by Melanie McGovern
13 September, 2011
The heart shattering thuds of tapped microphones marked The War on Drugs‘ stage entrance and proved a suitable entree to the classic rock-cum-psychedelia which the former band of Kurt Vile, now fronted by Adam Granduciel, have so mastered and made their own, embellishing these retro touches with a glorious haze of fuzz and distortion; white noise and static. … Continue Reading
21 July, 2011
It’s tough to refer to Vivian Girls as ‘Brooklyn-based’ anymore as they seem to pretty much be ALWAYS ON TOUR. Doing over 500 shows in four years will do wonders for your fret-work though (I’d be surprised if they haven’t got RSI) and much has been made of their increased ‘ambitions’ on new album Share the Joy – i.e. wah boo hoo having a song longer than 2 minutes. To be honest though, on the night in question XOYO in London’s Shoreditch it’s probably a good thing, as considering their whole back catalogue lasts a total of about 5 minutes, if they didn’t have some slightly longer songs we’d all get a bit pissed off. … Continue Reading
23 July, 2011
It’s not very often that you get to a free gig (at least I don’t), so it was with much delight I was heading to my third one in three days. Kid Canaveral, fresh from winning my heart and ears at T in the Park, are launching their album SHOUTING at Wildlife on vinyl via Fence Records, with a free in-store performance at Edinburgh’s Avalanche Records. Happy days! … Continue Reading
14 July, 2011
You know it was going to be a special one, because the venue was rammed; though to be honest, that wouldn’t have been difficult considering how miniscule the basement (The Workshop) at The RoadTrip is. Undeterred, devotees (yes, I use that word advisedly) of The Future Shape of Sound (TFSOS) pile into the tiny cavernous space and prepare to party, because that is essentially what you get when you go to see this band live. … Continue Reading
21 July, 2011
This is a pretty exciting night. I’m heading into to Edinburgh and going to not one but two gigs. Yeah, so they’re both free. So what? First up for the evening is a triple header down at Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh’s Cowgate. Thanks to headliners Computers cancelling, the gig has now been made free. Local band A Fight You Can’t Win have been added to the bill and are the first band up tonight. I find a suitable parking spot (not easy in central Edinburgh) and stroll down to the Cowgate feeling quite pleased with myself. Two gigs in one night. Not bad for an old git. As I get to Sneaky Pete’s there’s a reasonable crowd in as A Fight You Can’t Win take to the small stage. Quick pint of coke from the bar and I’m ready to rock – as much as one can with a pint of the real thing. Sound guy spotted I take up residence behind him as the band prepare to start.
Yesterday we posted Part One of Paul Brown’s Latitude Diary. It only seems right that Part Two should follow… … Continue Reading
Last week, on the subject of T in the Park, we mentioned that we’re so insatiable for festivals, we’ve taken to having two reviewers at some of our favourites. Our intrepid Live Editor Paul Brown ventured south for Latitude, and is sharing his weekend experiences with you today and tomorrow. You can read Natalie Shaw’s take on the festival here. … Continue Reading
9 July, 2011
I signed up to cover 1234 Shoreditch Festival almost as soon as I arrived in London about a month ago. The fact that I had heard of only a tiny clutch of the artists playing didn’t matter to me at all. I was in London now. There was stuff happening. I had to be a part of that stuff. I’m pleased to report that my unbridled enthusiasm for big-city life paid off in my favour: 1234 is a perfectly sexy little number – a lot of fun, and a lot of good vibes. Situated deep in the heart of a residential estate in (you guessed it) Shoreditch, 1234 crams four stages (and a few fairground rides) into the rather modest space of the local park. It’s nicely compact, without being overcrowded, and a charming place to spend a (mercifully) pleasant Saturday afternoon. … Continue Reading
8 July, 2011
If one wanted to make a contemporized collage of what house has historically embodied, one should’ve brought a camera to De Melkweg. Hercules and Love Affair and Azari & III were on the bill, with homegrown DJ Lupe behind the turntables filling the downtime, hovering between the sounds of these two bands. It almost was what we think of when we reminisce (romanticize?) about the house parties in the heyday of it; people were dressed up (or down with the sleeveless thing going on) for the occasion, people were dancing (jacking?), and the gay to straight ratio was in favour of the former. So it was a hot, moving, extravagant affair with one or two kinks that kept the roof from blowing off. … Continue Reading
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