Viva Brighton Issue #57 November 2017

MUSIC
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Ben Bailey rounds up the local music scene
RED DEER PEOPLE
Fri 10, Hope & Ruin, 8pm, £3
A fascination with krautrock
and post-punk seems to have
motivated quite a few Brighton
bands in recent years, but
Red Deer People treat those genres not as ends in
themselves but as a starting point. Driving drums
pound against wall-of-sound guitars, while the
vocals rage half-submerged in the whirl of noise.
There are melodies too, don’t worry. They’ve only
been going a couple of years, but the four-piece
have done plenty of gigging around the UK and
supported the likes of Public Access TV, Ulrika
Spacek and TRAAMS. This show is the launch of
new single C’est Bon. Though there’s only a snippet
of it available online, it seems like an earworm
waiting to hatch. Support comes from Porridge
Radio and Jungfrau.
THE ACADEMY OF SUN
Thu 16, Hope & Ruin, 8pm, £5
Brighton songwriter Nick Hudson likes to stretch
himself. The Academy of Sun is his vehicle for
high-concept standalone albums, each more ambitious
than the last. The latest is called Codex Novena.
While the band describe themselves as a “queer,
psychedelic, politicised little cabal”, the new album
is variously termed a “magnificent hypersigil” and
a “nine-song prayer for healing”. So we basically
have no way of knowing what to expect. What we
do we know is that The Academy of Sun, once a
floating pool of backing musicians, has finally settled
down into a stable line-up and has collaborated
with members of Massive Attack and Sunn O))). If
past experience is anything to go by, the show may
include mournful piano ballads, orchestral pomp,
sleazy rock or any combination of the above.
ABI WADE
Sat 18, Brunswick, 8pm, £5/4
Effectively a one-woman band, Abi Wade is a
classically trained musician who has found an array
of interesting ways to make the most of her cello.
Not only does she pluck, bow and hit her instrument
with a variety of objects, she also manages to
add extra percussion and effects with crafty use of
foot pedals. This semi-regular night, organised by
indie folk band The Galleons, and also featuring
London’s Patch and the Giant, mixes it up with
the acts playing short sets in each half. While Abi’s
unique style is fascinating to watch, her music
transcends the novelty set-up. It’s often lush and
sombre, perfectly complemented by her clear and
versatile vocals.
BONOBO
Tue 21, Brighton Centre, 6.30pm, £27.50
Okay, okay, so he’s based in LA
now and hasn’t lived round here
for years, but we can still take
some vicarious pride from the
rise of electronic pioneer and
former Brighton boy Bonobo.
After releasing his debut album on local label Tru
Thoughts, Si Green has gone on to become one of
the most distinctive and successful acts in modern
dance music. And he’s done this without having any
kind of act at all. Rather than projecting a persona
to grab your attention, his focus has always been the
music. It’s richly layered and carefully constructed,
yet feels more human than anything else from the
often distant and cold realm of electronica. Interestingly,
Bonobo’s gig is one in a string of homecoming
shows at the Brighton Centre: Rag ‘n’ Bone Man,
Royal Blood and The Kooks are all playing the
venue this month.
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