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Day: 16 November 2011

Live: Dog Is Dead @ Sound Control

Written by Jon Taylor on . Posted in Music.

Dog Is Dead
Sound Control
9th November
1 and a half stars

In recent years, we’ve seen the likes of Everything Everything and Bombay Bicycle Club- art-rock bands that rely on wiry guitars and distinctive vocals- make it big. Hoping to do the same this year are Nottingham 5-piece Dog Is Dead, who played at Sound Control to a noticeably young crowd, half of which looked like they should probably have been in bed by this time on a school night.

In a less than full venue, and after a fairly average support slot from To Kill a King, Dog Is Dead took to what could only be described as the back corner of the room rather than a stage, rifling through countless generic indie pop songs from their various EPs. Each song, unfortunately, blurred into one, the bands vocal harmonies and rousing choruses instantly forgettable and nothing that you’ve not heard done better a dozen times before. Despite this the crowd were still very responsive, singles ‘Glockenspiel Song’ and ‘Hands Down’ going down well amongst the overly excited teens. The reason for the youthfulness of the audience was then made painfully clear with the song ‘Young,’ which featured on the soundtrack of the latest series of the now stale teen drama, Skins.

The rest of the Dog Is Dead set was made up of more of the same, a bland mixture of synths, choppy guitar riffs and at times incredibly annoying high-pitched vocals. Coming across as a poor man’s Bombay Bicycle Club, Dog Is Dead certainly were a disappointment, and you get the feeling that with the sheer amount of similar artists out there at the moment, they’re maybe just a few years too late.

Dog Is Dead – Young

Dog Is Dead – Hands Down

Album: Florence and the Machine – Ceremonials

Written by Rob Fuller on . Posted in Music.

Florence and the Machine
Ceremonials
Universal Republic
3 Stars

The weight of expectation is heavy on any band when it comes to the difficult second album. But for Florence Welsh it must have been heavier than most. The mammoth success of 2009’s Lungs and its seemingly endless string of singles meant that all eyes were on the follow up.

The results are mixed. Florence’s sound has matured between albums. The production is much grander and more ambitious than before. Soaring strings and pounding drums accompany Florence’s trademark vocal style. It’s loud and it will undoubtedly sound huge live. But that almost seems like the point of the album. The songs are built to house the band’s impressive and every larger live show but along the way they lose the intimacy of the earlier material. It almost feels like the album is more reserved in a way. In becoming more confident, the songs lose the nervous emotional intensity that made them so endearing.

That aside, Ceremonials is definitely impressive. ‘What the Water Gave Me’ shows the best of the albums ambition. The references to Greek gods and the death of Virgina Woolf aim at lofty heights but without losing too much heart. With its catchy refrain and that rarest of beasts, a “ooh ooh” section that actually works, the single ‘Shake It Out’ stands alongside any of the other great Machine moments. ‘No Light, No Light’, is probably the only song that manages to truly hit the emotional mark of the first album. But unlike Lungs, lots of the tracks blend together. By confining the album to one sound, even one of epic proportion, the album loses its individuality.

Ceremonials isn’t a disappointment. There are plenty of songs to enjoy and in short bursts it’s very listenable. But having seen the heights hinted at on the first album, I can’t help but feel slightly let down.

Florence and the Machine – Shake It Out

Florence and the Machine – What the Water Gave Me

Live: Micron 5th Birthday @ Joshua Brooks

Written by Ferdie Simon on . Posted in Music.

Micron 5th Birthday feat. The Revenge and Âme
Joshua Brooks
11th November
5 stars

In a city whose nightlife’s reputation is as great as Manchester’s, it’s often easy to get sidetracked by the bigger ‘brands’ and forget about the smaller goings on that enrich the city. Forget for a moment The Warehouse Project and the so-called ‘No. 1 Club in the World’, and focus instead on a little Victorian pub-cum-club on Princess St behind the BBC. Joshua Brooks battles against the sometimes overwhelming clubbing hegemony that these behemoths wield with some startling success; the likes of Derrick May, Stacey Pullen and Russ Yallop have played recently and line-ups later this month including nights with Axel Boman and DJ W!LD.

First to note about JB is its size; with a capacity of only 400 the club is never going to hold parties of the same scale as some of its larger competitors. However, this more intimate setting has a laid-back vibe where the crowd is as relaxed and easy going as the music policy. Even JB’s more student orientated nights, Moustache and Juicy, are unpretentious and fun.

Descending into its red brick Victorian basement, one is immersed into the night as it deepens into a sweaty rave; relief from which is provided by the less crowded pub upstairs or hanging out in the smoking area, a picturesque balcony that overlooks the peaceable river Medlock.

Friday saw the 5th Birthday of Micron, the shining star of underground house and techno in Manchester. This is however, all soon not to be, as Micron will be ending for good with its New Years Eve party with Justin Robertson. Much of JB’s recent success in it’s musical bookings can be attributed to Gareth Chubb, who was offered the job of booking artists and nights from his previous position at Micron and henceforth much of the newly ‘invigorated’ club is down to him.

Needless to say the night was a great success with Glasgow’s The Revenge tearing it up with his funky set, and Âme bringing in some really deep and soulful beats for the end. The crowd was excellent, the music was invigorating and everyone was in the festive birthday spirit.

There is no reason given for Micron’s ending (as the promoters say, “It just is”) and it is with great sadness that we will see it go, but we can with confidence expect more great things from this small and unassuming venue.

Review: Michel Houellebecq – The Map and the Territory.

Written by Dave Wingrave on . Posted in Books.

That Michel Houellebecq is both France’s most controversial novelist and it’s most exportable is probably no coincidence. Atomised, his 2001 novel, alerted the world to his writing and could easily have been titled ‘No consensual sex please, we’re French and clones’.

It’s not that the book was merely repugnant in the borin’ old guts, pestilence & death department. It wasn’t even that his tale of depression and biology was inherently amoral; it barely raised issues beyond ‘Geneticists, you so crazy!’. It was that you felt a little too close to the author. You felt that his cautionary tale was actually only loosely dressed up as such; really it was a kind of hypothetical manifesto. You finished it feeling deeply uneasy about running into Michel Houellebecq on your way home.

A warning then: Houellebecq gets even closer in his latest work. The Prix Goncourt-winning The Map and the Territory is afflicted by that wacky post-modernist device used only by twats: Houellebecq has inserted himself as a fictional character. Called Michel Houellebecq. And within pages he prefixes the name with ‘the great writer,’. He’s allowed to make this self-aggrandizing claim because it’s not really Michel Houellebecq, It’s just a character called Michel Houellebecq that writes books with identical titles to the ones that the real Michel Houellebecq writes, get it? No? Well, sux 2 b u sunshine, because this is the insaaaane world of literature we live in now, and you better be ready for it.

After a while, the books begins to seem like nothing more than an excuse for the author to type his own name, or casually remind the reader of his, Michel Houellebecq’s, existence. Could it be Houllebecq would rather the spotlight be trained on him than his work? Read this review again and decide.

1 star.

 

Mad for Tilda

Written by Elizabeth Harper on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

She is the official poster girl du jour for androgyny and works the look like no one else. In an industry that is saturated with conventionally attractive women, Tilda Swinton has broken all the rules. She has never conformed to any of the Hollywood stereotypes and is as radical as they come in the world of fashion. Yellow velvet at the Oscars anyone? Tilda has defined her career by playing experimental film roles and bending the gender rules. Most famously in Sally Potter’s adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, her character’s gender in the film changes from male to female and back again over a 400 year period. Effortlessly true to her aesthetic, she is artsy and sometimes bizarre, but never pretentious- shunning the need to flaunt her distinctive style. Lauded by the fashion elite (Vanity Fair placed her in the top ten of the best dressed women in the world) she is evidently also commercially viable, recently becoming the muse for big wigs Viktor and Rolf who designed an entire collection inspired by her. With an outstanding performance in new film We Need to Talk About Kevin, we’re going to be seeing even more of Tilda this year.

 

History of Androgyny in Fashion

Written by Noor Adil on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Androgynous fashion began before we knew how to use it as a symbol of style. The emancipation of Queen Elizabeth I in the Tudor dynasty was one of the very first examples of women freeing themselves from the restraints of society and feeling empowered. Thus began a popular cult following where women embraced this fashion style as a statement of liberty and equality.

Hollywood brought to light Katherine Hepburn and her iconic version of men’s inspired buttoned down shirts and trousers. In the early 1900s, her unconventional style created much agitation amongst fashion savvy women. Then the end of World War 2 saw working women wear this style of clothing by default, it being more practical and comfortable, initiating an endearing style of fashion that is carried out with more force, to this day.

History can also explain why men of today are more in touch with their feminine side and meterosexual fashion is ever increasing. Cinema enabled this to occur where men took pride in their physical appearance, using hair and beauty products. James Dean acted as a pioneer of this fad, with his elaborate hairstyles, hip dressing and quirky stance. He paved the way forward to a modern way of thinking and dressing.

The 60s took a turn for the best for androgynous fashion where women were caught walking the catwalk in trouser suits and boy cuts. Twiggy’s boyish look bedazzled people and designers were encouraged to experiment with fashion as the previous eras had not allowed. The hippie culture saw men getting more creative by growing hair past their shoulders and wearing wacky clothing, inspired by the latest rock star image.

The 70s and 80s introduced a new age of unisex fashion. Jeans, bell bottoms, platform shoes and peculiar hair had all become a widespread craze among men and women with the rise of the disco culture, which confirmed men and women’s clothing to be rather similar. The film ‘Annie Hall’ showed unisex fashion at its finest where Diane Keaton was seen wearing tucked in shirts, waistcoats and trousers, screaming androgynous fashion. This was also a sign that women were becoming strong, career driven females with business acumen.

Then came pop culture which caused havoc amongst people. Madonna and Michael Jackson were idolized, causing much of a stir with their enthralling persona and perfect mingling of both masculine and feminine. Fashionable androgyny as well as sexual identity were now more accepted.

The current decade has proven absolute creativity in fashion, providing visual interest to a specific outfit with its popular trends. The majority of people have now in some way or the other, taken on board this style, with the help of our very first innovators.

Comme des Garçonnes: A Man’s take on Androgynous Dressing

Written by Jake Pummintr on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

As I devoured this quarter’s GQ style, I noticed that a there was a particular concentration on the question of ‘What constitutes Masculinity?’ To correspond with their chosen concept for the issue, it is by no means surprising that the GQ editors had Robert Downey Jr. (the cover star) smoking cigars, dressed in a selection of cowboy hats and wearing a double denim ensemble (something that I believe to be the visual equivalent of nails scratching on a chalk board). The letter from the editor discussed how the archetypal image of ‘The Man’ has become completely diminished in the 21st century, which I am completely opposed to. Like many other ideas from bygone years, things change. ‘The Man’ is no longer that being who does not discuss emotion, who fishes, protects and hunts on a daily basis.

It is thus, that the theme for this week is androgyny. Loosely known otherwise, as unisex fashion, androgynous fashion is something that has been around for decades. The first noticeable emergence was in the 1920s when Coco Chanel débuted a relatively masculine women’s suit ensemble that consisted of a knee-high skirt with a squared-fit woolen jacket. Androgyny is not simply a matter of girls wearing boys’ clothes and visa versa; it is far more complex in that it is both feminine and masculine traits blended into coexistence, so as to create a look with no specific gender identification. The most common ‘androgynous look’ for a man, is largely very tailored and consists of military-inspired attire, waistcoats and tighter jeans, mainly using fabrics such as velvet, tweed and leather – all of which is exhibited brilliantly every season by brands such as Burberry Prorsum, Lanvin and Helmut Lang. Androgyny is very much present in the industry, and what enamours me even more, is the fact that it is hardly noticeable because skinny jeans and military jackets are not exactly the most uncommon of things you’ll find either in the shops or being worn in the streets. I too, have dabbled in the world of androgynous fashion in that the last bag I purchased was the Oversized Alexa by Mulberry, which was originally created as part of their womenswear collection. I only bought the bag because I find their menswear collection to be terribly dull and I frequently find myself unimpressed by other menswear bag collections in general. The Alexa is just a large, classic satchel and I can’t quite fathom why just because it is categorised as a womens’ bag, it should stop me from wearing one. It is thus that I have entitled this article Comme des Garçonnes with “Garçonne” meaning “boy” in French, spelt however, with the feminine suffix.

Androgynous fashion allows people to experiment with their style because it has merged numerous traits of menswear and womenswear, meaning that fashion is not secluded to gender. I am not saying that men will soon be wearing pink mini-skirts, but then again, nothing is out of the realm of possibility.

 

 

Don’t Cry for me, Christopher Kane

Written by Claudia Canavan on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

The immense power wielded by the fashion industry is perhaps best exemplified by the mass hysteria it is capable of generating. Hard graft may be put in to join the frenzy – putting oneself on a waiting list to spend thousands of pounds on a Hermes Birkin bag, for example; or networking with admirable zeal to gain an invite to an exclusive event. Slightly strange behavior to the non- fashion enthusiast, perhaps, but certainly easily dismissed as an odd idiosyncrasy or a slight perversion of priorities- certainly nothing terribly detrimental to our collective social psyche.

At what point, however, does a harmless love of the fashion circus and a devotion to designers transcend healthy interest to become, quite frankly, ever so slightly daft? This week, Vogue.com reported that certain (unnamed) audience members at the Christopher Kane Spring/ Summer 2011 show wept at the sheer beauty of his creations. Undoubtedly the collection was sublime- shimmering shift dresses adorned with fine gold embellishment provided breathtaking viewing, and Mr Kane should certainly be lauded for his undeniable design talent. But surely crying over his creations should be saved for those personally connected to the designer, as opposed to those for whom his gift simply means a stunning new piece of clothing to be gushed over at a glittering social soiree? Now, by no means am I claiming some sort of immunity from a clothes related weep fest- a recent fight with the washing machine that left a favourite cable knit jumper unwearable resulted in the shedding of (a very few) tears. That minor disaster, however, occurred in the privacy of my own home and was a genuine expression of grief for a much loved item- not a somewhat over-the-top expression of an appreciation of beautiful garments in a room full of fellow fashion fanatics.

It is hyped- up responses to events such as these which arguably purport a negative stereotype of those who chose to create a career in the arena of fashion.  An over inflated sense of self importance must be significantly reigned in if one wishes to maintain the respect of society at large whilst working in a world which is based largely on aesthetics- self- awareness is key.

And so, I believe, it is perhaps time to reconnect with fashion in all of its frivolous glory- to embrace our love of clothes and dressing as a thoroughly enjoyable respite from the mundane monotonies of daily life- something to salivate, rather than stress, over. Our experiences with fashion should bring us unbridled joy which does not require an abundance of emotion to prove our love to whomever happens to be watching; rather it should be something we indulge and engage in for nothing other than our own pleasure.

Donatella’s Diffusion Line

Written by Claudia Canavan on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

In the wake of a plethora of infinitely successful high end collaborations with designers from Karl Lagerfeld to Lanvin over the past decade, H&M have managed to bridge the gap between ultra elite fashion house and budget high street shopping. The latest incarnation of this model comes in the guise of a collection from Versace, which head honcho Donatella is marketing as the very ‘essence’ of the Italian power label. An inspection of the collection (available to view in its entirety at Vogue.com) reveals this to be true to an extent- overly garish prints, tight-as-you-like dresses and a disproportionate amount of inspiration drawn from the animal kingdom. True Versace, however, is at least always executed in the finest of fabrics and crafted with the upmost attention to detail. Sadly, these designs are an amalgamation of all that is (in my opinion) wrong with the company and the synthetic materials which so often render a gorgeous H&M item distinctly cheap looking. A few gems can be found in amongst the debris (such as the black silk cap sleeve dress, £79.99), though, regrettably, the vast majority of these pieces will inevitably be picked up by those who value a label over genuine style.

 

Labour behind the label

Written by Scott McEwan on . Posted in News.

Written by Scott McEwan & Laura Nicholson

Fair-trade goods are an accepted part of our day-to-day lives from tea and coffee to bananas and even bean sprouts. It has become expected that fairly traded foods should be widely and easily available to consumers. However, a similar state within the clothing industry is yet to emerge. Labour behind the Label is an international pressure group campaigning for the rights of workers all over the world working in garment factories producing clothes for a number of the international brands found on the High street an its latest report delivers interesting insights into the labour and production policies.

The ‘Let’s clean up fashion’ report published annually by the group is a thorough investigation into the ethical practices of international brands such as Gap and those of the Arcadia group. The report grades 29 different companies out of five stars on their performance in implementing acceptable working conditions and a living wage for employees.

According to the report a living wage should cover basic needs, include a small amount for saving or discretionary income and cater for dependants. However the report claims that while some companies have made inroads to implementing a living wage, disagreements over the definition of a living wage have proved a hindrance to progress.

Those companies scoring a grade of zero did not respond to the group’s request for information and are assumed to reject the principle of a living wage. In contrast, companies such as Next and Monsoon Accessorize scored the highest grades(3.5 out of five) according to the report which praised them for offering “examples of steps to develop and implement a living wage methodology in supplier base, and are making progress with a number of pilot projects.”

Other companies which attained relatively high grades were Primark (3) and New Look (3). Whereas companies who attained low grades such as Levi Strauss & co and H&M who both received a grade one were reported to accept the principle of a living wage but appear to be making little progress towards applying it in their production policy.

The report explains: “H&M’s projects, which measure success based on achievement of minimum wages, do not show evidence of delivering a living wage for workers any time soon.”

In recent years many companies have been exposed for their use of sweatshops from M&S to GAP and it has been cases of dangerous factories and child labour that have attracted high levels of media attention. In the case of GAP who had their image tarnished because of child labour appeared to have made huge inroads in their ethical practices, being praised in 2007 and 2009. However it seems that with the media spotlight off, they have discarded the plans to achieve living wages.

There are many ways to get involved with the campaign from logging on to the website to donating to the various charities supporting the cause. A practical way of putting your voice to the campaign is send a letter to your local MP through War on Want ‘Stop Sweatshop exploitation’ with enough support the issue will be raised in parliament.

 

Follow the Business & Finance twitter feed: @SD_business

 

Live: Incubus @ Apollo

Written by Edward Usher on . Posted in Music.

Incubus
Apollo
9th November
2 stars

When writing a review of a gig it’s always important to include important relevant information such as mood, crowd reaction, set list, ratio of new material to favoured crowd-pleasers and so on. So I shall do so.

Band: Incubus. Venue: O2 Apollo. Mood: tepid. Crowd reaction: minimal. Set list: Privilege, Pardon Me, Adolescence, Promises Promises, some more songs, Warning (Acoustic), Nice To Know You, Megalomaniac and more. Ratio of new material to favoured crowd-pleasers: as was to be expected.

But what was really the focal point of the entire event, and therefore what I should as a responsible reviewer dedicate the majority of this piece to, was Brandon Boyd’s vest. Such a vest, white and tattered, six sizes too big for him, displaying a disconcerting amount of skinny indie-boy flank, it swung perilously from his contorted frame as he squirmed through a seemingly never-ending array of on-stage histrionics. No one seemed more perturbed by this terrifying vest than guitarist, Harvard undergraduate and professional ‘fro-smith Mike Einziger, whose faultless axe wielding struggled to make up for a woeful lack of stage presence. Boyd’s vocals, and the tightness of the general performance, were nonetheless impeccable – no mean feat considering that this was their sixth date in a week, their second night in a row in Manchester and that the crowd were supplying them with about as much energy as is used by a super-long-life mini-maglite.

So while the general outcome was disappointing, there were some highlights. The projections on the backdrop were so poor as to be amusing, the beer was nice and the toilets were clean. The bouncers were also very accommodating. It was just a shame that all these plus-points were nullified by some sweaty shirtless fucktard who repeatedly stood on my toes. Hence the poor rating.

Incubus – Wish You Were Here (live)

Live: The Smashing Pumpkins

Written by Joe Goggins on . Posted in Music.

11th November 2011

Apollo

8/10

First things first – this isn’t really the Smashing Pumpkins. Jimmy Chamberlin is drumming elsewhere, having apparently found the initial Pumpkins reunion ‘musically unfulfilling’; bassist D’Arcy Wretzky, judging by last year’s mugshot and tragically-tipsy call to a local radio station, is firmly in the grip of drug addiction, and original guitarist James Iha’s relationship with his old bandmates is long since beyond repair after a decade of acrimony. Thus, Billy Corgan, frontman and principle songwriter, takes the Apollo stage tonight with a band of session musicians, promoting new record Oceania in what he’s admitted is a last-ditch attempt to regain some relevance for what was once the world’s biggest rock band.

If Corgan can’t win the masses back over – an arena tour and slew of headline festival appearances in 2008 met with lukewarm reviews – he can certainly try to preach to the more dedicated of the once-converted. Accordingly, tonight’s setlist falls firmly into the ‘fans favourites’ category; not only does it do away with any material from the decidedly-poor comeback record Zeitgeist, but it also sees the airing of more obscure material from their hit records. Huge singles ‘Today’ and ‘Disarm’ are foregone in favour of ‘Geek U.S.A.’ and ‘Silverfuck’, to a fervent response; the evening’s mellower moments are provided not by the gold-certified ‘1979’, but the lesser-known ‘Soma’ and ‘For Martha’ instead. It’s a move that less wins over the crowd than has them in raptures, and secures considerable enthusiasm for the inevitable appearance of brand-new tracks. Nevertheless, Corgan saves a couple of his biggest hitters for last, signing off with the furious guitar of ‘Zero’ and searing ‘Bullet with Butterfly Wings’; this might not have been the genuine article, but it was certainly good enough for me.

Live: Bass Drum of Death

Written by Joe Goggins on . Posted in Music.

7th November 2011

The Castle Hotel

7/10

Given that it’s an area already deeply associated with our city’s ‘alternative’ culture, it’s pretty surprising to note that there seems to be something of a dearth of live music venues in Manchester’s Northern Quarter; outwith the obviously legendary Night and Day Café, only the Castle Hotel presents itself as a regular live venue, with a healthy programme lined up for the rest of 2011 and tonight, it’s strikingly-named garage duo Bass Drum of Death on the bill.

This is a band that quite clearly recognises the value in keeping things simple; heavily distorted guitar, racing drums and typically grungy vocals comprise the Mississippi twosome’s modus operandi.  The Castle’s back room – kitted out with an impressive sound system as opposed to the dartboard and moth-eaten furniture you might expect to find in such an establishment – proves as good a setting as any for the band to air debut record GB City in its entirety, alongside a handful of early tracks. The detached manner of guitar/vocalist John Barrett – only comfortable with barking lyrics from behind a thick, matted fringe – coupled with a marked lack of stage banter, might be interpreted as a hint at some kind of live insecurity from the band. Rather, the modest Monday night crowd is bearing witness to a highly-polished live set perfected during over many a U.S.-wide tour; it’s difficult to believe that this is the band’s first European adventure. So confident are they in the aggressive scuzz of their debut LP, in fact, they don’t even feel the need to adapt their Odd Future collaboration, ‘64’, for their own shows, putting faith instead in their classically reverb-soaked sound – and as they close a short-but-sweet set with a blistering rendition of ‘Velvet Itch’, it’s not difficult to understand why.

Bass Drum of Death – Heart Attack Kid

Live: Now Wave at the Ritz – Stephen Malkmus/Girls/Spectrals

Written by Joe Goggins on . Posted in Music.

10th November 2011

The Ritz

8/10

The Ritz can genuinely lay claim to being a historic venue; it was in this room that The Smiths performed for the first time, that the Happy Mondays honed the indie house hybrid that would take the world by storm, and that’s seen early shows from The Stone Roses, Arctic Monkeys and even The Beatles. It’s bittersweet, then, to see this famous dancehall fall under corporate sponsorship; whilst the ‘HMV Ritz’ tag is difficult to adjust to, it’s hard to find negatives when the venue’s been fully refurbished and will play host to a formidable Autumn programme. Who better, then, to welcome the Ritz rebirth than Now Wave, Manchester’s finest promoters, with a typically stellar lineup.

Following on from June’s mightily impressive ‘Now Wave at the Apollo’, tonight sees a killer hat-trick sure to keep the Mancunian hipster contingent happy. First up are the ever-more-wonderful Spectrals, a lo-fi Leeds outfit who, with debut LP ‘Bad Penny’, finally deliver on the lovelorn, 1960s-inspired promise that their early shows hinted at. Next up are Girls, riding a wave of acclaim for their second full-length, including a striking 9.3/10 from indie favourites Pitchfork. That record’s hugely satisfying balance between perfect pop melodies and overstated gospel backing translates wonderfully live, whilst frontman Christopher Owens’ deeply personal lyrics pack emotional punch to an almost disconcerting extent.

Rounding off proceedings is Stephen Malkmus, who, shorn of the burden of the ultimately ill-fated Pavement reunion, has returned to his solo career with a renewed vigour that saw August’s ‘Mirror Traffic’ meet with considerable acclamation. That said, it’s a relentless ride through the Jicks back catalogue that not only wins the day here, but also hints at bright futures for both Malkmus and Now Wave themselves; an evening that not only entertained by the spade, but that promises so much more.

Live: Jamie XX @ Warehouse Project

Written by Mark Gallagher on . Posted in Music.

Jamie XX
Warehouse Project
29th October
2 stars

Presenting one of the quickest-selling nights of the final Warehouse Project calendar, beatmaker and one third of Mercury Prize winning trio The XX, Jamie XX , has received plenty of critical acclaim of his own, becoming one of the world’s most sought after producers following a string of remixes, and a complete rework of the late, great Gil Scott Heron’s album, We’re New Here. His headline set brought together elements of funk, electro and house, building visible waves of anticipation amongst the bopping heads of the sell out crowd, all of whom are waiting for a big set and some recognisable tunes. Regular interlacing of the intense New York Is Killing Me between tunes was the only real treat offered, despite the faithful faces egging him on for a big-drop finish. Whilst gaining a growing reputation for his producing talents, he is also creating an unpredictability regarding his set lists, becoming known as somewhat self-indulgent. Respectable in some aspects, artists sticking true to themselves instead of pandering to more ‘commercial’ crowds is admirable – but this has to be judged against the packed room of fans paying upwards of £20 to see the headliner and the tracks they know him for.

The impressive collection of other artists however did not disappoint. The main stage crowd gathering for Jamie XX witnessed a thumping set from rapper Jay Electronica, spewing his twisting rhymes with huge stage presence and interacting through chants of “Gunchester”. Meanwhile the magnificent Four Tet proved true to form, mesmerising his shape-shifting crowd with high energy house and electronica from start to finish. The culmination resulting in a huge success for the undercard – the crowd leaving not with negativity for the headliner, but a feeling of missed opportunity for the lack of a smashing set that the regulars at the WHP have come to expect.

Live: Rise Against @ Apollo

Written by Tom Ingham on . Posted in Music.

Rise Against
5th November
Apollo
2 stars

Music is certainly a powerful medium, and for veggie do-gooders Rise Against, it provides the perfect opportunity to don the preacher role and try to convert the masses. Although Rise Against are guilty of indulging in this crap, it was nothing compared to the otherwise stunning opening act, Tom Morello with the Nightwatchmen. Morello interspersed his set with various cries for equality, calling on full audience participation for his final hippie number ‘World Wide Rebel Songs’. However, after such a master class from the guitar virtuoso, it had all the promise of a great night of music.

Whether the earlier performance raised the bar too much, I don’t know, but it’s safe to say what followed lacked the variety and prowess of the veteran guitarist. The American punk rockers exploded onto the stage with great energy, crashing about like men possessed, but after an hour of full on, intense rock, the effect wore off. Song after song of repetitive, franticly delivered punk left me feeling like Rise Against were very much a one trick pony, and to make it worse they had the most patronising, air-headed crowd banter that I’ve ever been subject to. The only salvation of the night came from frontman, Tim McIlrath’s acoustic spot, bringing a welcome change of tempo as he delivered fan favourites ‘Swing Life Away’ and ‘Hero of War‘.

Their loyal fans were of course still in great spirits, head banging their way through the ordeal. However, for me there were certainly no fireworks to shout about. Six albums on, with some crowd pleasing anthems, Rise Against set off on a long European and South American tour. You can’t doubt their passion and stamina, but as far as live experiences go, I can’t help but feel slightly disappointed.

Rise Against – Swing Life Away

Rise Against – Hero of War

Live: The King Blues @ Academy 2

Written by Michael Lyons on . Posted in Music.

The King Blues
Academy 2
4th November
4 Stars

 After the support acts finished, I wandered off to grab a beer, praying for more people to show and the mood to lift. The atmosphere was dead at that moment, the last support Cerebral Ballzy had done nothing to endear themselves to the crowd. The lead singer sauntered around on stage swigging on Jack Daniels, shouting into the microphone incoherently, and regularly pulled the finger to the crowd. This arrogant behaviour was pretty boring and pretentious.
I returned to Academy 2 just in time with the venue now packed out. A real buzz and excitement was going around the room. The lights dimmed, and Jonny Fox joined the stage all on his lonesome. He started with some poetry, which went down a treat. It was a savvy ploy to diss David Cameron, people ate that shit up for breakfast. With the crowd whipped up into hysteria with that battle cry for punk, the rest of the band joined Jonny, and straight away they broke into song with ‘Let’s Hang the Landlord’. With such catchy rhythms, I forgot Jonny was singing about murdering someone through asphyxiation. Next up was ‘Set the World on Fire’, this is when shit got crazy. The moshing kicked into life and I was nearly knocked over in the process. The next few songs had a more ska reggae feel to them, before the anarchy returned with ‘The Streets are Ours’ during which the drum cymbals were covered in booze and then set alight. Highly amusing stuff. The gig finished well and of course this cult-like crowd called for an encore. The lead singer returned on his own for some more spoken word entitled ‘5 Bottles of Shampoo’. Once again, I was very impressed.

The King Blues have a cult-like following, and the fans were treated to a very energetic and passionate performance. Quite a big variety of songs, and when you listen to a full set, you receive a convoluted message. The first album Under the Dog is more ska than anything, where as their latest album Punk and Poetry is sincerely punk. Songs like ‘We are Fucking Angry’ is a great theme song for the recent student riots.

Is a Punk revival coming though? I highly doubt it.

The King Blues – Headbutt

The King Blues – I Got Love

Live: Maccabees @ Sound Control

Written by Patrick Thornton on . Posted in Music.

Maccabees
Sound Control
31st October
5 stars

I was surprised, to say the least, when flicking through Manchester’s gig listings to stumble upon this little gem. To hear the Maccabees would be playing the modestly-sized Sound Control in Manchesterwas music to my ears, considering their last Mancunian venture was to the 1,500-capacity Academy 1. These Indie veterans have had crowds stomping and chanting along to catchy choruses since the release of their early demos. However, on this occasion, the band would be previewing tracks off their up and coming third release, Given to the Wild (to be released 9 January 2012).

A sweaty, testosterone-filled attic was the set for a cracking line-up and the first and only support act of the evening was London’s 2:54. They came to the stage with the swagger and confidence that encapsulated their guitar-driven set, echoing a ‘90s grunge sound. The female singer slurred like a young Shirley Manson to great effect through the melody-driven tracks. The crowd weren’t as impressed. The biggest cheers from the apparently stagnant watchers were in response to insightful comments about the Maccabees, and it was certainly the Brighton band that stole the evening.

The roars of an electric crowd echoed around the room like you would expect from a band with such a high cult following. They opened with two new tracks that seemingly failed to motivate the horde to the degree that classics such as ‘First Love’, ‘X-Ray’ and ‘Can You Give It’ did straight after. The new tracks intertwined perfectly into a set that saw the band draw on material from their first two albums. As to be expected, the older tracks were appreciated to a greater extent but one feels that the new additions will become equally cherished in the months to come. Apart from a few hiccups with the sound, and the usually shy Orlando complaining about something or other, this was another sterling set from the Brighton boys.

The Maccabees – Pelican (live)

The Maccabees – First Love