine

PAIGE

SPIKED

CRIMZEN

PUCK

THE BLACK TRICKS

THE FREEWHEELIN’ TROUBADOR

ROB CLYDESDALE

DREGS OF SOCIETY – Ska punk nutters who went down a storm last year and at Rock at the Castle. Mass conga guaranteed!

PSYCHOHERO

JONA OV ARC

THE FUSES

I was the instigator and Music Director of Hertford Marquee from its opening in May 04 until a few months before it closed early in 2009. Having helped the owners transform it from a failing pool club into the ‘best rock venue of its size north of London’ (Time Out magazine), I promoted most of the shows myself for the first few years before involving outside promoters. Many of the acts featured at the venue were already big names – or have gone on to become international stars.

They include:

The Maccabees

Enter Shikari

Editors

Athlete

Dirty Pretty Things

Graham Coxon

Eddie and the Hot Rods

The Feeling

Jack Penate

The Selecter

Ed Tenpole Tudor

Tom Hingley (Inspiral Carpets)

Lauren Harris

Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)

Glasvegas

Lethal Bizzle

Scroobius Pip vs Dan le Sac

We Are Scientists

and loads and loads more!