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Day: 21 June 2015

Preview: Dimensions Boat Parties

The boat parties are certain to be a highlight of Dimensions festival. Anyone that has been will tell you that a boat party is an amazing and intimate way to celebrate the last says of summer before coming back to the cold English weather. On a Friday, Resident Advisor boat will taking over the Adriatic sea with Daniel Avery and Horse Meat Disco. Want something heavier and intense? How about Hessle audio and Hodge with their obscure records. What more can you possibly want than that! Also watch out for Motor City Drum Ensemble b2b Jeremy Underground.

The full line-up includes Eglo Records, Electric Minds, Tief, Giegling, NTS, Dispatch Recordings, Turf, Bodytonic, Audio Asylum, Abandon Silence, Berlin Community Radio, 22 Tracks, with artists Mala, Gerd Janson, Floating Points, Bicep, Hessle Audio: Ben UFO, Pearson Sound, Pangaea, Daniele Baldelli, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Osunlade, Daniel Avery, Horse Meat Disco, Goldie, Sadar Bahar, Hunee, Jeremy Underground, Kutmah, Henry Wu, Tenderlonius and many more.

Live: The Nightingales

18th May

Kraak Gallery

7/10

A sparsely populated Northern Quarter welcomed cult Birmingham post-punk band The Nightingales on Monday night. Their support act was long-term mate of The Nightingales, stand-up Ted Chippington – “the first post-alternative comedian”. Ted’s attempt to create humour by telling unfunny jokes and mundane “true stories” in a deadpan, bored voice certainly had no blueprint when he began supporting bands in the early 1980s. Unknown to most then and now, he had a massive impact on well-known comedians such as Stewart Lee, Richard Herring, Phill Jupitus and Simon Munnery.

A few minutes after Ted, The Nightingales took to the stage in shiny pink shirts – it was decided that Mancunians “like that sort of thing”. A John Peel favourite for much of the 1980s, The Nightingales reformed in 2004 and have released a string of albums since. They currently consist of singer-songwriter Robert Lloyd and guitarist Alan Apperley from the original line-up, singing-drummer Fliss Kitson from Violet Violet, and the former bassist of krautrock band Faust, Andreas Schmid.

In just over an hour, The Nightingales raced through their set without a single pause between songs. The majority of tracks came from their new album Mind over Matter, and included an authentic sweep through most rock and roll derived genres. A krautrock-rooted post-punk rhythm and momentum drove a set full of poppy melody. Highlights included ‘The Man that Time Forgot’, and the sardonic ‘Great British Exports’ – in which Lloyd observers, “everybody likes Midsomer Murders, everybody digs Mumford & Sons, sons, sons”. “We tend to see ourselves as better than most other bands”, Lloyd dryly declared during ‘Gales Doc’ – a self-aware perception.

The main disappointments of the gig had little to do with The Nightingales’ performance. The Kraak sound system (as is often the case with smaller venues) failed to fully give The Nightingales’ sound the justice it deserved, and the fact the gallery was nowhere near full meant the gig was always lacking in atmosphere. This didn’t bother The Nightingales, as they attacked their songs with nonchalant passion and energy.

The Gales deserve another surge in cult popularity – their recent output is as good as anything they’ve released. Save BBC 6 Music, The Nightingales have had very little media recognition since their comeback – making it difficult for them to attract a larger following. Unquestionably, they warrant far more attention than they get. I would recommend the “sonically more interesting than most” Nightingales to everyone – their new album Mind over Matter is the perfect place to start.

Opinion: The Sex Pistols Have Deserted the Punk Ideals, But They Haven’t Sold Out

What do you get when you cross the anarchist punk rock of the Sex Pistols, and 18.9% APR credit cards? The answer is sadly as absurd as the question. You can now get Sex Pistols-themed credit cards with Virgin Money, billed as the ideal way to ‘bring a bit of rebellion to your wallet’. I can foresee that all hell will break loose in Waitrose stores up and down the country at the mere sight of the word ‘bollocks’ just before a transaction. For that reason alone, I’m rather tempted. Sadly, what this means is that punk is in danger of becoming what it was adamant it would never become. Embedded in the corporate structure.

When the punk sub-culture burst onto the scene in the mid-70s, it was, in Lehman’s terms, anti-establishment and non-conformist. But what is anti-establishment and non-conformist about John Lydon – aka, Johnny Rotten – starring in a TV advert campaign for Country Life Butter? Iggy Pop endorsing Swiftcover Insurance? Or Vivienne Westwood accepting a damehood? It would have been sacrilege to associate punk at the height of its popularity with anything that could be seen to be the work of ‘the man’ – the very man they were supposed to be sticking it to – yet we find ourselves now, forty years later, with the legacy of punk disseminated across a multitude of consumption channels, seemingly well-adjusted to its new role as the man’s corporate lapdog. This perception is to be understood, but it is being looked at in the wrong way.

Punk has only relatively recently nurtured a relationship with commercial endeavours, and this has inevitably put a strain on its traditional ideological stances. The power and significance of punk is revealed both by its frequent use in marketing, as well as the inevitable disapproving responses from fans, critics, and fellow musicians, who perhaps are understandably concerned with the problems raised by such usage.

Despite the accusations of selling out and the general feeling of disillusionment, punk is calling the shots once again. Yes, Virgin Money is trying to sell you a credit card by using the Sex Pistols to gain your confidence by exploiting the band’s integrity for a commercial end, but so what? It’s easy to see through. We all know that a 3 and a half inch long piece of plastic cannot express the fundamental ideals of punk succinctly, so why should we care? Let’s be honest, it’s better than a Take That card. When you consider what bands like the Sex Pistols had to go through to make their music in the first place, making some easy money all these years later can be forgiven. However handsomely they may have been paid, it should not be regarded as a black mark on their integrity. They may have deserted the punk ideals, but for the punk legacy to live on and for its music and prominent figures to be exposed to new audiences through alternative media, marketing or commercial platforms, the antiquated perceptions of punk need to be challenged, as do the analogue modes of thinking about how punk as a music and an ideology is received in an ever-evolving digital world need to be ditched. Has punk sold out? Has it bollocks.

Interview: The Preatures

The Preatures were one of the hottest bands of 2014; not only were they the opening act at Coachella, they also supported the Rolling Stones on their Australia tour dates, and played a memorable set on one the most popular shows US television shows, Jimmy Kimmel Live. The UK has been strangely slow to catch on to them, and The Preatures’ debut album Blue Planet Eyes only came out in the UK in April this year, nearly a year behind the rest of the world.

Thankfully the album it was worth the wait. Despite its rather short length, the album is brilliantly well rounded but still features massive singles such as ‘Somebody’s Talking’ and ‘Is This How You Feel?’ However ,Izzy is quick to vocalise the pressure the band felt recording it making it. “There’s just something about the first record. There is so much pressure on you, when there really shouldn’t be. It’s really bogus for a new artist. I think the first album should be about making a statement, but then making it and moving on. Saying that, I don’t want to dismiss what we did, I wouldn’t have released it if I weren’t happy with it.”

Surprisingly, the album actually has a different sound from the two EPs the band had previously released, which the band partly attribute to the success of hit single ‘Is This How You Feel?’ “It gave us the confidence to go out and play loads of live shows. When we came round to doing the record, we didn’t want the track to feel out of place on the record, so we actually made the record around the track, rather than the other way around”, offers Izzy. Turning to these live shows, the band takes a different approach to the record. “Our live shows are a lot heavier. The record is quite upbeat and light, and the production is a little bit cleaner… a bit of a contrast to the hot mess of our live shows!’ laughs Jack. “I think when we got into a mind-set of when making the record and, especially after ‘Is This How You Feel?’, there was a lot of more of the personality that we injected into the record that we really wanted to explore in our live shows. We consciously tried to figure out what made the record what it was, and worked out what we wanted to bring to the live show. We don’t want to simply play the record, but that would be boring”.

Anyone who has been to a The Preatures gig will know that they certainly aren’t boring, and the Jack believes that touring has certainly shaped who they are today.
“Listening back, there is a lot of naivety present in ‘Is This How You Feel?’. We weren’t confident live like we are now, as we simply hadn’t played the shows. That’s just what you need to do to be a band.”

“When it comes to playing shows today I personally really like playing ‘Ordinary’, or ‘Somebody’s talking’ – our big songs are always fun”, adds Izzy. “There is song at the end of the record called ‘Business Yeah’ which I really enjoy playing, because it’s just me at the keys then the band comes in. I really like playing the slower songs, but it’s harder when you’re known for dancier stuff.”

The band have had a busy 2015 so far, playing a host of Australian festivals in January and February, and completing their first full UK tour in April. Jack describes their previous visit to Manchester as “really fucking miserable”, a stark contrast to the time they supported The Rolling Stones in 2014. “We only ended up just doing one show, because they had to cancel some shows due to Mick’s voice conking out. It was surreal though, The Rolling Stones are so much of an institution.”

“They seem from a different age” agrees Izzy, “But then you are supporting them and its just… wow”.
When quizzed about their future plans, the band is surprisingly open. “We’re already working on new stuff. We want to get the next record out as soon as possible”. As strange as this seem with Planet Blue Eyes finally coming out in the UK, it’s certainly a prospect to look forward to.

Live: Young Guns

5th June

Academy 2

8/10

Friday the 5th June saw Young Guns light up Academy 2, with their first headline show in Manchester in 2 and a half years. Bringing in fans old and new, they offered an electric show which tailored to the crowd fantastically, and shows Young Guns are ready to be back on the British music scene.

A special mention first has to go to Dead!, who despite opening to a stubborn crowd certainly managed to win over a few fans from the audience. The on stage energy of the band was infectious, and worked as a good warm up for the growing crowd. It was particularly notable how well the band seemed to move together as one despite being relatively new to the circuit. All in all a very enjoyable opening set and ones to keep and eye on in the future.

The second support band Nothing But Thieves are a rapidly growing Essex based band, with a very distinctive style. This band clearly has a long experience of working together, and the performance was seemingly flawless with the perfect harmonies filling up the room. Particular love was felt for their closing song ‘Ban All The Music’, where Conor Mason’s Jack Black-esque tones closed what had been a very solid set.

Young Guns hit the stage to a rapturous reception, with a strong opening of ‘I Want Out’ from their new single ‘Ones and Zeroes’. What’s clear from the opening few songs is how far this band have come during their 2 year absence – Wood’s connection with the crowd was undeniable and effortless, as he gets the crowd jumping through new and only classics combined. It is particularly nice to see the return of (attempted) human tower building during ‘Towers’, a flash back to the Bones tour back in 2013.

It was particularly nice to see so many songs from the All Our Kings Are Dead album, with ‘Weight Of The World’ and ‘Stitches’ resonating strongly with the crowd of 400+ belting out the lyrics. However it was sad to see the departure of ‘There Will Be Rain’ from their standard set. This was balanced by a beautiful soulful rendition of ‘You Are Not’, which despite a slower melody was greatly appreciated as the crowd stood arm in arm and caught their breath.

What was particularly worthy of note was how much this show clearly meant the the band. As expressed by Wood several times, it was a relief and delight to band and fans alike that to be reunited after so many years the magic was still there. As they closed the set with their hit single ‘Bones’, every voice in the room serenaded the band out, with Wood coming to the barrier for one last moment with his crowd.

All in all this was an absolutely fantastic show for Young Guns, showing that whether old material or new it was still very much Young Guns and the crowd loved every minute if it.

Album: Paul Weller – Saturns Pattern

Released 18th May

Parlophone

8/10

In the decades following the dissolution of both of his former bands – the seminal mod-revivalists The Jam and the gloriously 80s sophisti-pop act The Style Council – Paul Weller has become something of a national treasure of English rock music, like his idol Paul McCartney before him and his disciple Noel Gallagher afterwards. A recipient of NME’s ‘Godlike Genius’ award in 2009, he is now inarguably in the later stages of his career, the period where most artists proceed to churn out steady-selling records full of beige re-treads of their signature sound to quietly appease their existing audience, as well as providing an excuse for autopilot greatest hits touring. And for a while it seemed Weller would follow suit, until he confounded all expectations with 2008’s sprawling, arty 22 Dreams – in which he explored experimental recording techniques, and revelled in stylistic detours with a giddy sense of enthusiasm – gaining a creative second wind in the process. Almost ten years on, Saturns Pattern sees him continue his latter-day renaissance with Bowie-esque eclectisim.

Lead single ‘White Sky’ opens, anchored by a huge Led Zeppelin metal riff and pounding industrial drum loop, and featuring a heavily processed and muffled vocal that sounds half like a throwback to the tinny, retro sound of old school blues records and half like he’s wailing down the phone right into your ear. The song’s urgency makes the listener sit up and listen – dispelling any notions of dadrock complacency in the process – before the chirpy, gospel-tinted title song lets you catch your breath. The pretty, lighters-in-the-air piano ballad ‘Going My Way’, one of the album’s clear highlights, follows, but even that takes an unexpected turn and gradually grows more menacing as the bass turns up and the ghostly backing vocals take over.

In fact, the entire album has dense, hazy production and a trippy, off-kilter edge to it; psychedelic wooshes and Space Invaders-type sound effects are subtly inserted into just about every song, whilst a whole host of instruments – Spanish guitars, organs, soloing blues guitars – also make their way in and out the tracks with impressive, Pet Sounds-esque attention to detail. The dry funk of ‘Pick It Up’ and the acoustic blues of ‘In My Car…’, as prime examples, have so much going on that listening through crappy laptop speakers simply won’t do them justice; this is an album that needs to be listened to, not just heard as background noise.

At a concise nine tracks, there’s little room for filler; only the straight ahead Stooges-y rocker ‘Long Time’ fails to impress, seeming a little too slight and formulaic given the rest of the album’s quality. By mixing his trademark no-nonsense appeal with a newfound love arty, psychedelic production, Weller has renewed his relevance as a musician whilst creating a record that should appeal to those fans who have been there from the beginning.

Interview: Kitty, Daisy and Lewis

“I think we all agreed that we weren’t too keen on signing to a major label. You might achieve a number one album, but at the cost of them changing everything you do. That’s not what its about for us. We’re about playing music, and enjoying it”, reasons Kitty Durham, one third of trio Kitty, Daisy and Lewis.

With their distinctly retro style and image, it’s certainly true that the trio certainly don’t conform to today’s trends. However simply pigeonholing the band’s sound as retro would not be fair; the band incorporate elements of rock and roll, RnB, blues, rockabilly, country, swing and jazz to give it a modern twist. This retro image and eclectic mishmash of styles might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there is no doubt their songs brim with an infectious energy, which translates extremely well when played live.

The band is also possibly unique in that it’s made up of three brothers and sisters, and the backing band are their parents. For Kitty, these family ties were instrumental to the band’s success. “We’re all comfortable jamming with each other, and we know what each other is good at. In growing up together, we’ve always had that connection and a way of playing together that doesn’t always happen with other people”.
Perhaps one of the most amazing aspects of the trio’s albums and live show is the rate they interchange instruments and vocal responsibilities; nearly every song sees them switch.

“Whoever writes the song has to be the one who sings it, as it’s about their personal issues!” laughs Daisy. “I guess you already have an idea of the where you want the song to go, but that often ends up changing. We all play each instrument differently, so it depends how you want each song to feel”. “Often the whole thing changes as we play it, and we shuffle it around. It’ll work itself out”, furthers Lewis.

The bands third album, aptly named The Third, came out in January. For Daisy, the album certainly marked a step up for the band. “We recorded our last two albums at our mum’s house in a small room, using a simple eight-track recorder (much more stripped down and raw sounding). This time we used a new studio that we built ourselves in a derelict Indian restaurant. It was shut down for, like, 10 years, so it was completely derelict”.

“We also had more tracks on the tape recorder this time, so we were able to experiment with a lot more instruments, and a string section. The production for this album is a lot bigger”, adds Kitty. Alongside the new studio, Lewis believes the introduction of a producer into process (none other than Mick Jones of The Clash), really helped to shape the album. “We’ve known Mick for a while. We got him involved and he did a lot of rehearsing with us for about 5 months before the recording. It was really good to play the songs a lot before we got into the studio.”

The band is signed onto the Sunday Best label run by Rob da Bank (who also runs Bestival festival). The freedom this has provided has been instrumental in the band’s direction and future ambitions. “When we joined it, they didn’t have Bestival yet, so they weren’t as prominent as they are now. They’ve always been really supportive, and let us do what we want with our records without too much interference”, remarks Lewis.

It’s nice to find a band that seems so comfortable and enjoying the level they are at. While the crowd at their Manchester gig certainly represents a dedicated following, its very easy to see why they have built up their fan base.