Issue 86 / March 2018

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REVIEWS Ezra Furman (Glyn Akroyd / @GlynAkroyd) Ezra Furman Arts Club 04/02 An illuminated clock face emblazoned with the word ‘Transangelic’ dimly lights the front of the room, while I side-step my way through the huddled crowd, in pursuit of a space with sufficient oxygen to get me through the next 90 minutes of EZRA FURMAN’s latest visit to the Arts Club. It’s the most packed I’ve ever seen the venue, yet there seems to be little anticipatory energy in the room, and one too many comfy, space-engulfing hiking jackets. Contrastingly adorned in pearls and a kneelength frock, Furman opens with From A Beach House from his new album Transangelic Exodus, which serves as a gentler introduction to his set from what we’ve come to expect from the Chicagoan rocker. It takes a while for things to get going and with a less than enthusiastic version of Haunted Head, he perhaps displays early indulgence and fulfilment in tracks from his new album. Furman’s seventh studio album could be described as being more considered and creatively outreaching; exhibiting an impressive story-telling dynamic to his songwriting, it details the paranoid, visceral and supernatural tale of an angelic lover and their evasion from an oppressive government. In general, his newer tracks aren’t received with any enthusiasm; No Place, which features bludgeoning toms and a deep and distorted bassline, ignites a bracing, Iggy Pop-like rawness in some, but in others it seems to unsettle or irritate. This irritation seems to resurface at times through the set, as audible shushing and passive-aggressive remarks are exchanged between punters packed at the back of the room. It may be due to the intended lack of support for tonight’s show, but the crowd show very little of the attitude, rawness and empowering emancipation that emanates from Furman’s music. Fortunately, favourites such as My Zero and Tip Of A Match draw the crowd in for the carefree cavorting of which you’d expect. Furman is, as ever, engagingly powerful; his voice commanding, you feel every word, the pain, the joy, the humour. In between songs he evokes a fragile, coy, child-like playfulness that is incredibly endearing. Furman’s new album seems to mark an end of a chapter musically for the artist, a necessary evolution for artists that like to stay fulfilled and relevant. Parts of the crowd around me may not have been ready for their ears to be turned to new sounds, but there is certainly more to come from Furman, and I’m sure this will be a defining new chapter in his musical ascent. Jonny Winship / @jmwinship Ezra Furman (Glyn Akroyd / @GlynAkroyd) Moodymann + Pooky Boogaloo x Down To Funk @ Meraki 26/01 For someone who’s had such a big part to play in the progression of house music over the years, MOODYMANN (Kenny Dixon Jr.) has kept himself out of the limelight. Since the 90s he has gained a staunch, underground following, which has made him a cult hero in Detroit and worldwide. He has stayed mysterious yet a name that all music lovers know, which is something that not many producers and DJs have done so successfully. Last year the Detroit spinner played at Invisible Wind Factory, one of Liverpool’s largest venues; this time round, it’s set to be a much more intimate gig at Meraki, one of the city’s most exciting, upcoming venues in the North Docks. The single room is stripped back and has that raw feeling to it, which a lot of the best new venues have gone back to nowadays. Up beforehand is POOKY, and, similar to what we expect from Moodymann, he’s keeping the crowd on their toes with his selections, switching between acid-infused techno, psychedelic funk and even shifting on to Thundercat’s Friend Zone. Almost an hour after originally anticipated, Moodymann makes his way behind the decks. The packed-in crowd are, by now, eager with anticipation. If you’re stranded the back of the room, there’s no way of getting to the front to get a glimpse of the main man – and even those at the front have to let their imagination do the work, with Moodymann’s bucket hat and black mask creating an enigmatic façade. “How are you feelin’?” are the first words we hear from that smooth, velvety voice as he slides behind the mic as he always does. The crowd is primed. The selector fires into a set that includes an array of house tunes, like the flawless Transient by Mr G, before switching up the set halfway through as he veers into liquid drum ‘n’ bass. He keeps things on the right side of party, too, mixing into Kelis’ Millionaire before paying his respect to the city with The Beatles’ classic Come Together. The room stays packed, and no one leaves until the set finishes. When you experience a night with Moodymann, you can never be sure what music he will bring with him, but you can be certain that it will be a night you won’t forget too easily. Joe Hale 46
ROUND UP A selection of the best of the rest from another busy month of live action on Merseyside. Sat 3 Mar to Sat 14 Jul Lerner and Loewe’s Jorja Smith (Stuart Moulding / @oohshootstu Some would say her musical style is smooth hip hop, others have called it vintage RnB, even garage or jazz, but JORJA SMITH doesn’t want to be defined by a genre. She simply makes the music she wants to make. Sophie Brereton finds herself at Invisible Wind Factory, trying to unpick what her sound is all about. Support act MAHALIA kicks off the night, and it seems people are just as excited for her as they are for the headliner. Mahalia makes the stage her own, performing a flawless acoustic cover of Solange’s Cranes In The Sky mashed-up with The Weekend by SZA. She revels in the reception from her new fans. Smith opens with Something In The Way, an atmospheric and moody number that makes this warehouse feel like an intimate club show. An unreleased track, February 3rd, embraces the neosoul vibe that her work tends to embody and is complimented with a catchy chorus. There’s a lot of love in this room for her, and it’s easy to see the passion that Smith bears for each of her songs. The size of the crowd exhibits the influence this ascendant artist is having on the industry. Much like his internet-famous artwork, psych-pop musician MONTERO is a rarely wholesome and relatable songwriter. Georgia Turnbull heads to Shipping Forecast, hoping to find the chilled out early Neil Young and Nilsson-esque loveliness of his new album Performer. The first act on the bill is THE WOOLS, who sound like the best of The Coral (that’s a big compliment, by the way). SEATBELTS are one of the highlights of the night; their jangly psychedelia is energetic and amazing from the get-go. DANYE have a motorik vibe; all the songs melt together into one within their set, creating a synthy, dreamscape throughout. Then the main act arrives, without his band – but it’s not long before members of the audience are encouraged up on stage to fill in as his impromptu band. I’m not sure I’ll be asked back after my brief stint behind the drum kit, however. Montero’s first ever solo set is ramshackle, witty, wholesome and full of love for The Beach Boys. If you have a chance to see Montero, you’re in for an experience you won’t forget – but for all the right reasons. After amassing a loyal, cult-like following from 2014’s debut album Don’t Say That, SUPERFOOD have transformed from a regular four-piece band into a duo, producing 2017’s critically acclaimed, brilliant Bambino. Conal Cunningham heads to EBGBS where funky basslines and catchy sing-a-long choruses make it impossible not to let loose, swing your hips and show your love for the band. The disco-influenced, bassy numbers of Natural Supersoul and Raindance complement the older, singalong tracks such as TV, You Can Believe and Superfood. The feel-good atmosphere is infectious and seemingly inevitable at a Superfood gig, and their short, sweet set only leaves the crowd wanting more. A musical play Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner Music by Frederick Loewe Original dances created by Agnes DeMille Director Gemma Bodinetz Designers Molly Lacey Davies & Jocelyn Meall Musical Director & Orchestrator George Francis Lighting Designer Kay Haynes Sound Design Everyman Sound Department Choreographer Tom Jackson-Greaves Assistant Designer Natalie Johnson Casting Director Sophie Parrott Performed by arrangement with Music Theatre International (Europe) Limited Full reviews of all these shows can be found now at bidolito.co.uk. REVIEWS 47
Page 1 and 2: ISSUE 86 / MARCH 2018 NEW MUSIC + C
Page 3 and 4: BACK TO OUR ROOTS BACK TO THE HEART
Page 5 and 6: 25 Parr St, Ropewalks, Liverpool, L
Page 7 and 8: CONTENTS New Music + Creative Cultu
Page 9 and 10: EDITORIAL This Is England “If we
Page 11 and 12: DANSETTE LAURIE SHAW reveals some o
Page 13 and 14: ELEANOR NELLY Her name may already
Page 15 and 16: An Arts Council Collection Touring
Page 17 and 18: mediated images are somehow of a ne
Page 19 and 20: BREAKWAVE Promoter, producer, taste
Page 21 and 22: IN GOOD COMPANY 2017’s return to
Page 23 and 24: 23
Page 25 and 26: The new show is a multifaceted beas
Page 27 and 28: Audio production degrees and short
Page 29 and 30: 4th Annual Festival of Experimental
Page 31 and 32: UPCOMING BIDO LITO! EVENTS 23.03.18
Page 33 and 34: ESME BRIDIE With her first full-len
Page 35 and 36: Open Circuit FESTIVAL Open Circuit
Page 37 and 38: GIG Belle And Sebastian Philharmoni
Page 39 and 40: E V E N T H I G H L I G H T S JOIN
Page 41 and 42: Nadine Shah (Day Howarth / dayhowar
Page 43 and 44: Side A 33rpm The UK's Music Documen
Page 45: This Is The Kit + Emma Gatrill Harv
Page 49 and 50: FEBRUARY & march Feb 16 liverpool A
Page 53 and 54: Lee ’Scratch’ Perry Arts Club,
Page 55 and 56: BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND 5TH - 7TH MAY

Issue 86 / March 2018

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