What does music mean to you? With up and coming local musician James Christy!

The lovely and very talented James Christy took a bit of time out from his busy gigging schedule to answer a few questions for us this week! James and Adam Williams, 22 and 16 respectively, have just released their first album together. James has Asperger's Syndrome and all the proceeds from their album 'Ambitious' go to Ambitious about Autism.

Hi James! So how did you get into the music industry - where did it all begin? 

It started when I was at school. My music teacher heard me sing and said I had to do the next school production. I did it and loved every minute so put all my effort into finding places to perform, contacted a few agents and got loads of work. A year later I was playing guitar and writing songs.

Was it always your dream to make music?

I didn't know what I wanted to do for a long while. I flirted with being a cartographer (someone who makes maps) for a while! Ha! When I discovered I could sing it was all that I wanted to do and I focused on that.

Who have been your biggest influences, both musicians that inspire you and people that have helped you realise your dreams?

To be honest my biggest influence has got to be my dad. When I got diagnosed with Aspergers and Epilepsy he gave up his job to be my full time carer. My love of music came from my dad; he was playing in a country rock band when I was growing up so strangely enough I now love 3 or 4 part harmonies and storytelling lyrics- I try to encorporate both into my song writing now.

How has your Aspergers influenced you in terms of music - has having a condition like that made you feel you should fight even harder for what you want?

The Aspergers has made me more focused on music and has given me the wonderful ability to learn songs quickly. Most Aspergers tend to get really stuck into certain subjects, throughout my life I've been incredibly interested in dinosaurs, seals and music so I'm glad I finally chose to work in music.

We've listened to your album preview on YouTube and we're loving the sound (I can hear bits of a Santana influence in there) - your album with Adam Williams came out last month, I guess that got you pretty excited?

I'm incredibly excited, this is my first real release. We co-wrote and I produced/recorded the album in my home studio. This is just the start, I've got lot of solo recordings coming out in the next month, this next year is going to be incredible!

What's been the best gig you've ever done? Or a defining moment that made you think 'yes! This is what it's all about!'

That's a hard one. I've gigged all over the country in lots of amazing venues but I have to say playing at the Guild Hall in Preston to 1000 people tops the lot.

Any diva traits you can confess to?

Ooo that's a difficult one I'm a little OCD don't know if that counts but hey! I like to be organised and try to be professional at all times. I haven't asked for only blue m&ms yet! 

What's coming up in the future for you? 

I've got a single with Adam out in a couple of weeks called 'Runaway' and my own solo album out this month. Just in the process of organising some gigs for the New Year. Sign up to my mailing list on my website and I'll let you all know about any gigs in Manchester and the surrounding area that come up.

What does music mean to you?

Music is my life and I can't imagine myself without it, I will do this all my life, no doubt.

Do you have an all-time favourite song?

I like loads of different stuff but my favourite song has to be The Beatles - In My Life; the song is just incredible. 

We love The Beatles too! So, where can we buy your album?

iTunes, Amazon and direct on my website. I must say on my website as it's cheaper than the other two so grab a bargain - it's all for charity.

Aaaand finally, what's your favourite sandwich?

Anything with chicken, I love chicken!


Well, we suggest James gets his bum down to Sillis pronto to try our famous jerk chicken!


So we'd just like to say a huuuge thank you to James for taking the time to chat with us. You can check out his website here to sign up to the mailing list, or like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter. Lovely stuff. Keep listening guys!

Sillis xxx

Sillis Gorgeous Handmade Christmas Cakes!

Want to impress the mother in law this Christmas?

Perhaps you forgot her birthday, maybe you got a little bit too tipsy last Christmas and have been avoiding her ever since... well, you could do a lot worse than to turn up with an enormously gorgeous Sillis cake on Christmas Day. Guaranteed to get you back in the good books!

Family Favourite: Chocolate Fudge Cake

Sillis' Christmas Chocolate Fudge cake... 18 generous portions of super chocolatey, melt-in-the-mouth fudge cake topped with tasty handmade bourbon creams. All for just £25!

Santa's Favourite: Chocolate Yule Log

Well over a foot of chocolatey, caramely goodness: it's the Sillis' Yule Log! A Christmas favourite every time, this cake is just £16.50 and serves 18 but don't forget to leave a slice for Santa!

Rudolph's Favourite: Festive Carrot and Gingernut Cake

A new take on Rudolph's favourite, Sillis' carrot cake is topped with crumblicious gingernut creams, with a few more round the edge for more spicy deliciousness this Christmas. This cake is just £23 and serves an indulgent 18 party guests.

Everyone's Favourite: Homemade Jammy Dodger Victoria Sponge

If you fancy a British classic with a twist this Crimbo, you'd better opt for our gorgeously soft Victoria Sponge topped with handmade Jammy Dodgers. Serving 18 festive friends, this cake is just £18 and is guaranteed to go down a treat with your Bucks Fizz this Christmas for classic British Christmassy loveliness. Yum yum.

So if you want this Christmas to really go off with a bang, make sure you treat the nearest 'n dearest to one of our scrumptious cakes.

If you want a different size or something special making just for you, just get in touch either on Facebook or Twitter, or of course our baking elves are just a phone call away on: 0161 947 9928

Sillis Festive Christmas Cracker!

The nights are drawing in and we're a mere 21 days from Christmas... to celebrate here at Sillis we've created a super special seasonal sandwich that's a bit different to your average Christmas fayre!

It's Scrooge! All this for just £4...

Fresh thyme and garlic roasted pork served with apricot-stuffed sausage meat jampacked onto a toasted, freshly baked salt 'n pepper stick with crispy salad and gorgeous cranberry mayo.

And if that doesn't get your juices flowing, well Bah Humbug! to you.

And make sure you keep checking back because Sillis elves are gonna be especially busy making lots of gorgeous Christmassy cakes for you. Doesn't it make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? 

Sillis' soulful sandwich of the week

As we're sure you're all aware by now, music plays a big part in everything we do here at Sillis! This week we're paying a sandwich-shaped tribute to the legendary New York Club Studio 54.

Studio 54 opened its doors as a nightclub in 1977 and transformed New York's nightlife, known during the late 70s to be the best nightclub in the world. Although Studio 54 was first known as a pioneer in the disco world, it later became famous for its deep house influence.

What the queue for Sillis' sandwich of the week might look like this week.

So come on down and celebrate a love and passion for music and food at Sillis!

New York Club 54, £4.00

Crispy bacon, funky chorizo and gorgeously roasted chicken served with wholegrain mustard, mayo, tomato relish and salad all on a freshly baked salt 'n pepper stick.

How could anyone say no to that?

x

A Sicilian Message

It's that time again! Sillis' fabulous sandwich of the week...

As popular now as it was on release forty years ago, The Godfather is one of our all-time fave films here at Sillis. This week’s ruthlessly delicious sandwich of the week is an offer you can’t refuse, in tribute to Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece:

Sicilian Godfather

12oz steak burger with crispy bacon, melted cheese, gorgeously tangy balsamic onions and salad served hot hot hot on a freshly-baked salt ‘n pepper stick.

"What I want - what's most important to me - is that I have a guarantee: that this will be the tastiest sandwich I've had in forty years."

So don't break our hearts, get down to Sillis and get Don Corleone's favourite sarnie (probably) down your gullets.

And Tweet us your favourite Godfather quotes, pronto!

What does music mean to you? Aaron Roberts!

Last week we had the chance to chat to Unity Radio drivetime DJ and all-round lovely local lad Aaron Roberts about his love of music, the inspirations that drive him and, naturally, sandwiches (what do you expect?!).

Hi Aaron! So, how did you get into what you’re doing now?

Well four years ago a friend of mine had a show on local community radio station All FM, so I helped him out with a small sports section and I got the bug. I’d always had an interest but I never really knew how to get into it. I trained at All FM and ended up doing a degree in Radio Production at SSR. I worked at a few different radio stations across Manchester, and started to do the drivetime slot on All FM with Yasmin [Evans, of 1Xtra and Sillis Sandwich Blog fame] and now I’m working at Unity Radio on the drivetime slot!

Who’s influenced you to pursue your career in radio presenting and DJing?

Firstly, Jason Cook from All FM. He helped me to realise that this can be a career rather than a hobby. Then there’s Pete Reeves, who started Piccadilly Radio which is now the huge Key 103. And last but not least, Yasmin – she made me take it seriously.

All-time favourite radio DJ?

Chris Moyles. I listened to him all the way through, from start to finish. No one comes close.

So what are your plans for the future?

To keep doing what I’m doing! To try to get as far as I can in presenting, but a national show is the dream.

The star question: what does music mean to you?

Music is everything! The first thing I do when I wake up is put the radio on! It’s definitely the highlight of my job, I love discovering the new but I also love the classics. When you hear a certain song it takes you back to a special moment in your life. For remembering stuff, music is better than photographs.

What’s your all-time favourite song?

I worked this out recently! It’s ‘Electric Relaxation’ by A Tribe Called Quest.

Aaaaand, what’s your favourite Sillis sandwich?

Well I love them all [we didn’t make him say that] but if I have to choose, it’s gotta be the Texan Crunch but with the encona mayo.

Thanks so much for coming by Aaron! You can hear Aaron on Unity Radio 92.8 FM 4-7pm Monday through to Thursday.

And you can find him on Twitter here!

Sillis Sandwich of the Week!

So good it should be made illegal, this week it's...

The American Gangster

Cracked black peppered steak with melted cheese and sticky, delicious BBQ sauce.

"The most important thing in business is honesty, integrity, hard work, family... never forgetting where we came from."

Based on the life and arrest of notorious gangster Frank Lucas, American Gangster is one of our favourite movies, so this one is dedicated to the legendary Denzel Washington. We love you Denzel!

What does music mean to you? Yasmin Evans!

Yasmin Evans is 22 and has been presenting the morning show on BBC Radio IXtra since September. She popped into Sillis for her favourite lunch yesterday and we managed to have a chat about music and, more importantly, sandwiches.

How did you get into radio presenting?

Well I studied media at college and there was this one tutor, David Chandler, who just got me really excited about media. So I started volunteering at All FM while I was at college, and then I went to uni in Salford and studied TV & Radio.

So how did you land your dream job?

It is my dream job! Well I was in my 3^rd year of uni, wondering if it was all worth it, and someone tweeted me and got me a free ticket (just one! I went alone!) to 1Xtra Live, and I managed to get an interview with Tim Westwood. That was one year ago, it’s amazing how much has changed in that one year.

So I just pestered people, and eventually got a guest slot on Tim Westwood’s show. Then in February this year Emma Stephens asked for a demo by tweet. I did one pilot show in February, and I was so nervous. They said I wouldn’t hear back for three months, but two weeks later I was in New York and I got an email saying they wanted me for another 9 pilots with Glen Middleditch – Westwood’s producer!

On the 24^th May, I’d only done 8 of my 9 pilots, and I got a phone call asking me to be the weekend presenter. It was amazing. And now I’m hosting a stage at 1Xtra Live, where last year I was excited to be running around on my own in a 1Xtra T-shirt!

What does music mean to you?

I’ve always been obsessed with music, always collected vinyls. It’s the basis of everything really, I’d end up having to listen to my own heartbeat and make a beat for myself if music didn’t exist! I wouldn’t be passionate about anything! Except food… if it wasn’t for music I’d probably be really fat. I’d be a massive chef. Music is my sat nav.

Who are your influences?

I suppose I’m influenced by Trevor Nelson, MistaJam and producers like Predator. But my biggest influences have to be people who’ve helped me along the way: David Chandler who I mentioned before, he introduced ame to the media in general; David Nolan from uni who inspired me to be powerful, to have confidence and be cocky; Liz Peters who taught me to present and to not be shy; and Aaron Roberts (former co-presenter at All fm) who always kept me tight when I really needed to get focused.

All-time favourite song?

‘Never too much’ by Luther Van Dross. It’s just when the first beats drop!

And last but by no means least, all-time favourite sandwich?

The Brooklyn Bridge, there’s just a lot going on! And I liked the Brooklyn Bridge pie!

1Xtra Live starts on November 12th and is coming to Manchester' O2 Apollo on Tuesday 13th November, with massive acts on like Rita Ora, Misha B and DJ Fresh. Tickets are sold out but tune in to 1Xtra for chances to win tickets!

Follow Yas on Twitter here.

Tuesday Food Heroes

We’re all very excited here about culinary alchemist Heston Blumenthal’s new show! The first episode of Heston’s Fantastical Food is on at 9 on Channel 4 TONIGHT.

"I must try to create a better breakfast than Sillis' Hangover Cure!"

Famous for his signature chemistry-style gastronomical delights (such as metre-long sausages!), Heston’s restaurant The Fat Duck in Berkshire’s menu claims to bring “multi-sensory appeal” and offers strange-sounding dishes like Snail Porridge. Whilst we’re not sure snails on a salt ‘n’ pepper stick would go down fantastically in Heaton Chapel, it’s all terrifically exciting.

For the first show Heston’s going to be taking over a train he’s dubbing the “Breakfast Express,” desperately feeding up Britain’s commuters. A little bird tells us that in the third episode Heston’s going to scientifically prove that biscuits taste better dipped in tea. Now that’s the sort of science we can all get involved with!

What are your favourite food shows? Are biscuits really better dipped in tea? Let us know! 

Sillis sandwich of the week! ♥

If you're heading off to a bonfire this week, we've got something for you that'll warm you from the belly outwards all day!

Our delicious sandwich of the week...

Guy Fawkes

Homemade fiery chilli with mixed cheese served hot for a cold Monday on a toasted cheese sub.

It'll blow up your tastebuds. Well, hopefully not literally. But it'll be spicy and tasty and you'll love it, we can promise that!

Platt Fields Park, Wythenshawe Park and Heaton Park are all hosting funfairs, bonfires and firework displays tonight so lock up your dogs and get nice and toasty by the fire. Where are you heading off to?

Tweet us at Sillis!