Willis Earl Beal, London, The Tabernacle

Willis Earl Beal

By Russell Warfield

May 16, 2012

“It’s really fitting that we’re in the Tabernacle tonight, because you’re all now in the Holy Church of Willis Earl Beal.” It’s an audacious opening line to an audacious opening in general – choosing to orate a favourite Bukowski poem (which he claims to read before every performance, for inspiration) before launching himself into a completely unaccompanied rendition of his street-blues stormer ‘Wavering Lines.’ Whilst his debut record Acousmatic Sourcery – recorded in hyper lo-fi conditions while slumming it in Mexico City – saw Beal largely delivering with a disappointing, whispered reservation, tonight’s stage show is a commanding powerhouse of a performance, channelling the spirit of LP highlights like ‘Take Me Away’ (although that particular track is absent from tonight’s set) and Beal’s electrifying, a cappella, hand-clap videos that did the rounds online before the album’s release. First studio misstep aside, Beal does actually have the goods, and delivers them in fine form tonight as conclusive proof. … Continue Reading

Scissor Sisters w/ Little Boots, London, Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Scissor Sisters

By Nia Thomas

May 16, 2012

Scissor Sisters returned to the stage at Shepherd’s Bush (or “Shepherd’s Minge” as Ana Matronic lovingly referred to it) last week to preview songs from their new album Magic Hour.

Support act Little Boots kicked off the evening with a set of old singles alongside songs from her next album. Opening with the song that brought her to early attention, ‘Stuck on Repeat,’ and first single ‘New in Town,’ both receive an enthusiastic response from the audience. It’s a shame that the crowd’s enthusiasm is not matched. Little Boots, known for her skills as a songwriter as much as a pop star, doesn’t seem to be completely comfortable with herself onstage which is where so many of her contemporaries excel. She then performs two new songs ‘Headphones’ and ‘Every Night I Say a Prayer,’ the latter sounding like a great Kylie song with handclaps galore. Both showcase a more disco direction. Songs like ‘New in Town’ and ‘Remedy’ remind the crowd that Little Boots knows her way around a great song even if she doesn’t make an original mark on them. She closes with ‘Shake,’ similar, in many respects, to ‘Stuck on Repeat’ in its icy electro flavour, which suits her more than the pure pop she co-writes so well. … Continue Reading

Amon Tobin, London, O2 Academy Brixton

Amon Tobin

By Nick Cowan

May 12, 2012

Ninja Tune favourite Amon Tobin delivered a second tour of ISAM, an audio-visual spectacular of his most recent album at Brixton Academy on Saturday. On stage, an ominous structure is shrouded in darkness. It’s made up of a collection of large cubes resembling a giant game of Tetris that isn’t going too well. Inside, the homunculus electronic producer/DJ Tobin pushes magic buttons and a kaleidoscope of CGI wizardry is projected onto the cubes in time with the music, rendering far off landscapes, spaceships, vivid colours and other fit-inducing scenes. The awe-struck audience searches for the appropriate response to this sensory overload, some twitch and some dance but they aren’t in the majority. Those familiar with Tobin will know that danceable beats are not offered up easily on ISAM with hip-hop and jazz beats slammed against jerky, droning noise. On top of this there’s a massive cube made of spinning machine parts to watch; most people resign themselves to a humble head nod. … Continue Reading

Perfume Genius, London, St. Pancras Old Church

Perfume Genius

By Russell Warfield

May 14, 2012

Although the clue was definitely in the title, I didn’t expect tonight’s setting to be quite so quaint. Completely un-renovated and seemingly still primarily intended as a place of worship, tonight’s performance takes place in the altar, lit by candles and soft lamps, with a massive, crucified Jesus as the de facto stage backdrop. Opening act Cate le Bon – performing solo acoustic numbers with a rustic Celtic charm – jokingly comments about feeling uncomfortable singing a song with the phrase “oh, Christ!” in such a location, and indeed it’s true to say that the dynamic of the event is unquestionably altered – the faintly stifling conventions of a musty old church causing the murmuring of people to get quieter rather than louder as Hadraes enters, taking the stage to expectant silence rather than welcoming applause. But if you had come for a party or a chit-chat, this was never going to be the gig for you. It’s unexpected and unusual, but St Pancras Old Church is a pitch-perfect setting in which to absorb the music of Perfume Genius – hosting a performance which proves itself more than worthy of its lofty surroundings. … Continue Reading

THEESatisfaction, London, Madame JoJo’s

THEESatisfaction

By Russell Warfield

April 24, 2012

You’ll have to forgive this review for failing to get beyond the fact that THEESatisfaction – the slinky duo whose recent LP gave a much needed injection of old school spirit and soul into traditionalist black music – play their live shows from a fucking backing tape. In one fell swoop, all the soul is drained from this music – a hollow husk of a laptop in the shadows of where the horn section should be grooving, the bassist grinding, the drummer vibing. It’s immeasurably disappointing to discover that should-be high points like ‘Sweat’ – all peppy horns and gyrating rhythms on record – actually sound more vibrant and alive heard through tinny headphones on the tube than they do in concert, the backing tracks turning into a fuzzy, homogeneous porridge over the house PA. … Continue Reading

The Dø, London, Garage

The Dø

By Nick Cowan

April 11, 2012

The clue’s in the name (or the o, to be precise) that The Dø have Scandinavian ties but it’s their stage performance that brings it to the fore. When Olivia Merilaht starts belting out sexy chic rock and drifting sylphlike around the stage you’re immediately captivated and reminded of great performers like Björk or Fever Ray (albeit in a less dramatic fashion). One minute she’s delicately caressing the microphone and the next she’s hammering a drum like Thor smiting a lowly peasant.  Meanwhile Dan Levy struts back and forth in the background like a brooding prize cockerel with a bass. It makes for some ace viewing, especially on crowd favourites such as ‘Slippery Slope’ and ‘Too Insistent’ which are distorted into each other and culminate in an all out fracas of sax, synth and guitar. Not even the spanners are hung up at the back are safe from the melee. … Continue Reading

WU LYF, London, Heaven

By Robert Freeman

March 22, 2012

Ellery Roberts growls away like a little denim-clad bear, letting his congregation know what’s what. He’s really feeling it – head back, eyes closed, beating his chest with a fist. WU LYF songs chug along in a prolonged, constant climax (it’s all the yelling to be honest) and Roberts is unnervingly animated. Although, as energising as it is listening to four topless lads orgasm in four minute bursts, at times one does slightly yearn for a chorus, if only to give a bit of structure to the sing-a-long. … Continue Reading

Rizzle Kicks, London, Shepherds Bush Empire

By Destiny Madhoo

March 15, 2012

I first heard Rizzle Kicks on the BBC’s Friday Download back in early July. Before ‘Down with the Trumpets’ had become a hit for the duet, I instantly knew I was going to be a big fan. A month later, I was lucky enough to catch them at the Underage Festival at London’s Victoria Park and I haven’t looked back since. So when I got the chance to see them at the Shepherds Bush Empire recently I was ecstatic. I had never been to the venue before so I was looking forward to hearing what the acoustics sounded like. … Continue Reading

School of Seven Bells, London, The Garage

D’Angelo, London, Brixton Academy

D'Angelo

By Joel Stagg

February 3, 2012

Back last autumn when I purchased tickets to see D’Angelo at the slightly generous price of £40 a pop, the normal feelings of excitement and anticipation rubbed shoulders with some less usual ones. D’Angelo’s so-called sabbatical since the year 2000 when he dropped Voodoo, inhabited by well-publicised dalliances with drugs, alcohol abuse, rehabilitation in Antigua and dalliances on the wrong side of the law, led to a certain morbid curiosity and also a sense of trepidation. It seemed I wasn’t alone when the comedian Kojo, who hosted the evening, asked of the audience – “How many of you came just to see if he still looks the same?” … Continue Reading