LOCAL independent label Late Bus Records are launching a new music night in Stevenage tonight (Thursday). The label, which has Stuart O Connor, Katie Brayben and Escape 1942 on its books, is hoping to start the Jumpin Jaks night with a bang and have lined

LOCAL independent label Late Bus Records are launching a new music night in Stevenage tonight (Thursday).

The label, which has Stuart O'Connor, Katie Brayben and Escape 1942 on its books, is hoping to start the Jumpin Jaks night with a bang and have lined up some popular local acts to kick-start it all.

Headlining are Escape 1942, whose ambitious and charismatic post-rock explosions are currently being stamped on to a five-track mini album.

Alongside them are three other local acts - folk-punkers The Otters, Stevenage punk rockers Old Skool Reasons and indie-popsters Violet Martinez.

Late Bus Records' Chris Hollis hopes this will be the beginning of a "live musical revolution" in the town.

He said: "Stevenage is in the middle of one of the most vibrant music scenes in the entire country, and there are only a couple of venues. Hitchin's about a third of its size and it's got about four times the amount of places to see live bands. It's crazy."

Chris added that he wants the event to be a place where the community feel of the local music scene is celebrated by bands and fans, rather than creating a culture of competition among acts.

"Hitchin's reaching meltdown with promoters who haven't got a clue putting on bands without checking who they're clashing with and it's destroying the whole thing.

"We want this night to be a collaboration of promoters, bands, fans, and anyone else who actually cares about creating a positive scene, instead of yet another promoter making a quick buck at the expense of everyone else," he said.

Tonight's gig at the Leisure Park venue starts at 8pm and admission is £4. For further information send an email to info@latebus records.com