Issue 90 / July 2018

GIG
Psycho Comedy: Welcome To
Smashville
The Royal Standard – 07/07
PSYCHO COMEDY’s music and concept are somewhat hard to define. So,
in comes Welcome To Smashville, which promises an introduction into
the group’s weird and surreal world. The five-piece band blend classic
rock with psych, but it’s their multidisciplinary approach to performance
that sets them apart. You can expect live music, performance art, spoken
word and visual art from the evening at The Royal Standard. They
will also be showcasing the first screening of Caitlin Mongan’s Psycho
Comedy documentary. If you’re still a little confused about what to
expect, just turn up: Psycho Comedy thrive off being different, and the
best way to appreciate their music and group persona is to give it a go.
GIG
The Grabøwskis
Maguire’s Pizza Bar – 20/07
Does punk and pizza sound like your cup of tea? Head to
Maguire’s Pizza Bar early, grab a Veg-endary pizza and
settle in for an evening of hardcore punk from Antipop
Records and Dead Sound. Heading the bill is THE
GRABØWSKIS, a German punk rock group who are on
their first UK tour. They released their last album, Sicher
In Die Zukunft (Safe In The Future), just over a year ago.
Support on the night comes from Liverpool’s CROCODILE
GOD, Birmingham’s INCISIONS and Manchester’s
SKIMMER – three bands that prove there’s a thriving punk
scene outside London. Expect a noisy, fun-filled gig that is
sure to attract this city’s punk fans.
GIG
Late Nite Tuff Guy
24 Kitchen Street – 27/07
Cam Bianchetti, the DJ/producer behind LATE NITE TUFF
GUY, has had quite the journey. After his stunt as DJ HMC
in the early 1990s saw him crowned the Godfather of
Australian Techno, Bianchetti took a long hiatus and reemerged,
unexpectedly, as Late Nite Tuff Guy, a master of
the re-edit. He’s currently busy in the capital, curating a
Summer Day And Night Series, which showcases some of
the finest names in disco. So we’re very thankful that he’s
taking a break from the big city and bringing his repertoire
of funk, soul and disco up North. Fair dinkum to the
team behind The Wonder Pot on this booking, they have
organised some of the best parties so far this year.
EXHIBITION
Op Art In Focus
Tate Liverpool – from 17/07
Take a wander around most modern art galleries and you’re bound to
come across a number of pieces that seem like trippy, optical illusions. This
is optical art, which emerged in the 1960s and has continued to delight
gallery-goers for decades since. Op art was designed to fool the eye, and
leading figures included BRIDGET RILEY, JESUS RAFAEL SOTO and VICTOR
VASARELY. They used geometric shapes to create these optical effects
and the illusion of movement. The exhibition is part of Tate Liverpool’s In
Focus series, and will also showcase works by more contemporary artists. A
highlight is sure to be JIM LAMBIE’s Zobop, which will cover the entire gallery
floor with psychedelic patterns.
Walter Leblanc, Mobile-Static M 0 27
FESTIVAL
Liverpool Arab Arts Festival
Various Venues – 06/07 – 15/07
TootArd
To celebrate 20 years since Liverpool Arabic Centre and The Bluecoat first
envisaged the event, LIVERPOOL ARAB ARTS FESTIVAL returns with its most
adventurous programme yet. The opening weekend will see performances by
innovative, trailblazing musicians from the Arab world: Friday welcomes a coheadline
set between hip hop, Shamstep creators 47SOUL and bluesy, reggae rock
band TOOTARD; Saturday will see EMEL MATHLOUTHI, the “voice of the Tunisian
revolution” turned modern electronica New Yorker perform in Liverpool for the first
time. The festival will close with a free Family Day at Sefton Park Palm House, so the
whole family can join in this celebration of multiculturalism and the Arab world.
GIG
Bodega
Birkenhead Library – 08/07
Get It Loud In Libraries bring indie rock bands to the quiet, peaceful libraries of our towns to show
the public that these spaces are versatile and fun. The project is returning to Merseyside, where New
York five-piece BODEGA will take over Birkenhead Library. The self-described art rock punk outfit
are set to release their debut album, Endless Scroll, at the beginning of July. A short preview in The
New Yorker teased readers with some of the lyrical themes: failed revolutions, the deadening blur
of the internet and Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Titanic. Pair this with one of New York’s most
exciting post-punk bands and you’ve caught our attention.
Bodega
GIG
Peanut Butter Wolf
24 Kitchen Street – 21/07
Los Angeles-based DJ and founder of Stones Throw Records PEANUT
BUTTER WOLF returns to Liverpool after a 2014 sold-out show that became
the stuff of legends. His esteemed record label helped to launch the careers
of two of the world’s most influential hip-hop artists, Madlib and J Dilla.
Meanwhile, his extensive record collection makes his DJ sets unpredictable
and brilliantly unique. For a taster of this curfew-busting party, check out the
documentary film Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton, which looks at the evolution of
Stones Throw Records and its influence today.
Peanut Butter Wolf
PREVIEWS 35