Issue 19 / February 2012

Issue 19
February 2012
Death At Sea
The Sundowners
Ninetails
Endeci
Death at Sea by Death at Sea
www.bidolito.co.uk
FREE

Just off Bold Street…
-
88 Wood Street
Liverpool, L1 4DQ
fact.co.uk / 0151 707 4464
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Editorial
It feels like we’ve been away for months, and thinking about it I
suppose we have. That pre-Christmas buzz seems like a lifetime away and
all I’m left with is a chunkier belly, a freezer full of beef stock and a list of
shattered New Year’s resolutions. The only one I’ve actually stuck with is a
new running regime (I’m going to do the Liverpool 1/2 Marathon in March,
which was booked during a festive drinks session thanks to the joy of
the internet-ready Bido Phone; cue instant regret...) which, if nothing else,
may help to address the aforementioned chunkier belly. What’s more
pressing to point out though, is that if anybody is unlucky enough to see
me running from the Gun Site in Wallasey at 8am on a Tuesday morning
in February, I’ve not just wriggled free from a blacked out Ford Capri, I am
merely engaging in some much needed trimming of the chassis.
With this being our first issue of 2012, the need to assess the outlook
for our city’s music scene during the coming months is unavoidable.
The closure of The Masque, MOJO’s shunning of live music, The CUC’s
demise, Static Gallery’s Noise Abatement Notice and the BBC’s
strategically scalpel-like ‘strategic review’ flowed like a choreographed
combination of punches out of 2011’s backend and into the new year.
Our article on page 10 seeks to gauge the feelings of various people
working within Liverpool’s music and wider creative community about
the year ahead and we would very much welcome your input into the
discussion at bidolito.co.uk.
I actively encourage you to check out our cover band DEATH AT SEA
at your earliest convenience, actually at your earliest inconvenience,
just as quickly as you bloody well can. I’ll be the first to admit that,
from time to time, we do get a little bit carried away here at Bido Lito!
Towers (though there will certainly be no apologies for it) and we are
in the midst of one of those occasions with Death At Sea. It is rare
that a band springs up on our radar from what seems like completely
nowhere, perfectly formed and with little in the way of a back story. It’s
also moments like this when I’m reminded personally of why I wanted
to run a Liverpool Music magazine in the first place. The excitement of
striking pure gold, discovering something truly amazing and then being
able to spread the gospel. The opportunity to put an unknown band like
Death At Sea on the front cover of the magazine is precisely the reason
we run it. As well as the article (expertly carved by Mr Torpey I’d like to
add) we have managed to shoot the band for an exclusive Obscenic
Session with Jack Whiteley and Joe Wills for Bido TV, over at bidolito.
co.uk. The session will go up over the weekend of 28th January.
Happy New Year kids...
Craig G Pennington
Editor
Features
6 DEATH AT SEA
8 THE SUNDOWNERS
10 2012, A YEAR TO FORGET?
12 NINETAILS
14
BEHIND THE WALL OF SLEEP
16
ENDECI
Regulars
4 NEWS
18
PREVIEWS/SHORTS
20
RANTS/COMMENT
22 REVIEWS
Bido Lito! February 2012 3
Bido Lito!
Issue Nineteen - February 2012
bidolito.co.uk
Static Gallery, 23 Roscoe Lane
Liverpool, L1 9JD
Editor
Craig G Pennington - info@bidolito.co.uk
Assistant Editor
Christopher Torpey - reviews@bidolito.co.uk
Photo Editor
Jennifer Pellegrini - photos@bidolito.co.uk
Designer
Luke Avery - info@earthstudios.net
Assistant Reviews Editor
Naters Philip - live@bidolito.co.uk
Online Editor
Natalie Williams - online@bidolito.co.uk
Proofreading
Debra Williams - debra@wordsanddeeds.co.uk
Words
Craig G Pennington, Christopher Torpey, Jonny
Davis, N. Philip, Samuel Garlick, P. Lee, Clarry M.,
Pete Charles, Nik Glover, Paul Sullivan, Richard
Lewis, Chris Chadwick, Aaron Rose, Rob Dewis
Photography, Illustration and Layout
Jennifer Pellegrini, Luke Avery, Death At Sea,
Barrie Dunbavin, David Howarth, Mike Brits,
Brian Roberts, Behind The Wall Of Sleep,
Marie Hazelwood, Keith Ainsworth
Adverts
To advertise please contact ads@bidolito.co.uk

News
Edited by Jonny Davis - news@bidolito.co.uk
Edited by Jonny Davis - news@bidolito.co.uk
Keep Calm And Carry On
CALM is a charitable organization which helps young people through depression and
loneliness, and this month sees the release of a book documenting 10 years of award-winning
campaigns and events in Merseyside. With endorsements from DJ Yousef, Dizzee Rascal and
Tony Wilson (among others), CALM has had much success over the past decade. Show your
support by buying the book from Waterstones, or by getting involved via thecalmzone.net
Txtaclip.com
COMPETITION!
TXTACLIP is a new music video hosting service with a difference, designed to make a decent
return for the artist and to make money for charity as well. The artist uploads their work for a
one off payment of £1.00, fifty pence of which is donated to the musicians’ charity, Youth Music.
Each time their track is downloaded, the artist receives 85% of the sale. Bands can even set the
price to charge for their work. Check it out at txtaclip.com
Museum Records Resurrect Relics
Describing themselves as ‘a final resting place for lost recordings and curiosities’, Museum
Records specialise in releasing music that time has forgotten. For their latest offering the label have
carefully restored a mini-album called Solid Gold Label from Liverpool’s JELLYSTONE PARK (who later
became the critically acclaimed CLINIC). To grab yourself a copy head over to museumrecords.tumblr.
com. Plus, keep your ears at the ready for an exclusive Museum Records Guest Mix at bidolito.co.uk
Sound Of Guns Load Up On Enemies
Once described by Zane Lowe as ‘British rock n’ roll from the heart’, SOUND OF GUNS continue
their pursuit of rock domination with the release of their second album Angels And Enemies
on 5th March. The release will be accompanied by their largest UK tour to-date, culminating in
a home-coming at the O2 Academy on 21st April. Get the album for just £5 when you purchase
a gig ticket from hmvtickets.com
Cultural Champion 2012
The CULTURAL CHAMPION project provides an opportunity for nominees to become an
ambassador for culture in Liverpool for a year, taking in all that the city has to offer and sharing
their experiences in blog form. With the help of previous champions, the scheme hopes to
document the city’s cultural experiences through the eyes of 2012’s champions. To nominate
yourself or a friend, visit culture.org.uk/culturalchampions2012 before 12th February 2012.
This month Bido Lito! Towers have teamed up with our friends at MUSEUM RECORDS
to offer one lucky reader a Deluxe Limited Edition Mini-album from the resurrected
JELLYSTONE PARK (pictured). The prize includes four individual one-off Jellystone Park
prints, signed and hand-packaged by Museum Records. If this gets your pulse racing,
answer this question:
By what band name are the members of Jellystone Park better known under?
a) Priory b) Clinic c) Bedlam
To be in with a chance of winning, email your answer to competition@ bidolito.co.uk. The closing date is the 16th February. The right
answers will be placed into a pink tombola, the winner will be picked at random and then notified by email.
Bido Lito! Dansette
Our pick of this month’s emerging
Liverpool wonders...
Dan Croll
Home
UNSIGNED
Merseyside’s favourite acoustic
troubadour and LIPA alumnus DAN
CROLL writes hook-laden music in his
sleep and latest offering Home is no
exception. His talent for thoughtful
and affecting pop music justifies the
hype-storm currently engulfing him.
Sun Drums
Sun Drums EP
EVERYBODY’S
STALKING
Laptop whizz-kids SUN DRUMS
have released their self-titled EP
on independent label Everybody’s
Stalking. Saturated with swirling
synthetic sounds, haunting echoes and
distant melodies, this is very much a
headphone affair so put on some heavy
duty cans, get lost and bliss out.
Kankouran
Rivers
UNSIGNED
Ex-Dire Wolfe/Dan Croll cohorts
KANKOURAN have bagged
themselves a slot on the Skins trailer
and with a YouTube count climbing
above 100,000 are fast becoming
the name on everyone’s lips. Rivers
features guest vocals from Evelyn
Burke and has all the hallmarks of a
pop chart climber.
Loved Ones
Are You Hiding Out
In Hell?
GIANT HAYSTACKS
Are You Hiding Out In Hell? is at the
sharp end of LOVED ONES’ sound.
The spiky guitar sound underpinned
by a cold-as-ice drum loop offers
a mechanical introduction to their
world. Check out the equally chilling
video online, directed by Matt Thomas
and David Surridge.
Check out the all new... www.bidolito.co.uk

Crate Digging At The Music Consortium
Bido Lito! February 2012 5
When was the last time you bought vinyl? Visited a proper record shop? The Music Consortium are on a mission to bring you back indoors, to music history, and
to that end have taken over Hairy Records on Bold Street. Soon to re-launch as a vinyl emporium, they’re encouraging you to call in and discover some of rock
music’s hidden gems. They’ve selected some singles and EPs from the 50s to the 90s for Bido Lito! this month, showing you the sort of stuff that’s ready for you
to get sifting through. Happy Hunting!
2
Dylan - Bob Dylan (CBS Records 1964 - Cat: EP 6051)
Another EP, Dylan’s first in the UK. As a folk poet he was without peer among his generation, and conveyed his concern for
the world through unique poetic imagery that made explicit the human condition. This EP contains Blowin’ In The Wind which
has become the standard against which all troubadours are measured. Value: £40.00
4
1
3
Anarchy in the UK - Sex Pistols (EMI Records 1976 - Cat: EMI 2566)
This is a rock and roll record, but Lydon’s sneering vocal delivery over the angry buzzing guitars, and the feeling of standing
next to a Boeing 747, knocks you off your feet. This is a record that makes you believe in the power music has over the emotions;
it’s simply brilliant. Value: priceless! But, it’s here at £40.00
Hand in Glove - The Smiths (Rough Trade 1983 - Cat: RT131)
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and his Comets (Brunswick Records 1957- Cat: OE 9250)
Many believe the music on this EP started it all off, as it’s not quite Rhythm & Blues, not quite Hillbilly, not quite Tin Pan Alley.
Described at the time as a ‘kind of shaking, rattling and rolling music; it shakes some people, rattles others and rolls along all
the time’. Essentially, Rock & Roll at its finest. Value: £20.00
“The sun shines brightly out of our behinds,” sings Morrissey. A sentiment that would ring true for their adoring fans
everywhere, especially when you listen to the knowingly sexually perverse B side Handsome Devil. Value: The version shown
here has the Manchester address on the rear and will set you back £25.00
5
Loser - Beck (Bong Load 1993 - Cat: BL5)
Mr. Hansen produced a series of classics throughout the 90s, and his album Odelay takes some beating. His music is a
melding of Folk, Hip Hop, Soul and Indie which transports you to a slackers’ world of Californian sun, sex and suicide. This is the
12-inch US version with Steal My Body Home on the flip side. Value £25.00
The Music Consortium presents
A celebration of the music, lyrics & dance of Kate Bush
7pm Thursday 12th April 2012 at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall,
Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9BP | Tickets from £15.00 to £21.00
Tickets are available from The Music Consortium Vinyl Emporium
(Ex Hairy Records) and www.liverpoolphil.com

Words: Christopher Torpey
Photography: Death at Sea
By the time you read
this, the dreaded ‘Listomania’ period will hopefully
be over. During late December and early January, the
music press is obsessed with playing Janus, filling
up its various column inches and word counts with
list-tastic reviews of the year passed, and predictions
for the 12 months to come. You should, by now,
have a comprehensive knowledge of everything
you liked and hated from 2011, and also be building
a detailed portfolio of bands, DJs and scenes that
you will adore in 2012. Independent thought is no
Check out the all new... www.bidolito.co.uk
longer needed
for the mere consumer, as our
tastemakers do the donkey work and spoon-feed
us our opinions.
But, what the music press always forgets about
at this time of year is the kind of talent that cuts
through the bluster of hype and press suffocation:
the internet sensations and viral videos that take
YouTube by storm; the un-fancied goth band that
reinvent themselves as the band of their generation.
In short, what they’ve neglected to mention is the
very thing that makes music exciting, the hidden
treasures that you stumble upon via an obscure
blog, or that are recommended to you
by a mate of a mate who knows a band... What they
miss is the mouth-watering golden nuggets that
we’ll discover as we sift through the rushing waters
of musical delights. What they haven’t accounted
for is DEATH AT SEA.
Back in November at Bido Lito! HQ, we stumbled
upon a video of Death At Sea’s Drag, and we were
immediately smitten by its squalling, shoegazey
charms. The equally scratchy sumptuousness of
Sea Foam Green then followed, and a two-month
hunt for the brains behind these songs began.
We finally managed to track down Death At Sea’s
main protagonists, Ralph Kinsella (Guitars, Vocals),

Bido Lito! February 2012 7
Ruaidhri Owens (Guitars)
and Sam Peterson (Guitars,
Vocals), and sat them down
round a table to ask them
the question that had been
on our lips since the first
listen through of Drag: where
did that come from? “Ha!”
laughs Owens, his knowing
smile splitting wide at the
question. “We’ve known each
other for ages and we’ve always
jammed together. I always had the confidence
that we’d form a band and do some great stuff, but
we’ve only just got round to it. We’re made up with
the response those two songs have had, but there’s
so much more to come.”
Brought together studying for a music degree at
the University of Liverpool, and bonding over mutual
admiration for Deerhunter and Tokyo Police Club,
the three are responsible for every aspect of Death
At Sea’s output so far. All of the recording has been
done by them in their flat-cum recording studio, with
Newry-born Owens presiding over the production
and mixing. The film reel videos for both Drag and Sea
Foam Green trip along like stream of consciousness
slideshows, which marry up perfectly with the
hazy, lo-fi warmth of the songs. Put together by
Edinburgh
native
Kinsella
from
original
and
stock
footage,
the video to Sea
Foam
Green
depicts them in
their
hangout
surrounded
by
homely
trappings
and
empty
wine
bottles,
with
bursts of sunlight lancing
through the hazy fug of cheap ciggie smoke and
day-old blues. It’s an atmosphere that encourages
the lazy melancholia of their sound to flourish, and
overrides the rough nature of the recordings to
conjure up a wholesome and scintillating sound.
Peterson (Wirral-born, but now hailing from “down
South”) has contributed illustrations to the project,
highlighting the three friends as a creative trio
striving to make each track the best possible sonic
realisation of the sound in their heads. Since music
is consumed over so many different platforms
nowadays, I ask them if the visual element is just
as important as the music, to engage the senses
on multiple levels? “Yeh, that’s definitely right,”
agrees Peterson tentatively.
“That’s why we work on our
own artwork and take time
to make sure it fits with our
aesthetic. We did inwardly
groan when we saw
that Lana Del Rey video
though, as the videos
looked very similar. But
hers was super slick and
intentional, whereas I
hope it’s obvious that ours aren’t!”
It’s encouraging to hear them talking about this,
showing that they have a real
handle on their identity, but not
in a calculated WU LYF-ian way:
Death At Sea are merely a close
group of friends who want
to make every aspect of their
output as good as possible.
And, what’s more, they’ve a
clear vision for where they
want to go with it.
Currently working on their
debut EP, Life And Youth, the
self-confessed
perfectionists
are poring over every last
distorted guitar whine and snare hiss in
the final mixing and recording process.
“We hope to have the EP out online
in early February,” asserts Owens. “I
mean, it’s 99% done, to be honest. We
just need to re-do some of the drum
parts for some tracks and finish the
final mixing, but
that
shouldn’t
take long. Then
we wanna get
out and play
it live.” This is
something to
get seriously hot under the
collar about, even on the
basis of the two roughlymixed
tracks thus far,
which contain the most
minimalist drum parts
since Bobby Gillespie sat
down for the Psychocandy sessions. A fulltime
drummer has been recruited – Carl Davies
(Jazzhands, Hot Light Fiesta) – as well as Peterson’s
former bandmate in Bells For René, Neale Davies
(Bass). With this new rhythm section, they have
been able to expand their sound from those initial
recordings, and with Owens’ penchant for lo-fi
Sonic Youth, and turning the distortion up to max,
the prospects are tantalisingly delicious. Drag has
since been deconstructed and put back together
again during these sessions, and the band are
as excited about the new line-up as we are to
hear the EP. “Carl’s such a good drummer, we’re
delighted to have him on board,” nods Kinsella.
“It’s given us another dimension.” Owens builds on
this enthusiasm by looking beyond the immediate
impact of the new band members. “We’ve got these
five songs now that we’re working on for this EP.
But we’ve got a whole load of songs that we’ve
written or demoed but just haven’t got round to
finishing off yet. There’s definitely an album’s worth
in there. And we’ve scrapped a few tracks during
this recording process that
we’ll re-visit when the time
is right.”
A February online release
for Life And Youth remains
their priority, to coincide
with launching their new
website, but don’t they want
something more? “Yeh. We’d
really like to do a limited
edition vinyl run on the EP,
make it look gorgeous and
use some of the designs
we’ve been working on,” confirms Peterson. “But
we’re lazy and we’ve got no money!” laughs Owens.
“We need someone to light a fire under our arse to
get us moving. Maybe if we had a record label that’d
fund it...”
As I sit there listening to a sneak preview of
their latest song, a more insistent, motorik, ‘fun’
track that still manages to get pulled back towards
bleak melancholy through
Kinsella’s lyrics, I’m struck
by the fact that this is only
the third song of theirs I’ve
ever heard. Have I been a
bit hasty? Is this a reckless
infatuation that will make
me look a fool? Quite frankly, I
don’t care. Death At Sea are the
best band I’ve heard in a long
time, and their soaring noise
will undoubtedly blow a hole in
Liverpool’s unsuspecting music
community. Stick that in your list.
The EP Life And Youth will be available online from
14th February.
This month’s exclusive Obscenic Session with
Death At Sea will be online at bidolito.co.uk from the
weekend of 28th January.
deathatseaofficial.com
Check out the all new... www.bidolito.co.uk

8
Bido Lito! February 2012
Take
Tom Petty, a
healthy dose
of Nancy and Lee,
throw in a double helping
of the Byrds and a healthy slice
Check out the all new... www.bidolito.co.uk
The Sundowners
A Warm Slice Of Suburbia
of Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac and
you have, in a loose sense, the essence of THE
Words: P.Lee
SUNDOWNERS. The sound that Alfie Skelly (Guitar &
Photography: Barrie Dunbavin
Backing Vocals), Fiona Skelly (Lead Vocals & Guitar), Niamh
aside really, because it all
Rowe (Lead Vocals & Guitar), Tim Cunningham (Bass) and Jim Sharrock
comes down to the tune. You also need to have an ego,
(Drums) create may seem simplistic, but much of the time the simple things are
because you’ve got to be pretty confident to get up on stage in the first place.”
oh so hard to master.
Unique is a term that fits. Not only the twinned vocals of Fiona and Niamh,
The Sundowners come from Hoylake. They have a sound which is not
but in the way in which they rest heavily on Tom Petty and Byrds’ sensibilities
traditionally Scouse, not much in the way of mop-top, Beefheart, or shanties
whilst at the same time sounding contemporary and up-to-date. It’s all too
here, but still with record collections heavily weighted in the retro. This seems
easy to be influenced by the past and sound retro, but that’s not the case here.
to be a theme with music lovers from this quiet corner of the world; they know
Does Ryan Adams sound like Dylan? No, he sounds like Ryan Adams. Does Amy
their stuff when it comes to music. The great American folk, R&B, and Blues
Winehouse sound like Etta James? No, she sounds like Amy Winehouse. Do Viva
came down the river from our Yankee cousins and it’s pretty obvious that some
Brother sound like Blur? Erm, bad example…
washed up on the Mersey’s less famous coast.
There is a depth to The Sundowners. The subject matter in some of the lyrics
The band are all too aware of our rich musical heritage and the fact that
implies a darker and more troubling element, covering topics such as loss
Merseyside residents tend to produce great music. The Sundowners: “The place
and isolation. For instance, in Wild One (“you take me or else I’ll take you”),
where music is made is everything. If you look at Manchester and the whole
Hummingbird (“fly little humming bird, through the pouring rain”, “fly little
Northern Soul thing, it’s quite similar to round here with the Beatles. We live in
hummingbird, through the blackest night”) and Gone Into The Sun (“you’re not
a musical place where music is important to people. You know every Beatles
the only one looking for a place to hide”). Pretty bleak in parts, but you could
song by the time you are five and you move on from there.”
be forgiven for thinking otherwise when they’re delivered with such charm. This
Our great artists have the ability to take the best parts of the past and create
duality is a tricky feat to master, so I ask, who writes the songs?
music that is undoubtedly unique. The Sundowners have first-hand access “We all do really. Somebody will bring a tune and by the time everything has
to a large chunk of our recent musical lineage as Alfie and Fiona Skelly have
been done on it, it’s a group. It’s usually Fiona, Niamh and Alfie who write the
some pretty famous brothers who you may well have heard of. But this should
lyrics but we all pitch in to make the song what it is.”
never be considered a trapping; good musicians will become good musicians It’s great to hear of a band whose members all have a cumulative creative
in their own right. Think the Wainwrights and Marleys. They have grown up
input; a factor which may go some way to explaining the diverse nature of the
around music and shaped their own music in the truest sense, amalgamating
music. The songs are The Sundowners rather than any one individual.
their favourite parts of the past to create a sound which is engaging and
Recent shows at the Zanzibar, MOJO and the Bido Lito! New Year’s Eve Party
contemporary. But don’t just take my word for it, recent NME Tip of the Day and
rounded off a busy end to 2011. They came off the back of a show at London’s South
Fred Perry Subculture features say the same thing.
Bank with Faris Badwan’s Cats Eyes; a double night residency with Cherry Ghost in
Growing up around musicians, I ask them what qualities they think are
Manchester; and a session for our very own podcast, recorded at Elevator Studios
important to look for in the people with whom they make music.
(head over to bidolito.co.uk and give it a listen). It’s clear that there’s something
“There are loads of good players, but people can do too much to a song. If
stirring over the water. Are The Sundowners set for a big 2012? Don’t bet against it.
you’re jamming you can do what you want, but when it comes to a song you
need to play tasteful and keep it simple. Also, patience is a virtue. Everybody
Go to bidolito.co.uk now for an exclusive extended gallery from Barrie Dunbavin’s
needs to have their opinions heard at the end of the day, and we all do that. It
photo shoot with The Sundowners..
takes time to get it right. When it comes to the song, you need to put everything
myspace.com/thesundownersuk

Sun 29th Jan £15 adv
GZA (of Wu-Tang Clan)
Fri 2nd Mar £10 adv
Eyes Set To Kill
Tues 27th Mar £10 adv
Los Campesinos!
Thurs 2nd Feb £15 adv
Babybird
Mon 5th Mar £23 adv
The Stranglers
Sun 8th Apr £24 adv
Orbital
Fri 3rd Feb £14.50 adv
Reel Big Fish
Sun 11th Mar £18.50 adv
The Jayhawks
Mon 9th Apr £15 adv
Emeli Sande
Sun 12th Feb £10.50 adv
The Big Pink
Fri 3rd Feb £12.50 adv
Clap Your Hands
Say Yeah!
Sat 4th Feb £22.50 adv
Big Country
Sat 5th Feb £10 adv
Cash (Johnny Cash Tribute)
Sat 11th Feb £22.50 adv
Lightning Seeds
Sun 12th Feb £10.50 adv
The Big Pink
Fri 17th Feb £12 adv 10pm - 3am
James Lavelle
Fri 24th Feb £13 adv
Labrinth
Sun 26th Feb £15 adv
The Drums
Sun 11th Mar £10 adv
Rise To Remain
Mon 12th Mar £17 adv
The Maccabees
Thurs 15th Mar £16.50 adv
Black Stone Cherry
Fri 16th Mar £17.50 adv
Nazareth
Sat 17th Mar £12.50 adv
Wild Beasts
Sun 18th Mar £10 adv
A Night Of Queen
With The Bohemians
Thurs 22nd Mar £8 adv
Graeme Clark (Wet Wet Wet)
Sun 25th Mar £13.50 adv
Charlie Simpson
Mon 9th Apr £12 adv
Architects
+ Rolo Tomassi
Fri 13th Apr £20 adv
Howard Jones
In Concert
“Human’s Lib” & “Dream Into Action”
Sat 14th Apr £17.50 adv
Above & Beyond
UK Group Therapy Tour 2012
Sat 14th Apr £9 adv
Delilah
Sat 21st Apr £8.50 adv
Sound Of Guns
Tues 22nd May £7 adv
Dick Valentine (Acoustic)
Fri 25th May £20 adv
Peter Hook & The Light
Perform “Unknown Pleasures”
A Joy Division Celebration
Sun 26th Feb £15 adv
The Drums
Mon 12th Mar £17 adv
The Maccabees
Sat 17th Mar £12.50 adv
Wild Beasts
Sat 4th Feb £10 adv Stanley Theatre
Young Guns
Tues 14th Feb £16.50 Mountford Hall
The Skrillex Cell
Grey Daze Tour
Fri 24th Feb £16.50 Stanley Theatre
Shelby Lynne
Sat 10th Mar £16.50 adv Mountford Hall
Nero
Sat 24th Mar SOLD OUT Mountford Hall
You Me At Six
+ Kids In Glass Houses + Mayday Parade + The Skints
Sat 31st Mar £20 Mountford Hall
Cast
Sat 21st Apr SOLD OUT Mountford Hall
Bombay Bicycle Club
Fri 27th Apr £10 Stanley Theatre
Charlene Soraia

Words: Craig G Pennington
Photography: Brian Roberts
The final months of 2011 saw a series
of dramatic shifts in the landscape
of Liverpool’s music community. The
closure of The Masque was followed
by the demise of the Contemporary
Urban Centre and the announcement
that Static Gallery, one of the city’s
emerging live music spaces, had
been served a Noise Abatement
Notice from Liverpool City Council,
ordering no further ‘Loud Amplified
Music’ at its city centre premises (see
Static Director Paul Sullivan’s guest
column on page 20). Then came the
announcement in mid-January that
MOJO would no longer be hosting
live music. These events arrive in a
wider social landscape of spiralling
unemployment (with further job
losses to come) and an arts funding
agenda that is set to provide a grave
challenge to the sector.
Do these challenges sound the
death knell to a current music scene
that, as many would enthuse, has
blossomed over the past two years?
According to Club Evol’s Revo, this
doesn’t appear to be the case. “Despite
the ‘climate’ we still have shows
selling out, well attended atmospheric
shows, and we have a variety of strong
promoters that are catering for all areas
of the music industry. I see a growing
community with an entrepreneurial
spirit and a ‘true’ spirit for the most
part. I’m not going to glaze over the
fact that people are going through
hard times and are out of work but
there’s a determination there. People
can do things for themselves and
sometimes it takes a bleak period for
them to see it.”
“The music and arts community in
Liverpool has never been stronger,”
says Paula Stewart, who was The
Masque’s Promotions Manager up
until its closure in December. “There
are more people giving it a go, from
fanzines, magazines, bloggers,
writers, promoters and performers.
There are new ideas all the time
coupled with Liverpool’s collection
of experienced creatives. People stick
together here; that’s what’s great
about the city and that’s what will see
us through.”
The view that Liverpool’s sense
of creative community is likely to
provide a key asset in the face of the
current challenges is one shared by
Mike Stubbs, the Director/CEO at FACT.
“The cultural scene is very strong and
I feel like the city leaders genuinely
recognise the value of the cultural
economy. I believe this is deeprooted,
beyond 2008, they ‘get it’. We
are lucky to be part of a community
of producers, thinkers, musicians,
galleries and venues which is very
joined up and talkative; despite the
generic rough times, we are resilient
and will rise to the challenge.”
It is a challenge indeed. The closure
of The Masque provides a high profile
example of how interlinked Liverpool’s
music micro-economy is; from the
sound engineers, promoters, PA
companies, designers, street teams,
DJs and zines who will have lost
substantial revenue with the venue’s
closure, to the sizeable full-time staff
who have lost everything. Ben Murray
works as a freelance sound engineer
for Liverpool company Total Control:
“As I was acting as Head Engineer
at the time of The Masque’s closure,
it affected me quite heavily. To come
three weeks before Christmas, with
no notice whatsoever, left a bit of a
dent for me personally. Because I
was technically freelance, I wasn’t
due any kind of compensation for the
December shows. I also feel sorry for
the management, bar staff and other
members of staff who worked hard to
keep the place running for so long.”
“I’m really gutted about the
loss of The Masque” says Paula
Stewart. “It seems that everyone
and every business is struggling at
the moment. I’m not suggesting all
venues will go down the pan, but we
saw three go at the end of last year, so
it’s evident that the economic climate
is making things difficult. We suffered
the same fate as thousands of other
businesses around the world. Quite
simply, money was the factor in the
closure of the business. If it wasn’t
for that, we’d still be there creating
new memories.”
It is evident that these testing
economic times will scrutinise the
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Bido Lito! February 2012 11
balance sheets of businesses across
our sector, just as they will do within
any other, and it seems that this
reality eventually caught up with
The Masque, to disastrous effect.
Revo: “For almost three years the
venue made continual losses on poor
shows; it was buttressed by Chibuku
and Circus. No one has a bottomless
pit of money to continually support
something that doesn’t make any
money when the intention is to make
money. It wasn’t because people
didn’t want to watch bands there;
the bookings from Evol showed this;
This is all well and good, but for the
staff who lose their jobs when a venue
closes or the freelancers who lose
their main source of income, there
remains the day-to-day necessity of
securing a living, something which
Ben Murray believes may result in
“driving people into other vocations
with a more secure structure.”
Roger Hill: “There are fewer jobs
but not necessarily less work. Selfemployed
individuals have a real
incentive to make work for themselves.
Depressions lower morale but we have
been working with morale-lowering
there was a willingness to see great circumstances on Merseyside for
live music in there. The Theatre room decades. Creativity will continue.
is a fantastic room; who walked away
from The Maccabees with a poor
experience? No one. But I’m afraid it
was a case of too little too late, the
damage had already been done.”
So, is The Masque’s closure a sign
of events to come, emblematic of
the outlook for our city’s venues?
Community will continue. I only hope
people aren’t tempted to sell out their
creativity for some fallacious ‘Get Out
Of Jail Free’ offer.”
One of the main challenges to
the wider creative economy is the
centralised slashing of arts funding.
However, given pop music’s traditional
BBC Radio Merseyside’s Roger Hill,
non-reliance on such revenue, it could
whose PMS show (the longest
provide somewhat of an advantage.
running alternative show on UK radio)
is current under threat as part of the
BBC’s Strategic Review, doesn’t believe
so: “Not at all,” he tells me. “There will
According to David Parrish, author of
the book, T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide
to the Business of Creativity, and a
consultant who works with many
always be venues if there are bands
Liverpool creatives: “The music
and solo artists to play them.”
community isn’t totally dependent on
“It doesn’t necessarily mean funding; it can survive. In fact it can
the demise of the live scene, just
a shift in emphasis,” suggests Mat
Flynn, Lecturer In Music at LIPA.
thrive: we just need to think creatively
about resources, money and the way
we organise our enterprises in the
“The
announcement
of the opening of
the Epstein Theatre
proves that, even in
tough times, when
one door closes
another opens. In
addition, a change in
“People can do
things for themselves
and sometimes it
takes a bleak period
for them to see it”
Revo, Club Evol
music community.”
Revo: “From my
viewpoint
people
who depend on
funding to develop
their ideas tend to
follow the funding,
like an arts driven
the structure of the live performance wagon train. I’ve seen plenty come
spaces in the city centre invariably
and go over the past few years, so if
means activity will migrate to the the well dries up we’ll see some mass
fringes, where it will germinate and movement. You only have to look at
bring about a response.” Given the rise
the funding mammoth that was the
of venues such as the Wolstenholme CUC, the money was cut (and we’re
Creative Space, Static, and the growing
talking a lot of money) and then they
number of warehouse spaces in the whimpered back down south with
Baltic Triangle being used for shows, their tails between their legs.”
we can already see this migration Mat Flynn is in agreement when
bearing fruit.
he suggests that, “Creativity in and of
itself has never been and never will
be dependent on funding.”
The 1980s in Liverpool was a time of
dire economic hardship and political
upheaval. It was also a time of
musical and artistic boom in this city.
Liverpool’s response to adversity has
always been to create, but will that be
the way it plays out this time?
“I hope so,” Jayne Casey, who was at
the centre of the scene
during that period,
fronting
Big
In Japan, tells
us.
“Liverpool
became a bit
of a ghost town
in the 80s. There
were very few
live music venues and
“Depressions lower
morale but we have been
working with moralelowering
circumstances on
Merseyside for decades.
Creativity will continue”
Roger Hill, PMS
touring bands didn’t come to the city.
I used to go over to Manchester on a
Saturday night to see a band play and
I would entice them back to Liverpool
for a ‘party’ and then they would
play for free on Sunday at a little
Sunday Club I ran on Bold Street. The
Smiths, New Order, Pale Fountains,
The Bunnymen, everyone played.
You can always find opportunities
in a recession; you just have to be
extra tenacious. Most importantly,
as a musician if you are thrown a life
raft you have to try and pull as many
people on board as you can. Wylie had
a deal and he and I shared a studio
on Benson Street. This allowed me to
set up an independent record label,
which became the launch pad for lots
of different artists. I produced some
demos for Frankie Goes to Hollywood,
including the first recording of Relax.
When they became massive and
included lots of Liverpool bands and,
due to Frankie’s profile, it sold over
100,000 copies, which was amazing
for the other bands involved.”
Kevin McManus (Former NME
journalist and current Director of
Merseyside Creative Industries Agency
ACME): “As someone who was around
in the 1980s, I would definitely hope
there is a creative response. I worked
at the Trade Union Centre with Phil
Hayes of the Picket for some of the
80s, so was pretty actively involved. I
remember some great gigs in support
of the miners, the Red Wedge dates,
the gloriously named ‘God Has Given
Us This Leisure’ gig, and the final
County Council gig on St George’s
Plateau. I think the recent Justice tour
with The Farm, Pete Wylie, and Mick
Jones shows what can happen when
artists and fans unite
behind a cause.”
The breakthrough
on a national level
of artists such as
Outfit,
Stealing
Sheep and Forest
Swords (to name
but three) can
provide huge optimism
on an artistic level as we head into
2012. Flick through this current
issue of Bido Lito! and it’d be hard
to argue that there is not cause
for a huge amount of enthusiasm.
The key will be us combining and
nurturing this talent through the
blossoming network, infrastructure
and community support of our scene.
There are many more independent
promoters of quality, alternative
performance spaces, magazines,
blogs and emerging upstart labels
than there were even two years ago,
so it seems we’re well equipped for
the challenge.
Plus, let’s not forget that Liverpool
has been there and done this before.
We have faced, fought and conquered
these economic challenges with
creativity and style intact, as Jayne
Casey poignantly reminds us: “In the
80s we left a road map behind for
Relax was at number one, I released
the next generation. We hoped you
my little version on a compilation that
wouldn’t need to use it but it’s there
if you need it, and we will be with
you every step of the way, trying to
support you all whenever we can. This
gives the city an advantage over other
cites - there’s an old Chinese proverb
‘To know the road ahead, ask those
coming back’.”
Agree? Disagree? Add your
comments to the debate at
bidolito.co.uk now
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12
Bido Lito! February 2012
N I N ETAILS
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Words: Samuel Garlick
Photography: David Howarth
If you gather obsessions easily then NINETAILS are
not the band for you. Once you’ve been captivated by
their sauntering guitars, ethereal soundscapes and
beguiling melodies, you’ll find it near impossible to
pull yourself away. Beckoned from a mutual affinity for
Battles and alcohol, the dynamic quartet began their
foray into the Liverpool music scene simply through
LIPA’s freshers’ week. As Ed Black (Vocals, Guitar) states,
“It’s pretty hard to not talk about how we started
without dropping the ‘LIPA bomb’. It has provided us
with some great opportunities and connections; it’s
like a bubble from which some bands don’t escape
and cliques can form.” Operating in tandem with
other mercurial talents from the institute has clearly
boosted Ninetails’ capacity, spurring them to blossom
from a hotbed of ability.
Within all scenes an emphasis on genre and labels
is vital in establishing identities; however, with such
an emphasis on clarification there is a shift from what
bands sound like to whom they sound like. Math,
experimental; attach whatever category you wish to
Ninetails, their individuality instead lies within their
ability to bleed genres and transcend boundaries. As
Jordan Balaber (Guitar) explains, “We never wanted to
be labelled exclusively as ‘math rock’ because we feel
like that association completely misses the point of
what our music is about. We’re more into emotion than
technical structure, and I feel like that title implies that
we have very little heart.”
As Theodor Adorno has stated,
“Music assures a man that within the
monotony of universal comparability
there is still something particular”.
With Ninetails’ genre-bounding
approach, their particularity is a
potent eclecticism. This can leave
listeners either desperately trying
to grasp at something specific, or
basking in the excellence of their
complexity. Fortunately, with Ninetails
it’s absolutely the latter. Citing vastly
different influences, each member has
a pivotal, yet fundamentally diverse,
role. As Jordan explains, “Ed is poporiented
and has a fantastic ear for
digestible melodies; Phil deeply
reveres a good lyric; Jake has a precise
ear for rhythm, which is probably
where our label of ‘math rock with
African melodies’ comes from; and
I’m rooted in jazz chords and an
eternal love for ethereal sounds. We
all have completely different tastes,
but these differences help us define our music.” The
intricacy of their individual layers culminates in an
astonishingly coherent product, which works so that
each component of their sound complements every
other, rather than fighting for space. Ed agrees: “It’s
an interesting juxtaposition with our clean, angular
and often-effected guitar parts, which is what gives
us the bulk of our sounds as opposed to just using
distortion. With each new song our sound is changing
and developing.”
So what’s next? Well, for both Ninetails and local
hotshots Vasco Da Gama, a crucial moment in their
careers will be supporting Errors on February 11th at
the Kazimier, and it’s a stage that they’re both more
than ready for. “It’s obviously a huge gig for us. I’ve
been listening to Errors for time, so to support them
so early on in our formation is a most auspicious piece
of luck,” states Phil, modestly. Jacob King (Drums)
agrees: “We’re not expecting a breakthrough, we’re
just doing our thing. I think our Three Trapped Tigers
show last year was our big arrival on the scene, but
the Errors show will surely be our best.” Phil concludes
by saying, “We’ve got a few releases scheduled for the
coming months. It’s going to be a pivotal year for us as
we work towards a first album.” So keep an eye on the
stage for these virtuosos, as not only are they lucky to
be part of such a vibrant scene, but we’re lucky to have
them gracing ours.
Rawdon Fever
will be released on 27th February via
Superstar Destroyer Records
facebook.com/ninetailsband

03.02
07.02
08.02
11.02
17.02
19.02
21.02
22.02
24.02
THE SHIPPING FORECAST
KAZIMIER
KAZIMIER
THE SHIPPING FORECAST
KAZIMIER
THE SHIPPING FORECAST
KAZIMIER
THE SHIPPING FORECAST
17.03
27.03

14
Bido Lito! February 2012
Behind
The
Wall
of Words: Pete Charles
Illustration: Behind The Wall Of Sleep
Sleep
bands from the world over. The magnetic effect of
Manchester has for years been the bugbear of many
a fledgling Liverpool promoter, but BTWOS have
proved that it’s one that can be overcome. All it
takes is hard graft, a positive attitude and some nifty
poster art.
Fast-forward a year and BTWOS have filled a
yawning gap in the market. In December they hosted
Premonition 13, fronted by the quasi-legendary doom
rocker Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich. Fans came from as far
afield as Newcastle to attend the band’s only northern show. “I think it works
because we’ve all got each other’s backing and don’t treat it like a job,” explains
Adam, “and if one of us has faith in a particular band, we’ll back them 100%.”
It’s an incredibly trusting attitude to take, but since it was a love of similar
styles of music that brought them together, the risk is diluted somewhat. Jason,
best known as bassist with psych rockers Mugstar, explains the importance of
“keeping the line-up as varied as possible” and Sam, poster guru and Mugstar
projectionist insists that there is “a definite spectrum of eclecticism within the
tiny world we inhabit.”
If there were a grain of homogeny running through all BTWOS shows, it
would be one of the avant-garde, the psychedelic and surreal, their macabre
poster art providing an extra ‘ooo!’ factor. The element of mystery in the
designs reflects the music, and the level of detail is enough to draw you in for
the couple of seconds that it takes you to ask yourself: “why is that pyramid
wearing sunglasses?” or “why is that dog playing with a human skull?”
Three of the troupe have a background in graphic design and, despite their
suggestion that there are very few places in Liverpool to advertise shows, Sam
is passionate about the need for posters, even in the digital age: “It may not
make economical sense to print off a load of posters when there’s nowhere to
put them, but we still make them for the same reason bands still press vinyl
- to create a lasting, physical medium. Plus, Behind The Wall Of Sleep is not a
brand, it’s a bit freer than that.”
With the aesthetics taken care of, there’s the actual formality of putting on
the gigs themselves, which all members agree can be the most trying of tasks.
Adam is rankled by the turmoil of balancing the finances. “Trying to keep the
cost of putting on shows to a minimum is the hardest thing about it. You’ve got
venue hire, accommodation, guest list and we always try and feed the bands...
it’s hard work.” Sam is keen to stress that on the rare occasion they make a
profit, they will either use it to put on a free show (as they did in August last
year, booking Mogwai’s touring guitarist RM Hubbert in Bold Street Coffee) or
simply cut the headliners a percentage: “It’s not because we’re really nice or
anything, we’re just crap promoters!”
Headlining the next show on 23rd March at the Kazimier are NYC space
“Every time we’ve put on a show, it’s pissed it down. Seriously, we’re the
rockers White Hills. Signed to Thrill Jockey Records, they are all smouldering
rainmakers!” says Sam Wiehl of Liverpool’s premier psych rock promoters
guitar solos, earth-moving fuzz bass and stoner wig-out atmospherics. With
BEHIND THE WALL OF SLEEP, with the merest hint of exasperation. A gloomy
Mugstar and Mind Mountain in support, it should be a corker.
outlook, but despite many of their previous gigs being marred by inclement
So what’s the secret to putting on a successful show? They look humbled
weather, the six-strong collective look to have taken a successful gamble on a
that I would ask such a question: “We haven’t found that yet!” jokes Jason. But
positively balmy post-Christmas period by booking a hat-trick of gigs, with more
it depends what you class as success. If it’s picking the latest buzz band off the
in the pipeline.
industry production line and using them to sell out an 800-capacity venue, then
Frustrated by the fact that all their favourite bands’ tours tended to gravitate
BTWOS certainly haven’t found it, but if it’s getting your favourite bands to come
towards the veiny sprawl of Manchester rather than coastal Liverpool, a group
from all over the world to play a show on your own stomping ground, then we
of friends - Jason, Sam, Adam, Clifford, Bilso and Mark - began to throw around
reckon they’re on the right track.
the idea that it didn’t have to be this way, and that their mini fleet of promoters
would have the muscle and broadness of taste to attract high quality touring
behindthewallofsleep.com
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TINARIWEN
Wednesday 11 April 7.30pm
Award-winning poet-guitarists from the Sahara
desert. These soul rebels toured with Red Hot Chili
Peppers and have been remixed by Four Tet.
Fighting for freedom, the guitar is their weapon.
‘A brilliant live band ...
infectious, pounding
fusion of desert blues
and the styles of the
nomadic Tuareg people
of the Sahara’
The Guardian
Tickets £18.50, £24.50
Box Office 0151 709 3789
liverpoolphil.com

16
Bido Lito! February 2012
Clarry M
Photography: Mike Brits
ENDECIWords:
It’s an all too familiar story. You and a couple of
mates congregate in a chosen bedroom or garage
with assorted instruments, intent on musical
stardom. A few haphazard practices ensue, before
deciding the guitarist’s ego is ruining your creative
endeavours, you’ll never gather the pennies to
record anything, and you’d probably be better
off focusing on that IT course, much to your
parents’ relief.
Fortunately, not all garage band ventures end
this way. From the unassuming borough of Maghull,
Winter Here is a lo-fi wonder, an album born of a
cold and snowy stint in a garage by newcomers
ENDECI. Dan Schulze (Guitar, Vocals) and Josh
Mansell (Drums) formed the band through mutual
friend James Rice (Bass, Vocals), and recorded the
album as a project stemming from previous bouts
of writing and recording.
After rejecting the term ‘modest garage rock’
from their Soundcloud profile on the grounds that
“You can’t be modest and say you’re modest,” they
settled for ‘lo-fi winter rock’. Lo-fi seems to describe
the album perfectly, epitomised by its simplistic
nature, prompted by a lack of professional
recording equipment. “It was lower than lo-fi, we
had no-fi,” says Dan.
When the snow thawed and the album was
complete, Endeci distributed CDs, before embarking
on a daunting wait for potential curiosity. Interest
came in the form of a gig supporting She Keeps Bees
for a Harvest Sun show, and attention has spiralled
from there. Endeci’s members seem pleasantly
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surprised by the reaction, as Josh humbly claims:
“It’s not the most accessible music in the world.”
Throughout the album, uplifting riff-based
hooks act as a guide, whilst prominent basslines
and forceful drumming contrast with James’
high pitched vocals. Some songs feel introverted
and personal, whereas This Is High Art and The
Burning Cradle see Dan singing with a Guided by
Voices or The Fall style of rock laziness. The epic
wailing chorus of ‘ohs’ in Home urges an anthemic
singalong that Coldplay would envy.
The opening track on Endeci’s album, Angela’s
Ghost poses an intriguing juxtaposition. Just guitar
and vocals, sinister, frail and somewhat unsettling,
this sound is energetically blown away as it flows
directly into Valley of the Dolls. When played in
isolation, Angela’s Ghost is a curious oddball of a
song, but when adjoined to the rest of the album it
falls into place and acts as a breaker of expectations.
Endeci admit that, “It’s kind of grown into one song
over time.” However unintentional, it serves as a
captivating and compelling unconventionality.
There is more than a hint of alternative 90s rock,
embraced by the likes of Smashing Pumpkins
and Sparklehorse, to Endeci’s music. Dan reflects
that, “In those days, bands just didn’t have the
means,” which aligns with Endeci’s DIY nature.
Josh explains: “We recorded it in a garage and it
was a bit trashy and we didn’t have any violins or
cellos.” Perhaps this recent tendency in bands like
Yuck and The Vaccines to adopt a more DIY sound
is the result of the increasingly under-equipped,
never-been-to-Brit-School generation, and the
beginnings of a more basic, less produced sound.
Dan concurs: “I thought it was going to happen a
few years ago; we thought there was going to be
some kind of lo-fi renaissance, with the recession.”
Perhaps Josh is right in saying, “Some people try
too hard.” The key to Endeci appears to be that
“We just don’t punch above our weight,” creating
a refreshing, more natural sound. Less is more
seems to be Endeci’s mantra.
A further refreshing element of Endeci is their nonmilitant,
more relaxed promotion strategies: “We
hate the whole thing of bands pestering people”.
A free download of their album on their website
bodes better than tedious Facebook reminders,
which often become tiresome to the point where
hearing of a band through any other means seems
increasingly appealing.
Whereas the birth of 60s garage rock and its
various revivals encapsulates the amateur-like, raw
nature of music rehearsed in garages, GarageBand
now more likely conjures up the AppleMac
application allowing users to create music on their
laptop. This seems to sum up today’s bedroom
producer culture, and often over-computerised
nature of music. Endeci, who boldly encompass the
original sense of the term ‘garage band’, counter
this with their back to basics production, a little
modesty, authenticity, and not trying to be anything
that they are not.
Winter Here is available now from endeci.com

18
Bido Lito! February 2012
Previews/Shorts
Edited by Richard Lewis - middle8@bidolito.co.uk
BETH JEANS HOUGHTON
Backed by The Hooves of Destiny and on the road touring imminent debut
album Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose BETH JEANS HOUGHTON comes to Eric’s
in February. Described by The Guardian as ‘Vashti Bunyan crossed with Nico
and Laura Marling’, her off-kilter sound continues to win over new converts.
Eric’s – 21st Feb – Tickets from ticketweb.co.uk
KING CREOSOTE AND JON HOPKINS
Last year’s Mercury nominated Diamond Mine LP, which was featured on
scores of end of year lists, is being played in its entirety by the soon to be
defunct KING CREOSOTE AND JON HOPKINS. With the duo expected to revert
to their solo incarnations after the split, their appearance at The Capstone
Theatre will be an ideal opportunity to sample the album in its full glory.
The Capstone Theatre – 7th Feb – Tickets from thecapstonetheatre.com
DJANGO DJANGO
The War On Drugs
Arriving on these shores riding on the crest of a wave of critical opinion,
THE WAR ON DRUGS tour their superb Slave Ambient LP.
Hailing from
Philadelphia, PA, the Keystone State’s finest source classic US rock ala
Springsteen, Petty and Dylan, mixed up with MBV style ambience and a
slew of strong melodies. Their juxtaposition of rock n’ roll’s passion with
shoegazing’s muggy sensuality across the disc’s eleven tracks saw them
become a high-ranking fixture in seemingly every critical arena. The album
also saw the band decisively move out from the shadows of former founder
member Kurt Vile, who had a similarly brilliant 2011.
Released on the excellent Secretly Canadian label last year, the album was
the band’s first release since Vile’s departure for a solo career. The songwriter’s
flit in 2008, along with two other members, left the band almost the sole
property of co-founder Adam Granduciel. Regrouping with new members, the
changes seemingly did little to damage the band’s progress, as Slave Ambient
became their highest profile release yet. Hosted by the good people at Harvest
Sun, the gig will almost certainly be a sell-out, meaning interested parties are
advised to secure tickets ASAP.
The Kazimier – 23rd Feb – Tickets from ticketweb.co.uk
Off the back of ace 45 Waveforms DJANGO DJANGO’s return to the city
couldn’t come soon enough. On the road to plug their highly anticipated
eponymous debut LP (due at the end of January), those who missed their
Sound City appearance are strongly advised to be in attendance.
The Shipping Forecast - 21st Feb – Tickets from ents24.com
JAMES LAVELLE
Once described as ‘the Hunter S. Thompson of DJs’, JAMES LAVELLE is currently
airing his turntable skills on the road. Responsible - along with DJ Shadow - for
one of the most memorable albums of the 1990s, UNKLE’s Psyence Fiction, and
founder of the MoWax label, Lavelle’s Academy set is highly recommended.
O2 Academy 2 – 17th Feb – Tickets from ticketweb.co.uk
JONATHAN RICHMAN
Lead singer and founder of The Modern Lovers and writer of the seminal
Roadrunner - credited by film director Richard Linklater as being ‘the first punk
song’, JONATHAN RICHMAN makes a rare trip to Blighty. A bona fide legend, this
show will be the perfect setting to see him up close and personal.
The Kazimier – 26th Feb – Tickets from seetickets.com
Threshold Festival
Returning for its second year, the THRESHOLD FESTIVAL boasts an extended
line-up for 2012. The loss of the Contemporary Urban Centre late last year
has entailed some logistical re-jigging with the festival now being hosted by
several venues over the 10th – 12th February. The events remain focused around
the Baltic Triangle area with The Picket, Warehouse 59, Elevator Bar, Camp and
Furnace, The Nordic Church, and The Blade Factory all pressed into service.
Static Caravan Records signing LAURA J. MARTIN - who played a stunning show
at the Nordic Church last year - is one of the event’s major draws. Debut album The
Hangman Tree is soon to be released, featuring Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci linchpin Euros
Childs, and supports with Misty’s Big Adventure and Hannah Peel are logged.
Elsewhere, THE THESPIANS, THE RIALTO BURNS, THE MONO LPS, MINION TV,
CAROUSEL, STEALING SHEEP, THE HUMMINGBIRDS, ALL WE ARE, TIBI AND HER
CELLO and many others feature across the stages. Panels and theatre workshops
will be held across venues including The Lantern Theatre, and there will also be
a clothes’ fair, courtesy of Pillbox Vintage. With other stages currated by labels
Antipop, UpitUp and Debt, sonically there is something for everyone. More acts
are to be comfirmed over the coming weeks.
10th – 12th February – Visit thresholdfestival.co.uk for more details
Check out the all new... www.bidolito.co.uk

20
Bido Lito! February 2012
Rants/Comment
Guest Column
Paul Sullivan, STATIC Director
Paul Sullivan, STATIC Director
the city council received a number
of complaints from two or three
residents about live music events held
in the gallery. The definition of ‘Loud
Amplified Music’ is not quite clear;
however, what is clear is that if a place
like Static can’t hold live music and
experimental sound events within the
At the start of December 2011, Static remit of its licence, then there needs
Gallery received a Noise Abatement to be a serious debate about what
Notice from Liverpool City Council: a exactly we want our city to be.
statutory notice requiring Static to
There is a real danger that the
NOT allow any further ‘Loud Amplified
city’s cultural ecosystem is being
Music’ in its city centre premises.
fundamentally altered in order for a
In light of receiving the Notice,
new family/visitor-friendly vision of
Static Gallery have decided to host a
the city to emerge.
debate on the 2nd February 2012 in
This new idea for Liverpool Utopia
order for the key issues to be aired in
is being driven by sections of the city
a public forum.
council, police, local business and
Static were issued the Notice after
resident interest groups, who all buy
into the idea that by stopping socalled
nuisance bars and by issuing
Noise Abatement Notices to music
venues, that somehow the city will
then be much more family and
visitor-friendly.
What this consortium seems to have
overlooked is that utopian visions are
in the realms of pure fantasy, and
that the city is a much more complex,
dynamic and fluid entity. Great cities
are places of creativity, of hustle and
bustle, of colour, spectacle and noise.
That is what attracts people to cities.
However, the message that is
emerging from the city council and
its influential resident lobby groups is
that they now want a new city centre,
one where they can decide who is
allowed to open a bar or a music
venue. Yes, a place where residents
have much more power not just in
getting places closed down due to
noise but where they can actually
influence the decisions on what can
open in the first place.
On one level this may be seen as
a triumph for people power; however,
the counter argument is that this
new powerful culturally conservative
coalition will lead simply to the
gentrification of the city centre for
those who can afford it and the
gradual demise of the city’s rich
tapestry of music venues, bars and
clubs. A kind of managed decline.
Who really wants the city to become
an extension of suburbia?
Noise Debate: Liverpool: Capital
of Culture? Urban Metropolis or
Suburban Hinterland?
6pm Thursday 2nd February, Static
Gallery, Liverpool
PLACES LIMITED DUE TO DEMAND
Panel
Chair: Doug Clelland (Architect)
Panel: Daniel Hunt (Ladytron)
Councillor Steve Munby (City Council)
live music unique locations
The Forestry Commission by arrangement with Primary Talent International presents
PLUS GUESTS
SUNDAY 8 JULY
DELAMERE
FOREST
DELAMERE, CHESHIRE
03000 680400
www.bidolito.co.uk
WWW.FORESTRY.GOV.UK/MUSIC

Rants/Comment Bido Lito! February 2012 21
Nik Glover
Biogosphere
saying that this month’s article is
about band biographies, or ‘Biogs’.
Having just read a press release Promoters are busy people. They
from a certain well-known band that are forever saying things like ‘I’ll call
runs to four sides of closely-spaced you tomorrow’ or ‘Let’s put that on
A4 and describes everything from hold for the time being’ or ‘I’ll pay
where their parents were born to you when the 100 mates you said
how they feel about Eggs Benedict were coming materialise’. Being so
and what tips they might have for busy, they haven’t got time to sit at a
keen gardeners hoping to improve computer and write a solid 30 words
their parsnip crop, I felt pressed to
about every act that is gracing their
begin this month’s column with an stage every night.
overlong, rambling sentence which
Instead, they ask the band to
doesn’t really lead anywhere and
write a little something about
says much more about how much
themselves. Invariably one of the
spare time the author has than it
musicians will have a keen eye for
does about any novel creative ideas
this sort of thing and will send back
they might have been responsible for
(I’d say that has nailed it).
…which is an exhausting way of
a Biog describing how the band
formed, the biggest bands they’ve
supported and maybe any festivals
appeared at or awards won.
The composition of the Biog
will depend on the style of music;
for a band who draw most of their
inspiration from current chart acts
broadly of the Indie persuasion there
will doubtless be a mention of one of
two words; ‘angular’ or ‘anthemic’. For
a band that basically rips off early to
mid-career Sonic Youth, the word ‘art’
will appear. The Libertines just used to
send out a picture of Ronnie Corbett
dressed as the Cockney shopkeeper
with the words ‘UP THE ‘AMMERS’
scrawled across it in blue biro.
A good Biog is invariably short
(we’ve toured with these bands who
you might like, our album is out
on such-and-such a date) and free
from ambivalent phrases like ‘selfreferential’
or ‘tour de force’, which
should never, ever be used to describe
reverb and delay-ridden guitar solos.
It’s not surprising that most
Biogs tend towards the formulaic.
Translating your new flute-driven
paean to the overgrown public
byways of Shropshire into words that
don’t make you sound like a towering
gobshite is almost impossible. It’s
tempting to state the facts dourly:
dates, locations and full names of
each contributor, tossing in a few
just-below-the-radar
namechecks
(‘occasional guitarist for Euros Childs’),
trying to make it all sound below you,
or reverting to the suicidally obtuse
The Music Speaks For Itself. “Not if I
choose not to see you on the basis of
your write-up it doesn’t.”
‘THE BACKDOORS make
anthemic rock that sounds like the
bastard offspring of The Doors and
The Offspring, crowned by the soaring
vocals of (insert name) and tour-deforce
guitar work of (insert name).’
STATIC
WINTER 2012
.........................................................................
MUSIC
19/01 LANTERS ON THE LAKE
11/02 THE ELECTRONIC EXCHANGE
25/02 FANFARLO
16/03 DIAGRAMS
.........................................................................
DEBATE
02/02 NOISE: URBAN METROPOLIS OR
SUBURBAN HINTERLAND?
07/03 CITY COUNCIL CUTS:
CULTURAL CHECK OUT?
.........................................................................
EXHIBITION
FREDERIC PRADEAU + DIANE GUYOT
(Late March 2012, dates to be confirmed)
.........................................................................
www.statictrading.com
Static, 23 Roscoe Lane, Liverpool, L1 9JD

22
Bido Lito! February 2012
Reviews
Capac (Mike Brits)
CAPAC
Sun Drums – Loved Ones – Supercell
Everisland @ The Kazimier
As Everisland’s first gig of the new
year, expectations tonight are high,
with a sumptuous line-up boasting
film, music and multi-media arts.
TEA & TWO SLICE provide us with a
suitably eclectic opening, showcasing
three films that range from cartoon
shorts to politically-charged mini
documentaries, all accompanied
by tea and toast. Musical openers
SUPERCELL impress on their first
outing in Liverpool, combining
expansive guitars with programmed
beats, and JOHN MCGRATH silences
the swelling crowd with his intricate
and effect-laden guitar tricks.
An evening of “devious
occurrences” was promised but,
conversely, the night’s major
triumph is the steadily building
positive atmosphere in the room,
one of community. As a prelude
to the main musical events, THE
HIVE COLLECTIVE are in the mood to
subvert that positive atmosphere by
scaring those superstitious souls
who are unnerved by today’s date
with an interactive performance
of audio-visual imagery. It’s mindbending
stuff.
LOVED ONES have been causing
quite the stir amongst Liverpool’s
music press since the release of their
first single Are You Hiding Out In Hell?
in November last year. The public are
catching on too, as the four-piece
draw the biggest crowd of the night.
Sweet, folk-driven melodies combine
effortlessly with fuzzy electronic
elements to create an impressive
and expansive sound, especially
considering the absence of a regular
drummer. Everything about this band
is well-conceived, and on tonight’s
performance it looks likely that in
2012 Loved Ones could more than live
up to the hype currently surrounding
them.
SUN DRUMS have been worryingly
quiet of late: their last Liverpool show
was back in October and before that
came an extended break while the
trio honed their sound. The results
served up to us tonight prove that
it’s been worth the wait, producing
beat-driven ambience and ethereal
vocals that leave you in a trance-like
state from the first listen. Translating
such delicate soundscapes into a live
performance that does justice to the
band’s complexity is no easy task and
it seems tonight that Sun Drums are
still struggling to match their recorded
sound. On occasions the swelling
synths and electronic beats are
hauntingly beautiful and remind the
audience exactly why we get excited
every time they announce a show.
Leaves Along The Stream is sublime,
and the band’s vocal harmonies are
beautifully constructed. Elsewhere,
however, the echoing guitar and soft
synth tones lose their distinction and
clarity in a reverberating hum.
CAPAC return to the city after
defecting to London last year, but
any bitterness felt for that betrayal
is washed away as the band floats
onto the stage. It’s a change of pace
and exactly what the crowd needs
as temperatures rise, bodies start to
move, and driving rhythms mix with
slowly evolving synth melodies that
build to create a wall of sound. The
addition of vocalist Kate Smith gives
the band an added dynamic as she
slinks around the stage for See The
Young. It’s on this track that Capac
really shine, shimmering synths
and break-beats rising and falling
alongside Smith’s transcendent
vocals, marking a triumphant return
for one of Liverpool’s finest exports.
Chris Chadwick
HOT SNAKES
The Computers – Eagulls
Wingwalker @ The Kazimier
After being on the receiving end of
what the hip-hop fraternity would call
rival beef from a hardcore band that
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will go un-named, EAGULLS are back
in Liverpool doing what they do best;
pulverising audiences with blasts
of furious, melodic hardcore-punk.
Their’s is a name that is cropping up
on the blogs at an exponential rate.
The hype inevitably invokes a mixed
feeling of intrigue and trepidation but
in this case the curious are rewarded
in spades. Infusing heavy rock with
a keen ear for melody has allowed
Eagulls to appeal to a wider audience
without losing any credibility, and it is
clear from their stage presence tonight
that they not only love what they are
doing but don’t care who else does.
Singer George Mitchell rarely faces
the audience and patrols the stage in
a trance-like state, only lifting his head
to bask in the guitar harmonies.
You know when a cricketer launches
the ball vertically in celebration of a
wicket, seemingly without a care for
where it lands? Well, THE COMPUTERS
do the same but with spit, hocking
cascades of phlegm into the air at
every available opportunity. It’s pretty
disgusting but effortlessly punk rock,
and when soundtracked by such
perfectly executed rock songs you
can forgive the odd splatter. Dressed
uniformly in white, The Computers
offer a marvellously polished
performance. If Eagulls’ roots can be
traced to punk, then The Computers
background is firmly in rock’n’roll,
with the ethos of embracing the
audience and ultimately entertaining
them. As tour supports for tonight’s
bill toppers, they offer precisely what
a headline band want: a lively crowdwarming
set of energetic twelve bar
blues songs that will stay in your head
just long enough for the next band to
usurp them.
The Kazimier is heaving for HOT
SNAKES’ arrival, and as it is a winter
weekend in Liverpool everybody in the
crowd seems to be drunk. Comprising
members of Drive Like Jehu, Pitchfork
and Rocket From The Crypt, Hot Snakes
join the dots between post-hardcore
and garage rock, maintaining a
penchant for chanted choruses with a
hint of reserved dissonance. This year’s
reformation was clearly a tantalizing
prospect for many here tonight as
the band are greeted with gracious
warmth, an honour rarely bestowed
upon what is essentially an ongoing
side project. Through years of touring
with multiple bands, frontmen Reis
and Froberg have become seasoned
professionals, and their dedication to
offering a well-oiled hits set shows
a necessary maturity three albums
into their career. The show rapidly
becomes a heady blur of sweat, fistpumping
and beer-soaking.
The line-up tonight is well chosen.
From the heavily melodic rock of
Eagulls to the entertainment of
The Computers and the veteran
professionalism of Hot Snakes, the
evening offers a masterclass in rock
authenticity.
THE A.P.A.T.T.
ORCHESTRA
Jonny Davis
Musical Settings Part 3: Beneath
The Ground @ Lutyen’s Crypt
It is always a mystery what to
expect when attending an A.P.A.T.T
ORCHESTRA performance. In this
Musical Settings series the collective
have taken musical influence from the
characteristics of specific venues across
Liverpool, and built their performance
(and some compositions) around the
themes thrown up. Part 1: On the Earth
took place at Sefton Park, and adopted
an ‘everyday’ approach to music -
famously doing away with traditional
instrumentation and transforming
into a newspaper percussion group
(yes, you read that right). Part 2: In the
Deep was held at the World Museum
and took the themes of vastness,
distance and isolation to new levels
of interpretation.
Continuing this thematic tour, the
orchestra are tonight checking in at
Lutyen’s Crypt below the Metropolitan
Cathedral for Part 3: Beneath the
Ground. In this particular musical
episode the concepts of depth,
resonance and claustrophobia are
the supporting acts, and from the

Reviews Bido Lito! February 2012 25
moment I enter it’s clear that the
portrayal of these concepts is the
key to the evening’s great success.
Descending the spiral staircase
before the main room, a member of
the Orchestra is there to serenade
all newcomers on an old wooden
harp, completely immersing us all
in the atmosphere of the event. No
introduction is made before the
opening piece, Howard Skempton’s
Air Melody, this in keeping with the
rest of the apparently spontaneous
performance. Unlike most orchestras,
the a.P.A.t.T Orchestra rely heavily on
the individual performer’s own feeling
for the music, rather than it being fully
scored. With lots of looping, sustained
notes and unusual time signatures
this brings a challenge not only for
the players but also for the audience.
The suspense of the orchestra’s music
is defined by the musical writing,
and enhanced by the unique, churchreverberating
acoustics and dramatic
visualisation of the Crypt itself - think
of it as a minimalist’s 3D movie.
With orchestral performances,
the musicians performing in front
of you can often seem a little
disinterested, having practised the
pieces repetitiously in rehearsals
and previous concerts. This being a
one-off performance, however, the
a.P.A.t.T Orchestra feel fresh and full
of energy and personality, if a little
under-rehearsed. In a positive way
though, this helps to create a feeling
The a.P.A.t.T Orchestra (Keith Ainsworth)
of unity with the audience – we’re all
immersed in it together. This intimate
feeling with the orchestra played a
big part in a particularly touching
moment of the performance: Howard

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Bido Lito! February 2012
Reviews
Skempton, the composer of three
pieces on display, one of which was
written especially for this moment,
receiving unanimous and deserved
applause from the appreciative
audience at the climax of his final
piece. A heart-warming moment to
end what was meant to be a cold
and claustrophobic evening inside a
Cathedral Crypt.
Rob Dewis
BIRD
The Fifth Movement - The Edwardian
Picnic – David Barnicle
Eric’s
Tonight is all about one act and
Eric’s is alive with electric anticipation;
BIRD have been the toast of Liverpool
for the past twelve months, gaining
widespread acclaim from critics and
peers alike. So it’s no surprise that
tonight’s audience is here for one
thing and one thing only.
Which is a fact that makes DAVID
BARNICLE’s job of opening the night
a whole lot harder, as he walks on
stage and introduces himself over
the chit-chat of an audience clearly
still warming up. His shuffling, lowkey
performance does little to raise
any eyebrows or even any heads
in his direction, his understated
delivery hints that he’s quite happy
to pass by un-noticed. A definite
to ignore. For a first outing it’s damn
impressive to witness.
lack of stage presence and fragility
As THE FIFTH MOVEMENT’s
means that as he leaves stage it’s to
the exact same sound that greeted
sweeping string section echoes
around the room the audience is once
him, muted applause.
again lulled into an almost hypnotic
THE EDWARDIAN PICNIC hit the
state as their almost apocalyptic
stage with a bustle of energy that
sound entrances everyone present.
quickly envelops the now-full room.
The Killer is a particularly poignant
Tonight is their first gig but the way
and powerful example of what this
they command the stage and sweep
band are capable of.
through songs you’d think they’ve
Finally the time comes, and as
been doing this for years and the
The Fifth Movement exit the stage
crowd love it, revelling in their
the crowd’s expectancy rises. Bird’s
feel-good, soul-nurturing, acoustic
vocalist Adéle Emmas takes centre
power-folk. Lead vocalist Phil Collier
stage flanked on each side by her
is a revelation on the mic, leading
band members, and they instantly
the rest of the band forward with a
erupt into the haunting harmonies
sumptuous display of vocal control
of Tides; from that moment, they
as he parades across the stage with
have you. Members of the audience
an infectious vigour that’s impossible
sit down around the stage, already
Check out the all new... www.bidolito.co.uk
Bird (Marie Hazelwood)
enticed, already hooked. It’s the
band’s ability to play the silence as
well as the music that gives them
that power; they create tension and
suspense in everything they do,
leaving you wanting more at the
end of every note rather than just
every song.
Lover Sleeps With Lions and a
cover of The Stooges’ I Wanna Be
Your Dog are particular highlights of
the set as the band weave their spell
upon the audience. Their enterprising
and dynamic performance comes
to a close with the crowd favourite
Phantoms, and as the song comes
to an end the audience joins in
with Adéle’s “CLAP, CLAP....CLAP” in a
fashion which is as haunting as the
performance itself. Simply beautiful.
Aaron Rose

Liverpool’s International
Arts Venue
March
February
Zoe Rahman Quartet
19:30 Saturday 4 February
£12.50
King Creosote and Jon
Hopkins
19:30 Tuesday 7 February £12.50
Rock the Boat presents
Dracula
19:30 Thursday 9, Friday 10,
Saturday 11 February £10 (£8
concessions)
Liverpool Guitar Society
presents Steven Joseph
Hickey
19:30 Friday 17 February £10
John Godber’s Weekend
Breaks
19:30 Monday 20, Tuesday 21,
Wednesday 22 February £12.50
(£6.50 concessions)
Darius Brubeck Quartet:
Kind of Brubeck
19:30 Friday 24 February £15
Terry Seabrook’s Milestones
Play ‘Kind of Blue’
19:30 Thursday 1 March £12.50
Neil Campbell’s The Bulbs
20:00 Saturday 3 March £10
Sell a Door presents
William Golding’s Lord of the
Flies
19:30 Monday 5, Tuesday 6,
Wednesday 7 March £12 (£10
concessions)
Theatre Unlimited presents
Stalin’s Favourite
19:30 Tuesday 20 March £12 (£9
concessions)
Theatre Unlimited presents
Defying Hitler
19:30 Wednesday 21 March £12
(£9 concessions)
The Neil Cowley Trio
featuring Mount Molehill
Strings
19:30 Thursday 22 March £17.50
An Evening with Frank
Carlyle
19:30 Friday 23 March £8 (£5
concessions)
Andre Canniere
19:30 Wednesday 28 March £10
Judie Tzuke: One Tree Less
Tour
19:30 Thursday 29 March £22.50
Milapfest presents Music for
the Mind and Soul: Rajeeb
Chakraborty
13:00 Saturday 31 March Free
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 L6 1HP. Tel: 0151 291 3578
Sat 11th February, 7:00pm.
THE THREE B’S
KENNY BALL, CHRIS BARBER & ACKER BILK
Sun 5th February, 8:00pm.
SEYMOUR MACE
+ OPENER MIKE NEWALL
Sun 11th March, 8:00pm.
DIANE SPENCER
+ OPENER IAN SMITH
Sun 15th April, 8:00pm.
JOHN ROBINS
+ OPENER PAUL RICKETS
Sun 13th May, 8:00pm.
WIL HODGESON
+ OPENER TBA
COMEDY £10.00
COMEDY & TWO COURSE MEAL £20.00
Meal served in the Panoramic Lounge, 5:45pm to 7:15pm.
To save money with our ‘Bunch of Laughs’
offer, please contact the Box Office.
Sun 12th February, 7:30pm.
THE GRIMETHORPE COLLIERY BAND
Tue 14th to Thu 16th February, 7:30pm.
(Wed & Thu matinees, 2:30pm.)
CHINESE STATE CIRCUS YIN YANG
Sat 18th February, 7:30pm.
ELKIE BROOKS
LIVE IN CONCERT
Sun 19th February, 2:30pm.
THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN
WHO SWALLOWED A FLY
Mon 20th February, 8:00pm.
STEVE HACKETT
BREAKING WAVES TOUR
Thu 23rd February, 7:30pm.
THE BEATLES
A MUSICAL CELEBRATION
Fri 24th February, 7:30pm.
BARRY CRYER
BUTTERFLY BRAIN
Sat 25th February, 7:30pm.
RAT PACK VEGAS SPECTACULAR

28
Bido Lito! February 2012
THE FIELD
The Kazimier
Three critically acclaimed albums
in and THE FIELD (Axel Willner) is
becoming an unstoppable force in
electronic music. While bass and
post-dubstep music is increasingly
focusing on colder, sharper and
ultimately more electronic production
values, Willner is looking to rock
music for inspiration. Now touring
in band format with Dan Enqvist
and Jesper Skarin he is keen to blur
the perceived boundaries between
laptops and traditional instruments,
and in doing so he has created a
monster of an album in Looping
State Of Mind. The motorik repetition
of previous offerings remains the
basis for the songs, however, the
loops are less urgent in feel and as
such float along on their own rhythm,
seemingly forever.
The Kazimier is criminally quiet
for such a well-loved artist but those
who’ve snapped up this opportunity
on a cold Sunday evening know
that this is a special event. The band
seem completely unfazed at the
sparseness of the crowd, save for
a wry smile from Willner as he sets
his sampler on loop. Gradually the
bass and drums build up momentum
and settle into a steady rhythm and
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it becomes clear that a The Field live
performance is a completely different
animal to The Field on record. The
songs are stretched and extended to
allow for prolonged tension and the
releases offer grander crescendos as
the drums are smashed with Joey
Castillo-intensity. So long are the
songs in fact that they only manage
to squeeze four into an hour-long set;
and it is when given this breathing
room that they are able to reach their
logical conclusion, which is ultimately
pure euphoria. Over The Ice, from
2007’s masterpiece From Here We Go
Sublime, is a clear highlight, as the
middle section is stripped back to a
bare-bones micro-sample, looped
for an eternity until the snare drum
calls time on the build-up and all hell
breaks loose with gated synthesizers
and shimmering cymbals. The formula
is simple and marvellously effective.
The twenty-strong crowd goes
crackers in the knowledge that this is
one of those rare experiences shared
with strangers that will never be
forgotten… until the next performance
by The Field. Sublime indeed.
Jonny Davis
STEVE PILGRIM
Jay Lewis
The Zanzibar
Despite the office
parties and gigs
going on elsewhere,
The Zanzibar is
comfortably busy for
two mainstays of the
city’s music scene.
JAY LEWIS, formerly of
Crackatila and The La’s
and now an acoustic
solo performer, is wellreceived,
the audience
impressively
hushed
by his delicate songs.
The pindrop silence
is just as well as Lewis’
material is unlikely
to take flight in noisy
surroundings, instead
custom built for
intimate gig surroundings. Concluding
with an inspired retooling of Jimi
Hendrix’s iconic Are You Experienced?
alongside his own compositions,
Lewis’ progress in 2012 will be well
worth following.
Best known for his role as a
sideman for Paul Weller, for whom he
has been sticksman for the past half
decade, STEVE PILGRIM’s solo career
has gradually blossomed over the
course of three albums, improving
with each release. New LP Pixels And
Paper is by far the singer-songwriter’s
strongest work to date, the album
launch at the present venue a perfect
fit, returning him to the club where
former band The Stands started out in
the early noughties.
Opening his set solo, joined one at
a time by his crack backing ensemble
(akin to a roots version of legendary
Steve Pilgrim (Keith Ainsworth)
Talking Heads’ live film Stop Making
Sense), the full band approach lifts
the quality of Pilgrim’s material into a
higher league. With folk singer Rachel
Wright providing harmony vocals for
much of the set, How Many Ways and
Lover, Love Her sound as magnificent
live as on record.
A vicious, extended reading of
Firecracker marks the highpoint of
the set, the improvised outro led
by Martin Smith’s blazing mariachi
trumpet work pushing the song’s
energy level higher.
With the LP
purposely designed to be sharp and
concise, Pilgrim’s live work benefits
from a similar approach with none of
the songs or the set outstaying their
welcome, the show serving as the
perfect entrée for the album.
Richard Lewis

Bido Lito! February 2012 29
The Bido Lito! Directory
RECORDING & REHEARSAL
STUDIOS
Whitewood Recording Studio
/ City Centre 25 Parliament
Street Elevator building / Relaxing
& professional environment to
record, mix & master your music /
whitewoodrecordingstudio.com /
info@whitewoodrecordingstudio.com
Parr Street Studios /UNDER NEW
MANAGEMENT / The legendary
recording space has hosted
Coldplay, Napalm Death, Elbow
& more! / The highest quality at
surprising prices / 0151 707 1050 /
info@parrstreetstudios.com
Elevator Recording Studio / Clients
inc. The Maccabees, The Zutons,
The Wombats, The Coral / Fantastic
recording space & brilliant in-house
engineer / City Centre location / 0151
255 0195 / elevatorstudios.com
Sandhills Recording Studio / Features
beautiful acoustics, SSL4024E
console, mouthwatering collection
of outboard, microphones & vintage
backline / £165 per day / 0151 933
7379 / shstudios.co.uk
Crosstown Studios / City Centre
recording and production studio /
Experienced engineer / Lots of inhouse
equipment / Flexible hours
& reasonable rates / 07841 746 575 /
crosstownstudios.co.uk
Russell J. Cottier / Record
Producer / Extensive commercial
discography credits / 07906 376 701 /
russellcottier.com
Andy Fernihough / Sound engineer /
Music production / Recording studio /
Good rates, great results / Based at Crash
Rehearsal Studios / 07929 603 456 /
ferniha@virginmedia.com
Crash Rehearsal Studios / Practice
rooms hourly and long term /
Backline & PA hire / Storage /
Licensed bar / Liverpool City Centre
/ Previous clients inc. Lou Reed,
Cast, Ian McNabb / 0151 236 0989 /
crashstudios.co.uk
City Rehearsal Studios / £30.00 for
four hours including PA system,
bass amp & drum kit / Based
near Stanley Street in Liverpool
City Centre / 07711 661 476 /
facebook.com/cityrehearsalstudios
Milk:Rehearsal Studios / 132 Bold
Street / £25 for four hours with
Full Backline Provided (drum kit,
bass amp, guitar amp & PA) /
0151 709 5874 / 07554 196 894 /
info@milkpresents.co.uk
Elevator Rehearsal Studios / State of
the art, acoustically treated studios /
24hr access / Available permanently
or by the session / Dale St & Upper
Parliament St locations / 0151 255
0195 / elevatorstudios.com
PA & LIGHTING HIRE
Total Control Sound / Professional
PA & Lighting hire / Full Event
Management available / Clients inc.
Echo & The Bunnymen & Edwyn
Collins / 07968 911 097 / 07719 439
988 / info@totalcontrolsound.com
Rooftop Audio Ltd / D&B, Midas,
Avolites Stockists / No job too
big or small / Competitive prices
/ Call our experienced staff for a
unique solution / 0845 224 0951 /
info@rooftop.org.uk
TUITION
David Kelly Drum Tuition / Energetic,
fun & personalised tuition in
Liverpool City Centre / Fully equipped
studio / 1st lesson 20% off & a free
pair of drumsticks / 07825 519 320 /
davidkellydrumtuition.co.uk
GEAR
HIRE
Rooftop Audio Ltd / Now stocking
the latest Pioneer DJ Equipment /
Also hiring Drums, Guitar & Bass
Amps, Keyboards / 0845 224 0951 /
info@rooftop.org.uk
PRESSING
& DUPLICATION
Payper Cut Print and Press / Hand screen
printed record sleeves & CD duplication
/ Limited edition screen printed gig
posters / Visit Payper Cut facebook
page / paypertiger@gmail.com
INDUSTRY
SERVICES
Another Media / Marketing & PR
campaigns for various events / Poster
& flyer distribution across Merseyside
& beyond / Full design & print services /
0151 708 2841 / info@anothermedia.org
Words and Deeds / Proofreading
& professional writing services
/ ‘Let me put your deeds into
words.’ / 07783 997 129 /
debra@wordsanddeeds.co.uk
Shipley IP / Legal advice for the music
industry / Band Agreements, record
& publishing deals, management
deals etc / Ask about our Band on
the Breadline offer / 0151 705 3440 /
shipleyip.com / music@shipleyip.com
The Music Consortium / Event &
Production Management / Festival
Crewing & Stage Building / Set & Show
Design / Clients Worldwide, Liverpool
Based / We work with best for a reason
/ themusicconsortium.com
McEntegart Legal Ltd / Experienced
Music & Entertainment lawyers
in Liverpool / Contracts, advice &
negotiation services / 0151 255 0400
/ info@mclegal.co.uk / mclegal.co.uk
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Luke Avery Photography
/ Promo
shoots, portraiture, advertising,
retouching / 07729 308 307 /
luke-avery.com / info@luke-avery.com
Jack Whiteley
/ Music Videography
/ Music Videos / EPKs / Live /
07707121507 / info@jackwhiteley.co.uk
/ jackwhiteley.co.uk
Jennifer Pellegrini / Freelance
photographer with an intimate & candid
style / Promotional and live music
photography / Bido Lito! Photo Editor
/ 07709 809 994 / jenniferpellegrini@
live.com / jennifer-pellegrini.com
Freakbeat films / HD music videos,
promos and all that jazz / Previous
work for The Loud, Dead Cities &
Bido Lito!’s Lecky Lunar Sessions /
freakbeatfilms@hotmail.co.uk
/ Vimeo.com/freakbeatfilms
Check out the all new... www.bidolito.co.uk

30
Bido Lito! February 2012
Reviews
The Horrors (Marie Hazelwood)
THE HORRORS
TOY
The Kazimier
“It’s about time!” goes up the shout
from the crowd as Faris Badwan and
his fellow HORRORS slink on to the
stage at The Kazimier, though what
this refers to isn’t quite clear at first.
Southend’s finest have amassed an
impressive bank of effects pedals,
samplers and keyboards now,
through which they have perfected
the intricate art of weaving their
atmospheric web of gothic sound,
and the set-up takes a while to finetune.
More likely it’s a reference to
the original postponement of this
show, meaning we’ve had over two
months to wait for this moment,
during which time The Horrors and
their latest album Skying have been
acclaimed by all and sundry. It is with
bated breath that the crowd fills the
venue then, or is that just me?
If you’re in early on and your eyes
are closed then you might think
that your wait for Rotter and co. has
been shortened when TOY take to
the stage. Driving and dense, they
do sound a bit Horrors-lite, but if the
world of psyched-up, swirling guitars
and delightful floral shirts is your
thing then TOY should be whetting
your appetite for the main event.
Leaning on the same post-punk and
new wave influences of their touring
partners (Felt, Stereolab, The Cramps),
it’s perhaps unsurprising that The
Horrors have ear-marked them for
greatness already. And, to be fair, on
single Left Myself Behind they show
that this praise isn’t just token, but
that they have a substance to match
the words. Joe Lean And The Jong Jang
Jong they ain’t.
The Horrors launch in to their
opening salvo to a simmering
anticipation from the crowd. Changing
The Rain, Who Can Say and I’m Looking
Through You make for an impressive
opening gambit, widescreen, soaring
garage rock with the faintest whiff
of theatrics. These tracks, fast-paced
and urgent, see the band at their
most appealing, and mark a great
introduction to a band who are
currently walking tall on a wave of
admiration from converted press and
fans alike. Nothing here tonight is
taken from their debut album Strange
House, which was roundly panned,
and earned them a (then) deserved
tag of gothic weirdoes with dodgy
haircuts. 2009’s Primary Colours and
the aforementioned Skying provide
the sonic meat on the bones, showing
just how far The Horrors have come
as a band. OK, the dodgy haircuts
are only marginally less so now,
but even they and the still evident
(though infinitely more subtle) edge
of gothic weirdness have a sheen of
cool about them. Admittedly not the
über-slick cool that oozed from The
Strokes in 2001, but it’s not a million
miles away: if Casablancas and co.
had been brought up in a derelict
warehouse in Manchester on a diet
of Simple Minds, the Bunnymen,
Joy Division and denim then this
incarnation of The Horrors would
undoubtedly be the result. Evidently
that’s not to everyone’s tastes, as the
crowd rarely moves beyond headnodding
appreciation, until Endless
Blue finally breaks to jolt them alive,
followed by the night’s highlight in
Sea Within A Sea. As much as this
was set up to be the incendiary point
of the night, it’s unfortunately left
to the idiot at the front to light the
blue touch paper. After the sprawling
Mirror’s Image segues in to Three
Decades, a fan right in front of the
stage whips out his phone and
shoves it in front of Badwan’s face.
The biggest cheer of the night erupts
as Faris clips the ruffian round the
ear in admonishment, before the
security removes him amid a flurry
of sprawling legs. A blink-and-youmiss-it
moment that does nothing
to detract from the performance of a
group on the crest of a creative wave.
Worth the wait indeed.
Christopher Torpey