Issue 88 / May 2018

PREVIEWS
FESTIVAL
Writing On The Wall
Various Venues – throughout May
Dizraeli
18 years after it began as a weekend-long literature event, WRITING
ON THE WALL has grown beyond belief to spread across the whole of
May. This year there are dozens of events in numerous venues across
the city, catering to a literary and politically in tune audience. Working
around the theme of Crossing Borders, there will be a number of
music-focused events that deal with explore the universal struggle to
form personal and political identities. Bristol-born DIZRAELI will bring
his inventive blend of classic hip hop and folk to a performance that
will explore mental health and male identity, while rising stars of poetry
NICK MAKOHA and ROGER ROBINSON will host MIXTAPE, an evening
of poetry and music at Studio2, Parr Street.
GIG
Car Seat Headrest
Invisible Wind Factory – 19/05
The modern, lo-fi angsty pop sound of American act CAR SEAT
HEADREST has taken over the indie scene as of late. Their most
recent album Twin Fantasy (Face To Face) – a complete reworking of
their 2011 record Twin Fantasy (Mirror To Mirror), has been highly
heralded by critics, and it’s easy to see why from the first listen alone.
Will Toledo’s voice is compelling: it’s self-deprecating and brutally
honest, with lyrics such as “I pretended I was drunk when I came out
to my friends,” rehashing raw emotions within the listener. With the
backing of a simultaneously tight yet lo-fi sound, the group create true
melancholia, in the best way possible.
Car Seat Headrest
GIG
The Story Of Reggae In Britain
Philharmonic Music Room – 25/05
It’s an ambitious task to try and cover the first three decades
of British reggae in one evening. But we’re hoping that with
DENNIS BOVELL at the head the result will be both successful and
illuminating. The reggae guitarist and singer was a pioneering figure
of the London reggae scene in the late 70s and early 80s. Using
archival film footage and his live band, Dennis will explore the origins
of reggae, its importance for African and Caribbean culture and how
it has influenced other styles of music. BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH, a
critically acclaimed writer and member of the Dub Poets, will appear
on film. The Story Of Reggae In Britain will thus be an event for
music, literature and history lovers alike.
GIG
The Fernweh
EBGBS – 26/05
A truly hidden Liverpool gem, THE FERNWEH are a glorious homage to the
better bands of the 1960s: The Byrds and Kaleidoscope to name a few. Their
new single Is This Man Bothering You? b/w Timepiece is a truly amazing piece
of psychedelic pop. It exceeds the expectations that debut single The Liar had
placed down, with a wall of 12-string guitars and Mellotrons emphasising the
sinister, Hammer Horror-esque lyrics of a sinister nature, with a guest vocal
from Alessi Laurent-Marke from Alessi’s Ark (more about her later) adding to the
spooky vibe. The B-side is a complete surprise, a beautiful Donovan soundscape
fit for a movie soundtrack. EBGBS is proud to host their album launch, and with
support from MARVIN POWELL, and NIAMH ROWE from Sundowners, this is
an unmissable gig for those into psych of all different hues.
EXHIBITION
Snapchat To WeChat
Open Eye Gallery – 06/04-17/06
Teresa Eng
Every day, we take and share over three billion photographs on social media. In China, which has the
world’s largest population, photographs are most commonly shared on WeChat and QQ. Snapchat To
WeChat: A Migration of Identity explores how the everyday photographs taken on these apps contribute
to our sense of self. It will examine the role of photography in a world where everything is documented.
The exhibition brings together three projects by THOMAS SAUVIN, anthropologist XINYUAN WANG and
Chinese-Canadian photographer TERESA ENG. It has been curated in partnership with the China Dream
season, and is another chance to explore modern day Chinese culture.
GIG
Meatraffle
Sound Basement – 26/05
As part of the JO MARY Seabass residency at Duke Street’s bustling venue
Sound, MEATRAFFLE are triumphantly returning to Liverpool. Comprising
of members of Phobophobes, Moonlandingz etc., Meatraffle are certainly
a unique entity. Their most recent single Ndrangheta Allotment has what
you expect from a Meatraffle song, which can only be described as if
Mark E Smith took a lot of acid, really got into ska and became obsessed
with Lenin. Everything about their sound is slightly bonkers, but every
component fits together perfectly. They also put on a formidable live show,
and are truly one of the more interesting and compelling acts to arise from
the South.
Meatraffle
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