Issue 42 / March 2014

20
Bido Lito! March 2014
Reviews
Young Fathers (Robin Clewley / @robinscamera)
YOUNG FATHERS
Law – Coffee And Cakes For Funerals – Fabienne
EVOL @ East Village Arts Club
There were suspicions that this could be the
first ‘big’ gig of the year. A heady combination of
industry buzz and awestruck testimonies from all
who saw them at FestEvol last summer had built
YOUNG FATHERS a feverish level of anticipation.
Consequently, a decent crowd applaud the first
support act onstage, a full three hours before
the main event.
Those in early are treated to a soul singer of
rare quality in FABIENNE. With a voice of incredible
power and suppleness, hers is a refreshingly
honest energy; capable of lifting well-crafted
tales of love, loss and loneliness beyond cliché.
My hope is that her next performance features
fully-realised versions of these songs (to be
found on her SoundCloud page), and ditches the
sadly ubiquitous “Live Lounge” stripped-back
acoustic format.
COFFEE AND CAKES FOR FUNERALS remain a
real curate's egg; accomplished musicians who
rarely inspire fierce emotions. I'm Fine is the
kind of melancholic RnB that has made Maroon
5 millionaires, and singer Joe Hazlett manages
the admirable feat of sounding like Thom Yorke
and Justin Timberlake simultaneously. Yet they
never fully convince. The impressed confusion
on my companion's face would perfectly sum
up their set, but alas I am no artist.
LAW is very much an artist, albeit one who
wilfully defies categorisation. Appearing from
the shadows with an autoharp strapped to her
chest, her opening trio of fuzzy lo-fi ballads
give way to an intricate cacophony of bassheavy
beats released from a laptop. It would
be a more appealing prospect if not draped in
a nasal voice that often recalls Vic Reeves' pub
singer covering M.I.A. There are times when
her guttural roar seems appropriate – and my
opinion appears to be in the minority amongst
the captivated crowd – but too often it jars with
some promising sounds.
Young Fathers make music like no one I
have ever seen. There is not a comparison, nor
a soundbite, that comes close to doing them
justice. This is a band so much more than the
sum of their parts. Most frequently identified
as hip hop, their tether to that genre – or any
for that matter – is thrillingly loose, to the point
that it's almost a surprise when they deliver
anything as straightforward as a 16-bar verse,
or even a chorus.
The sheer scope of what they produce is
dizzying. No Way's twisted eastern samples rub
up against the celestial synths of Low, with an
ever-present threat of a hurricane of tribal drums
ricocheting throughout the healthy midweek
crowd like a firework on a carousel.
Their vitality is enhanced by the sheer
intensity with which they stalk the stage, limbs
flailing forcefully as though possessed. All three
vocalists are capable of evangelical wailing,
dexterous rap verses or a hushed murmur, which
dovetail seamlessly. It's a truly infectious sight,
without any hint of affectation; this is a natural
eruption of irresistible energy. The air-raid
assault of Effigy – all roared vocals and thudding
drums – sends the synapses into overdrive, while
the queasy drone of Get Up could soundtrack a
revolution on some distant hedonistic planet.
Suspicions confirmed: Young Fathers have
produced the first “I was there” moment of 2014.
Maurice Stewart /
theviewfromthebooth.tumblr.com
BROKEN 3 WAYS
Sundance - Bolshy
Galería @ The Williamson Tunnels
After Blue Monday kick-started a week of
miserable weather, failed dieting fads and
calamitous financial situations, the city centre
has become awash with dead-eyed commuters
and bewildered consumers. Liverpool is clearly
in dire need of a pick-me-up this weekend and
luckily the good folks of Galería are on hand to
transform the Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre
into a haven of cheer-spreading good vibrations.
With all the night’s proceeds going to C.A.L.M.,
the night’s cheer-spreading ethos runs far deeper
than the music offered at surface level.
Commonly seen spreading their anti-capitalist
message of love and unity on the streets of the
city, the familiar sight of BOLSHY causes an
anticipatory cheer to reverberate around the
19th Century tunnel as they arrive on stage.
With a powerful female lead and an acute brass
section they justify this expectancy with their
rowdy DIY ska punk sound. The Nolita Cantina
catering is momentarily abandoned and the
tunnel fills as the skanking begins.
With a faint aroma of incense in the air,
SUNDANCE arrive onstage, basked in a warm
spectrum of colour. Laid-back indie melodies
interlaced with ska strokes provide the backing
for the Alex Turner-esque vocal style of Josh
Roberts, as the Welsh six-piece lull the previously
boisterous crowd into a gentle sway. Mayhem is
soon resumed, however, as the band move onto
Sublime’s controversial and chaotic Date Rape.
Nebbz Nebulouz Kanzas’ bongos add depth to
the fast and complex rocksteady rhythms as
Jake Rutter’s basslines erupt out of the speakers
at a tinnitus-inducing volume. The band then
introduce elements of blues and funk into this
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