Issue 23 / June 2012

Issue 23 

June 2012 

Bang On 

Summer Festival 

Guide 

Euro 2012 Pullout 

Sound City 

Review 

Bang On by Jennifer Pellegrini 

www.bidolito.co.uk 

FREE

THE GUARDIAN 

THE INDEPENDENT 

JOIN US THIS SUMMER IN THE MAGICAL SURROUNDINGS OF THE BLACK MOUNTAINS, WALES... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adults: £145 (including camping). Student: £125 (including camping). Holiday Ticket £40 (Add a holiday ticket and camp for a whole week) 

Tickets available from www.ticketline.co.uk/green-man Tel 0844 888 9991 

Coach Tickets and packages available from National Express www.nationalexpress.com/greenman 

For more information, including the full line up please visit 

www.greenman.net 

www.greenman.net

Editorial 

Well I’m sure you lot had a cracking time. Personally, I’ve a newly 

discovered deep affection for the consciousness-maintaining powers 

of Red Bull and an intimate knowledge of the inside of an apartment 

block on Duke Street. Our 3am print deadlines for the Bido Lito! Sound 

City Daily Magazine really did test our mental toughness; power 

proofing at its finest! Reading our coverage of Thursday and Friday, it 

seems obvious that the first two days of the festival more than lived up 

to Saturday, on which we had an utter blast after our two night shifts 

(aside from my gallant injury in the John Peel World Cup, but we’ll gloss 

over that…). I would like to extend a huge public thank you to our team 

of writers, photographers, distributors, volunteers, and supporters, as 

well as the teams at Sound City, Earth Design Studios and The Guardian 

who all helped move the project onto a whole different level this year. 

I thought the way Wolstenholme Square acquired a hub-like centrality 

to this Sound City was a real success, as was the commandeering of the 

garage and warehouse spaces running off it. The atmosphere was very 

similar to that of SXSW, at which a whole manner of car parks and industrial 

nooks are acquired to host shows. It gives an energy and a connection to 

the city, a relevance to our urban space. I really do hope that the organisers 

at the festival build further on these successes for next year. 

Sound City very much marked the start of the Summer Festival season 

and you’ll be pleased to see that this month’s magazine features an 

extended round-up of the best soirées for which to dig out your nan’s 

shopping trolley and crusty wellies. I’ll be at Dot to Dot (to try and catch 

half the bands I missed at Sound City!) before heading to Porto for 

Optimus Primavera Sound. With Forest Swords representing our scene 

on the bill, I’m expecting a strong Liverpool showing. We’re staying in 

some slightly odd, antwacky Moroccan hostel - do come and say hi! 

It’s also bi-annual national disappointment time again, with Euro 

2012 set to provide a timely counterbalance to the current outpouring 

of patriotism around the Olympics and Queen Lizzie’s do. At least this 

year we’ve a fantastic location at which to enjoy the protracted failure, 

with Camp And Furnace’s Fan Park showing all tournament games on 

their huge six metre screen. Xavi will look amazing on that - the less 

said about a life-size Stuart Downing the better. Turn to page 16 for 

your very nostalgic wall planner. All we need now is a dentist’s chair. 

Happy summertime peoples. 

Craig G Pennington 

Editor 

Features 

6 BANG ON 

8 THE TEA STREET BAND 

10 BEACH SKULLS 

12 BIDO LITO! FESTIVAL GUIDE 

14 

20 

PAT NEVIN 

SOUND CITY REVIEW 

Regulars 

4 NEWS 

18 

PREVIEWS/SHORTS 

20 

REVIEWS 

Bido Lito! June 2012 

3 

Bido Lito! 

Issue Twenty Three / June 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 

Assistant Reviews Editor 

Naters Philip - live@bidolito.co.uk 

Online Editor 

Natalie Williams - online@bidolito.co.uk 

Designer 

Luke Avery - info@earthstudios.net 

Proofreading 

Debra Williams - 

debra@wordsanddeeds.co.uk 

Words 

Craig G Pennington, Christopher Torpey, Mo 

Stewart, Joshua Nevett, P. Lee, Paul Gleeson, 

N. Philip, Richard Lewis, Jonny Davis, Pete 

Charles, Clarry M., Matt Healy, Lisa O’Dea, 

Charlie Lashmar, Mick Chrysalid, Owen 

Rogers, Amy Greir, Greg Hudson 

Photography, Illustration and Layout 

Luke Avery, Jennifer Pellegrini, John Johnson, 

Charlotte Patmore, Adam Edwards, Mike Brits, 

Keith Ainsworth, Robin Clewley 

Adverts 

To advertise please contact ads@bidolito.co.uk

News 

Harvest Sun’s Psychedelic Summer 

June sees the onset of Harvest Sun’s mind-bending summer of psych, starting when MOON DUO 

come to The Kazimier on Thursday 7th, followed by Can’s DAMO SUZUKI at the same venue on Friday 

22nd. THE SEE SEE also make a return on Friday 8th June at Mello Mello for a free show. Meanwhile 

we’re psyched to announce we’ve teamed up with Harvest Sun for the first LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL 

FESTIVAL OF PSYCHEDELIA, at Camp and Furnace on 29th September. liverpoolpsychfest.com 

Up In The Attic 

Hosting resident DJs and live music, as well as a bar serving great beer and grub seven days 

a week, the newly-refurbished Attic at 33-45 Parr Street could be your new favourite hangout. The 

regular DJ sets (featuring Burnitov and Jess Gascoigne amongst others) will run alongside weekly live 

music events to provide a different soundtrack each night. There will also be a demo wall for local 

artists to showcase their latest work – more details on this can be found at theatticliverpool.com 

Last Call For Astral Coast Festival 

The final deadline for submissions for this year’s Astral Coast Festival is nearly upon us: Friday 

8th June is the official close of the entry process for the event, which takes place at the Floral 

Pavilion in New Brighton on 21st July. Astral Coast is a new music festival for Wirral which aims to 

give a platform to the region’s best young talent. Applicants must have at least two members aged 

eighteen or under, and live in Wirral, to enter. Submissions can be made at astralcoast.co.uk 

Liverpool Music Awards Nominations Open 

At a time when the productivity of Liverpool’s music community is being rightly championed, 

the launch of the inaugural LIVERPOOL MUSIC AWARDS couldn’t be more pertinent. November 

will see the first in what will be an annual awards ceremony that aims to celebrate the musicians 

as well as the people behind the scene, all voted for by the public. Voting details, plus a full list 

of the twelve awards categories, can be found at liverpoolmusicawards.com 

Lird Records 

In March, two intrepid ex-Scousers (one biological, one adopted) opened boutique record shop 

Lird Records in the 'kreative Kiez' of Neuköln, Berlin. As well as being a serious wax outlet, Lird 

Records is flying the flag of the Liverpool music scene, already selling artists like Forest Swords, 

The Loud, and WCOLT. Their aim is to create a cultural exchange between the two cities, and to 

provide a platform in a different and vibrant country. Go say “Hallo!” at facebook.com/LirdRecords 

BIDO LITO! EURO 2012 SWEEPSTAKE 

As summer football fever grows we thought we’d get in the mood by running our own Euro 

2012 Sweepstake, with a host of fantastic prizes on offer at various stages of the competition. 

England aren’t likely to do anything so this might be your best chance of winning something 

from this year’s tournament (unless you’ve already put your mortgage on Germany to win it). 

We’ve teamed up with our regular partners to put together a great batch of exclusive prizes, 

and to be in with a chance of winning here’s what you have to do: 

Email us on competition@bidolito.co.uk with the subject ‘Euro 2012 Sweep’. The first 16 

entrants will be entered in to the sweep and notified by email. We will then conduct a random 

draw for teams, which will be recorded and broadcast on bidolito.co.uk. Prize announcements 

at each stage and further details will be made on bidolito.co.uk, so keep checking back to see 

if you’ve won. The deadline for entries is Wednesday 6th June. Powodzenia! 

Bido Lito! Dansette 

Our pick of this month’s wax 

wonders… 

Sunstack Jones 

Surefire Ways To 

Sweeten The Mind 

MAMMOTH BELL 

SUNSTACK JONES’ first full-length 

offering is a rare gem of a record, so full 

of fulsome pop nuggets that you’ll be 

constantly mining it for all its delights. 

The variety of subtle textures and 

layers veer between classic acoustic 

Britpop, shoegaze and dream pop. 

Sweet Lights 

Endless Town 

HIGHLINE RECORDS 

Shai Halperin’s rich musical past 

has been deconstructed a thousand 

times, but it’s clear that his debut 

album as SWEET LIGHTS owes a 

debt of gratitude to influences far 

and wide. Jeff Lynne and The Byrds 

are building blocks that are just 

as crucial as former collaborators 

Granduciel and Vile. Utterly brilliant. 

Circa Waves 

I Get Along With You 

UNSIGNED 

If you melted down the Creation 

Records back catalogue and condensed 

a track out of it you’d probably come 

close to this first effort by local 

newcomers CIRCA WAVES. I Get Along 

With You flies out of the traps amid a 

swathe of Jesus And Mary Chain-esque 

reverb and swirling guitars – neat. 

The Big House 

Canyon Home in the 

Sun/Caught Up 

BEARCUB 

The hugely anticipated debut 45 by 

folk/country duo THE BIG HOUSE sees 

the pair transfer two live favourites 

onto wax. A superlative double A-side, 

Canyon Home In The Sun captures the 

golden age of the titular Laurel Canyon 

songwriting scene, while Caught Up is 

just as valuable a treasure. 

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

Summer 

Highlights 

At Liverpool 

Philharmonic 

Dionne Warwick 

Monday 4 June 7.30pm £28.50-£75 

The Chieftains 

Sunday 10 June 8pm £35-£42.50 

The Unthanks 

with Brighouse & Ratrick Brass band 

Sunday 17 June 7.30pm £18.50-£24.50 

After 8 

Amelia Curran 

and Lizzie Nunnery 

Thursday 21 June 8.30pm £12 

Ian Prowse 

SOLD OUT 

Friday 6 July 8.30pm £12 

EXTRA DATE Thursday 5 July 8.30pm £12 

Alison Krauss 

& Union Station 

Saturday 14 July 7.30pm £32.50-£45.50 

Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival 

Alif Ensemble 

Sunday 15 July 7.30pm £15-£22.50 

Americana Weekend 

Featuring Lazy Lester, 

The Pineleaf Boys and more 

27-28 July 

Marc Almond 

Saturday 22 September 8pm £24.50, £30.50 

Stewart Francis 

SOLD OUT 

Friday 28 September 7.30pm £18.50, £24.50 

John Cooper Clarke 

Wednesday 10 October 8pm £14.50-£23.50 

Box Office fi 

0151 709 3789 liverpoolphil.com

6 




7 

Bang On 

Sippin' Tea And Droppin' Beats 

Words: Mo Stewart 

Photography: Jennifer Pellegrini 

We have reached a point in 2012 

when Liverpool has its own proper 

star; not created by reality shows, with 

no relation to those four lads from the 

60s. A musician bringing A&Rs panting 

up the M6, waving cheques at anyone 

with a skinhead in a trackie. Someone 

with the charisma to take Liverpool hip 

hop off YouTube and into your Auntie's 

living room. Brace for impact, because 

he's here. 

Elliott "BANG ON!" Egerton is a busy 

man - caught in a whirlwind of promo 

for his debut album [sic], released 14th 

May on Ninja Tune offshoot Big Dada 

records. As we sit down to chat he's 

got two Liverpool shows later tonight, 

including the Kazimier's shindig with 

Cadence Weapon & Ghostpoet. Far 

from jaded, he's more akin to a kid 

at Christmas: "I'm buzzing. I've been 

working up to this for so long, it's mad 

that it's finally here. I'm more than 

happy with the album, especially given 

the circumstances it was made in." 

Those circumstances involved 

perpetually bouncing between London, 

Aberdeen and back home to Walton. 

Tough for a young MC used to making 

tunes in his mate's bedroom. The perks 

of sharing a label with Wiley & Diplo 

are that there’re plenty of options for 

the production chair, but Egerton was 

determined to use his mates, and 

go with what he knew. "There were 

discussions, but to do that [produce] I'd 

have to take a lot of direction, whereas 

this way I know exactly what I’m doing; 

I know the strengths and weaknesses 

of who I'm working with. When you're 

certain of something, no one can 

change your mind". 

That the label didn't try shows the 

confidence they have in this 21-yearold 

- with good cause. [sic] is a real 

statement of a debut, shot through 

with equally lethal doses of humour, 

insight and intelligence against a 

backdrop of abrasive beats embracing 

grime, dubstep, rock, even gabba. Diplo 

clearly wasn't necessary. "I wanted to 

mix in all the music I grew up with, 

like Dizzee and Arctic Monkeys. In any 

group of mates there might be one 

who's more into techno or drum'n'bass, 

and you take on a little from everyone. 

You've got to know how to balance it 

so it doesn't sound ridiculous, but that's 

the challenge." 

A challenge accepted with gusto. 

There's a self belief and honesty here 

sorely missing in modern hip hop. Lyrics 

may be fired at relentless speed, but 

Bang On wants you to hear exactly what 

he's saying - proved by printing his lyrics 

on the album inlay and his website. To 

listen, read and comprehend it all is a 

dizzying experience. There's the staple 

candid tales on Drink'n'Drugs, Munnys 

and Huztlin', but we also hear him 

talking about religion, Mikel Arteta, even 

poking fun at that great hip hop taboo: 

homosexuality. Far from hiding behind 

a persona, Bang On is 100% Elliott: "If 

something comes into my head that I 

wanna talk about, if I don't put pen to 

paper, I feel like a coward. There's stuff 

on this album that doesn't show some 

friends in a good light, but I hope they 

understand, because it comes from an 

honest place." 

I suspect he won't be answering any 

awkward questions for a while as Bang 

On is in big demand across Britain and 

beyond. He's as bemused as me why a 

city with such a strong black influence 

hasn't produced a hip hop star, but 

he's equally convinced the time is 

right: "To me it's blindingly obvious. 

A lot of people feel they don't have a 

representative for what they're saying 

and how they say it, not just in Liverpool 

but the whole of the north. I still worry 

that people won't understand me, but I 

couldn't understand southern hip hop 

the first time I heard it; even Bob Marley 

speaks in a thick patois, but you get it. It 

gives it a kind of mystique." 

As a DJ around Liverpool, I can 

confirm people are getting it. Singles 

Hands High & Got It ignite audiences 

often sceptical of the unknown. 

Malevolent new single Fars Yer Whop 

might be more suited to bedrooms and 

back seats, but [sic] is a snapshot of 

Liverpool with which we can all identify. 

Hip hop has always been popular here, 

but never before has anyone local 

connected with the students listening 

to Aesop Rock and the kids banging 

Skepta on the back of the 75. Bang On 

has cleared that height, and he's ready 

to raise the bar. 

Single Fars Yer Whop and album [sic] 

are out now on Big Dada Records 

ninjatune.net 


8 


Words: Joshua Nevett 

Photography: John Johnson 

Dreaming, though. The shimmering guitar tones and 

Balearic rhythms don’t evoke the same emotions 

on record, which is a folly Tierney openly concedes. 

to get to this next level of where we wanted to be, 

and then Dave came down to watch us and started 

managing the band.” Timo tries to convey that all 

The merits of tireless enthusiasm and relentless 

work ethic as the maintenance required for the 

upkeep of the engine that drives success can often 

be overlooked even by the most attentively earnest 

band. A wise man once said that enthusiasm 

is nothing but faith with a tin can tied to its tail. 

Ignore the religious connotations of this statement 

and interpret its message in relation to Liverpool 

band culture and the exploits of THE TEA STREET 

BAND, who have adamantly demonstrated their 

renewed confidence in their musical convictions. 

After a scintillating recent performance at Liverpool 

Sound City, they’ve ardently begun to win over 

every man and his dog that’s had the pleasure 

of witnessing them as a live spectacle, and what 

a bewildering spectacle it turned out to be. “We 

want to fill the stage with smoke, go on, give them 

all the songs, give them all the fucking riffs, give 

them all the basslines and make everyone feel like 

they want to stay and watch D/R/U/G/S and have 

a really good night.” Frontman Timo Tierney rather 

eloquently explains his categorical aspirations 

prior to their performance at Red Bull Studios Live 

@ the Garage. The derelict and downright squalid 

space of Wolstenholme cark park was transformed 

“I don’t think it’s a very accurate representation of 

where we are now. I think if you come down to the 

live show then you’ll go home and listen to the EP 

and realise, ‘I want to go and watch them live again’, 

because it doesn’t really translate.” Bassist Nick 

Otaegui nods in agreement and confirms Tierney’s 

assertions. “That was a year ago when we recorded 

that so there’s been a lot of progression since then; 

there’s a lot of new songs, a lot of new sounds, and 

there’s a lot of confidence in the band, so there’s so 

much more going on musically.” There’s no time for 

complacency though, with fresh tunes already on the 

way. Nick describes how their new sound has grown 

in both statue and prowess with a wide smile across 

his face. “Massive, bigger; a lot bigger and a lot wider 

in scale. There’s an overall ethic running through the 

band of massive confidence and self belief. We’ve 

tried to channel that ethic into our music; the riffs 

have become more raunchy and bolshie.” 

The Tea Street Band have resolutely proved that 

sometimes a little faith, unreserved compassion 

and a fresh direction is all that’s necessary to 

reinvigorate a creative vision that’s generated a 

re-established interest the city over. Now under 

the wing of Sound City overlord Dave Pichilingi, 

they really needed was a stern push in the right 

direction to spur them on to pastures new. “We had 

it all there between us, being all close knit and best 

mates; I mean, we had the ship but we were just 

stranded in the middle of the ocean, we just didn’t 

know which way to sail it; then Dave came on board 

and since then it’s been… well … he’s just boss, he’s 

like another member; he’s even been contributing 

his own ideas.” 

As a collective they seem hell-bent on not just 

producing distinctive music, but figure-heading 

the resurgence of an acid house culture in the 

form of warehouse parties - a fundamental theme 

engrained in their ideological beliefs. “I think we 

need to keep doing our own raves, keep playing 

to more people, hopefully release an album and 

spread the love, you know. I feel like we’re on a 

mission to put Liverpool back on the map and kickstart 

the resurgence.” The band have fully redefined 

themselves, imposing their self-affirmed mission 

statement into the veins of Liverpool itself with a 

view to putting the city back on the map as a central 

hub of culture and reaffirm a forward-thinking ‘heart 

on sleeve’ ethos. 2012 is without doubt a massive 

year for The Tea Street Band. Without gushing 

into a transcendental cavern of otherworldly 

they seem to have found a new lease of life and a 

ascendance as attendees ended up getting more 

brotherly camaraderie that speaks volumes about 

than they bargained for; the realisation of a new 

their commitment. “A lot of people didn’t really 

era for these likely lads. 

want to give us a chance when we first started, in 

The bustling energy just doesn’t seem to translate 

my opinion; we were running up the hill without 

in their double A-side single Fiesta/Summer 

any shoes on. To get up this hill I felt like we needed 

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

despairingly or sounding lamentably hopeless, 

maybe a little faith was all they really needed to 

take things to the next level; if you get the chance 

to see them live, I’m sure you’ll agree. 

facebook.com/teastreetband

The Skatalites 

+ We The Undersigned 

 

Tragedy 

(All Metal Tribute To The Bee Gees) 

 

The Cureheads 

(The Original Tribute To The Cure) 

 

X&Y Festival 

Ft. Reva + Notion + Get Back Colquitt 

+ Hostile Radio + Idle Frets + Refrain 

+ Public Overload 

 

Tristan Mackay 

+ Andrew James O’Brien 

 

Four Year Strong 

+ Marmozets + Save Your Breath 

 

Mark Stewart 

 

Boyce Avenue 

+ Ingrid Michaelson + Tyler Hilton 

 

Guns2Roses 

+ Metallica Reloaded 

 

The View 

 

Alyssa Reid 

 

Chelcee 

 

Yashin 

+ With One Last Breath + Pavilions 

+ Draw The Line 

 

Fei Comodo 

+ Paige + I Divide 

 

Pearl Jem 

(Europe’s Number 1 Tribute To Pearl Jam) 

 

Tom Hingley 

(The Beast Inside UK Tour) 

 

Nik Kershaw 

And His Band 

 

Then Jerico 

Big Area Tour 2012 

 

Maverick Sabre 

 

Malefice 

 

Dappy 

 

The Carpet Crawlers 

The Ultimate Genesis Tribute 

 

Azealia Banks 

 

The Rollin’ Clones 

The 50th Anniversary 

Meals On Wheels Tour 

 

Mayday Parade 

+ The Summer Set + The Cab + Natives 

 

Hawklords 

 

Newton Faulkner 

 

Reverend and 

the Makers 

 

Flux Pavilion 

Standing On A Hill Tour 

 

The Complete 

Stone Roses 

 

Heaven 17 

The Luxury Gap Tour 

 

T.Rextasy 

 

The Wedding Present 

(Performing Seamonsters in full) 

 

Gong ft. Daevid Allen 

+ Here and Now 

 

Frank Turner and 

The Sleeping Souls 

 

Absolute Bowie 

The No.1 Tribute To David Bowie 

 

Levellers 

 

The Rifles 

(Acoustic) 

 

Magnum 

 

Electric Six 

10th Anniversary Tour 

Performing FIRE in its entirety 

 

Thin Lizzy 

 

Sleigh The UK 2012 

The Wonder Stuff, Pop Will Eat Itself, 

Jesus Jones 

 

Nik Kershaw 

And His Band 

 

Maverick Sabre 

 

Newton Faulkner 

 

Heaven 17 

The Luxury Gap Tour 

11 - 13 Hotham Street, Liverpool L3 5UF 

facebook.com/o2academyliverpool 

twitter.com/o2academylpool 

youtube.com/o2academytv 

Doors 7pm unless stated 

Venue box office opening hours 

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

No booking fee on cash transactions 

 

 

Text APP to 62002 or scan here: 

o2academyliverpool.co.uk

10 

Bido Lito! 


“There's this place called Pilgrim’s Passage, over 

the other side of China Town”, says Jordan, drummer 

of local surf rock duo BEACH SKULLS. “I think 

it used to be a warehouse and it’s about 

five floors tall. We were looking 

around and on about the fifth 

floor, tucked away, was a 

massive box of old vinyl. 

We got Otis Redding, 

Link Wray, Muddy 

Waters, Glenn Miller 

and Blondie”. 

There 

is 

something 

to 

be said for the 

musician 

who 

scours 

the 

dusty corners of 

the city for the 

music that they 

buy, and which 

thus 

ultimately 

informs the music 

they make. Willing 

to look and willing to 

learn. And coming away 

with such a varied haul 

can only illustrate a diverse 

taste and a diverse palette 

for making music. But two surf 

rock enthusiasts from Widnes and 

Warrington who dig anything and 

everything in between? Surely not... 

“We met in college in Widnes and played together 

one time in another band but nothing came of it,” 

says Ryan (guitarist and chief Beach Skull), before 

Jordan adds: “Then we lost touch because I refused 

to have a Facebook or anything, before we bumped 

into each other at the train station, and it has come 

from there really. He said he was making surf rock 

tunes; I said I would love to be in a band playing 

surf and we took it from there”. 

And surfy the results sure are. Lo-fi Link Wray, 

reverb cranked up to eleven, warm scuzzy sounds 

giving you a warm scuzzy feeling permeate debut 

EPs Beneath the Waves and The Brooklyn Jive, the 

latter being purely instrumental. Both choice cuts, 

yet there are more influences here than for the 

band to be labelled simply as surf. I wonder how 

the songwriting process works within the band? 

Ryan explains: “I recorded the first two or three 

tunes on my own, with a shit drum machine. Then 

when Jordan got involved he wrote the drum beats 

and that and had input into writing the songs.” 

So are the songs and songwriting process as a 

BEACH 

SKULLS 

Words: P.Lee 

whole a joint 

effort? “Yeah,” confirms Jordan. “We usually jam 

and if it sounds good keep playing it. Then take 

it from there.” 

“I find that when I play music that most of the time 

it always ends up with some sort of minor, dark, side 

to it,” says Ryan. “I think that’s just the way I write 

and play guitar so it always comes out, really.” 

I sense juxtaposition, a Smithsonian meeting 

of happy, jangly major music with some sort of 

underlying dark element. The contrast between 

the lyrics and feel of Girlfriend In A Coma. The 

Byrds do it in parts, as does a great deal of country 

music. It’s apparent throughout the whole Beach 

Skulls package, from the song lyrics, their visual 

imagery, and right through to the name... and it’s a 

conscious decision. Skulls and Beach? A dark take, 

if you ask me. 

Photography: Charlotte Patmore 

“That's the thing with a lot of surf music, it’s 

usually really quite upbeat,” offers Ryan. “For 

example the Beach Boys; we’re taking that sound 

with the reverb and all those drum patterns and 

putting a cooler, darker edge.” 

“It’s kind of more serious I think,” says 

Jordan. “We’ve got a song which we 

don’t play live called Hicks McGrath 

which is about a fella who falls 

out of love with his wife and 

ends up killing her.” 

Dark indeed. 

Since forming late 

last year there have 

been two, cassetteonly, 

releases 

on the Welsh 

independent, 

Cheesus 

Crust. 

This is a label 

who 

pride 

themselves 

on 

only 

releasing 

music that they 

love, for the love 

of the music. They 

share the band’s 

DIY, quick fire release 

ethos. 

“I can never understand 

bands who take two months 

to work on one single,” says 

Ryan. “Whenever we have a new 

song, I want it recorded and out 

straight away. You have got to catch that 

moment. If you end up polishing it and refining 

it, it loses the character. All Right Island (first track on 

Beneath The Waves EP) was written and recorded in 

one day.” 

The baggy, unpolished approach is one of the 

main and most interesting aspects of Beach Skulls’ 

music. Whether it be the cool as sin groove of my 

personal favourite Surfbeat Mojo or the ragged 

reworking of Gershwin’s Summertime, which flicks 

the baggy to the max, they boast lo-fi character 

in abundance. The live inclusion of the Link Wray 

classic Rumble is a great touch. 

On top of two further releases poised to drop, 

two filmmakers have also been in touch about 

licensing music for their soundtracks. 

“We know that one’s a movie about surfing and 

one’s a movie about zombies,” confirms Ryan. 

What were we saying about juxtapositions? 

beachskulls.tumblr.com 

Check out this month’s Bido Lito! Podcast, 

recorded live at Elevator Recording Studio, for an 

exclusive live session with Beach Skulls. 


Bido Lito! 

Summer Festival Guide 

The summer 

is here, and how do we 

know besides the cider ads that have started 

appearing on the telly? Well, because it’s finally 

Festival Season of course! No doubt you’ve been 

craving long weekends with crates of warm beer 

and over-priced burgers with your mates, and 

you’re going to need some field or another in Yorkshire Dales, the gorgeous location for this 

which to settle down and tuck in. So, as she’s year’s GREETINGS FROM BEACONS. It’s been 

been dusting last year’s mud off her wellies, a hotly anticipated one this year after the 

Bido Lito!’s Naters Philip has sifted through the unfortunate last minute cancellation of last year’s 

best of what’s on offer whether it’s in the city, an event after biblical storms wiped out the site the 

hour down the road, or means going wild on an 

easyJet ticket. If it’s not here, then it’s not worth 

going to... 

Africa Oyé 

23rd - 24th June / Sefton Park, Liverpool 

host of family 

attractions, the event is a 

real highlight of the Liverpool summer. All of 

this and it’s still free...not bad at all. africaoye.com 

Beacons 

17th - 19th August / Funkirk Estate, Skipton 

It doesn’t get fresher than the stunning 

evening before it was due to open. They’ve clearly 

made up for it this year though with a line-up 

that has much to brag about. WILLIS EARL BEAL 

is back in the UK and must be witnessed before 

MORRISON 

is this year’s headliner 

and about as iconic as they come. The 

festival offers a holiday ticket, which allows you 

to camp for three days before the event begins, 

and as they actively encourage attendees to bring 

instruments for jamming sessions, you’re really 

going to feel at home here. greenman.net 

Live From 

Jodrell Bank 

23rd - 24th June / Jodrell Bank 

Visitor Centre, Cheshire 

If music and literature aren’t your thing and 

your idea of a perfect weekend is stargazing to 

the sounds of GRAHAM COXON whilst having Brian 

Cox whisper sweet astrological nothings down 

your ear, then LIVE FROM JODRELL BANK, with its 

music and science collaborations, is to be where 

he goes completely cosmic. The under the radar 

you’re found. The Blur guitarist is taking part - 

are represented by PEAKING LIGHTS, a Californian 

we’re yet to confirm whether baby-faced stargazer 

duo who make a unique mesh of electro psych. 

Cox will be in attendance - as acts perform in 

Beacons is also the only festival in the North to 

front of the Lovell telescope in Cheshire, and their 

Africa Oyé marks its 20th year anniversary this 

year and it’s fair to say it has grown from strength 

to strength since it first kicked off in 1992. The 

event prides itself on bringing the best music 

from Africa, the Caribbean and South America to 

Liverpool and this year is no exception. BRINSLEY 

FORDE, the former Aswad frontman, provides a 

feature WILD BEASTS who play a coveted festival 

exclusive. After their performance at the O2 

Academy in March you’ll definitely want to catch 

them. Bit of a hippie? Check out the Dubluv VW 

show, a must for all you Woodstock loving wigouts. 

greetingsfrombeacons.com 

images are projected onto this 76-metre structure. 

If that weren’t enough, PAUL WELLER and ELBOW 

are headlining, GOMEZ and FIELD MUSIC are 

special features and CRAIG CHARLES is making an 

appearance for a Q&A ahead of the tenth series 

of Red Dwarf. Though the Elbow show is sold out, 

there are still tickets available for the Paul Weller 

highlight following his collaboration with Dizzee 

bill. This is a festival truly embracing an utterly 

Rascal and performances on Jools Holland and 

Green Man 

unique setting and is the antithesis of the generic 

the Electric Proms. The DELE SOSIMI AFROBEAT 

ORCHESTRA are not to be missed, with their fusion 

of highlife and funk grooves. Dele was a member 

17th - 19th August / Glanusk Park, Wales 

Set in the Black Mountains in Wales and with 

gig in a field. It’s geek-chic gone wild...and is going 

to be absolutely brilliant. livefromjodrellbank.com 

of Fela Kuti’s Egypt 80, before creating Positive a river flowing around the perimeter, GREEN MAN 

Force with Femi Kuti - an esteemed CV indeed. runs the risk of being the most naturally beautiful 

Kendal Calling 

YAABA FUNK are also hotly anticipated: a floorfilling 

extravaganza combining the tightest rhythm 

section this side of Accra, fat analogue basslines, 

blazing horns, and sparkling African and gritty 

rock guitars. With over forty stalls selling the best 

in African food, drinks and fashion, as well as a 

festival of the Summer. As is the festival’s calling 

card, Green Man flies the flag for all things 

independent but is drawing an impressive list 

of acts for both the music and comedy stages. 

FEIST provides an immediate standout booking 

alongside the ever enigmatic MOGWAI. Domino 

27th - 29th July / Lowther Deer Park, Kendal 

Since 2006, the fields of Cumbria have been 

home to this ever expanding independent 

festival, and this year the bookings once again 

fuse some exciting breakthrough artists, with 

Record’s CASS McCOMBS will hope to be playing 

after nightfall, no doubt, and WILLY MASON features 

at the festival after impressing for a second 

year running at The Zanzibar last month. VAN

Radio1-friendly indie pop. The mercurial rap rascal 

DIZZEE RASCAL returns to KENDAL CALLING to 

headline, alongside JAMES and MAXÏMO PARK. 

We would actively encourage you to check out 

SPRING OFFENSIVE, who impressed massively 

at this year’s Sound City. For something a little 

different we’d suggest heading to the Tim Peaks 

Diner - Tim Burgess (frontman of The Charlatans) 

has created a metaphysical diner through the 

platform of Twitter, and now it’s seeing a real-life 

debut in the gorgeous lake surroundings. Last 

year Bido Lito! enjoyed the secret re-emergence of 

The La’s at Kendal Calling, so there’s much to live 

up to. So long as the cider tent is still there, we’re 

sure it’ll be fine! kendalcalling.co.uk 

No Direction Home 

8th - 10th June, / Welbeck 

Estate, Nottinghamshire 

Why not take a trip to the NO DIRECTION HOME 

festival, nestled on the edge of Sherwood Forest. 

Debuting this year, it’s the sister event from 

those behind the particularly glorious End Of The 

Road. Musical highlights include an exclusive 

appearance from RICHARD HAWLEY, as well as 

AUSTRA, an electronic outfit from Toronto, who 

made a splash in the UK last year around their 

album Feel It Break. Representing Liverpool is 

LAURA J MARTIN, who’ll be hoping that Robin 

Hood’s brethren take kindly to her scintillating 

debut album The Hangman Tree. For those who 

enjoy music with a side of literature, head to a 

reading at the on-site book shop or, if ultimate 

relaxation is what you’re heading for, then take 

to the waterside stage - if LANTERNS ON THE 

LAKE’s set takes place anywhere but there we’ll 

be shocked. nodirectionhomefestival.com 

Kazimier 

Krunk Fiesta 

16th June - (and continuing throughout 

the summer) / Kazimier, Liverpool 

The Kazimier’s infamous KRUNK FIESTA returns 

this summer with a cacophony of lunacy as 

THE RIVER NIGER ORCHESTRA, THE HARLEQUIN 

DYNAMITE BRASS BAND and, of course, THE 

KAZIMIER KRUNK ALLSTARS join a bill of twentyfive 

bands and DJs across three stages. The space 

at the back of the Kazimier, adjacent to Liverpool 

Academy Of Arts, will be transformed into an idyllic 

garden Mecca, as a platform for music, arts and 

visual performance. And you’ll be pleased to hear 

that this garden will be staying put throughout 

the summer, as an Edinburgh Festival sort of 

ever-changing enigmatic den. The programme of 

events will be released as a just-in-time format on 

the Kazimier website, but will constantly have all 

manner of artistic goings on, an outside bar, and 

food provided by Mello Mello. Starting each day at 

11am and finishing around midnight, there will be 

two further Krunk Fiesta-esque events throughout 

the summer. Festival season is here and it’s found 

a home at the Kazimier. thekazimier.co.uk 

Festival No. 6 

14th - 16th September / Portmeirion, Wales 

Festival season doesn’t finish in August, it’s still 

thriving in Wales in September with FESTIVAL No. 

6, a brand new premium festival concept set in 

Portmeirion’s ‘eclectic’ grounds. For those of you 

who don’t know, Portmeirion is a slightly strange, 

utterly idyllic Mediterranean-style village, created 

by Clough Williams-Ellis in the early 1900s and 

plonked on the Welsh coast. Fancy staying the 

weekend in a yurt or a tipi? No problem. The 

line-up fuses heavyweight headliners PRIMAL 

SCREAM, NEW ORDER and SPIRITUALIZED with 

breakthrough artists, such as recent Loud & Quiet 

cover star KINDNESS. There’s even local Welsh 

male voice choirs - why not? The festival is held 

in conjunction with Faber & Faber (publishers) 

who’ll be organising literary talks; and if you like 

your festivals with a bit of fancy sport then you’re 

covered at the clay-pigeon shooting area. See 

you there. festivalnumber6.com 

Optimus Primavera 

Sound 

7th - 10th June / Porto 

Primavera Sound have set up a new counterpart 

to their Barcelona festival in Porto, and it’s rather 

brilliantly called OPTIMUS PRIMAVERA SOUND. The 

line-up features a typically Primaverian selection 

of international artists such as FLAMING LIPS, 

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY and ‘the saviours of rock n 

roll’ (yep Bob in Probe...you’re 100% bang on) THEE 

OH SEES. Songwriting genius YANN TIERSON and 

Phily-favourites WAR ON DRUGS also join the bill, 

with local Liverpool representation coming from 

FOREST SWORDS, who has somehow managed to 

scoop the hottest festivals to premiere his early 

live shows. SCREENADELICA will also have their 

stunning travelling poster fair on site. Primavera is 

widely regarded as the most finely curated festival 

in Europe and the maiden Portuguese run is no 

exception, with performances from M83, SHELLAC, 

WASHED OUT, WAVVES, TENNIS, THE XX, RUFUS 

WAINWRIGHT... and on and on and on. The festival 

is held in a huge urban park by the sea but still 

manages to be nestled in the city, and on the 7th 

and 10th June will be staging several free concerts 

in the city centre to bring the spirit of the event to 

Porto’s public. optimusprimaverasound.com 

Best Of The Rest 

There are a host of festival delights this 

year away from our featured few. Here are 

a taste of the highlights...Jump across the 

drink to BEAUREGARD FESTIVAL (6th - 8th July, 

Normandy) in Northern France, which features 

some of the best British and French alt pop 

acts, including THE KILLS. TRAMLINES (20th - 

22nd July, Sheffield), is a free weekend festival 

in the city, featuring WE ARE SCIENTISTS. DEER 

SHED (20th - 22nd July, Topcliffe) is fired-up 

by family-orientated organisers who have 

genuine passion for toddler-friendly festivities, 

so bring your prams as well as your tent for 

this one. MAGIC LOUNGEABOUT (27th - 29th 

July, Skipton) is offering the perfect mix of 

avant pop, cabaret and spoken word. INDIKA 

(14th - 23rd August, Liverpool) is run by Milap 

Fest, and presents the UK’s biggest festival of 

Indian music and dance, featuring a stunning 

series of showcase performances in the heart 

of Liverpool. And finally the big ones: if these 

take your fancy, it’s a choice between LEEDS 

FESTIVAL and CREAMFIELDS (24th - 26th August) 

- will it be AT THE DRIVE-IN or DEADMAU5 who 

wins your favour?

14 

Bido Lito! 


You may well be thinking “what on earth is Pat 

Nevin doing in this month’s issue of Bido Lito!?” 

Under usual circumstances we would indeed share 

your bemusement. Yet this is no ordinary month, 

as 8th June seems the commencement of the UEFA 

European Championships. We’ve teamed up with 

Camp And Furnace to bring you a rather marvellous 

(and particularly Italia 90-esque) wall planner 

pull-out on page 16 of this month’s magazine. We 

thought there could be no better way to celebrate 

than to hook up SPIEL MAGAZINE’s Paul Gleeson 

with the former Tranmere, Scotland and Everton 

legend PAT NEVIN. The tricky 

Glaswegian is as famed in 

musical circles for his All 

Tomorrow’s Parties DJ sets 

as his deadly wing wizardry 

and we’ve been waiting for 

ages to interview him. This 

just seemed like too good an 

opportunity to miss. 

Pat Nevin is unique 

amongst footballers. Not only 

do fans revere him for his on 

the pitch ability but also for 

his taste in music, literature 

and art. Having turned to 

football relatively late, his 

pre-football existence was 

spent studying towards a 

degree in art from Glasgow 

Caledonian University. 

“I kind of fell into football 

a wee bit later. So when I 

was about 19 my interests 

were more like what a 

student’s would be, whether 

it be music, politics, theatre, 

arts. You know, they were my 

interests.” 

An existentialist in the 

realm of fatalists, Nevin 

is very much a counterhegemonic 

status symbol 

within the sporting world. 

With a musical vocabulary that stretches from prepunk 

acts such as Bowie through to Joy Division, The 

Fall and early Simple Minds, it’s easy to see why. 

Playing during the 80s and 90s, Nevin was at his 

height during a period of relative affluence for the 

British music scene. 

“In the early days I moved down to London but it 

was a bad time to be away from Glasgow because 

Glasgow was fantastic for music at that time. You 

know, there were a lot of really good bands: Orange 

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

Juice, the Mary Chain were coming out. It was a bad 

time to leave. 

“I kind of didn’t really bother where I was 

[though], because even when I was in London I’d go 

up to Manchester and go the Haçienda in the early 

days, you know, before Madchester happened.” 

Unfortunately for Nevin, his arrival at Everton in 

1989 coincided with a moribund time for Liverpool’s 

music scene. In contrast to the boom that was 

enveloping Manchester, Liverpool was experiencing 

a relative dip after the wave of bands that had 

emerged in the early 80s. 

“My favourite time for music in Liverpool was 

probably just a little while before I arrived in 

Liverpool, about 4-5 years before I arrived; bands 

like Teardrop Explodes, Echo, The La’s, Pink Industry. 

There was a real slew, but at the time Liverpool was 

having a bit of a quiet time when I got there.” 

Preceding his move to Tranmere Rovers in 1992, 

Nevin was called up to represent Scotland at the 

1992 European Championships in Sweden. Despite 

professing to be a fan of Swedish music, this wasn’t 

the case at the time: “Sadly the music wasn’t quite 

so good then as it is now.” Although the music - 

which was more Abba-inspired Euro-pop at its 

finest rather than Sweden’s more recent musical 

endeavours - was poor, it presented Pat with the 

opportunity to indulge in his other hobbies: writing 

and literature. 

“I was writing for newspapers and the NME at 

the time; I was also a fanatical reader as well, so 

the idea of someone saying to me ‘you’re going to 

be in a nice hotel, with nice facilities’ for 2,3 [or] 4 

weeks - it was party time.” 

With this year’s tournament just 

around the corner, and with it the 

nuanced hyperbole that engulfs 

each England team with inflated 

expectations, I venture a question 

as to whom Pat will be backing for 

this year’s title. 

“It’s kind of hard to say. I 

honestly think Torres could be 

phenomenal, I think he could be 

amazing. Given an opportunity 

in front of that team - Spain 

need something extra, there’s 

something missing at the 

moment. I would stick Torres up 

the top and that’d be the answer.” 

Given Torres’ troubles throughout 

the season, it’s a brave choice, 

especially with a Germany squad 

possessing the mercurial talents 

of Özil, Götze and Müller eagerly 

waiting to take the title from Spain 

that they won on a balmy night 

four years ago in Vienna. 

It would be a brave choice 

also to bet against Pat, such is 

his elevated position of punditry, 

thanks to regular slots on Match Of 

The Day and BBC Radio 5 Live. We 

tried to tie him down for a DJ slot 

at the Camp and Furnace Fan Park 

during the Euros, but he’ll be far too 

busy enthusing about the talents 

of Adam Matuszczyk and Denis 

Glushakov from a commentary box in the Ukraine. 

Mind you, we know where he’d prefer to be... 

Camp and Furnace hosts Liverpool’s only indoor 

fan park during Euro 2012: all games on a huge six 

metre screen, artisan beers, special matchday food, 

DJs and bands for the duration of the finals. The fun 

kicks off for the opening game, Poland v Greece, on 

Friday 8th June from 5pm. 

campandfurnace.com

18 

Bido Lito! 


Previews/Shorts 

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

R. STEVIE MOORE 

An absolute gem of an event sees US underground legend R. STEVIE MOORE 

visit the city. Having recorded over 400 albums since 1966 in his New Jersey 

home, Moore is the living embodiment of the DIY aesthetic. An early doors 

start sees food being served from 5pm, with the music kicking off at 7pm. 

The Kazimier – 10th June 

LUCKY DRAGONS 

After their excellent series of Sound City gigs, Wolstenholme Creative 

Space continue this run with a show by LUCKY DRAGONS. Offering a new 

spin on American West Coast psychedelia, the pair generate their distinct 

sound utilizing electronics as opposed to any six-string action, and rely 

heavily on audience participation. 

Wolstenholme Creative Space – 2nd June 

FRIENDS 

X & Y Festival 

Any revellers in search of further urban festival action will be more than sated 

by X & Y FESTIVAL which makes its debut over the Jubilee weekend (Saturday 2nd 

and Sunday 3rd June). Organised by the promoters behind I Love Live Events, 

the two-dayer is spread across three city centre venues - The Shipping Forecast, 

O2 Academy and St. Luke’s Church. The venerable Bombed Out Church provides 

the central hub for the action during daylight hours. 

Saturday’s action takes place exclusively at St Luke’s as proceedings kick off 

at noon, with THE HUMMINGBIRDS topping the bill after LIKELY LADS, CATFISH 

& THE BOTTLEMEN and THE MOONS (pictured) have wowed the crowds. As a 

platform for local bands X&Y Festival offers great exposure to the wealth of 

talent bubbling under in Liverpool right now, typified by another strong line-up 

on Saturday that is rounded off by THE THESPIANS. With both floors of the O2 

Academy being pressed into service from 4pm on the Sunday, and The Shipping 

Forecast starting proceedings at 7pm, there is ample space for over twenty more 

acts to stake their claim as your new favourite outfit. All this for the ludicrously 

good price of a tenner for a weekend wristband – now that’s a bargain. 

2nd & 3rd June - O2 Academy, The Shipping Forecast, St Luke’s Church 

Brooklyn NYC’s best new band FRIENDS set sail across the pond to lay waste 

to our eardrums. The quintet deal in sassy funk pop, not entirely dissimilar to 

early CSS and fellow New Yorkers the Tom Tom Club. Double A-side I’m His Girl/ 

My Boo was hailed by The Guardian as one of the finest 45s of last year. 


THE UNTHANKS 

Coming to national attention via a superb turn on Later… with Jools Holland, folk 

quartet the THE UNTHANKS head to the Philharmonic Hall on 17th June. Led by sisters 

Rachel and Becky, the band have released five warmly-received LPs, with Anthony 

Hegarty describing their vocals as “one of the true wonders of 21st Century music.” 

Philharmonic Hall – 17th June 

MOON DUO 

After last year’s mesmerizing Wooden Shjips gig, Erik ‘Ripley’ Johnson returns to 

The Kazimier with the Shjips sister band MOON DUO. A more melodic take on the 

frazzled psychedelia of the day job, the group delivered one of the best LPs of last 

year with Mazes. Fellow psych peddlers HOOKWORMS provide sterling support. 


Deep Hedonia Presents Laurel Halo & Ital 

Liverpool’s newest promoters DEEP HEDONIA are providing a welcome 

addition to the city’s live music calendar, and they look like smashing it clean 

out of the park with their first two offerings. First up, in association with 

Liverpool Music Week, is LAUREL HALO at The Kazimier (5th June). Operating in 

wide-ranging territory taking in ambient pop, psychedelia, techno and noise, 

the show comes hard on the heels of highly anticipated debut LP Quarantine. 

The high quality show includes a set from DAUWD whose profile has been on 

the rise following high praise from Mixmag. SUN DRUMS’ shimmering folkambient 

sounds also feature along with Tom Gorton of OUTFIT, who spins 

tracks between and after proceedings. 

Later in the month Deep Hedonia bring ITAL, the one-man project of Daniel 

Martin-McCormick, to The Shipping Forecast. Described by The Guardian as 

‘dance music you can think to’, the project sees Martin-McCormick moving away 

from his roots in DC hardcore with Black Eyes. Via solo project Sex Worker, Ital 

create glitchy soundscapes spliced with ambient elements, as exhibited on 

debut LP Hive Mind. Scoring a coup for the main support act, FOREST SWORDS 

will be DJing throughout the gig, with HIVE DJs also assisting on the decks. 

The Kazimier – 5th June & The Shipping Forecast – 28th June 


20 

Bido Lito! 


Liverpool Sound City Review 

With the waiting finally at an end 

there is a decided buzz in the air 

on the opening night of live action 

for LIVERPOOL SOUND CITY 2012 as 

crowds skitter through the streets 

looking forward to embracing venues 

new and old. One of the night’s first 

performances comes at The Music 

Consortium Vinyl Emporium, where 

ALL WE ARE are soothing the air for 

the early revellers upstairs, amid the 

coffee, cakes and 7”s. Meanwhile, 

The Kazimier resounds to the 

guttural, primal sound of Mancunian 

duo GHOST OUTFIT, one that is not 

dissimilar to the grinding din of a 

steel mill. 

One of many people’s picks as 

a potential stand out for the first 

night, MYSTERY JETS adopt The 

Liverpool Academy Of Arts as a fitting 

setting to showcase new album 

Radlands’ elaborate Americana tales 

of glimmering romance. Though it’s 

TOY who are tonight’s potential dark 

horses: light of rhythms and fine 

of fettle, their swirling krautrockindebted 

sound soars in The Kazimier, 

highlighting a tight and superbly 

crafted new psychedelic direction. 

By now it’s one in, one out at The 

Kazimier, unsurprisingly as ∆ (ALT-J) 

are in full flow. Their musical ability 

is unquestionable, and the venue 

perfectly suited to their hazy tones 

and delicate rhythms. 

Despite being lumped lazily into 

the emo pigeon hole, ALKALINE TRIO 

dispel the traditional stereotypes of 

the genre. There’s no emo posturing 

in this act, but their well-known 

juxtaposition of death and beauty 

strikes a chord in the O2 Academy, 

highlighted as This Addiction and 

Armageddon are bellowed back at 

them. 

It’s no doubt that Wolstenholme 

Square is the buzzing central hub to 

this year’s evening entertainment, 

with four venues jostling for your 

attention. A car park by day, the Red 

Bull Studios Live @ the Garage plays 

host to the bohemian and blissful 

melodies of STEALING SHEEP. Becky, 

Emily and Lucy’s are now more than 

adept at drawing a crowd into a handclapping, 

drum-beating, toe-tapping 

extravaganza, and they are followed 

by the increasingly spellbinding dance 

pop act CHEW LIPS. Exuberant front 

woman Tigs is orchestrating spacey 

synth effects like a space captain 

behind the helm of a well-oiled 

spacecraft. Intergalactic madness. 

DJANGO DJANGO seem to have nailed 

their live show at last, conjouring a 

warped flux of sound. No-one can stay 

still as they rumble straight into Hail 

Bop, a release of cascading, crashing, 

but tightly bound sound. 

Following his startling performance 

on Later with Uncle Jools, it’s no 

surprise that The Zanzibar is nearing 

sardines capacity for Chicago soulman 

WILLIS EARL BEAL. The crowd is left 

startlingly rapt for his set, his voice in 

places a dead ringer for soul legend 

Mystery Jets (Adam Edwards) 

Willis Earl Beal (John Johnson) 

Bobby Womack. Backed only by the 

sparsest of guitar playing, Beal’s 

voice is more than able to command 

attention, exhibiting a stage presence 

that makes Seasick Steve’s strippeddown, 

ramshackle blues sound like a 

symphony orchestra. 

WILLY MASON returns to the scene 

of last year’s vastly successful Sound 

City performance, as he arrives on 

The Zanzibar stage just after 11pm. 

Starting with blues and melding 

in to rootsy Americana, it picks up 

where Mason left off last year, and 

the swollen crowd bathed in it once 

again. 

Playing his long awaited first live 

show in Liverpool, FOREST SWORDS 

makes the Screenadelica stage rock 

and crumble in a haze of lasers 

and shadowy projections, and the 

throbbing live bass makes for a heavy 

tribal groove that is lapped up by a 

baying crowd. 

SLOW CLUB’s second album 

Paradise has seen them move a long 

way sideways from the folk rock tag 

that followed from debut album 

Yeah So. With elements of Patsy Cline 

creeping in tonight there could be yet 

another new direction laying ahead 

for them, and the crowd reaction 

at the Liverpool Academy Of Arts 

suggests they’ll have plenty following 

them wherever they go. 

MELE and TIM HECKER take on 

the late-night shifts, combining full 

throttle lunacy (Melé) with eardrum 

shredding slabs of noise (Hecker) to 

entertain the skulking post-midnight 

revellers. 


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Even through the Friday night 

drizzle it seems like there’s more of 

the same music mayhem in store 

tonight. 

Eleventh-hour additions to the O2 

Academy bill DRAW THE LINE knock 

us for six with some of the freshest 

and most inventive punk pop we’ve 

heard in a long time, without doubt 

making them one of the hidden gems 

of this year’s festival. A bit later on 

at the same venue, Bedford quartet 

DON BROCO swagger into the glare 

and proceed to throw themselves 

around with an exuberance akin to 

former touring buddies Enter Shikari. 

Impressive. 

Over at the Red Bull Studios Garage, 

Sheffield duo WET NUNS’ stoner blues 

punk is like a live grenade going off. 

Throw into crowded room, stand well 

back and enjoy the destruction. 

The jagged guitar and menacing 

synths of Guy Connelly’s CLOCK OPERA 

are an Academy Of Arts stand out: cut 

up, rearranged and manipulated to 

produce a tribal brand of electro pop, 

this is chaotic finesse. A compelling 

live act, indulgent and captivating, 

Clock Opera win over a slew of new 

fans with their zest and instrumental 

meticulousness. 

Ducking into the welcoming 

environs of Bold Street Coffee proves 

a wise choice, as SPRING OFFENSIVE 

bring about a mini crush. This is a 

spell-binding acoustic performance 

that is driven by a fluid, campfireevoking 

gem of a set. 

Reducing The Epstein Theatre 

to silence with the haunting and 

atmospheric Country Song, it's hard 

to believe that JAKE BUGG is only 17 

years old, producing a quality and 

maturity of music far beyond his years. 

The same stunning surrounds of do 

not disappoint when combined with 

the strains of MICHAEL KIWANUKA, 

who honeys his way through a wellconstructed 

set that is steeped in 

nostalgia. 

Treading the same nostalgic path 

that Howling Bells briefly frequented, 

BIRD enjoy revelling in the long 

open folk road of the USA. They fill 

Wolstenholme Creative Space with 

the warm textures of violin and lapsteel 

guitar, hinting at a potential for 

something timeless. 

ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER’s turn at 

Mello Mello delivers a somewhat 

surprising highlight of the festival 

as she pops and rocks from the 

outset, melting styles at will to 

produce something catchy and 

groove-laden that would make most 

musicians jealous. 

THE TEMPER TRAP have been on 

that difficult hiatus between debut 

and all-important second album for 

three years now, yet it’s still Sweet 

Disposition that gets the biggest 

reaction, a true festival gem delivered 

with a knowing smile. 

EUGENE MCGUINNESS is back, 

giving the packed-out Kazimier getting 

a full-on view of the more mature 

sound showcased on his forthcoming 

album Invitation To The Voyage. 

The time spent with Miles Kane is 

clearly evident in this new sound, in 

particular on the infectious Shotgun, 

which finishes this set on a high. 

Back over at the Red Bull Studios 

Garage, CHARLI XCX is powering 

through a trancey set like the 90s 

never happened. With songs that 

are frequently glorious, Charli XCX is 

leading a return to the glee of trancebased 

synths backing pure pop gold. 

The house party vibe at 

Wolstenholme Creative Space is 

rounded off by JONQUIL, a band 

proving there’s more to Oxford 

than boffins and Radiohead. The 

combination of trumpets, percussion 

and underlying samba currents is too 

much to resist. 

Despite being stalwarts of the 

Liverpool gig circuit, there is always 

an air of anticipation surrounding 

a MUGSTAR performance. Bassist 

Jason Stoll takes centre stage at 

Screenadelica tonight, hammering 

mechanically repetitive riffs to death 

with the patience of a monk. There 

really isn’t much left to say about 

Mugstar. They are tight – you knew



23 

that. They are progressive – you knew 

that. They fucking slay it tonight – you 

could have guessed that. 

Wrapping things up before 

THE KAZIMIER KRUNK BAND and 

PIKACHUNES give LightNight a 

rousing send off at The Liverpool 

Academy Of Arts, The Kazimier plays 

host to ramshackle Australian psych 

rockers POND. The four-piece exhibit 

a freewheeling attitude that includes 

fuzzy interludes and howling 

feedback, marking this as one of the 

most memorable performances of the 

whole year, never mind tonight. 

Spring Offensive (Mike Brits) 

Things start early on Saturday for 

the Aussie BBQ at Heebie Jeebies, 

with SIETTA and JACKSON FIREBIRD 

among the antipodean entertainers. 

Over at Chavasse Park the John Peel 

World Cup rumbles on, twelve teams 

going head to head (or shin to shin 

in some cases) for this year’s coveted 

title, which is eventually scooped by 

80s Casuals FC. 

By the time early evening comes 

about The Brink is quite possibly the 

place to be, with a great lineup of local 

acts on offer. Though HIGHFIELDS look 

like they’ve just met at the bus stop, 

with their instruments in their hands 

this transatlantic quartet specialise 

in an unorthodox style of folk rock 

that leaves the relaxed crowd of the 

Brink with beaming smiles on their 

faces. Later on the same bill, THE 

LUNAR FIELDS show that they’re full 

of bustling rock jangles and classy 

drive time melodies in a brief but 

enthralling debut performance. 

THE LOUD have The Hold in the 

Shipping Forecast packed to capacity, 

not to mention all a bit hot and 

sweaty. This garage rock trio have a 

fair few inflections contributing to 

their music: hints of grunge and postpunk 

fusions are visible, but most of 

all they play confident, accomplished 

glam-infected music. Each song is 

a short burst of intensity, not overly 

showy or indulgent, but anthemic

24 

Bido Lito! 



and authentic. 

Homegrown melodic rock outfit 

BROKEN LUNGS are somewhat 

ironically named. The emphatic, 

crystal-clear register of lead singer 

Karl Eginton’s voice actually suggests 

a pair of lungs in perfect working 

order. Tuneful and youthful, Broken 

Lungs are, after only six months as 

a band, perfectly placed to head a 

resurgence of mainstream rock in 

Liverpool. KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES 

round off the O2 Academy’s weekend 

entertainment by putting on a rock 

show masterclass of the highest 

calibre, with frontman Aled Phillips 

on imperious form. 

With The Epstein Theatre at near 

capacity, local luminary DAN CROLL 

leads a beguiling, accordion-led 

Parisian waltz that suggests him 

as a possible headliner next year? 

While Dan Croll waits, JAMES VINCENT 

MCMORROW basks in his top-billing 

status. The natural acoustics of the 

Epstein Theatre show off the full 

extent of his haunting falsetto as he 

holds the audience rapt all night. 

The gorgeous delicacy continues at 

Leaf as Shai Halperin of SWEET LIGHTS 

takes the stage. The one-man psych 

pop act delivers a set crammed full of 

highlights, in particular the chugging 

Tom Petty-esque Endless Town. SWEET 

BILLY PILGRIM round off proceedings 

at Leaf, revelling in all manner of 

things pop. Bits of Modest Mouse 

and Paul Buchanan’s Blue Nile invade 

their sound, something captured 

perfectly on Joyful Reunion. 

Round at The Zanzibar a room full to 

the rafters patiently awaits the arrival 

of THE WEDDING PRESENT. David 

Gedge and his fellow compatriots 

Kids In Glass Houses (Robin Clewley) 

of upbeat gloom end the night in 

a hazy climax, leaving the distinct 

impression that they’re still at the top 

of their game. 

Wolstenholme Creative Space 

again plays host to a must-see 

evening set. DEATH AT SEA whiz 

through their accomplished brand 

of American pop rock, which is full 

of hooks and plaintive lyrics. Even 

their floral dresses do little to detract 

attention from this blisteringly hot 

set. BLEACHED effectively divert Route 

66 to the Wolstenholme for the 40 

minutes they’re on stage, melding 

surf pop and 60s girl band charms 

like they like there’s no tomorrow. 

Completely enthralling. 

Bathed in a kaleidoscope of lights 

at the Red Bull Studios Garage, THE 

TEA STREET BAND and D/R/U/G/S close 

out the weekend with euphoric bursts 

of Balearic and techno house that 

reduce the Garage to a jubilant party. 

With DEXTER DEXTROUS & THE 

FINGERTONES, SLAMBOREE and 

CANTMIXWONTMIX DJs rounding 

things off in resounding, carnival style 

at The Liverpool Academy Of Arts, it’s 

fair to say that we’re gutted it has 

all come to an end. As the crowds 

drift away in to the night, thoughts 

immediately turn to next year. Can we 

better it? You bet. 

Jonny Davis, Richard Lewis, 

Clarry M., Joshua Nevett, Pete 

Charles, Lisa O’Dea, N. Philip, Matt 

Healy, Charlie Lashmar, P. Lee., 

Mick Chrysalid, Greg Hudson. 

BOMBAY 

BICYCLE CLUB 

Lianne La Havas – Rae Morris 

Mountford Hall 

Drifting into Liverpool to grab 

my tickets just half an hour before 

Blackpool’s RAE MORRIS hits the 

stage is a bad idea; a giant-led convoy 

will always cause lateness in spite 

of its stride, yet thankfully my arrival 

is still met with Morris’ dynamic 

vocal. There’s plenty of hype around 

this lady. I get it; I love metaphors 

expertly sang atop charming piano, a 

great barnet and a typically fabricated 

singing accent for increased quirk 

factor (see Ellie Goulding for further 

information). Her rangy voice booms 

around the room to stunned faces, yet 

my attention wavers slightly. This is no 

reflection on her undeniable talent as 

a performer and songwriter - she has 

a huge future I’m sure of it - but I’m 

crying out for a second dimension, 

a new texture or tempo. Blueprint 

Demos is the arse-covering title of 

her current collection, suggesting 

she has more to give. Fair enough. 

Morris’ ability to arrange her music - 

or the label’s ability to hire a decent 

producer - will be the wall between 

her and stardom. 

LIANNE LA HAVAS provides main 

support tonight. Since her appearance 

on Jools Holland in 2011, many have 

earmarked her for success, including 

the BBC ‘Sound of 2012’ panel. She 

wanders on stage alone, striking in 

black and gold, to deliver the choral 

warmth of No Room For Doubt. There 

are plenty in early to see her, spying 

the “I saw her when…” opportunity. 

Her guitar is an old soul. High mid, 

rhythm pickup and a light vintage 

crunch cradle her light, smoky voice 

and honest love lyricism. This isn’t 

to say La Havas can’t belt out a note, 

though. She opens her lungs for 

latest single Forget, unleashing its 

complex Eastern chorus melody with 

surprising bark. With forthcoming EP 

Is Your Love Big Enough due to be 

released on Warner Bros in July, watch 

this space. 

A fidgety sell-out crowd finally 

arrives for BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB as 

I’m sandwiched between a fifteen- 

and a forty-year-old. The Guild looks 

unusually attractive, the stage flanked 

by a series of 25ft heads, emulating 

the design of BBC’s latest album 

A Different Kind of Fix. A wavering 

vocal signals the set opener and new 

single How Can You Swallow So Much 

Sleep. Images of the masterful Anna 

Ginsberg stop-motion animation 

video are conjured as the song’s kickin 

pumps the crowd into immediate 


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The festival will showcase 

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26 

Bido Lito! 


Reviews 

action. Now well into their UK tour, 

Bombay Bicycle Club are beyond 

comfortable on stage. Front man Jack 

Steadman has a refreshing charisma. 

There’s no bravado or particular 

style to this band - reviewers often 

bash them for this, I commend. They 

sculpt a party atmosphere from their 

ever-growing pool of tunes, with 

epics like Lamplight and Emergency 

Contraception Blues facilitating an 

invigorating beer shower. Bombay 

Bicycle Club have fine-tuned over the 

years, their set now including crowdpleasing 

additions like stripped-down 

piano arrangements and avant-garde 

guitar solos. Lucy Rose, who appears 

as a vocalist on recent single Leave 

It, floats about the stage all night to 

harmonious effect. She is the third in 

a trilogy of unique female vocalists 

this evening. The band succumbs to 

a demanded - yet expected - encore, 

with their most popular single from 

the new album Shuffle. Pre-meditated 

encores are all we have these days - 

enjoyable nonetheless. 

Owen Rogers 

LEGENDARY SHACK 

SHAKERS 

Psycho Motel @ The Kazimier 

It must feel a mite unusual to be 

dressed up to the nines in check shirt 

and cowboy boots/milkmaid uniforms 

on a Wednesday evening, but the 

touring schedule of LEGENDARY 

SHACK SHAKERS has dictated that 

the Psycho Motel have been forced 

Bombay Bicycle Club (Keith Ainsworth) 

to break with convention and drag 

us out on a school night for a ‘Psycho 

Mo-Hoedown’. Acquiring the services 

of the Tennessee foursome is perhaps 

their biggest scalp to date, and one 

which has attracted some new faces 

to the Motel, not least a windswept 

troupe of French puppeteers who 

stayed on in Liverpool after a certain 

street art exhibition which you may or 

may not have seen. 

Whichever way you look at it, 

labelling your own band ‘legendary’ 

smacks of egotism, but since their 

formation in the mid 90s, the Shack 

Shakers have lived up to the title, 

a feat which has been aided in no 

small part by their frontman JD 

Wilkes, who may yet go down in the 

annals of musical history as one of 

the most underrated performers in 

contemporary rock and roll. 

Wilkes appears onstage in a full 

light-brown suit (which he gradually 

jettisons throughout the show) and 

the band launch into a set which, 

though rip-roaringly good, does not 

showcase every string to their bow. 

The twiddly country element of 

the band is largely absent tonight, 

probably because it does not translate 

as well live as their other material, 

which is an energetic fusion of blues, 

psychobilly and gypsy punk, and is 

held together with Wilkes’ inter-song 

Christian gospel posturing which, it is 

worth mentioning, bears absolutely 

no trace of irony. 

Fans of all those done-to-death (no 

pun intended) vampire franchises will 

recognise Swampblood from the True 

Blood soundtrack, while any Gogol 

Bordello fans in the room get their 

fix of dancing like Cossacks to Eastern 

Flesh. Their boundless versatility 

keeps on coming in the form of the 

bluesy rock and roll finger-clicker He 

Ain’t Right. 

By the midway point, Wilkes is 

stripped to the waist, making hand 

puppets down the front of his pants 

with one hand and firmly rebuffing 

over-amorous girls clamouring to 

cop a feel of his sinewy torso with 

the other. All this while effortlessly 

juggling a harmonica, retro mic and 

stage mic, and crowing evangelist 

slogans in between songs. 

By the time they get round to 

the furious psychobilly stomp of 

Ichabod, The Kazimier has been 

transformed into a writhing, bouncing 

pit of delirium, and Legendary Shack 

Shakers leave us with ringing in our

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Reviews 

ears, pounding in our heads and 

Jesus in our souls. Amen. 

Pete Charles 

KYLA LA GRANGE 

Natalie McCool 

Harvest Sun @ Leaf 

As ever, Leaf looks good tonight. 

The stage is draped in a wooded 

elegance, and the diminutive NATALIE 

MCCOOL sits nestled behind her mic 

stand. A drummer down, she manages 

to remain melancholy without 

wallowing, and there are glimpses of 

Feist in the tastefully dissonant vocal 

melodies demonstrated during Size 

Zero. Her band members’ gratifyingly 

warm piano lines and shimmering 

Greenwood-esque post-rock guitar 

noodling blend into the arrangements 

well. The songs build nicely; choruses 

become progressively denser, vocal 

harmonies increasingly impassioned, 

and the inevitable climaxes drop 

without ever shouting, “Look, 

Everyone! This is the epic part!” But 

there are sections that are actually 

too dense. Rhythms and melodic 

lines sometimes get lost in a thick 

syrup of chords, and her set would 

benefit from completely stripping 

back the texture in more places. 

McCool definitely has the voice to 

pull it off, though. 

After some encouragingly 

shoegazey guitar wails, KYLA 

LA GRANGE opens with the 

underwhelming Been Better. Not 

that it isn’t a good song (it’s ok), it 

just doesn’t transfix like an opening 

number should do. That said, La 

Grange is instantly likeable; humble 

and self-effacing, she exudes 

earnestness. She can sing too. 

Florence Welch is probably the most 

convenient comparison to make, but 

any resemblances between the two 

are merely ephemeral. Like Stevie 

Nicks at the top of her register and 

Debbie Harry at the bottom, she has 

an amazing range, but it takes a while 

for this to become fully apparent. It 

isn’t until fourth song in - To Be Torn - 

that her mournful shrieks really knock 

the wind out of everyone. There are 

subtle echoes of Joanna Newsom, 

amongst others, in her sorrowful 

bleating, though she does well to 

carve out her own vocal identity 

without any overt toe-treading. 

The opening bars of Heavy Stone 

show the first tangible signs of 

brilliance. The exquisite, exposed 

harmonies and cautiously anthemic 

melodies are as impressive as 

they are nice to listen to, and the 

overriding thing that comes to mind 

is that she needs more songs in that 

vein. There’s this distorted sense of 

scale to her music; it feels like the 

songwriting is geared towards being 

played in a much bigger venue, and it 

just seems a little out of place here. 

Nitpicking aside, by the time the 

last song Catalyst reaches its apex, 

the feeling is hugely satisfying, and 

the palpable applause that it gets 

vindicates a genuinely engrossing 

performance. 

THE STAVES 

Charlie Lashmar 

Dead Cities - Christof 

Evol & Mellowtone @ The Kazimier 

In the midst of the latest folk revival, 

discerning audiences are looking 

for something which will stand out 

from your average singer-songwriter. 

Tonight’s artists fit the bill perfectly. 

Kicking us off is CHRISTOF: a tall, 

skinny-jeaned, cord-jacketed lad 

with brown wavy hair, guitar and 

harmonica – like the cover of Blonde 

On Blonde before our very eyes. The 

crowd falls silent as he launches 

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RICHARD THOMPSON 

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KATHRYN TICKELL NORTHUMBRIAN VOICES 

Fri 5th October, 8:00pm. Blue Lounge. 

RALPH MCTELL AN ENGLISH HEARTBEAT 

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Sat 13th October, 8:00pm. Blue Lounge. 

NICK HARPER 

Sun 14th October, 8:00pm. Blue Lounge. 

KARINE POLWART 

Sun 10th June, 8:00pm. 

ANDREW O’NEIL 

Sun 8th July, 8:00pm. 

DAVID LONGLEY + JOHN SCOTT 

Sun 16th September, 8:00pm. 

JAMIE SUTHERLAND 

Sun 28th October, 8:00pm. 

STEVE HARRIS 

Sun 2nd December, 8:00pm. 

BRENDON RILEY 

Fri 26th October, 7:30pm. Theatre. 

KATE RUSBY 

Sun 4th November, 8:00pm. Blue Lounge. 

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30 

Bido Lito! 


Reviews 

into a mesmerising array of hit after 

hit. Stand-out track is Honey Tears, a 

beautiful blend of sadness and fuzzy 

warmth. But as his soft, sibilant sweep 

of the tongue deliberately wraps the 

words and pulls his audience in to 

listen more carefully to the lyrical 

content, substance prevails over style. 

With the sweet serenity of Christof’s 

whimsical last number still floating in 

the air, local favourites DEAD CITIES 

make a nervous entrance, as though 

in fear of spoiling the ambience. 

Whilst not initially as immediate 

or powerful as could be, the band 

soon reveal a talent for producing 

good, wholesome pop songs. When 

Your Heart Gets Sick 

demonstrates 

intelligent instrumental mirroring 

and extreme catchiness. However, in 

places, it feels like the band needs 

another instrument to provide 

additional ‘twinkle’ and impetus. 

The stage is now taken back to the 

70s, via silk-scarf-draped mic stands 

and a picture of Frank Spencer atop 

an Orange amp. THE STAVES descend 

down the stairs on to the stage and 

break into Motherlode, the title track 

from their new EP. 

With slick three-part harmonies, the 

Staveley-Taylors’ sound is youthfully 

fresh. Yet the raw, heart-felt emotion 

that powerfully demonstrates their 

maturity sets them apart from artists 

like First Aid Kit, Laura Marling, and 

the Secret Sisters. Nor are they 

arthritically twee. Mexico is a subdued, 

contemplative number driven by 

intricate and powerful guitars and 

ukulele. But what enchants primarily 

is the sisters’ vocal blend: there’s 

Emily, the eldest, whose smoky alto 

tones carries a melody decorated 

by the wispy and bright timbre of 

Camilla and Jessica. Together, their 

chords swell like an expanding and 

contracting accordion, soaring to a 

crescendo. 

The room falls silent for introspective 

number Wisely And Slow. Its chorus 

line “why is it that you whisper when 

you really need to yell?” encapsulates 

the band’s sound: soft, yet so full of 

ecstatic ardour they could burst. The 

audience feels drawn in to something 

so intimate and personal, as if let in 

on a big musical secret. The sisterly 

bond is clearly evident through their 

delicate coordination, feeding from 

each other’s love and pain. Their 

inter-song banter demonstrates 

approachability and accessibility. You 

can definitely see them being eyed up 

for a Third Man Records Blue Series 

single. ‘The Staves and Jack White’ – 

now there’s an idea! 

Amy Greir 

BLANCMANGE 

Stereo Electric Mistress 

O2 Academy 

The potent cocktail of the eccentric 

80s, a decade where dancefloors 

were tumultuously defined by 

pounding, synthesised electro-pop. 

A self-confident movement of social 

revolution assumed extinct on the 

ideals of modern culture, but then 

again, you can never foresee or 

underestimate the cycle of nostalgic 

regurgitation. Suspend reality for a 

minute and envision the O2 Academy 

as a glittery disco den in which local 

double act STEREO ELECTRIC MISTRESS 

attempt to reinvigorate the sounds of 

a bygone era. It’s no surprise to see all 

the typical conventions instilled in the 

electro pop armoury on display here: 

premeditated hand actions, warped 

robotic vocals, even a flashy keytar. 

Stuttered chords, lingering melodies 

and rolling basslines resonate in a 

frontier of endlessly renovated clichés, 

although frantic head nodding is 

admittedly irresistible. Unfortunately, 

the stale lingering odour of alcohol 

epitomises the stagnant atmosphere 

as flamboyant frontman Tom Crew 

tries to rouse a depleted audience 

with his tongue –in-cheek anecdotes 

and audacious quips, to no avail. 

Intermittent moments of soulful 

inspiration are, however, enough to 

redeem credibility: stand out tune 

Computer Love is surprisingly uplifting. 

 

 

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Reviews Bido Lito! June 2012 

31 

What’s relevant for the youth of 

today doesn’t seem to hold any 

bearing here; a loyal gathering of 

middle-aged men soon accumulates 

to revel in the resurrection of their 

twilight years. For over a quarter 

of a century, pioneers of synth pop 

BLANCMANGE were resigned to a 

lull of inactivity until their overdue 

2011 release Blanc Burn generated 

renewed enthusiasm. Now they’ve 

risen from the dormant outer reaches 

of the wilderness, unfortunately only 

one half of the synth pop double 

act is in attendance tonight; the 

regrettable absence of keyboardist 

Stephen Luscombe is due to illness. 

So it’s left to Neil Arthur to figurehead 

this reflective journey through their 

vibrant and hit-laden discography. 

On stage his presence exemplifies 

his unwavering passion: shuffling his 

arms sporadically in all directions for 

God’s Kitchen, then furiously grasping 

the mic stand with both hands in 

a wholehearted display of selfexpression 

for the melancholy Waves. 

Blacmange (Keith Ainsworth) 

This is electronic obscurity in its purest 

form, dreamy synths, rasping vocals 

and intricate keyboard loops. Bodies 

sway in unison like trees submitting 

to a soft breeze, some of the more 

colourful devotees expressing almost 

Gospel-like tendencies. Just as the 

night threatens to lose steam, cult 

classics Living On The Ceiling and Blind 

Vision instantly ensnare the room’s 

attention, wistfully augmenting a 

drawn-out set dripped in sentiment. 

Agitated with energy, Neil Arthur 

exemplifies why Blancmange have 

aged more gracefully than many of 

their counterparts, coming back on 

stage for not one, not two, but three 

encores. Rolling back the years, 

tonight he’s the vision of a much 

younger man. Using every last ounce 

of energy, Arthur is clearly a man in his 

element with an insatiable appetite 

for the dark and sinister. Let’s just 

hope we don’t have to wait another 

three decades to see him and his 

group in Liverpool again. 

Joshua Nevett

Issue 23 / June 2012

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