Issue 26 / September 2012

FREE 

Issue 26 

September 2012 

Esco Williams by Mike Brits 

Esco Williams 

Alpha Male Tea Party 

Afternaut 

Production 

Deconstruction 

Bad Meds

Monday-Thursday 

08:00-00:00 

- 

Friday-Saturday 

08:00-02:00 

- 

Sunday 

08:00-23:00 

FOOD 

Monday-Saturday 

08:00-20:00 

- 

Sunday 

08:00-18:00 

67 Greenland Street 

Liverpool L1 0BY 

Opposite Cain’s Brewery 

in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle 

www.campandfurance.com

Bido Lito! September 2012 3 

Editorial 

There seems to be little that can ruffle the feathers of some Liverpool music enthusiasts more than the 

‘scourge of pay to play’. I’ll be completely honest; it’s an issue that has left me rather bemused. 

Let’s get some facts and context worked out. When I was trudging my precociously shit, sub-britpop school 

band around town in the mid 90s, there were venues that you quite literally had to pay in order to get a show 

at. I can remember - all starry eyed and gooey - skipping up the street to one said venue with fifty begged and 

borrowed quid in hand to pick up our pre-purchased tickets, six weeks before the gig. We then flogged them, kept 

back the fifty quid we’d paid and split the rest with the venue. 

At the time I can’t say I felt used or hard done by. The show was promoted well by the venue; there were 

posters around town, flyers out and about and the show was listed in the paper. The production at the venue 

was fantastic: a great PA, full monitor rig, flashy lights, the bloody works. Hell, we even got eight cans of lager in 

the fridge backstage which, bearing in mind we were sixteen, was worth the fifty quid alone. 

The point being that everyone was happy; we got our stage, were looked after well 

and took a few quid home for our troubles. The venue had their guarantee up front, 

ended up with a cut on the split and no doubt sold a shandy or two. Looking back, 

venues operating in this way were doing a key service to the music scene, giving 

young, snotty nosed, arrogant little runts like me a stage, an opportunity, an insight. 

They weren’t all like that. We went to Manchester to play a show on the same deal 

(having travelled up on the National Express, fifty quid in pocket, to get the tickets six 

weeks before). No promotion, a farting PA, no stage and an awful metal band from Bury to share the bill. 

We had two similarly depressing experiences before the light bulb moment: why don’t I blag the PA from the 

school music room for the weekend, get the landlord at The Albion in New Brighton to give us the back room, 

get all the Wallasey bands we know on one bill, stick on a britpop anthems CD between their sets and just do 

it ourselves? Which we did. And it worked. Every sixteen-year-old in town came down, there was a riot, the sinks 

were ripped off the walls, a caravan outside was turned over, it was bloody brilliant. 

I don’t believe that the culture of pay to play exists now in the way that it did when I was growing up. It was, for 

new bands coming through, the only way to get a show in town. True, there are venues and promoters today who 

will encourage bands to take a book of tickets to sell to their mates, but that isn’t the same as a downpayment. The 

role they play though is; the vast majority of the time these are new, young bands. Artists with no audience beyond 

their immediate friends and family. The promoter is reliant on the band to get behind the show. The skill of the 

promoter in this instance is in curating a bill that works, a bill where the band’s audiences will complement each 

other and mean that each artist plays to a set of likely suitors. The promoter makes sure that there are posters doing 

the rounds, the show is listed everywhere it needs to be, the Facebook events are set up and, hell, maybe even a few 

Fosters backstage. In return, the band get behind the show, sell a few tickets and bring their Auntie Enid along for 

a party. Like the old pay to play adage; if both the promoter and band keep up their side of the bargain, what’s the 

problem? If the band don’t bother supporting the show then they don’t get booked again; if the promoter doesn’t 

do his job well and is simply after a fast buck, then the band don’t work with them again. Simples. 

These gigs provide an essential function in our scene’s ecology; providing an opportunity for fledgling bands 

where a need exists. For any show - at any level - a band and promoter need to pull together. The recent FestEvol 

only worked because of the sum of the bands, DJs and promoter pulling together to get behind a brilliantly 

executed event. The people who say ‘bands play, promoters promote’ simply don’t understand how a music 

community, yes community, works. 

There are a brilliant crop of young promoters in Liverpool who’ll give emerging bands well supported bills in 

good venues. And alternatively, with so many venues in the city, any band can book a room with a half decent PA 

for the cost of a sound engineer’s time and do it themselves. The key point being; bands today have a choice. 

Craig G Pennington 

Editor 

Features 

6 

8 

10 

ESCO WILLIAMS 

ALPHA MALE TEA PARTY 

PRODUCTION DECONSTRUCTION 

12 

AFTERNAUT 

14 LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL 

16 

UNTITLED 

18 

DEAD SKELETONS 

20 

BAD MEDS 

Regulars 

4 NEWS 

22 

PREVIEWS/SHORTS 

24 

REVIEWS 

Bido Lito! 

Issue Twenty Six / September 2012 

bidolito.co.uk 

4th Floor, Mello Mello 

40-42 Slater St 

Liverpool L1 4BX 

Editor 

Craig G Pennington - info@bidolito.co.uk 

Assistant Editor 

Christopher Torpey - 

reviews@bidolito.co.uk 

Assistant Reviews Editor 

Naters Philip - live@bidolito.co.uk 

Sub Editor 

Mo Stewart - subeditor@bidolito.co.uk 

Online Editor 

Natalie Williams - online@bidolito.co.uk 

Designer 

Luke Avery - info@earthstudios.net 

Proofreading 

Debra Williams - 

debra@wordsanddeeds.co.uk 

Words 

Craig G Pennington, Christopher Torpey, 

Naters Philip, Mo Stewart, Phil Gwyn, 

Richard Lewis, Jonny Davis, Samuel 

Garlick, Joshua Nevett, Mick Chrysalid, Chris 

Chadwick, Mike Townsend, Amy Greir, Joseph 

Viney, Isabelle Salter, Bernie Connor 

Photography, Illustration and Layout 

Luke Avery, Horse, Mike Brits, Johanna Wilson, 

Ming Wong, Keith Ainsworth, John Johnson, 

Moorea Masa, Charlotte Patmore, Richard 

B, Adam Edwards, Robin Clewley, David 

Howarth, Matthew Thomas, Michael Sheerin 

Adverts 

To advertise please contact 

ads@bidolito.co.uk

News 

Salem Rages Get Violent On New EP 

Terrifying gloom-punk extroverts SALEM RAGES have just released a new split EP with the charmingly named Violence Cow Piss 

from Osaka, Japan. The Violence Rages EP is available on Bandcamp and in local record stores courtesy of home-grown Liverpudlian 

label Casket Records. This, the label’s third release, contains two furious contributions from Liverpool’s Salem Rages and a couple 

of heavy and melodic cuts from Violence Cow Piss. As if that weren’t enough value for 400 pence, the first 30 come with ‘bite mark’ 

plasters and each 7” has been hand screen printed by the guys at Payper Tiger Records. Available at casketrecords.bigcartel.com 

Stealing Sheep Venture Into The Diamond Sun 

After months of snowballing excitement, STEALING SHEEP’s debut has been unleashed upon us. Into The Diamond Sun is out on 

20th August through Heavenly Records, available on CD, download or the rather fantastic sounding blue glitter vinyl. If that wasn’t 

enough to get your hands in your pockets, if you purchase the record from an independent retailer you will also get a delicious 

bonus. The Melting Mountain Mix CD features tracks that the band were listening to when recording the album, by the likes of 

Captain Beefheart and Snoop Dogg to name but two. For more details head to heavenlyrecordings.com 

Picket On Display 

One of the city’s musical treasures, The Picket, is being celebrated at the Museum Of Liverpool. Based within the Wondrous Place 

gallery, THE PICKET: ON MUSIC’S FRONT LINE traces 25 years of this influential venue from Hardman Street to Jordan Street. Using 

quotes, films and objects collected by founder Phillip Hayes, including The La’s bass drum and the John Peel Memorial Trophy, the 

display shows how The Picket fought off cuts and closures to remain an important step on the road to stardom for every Liverpool 

band since the 80s. The display is now open. For opening times go to liverpoolmuseums.org/mol 

End Of An Empire 

The final call for NORTHERN EMPIRE has arrived. The club night responsible for bringing a plethora of new talent to the city over 

many years and many venues ends with their fifth birthday party at The Shipping Forecast on Saturday 1st September. Bringing 

down the curtain will be Young Rebel Set, Signal Aurora and resident DJs Richard Garnett, Ste-J and Craig Callahan, who have 

promised “a relentless avalanche of 90s and Brit-pop classics”. Tickets are on sale online now and will soon be available at 3B 

Records, Slater Street. 

Set Compass To North By North-West 

Considering how many great shows have been seen there, the Liverpool Olympia is still criminally underused as a gig venue. 

Primarily known these days as a home for boxing or martial arts, in recent years the likes of Echo & The Bunnymen and Africa 

Express created lifelong memories for all who saw them there. On 10th November NORTH BY NORTHWEST aims to redress this 

balance with a night featuring the cream of current local talent. Bands confirmed so far include The Tea Street Band, Sun Drums, By 

The Sea and The Dead Velvets, with more to be added soon. Tickets start at £10 from liverpoololympia.com 

Bido Lito! Dansette 

Our pick of this month’s wax wonders… 

Opossom 

Electric Hawaii 

FIRE RECORDS 

New Zealand is still a country best known 

for its prevalence of sheep rather than its 

musical pedigree; but bands like OPOSSOM 

are slowly righting this wrong. Electric 

Hawaii is driven by an unconventional 

atmosphere, marrying quirky rhythms and 

psychedelic flourishes with undeniable 

pop nous. Kaleidoscopic opening track 

Girl is a guaranteed stunner. 

Dan Croll 

From Nowhere 

RACQUET RECORDS 

DAN CROLL surprises precisely nobody by 

returning with a perfectly formed piece of 

pop music. That’s not to say that this, his 

first single proper, is predictable, though; 

on From Nowhere he’s filtering his 

myriad of influences through a Dan Crollshaped 

prism, coming out clutching 

something completely immediate, 

edged with the inventiveness of his 

newly introduced electronics. 

Manor 

Rhodesia 

UNSIGNED 

Bido DJs On The Loose 

COMPETITION! 

After two storming sets at FestEvol, Bido Lito! DJs line up a weekend of delights for your listening pleasure. On Friday 7th 

September we’ll be joining the Bido team’s newest member The Mighty Mojo for his monthly show at The Attic on Parr Street. 

Sunday 9th September then sees us serving our platters pink and rare at the launch of new Duke Street hangout Sound Food & 

Drink. As well as some choice cuts, we’re also going to be lining up live music from a very special guest. Make sure you check out 

the venue’s website for full details of everything to expect during their opening fortnight. soundfoodanddrink.co.uk 

They’re calling it “A Festival Unlike Any Other, In A Place Like No Other” yes, we’re talking about FESTIVAL NO. 6 in Portmeirion, North Wales (14th-16th Sept). 

The organisers of No.6, in its debut year, are inviting their attendees to take a step outside of reality and into the fantasy of their boutique festival. We’re used 

to muddy fields and battered tents, but with The Castell Deudraedeth and tribal tipis up as accommodation, you’ll never see festivals the same way again. 

Musical highlights feature: NEW ORDER (pictured), PRIMAL SCREAM, TOY and RICHARD HAWLEY. Presented with a cracking line-up, an alfresco ballroom 

and more arts and culture than The Guardian’s supplement, it’s no wonder tickets are scarce. But, we’ve 

teamed up with its organisers to offer one lucky reader a pair of weekend camping tickets. To win this 

beauty of a prize, simply answer this question 

In the TV Series, The Prisoner, filmed in Portmeirion, who played the title role? 

a)Patrick McGoohan b) Robert Gillooly c) Edward Woodward 

To enter, email your answer to competition@bidolito.co.uk 

by 7th September. All correct answers will be 

placed in a pink tombola, the winner chosen at random and notified by email. Good luck! 

It’s early days for unsigned Melbourne 

duo MANOR, but the spacious vocals of 

Rhodesia are already calling to mind a 

more direct Animal Collective. When laid 

across the sort of ethereal atmospherics 

that Beach House practically own the 

copyright to, the results have caused a 

predictable flurry of furious typing on 

the internet. For once, the hyperbole 

is totally deserved. 

Lizzie Nunnery & Vidar 

Norheim 

Black Hound Howling 

REDTHREAD RECORDINGS 

A collaboration between one of our 

finest folk singers LIZZIE NUNNERY, and 

Wave Machines’ multi-instrumentalist 

VIDAR NORHEIM, forthcoming LP Black 

Hound Howling is a stunning collection 

of anti-capitalist anthems and beat 

poetry. Underscored by winding acoustic 

arpeggios, the album is a perfect reflection 

of early 21st Century contemporary affairs. 

Gig Guide and Ticket Shop live at www.bidolito.co.uk

Maverick Sabre 

 

Malefice 

+ Silent Screams + Carcer City 

+ Oceanis 

 

Azealia Banks 

 

Marina & 

The Diamonds 

 

Machine 

Gun Kelly 

 

Lianne La Havas 

 

Mayday Parade 

+ The Summer Set + Natives 

 

Newton Faulkner 

 

Reverend and the 

Makers 

 

Flux Pavilion 

Standing On A Hill Tour 

+ Dillon Francis 

 

Bowling For Soup 

 

Spector 

 

Rick Astley 

 

Totally Enormous 

Extinct Dinosaurs 

 

Heaven 17 

The Luxury Gap Tour 

 

Euroblast Tour 

Featuring Jeff Loomis + Monuments 

+ Vildhjarta + Stealing Axion 

 

Space 

 

Lawson 

 

Maximo Park 

 

Metal Hammer 

Razor Tour 

Featuring Devil Sold His Soul + Heights 

+ Heart Of A Coward + Steak No. 8 

 

Gong 

ft. Daevid Allen 

+ Here and Now 

Sold Out 

Frank Turner and 

The Sleeping Souls 

 

Dingus Khan 

 

The Milk 

 

The Rifles 

(Acoustic) 

 

Janet Devlin 

 

 

Band Of Skulls 

+ Folks 

 

Rancid 

+ Cockney Rejects 

 

Electric Six 

10th Anniversary Tour 

Performing FIRE in its entirety 

 

Thin Lizzy 

 

Dappy 

 

 

 

 

 

Marina And 

The Diamonds 

Toots and the Maytals 

 

 

Newton 

Faulkner 

Marina And 

The Diamonds 

 

 

Flux 

Pavilion 

Lianne La Havas 

 

 

Space Band Of Skulls 

facebook.com/o2academyliverpool 

twitter.com/o2academylpool 

youtube.com/o2academytv 

11 - 13 Hotham Street, Liverpool L3 5UF 

Doors 7pm unless stated 

Venue box office opening hours 

Mon - Sat 11:30am - 5:30pm 

No booking fee on cash transactions 

 

 

Text APP to 62002 or scan here: 

o2academyliverpool.co.uk

6 

Bido Lito! September 2012 



While there was many a tale of woe 

for our Merseyside Olympians, in 

our midst there’s a man with the 

versatility of Jessica Ennis, 

the determination of Mo 

Farah, and the style 

and charisma of 

potential to dominate his chosen field just like they have. Lucky for 

us his chosen field is music, and his name is ESCO WILLIAMS. He’s 

also recently picked up some silverware. Williams won the first 

ever MOBO Unsung Award, and with it the chance to showcase 

his talents to the nation at the official nominations party, after 

impressing on the nationwide MOBO tour earlier this year. As we 

sit down to chat in Leaf Cafe on an oppressively hot day, I feel a 

Usain 

Bolt, bit like Gary Lineker as I shove a mic under his nose and ask if it’s 

with 

the all sunk in yet. 

“It has, kind of, but every time I speak to the MOBO people it 

re-ignites my excitement. They’ve been a bit Mission:Impossible 

about where and when they want me (for the live performance), 

but I know the eyes of the nation will be on me. I’m just getting 

ready to blow minds.” 

It’s a mission that Esco is well-equipped to complete. 

Although the last six months have blasted him into 

a new stratosphere, Williams’ musical career is 

Words: Mo Stewart 

Photography: Mike Brits 

already a decade long. Starting out as a teenager 

with local community project Positive Impact, 

he sang with the Sense of Sound choir 

before striking out on his own under 

a range of monikers - J Esco the 

Geek, the JsOul project and finally 

Esco Williams. He’s about to drop his 

debut album proper, New Challenger; 

a stunning set of soul and jazzinfluenced 

hip hop that may be retro 

in its sensibilities - don’t expect to 

hear about bling and bitches - but 

is unmistakably current in execution 

and subject matter. “Every single 

project I’ve been a part of has given 

me a new skill, and helped to shape 

the artist I am today: the complex 

lyrical phrasing shaped by rapping; 

my harmonic ear improved by singing 

with the choir. I’ve worked with a 

lot of different projects and people, 

seen them get signed, sat on, get 

dropped. I’ve seen what’s failed and 

what’s succeeded, and now I know 

what I wanna do and how I wanna 

make it work. Everything has led me 

to this exact point.” 

Standing at this point is one 

of the most fully-formed new 

artists that Bido Lito! have seen in 

years. #TeamEsco has a growing 

army of devotees, most of whom 

helped fund the recording and 

distribution of the new album via the 

increasingly popular crowd source 

site Pledgemusic. “I wanted things 

to look good and sound good, and 

I know you need money to do that. 

I entered a UK-wide MTV competition 

[Brand New 2012] and came in the top twenty based on votes, so 

I thought ‘I wonder if all of those people would put down eight 

pounds for a CD?’ It was a gamble that paid off.” 

In total nearly three hundred people didn’t think it much of a 

gamble, and now have their hands on a real treasure. The title 

track’s repeated reference to computer games - both lyrical and 

sonic (pun intended) - is no Snoop-Lionesque affectation, but an 

integral part of what makes the self-styled “Soul-powered Nerd”. 

Anyone in any doubt can merely read the Manga comic strip down 

his right arm. 

“I was that kid – eleven years old, thirteen stone, reading comics, 

listening to music or playing computer games in a bathrobe. Back 

then I was picked on for it, now comics, computers and hip hop 

are billion dollar industries. What was seen as anti-social is now 

popular. I’m speaking to that generation in my music.” 

Williams is as engaging a storyteller in person as he is on 

record. His appeal isn’t troubled by questions of credibility. I’ve 

yet to meet anyone else who can say they’ve supported Madness, 

Rza and the Sugababes, but it’s easy to imagine each of those 

wildly differing audiences becoming captivated. On stage he 

radiates the pure joy of a man doing what he loves, and has built 

a reputation as a fervent and frequent live performer with his 

band The Kontrollers. “I want to get on every stage I possibly can. 

In the past I’ve had to change my style because I knew there were 

no venues willing to book hip hop artists.” 

That last point is a salient one, and goes a long way to explaining 

why a generation of talented young urban artists from Liverpool’s 

black communities feel they can’t get a gig in the city centre. It’s a 

subject raised more than once in this magazine and one Williams 

can talk about with authority. “Being from Toxteth, I know a lot of 

people in the neighbourhood feel that there’s no place for them in 

town. The music they’re into has been commercialised - dumbed 

down so much it doesn’t appeal anymore. I used to run a night 

of real underground hip hop that regularly made money, but was 

cancelled over concerns at the ‘clientele’. Yet go into town on the 

weekend and you’d see blood on the streets outside plenty of 

different bars”. 

The progression of hip hop and R&B from counter-culture to 

pop music for the planet has undoubtedly come at a cost, with 

quality falling as quickly as quantity rises. Thankfully it’s not all 

doom and gloom. Williams is at the forefront of a new wave of 

local acts, such as Manukah, Coffee & Cakes for Funerals, and 

Wonderlust, reintroducing live instrumentation to soul and hip 

hop, and utilizing its ability draw from a wider palette, and a 

wider audience. “Liverpool has a long way to go, but things are 

changing. The braver venues are starting to realise that, whatever 

style of music you play, if you entertain the masses they will 

support you. I’m feeling support like I never have before.” 

The MOBO awards will be in Liverpool again this year and, 

unlike 2010, it won’t just be a celebration of the popularity of black 

music in Liverpool, but the black music of 

Liverpool. Once he gets 

on that stage, the name of Esco Williams will be on everyone’s 

lips. I wouldn’t swap him for all the gold postboxes in Yorkshire. 

escowilliams.bandcamp.com 


8 


Words: Samuel Garlick 

Photography: Keith Ainsworth 

Music is not something a musician produces; rather 

it’s something a listener perceives – a John Cage quote that 

has stuck with me ever since it rattled my ear-drum. Originally 

I interpreted it to mean that audiences are solely responsible 

for determining music’s value, deferring any sovereignty from 

musicians. Although, recently, a thought has been scratching at 

the back of my brain: what if such musicians could be considered 

to be their own audience? If the music that they write isn’t 

principally an extension of themselves, rather a product of 

external influence and expectation? ALPHA MALE TEA PARTY, a 

frenetic local trio who reverberate instrumental post-hardcore, 

are one of the few exceptions to this concept. Catching up with 

Tom Peters (Guitar), it was instantly clear that he echoed this 

sentiment: “We just don’t care for the prescribed pretense which 

seems to permeate a lot of music and the image that’s around 

it.” With the recent release of their aurally-towering eponymous 

debut album, Tom, Dan Leadbetter (Bass) and Greg Chapman’s 

(Drums) autonomous status has been cemented, as is evident 

from colourfully coined song titles such as Depressingly Shit 

Lunchtime Sandwich and Jason Fucked the Argonauts: they only 

perform and record music under their own rules, without a 

concern for cursory trends. 

Anyone 

else enjoying it is simply a 

bonus to them. 

Born from the womb of 

a Gumtree advert, AMTP 

have since concocted an 

equally 

bludgeoning 

and expansive sound 

that weaves a 

delicate 

balance 

between acts such 

as Three Trapped 

Tigers and If These 

Trees Could Talk. “It’s 

smashy and abrasive 

with a sense of fun and 

bounciness,” says Tom. 

“I guess when the band 

started I was driven 

by the idea that 

technical, 

heavy 

music could 

still be melodic and fun 

without losing its spine.” Whilst 

some 

consider instrumental music a channel with which 

to boast 

technical capacity, this trio of musical maestros couldn’t be further 

removed from such mantras. “It was never our intention to write 

needlessly wanky progressive meltdowns.” Instead, their music 

is carefully considered, compellingly exploiting the gaps that a 

vocalist would usually occupy. Without the burden of a singlestemmed 

musical nucleus in their songs, they have a liberty that 

gives guitar melodies, drum sections and bass accompaniments 

room to breathe and interact with each other. A prime example 

of this coalition can be heard in the intricate and aesthetically 

broadening We Should Be Animals. 

Whilst there are plenty of acts who season their identities with 

absurdity and irony, it’s uncommon to find one who confidently 

replicate it within their live shows. But AMTP are one of such 

acts; honourable mentions of their on-stage antics include Tom 

wearing nothing but a perplexingly tight pair of Teenage Mutant 

Ninja Turtle Y-fronts, a framed photo of George Michael watching 

their every move and a catalogue of turtle-neck jumpers adorning 

their figures. Possessing such self-consciousness is what allows 

this trio to enjoy themselves in whatever manner they deem fit, 

without consequence or opinion affecting them. But what inspires 

them to achieve such heights of obscurity? “It’s because we’re all 

deeply insecure about our breast sizes,” reveals Tom. “That said, 

it’s not as if we’re a comedy cabaret act; as far as detaching 

music from seriousness is concerned, I think the point with 

us is that 

the music itself is serious.” 

And so, by considering 

music as their form 

of anchorage, AMTP 

are bestowed a 

freedom that 

allows them 

to retain a 

substance 

in their songs 

despite 

any 

peripheral 

actions. 

Yes, I might 

be teetering on the edge of 

cliché, but AMTP are a band who truly 

live by 

their own rules and values. Any preconceived 

notions of how to hold themselves are disregarded, and in their 

place all that is left is thorough independence. “One of the things 

that we were really sure of when we started this band was that 

everything would be done on our own terms,” explains Tom. 

“We’ve allowed ourselves to develop pretty naturally and just 

kind of let it take us where it feels fun and right.” The auteuristic 

nature of the band is further imbued in their debut album: “Well, 

it was a totally self-produced effort. We’ve come away with 

something which we’re really happy with and something that we 

can be proud of because we did everything right through to the 

artwork design.” Whether it’s the profound song titles or woolly 

garments, it’s clear that this is a project that they’re incredible 

proud of, not for the attention it garners or the praise they receive, 

but quite simply because it’s devoid of compromise. 

AMTP are never likely to be the poster-child of some vogue 

style magazine (although those Ninja-Turtle briefs could suggest 

otherwise), but I don’t believe that’s their point. Without bands 

like AMTP, music scenes would have nothing to balance out the 

mundanity of organised hysteria. My journalistic instincts urge 

me to look deeper into the reasons behind their entertaining 

mannerisms, but as much as I’d love to second-guess the 

consequence and incentive behind their behaviour, I know it’s 

nothing more or less than a signature of their personalities. 

“We just do it because that’s who we are as people,” concludes 

Tom. “Maybe we’ll have a go at introspection one day but for 

now it’s about perforating eardrums.” He adds, “If our music 

didn’t reflect our own personalities we’d be 

doing something very wrong,” and that is 

where the beauty of AMTP rests: their 

music isn’t a product of expectation, 

it’s an extension of self. 

alphamaleteaparty.bandcamp.com 

Go to bidolito.co.uk now for 

an extended Lens gallery 

from this shoot by Keith 

Ainsworth 


24-hour 

arty 

people 

Gallery / Cinema / Cafe / Bar 

88 Wood Street, Liverpool, L1 4DQ 

fact.co.uk / 0151 707 4464

10 


Production 

deconstruction 

Demystifying The World Of The Record Producer 

Words: Mick Chrysalid 

Photography: Mike Brits, Keith Ainsworth, Moorea Masa, John Johnson 



The 

enigmatic 

record producer: an 

eccentric wizard with 

the ability to weave 

untold 

wonders 

from the musical 

meanderings of the 

mere mortal. Or so the 

legend goes. But, how 

otherworldly are the 

brains and skill sets of 

these sonic architects? 

With 

technically 

advanced home recording 

software as omnipresent 

in the modern musician’s 

arsenal as a capo, what has 

become of the producer’s 

role? It is over a year since we 

at Bido Lito! ran an extensive 

feature posing the question: 

‘Has the MacBook killed the 

record producer’ (Issue 13, July 2011); an article that 

in part lamented the demise of the knowledgebase 

built up over six decades of recording music. 

Fourteen months on, we’ve decided to investigate 

further and get hands-on with some of Liverpool’s top 

producers for a PRODUCTION DECONSTRUCTION. Current oddpop 

wonders and darlings of the scene Loved Ones have kindly 

furnished us with the full multi-tracked recordings of Matchsticks 

(taken from the group’s debut LP) and we’ll be entrusting mix 

duties to some of Liverpool’s best producers: Mike Crossey from 

The Motor Museum (who’s worked with Arctic Monkeys and The 

Black Keys), Michael Johnson of Tankfield Studios (whose recording 

credits include Joy Division’s Closer and New Order’s Blue Monday), 

Rob Whitely from Whitewood Studios (Clinic / Wombats), Daz 

Jones of Elevator Studios (Ian McCulloch / Bill Ryder-Jones) and Al 

Groves of Sandhills Studios (Ian Broudie / Elvis Costello). The fruits 

of the producers’ mixes will be premiered each week throughout 

September on bidolito.co.uk 

with a blog from each, giving an 

insight into the thinking behind their individual take on the track. 

In the meantime, Bido Lito!’s Mick Chrysalid caught up with the 

producers ahead of the Production Deconstruction to try and gain 

an insight into their dark arts... 

The world of the producer is, on the surface, a disorientating 

one; what with equalizers, compressors, reverb units 

and multiple effects, never mind microphones and the 

consideration as to where exactly you are going to put 

them. Add in all the digital versus analogue concerns, 

considering the actual physical space you choose to record 

in, and the amount of options on offer are huge. Silence 

is the canvas here and the sound is mixed from a palette 

of technology and technique (and other too true clichés). 

Up steps the producer, who has previously drilled to untold 

sonic depths, coming back with tried and tested tricks (if 

they’re worth their salt anyway). It is this mastery of the tools 

that helps them bring out the best in a modern world where 

producing music comes with a high variety of requirements. 

So, what is the first thing on a producer’s mind then 

when they’re faced with a new project? The much celebrated 

Mike Crossey states that, “Great music evokes a genuine 

emotional response; producers need to be able to identify 

what it is about a band that does that and bring it out to the 

forefront”. Michael Johnson of Tankfield Studios, a producer 

who has experienced many changes in the industry since 

overseeing the construction of early cuts from the legendary 

Factory Records, offers a personal insight, “Can I imagine a way of 

making a record I’d like to hear on the radio? If the song gives me 

ideas that I think will make it a good record then I’m interested. If 

I can’t think of a way of dramatically improving it then there’s no 

point getting involved.” 

Al Groves of the excellently equipped Sandhills Studios catches a 

similar tone conveying an ardour for his craft which is charming: “It’s 

all about the songs and the feelings they give you. My job is to amplify 

these feelings so other people will get them too.” This isn’t a view that 

finds a consensus, mind, something that mirrors the different paths 

involved in the occupation itself. Rob Whitely, a buoyant figure and 

skilled producer on the Liverpool scene, doesn’t see his primary role 

as thinking too far ahead: “I’m not really here to judge. It’s much 

more of a question of how do I make it better”. 

As a producer, you’ve obviously got to try and capture 

what a band is attempting to do but also make individual 

decisions in order to help them arrive at the place they’re 

aiming for. Surely a balance has to be struck? Mike 

Crossey explains, “I think early on in a session it’s 

important to not put too many walls up around how 

the approach to capturing the record is going to be. I 

guess I try to ensure that there is an atmosphere 

that feels fun and creative where the artist feels 

very involved in every decision.” Daz Jones of the 

highly decorated Elevator Studios reveals the 

importance of keeping your ears on the sum 

and substance: “Never forget the demos and 

what is good about the song. Add diplomacy 

into this mix with exploring several options 

and you get there in the end.” It’s definitely 

horses for courses as Rob points out: “Part of 

gaining skills over time is recognizing what bands are after. 

Every band is different. It is you that has to figure out what to do.” 

Every band may be different, but many now come equipped 

with more of a precise vision of what they want. The rise of 

compatibility between home recording rigs and professional 

studios enables an artist to bring along their own sessions. Rob 

Whitely: “People used to bring in demos but now they bring in 

files. We then may start to replace parts with overdubs. However, 

sometimes the house does need pulling down completely and 

re-building.” Al Groves is all for it: “There have been bands that 

have made amazing music at home on limited equipment, so I’m 

certainly open to them bringing in their tracks.” 

The producers’ studios all vary in the degrees of technology 

and gadgets they posses, but nonetheless they all add up to an 

expense rarely seen in the amateur’s studio. Therefore I put to 

them the question: is it technology and its advancements that 

lead sound and its production, or is it technique and knowledge? 

The man versus machine conundrum. Rob Whitely: “Of course 

some of this stuff we have bought for the studio becomes almost 

essential, because it’s that good, but you won’t get everything you 

need without learning how to use it at its best.” Daz Jones: “You 

learn as you go along, constantly learning new things with the 

technology you have. That is at the core.” Al Groves, who is selftaught, 

also believes that technique trumps all: “You can arrive at 

different sounds with a variety of methods. Cheap equipment or 

expensive, it’s the art of use that will get the best out of it.” This 

is an idea that Mike Crossey has considered before and arrives 

at the conclusion, “I would go with personal technique. I read 

somewhere that it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert or world 

class at something and I think that holds some truth. If you work 

super hard at getting great at production and engineering, I think 

over time you get lots of light bulb moments.” 

So if we are to reach a consensus that individual technique and 

skill are the producer’s key calling card, does a producer over time 

develop their particular aural persona, their own ‘sound’? This may 

be down to personality or even experience, bearing in mind that 

the producers in question range from six years’ experience in the 

business to over thirty, which may be why Michael Johnson seems 

pretty certain of where he is right now: “Yes, I think I have my own 

sound. It’s not something I’ve developed deliberately - it’s just the 

way my productions turn out”. We will be sure to find out soon 

enough as Michael, Mike, Al, Rob and Daz all work their individual 

magic on Loved Ones, as we become absorbed in September’s 

Production Deconstruction. Different personalities, techniques 

and equipment will surely all result in an absorbing insight. 

Keep tuned in to bidolito.co.uk throughout September 

as each guest producer’s mix of Loved Ones’ 

Matchsticks is premiered. 

COMPETITION 

Win A Full 

Day 

Recording 

Session 

At 

SAE 

Liverpool 

To celebrate this month’s Production Deconstruction, Bido 

Lito! have teamed up with SAE Institute Liverpool. As part of the 

world’s largest practical creative media educator, SAE Liverpool 

provide up to degree level qualifications in Audio Engineering 

and have established themselves as the North West’s premier 

audio training facility. We’re giving one lucky Merseyside band 

or artist the opportunity to spend a day recording with one of 

SAE’s degree students, in their Neve VR studio on The Strand, 

Liverpool city centre. To be in with a chance of winning the 

session, simply email competiton@bidolito.co.uk 

with a link to 

your music and a brief artist biography by 7th September. We 

will then ask the producers in our Production Deconstruction 

to select the best of the bunch. Good luck! 


Words: Phil Gwyn 

Photography: John Johnson 

On 28th July Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the founder of the World Wide 

Web, was wheeled out at the Olympics Opening Ceremony as a 

symbol of British genius, as if to remind the rest of the world 

how indispensably intelligent we all are. However misleading 

that might be, it’s hard to complain about him being afforded 

such celebration. Certainly, in the field of music, the internet has 

transformed the industry beyond recognition. There’s a certain 

liberation in the fact that you no longer need a zany back story and 

four pretty faces ready to be splashed onto the NME’s front cover 

to reach thousands of people. These days, an internet connection 

and some decent music are far more important; a fact to which 

Liverpool-based producer AFTERNAUT can attest: “I wouldn’t be 

doing what I’m doing now if it wasn’t for the internet,” he tells us, 

and it’s fortunate that the internet does exist, because what he’s 

doing is creating intricate post-everything atmospherics so deep 

and spacious that each track feels like some sort of drugless outof-body 

experience. 

In October, Afternaut was featured as ‘Soundclouder Of The 

Day’ and the intensity of the following attention was so dizzying 

that he recalls that, “I don’t even know how that happened. It 

was a blur.” The influence this had on his own self-confidence 

was perhaps even more important than the exposure he received. 

“That gave me so much motivation,” he says, “I had so much 

doubt in my music before; I found it difficult to tell if people 

would like what I was doing”. Judging by the 12,000 people who 

have elected to follow him on Soundcloud, it seems reasonable 

to assume that people do, in fact, like his music. 

Of course, though, the benefits of the internet are not 

limitless, and it’s clear from his case that the collective strength 

of the Liverpudlian music scene has had as much of a positive 

influence on him. Having moved from York in March of last year, 

he remembers that he was “blown away by the music scene here” 

right away. “It’s because of the venues and promoters,” he says, 

Gig Guide and Ticket Shop live at www.bidolito.co.uk 

“they do far more than just picking bands and letting them play; 

every show seems individual”. Local promoters Harvest Sun were 

quick to pick up on Afternaut’s talent for submersive, melodydriven 

electronica, and curated a bill alongside the similarly 

ambient Sun Drums and Sun Glitters. It was then that things 

began to change, Afternaut claims, “because there are loads 

of people around like Sun Drums to bounce ideas off”. Having 

been removed from the sometimes one dimensional cul-de-sac 

of the internet, the way he viewed his music began to change. 

“Playing live changed my sound a lot. The beats and percussion 

are definitely more groove-driven. Before, it was more regimented 

and routine.” As a result, Afternaut’s sound is the perfect collision 

between the freedom of digital production, and the humanity 

of physical performance. Some electronic music struggles to 

retain a character, or to convey any credible emotion, but it’s this 

road-tested experience that makes Afternaut’s music the exact 

opposite; it’s both affecting and tangible. 

Afternaut also avoids the other common complaint about 

electronic music – that live sets seem pre-meditated. Despite this 

common preconception of producers’ live shows, Afternaut’s is 

heavily improvised. “Every gig I play I’ve put together from scratch,” 

he explains. “I break every track down to its individual elements 

and then feed them through. I can dictate the flow so that it 

reflects the night.” In actual fact, in this scenario where he is able 

to manipulate and drop in or out each individual element of the 

track according to his own emotions, he is afforded much more 

freedom than a traditional band, and the resulting set could be 

considered an even more ‘pure’ musical experience. It’s perhaps 

this ability to alter his music very precisely to the atmosphere 

of the night that gives his sets a transportative quality. He says 

himself that “after my other shows people have said that they’ve 

been completely taken out of themselves and have had an 

experience which they’ve never had before with music.” And with 

plans in the works to create an audio-visual link in which the way 

he puts together his tracks on the night will dictate projected 

visuals, it’s clear that Afternaut’s sets are far more involved than 

a man standing in front of a laptop, pretending to be doing 

something of some musical significance rather than scouring 

Twitter for top quality topical jokes. 

That sort of indifference and trickery was always going to be 

unlikely from a man who is so passionate about his scientific 

philosophy of music. Firstly he refers to music as being a “place” 

rather than a sound, and certainly, when you find yourself at the 

centre of one of his hugely detailed tracks, it’s tough to disagree. 

On this subject he suddenly becomes animated and tells us that 

“it all boils down to mathematics. Melodies sound appealing to 

us because they are in mathematical order. These things are too 

complex to even think about, but subconsciously it does affect 

things.” You get the idea that these things aren’t, in fact, too 

complex for him to think about, yet he denies our suggestion that 

he is secretly a particle physicist. We are not entirely convinced. 

This intelligence certainly comes across in his music, which is both 

painstakingly complex and disarmingly subtle, without seeming 

sterile or over-thought. Naturally, we’re keen to hear details of 

forthcoming material, and he reluctantly admits that he has 

a body of songs “which will end as an album, hopefully before 

the end of the year”. On the question of releasing the album, 

his commitment to his own music is again clear as he admits 

that he would be happy to self-release the album even if a label 

doesn’t step in. His passion is obvious from what he says, but you 

can hear it in every poured-over sound that punctuates his rich 

musical collages; so much so that there’s no need to worry about 

whether a label will step in or not. As he admits himself, “the 

good stuff eventually rises to the top.” 

soundcloud.com/afternaut

14 


LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL 2012 

Rhys Chatham And A Crimson Grail 

Words: Jonny Davis 

How time flies. It doesn’t seem like it was 730 days ago that 

the streets, warehouses, galleries and various empty spaces of 

Liverpool were teeming with art from across the world. Liverpool 

Biennial 2010 was a resounding success with its bountiful mix of 

multi-sensual contemporary art and 2012 looks set to be an even 

more stimulating experience. From the video installations of Ming 

Wong (who kindly supplied the stills to accompany this piece) to 

the UK’s most renowned painting competition, the John Moores 

Painting Prize, the Biennial will offer something for everyone. 

For the sonically inclined there is little doubt what the 

biggest draw of the event will be. Thanks to the collective and 

collaborative forward thinking of Samizdat and Liverpool Biennial 

2012, renowned composer Rhys Chatham will grace the city with 

his lively presence for the UK premier of A Crimson Grail for 100 

guitars and 8 basses. After whetting our appetites last year with a 

performance of Die Donnergötter and Guitar Trio at the Bluecoat, 

Chatham is back with what is an undoubtedly more ambitious 

piece in a grander venue: the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. Now 

let’s take a minute to soak that in. 100 electric guitars and 8 bass 

guitars in a cathedral. This will be special. 

Initially working as a piano tuner for the father of minimalism, 

La Monte Young, Chatham went on to become a key player in 

the New York art scene in the 1970s. Inspired by seeing The 

Ramones in concert and the still unfurling No Wave scene, 

he developed a minimalist punk aesthetic attacked from an 

ambient compositional mindset. He began writing pieces for 

electric guitar ensembles, of which A Crimson Grail is perhaps 

the most ambitious. 

In anticipation of this momentous occasion, Bido Lito! caught 

up with Rhys Chatham to find out what we are to expect from the 

performance. Speaking from his studio in Paris, Chatham is warm, 

friendly and brimming with enthusiasm. Bubbly excitement and 

thoughtful eloquence tug and pull at each other as they roll 

off his tongue in the form of theoretical detail and anecdotal 

humour. The audacity of filling a cathedral with 100 electric 

guitars is certainly not lost on him and he has had to be kept in 

check for previous performances of the piece. 

“At Sacré-Cœur in Paris I was going to position myself as 

conductor in front of the altar, where a huge painting of our lord 

Jesus Christ hangs. The sister took one look at me and said ‘There 

is no chance that you will be making the sign of the cross in front 

of our lord.’ I had to stand to the side, and it was one big mess. 

Fortunately it sounded OK.” 

Following this faux pas, Chatham has developed a system to 

ensure that all 108 musicians know what the hell is going on. 

Although the piece is rhythmically simple enough to play, timing 

is clearly essential and so the orchestra has been split into 

sections, each with its own leader who literally knows the score. 

Chatham explains: “The real artistry for the musicians comes with 

the cueing. It’s very important to come in at the same time. I 

conduct the section leaders and they conduct the musicians. I’m 

giving semaphore signals.” 

So this is no rock gig. Or is it? This is the genius of a piece like 

A Crimson Grail. Chatham has developed a way of composing that 

bridges the gap between rock songs and classical compositions 

without compromising the qualities of either. He acknowledges 

both the punk rock statement and the search for ambience in his 

thoughts on the piece. 

“A 100-guitar orchestra provides a very specific ambience that 

you just can’t get any other way. Why 100 electric guitars? Just ask 

any guitarist, the answer is obvious.” 

He speaks a lot about the piece being antiphonal - meaning 

that the sound is bounced across the room: “The goal of the 

piece isn’t to have lots of guitars but to surround the audience 

with musicians.” 

And with each new explanation of A Crimson Grail, Chatham 

sheds more light on what we can expect from the performance. 

“There are moments with 100-guitar orchestras that are loud 

and literally awesome but I have to say that there’s nothing like 

the sound of 100 guitars playing softly. It’s a very special sound, 

which we intend to fully exploit in the cathedral.” 

You can almost hear the distant rumble of a tonne of guitars in 

his voice as it retreats to a whisper. It becomes clear that Chatham 

is very keen on utilizing space to attain interesting sounds. 

“Each time we mount the piece it is in a site-specific way. 

The cathedral is a highly reverberant space, which is why 

we don’t have drums for this piece. The Bluecoat was a very 

intense space, which is just the way I like it for pieces like Die 

Donnergötter and Guitar Trio. Those pieces are made for rock 

spaces whereas A Crimson Grail is oriented more towards music 

to be played in a cathedral.” 

A Crimson Grail looks set to be the show of the year. The buzz 

surrounding the performance will grow like the sound of 100 

guitars softly playing. The orchestra will be made up of many 

familiar musical faces from across Merseyside and - beyond 

ensuring that each scene, pocket and micro-genre is represented 

in some manner - for one night they will be connected in a 

suitably spiritual happening in the Anglican Cathedral. This is the 

gig to end all gigs, the great day of his sonic wrath, the unveiling 

of Excalibur and discovery of the elixir of life. On 14th September 

2012, Liverpool will witness A Crimson Grail. 

A Crimson Grail is kindly supported by Liverpool Hope University 

and admission will be free of charge, on a first come first served 

basis. Doors open at 7.30pm. 

liverpoolbiennial.co.uk 



Image: Ming Wong. Stills from After Chinatown (2012) video installation commissioned by Liverpool Biennial, with support from Kadist Foundation and Singapore International Foundation and National Arts Council Singapore. 


Words: Joshua Nevett 

Graphic: Luke Avery 

Attempting to cram an intoxicated rabble of nearly 1,000 over 

exuberant gate-crashers into a twenty-man residence was a 

ramshackle venture to say the very least, but nonetheless one 

that left a lasting impression. For one night of unfathomable 

and wayward antics an unruly band of bohemian reprobates 

occupied the hollow grounds of 13 Alexander Drive or the 

affectionately dubbed ‘Thugz Mansion’ to participate in a 

hedonistic swell of inconceivable narratives. The stout walls 

shook with incessant reverberation as the stained ceilings 

perspired and throbbed, awash with fluids of feckless 

debauchery. It was an unmitigated success that occurred with 

such maniacal delinquency that even the local police were 

unexpectedly dumbfounded, miraculously lost for words. 

Trying to negotiate a stairwell copiously rammed with pulsating 

bodies was probably an experience that brought to light a 

number of logistical issues for rogue promoter Hasan 

Abbasi. With his street credibility peaking at 

dizzying heights, and now renowned 

for his hare-brained attempts to 

congregate like-minded students 

into makeshift congested spaces, in 

hindsight even Hasan concedes things might have 

got a smidgen out of hand: “Well, the first thing I remember 

thinking after the party was ‘DEEP!’ The feds came round and 

bollocked us, there was all sorts of mess and broken shit; we had 

many complaints from the neighbours as well; we tore that 

house a new hole.” 

Not even Hasan could have 

predicted the insatiable 

magnitude of interest his off the 

cuff blowout endeavour generated, 

nor could he have anticipated the bulk of 

house party revellers in attendance. After liaising with 

some close friends and various Liverpool nightlife consortiums, 

his organisational prowess soon came into fruition, but - as 

history has shown with any well-advertised party - things can 

spiral out of control rather quickly: “My friend Louise had a party 

in her house, the Sefton Manor, which became well-known for 

its parties, so it gave me inspiration to give it a go. I got in touch 

with Andy Jones, the man behind 100th Monkey, to get hold of 

some naughty speakers. Then people such as Andrew Hill of 

Abandon Silence, Sam Wright from Eat Your Greens, Lee and Dan 

from Sessions Factions, all came down to DJ. I realised our house 

could hold a lot more than all my friends’ houses, so I got the rest 

of the house involved with - can I stress - great difficulty! After 

I’d organized the event some tried to back out; I straight up told 

them it was an offer they couldn’t refuse. No, believe it or not, I 

wasn’t trying to emulate the Godfather, but how was I to tell 500 

or so people to go away? I was wrong. There were 1000 people 

and even a damn dog turned up! It was a lock-in and I’m surprised 

no one died, thank god they didn’t. Compared to my friend’s, our 

party was by far the maddest, similar to Project X, there was just a 

ridiculous amount of people crammed into that house.” 

After realising the lucrative nature of his widely lauded mansion 

party, up-scaling and moulding his vision was the next obvious 

step in its progression. Hasan’s Thugz Mansion Party had obtained 

unimaginable notoriety overnight with excitement reaching fever 

pitch. Unfortunately the esteemed venue was rendered strictly 

prohibited by the formidable hand of the law. Now etched into 

the brimstone of fabled student folk law, it was down to Hasan 

to ascertain how to channel this perpetual buzz into a concrete 

and lawful entity. After a short hiatus his vision had finally found a 

permanent home and, more prominently, a recognisable moniker. 

The tumultuous dwelling of The Binary Cell prepared itself for 

Untitled: “Many people were getting in touch with me, wanting to 

DJ again and craving for another night. I decided to get in touch 

with a few venues and in the end Binary Cell fell to me like an angel 

from the sky; the venue was perfect, the management were decent 

like-minded people, and it had a nice vibe. After getting in touch 

and promising them a sell-out, it didn’t disappoint; The Binary Cell 

was the perfect compromise. The change of venue was the step up 

it needed and the night turned out to be a great success.” 

Untitled at the Binary Cell was an instant hit, providing a 

tasty palette of local and student produce which displayed an 

eclectic roster of electronic music supporting every avenue of 

its vast spectrum. Featuring anything from deep house to tech 

drum n bass, Hasan soon came to the realisation that Untitled’s 

unprecedented diversity had forged the bedrock of their success 

and discovered a niche within a competitive market: “Untitled 

is not just my music influence, it’s for the people. You can see 

that from the differences from each style of night included in the 

line-up. I don’t mean to stereotype but when you take a look at 

all the raver reggae heads at Eat Your Greens, the nerdy looking 

electronic heads at Abandon Silence, the old school drum and 

bass ravers at 100th Monkey and the hip hop, generally vibing 

people at Sessions, they all overlap, which is nice; it’s great to 

have that diverse collective support on a local level.” 

From the unadulterated chaos of Alexander Drive to the 

collective fellowship of local musical prodigies on display at The 

Binary Cell, the future looks bright for fledgling promoter Hasan 

Abassi. As he continues to find innovative ways to connect with 

Liverpool audiences, he isn’t quite out of risqué schemes just yet. 

The highly anticipated Untitled ‘The Re-opener’ is set to take place 

this September but for the time being Hasan’s keeping his feet on 

the ground and his eyes firmly focused on the road ahead: “At the 

moment I am just a fish in a pond full of sharks; I need to take my 

next steps slowly and choose carefully what I do. Untitled is just 

so unique. I know of nothing else like it, even with similar-range 

music; go to any night and tell me Untitled is similar and I’ll end 

it. I think even the name helps that. There’s a well-known proverb 

my friend Andy told me - another promoter smashing it within 

Liverpool’s hip hop scene. Stir waters to catch fish. So far it seems 

I have caused a lot of ripples, so if I carry on in the same vein, then 

I’m sure I’ll be fine.” 

facebook.com/untitledliverpool

18 


DeaD SkeletonS at liverpool international FeStival oF pSycheDelia 

Words: Richard Lewis 

Illustration: Johanna Wilson 

YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE, HAPPENING SCENE. The largest 

meeting of like-minded psychedelic types in the city since Pink 

Floyd headlined the Kaleidoscope Festival at The Stadium in 1968, 

the LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF PSYCHEDELIA lands 

this September, bringing together a collection of cosmic architects 

from around the world within the spacious environs of Camp 

and Furnace. This sartorial soirée is topped by a band who need 

no introduction to committed psych-heads, as DEAD SKELETONS 

lead a troika of headliners alongside blues-rock infused six-piece 

WOLF PEOPLE and the hypnotic motorik grooves of Richard Norris’ 

project THE TIME & SPACE MACHINE. 

The Icelandic-born and Berlin-based Dead Skeletons make 

their UK debut at the event, having assembled an impressive cult 

following for their inspiring, mesmeric drone rock. The brainchild 

of Jón ‘Nonni Dead’ Sæmundu, the band form part of an on-going 

project by the lead singer, entitled The Dead Concept. Dead Mantra 

- the band’s best known song, which introduced them to the wider 

world - revolves around the motif ‘He Who Fears Death Cannot 

Enjoy Life’ sung in Icelandic, German and English. 

The memorable lyric holds huge personal meaning for 

Sæmundu. 

Interviewed by The Stool Pigeon in 

January the singer explained, “When I put 

it on, it’s like I am going to war, I 

am beating the virus. It is a 

spiritual battle song, 

because I have been 

HIV positive for 

almost 20 

years. 

For 

me there is a whole war, a spiritual, nuclear battle inside me. It is 

the song I want to hear when I go to meet my maker. It tells me 

not to give up, and to cure myself. It’s my meditation song, and I 

love rock n’ roll.” 

Diagnosed in 1994, Sæmundu was given three years to live and 

in his own words “started drinking heavily and taking hard drugs 

like there was no tomorrow”. As the medication for sufferers of 

the virus improved, the vocalist quit drinking and channelled all 

his energies into art. After he “took the decision to live”, a trip to 

the US where he was exhibiting his work led him to the quotation 

that underpins all of his output and the core lyric of Dead Mantra. 

Halfway between ancient and cutting-edge, the eight-minute 

chant, which sounds unlike almost anything else you’ve ever 

heard, found its way to the public via MySpace in 2008. Backed 

with a video of tribal and ceremonial dances across the world the 

track swiftly became an underground hit. 

Featured in the exhibition based around the iconography of The 

Day of the Dead Festival, the words ‘He Who Fears Death Cannot 

Enjoy Life’, 

when translated for 

the singer, led to 

something close to an 

epiphany. 

Sæmundu, working with 

Henrik Bjornsson of Singapore Sling 

and Ryan Carlson, has created an LP – 

Dead Magick, the trio’s debut – which has 

repeatedly sold out its limited vinyl pressings. 

A hook-up with Anton Newcombe of the Brian 

Jonestown Massacre led to greater exposure, 

with the two musicians now sharing the 

same city as part of the music/arts 

community based in Berlin. 

While resolutely forward-looking, 

the shamanistic element found in 

Dead Mantra, Ljosberinn (The Light 

Bearer), The Kingdom of God and Om 

Mani Peme Hung (Cycle of the Four 

Ages) with words taken from the Tibetan 

Book of the Dead lends the band’s tracks 

the feeling of tapping into something 

that existed long before the 

invention of amplified music: 

music custom-made for 

playing to gatherings of 

the converted and for 

attracting new followers; 

the band will doubtless 

mesmerise both come 

29th September. 

The Time & Space 

Machine led by former 

Liverpool resident and Beyond 

the Wizard’s Sleeve/The Grid 

linchpin Richard Norris 

bring their acclaimed live 

show to the Fest’. Known for his excellent DJ sets at now-defunct 

club The Hangout in the late 1980s, Richard built a formidable 

reputation for spinning vintage garage and psych classics. 

In tandem with his work with ‘Space Machine, Richard is 

one half of in-demand remixers Beyond the Wizard’s Sleeve, 

alongside Erol Alkan. On critically applauded recent LP Taste the 

Lazer, trailed by excellent cut 

Pill Party in India, TT&SM have been 

transformed into a fully-fledged live outfit. On-stage the five-piece 

create huge hypnotic psych jams with swirling Hammond organ, 

woozy mellotron and phasing backwards guitars all wrapped in 

cavernous space echo. Mindful that performances at The UFO 

Club and San Francisco’s Fillmore were famed for their dazzling 

lightshows, Richard recently informed Bido Lito! that the band will 

be bringing “a retina-opening box of delights” to the party. 

Fellow headliners Wolf People, the first UK act to sign to ultracool 

US indie label Jagjaguwar, bring a rawer feel to their grooveled 

heavy jams, with elements of blues-rock titans Traffic and 

Cream. Operating in roughly the same patch as Wooden Shjips, 

the People’s full length debut Steeple, issued in 2010, followed 

the well-received Tidings, which compiled the band’s singles to 

date. Their attendant gigs in support of the LP have seen the 

quartet become a live act to be contended with, sharing stages 

with The Besnard Lakes and Dinosaur Jr. 

In addition to Dead Skeletons, a raft of bands will be getting 

their passports stamped prior to arrival at Camp and Furnace, proof 

of the Psych Fest’s international credentials. Recent graduates of 

SXSW and the Austin Psych Fest ANCIENT RIVER bring their grunge/ 

garage/rock n’ roll mash up to these shores direct from Florida. 

From even further afield Aussie trio DARK BELLS, who recently 

relocated to Blighty, will be showing the locals how they mastered 

drone rock Sydney-style. Slightly closer to home, female-fronted 

psych/garage pop ensemble THE ALTERED HOURS make the 

journey across the Irish Sea for one of their first gigs in the UK. 

Hot off the press, current UK buzz band of the moment and Rough 

Trade signings PALMA VIOLETS will be returning to the city at Psych 

Fest, following on from their scintillating double header with 

Savages last month. 

Local big-hitters include Echo & the Bunnymen legend WILL 

SERGEANT, doom drone lords MUGSTAR, DJ outings from both 

CLINC and THE CORAL and classic pop-psych tunes from recent 

Bido Lito! cover star EDGAR SUMMERTYME. At the tougher end 

of the spectrum Leeds’ six-piece HOOKWORMS and superlative 

Liverpudlian trio THE WILD EYES can be found. 

Meanwhile, 

juxtaposing psych and indie pop, MILK MAID, who released superb 

second album Mostly No in June, also feature. Check the festival’s 

blog for the full menu. 

A banquet of bespoke bands then, at 

the debut outing of Merseyside’s 

very own 14 Hour Technicolor 

Dream. 

liverpoolpsychfest. 

com 


15 September – 25 November 

The UK Biennial of 

Contemporary Art 

www.biennial.com

20 


Words: Chris Chadwick 

Photography: Charlotte Patmore 

Nostalgia is a potent substance. Regardless of the experiences 

that shape us and the decisions that make us who we are, 

sometimes all we need is one minute and ten seconds of music 

to transport us back to the naïve bliss of our formative years. No 

matter where you go or what you do, somehow the music that 

you consume during your teenage years seems to stick with you. 

Perhaps it’s the lack of responsibility or the endless possibilities 

you casually imagine for your future that make music at this age 

so much more than just an interest. Lyrics are about you, the 

music you listen to defines you. But somewhere along the line 

we all get a job, a dog or just a sense of perspective. We change 

our clothes, our tastes and our drinking habits. But we never quite 

kick the music. 

BAD MEDS’ guitarist and frontman Paul Rafferty is fiddling 

with some guitar pedals in the band’s practice space, laughing 

bemusedly as his dog chews carelessly on a drum stick. “I’ve been 

thinking about what the point of doing it is,” he says, pausing to 

contemplate before continuing, “I wouldn’t say it’s a mid-life crisis 

per se but it’s just the need to be in a band that is just fun.” It’s 

an understandable sentiment from a man who’s spent the last 


six years living on the somewhat unreliable income that being 

a musician affords, as one third of Merseyside’s alternative indie 

heroes, Hot Club De Paris. 

Asked about how this new project - a collaboration with Paul 

Thompson (Nowhere Fast) on bass and Dave Kelly (Vasco Da Gama) 

on drums – came about, Rafferty replies, “It’s just friends forming 

a band really; I’d been recording Vasco’s EP so I just chatted to 

Dave about whether he’d like to try playing some hardcore.” It 

sounds simple because it is: “We’re just having fun writing songs 

and hanging out with some beers,” straight-forward and without 

pretence. The story behind the birth of Bad Meds is almost as 

uncomplicated as their writing process, as Paul openly reveals: 

“We spend seconds on the material, it’s probably writing itself 

whilst we’re not looking.” And as for recording? “I recorded it all 

here in the Hot Club practice room... Dave was done in two hours,” 

he says casually. 

Even when it came time to reveal the fruits of their labour, the 

band was once again understated. There was no fanfare when 

the band’s first five tracks were uploaded to SoundCloud a mere 

month or so ago, no social network campaign to promote the 

band, no website proclaiming the band’s endless talent. Paul 

laughs as he tells me, “If you look for it online all you really find 

is links to bad medicine.” Perhaps that’s the point. The band’s 

apparent disinterest in the aspects of band life that make a band 

a business leaves no room for any of the now customary bluster 

and bravado that traditionally surrounds emerging artists, instead 

leaving the music to speak for itself. 

And when it does? It’s fast, unrelenting and to the point. 

Fuzz-laden riffs and pounding drums accompanied by raucous, 

discordant vocals squeezed into under two minutes on 

Rainbow Unicorns and City Against Itself, whilst elsewhere 

layers of feedback and dark, brooding guitars build gradually 

before the three-piece unleash chaos on Chewing Gum (With 

My Mouth Wide Open). Clear reference points could be Minor 

Threat, Neckromantix and Cerebral Ballzy. This could be the early 

nineties, four wheels and a plank of wood under your feet and 

Bad Meds’ scowling hardcore punishing your ear drums, were it 

not for the sense of knowing self-deprecation that permeates 

the lyrics. “It’s kind of a homage to all the music I was listening 

to when I was a teenager. I guess it’s just a teenage punk band 

from the perspective of a thirty year old,” laughs Rafferty. It’s 

a contradiction of sorts; teenage punk, built on a sense of 

naïve self importance, injustice and outsider status, in this case 

spewing from the mouth of an all too wise thirty-something 

musician. There’s absurd twists, the angrily repeated refrain 

of Hoax Apocalypse slyly poking fun at the hyperbole of selfcentred 

punk lyricism, whilst Rainbow Unicorns is a testament 

to the band’s willingness not to take themselves too seriously. 

The singer seems all too aware that the picture doesn’t quite 

compute. “I like going to hardcore gigs,” he protests before 

conceding, “but I don’t like going to them every day”. In a 

strange way, Bad Meds could be more accurately described as 

outsiders than any of their predecessors, stoically playing the 

type of music typically reserved for those caught in-between 

pre-pubescence and adulthood. 

When it comes to what’s next the band’s frontman is typically 

vague: “I think we’d all like to put out an LP... it’s just about working 

out whether we can find someone to put it out or whether we 

can do it ourselves.” There’s no rush: having only formed weeks 

before releasing five tracks to the world and playing their first 

gig just weeks later, the band is still enjoying that new car smell, 

the excitement of being in a band without the pressure of global 

domination ambitions. Asked what Bad Meds means for the 

band’s other projects, Paul says assertively, “Whatever it is you 

do it’s always fun to have a hobby and I think some of the best 

work comes out of that attitude.” He chuckles before continuing, 

“The only project it’s eating into at the moment is looking after 

my dog.” His desire to keep the band as casual as possible is 

telling for a man whose life has revolved around making music 

for the better part of a decade. Paul Rafferty is certainly not alone 

in holding a strong sense of nostalgia for a time when life was 

simple and music was for fun. Perhaps, on this occasion, Bad 

Meds are just what the doctor ordered. 

soundcloud.com/madbeds 

Go to bidolito.co.uk to hear Bad Meds in session on the latest 

Bido Lito! Podcast.

31.08 

20.09 

30.09 

06.10 

10.10 

13.10 

24.10 

26.10 

27.10 

29.10 

29.10 

07.11 

14.11 

28.11 

01.12 

05.12 

15.12 

DEER TICK 

WET NUNS 

SILVER APPLES & BLUE ORCHIDS 

FIELD MUSIC 

PINS 

THE INVISIBLE 

DRY THE RIVER 

DAN LE SAC & FRIENDS 

TWO GALLANTS 

CLOCK OPERA 

CHAIN AND THE GANG 

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI 

MYSTERY JETS 

PURITY RING 

BAND OF SKULLS 

CHILLY GONZALES 

IAN MCNABB 

KAZIMIER 

THE SHIPPING FORECAST 

KAZIMIER 

KAZIMIER 


STUDIO 2 

KAZIMIER 

KAZIMIER 

LEAF 

KAZIMIER 


KAZIMIER 

KAZIMIER 

KAZIMIER 

CAPSTONE THEATRE 

KAZIMIER

22 


Previews/Shorts 

Edited by Richard Lewis - middle8@bidolito.co.uk 

SLEEPY SUN 

Bringing a dose of psych rock 

from the city where the form 

was largely invented, San Fran’s 

SLEEPY SUN are steeped in the 

golden sounds of their home town. 

Signed to ultra-hip label ATP Recordings, the band have built a sterling live reputation 

from touring alongside The Black Angels and Arctic Monkeys. AVIATOR and a resurgent 

EVA PETERSEN are in support. 

The Kazimier – 11th September 

BEAR CAVALRY 

Experimental indie in the 

ballpark of Everything Everything 

and Little Comets will be the order 

of the day when BEAR CAVALRY play 

an excellent double header at The 

Shipping Forecast later in the month. Signed to Big Scary Monsters the band have been 

creating major waves of late with their intricate, eclectic avant pop. Fellow headliners are 

Liverpool’s very own math rock/cutting-edge pop quartet NINETAILS. 

The Shipping Forecast – 20th September 

Tearing out of the Black 

Country in the first half of the 

DExY’S 

1980s, Dexy’s Midnight Runners 

were responsible for some of the 

finest music to come out of Britain 

in that period, with Searching For The Young Soul Rebels now deservedly hailed as a classic 

album. Sole remaining member and lead singer Kevin Rowland brings DEXY’S’ stomping 

neo-soul round again for one last hurrah. 

Philharmonic Hall – 24th September 

Liverpool Fringe Festival 

An alternative to its elder brother the Matthew St. Festival and a yearly institution in its own right, 

LIVERPOOL FRINGE FESTIVAL returns for 2012, yet on a far grander scale. This is first year the festival will 

take place without the backing of Liverpool City Council, and a huge programme of music anchored by 

the good souls at Antipop Records is in store across the Bank Holiday Weekend. With dozens of bands 

to choose from, there truly is something for the discerning gig goer. Taking place across no less than 

nineteen venues, including spaces not commonly part of the gig circuit such as Baa Bar, Django’s Riff and 

The Attic, the festival is testament to the huge wealth of talent in the city at present. 

Mello Mello hosts performances by, amongst others, MARRIED TO THE SEA, MINION TV, MUTO LEO, 

ALPHA MALE TEA PARTY, SO SEXUAL, and PETE BENTHAM & THE DINNERLADIES. The Lomax meanwhile has 

a huge crop of acts including NATALIE McCOOL (pictured), DEAD DUKES, CITIES TO SATELLITES, THE FIFTH 

MOVEMENT and CLEVER LITTLE TRAMPS as well as featuring an acoustic stage. 

The Zanzibar - the spiritual home of the Fringe - boasts the biggest line-up over the three days and 

showcases sets from OCEANIS, THE TEA STREET BAND, SENSORITES, ENDECI, LOW WINTER SUN, THE 

SUNDOWNERS, COLD SHOULDER and BALCONY STARS. Virtually all of the events are free entry with 

selected shows having a nominal door charge. 

Various venues - 24th - 27th August - liverpoolfringefestival.wordpress.com 

RENAISSANCE 

Any event that sees the 

opulent surroundings of the 

main room at St. George’s Hall 

open to the public is an immediate 

attention grabber. RENAISSANCE 

have secured the iconic surroundings for their huge 20th Anniversary event and have 

pulled in some of dance music’s biggest names for the night, including GHOSTING 

SEASON, HERNAN CATTANEO and HENRY SAIZ. 

St. George’s Hall – 15th September 

SILVER APPLES 

Early electronic pioneers 

who influenced everyone from 

Kraftwerk to Suicide and onto 

late period Blur, SILVER APPLES 

journey to Liverpool for what will be 

a must-see show. Reaching new audiences following appearances at ATP and Austin Psych 

Fest, tickets will be shifting swiftly to see this groundbreaking act in full flow, piloted by 

remaining founder member Simeon Coxe III. 

The Kazimier – 30th September 

A must for fans of vintage Black 

Sabbath, olde English doom metal 

BLACK MAGICIAN 

band BLACK MAGICIAN preside over 

an unholy communion of gory riffs 

at their launch for debut LP Nature Is 

The Devil’s Church at The Pilgrim. The group will be joined by the sludge metal nihilism of 

IRON WITCH, and the subterranean ritual doom of CRYPT LURKER. 

The Pilgrim – 7th September 

Lark Lane Acoustic Festival 

The weekend after the Fringe festival takes place another two day extravaganza is in store in the shape 

of the LARK LANE ACOUSTIC FESTIVAL. Making its debut outing, the event brings together twenty of the 

city’s finest acoustic acts in the bohemian enclave of the city’s Lark Lane district. 

Organized by Barbara Valentine, who has staged concerts at the wonderful St. Bride’s Church, and 

classical guitarist/composer Neil Campbell who performs at the event, the show runs from 2pm until 

7.30pm over both the 1st and 2nd of September. Taking place at the beautiful English Heritage Grade 2 

listed Christ Church on Linnet Lane, Aigburth, the festival continues the city’s recent tradition of hosting 

superb live events in ecclesiastical settings: St. Bride’s, St. Luke’s, the Scandinavian Church. These two 

days promise to provide a family friendly event with free admission for children; and the church will be 

licensed to sell wine and soft drinks. 

Saturday’s line-up includes amongst others THOM MORECROFT, DAVE O’ GRADY, KAYA, and JAZAMIN SINCLAIR. 

The following day sees LIZZIE NUNNERY (pictured) who will be showcasing tracks from her new LP Black Hound 

Howling made in collaboration with VIDAR NORHEIM. She will be joined by PAUL KAPPA, JO BYWTER, and TJ AND 

MURPHY, with many others also taking the stage. Tickets are priced at a very reasonable £5 per day. 

Christ Church, Linnet Lane (off Lark Lane) Aigburth - 1st and 2nd September 


24 


Reviews 

Savages (Richard B.) 

SAVAGES 

Palma Violets - Death At Sea 

Evol and Harvest Sun @ Leaf 

It’s an odd thing when you spot a member 

of a band, wave at them and they come over 

looking perplexed saying, “You’re here early...” 

Such is the blissful modesty that is DEATH AT 

SEA. If you’re unlucky enough to be part of the 

queue when Death At Sea begin tonight – a 

queue which is snaking down the stairs and 

out the door - then you’re probably on time, but 

you’ll still be craning your neck to catch their 

first two tunes. If you’re lucky enough to catch 

a centimetre of floor space you’ll be watching 

their first single Drag in its entirety. It’s arguably 

one of the band’s best and most well-known 

songs, and tonight it is lipsynced to within an 

inch of its life by the buzzing crowd, but sadly 

it’s a bit of a flat performance. Remembering 

back to Drag’s first fizzing live outing (back at 

Mello Mello’s Game Theory night in April), it’s 

hard not to draw comparisons here; are all 

of the lads still really behind this song, their 

anthem? Thankfully Skinny Wrists, and newbie 

Sally, follow on to kick up their stage presence 

and verve, so that by the time Sea Foam Green 

comes round they’re well back to being the 

Death At Sea we know so well. A cheeky classic 

rock out, particularly from guitarist Ruaidhri 

Owens, finishes their set to remind everyone 

why they came out early in the first place. 

Having played Manchester’s Deaf Institute to 

widespread approval the previous night, it seems 

as though everyone has watched the YouTube 

video of that set to get a glimpse at who the 

hell PALMA VIOLETS are. Evidently impressed 

enough, the crowd more than healthily sized 

for a band who are still somewhat shrouded in 

mystery; such is the fickle nature of the gig-going 

community though, who have been gladly swept 

along by the wave of hyperbole that continues 

to spin around this quartet. Thankfully there are 

many gems to be gleaned from Palma Violets’ 

set, the first being that they’re quite deliciously 

reminiscent of The Sonics; that rollicking sixties 

sound drapes all over them, suiting the quartet 

down to the ground. The keys lend the songs 

an almost church-like quality (seemingly the 

antithesis of their performance), with their 

addition drawing parallels to a compact Arcade 

Fire, albeit abstractly. The unwavering audience 

is too wrapped up in their kaleidoscope of a 

performance to notice that the band haven’t 

even bothered to introduce any of their songs. Do 

we know who Palma Violets are yet? We’re not 

entirely sure, but anyone who can successfully 

channel bands like The Monks and The Apparitions 

are certainly worth keeping an eye on. 

The night moves into the glorious when, 

in the form of SAVAGES, the afterbirth of punk 

blows out the teeth of the people in the front 

row. Frontwoman and lead vocalist Jehnny 

Beth (formerly of John And Jehn) captures 

an androgynous beauty that Shakespears 

Sister would have been jealous of. She pouts, 

stares and juts in time with the razor sharp 

Joy Division-esque post-punk laid down by her 

bandmates. It’s a little gushing to say so, but 

their performance is utterly spellbinding and 

compelling; while the band remain laissezfaire 

on stage, people’s limbs are flailing as 

though independent from their bodies, while 

all eyes are rapt on Jehn’s face. As the goth pop 

perfection of Shut Up is performed to hypnotic 

effect, it becomes impressively unnerving to be 

part of this crowd. 

They draw the curtain on the night with their 

single Husbands, which echoes around the 

room in the manner of the great Siouxsie Sioux, 

further instilling their post-punk credentials. 

Savages are a force to be reckoned with and 

could well be on the path to musical history 

greatness on the showing of this performance. 

Liverpool’s gig of the year? Sorry, but yes it is. 

Naters Philip 

THRESHOLD FUNDRAISER 

Camp & Furnace 

People often assume that only charities are 

allowed fundraisers. Anyone else looking to 

put on events must depend upon advertising, 

wealthy benefactors or that winning lottery 

ticket. Those responsible for Threshold Festival 

have come up with an alternative solution: how 

about a gig to pay for a gig? 

This small gang with big ambitions have 

always tried to cater for everyone, with past 

events taking over the cavernous CUC and the 

whole of the Baltic Triangle. This ambition has 

often left them open to accusations of being 


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26 Bido Lito! September 2012 

Reviews 

spread too thin, a balance redressed by today’s 

event as they pack all of their ideas into Camp & 

Furnace until it is fit to burst. 

As a genuine all-day event, which gets 

underway at midday, the early afternoon fun is 

dominated by the kids. The live art stand, craft 

workshops and ping pong tables are constantly 

surrounded by a hive of energetic, excited faces. 

Threshold Fundraiser (Mike Brits) 

Even the simple pleasure of pushing a toy rat 

down a drainpipe is eagerly devoured by the 

early youthful attendees. 

Meanwhile, the adults engage in the notas-cool-as-it-sounds-but-still-pretty-cool 

Yarn 

Bombing, or pick up some retro bargains 

from Pillbox’s vintage clothes stall or Sadie’s 

vintage furniture collection. The more reserved 

kick back with a home brew and a luxury 

cupcake (both locally sourced) and enjoy the 

impressively versatile folk-e-oke stylings of 62 

PIECES OF LEGO. 

As the shadows lengthen and the 

average age creeps up, the music moves 

from pleasant distraction to main event. 

SILENT CITIES’ Simon Madison is the first to 

make an impression, although initially not a 

positive one. A nervous start is made all the 

more glaring by Madison’s use of a Marmite 

falsetto, made famous by Muse’s Matt 

Bellamy. Thankfully some interaction with 

familiar faces in the crowd is all it takes to 

bring him out of his shell, and the simplistic 

beauty of his finger-picked acoustic laments 

becomes endearingly apparent. 

The friendly banter between musicians and 

audience develops into a theme of the evening, 

and becomes indicative of the event itself. The 

raffle ends up more like a stand-up routine, with 

co-comperes Sly Lox & Cheeky Monkey riffing back 

and forth like a bearded French & Saunders. 

Speaking of riffing, my favourite new 

discovery, THE 69 WATTS, unleash a warehousestorming 

set that combines dirty blues and 

space rock. Lengthy jams may not be everyone’s 

cup of tea, but their power and passion more

Reviews 


27

28 


Reviews 

Tuesday 4th 

CHURCH OF LOVE & RUIN 

+ WHAT CHEER? BRIGADE (US, 20 piece. Marching Band) + Very 

special guest DAN LE SAC . £8 adv 

Saturday 8th 

ALLO DARLIN' + Special guests. £8 adv 

Tuesday 11th 

SLEEPY SUN + Guests. £10 adv 

Saturday 22nd 

10 BANDS 10 MINUTES - Married to the Sea + More TBC 

Tuesday 25th 

SIMONE FELICE GROUP 

+ Special guest SIMI STONE (The Duke & The King) 

£12.50adv 

Thursday 27th Liverpool Comedy Festival 

WIT TANK + Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer 

Saturday 29th Liverpool Comedy Festival: 

BEDWYR WILLIAMS & SIMON MUNNERY 

Sunday 30th 

SILVER APPLES (NYC) & BLUE ORCHIDS live. £10 adv 


. 

Sunday 2nd 

DEAD BELGIAN + NEUVEAU DJANGO £6 

Thursday 6th & Friday 7th 

FEAST OF FANTASIA - 

An evening of Theatre and Cullinary delights. Limited tickets 

Sunday 9th 

THE SUMMER CUP - A British Picnic including Hampers, cocktails 

and musical entertainment. £7/10 

-The Garden continues throughout Septemeber - 

than make up for any lack of precision. SCIENCE 

OF THE LAMPS is Kaya Herstad’s best incarnation 

yet, injecting a hitherto unseen playfulness into 

her songs. The result is an alluring hybrid of 

driving rock and burlesque blues, accompanied 

by a band including the equally honey-voiced 

Grethe Borsum and an ever-growing phalanx 

of backing singers. THE THESPIANS arguably 

earn more kudos for performing with a new 

drummer at a day’s notice than their spirited, 

if limited, set of schoolyard indie, but as a 

young band in every sense they have the 

potential to improve. 

It’s left to WE THE UNDERSIGNED to steal 

the show, and give further credence to the 

idea that they are the city’s most underrated 

band. Adding liberal splashes of spice and 

colour, WTU bring the Stankh - what they call 

their fusion of funk, reggae, rock and rap - and 

the house down. Regardless of whether the 

event raises enough funds, The Threshold 

Fun(d)raiser certainly manages to raise the 

levels of fun. 

Mo Stewart 

ALIF ENSEMBLE 

Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival 

@ Philharmonic Hall 

ALIF ENSEMBLE is a project conceived by 

rock drummer turned oud player Khyam 

Allami for the London 2012 Festival. He has 

brought together a collection of contemporary 

musicians from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, 

Palestine, Egypt and Iraq to compose and 

perform a number of pieces representing a 

cross-section of music from the Arab world. 

Although intended for London 2012 Festival, 

we are treated to the premiere tonight as part 

of Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival 2012. 

The decision to blend electronic and 

acoustic sounds could easily have posed 

difficulties for these compositions, both in live 

execution and sonic structure, but Allami uses 

a variety of intriguing techniques to avoid the 

pitfalls of folktronica. Picking intricate but 

measured flourishes on his oud, he acts as 

the ballast on which each song is formed. 

He frequently uses a reverse delay effect 

which cleanly bridges the gap between the 

traditional and the modern while providing 

a smoke-drift sensation as the notes morph 

seamlessly into one another. 

Maurice Louca provides the electronic 

underlay, which consists of a mesh of drones 

and beats added to by percussionists Ayman 

Mabrouk and Khaled Yassine, who share a 

mixture of drum kit, drum pads and traditional 

Arabic drums. What is striking is the quality of 

the performance: having played together for just 

one week with only two days as a full group, 

the intricacy of the stops, alternate timings and 

back and forth interplay is astounding. Minor 

hiccups can be observed but these are breezed 

over with such professionalism that you wonder 

if they are perhaps intentional. 

Each piece features vocals by Tamer Abu 

Ghazaleh, who sings both self-penned lyrics 

and poems by famous Arab poets. Although 

perhaps not everybody in the audience could 

claim to understand his words, the emotion 

imbued in his voice says much about the 

feelings he wishes to convey; and the political 

complexities of his homeland (Palestine) are 

sure to seep into his songs. 

Tonight’s performance offers a glimpse 

into traditional Arab music of many varieties 

while intelligently employing forwardthinking 

sounds and techniques that 

successfully bridge the gap between the 

past and the future of multi-cultural music. 

The speed at which this project has been 

put together is testament to the quality of 

not just their individual musicality but the 

collective ideas displayed by Alif Ensemble 

as a group. This is an assured, intriguing and 

often thrilling performance. 

BODDIKA 

Huxley – Mickey Pearce 

Jonny Davis 

MiFest @ The Shipping Forecast 

When it was announced that Abandon 

Silence would be collaborating with Selective 

Hearing to curate a stage at MiFest, the biggest 

surprise was that they hadn’t done this sort 

of thing more often. The likes of Eliphino, Joy 

Orbison and young heavyweights Bondax 

made it one of the best dance line-ups of the 

summer, only increasing the disappointment 

when it was cancelled due to bad weather 

and a “less than friendly local council”. In a 

remarkable turnaround, the three days were 

divided across three venues in Manchester, 

Leeds and Liverpool for an astonishingly 

cheap £7 per night. 

Swamp 81’s MICKEY PEARCE gets things 

started, easing us into the evening with the 

sharply programmed drum sequences and 

lurking basslines that has had recent 12’’ Don’t 

Ask, Don’t Get on repeat all year. Midnight 

passes and The Hold is already overflowing, 

with door staff turning people away in their 

dozens and kids literally leaping over the 

gate to get in. Make no mistake of this: a 

sell-out for a local night outside of term-time 

is mightily impressive even with the help 

of MiFest and Selective Hearing. Next up is 

Tsuba’s HUXLEY, whose unique blend of UK 

garage and contemporary house has seen 

him become one of the UK’s most soughtafter 

producers this year. Within minutes of 

his set it’s easy to see why, as he launches 

into highlights from the brilliant Out The Box 

and Let It Go EPs, shaking The Hold to its core 

with some robust basslines and layers of 

infectious synths and abrasive percussion.

30 Bido Lito! September 2012 

Reviews 

whether it’s Julio Bashmore, Boddika or 

just the residents, everyone is there to 

completely lose themselves in the music 

and dance themselves into the ground. With 

“big changes” promised for the new season, 

it seems inevitable that it will outgrow its 

current venue. What’s certain though is that 

no matter where it is it will take all those 

hundreds of beaming faces with it. Local 

producer Melé recently called it his favourite 

night in the world. We’re not going to disagree 

with you there, lad. 

Mike Townsend 

FESTEVOL GARDENS 

The Kazimier and Gardens 

Last up is BODDIKA. Now on his own after he 

was originally scheduled to play back-to-back 

with Joy Orbison, the London-based producer 

has a lot of hype to contend with. Any fears 

are allayed as he responds with one of the 

best sets Abandon Silence has ever seen. In 

the midst of all the chaos, Mickey Pearce and 

Huxley stand alongside Boddika in awe at the 

atmosphere they have created. It’s far too hot, 

you’re drenched in your own sweat and the 

lad next to you has knocked his third beer 

over your new shirt, yet it’s impossible to care. 

Clinic (Adam Edwards) 

As the crowd erupts in “Boddika’s a Scouser” 

chants (still trying to work that one out), the 

night comes to an end and the exhausted 

crowd members drag themselves back up the 

stairs and back to reality. 

This is what you get with Abandon Silence: 

With just under forty bands on show, as 

well as ample and more than able DJs, two 

Saturdays in August will burn in the cerebral 

cortexes of many for a long time to come. 

Events like these FESTEVEOL GARDENS alldayers 

are ambitious and you never know 

if they will be a hit or a miss. Standing here 

surveying the crowds (and, dare we say it, 

‘good vibe’) sprawling across the Kazimier’s 

club and garden spaces, it’s evident that it’s 

nothing other than a resounding hit. There 

are that many bands lined up ahead of us 

over the two nights that they all can’t get a 

mention (but we’ll do our best). 

LIVERPOOL: WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE 

MUSIC / ART / CULTURE / FOOD / OPINION 

WWW.SEVENSTREETS.COM

Reviews 


OXYGEN THIEVES are responsible for really 

getting things going at FestEvol Part One, 

showcasing some pretty interesting and 

properly dark garage rock. It’s grim and at 

times pretty heavy too, channelling Cobain 

and even, bizarrely, Lemmy, to awesome 

effect. THE DIRTY RIVERS, fronted by a flamehaired 

Mick Jagger-crossed-with-a-prototype- 

Scouse-Rob Tyner, are a right rock and roll 

throwback. They’ve certainly got the chops 

and, with the song Shooters, could they also 

have the tunes? TICKS are back after a long 

sabbatical, and seem to be stronger than they 

ever were. With Ferg (Drums) and George Rix 

(Keys) being with them for a number of years 

now their sound is all coming together: think 

80s Talking Heads crossed with a rhythmic 

smattering of Hot Chip, then change the 

subject matter to invasive tabloid tragedies 

involving the dark underbelly of the British 

psyche and there you have Ticks. In amongst 

all that is the best song of the day so far in Our 

Little Girl. Manchester band FOLKS, alongside 

Wirral’s own THE SUNDOWNERS, take us back 

to the golden age of classic sounding rockpop. 

Sixties ethics and seventies FM-friendly 

melodies are brought to mind, whilst evoking 

Fleetwood Mac, The Mamas And The Papas 

and The Byrds. 

Despite suffering a complete equipment 

meltdown, LOVECRAFT still manage to be 

entertainingly superb with a now settled lineup, 

churning out twisted pop at its best. Their 

debut album Whistle And I’ll Come To You, My 

Lad still provides the backbone of their set, 

but there is an exciting hint at where they 

are going with the new material on show. 

OWLS*, singularly brooding as usual, lead 

the crowd into a black gothic night as they 

display remnants of Bill Callahan and Leonard 

Cohen, supercharged by Carl Cook’s frankly 

frightening guitar skills. 

Finally, rounding off the first leg of FestEvol 

are CLINIC, and what can we say about them that 

Festevol (Robin Clewley) 

hasn’t been said before? It was a minor tragedy 

that Bubblegum didn’t break them a more 

mainstream bit of slack but we still love them. 

Lion Tamer is frighteningly angry and uplifting 

at the same time, while Walking With Thee is 

met with crowd punches in the air. It seems it’s 

Alan Paine 

Barracuta 

Barbour ToKiTo 

Barbour 

Carhartt 

Common People 

Dockers 

Edwin Japan 

Farah Vintage 

Fjallraven 

Folk Clothing 

Folk Shoes 

Han Kjobenhavn 

Herschel Supply Co 

Gloverall 

Grenson 

Natural Selection 

Norse Projects 

Nudie Jeans Co 

Oliver Spencer 

Penfield 

Red Wing Shoes 

Sandqvist 

Sperry Topsider 

Suit Denmark 

Sunspel 

Superga 

Universal Works 

Wolsey 

YMC 

Shop online at: 

www.weaversdoor.com 

1 Cavern Walks 

Harrington Street 

Liverpool 

L2 6RE 

Telephone: 

0151 236 6001 

E-Mail: 

info@weaversdoor.com 

Stay in touch: 

@weaversdoor 

weaversdoor.com

32 


Reviews 

not just us who are sent home happy. 

Seven days later and FestEvol Part Two is 

kicked off with guts and attitude by BROKEN 

MEN, proving to be a good portent for the 

day. All Dr. Martens, quiffs and gusto on tap, 

Broken Men emit a Fatima Mansions-era Cathal 

Coughlan vibe. Outside on the Garden Stage 

PIXELS jump about from a Vampire Weekend 

sound to suddenly being in the jazz fusion 

world of Galliano (and, at worst, Jamiroquai). 

It’s a mish-mash that, although catchy 

enough, doesn’t always work here. Next up is 

MASHEMON who, whilst gaining a drummer, 

may have lost something in the translation of 

their electronically-formed songs. Facts is a 

highlight, though it’s only when drummer Andy 

Fernihough is under the headphones that you 

hear the beats coming to the fore. THE LOUD, 

aided and abetted by keys and an additional 

voice, push their now powerful glam-spirited 

sound forwards. It will be interesting to see 

how a four-piece will suit them but it appears 

that it fits neatly already. KUSANAGI lead a 

frenetic instrumental assault on the Garden. If 

you’re going to attempt this type of music you 

need precision: though this isn’t always there, 

Kusanagi still manage to maintain our interest, 

and in Resistance Is Character Forming they 

have a winner. Inside, all-girl PINS do their best 

impression of Vivian Girls, all boom-boom-bash 

and atmosphere. They look and sound swell but 

can they transcend the many other C86 soundalike 

late eighties bands that are about? 

And then come headliners OUTFIT, who 

not only steal the show but also manage to 

get their heads out in front of Clinic to seal 

FestEvol’s Gold medal. The biggest crowd of the 

two events is packed into The Kazimier’s main 

room when Outfit are on and, quite frankly, it 

goes off! In Dashing And Passing and Everything 

All The Time they possess some bona fide pop 

classics, heartsick, alluring and sexy; and with 

Drakes and Humboldts they now show that 

their earlier songs were no flukes. We’ve got our 

fingers crossed that they could just make the 

debut album we all want them to, and on this 

evidence it’ll be a debut to get excited about. 

As we get our shoes dirty giving it beans to 

THUNDERBIRD GERARD’s Thunderbird (twice) 

there’s just about time to reflect on the delights 

provided by FestEvol over the past twenty hours 

and forty bands. Same time next year please. 

POLICE & THIEVES 

Louis Barabbas 

Mick Chrysalid 

Free Rock & Rock @ MelloMello 

“It was a dark and stormy night. In a rugged 

and dirty old town a man was pining for his love, 

the only thing that would keep him there. Yet 

their happiness together could not be fulfilled, 

for his inamorata was imprisoned in a tower 

guarded by... a dog.” 

This ill-fated vaudeville tale, with an Edgar 

Outfit (David Howarth) 


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Tickets currently on sale at bidolito.co.uk 

Kazimier Krunk-adelic 

The Kazimier 

Holy Other 


Deer Tick 

The Kazimier 

Mothlight – A Dream Unfolding 

Milk:Studios 

Cate Le Bon 

Leaf 

Sleepy Sun 

The Kazimier 

City Rise (EP Launch) 

Format 

Tall Ships 

The Shipping Forecast 

Liverpool International Festival Of Psychedelia 


Silver Apples 

The Kazimier 

The Invisible 

Parr Street Studio 2 

Fossil Collective 


Euros Childs 


Clock Opera 

The Kazimier 

Chain And The Gang 



Comprehensive gig listings can be found on the Gig Guide /gig-guide 

Full ticket listings can be found on the Ticket Shop /ticket-shop 

25/8 

25/8 

31/8 

1/9 

6/9 

11/9 

15/9 

23/9 

29/9 

30/9 

13/10 

16/10 

25/10 

29/10 

29/10 

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Kazimier Krunk-adeliċ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

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Kazimier Krunk-adelic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

The Kazimier 

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The Kazimier 

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The Kazimier 

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Holy Other 

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Holy Other 

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Holy Other 

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Deer Tick 

The Kazimier 

Mothlight – A Dream Unfolding 

Milk:Studios 

Cate Le Bon 

Leaf 

Sleepy Sun 

The Kazimier 

City Rise (EP Launch) 

Format 

Tall Ships 


Liverpool International Festival Of Psychedelia 


Silver Apples 

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Silver Apples 

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The Kazimier 

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The Kazimier 

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The Invisible 

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The Invisible 

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Euros Childs 

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Euros Childs 

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Euros Childs 

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Clock Opera 

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Clock Opera 

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Clock Opera 

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Clock Opera 

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The Kazimier 

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The Kazimier 

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25/8 

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25/8 

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25/8 

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25/8 

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25/8 

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31/8 

1/9 

6/9 

11/9 

15/9 

23/9 

29/9 

30/9 

13/10 

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16/10 

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25/10 

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25/10 

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29/10 

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29/10 

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29/10 

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34 Bido Lito! September 2012 

Reviews 

Allan Poe-like charm, is typical of tonight’s 

opening act, travelling troubadour LOUIS 

BARABBAS. The Tell-Tale Hound, a spoken-word 

cabaret blues track, sees Barabbas conversing 

with himself as the man and the forever-panting 

dog, over a rapidly-plucked sequence of quick, 

sharp blues and diminished chords. Making the 

throaty canine noises of howls and growls and 

pants and whines, he’s like a rabid Rolf Harris. 

Tonight Barabbas, with waxed moustache, 

theatrical arm movements and puncturing, 

penetrating eyes, expresses his intent to sing us 

tales of love. But don’t be fooled, these songs are 

far from the soppy variety. With violent, slothful 

and loathing lovers, he manages to construct a 

wild world in which the ridiculous and surreal 

outlaw convention. The lustful overtones of 

disgrace and ruin in Dying Of Something (I Don’t 

Want) show love at its worst as Louis recalls the 

tale of the man who died in a brothel, a story he 

claims is “semi-autobiographical, only it hasn’t 

happened yet.” With tonight’s solo performance 

of gargled trumpeting vocals, rhythmical foot 

stomps and dancing around the stage with 

guitar in tow while trying to out-stare the 

audience, the absence of tour backing-band The 

Bedlam Six goes completely unnoticed until he 

jests, “They would have been here, but I couldn’t 

afford to pay them.” In You Gotta Get Mean 

With Your Love, a classic blues-style duet, Louis 

delivers both male and female lines by mixing 

lugubrious baritone with falsetto, and then 

setting out to argue with himself as the married 

couple, tearing himself to shreds. The world of 

Louis B is clearly one of madness. 

The only problem with tonight’s first act is 

that after exposure to such amusing tongue-incheek 

musical satire it’s hard at first to get into 

Louis Barabbas ()Matthew Thomas) 

the headline band, whose very name - POLICE 

& THIEVES - would suggest a highly politicised 

and provocative group. Indeed the band’s first 

song of the evening, Riot, a reggae number in 

remembrance of the 2011 riots, is very evocative 

of the group’s namesake. The song makes 

light of everything that’s wrong in the world 

through a long list of reasons explaining why 

“the youth are so uncouth” (think 99 Problems 

here). But maybe their inclusion of more trivial 

explanations such as paying the dreaded TV 

Licence Fee means that the band’s outlook is not 

all doom and gloom. Indeed, later songs come 

across as rather fun and bouncing, including 

Culture Of Fear, which has a good old dig at the 

Daily Mail and its entire blinkered readership. 

It’s tempting to pigeon-hole the three-piece 

into reggae-rock, or even make comparisons 

with The Clash, but some songs are more folkheavy, 

sounding like a tamer Dropkick Murphys. 

They end with a very controlled performance 

of Billy Bragg’s Which Side Are You, with every 

chord, note and line delivered exactly on beat. It 

gives Police & Thieves a cooler edge, which stops 

them breaking off into guitar-solo wonderland, 

thankfully. With assertive and poignant lyrics, 

Police & Thieves ultimately succeed in stealing 

the crowd’s respect. 

Amy Greir 

PURE LOVE 

The Zanzibar 

By using their chosen nomenclature to 

project their hopes for future admiration, the 

now aptly-named PURE LOVE should do little 

else but inspire devotion, ferocious defence and 

Sat 22nd to 

Sun 23rd September, 7:30pm. 

CATFISH THERAPY 

Fri 28th September, 8:00pm. 

KATHRYN TICKELL 

NORTHUMBRIAN VOICES 

Fri 5th October, 8:00pm. 

RALPH McTELL 

AN ENGLISH HEARTBEAT 

Sat 6th October, 8:00pm. 

NEARLY DAN 

REELIN’ IN THE YEARS TOUR 

Sat 13th October, 8:00pm. 

NICK HARPER 

Sun 14th October, 8:00pm. 

KARINE POLWART 

Fri 2nd November, 8:00pm. 

HOT CLUB OF COW TOWN 

Sun 4th November, 8:00pm. 

EASY STAR ALL-STARS 

Sunday 11th November, 7:30pm. 

GEORGIE FAME IN CONCERT 

GEORGIE FAME & SONS 

Wednesday 14th November, 8:00pm. 

MATRACA BERG 

Thursday 15th November, 8:00pm. 

SAD CAFE 

Friday 16th November, 8:00pm. 

WOODY MANN 

Saturday 17th November, 8:00pm. 

BOBBY VALENTINO & B.J. COLE 

STEELIN’ THE NIGHT AWAY WITH 

SPECIAL GUESTS TOM DOUGHTY, 

CHES & AL CHERRY 

Sunday 18th November, 8:00pm. 

THEA GILMORE 

Thursday 22nd November, 8:00pm. 

GALINA VALE 

Friday 23rd November, 8:00pm. 

NINE BELOW ZERO 

Saturday 24th November, 8:00pm. 

SHOW OF HANDS

36 


Reviews 

making themselves known. It readies the 

ground for what promises to be an energetic 

and memorable show. Given that tonight’s 

date is part of their first full European tour, 

and a pre-emptive promotional strike for their 

debut album due in October, expectations are 

palpably high. 

Luckily, almost inevitably, these expectations 

are matched and then subsequently beaten 

as the trans-Atlantic rockers throw everything 

they have and more at a baying crowd. Songs 

like the ridiculously addictive Bury My Bones 

make their appearance alongside the heart-onsleeve 

intensity of Handsome Devil’s Club, and 

Carter is his usual ball of energy, getting in the 

mix early on. By halfway through the set he’s 

already hanging from the ceiling and surveying 

the maddening crowd. Carroll stands ably by, 

providing big riffs, tight solos and the required 

poses to make it in this dirty game. As the night 

wears on, the songs, audience and the band 

themselves ratchet the intensity up even further. 

Carter, delighted with the reaction he and his 

cohorts are consistently receiving, thanks and 

curses all and sundry in equal measure. By now 

those in attendance are pushing forwards, eager 

to be a part of the reckless pantomime unfolding 

on stage. One song and two stage-divers later 

and it’s all over, dissipating almost as quickly as 

it had started. No encore is forthcoming: always 

leave them wanting more. 

Away from the heat of performance, Carter 

and Carroll belie their on-stage characters. They 

are an appealing double act and always willing 

to meet and greet their public. On Bury My 

Bones, Carter declares how he’s “sick of singing 

about hate, it’s never going to make a change.” 

You know, he might just be onto something. 

Joseph Viney 

KENDAL CALLING 

Lowther Deer Park 

the type of fervour usually reserved for those 

with chemically-imbalanced brains. 

Perhaps ironically, the only neurological 

condition you need to be afflicted by in the 

typically humid Zanzibar Club tonight is a large 

dose of good, old-fashioned common sense. 

Pure Love (Mike Sheerin) 

Upon entering, we immediately spy vocalist 

Frank Carter and guitarist Jim Carroll mingling 

with fans, hawking merchandise and generally 

As we arrive at KENDAL CALLING festival late 

on the afternoon of the opening day (Friday) 

to be greeted by the complete absence of a 

queue and an impressive sea of tents, it’s clear 

that not only are the sell-out crowd eager to 

enjoy the whole of Friday’s action, but also that 

many have opted to beat the jams by coming 

up a day early. Blue skies and barely any clouds 

are the order of the day, giving the large open 

spaces decorated with sculptures, bunting and 

picnicking families a warm, fuzzy feeling of 

wholesomeness. Coupled with the fact that 

there’s the promise of a Liverpool invasion of 

sorts (SOUND OF GUNS, THE CHEAP THRILLS, 

MELE, and KING TWIT are among the Scouse 

contingent), it’s fair to say that the prospects 

for the weekend are looking good. 

With a shift in activities from day to night, it 

really feels like a festival for all. The Happy Slap 

area provides circus lessons in the daytime, 

however in the evening it turns into a fire- 


-1' -1' - - 7 7 

 

 

 

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Riverboat 

MUSIC FESTIVAL 

22-30 SEPTEMBER 2012 

Henry Priestman 

(The Christians, It's Immaterial) 

THE 

hummingbirds 

For FULL GIG details & ticket booking visit www.merseyferries.co.uk 

w.merseyferries.co.uk 

All evening shows start 7.30pm 

licensed bar available 

ailable 

on board 

Ian McNabb 

(the Icicle Works) 

join us on the Mersey Ferries for a series of live commemorative gigs, 

50 years after The Beatles last played on board! 

TICKETS from 

£10 

No booking fee 

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38 


Reviews 

Guest Column 

Bernie Connor, The Sound of Music 

Bernie Connor, The Sound of Music 


It is indeed a sad 

and beautiful world. 

Often 

simultaneously. 

I celebrated team GB’s 

Olympian dream by 

putting me neck out and 

writhing around in utter 

agony for a fortnight. Tony 

Crean suggested that 

the nearest I could ever 

come to a sports injury 

would be indeed falling 

asleep on the sofa during 

the opening ceremony 

and waking up with the 

stiffest of necks. I couldn’t 

look down. It became the 

story. It filtered in through 

The Sound Of Music. 

Unable to move, 

I nestled meself on the sofa and ploughed through a metric tonne of ‘new’ music. This is 

usually a weekly process in which the golden nuggets that fill my airspace are listened to, 

listened to again and put into some sort of semblance of order to be exposed to you, and a 

wider audience. I’ve never found it difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. 

I can tell within the first few bars whether I like a record or not. If it doesn’t jump out of the 

speaker and grab you by the throat immediately, it might not be the greatest record you’ve 

ever heard. And I hope every record I ever play will be just that. 

Neck pain and personal enjoyment make strange bedfellows: every wondrous moment 

is offset by instant agony each time the head is moved. Listening to the wondrous, dulcet 

tones of Lend Me Your Comb by Carl Perkins can be positively dangerous. On numerous 

occasions I tried to gently shake my head to show my appreciation, only to be reminded by 

the numbskulls that, ‘if you do that one more time, you soft git, yer gonna end up in hospital.’ 

And so it goes….the advances in medical technology dictated that I was never gonna die and, 

if I just let the loud pop music play, life would get better when augmented by high strength 

ibuprofen and patience. 

Once the pain had subsided considerably the sound of music took to the road. Firstly to 

the Picket, where Bill Sykes launched his excellent book about Roger Eagle, Sit Down! Listen 

To This! Roger was the colossus who ran Eric’s here in Liverpool in the 1970s and was the 

catalyst and springboard for the music scene that exists to this very day. He is one of the 

most important figures in the history of British pop and, sadly, outside of a small group of 

enthusiasts, he is relatively unknown. Oh, and he inadvertently invented northern soul in 

Manchester in the mid-sixties. The great and good, former cellar-dwellers turned out en masse 

to celebrate this great fella’s enormous achievements. It’s a fascinating book; anyone with 

only a passing interest in the last fifty years of music will be enthralled by the story. It’s even 

got a sad ending. Brilliant. 

Last Saturday (the first day without pain for two weeks) The Sound Of Music ventured to the 

FestEvol garden in the Kazimer’s new wonderful, outdoor facility, if that’s the right word. Er, at 

the risk of sounding like me Grandad, I was pop-eyed with amazement. I’ve been around these 

parts a long time, seen all kinds of shit come and go. Venues with solely an eye on fleecing 

punters have been the accepted norm for decades, nothing ever changes. The Kazimer garden 

is one of the most wonderful spaces this city has ever witnessed. On the second leg of the 

FestEvol thang there was an atmosphere that I imagine the Fillmore and its contemporaries 

in mid-sixties San Francisco had, more than just coloured lights and affected youngsters. Just 

beautiful, man. Very unlike Liverpool and anything that had gone before, it raised the bar as 

to how entertainment can be presented. I hope it stays; we need to advance ourselves to the 

next level of humanity. Wherever that may be. 

Bernie Connor presents The Sound Of Music. Available weekly from bernieworld.podomatic.com 

juggling spectacular with loud, booming breakbeat 

protruding from the DJ booth inside the 

tent. Even though it holds no more than thirty 

people it still makes for a brilliant atmosphere. 

Chai Wallah’s travelling event tent provides 

a perfect selection of world music combined 

with delicious food, and a chai tea concoction 

that is the perfect thing to imbibe at a festival 

(can be enjoyed with our without brandy). 

We manage to catch several acts at this 

chilled haven of wonderfulness, including the 

legendary DREADZONE, turntablist DJ SWITCH, 

and a really interesting eight-piece band called 

LAZY HABITS. One of the acts which really stands 

out is KING PORTER STOMP, a Brighton based 

funk and ska band, with just the right balance 

of talent and swagger. The powerful lyrics are 

so eloquently rapped by lead man Tim Jones 

that they put you in a sort of skanking trance 

(a skance?). The crowd steadily builds, packing 

out the whole tent with people from all walks 

of life, from the hardcore, nomadic festival 

goers to the clean-cut graduates proudly 

wearing their university hoodies. 

However, the most enticing and tantalising 

performers in Chai Wallah’s appear on the Friday 

night. SLAMBOREE, are a festival in themselves; 

providing over an hour of undiluted theatrical, 

circus inspired performance including jugglers, 

burlesque dancers, singers, dancers, bongo 

players – it’s truly one of the most exciting and 

wondrous things to witness and is an excellent 

introduction to the festival. 

Early Sunday afternoon sees THE 

HUMMINGBIRDS and THE TEA STREET BAND 

joining The Cheap Thrills on the Calling Out stage, 

giving a Liverpudlian warm up for Sunday’s top 

biller JAMES. As undoubtedly impressive as 

James, and fellow headliner DIZZEE RASCAL, 

are, it’s still the small, quirky things which really 

make Kendal Calling shine. The Koppärberg 

Kube, the House Party (complete with bedside 

cabinets and washing machines), the Sailor 

Jerry’s van (make your very own temporary sailor 

tats for free)… all these things together make 

this festival unique and special. Kendal Calling 

should be regarded as a benchmark for other 

festivals to strive to match. 

DAMIEN JURADO 

& MEGAFAUN 

Bird 

Isabelle Salter 

Harvest Sun @ Leaf 

Following their acclaimed turn at The Kazimier 

the previous weekend, BIRD play to a comfortably 

busy early doors Leaf crowd tonight. Lead singer 

Adele Emmas, in a red dress that seemingly 

featured in the video to Wuthering Heights, 

leads the songs with her remarkable voice, 

underscored by billowing clouds of shimmering 

noise supplied by guitarist Sian Williams. 

The creepy Victoriana of Intro (Willow Waly) 

segueing into Shadows makes the most of 

drummer Alexis’ rolling rhythmic patterns, 

revolving around an insistent guitar arpeggio and 

Adele and Sian’s seamless harmonies. Wrapping 

up with a cover of Bauhaus’ biggest hit, goth 

anthem Bella Lugosi’s Dead, the trio supplant 

the original’s Ziggy Stardust-inspired stomp for 

something nearer to the gloomy atmospherics 

of This Mortal Coil. 

Beginning his set without introduction, 

co-headliner DAMIEN JURADO reduces the 

audience chatter between sets to zero within 

a few seconds of him starting to play, a 

considerable feat for a guy armed only with 

an acoustic guitar. Almost twenty years since 

his first release on Sub Pop, the Seattle native 

has the commanding stage presence of a welltravelled 

musician, firmly planting himself a 

few feet back from the microphone to allow his 

stunning voice full reign. 

Led by spare strumming with his vocals front 

and centre Jurado’s songs, reduced to their basic 

structures in places, are arguably better than 

the full-blown recorded versions on recent LP 

Maraqopa. His rich melodies evoking Harvestera 

Neil Young, the pleading Museum Of Flight 

proves to be the shiniest gem in a set strewn 

with jewels, as Jurado holds the audience’s rapt 

attention for the entire performance. 

Demonstrating how the songs work in a 

full band setting, MEGAFAUN appear from the 

crowd and take to the stage to back Jurado on 

the closing two tracks of the set. After a changeover, 

whereby Jurado trades in performing for 

spectating by stepping down onto the venue floor, 

Megafaun’s set proper commences, which after 

the emotional firepower of Jurado’s performance 

proves to be mildly underwhelming. Formerly 

part of overlooked mid-2000s act DeYarmond 

Edison, which also featured some fella called 

Justin Vernon who went on to do quite well for 

himself, Megafaun’s early work crammed freejazz 

and musique concrète into their American 

heartland sound. 

Now a lesser part of their sonic make-up, 

the quartet largely seem to be in thrall to the 

sounds made by their countrymen in 1969 - 

the year of country rock - as traces of Dylan’s 

Nashville Skyline, The Flying Burrito Brothers 

and, especially with their four-part harmonies, 

The Band are detectable. Amid the loping, 

laid-back tracks, fragments of their noisier 

tangents remain as passages of squalling 

guitar and jazz-like improvisation bubble to 

the surface, feeling slightly incongruous in 

their present setting. 

Apart from these reminders of the band’s roots 

in gnarlier sonic pastures, Megafaun’s material 

largely drifts past, superbly played by the 

quartet, the wise cracking bonhomie between 

the players going down a treat with the crowd, 

if not quite matching the excellence of Jurado’s 

prior showing. 

Richard Lewis

Issue 26 / September 2012

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