OCTOBE R 2 0 1 6 ISSUE 42 // FREE
KERO KERO BONITO AMERICAN FOOTBALL | CAKES DA KILLA
WELCOME KERO KERO BONITO
You might not know this, but fabric is an incredibly important place to us. As soon as we put the first issue on the streets, they got in touch and asked to meet us. It was completely unexpected, and as we muddled our way through starting a magazine, not really knowing what we were doing, the support they offered from that time was so important and reassuring. The decision to revoke fabric's licence is impacting beyond measure. Not just for the countless small businesses like ours, but also the musicians and companies that will miss out on that support, never given such an opportunity. It won't tackle the drug problem in this country, it won't help keep people safer, but make no mistake it will have a huge impact on the surrounding community. And if you only have five minutes, head to the back for a touching 'Penny For Your Thoughts' from wonderful Fabric staff member Rob Booth.
STAFF ON REPEAT the tracks we can’t stop listening to this month JESS: VALLEYZ - THE MORNING DAVE: GRANDADDY - WAY WE WON’T LOKI: ORO SWIMMING HOUR - MARSHMELLOW DANNY: NICK CAVE - I NEED YOU GEMMA: DANNY BROWN - REALLY DOE JACK: CARLY RAE JEPSEN - STORE DANNY BROWN
RACHEL: GLASS ANIMALS - LIFE ITSELF LiS 03
CONTENTS 08. ON THE STEREO
LONDON IN STEREO IS:
13. NEW SOUNDS
Editor: Jess Partridge jess@londoninstereo.co.uk
15. TALES FROM THE CITY
Deputy Editor: Dave Rowlinson dave@londoninstereo.co.uk
18. AMERICAN FOOTBALL
Online Editor: Rachel Finn rachel@londoninstereo.co.uk
22. CAKES DA KILLA
Sub-Editor/Sales: Loki Lillistone sales@londoninstereo.co.uk
26. KERO KERO BONITO
Staff Writers: Danny Wright, Gemma Samways, Jack Urwin.
32. ALBUM REVIEWS
Photography: Kero Kero Bonito cover story: Lucy Johnston lucyjohnston.co.uk
40. EVENTS 45. GIGS OF THE MONTH 50. LIVE LISTINGS 69. IN LONDON 70. LIVE REVIEWS 73. PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
Contributors: Tom Walters, Merlin Jobst, Sarah Sahim, Thomas Hannan, Rachel Grace Almeida, Tim Hakki, Kate Solomon, George O’Brien, Geoff Cowart, Lee Wakefield, Grant Bailey, Henry Wilkinson, Kris Lavin, Rob Booth.
CAKES DA KILLA
(photo: Eric Johnson)
londoninstereo.com
@LondonInStereo
/londoninstereo
/london-in-stereo
londoninstereo LiS 05
DMP PRESENTS TOSELAND
+ Illustr8ors
12 Oct - Dingwalls
ROBYN HITCHCOCK
25 Oct - Cecil Sharp House
TONY JOE WHITE
+ Jack Broadbent
31 Oct - Union Chapel
BRANDI CARLILE
1 Nov - 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
/ DMPUK / DMPCONCERTS
WALLIS BIRD
09 Nov - The Forge
SARAH WATKINS
10 Nov - Bush Hall
JON BODEN - SOLO
+ Blair Dunlop
11 Nov - Union Chapel
MICK FLANNERY
+Dermot Kennedy
11 Nov - St Stephen’s Church
SARAH JAROSZ
NEWTON FAULKNER
15 Nov - Union Chapel
3 Nov - Union Chapel
19 Nov - Islington Assembly Hall
COLM MAC CON IOMAIRE
CARA DILLON
+ Tall Heights
07 Nov - The Forge
MAZ O’CONNOR
09 Nov - Bush Hall
FM
24 Nov - Union Chapel
ANDY MCKEE
14 Dec - Jazz Cafe
FOR MORE INFO & TICKETS: DMPUK.COM / SEETICKETS.COM / TICKETMASTER.CO.UK
BRONCHO
BLOOD YOUTH
SAMM HENSHAW
OCT 06 LEXINGTON
OCT 06 BOSTON MUSIC ROOM
OCT 10 VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
AKALA
SKIES
OCT 19 THE CAMDEN ASSEMBLY
KELVIN JONES
OCT 12 KOKO
RIVER TIBER
GOLD CLASS
ZACH SAID
OCT 25 CORSICA STUDIOS
WILL JOSEPH COOK NOV 02 DINGWALLS
OCT 20 BARFLY
OCT 26 THE VICTORIA
OCT 29 THE WAITING ROOM
LOCAL NATIVES
JACK GARRATT
NOV 03 KOKO
NOV 23/24 EVENTIM APOLLO
THE BEST IN NEW LIVE MUSIC L O
N
D
O
N
@LNSOURCE LIVENATION.CO.UK
PALE HONEY
PALE HONEY [SWE]
M.I.L.K. [DEN]
If jagged rock’n’roll and husky bass tones are your thing, then Gothenburg’s Pale Honey are definitely the band for you. Tuva Lodmark and Nelly Daltrey make up the backbone of this outfit, releasing their self-titled debut album last year from which the stellar track ‘Tease’ is taken. A song that’s as moody as it is vital, this resonating tune should give you a good glimpse of what the pair will bring to their Ja Ja Ja performance.
If there’s one song that’s been blasting from our speakers this summer, it’s this one – so we’re super excited that Copenhagen music/ video/party maker M.I.L.K will be joining us at Ja Ja Ja! This glossy and sumptuous pop gem has been a particular favourite of ours, as well as the likes of 6 Music, and underwent some remix transformations thanks to fellow Danes Blondage and Silvester, which we highly recommend you check out too.
TEASE
FOLLOWING THE SUN
Ja Ja Ja is the home of new Nordic music in London, bringing the best emerging artists from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland to The Lexington on a monthly basis. Since launching in 2009, we’ve brought the likes of MØ, Aurora, Niki & The Dove, Samaris, Jaakko Eino Kalevi and many, many more to our club nights in London, Berlin and Hamburg, and as 2016 rolls on, we’re on a mission to offer up more of the best new tunes and artists to crowds at Ja Ja Ja’s Nordic haven in London.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE JANE FONDA AEROBIC VHS? [FIN] MOVING ON
One of Finland’s rowdiest rock propositions, HYESTJFAVHS? have already unleashed the fiery anthems from their debut album Teenage Sweetheart at Ja Ja Ja’s sister shows in Berlin and Hamburg, and we loved them so much, we’ve invited them to take over our stage at The Lexington in October too.
GANGLY [ICE] HOLY GROUNDS Something of an Icelandic super-group, Gangly features members from Samaris, Sin Fang and Oyama, and two years after revealing their debut track, they’ve reunited to return with latest single ‘Holy Grounds’. It’s a sparse, hypnotic and intensely beautiful follow up from a band set to rule Iceland Airwaves this year.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE JANE FONDA AEROBIC VHS?
ARY
ARY [NOR] THE SEA
We had the pleasure of hosting Norwegian performer Ary at Ja Ja Ja in April of 2016, hyped on the promise seeping through her stunning debut track ‘Higher’. ‘The Sea’ is the second single to land from Ary, a searing piece of understated, pristine pop and an enticing hint of what more lies in store. Ja Ja Ja online: jajajamusic.com // facebook.com/JaJaJaMusic // @jajajanordic
We’ll be back on the October 27th with Sweden’s Pale Honey, Denmark’s M.I.L.K and Finland’s Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? Tickets available at: jajajamusic.com LiS 09
OCTOBER 2016 ~ LIV E ~ The Warlocks /
1st+2nd
14th 21st
Sloes /
3rd
6th
Fufanu /
12th
Sounds Familiar Music Quiz /
Hak Baker /
Marsicans / 27th
24th
7th
17th
Parcels /
5th
Porter /
9th
18th
Adia Victoria /
Palace Winter /
28th
Flyying Colours
Peggy’s Big Sunday 13th
Gospeloke
Skylar Spence /
25th
Viølets /
Rumours /
30th
20th
26th
Raye
Officina Zoe
Josh Taylor
coming up in november 8th 17th
Johnossi /
Jesus Jones /
30th
16th
Odezenne
Strong Asian Mothers
~ LATE ~ every Friday
1st
8th
NIGHT CALL
BUSHWICK BOOGIE
MOHO
28th Oct: Stranger Things
Hip hop, R&B, house, garage,
90s hip hop and r’n’b knees
Halloween Special
bashment & everything in between
up for all you cool kids
15th
22nd
29th
LOOSE CATZ
THE DOCTOR’S ORDERS
SOUL FOOD
Explore the funky foundations
Exploring every year of the
Soulful selections
of underground urban movement
40+ year history of hip hop
across the board
Dates, times & tickets: w w w.hoxtonsquarebar.com
| HOXTONSQUAREBAR
SO L
SO L
T
D OU
SO L
T
D OU
T
D OU
SO L
T
D OU
NEW SOUNDS by Gemma Samways
Kelly Lee Owens
Meet Kelly Lee Owens: Arthur Russell-devotee, vinyl junkie, self-professed sound-engineering geek, and one of the UK’s most promising young producers. Scratch that, you probably already know her, either through her work with Daniel Avery and Ghost Culture, or via the handful of solo tracks, remixes and covers she’s shared in the past couple of years. With her superb debut EP for Smalltown Sound due later this month, a breakthrough finally feels imminent, but Owens is in no hurry. “I had to think hard about patience and longevity, rather than quick and instant success,” she explains, in tones livelier than her dreamy vocals might imply. “I finished my album and felt like smashing out some dance tracks, to introduce me as a producer first and foremost, and to get the idea into people’s heads that I can write hard
techno, as well as more song-like stuff.” Oleic compiles three of these - including the spacious, hypnotic ‘CBM’, featuring mantric lyrics inspired by the space documentary ‘Overview’ - alongside her propulsive reworking of Jenny Hval’s ‘Kingsize’. Owens hopes to release the album sometime in the first half of 2017, and she sounds sanguine about the hype that will inevitably encircle her: “I want people to respect and enjoy the music, but in some ways I don’t want my first record to be the best thing I ever do. It should be a journey. I’m thinking long-term.” Listen to ‘CBM’. Oleic is released October 21st via Smalltown Supersound. LIVE: Oslo, October 19th (with Jenny Hval). ONLINE: kellyleeowens.bandcamp.com // @KL_Owens // facebook.com/kellyleeowens
LiS 13
P R E S E N T S
05 | 10 | 16
FLYYING COLOURS
- HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN -
23 | 11 | 16
JESCA HOOP
- ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH -
12 | 10 | 16
23 | 11 | 16
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
THE HEAVY
- O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN -
- O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON -
23 | 11 | 16
13 | 10 | 16
M83
DIGITALISM
- O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON -
- HEAVEN -
25 | 11 | 16
14 | 10 | 16
SEASICK STEVE
- THE SSE ARENA, WEMBLEY -
SAVAGES
- O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON -
27 | 11 | 16
20 | 10 | 16
AGNES OBEL
C DUNCAN
- O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE -
- ICA THEATRE -
30 | 11 | 16
20 | 10 |16
THE DUKE SPIRIT - SCALA -
23 | 10 | 16
BILLY TALENT - ROUNDHOUSE -
STEVIE PARKER - THE VICTORIA, DALSTON -
03 | 12 | 16
THE FRONT BOTTOMS - O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN -
27 | 10 | 16
06 | 12 | 16
TIBET
PIXIES
- BIRTHDAYS, DALSTON -
- O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON -
09 | 11 | 16
JACK SAVORETTI
- EVENTIM APOLLO HAMMERSMITH -
16 | 11 | 16
08 | 12 | 16
SUPER FURRY ANIMALS - ROUNDHOUSE -
FENNE LILY
- ST. PANCRAS OLD CHURCH -
18 | 11 | 16
EMANUEL AND THE FEAR - THE ISLINGTON -
19 | 11 | 16
BOY KILL BOY
09 | 12 | 16
SUPER FURRY ANIMALS - ROUNDHOUSE -
14 | 12 | 16
STEVIE PARKER - RYE WAX, PECKHAM -
16 | 12 | 16
- OSLO -
RIZZLE KICKS
21 | 11 | 16
JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN & BENJAMIN LAZAR DAVIS - HEAVEN -
- ROUNDHOUSE -
01 | 02 | 17
CONOR OBERST - PALLADIUM -
T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E F R O M
SONGKICK.COM - GIGANTIC.COM - TICKETWEB.CO.UK SEETICKETS.COM - STARGREEN.COM
TALES FROM THE CITY Julia Jacklin
I spent a few family holidays in England when I was a kid, visiting my grandmother in a nursing home in Northampton and then my poetry writing, bird watching uncle in Leicester. Wasn’t until I was 21 that I went to London. I’d flown over from Sydney to try and reunite with my first highschool love who now lived in Brighton. It didn’t work out. So I got a train to London and got out at Oxford Circus, thinking that would be a good place to start. I walked into a hostel and they told me it was 30 pounds a night, I walked out all self-righteous thinking, “that’s insane!” But then after walking around in the rain not finding anywhere cheaper or available I had to wander back in like a loser and ask for a bed. Ended up in a large dorm room with about twelve other people all playing beer pong on the floor, a ‘Come and party, woo! Gap year baby!’ environment. I was on a completely different page, just thinking “I’m not here for a gap year! I was here to find true love!” But I went out with them anyway, went to some club, drank too much, cried about it to strangers, that whole mess. Tried to enjoy myself but the whole time I was thinking “ah fuck this, I’ve done this whole thing, I’ve found myself already! I don’t need to do shots and make out with someone in a public bathroom.” Anyway I left the next day and stayed in the more affordable Brixton while I figured out what to do next, which turned out to be moving to Bath and working in a hostel
photo: Nick McKinlay
until I had enough money to get back home. Next time I came to London was to come and play the Great Escape festival and I’m sitting here right now again, having just played my first headline show at the Lexington which was one of the best shows I’ve ever played. Every visit vastly improves on the last, I’m hoping it continues like this. Julia releases her Don’t Let The Kids Win LP October 7th via Transgressive. ONLINE: facebook.com/juliajacklin @JuliaJacklin // juliajacklin.com/ LiS 15
words: jack urwin ometime between disbanding in 2000, just a year after their self-titled debut was released, and 2014, when said album was reissued and a handful of reformation shows took place, a strange thing had happened to Illinois emo group American Football: they had quietly become one of the most revered bands of their genre... “You keep using the term ‘popularity’… that still doesn’t register with me. This cool, amazing thing, it still seems like that’s happening to someone else.” For Steve Lamos, whose drumming on American Football became practically iconic in its unconventional, mathy time signatures, returning to his old band was not a direction the English professor saw his life taking, yet here he is. Adding that “none of this was calculated,” he explains how the band enjoyed the 2014 shows so much they wanted to continue doing this but felt it unfair on fans if they were only playing the same dozen songs. And so, a second American Football LP was born. Self-titled like its predecessor, frontman Mike Kinsella jokes: “It’s certainly making it a lot harder for people to find or download, it forces people to buy the record like they’re supposed to.” So palpable is the band’s joy at getting to do this a second time around, you could be forgiven for mistaking them as still being college-age kids; it’s abundantly clear they’re all having a lot more fun playing these shows than they ever did during their initial run. “Instead of being super-nervous or self-conscious I’m just like ‘this is cool that I get to do this thing’,” Mike says. “I feel lucky.”
“We’re all older and better musicians, but also we don’t take it as seriously,” guitarist Steve Holmes adds. “If someone screws up in one part you’re like ‘so what, we’re all flying home to real life soon.’” Joining the original trio is Mike’s cousin Nate Kinsella, who Lamos praises for revamping the band. “This time around, part of what makes us fun is that Nate is this amazing player and it sounds big and it sounds like a band and we can play songs back to back. This is a very different beast and this is a blast, I love doing this.” “I think it helps that you guys have these horrible memories of the shows that you played,” Nate says. “Like, how can we just not let that happen?” Where the first album was an ode to lost loves in your teens and early twenties, the new American Football is hurtling towards its forties and while the malaise that dominated the debut remains, it does so in a more adult - and thus, somehow, bleaker - context. This isn’t about unrequited high school crushes, it’s existential longing and loneliness, the brutal decline of long-term relationships and feeling like a stranger in your own home. “Some of it’s projecting,” Mike says. “Some of it’s like ‘what is that guy who
american football
was pining seventeen years ago up to, what’s he thinking now?’ The issues are a lot heavier than, you know, ‘I like this girl who doesn’t like me’ so yeah, it’s probably darker.” Although the new album isn’t a world apart from their last, there’s a handful of notable differences, one being Mike’s vocals. His confidence has grown and he’s found an actual style of singing that works for him although he admits that some people are
“Instead of being super-nervous or self-conscious I’m just like ‘this is cool that I get to do this thing’” - Mike Kinsella
probably going to think “‘I liked Mike’s voice better when you couldn’t hear it’ and I’m like, well what am I gonna do, should we have produced the record more poorly this time?” But you get the impression it doesn’t really matter to Mike, or any of his bandmates. American Football are having the time of their lives, and it’s truly refreshing to speak to a band so happy to be doing what they’re doing. Indeed, that the first track to be released from the new album is entitled ‘I’ve Been So Lost For So Long’ seems apt: rarely has a band reemerged sounding so much like they’ve finally found themselves. American Football is released October 21st via Wichita Recordings. LIVE: Shepherd's Bush Empire, Feb 11th. ONLINE: facebook.com/americanfootballmusic @americfootball // americanfootballmusic.com LiS 19
Photo: Wouter Van Gens
cakes da killa words: merlin jobst
ap is a tough game in which to stand out, but Cakes Da Killa – the New Jersey rapper whose three mixtapes and two EPs boast increasing levels of critical success – has never had any intention of cutting corners in the pursuit of doing so. As he approaches the release of his much-awaited first album, he insists on making one thing as clear as daylight: he’s a lyricist first, and – despite being one of a very small number of openly gay and genderbending male rappers currently making records – a political voice second. Beyond flower-crowns and perfect eye-makeup, Cakes has utmost faith in his rhymes. “There’s still the same recipes that makes me a standout lyricist,” he says of his new material. “The witty wordplay, aggressive delivery, in your face vulgarity – they are still a big part of my sound.” This is certainly word-forword true of his latest track, ‘Talkin’ Greezy’, which he calls an “amazing reintroduction” to him as a lyricist. And now more than ever it makes sense that Cakes prefers to speak about his music, because after five phenomenally critically successful mixtapes, constant collaboration with acts such as Peaches (whom he calls “amazing, and a blueprint”), and alongside fairly nonstop inclusion in the ever-growing dialogue around LGBT issues within hip hop, his first full-length album, Hedonism, is about to be released. He’s also just performed at the first-ever Afropunk festival to take place in London – an event he says “provides a safe space for people of colour to experience a certain level of free expression creatively through art, fashion, conversation and music unapologetically which isn’t always the case in society or even at most festivals.” But while Cakes is first-and-foremost a shock-heavy rapper who came from a
background of writing poetry, the politics of the LGBT movement will continue to be part of his story as it develops, because subverting gender expectations and speaking openly about masculinity is a major part of his day-to-day life and persona; it features on the cover art for Hedonism, in fact. He says that being a name in the discourse, alongside other artists such as Frank Ocean, has felt “like a double edged sword.”
“The witty wordplay, aggressive delivery, in your face vulgarity – they are still a big part of my sound. ” “I appreciate the importance of visibility for the future artists coming up under me,” he says, “but in the same breath, my music shouldn’t be pigeonholed. Typically my sexuality takes over the meat of an interview and overshadows the skills I put into my music. I think it’s an important conversation I’m just sick of having.” And nobody could deny that he’s justified in pushing his skills as a rapper. After a run of increasingly successful smaller releases, the album has serious hype around its release – and fans of the work should apparently be excited for what’s coming. “I do feel like I’m becoming more polished with age,” he continues. “[Hedonism] touches on relationships, groupies, career ups and down and my drive to keep scratching at that glass ceiling I’ve been dealing with for most of my career.” Cakes Da Killa releases Hedonism October 21st via Ruffians/Thirty Tigers. ONLINE: cakesdakilla.com // @CAKESDAKILLA LiS 23
STUDENT
OFFER
FREE ENTRY TO CLUB NME + FREE DRINK * EVERY FRIDAY BEFORE MIDNIGHT VALID FROM: FRI 16 SEPT – FRI 14 OCT
CHOOSE FROM: 440ML CAN OF RED STRIPE / JÄGER SHOT / ROOT 56 COCKTAIL FOR YOU AND A FRIEND*
Head to our Facebook page to redeem this offer: KOKOLondon *First 500 through the doors each Friday during promotional period OFFER VALID FROM FRI 16 SEPT 2016 – FRI 14 OCT 2016 / NO CASH ALTERNATIVE AVAILABLE / Management reserve the right of admission / Subject to availability / Over 18s only Head to koko.uk.com/freshers for full T&Cs
KOKOLONDON
KOKOCAMDEN
ero Kero Bonito are preparing for a rehearsal and a well-deserved Chinese takeaway as we speak on the phone on a Friday night. The three friends - Sarah Perry, Gus Lobban, and Jamie Bulled - are just a few weeks away from their debut album proper, Bonito Generation (they previously released a mixtape, Intro Bonito, in 2014), and the excitement is palpable. At one point, Lobban scrambles for a charger, desperate not to lose the connection as we’re in the midst of a free-flowing, engaging chat; Sarah sounds just as enthusiastic down the line as she does up on stage in her array of dazzling outfits. Their full-on, incredibly sugar-coated, bubblegum-flavoured dance-pop may prove jarring for some, but one thing’s for certain: their personalities are poured into it.
“People are making albums that are structured the way they were in the ’90s you don’t need that.” - Gus Lobban
kero kero bonito words: tom walters photography: lucy johnston “It’s like we’re displaying an exaggerated version of us,” says Perry as she talks about the bold statement that is Bonito Generation’s album cover: a striking - but not quite garish yellow hue that features her in a just-as-striking glitter-soaked graduation outfit. Despite deriving their image from more reference points than you can shake a stick at, including but not limited to j-pop, football shirts, high-end fashion, low-end fashion, and everything in-between, a lot of people might have thought they’d had KKB pigeonholed in terms of their music. It’s a bass heavy, dancefloor-friendly sound that often mashes up the best bits of j-pop, video
game OSTs and dancehall - but Bonito Generation surprisingly makes it hard for anyone to corner them. It’s beautifully all over the place, with no one track repeating the steps of the one before each one encapsulating its own time and space. “That’s super important to us,” Lobban confirms. “I feel like - and fuck it, I’m going to make the comparison - I feel like the best albums should do that. The Beatles do that. Like, Revolver - you can take out ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’ or like ‘Doctor Robert’ - doesn’t matter, any of those songs could have been 45s and they could have made great singles.” Lobban and Bulled are brilliant producers in their own right, who each LiS 27
grew up in their respective clubbing scenes (Lodden has been making music ever since he could at the age of twelve, and both are respected DJs to boot) and they are totally in tune with the state of things in 2016. “We live in a day and age where tracks are more important than they’ve been since the 60s,” Lobban continues. “I mean I think the album’s a great thing, but I think it’s weird that people still do the album in a really dated way. People are making albums that are structured the way they were in the 90s - you don’t need that. I think if you can do twelve, solid, standalone pieces that come together as a bigger whole, you can have your cake and eat it. I think that’s the way to make a record in 2016.” Their songwriting often tackles bigger subjects than the sickly-sweet vocals might lead you to believe, too. We talk extensively about ‘Graduation’ and their times at uni, with Bulled having had a more romanticised time making great friends and studying philosophy (“I learnt a lot about life,” he says) while Perry’s experiences of studying ‘til the early hours in Japan has embedded itself in her meticulous work ethic. Lobban’s passion for clubbing is crystal clear fabric comes up, but the talk turns to their own experiences on dancefloors across the country. “The club experience is totally fundamental to KKB. It’s sort of like our three pillars,” Lobban says. “Me and Jamie used to work part time at clubs, especially when KKB was just starting up. Here’s a thing for anyone thinking of about music in the contemporary: you look at the behind the scenes of Paradise Garage or The Music Box - those places are really, valuable lessons to take from. They didn’t serve alcohol at Paradise Garage. Why did people speak so highly of it? Because it
“It’s like we’re displaying an exaggerated version of us.” - Sarah Perry was a creative atmosphere with great people and great music. It’s not that they’re taking anything out of the equation - it’s driven by things that you have to really believe in to work.” And that’s the thing about Bonito Generation. One minute you’re smothered in the sweetest, j-pop influenced sing-a-long of ‘Graduation’ - which takes aim at the state of our education system - and then next you’re transported out of a surreal video game heaven into the smooth, soulful ‘Big City’ for example. An entirely different beast, it takes j-pop back to the 80s, drawing upon the likes of Hiroshi Sato or Tatsuro Yamashita and adding lounge elements. All the while, Perry’s voices glistens and glides over it all. ‘Big City’ is a response to ‘Small Town’ from Intro Bonito, and according to Lobban, writing a song about a big city is a great thing to write about. “A lot of people say ‘oh, living in a city is shit, it’s so expensive.’ But then everyone still lives in the city! It’s such a hot take topic, what with rent fucking hikes that may or may not crash. I’d also written that instrumental a little while ago, and when we put Sarah on top of it, it sounded so natural and easy. All of those things just came together in a way that only happens occasionally, but tends to happen to the very best songs.”
Bonito Generation is released October 21st via Double Denim Records. Live: Scala, November 9th Online: @KeroKeroBonito // kerokerobonito.com facebook.com/kerokerobonito Styling: Rachel Grace Almeida and Darkwah Kyei-Darkwah. Hair: Shamirah Sairally. Makeup: Zana Moses. Cover and pg 26: Sarah: dress by Mark Fast. Gus: Fur scarf by David Ferreira, shirt by Paul Smith, blazer by Louis Vuitton, trousers by Lyonard. Jamie: Shirt by Brooks Brothers, trousers by Tom Ford, kimono - stylist’s own. Insets, from left: Jamie: Fur hoodie and ruffled white shirt by Di Liborio, trousers by Tom Ford. Sarah: Bodysuit and white chiffon cover-up by Jayne Pierson, jacket by David Ferreira. Gus: white blazer by Di Liborio, fur scarf by David Ferreira, shirt by Paul Smith. Pg 3 and above. Sarah: wears all Jayne Pierson. Gus: blazer by Di Liborio, t-shirt by Horus London, trousers by Lyonard. Jamie: t-shirt by Horus London, trousers by Lyonard. LiS 29
ALBUMS
RECORD OF THE MONTH DANNY BROWN
ATROCITY EXHIBITION However much he raps about drugs and shagging – which, to this day, is a lot – Danny Brown is keen for people to know he also enjoys other, more highbrow pastimes. He famously compared his debut to Radiohead’s rarely-referenced (well, in hip hop circles) OK Computer, saying its impeccable follow up Old, had to be his Kid A. That doesn’t quite make Atrocity Exhibition his Amnesiac, but there are parallels - now his audience is accustomed to his style, he’s got the space to really fuck with them. The references to indie sacred cows continue, with the Warp // September 30th album named after a Joy Division song, and its opening track – ‘Downward Spiral’ – not only sharing a title with a Stand Out Tracks: Nine Inch Nails record, but bearing a close sonic Downward Spiral resemblance to the dubbier parts of Fugazi’s Red Medicine. Really Doe Ain’t it Funny Though he rarely acknowledges any hip-hop influences, his White Lines status within it is such that guests are of the calibre of Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar and Earl Sweatshirt. Yet even Live: Electric Brixton, Nov 10th they’re unlikely to generate Atrocity Exhibition a true hit – Online: @xdannyxbrownx ‘Really Doe’, on which the latter two feature, is catchy but xdannyxbrownx.com oppressive as all hell. Each Danny Brown album has been facebook.com/xdannyxbrownx less commercial than the last, putting in him in the unique position of being a rapper whose star rises as his crossover potential diminishes. Of course, Danny Brown doesn’t really need guest rappers. His delivery is so versatile that it appears he’s guesting on his own tracks just by shifting register. The jump from the quietly self-motivational ‘From The Ground’ to ‘When it Rain’, which is the sound of all hell breaking loose in poverty-ridden Detroit, is one few other rappers would attempt (“No time soon in the City of Boom / Doomed from the time we emerged from the womb”, he rages). He’s still usually drunk or high, but now more than ever he’s worrying about what he might have done while drunk or high (“Everybody say you got a lot to be proud of / been high this whole time, don’t realise what I’ve done”, he muses on ‘Downward Spiral’). ‘White Lines’, the song with the most musicality but by no means easiest melody here, has him staring at the abyss (“heart beating fast, oh no, oh no, I hope it ain’t bout my time to go”), while on ‘Really Doe’, he’s starting to question his choice of company (“I be on those chemicals, she be on my testicles”, he almost sighs). Brown doesn’t sound happy, and doesn’t expect his party to cheer you up. He just reasonably assumes that if you’ve followed him this far, you won’t turn back when things start to get a little dark. This is the way, step inside. Thomas Hannan
D.D DUMBO
UTOPIA DEFEATED 4AD // October 7th
D.D Dumbo’s lolloping, looping debut full-length feels very young and as old as the hills. There are songs here that sound like the Famous Five setting off on another adventure, even if they are called ‘Satan’ or talk of blood-drenched money, fratricide and death by caviar. African rhythms tessellate with mermaid wails, harpsichords butt up against panpipes and break beats, and tying it all together is Dumbo’s preoccupation with religion and the occult. He sings the absolute shit out of closing track ‘Oyster’, his smooth voice cracking as he builds it up and up into an almost ecclesiastical release. While 2014’s dreamy Tropical Oceans EP twinkled like the sun off the sea, Utopia Defeated is a storm-cloud with the sun behind it; dark but with the promise of light. Kate Solomon
KATIE GATELY COLOR
Tri Angle Records // October 14th A sound designer for film by trade, what LA-based producer Katie Gately lacks in musical training, she easily makes up for in curiosity and innate creativity. Indeed, unbound by any formal framework, she’s free to explore the furthest reaches of her imagination, resulting in an album that she somewhat self-deprecatingly - describes as being “forty-nine percent obnoxious and fifty-one percent fun.” Skilfully sampling, manipulating, looping and stitching together field recordings, diverse instrumentation and her own diaphanous, almost Julia Holter-esque vocals, Gately’s maximalist songs-cum-sound collages definitely aren’t for fragile heads. But equally, you’ll find that strong melodies consistently cut through the densely-layered cacophony, and that Gately’s irrepressible enthusiasm provides an infectious energy that runs throughout this playful debut set. Gemma Samways
GRUFF RHYS
SET FIRE TO THE STARS OST Finders Keepers // September 30th Is there no story too big or obscure for Welsh musical polymath Gruff Rhys? After conquering the American interior with his surreal novel/album combo he’s back with a film soundtrack documenting the tale of countryman and poet Dylan Thomas. Set in 1950s New York City, Gruff’s film score alternates between retro rock and be-bop jazz. It’s lush when necessary but yet charmingly stripped down and urgent enough to fit the atomic age radio-era bill. While it revolves around the impressive title track the album can’t help but suffer from being separated from its cinematic setting. But dotted in between the passages of incidental music there are some weighty songs – such as the swing inflected ‘Chop Shop’ – which make it well worthy of a spin. Geoff Cowart LiS 33
JOYCE MANOR CODY
Epitaph // October 7th If Never Hungover Again was for the precariously kept, Cody is for those seeing things in plain sight. It’s not as instantly enjoyable, but that wasn’t what Joyce Manor set out to do with this record. Pop punk, in all its urgency and supposed cliché, often bends the rules rather than makes something out of them; however, Cody is looking for something different. The California four-piece are giving themselves the privilege of space as they get older, and that translates into the songs. As a whole, the album is softer, sweeter and more complex – both in delivery and theme. The album’s standout track ‘Stairs’ not only ditches their usual two-minute-head-fuck song format for a full four-minute run, but also turns out to be the purest love song they’ve ever written. Love songs are usually about professing feelings, but this one is about protecting them; it confronts the weird and unexpected ways love manifests, and at the end, it turns into an ethereal musical landscape where lead singer Barry Johnson’s fading pleas of ‘all the things you’d never see / if it were up to me’ are as fantastical as the thought of protecting someone from the real world. However, this album isn’t about becoming jaded with age – it’s about seeing the world for how it really is, and making peace with that. Before, their songs were exertion and now they are admission – one day, you too will be looking back at your youth, wanting something out of nothing. This is an album for those grown-ups who aren’t done growing up. Rachel Grace Almeida
SOFT HAIR
SOFT HAIR Weird World // October 14th Five years ago in a Butlins holiday camp for ATP, not too long after the release of Forever Dolphin Love, I saw Connan Mockasin play what there was of a weird and wonderful – and as of then unfinished – song about lizards (“we’ll just play what there is of it in a loop!”) Catchy as hell, it’s a relief that it now turns up as ‘Relaxed Lizard’, the opening track on Soft Hair’s self-titled debut record. Like much of the album, it’s an unmistakable Mockasin jam – surreal, other-worldly and downright groovy – only this time it’s been given a sci-fi makeover courtesy of the other half of the duo, Sam Eastwood: The glitch-beat being transplanted straight from the former Late Of The Pier man’s most recent output under the LA Priest moniker. Along with ‘A Good Sign’ and ‘Lying Has To Stop’, it’s one of a trio of high points on the record, where two unique approaches to song-writing meld harmoniously. Lyrically it can be totally bizarre too, lines like “I like to watch you run/but I’ll never touch your bum” stand-out in particular, but elsewhere the vibe and tempo is so laid back that it slips into a sort of off-the-wall lethargy (see ‘Alive Without Medicine’). A musical equivalent to Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy, you won’t have heard too much like this, but then again, it sounds exactly as you’d expect a collaboration between these two to sound. Henry Wilkinson
BON IVER
22, A MILLION Jagjaguwar // September 30th “It might be over soon” isn’t what the legions of Bon Iver fanatics, waiting half a decade for this moment, would have wanted to hear as an opening gambit. The ten tracks mesmerisingly capture Bon Iver’s development and journey to this place. King of melancholy Vernon remains but the production value and techniques make the experience this time as mind-bending as it is heart-wrenching. ‘8 (circle)’ is a flawless, awe-inspiring example of this emotional power, while ‘10 d E A T h b R E a s T ’, with its chunky, industrial rhythm and unsettling vocal stabs and bone-shuddering bass, proves that few can push the boundaries and blend genre with such comfort as Bon Iver. Somewhat unsurprisingly 22, A Million is indeed over far too soon. George O’Brien
RICKY EAT ACID
POWELL
Terrible Records // October 28th
XL Recordings // October 14th
Do you know those tests where you lie down on a long chair and somebody shows you ink blots and you have to describe what they look like to you? Well, let me tell you this: I’m beginning to think that Ricky Eat Acid – AKA Sam Ray – is a very clever psychologist who specialises in the audio equivalent. The sounds that Ray creates on Talk To You Soon evoke imagery and memories and feelings and sensations that vividly materialise and then fade away as they’re replaced by others, like roadsigns at night or an inkblot that looks like a butterfly or a smear of blood. Talk To You Soon is a meticulous collection of glimpses into worlds packed with feelings and ideas that you either already know or – mostly – wish that you knew. Kris Lavin
From the opening, stuttering seconds of Sport, Powell makes one thing clear; this isn’t going to be easy. If you’re seeking music to sway to, you’ll have to find it. Each bruising listen will be rewarded. And, undoubtedly, this is part of the record’s utter breakneck joy, perhaps not a phrase usually associated with a collection of Powell songs on first listen. Sport’s genre-spanning odyssey is undeniable and infectious, if only for all the fun Oscar Powell appears to be having melding it all together in astounding fashion. Since his first forays into the music scene, from tentative solo productions to newly established record label boss, Powell has strived to do something different and utterly confounding. In Sport, he’s surpassed that entirely here’s an album that is truly special. Lee Wakefield LiS 35
TALK TO YOU SOON
SPORT
THE LEMON TWIGS DO HOLLYWOOD 4AD // October 14th
From the Beach Boys style opening strains of ‘I Wanna Prove To You’ to the apocalyptic mind melt of Lonerism influenced closer ‘A Great Snake’, The Lemon Twigs’ debut LP for 4AD presents a rich patchwork of the best pop rock sounds of the last half century. Ray Davies’ paisley charm permeates ‘Those Days Is Comin’ Soon’ and Queen’s bombast inflects ‘These Words’. It’s a synaesthete’s rock paradise executed with alarming spunk and vision. The D’Addario brothers are teenage virtuosos of the effortless kind and on Do Hollywood they’ve arguably made the plunderphonics approach of Dilla and The Avalanches work for band music. Resolutely listenable and thrillingly contemporary from start to finish, only the most habitual of cynics will deny they’ve made something interesting. Tim Hakki
SWET SHOP BOYS CASHMERE
Customs // October 14th Heems and Riz MC’s identities are vital to their being. The many stylistic elements at play here serve as a reflection of their British-American Indian-Pakistani cross-cultural bond, delving into their lives as prominent brown men in the Western world that wants their downfall. Even the cover takes from classic Mughal imagery, placing a missile aircraft in there to highlight the cruel realities of many brown people living in the Middle East and Asia. Therefore, this album stands as a proud reclamation of themselves; classic Bollywood samples soar through the record, reminiscent of Madlib’s Beat Conducta Volumes 3 & 4. With references to war, the Quran, and shoutouts to Bollywood bangers like ‘Chaiya Chaiya’ from the film Dil Se, the relaxed flow of Heems perfectly complements the blistering succinctness of Riz MC. Sarah Sahim
BOTANY
DEEPAK VERBERA
Western Vinyl // October 14th In Deepak Verbera, Spencer Stephenson has shaken the restraints of beats and bars and moved into borderless Kosmische country. Natural sounds feed through artificial filters to manipulate the symbolically familiar (a plucked guitar as birdsong, balletic synth sweeps as colourful plains) into a trip of shifting psych-out. The calming rush of ‘Whose Ghost’ and ‘Ory (Joyous Toil)’s brooding brass dapples the album with mystic light, while spectacle track ‘Burning From The Edges Inward’ is a smoky-eyed vision quest of billowing drones; a balm against the sonic prang-outs that punctuate Deepak Verbera’s second half. The result is a panorama that rewards patience over instant gratification, though listeners craving escalation or a progressive line through these hazy landscapes could be left cold by Stephenson’s meandering path. Grant Bailey
RIVRS RIVRS 26.10.16
HOXTON 06.10.16SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN
KAMIO 26.10.16 AT RED GALLERY KAMIO AT RED GALLERY
ST06.10.16 JOHN @ HACKNEY ST JOHN @ HACKNEY
GOAT GIRL ++SPLASHH + SPLASHH 27.10.16 27.10.16 SCALA
EMELI SANDE EMELI SANDE 06.10.16
GABRIEL BRUCE GABRIEL BRUCE
11.10.16 11.10.16 MOTH CLUB HACKNEY MOTH CLUB HACKNEY
MABEL MABEL
12.10.2016 LD OUT T SO12.10.2016 OU MOTH SOLD CLUB MOTH CLUB
SAMPHA SAMPHA
12.10.2016 T T OUOU LD LD SO12.10.2016 SO CORSICA STUDIOS CORSICA STUDIOS
BONZAI BONZAI
12.10.2016 12.10.2016 MINISTRY OF MINISTRY OFSOUND SOUND
PREP PREP 12.10.16 12.10.16 BIRTHDAYS BIRTHDAYS
LAURADOGGETT DOGGETT LAURA 16.10.2016 16.10.2016 THE SOCIAL THE SOCIAL 29.11.2016 29.11.2016 THE WAITING ROOM THE WAITING ROOM
SALUTE SALUTE
18.10.16 18.10.16 THE PICKLE FACTORY THE PICKLE FACTORY
ADIA VICTORIA ADIA VICTORIA
YAK +YAK GOAT GIRL
SCALA
HONNE HONNE
+ LIV DAWSON + LIV DAWSON 28.10.16 28.10.16 ROUNDHOUSE
ROUNDHOUSE
CROWS CROWS 31.10.16 31.10.16 100 100CLUB CLUB
ISLAND ISLAND
++PUMA PUMA BLUE BLUE 02.11.16 02.11.16 SCALA SCALA
WAND WAND GANG ++GANG
04.11.16 04.11.16 BOSTON ARMS ARMS BOSTON
BILLY BRAGG BRAGG BILLY JOE HENRY HENRY && JOE 07.11.16 OUT 07.11.16 SOLDOU T CHAPEL UNION LD SO UNION CHAPEL 08.11.16 T OU LD 08.11.16 SO T CHAPEL UNION OU LD SO UNION CHAPEL 16.1.16 T SOLD OU 16.1.16 T CHAPEL UNION OU LD SO UNION CHAPEL
24.10.2016 24.10.2016 HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN HOXTON SQUARE
SLEAFORD MODS SLEAFORD MODS 10.11.16
KHRUANGBIN KHRUANGBIN 25.10.16
EKKAH EKKAH 10.11.16
BAR & KITCHEN
ROUNDHOUSE 10.11.16 ROUNDHOUSE
ISLINGTON 25.10.16 ASSEMBLY HALL ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
CORSICA STUDIOS 10.11.16 CORSICA STUDIOS
JP COOPER JP26.10.16 COOPER O2 FORUM 26.10.16 KENTISH TOWN O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
THE WYTCHES 11.11.16 THE WYTCHES
CAMDEN 11.11.16 ELECTRIC BALLROOM CAMDEN ELECTRIC BALLROOM
THE SPECIALS THE SPECIALS 15.11.16 TROXY 15.11.16 TROXY 16.11.16 TROXY 16.11.16 TROXY
PHANTOGRAM PHANTOGRAM 16.11.16
16.11.16 HEAVEN HEAVEN
PUBLIC SERVICE PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING BROADCASTING 23.11.16
T 23.11.16 SOLD OU T ISLINGTON ACADEMY SOLD OU ISLINGTON ACADEMY
HIGHLYSUSPECT SUSPECT HIGHLY 25.11.16 25.11.16 THEDOME DOME THE
GENGAHR GENGAHR
25.11.16 25.11.16 THECOURTYARD COURTYARD THE
ANNE-MARIE ANNE-MARIE 28.11.2016 28.11.2016 KOKO KOKO
BARNS BARNSCOURTNEY COURTNEY 30.11.2016 30.11.2016 XOYO XOYO
TOURIST TOURIST
02.12.16 02.12.16 OVAL SPACE
OVAL SPACE
SHURA SHURA
07.12.16 07.12.16 O2 FORUM O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
KENTISH TOWN
SCHOOLBOY Q SCHOOLBOY Q
14.12.16 O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON 14.12.16
O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
DRIVE-BY DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS TRUCKERS 03.03.17
O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON 03.03.17
O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
CRAIG DAVID CRAIG DAVID 25.03.17 THE O2
25.03.17 THE O2
goldenvoice.co.uk goldenvoice.co.uk
FUFANU FUFANU 06.10.16
OCT – MAR OCT – MAR
GoldenvoicePresents Presents Goldenvoice Goldenvoice Presents Goldenvoice Presents
DHP PRESENTS
THU.29.SEP.16 FRI.30.SEP.16
THE LEISURE SOCIETY
ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH
SUN.09.OCT.16
AUGUSTANA SCAL A
TUE.11.OCT.16
BABEHEAVEN MON.03.OCT.16
BUSH HALL
THE LEXINGTON
LLOYD COLE
UNION CHAPEL
FRI.21.OCT.16
THE RIFLES
FRI.21.OCT.16
ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH
HOXTON HALL
WED.02.NOV.16
BELIEVERS
MON.24.OCT.16
THE LEXINGTON
THU.03.NOV.16
THE BORDERLINE
SAT.15.OCT.16 SUN.16.OCT.16
MY LIFE STORY
WED.26.OCT.16
FIELD MUSIC
O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE
SAT.05.NOV.16
CITIZEN COPE
UNION CHAPEL
WED.05.OCT.16
THE BORDERLINE
HACKNEY VARIOUS VENUES
MATT SIMONS
THE BORDERLINE
THE COMPUTERS
SAT.29.OCT.16
MIRRORS
SKINNY LIVING
SUN.09.OCT.16
HAMILTON & ROSTAM
ROYAL ALBERT HALL
VILL AGE UNDERGROUND
FRI.14.OCT.16
SIMONE FELICE
MON.24.OCT.16
BRIAN WILSON
THE ALBUM LEAF CHOIR OF YOUNG THE GARAGE
TUE.04.OCT.16 TUE.04.OCT.16
THU.20.OCT.16
WED.12.OCT.16
WARHAUS MON.03.OCT.16
THE GARAGE
KOKO
HANNAH GRACE THE LEXINGTON
THU.20.OCT.16
SKINNY LISTER
MON.17.OCT.16
JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW ROUNDHOUSE
THU.27.OCT.16
PALACE WINTER HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN
THU.10.NOV.16
OKKERVIL RIVER ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
THU.10.NOV.16
BEN CAPLAN & THE CASUAL SMOKERS
THU.24.NOV.16
CIGARETTES AFTER SEX SCAL A
TUE.06.DEC.16
SAT.21.JAN.17
EMMY THE GREAT THE FLAMING LIPS VILL AGE UNDERGROUND
O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
UNION CHAPEL
THU.01.DEC.16
THU.10.NOV.16
WHITNEY KOKO
TUE.15.NOV.16
THE GROWLERS
BRIXTON ELECTRIC
THU.17.NOV.16
ARDYN
ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH
THU.01.DEC.16
MYSTIC BRAVES
SHACKLEWELL ARMS
FRI.02.DEC.16
TUE.06.DEC.16
FRI.03.FEB.16
SCOTT MATTHEWS ST. PAUL & THE ISLINGTON BROKEN BONES ASSEMBLY HALL O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
WED07.DEC.16
BLACK GRAPE ELECTRIC BALLROOM
THU.08.DEC.16
SAT.11.FEB.17
AMERICAN FOOTBALL
O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE
JULIE RUIN JANET DEVLIN BEANS ON TOAST THE KOKO OSLO
UNION CHAPEL TUE.14.FEB.16
KARL BLAU FRI.18.NOV.16
WILL VARLEY
UNION CHAPEL
SAT.03.DEC.16
FELIX RIEBL BUSH HALL
FRI.09.DEC.16
TURIN BRAKES
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
DINOSAUR JR O2 FORUM
KENTISH TOWN
JAIN
FRI.10.DEC.16
THE GARAGE
THU.02.MAR.17
FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS
MON.05.DEC.16
FRI.18.NOV.16
100 CLUB
ELECTRIC BRIXTON
LAWNMOWER DETH THE DOME
ALTTICKETS.COM | FB.COM/ALTTICKETS | @ALTTICKETS
EVENTS
a selection of new stuff we’re excited about: POWELL
SIMPLE THINGS FESTIVAL Our friends at Crack Magazine throw one hell of a good party, and the biggest of them all is their annual Simple Things Festival. Taking over the city centre (well more than ten of its venues anyway) they curate one of the best line-ups of the year with a mixture of rock, experimental, rap and electronic music. Including everything from Warpaint and Kano to Powell and Bad Breeding, it’s an electrifying collision of energy that’s both impossible to keep up with and difficult not to get swept up in. Don’t let anyone tell you the festival season ends, it just gets better with every turn. October 22nd, Bristol, Various venues. @simplethingsuk // simplethingsfestival.co.uk
BEING A MAN FESTIVAL A weekend of events examining and discussing the pressures of being a man in the 21st century. With an array of artists and writers (and even stuntmen) from Professor Green, to our very own Jack Urwin to Kele Okereke of Bloc Party the schedule is stuffed full of the most interesting subjects, facts and debate. This is the third year of the festival, and will see a focus on the emotional lives of men and boys and the effects they have on every element of their lives, particularly family relationships and mental health. An important event that everyone, regardless of gender, can learn from. KELE OKEREKE (photo: Rachael Wright)
LiS 40
November 25th-27th, Southbank Centre, @afropunk // @southbankcentre
MIRRORS FESTIVAL
SWIMMING TAPES
Another spectacularly curated multi-venue festival is here to make sure your end-of-summer blues stay at bay. With Bat For Lashes heading up proceedings and Fucked Up performing Hidden World it’d be easy to miss the array of up-and-coming bands they’ve made room for on the line-up including the brilliant Babeheaven and Swimming Tapes. Only in its second year it’s easy to see this becoming an autumn staple. October 29th, Hackney, Various venues. @mirrorslondon // mirrorslondon.com
BFI FILM FESTIVAL The BFI Film Festival is back and it’s got a little of something for everyone. A star-studded event filled with exclusives, screen talks and a seemingly endless carousel of fascinating new movies spanning every genre. Celebrating a mighty 60 years of the festival, it’ll take-over the city with huge cinemas in outdoor spaces, headline galas in Leicester Square and a rich array of international screenings. October 5th-16th. Various venues. @BFI // bfi.org.uk
DAVID BOWIE EXHIBITION We can’t get enough of celebrating the life and work of David Bowie and luckily we’re not the only ones. Throughout October, at photofusion in Brixton, photography collective Rockarchive are displaying a collection of images from throughout Bowie’s life, many never exhibited in the UK before. A real insight into his incredible life through the eyes of the photographers who knew and worked with him. The exhibit is part of the Brixton Design Trail, so who knows what other treats you’ll find. Until October 26th, Photofusion, SW9 8LA @Rockarchive // @photofusionUK LiS 41
SUNdaY 02 OCTOBER | 7:00
DIY ALL DAYER FEAT PRIDES + MORE MONdaY 03 OCTOBER | 7:00
NE OBLIVISCARIS TUESdaY 04 OCTOBER | 7:30
OSCAR
WEDNESdaY 05 OCTOBER | 7:00
ELECTRIC CITIZEN THURSdaY 06 OCTOBER | 7:00
BLOOD YOUTH
THURSdaY 06 OCTOBER | 7:00
MITSKI
FRIdaY 07 OCTOBER | 7:00
GUITAR WOLF SAT 08 & SUN 09 OCTOBER | 3:00
LIVE EVIL 2016 MONdaY 10 OCTOBER | 7:00
CHUCK MOSELEY WEDNESdaY 12 OCTOBER | 7:30
TURNOVER
FRIdaY 14 OCTOBER | 7:00
DEAD LETTER CIRCUS FRIdaY 14 OCTOBER | 7:00
FRANCIS DUNNERY SATURdaY 15 OCTOBER | 7:00
KERBDOG
Sunday 16 OCTOBER | 7:00
CARCER CITY MONdaY 17 OCTOBER | 7:00
TRAP THEM
TUESdaY 18 OCTOBER | 7:00
THE MAHONES
TUESdaY 18 OCTOBER | 7:00
WOVENHAND
THURSdaY 20 OCTOBER | 7:00
INHEAVEN
SATURdaY 22 OCTOBER | 7:00
INME
SATURdaY 22 OCTOBER | 7:00
NEGURA BUNGET SUNdaY 23 OCTOBER | 6:30
DEAD HARTS
SUNdaY 23 OCTOBER | 7:00
OBSCURA
MONdaY 24 OCTOBER | 7:30
PORCHES
Wednesday 26 OCTOBER | 7:00
ANGELCORPSE FRIdaY 28 OCTOBER | 7:00
BLACK FOXXES SATURdaY 29 OCTOBER | 7:00
STRAIGHT LINES SATURdaY 29 OCTOBER | 8:00
ROZALEN
MONdaY 31 OCTOBER | 7:00
BLANK MANUSCRIPT Wednesday 02 NOVEMBER | 7:00
SHVPES
THURSdaY 03 NOVEMBER | 7:00
BLACK TUSK
THURSdaY 03 NOVEMBER | 7:00
TELEGRAM & PHOBOPHOBES
FRI 04 & SAT 05 NOVEMBER | 6:00
STATIC SHOCK WEEKEND
CHELOU WED 28 SEPT ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH
PLASTIC MERMAIDS THURS 13 OCT LONDON FIELDS BREWERY
WOVOKA GENTLE THURS 29 SEPT CHATS PALACE
FEAR OF MEN FRI 14 OCT CHATS PALACE
THE MOONLANDINGZ THURS 29 SEPT OSLO HACKNEY
OPERATORS TUES 18 OCT THE LEXINGTON
WILD BEASTS TUES 4 OCT & WED 5 OCT ROUNDHOUSE
MARTHA FFION FRI 21 OCT SEBRIGHT ARMS
LAIL ARAD WED 2 & THURS 15 NOV SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS MERCHANDISE WED 2 NOV THE LEXINGTON THE BIG MOON THURS 3 NOV SCALA GLASS GANG TUES 8 NOV THE WAITING ROOM
BEATY HEART THURS 6 OCT BUSSEY BUILDING
KAITLYN AURELIA SMITH MON 24 OCT THE PICKLE FACTORY
MITSKI THURS 6 OCT UT OLD O DOME TUFNELLSPARK
JESSY LANZA TUES 25 OCT SCALA
SERATONES THURS 10 NOV OSLO HACKNEY
SNOW GHOSTS THURS 6 OCT THE WAITING ROOM
GLASS ANIMALS TUES 25 OCT OUT SOLD ROUNDHOUSE
STEVE GUNN MON 14 NOV 100 CLUB
FRAN LOBO MON 10 OCT THE PICKLE FACTORY
EZRA FURMAN MON 31 OCT ROUNDHOUSE
PARQUET COURTS TUES 11 OCT O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
THIS IS THE KIT TUES 1 NOV UNION CHAPEL
LA FEMME THURS 17 NOV O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE
EASTERN BARBERS THURS 10OLDNOV OUT S THE NINES
BC CAMPLIGHT FRI 18 NOV OSLO HACKNEY
HAZEL ENGLISH MON 21 NOV THE WAITING ROOM ANNA MEREDITH WED 23 NOV SCALA PALACE WED 23 NOV BRIXTON ELECTRIC HIDDEN CAMERAS TUES 29 NOV THE LEXINGTON HINDS FRI 2 DEC O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN RHAIN WED 7 DEC THE WAITING ROOM GIRL BAND THURS 8 DEC SCALA CATE LE BON WED 14 DEC ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL GLASS ANIMALS THURS 16 MAR O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON PARALLELLINESPROMOTIONS.COM
GIGS OF THE MONTH
OUR PICK OF THE BEST SHOWS HAPPENING IN OCTOBER 2016
ECHOES
IGLOOGHOST Prepare your brain for some not-very-gentle frying courtesy of the warped and wonderful electronica of Iglooghost.
BRIXTON WINDMILL
BARCREEPS // THE BURNT TAPES // TERRICS You could squander your Monday evening indulging in all kinds of mundanity or you could get yourself to the Windmill and indulge in a ton of skatey-punk kicks and feel much better about the world. Easy choice, really. 10/10/16 £3adv @windmillbrixton
BRIXTON
12/10/16 £15.50 @Echoes_Ldn HAGGERSTON
THE LEXINGTON
JAPANESE BREAKFAST Japanese Breakfast made one of our singles of the year with the glorious ‘Everybody Wants To Love You’. Indiesynthpop at its very finest. So much love. 25/10/16 £7.50adv @thelexington
ANGEL
KAMIO SÄLEN
Much-hyped & rightly so - Sälen won us all over with ‘‘Diseasey’ this year. Spooked, atmospheric electronica with pop suss. 19/10/16 £6 @iamkamio
OLD STREET
SHACKLEWELL ARMS ALTERN-8
Well, I don’t think any of us would have predicted the return of early 90s rave pioneers Altern-8 in Dalston 2016, but here we are - and we’re expecting one of the absolute parties of the year. ALTERN-8
29/10/16 £8adv // @Shacklewell Arms
DALSTON JUNCTION / KINGSLAND
BETHNAL GREEN WORKING MEN’S CLUB CALVIN JOHNSON // THE CATENARY WIRES
We don’t throw around the word ‘legend’ often here, but we think it’s fair for Mr Calvin Johnson. Plus there’s Amelia Fletcher’s new band too! Ace night.
17/10/16 £9adv @BGWMC BETHNAL GREEN LiS 45
SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
O2 ISLINGTON ACADEMY
We guess you’d call it folky-indie, but that doesn’t do justice to the singularity of Jinnwoo. He’s definitely one to watch.
These iconic pioneers of American hardcore need little introduction, and there’s zero doubt this night’ll be huge.
30/10/16 £3adv @ServantJazz
14/10/16 £20adv @O2Islington
JINNWOO
DEAD KENNEDYS
DALSTON JUNCTION / KINGSLAND
BORDERLINE
ANGEL
14+15/10/16 £24adv @theborderline TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD
MY LIFE STORY: SINGLES CLUB
Jake Shillingford’s gold lamé-clad 90s survivors are back in London, sparkling and shining with incredible pophits, and a new single.
OSLO
HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN
YUMI ZOUMA
FUFANU
The history of LiS is steeped deep in the back catalogue of Yumi Zouma’s exemplary synthpop. One of our favourite bands, back over from New Zealand. 17/10/16 £10adv @OsloHackney
HACKNEY CENTRAL
With a new album coming, this is a prime time to see the electronic postpunk of these Icelandic marvels. 06/10/16 £7adv @HoxtonSquareBar
OLD STREET
THE GOOD SHIP
NEW CROSS INN
OXJAM: BILLOW CLOUD // FRANCESCA TER-BEG + MANY MORE
WARHORNS // GHOST OF THE AVALANCHE // KING BEE
A night of local bands with all door money going to straight to Oxfam. Get down and support new bands for a good cause.
Peace In The City present a wonderfully noisy night of punky fun in Kilburn, headed up by Devon’s Warhorns. Come ready to dance.
07/10/16 £5 donation @NewCrossInn
27/10/16 £4adv @thegoodshipNW6
NEW CROSS / NEW CROSS GATE
KILBURN
THE DOME PORCHES
It’s been quite the year for Porches: sell-out shows, an album and EP everyone seems to love and now a headline show at The Dome. PORCHES LiS 46
24/10/16 £11adv @DomeTufnellPark
TUFNELL PARK
MYKKI BLANCO
(photo: Phil Sharp)
XOYO
MYKKI BLANCO Last month’s cover star is back in London and, seriously, you do not want to miss the astonishing live act that is Mykki Blanco. You’ll never forget it. 05/10/16 £13.50adv @XOYO_London
OLD STREET
WAITING ROOM STEVIE PARKER
Comparisons to the xx, Stevie Nicks & Tegan and Sara show just how much is going on here. ‘The Cure’ is an A+ single. 11/10/16 FREE @WaitingRoomN16
DALSTON JUNCTION/ KINGSLAND
Bouncing about between R&B, hip-hop, jazz and soul - Xenia Rubinos isn’t easy to pigeonhole, but good god is she ever great.
24/10/16 £7.50adv @_Birthdays DALSTON JUNCTION/ KINGSLAND
BIRTHDAYS
XENIA RUBINOS
BEDROOM BAR
OXJAM: SILVASTRAIN // THE BRANDY THIEVES + MORE
PAPER DRESS VINTAGE
ATTU // BEAR PAW // VIDEO BLUE
Raising £ for Oxfam via live acts. Part of the Oxjam Shoreditch takeover
Real good to see ATTU back, and plying their summery synthy pop in our favourite tiny venue.
16/10/16 FREE @Bedroom_Bar
14/10/16 £5 donation @paperdressed
OLD STREET
HACKNEY CENTRAL
THE LOCK TAVERN
100 CLUB
Doing the kind of DIY indie noise that we adore time after time, Sports Team have a strong name, and sound awesome.
Crows are one of the best live bands in London at the moment - brutal, noisy, thrilling and absolutely brilliant.
06/10/16 FREE @thelocktavern
31/10/16 £9adv @100clubLondon
CROWS
SPORTS TEAM + MORE
CHALK FARM / CAMDEN TOWN
TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD LiS 47
PLUS VERY SPECIAL GUESTS:
. .
FRIDAY 21ST OCTOBER LONDON ROUNDHOUSE
FRIDAY 16TH DECEMBER
LONDON O2 FORUM
presents By The Sea Festival
OSCAR GIRLI
FABER PRESENTS
SIMON REYNOLDS In Conversation
DREAMLAND, MARGATE
THE DOME
THE FORGE
Friday 30 Sept & Sat 01 Oct.
Tuesday 04 October.
Wednesday 05 October.
SWANS
BLAENAVON TOOTHLESS & FISH
HOLY FUCK
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
SCALA
Thursday 13 & Friday 14 October.
Friday 14 October.
Saturday 15 October.
YUMI ZOUMA
POLIÇA
AMBER ARCADES
CHAD VALLEY
FOG
VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
OSLO
ROUNDHOUSE
MOTH CLUB
Monday 17 October.
Wednesday 19th October.
Thursday 20 October.
BAYONNNE
HEALTH&BEAUTY
MØ
SHACKLEWELL ARMS
THE LOCK TAVERN
ROUNDHOUSE
Thursday 20 October.
Friday 21 October.
Saturday 22 October.
BRANDT BRAUER FRICK
HALEY BONAR
SPRING KING
OSLO
MOTH CLUB
KAGOULE & GET INUIT
KOKO
Tuesday 25 October.
Thursday 27 October.
Friday 28 October.
Illuminations Festival
Popular Culture Presents
Illuminations Festival
AUTUMN STREET STUDIOS
THE FINSBURY
THE BUG presents “SIRENS” Friday 28 October.
Illuminations Festival
SLØTFACE with LESS WIN
Friday 28 October.
BLACKOUT OVAL SPACE
Sunday 30 October.
Illuminations Festival
LUBOMYR MELNYK
XYLOURIS WHITE
BARBICAN
THE FORGE
OVAL SPACE
Monday 31 October.
Tuesday 01 November.
Wednesday 02 November.
Illuminations Festival
Illuminations Festival
MURCOF & VANESSA WAGNER
JUNUN
LET’S EAT GRANDMA
CASS McCOMBS BAND
feat. Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and the Rajasthan Express
RUN LOLA RUN
TROXY
MICKS GARAGE WAREHOUSE
SCALA
Friday 04 November.
Monday 07 November.
Friday 04 November.
KEVIN MORBY
THREE TRAPPED TIGERS
Illuminations Festival
THE PHYSICS HOUSE BAND
PANTHU DU PRINCE
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
HEAVEN
ELECTRIC BRIXTON
Tuesday 08 November.
Friday 11 November.
Friday 11 November.
BLACK MOUNTAIN
MEG BAIRD
FLUME
MUTUAL BENEFIT
ALEXANDRA PALACE
CECIL SHARP HOUSE
THE DOME
Thursday 17 November.
Thursday 17 November.
Thursday 17 November.
WILLIAM TYLER
HOW TO DRESS WELL
RADICAL FACE
BUSH HALL
VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
SCALA
Sunday 20 November.
Monday 21 November.
Tuesday 22 November.
MELT YOURSELF DOWN
SHE KEEPS BEES
BLACK PEACHES
OMEARA
MOTH CLUB
KAMIO
Wednesday 30 November.
Friday 02 December.
Thursday 08 December.
OCTOBER’S FULL LISTINGS YOUR DAY-BY-DAY GUIDE TO ALL THE GIGS, AT ALL THE VENUES, IN LONDON THIS MONTH. FOR ALL THE LATEST & MOST UP-TO-DATE LISTINGS, AND TO SIGN UP TO OUR GIGS OF THE WEEK EMAIL, VISIT LONDONINSTEREO.COM SATURDAY 1ST OCTOBER
SUNDAY 2ND OCTOBER
TUESDAY 11TH OCTOBER
MONDAY 10TH OCTOBER
WEDNESDAY 12TH OCTOBER
THURSDAY 13TH OCTOBER
FRIDAY 14TH OCTOBER
SUNDAY 16TH OCTOBER SATURDAY 15TH OCTOBER
MONDAY 17TH OCTOBER
TUESDAY 18TH OCTOBER
WEDNESDAY 19TH OCTOBER
THURSDAY 20TH OCTOBER
FRIDAY 21ST OCTOBER
SATURDAY 22ND OCTOBER
SUNDAY 23RD OCTOBER
MONDAY 24TH OCTOBER
TUESDAY 25TH OCTOBER
WEDNESDAY 26TH OCTOBER
THURSDAY 27TH OCTOBER
SATURDAY 29TH OCTOBER
FRIDAY 28TH OCTOBER
ALTERN-8
SUNDAY 30TH OCTOBER
MONDAY 31ST OCTOBER
10—16 Shacklewell Arms 71 Shacklewell Lane London E8 Tuesday 4 October
HONEYBLOOD Thursday 13 October
DAMO SUZUKI Wednesday 19 October
DUNE RATS Thursday 20 October
BAYONNE Sunday 30 October
Lanzarote
lanzaroteworks.com #lanzaroteworks
presents
The Waiting Room 175 Stoke Newington High St N16 Wednesday 5 October
HIS CLANCYNESS Thursday 6 October
SNOW GHOSTS Saturday 9 October
OLIVER HO Thursday 14 October
OLIVER COATS Friday 14 October
ROUGH TRADE 40TH ANNIVERSARY
PHUONG DAN
The Lock Tavern
MOTH Club
35 Chalk Farm Rd London NW1 Wednesday 5 October
SURF DADS Tuesday 11 October
LIFE Thursday 13 October
RAD FRU Sunday 23 October
SCRAPER Saturday 29 October
SLOTFACE
Valette St London E8 Tuesday 11 October
GABRIEL BRUCE Friday 14 October
SELF DEFENSE FAMILY Thursday 20 October
AMBER ARCADES Sunday 23 October
THE SETH BOGART SHOW Saturday 29 October
MIRRORS FESTIVAL
Join the campaign to save our culture. Donate to fight with fabric. www.fabriclondon.com/save-culture #savefabric #savenightlife #saveourculture
IN LONDON
with
Ultimate Painting Why do you live in London? Jack: A series of misfortunes means I can’t really leave, even though it’s pretty difficult to stay here financially. My wife’s work is here, James is here. I think it’d be easier to exist as a musician in Bristol or Manchester. Saying all that, I do really love London. There’s still an element of romance to living here...I still get a thrill walking over Waterloo Bridge. Where do you like to eat and drink? Jack: London is getting better and better for vegans or vegetarians. I really love going to Cook Daily at Boxpark, Black Cat Cafe in Hackney, pizza at Fed By Water in Dalston, Club Mexicana, Itadaki Zen in Kings Cross...So much good vegan food. James: I go to the Rochester Castle. I don’t really eat out in London as I’ve got other financial priorities. Your favourite outdoor space? James: I live right by Clissold Park, which is pretty nice. London has amazing parks all over the city. Jack: The street... Anywhere where you can congregate with friends and take advantage of the liberal street drinking laws. Any venues you love? Jack: Every year it seems we lose another good venue. I think The Lexington is probably the best venue for its size and then there’s a whole host of bigger venues that I love. Tufnell Park Dome, Islington Assembly Hall... James: The Shacklewell Arms. In part due to the beer garden. The room is very small which I like for watching a band. Does London ever influence the music you write? James: I think so. There’s an inherent loneliness to London, the size, the transient nature. It’s an influence. Jack: Yes, but I almost think it’s an influence in that the music James and I make is a reaction against London. We’re turning our back on it and looking up to greener places north of the city... but to do that London needs to be there behind us.
photo: John Sturdy
What’s makes for a really great day in London? Jack: I really love spending time in town, wandering round Soho and looking at records. I think my favourite day is going for breakfast, walking from Stamford Hill to Shoreditch, maybe bumping into some people or going for a drink in the park. Seeing what happens. What’s the worst thing about the place? James: The cost of everything. Also I end up never seeing friends who live on the other side of town as the commute is so long. How would you advise someone to get the most out of London? James: Get a bicycle, and don’t be lazy like I am. Go out to exhibitions/galleries, to shows and museums. There’s always something happening. Ultimate Painting release their Dusk LP September 30th via Trouble In Mind. LIVE: Islington Assembly Hall, October 6th. ONLINE: @ult_painting // ultimatepainting.band LiS 69
LIVE
Balthazar at Into The Great Wide Open (Photo: Melanie van Leeuwen).
INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN - Vlieland, September 1st-4th An extremely tiny island called Vlieland, just across the North Sea from Skegness, is where Into the Great Wide Open calls home once a year for a four day weekend. The population of the island, according to Wikipedia for all its reliability, is just 1,113. Come September, that figure increases 500%. You’d think that it would be rowdy, filthy, and completely unbearable for the islanders who are used to their small, friendly community, brought together by one single bus route, but I guess I’ve spent too much time stepping over a sea of discarded cans of Red Stripe at Field Day and assumed wrong. Though not implicitly implied, as soon as you arrive at the festival after walking from south to north of the island in less than fifteen minutes, it feels like its objective is for one to truly lose themselves in all senses of the phrase. That includes following poorly lit paths in the middle of forests to get to and from stages, and the sheer act of being on an island only accessible by a one and a half hour ferry from Harlingen Haven, a port town that stands as a behemoth in comparison. It seems as if every single act was carefully curated to complement the surroundings – who was worth venturing
out into the forest for? Headliners Balthazar surprised the obsessive festival goers on the first night with a surprise set featuring Cordette Quartet, a string quartet where keyboardist and violinist Patricia Vanneste moonlights. Many of Balthazar’s brooding songs, such as ‘Wait Any Longer’, are accented by Vanneste’s violin, but the quartet allowed for a more concentrated take on the preexisting scores. While Balthazar’s headline set on Saturday emphasised a more punctuated side to the band as they bid farewell before their year-long sabbatical. Goodbyes are always complemented with greetings, though, as the festival gave way for Jinte Deprez of Balthazar to play one of his first solo sets as J. Bernhardt. Though the songs aren’t quite fully formed yet (and remain without titles for the time being), what we heard was an electrifying and intense burst of energy from Deprez, something that he was unable to fully mine with Balthazar. Maarten Devoldere, on the the other hand, played a solo set in support of his new record, We Fucked A Flame Into Being, under his solo pseudonym, Warhaus. The music is somehow even darker than Balthazar’s moody indie rock, but strips the focus down to a three person band that allows Devoldere’s deep
vocals to shine though. He’s certainly more adventurous than with the the already expletive-ridden lyrics of Balthazar, rhyming “establishment”" with “cunt” to visible confusion from my friend and I, as toddlers were present, but they were also Dutch so perhaps it didn’t matter as much. I Am Oak and Devendra Banhart were examples of more folky acts perpetuating the laid-back feel of the festival, with Banhart continually describing the vibe as gentle, telling the audience to close their eyes and remind themselves that they’re okay. I guess it’s all well and good when you’re an indie darling, but at least his intentions were okay. And he made sure to please the crowd too, playing classics such as ‘Seahorse’ and ‘Long Haired Child’. Mike Krol, however, tore the tiny De Bolder stage up with his anti-punk rock... punk rock. Dressed in a cheap burglar outfit complete with a cape and eye mask, and backed by his sidekicks sporting matching striped black and white white long sleeve t-shirts, Krol’s rowdy raucous of a set won over a lot of gentle Dutch folk that day. My only gripe was the lack of diversity amongst the acts performing, besides Junoon, Into the Great Wide Open hosted a sea of white acts. This speaks equally to the lack of inclusivity in indie scenes and the reluctance to book acts with people of colour by those who shape the scene. The festival, however, is about community, for all its pitfalls and praise. This remote place, that required over ten hours of travel from Birmingham to reach, welcomed visitors with open arms. Sarah Sahim
GRANDADDY - Vicar Street, Dublin - August 18th
This has happened before. Four years ago I couldn’t make a Grandaddy show in London, so had to go to Manchester (which is in the north of England it turns out) to see their triumphant return. 2016, and there’s no London show announced so this time it’s off to Dublin because this is what you do for those rare bands that matter more than all the other bands: if you get a chance to see Grandaddy you do what it takes to go see Grandaddy. Vicar Street is the best I've ever seen them play. This band with the best songs about the sad‘n’broken robots and sadder, broker humans, this band that understand and articulate the wretched malaise of our times better than any other, this band spark‘n’fizz with renewed verve which jolts their most treasured moments (‘Levitz’, ‘El Caminos in the West’) to new levels of staggering wonder. And when those first jarring stabs of ‘A.M. 180’ punch out you’ve never heard a louder roar from a crowd in your life. Seemingly genuinely overwhelmed by the euphoric reaction of this Dublin crowd, they let us know 2017 is gonna be okay with promises of a new album and a blast through the new – and wonderfully Grandaddy – ‘Way We Won’t’ 2016 can jog on now, to be honest. Of course a London show happens and of course it’s again incredible. Always go see Grandaddy, that’s the rule. Dave Rowlinson LiS 71
PRESENTS
BAD BREEDING TUE 25 OCT ELECTROWERKZ TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MYTICKET.CO.UK
by fabric’s Rob Booth
PENNY FOR YO UR THOUG HTS
On my first day working at fabric I sat down with Keith Reilly (co-founder), and I remember chatting about my stint at LTJ Bukem’s Good Looking Records whilst I was still studying at university. I asked him what fabric meant to him – why the name? – he replied that it meant ‘everything and nothing’, the opposite to other London clubs around at the time. I realise now that ‘everything’ meant the 250 staff who pour their heart and soul into what we do week in week out. This is more than just a nightclub – it may sound clichéd but this is a way of life for all of us here. Music is embedded in our souls, so much so that we honestly couldn’t think of anything else we would want to do. I was going to say job, but I’ve never seen my time at fabric since 2012 as a job. It’s been an absolute pleasure to be asked to set up the in-house record label Houndstooth alongside Rob Butterworth and Leo Belchetz – having the opportunity to A&R and manage such amazing artists, and seeing their careers and the label grow as they became close friends has been so rewarding. When we launched the label with a 12” it was a release by an unknown artist at the time, Call Super. The reactions were extreme: from comments like ‘Who is he? Where are all the big producers?’, to posts on RA around the 2nd release: ‘I don’t get this label at all, you would think fabric with their push/pull could at least lock down some solid music.’ Houndstooth represents exactly what fabric is, and what it stands for: bringing exciting new music to inform and educate our listeners. fabric was born with two resident DJs whom no-one really knew in Craig Richards and Terry Francis. Seventeen years later, they’re both still here. Where else does that happen in this night time industry? fabric is home, and if fabric closes for good then not just the London economy but UK nightlife and culture will suffer. fabric is worldwide, fabric is a place thousands of people turn to when they want to hear the best electronic music right now, with people coming from all corners of the globe. This is most evident when you come to the dance each weekend – a mini festival held every weekend in the centre of London. join the campaign to help #savefabric - fabriclondon.com/save-culture @robbooth // @houndstoothlbl // @fabriclondon LiS 73
PRESENTS
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MYTICKET.CO.UK
PRESENTS
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MYTICKET.CO.UK
S.J.M. CONCERTS PRESENTS
PLUS THE WYTCHES
PLUS GUESTS
10 OCT / O2 BRIXTON ACADEMY
24 OCT / ELECTRIC BALLROOM
PLUS GUESTS
PLUS GUESTS
25 OCT / VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
26 OCT / DINGWALLS
MATT BERRY & THE MAYPOLES PLUS GUESTS
PLUS GUESTS
01 NOV / KOKO
01 NOV / SCALA
THE JAPANESE HOUSE PLUS GUESTS
PLUS JELLYSKIN
07 NOV / HEAVEN
02 NOV / DINGWALLS
PLUS GUESTS
PLUS GUESTS
21 NOV / DINGWALLS
28 NOV / SCALA
0844 811 0051