A YEAR ago Pete Robertson was doing the usual rounds as a session drummer, convinced he’d reached his childhood rock musician dreams had reached their pinnacle.
Then along came The Vaccines, critical recognition, a top 5 album (What Did You Expect from The Vaccines) and an awful lot of fuss.
“(Radio 1 DJ) Zane Lowe asked us “How did this happen? You survived. We tried to destroy you with our hype and yet you’ve managed to make a great debut album.” Part of us that was like yeah you’re kind of putting us in quite a difficult position with this. But I feel like we’ve overcome it and hopefully proved some people right,” said Pete.
In little under 12 months, the band has gone from non-existence to attracting the world’s attention at SXSW – and they can chart the turning point in their supersonic rise to one night in Camden.
Pete said: “We loved The Flowerpot. It was kind of a landmark for us. We’d done a couple of gigs around the country playing to about 10 people. We were opening to school bands, playing to them and their parents.”
But they were noticed by the music media and a demo was championed by Lowe.
“We got to The Flowerpot and no-one was there. We thought, it’s just one of those shows. We went up to the dressing room, hung out till it was time to go onstage, went downstairs and they were queuing out the door.”
The word was out, the muso crowd had shown up and the likes of Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand) and Nick Hodgson (Kaiser Chiefs) crammed into the former Kentish Town venue to see them.
“It was a very special gig for us. When we were writing and rehearsing even when we were playing our little toilets we still felt like we were doing something, we could connect to people, we just thought it might take a little longer.”
The Vaccines play Electric Ballroom next week (April 7 and 8) and are planning a bit of an experiment.
Said Pete: “We’ve done it once or twice but it’s not really taken on for us – the last track on the album Family Friend turns into a noise fest at the end. We’ve only dabbled with playing that live before it’s so sparse at the top for the first half that it’s right on a knife edge but we will be doing that at the Electric Ballroom.”
Unable to describe his own character, except to say he questions himself regularly, Pete kindly summed up his bandmates: “Justin’s got an incredible mind, an amazing way of thinking, incredibly intelligent and thoughtful. Freddie is in a similar way a bit of a geek. He knows his music inside out, it’s pretty encyclopaedic. He’s got a wicked sense of humour as well. Arni (from Kilburn) is like a typical Scandinavian. I guess he’s quite quiet but when he has odd days he gets very passionate about it.”
Coming up with the band name was difficult he said, adding: “We had a few good names we weren’t allowed to use because they were a bit inflammatory. We did one gig as The Catholics. But we were told it would probably cause a bit of outrage in about half the world. We’re not Catholics. We were Red Indians as well for a while – apparently that’s racist.”
His own music preferences vary dramatically.
Pete said: “I don’t really go in for hero worship. There’s an awful lot of drummers I admire. The drummer who put me on to wanting to play drums, my first inspiration was probably Dave Grohl.
"Nirvana basically changed my life as it did for most kids at that time – that was a proper landmark. Dave Grohl’s drumming is brilliant but I think it was that whole band and that whole ethos they had that was so inspiring to people of that generation.”
He has time for the softer side too: “I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. I find music snobbery like wine snobbery. I’ve been derided for liking one of Taylor Swift’s songs the Romeo and Juliet one – it’s such a good song.”
He believes drumming keeps him fit: “I’ve got quite skinny arms but I think it must be (good exercise) because I’m not fat and I should be, I eat and drink quite a lot. The most impressive muscle I have is in my hand, no-one ever sees it, it’s my thumb muscle. Most drummers if you have really massive biceps it’s because you have bad technique. I don’t get much love for that (thumb).”
They’re due to tour the US with the Arctic Monkeys although they haven’t met yet, and have already devised coping techniques for touring.
Pete said: “We entertain each other by basically taking the piss out of each other to the point that we end up fighting and then fighting for fun and watching fights for fun. We’re in a bit of a pressure cooker at the moment. It gets pretty full on, the gripes are bound to happen. Fortunately we know each other well enough to chill it and then it’s over – no grudges or anything.”
They recently caused a fuss at SXSW, where they caught the ears of the US media, but Pete had a more important mission on his agenda.
He said: “I got my first tattoo. I kind of knew what I wanted but I was still wondering if I was still going to have the guts. I met this guy and he was a tattoo artist and drew me one and I loved it so thought why not drill me with needles repeatedly so I now have a rising sun stamped on my arm forever.
“All the guys came down and I thought they were going to help talk me through a difficult period but they just laughed and drank cocktails. They say it’s addictive. I was halfway through getting it done when I already had an idea for the next one. You never know, by next year I’ll be a painted man.”
Recalling the band’s beginnings, while still a session drummer, he said: “It’s great to be able to make a living doing music but I thought that was it and the dream you have as a kid was fading fast. I realised I needed something more from my music, some creativity and everyone else was kind of in the same boat so when we got together there was a real energy and enthusiasm. It felt like we were escaping and it was really great. The first rehearsal we had together you could kind of feel something there.
“We’re all fans of depth and meaning through simplicity. Listening to I guess brave music – stuff that’s laying the character and soul completely bare for everyone to see. “
And for now, life looks rosy for The Vaccines.
Pete said: “I’ve never been busier in life but it doesn’t really feel like work it’s something we want to do. It’s all really exciting and fun. I’ve yet to experience getting bored with playing music. I’m sure it happens but I can’t imagine what that would feel like.
“It doesn’t feel like a rush, it’s been quite a steady and natural progression. There are odd moments when you kind of pinch yourself but the majority you just kind of get on with it and enjoy the moment.”
Thursday, 31 March 2011
THE VACCINES PAY TRIBUTE TO THE FLOWERPOT + KENTISH TOWN'S CAMDEN CRAWL COUP + RIGHT SAID FRED - FOR REAL
THE Vaccines’ drummer Pete Robertson had plenty to say when I spoke to him last week – not least high praise for the guys behind The Flowerpot, now The Wheelbarrow on Camden High Street.
He told me: “The best thing about The Flowerpot was the promoters. They’re obviously incredibly passionate – they’re part of the industry’s good guys. The venue’s possibly secondary to the people that organised it and I’m sure they’ll do really well.”
See Pete’s SXSW first tattoo revelations, his secret admiration for a Taylor Swift love song and his belief that Nirvana changed his life – in my full interview above.
• Camden Crawl Update – there won’t be that much crawling while the sublime Miles Kane, Villagers and Frankie & the Heartstrings all perform at HMV Forum. Kentish Town may just dominate our route this year. The King Blues will headline the Red Bull Outdoor stage so pray for good weather.
• Each member of The Dum Dums has the words Dum Dum tattooed on a finger. See for yourself when they play Dingwalls on Tuesday (April 5).
• Plan B, Katy B, Eliza Doolittle and Devlin play a free gig at Proud Camden tonight (March 31) for Sony's Music Unlimited new music streaming service – will it be better than Spotify?
• Former Record of the Week pick The Chakras play the Bull & Gate (April 7) – looks like Kentish Town’s fighting Camden for the live music crown.
• If you’re too young to remember Right Said Fred, head to 02 Academy Islington (April 27) – your life will not be complete without hearing “I’m Too Sexy” at least once.
• Soul singer Lemar’s so far departed from the reality show that made him that it’s hard to remember he was ever a product of Fame Academy. He sings at Shaka Zulu tonight (Thursday) supported by Daniel Debourg.
He told me: “The best thing about The Flowerpot was the promoters. They’re obviously incredibly passionate – they’re part of the industry’s good guys. The venue’s possibly secondary to the people that organised it and I’m sure they’ll do really well.”
See Pete’s SXSW first tattoo revelations, his secret admiration for a Taylor Swift love song and his belief that Nirvana changed his life – in my full interview above.
• Camden Crawl Update – there won’t be that much crawling while the sublime Miles Kane, Villagers and Frankie & the Heartstrings all perform at HMV Forum. Kentish Town may just dominate our route this year. The King Blues will headline the Red Bull Outdoor stage so pray for good weather.
• Each member of The Dum Dums has the words Dum Dum tattooed on a finger. See for yourself when they play Dingwalls on Tuesday (April 5).
• Plan B, Katy B, Eliza Doolittle and Devlin play a free gig at Proud Camden tonight (March 31) for Sony's Music Unlimited new music streaming service – will it be better than Spotify?
• Former Record of the Week pick The Chakras play the Bull & Gate (April 7) – looks like Kentish Town’s fighting Camden for the live music crown.
• If you’re too young to remember Right Said Fred, head to 02 Academy Islington (April 27) – your life will not be complete without hearing “I’m Too Sexy” at least once.
• Soul singer Lemar’s so far departed from the reality show that made him that it’s hard to remember he was ever a product of Fame Academy. He sings at Shaka Zulu tonight (Thursday) supported by Daniel Debourg.
FLOURESCENT ASOBI SEKSU
FOLLOWERS of New York quartet Asobi Seksu will know their fourth album is already drawing favourable attention.
But for those not yet familiar with the group’s latest offering – Fluourescence (out this week) – a visit to Relentless Garage, Highbury Corner, on April 17, may shed some light on what all the fuss is about.
Asobi Seksu melt from dream pop to shoegaze to soaring heavy-effect instrumentals, which have historically attracted comparisons with My Bloody Valentine.
Singer and keyboardist Yuki Chikudate is an accomplished frontwoman, playing the solid lead role around which her three male counterparts congregate, while remaining solitary and disparate onstage.
The scattered stage arrangement provides a strong visualisation of Asobi Seksu’s newer stripped down sound, while the remaining heavier riffs defy gravity as they lay thick in the air.
As guitarist/singer James Hanna said: “This time, our agenda was to not have one at all, to be mellow about the entire process instead of obsessing over everything.”
They may have made a conscious decision to keep things sparse but their resolve has proven patchy at best, allowing the power chords for which they are most popular to remain, even more pronounced against a newfound crystalline audio backdrop.
But for those not yet familiar with the group’s latest offering – Fluourescence (out this week) – a visit to Relentless Garage, Highbury Corner, on April 17, may shed some light on what all the fuss is about.
Asobi Seksu melt from dream pop to shoegaze to soaring heavy-effect instrumentals, which have historically attracted comparisons with My Bloody Valentine.
Singer and keyboardist Yuki Chikudate is an accomplished frontwoman, playing the solid lead role around which her three male counterparts congregate, while remaining solitary and disparate onstage.
The scattered stage arrangement provides a strong visualisation of Asobi Seksu’s newer stripped down sound, while the remaining heavier riffs defy gravity as they lay thick in the air.
As guitarist/singer James Hanna said: “This time, our agenda was to not have one at all, to be mellow about the entire process instead of obsessing over everything.”
They may have made a conscious decision to keep things sparse but their resolve has proven patchy at best, allowing the power chords for which they are most popular to remain, even more pronounced against a newfound crystalline audio backdrop.
Saturday, 26 March 2011
RECORD OF THE WEEK - FRANCIS NEVE, Winterbury
FRANCIS Neve mourns the end of a relationship against stark lo-fi instrumentals while guest vocalist Lucy Randell calmly revels in the chorus to remind him “I don’t like the way you are” – essentially Ugly Kid Joe’s Everything About You but more refined. A composed lament for the polite generation. It works because it’s believable. (Out March 28).
EXCLUSIVE: PAUL HEATON, THE SAUDI PRINCESS AND AN ILL-ADVISED QUEST FOR BEER - Former frontman of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South reveals all
“I’m sort of like the Elton John of iTunes. I live in a fairly modest house, I don’t have a car, I don’t holiday in Barbados but I spend a ridiculous amount – hundreds of thousands – on iTunes,” Paul Heaton explains his guilty vice as he sips alcohol free lager at the pub around the corner from his Manchester home.
The former Housemartin and founder member of The Beautiful South is looking relaxed as he reveals he has just celebrated the birth of his third daughter – named Meredith in recognition of his recently discovered Welsh roots – and exclusively recounts the time he nearly caused a diplomatic incident in an ill-advised quest for beer. But more about that later.
The internet has taken over from the days since Heaton first scribbled his monthly alternative Top 20 in a notebook in May 1980 and now his personal charts are held on iTunes.
“I only listen to music that’s not in the charts. I root around deep and as soon as something gets in the charts I drop it, which is pretty bad, apart from old soul songs,” he said. “It’s a hell of a lot of work – the one thing I fear losing in a house fire.”
He plans to publish them, alongside his song lyrics, notes of daft office conversations (78-81) and collected crisp packets and beer mats (1980-1990) in a coffee table book.
He plays Koko on April 1 and will dredge up a couple of old Housemartins songs for the set.
Heaton said: “We’ve got a support band called Admiral Fallow. They’re absolutely brilliant. It would scare me that people will feel slightly deflated when they see me after them.”
Camden should bring back memories for him: “MTV is it still there? That’s how popular I am these days I wouldn’t even know. We’d go drinking in Camden before and after MTV in The Elephant’s Head. In general The Beautiful South used to drink in central London and The Housemartins used to go home because they couldn’t afford to have a drink in London.”
He’s enjoying his solo career but is finding it hard to get national exposure, Radio 1 won’t touch him, he’s not current enough for BBC 6 Music so Radio 2 is the only station who realistically will play his music, he said, adding: “It’s quite a struggle. I can’t get on radio very easily. A couple of people in radio who don’t like my voice are quite high up, which is fair enough, there’s nothing I can do about it nothing they can do about it...Either I’m making shit records or they’ve got shit taste. I’m not one of those people who thinks I’m making brilliant records so perhaps it’s a mixture of the pair of them. I’m not making records as commercial and their taste isn’t as good as it used to be.”
While he may have fallen out of mainstream consciousness, Heaton has been busy.
He said: “I’ve written a 60-verse song based on the Seven Deadly Sins, which sounds very pretentious, which is being premiered at the Manchester International Festival. I’d done two solo albums I just wanted to throw a curve ball. I wasn’t getting any airplay I thought I’d write a song that’s an hour long.”
Last year he cycled more than 1000 miles stopping off to play gigs in pubs including The Monarch on his Pedals and Beer Pumps tour, accompanied by support and bicycle guru Gus Devlin and an old soft toy he rescued from a muddy puddle dubbed Centipede Business Solutions.
Next year, he plans to mark his 50th birthday by cycling 50 miles for every year he’s been on the planet (2,500 in total) across Britain and Ireland.
But it’s his adventures in London that really capture the imagination.
He recalls the time he and Beautiful South lead guitarist Dave Rotheray were in London after a gig. Their hotel bar was closed so they returned to the Columbia Hotel opposite Hyde Park, where they stayed the previous night to ask if they could use the 24-hour bar. They were turned away. But as they walked away miserably, Paul noticed scaffolding on the side of the hotel.
He said: “There was a window open. I said, we’ll get up the scaffold, which is several hundred feet high, jump through the window, run through the person’s room, leg it downstairs and we’ll get served at the bar as residents.
“We climbed up, got onto the ledge and suddenly this bloke... he must have been close to 7 ft, in full white robe and hat, an Arab, grabbed my neck, flung me to the edge of the scaffold and started saying I’ll kill you. Dave legged it, went straight back down the scaffold, didn’t help me. I’m being pinned back looking down below at the streets of London and the traffic. Next thing the police come, I’m being taken to a cell...he’d been the bodyguard to a high ranking Saudi princess that I’d got onto the balcony of.”
He was questioned in Marylebone station and released 14 hours later but miraculously kept the story out of the papers.
The former Housemartin and founder member of The Beautiful South is looking relaxed as he reveals he has just celebrated the birth of his third daughter – named Meredith in recognition of his recently discovered Welsh roots – and exclusively recounts the time he nearly caused a diplomatic incident in an ill-advised quest for beer. But more about that later.
The internet has taken over from the days since Heaton first scribbled his monthly alternative Top 20 in a notebook in May 1980 and now his personal charts are held on iTunes.
“I only listen to music that’s not in the charts. I root around deep and as soon as something gets in the charts I drop it, which is pretty bad, apart from old soul songs,” he said. “It’s a hell of a lot of work – the one thing I fear losing in a house fire.”
He plans to publish them, alongside his song lyrics, notes of daft office conversations (78-81) and collected crisp packets and beer mats (1980-1990) in a coffee table book.
He plays Koko on April 1 and will dredge up a couple of old Housemartins songs for the set.
Heaton said: “We’ve got a support band called Admiral Fallow. They’re absolutely brilliant. It would scare me that people will feel slightly deflated when they see me after them.”
Camden should bring back memories for him: “MTV is it still there? That’s how popular I am these days I wouldn’t even know. We’d go drinking in Camden before and after MTV in The Elephant’s Head. In general The Beautiful South used to drink in central London and The Housemartins used to go home because they couldn’t afford to have a drink in London.”
He’s enjoying his solo career but is finding it hard to get national exposure, Radio 1 won’t touch him, he’s not current enough for BBC 6 Music so Radio 2 is the only station who realistically will play his music, he said, adding: “It’s quite a struggle. I can’t get on radio very easily. A couple of people in radio who don’t like my voice are quite high up, which is fair enough, there’s nothing I can do about it nothing they can do about it...Either I’m making shit records or they’ve got shit taste. I’m not one of those people who thinks I’m making brilliant records so perhaps it’s a mixture of the pair of them. I’m not making records as commercial and their taste isn’t as good as it used to be.”
While he may have fallen out of mainstream consciousness, Heaton has been busy.
He said: “I’ve written a 60-verse song based on the Seven Deadly Sins, which sounds very pretentious, which is being premiered at the Manchester International Festival. I’d done two solo albums I just wanted to throw a curve ball. I wasn’t getting any airplay I thought I’d write a song that’s an hour long.”
Last year he cycled more than 1000 miles stopping off to play gigs in pubs including The Monarch on his Pedals and Beer Pumps tour, accompanied by support and bicycle guru Gus Devlin and an old soft toy he rescued from a muddy puddle dubbed Centipede Business Solutions.
Next year, he plans to mark his 50th birthday by cycling 50 miles for every year he’s been on the planet (2,500 in total) across Britain and Ireland.
But it’s his adventures in London that really capture the imagination.
He recalls the time he and Beautiful South lead guitarist Dave Rotheray were in London after a gig. Their hotel bar was closed so they returned to the Columbia Hotel opposite Hyde Park, where they stayed the previous night to ask if they could use the 24-hour bar. They were turned away. But as they walked away miserably, Paul noticed scaffolding on the side of the hotel.
He said: “There was a window open. I said, we’ll get up the scaffold, which is several hundred feet high, jump through the window, run through the person’s room, leg it downstairs and we’ll get served at the bar as residents.
“We climbed up, got onto the ledge and suddenly this bloke... he must have been close to 7 ft, in full white robe and hat, an Arab, grabbed my neck, flung me to the edge of the scaffold and started saying I’ll kill you. Dave legged it, went straight back down the scaffold, didn’t help me. I’m being pinned back looking down below at the streets of London and the traffic. Next thing the police come, I’m being taken to a cell...he’d been the bodyguard to a high ranking Saudi princess that I’d got onto the balcony of.”
He was questioned in Marylebone station and released 14 hours later but miraculously kept the story out of the papers.
PAUL HEATON - LABOUR "FREE MARKET APOLOGISTS" PUTTING UP NO OPPOSITION TO CUTS
THE voice behind The Beautiful South and The Housemartins has told why he has turned his back on the Labour Party.
Speaking ahead of a gig at the Koko in Camden Town (April 1), singer Paul Heaton warned Labour was putting up “no opposition” to Conservative policy of cutting public spending.
“It’s a very similar situation to the 1980s, a worse situation now, there’s no opposition. With Thatcher there was opposition from trade unions, people and Labour,” he said.
“I haven’t voted for Labour since Neil Kinnock in 1993. I didn’t vote for Tony Blair in 97, I was proud of it because I had the vision to realise he was a scumbag right from the start. Gradually, since then Labour has been taken over by a Miliband tendency – who have got their eyes on a different prize, who are just free market apologists. I find it impossible. I can’t find anything they say inspiring because they’ve got one eye on the market.”
Heaton, whose bands stormed the charts with songs like Happy Hour, said: “What worries me most is that the argument against cuts is being lost. It’s being seen as something we have to do.
“England in 1945 was in a much worse state in terms of the infrastructure of the country and the debt and we built the welfare state and invested money in people and jobs.
“This time, the argument has been lost because of the failure of Labour to say this is not the case, we can invest in people again and we can spend our way – not stupidly – and survive it without making cuts. But their only opposition is we’re making the cuts too quickly, that’s all they’re saying.
“Unfortunately Labour has control of the Left and is still patronising the Left.
“The Labour Party needs to be told, along with the Liberal Party and the Conservatives, that they’re non-representative of anybody other than the business class.”
Speaking ahead of a gig at the Koko in Camden Town (April 1), singer Paul Heaton warned Labour was putting up “no opposition” to Conservative policy of cutting public spending.
“It’s a very similar situation to the 1980s, a worse situation now, there’s no opposition. With Thatcher there was opposition from trade unions, people and Labour,” he said.
“I haven’t voted for Labour since Neil Kinnock in 1993. I didn’t vote for Tony Blair in 97, I was proud of it because I had the vision to realise he was a scumbag right from the start. Gradually, since then Labour has been taken over by a Miliband tendency – who have got their eyes on a different prize, who are just free market apologists. I find it impossible. I can’t find anything they say inspiring because they’ve got one eye on the market.”
Heaton, whose bands stormed the charts with songs like Happy Hour, said: “What worries me most is that the argument against cuts is being lost. It’s being seen as something we have to do.
“England in 1945 was in a much worse state in terms of the infrastructure of the country and the debt and we built the welfare state and invested money in people and jobs.
“This time, the argument has been lost because of the failure of Labour to say this is not the case, we can invest in people again and we can spend our way – not stupidly – and survive it without making cuts. But their only opposition is we’re making the cuts too quickly, that’s all they’re saying.
“Unfortunately Labour has control of the Left and is still patronising the Left.
“The Labour Party needs to be told, along with the Liberal Party and the Conservatives, that they’re non-representative of anybody other than the business class.”
THE LEMONHEADS + MILES KANE FOR CAMDEN CRAWL, MARK E SMITH'S GOT A BEER NAMED AFTER HIM + BOY GEORGE AND SOPHIE ELLIS BEXTOR'S CAMDEN CHARITY GIGS
CRAWLWATCH week 8453. So The Lemonheads have just been added to the Camden Crawl line-up. Remember them? If not, here’s a crash course.
Frontman Evan Dando – once a teenage grunge pin-up, even after cutting his flowing locks – took an odd turn when he briefly became an Oasis groupie and ended up playing guitar on the roof of the Buckley Tivoli (that’s north Wales to you London types) after one of their early gigs.
The Lemonheads has had many incarnations but Dando has remained a constant.
Their famous album was It’s a Shame About Ray (video to title track featuring Johnny Depp)...
(Official video not available to be embedded so here they are on Letterman instead)
...and Liv Tyler more recently duetted with them on a cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hey, That’s no Way to Say Goodbye (see below).
Also added to the Crawl this week are one of my favourites Miles Kane, as well as Razorlight, Giggs, Guillemots and Yasmin.
• Anyone tasted the Mark E Smith beer at The Snooty Fox in Canonbury? Wonder if they were inspired to commission the exclusive ale by The Fall’s Crawl appearance last year.
• Charity gig week? Sophie Ellis Bextor hosts at Proud Camden on Tuesday (March 29) to raise funds for the young son of her friend, a make-up artist who died last year. The Aspidistras and Sinead and the Dawnbreakers support.
On Thursday, there’s An Evening with Boy George including Jazz by George, and support from Adam Ant, Josh Weller, Paloma Faith and special guests at the Jazz Cafe for The Hepaptitis C Trust’s Get Tested campaign. Snap up signed celeb photos in the charity auction – Boy George, Mat Horne, Sadie Frost, Jimi Mistry, Eliza Doolittle and Paloma Faith.
• Cutting edge alternative and electronic music promoters The Playground host their first Weekender at Electrowerkz, Angel, (March 25-26) featuring an exclusive debut London performance by San Francisco’s oOoOO as well as French popstar Yelle, In Flagranti, Punx Soundsheck and Waylayers. See www.theplayground.co.uk/event.
Frontman Evan Dando – once a teenage grunge pin-up, even after cutting his flowing locks – took an odd turn when he briefly became an Oasis groupie and ended up playing guitar on the roof of the Buckley Tivoli (that’s north Wales to you London types) after one of their early gigs.
The Lemonheads has had many incarnations but Dando has remained a constant.
Their famous album was It’s a Shame About Ray (video to title track featuring Johnny Depp)...
(Official video not available to be embedded so here they are on Letterman instead)
...and Liv Tyler more recently duetted with them on a cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hey, That’s no Way to Say Goodbye (see below).
Also added to the Crawl this week are one of my favourites Miles Kane, as well as Razorlight, Giggs, Guillemots and Yasmin.
• Anyone tasted the Mark E Smith beer at The Snooty Fox in Canonbury? Wonder if they were inspired to commission the exclusive ale by The Fall’s Crawl appearance last year.
• Charity gig week? Sophie Ellis Bextor hosts at Proud Camden on Tuesday (March 29) to raise funds for the young son of her friend, a make-up artist who died last year. The Aspidistras and Sinead and the Dawnbreakers support.
On Thursday, there’s An Evening with Boy George including Jazz by George, and support from Adam Ant, Josh Weller, Paloma Faith and special guests at the Jazz Cafe for The Hepaptitis C Trust’s Get Tested campaign. Snap up signed celeb photos in the charity auction – Boy George, Mat Horne, Sadie Frost, Jimi Mistry, Eliza Doolittle and Paloma Faith.
• Cutting edge alternative and electronic music promoters The Playground host their first Weekender at Electrowerkz, Angel, (March 25-26) featuring an exclusive debut London performance by San Francisco’s oOoOO as well as French popstar Yelle, In Flagranti, Punx Soundsheck and Waylayers. See www.theplayground.co.uk/event.
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
RAP FOR THE NHS - Andrew Lansley Rap
HERE'S a clip for all those who think rappers are obsessed with bling and gangs.
Yes, even rappers care about the sanctity of the NHS. Tories take heed.
The Andrew Lansley rap by binman Sean Donnelly aka Nxtgen.
Yes, even rappers care about the sanctity of the NHS. Tories take heed.
The Andrew Lansley rap by binman Sean Donnelly aka Nxtgen.
CAMDEN CRAWL APPROACHES
NOT too long ago a group of wise old music moguls gathered in Dingwalls for the annual “pick me” fest that is the Camden Crawl band allocation day.
As DJ Steve Lamacq described it in his Going Deaf for a Living blog: “It’s like picking teams in a school playground.”
Except a fair amount of young musicians I knew at school would’ve run a mile at the mention of PE.
So while we don’t yet know who the 14 promoters hosting gigs for the Crawl managed to wrangle for their chosen venue, we can still bring you a selection of the names that have been released so far.
St Etienne, Villagers, Frankie & the Heartstrings, Lethal Bizzle, British Sea Power and Simian Mobile Disco – the most high profile of the names we know right now.
Toddla T, Hadouken, Mazes, Young Dreams, The Qemists, Dinosaur Pile-Up, The Phantom Band, and Hudson Mohawke are also on the known list.
But there are a whole lot of not so well-known musicians that are worth a look-in.
You never know – one day Florence and the Machine’s playing to 100 people in The Crescent pub for the Crawl, the next, young Flo’s sharing the stage with Jennifer Hudson at The Grammys, playing the socialite’s entertainment in Gossip Girl and Dog Days is being assimilated into Glee choir’s indistinctive repertoire.
While the main headline acts are yet to be announced, rumours are rife.
Although I’m hoping Aerosmith will be among the headliners, I’ve a feeling Steve Tyler’s caught up judging a little talent show over in the states.
So here’s a basic summary of what it’s all about:
The Camden Crawl – one wristband, two days (April 30 – May 1), music, comedy, fringe arts, and interactive events, 250 live acts and special guests across 50 venues.
While there is music all day from the very start, there’s a whole bunch of other activities during the sunshine hours to help crawlers prepare for the hardcore trek around Camden (and Kentish Town) venues as dusk sets in.
The real games begin after the taxing music quizzes, comedy, spoken word and performance, visual arts and crafts, interactive events and games (see www.thecnj.com/music) are over.
I leave you with a brief summary of our recommendations.
There’s the Island Records showcase at the Enterprise featuring Tribes, Kid Adrift and Jon Fratelli, as well as Cocknbullkid and Rizzle Kicks (previously featured on this page).
Or take vantage on the Roundhouse Terrace for the Summer Sundae Weekender with Benjamin Francis, Leftwich, Delta Maid, Dog is Dead, Lulu & the Lampshades, Marques Toliver, 2:54, Beth Jeans Houghton, Dry the River, Peggy Sue and Young Dreams.
We don’t yet know who else is playing where so here’s a brief list of some of our picks from the rest: Visions of Trees, Paris Suit Yourself, DELS, Dananananaykroyd, Divorce, Japanese Voyeurs, John and Jehn, Wild Palms, Flats, Little Comets, P Money, Sound of Rum, The Chapman Family, Teeth and Fiction.
For tickets, as well as profiles of all these bands and the rest of the line-up, visit www.thecamdencrawl.com
As DJ Steve Lamacq described it in his Going Deaf for a Living blog: “It’s like picking teams in a school playground.”
Except a fair amount of young musicians I knew at school would’ve run a mile at the mention of PE.
So while we don’t yet know who the 14 promoters hosting gigs for the Crawl managed to wrangle for their chosen venue, we can still bring you a selection of the names that have been released so far.
St Etienne, Villagers, Frankie & the Heartstrings, Lethal Bizzle, British Sea Power and Simian Mobile Disco – the most high profile of the names we know right now.
Toddla T, Hadouken, Mazes, Young Dreams, The Qemists, Dinosaur Pile-Up, The Phantom Band, and Hudson Mohawke are also on the known list.
But there are a whole lot of not so well-known musicians that are worth a look-in.
You never know – one day Florence and the Machine’s playing to 100 people in The Crescent pub for the Crawl, the next, young Flo’s sharing the stage with Jennifer Hudson at The Grammys, playing the socialite’s entertainment in Gossip Girl and Dog Days is being assimilated into Glee choir’s indistinctive repertoire.
While the main headline acts are yet to be announced, rumours are rife.
Although I’m hoping Aerosmith will be among the headliners, I’ve a feeling Steve Tyler’s caught up judging a little talent show over in the states.
So here’s a basic summary of what it’s all about:
The Camden Crawl – one wristband, two days (April 30 – May 1), music, comedy, fringe arts, and interactive events, 250 live acts and special guests across 50 venues.
While there is music all day from the very start, there’s a whole bunch of other activities during the sunshine hours to help crawlers prepare for the hardcore trek around Camden (and Kentish Town) venues as dusk sets in.
The real games begin after the taxing music quizzes, comedy, spoken word and performance, visual arts and crafts, interactive events and games (see www.thecnj.com/music) are over.
I leave you with a brief summary of our recommendations.
There’s the Island Records showcase at the Enterprise featuring Tribes, Kid Adrift and Jon Fratelli, as well as Cocknbullkid and Rizzle Kicks (previously featured on this page).
Or take vantage on the Roundhouse Terrace for the Summer Sundae Weekender with Benjamin Francis, Leftwich, Delta Maid, Dog is Dead, Lulu & the Lampshades, Marques Toliver, 2:54, Beth Jeans Houghton, Dry the River, Peggy Sue and Young Dreams.
We don’t yet know who else is playing where so here’s a brief list of some of our picks from the rest: Visions of Trees, Paris Suit Yourself, DELS, Dananananaykroyd, Divorce, Japanese Voyeurs, John and Jehn, Wild Palms, Flats, Little Comets, P Money, Sound of Rum, The Chapman Family, Teeth and Fiction.
For tickets, as well as profiles of all these bands and the rest of the line-up, visit www.thecamdencrawl.com
Sunday, 20 March 2011
SLOW CLUB READY FOR CAMDEN CRAWL + WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
YOU may have heard Slow Club cancelled their tour due to illness. Well...sounds like things are back on track - Rebecca is recovering and they have been added to the Camden Crawl line-up.
• New feature – ex-members-of-once-revered-bands-in-new-band-shock corner (catchy title eh?)
#1 – Remember Afghan Whigs? Frontman Greg Dulli has worked with Dave Grohl, Mark Lanegan and appeared in Steve Buscemi’s directorial debut Trees Lounge. Latest project The Twilight singers play the Electric Ballroom (March 18).
#2 – Raekwon (Wu Tang Clan) plays HMV Forum (March 18) – we’ve had GZA and Ghostface Killah before, why can’t the living Wu Tang coordinate their diaries and come to Camden en masse?
#3 – Bonehead, founding member of Oasis, is not quite attempting to rival Liam Gallagher’s new project Beady Eye with his less imaginatively named collaboration “Bonehead and John Mackie”. See them at Monto Water Rats (March 19).
#4 – Artmagic, side project of Suede guitarist Richard Oakes (he replaced Bernard Butler), play The Bowery on March 22.
#5 – Andy Burrows (ex-Razorlight bearded one) and new band I Am Arrows play The Old Queen’s Head (March 23)
• The fancy dress theme has been announced (rock stars, pop stars and divas) and the madness begins at Bestival’s preview featuring Kentish Town’s retro darlings Kitty Daisy & Lewis Koko (March 19).
• Had to mention this year’s JD Set at XOYO (March 24) where Ash’s Tim Wheeler, Emmy the Great, And So I Watch You From Afar, Ma Mentor and The Crookes bravely take on the great works of the Pixies. Follow their progress at http://www.thejdset.co.uk/
• New feature – ex-members-of-once-revered-bands-in-new-band-shock corner (catchy title eh?)
#1 – Remember Afghan Whigs? Frontman Greg Dulli has worked with Dave Grohl, Mark Lanegan and appeared in Steve Buscemi’s directorial debut Trees Lounge. Latest project The Twilight singers play the Electric Ballroom (March 18).
#2 – Raekwon (Wu Tang Clan) plays HMV Forum (March 18) – we’ve had GZA and Ghostface Killah before, why can’t the living Wu Tang coordinate their diaries and come to Camden en masse?
#3 – Bonehead, founding member of Oasis, is not quite attempting to rival Liam Gallagher’s new project Beady Eye with his less imaginatively named collaboration “Bonehead and John Mackie”. See them at Monto Water Rats (March 19).
#4 – Artmagic, side project of Suede guitarist Richard Oakes (he replaced Bernard Butler), play The Bowery on March 22.
#5 – Andy Burrows (ex-Razorlight bearded one) and new band I Am Arrows play The Old Queen’s Head (March 23)
• The fancy dress theme has been announced (rock stars, pop stars and divas) and the madness begins at Bestival’s preview featuring Kentish Town’s retro darlings Kitty Daisy & Lewis Koko (March 19).
• Had to mention this year’s JD Set at XOYO (March 24) where Ash’s Tim Wheeler, Emmy the Great, And So I Watch You From Afar, Ma Mentor and The Crookes bravely take on the great works of the Pixies. Follow their progress at http://www.thejdset.co.uk/
Saturday, 12 March 2011
RECORD OF THE WEEK - BEAU AND THE ARROWS, Fix
YOU know that familiar calming tone Radio 4 presenters seem to be born with?
Beau and the Arrows have managed to capture that essence of serenity, channelled it into ultra-cool vocals – and male-female harmonies recalling The XX – and laid it over a soaring all-encompassing backdrop of impatient drums and nonchalant guitar. They have mastered the art of leaving space in their tracks, allowing the raw naive vocals to cut right through. Signed to Kentish Town label Happy Release Records. (Out April 4).
Beau and the Arrows have managed to capture that essence of serenity, channelled it into ultra-cool vocals – and male-female harmonies recalling The XX – and laid it over a soaring all-encompassing backdrop of impatient drums and nonchalant guitar. They have mastered the art of leaving space in their tracks, allowing the raw naive vocals to cut right through. Signed to Kentish Town label Happy Release Records. (Out April 4).
FRANKIE AND THE HEARTSTRINGS KNOW HOW TO GRAFT
FRANKIE Francis has to leave soon.
He and his band Frankie and the Heartstrings have just arrived in Sheffield and need to start unloading their equipment for the next free Topman Ctrl gig.
You might think a band that has just reached number 32 in the charts would have roadies but The Heartstrings – from Sunderland – have their own ideas: “We do it ourselves because we don’t want to be “that band” and let the local crew load it. It’s our gear, we’re playing the gig, it’s our responsibility to get the gear upstairs. We’re guests in the city,” said Frankie.
“We’ve all had jobs – pubs, restaurant, office – been the other person, we’ve put gigs on ourselves and we know how people should be treated.”
Frankie’s in high spirits despite being mid-tour and suffering from travel sickness, which is why he’s sitting in the front of the van. He may miss some of the banter but it’s a small price to pay for surviving the road.
He said: “There’s been a lot of travelling involved but we’re full of energy and if one person gets off their backsides to see us they’re going to get as good a show as if there were 10,000 people there. We’re constantly on the road, we get the odd day off to go home and wash our pants.”
Frankie and the Heartstrings play this year’s Camden Crawl (April 30 – May 1), alongside Villagers, Lethal Bizzle, British Sea Power and Simian Mobile Disco.
Frankie, who has never been to the crawl before, revealed the band will play HMV Forum alongside a mystery headliner: “It’s something you always hear about and we’re certainly looking forward to being involved in.”
Frankie’s acutely aware of the band’s good fortune: “Being no 32 is such a feat for an indie band on an independent label, doing things our own way. (It’s) an amazing achievement not just for us but our label Wichita deserve a lot of glory. We’ve all worked in normal jobs so we know how lucky we are and value it a lot more preciously.”
He attributes the band’s style to Sunderland’s working class environment, adding: “(It’s) still very deprived in comparison to the rest of the country in terms of the arts and jobs generally. We’re constantly around that so we’re influenced by it. Growing up in Sunderland, we’ve all got our own success stories in that we’ve done things off our own backs. It’s a mentality driven into you – if you’re ambitious in a good sense you can achieve it if you get off your arse.”
The boys take advantage of twitter to speak to fans, respond to their most mundane requests (“what time you on tonight?”) and give away spare guest list spots: “We like the connection we have with the people who enjoy our music.”
The tweets are also an outlet for wild drummer Dave’s outlandish behaviour – he recently promised to run naked along the beach eating a plate of chips if the band hit top 10.
Said Frankie: “He does that sort of thing anyway, constantly making a fool of himself, so we can’t encourage him too much but if we get top 10 he’ll do that or if he gets too drunk tonight he’ll probably do it anyway.”
Sunderland has shaped their politics “the Tories absolutely desecrated us in the 80s and those wounds still cut deep where we’re from” but not so much that they can afford to turn down offers when they get them.
Frankie said bands might refuse to play for Topman because of the "lack of tax contributions they make as a company, but we can’t afford to do that. Being on an indie label, if someone offers you a headline tour you’ve got to do it. We’re not The Vaccines or the Brother of this world who can afford TV ads”.
Much has been made of Frankie’s new tattoo – a line drawing by singer Edwyn Collins.
Frankie said: “We recorded our album with Edwyn, he’s a massive influence on our band. He had a big health scare, a brain haemorrhage and stroke about five years ago and he overcame that. He drew an image during his recovery in hospital of a man. No-one knew what it was and he kept on drawing it because he couldn’t express himself. He didn’t know what he looked like and was bed bound so he’d draw this image. When he was able to talk he was able to say it was himself.
“I’ve wanted a tattoo for so long. I knew I wanted something memorable. It’s got such a nice story behind it. He’s more of an inspiration as a person than musically now because of what he overcame. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be.”
Taking his cue from James Dean, Frankie’s become a style icon, named GQ’s 39th best-dressed man last year.
He said: “I guess it’s a nostalgic look, I don’t think you can go wrong with smart shirt and trousers and a good pair of shoes. I’ve always dressed a little differently.”
His style doesn’t always go down well in Sunderland, he added: “You bring it on yourself if you have a quiff I guess. It takes two minutes to get ready, it takes longer to do my hair.”
Frankie’s bouffant has become a focal point, described as “impeccable” by Hurts’ Theo Hutchraft.
Frankie said: “I never use a brush or much gel, the secret of the haircut is a good taper round the sides, grade 2, a lot of weight taken off the top so you can play with it all day and then the hair dryer in the morning, get it between your knees, blow dry it till it’s bone dry, then it settles into a sort of floppy style for the whole day. “
He recalls one particularly odd gig where they played a teenage party in a village called Stanley, following a covers band playing Blink 182 and the Foo Fighters.
He said: “They went down a storm, the kids were going crazy and then we went on and we’re like this is going to be good, a big stage, loads of lighting, a sports hall. We went onstage and by the 2nd song the whole crowd like 200 kids did the conga out the door. They were dancing in the street while we’re in the venue... They didn’t mean anything by it they just weren’t interested at all.”
Frankie and the Heartstrings truly are men of the people, so don’t leave early if you want to meet them.
Frankie said: “It’s become a tradition, before the last song we’ll tell everyone if we know the area which pub we’ll be in after the gig.”
Frankie and the Heartstrings album Hunger is out now.
He and his band Frankie and the Heartstrings have just arrived in Sheffield and need to start unloading their equipment for the next free Topman Ctrl gig.
You might think a band that has just reached number 32 in the charts would have roadies but The Heartstrings – from Sunderland – have their own ideas: “We do it ourselves because we don’t want to be “that band” and let the local crew load it. It’s our gear, we’re playing the gig, it’s our responsibility to get the gear upstairs. We’re guests in the city,” said Frankie.
“We’ve all had jobs – pubs, restaurant, office – been the other person, we’ve put gigs on ourselves and we know how people should be treated.”
Frankie’s in high spirits despite being mid-tour and suffering from travel sickness, which is why he’s sitting in the front of the van. He may miss some of the banter but it’s a small price to pay for surviving the road.
He said: “There’s been a lot of travelling involved but we’re full of energy and if one person gets off their backsides to see us they’re going to get as good a show as if there were 10,000 people there. We’re constantly on the road, we get the odd day off to go home and wash our pants.”
Frankie and the Heartstrings play this year’s Camden Crawl (April 30 – May 1), alongside Villagers, Lethal Bizzle, British Sea Power and Simian Mobile Disco.
Frankie, who has never been to the crawl before, revealed the band will play HMV Forum alongside a mystery headliner: “It’s something you always hear about and we’re certainly looking forward to being involved in.”
Frankie’s acutely aware of the band’s good fortune: “Being no 32 is such a feat for an indie band on an independent label, doing things our own way. (It’s) an amazing achievement not just for us but our label Wichita deserve a lot of glory. We’ve all worked in normal jobs so we know how lucky we are and value it a lot more preciously.”
He attributes the band’s style to Sunderland’s working class environment, adding: “(It’s) still very deprived in comparison to the rest of the country in terms of the arts and jobs generally. We’re constantly around that so we’re influenced by it. Growing up in Sunderland, we’ve all got our own success stories in that we’ve done things off our own backs. It’s a mentality driven into you – if you’re ambitious in a good sense you can achieve it if you get off your arse.”
The boys take advantage of twitter to speak to fans, respond to their most mundane requests (“what time you on tonight?”) and give away spare guest list spots: “We like the connection we have with the people who enjoy our music.”
The tweets are also an outlet for wild drummer Dave’s outlandish behaviour – he recently promised to run naked along the beach eating a plate of chips if the band hit top 10.
Said Frankie: “He does that sort of thing anyway, constantly making a fool of himself, so we can’t encourage him too much but if we get top 10 he’ll do that or if he gets too drunk tonight he’ll probably do it anyway.”
Sunderland has shaped their politics “the Tories absolutely desecrated us in the 80s and those wounds still cut deep where we’re from” but not so much that they can afford to turn down offers when they get them.
Frankie said bands might refuse to play for Topman because of the "lack of tax contributions they make as a company, but we can’t afford to do that. Being on an indie label, if someone offers you a headline tour you’ve got to do it. We’re not The Vaccines or the Brother of this world who can afford TV ads”.
Much has been made of Frankie’s new tattoo – a line drawing by singer Edwyn Collins.
Frankie said: “We recorded our album with Edwyn, he’s a massive influence on our band. He had a big health scare, a brain haemorrhage and stroke about five years ago and he overcame that. He drew an image during his recovery in hospital of a man. No-one knew what it was and he kept on drawing it because he couldn’t express himself. He didn’t know what he looked like and was bed bound so he’d draw this image. When he was able to talk he was able to say it was himself.
“I’ve wanted a tattoo for so long. I knew I wanted something memorable. It’s got such a nice story behind it. He’s more of an inspiration as a person than musically now because of what he overcame. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be.”
Taking his cue from James Dean, Frankie’s become a style icon, named GQ’s 39th best-dressed man last year.
He said: “I guess it’s a nostalgic look, I don’t think you can go wrong with smart shirt and trousers and a good pair of shoes. I’ve always dressed a little differently.”
His style doesn’t always go down well in Sunderland, he added: “You bring it on yourself if you have a quiff I guess. It takes two minutes to get ready, it takes longer to do my hair.”
Frankie’s bouffant has become a focal point, described as “impeccable” by Hurts’ Theo Hutchraft.
Frankie said: “I never use a brush or much gel, the secret of the haircut is a good taper round the sides, grade 2, a lot of weight taken off the top so you can play with it all day and then the hair dryer in the morning, get it between your knees, blow dry it till it’s bone dry, then it settles into a sort of floppy style for the whole day. “
He recalls one particularly odd gig where they played a teenage party in a village called Stanley, following a covers band playing Blink 182 and the Foo Fighters.
He said: “They went down a storm, the kids were going crazy and then we went on and we’re like this is going to be good, a big stage, loads of lighting, a sports hall. We went onstage and by the 2nd song the whole crowd like 200 kids did the conga out the door. They were dancing in the street while we’re in the venue... They didn’t mean anything by it they just weren’t interested at all.”
Frankie and the Heartstrings truly are men of the people, so don’t leave early if you want to meet them.
Frankie said: “It’s become a tradition, before the last song we’ll tell everyone if we know the area which pub we’ll be in after the gig.”
Frankie and the Heartstrings album Hunger is out now.
CAMDEN CRAWL'S KENTISH TINGE + STEAMPUNK AT PROUD + SUPERGRASS LIVES ON...SORT OF + INTRODUCING FIRST PLACE
THINGS are hotting up on the Camden Crawl front. We’ve heard some exciting names yet to be announced but we wouldn’t dare divulge.
All we can say is that Kentish Town will be playing a much larger part this year so prepare for a little more walking – but it will be worth it.
Frankie and the Heartstrings (see interview above), play HMV Forum – alongside an as yet undisclosed mystery headliner – and Annie’s Bar, The Bull & Gate and a whole lot of other venues along Kentish Town Road will be opening their doors to the crawl’s hottest acts.
If you haven’t got your ticket yet remember this – there’ll be nothing but the royal wedding on TV that weekend...
• Don't be frightened if you see goths clad in Jack the Ripper style cloaks and top hats lingering outside Proud Camden next week. No doubt they’re fans of steampunk band Bitter Ruin – an acoustic two-piece outfit who play there on Tuesday night. Musicians Ben and Georgia are an item but take on the stage personas of lovers trapped in a destructive relationship with sinister lyrics to match.
• Supergrass may have split but that didn’t quell their creative juices. See former Supergrass bassist Mick Quinn and Paul Wilson of Shake Appeal in their new incarnation as DB Band at the Bowery (March 11).
• Heard of First Place? Apparently they’re the next big urban pop act on the cusp of making the big time. Hailing from Bristol, frontman Yomi Davies, soul songstress Allegra, 19-year-old rapper Frenzee and producer OD Hunt, have been attracting attention with new single Best of Me, which has just reached number 2 in the AKA Music Channel chart. See them at Camden Rock, Kentish Town Road on March 17.
All we can say is that Kentish Town will be playing a much larger part this year so prepare for a little more walking – but it will be worth it.
Frankie and the Heartstrings (see interview above), play HMV Forum – alongside an as yet undisclosed mystery headliner – and Annie’s Bar, The Bull & Gate and a whole lot of other venues along Kentish Town Road will be opening their doors to the crawl’s hottest acts.
If you haven’t got your ticket yet remember this – there’ll be nothing but the royal wedding on TV that weekend...
• Don't be frightened if you see goths clad in Jack the Ripper style cloaks and top hats lingering outside Proud Camden next week. No doubt they’re fans of steampunk band Bitter Ruin – an acoustic two-piece outfit who play there on Tuesday night. Musicians Ben and Georgia are an item but take on the stage personas of lovers trapped in a destructive relationship with sinister lyrics to match.
• Supergrass may have split but that didn’t quell their creative juices. See former Supergrass bassist Mick Quinn and Paul Wilson of Shake Appeal in their new incarnation as DB Band at the Bowery (March 11).
• Heard of First Place? Apparently they’re the next big urban pop act on the cusp of making the big time. Hailing from Bristol, frontman Yomi Davies, soul songstress Allegra, 19-year-old rapper Frenzee and producer OD Hunt, have been attracting attention with new single Best of Me, which has just reached number 2 in the AKA Music Channel chart. See them at Camden Rock, Kentish Town Road on March 17.
STICK YOUR NECK OUT FOR ST PATRICK
FORGET the green Guinness for a minute – there are more important considerations on St Patrick’s Day.
Apart from honouring the man who drove the snakes out of Ireland, there’s the important business of finding the best live rowdy Irish band to properly mark the night.
So who better than London Irish “psycho-Ceilidh” punks Neck, led by a former member of Shane MacGowan’s Popes, who have already got themselves a worldwide reputation for their rocking ways.
So if you’re anywhere near Tufnell Park head down to The Boston Arms, Junction Road, on Thursday (March 17), where Neck, Calico Street Riots and The Muleskinners will be filling the void for those unable to make the parade this year.
Apart from honouring the man who drove the snakes out of Ireland, there’s the important business of finding the best live rowdy Irish band to properly mark the night.
So who better than London Irish “psycho-Ceilidh” punks Neck, led by a former member of Shane MacGowan’s Popes, who have already got themselves a worldwide reputation for their rocking ways.
So if you’re anywhere near Tufnell Park head down to The Boston Arms, Junction Road, on Thursday (March 17), where Neck, Calico Street Riots and The Muleskinners will be filling the void for those unable to make the parade this year.
Saturday, 5 March 2011
RECORD OF THE WEEK - YOUNG BUFFALO, Catapilah
HERE’S another gem from the Mississippi. There’s a lot going on in trio Young Buffalo’s debut download single Catapilah – imaginative lyrics, an absorbing structure and an intense mesh of melodious energies. Although the prevailing chorus teeters on the edge of plain old teenage indie rock, the disjointed harmonies and manic overlaid affirming vocals, like an overeager friend tapping you on the shoulder, lift it into another class. (Out now).
TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB ON GROUPIES, VEGETABLES AND KANYE WEST
TWO Door Cinema Club frontman Alex Trimble sounds weary. Polite, but weary.
The Northern Ireland trio returned from Tokyo yesterday after a six-week tour and have retreated during their limited downtime.
They’ve been touring like mad and play Camden Roundhouse on March 12.
But for now, Alex has allowed us to disturb the precious time with his girlfriend, to discuss keeping healthy, his debt to Kanye West and handling groupies.
Two Door returned from Japan with a selection of very personal souvenirs he said: “It can be a lot more quiet and more mental. I guess it’s more extreme. The (fans) are kind and polite and bring us presents. We got drawings of ourselves, caricatures, which are a bit strange, some chocolates with our faces on them and a lot of socks –strange but quite cool.”
The band have collected new material from snatched soundcheck jams and notes on the road and Alex expects some of this new material to make a debut at the Roundhouse.
There are no outrageous demands on their rider, although lettuce may be deemed contrary to the rules of rock ‘n roll.
Alex said: “I’m vegetarian so I get very picky – there have to be healthy things. If we don’t say that we end up with bread and cheese so there’s a lot of veg. Being healthy is important when you have such a hectic schedule.”
The boys learned the hard way: “At the start when we were a smaller band…we didn’t carry the weight to get what we needed and ended up living on crisps and bread. We were in a terrible way, always tired and never got anything done but it’s getting easier.”
Alex has learned from touring with heroes Phoenix, the importance of keeping the band’s friendship, which can be tested when trapped in a tour bus.
He said: “You all need your own space. You can always get into your bunk, put your headphones on and zone out from the rest of the world.”
And they owe a debt to Kanye West for posting their first music video for I Can Talk on his blog.
Alex said: “He seemed to like it, we haven’t heard from him since. We were an unknown band…for such a famous person to give us that press – did so much for us, thousands of people heard of us after that – so many liked us on facebook and followed us on twitter after that. That was a really big thing for us.”
I can also reveal the band have rented a house in Glasgow, where they will record the next album: “We’ve got a lot of connections in Glasgow…it’s always a place we loved. We can go there and have a bit of a social life rather than being completely cut off when we’re on tour.”
And his tip for handling groupies?: “There’s a lot of attention, a lot of groupie-esque propositions. We’re always happy to talk to fans but as soon as it gets a bit more heavy we make our excuses and move on.”
The Northern Ireland trio returned from Tokyo yesterday after a six-week tour and have retreated during their limited downtime.
They’ve been touring like mad and play Camden Roundhouse on March 12.
But for now, Alex has allowed us to disturb the precious time with his girlfriend, to discuss keeping healthy, his debt to Kanye West and handling groupies.
Two Door returned from Japan with a selection of very personal souvenirs he said: “It can be a lot more quiet and more mental. I guess it’s more extreme. The (fans) are kind and polite and bring us presents. We got drawings of ourselves, caricatures, which are a bit strange, some chocolates with our faces on them and a lot of socks –strange but quite cool.”
The band have collected new material from snatched soundcheck jams and notes on the road and Alex expects some of this new material to make a debut at the Roundhouse.
There are no outrageous demands on their rider, although lettuce may be deemed contrary to the rules of rock ‘n roll.
Alex said: “I’m vegetarian so I get very picky – there have to be healthy things. If we don’t say that we end up with bread and cheese so there’s a lot of veg. Being healthy is important when you have such a hectic schedule.”
The boys learned the hard way: “At the start when we were a smaller band…we didn’t carry the weight to get what we needed and ended up living on crisps and bread. We were in a terrible way, always tired and never got anything done but it’s getting easier.”
Alex has learned from touring with heroes Phoenix, the importance of keeping the band’s friendship, which can be tested when trapped in a tour bus.
He said: “You all need your own space. You can always get into your bunk, put your headphones on and zone out from the rest of the world.”
And they owe a debt to Kanye West for posting their first music video for I Can Talk on his blog.
Alex said: “He seemed to like it, we haven’t heard from him since. We were an unknown band…for such a famous person to give us that press – did so much for us, thousands of people heard of us after that – so many liked us on facebook and followed us on twitter after that. That was a really big thing for us.”
I can also reveal the band have rented a house in Glasgow, where they will record the next album: “We’ve got a lot of connections in Glasgow…it’s always a place we loved. We can go there and have a bit of a social life rather than being completely cut off when we’re on tour.”
And his tip for handling groupies?: “There’s a lot of attention, a lot of groupie-esque propositions. We’re always happy to talk to fans but as soon as it gets a bit more heavy we make our excuses and move on.”
GIVE JOSH HOMME AN AWARD + VIV ALBERTINE MOCKS MUSIC HISTORY + FOO FIGHTERS CAN'T KEEP A SECRET + DJ DEREK
SO newly haloed God-like genius Dave Grohl and the rest of his Foo Fighters played a not-so-secret gig at Dingwalls on Saturday. Sadly the news missed my print deadline so best I could do was tweet it – sorry. Anyone spot Dave roaming around Camden?
On to more important things – Dave’s Them Crooked Vultures buddy Josh Homme and his Queens of the Stone Age play their debut self-titled album in its entirety at the Roundhouse (May 17) – is it wrong to prefer them to the Foo Fighters?
• Ex-Slits guitarist Viv Albertine mocked musical history at the Roundhouse’s mammoth music affair Unconvention on Saturday. In a mischievous nod to ex-boyfriend The Clash’s Mick Jones, she recorded a Clash track in 30 minutes. She told me: "I chose Train in Vain because it was written about me and I thought it would be really cheeky. Like Mick Jagger doing a cover of You're So Vain I haven't dared tell Mick as I’m not sure he would find it very amusing. It's all about what a useless girlfriend I was. We are still very fond of each other so hopefully I'll get away with it."
• One-time Cadbury’s accountant Bristol’s DJ Derek has become a bit of an icon with his patois MC skills, and choice reggae, roots and dub tunes – nevermind that he’s 68. In fact there’s a facebook page dedicated to his legendary status. Catch him at the Old Queen’s Head, Angel, (March 4).
• The Charlatans' Tim Burgess and Mark Collins play an acoustic show at the Union Chapel (March 16). Support from Blue On Blue and Joseph Coward. A low-key night out?
• Don’t forget Detroit Social Club at Monto Water Rats on Saturday (March 5).
• Ps – Does anyone have a synonyms for music for next week’s column ?
On to more important things – Dave’s Them Crooked Vultures buddy Josh Homme and his Queens of the Stone Age play their debut self-titled album in its entirety at the Roundhouse (May 17) – is it wrong to prefer them to the Foo Fighters?
• Ex-Slits guitarist Viv Albertine mocked musical history at the Roundhouse’s mammoth music affair Unconvention on Saturday. In a mischievous nod to ex-boyfriend The Clash’s Mick Jones, she recorded a Clash track in 30 minutes. She told me: "I chose Train in Vain because it was written about me and I thought it would be really cheeky. Like Mick Jagger doing a cover of You're So Vain I haven't dared tell Mick as I’m not sure he would find it very amusing. It's all about what a useless girlfriend I was. We are still very fond of each other so hopefully I'll get away with it."
• One-time Cadbury’s accountant Bristol’s DJ Derek has become a bit of an icon with his patois MC skills, and choice reggae, roots and dub tunes – nevermind that he’s 68. In fact there’s a facebook page dedicated to his legendary status. Catch him at the Old Queen’s Head, Angel, (March 4).
• The Charlatans' Tim Burgess and Mark Collins play an acoustic show at the Union Chapel (March 16). Support from Blue On Blue and Joseph Coward. A low-key night out?
• Don’t forget Detroit Social Club at Monto Water Rats on Saturday (March 5).
• Ps – Does anyone have a synonyms for music for next week’s column ?
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
RECORD OF THE WEEK - WRETCH 32 feat Example, Unorthodox
THERE are two ways of looking at this.
One - that Wretch 32 has taken a classic Stone Roses hook (from Fools Gold) and presented it to a "Landan"-centric generation that will never realise or understand the fundamental importance of its Manchester indie roots.
Or, two - that he has just confirmed the greatness and enduring mass appeal of the Roses and introduced it to a crop of pop aficionados who may then go on to discover the real thing.
I prefer the latter.
Either way, this is a one-listen-don't-forget kinda tune gilded by Example's popular touch that's unlikely to escape chart popularity.
One - that Wretch 32 has taken a classic Stone Roses hook (from Fools Gold) and presented it to a "Landan"-centric generation that will never realise or understand the fundamental importance of its Manchester indie roots.
Or, two - that he has just confirmed the greatness and enduring mass appeal of the Roses and introduced it to a crop of pop aficionados who may then go on to discover the real thing.
I prefer the latter.
Either way, this is a one-listen-don't-forget kinda tune gilded by Example's popular touch that's unlikely to escape chart popularity.
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