Issue 76 / April 2017

ALI HORN / WILD BEASTS / MARY MILLER
TINARIWEN / MIC LOWRY / I SEE RIVERS

CONTENTS
New Music + Creative Culture
Issue 76 / April 2017
bidolito.co.uk
12 Jordan Street
Liverpool L1 0BP
Editor
Christopher Torpey - chris@bidolito.co.uk
Editor-In-Chief / Publisher
Craig G Pennington - info@bidolito.co.uk
Media Partnerships and Projects Manager
Sam Turner - sam@bidolito.co.uk
Editorial Assistant
Bethany Garrett - editorial@bidolito.co.uk
Reviews Editor
Jonny Winship - live@bidolito.co.uk
Branding and Design
Thom Isom - hello@thomisom.com
Cover Photography
John Johnson - johnjohnson-photography.com
Words
Christopher Torpey, A. W. Wilde, Orla Foster,
Craig G Pennington, Del Pike, Cath Bore, Bethany
Garrett, Sam Turner, Matt Hogarth, Richard Lewis,
Glyn Akroyd, Lee Fleming, Jessica Greenall, Jessica
Fenna, Stuart Miles O’Hara, Chris Carr, Rosa Jane,
Jonny Winship, Kevin McManus.
Photography, Illustration and Layout
Thom Isom, John Johnson, Lucy Roberts, Yetunde
Adebiyi, Keith Ainsworth, Adam Edwards, Robin
Clewley, Georgia Flynn, Rob Mulder, India Corke, Mike
Sheerin, Aaron McManus, Kay Lang, Mook Loxley, Paul
McCoy, Glyn Akroyd, Sam Rowlands, Michelle Roberts,
Michael Kirkham, Brendan Docherty.
Distributed by Middle Distance
Print, distribution and events support across
Merseyside and the North West.
middledistance.org.uk
9 / EDITORIAL
Editor Christopher Torpey dusts off his
Beatles anecdote, and wonders how the
Fabs-indebted tourist industry can coexist
with a healthy music ecosystem.
10 / NEWS
The latest announcements, releases and
non-fake news from around the region.
12 / ALI HORN
How to strike it out on your own and influence
people: we get deep with the languid grooves
of an adopted Scouser.
16 / THE BLUECOAT
I’m Older Than You, Mate – celebrating 300
years of art and happenings at the oldest
building in Liverpool city centre.
20 / MARY MILLER
Tripping backwards and forwards in time
through the dreamy landscapes of a singular
talent.
24 / LIVERPOOL, MUSIC CITY?
Is Liverpool really a global music city? Craig
G Pennington makes the case for a Liverpool
City Music Office.
30 / LIMF ACADEMY
XamVolo and Eleanor Nelly talk to us about the
award-winning support they’ve enjoyed through
the LIMF Academy programme.
32 / SPOTLIGHT
We get a closer look at three local artists
who’ve been impressing us of late: I See Rivers,
AGP and The Shipbuilders.
36 / WILD BEASTS
Prior to headlining FestEVOL at Invisible Wind
Factory, the boy kings speak to us about their
sensual return to form.
38 / PREVIEWS
Looking ahead to a busy April in Merseyside’s
creative and cultural community.
42 / REVIEWS
Tinariwen, MiC Lowry, Josefin Öhrn +
The Liberation and Liverpool International
Jazz Festival reviewed by our team of
intrepid reporters.
54 / THE FINAL SAY
Kevin McManus, Curator of the newly-opened
British Music Experience, encourages us to
revel in the soundtrack to the UK’s social and
cultural history.
The views expressed in Bido Lito! are those of the
respective contributors and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the magazine, its staff or the
publishers. All rights reserved.
07

EDITORIAL
Photo by John Johnson
“There’s no reason
why a healthy music
ecosystem can’t exist
side by side with a
robust music tourism
industry”
What do Ian McKellen, Eleanor Rathbone and
Jon Brodie (the inventor of the football goal
net) have in common? If you’re up on your local
tourism knowledge then this should be a bit of a
doozy. No? Well, as of 7th March 2017, they all have blue plaques
dedicated to them in Liverpool. While the work of Rathbone and
Brodie – as a campaigning independent MP and civil engineer
respectively – is celebrated in other ways across the city, the
recent addition of McKellen to the blue plaque brigade was a
slightly surprising one. “Sir Ian McKellen sat here on table five and
enjoyed a jacket potato and a latté,” runs the inscription on the
plaque that was installed in the Liverpool Guild of Students’ bar
recently, after the celebrated actor delivered a talk on a range of
LBGT issues to a group of the University of Liverpool’s students.
Of the other 20 or so blue plaques erected across the city
region, it’s surprising again to note how few of them have
anything to do with The Beatles. The house that John Lennon
lived in with his Aunt Mimi on Menlove Avenue features heavily
on the myriad official and unofficial Beatles tours that you can go
on – but then, so does Paul McCartney’s family home on Forthlin
Road, as well as Penny Lane, St. Peter’s Church Hall and plenty
of other things with significance to the Fabs that don’t have blue
plaques. There is a bustling industry in ferrying people around
these sites for photo opportunities, and it’s so much part of the
fabric of Liverpool as a tourist city that most of us have become
blind to it. It’s even become a comforting background buzz.
There was a time when I was an unwitting cog in this bootleg
Fabs tourism industry too. A few years back when I worked in
my local pub (the Egremont Ferry on the promenade in Wallasey
if you must know – fantastic views across the Mersey, sarky bar
staff, the works), we’d regularly have visitors popping in asking
if this was the place Paul McCartney used to come for a drink.
Perhaps they’d grown tired of the usual Beatles attractions (and
almost certainly been underwhelmed by what state Strawberry
Fields is in nowadays) and were looking for something a little offpiste.
They were very well versed in their post-Beatles folklore
too, because Mr McCartney was a regular visitor to the pub,
although not when I ever worked there: not that I ever let this fact
get in the way of the stories I doled out, you understand. “Ooohh,
you’ve just missed him,” I’d say, while slipping a menu into their
hands. “He popped in for a half of Cains and a packet of scampi
fries after his morning walk, left about 10 minutes ago.”
For a period in the 90s, McCartney was indeed a patron of
The Eggy Ferry, and The Vaults up the road – but an infrequent
one at that, only venturing in for a quiet pint when he was visiting
his cousin. There must have been something in the normality
and relative anonymity that he liked about coming in and being
treated like one of the locals. There was even a legend that used
to do the rounds that he would hire out one of the pubs at New
Year for big family celebrations, but I never did find out if that was
actually true. What definitely isn’t a myth, however, is the story
of him and Linda engaging in some jovial pub singalongs with the
locals, in the very pub I worked in for seven years. I know it’s a
fact, because there’s a video of it on YouTube. The grainy footage
was filmed in 1973, and is remarkable in no other way than to
capture one of biggest musical stars on the planet enjoying a bit
of old fashioned, unglamorous fun down the local boozer.
Everyone seems to have their own Beatles story along lines
like this – taxi drivers have several dozen up their sleeves, which
they dish out to unsuspecting out-of-towners – which shows
that we’re all somehow engaged with the culture of using our
heritage as a tourism tool. It’s often seen as exploitation in some
quarters, but I personally don’t think there’s an awful lot wrong
with making a big song and dance about The Beatles if it helps
encourage some kind of proto-industry that works off the back
of their legacy. It shows that we’re actually quite proud of them
for a start, and I’d argue that the prevalence of Beatles nostalgia
has even helped us understand our own wider cultural legacy
a bit more. Think about it from an outsider’s perspective: if a
prospective visitor to this city sees Liverpool as this place that
seethes with civic pride, celebrates the achievements of its own,
makes museums dedicated to telling their stories and welcomes
in others who want to come and embrace that energy and use it
to create new stories, you’re going to want to come and sample
that atmosphere, and be enriched by the personalities and stories
that it’s all built on. And if they want to spend their money on
hotels, food, Lambanana souvenirs or tickets to a sporting event
while they’re here, so be it.
Valuing our past in this way shouldn’t be seen as a negative
thing – but the way to do this without hampering forward
progress is to understand exactly how a healthy music ecosystem
exists on the ground. There’s no reason why a healthy music
ecosystem, like we have in Merseyside today, can’t exist side
by side with a robust music tourism industry. In fact, I’d argue
that there’s an imperative for us to find that balance, or else
the opportunities we all have now won’t be available to the
generations that follow. And what will have been the point of
all your Beatles Stories and British Music Experiences then?
I’d just like to finish by mentioning Dan Lucas, a wellrespected
sports and music journalist who worked for The
Guardian and Drowned In Sound, who passed away suddenly
on Sunday 12th March. We only met very briefly at the end of
last year, falling very easily into a conversation in a small bar in
Rennes that roiled around the Cook vs Root captaincy debate,
but I was no less shocked by his tragic death aged just 31. The
thoughts of all of us at Bido Lito! are with his friends and family
at this sad time.
Christopher Torpey / @CATorp
Editor
09

NEWS
Join The Bido Lito!
Membership Club
The BIDO LITO! MEMBERSHIP is now live! We’ve put together an exclusive
package of multimedia subscription and live events, which allows Bido
Lito! members to get involved with all that’s great about Liverpool’s cultural and
music scene. For just £7 a month, members receive an advance copy of Bido
Lito! on their doorstep before anyone else, free entry to two monthly events
(our Bido Social live gigs plus our new monthly Special Events) and a digital
bundle of free downloads and exclusive content. To kick things off we have a
mighty launch party taking place at 24 Kitchen Street on 20th April, featuring
the cream of the current musical crop (see our preview on page 38 for details);
and a Special Event at FACT that follows on from our discussions about tactical
media in Issue 75 (see below). Further down the line we’ll also be throwing a
Sound City pre-party with very special guests, as well as hosting Rough Trade
founder GEOFF TRAVIS for a Q&A in association with Writing on the Wall – all
available free for our members. Did we mention new members receive a pink Bido
Lito! record bag to seal the deal? For more information head to page 28, and join
us to champion the region’s creative culture.
Summer Jamming With LIMF
On the horizon in July for its fifth year is Liverpool International Music Festival,
with its first round of announcements for their Summer Jam in Sefton Park
just announced. Headlining the four-day festival are chart-toppers GORGON
CITY and Britpop locals CAST. Elsewhere on the bill there are artists to cater
for all tastes, with CORINNE BAILEY RAE, JP COOPER and last month’s Bido
Lito! feature star LOUIS BERRY among the performers who will appear across
numerous stages in Sefton Park. As has become tradition, ROYAL LIVERPOOL
PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA will also be joining the festival proceedings, with
a showcase event that ties in with the overall theme of ‘Remember The Times’.
What’s more, the award-winning LIMF Academy programme has relaunched:
turn to page 26 now to read all about it, and find out how to apply.
Corinne Bailey Rae
Leeds Leads The Way
Disco 2017
Leeds International Festival makes its inaugural bow this year, bringing
together the worlds of music and moving image in the West Yorkshire city. Film
premieres, performances, exhibitions and conferences make up the festival’s
rich programme, along with a tech strand that puts a focus on the underrepresentation
of women in the industry. Speakers at the Empowering Women
With Tech conference include broadcaster LAUREN LAVERNE, fashion blogger
SUSIE BUBBLE and Warner Music’s EMMY LOVELL. The festival will also explore
the subjects of accessibility of data, hacker culture and virtual reality. Find out
more at leedsinternationalfestival.com.
Liverpool Disco Festival has been busy making a name for itself in the last
year with a clutch of rousing events at Constellations which have become
legendary among the city’s clued-up dancefloor warriors. It’s little surprise,
then, that their collaboration with the Southport Weekender – which itself
celebrates 30 years of funky fabulousness this year – is looking mighty fine.
Local titans Hustle and Croatian icons SUNCÉBEAT join a cast of D-TRAIN,
ULTRA NATÉ, DJ JAZZY JEFF, MR SCRUFF and many more for a fun filled
all-dayer in the Baltic Triangle on 6th May.
Prints Charming
LIVERPOOL PRINT FAIR is an affordable art fair that gathers
together the very best artists and designers in Merseyside who
print using traditional methods. A joint venture between The
Print Social and the Bluecoat Print Studio, the fair is a celebration
of printmaking in a variety of forms, including screen printing,
linocut, etching, and woodcut. Taking place at The Bluecoat on
8th April, plenty of beautiful affordable art will be on sale, and
the venue will also be hosting printing workshops in the Bluecoat
Print Studio, which is available to the public for hire. There will
also be a raffle on the day with some amazing prizes to be won,
with all of the proceeds going towards improving the fabulous
public facilities offered by The Bluecoat.
Liverpool Print Fair
Alternative Facts
At the beginning of this tumultuous year, Stephen Bannon –
Donald Trump’s Chief Strategist – labelled the mainstream media
“the opposition party”, proclaiming it should “keep its mouth
shut”. In an age of post-truth politics, fake news and rampaging
populism, what does this mean for the media as we know it and
what role must independent, local media play? Join Bido Lito! and
a panel of special guests – including FACT exhibition How Much
Of This Is Fiction co-curator David Garcia – on 5th April for our
very first Membership Special Event to explore the new world of
Alternative Facts. The event is free to Bido Lito! members, and
there are a limited number £3 tickets for non-members. Head to
bidolito.co.uk to find out how to sign up and join the debate.
GIT Award Nominees Announced
After months of deliberations, the final 12 artists who’ve
been shortlisted for this year’s GIT Award have finally
been announced. AYSTAR, BALTIC FLEET, THE CORAL,
GOD COLONY, IMMIX ENSEMBLE, LOUIS BERRY, OHMNS,
OR:LA, SHE DREW THE GUN, SUEDEBROWN, THE VRYLL
SOCIETY and XAMVOLO will all be bidding to be crowned
this year’s winner, which will be revealed at the Final
event on 12th May. This devilishly good dozen represent a
fascinating cross-section of Merseyside music in 2017, with
many of them scoring critical and chart success on a national
level in the past 12 months. Want a quick sample? Check out
our Dansette playlist adjacent.
10

DANSETTE
Our selection of our favourite
tunes by this year’s GIT
Award-nominated artists…
Ohmns
Keshi Heads
Olé For Oyé
In this year of anniversaries special mention has to go to
Africa Oyé, which celebrates 25 glorious years of bringing the
music of Africa and its diaspora to Liverpool. This year alumni
from its quarter century of line-ups will be returning to Sefton
Park to mark the occasion. Topping the bill are DIZZY MANDJEKU
AND ODEMBA OK JAZZ ALL-STARS, JUPITER AND OKWESS
INTERNATIONAL as well as MOKOOMBA. DR Congo’s Jupiter
and co. make a welcome return after a barnstorming set at Oyé
’14, the Africa Express stars and Damon Albarn collaborators
bring an exciting blend of their country’s rich musical heritage
mixed with western rock leniencies. Dizzy Manjeku’s will be
another much-anticipated set on the weekend of 17th June;
the living legend will be joined by a 12-piece band to bring
the sweetest Congolese rumba sounds. Find out more
at africaoye.com.
Reggae Reggae Force
Jah Shaka
The legendary operator and producer JAH SHAKA is the latest
name to be added to the Positive Vibration festival roster. The
reggae/dub innovator will add his full sound system, five-hour
session to a bill which covers all bases to provide an all-out
celebration of all things reggae. Also on the bill are THE
SELECTER, ABA SHANTI-I and many more. Festival goers will
also be able to take in The Art Of Reggae Exhibition, a Q&A
exploring the impact of reggae on UK music, and a whole of
host of family-friendly workshops. To lively up yourself, you
can win two tickets to Positive Vibration with Bido Lito!
All you need to do is answer the following question:
From whose song of the same name does the festival take
its title? a) Toots And The Maytals b) Shaggy c) Bob Marley.
Email your answer to competition@bidolito.co.uk by 17th April.
Winners will be notified by email.
If anyone can channel the gut-wobbling garage assault
of Thee Oh Sees and King Gizzard then it’s West Derby’s
premier swamp fuzzsters OHMNS. Raised on a diet of
punk, beer and playing shows semi-naked in a pizza bar,
these four noisy tykes normally reach peak fun when they
drop Keshi Heads in their live set; if you don’t end up on
stage with them during it, something is severely wrong.
XamVolo
Money Store
The latest single to spill from the complex mind of
XAMVOLO is the finest realisation of his meticulouslycrafted
world yet: not just a lamentation on financial
ignorance and the perils of money, but a broad, sweeping
piece of production that hints at a talent that’s getting
to grips with the technology at his disposal. Classic soul
vibes meet futuro jazz and RnB flourishes, in the most
stylish way conceivable.
God Colony feat.
MC Flohio
SE16
The Black Angels
PZYK Incoming
Liverpool International Festival Of Psychedelia – the festival with
intents to destroy you – has announced the first wave of artists
from their 2017 line-up. Austin, Texas pzykonz THE BLACK
ANGELS and Malian desert pzykheadz SONGHOY BLUES top
the transnational bill. Also transporting their sounds to our shores
are psychedelic trailblazers LOOP, former Stereolab front-woman
LAETITIA SADIER and dub industrialist ADRIAN SHERWOOD.
Our fair city is represented strongly, with SEX SWING, BALTIC
FLEET, FUSS and EX-EASTER ISLAND HEAD all in the mix too.
A further swarm of artists – including additional headliners, DJs
and installations – are to be announced in the coming months.
Tickets are on sale now at liverpoolpsychfest.com.
Merseyside expats Tom Gorton and James Rand have
been making music together for years, and their latest
incarnation as production duo GOD COLONY is a
fearsome entity. Combining an industrial electronica feel
with a juddering pulse, they’ve become much in-demand
on the live circuit in London, but it’s this hook-up with
South London MC Flohio that has taken them to a new
level, bringing a blaze of fire to their concrete beats.
She Drew
The Gun
No Hole In My
Head
Skeleton Key
Aystar
This bluesy, growling cover of Malvina Reynolds’ 1971
protest anthem is the perfect taster for SHE DREW THE
GUN’s second album Memories Of Another Future, which
landed on 17th March, and further enhances the group’s
flair for heartfelt, downbeat melantronica. The rollicking,
defiant tune is close to singer-songwriter Louisa Roach’s
heart, and comes with an uplifting video featuring SDTG
fans, which you can watch over at bidolito.co.uk.
NEWS 11

12

ALI HORN
Don’t Stop – constant
forward progress is the
order of the day with
Liverpool’s blooming
cosmic surfer.
“I
wanna have a holiday with guitars!”
You’d think a man who’s just landed back in Blighty
after a bout of surfing in the Canary Islands would be
happy to stay put for a while, but ALI HORN is restless:
for more sun, for more adventure, for more life. “I wanna do fun
shit, go away with my mates and play some music. I’ve got to
give it a go anyway.”
Before we get carried away by these escapist vibes, let’s take
a couple of steps backwards. Up until the tail end of 2016, Ali
Horn was best known for being one of the principal members of
Strange Collective, the garage rock troupe who’ve established
themselves as pretty much everyone’s favourite live band in
town. With his first solo single, Days Like Today, being released
by The Label Recordings on 7th April, Horn now finds himself
juggling duties in both projects – and he couldn’t be happier,
as he gets to show off both sides of his creative output. Where
Strange Collective are loose and carefree, Horn’s solo material
twinkles with a tighter sunshine vibe that sits somewhere on the
line that joins Kurt Vile and Jason Pierce. I hesitate to term it as
cosmic surf, but that’s the closest anyone will be able to get to
describing his languid style in two words.
With its refrain of “Days like today were for going to the
sea/I was just hoping that you would come with me”, Horn’s
debut offering Days Like Today can almost be seen as a call to
arms – “It’s kind of like, ‘let’s start a band and go and see some
of the world’. Come with me if you want” – but it was Bloom that
started him off on this journey, switching quite a few people on
to what had hitherto been an under-the-radar project. The track’s
warm, wobbly vibe unspools over eight minutes of pure emotion,
spanning the full range of Horn’s Technicolor dream.
“When I started writing it, I kind of wanted it to be like
Tender, by Blur – absolutely epic at the end with a choir! The
thing I find, which I imagine is the same with all musicians, is
that you aim at something and get it wrong, and you land
somewhere else that is kind of cool and new – and that becomes
you. I love Brian Jonestown Massacre, early Verve records,
Spiritualized: I think that’s all in Bloom, somehow. It’s probably
a result of me trying to do that stuff all at once and getting it
wrong, and ending up somewhere new. You land in the space
where only you can land.”
“There’s a lot of heartbreak in there,” Horn continues, “but
loads of uplifting stuff too. It’s meant to be a feel good song even
though it’s got a slow tempo to it. It’s feel good heartbreak music,
that’s how I’d describe it!”
For a musician so used to being part of a band, branching
out to perform under your own name can be a brave step to take.
The protection that being part of a gang gives you is instantly
stripped away, and you’ve suddenly got to find a new groove,
which can be daunting when there are so many options available,
and a blank canvas laid in front of you.
“When you’re in a band that’s even semi-established, you
kind of get stuck in a rut with having to play one type of music –
because that’s what people expect of you,” he muses, careful to
tread lightly so as not to trample over the work he enjoys doing
in other bands. “I never want that to happen with this [project],
I always want it to be completely random. Also, I never really
expected to play anything live – or even do anything with this
project really – so it meant that, when I was writing the songs
in my room, I’d write such diverse tunes, going with whatever I
thought was cool.”
Does this lack of expectation from his solo work make it,
in some way, a more honest reflection of himself?
“It’s definitely honest to me, yeh. I’ve been in so many bands
over the years, and the feeling has been, like, ‘oh, let’s just try and
get laid’. Now, I’m bored of writing music for any ulterior motives
other than to be true to myself. If I can make a record that I’m
happy with, I couldn’t give a fuck what anybody else thinks. I care
so much about this project, but for personal reasons.”
“I’m bored of writing
music for any ulterior
motives other than to be
true to myself”
The first time I spoke to Horn about his new direction, he was
just about to play his first live show: and despite being a veteran
of hundreds of gigs, he admitted to feeling surprisingly nervous
ahead of the show. “Yes – I was petrified!” he replies when I ask
him about it afterwards. “I think it was more because the songs
do mean quite a lot to me – and taking back what I said earlier, I
probably do care too much about what people think! I was a bit
nervous opening up and letting people in.”
The comfort of being surrounded by a band of four close
mates was a big help through this, with Horn placing his faith in
those close to him to help him bring his work to life. Present and
former Strange Collective bandmates, Alex Wynne (Bass) and
Andrew Parry (Drums) respectively, bring familiarity; while long
time friend Dave Tate and Ohmns guitarist Kendall add the layers
with their duelling six-string work. Each of the trusty recruits
carries the right amount of personality through to the band’s
debut show at Buyers Club, while still allowing room for the
music to breathe and find its feet.
“Each song has been different when I’ve written them in
my room, and I think now that they’re all finding some common
ground, because they’re being played by the five of us,” Horn
says when he reflects on his first outing under his own name.
“There are still slight creases that we’re ironing out, but I couldn’t
be happier with how the first two shows went. It sounded really
full, which pleased me.”
“What I was really happy with when I put Bloom up on
Soundcloud was that everyone who got on to it, I respected their
musical opinions,” he continues. “The right people thought ‘that’s
really cool, I like that’. It’s how I ended up working with Dave Tate
and Kendall cos they liked the feel of it, and I respect them.”
So far he’s been encouraged with how things have gone,
so much so that he lets his ambitions wander a little, charting
what he sees as the ideal progress for the rest of 2017. “I wanna
make a record this year – record it over the summer, go on tour
in September, have a Christmas European tour. I wanna do
everything!” He admits to having “bucketloads” of tunes already
written, and with more coming each day, but he’s still working
out what, exactly, to do with them. This newfound confidence
he puts down to the input of Carl Hunter from The Label, whose
involvement has been a real fillip for Horn, giving him the
confidence he needed to pursue this strand of his output properly.
“It’s been the kick up the arse I needed,” he says of working
with Hunter, before pausing to wrestle with an idea that’s
obviously been a constant thorn for him. “A couple of years ago
I had a massive think to myself about why I played music and
what I wanted to do with it. I kind of had this falling out of love
with songwriting – and I was really happy playing guitar with
Strange Collective, cos it’s rocking and really pure and, just,
fucking awesome. But it took me a while to get back into writing
songs, for the right reasons. I never wanna write music with
business in mind, or sales or anything like that. I’d rather write
a song for a girlfriend or a mate or an enemy – and if they’re the
only person that hears it then that’s fine, it’s achieved its intended
purpose. If the right people hear it and the intended audience
likes it, then that’s all that really matters.”
It’s a reassuring response, and one that isn’t so surprising
coming from such a modest individual as Ali Horn. He’s never
rammed his music down people’s throats, or shouted about it
with loads of fanfare – which is why the success he’s getting
feels right. He doesn’t care about other people’s reactions
enough to change what it is though – what comes out is what
comes out, and that’s the truth that he wants to stick with.
Whether the next step is another single with The Label,
or any interest that derives from somewhere else, Horn is of
the belief that it’s important to make progress – and quickly.
“I think momentum is the most important thing – well, apart
from the songs. It’s really, really key for a band to not take a
step back, or even take their foot off the accelerator. I feel like
there’s no point in playing more than one toilet venue in each
city. I’m not saying that I’m better than that, but I don’t wanna
waste time doing stuff that’s completely irrelevant. I don’t
wanna do the same thing over and over again – it’s got to
keep moving forwards.”
Words: Christopher Torpey / @CATorp
Photography: John Johnson / johnjohnson-photography.com
soundcloud.com/ali-horn
Days Like Today is out on 7th April on The Label Recordings.
FEATURE 13

14

FEATURE 15

16

THE
BLUECOAT
The oldest building in Liverpool
city centre is celebrating its
300th year in 2017, having
built on its scholarly origins to
become an academy of rabid
creativity in one of the most
happening places on the planet:
A. W. Wilde speaks up in praise
of The Bluecoat.
“The Bluecoat has been
many different things to
many different people at
many different times”
Pre-jarg Moncler, post-incendiary bombs, midswinging
1960-something; two men stand with their
backs against the city looking out across the river to
somewhere else. No beginning and no end, the sky
defo nebulous, tethered to the end of their noses and just above
the Mersey. The wind – yeh, the wind we all know, with fish
and chips on its breath – it shoves in gusts and leaves without
goodbyes. That wind is on-the-rob. It steals the words of the
taller man before they reach his friend’s ears.
Rico shouts, “I can’t hear you Adrian.”
“It’s happening,” says Adrian, his beard blowing this way and
that, his hand pointing back at the city. “It’s all happening here
Rico. It’s all happening now. And it’s not fucking happening
anywhere else.”
Adrian’s words, taken by the wind, carry over the Three
Graces, echoing through the streets, awaiting argument. None
comes. Not a peep.
“But what are we going to do tonight?” bellows Rico.
“TONIGHT?”
They walk past sailmakers, across cobbles varnished with
rain and workloads and past fire-scarred buildings, as the crow
flies on the same path as stolen proclamations. Adrian looks at
Rico – not by any stretch of the imagination a handsome man, a
mismatched face of wormhole pores, inconsiderably assembled,
a face that’d look right in the back of a spoon – and Adrian says,
“there’s a Happening tonight at the Bluecoat.”
“You wha’?”
“Lots of people, lots of art: our revolution.”
“A Buddhist monk in an act of self-immolation? That Peel fella
from the radio station? A poet in potent flow? Polyrhythmic drum
patterns and hundreds of girls in short skirts?”
“Yes. All of that – and more.”
“Are you sure?”
“No,” says Adrian. “I forgot to book the monk. If I’d have known
I’m living in one of the most exciting periods in history, I’d have
taken more notice.”
THE BLUECOAT is 300 years old this year. In a digital age, one
where history turns over hourly, it is an almost unwieldy amount
of time to consider. Nowadays people only count to 100 when
Likes are involved. Or hostages. Few galleries can lay claim
to such longevity and few polymaths can preside over such a
magnificent sundry as Adrian Henri. A poet, painter, musician
and much more (a great encourager, an instigator of creativity
in others and himself), this benevolent spirit intertwined his
history with that of the Bluecoat, providing Liverpool with an
embarrassment of riches and a place in which to display them.
It was – and remains – the jewelry box in the centre of town, a
building that has outlived and withstood the ravages of bombs
and the wars waged by property developers. It was there when
any man, woman or child was a walking war memorial and it’ll be
there after duplex developers have been dicked-off.
From The Singh Twins to Mark Leckey, there are plenty of
artists on show in Public View – the exhibition that runs the
length of its 300-day programme of anniversary events – who
share simpatico with the Bluecoat’s ideals, but few are as
‘Pudlian as Henri: son of a Mauritian refugee, a bard-like Nina
Simone, his poetry remains raw and imbued with visceral bite,
gifted with the flâneur’s eye that’s able to see great beauty where
others saw little. If your parents didn’t pay for your school fees,
you’ve probably studied the Mersey Sound, the anthology in
which he featured alongside lyrical accomplices Roger McGough
and Brian Pattern, which remains hugely popular and is never
ever out of print. Henri’s art was executed with a defiant wink,
his confidence buoyed by being at the centre of an artistic scene
that was the centre of the world’s creative output. The art critic
Jonathan Jones readily acknowledges Henri’s place in the avantgarde
and Liverpool’s singular way of expressing modernity.
The paintings themselves – Omo packets, unmade beds and
uncooked meat – all speak of human interaction: the everyday
exchange. “It’s happening,” said Adrian, “it’s all happening now.
And it’s not happening anywhere else.”
Survival: it’s natural to consider its nature when 300 years’
worth of birthday cards are standing upon the mantelpiece. The
Bluecoat has been many different things to many different people
at many different times. In fact, it has had to be in order to keep
opening creative doors, their own new automatic ones included.
The full breadth of events planned for the 300 days are a great
illustration of this eclecticism, one with inclusiveness at its heart.
On any given day, any one of us could take part in sociological
debates on how we live within the city and how the city lives
within us, under the stewardship of Sociologist-in-Residence Dr
Paul Jones. We can become a part of the building’s fascinating
history by taking part in My Bluecoat and contributing our own
stories of relationship to it, a Heritage Lottery Fund-supported
project. Or we can indulge in the rest of Public View, which
brings together a sample of the work of 100 artists who have
previously exhibited at the Bluecoat (Yoko Ono and Jeremy Deller
among them). There’s art for the inquisitive minds of children,
which plays and romps upon the building’s origins as a charity
school. There is dancing. There will be paint and installation.
From inside its walls, many hobbyists have left with a
kernel of an idea and thoughts of a new creative endeavour;
some have printed upon silk screens. In the garden, others
have heard immigrant songs and strummed along in their head,
appreciation of the other enriching all the time. All of the region’s
highly regarded artists have had their first significant shows
at the Bluecoat, and still they return in rude health having had
successes over the waters. This role as Great Encourager is as
valuable to the national consciousness as it is to individual spirit.
In austere times where regional galleries face precarious cliffs,
you wonder how many people share this view or appreciate
how important this is. Giving people a platform for greater
things – artists and audience alike – is not a rarefied luxury but
a fundamental societal right. Adrian Henri understood the art of
communication was an act of ubiquitous populist importance.
And his definition of ‘populist importance’ remains superior to
any other being trotted out today. Here’s to him and the next
300 years. !
Words: A. W. Wilde / awwilde.co.uk
Illustration: Lucy Roberts / lucyannerobertsillustration.com
thebluecoat.org.uk
Public View runs until 23rd April, with a variety of other
exhibitions and events running throughout the year that
celebrate The Bluecoat’s 300th anniversary.
FEATURE
17

MARY
MILLER
Tripping backwards and
forwards in time through
dreamy landscapes, Mary
Miller finds the sweet spot
between retro groove and
futuristic sparseness.
Maybe you’ve caught MARY MILLER at her recent
support slots with Let’s Eat Grandma and Laurel,
and have been entranced by her otherworldly
sparseness (like we have). Her expansive, ambient
soundscapes belie the sparse apparatus on stage: just a
computer, guitar and sequencer, cooking up all the melancholy
of a moonlit drive-in. It’s these understated leanings which give
her music its depth, sweeping the listener into a maelstrom of
shadowy pop hooks and haunting vocals. But let’s go easy on the
hyperbole. “I’m not really a big vocalist, riffing all over the place or
anything like that,” she shrugs.
As it happens, the current style is a relatively recent
development. Miller, who is originally from Blackpool, found that
her whole creative approach altered after she moved to Liverpool
to enrol at LIPA. Inspired by her peers, she began to rethink the
way she made music, finding herself involved with a wealth of
new projects and collaborations.
“I know it sounds cringey, but the music scene here is like a
family,” she notes. “There are so many great bands here, like Pink
Kink and Trudy and the Romance. The first time I visited, I didn’t
like it that much, but after a year I fell completely in love with the
place. I’ve become an adopted Scouser.”
As she says this, a seagull starts having a blue fit in the
background. It sounds like Liverpool really is home. What’s
changed her outlook while she’s been here?
“I was in a duo back in Blackpool and since coming here I’ve
been in a few bands too, but they were more guitar-based. I still
like that kind of music, but as I started listening more and more
to producers, it made me become more experimental. I no longer
wanted to do just guitar stuff on its own.”
So how would she describe the music she’s making
right now?
“It’s kind of difficult to label your own sound. It’s dream
pop I guess, but a little darker, with more cinematic elements.
There are also a lot of jazz, electronic and hip hop influences
thrown in there.”
It’s clear that she draws from a diverse pool of musical cues,
citing a passion for 1950s guitar bands as well as various hip
hop acts when quizzed on her influences. Her track Angling
is a complex evocation of different styles, with its plangent
guitar effects and eerie, disconnected vocal. Another, Property,
experiments with light/dark dynamics and austere synth loops
welded to tightly-paced drum samples. Yet, despite the polished
veneer of the songs she’s shared so far, Miller admits that it’s
taken some time for her to refine her style, and to find the
confidence to get her material heard.
“You end up with a kind
of distorted reality,
because you’ve turned
the original sound on
its head to find a whole
new perspective”
“I was always making tracks in the background, but I kept
it very quiet. I felt scared to put it out there. The other times
I’d made music it was with other people and I’d just been the
guitarist, so that was less intimidating.”
But then again, solo projects give you the freedom to forge
your own path, to build up a sound from a completely personal
catalogue of interests. With this in mind, what is it about the
1950s that intrigues her the most?
20

“Well, I love singers like Buddy Holly, Ella Fitzgerald and
Hank Williams, but if I have to narrow it down, it’s really the
shaking, tremolo guitar effect which features on a lot of songs
from that era. Or to use a more modern example, when you listen
to certain soundtracks like James Bond or Twin Peaks. The use
of tremolo and dark chords is really interesting to me, and I think
that’s where the influence creeps in. Nancy Sinatra’s Bang Bang
(My Baby Shot Me Down) is the perfect example of what I have
in mind.”
Central to Miller’s technique is the process of mining through
different sources and figuring out how best to repurpose them.
And this is where the hip hop element comes in – specifically
that of the golden era 90s when artists were lifting fragments all
over the place, supplanting the original material with something
almost unrecognisable.
“I definitely take a lot of inspiration from acts like Fugees and
A Tribe Called Quest. Their beats are always so prominent in the
mix, really gritty. I like that a lot. When I made Angling, it was
my first time experimenting with drum loops and chopping up
samples, and that was what kicked everything off.
“To start with, I usually take an isolated sound and find a
way to turn it upside-down. You know, drops of water, clocks
ticking, weird stuff like that. You end up with a kind of distorted
reality, because you’ve turned the original sound on its head to
find a whole new perspective. That’s what I try to do with the
samples, anyway.”
The process of constructing a song from so many different
elements must be fairly time-intensive. Does she, I wonder,
respond to ideas spontaneously, or are the song structures
something she tends to map out beforehand?
“I always have something brewing. I hear different sounds in
my head and then try to bring them to life as best I can; maybe a
beat that I’ll then try to recreate. It never sounds quite the same
as I imagined it, but usually I end up liking it anyway because it’s
the progression of an idea, rather than mechanically trying to put
things together on the spot.
“It’s the same with lyrics. Mine aren’t necessarily poetry –
they’re written more instinctively, but lyrics are so important
to me. I really admire King Krule, for example. I think he’s an
amazing lyricist. The kind of artist that makes you want to go
online and read every word of every song.”
As a devoted music fan, then, Miller must have some pretty
voracious listening habits. And with her fondness for mining for
sounds from the past, I wonder if she prefers to shuffle through
boxes of vinyl or neatly-curated Spotify playlists?
“I usually stream music, really. The model does need to be
re-evaluated so that artists can benefit more, but at the same
time, it’s a two-way thing. I find it amazing that so many more
people can get to hear my music online, and that there’s so
much I can listen to.”
While there are no immediate plans for a new release, Miller
plans to spend the next few months squeezing in as many
live shows as possible, as well as putting on her own gigs.
It’s a testament to her creativity that, by deconstructing the
components of her music in a live setting, she is still finding ways
to evolve her songs way beyond the recorded versions.
“It’s been a year since I bought the sampler I’m using, but I
didn’t want to perform until it felt like second nature. Now I can
really have fun with it. It’s just become more natural to me, like
with any instrument.
“I suppose there is a risk of becoming complacent about live
shows, because I’m so comfortable in Liverpool now,” she adds.
“Maybe if I moved to a different city I’d just find myself dragging
my heels. But the best thing about being here is that everybody
helps each other out. It pushes you more, because you get the
affirmation that what you’re doing is valid.” !
Words: Orla Foster
Photography: Yetunde Adebiyi / @hyperhyperphoto
soundcloud.com/m_i_l_l_e_r_m
Mary Miller plays Focus Wales on 13th May as one of Bido Lito!’s
selected artists performing at this year’s festival.
FEATURE 21

LIVERPOOL,
Is Liverpool really a global music
city? Ahead of a public discussion
at Constellations on 4th May and a
research project into the health of
Liverpool’s music ecosystem
conducted by LJMU, Craig G
Pennington makes the case for a
Liverpool City Music Office, run by
us – the city’s music community.
On 17th February 2017, the world’s first Music Tourism
Convention took place in Liverpool. Drawing in
speakers and delegates from Tennessee to Berlin,
Amsterdam to Jakarta, Perth to Pontypridd, the event
provided an opportunity for cities around the world to share
their knowledge and experience of utilising music as a tool in
attracting the tourist buck to their shores. The event was broad
and enlightening; from blues trails across the southern states of
the USA to grassroots organising in Paraguay, it re-imagined the
role of music and tourism in struggling city districts.
The view many of these visitors held of Liverpool (or the
version of the city positioned at the event) was striking; our city
as a beacon, a world-class music tourism destination and a truly
global music city. But, is that really the case? True, our city has a
world-class music heritage, as well as a bubbling music tourism
industry selling that version of itself, but is Liverpool really a
global music city today?
At Bido Lito! we have consistently lamented a lack of joinedup
thinking and strategic planning around music in Liverpool.
Cities across Europe – Utrecht, Groningen, Mannheim to name
but three – with little or no music heritage, invest heavily in
specific departments to support and develop music in their
city. This support is considered and planned across artist
development, music education, music business development,
music-friendly city policies, city planning, tourism – practically
each and every element of city life – to ensure that music can
flourish, bringing its associated social, cultural and economic
benefits to the city. And, importantly, this support is developed
and implemented in partnership with the city’s music makers,
educators and industry.
We believe that the time has come for this to happen
in Liverpool.
At the end of 2015, Liverpool was awarded the status of
UNESCO City Of Music “…due to music’s place at the heart of
Liverpool’s contemporary culture, education and the economy –
from the vibrant live music scene to tourism, music management
courses and digital businesses”. According to UNESCO, the
award is intended, “…to focus cultural policy and activity in
relation to music in the city, delivering a more joined up and
visible music offer.” Over a year on, and despite the best efforts of
a small number of under-resourced individuals, this agenda is yet
to kick in. Like many music organisations in the city, we see the
need to embrace this moment. This is an opportunity to rethink
what music means to Liverpool and create a new, community-led
approach to music policy in the city.
We all know that Liverpool City Council faces a precarious
financial future. Mayor Joe Anderson confirmed at February’s
Culture Sector Consultation that the austerity agenda is on
course to result in a £470 million real term loss to the city
between 2010 and 2020. Council tax revenues remain painfully
lean; Liverpool has 70,000 more people than Bristol but receives
£38million less in council tax revenue because of lower property
values. It is unrealistic to expect the City Council to provide
strategic leadership around the city’s music agenda when such
acute pressures exist on them to provide core services. They are
also detached from the music culture that we, as a community,
intimately understand. We need to move away from the idea of
leadership and resource coming primarily from the public purse
as this leadership needs to come from the people best placed
to deliver it; us, the music community of Liverpool. We need a
Liverpool City Music Office; a strong, independent voice that can
champion, support, and ultimately, invest in music in the city.
But first, we need to ask some honest questions. What does
music really mean to Liverpool in 2017? How is it valued? How
healthy is Liverpool’s music ecology? Is Liverpool’s Music Tourism
offer truly world-class and what role does new music play within
it? In terms of its policies around noise, planning and the role
of music in the built environment, does Liverpool have a global
music city outlook? How good are we at developing the next
wave of artists in the city? Is Liverpool an international hub for
music business? How joined up is the city’s music industry and
music education offer?
Fundamentally, what is the future of music in our city? Who
is protecting it and who is fighting for a future with music at the
centre of the civic agenda?
When we think of the numerous and various flash points over
the years Bido Lito! has been active, it is hard to make the case
for Liverpool – in terms of the built environment, at least – to
be considered a city with music truly at its heart. From noise
abatement notices to planning decisions, and fracas around
busking to council rates fallouts, venues such as The Kazimier,
Static Gallery, 24 Kitchen Street, Constellations, MelloMello,
Wolstenholme Creative Space, Nation and a whole raft of others
have had their run-ins with the city. The particular issues at play
across each of these situations are diverse and specific, but what
is universal is the situation that results; a venue pitched against
the bureaucracy of the City Council.
This doesn’t work for anyone, least of all the venues
concerned. It also does little to help the council understand the
subtly of the issues at play and the potential impact on our city’s
music ecosystem. Because the reality is that there are few areas
of civic life that don’t have an impact on music in the city, a point
referenced in The Cultural Value of Live Music report – produced
24

MUSIC CITY?
“This is an opportunity
to create a new,
community-led
approach to music
policy”
by academics at Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities – “licensing,
noise abatement, skills and training, policing, health and safety,
highways… lots of areas have a huge impact on live music that
don’t necessarily refer directly to it.”
We need a Liverpool City Music Office to act as an honest
broker, a positive mediator between the city and the music
community. This organisation will navigate the bureaucracy of
the City Council on behalf of the music community, but also work
with the council to help them understand the broad ranging
impacts of policy and decision making on the city’s music culture.
The Liverpool City Music Office will lobby the council positively,
and work in partnership with the council (but not for them)
on behalf of the music community to pre-empt flash points
before they occur, ultimately seeking to create a situation where
Liverpool truly is a city with music at its heart, considered and
prioritised across all aspects of civic life.
The characteristics of the challenges we face are specific in
their nature to our city, but on the whole not unique. According
to the Live Music Rescue Plan, commissioned by the Mayor of
London, “35% of London’s grassroots music venues have been
lost since 2007”. Bristol’s Live Music Census, completed in 2016,
celebrated the fact that “live music generates £123m of revenue
towards the local economy”, but pointed out that “50% of the
city’s music venues were affected by development, noise or
planning issues.” Furthermore, at the time of going to print, Live
Music Exchange embarked on the first UK Live Music Census, a
move to quantify for the first time the nationwide challenges the
industry is facing, and inform policy to help it flourish.
The work of UK Music and The Music Venues Trust
around the ‘Agent Of Change’ principle has been positive
too. The principle revolves around the commonsense idea
that a person or business responsible for a change (i.e. a new
building development) is responsible for managing the impact
of that change; meaning that an apartment block to be built
near an established live music venue would have to pay for
soundproofing, while a live music venue opening in a residential
area would be responsible for the costs. This is a work in
progress though and has yet to be fully enshrined in UK Law.
Liverpool can be – and needs to be – a national leader in adopting
the principle, given the unique role music plays in our city’s social,
cultural and economic fabric.
I have written on various occasions that our city’s small and
medium-sized venues are the maternity ward of Liverpool’s
music ecosystem. It is a point that’s reiterated in The Cultural
Value of Live Music report: “It is these smaller spaces that provide
both performance and social spaces for rising acts. They feed
into an area’s ‘local character’ – its musical history – in a way that
makes them difficult to replace. This social aspect of independent
venues, along with the relationships that derive from it, is the
seed-bed from which a town or city’s musical reputation grows.”
Yet, in Liverpool – and gentrifying cities around the western world
– they are the spaces most under threat.
And this issue scales right up to the top of the live music food
chain. Liverpool’s Echo Arena is owned by Liverpool City Council:
it is the property of the city. Arenas around the country are
reliant on small venues to incubate and develop the talent of the
future, a point not lost on Guy Dunstan of the National Arenas
Association: “Where the support is needed is at the smaller end
of the scale and at the grassroots level. Because we’re reliant on
artists being developed through that network and scaling up to
arena acts.” Liverpool, along with other arena venue cities across
the UK, needs a flourishing live music scene to fuel their live
arena schedules of the future.
Liverpool is a city at a crossroads. Devolution will broaden
the scope of what Liverpool can mean in many ways and, in a
post-Brexit UK, we will sit as an outward looking, internationalist
city in an increasingly isolationist country. We are in a global
competition for bright young minds and our music culture is key
to keeping the best of those here and attracting the best from
around the world. It is our way of selling the dream, a point again
emphasised in The Cultural Value of Live Music report: “A strong
music community has also been proven to attract other industrial
investment, along with talented young workers who put a high
value on quality of life, no matter what their profession.”
The challenge is set for our city, and I believe the challenge
is set for us, the music community, to seize the opportunity and
create positive change. As The Cultural Value of Live Music
document puts it: “Policymakers could better account for the
cultural and economic output of small venues. Awareness of the
value of live music to their towns and cities is often reflected
in major developments whose main beneficiaries are larger
businesses or other sectors (notably the service industry). Many
local councils appreciate the need for a more ‘joined up’ approach
but this has long been voiced without being consistently
implemented. Competition between cities is intense and whilst
this drives significant investment in infrastructure projects,
one of the side effects of such regeneration can be a tougher
environment for venues without the commercial or political
wherewithal to quickly adapt to gentrification”.
In her opening address to the Music Tourism Convention in
February, Sally Balcombe, the CEO at Visit Britain, enthused
that “Our goal is to make the UK the number one music tourism
destination in the world.” Given our obvious head start with the
FEATURE 25

“We all need to feed
into the vision for what
the Liverpool City
Music Office will be”
Fab Four, Liverpool is well placed to benefit handsomely from this
vision. The Beatles are a fabulous conversation starter, an initial
motivation to convince a would-be tourist that Liverpool should
be the next stop on their global trip list. There is an opportunity to
leverage The Beatles to broaden the spread of would-be visitors
to the city. We see this each year with Liverpool Psych Fest; 70%
of the festival’s annual audience comes from outside the North
West and, of that, 30% comes from abroad. The fact that the
festival happens in Liverpool is an additional motivating factor for
the incoming audience; they will check out The Beatles Story, The
British Music Experience (a positive and welcome addition in the
current tourism mix) and sample the rest of our city’s offer during
their trip. But how, as a city, can we do this better? How can we
join up the city’s diverse music festivals and vibrant ‘seven nights
a week’ music offer with the tourist dollar, yen or euro? Currently,
with a lack of cohesive and collaborative thinking, the city is
missing out.
It is also important that we plan for and understand the
changing face of the modern traveller. The Airbnb phenomena
tells us something about the motivations of the millennial tourist.
People want to go beyond the headlines, off the beaten tourist
track and experience the places they visit like a local, enjoying
a truly authentic, immersive experience. The Beatles may help
to bring someone here in the first place, but it’s the experience
people have when they are here that matters. So linking up
the city’s fantastic day-to-day music offer with tourism makes
complete sense – especially if we want them to come back. The
millennial traveller will be the principle tourist in 20 years time.
We need to get this right.
Beyond live music in the city and music tourism, there are a
number of key elements that are central to our status as a global
music city: Artist Development, Music Business Development
and Music Education. These are areas in which the Liverpool City
Music Office will be proactive, instigating change. Here are three
points that I feel need to be addressed:
1) How well do we develop new musical talent in Liverpool?
True, there are higher education and university institutions that
successfully develop talent in a formal academic setting. Projects
and organisations such as LIMF Academy and Merseyside Arts
Foundation (to name but two) have played a fantastic role over
recent years in helping artists to navigate their way to the next
stage in their career and understand the changing face of the
business they are ploughing into. But, there is scope for much
further growth and development in this area, opening up such
opportunities to a wider range of artists. A vibrant Liverpool
City Music Office would empower organisations working with
emerging talent to expand their activity, opening up access to
artist development services to all of our city’s musicians. We
need to better understand what musicians need, what support
is required to empower artists, helping them to develop in a way
that fits with the creative vision of what they wish to achieve. We
need to marry up artists more productively with local, national
and international music industry infrastructure. We need to
invest in open source resources for collaboration and wider
development of the music ecosystem.
2) Is Liverpool a global music industry hub?
Because, if we truly are a globally significant music city, we need
to be. There are numerous international music businesses based
here, but there could be more. Many, many more. We need to
better understand the music businesses that are based here, how
they can be supported to grow, and how they can be marketed
internationally. We need to target new music business that can
be encouraged to come and make Liverpool their home. We
need to understand how we can make Liverpool a world-class
music city to base a music business in. In a digital, interconnected
world the opportunity is there. Globally speaking, Liverpool is
comparatively cheap to live and do business in – this is certainly
the case in comparison to London. If we get our strategy right
and can make Liverpool a truly great global music city, the sales
pitch to encourage music businesses to base themselves here will
be an easy sell.
3) What role does Liverpool’s music community play in music
education in the city?
True, universities and higher education institutions have
made great strides over recent years, embedding their courses
and cohorts within the fabric of the city’s music industry.
But, does this extend to our city’s schools? It needs to. It is
in school when the music bug really takes hold. Children in
Liverpool city region schools today are the musicians, moguls,
mavericks and music-obsessives of tomorrow. We need to
bring schools and the Liverpool music community much closer
together, developing deep and productive relationships that will
have an ongoing positive impact on the lives of young people,
and the music fabric of the city, for years to come. Again, there
are some amazing organisations working in this area. The
Liverpool City Music Office will empower these organisations to
expand their activity, improve access and increase their impact,
for the good of the city.
It is imperative to reaffirm the point that this vision for a
Liverpool City Music Office is inherently different; it will be
run by Liverpool’s music community, for the good of Liverpool’s
music ecosystem. It will be completely democratic and
transparent, run by a nominated and elected committee of
representatives from across the Liverpool music sector. It will
not serve self-interest. It will be a truly honest broker. It will not
be run by the council, but will work proactively with the council
to bring about positive change and develop innovative music
policy that sees music valued and prioritised across all aspects of
city life.
The ideas set out above are merely a starting point. They are
a set of key areas in which we believe the Liverpool City Music
Office needs to be active, working towards positive solutions.
But the agenda needs to come from you, Liverpool’s music
community. We all need to feed into the vision for what the
Liverpool City Music Office will be.
In order to begin this process, we will be hosting ‘Liverpool,
Music City?’ on 4th May at Constellations, in partnership
with Liverpool John Moores University. The event will be an
opportunity for the music community to come together and share
their ideas around what the Liverpool City Music Office will be,
the functions it will perform and the agenda it will pursue. It will
also be the starting point for a new piece of academic research
by LJMU, looking at the health of Liverpool’s music ecosystem.
In advance of the event, please visit liverpoolmusiccity.co.uk and
share your views and ideas about the issues currently facing
music in our city. !
Words: Craig G Pennington / @BidoLito
Photography: Keith Ainsworth and Adam Edwards
liverpoolmusiccity.co.uk
26

FEATURE 27

We believe passionately in Liverpool’s new music and
creative culture. As you’re reading this, we’re pretty confident
that you do too. By becoming a Bido Lito! member you will
be joining us to champion that new music and creative
culture. Plus, you’ll be supporting local independent media,
which we believe is more important now than ever before.
Just £7 per month
• Bido Lito! Magazine delivered to you first,
before it hits the streets, every month.
• An exclusive monthly download bundle of
the best new Liverpool music, including
brand new tracks, remixes and sessions.
• FREE ENTRY to our two monthly events:
The Bido Lito! Social - showcasing the best
new Liverpool music - and our lovingly curated,
one-off Bido Lito! Special Events (see opposite).
• Ongoing member-only exclusive
opportunities throughout the year.
• The Bido Lito! Journal 2017. A deluxe, end of
year publication looking back at 12 months in
Liverpool’s new music and creative culture.
• A rather hip Bido Lito! record bag as a
FREE JOINING GIFT when you sign up!
• Sign up now at bidolito.co.uk
28

UPCOMING
BIDO LITO!
EVENTS
Strange Collective
Sign up now.
May 2017 Membership
Edition will hit your
doorstep on 19th April
Join us now at bidolito.co.uk
Wednesday 5th April
FACT
Bido Lito! Special Event
ALTERNATIVE FACTS
Join Bido Lito!, Professor David Garcia -
co-curator of FACT’s How Much Of This Is Fiction
exhibition - and very special guests to discuss the
role of independent media in the ‘post-truth’ age.
Free admission for members
£4 non-members adv from bidolito.co.uk.
Thursday 20th April
24 Kitchen Street
Bido Lito! Membership
Launch Party Featuring:
STRANGE COLLECTIVE
+ MC FARHOOD + VEYU
+ THE SHIPBUILDERS
+ PIXEY + REVO (EVOL) DJ SET
Members only. Sign up in advance
at bidolito.co.uk or on the night.
Jeanette Lee and Geoff Travis
Friday 5th May
The Bluecoat
Thursday 18th May
North Shore Troubadour
Bido Lito! Special Event
GEOFF TRAVIS: CULTURE OF INDEPENDENCE
Rough Trade Records founder and indie icon
Geoff Travis discusses grassroots movements,
independence and the spirit of revolution. In
association with WOWFest.
Free admission for members
£6 non-members adv from bidolito.co.uk.
The Bido Lito! Social x Sound City
Pre-Party Featuring:
SPECIAL GUESTS TBA
+LUNGS +AGP
+BILL NICKSON
+special guest DJs
Free admission for members
£4 non-members adv from bidolito.co.uk.
British Music Experience
Wednesday 7th June
British Music Experience
Thursday 22nd June
Blade Factory
Bido Lito! Special Event
BRITISH MUSIC EXPERIENCE
CURATOR TOUR NIGHT
Bido Lito! members enjoy a private tour
with the head curator of the all new BME,
the UK’s Museum of Popular Music.
Exclusive members-only special event.
The Bido Lito! Social Featuring:
OHMNS
+ QUEEN ZEE AND
THE SASSTONES
+ JO MARY
Free admission for members
£4 non-members adv from bidolito.co.uk.
MEMBERSHIP 29

Xamvolo
Eleanor Nelly
GRADUATING WITH
FLYING COLOURS
LIMF Academy stars XAMVOLO and ELEANOR
NELLY are the latest artists to benefit from the
award-winning support offered by the country’s
largest free music festival; we find out more.
For what seems like forever and a day, Liverpool has
bubbled over with musical talent, and not just from
those born here: folks come from all around the world to
soak up the culture and feed off the heritage of the city,
to find inspiration and hone their art.
As keen supporters of nurturing local, grassroots artists,
Bido Lito! believe that LIMF Academy, the development arm of
Liverpool International Music Festival, has contributed massively
to the Liverpool music scene over the past five years, and we
are proud once again to play a part in the launch of the 2017
programme. Bido Lito!’s Editor Christopher Torpey will return to
the selection panel, alongside festival curator Yaw Owusu, BBC
Introducing Merseyside’s Dave Monks and Grammy Awardwinning
producer Steve Levine. Joe Frankland from PRS for
Music and Oliver Morris from UK Music will also be on the judging
panel; both of the institutions they represent are integral to the
funding of LIMF Academy.
The idea behind the Academy project is to provide
workshops, expert advice, studio time, publicity and experience
to shortlisted young artists. Each summer, the artists perform on
the Academy stage at LIMF’s Summer Jam festival in Sefton Park,
sharing a bill with some of the UK music industry’s best new
talent. A festival highlight from 2016 was hearing Eleanor Nelly,
XamVolo and Amique fronting the Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
at the opening ceremony on the main stage. Start with breathtaking,
then add some.
At the end of each year the three artists that the
Academy deems to be Most Ready move on to the Elite Talent
Development Programme. As part of this, they are awarded a
healthy bursary and a further 12-month programme of support
and promotion, including studio time with Steve Levine. Last
year’s lucky three, Eleanor Nelly, Lumen and Suedebrown, have
shone through: Eleanor and 2015 Most Ready artist XamVolo
have since landed deals with the legendary Decca label. Proof, if
needed, that LIMF Academy works, from Liverpool to the rest of
the world…
This year’s LIMF Academy application process launches
on 6th April and is open to 16-25 year-olds. To prove that the
Academy takes that younger end seriously, consider Eleanor
Nelly: having applied for the programme in 2015 while she was
still at school, she was named a One To Watch artist and received
a boost in profile; the following year she applied again and was
placed through the Academy’s mentoring and development
programme; now, with the assistance of one of the biggest
record labels in the word, she is ready to go global, at just 17. We
asked her how important the LIMF Academy support has been in
helping her take her unique brand of infectious country folk to the
next level.
“Yeh it has, one hundred percent! Being a part of the
masterclass sessions and getting the mentoring has been
a massive help in helping me find my feet, and working out
what route I want to take. You learn things from industry
professionals, from their experiences, that you probably couldn’t
learn anywhere else!”
If it all sounds like hard work, Eleanor doesn’t agree, insisting
that she has enjoyed being involved with the programme right
from the start. “There are so many things I got to do and see, and
especially being the One To Watch and the Most Ready. BUT,
my favourite part of it was playing with the Philharmonic Youth
Orchestra on the Main Stage: I still have no words to explain just
how amazing that was for me. One of the most amazing gigs I’ve
ever, ever had, ever!”
“I’d tell them to just
go for it. Being a part
of the Academy is
a massive help to
reach that next step”
Eleanor is a powerhouse of enthusiasm and has the potential
to inspire other like-minded teenagers to give it a go, and she
recommends that any budding artists should take a chance and
apply. “I’d tell them to just go for it. Being a part of the Academy
is a massive help to reach that next step, whether that’s just for
exposure, the experience, the mentoring and masterclasses, or
the feedback. What have ya got to lose?! You’re in the best city
for local and live music, do it and smash it!”
Similarly, XamVolo – a soulful 22-year-old jazz/hip hop
pioneer who can melt a room within seconds of breathing
into the mic – is full of praise for the opportunities LIMF Academy
has opened up for him. “I reckon I learnt a lot about the live
show from being in the Academy; the opportunity to play a fair
few gigs helped me familiarise myself with how to interact with
an audience organically. It was good to have the support there
to keep moving forwards. Everyone can benefit from some
career direction at any stage, particularly such an early one.”
What advice, then, would he offer anyone who is thinking
of applying? “I’ve felt most confident about my music when there
was a reason behind making it. Aside from the confidence boost
and the real-world motivation to create, the tangible support
the Academy offers you helps you think about everything in a
different way. I can only think of good things that have resulted in
being a part of it.”
The panel of judges recognise the breadth of talent on
offer, each year finding it difficult to select the twenty longlisted
artists, who are then all able to attend masterclass sessions,
as well as perform at showcase events across the country.
BBC Introducing Merseyside’s Dave Monks tells us that the level
of talent runs across the board, explaining “they all possess
something that made them stand out, they are distinctive.
I think Eleanor’s performance at the Magnet confirmed she
had something that made everyone keen to have her involved
last year.”
In contrast to the tired TV talent shows that tend to hold
a formulaic approach, one that could potentially alienate more
individualistic artists like XamVolo and Lumen, projects like LIMF
Academy are vital in encouraging individuality. LIMF collaborator
Joe Frankland, from funding body PRS For Music, recognises this:
“The Academy’s knack for unearthing young, fresh talent is great
– but, more importantly, that talent comes out of this completely
clued-up and ready to go.”
The potential of these new artists is staggering and we can
only wonder what new talents will emerge in 2017. So, if you’re
sat there wishing you were the next breakout star to sign up with
an internationally-renowned record label, what are you waiting
for? The Academy is open.
Words: Del Pike / @del_pike
Photography: Georgia Flynn and Robin Clewley
Applications for this year’s LIMF Academy open on 6th April,
closing on 27th April. You can see more about the LIMF Academy
programme, and how to apply, at limfestival.tumblr.com.
30

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SPOTLIGHT
I SEE RIVERS
Your latest Scandimania obsession
is here, in the form of the pastoral
float folk of this Norwegian trio.
“It’s a natural cohesion
that they make seem
effortless, despite the
complexity at its heart”
Liverpool has a way of attracting and welcoming in
those artists who just fit with the landscape; so it is
with I SEE RIVERS, a trio originally from Norway who
have begun to put down some roots since they moved
here two years ago. Consisting of Lill Scheie (Vocals, Guitar,
Drums, Percussion), Eline Brun (Vocals, Keys, Percussion) and
Gøril Nilsen (Vocal, Guitar, Percussion, Bass), I See Rivers sound
like you already know them, and like they’re speaking from
somewhere deep inside you that makes total sense. When a
band has a knack for weaving an organic thread into their musical
landscape that’s as delicious as this, it’s simply too difficult to
ignore.
“We like to live in a place between floaty folk and dancey
pop,” they say, and the obvious comparisons to Fleet Foxes and
Bon Iver would bear this out. The trademark I See Rivers stamp
falls loosely into a folk pop bracket, but framed by the trio’s
clever – and outstanding – vocal arrangements. It’s a natural
cohesion that they make seem effortless, despite the complexity
at its heart. “We write and produce all our songs together, and
since it’s just the three of us on stage as well, we usually end
up playing one instrument with both our hands and feet at the
same time.”
There’s something about the way their musical Nordic voices
curl around the words that just screams of nature: the underlying
landscape to any I See Rivers piece is this beautiful juxtaposition
of autumnal hues and warm, flickering campfires. Comparisons
with The Staves are obvious, but delve a little further and
you’ll find the group have more in common with the giggling
playfulness of Sea Of Bees, and the swooning, tender moments
of Daughter.
After releasing their single Loved Ones in 2015, they went
on tour around the rural parts of Norway – including Gøril’s
hometown in the remote North – before going on tour with
Newton Faulkner as support for his UK shows. And they’re not
finished there either, as they’re set to release their debut EP
Standing Barefoot in April. The EP was recorded in StudiOwz
in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with engineer Owain Jenkins and
co-producer Toby Couling, a process that found the three-piece
tapping books, boots and jars to add extra textural layers for even
more depth. “The EP was written, arranged and produced by
us – from our oldest song Evening Light to the song Slow Down,
which was written on the day of recording – each track of the EP
represents different eras of our time in England.”
“We come from quite different musical backgrounds, but we
quickly bonded over our love for artists such as Feist, Fleet Foxes
and Sufjan Stevens when we first started out,” they continue.
“We do this thing where – when the chance is given – we try to
reach out to Sufjan in hope that he might possibly take us with
him on his travels, so we’re going to take this opportunity as well:
we love you, man!”
Photography: Robin Clewley / robinclewley.co.uk
soundcloud.com/i-see-rivers
Standing Barefoot is out on 21st April.
32

THE SHIPBUILDERS
Guitarist, vocalist and
songwriter Matthew Loughlin-
Day from Scouserock fourpiece
The Shipbuilders on the
roots and echoes in their sound.
If you had to describe your music in a sentence, what would
you say?
That’s a tough one really; don’t want to sound pretentious, but
a lot of publications seem to have a tough time pigeonholing us.
We’ve had everything from Spaghetti Western to sea shanties,
even disco! But the one we settle on is gypsy Scouse surf. I think
that captures us pretty well!
What is the latest EP you have out – and what does it say
about you?
On our first EP Something In The Water, we tried to capture the
range of our sound, going from the brighter, catchier elements,
like on Feeling In My Pocket, to the darker, more sinister
corners like on The Moon. We chose the title for its dual meaning
too – the idea that something special must be happening in a
certain place (like Liverpool, say?) and the only way to explain it
is to attribute it to something in the water. But then there’s that
dangerous edge – a bit ‘watch yourselves, there’s something in
the water’!
Did you have any particular artists in mind as an influence
when you started out? What about them do you think you’ve
taken into your music?
Not specifically, no, which is why I think we’ve ended up with a
melting pot of the weird and wonderful. There was no conscious
decision to go ‘right, let’s be Shack’ for instance, though we’d
be fools to deny our influences. I like to think we’ve taken the
melodies of groups like The Growlers and The Everly Brothers,
but wrapped them up in the weird noisy bits of Tom Waits,
Galaxie 500 and Love. Lyrically, the ghosts of James Joyce
and Leonard Cohen make their presence known, but I have a
regime of listening to Half Man Half Biscuit regularly to keep me
grounded, lest I end up thinking I’m – heavens above – a poet.
Why is music important to you?
There’s nothing quite like it that satisfies so many needs. From
the experience of finding a new record or band, having that urge
to tell all your mates about it, right through to writing a song,
thinking ‘this is the one’ and then performing it to strangers who
are bang into it – wow. Nothing else quite comes close.
Photography: India Corke
soundcloud.com/theshipbuilders
The Shipbuilders play the Bido Lito! Membership launch party at
24 Kitchen Street on 20th April.
AGP
The dreamy project of
intrepid instrument juggler
Andrew Gordon Parry has
taken on many iterations, but
the latest has us captivated.
Who is, or are, AGP?
The project started with me playing alone and writing electronic
music in my house. I’ve been involved in a number of projects
over the years, where if one member leaves you feel that you
can’t continue anymore. So, I wanted to have a project I could
call my own in terms of the initial songwriting, but once it gets
past that stage and the band members get involved, the tracks
develop in their own way so I can’t take full ownership over it.
That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point we
named the project something else.
If you had to describe your music in a sentence, what would
you say?
It’s pretty vast, and ever-changing. I don’t really want to feel
restricted to playing in one genre: most of the artists I love
managed to play through a variety of styles but still have their
own sound. I don’t like the idea of limiting the project to just
being electronic, and don’t really want to feel expected to.
What’s the latest work you have out, and what does it say
about you?
Motionsickness b/w Hollywood [out on War Room Records on
8th April]. Both are lyrically pretty simple and honest.
Did you have any particular artists in mind as an influence
when you started out?
Not really, because over time the project changes, so the artists
who influenced the first two EPs – which I did alone – don’t have
any direct influence over the music I’m making currently. I guess
that, at the moment, I’m really enjoying ELO and Supertramp.
And lyrically, I’ve always been drawn to artists who are blasé
and sarcastic.
Why is music important to you?
Probably because of the memories you can attach to a piece
of music, and how personal it can be to one person and not to
another. And how that can change over time, dependent on how
situations change.
Photography: Rob Mulder
soundcloud.com/andrewgordonparry
You can watch the brand new video for Motionsickness
premiering now on bidolito.co.uk. AGP play a free show at
the Kazimier Garden on 8th April.
SPOTLIGHT 33

LAUNCH PARTY
STRANGE COLLECTIVE
+ MC FARHOOD + VEYU
+ THE SHIPBUILDERS + PIXEY
+ REVO (EVOL) DJ
20/04 - 7.30PM
24 KITCHEN STREET
Free to Bido Lito! Members
Sign up in advance at bidolito.co.uk
or on the door

PREVIEWS
“Who wants to
listen to unsexy
music?”
FESTIVAL
WILD
BEASTS
FestEVOL @ Invisible Wind Factory – 30/04
Hailing from Kendal in Cumbria, the Mercury Prizenominated
WILD BEASTS took inspiration for their
name from the so-called ‘wild beasts’ of early 20th
Century Fauvism, a movement of artists known for
using bold, strident colour. As they’ve moved through the gears in
their career, Wild Beasts have stuck to these defining principles,
delivering a fine suite of albums that are characterised by their
innate flair.
For their fifth album, Boy King – a concept album of sorts
taking an ironic, sideways view of society’s definitions of
masculinity – the four-piece travelled to Texas to work with
Grammy-winning John Congleton, who has produced albums
by Angel Olsen, The War On Drugs and Bill Callahan. Singer
Hayden Thorpe describes to Cath Bore how the desires of the
flesh came to define their latest work.
Kendal is a very conventional place, where all the shops
close at 5pm sharp, no messing about. How do you go from
a Kendal schoolboy to being in a band named after an arts
movement linked to Henri Matisse and André Derain?
Kendal is a very traditional farming town, hardy and quite
robust. It’s pretty and not in any way hard-done-by, but it’s
structured and built on quite rugged, old fashioned farming
ways. As a teenager with high ideas, high ideals and a bit of
flamboyance it felt necessary to kick against it a bit. Flamboyance
and individuality risk you getting your head lopped off if you
stick it out too far, but I was thrilled by that risk as any joyriding
teenager is.
I read somewhere that you view being in a band as the ideal
way of avoiding growing up, which I thought at first was
hilarious – but then reflecting on it further, I reckon you’re
right.
It’s a denial of ageing. It’s a denial of responsibility. I always
thought that, being in a band or creating art and devoting your
life to trying to create something beautiful would maybe grant
you immunity to the uglier stuff, but in fact it’s been a recent
revelation that it’s rather the opposite. You have to create things
of beauty from the emotional onslaught and pain that everyone
feels. Artists don’t feel it any more than anyone else, but artists
making work from that space end up residing in it longer
sometimes because they’ve got to draw from it; that’s your well.
Your new album Boy King is darker than your previous
work, and it has an awful lot of sex in it; Get My Bang is
particularly strident. You’ve ditched romantic love for this
record, pretty much, and turned your attentions instead to
carnal pleasures of the body. What’s all that about, Hayden?
You can speak freely here, you’re amongst friends. It’s a human
fascination in itself. It’s definitely a convoluted British obsession;
we have pretty strange and often confusing sexual practice and
sexual norms. We [the British] regard ourselves as high-minded
people who have our sexual agenda that’s quite straight: but
Page 3, for example, is in itself a reminder of how very traditional
ideas of sex are thrust upon us in our everyday lives. Yet there’s
still this hush-hush nature and squeamishness. What is music
for other than soothe us and respond to the body? Who wants to
listen to unsexy music? Who wants to eat undelicious food? Why
have porridge when you can have steak; in my opinion you have
it as rare as possible, and as bloody and as close to the animal as
we can become.
The British attitude to sex is very northern, very buttoned
up. I’m from Lancashire, I reckon it gets more like that the
further north you go.
I thought sex in Lancashire was outlawed in the 1990s! And
I don’t think Kendal had any sexual connotation in its history.
Kendal mint cake may have been used in some sort of energyproviding
exercise, other than that I’m not sure…
I heard that you prefer creating – writing, recording – to
playing live. Is that still the case, and why?
The studio is my natural habitat. That’s my daily practice.
My life is structured around trying to sieve through the white
noise of everyday life to find ideas of value. I wouldn’t say I was
a natural performer; it’s a version of myself, a facet of me I’ve
had to learn and grow into. It does something to me, performing.
It’s a lifetime’s work to figure out quite exactly what that is.
I don’t think I’ll ever know what it does to me. It definitely stirs
something very deep.
In the video for Alpha Female, directed by Sasha Rainbow,
young women and girls in Bangalore skateboard, with
groups of men standing and watching, some unimpressed
and resentful, some passive. Donald Trump’s election, his
boasting of “grabbing” women “by the pussy”, and the noisy
feminist response to that means the imagery and message in
Alpha Female is right on the nose in 2017.
The song itself is a tale of how love only grows through really
showing yourself. It’s like pushing off the earth to gather
momentum – these girls on the skateboards have found a vessel
for cutting through time more quickly, like they’re in a hurry,
they’re trying to get the world to catch up with them. The world’s
not spinning fast enough for what they crave and deserve. The
video is so fitting, but it was never designed to be a zeitgeistcatching
good spin on the current times – the idea came about
before Trump even got in – but as things have played out with
the momentum that was gathered while the video was being put
together, when it landed, it felt fitting for now. We’re proud of it.
There’s a very real possibility Alpha Female has potential to
be a feminist anthem. How do you feel about that, and are
you a feminist?
I absolutely am. Growing up with the mother I grew up with, I
couldn’t help but be. We rather jokily, yet half-seriously coined
Alpha Female as ‘feminist cock rock’. There’s something about the
juxtaposition of quite solicitous male gestures, but they [the girls
in the video] were fists in the air for alpha females.
What’s in store for Wild Beasts over the next year?
We’re in Boy King mode, we’ve still got a bellyful of Boy King.
When you go shopping on a full stomach you’re not sure what
you’re going to buy. We’re still metabolising where we’re at.
What can we expect when you come and see us in Liverpool
at the end of the month?
We’ve got five albums, a lot of material and we design the set
to be a party, a good time show. That’s the most urgent point to
make with this campaign. We just want to have fun. Our songs
are meant to be a response to the body so we’ve curated our
set like that.
Words: Cath Bore / @cathbore
Photography: Tom Andrew
wild-beasts.co.uk
Wild Beasts headline FestEVOL at Invisible Wind Factory on
31st April. Boy King is out now on Domino Records.
36

Northern Disco Lights
FESTIVAL
Doc’N Roll Film Festival
Picturehouse @ FACT – 31/03-02/04
Making a welcome return to Picturehouse at FACT,
DOC’N ROLL FILM FESTIVAL brings together a
highly enticing selection of six music documentaries
with post-screening Q&As, DJ sets and live music to
create an immersive cinematic experience that includes profiles
of SLEAFORD MODS, THE ORB, THE MELVINS, GREGORY
PORTER, NORWEGIAN HOUSE and SPARKLEHORSE.
First onto the projector, Northern Disco Lights: The Rise and
Rise of Norwegian Dance Music, recounts how a group of friends
in remote cities in Norway gave birth to a game-changing sound
that re-defined dance music and inspired a generation of DJs and
musicians who went on conquer the world.
A band who crashed into the album charts at number one
with their groundbreaking second LP U.F.Orb, ambient/house
pioneers The Orb are celebrated in Lunar Orbit: The Orb. An
exploration of the psychedelic outfit’s creative process, the piece
delves into the history of the group with rare unseen archive
material and interviews with key players.
With 33 years and almost as many albums under their belts,
grunge godheads The Melvins are the subject of The Colossus
Of Destiny: A Melvins Tale, which chronicles their ever-evolving
career. The longest continuously active band from the fertile
Washington State music scene of the early 1980s, the trio
have inspired countless bands and show absolutely no signs of
slowing down anytime soon. Switching tack to the pissed-off
sound of Brexit Britain, Bunch Of Kunst: Sleaford Mods is a twoyear
journey that follows the flamethrower Notts DIY punk duo
from bedroom recording sessions to mainstream success.
The Sad And Beautiful World Of Sparklehorse chronicles
the life of late Sparklehorse bandleader Mark Linkous, one of US
indie rock’s leading lights in the 90s. Featuring interviews with a
slew of US indie rock notables, the film also features an in-depth
archive interview with Linkous himself.
Rounding off the series, Gregory Porter: Don’t Forget
Your Music spans the rise of the Californian jazz singer over four
years with exclusive access of the recording sessions of Porter’s
hugely successful breakthrough hit, the Grammy Award-winning
Take Me To The Alley.
Jacaranda Records (Keith Ainsworth)
GIG
Record Store Day @
The Jacaranda
22/04
Blow the dust off your stylus and get your vinyl brush
out, Record Store Day is coming around once again;
the day when wax worshippers celebrate all that is
special about everyone’s favourite yesteryear format.
Like all self-respecting music cities, Liverpool comes alive on
Record Store Day as punters rise uncharacteristically early to get
their hands on the exclusive releases and limited editions.
The Jacaranda, which has established itself as a vinyl hub
over the last couple of years, is committing all three of its floors
to Record Store Day activity. Upstairs will stock all the day’s
special releases, while crate diggers Penningtons will be flogging
second hand vinyl in the basement. In the afternoon, there’ll be
a live showcase from Mellowtone artists NICK ELLIS and DAVE
O’GRADY, plus music from THE JESSE JAMES and a DJ set from
Positive Vibration festival’s RORY TAYLOR. In the evening, the
dusty crates will make way for live sets from local artists who
are all launching special RSD releases. ASTLES, SUB BLUE and
AMIQUE AND THE ECSTASY are among the artists playing from
6pm until late.
The venue is also inviting musos to bring their favourite
vinyl records to play in-store for entry to a special giveaway.
“The Jacaranda’s ethos of being a musical hub for musicians and
music lovers alike makes us so excited to see how everyone will
react to what we have planned throughout the day,” said the
venue’s manager Joe Maryanji. “With us giving away £100 worth
of official releases, tickets to local festivals and complementary
coffee on the day, we are trying to give as much back to the
community that has helped to reassert The Jacaranda as a vibrant
and eclectic venue that will forever be all about the music.”
Head to bidolito.co.uk for a full rundown of what’s going on in
Liverpool for Record Store Day (Saturday 22nd April).
PREVIEWS 37

PREVIEWS
GIG
Bido Lito! Membership
Launch Party
24 Kitchen Street – 20/04
MC Farhood (Michelle Roberts)
To launch our new Bido Lito! Membership we’ve invited the
cream of Liverpool’s musical crop – old favourites, new favourites,
rockers, popsters and rappers – to perform at Baltic institution
24 Kitchen Street. The wonderful garage-psych noisemakers that
are STRANGE COLLECTIVE take the headline slot, with Iranian
grime artist MC FARHOOD, lucid alt. rockers VEYU, lo-fi surf
popper PIXEY, and Scouse jangle rockers THE SHIPBUILDERS,
all in tow. Free and exclusive to Bido Lito! members, it’s set to
be a stormer. Sign up to the membership in advance via
bidolito.co.uk or sign up on the night.
GALLERY
LOOK Sharp
Open Eye Gallery and Museum of Liverpool
07/04-14/05
Returning in its tenth year, Liverpool’s International Photography
Festival, takes on the theme of Cities of Exchange under its LOOK/17
guise. Pairing Liverpool and Hong Kong, the largest photography
festival in the North will explore the themes of urbanism, social
housing, architecture, commerce and colonialism, through the lens of
one of the most easily accessible art forms. The festival will feature
a new commission from Wo Bik Wong, one of Hong Kong’s leading
photographers, whose work will focus around the Port of Liverpool
Building. For new perspectives on our fair city and urban experience
in general, this is definitely one to keep your eye on.
LOOK17 (Michael Kirkham)
GIG
Happyness
The Magnet – 20/04
Pretty much anything that comes through MoshiMoshi Records is sure to perk our
ears and HAPPYNESS are no exception. Channelling the best of 90s indie with
obvious influences from the likes of Teenage Fanclub and Pavement, this is a group
who can make raucous, fuzz-driven anthems as easily as a half whispered lullaby,
topping it all off with an unrivalled sardonic wit. Having won both the critics
and audience’s acclaim with their layered and textured first album Weird Little
Birthday, this tour will coincide with their return to record – which, by the singles
they’ve released so far, is set to be just as much of a treat.
GIG
Wicked Whispers Residency
EBGBS – 01/04-29/04
Whimsical kaleidoscope rockers THE WICKED WHISPERS play a five-week free
residency for Liquidation’s pre-club show at EBGBS throughout April. The run of
weekly Saturday night shows comes ahead of their brand new EP release, and
sees them teaming up with some very special guests: new melodic rock trio THE
FERNWEH kick things off on 1st April, with Uptight! DJ SCOOTER PAUL playing
60s beat, soul, psych and ska on 8th April. Then on 15th April they’re joined by
indie-pop four-piece DAEZ, with genre-defying collective LOKA rounding things
off on 29th April (guests for 22nd April TBC). Entry for each show is free between
7 and 11pm.
FESTIVAL
FestEVOL
Invisible Wind Factory – 31/04
FestEVOL has become a stalwart of the Liverpool musical
calendar, showcasing a plethora of emerging musical talents
along with some of the biggest on the scene. Having started life
in The Kazimier, the festival shall return to its spiritual home in
its new compounds of the much bigger (but no less fantastic)
Invisible Wind Factory. With something to please even the most
disconcerting of music fans, the broad EVOL Spotify playlist is
brought to life by the psychedelic shoegaze of ULRIKA SPACEK
and art pop of WILD BEASTS, through to the sneering anarchy of
CABBAGE and primal noise from PULLED APART BY HORSES.
Pulled Apart by Horses
FESTIVAL
Safe As Milk
Pontins, Prestatyn – 21/04
At the holiday resort of Pontins in Prestatyn, the only
entertainment you’d normally expect would come from the
Redcoats and karaoke; but, for one mind-bending weekend
in late April, that all changes. Much like the Captain Beefheart
album it gets its name from, Safe As Milk champions the
ambitious, experimental and the avant-garde. Bringing us
the only UK appearance of freak rock weirdoes BUTTHOLE
SURFERS, alongside English folk revivalist SHIRLEY COLLINS,
art collective THE RESIDENTS, and Syrian Dabke party starter
OMAR SOULEYMAN, it could just be one of the weirdest lineups
of the year. Bring on the strange.
GIG
14-Hour Super Weird Happening
The Florrie – 01/04
50 years on from the 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, a catalytic
countercultural event at the Alexandra Palace in London, DJ
Greg Wilson’s label Super Weird Substance host their own
contemporary happening that hopes to evoke the fabled
summer of love spirit. The all-day “gathering of tribes” festival
will be a hive of activity throughout, with live music from
KERMIT LEVERIDGE and THE TEA STREET BAND, exhibitions,
live art, a conversation with legendary illustrator ALAN
MOORE, and many more mini-happenings inspired by the
mysticism around The Cosmic Trigger and Festival 23.
38

CLUB
Percolate –
Motor City Drum Ensemble
Underground Liverpool – 21/04
Motor City Drum Ensemble
Percolate is a four year old party that has recently sprung out
from its London home to start up with shows in Manchester
– and now it’s Liverpool’s turn. Headlining the shindig is retro/
futuristic German deep house pioneer MOTOR CLUB DRUM
ENSEMBLE, the brainchild of Danilo Plessow. Hailing from
Stuttgart (Deutschland’s Motor City), MCDE have nigh-on a
decade’s worth of material to draw on, including the hugely
revered Raw Cuts series that spanned from 2008 to 2014. With
an astounding depth of crate digging knowledge and in-demand
remixing duties for Caribou, Zero7 and Jazzanova to boot, the
office spaces surrounding the club won’t know what’s hit it.
COMEDY
Sara Pascoe
Epstein Theatre
After publishing a book exploring the evolution of the female
body, lively and frank comedian SARA PASCOE turns her
attention towards the animalistic side of humans for her latest
tour. Riffing on questions of how we become better people
or if humans are naturally bad, the regular Live At The Apollo
and Mock The Week star expounds on sexuality, empathy, art,
God and pubic hair in her usual honest, unflinching style. If that
sounds too weighty, worry not, as selfies, glow worms and
RuPaul’s Drag Race are also on the agenda.
Sara Pascoe
GIG
Stormzy
O2 Academy – 02/04
Stormzy (Sam Rowlands)
Grime may have been around for over a decade now, but it’s only been within the
last few years that it’s got the real credit it deserves, having cultivated the only
contemporary youth culture with any sense of credibility, and having finally hit the
charts in a big way. After Mercury Prize winner Skepta, perhaps the next biggest
name on the scene is STORMZY, who, at just 23, is already becoming an icon of a
generation. Having first hit Liverpool for Sound City back in 2015 when he played
in a marquee, his recent return at a signing for his chart-topping album saw him
blessing babies. This show could go down in history as an ‘I was there’ moment.
FOOD + GIG
Anti Social Jazz Club
Xiringuito – 27/04
The Anti Social Jazz Club is a brand new experimental music platform dedicated
to improvised music and connected genres from around the world. For its maiden
outing, Bido Lito! are joining forces with ASJC to present an altogether new jazz
experience: a one-off event set within the bold and ambitious architectural setting
of pop-up restaurant Xiringuito at Northern Lights (Cains Brewery, Grafton Street).
Featuring live performances from cutting-edge jazz maestros WANDERING
MONSTER and Liverpool’s own BLIND MONK TRIO, there will also be a bespoke
AV installation and a DJ set from calypso king DANNY FITZGERALD. What’s more,
Xiringuito are creating an exclusive four-course menu especially for the evening, at
£50 a head. Call Xiringuito to book your table: 07767074316.
FESTIVAL
Fat Out Festival + Competition
Islington Mill, Salford – 14/04-16/04
The inimitable Fat Out Festival returns to Salford for its fourth edition this month.
Islington Mill’s wondrous programme of the experimental and avant-garde, in
collaboration with Supersonic Festival, Baba Yaga’s Hut and the Quietus, brings
a melon-twisting array of artists from a variety of fields. THE BUG VS DYLAN
CARLSON OF EARTH, TEETH OF THE SEA and GIANT SWAN bring the noise
and drone, while the likes of PART CHIMP and TRANS AM provide more guitarled
perversions. To celebrate this extravaganza of the extraordinary, we are giving
away a pair of tickets over on our Facebook page – hurry, the competition closes
on 7th April.
GIG
Jesca Hoop
The Magnet – 05/04
Jesca Hoop
From growing up in a traditional Mormon setting to
becoming the nanny to Tom Wait’s children, JESCA HOOP’s
life experience provides reason for her rich and diverse
back catalogue which expands across five albums. Hailing
from the Sunshine State of California and now residing
amidst the perpetually grey skies of Manchester, Hoop’s
work is characterised by defiant attack. “Her music is like
going swimming in a lake at night,” is how Tom Waits
described listening to Hoop’s new album Memories Are
Now, which encompasses traditional folk influence with
more experimental elements. Mellowtone and Ceremony
bring her to The Magnet for one of her most intimate shows
of the tour.
PREVIEWS 39

REVIEWS
“The whole set
builds in intensity,
a killer riff in Talyat
is pure southern
swamp”
Tinariwen (Aaron McManus / ampix.co.uk)
Tinariwen
Harvest Sun and Africa Oyé
@ Invisible Wind Factory - 07/03
The Invisible Wind Factory kicks off another mouthwatering
season of live performances with one of only three UK
appearances by Tuareg ‘desert blues’ pioneers TINARIWEN.
Nomads of the Saharan region of northern Mali and southern
Algeria they have found themselves forced to live a nomadic
existence of an entirely different kind, in on-off exile for the better
part of four decades due to almost constant political upheaval in
their homelands. They have held both Kalashnikov and Telecaster,
fighting in desert wadis and recording their music in Palm
Springs – quite the contrast, to put it mildly. As online politico/
cultural magazine Slate put it, Tinariwen are “rock ‘n’ roll rebels
whose rebellion, for once, isn’t just metaphorical”.
Before tonight’s show I asked them how being in exile had
affected the recording of their latest album, Elwan, and they
came back with a down-to-earth but positive take. “Tinariwen
were born in exile. The situation is not shocking: the new songs
are about today’s issues and problems. Also, it gave us the
opportunity to go to the Moroccan Sahara where we had a very
good recording session. It was very inspirational, like the Adrar
des Ifoghas [mountain range] in the north of Mali, the Azawad
region which is our home.” If Morocco provided something of a
home from home, then recording parts of the album some two
years earlier in California has added, according to critics, another
layer to their traditional sound. I ask them about the contributions
made by guests on the album – Kurt Vile and Mark Lanegan
on the California sessions, a group of Berber gnawa trance
musicians on the Moroccan sessions – but they say only that they
“appreciated their humble participation”, which I guess means
nobody rocked up with a rock star attitude, but rather with a love
of the band’s music and a genuine desire to contribute to it. Apart
from Lanegan’s short English vocal on Nànnuflày I couldn’t readily
identify the guests playing, the contributions blend seamlessly
into the mix. The album provides a heady brew of polyrhythmic,
propulsive, percussion, weaving guitar lines and delicious vocal
harmonies and, for a music so trance-like, the tracks on Elwan are
relatively short, with only three tracks over the four-minute mark.
Would they stick to that punchy template live or would things
spiral off into noodling territory?
They walk on stage in their now familiar robes and
tagelmusts. Beautiful shades of blue and gold shimmer in the
spotlights as a guitar drone floats out across a sea of expectant
faces and a handclap accompaniment is picked up immediately
by the crowd. They move quickly into Nizzagh Ijbal from Elwan:
a slow, pattering percussion, a repeated guitar motif, bassline
walking slowly, inexorably like a camel crossing the Sahara,
exquisitely chanted vocals that have echoed the hopes and fears
of a people down through the centuries; it’s a gentle introduction
to the groove that will quickly, magically, cast its spell over the
audience and hold them entranced for the rest of the evening.
Two percussionists play, by hand, a stripped down,
accessorised drum kit and a variety of gourds, toms and shakers,
which provide plenty of variety and depth to the rhythm. Eyadou
Ag Leche’s bass playing is lithe and persistent; Abdallah Ag
Alhousseyni and founder member Ibrahim Ag Alhabib take turns
on lead vocal and lead guitar duties and, despite the obvious
language barrier, you can feel their longing for the homeland
from which they are exiled, coupled with joyful evocations of the
land they miss. When I asked them about the current problems in
Mali they again manage to put a positive spin on things, stating
that “despite the problems of journeying through the Sahara, the
situation is a big source of inspiration, there are so many subjects
to address in this tough reality.” A line in Nànnuflày sums this
up beautifully: “Pursuing memories built on a dune that’s always
moving”.
They address that reality in a set balanced between tracks
from the new album and plenty of older material and they do
indeed keep to the punchy template of Elwan in a 20-song set.
(A Guardian review of the band’s Brixton show comments on
the fact that many of the latest album tracks celebrate female
strength and it is perhaps a shame that tonight’s line-up, unlike
many of its predecessors, doesn’t include the counterpoint of
female voices). As the night develops, Leche proves to be a
flamboyant and funky bassist and Elaga Ag Hamid’s rhythm
playing is a joy throughout. He seems to be filtering Mississippi
hill blues, John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley and a fair dose of fuzzy
psych into a hypnotic, rolling groove that meshes perfectly with
the fluid, bluesy little rills spiralling from Ibrahim and Abdallah’s
guitars. Kel Tinawen ups the ante again with its snaking rhythm,
the crowd smiling and constantly moving, and there’s a fair
bit of head shaking awe at the end of each track. They have a
wonderful way of fading their songs out, the groove continuing,
quieter, quieter, until barely audible, before a burst of wild
applause from an increasingly transfixed crowd.
The whole set builds in intensity, a killer riff in Talyat is pure
southern swamp, a funky bass solo sees the crowd clapping
along once again. They leave to tumultuous applause and
demands for an encore which sees Abdallah return on his own,
acoustic guitar in hand, to deliver a simply breathtaking solo
version of Curshan, beautiful flamenco inflections and bluesy
picking underscore an achingly evocative vocal which floats out
over a rapt, utterly silent crowd amid a fog of dry ice pierced by
blue and green lighting. The rest of the band wander back on
stage and blow away the swirling dry ice with the dervish-like,
rolling Chaghaybou.
I asked them if, in their enforced exile, they were able to
enjoy their time on the road? “Yes, we enjoy it, especially for
what it represents for our country. It is really tiring but it gives
us an enormous pleasure to do all these tours, we really enjoy to
live this life.” That enjoyment has proved to be utterly infectious.
Sometimes you go to a gig and everything falls into place, there’s
a certain vibe in the room that everyone gets, a shared feeling
of togetherness and community hard to find at any other type of
cultural gathering. Tonight, Tinariwen blow the invisible winds
of the Sahara a little further north than usual, mesmerizingly
enabling us to share those feelings. !
Glyn Akroyd / @glynakroyd
42

Liverpool
International
Jazz Festival
The Capstone Theatre - 12/03-14/03
“An eclectic festival
that demonstrates
the rude health of
the contemporary
jazz scene in the UK”
2017 sees the LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
celebrate its fifth year at The Capstone Theatre, tucked away
on Liverpool Hope University’s Creative Campus in Everton.
Established by the Capstone’s creative campus manager Neil
Campbell, a classical guitarist and composer himself, LIJF has
previously welcomed Courtney Pine, Led Bib, GoGo Penguin and
James Taylor Quartet to the intimate venue – but what’s in store
for year five?
The opening night unfortunately falls casualty to the squalls
of Storm Doris as Thursday’s headliners Sons Of Kemet are
unable to attend. For those attending that means they are
instead treated to an extended performance by Liverpool-based
BLIND MONK TRIO, who can be best described as eastern-bopcinematic-alt-jazz.
Led by tenor saxophonist Bob Whittaker, who
has been heavily involved in the rising Liverpool jazz scene for
a number of years, Blind Monk Trio present a modern spin on
the classic chordless trio format, with influences spanning the
history of the jazz genre – from Sonny Rollins to Joe Henderson
and Avishai Cohen – blended with dark cinematic grooves and
eastern folk. Their extended performance takes in highlights from
their clown-fearing 2014 album Coulrophobia (Empire State Of
Mime), and A Single Petal Of A Rose from their latest album In
Search Of The Uncanny Valley.
With the winds now suitably becalmed, Friday is opened
by WANDERING MONSTER, who, having only formed in 2014,
have already been crowned winners of Jazz North’s Introducing
scheme. Led by Leeds College of Music graduate Sam Quintana,
the quintet is completed by Andy French (Tenor Sax), Calvin
Travers (Guitar), Aleks Podraza (Piano/Keys) and Tom Higham
(Drums). Performing Shark Ride, Hot Ride and The Rush Begins,
Podraza’s soulful piano playing stands out alongside a dazzling
drum solo from Higham. Wandering Monsters’ modern jazz
sound is the perfect hors d’oeuvre for the marvellous MAMMAL
HANDS, the Manchester-based trio who are signed to Matthew
Halsall’s Gondwana Records. Their mesmerising set showcases
their hypnotic fusion of jazz, folk and electronica to stunning
effect, and leaves us in little doubt as to who the stand out
artist of the weekend is. Like-minds Nick Smart (Piano), Jesse
Barrett (Drums, Percussion) and Jordan Smart (Saxophones)
have gained a well-deserved following since Mammal Hands
met in 2012 while busking in Norwich. Brothers Nick and Jordan
had previously played together as an electronic duo, but with
the addition of Barrett they have developed a distinctive sound
inspired by their love for electronic, contemporary classical,
world and jazz music. Mammal Hands’ distinguishing sound
can be attributed to various influences; Barrett brings a unique
approach to the drums by blending intricate and complex Indian
rhythmic patterns, having previously studied with tabla maestro
Sirishkumar Manji. Jordan’s admiration of DJ culture and folk
music from around the world are blended with the influences
of Pharoah Sanders and John Coltrane, while his brother Nick’s
knowledge of classical jazz harmonies – alongside his interest
in minimalist composers such as Terry Riley, Steve Reich and
LaMonte Young – inform his compositional piano playing, forming
some hypnotic patterns for the trio to build upon. Mammal Hands
treat the audience to a mood-shifting experience with their
thoughtfully inimitable compositions, which include a selection
of tracks such as Hourglass, Kudu, Kandaiki and Shift from their
latest albums Floa and Animalia. The spontaneity and interplay
of their bassless music is at times melancholic, while occasionally
straying into explosive and frantic offshoots.
Saturday continues to impress a full house, with Liverpoolbased
Norwegian drummer VIKTOR NORDBERG setting the
bar high with his trio who perform a mixture of familiar and
previously unheard music from his upcoming release. Starting
the performance with First Things, this is then followed by Last
Breath and Follow Up, with the personal highlight being Tiny
Superheroes which Viktor dedicates to his three-year-old son.
Saturday’s concert headliner, DAVID HELBOCK TRIO,
showcase their eccentric amalgam of piano, drums and bass
ukulele with an exceptional performance that commences with
Beethoven’s 7th Symphony for piano. Led by Austrian pianist
David Helbock, whom having studied classical piano under
Ferenc Bognar at the Feldkirch Conservatory, later became a
private student of the New York jazz pianist Peter Madsen. The
hotshot piano trio includes Helbock alongside bass ukulele player
Raphael Preushcel and drummer Reinhold Schmolzer; they go on
to perform a fantastic set featuring tracks Louverture, The World
Needs More Heroes, The Soul and Mother Earth from their latest
album Into The Mystic. The evening ends with a rousing encore
of Star Wars Theme which goes down a storm, unlike Doris two
days prior.
LIJF draws to a close on Sunday with a brilliant twopart
performance by NEIL COWLEY TRIO, who have built an
international following since forming in 2006. Led by UK jazz
pianist Neil Cowley alongside double bassist Rex Horan and
drummer Evan Jenkins, the first part of their evening performance
sees back-to-back tracks from their latest album Spacebound
Apes, including Governance and The City In The Stars. Following
a brief interlude, we’re royally entertained with Rooster Was A
Witness and Fable from their 2012 record The Face Of Mount
Molehill. And as the gusts subside, the curtain falls on another
successfully eclectic festival that demonstrates the rude health
of the contemporary jazz scene in the UK. Far from being the
preserve of chin-strokers and traditionalists, this is a genre of
music that is truly taking massive strides forward right now. Long
may it continue. !
Lee Fleming / @antisocialjazz
Mammal Hands (Mike Sheerin / michaelsheerin.photoshelter.com)
REVIEWS 43

Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation
Central Library - 25/02
There’s only one copy of the Bardo Thodol in Liverpool
Central Library and it’s not to be found in the former lecture
hall underneath the Picton Reading Room, because this is now
the children’s section. Tonight, however, there are at least five
copies of the text here present in the minds of JOSEFIN ÖHRN
+ THE LIBERATION. The ‘liberation’ in question is the Thodol
itself; the liberation through hearing during the transitional state,
AKA the Tibetan Book of the Dead. You don’t have to have read
it (or been liberated) to get some idea of what they sound like.
Balancing psych rock with shoegaze and pop production values
via Serge Gainsbourg-esque vocal delivery, the eponymous
Swede whispers the title of the band’s October release and reestablishes
her mystique in Rainbow Lollipop: “Je suis un Mirage”.
Frontwoman Öhrn is not one to grab the limelight. In
fact, there is no limelight, just oil-and-water projections and
live manipulation of the band’s multicoloured silhouettes via
video feed (the spirit of the UFO Club is alive and well with a
band who clearly have a soft spot for Pink Floyd’s post-Syd,
pre-Dark Side era). She sings Endless Ocean not as a bird flying
above the waves, but as a siren lurking in the depths with her
entourage. It’s a really well-mixed sound that lets her low, sultry
vocals cut through the throbbing synths and bass. They don’t
reach the depths of introspection plumbed by some psych bands
in a groove – most of the songs are too short for that – but
they’ve still got the gloss of pop stagecraft, as evidenced by the
lurch into Sunny Afternoon: it’s exactly the same segue from
The Cowboy Song into The Boys Are Back In Town on Thin
Lizzy’s Live And Dangerous.
This is a perfect venue – there is something historical,
mythological about psych that readies it for performances in
Victorian edifices. It’s hardly a stretch of the imagination to see
a gas-lit post mortem taking place in here for medical students.
Live music rarely suits an autopsy, but it’s worth noting that these
guys know how to build a song – whether it’s the tag-team of
organ and vocals in lead single Mirage, The State (I’m In) or the
drums kicking in halfway through Sister Green Eyes, galloping
to the end of their most classically psych number, a moment
which acts as a triangulation point, giving a sense of the gig’s
dimensions.
This is the second date of an intense UK tour (11 gigs in
nearly as many days), but after touring with Goat and appearing
at Liverpool Psych Fest over the last two years and with two
albums released in that time, the Liberation have made room for
their selves in Liverpool. Until their next visit, are they worth a
weekend break in Stockholm? More like a trip to Pzykholm.
Stuart Miles O’Hara / @ohasm1
Josefin Ohrm + The Liberation (Mike Sheerin)
Photograph by Stephen McCoy, From the series Skelmersdale, 1984
North. Identity, Photography, Fashion. Open Eye Gallery, 2017
North: Identity,
Photography, Fashion
Open Eye Gallery - 06/01 – 19/03
North: Identity, Photography, Fashion marks Open Eye’s 40th
anniversary, and it has become one of the gallery’s most popular
and well-attended exhibitions of its recent history; it has captured
the imagination of the public and media alike, drawing in the
crowds and gaining publicity both locally and nationally.
Co-curated by Lou Stoppard and Adam Murray, the premise
of the exhibition is to reflect the wide-reaching influences of the
North as a self-identifiable entity with meaningful contributions
in all creative cultural fields, from music to fashion to art. Despite
the presence of art heavyweights (the exhibition features the
likes of Peter Saville), Stoppard states that she aims for the
exhibition to mean something to people; the true focus of the
exhibition being the people on the street, inviting audiences to
respond to the sights and sounds presented, that are at once
familiar but also removed once they are presented in the form of
high art and culture.
Despite the anticipation and praise of the national press,
on a more local level the exhibition has been met with mixed
reviews. The curator’s intentions were to directly combat the now
semi-ubiquitous ‘fashion blockbuster’ that has gained traction in
the art world of late. These London-centric showcases tend to
highlight the work of a single designer and the work is shown
in direct relation to the life of one individual but this becomes
counterproductive: the work is out of context, removed from the
wider culture within which it was fomented.
North, in its intentions, is diametrically opposed to this: it
takes fashion and photography from across the globe and gives it
context, highlighting the motifs that have their roots in the North
but can take on a wider significance. It deconstructs these images
to show the northern origins, centring on the idea of a single
communal identity which grows into a widely-disseminated trope
that can become meaningful and relevant to those who have
never laid eyes on the area.
However, the exhibition’s examination and portrayal of
northern culture has been deemed shallow by some, accusing
it of portraying stylised, even fetishised versions of the working
class by those who are removed from the culture itself, rather
than depicting an accurate reflection of complexities and depth
of northern culture. Instead it is reminiscent of the blockbuster
shows it reviles; it paints the North as a series of homogenised
tropes co-opted and exploited by the fashion industry.
This analysis is perhaps a little harsh, the curators treat the
subject with a level of sensitivity and care, and the inclusion of
celebrity names serves to reaffirm the importance of northern
culture and the extent to which its culture has been disseminated.
The central tenets of northern culture can be seen in both local
and global artists from Mark Leckey to Jeremy Deller; North
reinforces the root of the central motifs, marrying the symbol with
its origin.
Jessica Fenna / @jess_fenna
44

Tom Grennan
+ Barns Courtney
I Love Live Events @ Shipping Forecast -
01/03
Success can be a threatening prospect in the music industry.
Too often we have seen artists who once had oodles of raw
individuality become watered-down versions of themselves in
an attempt to build a wider audience to sell to. There’s a point at
which, sometimes, an artist becomes more of a business than a
creative entity. Failing that, quite often we also see artists lose
all credibility as they withdraw from their honest expression
and attempt to make themselves more anodyne and likeable;
detaching from their cult following and drifting in limbo as
they desperately try to ‘make it’. It seems that an artist’s career
eventually reaches a moment where they can either opt for
underground cult heroism or risk themselves on mainstream
stardom. For our headliner tonight, such a moment has reared
itself.
In The Shipping Forecast’s Hold, support act BARNS
COURTNEY introduces himself to a packed crowd. He dives
into a set of impressive bluesy pop songs that gets the stirring
audience moving. Considering he is just one man and a guitar he
has a formidable stage presence and can cut through the hustleand-bustle
of bar chatterings and turn everyone’s head.
TOM GRENNAN has an undeniable buzz surrounding him
this year. He’s a frequent collaborator with Chase & Status and
with a steady stream of EPs over the past couple of years, he’s
building steam – and fast. He’s already reached the BBC’s Sound
Of 2017 longlist and has been spotlighted by MTV Brand New
for 2017. Not bad for a young lad from Bedford.
Mic Lowry
+ Mahalia
O2 Academy - 18/02
The term ‘boy band’ might immediately make you think of girls
screaming at a group of hair-gelled and check-shirted lads, who
were put together by a record label or a reality contest based on
their teen-idol potential. The stereotype can be a misleading one
and MIC LOWRY are here to show us why.
The five Liverpool-born members – Ben Sharples, Kaine
Ofoeme, Akia Jones, Delleile Ankrah and Michael Welch –
began singing together in vocal workshops ran by a local music
development company, Positive Impact. In 2011, they decided
to fuse their talents and start a vocal harmony group. From
performing in small venues around Liverpool, MiC Lowry have
since won the 2014 MOBO Unsung award, performed on the
BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury, and ended 2016 by
supporting Justin Bieber on his European tour. Embarking on their
own tour this year, the group complete this rousing circle when
they make their homecoming at a packed O2 Academy, delivering
the outstanding vocal abilities that give MiC Lowry their edge.
The evening begins with support from MAHALIA, whose
sensitive acoustics and high spirits delight the already buzzing
crowd. They enthusiastically sing along to her cover of Rihanna’s
Work, which maintains the smooth rhythm of the original, while
adding her own tender and soulful twist with slick guitar strums
and lovely vocals. Mahalia’s own tracks, Back Up Plan and Social
Media, offer relatable and encouraging lyrics from the uplifting
perspective of a thoughtful young woman. Mahalia points to
issues that evidently resonate with the mostly teenage crowd
who quickly pick up her catchy lyrics.
When it’s their turn to enter the fray, MiC Lowry are
welcomed to the stage by the excited cheers of a warm audience
as they readily launch into the first track of the night, Saving All
My Love. The performance is stripped back and relies on the
synchronised rhythm of their stunning vocal collaboration, as
each member brings their own passionate sound and technique.
Varying in pitch and tone, their voices bring something different
to each song in terms of emotion and rhythm. Influenced by the
likes of Boyz II Men and Jagged Edge, Tuxedo and Bad Intentions
are reminiscent of old school soul and RnB. The group effortlessly
blend their silvery vocals into slick harmonies onstage, whilst
confidently dancing to the smooth and buoyant beats. Not only
delivering upbeat tracks, the emotive RnB ballad Heart Of Yours
causes mass swoons in the crowd with its slow and gentle
rhythm.
Similarly to Bieber, the group gathered a fan base via online
platforms such as YouTube, where they have posted many
notable covers and mash-ups. Tonight, the group treat us to
impressive covers of Bryson Tiller’s Exchange and Don’t, as well
as Sweet Love by M-Beat. They inject an exciting funk vibe into
the evening, with catchy beats that rile the singing crowd and
unite them in a groove. Recently released single, Oh Lord – an
adaptation of Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight – is a prime example
of the group’s dynamic and complex musical technique. The
overall richness of their performance promises plenty more
musical treats from these talented young men.
Jessica Greenall / @jessrg1995
But where does he go from here? Right now, he has a cult
following that has had The Hold sold out weeks before tonight’s
show. However, as he steps onto the stage and dives headlong
into a set full of heart-wrenching ballads and uplifting anthems, it
has to be said that a large section of the crowd seems to be quite
indifferent to what’s happening on stage. It’s as if the people
here just want to be seen being here rather than to revel in the
spectacle of the show. Everyone is very aware of themselves.
And it is not Grennan’s fault. He sings passionately from
the bottom of his heart and tears through songs such as
Something In The Water and Giving It All with a heated intensity.
He plays, and sings, well. It’s just that he doesn’t quite drag
people’s attention towards the stage. There’s the occasional
sing along, and some cheering and camaraderie, but too often
it’s unfortunate to witness people talking and laughing amongst
themselves while he plays – it’s irritating.
His set is loaded with powerful performances, with a
definitive peak in Sweet Hallelujah. However, as he closes the
set to a loud applause it’s not convincing that his following is as
loyal as their numbers suggest. It could perhaps be that Grennan
is, unfortunately for him, the hipster’s flavour of the week. This
year will be telling for tonight’s headlining young artist, and it’ll
no doubt be interesting to see whatever happens. But whichever
way he moves on this crossroad, his performance tonight proves
that his talent is not just hype.
Christopher Carr / @ccar88
Five Years Of Madnice
+ Abstract Orchestra Does Dilla
+ MC Ge-Ology
Madnice Marauders and Bam!Bam!Bam! @
24 Kitchen Street - 18/02
Big band hip hop collective ABSTRACT ORCHESTRA bring to
life some of James Dewitt Yancey’s best work, cramming onto
the small stage tonight to celebrate his music and life, and to
demonstrate their love and appreciation for sharing his talent
with the world. Often being described as ‘the Mozart of hip hop’,
not only is Dilla’s music overwhelmingly influential for many past
and present hip hop artists, it is almost as carefully crafted as
the classical musical mastermind. Tonight’s show, in celebration
of the fifth birthday of promoters MADNICE MARAUDERS at
the well-loved 24 Kitchen Street, is all set up to be a musical
masterpiece. The late J Dilla would have celebrated his 43rd
birthday on 10th February, making for perfect timing for the
collective to perform his work.
The setting and atmosphere is almost ironic; this grungy
venue playing host to a classical set up, complete with sheet
music neatly placed on stands, as opposed to DJ decks and a
mic for the MC. With only a slight delay, the collective take to the
stage with the sold-out crowd screaming in excitement. Opening
with track Nothing Like This, the room is soon filled with the
audience singing back the catchy vocal hook “All I need in
Tom Grennan (Kay Lang / @KayLangPhoto)
Abstract Orchestra Does Dilla (Mook Loxley / mookloxley.tumblr.com)
my life is/there ain’t nothing like this/I never felt quite like this”.
The Abstract Orchestra and their crowd are transported into a
dream-like state as the essence of J Dilla’s unique sound becomes
stronger with each track, amounting to a very fitting opening.
The interweaving dual male and female vocal lines create
a perfect harmony with leading flute and saxophone lines
throughout the set; most notably on crowd favourite U-Love
where, at times, the flute steals the vocal melody to make way for
the backline to shine and Dilla’s classic hip hop beats find their
way to centre stage. The constant parallels between old school
hip hop, jazz and classical genres remind the audience and the
performers of Dilla’s versatility and knowledge of music. The set
up of music stands and a conductor remains firmly within the
classical realm; but the driving brass riffs and complex rhythms
steer towards a more typical jazz standard, it is then that the
rhythm section steals the audience’s attention and establishes
J-Dilla’s influential loose, laid back rapping style.
As the set comes to a close, the audience screams for an
encore as we grasp for a few more seconds of raw energy
form Abstract Orchestra whilst they re-live the epic stream of
J-Dilla’s work performed in its purist form. With the live ensemble
recreating the scratches and mixes between songs, just as if it
were being played on decks, nothing can compare to the sweet
sounds of live brass mirroring the melodies of one of the greats.
As New York MC GE-OLOGY takes to the stage, his effortless
expertise transports the crowd onto the next track, keeping the
energy of the room alive long after the sound of Dilla fades into
the night.
Rosa Jane / @RosaaJW
46

Karl Blau
+ Astles
Harvest Sun @ Leaf - 17/02
A quick google search of KARL BLAU will return images of Blau
fantastically clad in rhinestones, cowboy hats and embroidered
jackets, along with articles fawning over his most recent release,
Introducing Karl Blau (and rightly so). Introducing…, is a catalogue
of country-soul covers of mostly Nashville classics, the careful
selection and alignment of which, create a beautiful tale of
love, loss, adventure and hope. You’d be forgiven to assume the
Nashville stuff was his niche – his sonic and literal home actually
lies within the American North West indie scene, where he’s
heralded as an integral foundation. His back catalogue, (most of
which proudly fill the racks in K Records - which includes releases
from Beck and Kimya Dawson of the Moldy Peaches) is a diverse
exploration and representation of his enthusiasm and passion
for music. So tonight, I’m left with an itching curiosity as to what
corner of Karl’s world we’ll explore.
Which’ll have to wait as it’s ASTLES who’s first to mount
the stage at Leaf tonight. A large, receptive and reverent crowd
overlook Astles as he solitarily occupies the front of the stage.
Unassuming and restrained he stays rooted to the centre of the
stage, his guitar twines minimalist, delicate but evocative lullingfabrics.
His presence, in lack of a band is slight, however his
pained, sonorous voice fills the open spaces of the room. His set
is short, although it’s stuffed with sincerity and honesty.
A small collection of cowboy hats drift along the crests of
the crowd, as Karl and the band make their way to the stage.
The first few notes of Woman (Sensous Woman) spiral from
a pedal guitar and the scene is quickly set for Blau’s brand of
Tennessee drenched country-folk. Karl’s deep mellifluous voice
floats around the room, the pain and sorrow of Let The World Go
By reverberates a deeper sense of loss, honeyed with a sweeter
sense of hope, through the medium of Karl’s humanising voice.
The majority of the set is devoted to his most recent release,
however, a few articles from his catalogue get a country lacquer.
Slow Children, is a highlight, a heartfelt tribute to his childhood
cat, who was run over by a car; the chorus delivering a melodic
reminder of the naivety and frailty of youth.
At times there is nothing much to say about the performance;
the songs are performed so seamlessly, care free and
professional, it leaves little to critique and explore. Much like
Ronnie O’Sullivan playing with his left hand or Manchester United
bringing on Phil Neville at half time – the band showboat by
switching up positions with a playful glee, and continue to coast
along the set. Karl and his band, are affable, fun and evoke the
hospitality and nature of a country joint’s resident band.
What continues to intrigue me most about Blau, is his
seeming ability to adopt a style of playing or a musical genre,
master it, and make those songs his own. The gig has catalysed
my interest into the scope of Blau as a multi-instrumentalist,
a portrayer of characters and storyteller. It will be interesting
to see where Blau will expand, what direction he’ll take. But
in the meantime, for the next few weeks, my idle afternoons
will be spent delving myself into his K Records back catalogue
and his world of DIY releases, in the hope of gaining a further
appreciation of the man.
Jonny Winship / @jmwinship
ROUND UP
A selection of the best of
the rest from another busy
month of live action on
Merseyside.
Powersolo (Paul McCoy)
Although The Kazimier is no longer with us, you’ll still
find the Kazimer Garden surrounded by a matrix of
scaffolding, plywood boarding and the rubble of its late
sibling. And it’s in this oasis that Stuart Miles O’Hara
immerses himself for an evening of music in the company
of TAUPE that channels the old spirit of the Kaz. Bursting
straight into a breakneck set, the three-piece of sax, guitar,
and drums waste no time in showing off the gut-wrenching
changes of tempo that characterise their second album,
Fill Up Your Lungs And Bellow. With an improvisational
style that gets the forehead veins throbbing, it springs to
mind a new cut-and-paste genre: ‘math jazz’. “This is what
jazz sounds like,” they say – because it’s 2017, and nobody
wears berets anymore.
Over at the O2 Academy, Del Pike is in the presence
of a true icon of indie rock as he settles in for an EVENING
WITH PETER HOOK AND THE LIGHT. Hooky makes short
shrift of demonstrating his stamina as he treats the fanatic
crowd to a two-part set packed to the brim with crowd
pleasers. The first half is dedicated to New Order, starting
with In A Lonley Place before stepping things up with Blue
Monday. The mood is noticeably different in the second half,
as Hook imitates the funereal vocals of Ian Curtis, although
a rousing finale of Love Will Tear Us Apart somehow lifts
the mood and sends everyone home humming.
It was only a matter of time before SOLARDO were
back to party with the Scousers, and Joe Hale is on hand
to witness their Sessions tour as they bring their bassdriven,
Haçienda-on-acid-influenced tech-house sound
to 24 Kitchen Street. Their range of garage drum ‘n’ bass,
rolling basslines and syncopated rhythms light the spark
for a lively audience, holding off until the end of the night to
kick the crowd into a free-for-all when they drop their most
famed track Tribesmen.
Elsewhere, Max Baker camps in Buyers Club until
the early hours for Familiar Circles’ debut as they host
producer ROSS FROM FRIENDS, who performs an
uninterrupted live set with a guitarist and a saxophonist.
Bootman, the set closer, is an exceptional example of
the South Londoner’s low budget sound, creating an
intimate sense of introspective romance in the red-lit room.
Meanwhile, Paul Fitzgerald is captivated by the barmy
Danish rock ‘n’ roll duo POWERSOLO in the back room of
Legion Of Lost Souls.
Full reviews of all these shows can be found now at
bidolito.co.uk.
Karl Blau (Mike Sheerin)
Taupe (Glyn Akroyd)
REVIEWS 47

ALTERNATIVE
FACTS
05/04
In association the exhibition
How Much Of This Is Fiction, join
Bido Lito! and a panel of special guests
including Professor David Garcia to
discuss post-truth politics, fake news,
and the role of independent media.
The Box, FACT
Free to Bido Lito! members
£4 non-members adv from bidolito.co.uk

SAY
THE FINAL
Fancy revelling in the
soundtrack to the UK’s
social and cultural history?
Allow KEVIN MCMANUS,
curator of the newly-opened
British Music Experience, to
explain why you can now do so
in the most perfect of settings.
“One of the key
aspects of what we
do at BME is tracking
changes in music
over time”
I
don’t think you will find many people arguing with the view
that Liverpool is the perfect home for the British Music
Experience. All over the world people associate the city
with music; I’ve written about all kinds of Liverpool music
for almost 40 years and you can’t get away from the fact that
music is an integral part of the city’s lifeblood. The setting in the
Cunard Building is perfect too: not just because it is a magnificent
building on the waterfront but because of its history, in particular
its special link to America. One of the things we explore at BME
is how music from the UK and the US has influenced, or been
influenced by, each other. The 60s British Invasion is just the
most obvious example.
Everyone who visits is amazed by how great the space in
the Cunard Building looks. Part of my role will be looking to
programme activity and work with partners to bring in events
to make full use of this space. We’ve already had live music on
our opening night, but the core space is absolutely perfect for
showing music films and having music panels or ‘In Conversation’
sessions – when Boy George’s hologram isn’t dancing on it, that
is! As well as programming events to tie in with key music events
and anniversaries, we will be looking to see how we can work
with the music community in Liverpool and collaborate with the
likes of Sound City, LIMF and, of course, Bido Lito!. We already
have a very special event scheduled as part of the Bido Lito!
Membership package, which I’m really excited to be a part of.
Put very simply, the British Music Experience is a museum
that showcases and celebrates the best of British music from
1945 right through to the present day. If the word ‘museum’
puts you off, please think again: BME is a vibrant and interactive
space filled with music and great visuals throughout, as well
as a vast array of fascinating artefacts. The infectious enthusiasm
of our brilliant front of house team also adds hugely to the
visitor experience.
One of the key aspects of what we do at BME is tracking
changes in music over time. We place music in the context of
what was happening socially and politically over the last 70
years, and how these contexts impact on the music made at that
particular time. Sure, music is often about good times, celebrating
and dancing – and it’s this joyfulness that makes it a crucial part
of everybody’s life – but music is also political and serves as
a reflector of society, or as a means to bring particular issues
to the fore. BME demonstrates how music has often acted as
a significant influencer, an agent of change, or as a vehicle for
protest. In my own case, punk music was probably what made
me politically aware for the first time in my life – and I was soon
attending Rock Against Racism events.
At BME you can see how rock ‘n’ roll developed as a result
of the end of post-war austerity, and the emergence of teenagers
with disposable income wanting to be part of a music and
fashion movement that differentiated them from their parents.
We chart the rise of psychedelia in the 60s and how it was
linked to the huge changes taking place in society, and so on
right through to punk and ska, the significance of Live Aid,
and much more.
We have got so many great artefacts that it is difficult to
pick out individual items – and we have more arriving all the
time. There are amazing objects from David Bowie, The Beatles,
Queen, Rolling Stones, The Who, Stone Roses, Oasis, Spice Girls
and Adele, to name just a few. Anyone with even the vaguest
interest in music will find it fascinating seeing all this history,
and it’s also loads of fun getting hands on with the interactive
elements of the exhibition. In our Gibson area you can play guitar,
drums and keyboards, have a go in the vocal booth or try out your
dance moves.
Personally, I think that music is all about people, and a real
highlight for me has been meeting so many lovely individuals
over the last few months, from the team here at BME right
through to the people who have loaned us material. It has been
a joy to work with people like the photographer Bruce Fleming,
who provided us with all the material for our Jimi Hendrix case,
and Rowena, who ran one of the regional Beatles Fan Clubs.
There is something new every day and I’m constantly surprised
by people’s generosity. A couple of weeks ago Robert Plant rang
me up out of the blue and chatted away like we were old mates.
It’s that sort of job, and I feel really privileged to be working on it
here in Liverpool. Plus, there’s no soundtrack quite like it!
Photography: Brendan Docherty
britishmusicexperience.com
Bido Lito! members will be able to embark on a unique tour of
the British Music Experience for our June Special Event, where
Kevin McManus and the BME’s other curators will give a special
private tour.
54