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20/11/2017 – Gogol Bordello-Did it All (Live)
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Tag Archives: Live
12/10/2017 – The Emperors of Ice Cream-Can I Lie Down in the Snow
23/09/2017 – Hypercube Extrusion-Recordings-_87-89_.wav
02/04/2017 – Young Camelot-Beauty Bar
27/11/2016 – John Carpenter- Virtual Survivor (2016)
The sentence “Hello, I’m John Carpenter…” is a simple one when you break it down. All its doing is just saying a simple salutation, but its effect was devastating. It turned a few hundred people into a jibbeirng, shouting, frothing mess. Very similar after watching on of Carpenter’s films. But I’m getting a bit a-head of myself. Let’s rewind things slightly before we continue.
John Carpenter has been horror/action films since the late 1960’s. Films like Dark Star, Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, The Thing Christine, Starman and Big Trouble in Little China really put his name on the cultural map. As well as writing, directing and producing these films he also wrote ground breaking scores. They were stark synth soundscapes filled with chilling motifs and eerie moments that really helped cement the vibe and feeling of these films. And it’s thanks to these scores that hundreds of people have braved a cold October evening in Brighton to watch a master of screen become a master of the stage on his debut UK gig.
Carpenter opted to open with ‘Escape from New York’. While ‘New York’ doesn’t have the bombastic opening of other themes, it did say to us “Don’t worry. While I’m opening with a classic, I still have plenty of bangers left in up my sleeves” and this is exactly what happened. As Carpenter, and his 5 piece band, played the theme shivers ran up and down my body as I was transported by to my mate’s parent’s lounge one summer holiday when we watched film after film and slow became obsessed not only with his films but his music. While the band belted out their opening number, there was a screen behind them playing a condensed version of the film. This really helped to hammer home not just not just where the theme was from, but where it fitted culturally.
Once Carpenter had finished we were in the palm of his hand. “Hello, I’m John Carpenter…” he said before launching into ‘Precinct 13’. Since I’d first seen this film as a 15 year old it has stayed with me. This is partly down to the exquisite minimal electronic score and its catchy theme. The footage that played in the background of deserted suburbs and inner city sprawl coupled with the heroes of the film slaying an unending army of gang members really helped ground the feeling isolation and violence that permeates through the score. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t the highlight of the set.
Next up was the first of the sets low points. At the back of all of our collective minds was the thought “He won’t play any new songs will he?” The answer to this was yes. While there was nothing wrong with ‘Vortex’ and ‘Mystery’ they didn’t have the bite of the opening salvo. However when they finished Carpenter and co. launched into ‘The Fog’, ‘They Live’ and ‘The Thing’. These three films turned Carpenter from an underground hero to mainstream superstar, and this was down again, to their delicate, eerie suspenseful synth scores. As the footage rolled in the back ground, the songs took on even more sinister tones. ‘They Live’ was the first track of the set that deviated from an electro sound. The main component of the track is a blues guitar riff, while industrial beats recreate the sound, and feeling of loneliness of a major city. As the song started the band all put in black wayfarer sunglasses and the screen showed the “Obey”, “Consume”, “Submit”, “Conform” and “Money is You God” slogans that Roddy Piper sees in the film when he put on his sunglasses. These little touches really show that Carpenter had thought about how the set would look and feel, rather than just playing some ‘the hits’.
Throughout the set Carpenter spoke briefly, when the mood took him, danced behind his keyboard. Now we spoke to the audience in a bit more detail. “I’ve made five films with my very good friend. The one film when we have the most fun was about some big trouble in little China’ the audience roared with delight and approval. This was one of the songs where the backing video really hammered home the music. Seeing Kurt Russell strutting about as Jack Burton on screen while the band played their hearts out remind me of watching the film for the first time as a child with my parents and being on the edge of my seat. As Carpenter and co played on I was back on the edge of my seat again, trying not to blink in case I missed something amazing.
Carpenter addressed the crowd again after ‘Big Trouble’, “I direct horror movies. I love horror movies. Horror movies will never die!” then he launched in ‘Halloween’. This is by far his most iconic song and the crowd responded with whoops, cheers and hundreds of devil horns were thrust in the air, to which Carpenter replied! The last song was ‘In the Mouth of Madness’. This is a lesser known work in Carpenter’s back catalogue, but possibly his last great film. And its inclusion at this point in the set made sense.
The band then bowed, applauded us and left the stage. However, after a short break, they returned to the stage. Their encore consisted of ‘Prince of Darkness’, new songs ‘Virtual Survivor’ and ‘Purgatory’. Before the final song of the evening Carpenter thanked us for coming out and said “Make sure you get home safety, as Christine might be out there…” then launched into the final song of the night ‘Christine’.
On the walk home, as well as looking out for killer cars, I played the night over in my mind, and although it had been a sublime trip down memory lane there were some downsides. Most notably the inclusion of five or six new songs. We all get that he is proud of both of the Lost Themes albums, but there are other themes that we would have rather heard instead. ‘Starman’, ‘Village of the Damned’, ‘Vampires’ and ‘Ghosts of Mars’. Yes the new songs were enjoyable, and sounded like cues from his existing films, but they missed that spark that all his themes have. This might have been done to them not having backing visuals, but they were the weaker points of the set. However, when Carpenter went back to the well everything was forgiven. Seeing John Carpenter is more than a cash in to watch edited versions of your favourite films with a live score. It’s a way to watch a legend at work. Carpenter look comfortable, and at times, like he’d been playing live for years. But as Jack Burton would say “It’s all in the reflexes…”
26/11/2016 – Martin Green-Laws of Motion
“This is a show about journeys” Martin Green said “All of you had a journey to get here and will have one to get home”. Martin Green’s ‘Flit’ project explores the themes or travel, migration and home. After seeing his Grandmother to ask her for stories he could tell his children. Green then decided to talk to other people about why they’ve moved, and migrated, around the world. He then set about writing sounds based on the stories he was told/themes he picked up on in then. He surrounded himself with a band, and vocalists, to die for featuring Adam Holmes, Aidan Moffat (Arab Strap), Becky Unthank (The Unthanks), Dominic Aitchinson (Mogwai) and Adrian Utley (Portishead). As if this wasn’t enough, the animations throughout the list set come curiosity of whiterobot.
“This is something happens naturally. It’s universal, and it’s why there’s quite a strong focus on birds in the animations that illustrate the music. Birds are the perennial migrants, it’s what they do”. It’s the animations that hammer home the messages, and themes, of the songs. While we were seated waiting for the show to start, and after we’d witnessed Unthanks perform accapella with a banjo in the bar, screens of brown paper filled the stage, obscuring instruments. On these animated birds were projected. These birds were made of brown paper, through folds and rips. As the musicians took the stage these screen were rolled up. At various points throughout performance the screens were pulled out again, only to have them ripped in two at pivotal moments of the song. The symbiotic nature of music and animation gives off the feeling that both are connected, and playing off each other, rather than the animation solely being created as an after-thought.
After the band took to the stage, minus Moffat who wasn’t present, and launched into their first song, The Suitcase. After Moffat’s monologue a Post-Rock sound scape was constructed. Interspersing this was Unthanks beautiful vocals, that have to he heard to be believed, along with Holmes’ lyrical timbre set the scene perfectly. After this Green introduced the themes and objectives of the project with the timing and deliver of a seasoned stand up. “This is a show about journeys” Martin Green said “All of you had a journey to get here and will have one to get home”. This helped to hammer home that concept that even though it was a short journey, it is a journey none the less. Then he went on to play a clip of his Grandmother, and others, discussing their journey’s before launching into their next song.
The highlight of the set, apart from seeing this collection of musicians live on stage and witnessing the exquisite and thought provoking animations, was when they performed ‘Laws of Motion’. This is the stand out track on the album and live it was taken to another level. Extended from the four minute album version, it slowly meandered and skewed its way along. Aitchison’s bass drones took centre stage and raised it to another on another level. However it was when Holmes and Unthanks vocals joined, and soared, that we realised we were witnessing something special indeed. This, in itself, was worth the entrance fee alone!
What the live performance does that the album doesn’t is give everything context. When Aidan Moffat is delivering his monologue on ‘Flit’s’ opening track it has a sinister tone. What is he talking about? Animals? People? Whereas during the performance Green gives a brief introduction about the migration of animals and mentions the American Carrier Pigeon, then Moffat’s vocals kicked in. It’s little touches like that that helps the live performance flourish and move on to another level.
When the show finished and we realised it was all over, it was time for contemplation. In 90 minutes Green and co had told complex stories and tried to explain that migration isn’t a crime but, is in fact, a very natural part of human evolution. However there was a pang that not everything was tidied up. Throughout the performance Green had played snippets of conversations with various people. Some of these didn’t require an epilogue but others did. One of the voices was telling a story about how they had lived in a tent, the location was never stated, but we never found out what happened when they moved to where living in a tent wasn’t an option. Another character said that he had moved from Ghana, but there wasn’t any explanation as to why. Instead of have a handful of different voices it might have been better, thematically speaking, to have focused on two characters and told their complete story, rather than bits that suited the music. This is really nit-picking, but a conclusion, even if it was just a monologue, as Green had given throughout the performance, would have tied everything together neatly. Overall though the performance showcased why Green is lauded by his peers, and critics, alike and is allowed assemble one of the greatest super-groups in recent times to play some elegantly piercing Post-Rock while discussing uncomfortable issues of the day.
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28/10/2016 – asda-Live at the Death Disko (2016)
Asda release the live album of the year. This in itself is cause for applause, but wait until you hear it in full!
Asda Live at the Death Disko is actually Sebastian Gainsborough and Chester Giles at their most visceral and devastating. Despite sounding like a live recording in a League 2 level supermarket’s carpark, it was actually recorded on Thursday 28th July in Cosies in Bristol. This small venue had no idea what was in store for it, and its punters, when Gainsborough and Giles took to the stage.
“Get Traaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaashed!” is Giles’ early battle cry. This sets the tone for the whole piece. This is a note of self-discovery and, possibly, revolution. One reading of Giles’ lyrics is to just go out, take dubious substances and lose control as asda’s basslines take over your body. But this is a simple reading. Another one could be that asda wants to try and bring down the cultural shackles that we are attached to. “Instead of just doing what we’re told, how about try something different, even if it’s just for one night. If you don’t like it, you can go back to normal tomorrow” is the under lying message. But it’s not all revolution self-destruction, there are also elements of total comedy on display. Lines like “I was drunk on poverty” show that it’s not as serious was you thought.
Although this set is mainly full or feed-backing microphones, deep bassline and disjointed breakbeat it does contain a few ‘hits’. The most enjoyable is Spud-U-Like. This is taken from their rare as 10” three track EP. Like with all Giles’ best work it is a damming indictment on society and its disposable nature. The “99p pizza slices, tastes like school dinners” line shows how even food, the life blood of a species, has been brought down to base levels. And that no matter where we do, we’re still stuck in the social conventions we grew up in.
This isn’t an easy listen, and at time it’s not even that enjoyable, due to the confrontational nature of Giles’ vocals and Gainsborough’s music, but there is something, lurking under the covers, that is immediate and important. This could be one of the most important releases of the year, but due to it murky sound and lurid subject matter it will be lost in a soup of torpidity and clinical studio production. I know what I’d rather listen to…
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27/10/2016 – DTCV-Le Vampire (2016)
DTCV mix the Cramps and Eileen on new single Le Vampire
When listening to new music, apart from a wanting a cracking song, you need the cool factor. On DTCV’s, pronounced Detective, new single Le Vampire cool oozes all over your speakers. In fact there is so much cool ooze you feel like invoicing this Joshua Tree band for cleaning costs!
DTCV are ex-Guided By Voices guitarist James Greer and French musician Lola G. They met at a party in Hollywood and decided to form a band. That night DTCV were born. Basket of Masks was their first EP, quickly followed by the album However Strange. After extensive touring DTCV recorded and released the fantastic Uptime! This year DTCV have released Confusion Moderne. This is another slice of post-punk with French pop yé-yé leanings. The guitars jangle, the bass pluses and palpitate and the drums help ground everything with a an effortless cool
Le Vampire was originally recorded by 60’s French artist Stella. There isn’t much difference between Stella’s original expect DTCV had an extra level of filth to the proceedings. The drums are tight, the bass is dirty, the guitars are fuzzed out and searing, while Lola G’s vocals are delicate, but with a touch of eerie mystery.
Not only have they released this Halloween banger, but they’re just about to embark on a UK tour. Here are the fixtures:
Sat 29 Oct – Liverpool – Evil Eye
Sun 30 Oct – Glasgow – Flying DuckMon 31 Oct – Durham – The Empty Shop
Tue 1 Nov – Sheffield – The Harley
Wed 2 Nov – Brighton – Green Door Store
Thu 3 Nov – London – Shacklewell Arms
Fri 4 Nov – Cardiff – The Full Moon
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16/09/2016 – Baishe Kings-Swaishe Brapp Freestyle (2016)
Baishe Kings smash it on freestyle jam
For years thisyearinmusic has been saying that Baishe Kings are the future of UK Hip-Hop. So far this hasn’t quite come true. But who judges sales as a mark of success? We don’t! if you ever wanted to see the proof of their excellence, then all you need to do it watch the video below. Oh, be warned that it does get a bit esoteric, enigmatic and recondite.
Swaishe Brapp Freestyle is part of Brapp TV’s freestyle series and sees the Baishe Kings emerge from a barbershop and spit lyrics in a disused carpark for about three hundred seconds. What’s most impressive, apart from the sheer quality of the rhymes, is how easily, and effortlessly, they merge and interact with each other. Apart from a couple of hiccups, near the near the end, South London’s answer to the Wu-Tang deliver lyrics that are full of juxtaposition, pathos and poignancy. As usual the vocals are raspy and Tricky-esque, but given as they’re drinking throughout the video this is understandable.
The only downside to Swaishe Brapp Freestyle is that we are again scratching our collective heads and wondering when their debut album is drop. Yes they’ve released a slew of mixtapes and oods and sods albums to date, but that elusive studio debut is missing from their back catalogue. They clearly have the skills, given this vocal workout, and their beats are nigh on flawless, so I guess it’s just a matter of waiting. I just hope that that wait will have been worth it.
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24/08/2016 – Ocean Floor-7/9/14 (2016)
Ocean Floor pulls something special from his archive
Please forgive me, but this review might get transcendental and esoteric. These aren’t things I massively believe in, but given the subject matter, this is the way things might go. The reason for this disclaimer is that Bristol’s premier ambient merchant Ocean Floor released a new single, though its far more than that, a few months ago and it’s taken this long for to get my head around it to pen some words.
Simply titled 7/9/14 it consists of just under twenty minutes of swirling synths, fuggy drones, carefully crafted organs and no beats/percussion. In a nutshell it’s about as ambient and atmospheric you can get without having Brain Eno written on it. The sleeve notes are as sparse as the music itself, but it was recorded at The Islnd by Henry Liam Collins on 7/9/14, hence the name, as part of Noisseenoise. And that’s about it. We don’t know if this recording was part of a bigger performance, or something that Ocean Floor came up with before, or maybe after, a set. What we do know however is that this piece was recorded in one go, and possibly improvised too, and everything we hear is in real time.
Given all this information a standard review won’t really work for this one, so you understand my opening disclaimer. These are ethereal musings for a nocturnal meditation. I’m not saying you have to practice yoga positions or anything, but playing this when you are in a calm and complacent mood makes perfect sense, and if you’re like me, playing at night, with the lights on dim makes this music, and your surroundings, take on a different vibe. It turns into a place where the little people might venture, or if you remember Arthur Machen, then White People!
The real power of 7/9/14 is that after repeat listens it asks more questions than it answers. Why did this take so long to be released? Is this part of a larger, and more diverse piece? What was the audience reaction? Was this recorded for personal listening to test out a new piece of kit? When will the follow up to Jupiter be released? Overall though this doesn’t really matter as Ocean Floor has delivered another slice or ambient majesty that isn’t a single serving drone loop.
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