Issue 16 / October 2011

Issue 16
October 2011
The Cubical
Eric’s
Bird
Son Of Dave
The Cubical By Jennifer Pellegrini
www.bidolito.co.uk
FREE

Editorial
After my flagrant dalliances with the rights of the press and
our city’s riots in my previous two columns, this month’s offering
could be somewhat of a lightweight affair. Happily, our domestic
turbulence seems to have calmed itself over the past couple of
weeks, albeit mildly, and I’m left with less devilish themes to
muse. I suppose it gives me an opportunity to welcome back
any returning student expats from their summer hols, and any
budding new scholars turning up in Liverpool for the first time.
You’ll have a blast I’m sure...
When we launched Bido Lito! back in May 2010, it was with
the rallying cry of Long Live Physical Media. In a digital world,
the role of a monthly music publication for a city’s music scene
seemed more important than ever to us; Liverpool needed a
regular, considered print publication that could provide a snap
shop of the scene and an authentic platform for our artists.
Hopefully you’ll agree that over the past sixteen issues we have
provided that, and it is on the back of this that we are thrilled to
announce our foray into cyberspace.
The all new bidolito.co.uk
will go live on 20th October. This
will be our very own digital playground; an online space to
provide music, film and discussion as a compliment and context
to our physical magazine. Bido TV
will be central to the site,
seeing us work with some of Liverpool’s best emerging film
makers, capturing Liverpool’s musicians performing within our
city’s underbelly. Bido Stereo will house guest mixes, our newly
refreshed podcast featuring exclusive live sessions, and an
opportunity for Liverpool artists to submit music to us. Bido Lens
will provide a space to display some of the stunning photography
shot by our expanding team of snappers. We’ll have regular and
guest bloggers, previews of upcoming events, an archive of the
physical magazine and lots more.
But, probably more important than any of this, will be the
new Bido Lito! Gig Guide, a key aspect to the new website. Here,
promoters and bands will be able to upload their shows and
events to the Gig Guide directly, resulting in a comprehensive
database of everything going on in the city. Liverpool has
suffered in recent years from a lack of an all-encompassing Gig
Guide, a central resource for people to find out exactly what’s
happening and when. Hopefully this will soon be a thing of the
past. I hope you enjoy this month’s issue...
Craig G Pennington
Editor
Features
6 THE CUBICAL
8 ERIC’S: A POST-PUNK
REAWAKENING?
10 BIRD
12 EDiLS RECORDINGS
14 SON OF DAVE
Regulars
4 NEWS
16
RANTS/COMMENT
18
PREVIEWSSHORTS
22 REVIEWS
Bido Lito! October 2011 3
Bido Lito!
Issue Sixteen - October 2011
bidolito.co.uk
Bido Lito!
Static Gallery, 23 Roscoe Lane
Liverpool, L1 9JD
info@bidolito.co.uk
Editor
Craig G Pennington - info@bidolito.co.uk
Assistant & Reviews Editor
Christopher Torpey - reviews@bidolito.co.uk
Photo Editor
Jennifer Pellegrini - photos@bidolito.co.uk
Designer
Luke Avery - info@earthstudios.net
Words
Craig G Pennington, Christopher Torpey, Jonny
Davis, Samuel Garlick, Joseph Viney, David Lynch,
The Glass Pasty, Nik Glover, Lee Fleming, Richard
Lewis, Philip Gofton, Pete Charles, Dan Owens, Mick
Chrysalid, Matt Healy
Photographs
Jennifer Pellegrini, Francisco Mellina, Robin Clewley,
David Howarth
Illustrations
Graham Cheal, Edils Recordings
Proofreading
Debra Williams - debra@wordsanddeeds.co.uk
Adverts
To advertise in Bido Lito! please contact Another
Media: bidolito@anothermedia.org 0151 708 2841

News
Edited by Helen Weatherhead - news@bidolito.co.uk
Edited by Helen Weatherhead - news@bidolito.co.uk
COMPETITION!
KRAZYHOUSE BATTLE OF THE BANDS
In a move to help promote Liverpool’s finest underground talent, The Krazyhouse &
Sandhills Recording Studios are hosting a new Battle of the Bands competition, starting 21st
October. The final will be held on 16th December, with the winner receiving free recording
time, the chance to create a music video and much more. In order to enter your band contact
adam@thekrazyhouse.co.uk
SOUND CITY BAND APPLICATIONS OPEN
The time is nigh: band applications for Liverpool Sound City 2012 are open. The festival are on the hunt
for promising new acts to perform with the usual feast of high-profile bands, across various local venues
and spaces. Sound City are also hosting a Freshers’ Party on 22nd September and £20 early-bird tickets are
on sale now for next year’s festival. liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk
LIVERPOOL MUSIC WEEK AT THE CUC
In the same stride as announcing a sell-out opening night featuring The Horrors, LMW confirm
a huge closing party for this year’s event on 11th November at the CUC. Acts include the Mercury
nominated Ghostpoet, Cerebral Ballzy, D/R/U/G/S, The Phantom band and local faves, Outfit.
Early-bird tickets are now on sale at £6 until 23rd September. liverpoolmusicweek.com
TERMINAL CONVENTION CHECKS IN
After an enthralling event during March this year at Cork Airport, Ireland, Static Gallery are
to host a re-presentation of their multi-faceted art and music experience. The musical element
of the original event hosted artists such as And So I Watch You From Afar, Shackleton and
Bill Drummond. Expect a similarly eclectic series of musical commissions in the Liverpool representation.
Facebook: Terminal Convention
LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC SONGWRITING COMPETITION
Liverpool Acoustic’s Songwriting Competition in collaboration with The View Two Gallery, kicks off
on 8th October. To enter the competition, songwriters must write a piece of music that is inspired by
the art on display, which will then be performed at a showcase event on 11th November. All proceeds
will be split between Marie Curie Cancer Care and Garston Animal Rescue, in memory of Liverpool
Acoustic team member, Sharon Jones, who died in May 2011. liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/challenge
Bido Lito! have teamed up with the wonderful folks at Mean Fiddler and the Liverpool Echo
Arena to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a pair of tickets to see the global icon and
prolific hip-hop superstar SNOOP DOGG on 6th October 2011 at the Liverpool Echo Arena. To
be in with a chance to win, answer the following question:
SNOOP DOGG has recently been hitting the airwaves with the hip-pop
shenanigans of Wet, however, who was the disc jockey who produced the
remixed version, Sweat?
To be in with a chance of winning, email us at competition@bidolito.co.uk. The closing date is 5th October. The first 10 correct
answers will be placed into the big pink hat, the winner picked at random and notified by email. Good Luck!
Bido Lito! Dansette
Our pick of this month’s wax
wonders...
Dead Cities
Tape Song 2
FLAT 5 RECORDS
A tasty teaser from their upcoming album
This Killer Wave, Liverpool’s exemplary
multi-instrumentalists DEAD CITIES lay
bare their souls with their traditional
marque of lovelorn folk that tugs at the
heartstrings. Fans of Damon Gough and
fireside singalongs will find more than
just solace for their broken hearts here.
Cosy.
Girls
Father, Son, Holy Ghost
FANTASYTRASHCAN
Now expanded to a five-piece, San
Fran’s GIRLS have lost none of their
charm or pop sensibilities in putting
together their second full length
record, and nor has Christopher Owens
lost his sardonic tone or winsome
melodies. A wide-eyed collision of
Beach Boys and Ariel Pink, this will
melt your heart.
Lucky Beaches
Group Hallucination
GIRL RECORDS
Buckle up for the return of the Scouse
pop spaceman! A sun-kissed slice of Los
Angeles, this latest single from LUCKY
BEACHES hits as the last rays of summer
are dying down. Bolan, Lennon, dollops
of countrified soul and lashings of
chunky riffage are mixed together in this
glorious mélange.
This Is Two
For Friends : For Enemies
BABYFACE RECORDS
Dynamic post-hardcore rock outfit THIS
IS TWO are not for the faint of heart.
Bursting out of your speakers with a
blaze of riffery and deft kinetics, these
locally-based young punks are currently
off recording a new EP at Start Together
Studios in Belfast. Prepare for a fresh
assault on your eardrums.
www.bidolito.co.uk

6
Bido Lito! October 2011
[Rock’n’roll] CUBED
THE CUBICAL are a band
for this album: “The first one
used to the shadows.
we did with Sardy in LA over
Beyond their avid fan
five days: it was very much
base in Europe, and an
extensive popularity with
go in and bang it out live,
and that was really good.
fellow musicians, there
This one’s been recorded with
has been scant fanfare
for their efforts thus far.
As they huddle and plot in
the shadows of a darkened
church you sense that a
change is in the air, and
that they are ready to drag
Words: Christopher Torpey
Photography: Jennifer Pellegrini
Keith [Thompson, of Liverpool
band Bird], and we’ve spent a
good few months on it. It’s
a totally different approach
really, refining it the way
we want.” Wilson: “It’s got a
brass section on it for four
rock’n’roll kicking and
or five songs, and that’s
screaming back in to the
light. You have been warned…
Inside, away from the shadows, three of The Cubical’s protagonists – Dan
Wilson (Vocals/Guitar), Alex Gavaghan (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Mark
Percy (Drums/Backing Vocals) – gather round to chat to me about their new
album, It Ain’t Human, recorded with fellow band members Craig Bell (Bass)
and Johnny Green (Guitar). Their particular brand of fizzing and raucous bluesyrock
has been lapped up by a barrage of European fans, and demand for live
shows has escalated beyond belief, yet it’s still somewhat of a mystery why
their continental popularity has outstripped their home-grown support. “It’s
quite obsessed with trends over ‘here, I feel,’ states Wilson, by some way of an
explanation, “whereas in Europe, generally, they’re not as concerned with trends,
and quick-passing fads.” “They’re still in to their rock’n’roll,” asserts Percy.
For a band who encompass everything from the Stones to The Raconteurs,
taking in The Magic Band, Nick Cave and Tom Waits along the way, an appreciation
of the primal thrust of rock’n’roll is key. One such person who got The Cubical
vibe from early on was Dave Sardy, legendary producer of retro-ist albums by
Oasis, Primal Scream and The Black Angels among others, who invited the band
over to his Sunset Sound Studio in Hollywood to record what would become
their debut LP, Come Sing These Crippled Tunes. Sardy managed to capture
their energetic and crackly buzz, which paved the way for critical acclaim and
plenty of record label interest: Grabaciones De Impacto (Spain/EU), Fuse/High
Spot (Australia), “something unpronounceable” in Norway, and Record Collection
(USA) have all signed up to put out the forthcoming album, yet they are releasing
it through their own imprint, Halfpenny Records, in the UK. Is this another sign
of struggling to win over people in their own country? “We just wanted to do
it ourselves, and keep 100% of the profits,” says Percy, only half-jokingly I feel.
“It’d be nice to defy the rules for a change, do it ourselves and be honest.” He
goes on to explain how a more measured approach has been taken to recording
been really good to give it a
different sort of edge.” Subtly used, the extra hues added to certain tracks by
the brass section give the album another layer, even a warmth, that propels the
piano-led Parisian bar room lilts of Falling Down and Ode To Willie McGrath. It
still remains that The Cubical are at their best when in full flow, as exemplified by
rollicking lead track and single Dirty Shame. Frantic and rhythmic, when they hit
top gear they manage to straddle the divide between Safe As Milk-era Beefheart
and the proto-punk garage rockers that populate the Nuggets album, albeit
without scaling the Don’s madcap heights. Flecks of The Sonics and Creedence
Clearwater Revival pepper the rock’n’roll riot of Rag Time Army and Three Drop
Jameson Mechanism, and Paper Walls is a perfect highlight for Wilson’s larynxshredding
growl of a voice. The Tom Waits tag is an obvious one, yet still the most
accurate to describe Wilson’s gritty tones, combined with a dash of Nick Cave’s
drawl in the delivery and deft lyrical acrobatics. Though slightly hackneyed, these
comparisons must still be quite flattering, but I wonder if the band are happy
with them? “Yeh I am, yeh!” asserts Wilson. “It’s good to be compared to these
people, but the thing that annoys me a little bit is that we often get categorised
as some ‘60s band,” says Percy. “Personally, I think that the music that came out
of Liverpool, the blues music, I think it’s still relevant, and you can take that and
still do something original with it. I don’t think it should be ‘oh, it sounds like
such and such years ago.’ I think it sounds like a band playing rock’n’roll, now.”
Creativity and constant production are traits that The Cubical have in
abundance, and, as a result, the band are about to head over to Lightning
Studios in Berlin to record another clutch of songs for a new vinyl-only album.
A busy period for them then, but it may mean that their rate of production will
finally have caught up with their creativity as a band; and hopefully, so will their
popularity.
It Aint Human is released on CD and vinyl on 7th November
myspace.com/thecubicalthecubical
www.bidolito.co.uk

PRESENTS
SUPPORT - ANOTHER'S BLOOD + MORE TBA
LEAF (Bold St)
8PM - TICKETS £8 ADV
22ND OCTOBER
TICKETLINE / SEE TICKETS / PROBE RECORDS
FACEBOOK: HARVEST SUN PROMOTIONS | TWITTER: @HARVEST_SUN

8
Bido Lito! October 2011
ERIC’S:
A POST-PUNK
REAWAKENING? Roger
Words: Jonny Davis
in rock history. Owner Roger Eagle
Photography: Francesco Mellina
managed to book some of the era’s
most successful acts including Elvis
In the thirty-one years since its
Costello, the Clash and the Stranglers
‘closure, ERIC’S’ club on Mathew
which in turn helped attract a growing
Street has gained iconic status
number of young, exciting bands such
as a vital breeding ground for a
as Joy Division, U2 and XTC. Local acts
burgeoning post-punk scene. In its
quickly got involved, including Echo
four short years of existence, Eric’s
played host to a jaw-dropping number
of significant bands now canonized
& The Bunnymen, Dead Or Alive and
Julian Cope, who had all risen to fame
by the time Eric’s shut down. Exactly
thirty-five years after its launch, Eric’s
club reopened with a performance by
OMD. With a view to recreating the
electric atmosphere of the original
venue, the new owners hope to enjoy
similar success by bringing in local
and international artists; a bold move
indeed.
The news has faced its fair share
of criticism from those who feel that
the legacy of Eric’s should not be
Eagle - Eric’s original maverick
tampered with. Particularly the use of
the name (although perfectly legal)
has angered some of the original
crowd who deem it to be a form of
bastardisation for the sole purpose
of making money. Once a vibrant
cultural quarter, Mathew Street is
certainly not what it used to be and
it is difficult to imagine young, hungry
music lovers migrating to the area to
mingle with the stag do’s and chain
www.bidolito.co.uk

Bido Lito! October 2011 9
bars. To get to the heart of the issue,
Bido Lito! spoke with music lovers
young and old in an attempt to get to
the bottom of what made Eric’s, Eric’s.
In a city that trades so strongly
on heritage, it is perhaps easy to
forget that legacy is something often
developed posthumously, when the
dust has had time to settle. It is only
with the benefit of hindsight that one
realises the profound impact spaces
such as CBGB’s, The Masque and
The Fab Mab have on music history.
Huddled in front of the sweaty
Eric’s crowds, Francesco Mellina
took photographs of everyone from
The Ramones to Talking Heads.
He states “It was a case of right
place, right time. The political and
economic conditions combined
to make something happen. The
reputation was enormous but you
never really realised because you
were in the bubble.” It is this ‘bubble’
that sucked in and nurtured an
ecosystem of creative people who
fed off each other. Ultravox were
drawn to Eric’s through its growing
reputation. Singer John Foxx notes
its importance, “You need the places
before the scenes can happen. If you
don’t have that then music dies. New
wave, psychedelia and acid have all
grown from clubs like Eric’s”.
Infinitely more important than the
venue are the personalities behind it.
Roger Eagle had gained a reputation
in the North West through his DJ sets
at Manchester’s Twisted Wheel club
but it was only when he decided to
open his own venue that he was
able to fully indulge his eclectic taste
in music. As a business model it left
much to be desired, and Eric’s was
often poorly attended, but this was
of little importance to Eagle who
continued to book his favourite acts,
regardless of profitability. Resident
artist and occasional DJ Steve
Hardstaff emphasises the importance
of Eagle’s philosophy, “It was Roger
who gave the club its innovative
quality, mainly due to the incredible
mix of music he promoted. After
his death it would have been nigh
on impossible for the club to be reopened
and retain that quality.”
The re-opening of the club that
some are pointedly naming ‘New
Eric’s’ has been met with a mixture
of praise, anger and indifference.
Nobody would deny that a new live
Eric’s punks
music venue is a positive thing and,
as Hardstaff puts it, “any venue that
keeps music alive and kicking is fine
by me.” One question is whether
young, creative people will be willing
to hang out in a place occupied by
their parents years ago and indeed
if those same parents are even
curious themselves. Jaki Florek,
author of Eric’s: All The Best Clubs
Are Downstairs, Everybody Knows
That, likens the issue to “a child
being expected to call the new man
in your mother’s life ‘Dad’. Even with
the best of intentions, it’s still kind of
squirmy.” A colourful analogy indeed,
but a key point is being made here
in that fond memories cannot simply
be recreated, they are a product of a
myriad of factors including social and
environmental interaction. Samizdat
promoter Andrew Ellis prefers to look
to the future, “You’ve got all these
spaces that are pushing out new
and interesting ideas and that’s the
direction that Liverpool has always
gone” while Mellina sees the spirit
of Eric’s in the Kazimier, praising
“the vibe and the closeness[...]there
is a quirkiness about the place”. The
existence of places like the Kazimier
and Wolstenholme Creative Space on
the other side of town put Eric’s at a
disadvantage in attracting a young
The curtain comes down on the original club
music-loving crowd to Mathew Street.
Ethan Allen, Music Director of Eric’s,
is keen to point out that it is very
much a business venture and it’s clear
that a lot of money and hard work
has gone into the project, clearing
up “rubbish, water and dead rats”. He
declares it “a crying shame to have
an empty cellar with that history.”
This sentiment is echoed by Mellina
who asks “Why should Liverpool not
benefit from something that belongs
to it.” Liverpool is a city proud of its
heritage and if the venue succeeds as
a tourist attraction, following in the
footsteps of the Cavern it will help
bring jobs and business to the area. It
is the fact that Eric’s is being branded
as a venue for ‘new music’ that may
be its biggest struggle. There is a fine
line being trodden between old and
new. As OMD polish off Enola Gay to
a crowd just too young to remember
Eric’s and just too old to be at the
vanguard of new music, one question
begs to be answered; will the Eric’s
name retain its value as a byword for
authenticity or will the logo become
a marketing tool used to re-package
and sell nostalgia? We wait and see...
ericslive.com
www.bidolito.co.uk

Bird
“I try to take people back to a time or place in
their life to make them feel emotion, whether it’s
good or bad” - Adéle Emmas (singer/songwriter)
Words: Samuel Garlick
Photography: Jennifer Pellegrini
Melancholy by nature, yet inflammatory with their
emotion; BIRD are a 5-piece ambient folk act that
not only create music, they create soundscapes in
which, with a blink of the eye, you can find yourself
lost in. Their music is full of paradoxes, coupling
dynamics with minimalism, as a brooding marque
of instrumentation is balanced around an uncanny
ability to captivate the imagination.
Birthed from the potent determination of Adéle
Emmas, she talks about her band, her vision, with
undertones of both passion and modesty; “I’ve been
a song writer for as long as I can remember. I’ve
been in previous bands, but it was never really my
innovation. I just wanted to do something that was
mine.” It seems hard to believe that such a young
musician can be so collected, whilst possessing
such a thirst for the fantastical; “I always loved
reading really imaginative stories like Enid Bliyton
and Roald Dahl. I think it makes real life a bit more
exciting just thinking about what could be as
opposed to what is.”
Avid fans of the genre will be familiar with
particular coverall descriptors that always rear their
heads when talking about folk acts, adjectives such
as ethereal, effervescent, twee. To abide by these
would be a disservice to Bird, as they are not simply
about the music, they are about the lyrics, the
aura, the feel. They achieve their identity through
escapism from storytelling; “lyrics are incredibly
important to me, to some it might be the rhythm
www.bidolito.co.uk
or the guitar, but lyrics enable me to be poetic,
descriptive; to give imagery,” explains Adéle. “Our
music is about taking you back to a place or time,
it’s about memory and nostalgia. I find when you go
off with your imagination, it can be more exciting
than the real world.”
Musically, they parallel their persona of
otherworldliness through instrumentation.
Because of this, focus lies on the interpretation
of atmosphere, as opposed to the predictability of
harmony, it’s not about creating a hook, but about
crafting spatiality; “it doesn’t necessarily have to
be about really complex guitar riffs or drum beats.
We can do things that are very simple but bring the
emotion and story of the song through the sound”.
They have found a happy medium, whereby sparse
melodies meet rich musical environments. Who
could ask for a better platform to convey tales of
specters and ghouls?
As Adéle’s siren-esque voice sprouts fables of
macabre, it is the instruments which float around
it that truly give her stories substance; looming
bass trills echo her syllables and jangling guitar
melodies dance on her every adjective. It is these
idiosyncrasies that make Bird so special; “Keith
(Thompson, guitar) and Mick (Dolan, guitar) often
come up with cool medieval or psychedelic riffs,
Lexy (Alexis Samata, drums) is always trying out
really cool tribal beats and Ste (Parratt, bass)
contributes really atmospheric, sometimes funky,
basslines” she says, emphasising their significance,
“they know it’s my baby, but they’re very much a part
of it and have a lot of influence. They’re as much to
thank for the music as I am.” The fact there is such
a mish-mash of ideologies being injected into the
project, makes it an astounding achievement that
their music is so coherent. “I’m writing all the time.
When you feel creative, you have to try your best to
surround yourself with creative things, so I’m quite
lucky to have such good musicians.”
Bird remind us why we fell in love with fairytales
and daydreams, so invest some of your time and it
will take you back to a era when even seeing the
slightest of shadows would arouse your minds-eye,
and when Halloween wasn’t just another excuse
for delinquents to ‘egg’ their neighbours.‘So what
does the future hold for Bird’, I hear you hark. “We’re
looking to release an EP which should be out on
October 31st which is Halloween and quite fitting
for us” she says, “we’re also going down to 6Music
to chat with Tom Robinson, as well as constantly
gigging.”
As I collect my notes, finish my coffee and hoist
my belt, I still can’t believe that such a vibrant
individual could conjure something so refreshingly
bleak and tantalizingly haunting.
birdofficial.co.uk

12
Bido Lito! October 2011
Edils Recordings
When
Morrissey sings ‘every
day is like Sunday’, we know
how he feels: slowly ticking clocks,
bumper celebrity rags masquerading
as newspapers, Songs of Praise.
Need I go on? Determined to prove
us wrong, EDiLS Recordings (an acronym
of Morrissey’s sentiment, fact fans!) are
blazing a trail that has more in common
with a Friday night than a droll seventh
day. EDiLS is the brainchild of James Dyke
and one half of GO HEELED, Philip Rourke.
Established in January 2011, the Liverpool
label has come on leaps and bounds,
proving that it’s not who you know, but
what you do that gets you where you want
to be.
They say blood is thicker than water, but
what is thicker than blood? How about
a life-time of friendship forged in music?
“Phil and I have known each other since
nursery school”, says the 30-year-old
Dyke. “We’d done the whole band thing
together, booked others for ten years and
decided to give forming a label a shot. It’s
a bit of fun but what we do relies heavily
on trust. Luckily, we have a lot of that!”
Rourke cuts in, stating that, “the template
for our label is Deep Elm Records. They’ve
proved that you can take massive steps by
just invoking a sense of community. A love
of what you do and the music you promote
certainly helps, too!”
Their next release,
EDiLS Split Series
#2, is available
from
22nd
September
and features the
trio of Liverpool’s own
RHODES, Sweden’s post-rock finest, MOONLIT
SAILOR, and ELK, who comprise members
from across England. EDiLS have come so far
in just under nine months that there is talk of
a Chinese distribution for their latest LP.
EDiLS have managed to position themselves
as prominent contenders in a scene groaning
under the weight of a thousand other groups,
promoters and labels that desperately vie for
your attention. They haven’t achieved this by
spamming your Facebook wall or promising
the Earth and delivering nothing. They have
simply put their heads down and worked
hard. The results speak for themselves. Their
first release, EDiLS Split Series #1, was an
exciting mix of inter-continental talent: Italy’s
CUT, North America’s THE LIONS RAMPANT
and Go Heeled. June’s Bear Left showcased
twelve different groups from the four corners
of Britain and beyond. The releases proved so
popular that EDiLS had to pay more and more
bandwidth costs just to cope with the demand.
“It was very unexpected, but a nice feeling,”
says Rourke. “It was the proof we needed that
our hard work was paying off and that people
appreciated our efforts.”
For a label run by people with years of
investment in the local scene, there happens
to be a distinct lack of Liverpool groups.
“It’s nothing personal,” says Rourke. “It
just so happens that international bands
are more determined to get exposure in
Britain, especially in Liverpool. This city has
a name that sells itself to people. Some
bands, particularly European ones, see
Liverpool and England as THE place
to become recognised.
We’re just happy to
grant them the
opportunity.”
“We aren’t excluding
Liverpool bands on purpose,
far from it,” says Dyke. “We listen to every
submission we receive. It just so happens that
the majority we receive are from abroad or
outside of the city. We’d very much welcome
more Liverpool-based bands on our records.”
EDiLS are a self-sustaining and organic
operation. The label’s distribution and other
business costs are met with the proceeds from
the gigs they host in Liverpool. The Pilgrim and
The Caledonia regularly bear witness to such
talent as ALPHA MALE TEA PARTY, GOONIES
NEVER SAY DIE and THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
Unlike some other unscrupulous promoters,
EDiLS aren’t content with leaving their acts
high and dry before or after shows. “We look
after the bands that play for us,” says Rourke.
“We make sure they have a place to stay if
necessary, something to eat, some beers, and
we cover expenses as best we can. Any money
left over goes straight back into the label.”
The future is bright. Both Rourke and Dyke
fall over themselves to discuss their plans,
finishing each other’s sentences. “We’re very
busy these next couple of months. Aside from
the potential distribution deal in China, we’re
organising shows, listening to submissions,
creating everything from scratch. It’s a job that
requires dedication and a lot of work.”
It might seem a trite cliché, but EDiLS
truly is a labour of love. With both Dyke and
Rourke ensconced in the 9 ‘til 5 circuit to make
ends meet, their evenings are filled with
cutting out each individual CD
inlay and listening to
every single copy
to ensure no
mistakes
are
made.
This
must
become
tiresome after a while, surely?
“It can be tough, yes,” says Rourke, “but
ultimately it’s just a bit of fun. We genuinely
love doing this. Look, if you’re not 100% into
it, then there’s no point, is there?”
edilsrecordings.bandcamp.com
Words: Joseph Viney
Illustration: EDiLS Recordings
www.bidolito.co.uk

Sat 8th Oct £17 adv
Enter Shikari
+ Your Demise + letlive.
Sun 9th Oct £12.50 adv
Scott Matthews
+ Lotte Mullan
Thurs 13th Oct £15 adv
Hawklords
Fri 14th Oct £16 adv
Pop Will Eat Itself
Sat 15th Oct £25 adv
Darren Hayes
Sat 15th Oct £16 adv
Damien Dempsey
+ Amsterdam
+ Eoin Glackin
Sun 16th Oct £14.50 adv
Katy B
Sun 16th Oct £17.50 adv
Peter Murphy
Mon 17th Oct £10.50 adv
Maverick Sabre
Tues 18th Oct £9 adv
Skepta
Wed 19th Oct £14 adv
Howard Marks
Is Mr Nice
Thurs 20th Oct £10 adv
Wretch 32
Mon 24th Oct £11 adv
Capdown
+ Random Hand + Mouthwash
Wed 26th Oct £10 adv 6:30pm
The Kixx
Sat 29th Oct £14.50 adv
Stiff Little Fingers
Wed 2nd Nov £15 adv 6:30pm
The Pigeon Detectives
Tues 8th Nov £25 adv
The Darkness
Wed 9th Nov £12.50 adv 6pm
Tinchy Stryder
Thurs 10th Nov £12 adv
Mike Peters
(30 th Anniversary Acoustic Alarm Tour)
Fri 18th Nov £16 adv
J.Cole
Fri 25th Nov £14 adv
Wire
Sat 26th Nov £11.50 adv
Jesse Malin & The
St. Marks Social
Performing ‘The Fine Art of Self Destruction’
in it’s entirety in the UK for the first time!
Sun 27th Nov £16 adv
Professor Green
+ Rizzle Kicks
Sun 27th Nov £10 adv
Wolfsbane
+ Diamondsnake + Axis
Mon 28th Nov £10.50 adv
Electric Six
Sat 3rd Dec £19.50 adv
DJ Shadow
Sun 4th Dec £15 adv
Melanie C
Mon 5th Dec £17.50 adv
Shed Seven
Wed 7th Dec £15 adv
The Lemonheads
Performing ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’
Thurs 8th Dec £17.50 adv
The Wombats
Sat 10th Dec £16 adv
The Farm
Sat 11th Dec £15.50 adv
Aloe Blacc
Tues 13th Dec £17.50 adv
Molly Hatchet
Sat 17th Dec £18 adv
Echo & The Bunnymen
Sun 16th Oct £14.50 adv
Katy B
Tues 8th Nov £25 adv
The Darkness
Sat 3rd Dec £19.50 adv
DJ Shadow
Thurs 8th Dec £17.50 adv
The Wombats
Fri 7th Oct £12.50 adv Stanley Theatre
Emmy The Great
Sat 8th Oct £9.50 adv Stanley Theatre
Puressence
Wed 19th Oct £9 adv Stanley Theatre
Ben Howard
Thurs 20th Oct £17.50 adv Stanley Theatre
Ralph McTell
Fri 21st Oct £13.50 adv Stanley Theatre
The Pierces
Sat 22nd Oct £20 adv Stanley Theatre
John Foxx & The Maths
‘Interplay’ UK Tour 2011
Thurs 27th Oct £17.50 adv Stanley Theatre
Julian Cope
Fri 28th Oct £13.50 adv Stanley Theatre
The Smiths Indeed
Sat 5th Nov £15 adv Stanley Theatre
Guillemots
Sun 6th Nov £26 adv Mountford Hall
Motorhead
+ Anti-Nowhere League + UK Subs
Fri 11th Nov £16 adv Stanley Theatre
Adam Cohen
Sat 12th Nov £21.50 adv Stanley Theatre
Thomas Dolby
Sun 15th Jan 2012 £17.50 adv Mountford Hall
All Time Low
+ The Maine + We Are The In Crowd

14
Bido Lito! October 2011
•Son•of•Dave•
I suppose it’s rather obvious to say that one couldn’t partake in the
metamorphosis from a member of a quasi-folk chart-topping band to a
politically cynical bluesman without having an interesting story. That (rather
specific) assumption is certainly at least true of one Benjamin Darvill, aka SON
OF DAVE, who is set to bring his foot-tapping, electronically-driven, hyphenatedadjectivesque
blues stylings to the Masque this October.
Raised in Winnipeg, Canada, an area he describes as, “very vibrant, but with
brutally cold winters as the second coldest city in the world,” Darvill joined a
group of like-minded musicians in 1988 to form Crash Test Dummies at the
age of 18 as “a summer job.” The band went on to be a great deal more than
that for Darvill and are now most famous in the UK for their hit song, the
beautifully haunting ‘Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm’. He chose to leave the Dummies
in 2000, saying of the decision: “When Crash Test
Dummies ended [for him] I was turning 30
and I thought, ‘That was a good run but
I’m finished working for someone else
now, I’ll go back to my own tastes’. I was
making some very weird recordings
over those years and biding my time.”
This ‘biding of time’ didn’t last very
whether they admit or not, it’s part of Europe.”
Not one to rest on his laurels, he soon began contributing pieces for well
respected London music magazine Stool Pigeon. His mixture of cock-eyed
humour and heart-on-sleeve political views have since helped make him the
owner of the magazine’s longest running column, which is particularly amusing
considering it started as a method of interview avoidance. “To be honest,
people like you would call up asking for interviews from some magazine and
sometimes I’d say ‘Just write the questions down and I’ll get to it’. I would write
out something that I thought was really good and send it to them and some
of the editors would say ‘Hey, let’s just publish this rather than a Q and A.’ So,
rather than waiting for them to come to me, I just started writing and found a
magazine to publish it. Stool Pigeon was the only dirt rag that would have me.”
Not only are these columns funny, they contain political overtones which can
often hold a fascinating insight into the views of a man looking at our
government ‘from the outside.’ When I quiz whether these
politicised leanings ever make it into his songs,
however, the answer is a firm no. “I don’t
put a lot of it into the lyrics; I have a
philosophy of doing a simple
job and getting it done
long at all,
with the minimum
as
he
amount of red
tape, hassle or
investment.
released
his first solo album,
It’s a hand-
to-mouth
the
magnificently
existence
named
B.Darvill’s
and if I
Wild West Show,
can
pick
through
his
up
the
own
record
phone
label whilst still
and get a gig
working in the
for a few hundred, or these days, a
band. The album
thousand quid [at this point he genuinely let out
showcased an entirely
different style to his
recordings with the
a “WAHOO!”], I’ll do it, come home; that’s a simple
job. I don’t need to import something that was made
in Bangladesh and sell it at an extortionate rate and then
Dummies,
however,
keep my bank accounts offshore. I keep it simple, if that’s a
presenting the work of
a man markedly moulded by
the huge Blues community in
Winnipeg. After finally parting ways with his band mates (on
amicable terms) he released a further three albums inventively
titled 01, 02 and 03 (“Journalists can’t count past three,” he claims)
which all defined his trademark ‘cotton-slave guitars over drum machine beats’
sound.
During these years Darvill had also changed his surroundings, having taken
up residence in the place he now calls home, London. He had been living there
Socialist thing or if that’s some kind of Anarchist thing, I don’t
know.”
It’s the last part that particularly resonates with me, the
fact that Darvill is so aware of the simplistic ethos he wishes
to represent. He knows not only what he wants to be now, but in
the future too, and that is real. When he says, “I’ve always know that
life is very long and that I’m more aiming toward the man I’m going to be
when I’m 60,” I can genuinely believe that, given the eclectic and fascinating
nature of his tale so far. It’s this kind of saga which permeates all great Blues
laments and, well, if there’s one genre that suits the aged...
with his former band mates but, after they chose to up sticks, he simply stuck
around. He said: “I stayed because I fell in love with it. I like the extremes of
sonofdave.com
rich and poor, old and new and brilliant and stupid. London is very dynamic and,
www.bidolito.co.uk
Words: David Lynch Illustration: Graham Cheal

16
16 Bido Lito! October 2011
Rants/Comment
Nik Glover
Standing in a sunny field in
Cumbria somewhere is the Concept.
The Concept was conceived (note
the biomechanical aspect) by an Artist.
The Artist had, for a long time, created
Music. This he would jumble about in
his head, write a few runic scribblings
to accompany, and then blurt out
in public or in a recording studio.
Whenever people heard his Music,
they would say things like ‘I like suchand-such
a song’, and the Artist would
smile, and secretly feel bad for all of
his other songs, like the father with
two sons; one who grew up to be
Charles Atlas, and one who grew up
to be Charles Hawtrey.
One day, standing in a sunny field
in Cumbria, the Artist was Inspired by
a big rock, or perhaps by the sound
of a mountain stream, or some sheep.
The inspiration dwelled in his heart
(he liked to imagine), and roiled
and overturned like a faraway storm
in a Disney-fied
crystal ball. The
big rock became a symbol, and the
symbol became a motif in his head,
repeating itself, like I am now. Shanti
Shanti Shanti.
The Artist spontaneously decided
to write a progressive folkrock
double-album about Imps.
The Imps, he decided, would live
in a forest (boom) by a stream (pow)
and there would be a Story of some
kind to what they did. Perhaps they
would have to face a great Danger, or
just generally have a good time with
other Imps and their stream. Some
sort of dancing could be involved;
‘That would go with the Music thing’,
the Artist thought. He had some
vague idea about each instrument
playing the part of a different Imp,
but then decided that one Imp was
pretty much like any other, and
anyway the spoons player in the band
could only practice on Thursdays, so
his Imp would have to be largely
silent. ‘And I’ll be damned if my Imp
is going to pick up the slack’, the
Artist thought.
And Lo, the Concept had been
birthed.
Other interesting Concepts you
might like to try being inspired
by include: Space, the Journey To
Uncharted Lands, Bildungsroman,
Cyberpunk, Holistic Theory,
Consumerism, or the eternally
popular History of the Roman Empire.
Here’s my idea for a Concept
Album. A man gets on a plane, flying
over an ocean between two cities, and
the plane crashes, and the twenty or
so people on the plane who survive
end up on a desert island only 10
feet long by 20 feet wide. The island
is rich in fish and sea cucumbers,
so the people never go wanting
for food. There is a natural spring in
the shape of a water cooler, so they
don’t shrivel up from lack of water (or
conversation). And so they spend the
next thirty years talking about what
life in the city was like, and how much
they miss it.
Most of the songs spend an
inordinate amount of running time
discussing how much leg room
the characters all used to have.
The Glass Pasty
Post it Notes from the Cultural Abyss
Post it Notes from the Cultural Abyss
“Autumnal Health with Doktor
Otto Von Funkpasty”
Heil from Deutschland you pink
press rats! The leaves are falling in
the arena of human history but I will
take time out of my busy schedule as
Try getting in and out of your skinny
jeans as fast as you can and then try
breaking that record. Good for calves
and deltoids! (And no mein reader das
ist keine gruppe)
The fruitier alternative may be an
a Berlin Life Style Guru to proffer a few
amphetamine-induced attempt at
tips to maintain a healthy and sexual
self-sex, fun but painful!
body and mind under Liverpudlian
recession clouds.
Step One – BODY
Commit yourself to at least 20 mins
of exercise per day. This need not be
the traditional gym fix that you may
think gentle mensch, incorporate
it into your daily routine, iPhone
finger exercises are just as good to
increase the heart rate with waves
of crippling nausea whilst improving
digit dexterity.
Step Two - MEMORY AND MIND
Incognito cognition - try looking at
random Facebook pages and online
band profiles and see if you can count
the amount of times you see photos
of people in bars raising pint glasses
or spritzers to the camera. Can you
memorise the face? The page? Or
even the beverage? It’s not as easy
as it looks brothers and sisters. Good
to offset Alzheimers’ though so happy
hunting!
The Spirit (Scouse Geist) - Walk
semi-naked along the docks making
whale noises to a famous Sting song
with half a bottle of Buckfast and
some prescription drugs; this will not
only stir the senses but convince you
of the Gospel according to Dawkins.
Look out at the barren Mersey and
remember the suffering of the Job
Centre. Or better still watch Danish
crime thriller The Killing, back to back,
and cry yourself silly and experience
true catharsis.
Ok sheizenkickers that’s all, I have
to get back to designing a healthy
lifestyle charisma plan for the
Milipede brothers.
One final congratulations must go
to Dominic West who did a sterling job
portraying mutton chopped murder
farmer Fred West in Appropriate Adult.
Auf.
www.bidolito.co.uk

Guest Column
Lee Fleming, Weavers Door
Lee Fleming, Weavers Door
It’s plain to see that
music and fashion have
always seemed to go
hand in hand, with one
never present without
the other far behind,
be it one inspiring the
other, one amplified
by the other or one
blatantly stealing from
the other. The strong
convergence
between
music and fashion
can fundamentally be
linked to the act of expression; it’s exactly this that a band or artist
are delivering with their music. This is no different to what a brand
or fashion designer aims to achieve with a collection. It’s this act of
expression that both these solid art forms are based on and why they
are so highly sought after and recognised around the world.
There have been moments in musical history which have forever
defined and redefined the relationship that exists between music
and fashion. Fashion has always been a crucial part of a musical
performance, with artists being trademarked by their outfit and style of
dressing - think Jimi Hendrix when he lit his guitar, or the Beatles boots,
collarless suits and the infamous mop top. Fashion is music’s best mate,
and together they’ll keep on providing us with solid performances that
we’ll always remember.
It’s this cohesion that means an artist or musician can become a
‘trendsetter’, people look for inspiration in the way they dress so it’s
only natural for someone to look to their favourite artist for ideas.
At Weavers Door, we look to present heritage-rich pieces from brands
we have a strong passion for, who have a history and a story to tell
that maybe hasn’t been told before. Looking at our Autumn/Winter 11
Collection we have some truly great icons in clothing including the
Baracuta G9 Harrington Jacket, as worn by Mr Elvis Presley and Mr Frank
Sinatra. Any artist’s festival wardrobe must have the Barbour Waxed
Jacket and the Original Duffle Coat by Gloverall. Here are our top five
jackets this season which will fall in favour with most of, if not all, the
leading frontmen of today and the past:
1 // Barbour ToKiTo Motorbike Shirt in Black
2 // Gloverall Original Monty Duffle Coat in Beige
3 // Folk Overcoat in Navy
4 // YMC x Gloverall Hoodless Duffle Coat in Navy
5 // Baracuta G9 Harrington Jacket in Navy
weaversdoor.com

18
Bido Lito! October 2011
Previews/Shorts
Edited by Richard Lewis - middle8@bidolito.co.uk
WU LYF
With their second gig in the city in under six months, WU LYF continue to tour their
Go Tell Fire To The Mountain LP, which still manages to divide opinion. With some
detractors griping about the band’s marketing and associated flim flam, what is
beyond doubt is the quality of their own brand of heavy pop. Make up your own mind.
The Kazimier – 22nd October - Tickets from ticketweb.co.uk
KARIMA FRANCIS
Blackpool-born singer-songwriter KARIMA FRANCIS brings her stunning
vocals and magnificent presence to Studio 2 as part of her UK tour. Named
top in the Observer Music Monthly’s 2009 ‘Ones To Watch’ list, Francis is sure
to offer a stunning and assured performance, along with support act THOMAS
J SPEIGHT.
Parr Street – 5th October – Tickets from seetickets.com
KEVIN CRITCHLEY OUTFIT
RUINS ALONE
Brought in by I Am Your Barber, Postmusic and Samizdat, Japanese composer
Tatsuya Yoshida comes to the Wolstenholme Creative Space for a unique
solo performance of his own material as RUINS ALONE. Bringing a visceral
blend of hardcore punk, jazz and improv, Yoshida is a leading exponent of the
Japanese avant-garde and is sure to provide an unmissable live experience.
Having previously performed with the likes of YBO2, K.K. Null and The Flying
Luttenbachers, Yoshida has now taken up the sole reins of the band Ruins, which
he formed over twenty years ago. Progressive down to the tips of his fingers,
Yoshida has always been a boundary pusher, and expect this performance to be
no different.
Support comes from bass-heavy, brutal and all round noisemakers STIGNOISE,
who are about to embark on a European tour so you would do well to catch
them here. Opening the evening are everyone’s favourite spandex-wearing, dueldrumming,
electro-doom peddlers BARBEROS: after three years of pummelling,
they now have a brand new album of material, which will undoubtedly add
another edge to an already pulsating showcase. The evening, which will also act
as a closing party for the Unintention Exhibition at the WCS, will feature a very
special one-off performance/video installation from the HIVE collective.
Wolstenholme Creative Space - 2nd October - Tickets available OTD
The band return with an extended string section and a new EP to re-launch
their epic acoustic rock sound. Offering a mix of sunshine pop and world music,
KCO bring their strong musicianship and rousing songs to The Masque for a tour
de force of epic proportions. A hot ticket to have.
The Masque – 21st October – Tickets from ticketweb.co.uk
TINDERSTICKS’ collaborations with French filmmaker Claire Denis finally get
the airing they merit, with the Philharmonic backdrop. Scenes from Denis’ films
will be projected while the trademark blend of subtle atmospherics and brooding
tension dominate the auditorium, along with Stuart Staples’ coruscating
baritone.
Philharmonic Hall – 18th October – Tickets through boxoffice.liverpoolphil.com
Perenially underrated yet consistently excellent, THE DUKE SPIRIT will return to play
their trademark dark and dirty 21st Century blues-rock. After a cancelled show in May,
they will look to make up for lost time with a lively show full of crunching riffs.
Mojo - 28th October - Tickets from ticketweb.co.uk
www.bidolito.co.uk
TINDERSTICKS
THE DUKE SPIRIT
JULIAN COPE
The term Renaissance Man could easily be applied to JULIAN COPE: the frontman
and driving force behind psych-pop alchemists THE TEARDROP EXPLODES has
mapped a wayward and highly entertaining solo career, with his combined back
catalogue now stretching to 20 albums.
One of The Crucial Three, which also comprised Ian McCulloch and WAH!
luminary Pete Wylie, his arrival at CF Mott teacher-training college in 1976 was to
play a huge part in Liverpool’s music scene. The Teardrop Explodes launched their
career with the classic Kilimanjaro LP in 1981 which featured hit singles Sleeping
Gas, Treason and iconic hit Reward.
Aside from his musical output, Cope has become highly respected for his
published works. The first volume of his autobiography, Head On, is arguably one
of the best books ever written about the Liverpool music scene, and is highly
recommended reading for those who want an view from the inside of a dynamic
period in Liverpool’s musical history.
His 1995 book Krautrocksampler brought the groundbreaking works of acts
like Can and Neu! to greater attention during the Britpop era, and has even had
a tome on stone circles (The Modern Antiquarian) translated into over a dozen
languages and been hailed by the historical establishment. With achievements
such as these under his belt, the man’s between song banter is almost as
compelling as his tunes.
Stanley Theatre – 27th October – Tickets from songkick.com

What’s on
at Liverpool
Philharmonic
Jimmy Cliff
Thursday 1 September 7.30pm
£28.50, £33.50
Folk Double Bill
Martin Carthy &
Dave Swarbrick
and Lau
Thursday 29 September 7.30pm
£17.50-£25
David Crosby &
Graham Nash
Monday 3 October 8pm
£45-£60
Soweto
Gospel Choir
Thursday 4 October 7.30pm
£20-£30
Pink Martini
Saturday 15 October 7.30pm
£20-£35
Tindersticks
Tuesday 18 October 8pm
£18.50, £24.50
Liverpool Irish Festival
The Irish Sea
Sessions 2011
Friday 21 October 7.30pm
£17.50-£26
Liverpool Irish Festival
Breabach
& Calan
Sunday 23 October 7.30pm
St Georges Hall Concert Room
£17.50
James
Friday 28 October
SOLD OUT
Friday 28 & Saturday 29 October 7.30pm
£17.50-£25
John Mayall
Thursday 3 November 7.30pm
£23-£30
Toumani Diabate
Thursday 3 November 7.30pm £20
St Georges Hall Concert Room
Zappa Plays Zappa
Monday 21 November 8pm
£10-£33.50
Anoushka
Shankar
Saturday 26 November 7.30pm
£20, £26
Box Office 0151 709 3789 liverpoolphil.com

November 2011
Venues throughout Wirral
BILL WYMAN’S RHYTHM KINGS . BELLOWHEAD
MIDGE URE . JUAN MARTIN - FLAMENCO DANCE ENSEMBLE
MARTIN SIMPSON . CLIVE CARROLL . KIT HOLMES TRIO + many more acts!
Contact the Box Office on 0151 666 0000 or visit www.bestguitarfest.com
SUPPORTED BY
STATIC Autumn 2011
29 September Mercy and AND Present Spectres of Spectacle
FOREST SWORDS
30 September Static Gallery Host
MY TWEE BOX
1 October Static Gallery Present
VASCO DA GAMA
seetickets.com
8 October MuMu Present
RADIO SLAVE
residentadvisor.com
22 October Static Gallery Host
BAND IN A BOX
4-26 November Static Gallery Present
Opening Weekend Pogramme 4 - 6 November 2011
Fri 4th Nov 8pm - 3am Live Music/DJ/VJ (seetickets.com)
Sat 5th Nov 8pm - 3am Live Music/DJ/VJ (seetickets.com)
Sun 6th Nov 10am - 6pm Art/Flea Market, Live Music/DJ/VJ
Part Exhibition, Gig Space and Art Store, Terminal Convention presents a
programme of art and music including live link-ups with artists, DJs/VJs
in international art spaces and clubs. Check website for latest news
Exhibition/Art Store runs till 26th Nov 2011.
statictrading.com
Static, 23 Roscoe Lane, Liverpool, L1 9JD

1 Hope Place
(off Hope Street)
Liverpool, L1 9BG
autumn
highlights
highlights
Drama
Slave
A Question Of Freedom
Tue 4 - Sat 8 Oct
An award-winning drama
about modern day
slavery following the story of Mende Nazer
and her journey to freedom told with a feast
of music and dance by Feelgood Productions.
whatsonstage.com
Drama
Void Story
Fri 14 - Sat 15 Oct
Acclaimed company Forced Entertainment
make their long awaited return to unitytheatre
with this bleak and comical fable with projection
and live sound effects following a pair of
protagonists on a rollercoaster ride through
the remains of contemporary culture.
Dancetheatre
At Swim
Two Boys
Tue 8 - Wed 9 Nov
Staged entirely in water and set against the
background of the Easter Rising, Ireland in 1916,
this is dance theatre at its most stunning.
Part of LiverpoolÕ s Homotopia Festival.
Anthony BurgessÕ s
A Clockwork
Orange
Fri 18 - Sat 19 Nov
A Clockwork Orange
may be 50 years old
but its description of a corrupt state and
society have never seemed more familiar.
In a world like this, how is the nationÕ s
youth to behave? How do you survive?
Comedy
Withering
Looks
Fri 21 - Sat 22 Oct
Taking an authentic look at the lives of the
Bronte sisters (well two of them, AnneÕ s
popped out for a cup of sugar!) donÕ t miss
this cult spoof from Lip Service.
Music
Kate Walsh
Wed 16 Nov
Kate is a singer/songwriter who has been
likened to Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush and Jane
Austen for her lyrical content. Her first full
length album, Clockwork Tower
was released
in 2003, with her follow-up, 2007Õ s TimÕ s House
quickly becoming the No.1 album on the
UK iTunes store!
Book now to avoid disappointment!
unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk | 0844 873 2888
Become our facebook fan unitytheatre
Follow us on twitter @unitytheatre
Funded by

22
22 Bido Lito! October 2011
Reviews
WHITE DENIM
Royal Bangs
Evol @ 02 Academy
It’s two years since Texan
alchemists WHITE DENIM demolished
Sound City with their throw-it-againstthe-wall-and-see-if-it-sticks
fusion of
funk/soul/garage-rock, and if they
were three wide-eyed frenzy seekers
back then, they return to Liverpool
a little more polished and a little
more mature than before. One would
imagine that wangling a new deal
with Downtown Records should push
current LP D into more commercial
territories, while changes closer to
home see new string Austin Jenkins
added to the bow.
While I wipe the froth from my
mouth ROYAL BANGS take to the
stage and create a truly unusual
racket, mirroring the very symbolism
of yin and yang. Quite how they
manage to splice AOR influences like
Queen and REO Speedwagon (Back
Then It Was Different) with twisted
industrial-electro (My Car Is Haunted)
is beyond me. Are they insane? Yes...
but very sane loonies they are,
because it works. Triccs (taken from
current LP Flux
Outside) snatches
the power-surge overload of The
Yeah Yeah Yeah’s and douses it with
water, though it’s no match for Ryan
Schaefer’s histrionic vocals, piercing
through the carnage of the chorus
unscathed. He even out-guns Bono
during the climax of set-closer Slow
Cathedral Melt. Like every stadiumrock
guilty pleasure it’s rousing,
unashamed and epic, though it
refrains from inducing the lighterwaving
brigade because it cuts
through the cliché with contemporary
cool.
As the crowd swells, White Denim
kickoff with new-album opener It’s
Him! and it’s immediately apparent
that Jenkins wasn’t just drafted-in to
thicken the sound. No, his duty serves
to reanimate previously buried guitarparts
so tracks like the post-Band
Of Gypsies Say What You Want and
snake-charmeresque At The Farm can
be deployed in full glorious stereo.
Given time, the call-and-response
guitar partnership forged by Jenkins
and singer/guitarist James Petralli
has the potential to reach the dizzy
heights of Green and Kirwan’s
telepathic duels in Fleetwood Mac. As
with The Mac the drive remains stoked
by drummer Joshua Block and bassist
Steve Terebecki as they formulate
razor-edge grooves so succinct they
could cut glass. However, it’s how
they breathe new-life into simpler
arrangements such as Street Joy that
their natural flair is revealed. If the
album version meanders with its eyes
to the ground, tonight it’s self-aware;
White Denim (Jennifer Pellegrini)
pleading and yearning like a lucid
outtake from Tonight’s The Night.
Fleet Foxes may dazzle with their
divine harmonies, Battles may take
a blank canvas and paint landscapes
with sound, while The Horrors remain
a photographer’s wet-dream: but
White Denim have their jazz-like
virtuosity, they literally wring their
instruments dry. After the encore
fades to rapturous applause they
leave the stage to find their stock’s
soared...again.
Philip Gofton
September
Milapfest presents Music for the Mind and Soul:
Tarang
13:00 Saturday 24 September Free
Gwilym Simcock Trio
19:30 Thursday 29 September £15
October
Olivia Moore’s Unfurl
19:30 Tuesday 04 October £10
Liverpool Irish Festival and
The Capstone Theatre presents
Tommy Smith’s KARMA
The World Premiere of
Gerry Diver’s The Speech Project
19:30 Saturday 08 October £15
19:30 Thursday 20 October £15
Roger Eno and Dom Theobold /
Joanna MacGregor’s Mozart
For All Mankind (Screening)
Piano Concerto Series
19:30 Tuesday 11 October £15
19:30 Sunday 23 October £10 (£8)*
Ceremony Concerts and Penguin
Fraser Fifield and Graeme Stephen
Café presents Arthur Jeffes –
19:30 Tuesday 25 October £10
Sundog
19:30 Thursday 13 October £16.50
The Solid Air Band:
Robert Mitchell 3io
19:30 Wednesday 19 October £12.50
The Songs of John Martyn
20:00 Saturday 29 October £10
Milapfest presents
Music for the Mind and Soul
13:00 Sunday 30 October Free
November
Liverpool’s innovative
performance venue
The Cornerstone Festival
Oysterband and June Tabor
19:30 Thursday 03 November
presents Kathryn Tickell:
Northumbrian Voices
£17.50
19:30 Friday 25 November £15
Blazin’ Fiddles
Milapfest presents
19:30 Wednesday 09 November
Music for the Mind and Soul
£17.50
13:00 Saturday 26 November Free
Piano Music from the
The Cornerstone Festival
Ambient Century:
presents Joanna MacGregor’s
Dianne O’Hara
Beethoven Piano Sonata Series
19:30 Thursday 10 November £10
19:30 Friday 02 December £10 (£8)*
Portico Quartet
19:30 Sunday 13 November £17.50
The Man with the Luggage
(by Lizzie Nunnery)
19:30 Tuesday 06 December £12 (£7)*
Milapfest and The
19:30 Wednesday 07 December £12 (£7)*
Cornerstone Festival
presents Nirmanika
19:30 Saturday 19 November £10
50 Songs:
The Music of Ian McNabb
20:00 Friday 09 December £15
time being
– Harold Budd /
(Evening1)
The Necks (double bill)
20:00 Saturday 10 December £15
19:30 Monday 21 November £15
(Evening2)
www.thecapstonetheatre.com e-mail: creative@hope.ac.uk
Box Office: Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9BP. Tel: 0151 709 3789
Venue Address: The Capstone Theatre, 17 Shaw Street, Liverpool L3 8QB. Tel: 0151 291 3578

9 Mathew Street, Liverpool L2 6RE 0151 255 0703
ericslive.com
info@ericslive.com
VIP opening night event – OMD
Saturday 10 th September
Chris Thile & Michael Daves
The Toy Hearts
Saturday 17 th September
Trombone Shorty
Friday 23 rd September
Dave Sharp (The Alarm)
Saturday 15 th October
Jon Allen
Wednesday 19 th October
Penny Black Remedy
Jon Byrne
Saturday 22 nd October
The Travelling Band
Sarah Lowes
Friday 4 th November
Terrorvision
Saturday 5 th November
Tommy Scott & The Red Scare
Saturday 12 th November
Mamas Gun
Marcus Bonfanti
Sunday 13 th November
Fallows / Rialto Burns
Super-Cannes / Get Back Colquitt
Friday 18 th November
The Grande / Neville Skelly
Thursday 24 th November
The Motives / Xander & The Peace
Pirates
Friday 25 th November
The Christians
Saturday 26 th November
Richard Herring
Sunday 25 th March 2012

DAN MANGAN
Alex Hulme – Sensorites
Mellowtone & Ceremony
Concerts @ Leaf
In the daytime, Leaf’s unique
personality and vibe, minimal
decoration, great oak tables, and
the numerous books that occupy
the rear of the small stage create a
vintage yet heart-warmingly current
venue that echoes the finer points
of 1940s Britain. Come gig-time in
the evening, not much is different.
First on stage were SENSORITES
and their immediately catchy acoustic
pop. Standing side-by-side, brothers
Natham Kirkham (Guitar, Vocals)
and Gareth Kirkham (Bass, Vocals)
delivered an impressive array of
songs that left the audience mirroring
Churchill’s relentless nodding.
However, the acoustic numbers fared
much better than the few the pair
played to a drum track. It is a shame
they do not have a third member
because their songs are great, notably
Slipstream and Spacemen, but the
absent engine lets them down.
Following Sensorites was the
sensational ALEX HULME. His
ability to command the room as a
supporting artist was nothing short
of remarkable, especially as he is
only twenty years old. He introduced
his loop pedal halfway through the
opener and webbed a wall of sound
that consumed the room like a full
live band, backing singers et al. The
crowd then changed from listening
out of politeness to listening out of
intrigue and enjoyment. His voice
was strong and theatrical, albeit
he did occasionally sound like an
American teen idol, but his talent does
certainly not go unmissed. He further
demonstrated his abilities as a singer/
songwriter by stepping away from
the safety of stage and equipment to
play Drifting, vulnerable to the doting
eyes of his newly acquired fans.
After some thoroughly meaningful
applause followed by a trip to the
bar, people returned to their seats
in anticipation of neo-folkster DAN
MANGAN and the five-piece orchestra
that was his band. Complete with their
flat caps and bowler hats, doublebass
and cello, their look fitted the
maturity of the candle-lit venue.
Instantly, it became clear that
Dan Mangan harnessed an ability
to captivate a crowd through his
honest, all-baring approach and
his deeply emotive vocal style
.Opening with Sold and Leaves,
Trees, Forests, the latter from his
upcoming album Oh Fortune, it felt
almost like a private confessional.
His stage presence was dominant; his
rapport with his audience was close.
The Indie Queens Are Waiting, Some
People, and Basket were all achingly
beautiful, but Robots was the standout
track of the evening. Standing on
a table amidst the crowd, he played
an unplugged version with the whole
room on backing vocals, while he
triumphantly roared louder and
louder, “they want to be loved by you.”
The performance earned him a
standing ovation, and the lucky
audience an epiphanic experience.
Dan Owens
WOODEN SHJIPS
The Fresh & Onlys - Mugstar
Harvest Sun @ The Kazimier
First up tonight is Liverpool’s
own MUGSTAR, and they suit this
venue right down to the ground.
The sound system enables
their music to reach the sonic
summits that other venues have
found difficult to attain: the result
is an elephantine heaviness that
eclipses their own Kraut/space rock
credentials. With their album Lime
getting a well deserved re-release,
maybe a merited spotlight will shine
their way. On tonight’s evidence they
will soar and swell into that light.
THE FRESH & ONLYS, up next, aren’t
quite the garage outfit from San
Francisco I was expecting, and are
nowhere near as heavy as the other
bands in tonight’s showcase. There
are hints of Nuggets here, and their
sound is more verse and chorus, in
time-honoured tradition. The track
Waterfall is a highlight, with its
refrain, “the radio said that the TV’s
dead, and the picture went blind.”
It is more Haight Ashbury pop than
garage, and certainly still impressive.
Then on come the big boys, and
let’s get one thing straight – WOODEN

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label curated by Ralph Alfonso
SHJIPS know how to rock it. The San
Franciscan four-piece get an idea,
loop it, then fucking run with it until
it swirls, whirlpool-like, around your
brain. Such is the hypnotic surge,
I’m half expecting someone to faint.
From their recent album West,
the track Black Smoke Rise takes off
in comparison to the LP’s version.
Dragging you to a higher plane is
their definitive agenda. It doesn’t
matter if you’re not a believer, if
you start listening, it seeps in. It
is druggy Sonic Boom and Jason
Pierce at their dirtiest, but taken
even further out. The vocals are
barely audible, adding to the aural
entanglement of its whole. Clarity
isn’t the name of the game here,
however, but the organisation of
its building blocks slowly stacks up
so that your head starts bobbing.
Another stand out is Home, also
from West: a twisted, demonic slice
of the Stones’ Satisfaction tempered
with a centerfold organ, as if it had
just travelled in time from some
1960s West German commune. The
crowd is by now well on their side,
and what a diverse age group it is:
from 18 right through to 65 by the
looks of it. In my memory there
haven’t been many bands to visit
Liverpool that manage to attract
so many young and old musos
alike, and unite them as much as
Wooden Shjips do. From the longhaired
grey dudes at the back (who
look like they’re enjoying one too
many grown-up sweets) to the kids
down the front, they are all loving it.
There is an appetite for more from
the crowd and the band, a mutual
love-in that no-one wants to end.
One thing’s for sure: they’ll be back.
ICEAGE
Mick Chrysalid
Down & Outs – We Came
Out Like Tigers
Behind The Wall Of Sleep @
Wolstenholme Creative Space
Always keen to bare their souls,
WE CAME OUT LIKE TIGERS throw
everything into their opening set
tonight. Their trademark screamo/
spoken word combination ensures
that you have a fair idea of what
to expect, and that if you stand too
close your ears may be seeping
blood within minutes. Earnest
to the death, WCOLT shout and
punch their way through each
song as if it is their last, and revel
in the spontaneity of performance.
DOWN AND OUTS at first seem like
a peculiar choice to be sandwiched
between noise-merchants but the
decision soon reveals itself as a
wise one, with their pure power pop
melodies acting as a little light relief
from the angst of WCOLT. That is not
to discredit the authenticity of the
songs, which exude great warmth.
It is clear that a great deal of care
has been taken over the harmonies,
with all four members singing their
hearts out to lift the songs beyond
the sum of their parts. Songs like
Get A Grip Son stick in your head
all evening and continue to pop up
as you wait for the kettle to boil in
the morning. Down And Outs are a
Ice Age (Robin Clewley)
fantastic reminder of just how great
songs can be with the simplest of
melodies and minimum of chords.
ICEAGE have been getting a fair
amount of attention following the
release of debut album New Brigade,
and although the recognition is
fully deserved, it is difficult not to
feel that all the hyperbole effused
C
feel that all the hyperbole effused
over these teenagers is just a little
over these teenagers is just a Mlittle
bit ridiculous. Songs like Total
Drench reference the gritty postpunk
of early Joy Division and the
infinite vocal echo of The Jesus
MY
infinite vocal echo of The Jesus
And Mary Chain, which eradicates
And Mary Chain, which eradicates
CY
the mythology surrounding these
Y
CM
CMY
young Danes as purveyors of a
new sound. Remove the hype
K
new sound. Remove the hype
and you find a solid debut record
filled with the kind of aggression
at which teenagers have always
excelled. Tonight they project an
aural assault at lightning speed
that is just as angry and petulant as
you would hope, as they swig Jack
Daniels from the bottle in between
songs and look at each other with
disgust. Their moody demeanour
could suggest a band that has been
on tour for years and the cracks are
beginning to show. Whatever issues
they are going through, it certainly
makes for an electric and enigmatic
performance. Each song ends with
a barrage of feedback, refusing to
allow applause before the next
juggernaut comes along. Iceage are
not the second coming, but they
are a vital and ferocious reminder
of the intensity of being a teenager.
Jonny Davis

Reviews Bido Lito! October 2011
27

28
Bido Lito! October 2011
Reviews
ABOVE THE
BEATEN TRACK
The Bluecoat Arts Centre
In the shadow of the tribute
band orgy that is the Mathew Street
festival, Liverpool goes back in time
to champion the best of the city’s
roots music. Running in conjunction
with the Bluecoat’s Honky Tonk
exhibition, which charts the
emergence of country music in a city
that local historian Kevin McManus
dubbed the “Nashville of the North,”
this free event is a celebration of
traditional Americana, flecked with all
the wit and camaraderie that makes
Liverpool a unique place for live music.
As if to second that notion,
sentimental lyrics such as “these
tunnels are a lifeline for my city,” drift
from the Gallery, where FIELDHOUSE
are performing a stripped-back set.
The delicate thump of a cajon provides
the perfect accompaniment to singer
Lewis’ soul-searching folk oeuvres.
The layout in the Gallery is a little
rigid, with many punters eschewing
the rows of chairs in favour of a spec at
the back. Craving an atmosphere, we
happen upon the Culturepool stage
where THE TRESTLES are entertaining
the largely sedentary throng with
their good-time brand of alt. country.
Check-shirted and sweating heavily,
charismatic frontman Al O’Hare is
every iota the rollicking country
troubadour, exchanging hearty banter
with deadpan guitarist Tom Carroll
and shaking the mid-afternoon
crowd out of its reverie with upbeat
tales of love, loss, “looking back
and moving forward.” Out of respect
Mike Badger (Brian Plumridge)
for the folk genre, Al makes a
point of praising the singers and
storytellers who so succinctly capture
the mood in tumultuous times.
If ever an event had a flagship
artist, Mike Badger is it. The Honky
Tonk exhibition centres around Mike’s
pivotal role in exporting Liverpool’s
rehashed country music back across
the Atlantic, which has landed him
a regular spot at Austin’s famous
South By Southwest festival. The high
tempo rockabilly of his latest outfit
MIKE BADGER AND THE SHADY TRIO
is enough to kick-start the dancing
around the periphery. Time constraints
restrict the set somewhat, but
there’s still time for crowd favourite
Mountain Man Kidnapped By Bigfoot,
which recounts a six-day ordeal
in the company of a sequestering
Sasquatch and its libidinous wife.
THE LOOSE MOOSE STRING
BAND is a collective of now familiar
performers from the festival,
unplugged and huddled round an
ambient mic. They combine guitar,
banjo, mandolin and double bass
to produce a good-natured homage to
country music and all its sub-genres.
Conscious of the damaging clichés
of mainstream country, Loose Moose
inject laddish humour, exaggerated
crooning and sexual innuendo to
concoct a rowdy hoedown which
is reverent and farcical in equal
measures, but also unequivocally

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30
Bido Lito! October 2011
Scouse in delivery. Though everyone
gets a turn on the mic, John Daglish
steals the show with Get Outta My
Dreams, a jaunty tale about the rest of
the band egging him on while he tries
to get laid in the back of his car. It’s
uproariously funny from start to finish.
Loose Moose represent the
city at its best: tipsy, laughing
and united in the appreciation
of great music - a fitting finale.
Pete Charles
BEST COAST
Spectrals
Liverpool music week @ Mojo
The result of some glowing reviews
from the likes of Reading and Leeds
just days before their performance
(alongside some extensive festival
appearances this season receiving
similar acclaim) is a packed-out Mojo
for a band that could quite easily
take you back to a summer’s day
even on the coldest of evenings.
Bethany Cosentino picks up on
these festival performances straight
away, confessing that it is nice to
be back in smaller, more intimate
surroundings. BEST COAST set out
to create a fun musical experience,
and this is certainly an objective
they manage to achieve as they
transport your visionary outlook back
to the distant miasma of the summer.
Forget the tales of love in most
chart pop-songs, Best Coast tell
it like it is, painting a picture of
teenage angst and pangs of lust
with overt honesty, all through
relaxed, shoegazey melodies,
completed with a vintage glare.
The Sun Was High (So Was I)
sums up the attitude of Best Coast’s
music perfectly: chilled out but with
a sense of some deeper sentiment,
which often takes the shape of
chirpy rhythmic and vocal hooks, as
displayed by songs such as Our Deal,
with its repetition of the longing
lyrics, “I wish you would tell me
how you really feel but you’ll never
tell me cos that’s not our deal.”
Best Coast (David Howarth)
Cosentino’s dowdy vocal styling -
while proving of interest - could be
seen as a slight tease, with moments
of beauty peeking through at points
which long for a greater airing, yet are
seemingly hidden behind the band’s
laissez-faire attitude to distortion.
The main positive of Cosentino’s
vocals, however, is the fact that it
makes Best Coast stand out from the
crowd: although not exactly chartbothering,
elements of their offering
also resonate in other bands, Dum
Dum Girls and Austra in particular.
Best Coast end their set in their
own quirky fashion, dragging support
band SPECTRALS back on stage for the
‘prize’ to which Cosentino has been
alluding during the show, a cover of
Blink 182’s Dammit. Through trying
something they confess to have not
previously executed to great avail, it
is neither particularly displeasing nor
especially remarkable. It’s not going
to be placed on the Greatest Covers
Of All Time Album (if one such exists),
but it says a lot about the band’s
willingness to experiment on their
live shows, and just have a bit of fun.
Matt Healy
PICK UP YOUR
FREE
Green Cauldron
CoffeeHouse
LOYALTY
CARD
Available to use in conjunction with
Regular Americano
Take-Away offer 99p
national union of students
DISCOUNT
...available!
Green Cauldron Coffeehouse
55 Castle St, Liverpool, L2 9TN
(corner of Derby Sq)

Sept/17 th
Reopening party
THEATRE
Simian Mobile Disco (dj set)
Jacques Lu Cont
Alex Metric
James Rand
LOFT
Viper Recordings Pres
“Summer Slammers 2011 showcase”
Hype and IC3, Futurebound
Brookes Brothers
Insiderinfo
MC’s MADRUSH & SAS
INK
Evol Vs Now Wave
Revo & Now Wave DJ’s
All night long.
Oct/14 th
THEATRE
2manydjs (dj set)
Screendeath
DASH
LOFT
Modeselektor - live
D/R/U/G/S - live
Rich Furness
INK
Happy Endings
Ellis and Peppaminta
All night long
Nov/5 th
THEATRE
Fake Blood (dj set)
Andy George and Jaymo (moda)
James Rand
LOFT
Jaguar Skills
Flux Pavilion
DJ@War
Rich Furness
INK
Chibuku Reunion
Dom Chung
Luke Carr
Wandy
Leo Belchetz
Oct/1 st
Chibuku pres. Hospitality
THEATRE
Andy C
High Contrast
Camo & Krooked
Netsky
Paul McGuire
Hosted by: MCs
GQ, Wrec, Messy
LOFT
Beardyman MC
TC (dj set) with MC Madrush
Rich Furness
INK
Hosted by Sessions Faction
Silkie
Dalema
Dan Danko
Jake Daniel
Oct/15 th
THEATRE
NERO
Jack Beats
16bit
Rich Furness
LOFT
Hosted by True Tiger:
Stenchman
Sukh Knight
Blue Bear
Scandalous
INK
ABANDON SILENCE
Special guests TBA
Horza
Dauwd
Nov/19 th
Annie Mac presents..
Lineup under construction...
THEATRE
Annie Mac
Special guests to be announced..
James Rand
LOFT
Subfocus (dj set)
Sir David Rodigan
Jonas (Eat your Greens)
INK
Lineup to be announced
Oct/8 th
THEATRE
Skream
Jackmaster
Space Dimension Controller (dj set)
Rich Furness
LOFT
Dr Gonzo pres.
Crookers (dj set)
Neoteric
Special Guests..
Japanese Popstars live
Dash
INK
Hosted by WAXX magazine
Waxx djs
Clarky Cat Djs (Dollop)
Oct/22 nd
THEATRE
Erol Alkan
James Rand
LOFT
Dj Yoda (AV set)
Hudson Mohawke
Lvis 1990 9dj set with MC Shadz
Jess Gascoigne
INK
Cantmixwontmix.
All night long.
AfterParties..
As soon as the music stops at Chibuku
we slope off Magnet to crack on until the
early hours. Hijacked guests and resident
djs playing records till they kick us
out...
VENUE: THE MASQUE SEEL ST, LIVERPOOL.