Issue 99 / May 2019

ISSUE 99 / MAY 2019 

NEW MUSIC + CREATIVE CULTURE 

LIVERPOOL 

SUB BLUE / CLINIC / CATE LE BON 

SOUND CITY 2019

Sat 27th Apr • 6.30pm 

Liverpool Rocks 

Final 

Sat 27th Apr 

Newton Faulkner 

Sat 27th Apr 

Mountford Hall, Liverpool Guild 

of Students 

Hollywood 

Undead 

Fri 3rd May 

The Bon Jovi 

Experience 

Sat 4th May 

The Amy 

Winehouse 

Experience… 

A.K.A Lioness 

+ Lauren Hope 

Sun 5th May • 11pm 

Love 90’s R&B 

Bank Holiday 

Special 

Thur 16th May 

Little Steven 

& The Disciples 

Of Soul 

Sun 19th May 

Ross Edgley - 

Worlds Fittest 

Live Show 

Thur 23rd May 

Glenn Hughes 

Performs Classic 

Deep Purple live 

+ Laurence Jones 

Fri 24th May 

KSI & Randolph - 

New Age Tour 

Sat 25th May 

The Icicle Works 

Sat 1st Jun 

The Smyths 

ticketmaster.co.uk 

Mon 3rd Jun • SOLD OUT 


of Students 

Anne-Marie 

Sun 4th Jun 


of Students 

Kaiser Chiefs 

Sat 8th Jun 

The Mighty Wah! 

Presents: The 

Pete Wylie Show 

Fri 21st Jun • SOLD OUT 

Alesso 

Sat 22nd Jun 

Hipsway 

+ Candy Opera 

Fri 2nd Aug 

The Fillers 

(The Killers Official Tribute) 

Sat 14th Sep 

Ocean Colour 

Scheme 

(Ocean Colour Scene Tribute) 

Sat 28th Sep 

Guns 2 Roses 

+ Dizzy Lizzy 

Sat 28th Sep 

Red Rum Club 

Mon 30th Sep 

Gary Numan 

Sat 5th Oct 

Definitely Mightbe 

(Oasis tribute) 

Fri 11th Oct 

Fleetwood Bac 

Sat 12th Oct 

The Marley 

Revival 

+ UB40 Tribute Set 

Sun 13th Oct 

Easy Life 

Thur 24th Oct 

Jake Clemons 

+ Ben McKelvey 

o2academyliverpool.co.uk 

11-13 Hotham Street, Liverpool L3 5UF 

Doors 7pm unless stated 

facebook.com/o2academyliverpool 

twitter.com/o2academylpool 

instagram.com/o2academyliverpool 

youtube.com/o2academytv 

Sat 9th Nov 

She Drew The Gun 

Sat 9th Nov 


of Students 

Greta Van Fleet 

+ Ida Mae 

Sat 9th Nov 

Antarctic Monkeys 

+ The Alleys + The Patriots 

Sat 16th Nov 

The Macc Lads 

Sat 16th Nov 

UK Foo Fighters 

(Tribute) 

Wed 20th Nov 

Fontaines D.C. 

Fri 22nd Nov 

Absolute Bowie - 

Legacy Tour 

Fri 29th Nov 

The Doors Alive 

Sat 30th Nov 

Pearl Jam UK 

Thur 5th Dec 

Shed Seven 

+ The Twang 

Fri 6th Dec 


of Students 

Happy Mondays - 

Greatest Hits Tour 

Fri 6th Dec 

SPINN 

Sat 7th Dec 

Prince Tribute - 

Endorphinmachine 

Sat 14th Dec 

Ian Prowse 

& Amsterdam 

Wed 18th Dec 

The Darkness 

Venue box office opening hours: 

Mon - Sat 10.30am - 5.30pm 

ticketmaster.co.uk • seetickets.com 

gigantic.com • ticketweb.co.uk 

FRI S26TH APR 6.30PM 

UNDER THE 

APPLE TREE 

– LIVE ON TOUR WITH 

WILDWOOD KIN 

+ ELEANOR NELLY 

+ FERRIS & SYLVESTER 

TUE 30TH APR 7PM 

THE 

COATHANGERS 

FRI 3RD APR 7PM 

KOJAQUE 

SAT 4TH MAY 7PM 

BLANCMANGE 

TUE 7TH MAY 7PM SOLD OUT 

LUCY SPRAGGAN 

FRI 10TH MAY 7PM 

CASSADEE POPE: 

CMT NEXT WOMEN 

OF COUNTRY TOUR 

2019 


J MASCIS 


ALEX LAHEY 

SAT 18TH MAY 7PM SOLD OUT 

ELECTRIC SIX 

SAT 8TH JUN 7PM 

JOHN POWER 


HANDS OFF 

GRETEL 

SUN 9TH JUN 7PM 

MEGAN MCKENNA 

TUE 11TH JUN 7PM 

HONEYBLOOD 

+ LUCIA 

WED 17TH JUL 7PM 

LAUREN ALAINA 

THUR 5TH SEP 7PM 

MORGAN EVANS 

SAT 5TH OCT 7PM 

A BAND CALLED 

MALICE 

SUN 6TH OCT 7PM 

CREEP SHOW 

FRI 18TH OCT 7PM 

NINE BELOW ZERO 


SAINT AGNES 

FRI 25TH OCT 7PM 

LITTLE COMETS 

SAT 2ND NOV 7PM 

STONE 

FOUNDATION 

TUES 12TH NOV 7PM 

HUGH CORNWELL 

ELECTRIC 

SAT 16TH NOV 7PM 

LONDON CALLING 

PLAY THE CLASH 

FRI 22ND NOV 7PM 

BLOOD RED SHOES 

+ QUEEN KWONG 

WED 4TH DEC 7PM 

ALDOUS HARDING 

TUE 10TH DEC 7PM 

THE PAPER KITES 

TICKETS FOR ALL SHOWS ARE AVAILABLE FROM 

TICKETMASTER.CO.UK 

90 

SEEL STREET, LIVERPOOL, L1 4BH 

FEATURING ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAMER 

STEVEN VAN ZANDT 

OF THE E STREET BAND, THE SOPRANOS, LILYHAMMER, 

AND LITTLE STEVEN’S UNDERGROUND GARAGE! 

NEW 

ALBUM 

SUMMER 

OF SORCERY 

OUT MAY 

by arrangement with ITB presents 

THURSDAY 16th MAY 2019 

O 2 ACADEMY LIVERPOOL 

TICKETMASTER.CO.UK | LITTLESTEVEN.COM

ido100! PRESENTS... 

Inside Pages 

Celebrating 100 Editions Of Bido Lito! Magazine 

FEATURING... 

Clinic 

Stealing Sheep (Dj) 

Xam Volo 

The Mysterines 

Constellations, 

Baltic Triangle 

Saturday 22nd June, 

1pm ’til late 

Tickets - 

bidolito.co.uk/bido100 

Mc Nelson 

New Commission W/ Metal 

Eyesore & The Jinx 

Seatbelts 

Yank Scally & Friends 

Ohmns 

Rongorongo 

Remy Jude Ensemble 

The Aleph 

PLUS, DJ SETS FROM… 

Bernie Connor / Sisbis 

Jacques Malchance 

Dig Vinyl / Melodic Distraction 

Rich Vegas / Radio Exotica 

Austin Wilde

24TH - 27TH MAY BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND 

FEAT 

ANTI SOCIAL JAZZ CLUB - BERNIE CONNOR 

DEPTFORD NORTHERN SOUL CLUB - JOSEPH KAYE & ELLIOT FERGUSON 

NIGHTCRAWLER PIZZA - NO FAKIN 

NO REGRETS : A NIGHT OF ROBBIE WILLIAMS - ROBIN JACKSON 

40 SLATER STREET, LIVERPOOL. L1 4BX 

THEMERCHANTLIVERPOOL.CO.UK

And In The End: 

A Celebration of 50 Years of 

Abbey Road and Let It Be 

Thursday 26 September 7.30pm 

Friday 27 September 7.30pm 

Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and The Bootleg Beatles 

Neil Innes presenter 

Richard Balcombe conductor 

Arrangements by Ian Stephens 

Box Office 

0151 709 3789 

liverpoolphil.com 

LiverpoolPhilharmonic 

liverpoolphil 

liverpool_philharmonic 

Principal Funders 

Thanks to the City 

of Liverpool for its 

financial support 

Principal Partners 

Media Partner

ido100! 

17/5-22/6/2019 

What will Liverpool’s 

new music and creative 

culture look like in 

2028, in another 100 

editions’ time? 

To mark the occasion of reaching 100 editions Bido Lito! 

will be taking the opportunity to look forward. 

Through a series of projects, bido100! will explore our 

fast-paced and unpredictable, tech-laced future and look 

to learn what we can do differently today to help shape a 

better creative tomorrow. 

What will be the key issues and challenges, opportunities 

and changes we’ll be grappling with in 2028?

17/5 Ritual 2.0 

LightNight, Moorfields Station 

23/5 Liverpool, 2028 launch 

dot-art 

23/5 bido100! Social 

The Merchant 

A large scale, public realm light and sound 

installtion by Sam Wiehl and Forest Swords. 

Group show of visual arts commissions 

responding to the theme of Liverpool, 2028. 

A very special DJ set and get together 

celebrating the landmark issue. 

29/5 - 6/7 

AI Audio Lab 

SEVENSTORE 

An installation which puts audience 

members in the future world of automated 

creativity. 

7/6 Pow Wow! 

Bluecoat 

22/6 Inside Pages 

Constellations 

A unique discursive event and evening of 

debate featuring the inaugural Rodger Eagle 

Memorial Lecture given by Bill Drummond. 

An all-day music festival which brings the 

pages of Bido Lito! to life. 

For full details go to bidolito.co.uk/bido100

INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE FESTIVAL 

NECK DEEP | KERO KERO BONITO | BOY AZOOGA | THE LOVELY EGGS | 

CATE LE BON | BC CAMPLIGHT | SKINDRED | SNAPPED ANKLES | 

9BACH | THE BETHS | ISLET | FEMME | AVI BUFFALO | COLORAMA | 

MARTYN JOSEPH | ZABRINSKI | MWWB | PENELOPE ISLES | ADWAITH | 

MART AVI | KIDSMOKE | ACCÜ | AUDIOBOOKS | ANI GLASS | ALFFA | 

LIZZY FARRALL | SEAZOO | WORLDCUB | BRONNIE | BABY BRAVE | BARDD | 

CHROMA | LIFE | DOOMSQUAD | PERFECT BODY | AUDIO FARM DJs | 

+ ACTS FROM: AUSTRIA | BALEARICS | BELGIUM | CANADA | CATALONIA | DENMARK | ESTONIA | 

FINLAND | FRANCE | GERMANY | IRELAND | JAPAN | KOREA | LATVIA | NEW ZEALAND | PORTUGAL | 

SWEDEN | SWITZERLAND | USA …A WORLD OF NEW MUSIC TO DISCOVER! 

200+ BANDS, 20 STAGES, ARTS, FILM & INTERACTIVE SESSIONS 

16-17-18 MAY 

A MULTI-VENUE FESTIVAL IN 

WREXHAM NORTH WALES 

FOCUSWALES.COM

New Music + Creative Culture 

Liverpool 

Issue 99 / May 2019 

bidolito.co.uk 

Second Floor 

The Merchant 

40-42 Slater Street 

Liverpool L1 4BX 

Publisher 

Craig G Pennington - info@bidolito.co.uk 

Editor-in-Chief 

Christopher Torpey - chris@bidolito.co.uk 

Media Partnerships and Projects Manager 

Sam Turner - sam@bidolito.co.uk 

Features Editor 

Niloo Sharifi - niloo@bidolito.co.uk 

Live Editor 

Elliot Ryder - elliot@bidolito.co.uk 

Digital and Social Media Officer 

Lucy Doyle – lucy@bidolito.co.uk 

Community Membership Manager 

Brit Williams – brit@bidolito.co.uk 

Design 

Mark McKellier - mark@andmark.co.uk 

Branding 

Thom Isom - hello@thomisom.com 

EDITORIAL 

There was an eerie feel around Liverpool on Friday 29th 

March, when the music community woke to the tragic 

news that Stephen Fitzpatrick and Audun Laading, of 

the group Her’s, had died in a road accident in Arizona, 

along with their tour manager Trevor Engelbrektson. The three 

were travelling to a show in California, as part of a run of 19 tour 

dates that Her’s were playing in the US. The group were one 

of Liverpool’s rising stars, an act whose 

music crossed boundaries of nation 

and background – that their lives were 

so cruelly taken when they were living 

out their musical dreams is all the more 

shocking. 

The news broke when Liverpool was 

gearing up for an unprecedented period 

of live music activity, with the spotlight 

on its music scene due to the presence 

of the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival. Add 

to that scores of fringe shows, Threshold 

Festival and the usual array of gigs and 

club nights, all featuring people who had 

known Stephen and Audun in some way. 

The atmosphere should have been joyous, a pure celebration. 

But it’s no surprise that feelings were subdued, the enjoyment 

muted. As their music rang out in tribute from venues that knew 

them so well, the collective of musicians found solace in each 

other’s company. In these situations of great tragedy, music is a 

salve and a unifying force that can bring us all together. 

In many ways, Her’s were a very Liverpool entity, despite 

neither Stephen nor Audun being from here originally. They 

define that magic of possibility that a melting pot as rich and 

diverse as Liverpool’s brings. The pair met studying at LIPA, and 

that is where their relationship blossomed; a guy from Barrow 

FEATURES 

“In these situations 

of great tragedy, 

music is a salve and 

a unifying force” 

and a guy from Norway, thrown together by circumstance and 

talent. The close bond that they forged was at the heart of their 

music, and was part of the reason they were so highly regarded. 

Warmth emanated from them, whether you heard their music on 

record or if you were lucky enough to bump into them on Bold 

Street, inseparable and constantly beaming. 

It was clear from reading and listening to all the tributes paid 

to them that these were two universally 

loved people. The reactions of people 

who knew Stephen and Audun – tutors, 

fellow students, bandmates, colleagues, 

friends – speaks volumes about the kind 

of people they were. Even those of us 

who only knew them in passing always 

found that they had time for you, to 

stop and talk and be enthused. These 

are the people whose memories sing 

the brightest praises. Our hearts and 

thoughts and prayers go out to the 

families and close friends of Stephen and 

Audun. They were, and always will be, a 

credit to themselves. 

That they achieved what they did in such a short space of 

time was no real surprise to any of us, and not one person would 

begrudge them their successes. Stephen and Audun should have 

been revelling in the spotlight that was on Liverpool music at this 

time, as much as any other artist; they were fully a part of the 

reason why our music community is the envy of the country, if 

not the world. Our memories must attest to this, and make sure 

that Her’s are not forgotten. 

Christopher Torpey 

Editor-in-Chief 

Proofreader 

Nathaniel Cramp 

Intern 

Chelsea Andrews 

Cover Photography 

Robin Clewley 

Words 

Christopher Torpey, Niloo Sharifi, Cath Holland, Jamie 

Bowman, Julia Johnson, Craig G Pennington, Elliot 

Ryder, Joel Durksen, Georgia Turnbull, Matt Hogarth, 

Beija Flo, Sophie Shields, Becky Ayres, Ian R. Abraham, 

Sam Turner, Chelsea Andrews, Jennie Macaulay, Iona 

Fazer, Glyn Akroyd, Phil Morris, David Weir, Richard 

Lewis, Paul Fitzgerald, Ken Wynne, Luna Pih, PJ Smith. 

Photography, Illustration and Layout 

Mark McKellier, Robin Clewley, Rhian Askins, Sam 

Wiehl, Dorothy, Mark McNulty, Alex Smith, Jazamin 

Sinclair, Michelle Roberts, John Johnson, Michael 

Kirkham, Kristian Patten, Ivana Kličković, Jen Abell, 

Keith Ainsworth, Stu Moulding, Fin Reed, Glyn Akroyd, 

Jessica Grace Neal, John Middleton, Nykeith Lee, Rudy 

Gunslinger, Jamie Simmonds, Sarah Jeynes, Luna Pih. 

Bido Bikes 

Bido Lito! is brought to your favourite city centre venues 

by clean, green pedal power. 

#pickupthepinkone 

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. 

14 / SUB BLUE 

The long, slow road of development has suited Tyler Mensah, 

the artist shedding light on the struggles of suburban life via deft 

electronic soul. 

16 / CLINIC 

Our finest punk outsiders return after seven years in the 

wilderness, reminding us exactly why we need artists operating 

in the fringes to show us the way. 

18 / DEAD INK 

Know Your Place anthology writer Cath Holland discusses the 

complexities of how the literary industry treats working class 

writers with Dead Ink founder, Nathan Connolly. 

20 / 3BEAT RECORDS 

From humble record shop to global player in dance music, via a 

wave of Scouse house and big beat, 3Beat is one of the quieter 

Liverpool success stories. 

REGULARS 

10 / NEWS 

30 / SPOTLIGHT 

59 / PREVIEWS 

33 / SOUND CITY 2019 

A 24-page special preview of this year’s festival, featuring LOYLE 

CARNER, SOAK, SHAME, GWENNO and all the stuff to look 

forward to between 3rd and 5th May. 

22 / BIDO100! 

In celebration of reaching our century, we’re looking forwards to 

question what the cultural landscape might look like when our 

200th issue lands. 

24 / IN PERFECT HARMONY 

Julia Johnson spends a few days in the company of In Harmony’s 

students, observing the great advantages of having music as a 

key pillar of a school curriculum. 

26 / CLUBTOGETHER 

Mapping rave experiences with cultural cartographers Dorothy, for 

the launch of SEVENSTORE’s flagship new retail and arts space. 

58 / CATE LE BON 

“You want to be creative and critical at the same time. I find it 

empowering to lean on someone occasionally” 

64 / REVIEWS 

76 / ARTISTIC LICENCE 

78 / THE FINAL SAY

NEWS 

The Future’s Bright, The Future’s 

Birkenhead 

Anna Calvi 

Power-rocking classicist ANNA CALVI, alt.pop sensation NILÜFER 

YANYA and experimental jazzers SZUN WAVES are among those 

artists who feature on the bill for the inaugural FUTURE YARD festival, 

alongside Wirral’s favourite son BILL RYDER-JONES. The two-day 

event will take place across multiple stages in and around Hamilton 

Square in Birkenhead on the bank holiday weekend in August, 23rd 

and 24th. The civic splendour of Birkenhead Town Hall’s Assembly 

Rooms will play host to the headliners, while the oldest building on 

Merseyside, Birkenhead Priory, will provide the backdrop to a number 

of performances, including a one-off audio installation from FOREST 

SWORDS called PYLON. Alongside all this, some weird Wirral 

wonderment is planned – so look out for further additions coming 

later in the year, including a programme of activity that will have you 

scouring your ancestry to see if you can claim any Wirral heritage. 

Details and tickets at futureyard.org. 

Arrival City 

Liverpool’s historic status as an important port city makes it one 

of the most unique ‘arrival cities’ in the UK, with many layers of 

history still making up the identities of people who live here. We 

walk through streets named after celebrated anti-abolitionists 

and past grand buildings paid for by slave traders. Toxteth’s 

relationship with immigration is made up of different pasts and 

presents. This abundance of perspectives can be heard in the 

poetry, spoken word, and music of the area’s artists. ARRIVAL 

CITY seeks to understand these points of difference through the 

timeless ritual of conversation: whether through storytelling, 

poetry and music, or simply open discussion with one another. 

From May to June 2019, a series of events, an exhibition at FACT 

and a newly commissioned zine from ROOT-ed will open up this 

space for exchange. 

Arrival City 

As Seen On Screen 

Anthea Hamilton – Venice Kimono 2012 

Merseyside artist Fiona Banner’s five-metre-wide screen print 

representing the classic Lawrence Of Arabia will take pride of place 

among an extensive exhibition which explores the relationship between 

art and cinema at Walker Art Gallery. Featuring other artists including 

SAM TAYLOR-JOHNSON, HARDEEP PANDHAL and ANTHEA 

HAMILTON, AS SEEN ON SCREEN: ART AND CINEMA considers the 

influence of cinema on art across 20 works on display from 31st May. 

Other highlights of the show are set to be a kimono featuring the image 

of John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever character and a collage of stills 

from Hitchcock’s Psycho. 

Have Your Say In Liverpool’s Music 

Future 

Since being established at the end of 2018, the new Liverpool City 

Region Music Board has been identifying some key areas to act upon 

under its auspices to improve policy and infrastructure around music in 

the region. One of its first public acts is to host a consultation session 

on 14th May at Hinterlands, which is open to all. The purpose of the 

event is for board members to lead a collaborative, open discussion 

on the work they have currently undertaken, and to listen to the views 

of the city region’s music community, which will inform the next steps 

going forward. There will be two sessions, at 1pm and 6pm. Places are 

free, but limited, for each session, so don’t delay in registering. 

Bido Bikes 

You’ll be used to a wave of pink washing through the city when a 

new issue of Bido Lito! lands, but that will be nothing once you’ve 

seen our brand new BIDO BIKES in action. As part of our new green 

initiative, we’ll be using pedal power to distribute our magazines 

across the city centre, helping to minimise our carbon footprint. The 

pink livery of the Bido Bikes will be streaking across town on the 

day the magazine lands, adding even more colour to the city. We’re 

also running a competition to coincide with the launch, rewarding 

anyone who’s eagle-eyed enough to spot them. Snap a picture of 

the Bido Bikes in action and share it with us on Twitter or Instagram 

– using the tag #pickupthepinkone – to win a special prize! Extra 

consideration will be given to smart action photography. 

Kinship 

One Day Young by Jenny Lewis 

The photographers of Open Eye Gallery’s latest exhibition 

explore the role of kinship in their lives. Relationships such as 

partnerships, friendships and family are represented through the 

lenses of PIXY LIAO, MOMO OKABE, MARGARET MITCHELL, 

LYDIA GOLDBLATT, JENNY LEWIS and JOHANNA HELDEBRO. 

The international cast of photographers will present their unique 

takes on these relationships via a two-month long show at the 

Mann Island gallery which begins on 9th May. The exhibition 

precedes Look festival, a biennial photography event led by 

Open Eye which begins in June. The 2019 edition of the festival 

explores the themes of Transplant, Translate and Transition and 

takes place over three chapters from June to December. 

10

MEMBERS’ 

MIXTAPE 

In this new regular feature, we ask one 

of our members to compile a selection 

of music from their recent listening 

playlists. Anda Phillips takes to the 

podium to tell us what tunes we should 

be clamouring for. 

Sound Lad 

MERSEYRAIL SOUND STATION is calling out 

to musicians across the region to take part 

in semester three of the music development 

programme. Following the success of the first 

two series, artists who are looking to improve 

their craft while receiving tailored advice 

from music industry experts, are encouraged 

to apply. The programme features an artist 

masterclass with Stealing Sheep’s Becky 

Hawley, an industry day coordinated by Cath 

Hurley (formerly of Rough Trade) and studio 

workshops run by Echo & the Bunnymen 

keyboardist Jez Wing. Applications are open 

now via merseyrailsoundstation.com and close 

on Friday 17th May. 

Merseyrail Sound Station 

Baltic Beats 

We have to take our hats off to the team at 24 Kitchen 

Street, and all their assorted mates and collaborators. Their 

bookings over the past 12 months have been nothing 

short of stellar, and they head into May with arguably the 

strongest bookings sheet of any similarly-sized venue in 

the country. With Baltic Weekender and Liverpool Disco 

Festival taking over the venue at either end of the month, 

and Abandon Silence stopping by to celebrate its ninth 

birthday (cue an all-night-long party with long-time AS 

friend JOY ORBISON on 3rd May), there really is something 

for everyone. There’s also hip hop royalty in the form of KRS- 

ONE (28th May), gothic dancehall from Warp’s GAIKA (24th 

May), experimental psychedelic electronica from ROMARE 

(17th May) and just about everything else. Fair play squad, 

you’ve nailed it again. 

Czarface + 

Ghostface Killah 

Czarrcade ’87 

Silver Age 

From the album Czarface 

Meets Ghostface. I’m gluten 

free (all hail the Merseyside 

Gluten Free Pie Company) and there’s a line about gluten 

which makes me giggle every time I listen. Old-skool hip 

hop with new-skool cultural references. 

Snapped Ankles 

Rechargeable 

The Leaf Label 

Take The Long Road And Walk It 

SMITHDOWN ROAD FESTIVAL returns to the Wavertree thoroughfare with an 

all-new format but the same community spirit this month. Now stretching over 26 

days, the festival will take in more gigs across the familiar venues which have been 

home to the event since its inception five years ago. The launch weekend features a 

host of great shows between 1st and 6th May. Franks has three days of live music, 

with SAMURAI KIP heading things up on Monday 6th May. The inestimable TABLE 

SCRAPS on Saturday 4th May, with BITCH PALACE following them in the same 

venue the night after. Handymans has a very busy long bank holiday weekend, too, 

with SEAFOAM GREEN (Thursday 2nd) and THE LONGCUT (Saturday 4th) among 

those performing. Proceeds will be donated to homeless charity The Whitechapel. 

Sweet Releases 

David Rudolf 

Can you hear it pumping on your stereo? No? Well you soon will, as these 

tunes have been keeping our office speakers warm over the past couple of 

weeks, showing that there’s just no stopping boss music coming your way. 

Shapeshifters STEALING SHEEP are back with their disco glam new record 

Big Wows and it’s a must-listen. The trio have filtered some fresh new 

influences into their third LP, including some rave and J-pop flourishes, and it’s 

out now via Heavenly. KING HANNAH have gone widescreen with their new 

single Crème Brûlée, a heady rush of artfully-paced, bruising rock; and THE 

FLOORMEN limber up for a full album release (due later this year) with punchy 

and bendy new single As You Go, which owes as much to Happy Mondays as it 

does the kind of West Coast psych they’ve been wallowing in for years. Single 

of the moment has to go to Breakfast by Chester trio PEANESS, given that it’s 

about everyone’s favourite political clusterfuck. Except, it now might not be 

coming out until October, in which case, soz. 

Rudy Can’t Fail 

Blow pokes, Owl Theory and Fake Science. True crime 

phenomenon THE STAIRCASE comes to Grand Central Hall 

this month in the form of DAVID RUDOLF In Conversation. 

The lawyer who took charge of the Kathleen Peterson 

murder case will address the issues brought up in the series 

as well as the myriad theories which have been generated 

following the documentary’s popular run on Netflix. Those 

who have listened to the BBC podcast Beyond Reasonable 

Doubt will know there is plenty more to discuss in relation 

to the case as well as the circumstances of the documentary 

during and since the filming. 

Stealing Sheep 

One for dancing and checking 

your pulse. Not so sure about 

the album, Stunning Luxury, 

though. Every attempt at 

seeing them live has been thwarted and from what I read 

that’s where they’re at. 

Nick Hakim 

The Light 

Earseed 

This track will make you stop 

and take a deep breath. Saw 

him and his band at the Hare 

and Hounds in Birmingham. 

The performance was 

understated, his dreamy live vocals, even though sparse, 

were transfixing and the sub bass just made you smile. It’s 

that need to smile again. One of those gigs that needed 

seats and where the ages went from 17 to 70. 

SPQR 

Suffer 

Loner Noise 

None of you need to know 

how good these lot are ’cos 

you already know, but this 

track was a soundtrack to an 

awful time when my mum was 

in Broadgreen Hospital and I used to sing this bloody loud 

driving through the tunnel. Apologies to all who may have 

heard me, but it sure did help. 

Head to bidolito.co.uk for a playlist compiled by Anda. For 

more information on our Community Membership, head to 

bidolito.co.uk/membership. 

NEWS 11

SUB BLUE 

The long, slow road of 

development has suited 

Tyler Mensah, an artist 

shedding light on the 

struggles of suburban life 

via deft electronic soul. 

When we first heard of SUB BLUE, he was a 

teenage voice among an orchestra of pop/RnB 

acts emerging at the time. Tyler Mensah came 

through around the same time as Chelcee Grimes, 

Taylor Fowlis and MiC Lowry, and remains to this day a mind 

beyond his years; since then he has also gone on to cement 

himself as one of the region’s most exciting voices. Alongside 

Eyesore & The Jinx, he’s just been awarded a grant under PRS’ 

Momentum Accelerator programme, which identifies artists who 

are on the cusp of a breakthrough in their careers after exhibiting 

impressive talent and progress. Acknowledgement from an 

industry mammoth like PRS is no small thing; it’s a nod from 

the institution, telling you you’re in favour. And, after we saw 

him perform at LIPA as part of the live-broadcast 2ube Xtra, the 

recognition feels well deserved. 

RnB acts are still rare in Merseyside, and whether he’s 

playing the guitar or just singing, the delivery feels incredibly 

polished. As on the night, he maintains his characteristically sleek 

appearance when we meet him for the interview. But the stories 

and emotions woven into his melodies tell a different story; the 

emotions appear unadorned and unfiltered. This is an artist who 

took the permission artists like Drake, Frank Ocean and The 

Weeknd implicitly gave RnB artists to show sensitivity, and ran 

with it. 

“With my writing, I take a lot of inspiration from those guys.” 

Watching him perform, there’s an obvious flavour of Channel 

Orange, especially the song Super Rich Kids. “It’s a really 

good album, my [favourite] is between that and Blonde to be 

honest. Blonde is one of those that I always go back to, and I can 

listen to it endlessly on repeat.” The links between Sub Blue’s 

music and the world of American RnB are not only melodic and 

thematic; he’s worked with producers who are credited on some 

of his favourite albums. “When we were writing I was actually in 

LA at the time. I was working with AV, who worked on Channel 

Orange, and Sir Dylan who worked on [Solange’s] A Seat At 

The Table, Logic’s 1-800, The Weeknd’s Starboy album, so he’s 

pretty credited. And then I was working with a writer called Jake 

Torrey who featured on a Lupe Fiasco track. The whole idea was 

we wanted to tell this story of our generation and how addicted 

to their phones they are, in the sense of like – if you don’t take a 

picture, wherever it is that you go, it’s kind of like it never really 

happened. It’s like, what are you even there for? I feel like it 

resonated quite well with a lot of my peers and a lot of people 

who are similar to me.” 

These influences meld to form the core of Sub Blue’s 

songwriting process, which explores the pitfalls of modern living. 

This has been at the heart of his two works to date, 2018’s 

Suburban View mini-album, and the recently released EP, Wilfully 

Blind. Despite his buttery, pitch-perfect vocals and spotless 

fade, his work is about imperfection. His name is short for the 

genre he has created for himself, ‘suburban blues’. “Suburban, 

because I come from a suburban neighbourhood, and blues in 

relation to blues music. Like, singing songs about teenage angst 

and heartbreak; telling stories about the people around me that 

people might connect to.” 

Mensah was raised in material comfort with his parents 

in Runcorn, but he often makes the point that life isn’t easy 

for anyone. “There’s always the kind of assumption, [with me] 

coming from the suburbs, that life is a lot easier than people 

think,” he says. “We definitely go through our troubles and 

hardships the same way as everyone else, but we just deal with 

them in a different way.” He is candid about his struggles, too: 

“Growing up, I was one of the only black kids on my street. And 

I was one of the few black kids in my school. It was very tough 

for me having to, kind of, fit in, because a lot of the music that the 

kids that I was friends with listened to, it wasn’t RnB or hip hop, it 

was indie rock. I felt the need to listen to a lot of those bands, like 

Red Hot Chili Peppers, The 1975.” 

14

Cultural alienation happens at every social level and 

individuality is difficult to experience anywhere, but Mensah 

made a breakthrough discovery on a trip to America. “It was 

when I took a trip to Houston to go see my uncle, I think it was in 

like 2008, 2009. I remember, it was the first time I’d discovered 

Drake; they were playing a lot of Drake on the radio at that time, 

it was his So Far Gone mixtape. I remember I came back to the 

UK hyped about Drake, telling all my friends to listen to this guy; 

and no one really listened. Give it a year or two years and he was, 

like, the biggest artist in the UK. It was always an interesting one 

growing up in a predominantly white 

neighbourhood, or a predominantly 

white high school – it definitely shaped 

me into the person and artist that I am 

today.” Growing up in the suburbs is 

supposed to be a sheltered experience, 

but this stereotype doesn’t reflect 

Mensah’s experience: “I’ve seen a lot 

of things that not a lot of young teens 

should have seen; I guess that’s down 

to being surrounded by suburban kids 

and being a suburban kid myself. It’s 

been an amazing journey, and I don’t 

think I would change anything about 

where I come from.” 

Since breaking through aged 16, 

Mensah has been on a path of constant 

development, having been identified as 

a prodigious talent from an early age. He’s been part of the LIMF 

Academy artist development programme, worked with industry 

exces and ‘big name’ producers and tipped to achieve great 

things. This scrutiny brings its own kind of pressure – but it’s not 

something that seems to ruffle Mensah’s feathers. He’s taken 

his time and allowed his craft to develop, pouring his own brand 

“I want to tell this 

story of our generation 

and how addicted 

to their phones they 

are. If you don’t take 

a picture… what are 

you even there for?” 

of electronic soul into Sub Blue. It’s the kind of route that other 

artists at the start of their careers could learn a lot from. 

“I think the message I want to get across is that it doesn’t 

matter where you come from or the ‘things’ you have,” he says. 

“We all have our struggles and demons that we are battling as 

we try to make sense of ourselves, the world and our place in it. 

On this project, I try to touch on the dark side of what happens if 

we don’t ‘wake up’ in time.” 

Another experience that hits people from all walks of life 

is leaving childhood, and Sub Blue is one of those rare artists 

who will get to look back on his own 

documentation of that delicate process. 

His performances are interspersed 

with vocal samples from moments in 

his life. “One of the interludes is from 

my debut EP Suburban View, after 

Teen No More,” he explains. “It was 

a voicemail from my dad wishing me 

a happy birthday when I was just 

turning 21. That was the year that I’d 

finished writing Teen No More, got back 

from LA, and I was kind of feeling the 

pressures of life, I guess. I’d have to 

maybe get a full-time job, and not be 

able to do music full-time. That was 

one of the reasons why I wrote that 

record.” 

He’s inspired by other work 

documenting the experience of wealthy children: “A lot of the 

other samples that are running throughout the set are from a 

movie I watched on Amazon Prime called Generation Wealth. It 

really touched on the life of suburban kids; and I really connected 

with that story. It gave me the inspiration for what I wanna write 

my album about. The whole thing about wealth being the centre 

of attention for kids in the suburbs, and that being their coping 

mechanism, I guess, for dealing with pain or whatever it is that 

they’re going through. Like I say on Think We’re Fine, ‘We spend 

money like we don’t like money,’ as quoted by J Hus.” 

In my view, we give privileged white men the licence to wax 

lyrical about their ennui and sadness on a daily basis, tending 

to accommodate any difference between us in order to feel a 

shared sense of essential human anxiety. Thom Yorke’s allowed 

to be miserable. Ricky Gervais just released a six-episode Netflix 

series on one suburban man’s journey from nihilism to hope. 

Why shouldn’t Sub Blue lay claim to sensitivity and suffering 

because he grew up in Cheshire? Surely a hard-liner who 

demands that musicians writing about their emotions should 

be working class would also possess the ability to see that 

capitalist luxury is an expression of emptiness? In any case, the 

vast majority of people in this country grow up in a comparatively 

luxurious environment when using a global standard. Everyone is 

entitled to unhappiness and the catharsis of expression – there’s 

something universal in that. Especially when it’s in the form of 

Sub Blue’s smooth, spotless melodies, voiced with a sincere 

depth of emotion. ! 

Words: Niloo Sharifi 

Interview: Joel Durksen 

Photography: Robin Clewley / robinclewley.co.uk 

iamsubblue.com 

Wilfully Blind is out now. Sub Blue plays Sound City on Sunday 

5th May at Love Lane Brewery – tickets available now from 

ticketquarter.co.uk 

FEATURE 

15

Our finest punk outsiders return after seven years in the wilderness, reminding 

us exactly why we need artists operating in the fringes to show us the way. 

Frans Hals’ Baroque masterpiece the Laughing Cavalier 

isn’t just an example of fine, Old Master paintwork, 

it’s a curio that hides its true value behind a mask 

of reputation. When it appeared in exhibition at the 

Bethnal Green Museum in 1872 – deliberately kept away from 

the high-brow audiences of the West End – the portrait was 

originally known by the title A Cavalier. The painting was so well 

liked by the working-class crowds who flocked to see it that 

they dubbed it the Laughing Cavalier in honour of the subject’s 

enigmatic smile. The name stuck, and Hals’ stock grew with its 

popularity, despite the fact that the amused smile beneath the 

subject’s upturned moustache isn’t half as interesting as the 

spectacular detail in the embroidery of the cavalier’s garb. 

The portrait’s grand flourishes, fine detail and air of mischief 

are hallmarks carried by another Laughing Cavalier – the track 

that opens CLINIC’s eighth studio album, Wheeltappers And 

Shunters. Clocking in at just over 28 minutes, the record is a 

brisk blast of vintage Clinic weirdness. It also shows that the 

Liverpudlian quartet haven’t lost the ability to surprise, which 

may be news to those unfamiliar with the cult group’s work, but 

for those well versed in the dark arts of Clinic, being challenged 

is what we’ve come to expect. 

“Yeh, that’s the main approach we have to it,” agrees Ade 

Blackburn, vocalist, guitarist and one of the group’s principal 

songwriters. “The desire is that there’s always an element of 

surprise, whether that’s instruments or the way the songs are 

arranged. You know, try something that throws you, that would 

sort of still make sense but not in a conventional way. The kind 

of things that you wanna come back to.” 

On first listen, the untrained ear may not hear past the 

absurdity of the bendy guitars or Jonathan Hartley’s distinctive 

warped clarinet; but, as with all Clinic’s music, it bears repeated 

listening. A cabinet of curiosities lurks in the background – amid 

the disconcerting whispers, hoots, laughs, phased samples and 

field recordings – that is an indication that this group is much 

smarter than your average. 

The title of the new LP is a reference to a variety show 

from the 70s, which principal songwriter Blackburn and his 

collaborator-in-chief Hartley grew up with. The Wheeltappers 

And Shunters Social Club was compered by Bernard Manning, 

and depicted a stereotypical view of northern towns and their 

boozy, smoke-filled working men’s clubs. This album is neither 

a celebration nor a denigration of the culture of Blackburn and 

Hartley’s childhoods; more a satire of those who hanker for 

the simplicity of this era, which had so many dark undertones. 

“It was a show that both myself and 

Hartley could remember growing up, 

which was sort of bizarre, almost a 

kind of twilight world,” says Balckburn. 

They play on the dirty glamour of 

that world throughout Wheeltapper 

And Shunters, inserting snippets of 

advertising segments about Blackpool 

Pleasure Beach in the margins, almost 

daring you to notice. “We’ve always 

had this thing about not making 

things too obvious or too straight,” 

Blackburn adds. “Using Wheeltappers 

And Shunters as a reference was our 

way of identifying if we were veering 

off into cabaret territory, which we’d 

steadfastly been trying to avoid!” 

It’s been seven years since Clinic released their last album, 

2012’s Free Reign, which is something of an eternity for a band 

who had previously been used to putting out an LP every two 

or three years. A cosmically rich, jam-based effort, Free Reign 

came out when Clinic were at the peak of their popularity (the 

group headlined a stage at Austin Psych Fest in 2013) – and 

even that felt like a departure from the gentler, poppier album 

Bubblegum that preceded it. Wheeltappers And Shunters harks 

back to an even earlier version of Clinic, when a simpler rock 

‘n’ roll template dominated – a fact that Blackburn agrees with. 

“When we’re going 

over the music, if 

we think it’s getting 

too serious then 

it’s usually crap” 

“When we decided to come back and do an LP, we just wanted 

to make it as natural and fun as we could,” he tells me over the 

phone as we chat about their long awaited return. “This must 

have just been instinctively what we reverted back to.” 

The seven-year gap seems to have reset the band’s dial 

somewhat, and I wonder if what has come out on the new LP 

can be described as a natural, reflex version of Clinic that’s 

ingrained in their DNA. “I’d say it probably was,” Blackburn 

agrees. “With the Free Reign LP, there were a few more longer 

songs where we allowed ideas to 

develop on their own. But for this one 

we went back to all the songs being 

short and sharp – two and a half 

minutes or less. That’s the style that 

I enjoy doing the most; in that short 

space of time you can still do something 

disorientating or quite out-there, but 

it’s in more of a pop framework. There’s 

also a bit more of an edge back in it, I 

think.” 

During their unofficial hiatus, 

Blackburn and Hartley kept themselves 

busy with a project of their own, 

Higher Authorities, releasing the album 

Neptune on Domino in 2016. Bassist 

Brian Campbell and percussionist Carl 

Turney also found time to pursue their own projects, briefly 

teaming up to indulge in some “ethnographic radiolore” with Lost 

Tapes Record Club. When it came to writing a new LP as a band, 

then, how much did they have to sit down and discuss how to 

do a ‘Clinic’ album again? Does it kind of just come out now, I ask 

Blackburn. 

“Kind of…” he says, with a note of doubt in his voice. “During 

that time since Free Reign, myself and Hartley would just keep 

writing songs all the way through. Within that there are probably 

different influences that come in and out. The Higher Authorities 

16

album was more electronic-based and had loads of drum 

machine sounds on it, which came from Hartley’s direction. The 

songs were more his on that album. As a kind of a reaction, and 

with me having more songs on this album [Wheeltappers And 

Shunters], that steered it back to more of a short, sharp shock 

world on this LP. Kind of punk.” 

Not all punk has to be deadly serious. I’ve always thought of 

Clinic as a playful band, even in the period when their music had 

those harder edges. One of the things the group have become 

known for is the scrubs and surgical masks they wear on stage, 

which lends an air of menace to proceedings. But even this has 

an element of mischief to it, allowing them to play it straight, or 

mix up the mood by swapping the scrubs for ponchos, Hawaiian 

shirts, or in this case, lurid shellsuits. Over the years, however, 

this has become something of a millstone in itself, and I wonder 

if the band begin to feel the weight of expectation that their cult 

popularity brings… 

When you’re sitting down to write, do you feel any pressure 

because of your reputation? 

Err… I used to, and luckily I think I’ve got past that a bit. Possibly 

around the time of Winchester Cathedral and Visitations [albums 

from 2004 and 2006, respectively], I really felt it then – that 

you’d built something up to a certain point, but it was very 

easy to lose it. I think I’m more laid back about it now, perhaps 

because you’ve established what you do a bit more then you 

take it a bit less seriously. When we’re going over the music, if 

we think it’s getting too serious then it’s usually crap! That’s the 

time to change. 

Did you ever consider dropping the outfits? 

Well, around the time of the Do It! LP, we’d kind of got to a 

point where there was a bit of a backlash – which there usually 

was with bands around then, when NME and all that was still 

going. Perhaps what would have worked in your favour to start 

off with – like having some sort of costume – became a bit of a 

stick to beat you with. I don’t think it was ever something we 

seriously intended to do [losing the outfits], but when you’ve 

been doing something for six or seven years, as it was at that 

time, some days you do just wanna escape from it. Especially 

if you’ve got that added pressure. You’re bound to want to 

question everything about the band, of course, and if you should 

be changing tack. I’m glad we didn’t cave in, though. It kind of 

comes full circle anyway, and if you stick at it, people sort of 

admire your stupidity! 

With such a big break between albums, was there ever a 

temptation to not come back? I’m just wondering where the 

motivation comes from to get back in the room with everyone 

and do it all over. 

[sucks breath in] Mmm, yeh, that is a really good point. Err… I 

don’t know whether it’s more common for bands to just do an 

album and go and tour, and perhaps not think about doing new 

ideas or songs that much until they reconvene later with the 

mindset, ‘Oh we’ve gotta do a new album’. It’s never been like 

that for us. There’s never a time where we’re not doing new 

songs, and in that way, I don’t even think about the process. I 

don’t think, ‘Oh I haven’t done any new music today,’ it’s just 

something that I instinctively want to do. I guess I’m probably 

quite lucky, in that sense. I don’t know whether, over time, that 

can go as well. 

There’s a reference to the weird, darker side of that 70s 

aesthetic on this LP that isn’t quite the rose-tinted view of 

this golden generation as it’s often made out to be. Beyond 

the direct reference to The Wheeltappers And Shunters Social 

Club, what did you want to say lyrically with it? 

The main theme which runs throughout quite a few of the songs 

is this escapist feeling. In amongst how difficult things have 

become in, say, Britain, you can still see a lot of people trying to 

have a laugh and being creative. The final song on the LP, the 

Copacabana one [New Equations (At The Copacabana)] – which 

is one of Hartley’s – is this daft, escapist idea. Again, calling the 

album Wheeltappers And Shunters is that idea of the old working 

men’s club, the kind of place where there’s still people who’ll go 

out and enjoy themselves even though they’re up against it. 

Do you think there’s sometimes a bit of snobbery towards that 

whole aesthetic and generation? That it’s not high-brow enough? 

Yeh. Especially if you compare the way that world is with, say, 

something like the Baltic Triangle, then it seems like just a 

totally different age. Because I grew up with all that through 

the 70s, there’s a genuine sense of community and excitement 

attached to that memory. It was, kind of, a less cynical age. 

You’ve been around since before the term ‘psych’ was 

popular, yet you’re often lumped in with that world. I’m 

sure you don’t set much store by labels such as that, but, if 

pressed, how would you describe Clinic as a band? 

Well, when we did Festival No. 6, Jeff Barrett from Heavenly 

came up to me after the gig and said ‘Oh yeh, you’re a punk 

band aren’t you’. That’s kind of how I think of it as well. Not 

in a Pistols type of way, but ultimately it’s got that underlying 

edge. That’s always been the most important thing to us. 

Though they’ve been around for a good two decades, 

Clinic have always felt like outsiders. Yes, they release on a big 

indie label, and yes, they have a cult following and the respect 

of scores of fellow musicians – but their fondness for being 

weird and operating on the edges has been their biggest 

strength. 

Any self-respecting fan of Liverpool music must have one 

Clinic album in their collection. They’re part of the soundtrack 

of our outsider heritage, one that pushes you to take risks and 

ask, ‘Is this weird enough?’. Or, better still, ‘How weird do you 

want to be?’ One listen to Wheeltappers And Shunters will 

tell you all you need to know about why the current scene is 

as rich and daring as it currently is – because artists like Clinic 

have been there and done it, shown how you can be playful 

and fearless and damn fucking good all at once. 

Clinic have always been at their best when they’ve been 

pushing the edges of freakiness. It’s good to be an outsider. 

It’s good to be weird. It’s good to do things that people don’t 

expect. Because no one wants to be predictable. ! 

Words: Christopher Torpey / @CATorp 

Photography: Rhian Askins / rhianaskins.co.uk 

@clinicvoot 

Wheeltappers And Shunters is released on 10th May on Domino 

Records. Clinic headline Inside Pages at Constellations on 22nd 

June, as part of our bido100! programme. Tickets are available 

now via TicketQuarter. 

FEATURE 

17

DEAD INK 

Know Your Place anthology writer Cath Holland discusses the 

complexities of how the literary industry treats working-class 

writers with Dead Ink founder, Nathan Connolly. 

“We never heard 

about the class issue 

in publishing and 

literature, and now 

it’s front and centre” 

Founded in 2011 by Nathan Connolly, Liverpool-based 

publisher DEAD INK started making a name publishing 

literary fiction, initially digital only, soon progressing to 

print. Helped by Arts Council support, the kindness and 

trust of strangers and friends alike via crowdfunding, in addition 

to linking up with other northern indie publishers such as Comma 

Press to form The Northern Fiction Alliance, Dead Ink bobbed 

along nicely, confidence increasing with each book. They earned 

nods from The Saboteur Awards, The Guardian’s First Book 

Award and Not The Booker Prize. 

Then along came Brexit, in June 2016. 

The 52 per cent vote to leave was accompanied by an 

alarming discourse around how the working class had voted, 

Connolly observed. Blame was duly attached to working class 

people across the board, without question, as if an entire social 

class from one end of the UK to the other had a single iron clad 

set of values and attitudes. 

An off-the-cuff comment by The Good Immigrant editor 

Nikesh Shukla sparked an idea for Dead Ink to publish a collection 

by writers from a working-class background, to help 

counteract that mindset. The resulting Know Your Place – 

Essays On The Working Class anthology, published in autumn 

2017, carries a range of essays about working-class life and 

culture. Writings span from women and work, sexuality, to the 

death of the pub, offering up a wide-ranging mix of attitudes 

and opinions. 

It’s a most curious thing when a book kicks off a range 

of discussion and shifts in attitude over an issue, but Know 

Your Place did exactly that. There’s an increased awareness of 

class inequality, for example, not only in publishing, but across 

the creative industries. 

As someone who answered the initial Know Your 

Place submissions call, what jumped out to me, I mention 

to Connolly early on in our chat, was a number of wellintentioned 

people within publishing kindly shared the 

opportunity on their socials with the advice ‘if you’re a 

wannabe/aspiring writer then pitch to this’. No one wants to 

be seen as beginner, or amateur. It’s the notion that being 

working class is not a writer’s true or appropriate state, but 

instead something you need to leave behind. Like a shame. 

“It ties in a lot with… a wider social attitude that if a 

working-class person wants to be a writer, they do it in 

an amateur fashion, they can’t be serious about it,” he agrees. 

“The phrase ‘wannabe’ is particularly insidious… It puts down a 

challenge to anyone who is working class right from the start 

that they have to prove something. They have a barrier to cross in 

order to be taken seriously.” 

The self-defining nature of potential contributors – there was 

no form to fill in, nor a working-class authenticity checklist – was 

controversial in some quarters, but important, Connolly says, 

because “when we discuss the working class there is a section 

of society which wants to define that as a very particular variety 

of white working class. We absolutely wanted to stay away from 

that idea that there was a single, homogenous [culture]. We 

wanted the book to have contradictions in it.” 

“[Know Your Place] wasn’t a mission statement or a 

manifesto, [but] what it did was start quite a lot of debate and 

discussion. It made people talk about the issue, which is the best 

thing it could have done. We never heard about the class issue in 

publishing and literature, and now it’s front and centre,” he adds, 

citing the recent edition of the industry’s trade magazine The 

Bookseller dedicated to class. 

I was at a writing festival about six or seven years ago, I 

tell him, and it had a panel concerned with writing fiction. But 

conversation quickly turned to the subject of writing sheds, 

and wood burners within. Explored at some length, the end 

conclusion was ‘every writer needs a shed’. Delivered all very 

good-naturedly, but I wondered how many people were sat in 

that room thinking, ‘This is not my world’. 

“There’s more of an awareness that there are privileges in 

terms of social and economic backgrounds now,” says Connolly. 

“I don’t think that’s just down to Know Your Place or the class 

issue, it comes down to other elements of the diversity issue, 

which is what I wanted Know Your Place to tie into. To be very 

intersectional, class is just one aspect. There are many other 

things they should be considering in terms of how the industry is 

composed.” 

Does he think every writer needs a shed? 

“I think every writer needs their space. Whether that can be a 

period of time, a quiet ten minutes, a quiet hour, I don’t think they 

need a shed. Maybe a mental shed.” 

What about a wood burner. You need one of those, surely. 

“It would be nice, I guess! No, I don’t think you do. Maybe for 

burning old drafts?” 

Even now, 18 months after publication, both the concept 

of Know Your Place, the book’s reputation and the bold red, 

black and white cover designed in the style of a craft beer bottle 

label, ensures it’s still a hip read. It rocks up in all kinds of places. 

There’s a copy in the offices of a large independent record label 

in London, on prominent display, like a vase or ornament. Did he 

ever think that the book would be a virtue-signaling device, or a 

coffee table book? 

“I’m a bit flattered,” he laughs. “It’s strange… perhaps 

if someone who is working class enters that space it could 

put them at ease, maybe that’s something good it could do. 

People in publishing have said it’s made their own background 

something to be proud of rather than cover up, which is really 

heartwarming.” 

“I never considered that it could be considered a value 

signifier,” he continues. “I don’t know how we could prevent that. 

In a way, you could think of it as infiltrating a space – if it gets 

in somewhere and someone reads it that’s a benefit. I wanted it 

to be a book for discussion – we’ve got the Working Class Book 

Club [at Homebaked in Anfield] coming up – and that’s what I 

wanted it to be. Not just speaking to people who aren’t working 

class, but for discussion amongst working class [people] as well.” 

The book was initially published in hardback, but Dead Ink 

brought out a paperback version as soon as possible to ensure 

a wider demographic could have access. “I think it’s incredibly 

important for the working class to read these texts, for the simple 

matter of validation. Sadly, I think too many working-class people 

think literature isn’t for them, because they never see their lives 

represented in books,” says Lewis Johnson, from the Book Club. 

“By discussing texts like Know Your Place, it helps working-class 

readers situate themselves in the narrative – negating impostor 

syndrome, and catalysing creative confidence. Hopefully, with 

working-class people seeing themselves represented in literature, 

more working-class people will be inspired to start writing 

themselves.” 

Know Your Place was enthusiastically received by media 

outlets attached conventionally to the chattering classes. BBC 

Radio 4 ran a documentary by KYP contributor and editor of the 

forthcoming Common People – An Anthology of Working-Class 

Writers by Kit de Waal, on the lack of working class novelists. R4 

Woman’s Hour featured myself and fellow contributor Sian Norris 

talking about how feminism and class intersect, and the book 

was reviewed and championed from the New Statesman to the 

Times Literary Supplement. 

Late last year, author Kerry Hudson wrote an article for The 

Guardian newspaper asking, ‘Where are all the working-class 

writers?’ Best-selling crime novelist, Rebus creator Ian Rankin, 

mischievously tweeted in reply, “They’re hiding on the bestseller 

lists, writing popular fiction”. The response to his tweet was 

mixed, but it did make one wonder if debate around publishing 

and class omits a fair chunk of working-class writers; those who 

write commercial fiction. 

“I think there is that feeling, and a resentment that the 

majority of literary publishing is funded by commercial and genre 

fiction,” concedes Connolly. “The majority of literary fiction makes 

a loss. I’m sure someone could write an essay about how it’s 

working-class people funding middle-class pursuits!” 

“A lot of genre writers are demographically more from a 

working class. Again, you can bring it down to finances; the 

advances for literary fiction are smaller, the ability to make a living 

off it is much more difficult, so how does a writer afford to pursue 

it? So the genre writers are the ones laughing a bit, because 

they’re the ones making more money. But then again, are more 

working-class writers pushed to genre writing because they can 

make a living from it?” 

Discussion and debate seems to be having an effect in 

breaking down barriers preventing or hindering talent from 

entering the world of publishing, whether it be as a writer or 

working in the industry itself. It’s been pleasing to see a change 

from inside the industry, offering people on low incomes free 

mentoring, entry to writing competitions, and even bursaries to 

attend writing festivals. Because it did need to happen. For those 

with limited resources and without those all-important contacts, 

it’s a tough world to elbow into. 

“We’re in an industry where there’s so many [costly] writing 

scheme opportunities,” he says. “It’s an industry where people 

need to have money to pursue [a career]. We shouldn’t forget 

that, for a lot of people, it feels like it’s pay to win.” ! 

Words: Cath Holland / @cathbore 

Illustration: Alex Smith / @milkforthecat 

deadinkbooks.com 

Common People – Class In The Margins is a conversation event 

featuring writers who have contributed to Know Your Place. The 

event takes place on 2nd May at Toxteth Library. Tickets are 

available now from ticketquarter.co.uk. 

18

CLINIC 

WHEELTAPPERS AND SHUNTERS 

THE FIRST ALBUM IN SEVEN YEARS 

A satirical take on British culture - both high and low 

Available 10th May 2019 on LP, CD & DL

BEAT ONE 

BEAT TWO 

3BEAT 

From humble record shop to 

global player in dance music, via 

a wave of Scouse house and big 

beat, 3Beat is one of the quieter 

Liverpool success stories. 

“It’s taken us 

30 odd years, 

but I think we’ve 

finally got this 

thing sussed” 

Like all the great ports of the world, Liverpool’s love of a 

great night out has led to a defining club culture. One 

that, at one point in the mid-90s, was responsible for 

coachloads of punters heading for the city in search of 

the hedonism it has been famous for since thousands of 19thcentury 

sailors spilled out from the docks looking for kicks. 

This history ensured that when acid house spread its 

charms across the UK during the second summer of love it was 

welcomed with open arms by a Liverpool primed for action by 

club nights and venues such as The State, the Underground and 

the World Downstairs at the Royal Court. 

“I don’t think anyone thought it would last three years let 

alone 30 years,” says Pezz, of Liverpool-based record label 

3BEAT who will celebrate their three decades at the forefront 

of the UK’s dance scene this summer with a headline set 

showcasing its catalogue at Liverpool International Music 

Festival, featuring the likes of Sigma, M-22, Anton Powers, Geko, 

Pezz, Nikki Belle and Rebecca Garton. 

Founded in 1989 by Jon Barlow and beginning life as a 

second-hand record stall in Liverpool’s Quiggins market, 3Beat 

has gone on to weave its way through the fabric of modern day 

pop with an eclectic cast list that’s included everyone from Pete 

Waterman to Kanye West via Paloma Faith and Cheryl. Label 

manager Pezz, who describes himself as Barlow’s “right-hand 

man”, began visiting Liverpool while a student in Nottingham and 

was quickly experiencing the city’s love affair for dance music at 

the Quad in Bootle where he first met the friends who would first 

found the label. 

Turning down a job at Manchester Airport after moving to 

Liverpool, Pezz started working at 3Beat in 1992, by which time 

Barlow, alongside Dave Nicholl and Phil Southall, had moved 

into a permanent location at the Palace complex on Wood Street. 

“They were all into music across the board but especially dance 

music and there was definitely a gap for a record shop,” he says. 

“They would have to jump on a train to buy house records and go 

to Manchester to Piccadilly or Eastern Bloc and bring their records 

back. All the DJs were having to do the same thing. 

“The move to the Palace was when it all went off and things 

started to move culturally. You also had guys who’d gone to a 

rave and suddenly thought, ‘I don’t want my guitar anymore’, and 

they were buying keyboards and drum machines. They were then 

bringing in tapes they’d made and were playing their tunes to the 

staff behind the counter – they might listen to it and think. ‘Wow, 

that was really good’, and suddenly you’d have a car boot full of 

white labels and before you know it you’re running a record label.” 

One of the label’s first releases was Oceanic’s Insanity, before 

it was picked up by Dead Dead Good and sent into the top three. 

Other notable early volleys included 1st Team’s Feel It, Zenana’s 

Just Dance, Dub Federation’s Keep On Giving, The World 

Upstairs’ The Deep and Southport’s New Atlantic who gave their 

label their first top 20 hit in March 1992 after Pete Waterman’s 

PWL snapped up I Know, turning it into a huge hit. 

“The funny thing with Pete was that he was very good about 

having his finger on the pulse,” laughs Pezz. “He could see what 

was going on in clubs because of The Hit Man And Her show. 

Go back and watch that and you’ll hear proper underground 

American house music getting played. It was such an exciting 

time because no one knew what was going to happen – all of a 

sudden you had people like Gatecrasher, Ministry Of Sound and 

Cream getting in on the act.” 

Mention of the ‘C word’ is unavoidable of course when talking 

about Liverpool during this period, with Cream beginning life as 

a weekly house music night at Nation in October 1992 and soon 

attracting over 3,000 people every week from around the UK. 

Pezz and 3Beat were in the ideal spot to see the phenomenon 

explode. “What Cream did for the city was extraordinary,” he 

says. “The universities were full because of Cream. I remember 

there were three lads who worked for us and they came to 

Liverpool because of Cream. There was a vibe oozing from the 

place. 

“At first our shop was the place to buy their tickets and it was 

massively beneficial for us, but by about 1996 the resident DJs 

had taken over and the punters were more bothered about their 

Patrick Cox loafers and their Gucci shirts than buying records. 

By that point what we were selling most of became known as 

Scouse house.” 

Melodic, anthemic and piano-driven with big vocals, Scouse 

house became a genre in itself thanks to 3Beat’s marketing team. 

Well, sort of. “The guy who came up with that term as a joke was 

Andy Nicholson,” laughs Pezz. “You’d have big cheesy records 

from Holland and piano house from Italy which were massive 

in the 051 with no real genre to file them in the shop and Andy 

said, ‘Why don’t we call it Scouse house?’ We all thought it was 

hilarious but then we stopped laughing and realised that’s what 

we needed to call it. 

“We could be buying 300 copies of a record and we’d be the 

only shop in the country stocking them and it made sense to call 

it that. We even thought about copyrighting the name in case 

HMV started using it!” 

Further success came when the label inked a deal with 

London Records subsidiary FFRR – a partnership with Pete 

Tong which spawned three Top 10 records, including Lisa Marie 

Experience’s Keep On Jumpin’ and Berri’s The Sunshine After The 

Rain. Another landmark came in 1997, when a friend of Barlow’s 

came into the shop with a demo of Dario G’s Sunchyme (“It 

was at number two while Elton John’s Candle In The Wind was 

at number one,” remembers Pezz), prompting the label to be 

put on hiatus and 3Beat Management to start up in 2000 

offering distribution services to numerous other independents. 

While Barlow was managing Dario G, the label released more 

underground records – like Tekara’s Breathe In You and Dea-Li’s 

Calling The Angels – that reflected the more progressive house 

nature of the 3Beat online store and world famous mail order 

business. 

In 2003, Barlow and Pezz – along with A&R executive Anton 

Powers and label manager Tim Condran – set up Boss Records, 

with distribution from Ministry Of Sound. Over the next four 

years the label released numerous singles with hit records by 

artists such as Angel City, Aaron Smith, Mason versus Princess 

Superstar and Studio B. In 2007, after Boss Records’ contract 

had expired with Ministry Of Sound, Barlow and Pezz founded 

3Beat Productions with distribution from Universal. The new 

label was made up of two sub-labels, 3Beat Blue and 3Beat Red, 

and has released records by artists such as Agnes, Cahill, Ian 

Carey, Duck Sauce and Skepta and secured its first UK number 

one in 2011 with Loca People by Sak Noel. In 2018 they even 

signed The X Factor songstress Cheryl. 

“It’s taken us 30 odd years, but I think we’ve finally got this 

thing sussed,” says Pezz. “There’s never been a contract with 

Skepta – it was just shaking hands and looking someone in the 

eye and saying, ‘You’re not going to be a twat with us and we 

won’t be a twat with you!’” 

Despite Pezz admitting the closure of the original 3Beat 

record shop (it has since reopened as 3b, staffed by three former 

members of staff) in 2009 hit him hard, the memories and 

experiences of 3Beat remain as positive as the bounciest slice of 

Europop. “When the shutter came down I was the last to leave 

and went to my car and just burst into tears,” he adds. “It was 

18 years of my life gone – but three weeks later we’d moved the 

label and we’d signed another record and we had some remixes 

coming in and suddenly I released it was just the end of that 

period. 

“I’m 51 this year, but it keeps you young and it’s everevolving 

and keeps you on your toes. But, looking back, 3Beat 

has been a hell of an achievement.” ! 

Words: Jamie Bowman / @bowmanjam 

@3beatmusic 

A headline 3Beat @ 30 showcase takes place at LIMF on 20th 

July in Sefton Park, featuring SIGMA, M-22 and Anton Powers. 

Tickets for LIMF are available now via TicketQuarter. 

20

www.liverpoolbandvans.co.uk 

info@liverpoolbandvans.co.uk +44 78 544 94764 

Cain’s Brewery District ● 9 Mann Street ● Liverpool ● L85AF

In celebration of reaching our century, we are casting our minds 

forwards to see what the cultural landscape might look like when our 

200th issue lands. 

100 issues. Nine years. However you look at it, it’s been 

quite a while. To be frank, a good while longer than we 

could ever have expected. When we first set out on this 

idealistic journey, issuing monthly love-letters to our city’s 

music community, our aim was pretty humble; to platform and 

celebrate. We paid no mind to how long we could squeeze it out 

for. We launched in May 2010; maybe we could cling on until 

Christmas? 

The manner in which the city has embraced Bido Lito! over 

the past 100 issues says as much about Liverpool as it does 

about these pink pages. After all, this is the city that celebrates 

itself, that sees our music and our creativity as an utterly defining 

aspect of what, as a people, we are. What we stand for. What 

we mean in the world. In that context, it’s unsurprising that a 

magazine such as ours should flourish as it has. 

But, what we understand – and we know the city 

understands – is the constant need to evolve. Standing still is 

stepping back and, in a city so rooted and defined by its past, we 

must constantly force the conversation, force the debate, instil a 

future-focused culture. We need to embrace and shape change, 

both locally and globally. 

When we were developing the idea of Bido Lito! in late 2009, 

Spotify wasn’t yet 12 months old. The reality of how people 

consume and create music has changed seismically over the past 

decade. In the first issue of Bido Lito! we lamented the fire and 

loss of Korova. Debates around the gentrification of the Baltic 

Triangle and the massacre of Wolstenholme Square were years 

away. Music, technology and the city we love have changed, and 

are changing, at an unrecognisable pace. 

Thinking broadly, it seems that artistic creativity is no 

longer a uniquely human condition. The AI-generated Portrait 

Of Edmond Bellamy (created by the Generative Adversarial 

Network, courtesy of an algorithm) caused a storm by selling for 

almost half a million dollars at Christie’s. It is also highly likely 

that Spotify ‘artist’ Clay Edwards – who has amassed a cool 20 

million streams of his only track on the platform – is no more than 

a bunch of code. 

Enabled by music-making software platforms such as IBM’s 

Watson Beat, Jukedeck and Amper Music, would-be composers 

today have the opportunity to let computers do the hard work 

of actually coming up with the ideas. With just a few basic cues, 

these platforms can come up with fully-formed multi-track mixes 

of bespoke compositions, which can be dumped across into 

GarageBand for personalisation. Royalty free. 

Justified by early adopters and their tech-firm creators as 

a ‘liberation’ to musicians – who may be unable to afford the 

‘costly’ process of learning to play instruments or have the time 

to finesse the art of composition – is utilising AI in this way really 

a positive development? Is it symptomatic of the all-of-it-now 

talent-vacuum that’s persistent in our self-obsessed, egomaniacal 

digital world? Or, is the new human/technological interface 

a positive, collaborative relationship, which can shape a new 

creative future? 

Thinking about changes to the city specifically, some will 

say that, in time, cities change and this is the natural order of 

things. But is it? Without shaping approaches to the future based 

on structured thinking and understanding of the present, the 

evolution of the city will be shaped by the strongest forces. And 

that comes down to power and money. If, knowing what we 

know now, we could go back to 2010, what would we – as a city 

and a creative community – have done differently? 

The temptation at a landmark such as 100 editions is to look 

back – through the fug of nostalgia – at what has been achieved 

over a century of editions. But this is not what we will be doing to 

mark the occasion. Instead, we will be exploring the unique set of 

challenges our city’s creative community faces today, taking the 

opportunity to explore questions such as: what will Liverpool’s 

new music and creative culture look like in 2028, in another 100 

editions time? And, what we can do differently today to help 

shape a better, creative tomorrow? 

We don’t propose to have all the answers. But, through a 

unique series of projects to mark our 100th edition, bido100! 

will seek to ask some of the right questions. Maybe, through 

new ways of thinking and innovative collaborations, through 

harnessing technology, through embracing and supporting our 

creative ecology, we will be able to look back when we reach 

Issue 200 (yes, we will get there) and reflect on how we – 

collectively, as a city – made decisions in 2019 that helped shape 

a brighter future for our city. ! 

Words: Craig G Pennington 

Design: Sam Wiehl / samwiehl.co.uk 

22

Ritual 2.0 

On LightNight (17th May), RITUAL 2.0 marks the launch of bido100! and invites participants to 

consider a creative future based on Artificial Intelligence. Are we at the vanguard of a new chapter 

of ritualistic expression, a cross pollination between human and AI creativity? Is this Ritual 2.0? 

A large-scale, public realm light and sound installation developed by artist SAM WIEHL with 

an accompanying soundtrack mix by FOREST SWORDS, set within the subterranean tunnels 

of Moorfields Station, will explore these pertinent creative questions. The installation is one of 

LightNight 2019’s commissions and will take the form of a walk-through, immersive experience, 

encouraging the public to consider AI’s ideal boundaries and parameters as we plough head-on into 

a new technical age. 

AI Audio Lab 

Following on from Ritual 2.0, AI AUDIO LAB will be an installation which places the Liverpool public within a new world 

of automated creativity, where AI, algorithms and cutting-edge technologies have the capacity to create the very music 

we enjoy, with varying degrees of human interaction. Working with Dr Robert Strachan (Senior Music Lecturer, Liverpool 

University), we will invite you to step into a virtual recording studio and shape the creation of an Artificial Intelligencecomposed 

piece of music, in a genre of your choice. We will also be inviting a selection of artists to create new work 

within the installation, with the outcomes broadcast across Bido Lito!’s digital media channels. The project will be hosted 

within SEVENSTORE’s new Baltic Triangle location and is intended to encourage participants to critically engage with the 

idea of a music future based on a partnership between AI and human creativity, questioning the union’s boundaries and 

parameters. 

AI Audio Lab launches on 29th May. 

Inside Pages 

Inside Pages Festival (22nd June) is designed as a full-blown celebration of the artists and music community our magazine was 

established to champion. The event follows on from an event of the same name we held back in 2010 when we started out, and we are 

thrilled to be able to announce the full line-up. 

Longstanding Bido Lito! heroes and gloriously scrubbed-up oddballs CLINIC will headline the festival, off the back of releasing their first 

album in seven years on Domino. STEALING SHEEP – always at the heart of the Bido Lito! family – will be joining us for an exclusive, 

late-night DJ set. Our recent cover artists XAMVOLO, YANK SCALLY and EYESORE & THE JINX will all perform live alongside rapidly 

emerging indie gems THE MYSTERINES. MC NELSON will also present the first ever performance of a new piece of work he has been 

developing as part of his residency with Metal in Rotterdam (as featured in last month’s Bido Lito!). Some of our favourite squeezes, in 

SEATBELTS, OHMNS, RONGORONGO, REMY JUDE ENSEMBLE and THE ALEPH make up what is set to be a scintillating exploration of 

Liverpool music, and a fitting celebration of our 100 editions. 

Pow Wow! 

Held within the iconic surroundings of The Bluecoat on Friday 7th June, POW WOW! will be a unique discursive event where we will debate the 

key issues, challenges, opportunities and changes we will be contending with in 2028. The event will feature the first of what is set to be an annual 

Roger Eagle Memorial Lecture and will be conducted by the inimitable BILL DRUMMOND. An opportunity to shine a focus on Roger Eagle – one 

of our city’s most enduring musical forces – this annual lecture will invite an artist to explore a topic they see as pressing today, but also in keeping 

with the spirit of the man himself. Who better to give the inaugural lecture than Bill Drummond, whose unique character and perspective was 

shaped by the great impresario during his informative Eric’s period. 

The evening will also host the Pow Wow! Discussion, featuring representatives from the worlds of art, politics and journalism casting their minds 

forward to what the world has in store for our creative future. 

Saturday 8th June will see the inaugural Bido Lito! Community Members’ Forum. This annual event will see our Bido Lito! members, contributors 

and partners come together to shape the agenda the magazine will pursue over the coming year, as part of our continuing drive towards 

community-focused journalism. To become a Bido Lito! member, visit bidolito.co.uk/membership. 

Liverpool, 2028 

Earlier this year we announced Liverpool, 2028, a collaboration with dot-art gallery which invited local artists to consider our city’s creative challenges and 

opportunities and respond to the themes of rapid digitisation, the rising prominence of AI and the changing face of our city: all ideas central to bido100!. 

We are pleased to be announce the successful artists who will be featured in the resulting, multi-artist show; ALAN MURRAY, DARREN BLENKHORN, 

JAMES CHADDERTON, MICHAEL LACEY, plus regular Bido Lito! regular contributors HANNAH BLACKMAN-KURZ and TOMMY GRAHAM. 

Through paintings, collage, graphics and mixed media, the featured artists have explored a Liverpool of their imaginations, buoyed by technology or eroded 

by a decaying society, this varied, inspiring and sometime unnerving show will offer an alternative view of our city’s tomorrow. Liverpool, 2028 opens at 

dot-art on Queen Avenue on 23rd May. 

dot-art.co.uk 

Tickets for all Pow Wow! and 

Inside Pages are available 

now at ticketquarter.co.uk. 

Full programme information is 

available at 

bidolito.co.uk/bido100. 

FEATURE 

23

IN PERFECT 

“In Harmony 

teach possibility, 

not just skill” 

HARMONY 

What if musical instruments were as crucial to school life as textbooks and Bunsen burners? Julia Johnson 

spends a few days in the company of some of the city’s most inspiring primary school students, observing 

the great advantages of having music as a key pillar of a school curriculum. 

Of all the issues that feed into ensuring the health of 

music scenes both local and national, perhaps the most 

fundamental question we need to ask is where the next 

generation of musicians are coming from. Due to the 

pressure of schools being judged so heavily on maths and English 

assessments, time to focus on music is increasingly squeezed out 

of the curriculum. 

Furthermore, this problem is becoming increasingly systemic 

– teachers themselves may not have had a well-rounded musical 

education. So, if access to opportunities in music is declining, 

where is musicianship nurtured? How can music be a skill 

children can explore – never mind master – if they’re lacking the 

opportunities to do so? 

Enter IN HARMONY, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic-led 

programme working to bring music into the lives of primary 

school pupils in Everton, and now Anfield. This year marks In 

Harmony’s 10th anniversary – a perfect opportunity to look at the 

programme’s achievements. 

In Harmony embeds music into education; they don’t just run 

tokenistic sessions. Instead, they focus on creating a culture of 

musicianship in schools, so that music becomes a natural part of 

children’s lives. As well as having several hours of music a week 

in school from the early years upwards, children are encouraged 

at every step to think of themselves as musicians. Each child, for 

example, gets their own instrument allocated – which sounds 

obvious, but can be rare in tightly resourced departments. Yet 

as Rod Skipp, artistic director, conductor and session leader for 

In Harmony explains, this can be a deceptively simple way of 

getting children to take ownership. “Sometimes they name their 

violin or their cello; say good night to it as they pack it away. They 

really appreciate it, having their own instrument to look after and 

taking it home, to share it with their friends and family.” 

There are unique benefits that come from teaching music 

through an orchestral setting. “You come together with your 

friends, play music, and you’re all trying to achieve the same 

thing,” Skipp explains. “You’re not trying to beat each other or to 

win, but you’re working together to create the best version that 

you can.” 

They invited me to attend an afternoon of in-school sessions 

and see this manifested. Seven and eight-year-olds, all equally 

new to the joys and challenges of learning an instrument, all 

making an equally significant contribution to a great sound. While 

learning the basics of reading music together, there are also 

smaller moments of learning from each other, as children help 

each other out with technique, instrument care and ensuring their 

section is in sync. 

The school’s management love it, of course, and not just 

because it ticks a box in terms of curriculum coverage. Zoe 

Armfield, In Harmony Liverpool manager, shares some of 

the feedback she’s had from the nursery settings in which In 

Harmony teach musical activities to pupils as young as two. 

Even at an age where socialisation and communication skills 

are still being developed, the impact is being noticed. “Actually, 

the music can be the thing that joins them together. Because 

you don’t need language, do you? You can join in and be part of 

something.” 

Executive headteacher of The Beacon CE Primary School, 

Sally Aspinwall, has also seen the impact of the In Harmony reach 

way beyond the hours of the session. Some of these are academic: 

“The musical vocabulary – they probably wouldn’t have that at the 

age they’re having it. We would say that’s impacting positively on 

reading ages, on their English curriculum scores.” But Aspinwall 

spends most of our conversation focusing on the aspect of the 

programme that is brought up more than any other by everyone 

I speak to: the impact it has on children’s confidence. In Harmony 

may be based around teaching music, but at its heart is the drive to 

develop a mindset that you can learn and achieve anything. 

Part of this comes from the performance opportunities 

embedded in the programme. In Harmony couldn’t let its 10th 

anniversary pass by without celebration, and the weekend of 

9th-11th March saw a series of concerts to mark the occasion. 

The pupils of In Harmony were the stars at two of these 

occasions. Sunday 10th March saw pupils of all ages perform on 

stage alongside their In Harmony counterparts from Leeds and 

Newcastle Gateshead. It recalled an inspiring anecdote Zoë had 

shared: responding to a child’s questions about her own school 

musical experiences. “I was like, ‘I think we did recorder lessons 

when I was in Year Six…’. They couldn’t believe that it’s not the 

norm that every child has music two or three times a week and 

that they don’t all play in orchestras. They think that’s just part of 

the normal fabric of school life.” Bringing pupils from across the 

north of England together like this develops precisely the culture 

this child articulated; one where music is an everyday, shared 

activity. 

The spotlight was solely on the Liverpool participants on 

Monday 11th, with a celebratory concert that was live-streamed 

on Facebook. To see these young children coming together as an 

orchestra, and observing how they all took it completely in their 

stride, was truly inspiring. Of all the things they may have been 

feeling about being on stage in one of the most famous classical 

music venues in the country, nerves were not visibly one of them. 

It was also notable how ambitious the programme of each 

performance was. Alongside the pieces that demonstrated how 

they were introduced to reading music, the concerts included 

renditions of Sibelius’ Finlandia and Bizet’s Toreador. Familiar 

tunes – and challenging ones. Their inclusion makes a statement: 

why can’t, and why shouldn’t, we be playing these pieces? Not 

to mention the fact that they played alongside the professional 

musicians of the RLPO as well as internationally renowned 

soloists, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and trumpeter Pacho 

Flores. Their performances are masterful and, from the looks on 

the faces of the young people on stage, they are just as amazed 

by these virtuoso performances as the audience. 

Now that In Harmony has been going for a decade, the ways 

these experiences are actually having an impact on people’s lives 

are starting to reveal themselves. Parents are sharing regular 

anecdotes with headteachers and confirming through surveys the 

positive impact In Harmony has upon their children’s confidence 

and engagement. What’s also interesting is that the first few 

cohorts who In Harmony worked with back in 2009 are now 

adults themselves. Stories about the life-changing impact of In 

Harmony are beginning to filter through from the participants 

themselves. Armfield is convinced of the direct link between a 

can-do attitude and the In Harmony performance opportunities: 

“If they’re having that experience once a term from the minute 

they enter school, that’s what’s going to give them confidence: ‘If 

I can do this, maybe I can go and study engineering,’ or whatever 

they want.” It’s a hugely positive validation that In Harmony’s 10 

Years of Learning report is filled with inspiring quotes sent from 

young people about how the programme has filled their lives with 

confidence. 

This is what creating a culture of possibility really means. 

In Harmony’s leaders understand that not every pupil will go 

on to become a musician, but the evidence suggests that even 

for those who don’t continue, the culture that the programme 

creates endures. Skipp shares his observation from a decade of 

working with schools: “There’s a lot of pride from the children 

and the families around what they’ve achieved. And a lot of 

encouragement from the older children, even if they’re not still 

playing with us, encouraging others to stick at it.” Armfield, too, 

is confident that the impact of the programme is a lasting one; 

that it’s creating new expectations for music accessibility from 

within communities themselves. “People are saying, ‘We want to 

make these choices, we want our children to have music as part 

of their lives – how do we make that happen?’” Indeed, according 

to In Harmony’s data, 50 per cent of participants in the primary 

programme continue learning an instrument in secondary school 

– an impressive statistic. 

As it begins its second decade by consolidating existing 

relationships and expanding into Anfield, it’s clear that In 

Harmony teach possibility, not just skill. They’re making real 

changes in attitudes towards the accessibility of music education. 

Performing music is as much based on having the confidence 

to stand on stage and share your skill with an audience as it is 

about talent. In this regard, the young participants of In Harmony 

may lead the way not only in deeply engaging with music, but in 

applying the self-belief that performance teaches to every aspect 

of life. ! 

Words: Julia Johnson / messylines.com 

Photography: Mark McNulty / markmcnulty.co.uk 

@IHLiverpool 

24

I NTRODUCING 

MUSIC CITY STAGE 

IN ASSOCIATION WITH LIMF ACADEMY 

THE ZANZIBAR COLLECTIVE 

(IN MEMORY OF TONY BUTLER) 

FEATURING 

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SUB BLUE x DELIAH • SHARDS • AIMÉE STEVEN • THE HEAVY NORTH 

LUCA x TORI CROSS x LU x NIKLAS 

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SEFTON PARK, LIVERPOOL 

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#LIMF2019

CLUBTOGETHER 

Rave mapping and remembering how to party: looking 

deep into the visual archaeology of club culture with 

cultural cartographers Dorothy and SEVENSTORE. 

“I thought it would 

be lovely to create a 

resource where people 

can show what’s 

happening now in a 

democratised sphere” 

The weekend is no longer an escape, it’s a cultural asset. 

Clubbing and rave culture is treated with the care 

of a heritage site. Pay your entry fee, experience its 

wonderment and go home knowing some institutions 

will be cared for, if the price is right. 

The well-trodden narrative that capitalist-powered 

philanthropy will save clubbing’s soul has cruelly prevailed. 

‘Sponsor a raver’ adverts aren’t far behind: ‘Donate to receive 

your free cuddly raver teddy bear, cute bottle of water in hand!; 

receive updates on the progress of your wide-grinning, fuzzyeyed 

charity case looking for an afterparty!’ Redevelopers will 

now even pay for soundproofing, just so they don’t interrupt your 

fun. Because building a tower of gentrification atop of four walls 

of cerebral escape is fine as long as those below are restrained 

to near silence. Redevelopment is drugging club culture into 

submission. And yet, such a dichotomy, that clubbing is there 

to be saved or restored, blindly overlooks the exploration and 

innovation taken by partygoers, promoters and club owners. 

Those that continue in their artistic endeavour and community 

value in the face of a rigged fight with redevelopment and council 

meeting agendas. 

Clubbing still exists, as does rave culture, albeit in a new 

form, with new challenges. This reluctant cultural asset of 

ours isn’t static, nor defined. Clubbing is not a monument. It’s 

malleable, curating and establishing pockets of subculture in 

the first light of the morning after. Its purpose, its former glories, 

have become clouded by tourist appeal; the chance to experience 

something that encapsulates human energy and progression, 

a sensation that’s close to listed building status, owned by the 

National Trust. 

The cultural influence of clubbing and its continuing 

footprints across the world is the energy powering 

CLUBTOGETHER, a brand new web app created by Liverpoolbased 

design agency Dorothy, in collaboration with Rhythm. 

The web app allows users to input memories of parties, raves, 

venues, DJs and promoters, generating a real-time cartography 

of club culture, both contemporary and nostalgic. It’s far from a 

misty-eyed look back towards the acid house boom. Its purpose 

26

is to provide a visual accompaniment for the subcultures, circles 

and movements generated by collective human movement 

and soundtrack. Those that perforate current popular culture 

and society, and those that defined fashion, friendships and 

experiences right through from the 1980s to now. 

When launched in early May, ClubTogether aims to be a 

reference point for human action, a spotlight on the diversities 

emitted from shared experience. 

“When I mention clubbing to people, everyone interprets it 

in a slightly different way,” says James Quail, creative director 

at Dorothy. It was James who sketched out the initial idea for 

the web app, with the focus on interpretation and personalised 

moments carrying forward the idea from blueprint to launch. 

The inspiration for ClubTogether stems from a similar 

exercise carried out by Dorothy. In 2018, the designers 

researched and mapped out the history of rave culture, placing 

familiar DJs, clubs and promoters onto a print that replicated 

the circuit diagram of a 303 synthesiser. The print, with its 

distinctive euphoric yellow, mapped out the cultural wingspan 

of the Second Summer Of Love, and followed an initial run of 

prints that provided a cartography for dance music and electronic 

music. “The reaction to the acid house print was great. From the 

initial research to the print itself, it was all received really well. 

It was such a lovely feeling to see that it was embraced by so 

many people,” James tells me. The print quickly caught the eye of 

electronic music media with the likes of former Haçienda resident 

Graeme Park singing its praises online. 

While the print proved a success, the room to develop the 

idea was palpable to James and the rest of the team. “We got lots 

of emails and feedback, and it was all really positive, but a portion 

of it was people who were saying, ‘Hey, I love this, but you’ve 

forgotten this’, or, ‘You haven’t included these top 10 club nights 

in New York at the moment, or five things happening right now 

in Birmingham’.” The reaction shifted the project from a nostalgic 

take on a faded cultural moment to an opportunity to create a 

platform that tied the old with the new, the happening and the 

departed. It became an effort to observe ourselves, our actions, 

in real time, with the same nostalgic smiles that memories from 

30 years ago would generate. “When we were doing the maps 

and planning things out, it was difficult to not enter into it with a 

personal slant,” James adds, discussing the process of research 

for the original print. “The memories and experiences you feel to 

be important because they were part of you at the time.” 

“There were so many great things people kept feeding 

in, things that they were heavily a part of, that were in the 

community of this particular scene or subculture. They simply 

wanted to share it with us in a way of saying ‘look, this is 

happening now’ or ‘this happened in 88’. There was a real will to 

contribute, with people asking if there’s any way we could include 

their memories in a future edition.” 

Although there was widespread demand to refine the layers 

of acid house nostalgia, the calls to expand beyond the 1980s 

brought the idea of ClubTogether closer to fruition. There was 

clear excitement for partygoers to chronicle their own personal 

halcyon days of rave culture. And it’s not without good reason. 

The transient nature of parties and promoters is a stark reality 

of the environment clubbing and dance music faces in the 

contemporary era. What is now can’t be forever, unless it hands 

over its autonomy at a price. 

The room to create a platform that projected a real time 

picture of rave culture presented itself to James and Dorothy, a 

space where a two-week-old party at 24 Kitchen Street would sit 

in as highly regarded as the final time the lights came up at the 

Haçienda. “A lot of the things were not really in the timeframe we 

were looking at on the print. So, I thought it would be lovely to 

create a resource where people can show what’s happening now 

in a democratised sphere, showing how much others would be 

into it.” ClubTogether essentially verifies the existence of relative 

nostalgia, personal memories of the moment. Yet, intrinsically, 

it will aim to show a picture of change; the current state and 

participation in clubbing experience all over the world. In time, it 

could prove to be a useful tool for assessing where our cultural 

assets truly are. 

“The way it works is that you can filter the web app to 

specific location, club, or specific night, DJ, or year,” James 

explains, noting that all entries onto the map are user-generated. 

“My hope is that you can look at, for example, Liverpool, and slide 

the filter along so you can see what has been here in the last 

couple of years, and what’s been here ten years ago, 20 years 

ago; and then slide it back to now and see how people connect, 

communicate and cluster into communities, finding the links to 

Quadrant Park, The Kazimier, Invisible Wind Factory.” 

“Ultimately, it’s going to be as big as people want to it be,” 

he underscores. “It’s entirely based on the level of interaction, the 

memories people input. What is happening, what has happened. 

That’s how the project came about in the first place, in a way, so 

it kind of shapes how the platform works a little bit.” 

ClubTogether provides the grounds to observe the 

emergence of scenes, subculture and communities, all interlinked 

under the roof of clubbing. For James, it will offer users and 

viewers the opportunity to embark on a “visual archaeology of 

club culture”, with the ability to pin point shifts in musical circles, 

or even channel the changing landscape of cities based on 

interaction with existing and redeveloped clubbing institutions. 

The visual culmination of ClubTogether is set to occur on 

LightNight 2019. The event will take place within SEVENSTORE, 

a brand-new concept retail store opening in the Baltic Triangle, 

with LightNight offering a unique opportunity to experience 

the retail space and visual installation. The store, which brings 

together fashion, music and art in innovative, community-focused 

ways, has been a partner on the ClubTogether project since the 

inception of the idea. Corresponding with the inspiration for the 

web app, club and rave culture mapping acts as central creative 

starting point for SEVENSTORE’s opening programme and 

resulting community activity. 

Housed within the basement of SEVENSTORE, the evening 

of 17th May will see a first viewing of the ClubTogether 

installation, specially curated for the LightNight celebrations. 

Throughout the evening attendees will be encouraged to share 

their memories and experiences via the web app while being 

immersed in an evolving timeline of clubbing and subcultures. 

Music on the night will be suitably provided by Graeme Park, 

with support from SEVENSTORE radio show host Andrew PM 

Hunt. Alongside the installation there will be a specially curated 

photographic exhibition featuring the work of Mark McNulty, 

including his visual relics of the Liverpool rave scene. 

ClubTogether brings a democratic approach to cultural 

mapping. Away from Facebook’s advertising-led algorithms, 

memories will be given the space to breathe and connect, joining 

the dots of a future facing cultural cloud. The web app invites you 

into moments passed without having to look through the lens of a 

mobile phone camera. It brings you back to where you were, where 

you are, when loosened from the accepted structures of reality. ! 

Words: Elliot Ryder / @elliot_ryder 

Imagery: Dorothy Studio / wearedorothy.com 

ClubTogether is part of LightNight, with the installation open for 

first time viewing on Friday 17th May. Visit clubtogether.me to 

participate. 

FEATURE 

27

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SPOTLIGHT 

PODGE 

Inspired by the art and music of the Japanese underground, this fearless artist is showing the rest of 

Merseyside where the future of innovation lies. 

PODGE has been intriguing us ever since emerging from 

the SoundCloud ether last year. As one of this year’s 

cohort of Merseyrail Sound Station artists, he has been 

honing his sound into even sharper versions of the 

whip-smart music he burst onto the scene with. His music is 

a tangle of spaced-out melodies sung over a joyful, expansive 

electronic horizon of audio which leaves no sound unturned. “I 

guess the best way to describe it would be catchy tunes and 

weird noises,” he tells us, “the most common things I hear people 

mention about my music are all the little details I try putting into 

my production.” The opening track of his self-released debut 

album, The Hero Appears, begins with a frantic chattering in 

chipmunk tones – it sounds like fairies bickering out of earshot. 

Throughout the album, he samples everything from guitars to 

ambient sounds and white noise. 

His influences are just as eclectic: “I’m really inspired by a lot 

of anime: Ping Pong The Animation, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon 

Maid and Nichijou are probably the most inspirational. I really 

enjoy the cheerful but sometimes contemplative nature of these 

shows and it’s not really something I think I can explain well.” 

He may not be able to put it into words, but this sense of covert 

melancholy within a world of beauty and fun certainly articulates 

itself in his music. “Car Seat Headrest was probably one of the 

first artists I got obsessed with after I started making music,” he 

continues. “I think I was really attracted to the whole DIY aspect 

of the band, especially back in 2015.” 

There are numerous other luminaries evident (Aphex Twin 

and Tyler, The Creator are referenced, while Animal Collective 

loom unmentioned in the background), but the artist who Podge 

credits as having the most crucial 

impact on his sound is Japanese 

producer Cornelius. “His album 

Fantasma is a big part of the reason 

why I have my style now, and 

listening to it last year was a big 

eye-opener, stylistically. If I could 

support any artist it would probably 

be Cornelius. It would be crazy to see 

what kind of set-up he’s running live.” 

Podge is one of the new wave of 

artists now emerging whose musical 

education was mostly virtual – a 

bedroom artist directing their own 

tuition, intuitively. For such artists, cultural boundaries which 

dictate what music from a certain place sounds like are irrelevant 

and nonexistent. Growing up in Wirral and playing guitar and 

bass with friends from the age of 15 developed into a personal 

relationship with a laptop, a synthesizer and all the sounds on the 

internet. “Honestly, I’ve only been to a few gigs in my life. I guess 

I’m just too lazy to go see anyone unless I really love their music.” 

The virtual soundscape can be a more democratic one, and 

where the middle-man between artist and audience disappears, 

industry recluses can become the hero of one boy’s bedroom. 

Podge recommends our readers listen to artist Arvid’s album Old 

Factory Living: “It’s a super chilled-out album and has some super 

catchy songs on it. I found his music in a thread on an image 

board when I was, like, 15 and showed my friends, and we’ve 

all been listening to it since then. It’s weird ’cos to me the album 

“There’s always some 

way you can improve 

music, that’s why 

I’ll probably never 

get bored of it” 

feels like an old classic, but I don’t 

think the guy even has 500 followers 

on SoundCloud.” 

Podge’s inquisitive disposition 

means his love of music lies in the 

never-ending pursuit. “Music is one 

of the most fulfilling things that I 

do. The fact that there hasn’t been 

– and probably never will be – an 

objectively perfect piece of music 

means that there’s always some way 

you can improve music, and that’s 

why I think I’ll probably never get 

bored of it.” 

“My favourite song to perform is a super old one I made 

nearly two years ago called 100% Orange Juice,” Podge tells us. 

“It’s one of those songs where you finish writing it and it feels like 

it came from nowhere, or like some sort of higher part of me that 

I can’t consciously tap into has allowed for a bit of itself to seep 

out. Those are the best songs to perform – when you write music 

because it doesn’t feel like you’re playing your own song. It just 

feels like an old favourite from an artist I really like.” 


soundcloud.com/poodge 

Podge’s new single Yuka Peno, recorded at Parr Street Studios, is 

released on 3rd May via The Label Recordings. 

30

CHARLIE 

McKEON 

The folk-inflected songwriter’s 

“cabinet of curiosities” has 

enough soul and flair to satisfy 

music fans of all different stripes. 

“I spent my A-levels 

trying to work 

out what The Red 

Telephone from 

Forever Changes 

is about” 

If you had to describe your style in a sentence, what would you 

say? 

If Bert Jansch formed a doo-wop trio with himself and his subconscious; 

or if Paul Simon had no mates. 

Have you always wanted to create music? 

I got into playing music at the age of about eight when I got 

my first guitar. Before that I was really into stationery for some 

reason. I’m not even messing, I used to ask for things like Post-its 

and staples for my birthday, which is weird because these days I 

can’t even find a pen. 

Can you pinpoint a live gig or a piece of music that initially 

inspired you? 

A Yellow Submarine cassette I picked up from a French 

supermarket when I was seven. My dad said I should listen to it. I 

said, ‘Aren’t they horrible people though?’ or something like that, 

to which he replied: ‘No, that’s Oasis’. So I got it and spent about 

two years wearing it out. 

Do you have a favourite song or piece of music to perform? 

What does it say about you? 

I like to play an instrumental I wrote called August 23. The 

melody has an irregular amount of bar lengths and it creates this 

sort of circular pull, and I find it meditative. 

What do you think is the overriding influence on your 

songwriting: other art, emotions, current affairs – or a mixture 

of all of these? 

A confusion about anything practical. Everyone’s always telling 

you to concentrate and stop looking out the window and I have 

no idea why. 

Why is music important to you? 

Music is important to me because without it I would still be waiting 

for the dishwasher light to turn green in Costa Coffee while I 

wonder when I might finally lose that darned virginity of mine. I 

have no education because I spent my A-levels trying to work out 

what The Red Telephone from Forever Changes is about. 

Can you recommend an artist, band or album that Bido Lito! 

readers might not have heard? 

Karen Dalton. She’s called the folk Billie Holliday, but she’s more 

than that. Most of her recordings are just these crackly tape 

demos, but they’re haunting and really beautiful at the same time. 

They sort of represent all that’s important about music, if you just 

distilled it down to the essentials. 

charliemckeon.bandcamp.com 

Charlie McKeon’s new single I Wanna Make Your Garden Nice 

Charlie (Home Oddities) is released on 2nd May. 

TABITHA 

JADE 

From National Songwriting 

champion at 16 to Oyé Introduces 

act this year – where next for this 

rising urban pop act? 

“Whatever happens 

in my life, whatever 

mood I am in, it 

inspires me to 

write. It’s part of the 

healing process” 

If you had to describe your music in a sentence, what would 

you say? 

I feel my music is quite bold and relatable. Sonically, it’s a fusion 

of Afro, hip hop and RnB with a narrative. Right now the music I 

mostly listen to is American trap and UK Afro swing, where my 

music is at the moment; that’s not to say I might not experiment 

with other vibes in the future. 

How did you get into music? 

I get asked a lot if my parents are musicians: actually they’re not, 

they’re mostly into business and I’ve become generally interested 

in that side as well from being around them. In terms of music, 

it started when I was 11 when I received my first guitar and 

singing lessons. After a couple of months I was learning covers 

off YouTube and then my parents encouraged me to try writing 

my own songs – very quickly it developed into a passion. From 

that point on I knew that I wanted to pursue music as a career. 

Can you pinpoint a live gig or a piece of music that initially 

inspired you? 

I grew up listening to my dad’s eclectic vinyl collection – 

mainly US soul, RnB, jazz, funk, reggae and hip hop. One of my 

favourite records was a track he would blast out in the car called I 

Blame You by the jazz artist Ledisi. I admire her vocal control and 

flexibility, so silky and soulful. No matter how you were feeling, 

the song would make you happy. It never fails to get the family 

dancing around, either. 

What do you think is the overriding influence on your 

songwriting: other art, emotions, current affairs – or a mixture 

of all of these? 

I’ve been writing for more than seven years. At the beginning 

I wrote mainly about imagined relationships, even though at 

that time I hadn’t really experienced much. I’ve developed so 

much more since then, and now all my songs are about my own 

personal experiences and relationships. I find that whatever 

happens in my life, whatever mood I am in – especially if I have 

a negative experience – it inspires me to write. It’s part of the 

healing process. 

If you could support any artist in the future, who would it be? 

Stefflon Don and Dave. Both of these artists have inspired my 

music, and I love how they’ve both achieved amazing commercial 

success without selling out or compromising their sound. 

Why is music important to you? 

Outside of health and my family, music is the next most important 

thing in my life. I still love the feeling of creating a new song, it’s 

addictive. I just love taking the initial idea of putting a beat down 

on my Mac and seeing where it goes, bringing it to life. I guess 

the best bit is still the live shows. I’ve been playing with my band 

– Lewis, Jamie and my sister Eliza – for the past five years and 

we’ve got a really good connection going. At the moment I am at 

university studying music, so there is no plan B! 

tabithajade.com 

Tabitha Jade performs at Africa Oyé on 23rd June as one of the 

festival Oyé Introduces artists. Her new single Caught Up is out 

now. 

SPOTLIGHT 31

SAY YOU SAW IT HERE FIRST 

Save the date for 

musical discovery: 

March 13−22, 2020 

“...the fire of music discovery still 

burns strong at SXSW as labels, 

managers and independent 

artists seek to promote the best 

in new sounds coming from 

around the world.” 

–earmilk.com 

follow us: 

M N P V 

sxsw.com

SOUND CITY 

4th and 5th May 2019 / Baltic Triangle 

LOYLE CARNER / SHAME / GWENNO 

SOAK / ERIN TONKON / SOUND CITY+ 

For more than a decade, SOUND CITY has been a focal point for celebrating one of Liverpool’s 

greatest cultural exports: music. In doing so, the festival has animated areas right across the 

city, helping to create new stories that enrich Liverpool’s world-renowned musical legacy. 

This year, the festival deepens its roots in the Baltic Triangle, the former industrial heartland that 

is the city’s new cultural playground. The scene is set, the party is back – so leaf through our 

24-page Sound City special now for a full rundown of what’s coming your way this year. 

33

SOUND CITY 

The beginning of May wouldn’t be the same without bank holidays, 

football fever and SOUND CITY. Now that it has been restored to 

the heart of the city, the festival has resumed its role as the signpost 

to the summer, where possibility beckons. It just feels right. 

Last year’s triumphant return had something of the Sound City of old 

about it. The multi-venue format suits showcase festivals well, creating a 

village-like atmosphere where people buzz from venue to venue, a proper 

sense of discovery lurking around every corner. Some of my favourite 

Sound City memories have come about due to a set-up like this, where you 

rub shoulders with familiar faces as you rush between venues, stopping 

only long enough to exchange recommendations, before darting inside 

to take a chance on a hot tip you’ve received from a stranger. It makes 

for a truly communal experience, where pop-up stages in car parks and 

parades animating the streets can be just as exciting places of discovery as 

established clubs and venues. 

Sound City also provides us with a moment to appreciate the strength 

of the region’s music and arts scene. A lot has been made of Liverpool’s 

mercantile past, but the vital trade that goes on here today is more in the 

exchange of ideas and sounds between artists from across the world. Sound 

City’s range of international showcases is reminiscent of the import/export 

that used to take place in the very docks that now provide the backdrop to 

this festival’s vibrant activity. That we have a festival that brings artists here 

to our audiences each year, and also creates opportunities for local artists 

to play to new fans in other countries, should be massively valued. It’s also a 

sign of the continued importance of Liverpool as a global music hub, a place 

of pilgrimage for musicians the world over. Artists from Vancouver to Perth 

want to play their music in a city where music runs through its veins, and to 

knowledgeable audiences who appreciate talent of all different stripes. They 

also want to learn from those keeping the creative spirit alive today, the 

artists who always look forwards, not backwards. 

In recent years, there have been encouraging signs of a robust music 

industry that exists outside of London, which Liverpool is a key part of. 

This shift in focus is positive for musicians, artists and punters, allowing us 

attract and nurture even more musicians in a way that keeps the thing that 

matters – music – at the heart of our shared success. The region’s continuing 

presence as an authority within the global music network needs a focal point 

– Sound City gives it that moment. 

Enjoy your weekend. And take a chance on something new – you never 

know what you might discover. 

Christopher Torpey / Bido Lito! Editor-in-Chief 

Since its inception in 2008, Sound City has prided itself on 

presenting a line-up that finds the right balance between up-andcoming 

artists and international names of some repute. It’s one of 

the strengths of the festival: big names draw in the crowds, but 

everyone leaves with an insight into the country’s – and Liverpool’s 

– buzzing music scene. With such a diverse range of acts on offer, 

and a multitude of venues and stages to see them in, it’s hard to 

know what to prioritise. So, to help you out, we’ve delved deep into 

the line-up and picked out some of our favourites. 

The festival’s first ever female headliner, MABEL is 

part of a wave of new British pop storytellers who are taking the 

charts by storm, mixing old school RnB and clubby rhythms. Her 

smash single Don’t Call Me Up is the perfect showcase of her huge 

vocals, and sets up the release of her debut album this July as a 

moment to watch out for. Following the pop theme, London-based 

soulstress KARA MARNI and Liverpool’s own pop sensation KATY 

ALEX occupy the warm-up slots. 

Mabel headlines Sound City on Saturday night, playing the 

new outdoor stage on New Bird Street. This stage will also host 

afternoon headline performances on each day, to give you plenty 

to look forward to over the weekend. On Saturday, gritty South 

London punks SHAME bring their ferocious live show to this 

afternoon slot; and on Sunday it’s the turn of local stars CLEAN 

CUT KID, whose clean, sharp rock stylings will be the perfect thing 

to ignite the crowds in the afternoon sun. 

Sound City’s Sunday headliner, LOYLE CARNER, is one of the 

hottest acts in the UK right now. His involvement with the Levi’s 

Music Project, mentoring local musicians, adds an extra strand to 

this year’s festival. All of the artists involved with the programme 

will be performing across the festival weekend at Constellations, 

and the breadth of talent on offer is a sign that the future of 

Liverpool music is in safe hands. The party is capped off on Sunday 

night with an afterparty in association with Noisey, featuring 

Northampton rapper SLOWTHAI, one of the most interesting 

artists operating in the UK right now. He is joined by awardwinning 

grime star MS BANKS, and Liverpool’s own trap titan 

AYSTAR. This will be one of the weekend’s hottest tickets, so make 

sure you know how to get hold of yours (see page 39). 

Constellations will serve as the hub of this year’s festival, 

with music and activity taking place across its indoor and outdoor 

stages, as well as its cosy new sister venue Best Before. Tim 

Peaks Diner will be taking up residence in Constellations’ garden, 

34

DANSETTE 

One of the long-held Sound City 

maxims is that you’re never far 

away from discovering your 

new favourite band. Here are 

some suggestions from this 

year’s line-up to look out for. 

Scalping 

Chamber 

Council Records 

Give your eardrums a sizzle 

with this red-hot techno punk 

number. Bristol’s SCALPING 

have materialised from some 

dark recess of the space-time continuum, where some 

freak accident has allowed grot punk and electro doom to 

fuse together. And we’re glad for it. Both of their singles to 

date, Chamber and Satan II, have also received some smart 

remix treatment. Not one for dinner parties – unless you’re 

looking to start a fight. 

Russell Louder 

Light Of The Moon 

Lisbon Lux Records 

2019 

When they’re not busy 

curating ‘Glam Cave’ parties 

back in their home town of 

Charlottestown, Canada, 

RUSSELL LOUDER is straining their Peter Gabriel and La 

Roux influences through a filter of polished electronica. 

Romance, identity, resistance – they’re all packed inside this 

glistening pop nugget. Sound City is Louder’s debut UK 

performance, so you’re in for an exclusive treat if you’ve got 

a ticket for this one. 

bringing some fine coffee and DJs to proceedings. Their line-up on 

the live stage is unparalleled, with the host himself, TIM BURGESS, 

performing there on Sunday night. One half of Factory Floor, NIK 

VOID, will also be in situ on the Tim Peaks Diner stage, bringing 

a clubby atmosphere to proceedings. Genre-bending multiinstrumentalist 

DANIEL O’SULLIVAN adds even more edge to the 

Sunday night bill, with his blend of hypnotic prog something to 

behold. 

The Aussie invasion isn’t quite as all-encompassing as we’ve 

seen at previous editions of Sound City, but the Antipodean 

presence is strong nonetheless. The razor-sharp wit of STELLA 

DONNELLY comes to District on Saturday night, and you’re not 

going to want to miss it. Courtney Barnett left a lasting impression 

on the festival when she stole the limelight at The Zanzibar in 

2014, and this could be more of the same from Donnelly. Disco 

oddballs CONFIDENCE MAN are in charge of the grooves on 

Sunday night at Hangar 34, and we can’t think of anyone better 

to lead the dancefloor charge. Janet Planet, Sugar Bones, Clarence 

McGuffie and Reggie Goodchild are people to put your trust in. 

There’s a healthy presence of guitars on the Sound City lineup, 

with two of the brightest sounds in UK indie leading the way 

in Hangar 34. BLAENAVON are part of Transgressive’s massively 

interesting stable of artists, and their grunge-fuelled new material 

marks a return to the squall of previous efforts. Blaenavon play on 

Saturday, and THE MAGIC GANG hit the same venue on Sunday. 

The Brighton four-piece bring a lovelorn edge to their fuzzy, jangly 

hooks, and represent one of the gems hidden within the dense 

Sound City bill. Both PIP BLOM (District, Saturday) and OUR 

GIRL (Birdies Live Room, Saturday) will be familiar to Liverpool 

audiences, having played well-received shows here recently, so 

you can bet their sets will attract the crowds. 

Following on from last year’s show-stopping live performance 

and parade from Stealing Sheep, Brighter Sounds’ Both Sides 

Now residency returns to Sound City to highlight the work of 

female musicians and further the debate around improving access 

to the wider music industry. Heavenly Recordings’ GWENNO is 

leading the residency this year, and will be working with eight 

local artists in the week-long programme to develop a new piece 

of work to be performed at the festival (District, Saturday). The 

artists working with Gwenno this year are Abbi Woods, Annabel 

Grace, Eleanor Cheetham, Evja, Niki Kand, Rachel Nicholas, Sarah 

Grundy and Stephannie Stokes. 

You can rely on the range of Sound City’s showcases to bring 

a high level of support right throughout both days, and those who 

get in early and indulge in the festival’s sense of discovery will be 

rewarded. Legendary label Bella Union are taking up residence 

in Birdies Live Room on Saturday evening, with enigmatic 

vocalist REN HARVIEU heading up their stage. There are also 

stages programmed by performance rights organisation SESAC 

(Constellations, Saturday afternoon), music education institution 

BIMM (various stages, Saturday), Leeds College Of Music (The 

Cavern Stage, Saturday) and South Korean festival Zandari Festa 

(various stages) across the weekend. 

Global distribution and publishing body CD Baby are hosting 

educational sessions for artists on Saturday at Best Before, 

followed by a storming live showcase that features PEARL 

CHARLES and BLACK FUTURES. Pirate Studios are hosting 

a takeover at District on Sunday afternoon, which features a 

headline set from PIZZAGIRL, and a live set from the winners 

of their Pirate Prodigy talent competition. BBC Wales’ Horizons 

platform will be pitching up at 24 Kitchen Street on Saturday 

and Constellations Garden on Sunday, bringing some of the 

finest breaking talent from Wales to Sound City (definitely catch 

CAMPFIRE SOCIAL); and the Lithuanian Culture Institute are 

hosting an event that introduces you to the sounds of an emergent 

scene on Friday at 24 Kitchen Street, as part of Sound City+. 

As well as a host of Merseyside’s finest woven in – THE TEA 

STREET BAND, BILL NICKSON, NATALIE MCCOOL – you can 

take in a whole host of music and art by wandering along Jamaica 

Street and popping your head inside the variety of stages and 

pop-ups. You might even catch ERIC’S CLASSICAL, an ensemble 

of local musicians performing classic hits from the Eric’s era; or 

drop by BE ONE PERCENT’s pub quiz at Hobo Kiosk on Sunday 

to find out more about their amazing work. (Be One Percent 

is a charity partner for Sound City this year; the festival will be 

donating one per cent of ticket sales to the charity, to help them 

continue their work supporting projects in the world’s poorest 

communities). 

Whatever you get up to, make sure you get the most out of 

Sound City by getting stuck in to all that’s on offer. ! 

soundcity.uk.com 

Head to bidolito.co.uk/soundcity19 for more previews, artist 

interviews and coverage from this year’s festival. 

Phobophobes 

Miniature World 

Ra-Ra Rok Records 

There’s something weird 

going on in South London’s 

music scene. Anywhere 

that lets the likes of Fat White Family, Meatraffle 

and Madonnatron lurch around making a racket 

must have something going for it. They’ve also got 

PHOBOPHOBES, who turn the garage psych dial way 

past ‘weird’ on their debut album. Full of stabs of organ 

and shuffling grooves, it’s a more well-rounded version 

of the sleaze ‘n’ roll that we’re used to seeing from that 

particular parish. Which is nice. 

Penelope Isles 

Chlorine 

Bella Union 

Float away with this 

characteristically hypnotic ditty 

from Bella Union’s newest 

charges. Originally from the 

Isle Of Man, the quartet behind this lush ode to swimming 

pool cleaning agents are well versed in their indie history, 

as they cram in elements of Deerhunter, The Thrills and 

even Radiohead. A full album is due in July – and you can 

say you’ve seen ’em before all your hip mates, who’ll soon 

be dropping them into their conversations about the latest 

“buzz bands”. 

Head to bidolito.co.uk/soundcity19 to listen to a playlist of 

Bido Lito! picks from this year’s Sound City line-up. 

SOUND CITY 

35

STRENGTHENING 

OUR ROOTS 

Rebecca Ayres / Sound City COO 

Having joined the Sound City team after the first edition 

in 2008, seeing the festival and conference now in 

its 12th year is very humbling and I feel very grateful 

to everyone who has worked on it since then: in 

particular, the music fans and industry professionals from all 

over the world who have supported Sound City and bought into 

it year after year. Sound City was one of the first festivals in the 

UK to combine the emerging talent and industry model, and we 

count our blessings that, through each year, we have always had 

the support from those that take it to their hearts to keep going 

to where we are today. It truly is a privilege and, for me, it is the 

best job in the world. 

We are back in the Baltic Triangle for the second time this 

year, an area that I really believe is the best in the UK to host a 

city-centre festival, combining as it does an incredible number 

of venues and the beating heart of a creative community. We’re 

working with 16 venues around the Baltic Triangle – all literally 

within five minutes of one another – which makes the practice 

of hopping from one to another to see as much as new music as 

possible very doable. 

In the last 12 months we have made a conscious decision 

to broaden the genres of music represented at Sound City, and 

I’m delighted that we have our first pop headliners in Loyle 

Carner and Mabel. Mabel is also our first female headliner, and 

is part of an artist line-up that is moving each year to become 

50/50 gender balanced, which is the same across our industry 

conference, Sound City+. 

This year, the festival will feature artists from over 40 

different countries performing across the weekend, including 

artists from Russia, Portugal, Chile, China, Korea and Lithuania. 

We also have some fantastic partnerships in place, which have 

led to the programming of some incredible showcases. These 

include Brighter Sounds, who are working with us on a residency 

and performance with the artist Gwenno. Other partners from 

the UK and around the globe include Bella Union, Modern Sky 

UK, DIY, Gigwise, LJMU, The Label Recordings, BBC Wales: 

Horizons, SXSW and many more. Look out for their showcases 

and the artists they’re bringing to Sound City across the 

weekend. 

Sound City+, our industry conference, is back better than 

ever, with a programme featuring over 80 speakers from 37 

different countries and sessions from Spotify, BBC Introducing, 

Levi’s, PRS, PPL and Vevo. If you’re in the music industry, or 

want to get into it, don’t waste the opportunity to meet industry 

professionals from across the UK and around the world who 

will be in Liverpool from 3rd to 5th May; you could make a 

life-changing difference to what you want to do in the music 

industry. 

We are over the moon to be working in partnership with 

Levi’s and Liverpool Football Club on The Levi’s Music Project, 

which has involved our headliner, Loyle Carner, mentoring 13 

young artists from the Anfield area to develop their careers. 

Across the Sound City weekend, the young people will perform 

in Constellations, with Levi’s hosting many other events over the 

festival’s three days. Download the Sound City and Sound City+ 

apps to see the times for this and everything else we have going 

on across the weekend. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported us in putting 

Sound City together this year. Particular mention goes to Tony 

Butler, legendary promoter of the Zanzibar Club, who passed 

away last year. He worked with us on Sound City during the 

first seven years of the festival and we are indebted to him for 

his support for us and for Liverpool’s music scene. Also, Her’s 

performed at Sound City during their early days, in 2016 and 

2018; their tragic passing this year is heartbreaking, and we 

think of Stephen Fitzpatrick, Audun Laading and their tour 

manager Trevor Engelbrektson and what they did for music in 

their short time with us. 

If you’re joining us this year, have an amazing time and let us 

know what you enjoy most. Thank you so much for your support, 

it means everything to us! 

TICKET 

INFORMATION 

• Box Office/Wristband Exchange will be located on Jordan 

Street, next to The Cavern Stage. A limited number of day 

and weekend tickets will be on sale over the weekend. 

1. NEW BIRD STREET 

2. HANGAR 34 

3. CONSTELLATIONS 

4. CONSTELLATIONS 

GARDEN 

5. BEST BEFORE 

6. DISTRICT 

7. BIRDIES LIVE ROOM 

8. 24 KITCHEN STREET 

9. BRICK STREET 

10. BRICK STREET 

GARDEN 

11. BALTIC SOCIAL 

12. LOVE LANE BREWERY 

13. HOBO KIOSK 

14. DITTO COFFEE 

15. BALTIC ROASTERY 

16. CAVERN STAGE 

WAPPING 

BRIDGEWATER ST 

WATKINSON ST 

NORFOLK ST 

FLINT ST 

JAMAICA ST 

OUTDOOR 

STAGE 

NORFOLK ST 

BRINDLEY ST 

FISHER ST 

BRICK ST 

JORDAN ST 

NEW BIRD ST 

GRAFTON ST 

STANHOPE ST 

ST JAMES ST 

PARLIAMENT ST 

• Wristbands will be available to collect at the Wristband 

Exchange at Box Office between 11:00 and 20:00 on 

Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May. Queuing may be 

required, so please make sure you arrive in good time. 

• Delegate wristbands for Sound City+ will be available to 

collect at the British Music Experience (Cunard Building) 

from 10:00 on Friday 4th May. 

• Sound City is a 14+ event. All under 16s must be 

accompanied by an adult. Under 18s require proof of ID 

and will be issued a separate wristband. Some late-night 

events and venues are 18+ only. 

• Each of the performance spaces has a fixed capacity. 

For certain artists these capacities may be reached and 

a one-in, one-out system introduced. Like at any event 

with multiple venues, if there are particular artists you’d 

definitely like to see, please make sure you are in the 

relevant performance space in plenty of time to avoid 

disappointment. 

• ALL wristbands will be attached and clamped at the 

Wristband Exchange point and won’t be handed out 

without being attached to the customer’s wrist. 

• Wristbands MUST be collected in person by the lead 

booking name, with a valid proof of purchase. 

• Exposure to loud music may cause damage to hearing, 

please bring ear defenders / plugs if you require them. 

SOUNDCITY.UK.COM 

To purchase tickets and to view full festival Terms and 

Conditions, head to soundcity.uk.com. 

36

SOUND CITY FESTIVAL 2019 

WEEKEND TAKEOVER 

@ CONSTELLATIONS 

FRIDAY 3RD MAY - SUNDAY 5TH MAY 

PERFORMANCES FROM HAK BAKER, 

KEEDZ & THE LEVI’S ® MUSIC PROJECT 

T-SHIRT PRINT-BAR INSTALLATION, 

PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN EXHIBITION 

LEVI’S ® MUSIC PROJECT 

PRESENTED BY 

LOYLE CARNER 

SUNDAY 5TH MAY, 8PM 

SOUND CITY MAINSTAGE 


X NOISEY AFTERPARTY 

SUNDAY 5TH MAY, 11.30PM - 3.30AM 

SLOWTHAI, MS BANKS, AYSTAR + DJS 

LEVI.COM/SUPPORTMUSIC 

#SUPPORTMUSIC

R0UND UP 

A glance at some of the activity you can look 

forward to across this year’s festival. 

Gigs & Graphics 

The art and poster exhibition GIGS & GRAPHICS returns to Sound City this 

year, showcasing some astounding work in an exhibition that explores the 

intersection of art and music through gig and festival posters. Taking over 

the sheds and walls of the Baltic Roastery, G&G’s International Gig Poster 

Exhibition will showcase a number of works by internationally renowned 

poster artists, curated by the teams behind Toucan Tango and Paper Moon 

Studio, and continuing Sound City’s relationship with great gig poster art that 

began with Screenadelica. There will also be a Gigs & Graphics space at Sound 

City+, which focuses on the interplay between art, design, print, photography, 

video and the music industry. Musicians and artists will be invited to contribute 

to this space in an exciting exchange of ideas. And the new 5 Out Of 5 project 

has commissioned limited edition festival posters from five established and 

emerging artists. A number of small live performances, DJ sets and some live 

screen printing will bring this visually arresting world to life with even more 

vigour. 

Baltic Roastery – 04/05-05/05 

Bella Union Showcase 

Since being formed in 1997 by Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie, 

Bella Union has become one of the more established indie labels, and an unlikely 

success story. Now helmed solely by Raymonde, the label comes to Sound City this 

year with its reputation for gorgeous, widescreen indie as strong as it’s ever been. 

The label’s showcase on Saturday brings some prime examples of that in the form of 

REN HARVIEU and LIELA MOSS. Salfordian Harvieu is known for her fusion of 60s 

pop and folkier elements, while former Duke Spirit vocalist Moss has a sumptuous, 

emotionally rich body of work to call upon. Two of the label’s newest recruits – 

Norwegian quartet POM POKO and buoyant guitar poppers PENELOPE ISLES – 

bring some fresh sounds to this highly regarded showcase. 

Birdies Live Room – 04/05 

Ren Harvieu 

Street Art 

A range of activations and pop-ups will be stalking the streets 

of the Baltic Triangle over the festival weekend, making you feel 

like you’ve wandered into a mini Sound City wonderworld as 

you wander along Jamaica Street. Feminist collective YOU TOPIA 

bring some soul-tickling experiences on Saturday, heightening 

the otherworldly atmosphere around the festival site. UGLY 

BUCKET THEATRE also bring their physical theatre piece 2 

Clowns 1 Cup to entertain the crowds, a fun but honest treatise 

on our awkward relationship with sex and self-discovery. Perfect 

if you want some other stimulation other than music. There are 

even more surprises to discover, so make sure to keep your eyes 

and ears open for what the festival has to offer. 

SESAC 

The US-based performing rights organisation has long been a 

partner of Sound City, bringing scores of artists to perform to 

Liverpool audiences down the years. They’re also a key player 

in the Sound City+ conference, feeding into debates around the 

rights and livelihoods of musicians. This year, SESAC’s Saturday 

afternoon showcase at Birdies Live Room brings a range of music 

to the table, headed up by the ecstatic pop of HUSKY LOOPS. 

The wiry, psych-streaked riffs of Hampshire four-piece INDIGO 

LO are also on the bill, as are the countrified strains of Liverpoolborn 

LAURA OAKES. TALK SHOW and PRESS CLUB complete 

the bill – all it needs now is you. 

Birdies Live Room - 04/05 

Edge Hill University 

Seatbelts 

Sound City’s innovation partner is back with another great line-up of acts and performances across the 

festival weekend, giving their students even more career-enhancing opportunities in the process. The 

university’s own DIY recoed imprint, The Label Recordings, hosts a showcase of prime talent on Sunday 

at Best Before, featuring PODGE, SETABELTS and AIMEE STEVEN. There’s also a dance performance 

from some of Edge Hill’s performing arts students on Sunday – but the university’s primary focus will be 

on their new Ideas Tent. The Institute for Creative Enterprise (ICE) is Edge Hill University’s practice-led 

research forum, and they are programming a series of talks, debates, screenings and performances in 

the space. Part chill-out zone, part simulation and part awareness raising, the Ideas Tent will be an oasis 

of reflection at the heart of the festival, presenting debates on the cutting edge of public discussion and 

popular culture. There will also be discussions on topics such as the art of the selfie, why we don’t need 

any more indie bands, and a conversation with photographer Mike McGear-McCartney. 

Unusual Art Sourcing Company 

It’s the fourth year that the Liverpool-based performance art project has had 

a presence at Sound City, and they’ve expanded their offer from the (very) 

public life drawing classes to include a full range of activity this year. As well 

as hosting the World’s Smallest Festival Stage, the group will be bringing 

the world premiere of The Shaft Funk And Disco Interactive Sing And Dance 

Along Club Night on Saturday, which does exactly what it says on the tin. The 

collective are also hosting Eric’s Classical, a tribute to the legendary Liverpool 

club that inspired so many; a live performance of some of the club’s iconic 

music will be performed by an ensemble of local musicians and there will also 

be a Q&A with scene lynchpin Jayne Casey. Impromptu theatre and spoken 

word performances will also add to the cabaret feel of the UASC’s stage – and 

the whole thing will be filmed for a documentary about Liverpool’s alternative 

culture by Leonie Adisgold-Rayner. 

38

Zandari Festa 

Catch your new favourite artists at one of the international 

showcases taking place across the festival’s many stages this 

year. One of the first places to start looking might be with 

Zanadari Festa, South Korea’s premier indie music festival. 

Zandari have been bringing some fine Korean acts to Liverpool 

for a number of years, and this year is no different. Keep an 

eye out for multi-faceted RnB artist GEORGE, whose album 

Cassette reached the top of Apple Music’s RnB chart. Surf rock 

quartet SAY SUE ME are also well worth your time: their 2018 

album Where We Were Together, with nods to Pavement and 

Yo La Tengo,picked up plenty of notice and plays from BBC 

Radio 6 Music, and gained them a fan in Elton John! ANIMAL 

DIVERS’ earworm electronica will win over plenty of new fans 

given the chance, and self-described “pastel psychedelic” 

quartet DABDA are ripe for the ears of the discerning Sound 

City crowd. 

Trashed TV 

Taking the form of a live magazine, Trashed TV is a 

unique project that will be taking residence at Sound 

City+ across the full three days. By documenting 

the goings on across the conference’s many panel 

discussions, workshops and networking events, it will 

interact with a lot of the movers and shakers in today’s 

music business. Trashed TV aims to celebrate all things 

creative by offering a platform for both emerging talent 

and established names to share their opinions, art and 

anecdotes. They will be setting up during the festival’s 

conference to interview some very special guests, 

including OMD founder member and industry veteran 

Andy McCluskey. They will also be talking to some of 

the brightest young bands around, giving Sound City+ 

attendees the chance to experience personal insights 

into the music industry from artists and insiders. 

Queen Avenue Launch 

Chief Zuton Dave McCabe will lead the launch event for this 

year’s festival with his new project SILENT-K. On Friday 

3rd May, both the Sound City+ conference and the festival 

proper will be kickstarted with a gig in Queen Avenue, 

the Diagon Alley-like arcade at the heart of Liverpool’s 

commercial district. Hosted by Bruntwood, the show will 

feature live performances from some of the city’s most 

exciting breaking artists, headed up by Silent-K’s chameleon 

safari punk rollercoatser (so they say). There will be further 

performances from rip-snorting guitar punks SPQR, the 

whimsical and kaleidoscopic ALI HORN and effervescent 

indie starlets PARIS YOUTH FOUNDATION. Tickets for the 

event are free, but you must sign up in advance to make 

sure you nab one of the limited places on offer. 

Queen Avenue - 03/05 

LJMU 

Sound City works with its cultural education partner to give their students 

from many different study areas opportunities to gain work experience and 

perform and showcase their ideas at the festival. The university’s PULSS 

Film Team will be recording all the action across the festival again this year, 

and competition winners from LJMU’s graphic, illustration and art courses 

will have their art adorning various festival stages. ART_NO-TWG, a sound, 

video and performance collective, will be teaming up with LODGE to perform 

a ‘happening’ of improvised live scores and mime in one of the outdoor 

spaces on Sunday 5th May, from 6pm. With an interest in the manipulation 

of sourced imagery and found footage, the collective have been providing a 

platform for local artists around Liverpool to engage in collaborative events. 

The Entrepreneurship Challenge also returns, giving students from LJMU the 

opportunity to pitch their business ideas to potential investors at the festival’s 

conference. 

Art_No-TwG Collective 

Levi’s Music Project 

Festival headliner Loyle Carner has spent the past few months mentoring 

a group of 12 musicians from Merseyside as part of LEVI’S MUSIC 

PROJECT. In partnership with Liverpool FC, the project – based at a studio 

at The Lighthouse in Anfield – will be coming to Sound City for a special 

showcase over the two days at Constellations. Local artists REMY JUDE, 

THAT’S JUVEY?, REMÉE and MICHAEL ALDAG are among those who have 

taken part in the development scheme, and they will get the chance to play 

to the festival crowd over the weekend. Guest performances from KEEDZ 

(Saturday) and HAK BAKER (Sunday) will also be part of proceedings, 

along with a T-shirt print bar. There’s more: the project is teaming up with 

Noisey to throw an afterparty on Sunday night, featuring an amazing lineup 

of SLOWTHAI, MS BANKS and AYSTAR. 

slowthai 

Constellations – 04/04-05/05 

BIMM and LCOM Showcases 

Education institutions such as BIMM (British and Irish Modern Music institute) and Leeds College Of Music 

are equipping the next generation of music superstars with the skills and knowledge to succeed, just like 

LIPA does in Liverpool. Showcase opportunities at festivals are vital steps in an artist’s development, which 

is why both institutions are welcome regulars at Sound City. LCOM’s 2019 contingent gives us the chance 

to see PROJECT HILTS, TIGER BY THE TAIL, IN THE MORNING LIGHTS, DOMI and bluesy, jazzy songwriter 

HANNAH WILLWOOD in a live setting. BIMM’s showcase is split across various stages, but the addition of 

retro-pop soloist JULIA BARDO and Liverpool-based indie quintet THE INDICA GALLERY means that you’re 

never going to be far away from high-class acts over the whole weekend. Artists JAMIE FERGUSON, HANA, 

MAGDALEN and HARRI PAIN complete BIMM’s exciting weekend line-up. 

Julia Bardo 

Late-night Parties 

Once you get into the swing of things, you won’t want the party to stop. 

Thankfully, there will be plenty of late-night activity for the hard partyers 

to get involved in over the weekend. On Saturday you can choose 

between Brick Street and District to get your afterparty fix: Brick Street 

hosts Liverpool DJ duo and purveyors of club nights that prioritise deep 

party bass, MASCHINENFUNK; while District’s party is piloted by local 

groovemakers FIESTA BOMBARDA and POSITIVE VIBRATION, which 

is sure to bring a tropical bounce to proceedings. On Sunday, it’s the 

turn of SHIT INDIE DISCO to keep the dancefloor alive, as they lock in 

on the decks at Hangar 34 for the festival’s official closing party (always 

a Sound City highlight). Coupled with the Noisey x Levi’s Music Project 

afterparty, it looks like you’re covered for all eventualities. No excuses to 

sneak out early, eh? 

SOUND CITY 39

NEW BIRD STREET 

MABEL 

KARA MARNI 

KATY ALEX 

EMILY BURNS 

AFTERNOON HEADLINER: 

SHAME 

LIFE 

JUST MUSTARD 

VILE ASSEMBLY 

KIOKO 

2019 COMPLETE STAGE BREAKDOW 

BIRDIES LIVE ROOM 

REN HARVIEU 

LIELA MOSS 

PENELOPE ISLES 

POM POKO 

BELLE MT. 

HUSKY LOOPS 

INDIGO LO 

LAURA OAKES 

TALK SHOW 

PRESS CLUB 

OUR GIRL 

LARKINS 

GLASS CAVES 

THE REYTONS 

SCARLET 

FALSE ADVERTISING 

SLY ANTICS 

NEWMEDS 

TWO WEEKS IN NASHVILLE 

SOUTHPAW 

VIOLET CONTOURS 

LIO 

FLOODHOUNDS 

THE PITCHFORKS 

CAMPFIRE SOCIAL 

SATURDAY 4 MAY 

HANGAR34 

LOUIS BERRY 

THE NIGHT CAFE 

BLAENAVON 

SOPHIE AND THE GIANTS 

KING NUN 

PARIS YOUTH FOUNDATION 

LAZY DAY 

WIDE EYED BOY 

THE RACKET 

CONSTELLATION GARDEN 

TIM PEAKS DINER 

THE BOHOS 

DIRTY LACES 

NIKI KAND 

SECLUDED SEA 

FLAT CAP BRASS 

PABLOS PAINTING 

RUBBER JAW 

FLORRIE GUITAR CLUB (ELECTRIC 67) 

DITTO COFFEE 

GLASS CAVES 

KATIE MAC 

JAMIE FERGOSON 

JOSEFINA AFRON 

JULIA BARDO 

ELEPHANT TREES 

DABDA 

GEORGE 

ANIMAL DIVERS 

DENIO 

CAVEPARTY 

BRICK STREET 

INDOORS 

OCTOBER DRIFT 

AEROPLANES 

THE GOLDEN DREGS 

BOBBY WEST 

THE NICKAJACKMEN 

TRACKY 

RVBY 

LOVING EMBERS 

THE DESERT 

MARINE 

THE DSM IV 

PERSIAN HUGS 

THE ZANGWILLS 

THE LAFONTAINES 

CAVERN STAGE 

COLUMBIA 

IN THE MORNING LIGHTS 

HANNAH WILLWOOD 

DOMI 

TIGER BY THE TAIL 

PROJECT HILTS 

THE PLASTIC YOUTH 

SAUCE 

COLC STUDNETS 

JIMMY ALLEN (STAGE DJ) 

CONSTELLATIONS 

KING NO-ONE 

HALFNOISE 

CHILDCARE 

NO HOT ASHES 

ARCADE HEARTS 

ONLY SUN 

GLASS PEAKS 

KEEDZ 

ODDITY ROAD 

TEMPESST 

HANOVER 

LEVI’S ® MUSIC PROJECT STUDENTS 

LUKE, TXT, THAT’S JUVEY, 

REMY JUDE, REMEE, LYDIA 

KEELEY (STAGE DJ) 

LATE NIGHT PARTY 

@ BRICK STREET 

MASCHINENFUNK 

BRICK STREET 

GARDEN 

LITTLE THIEF 

ALLUSINLOVE 

JAVEON 

24 KITCHEN STREET SUNSHINE FRISBEE LASERBEAM 

ENNIO THE LITTLE BROTHER 

ALFFA 

HOBO KIOSK 

OLD SEA BRIGADE 

TAMU MASSIF 

KOJI 

PAUL DUNBAR 

TALL CHILDREN 

JOSH ISLAND 

HARRY MILLER 

SHEBEAT 

HER BURDEN 

FLOR 

SUNSHINE FRISBEE LASERBEAM 

FRANK & BEANS 

CALVA LOUISE 

DO NOTHING 

TRACK NOT FOUND 

LOS WILDS 

CLEAR VINYL 

RIVET CIITY 

BEST BEFORE 

SECRET GIG 

BLACK FUTURES 

BETHLEHEM CASUALS 

PEARL CHARLES 

DEACON BRODY 

THE AMBITION 

GAZEL 

LATE NIGHT PARTY 

@ DISTRICT 

FIESTA BOMBARDA 

& POSITIVE VIBRATION 

DISTRICT 

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE 

BOTH SIDES NOW FT. GWENNO 

STELLA DONNELLY 

PLANET 

PILLOW QUEENS 

CREATURES 

POM POKO 

RED RUM CLUB 

DECLAN WELSH 

NATALIE MCCOOL 

SPQR 

SPINN 

ABBIE OZARD 

THE BALTIC 

SOCIAL 

COLUMBIA 

PARAGUII 

CATS PARK 

MIG 15 

WETTER 

PARLIAMO 

THE HOMESICK 

BERRIES 

SOLIS 

FOUNDLINGS 

THE LEFT INDICATORS 

SURMA 

LOVE LANE BREWERY 

KYAMI 

TOO MANY TS 

TRASHED TV 

VITAL 

SAFARIO 

ANDY MCCLUSKEY 

BIG ZUU 

HANA 

RED RUM CLUB 

VIP & DELEGATES ONLY 

BALTIC ROASTERY 

HANOVER 

GINEVRA 

THEM LIGHTS 

SKETCHES ON DUALITY 

JENNINGS COUCH 

THE BROKEN ISLANDS 

SANDWICH 

BINES 

HOT SOLES 

KANGA ROOS 

ALLIGATOR 

TEAM PICTURE

N 

SUNDAY 5 MAY 

NEW BIRD STREET 

LOYLE CARNER 


PRESENTED BY LOYLE CARNER 

BENNY MAILS 

JVCK JAMES 

JELANI BLACKMAN 

AFTERNOON HEADLINER: 

CLEAN CUT KID 

SPINN 

JESSE JO STARK 

ANNABEL ALLUM 

BIRDIES LIVE ROOM 

RUSSELL LOUDER 

LENNIE DIES 

ALTOPALO 

BRAND NEW FRIEND 

ON VIDEO 

SALTWATER SUN 

POLAR STATES 

PATAWAWA 

32 TENS 

DANCING ON TABLES 

THE HUBBARDS 

MOTHERHOOD 

BEYOND AVERAGE 

BALTIC SOCIAL 

DISKRET 

HELLO COSMOS 

LUCIDVOX 

SAY SUE ME 

DRINKING BOYS & GIRLS CHOIR 

SHAODOW 

SKY VALLEY MISTRESS 

FROM ANOTHER MOTHER 

I SET THE SEA ON FIRE 

SHAMONA 

FEMMEPOP 

SCALPING 

BALTIC ROASTERY 

HOPE 

THE FLOORMEN 

RIDING THE LOW 

PLATON KARATAEV 

STRANGERS 

LOLA 

THEM MOOSE RUSH 

ECKOES 

ELSON 

THE PAGES 

MOLLY GREEN 

AZURA KINGS 

THE SHIPBUILDERS 

HANGAR34 

CONFIDENCE MAN 

THE MAGIC GANG 

THE JUNGLE GIANTS 

MONKS 

VISTAS 

SHORTPARIS 

THE POST ROMANTICS 

KALPA 

NATE HUSSER 

CONSTELLATIONS GARDEN 

TIM PEAKS DINER 

TIM BURGESS 

NIK VOID 

DANIEL O’SULLIVAN 

THE SILVER FIELD 

SHARDS 

AVERAGE SEX 

PETE ASTOR 

CAPITANO 

HIMALAYAS 

ANI GLASS 

HANNAH WILWOOD 

BANICOOT 

DAWN & THE EMBERS 

BEAR GROWLS (STAGE DJ) 

BRICK STREET 

GARDEN 

DIGITAL GARDEN PARTY 

SCOTT LAVENE 

MEGGIE BROWN 

LYLO 

MICHAEL CLARK 

SAMURAI KIP 

VIZELJ 

52 HERTZ WHALE 

ELEPHANT TREES 

M.O.R.T 

HOLLOWS 

YAMMERER 

SHIT INDIE DISCO 

CLOSING PARTY @ HANGAR 34 

CONSTELLATIONS 

THE TEA STREET BAND 

FERRIS & SYLVESTER 

THE LOTTERY WINNERS 

STEVEN BAMIDELE 

KAGOULE 

NICE BISCUIT 

HAK BAKER 

ZAPATILLA 

MATEUSZ FRANCZAK 

FACTORY 

LEVI’S ® MUSIC M PROJECT STUDENTS: 

LUISA AND BREAH, KEELEY, JACOB, 

SOLOMON, MICHAEL ALDAG 

IC PROJECT STUDENTS: 

LEVI’S ® MUSIC PROJECT X 

NOISEY AFTERPARTY 

SLOWTHAI, MS BANKS, AYSTAR 

& NOISEY DJS @ CONSTELLATIONS 

BRICK STREET 

INDOOR 

GETINTOTHIS PARTY 

BIG BOMBORA 

LOWLY 

THE LEMONADE FIX 

NO PARTY FOR CAO DONG 

MAKE FRIENDS 

EMMA MCGRATH 

ALI HORN 

HAVVK 

WOOZE 

SOME BODIES 

ALEX FRANCIS 

RUSSEL LOUDER 

COSMO CALLING 

BEST BEFORE 

CHARITY SHOP POP 

PODGE 

AIMEE STEVEN 

SEATBELTS 

RIVAL BONES 

SLYE 

THE SWAY 

CAL RUDDY 

FRANKIIE 

THE MIDNIGHT PIRATES 

BAD ANIMAL 

DISTRICT 

CLUB KURU 

HONEY LUNG 

PIZZAGIRL 

WINNER OF PIRATE PRODIGY 2019 

VALERAS 

BENIN CITY 

HEAVY LUNGS 

MAMATUNG 

ODINA 

LOVE LANE 

BREWERY 

SUB BLUE 

TWO LEGS 

VERA JONAS EXPERIMENT 

SIC’NIS 

MATHILDA 

LOIS WARRINGTON 

OUR FOLD 

DITTO COFFEE 

BILL NICKSON 

MERSEY WYLIE 

THE SHIPBUILDERS 

RAOUL VIGNAL 

VIGILANTES 

MACCA TAYLOR 

HOBO KIOSK 

ONE PERCENT QUIZ 

AK PATTERSON 

BRIET 

ROMAN LEWIS 

RUTHANNE 

KATIE PRUITT 

RUSTON KELLY 

EVE BELLE 

CAVERN STAGE 

THE CHEAP THRILLS 

JEKYLL 

FAMILY JOOLS 

LAPP 

LUVIA 

SAM EAGLE 

PIP HALL 

JAMIE SUTHER;AMD 

HANDSTAND PARADE 

THE FOSSICKS 

JAMIE HOOLIGAN (DJ SET) 

FULL PROGRAMME AT WWW.SOUNDCITY.UK.COM

LOYLE CARNER 

42

The UK’s hottest hip hop property has dealt with a lot on his route to the top. 

Ahead of his headline performance at Sound City, Elliot Ryder finds out if the 

LFC-supporting Londoner is waving, drowning or just surviving. 

The affinity between the city of Liverpool and LOYLE 

CARNER is one that has coexisted for some time, but 

quietly. At least not with broad recognition. 

Initially, football was the vehicle drawing the 

24-year-old’s attention to the far reaches of the North West. 

However, the parallels between the portside community and 

the South Londoner’s lyrical confessions reflect in lives beyond 

the terraces of L4 – even before his football obsession, he found 

himself a regular frequenter of the postcode, now home to a 

studio where he’s fronting the Levi’s Music Project, a music 

development programme for young artists in the city. It’s a role, 

he tells me, that provides him with unmatched inspiration. “Being 

around younger people that are making music is an incredible 

atmosphere; they’re hungry for it. When you’re doing this kind 

of thing for the right reasons, you’re not thinking about money.” 

Taking on the role of a teacher is something Carner has openly 

embraced. “I’m just lucky to be able to share some knowledge of 

my own experience, my mistakes in 

the music world”, he says humbly. 

Carner, just like Liverpool, 

has taken ownership of his quirks 

and character, rolling them into 

a warming cultural export which 

encapsulates both the strength of 

community and the darkest shadows 

that line experience. Liverpool’s 

jostle to define itself isn’t merely an 

emotive struggle scripted by Sky 

Sports. In the same way, Carner’s 

experiences aren’t dreamt up solely 

to place on record. There’s reality 

behind the studio lights and pitchside 

drama, the stage presence and 

classic hip hop sensibilities. Liverpool is a city that faces polarised 

interpretations of its well documented idiosyncrasies and 

struggles. Perceptions swing between ‘those endearing, loveable 

Scousers’ and caricatures who warrant nation-wide ridicule. 

Resting on the former archetype, Liverpool positions itself as a 

city where borderless affinities can grow, with the football clubs 

being just a couple of entry points into an open-armed landscape 

of community aspiration and acceptance. For Carner, it’s a place 

that defines itself on acceptance. “You know, I feel like no matter 

where you come from, or what you do, that you’re welcome in 

Liverpool,” he asserts, reflecting on his recent visits to the city. 

“Not everywhere feels like this in the UK. In the wake of Brexit, 

Liverpool feels like a left-leaning capital.” It’s a locally familiar 

theme that’s manifested in the music of the UK’s leading hip hop 

talent, and the lives of budding musicians everywhere. 

Listening to the collection of characters present on 2017’s 

Yesterday’s Gone and you quickly find Liverpool is a city in line 

with the social narration of Ben Coyle-Larner. The spoonerism in 

his rap name is a nod to how he’s turned childhood challenges 

with ADHD and dyslexia into a musical asset. Family, community 

and vulnerability perforate his rhymes without a superficial front; 

it’s honesty from the outset, and Liverpool’s attitude has chimed 

with him. “I’ve had an affinity with Liverpool for a long time,” Ben 

tells me of his growing relationship with the city. “My stepdad 

was a Manchester United fan, so I saw the city in football terms, 

almost living in Manchester’s shadow. It really fit with me, 

because a lot of my life, it always felt like I was in the shadow 

of other people at times, you know?” It’s a seemingly contrarian 

decision to live in shadows, but these cities are illuminated by the 

same sunrise each morning. It’s a truth often overlooked by the 

North West neighbours. Yet, breaking through parental influences 

and choosing to support Liverpool as a boy was one step in the 

effort to define his character in the mould of a city with frayed 

provincial ties. “With Liverpool, it really personified how I saw 

myself.” There exists a subconscious connection to the city which 

is now in the spotlights of his fast-rising stardom. 

Loyle Carner brings a composed antidote to a fractious 

political climate. He’s reflective in his interpretations of the future, 

thought-provoking and calculated. His senses form the centre of 

a continual stream of consciousness that’s chopped and changed 

into musical output. I ask him whether he’s consciously fixed on 

delivering a positive message through music, but he underlines, 

clearly, that he’s conjured his outlook from a set process of 

thought, rather than simply plucking a positive narrative to build 

on. “It’s more of an optimistic outlook,” he professes. “You have to 

remain optimistic, otherwise, what’s the point? You know what I 

mean? I think optimism is the right outlook. You can’t always be 

happy all of the time. But you know, you can always think, ‘My 

chance might come tomorrow, we’ll get there tomorrow’. It’s just 

something to keep you going.” 

Talking to Ben only for a short while, you pick up on his 

collected demeanour and personability, yet it’s drawn from a 

fast-paced and urgent cerebral core. There’s a busyness to his 

character, but you don’t link this to a trait of his ADHD. It’s no 

different to the frantic schedule of any other soaring musician. 

“It’s a lovely thing 

to talk about these 

feelings and help 

other young men. 

It’s a big deal” 

Currently, he’s hard at work in rehearsals for his upcoming 

tour. In between he’s reeling out unrehearsed lines to a long line 

of journalists queuing to place a fresh cut of his character onto 

their pages. When he finds time, he notes down lyrics “when 

they come to me”, which, he adds, “doesn’t make it a forcible 

process”. Though he does admit he will only write when he feels 

he can, a trait that doesn’t marry well with record deal deadlines 

and a high-pressure industry. Nonetheless, he’s staying 

afloat. You can sense there’s no dilution or front, even when 

he is picking up the phone late into the afternoon for another 

interview. There’s a palpable sincerity that, when transferred to 

lyricism, has left him with a clear snapshot of his thoughts and 

feelings, timestamped by an underlay of vocal arrangements 

and hip hop production. Looking back, his first album still bears 

resonance for Ben – like opening the middle pages of a diary 

and instantly discovering the mindset of the original author at 

the time of writing. “I still rate the thoughts I was having back 

then,” he jokes, referring to his lyrics 

on Yesterday’s Gone. “Sometimes 

I listen to it and think, ‘Man, I don’t 

think I’ll ever be that good again,’ 

you know? It does feel a little bit like, 

‘Jeez, that was sick, how can I top 

that?’ So I quite enjoy listening back 

to the record, feeling what I was 

feeling at the time. It’s good.” 

Carner’s debut album was 

nominated for the Mercury Prize 

in 2017. Its intimate nature and 

sentimentality carries over to his 

freshly released second effort, Not 

Waving, But Drowning. However, 

the sophomore effort isn’t without 

new perspectives, confessions and observations. He put this 

down to “growing up a little bit” and seeing things in a new light. 

But he argues it doesn’t symbolise a greater maturity, just a 

“change in approach… The same core is there,” he reassures, “the 

same meat and potatoes. It’s just there’s a new story, a few new 

characters.” 

The change in perspective is noticeable even before you’ve 

finished hearing even one song on the album. The title alone 

grapples with the confusing signals of honesty and sincerity, 

something which is such a central force in Carner’s music. “The 

name comes from a poem by Stevie Smith,” he informs, when I 

ask if there are undertones of a shadowed side to his character 

signposted by the title. “It pulls from the idea that by putting 

on a front, the main person that suffers is yourself.” It’s quite a 

stark assertion from an artist that carries himself so calmly, but 

a familiar reality in a society growing ever more aware of the 

damage of appearing calm and simply carrying on – confining 

worries to the mind. 

The poem follows the narrative of a man who wades out 

into the sea and becomes consumed by the waves, finishing 

with the lines, “I was much too far out all my life/And not waving 

but drowning”. It’s a theme that can be located in the record’s 

confessional lyrics; his willingness to place himself so close to 

the narrative. But it also asks the question of whether Carner is 

simply waving towards his listener, or something much more. I 

wonder whether carving a musical identity around honesty can 

inadvertently mask any real cathartic release; do listeners receive 

it simply as a narrative technique, overlooking the expression 

that truly aches from the artist? Could this be a trap? 

“It’s a tiny bit of a burden,” he responds, “not being able to 

be so explicit as to whether I’m waving or drowning. But that’s 

the price you have to pay for telling my story and hoping that it 

rhymes. The real side can’t always shine through.” The conflict in 

Ben’s mind, however, is not overbearing – he sees the external 

positives his pedestal as a musician offers. “It’s a lovely thing 

to be able to do this, to talk about these feelings and help other 

young men, you know, if they’re feeling low, or feeling like they 

can’t get through it – living anymore. It’s a big deal.” 

For Ben, recounting memories and experience of such 

a sentimental nature is all a part of the business. It has both 

positive and negative effects, though he asserts the former 

is in higher abundance. He trades in an honest prose and 

verse that leaves little to inference, a confession that brings a 

weightlessness and occasional doubt. “It’s quite a release being 

so honest in my music. It was, and it still is,” he explains. “Some 

days when I sit down to write, it’s a little bit weird. Like, once 

you’ve started making money from bad things, bad experiences, 

that have happened to you, there’s no clear way of looking at it. 

Bad things becoming the centre-point of your creativity?” 

Ultimately, his lyricism faces the task of continuing to be 

brazenly open in every sense of his experience and mindset, 

even when the negative aspects translate onto records and 

prove a widespread success. “That’s an unhealthy way of 

looking at it, you know, ‘Should I write about these things? 

Knowing I’m going to get paid for it?’ You have to get that out 

of your head.” Ben doesn’t overlook the power of resonating 

with an in-tune audience who find themselves in his music. It’s 

a challenging process to undertake in the shoes of a young, 

sincere and in-demand musician, but it’s a process that grants 

him the satisfaction of self-education through his own talent, and 

something he remains thankful for. “It’s cathartic, sure, rereading 

the words put down on the page. It’s sort of like explaining to 

yourself how you feel.” ! 

Words: Elliot Ryder / @elliot_ryder 

Live photography: Michael Kirkham / 

michaelkirkhamphotography.co.uk 

loylecarner.com 

Loyle Carner headlines Sound City on Sunday 5th May, playing 

the New Bird Street stage. Not Waving, But Drowning is out 

now via AMF. 

SOUND CITY 

43

“I applaud people that 

have a political voice in 

their music, but I’m not 

gonna put down those 

who don’t, either” 

SHAME 

With their hymns to a life of mundanity and political strife, Shame have found the pulse of 

an angry, unsatisfied country. Get ready for a different sort of Songs Of Praise. 

To those paying attention to the music scene for the 

past few years, SHAME appeared out of nowhere with 

youthful and raw ferocity. Tracks such as Gold Hole 

and The Lick got everyone’s attention for all the right 

reasons back in 2016. But in fact, Shame had been working for a 

number of years prior to this breakthrough. Becoming friends at 

school, Charlie Steen (vocals), Sean Coyle-Smith (guitar), Eddie 

Green (guitar), Charlie Forbes (drums) and Josh Finerty (bass) 

formed the band in a practice space at the Queen’s Head in 

Brixton – which is also where Fat White Family recorded at the 

time. Given three long months – rather than the usual six weeks 

– to fill in June 2014 after their AS levels, starting a band seemed 

the best use of that time for everyone. The space became a 

grimy incubator for their sound, and after playing many a show 

at The Windmill (also in Brixton), they got their big break at The 

Great Escape Festival in Brighton in 2016. 

Of course everything for Shame came pretty quickly after 

that. By 2017, they’d signed a record deal and recorded debut 

album Songs Of Praise in the space of 10 days. Lead singer 

Charlie Steen said about the album that their driving force was 

“capture a moment that has yet to cease – something that is 

ongoing and developing, that is honest in a lot of ways. None of 

these stories are fabricated. They are all, unfortunately, true.” 

The big question is: what’s next for Shame? The very public 

hype around the South London gig circuit seems to have died 

down a little, but all the acts seem to have sprouted off, not 

relying off the back of hype. Shame are a perfect example of 

this. They’ve been touring solidly since 2018, promoting Songs 

Of Praise and writing new material. They’re special guest 

headliner on Sound City this year, one of the biggest festivals 

in Merseyside. Georgia Turnbull asks Charlie Steen about the 

effects of touring, the ‘South London punk scene’ and how it’s 

changed in the past few years, and how they view Liverpool 

shows and punk bands. 

So you guys have been solidly on tour since the release of 

Songs Of Praise. Has that affected the band dynamic at all, or 

has it fuelled some new material? 

Being on tour for such a length of time can obviously be quite 

gruelling, but at the same time it can be very stimulating in 

regards to creativity. It’s certainly shaped where the next album 

is going, it’s made the process of writing for the album much 

different to the first. It’s definitely fuelled new material, and 

fuelled the band further. 

For people outside of London, you guys just appeared as 

critically acclaimed and accoladed within the music world. 

How did you guys actually rise to that fame? Was it a longer 

process than what it appeared on the surface? 

Yeh, I always find it quite funny that people say “this band came 

out of nowhere” ‘cos of course we didn’t. We were at it for a 

good while before we rose to fame. Our rise definitely doesn’t 

seem like that much to other people, but we’ve been working 

on Shame since we started our A Levels. We know there’s a lot 

more work and stuff gone into the project than meets the eye. 

‘The South London punk scene’ is thrown around a lot within 

the circuit you play with, such as Goat Girl and Sorry. Do you 

embrace this term, or is it ill-fitting for those that play venues 

such as The Windmill? 

There was a time when we were all put into the same category. 

Part of me found that a bit annoying almost because Sorry, for 

example, they’re not even from South London, they’re from North 

London [laughs]. I think it was more a case of us all playing 

at The Windmill in Brixton, often together sometimes every 

weekend. I’m glad now everyone has taken their own individual 

creative right, rather than attach themselves to a ‘scene’ out of 

safety. The term’s used less and less as well because of that, 

which I think is a good thing. 

You’ve said in regards to your most recent album “we are 

trying to capture a moment that has yet to cease”. Do you feel 

like you’re still trying to do that, and what moments exactly 

are those worthy of capturing? 

I feel like with the next album we’re not specifically trying to 

capture anything. We’re just trying to give ourselves a lot more 

free reign. We have the freedom now to do and experiment with 

new things we might not have been able to do before. Songs Of 

Praise was more about capturing that youthful haze. But now it’s 

just more advancing our sound, learning about our abilities more 

and testing the waters. 

The current political climate is absolutely dire and one of the 

first songs I remember by Shame was Visa Vulture, a scathing 

song about Brexit but with a jangly pop feel to it. Do you feel 

it’s a musician’s duty to make political comment, and would 

you guys think of writing something similar to Visa Vulture 

again? 

I feel like we’re definitely doing it in subtler ways now than 

that, because you can’t get any more explicit about politics than 

the lyrics in that song [laughs]. There was nothing left to the 

imagination, that was quite something. I often forget we even 

did that. No, it’s definitely a duty to an extent but I’m kinda fed 

up of slagging people off for having non-descript music as well. 

I’m becoming more docile. I applaud the people that do have a 

political voice in their music, but I’m not gonna put down those 

who don’t, either. It’s probably even more annoying to see 

musicians be vocal performatively, for clout basically. I’d rather 

people didn’t do it than did it for those reasons. 

So, you guys are high up on the bill for Sound City this year. 

How have you found Liverpool gigs and would you say there’s 

a growing punk scene here similar to London? 

The punk scene is definitely different in Liverpool than it is to 

London. I’ve always had a good time. I remember the first gig we 

ever did there, Queen Zee supported us and I thought, “They’re 

really cool!”. From what I understand from them, there was quite 

a lot of similar bands growing in Liverpool too. Sound City’s our 

first special guest headliner show. I’ve never seen our name in 

such big letters on a festival line-up. I feel a bit like, “Woo! We’ve 

made it!”. I’m really looking forward to it. ! 

Words: Georgia Turnbull / @GeorgiaRTbull 

shamebanduk.bandcamp.com 

Shame are afternoon headliners on the New Bird Street stage on 

Saturday 4th May. 

44

SOAK 

The Derry-born, Manchester-based artist makes a welcome return to the live scene, with 

a new album that has rejuvenated her outlook on music as force for good in life. 

Bridie Monds-Watson has been one of the biggest 

breakthrough indie talents in the past few years. 

Starting out by self-releasing sparse and ethereal folk 

on the internet under the name SOAK, she soon found 

herself swept up in a wave of industry hype with majors and 

indies alike fighting to be affiliated with her. She signed to Rough 

Trade aged just 18 in 2015, and was nominated as the youngest 

ever Mercury Prize nominee the same year for her debut LP 

Before We Forgot How To Dream. Her promise and unbridled 

talent saw critical acclaim and worldwide tours come her way – 

and then things went quiet. 

It’s been just over four years since the release of her debut, 

but the Derry-born artist is back. Her skateboard has been 

ditched and the fringe, which once drooped over her eye, cut 

short and slicked back. A lot has happened since her debut, 

from relentless touring to a move to Manchester, and her second 

album – Grim Town – is about these connecting years, the return 

home to Derry and her arrival in Manchester. In a room devoid of 

natural daylight, I make a call down the M62 to her Manchester 

residence. She answers in her hushed, laid-back Northern Irish 

brogue. 

“I couldn’t think of anything more boring than making my 

“I had a big identity 

crisis about whether 

I was actually a 

musician. I didn’t 

really know who 

I was without the 

SOAK part” 

first record again, so I didn’t really focus on any genre in 

particular and just did what I wanted to do,” she tells me after 

some awkward pre-interview small talk. Without dwelling on 

the clichéd ‘difficult second album’ too much, SOAK has used 

the opportunity to her advantage seeing it as a chance to 

experiment with new approaches, structures and styles. “It’s 

more of a state of mind more than any physical place. I was 

trying to get everything that was going on in my head into one 

place because that’s how I was feeling.” 

From the highs of touring, with adulation every night and 

recognition always near, the return to a much slower pace of 

life always hit her hard. Upon asking whether Derry is the main 

inspiration, Bridie pipes up: “It is in part Derry, in that that was 

the location that I went to after tour. I guess returning to the 

place where you grew up after a time away can lead to being 

haunted by your childhood and your experiences while you 

were there. I do love Derry, but I think most people from small 

towns hit a point where they want to experience more and 

open up more opportunities. I think it was the circumstances 

and could have been anywhere with the way I felt.” 

Back in Derry, severely depressed and struggling with her 

identity off stage, she took some time off to rest, recover and 

rediscover who she was, both as SOAK and as Bridie. “I just 

told everyone that I wouldn’t do any more shows before I write 

the album. It took a good year before I actually got back into 

writing the record and I grew up a lot. I had a big identity crisis 

as to who I was and about whether I was actually a musician. I 

didn’t really know who I was without the SOAK part, so I took a 

lot of time out before I actually wrote the album. I think that if I 

wrote an album straight away it wouldn’t have been any good.” 

With a time to reflect on the tumultuous couple of years her 

music’s success has brought, Bridie has crafted more than a 

series of songs in what is both an account of her mental health, 

self-acceptance and, ultimately, a much happier existence. 

A droll train announcement introduction expresses the 

hopelessness and futility that a lot of people in their early 20s 

feel. That sense of loss, isolation and uncertainty in the world is 

a common one in that suspension period somewhere between 

teenager and adult. Grim Town combines these feelings with 

that of small town hopelessness and the idea of never being 

able to leave. Its introduction reflects a mindset common in 

the modern world, one often caused by the austerity and 

recession that surround us. There’s a humour that underlines 

the announcement and, as such, the light refracts throughout 

the rest of the record, even in its darkest points. “The tracklist 

is meant to be like you’re climbing out of the well,” she tells me, 

with tracks starting at the low point and arriving somewhere 

close to acceptance. Lyrically, the record tackles some pretty 

dark and personal issues, but its sound is fuller and bigger than 

ever before. Her vocals’ ethereal quality still rings hauntingly 

throughout the record but strings and synths resonate 

harmoniously. Songs such as Knock Me Off My Feet show 

her pop sensibilities at their very best, sitting nicely between 

Robert Smith and Robyn. While Everybody Loves You provides 

a hook so infectious, so resonant in your subconscious, you’ll 

be sure you’ve heard it before. 

Harnessing the power of a bigger band, the new album 

sees Bridie step everything up a level. “I think the music has 

changed mostly because I wanted it to be more from the 

perspective of a band. I’ve always wanted to be in a band, 

and I kind of played on my own before because I had to. With 

this record, I wanted to make it really fun to play onstage and 

live, and fun for the people in the crowd at the same time. I 

was looking at new ways of writing, new genres and new 

structures. I was trying to be a lot more unpredictable in my 

approach to the music.” 

A triumphant return, Grim Town will see SOAK hit the 

international touring circuit again. “I had such an amazing time 

to playing live for the first album, but now I think I’m going to 

enjoy it even more. I feel that I know my limitations a lot better 

than I did, so I imagine I’ll have much more stamina.” At the 

start of her last world tour, SOAK was barely a legal adult; 

now, four years on, she is back with a more developed and 

sophisticated sound which is sure to excite her existing and 

new fanbases alike. ! 

Words: Matt Hogarth 

soakmusic.co.uk 

Grim Town is out now via Rough Trade. SOAK plays District on 

Friday 3rd May as part of the Sound City+ VIP showcase. 

SOUND CITY 

45

“As an artist, when I 

think about subjects 

and concepts, it 

frees me from myself. 

That’s the idea behind 

this programme – 

creative freedom” 

BOTH SIDES NOW 

GWENNO MEETS BEIJA FLO 

Beija Flo meets trilingual maverick and kindred spirit Gwenno, who is leading Sound City’s five-day creative 

residency which invites a group of local artists to collaborate on a musical response to Liverpool’s physical 

environment. The Both Sides Now residency is brouhgt to Sound City by charity Brighter Sounds. 

GWENNO, the Welsh and Cornish polyglot, is gracing 

this year’s Sound City with a one-off performance of 

brand-new works with her producer, Rhys Edwards. 

She’s also running a five-day residency for local artists, 

mostly women, to join her in interpreting a Scouse sense of place 

into a collaborative musical project. The group of artists have 

been selected for diversity as part of an ongoing partnership 

with Both Sides Now, a pioneering initiative from music charity 

Brighter Sound to support women in music across the North. 

Last year, the workshop was led by Gwenno’s Heavenly 

label-mates Stealing Sheep. This year, she hopes to take up 

the mantle of engaging with local musicians and artists of all 

disciplines, backgrounds and skill levels to create a musical 

response to Liverpool’s physical spaces. As an artist, Gwenno 

weaves elements of folk, electronica and psychedelia over 

a trilingual phonetic soundscape which at times borders on 

surrealism. This cultural and musical flexibility makes her 

an ideal mentor for getting the best out of the programme’s 

diverse musicians. Bido Lito! favourite BEIJA FLO, another 

artist performing at Sound City this year, shares a passion for 

inclusivity and acceptance within music. Beija called up Gwenno 

to talk about loving Liverpool, creative freedom the importance of 

addressing the lack of diversity in music. The two obviously share 

a certain eccentricity, and openness towards the unfamiliar… 

Beija Flo: So, are you excited to do Sound City and come to 

Liverpool? 

Gwenno: I can’t wait. I’ve been a huge fan of the project for years 

from a distance and I’ve always thought it was really diverse and 

eclectic, a real variety of different artists leading the workshops. 

BF: You get to be in charge of your own round of it now. 

G: Yeh, I can’t wait to meet all the artists and see what’ll happen. 

I’m excited to explore Liverpool, get to know the city better. 

We’re hoping to respond to it musically in terms of buildings and 

architecture. 

BF: I think you’re going to love it. Obviously, I’m not Scouse. 

When I came to earth I was, sort of, plonked on Essex and I 

was like, I don’t really think this is the place for me. I ended up 

here for uni and whatnot – I just love it. I think you’ll enjoy it 

because everyone that chooses to live here or is from here is so 

aggressively passionate to be from here or be living here. Have 

you been here much before? 

G: I have, but I haven’t had a long enough length of time really. So, 

it’s a lovely opportunity to explore the city really and learn about 

the history and the communities that make Liverpool their home. 

I like the idea of places where people really congregate as well. 

That could be anywhere – a shopping centre or a football ground 

or a church or whatever. But I like this idea of people coming 

together in one space within the city, and what that means to 

the people who congregate in it. So, I’m hoping that I’ll work with 

the artists to explore that, and try and figure out which places to 

play and collect sounds, to celebrate those places. Trying to find 

a philosophical meaning, but also exploring that through sound, 

to work out what the identity of that place is and how can you 

capture that and explore that. So, it’s going to be quite abstract, 

but I’m hoping you’ll be able to feel the energy of that community. 

BF: I’m with you Gwenno, but I sort of feel like ‘abstract’ is code 

for ‘magic’ really. 

G: It is, isn’t it? I want the project to give a lot of freedom of 

expression. I think that there will be a diverse range of artists 

with different skills. It’s trying to push everyone out of their 

comfort zone. Things like improvisation are always brilliant within 

music, doing it in groups, trying to see how you respond to other 

people – the artists that will be there taking part completely 

shape what it is, and that’s the most exciting part for me, really. 

BF: I love group work – it’s such a great tool for getting a large 

group of people to figure stuff. There is power in numbers; it’s 

sort of stupid to not swap skills. So, what do you think of having 

all women on the project, bar Rhys? 

G: That’s what’s great about the project. There’s a huge lack 

of diversity within music, beyond gender. I’m talking across 

backgrounds; it’s to do with race, it’s to do with class. This 

is a very practical way of creating opportunities for artists to 

explore – there’s not a particular goal or particular box that you 

need to try and fit into as a creative, and you don’t have that 

sense of commercial pressure at the end of it. It’s about giving 

people confidence, and sharing skills outside of an academic 

environment. It’s not about winning or failing, it’s just about trying 

stuff out and seeing what happens. 

BF: I think it’s really, really cool as well that the overall topics 

within what you’re going to cover, is not necessarily feminism 

and women’s politics. I mean, I talk bloody loads about sexual 

health issues for women, so I just shout about my vagina all day. 

But I do also think that it doesn’t really help all the time if people 

are just going, ‘Well we have to celebrate women, so we have 

to do an all-women line-up and just talk about women and blah, 

blah, blah’. As much as we really, really need those moments of 

isolating men, we also need these other moments. We need both. 

G: We do get boxed in, and we box everyone in. But underneath 

all that, we’re all human beings with brains that like thinking 

about stuff and challenging ourselves. I’m made aware of being 

female by other people, really. It’s just trying to escape that, and 

going beyond the way people define you. As an artist, when 

I think about subjects and concepts, it frees me from myself. I 

don’t have to think about my personal experience. I can project 

all of my energy onto another idea. That’s the idea behind it – 

creative freedom. I just hope that the people taking part will 

gain an experience that gives them more confidence to pursue 

their own path, without needing to fit into a particular category 

that’s already been made and created by a market. Everyone’s 

perspective on the world is unique to them, and that’s what’s 

interesting. There’s always been an amazing Welsh language 

music scene in Wales and it took me a long time to become 

confident enough to use the language. But that’s your tools in 

your box – and they’re just lying around the place at your feet 

most of the time. I think it’s that diversity that makes us all really 

interesting, particularly in the arts as well – hearing music you’ve 

never heard before, watching a film of a place you’ve never been 

to. Our small differences make us. I don’t know, it unites us I 

think. 

BF: I think it’s so important to swap cultures. There’s also 

something so special about getting creatives and creative 

thinkers into the same space for a period of time, be it five days, 

or whatever. I always find myself feeling warm, sort of like I’ve 

learnt a lot, and a little bit superhuman, after a situation that you 

might not necessarily feel comfortable in. And then you’re like, 

I bloody nailed that – ‘Cool, yeh, I can do anything, I can take on 

the world’. 

G: That’s the whole point of the opportunity. You shit yourself, but 

actually feel really brilliant and exhilarated after you’ve done it – 

like, ‘Oh my God, I just did that’. ! 


brightersound.com/both-sides-now 

Gwenno’s performance at Sound City takes place at District on 

Saturday 4th May, featuring collaborations with some of the 

region’s best emerging female talent. 

46

SOUND CITY+ 

Friday 3rd May 

The British Music Experience, Cunard Building 

Saturday 4th – Sunday 5th May 

Baltic Triangle 

Sound City+ is the festival’s bustling music business conference, which pays tribute to Liverpool’s history as the gateway to 

the global market on many levels, from trade and industry to the British music invasion of the 60s. Running over all three 

days of this year’s festival, the various panel events and keynote speeches take place across The British Music Experience 

– in Liverpool’s historical Cunard Building – and the Baltic Triangle. Live music is woven in alongside thought-provoking 

workshop and In Conversation sessions, that allow leading industry figures to dissect some of the most pressing issues in 

the business in 2019. 

Erin Tonkon 

In Conversation 

You might not have heard of ERIN TONKON’s name, but you have definitely 

heard of some of the albums she’s helped to produce, David Bowie’s Blackstar 

being one of them. Paving the way for women and young people in the 

technical side of the music industry, Tonkon is an inspiration for anyone whose 

plan A, B and C is following their dreams into record production or music in general. 

Speaking to me on the phone over 3,000 miles away in New York, Tonkon recalls how 

she started on her path to becoming one of the most interesting people in producing and 

engineering. “Since I was 16 I always knew that I wanted to produce and engineer but I didn’t 

have any music industry connections,” she tells me. “I started learning about recording and 

music studios when I was in high school. From there I did some internships at local radio 

stations and then interned at Sony in New York.” Most people would think they had hit the 

jackpot there, but Tonkon explains how the industry is much more cut-throat and complex 

than being set after bagging some work experience at a top record label. “It’s an industry that’s 

very beneficial if you know a little bit of everything. Knowing how labels work, how strategic 

marketing works, knowing how to do radio promos and how the radio world interacts with 

labels. It all taught me how to be well rounded and learn a bit of everything. So when I’m sitting 

in a production room now talking with an artist about their fears and dreams, I know what they 

are talking about and where they are trying to go.” 

Her big break came when she was given the chance to work with renowned producer Tony 

Visconti in New York. “I went back to college and got into NYU which was a dream come true. 

I was 22 at the time and the other students were fresh out of high school, so when I was 

looking for internships my teacher was like ‘You need a mentor, you’ve done all the internships’. 

So he asked me to dream big.” Dreaming big resulted in an internship with Visconti, who was 

top of her list of people she dreamed of working with. It was this that led to the chance of a 

lifetime to work with David Bowie, on what turned out to be his final piece of work. 

Like a lot of industries, music or otherwise, there is unfortunately still that divide 

between men and women, and she notes how it has definitely been an issue in working 

her way up the ladder. “I don’t know what it’s like being anything other than a women 

in the industry, but my experiences differ vastly from my male colleagues’. I am so 

grateful to Tony because me being a woman was never brought up, until he had to 

stand up for me because someone was being inappropriate or assumed I was his 

secretary.” 

“Having Tony and someone like Bowie giving me his blessing to be part of his 

record gave me the confidence that I needed and I still have to tap into it today,” she 

continues. “The world is changing, but I had to learn how to get a tough skin.” 

“It’s not just women, it’s people of colour, transgender people; the music industry 

is white men, that’s it. Not to make gross generalisations but we could really use some 

diversity and people who think differently. I can’t wait until the day I am no longer a 

female record producer. It doesn’t make a difference ultimately, we are making music!” 

As someone who appears to have literally done it all to get to where she is I’m curious 

as to what advice she would give to young people trying to get into the industry. “Try and get 

into a working environment.” She says intensely. “When I first started I was cleaning toilets 

and making coffee but then I started getting into the studio. You just need to keep showing 

up.” 

“I never had a plan B, I knew this is what I wanted to do and the people who make it are 

the people who don’t give up.” ! 

Words: Sophie Shields 

@erintonkon 

Erin Tonkon appears In Conversation at Sound City+ on Friday 3rd May. 

48

Women In A&R: 

How The Game Has Changed 

In the past 20 years, the role of A&R has significantly changed. It’s now 

easier than ever for the public to find new artists, even without the help 

of major labels. As a result, A&Rs have had to change their approach; 

they must develop a band in new ways to explore their full potential. In 

the last decade, there has been a rise in women getting involved in A&R. 

Mapping this change, Dorothy Carvello’s book Anything For A Hit explores 

her journey into the music industry. Here she battled against an unhealthy, 

narcissistic atmosphere, beginning as secretary to Ahmet Ertegun and 

later becoming the first A&R executive at Atlantic Records. Has such 

a change led to the world of A&R embraing equality? Have campaigns 

such as #MeToo made an impact on the music industry? A number of 

such pioneers in today’s industry – artist manager ELINORE GILES, Island 

Records’ A&R manager ADELE WHITE and EVE FAIRLEY-CHICKWE (A&R 

and publishing at AWAL and Kobalt) – will discuss how these topics have 

affected their own careers. 

In Conversation with Huw Stephens 

HUW STEPHENS has always had an ear for the next big thing. Beginning 

his career on Welsh radio, he quickly become known for his ability to unearth 

emerging talent, leading to a role as a BBC Music Introducing DJ. He is now the 

face of BBC Music Introducing, as well as a national tastemaker. Beyond radio, 

he also curates the BBC Music Introducing stage at Glastonbury, Reading and 

Leeds, T In The Park and Radio One’s Big Weekend. In between, he’s found 

time to write for NME, The Guardian and The Independent. At Sound City+, 

Huw will talk through his varied career in a conversation with Dr Jennifer Otter 

Bickerdicke, and, using his extensive knowledge of music, radio, journalism and 

events, also shed light on how young artists can use the vast array of media 

avenues to get their music heard. 

The European Festival Gates Are Open 

This panel looks beyond festival headliners in an attempt to explores the 

depths of a festival line-up; how smaller stages are curated, what can 

be done by artists to make themselves more known by festivals and, 

importantly, ways they can get on the line-up. Sound City is part of the 

Innovation Network of European Showcases (INES), which enables artists 

to play at festivals across the continent and broaden their fanbases. INES 

was founded in 2017 by MARCUS RÜSSEL, the CEO and founder of online 

booking platform gigmit. Rüssel will be joined on this panel by leading 

experts from some of the biggest festivals in the UK and Europe, including 

MELI PSOCH (Danube Island Festival, Vienna), ALEXEI KUTUZOV (Minsk 

Festival), MIRCA LOTZ (Manic Street Parade, Munich). The discussion will 

look into how different festivals approach bookings for the smaller, more 

emerging talent and artists. 

In Conversation with Dave Rowntree 

DAVE ROWNTREE was right at the heart of the 90s Britpop wave. As the drummer 

and co-founder of Blur, he’s received accolades only others can dream of, with 

over 40 music awards including five Brits. While his signature drum-style has 

always been at the core of the Blur sound, he’s now found more time to expand on 

his activism, taking steps towards becoming a politician for the Labour Party and 

county councillor for the University division in Norwich. He has also explored his 

love for radio, TV and computer animation. Dave comes to Sound City 2019 for a 

special, one-off discussion at the BME, in the form of a conversation with media and 

music academic Dr Jennifer Otter Bickerdicke. The conversation will cover the ups 

and downs of playing in one of the UK’s biggest bands – touching on the need for 

activism in music. 

SOUND CITY 49

BERRIES • BOKKA • CALVA LOUISE 

CAPITANO • ECKOES • 

GIANT ROOKS • HOPE • JOSH ISLAND 

LOS WILDS • LOVING EMBERS • 

MATEUSZ FRANCZAK • MATHILDA 

• PARAGUAII • PLATON KARATAEV 

SHAODOW • SKETCHES ON DUALITY 

SURMA • THE TEA STREET BAND • 

THEM LIGHTS • TIMID KOOKY 

VERA JONAS EXPERIMENT 

INES#talents INES-FESTIVALS.eu 

SOUNDCITY.UK.COM

COME TO 

AN LJMU 

OPEN DAY 

IN 2019 

21 June 

28 September 

19 October 

6 November 

Register online now: 

ljmu.ac.uk/opendays

A desk, a room, 

a HQ, or just 

passing through. 

Just ask. 

bruntwood.co.uk/justask 

0800 0087 668 

house 

DIY EDUCATION SESSIONS - HAPPY HOUR DRINKS - ARTIST SHOWCASE 

Best Before @ Constellations 

Saturday May 5th from 2pm 

35-39 Greenland St, L1 0BS 

CDBABY.COM

Help Musicians UK works to 

create a sustainable future for all 

musicians. 

We support creators through grants, 

Health and Welfare services and 

funding for career development 

through our Creative Programme. 

We invest in research and advocate 

on issues that are important to the 

music community, including mental 

health, hearing health, accessibility 

and career development. 

Visit helpmusicians.org.uk for 

more information, or get in touch at 

info@helpmusicians.org.uk or on 

0207 239 9100. 

Registered Charity No.228089 

www.endofthetrailcreative.co.uk 

Bido Lito Final.indd 1 25/03/2019 14:53:40 

PPL IS PROUD 

TO SUPPORT 

LIVERPOOL SOUND 

CITY IN 2019 

Join PRS for Music 

at Liverpool Sound City 2019 

Friday 3rd May – 13:10-13:55 

PPL and PRS for Music present 

Get Played, Get Paid! Making Money From Your Music 

with The Magic Gang 

@ British Music Experience, Cunard Building, Liverpool, L3 1JR 

Friday 3rd May – 19:00-20:30 

PPL and PRS for Music 

Networking Drinks Party 

@ Love Lane Brewery, Bridgewater Street, Liverpool, L1 0AY 

PPL collects royalties when recorded 

music is played on radio, TV, online 

and in public, and helps to ensure that 

those who invest their time, talent, and 

money into making that music are fairly 

paid for the use of their work. 

It is free to become a PPL member. 

We do the heavy lifting to collect 

royalties for the use of your music 

around the globe. 

#BecauseItsYours 

BECAUSE MUSIC MATTERS 

prsformusic.com 

@ppluk 

ppluk.com 

LSC PRS QP.indd 1 06/03/2019 11:12:30

CONSTELLATIONS INDOOR 

SATURDAY 4TH MAY 

YOUR 

MUSIC 

CAREER 

STARTS 

HERE 

INDUSTRY LEADING 

DEGREE & DIPLOMA COURSES 

GUITAR • BASS • DRUMS • VOCALS • SONGWRITING 

MUSIC PRODUCTION • MUSIC JOURNALISM 

MUSIC BUSINESS • EVENT MANAGEMENT 

HUSKY LOOPS 

17:15 - 17:45 

INDIGO LO 

16:30 - 17:00 

LAURA OAKES 

15:45 - 16:15 

TALK SHOW 

15:00 - 15:30 

PRESS CLUB 

14:45 - 15:15 

EXPERT TUTORS 

STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES 

UNRIVALLED CONNECTIONS TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY 

EUROPE’S MOST CONNECTED MUSIC COLLEGE 

BIMM.CO.UK/MANCHESTER 

Sound City Warm Up 

Thursday 2nd May 6pm - 1am 

Show your pass / email at the door 

Playing the sounds of 

Sound City all night! 

WWW.CRAZYPEDROS.CO.UK 

25 PARR STREET, ROPEWALKS, LIVERPOOL, L1 4JN

The Lithuanian Culture Institute is a state 

budgetary institution founded by the Ministry 

of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania. Its 

function is to promote Lithuanian culture 

abroad and to present Lithuania to the world 

through culture. Until 2014, it was known as the 

International Cultural Programme Centre. 

Project Hilts 

TIGER by the TAIL 

Hannah Willwood 

In The Morning Lights 

DOMI

SHARING 

STORIES FROM 

THE CITY 

Download the brand-new 

Bido Lito! Arts + Culture Podcast 

A monthly show unearthing stories 

that deserve a second look. 

Available from 

bidolito.co.uk/podcast 

and all major podcasting platforms

PREVIEWS 

“You want to be 

creative and critical 

at the same time. I 

find it empowering 

to lean on someone 

occasionally” 

GIG 

CATE LE BON 

Focus Wales – 18/05 

Furniture and a brilliant mind made for the perfect 

ingredients in the making of the prolific Welsh 

songwriter’s new album. 

CATE LE BON makes furniture. In a school. In Cumbria. As building for the future goes, 

this is to be taken literally. It’s a far cry from otherworldly rock ‘n’ roll pursuits and 

doing mad things to relax while one conjures up their next bout of creativity. Walking 

in the Lake District, or mountain climbing in your native South Wales. Nah, let’s knock 

up a chair. That’ll chill everyone out! However, one listen to her new album Reward and the idea 

that making furniture helped in the process of this woozy, psychedelic and anti-folk recording 

seems entirely plausible. She handmade mugs for the release of her third album, Mug Museum. 

There’s that plausibility again. 

Cate Le Bon (not her real second name) is of Carmarthenshire decent. She is bilingual and she 

is brilliant. Breaking out of a small South Wales hamlet isn’t easy, but her creative flow has seen her 

work life start off with Super Furry Animals and Gruff Rhys’ side-projects (her contribution to the 

Neon Neon album is arguably the high point), moving through the Manics and onto Deerhunter et 

al. Le Bon hasn’t so much created a persona as acted out her own creationism under an assumed 

name. She produces as much as she performs and she creates as much as she makes music. 

We love Ms Le Bon here at Bido HQ. Her work never fails to enthrall and beguile. Mug Museum 

is an extraordinary piece of work, her first proper flag in the ground. So we hope you’ll join us in the 

delight of Reward, because it’s even better. Even if she did lock herself away to make it. 

“You try and create a vacuum of sorts. When you have exterior influences around you trying to 

create a false atmosphere, you can have the integrity of the record compromised and that is unfair 

on the listener or me. I anticipate who my audience will be so I try to provide for them. You can 

bounce stuff off people in your immediacy which is why I’ve always worked with musicians and 

producers who I’ve forged a relationship with. Therefore they can’t really disrupt or challenge the 

flow of what I’m trying to do because they are innately involved with the processes.” 

As a producer do you find it easy to step away from helping the creative process along, is it 

easier to be the artist and in full ‘control’? 

“No, because that’s compromising and then you’d end up with a different record. You want to 

be creative and critical at the same time so you’ll want to lean on someone occasionally. I certainly 

do and I find it empowering to have that. My team have been with me a while and we have that 

understanding that comes from trust and that’s paramount to having a fluid and honest working 

environment.” 

When you sit and take in what Le Bon’s music is about, the layers of abstraction that build and 

morph into the finished product, the above statement doesn’t seem so obvious. I guess the next 

question has to take in the approach to such an off-kilter set of recordings. Was there a difference in 

how this all converged? There’s a pause and the line crackles. East London seems so far away in this 

moment. 

“It transpired I changed the architecture of my life dramatically. I took time off to readdress my 

view of music as you have to re-evaluate my relationship with why I was doing things. Were they 

for the right reasons or just doing things out of habit, or ease?” 

Another weighty pause. This is slightly troubling the artist. 

“These songs were written over a longer period and so there was intimacy there as I was 

spending more time with them. Honing and stuff. Previously we [the band] have experimented with 

the songs in the rehearsal room and they’ve evolved out of that. This time we didn’t do it that way. 

There was experimentation, yes, but the door was opened incrementally to musicians one by one so 

there was that intimacy and focus that sometimes you can lose if you overthink. It helped that the 

songs demanded that.” 

There’s a real ‘instrument’ feel to the record. As it ambles along there’s a real strength in the 

way the music soars and swoops. It is also, undeniably, Welsh. This writer thought the sax was 

yesterday’s instrument though. Apparently not. Le Bon squeals defiantly. 

“No! I love it. It’s the coolest instrument! Bowie used sax so it’s fine by me. I’m hopeless at it 

though. My friend who plays it took one look at my lips and said the trumpet was the instrument for 

me! I prefer the use of synthesizers to recall records like Bowie’s Low. Those sounds belong to him 

and that time, but it’s nice to digress and find your own version of that, you know?” 

Are you happy with the fact that your music screams Welsh? Sometimes an artist can distance 

themselves from what is a strength and undeniable. 

“Of course! Gruff and Euros [Childs, the power behind Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci] flew their own 

Welsh flags and we should all be very grateful for that. They make the music that they want to 

make regardless of any stylistic scene. You should do what you want to do, musically, as it’s all 

about you when you create it. They’ve done that and I’m aiming for that as well. With varying 

degrees of success.” She laughs, heartily and proudly. 

Reward is, err, a rewarding voyage that manages to strut confidently around the hills of Nicoperiod 

Velvet Underground, Laurie Anderson and there’s even a nod to The Raincoats, early Cranes 

and a soupçon of Pavement. The track Magnificent Gestures is sublime in its batshit mentality, 

veering between the high-pitched poetry of Le Bon as she wrestles with a music box and a guitar 

riff that your music teacher would wrongly clip you around the ear for. Also, the brilliant single 

Daylight Matters gets the nod of approval as it’s mournful use of synths on the chorus bring to mind 

a depressed Gary Numan fighting with the aforementioned music teacher. 

“I know of Numan, obviously but there’s being authentic and having time to find a certain 

originality in your work and that’s what I want to achieve. I think I did that with that track. You’ll 

always find things that have been done before everywhere, it’s doing it in such a way that you are 

doing it for the right reasons and not just a one dimensional reboot. It’s nice that you raise that 

parallel.” 

So, following that, is it a ‘you’ record? There’s another long pause, then I’m reminded she’s been 

doing this press jaunt for seven hours. Hence the short, sharp retort. 

“It’s the sum of its parts. No man is an island. At least not on Reward.” 

There’s a relieved laugh as Le Bon shuffles in her chair and the line crackles again. Where did 

you base yourself during the processes that became Reward? 

“I can’t really answer that fully. Errr... The Lake District and home in Wales. Then there was the 

18 months in furniture school. I was learning a new discipline during this time and it coupling with 

my love of architecture. I found the whole experience meditative and grounding.” 

In what way? 

“You design something based on what you’ve seen. You hand select the timber and make a 

piece of wood into something. I got so much joy and excitement from it. Music is more enjoyable to 

me when I’m not preoccupied with music. You are more free as your eggs aren’t in one basket, so to 

speak. It was liberating in some ways. It was so wonderful to do.” 

So, based on that experience is there a link between architecture and music? Or buildings and 

music? She answers sharply. “Architecture should be a collaboration between nature and humans 

and society.” Yet you grew up in a small village surrounded by space. Then when you tour these 

cities become a part of your everyday life only to disappear when you go to a place like Cumbria 

or return home. There’s more space and calm, away from the urban sprawl. Surely that impinges 

on creative flow and personality? She sighs. “Possibly. Although it’s hard to pinpoint influence 

and what the alchemy of life is. Things have a genuine effect but that doesn’t mean that they are 

influential. On me that is. Things can be porous when it comes to that. It can be luck or a decision 

you’ve made.” 

And with that she disappears down the line. Cate Le Bon is a unique artist. She has no 

pretensions or front. She is simply a one-off, a product of her upbringing and her attempts at just 

being who she is. Be that through music or furniture. ! 

Words: Ian R. Abraham / @scrash 

Photography: Ivana Kličković 

catelebon.com 

Cate Le Bon headlines Focus Wales on 18th May, playing at Undegun. Reward is released on 24th 

May via Mexican Summer. 

58

FESTIVAL 

LightNight: Ritual 

Various venues – 17/05 

Friday nights are alright, but how can you make them better? Bring the city alive with light 

and noise you say, and fill our public spaces with great art? Nuff said. See Liverpool spring 

to life for a night out like no other on LIGHTNIGHT, the cultural crawl that feels like a citywide 

celebration. On 17th May you’re invited to follow an unforgettable trail around the city 

centre with your friends and family; enjoying over 100 free events as the city’s finest venues stay 

open late to present live music, workshops, theatre, exhibitions and much more. 

Rituals of all kinds, ancient and modern, are seen in cultures from all over the world; where there 

is community, there is also ritual. For its 10th anniversary theme, LightNight will explore personal 

and collective rituals, from the spiritual to the habitual, and consider how they help us to understand 

the world and define, or transcend, our place within it. 

A number of commissions and specific events have been put together to discuss this ritualistic 

thread, which will take you to various intriguing spaces across the city. RIBA North’s Atrium will 

play host to Permutations, an interactive artwork that turns the building’s airy space into a musical 

instrument as listeners are invited to play with the acoustics of six adjustable chambers. To celebrate 

relocating to Northern Lights, ROAD Studios present Rituals Of The Mundane Northern Lights, 

a new exhibition that pays homage to the imperceptible miracles of the everyday. The exhibition 

features works by resident artists and ROAD will open their studios and give audiences a chance to 

LightNight 

meet the artists and see their workspaces. 

LJMU’s John Foster Building, rarely open to the public, hosts a multi-sensory meditative journey 

into the ‘nine celestial bodies’ as part of Ancestral Voices: The Navagraha Ritual. Using pioneering 

harmonic scales and technology inspired by ancient civilisations, this immersive event invites 

audiences to bring blankets and cushions and experience the work lying down (free tickets must 

be booked in advance). Another new space to the LightNight crawl is SEVENSTORE, the new 

conceptual retail and arts space on Jamaica Street. ClubTogether is a partnership with design studio 

Dorothy as part of a wider programme of activity (see page 26), which features a live performance 

by celebrated rave/house DJ GRAEME PARK. 

We’re also getting involved in the LightNight action this year, with our own Ritual 2.0 event 

serving as the launch of our bido100! period of activity. Ritual 2.0 sees AV artist SAM WIEHL 

come together with Ninja Tune musician FOREST SWORDS for an exploration of a creative future 

dominated by artificial intelligence. The large-scale public realm installation will take over one of the 

underground tunnels in Moorfields station, with a series of crescendos taking place throughout the 

night’s live performance. 

Full details of all commissions and events (of which there are legion), and details of where to get 

hold of your LightNight 2019 brochure, can be found at lightnightliverpool.co.uk 

Mike Leigh 

FESTIVAL 

Writing on the Wall 

Various venues – 01/05-30/05 

Change is in the air. All that is solid, like the icecaps, is melting. Things fall apart – can the 

centre hold? The rich are getting richer, but otherwise uncertainty is the order of the 

day; Brexit, climate change, class, feminism, gender, race, populism, fake news, digital 

surveillance and more, much more, are changing and challenging all our old perceptions. 

The stage is now set for WOWFEST 2019 to seek answers to the question: Where Are We Now? 

Liverpool’s longest-running writing and literary organisation tackles its 20th edition with its 

usual gusto, with the topics of where we currently stand – buffeted by the winds of turmoil – on the 

agenda and up for robust debate. Through May you’ll be able to dip into various strands of these 

conversations at discussion and panel sessions at venues across the city. The festival begins with 

a keynote speech from author and broadcaster WILL SELF at The Bluecoat (1st May), which will 

confront WoWFest’s key themes head on and set a framework for future conversations. 

As usual, Writing on the Wall attracts the big names, which is testament to its standing in a 

city which thrives on hearty debate. Comedian JO BRAND is in conversation at the Philharmonic 

Hall (14th May); LGBT campaigner PETER TATCHELL joins CHERYL MARTIN – guest curator of 

Liverpool’s Homotopia festival in 2018 – for a discussion about the current state of the gay liberation 

movement (Leaf, 15th May); broadcaster STUART MACONIE stops by the Epstein Theatre on 18th 

May following his retracing of the route of the Jarrow Crusade; and legendary director MIKE LEIGH 

joins crowds for a Q&A at the Crosby Plaza after a screening of his epic film, Peterloo. 

Young voices are also heard through WoWFest’s run, with events focusing on the state of 

grime and rap music (VideOdyssey, Windsor Street, 18th May), the cosmopolitan voices that 

form Liverpool’s rich Iranian community (Tehran Now at Toxteth Library, Windsor Street) and a 

discussion about working class voices in publishing with Unbound and Dead Ink (Toxteth Library, 

2nd May). 

WoWFest’s walking tours never fail to attract the crowds, and give a different view of the stories 

tied up in the city’s buildings and past. BBC Radio Merseyside’s ROGER HILL leads a tour titled The 

City That Never Was, But Always Is on 5th May, uncovering some nuggets about a cityscape that 

we’re so familiar with. The life of famed Liverpool writer and activist George Garrett is delved into 

on walking tours of his ‘Sailortown’ neighbourhood on 11th and 25th May, and the centenary of 

Liverpool’s race riots (which began with the murder of young black seafarer Charles Wootton in 

1919) is marked with an exhibition and accompanying tour that treads the streets once more. 

And this is barely scratching the surface. You can find all details at wowfest.uk – and tickets 

for all events can be found at TicketQuarter. 

EVENT DISCOVERY PARTNER 


PREVIEWS 59

PREVIEWS 

GIG 

Kikagaku Moyo 

District – 24/05 

Kikagaku Moyo 

Japan’s pre-eminent psych rock juggernaut KIKAGAKU 

MOYO return to the city for the first time since their star 

turn at PZYK two years ago. A jewel in the crown of 

Amsterdam-based, Asian underground-focused label 

Guruguru Brain, the quintet innovatively meld folk rock, 

krautrock and Eastern influences to create a compulsive 

strain of modern psychedelia. While their fourth album 

House In The Tall Grass is a masterpiece of the psych 

diaspora, their latest LP Massana Temples further 

enhanced the band’s reputation upon its warmly received 

drop last year. The date of this gig should be tattooed on 

the back of the hand of any self-respecting psych fan. 

GIG 

Kojaque 

Arts Club – 03/05 

Dublin rap sensation KOJAQUE makes his debut appearance in 

Liverpool as part of his spring UK and Ireland tour. The fast-rising 

Irish rapper has recently been nominated for a Choice Music Prize 

in Ireland for his Deli Daydreams mixtape, a highly celebrated 

project based around a week in the life of a deli worker. No 

wonder Kojaque made it onto NME’s list of essential artists for 

2019; with his bold new track Flu Shot the young artist shows us 

the breadth of his talents as he explores the genres of both pop 

and hip hop as well as co-directing its surreal music video. 

Kojaque 

THEATRE 

Heart Of Darkness 

The Playhouse – 01-04/05 

Reimagined for contemporary audiences via Francis Ford Coppola’s 

cinematic classic Apocalypse Now, Joseph Conrad’s turn-of-thecentury 

tale bears revisiting. While Coppola transposed the action to 

war-torn Vietnam, the Kurtz of this Andrew Quick and Pete Brooks 

production is found in modern day Europe. The story of lies and greed 

emanating from a dark heart that can be found in anyone is timely in 

the current climate and is treated to a multi-layered production at the 

Playhouse this month. Part animated graphic novel, part live action; 

the Imitating The Dog production will be a visual feast as well as a 

thought-provoking ode to our times. 

CONVERSATION 

Matthew Syed 

St. George’s Hall – 22/05 

Journalist and broadcaster MATTHEW SYED is one of the world’s leading 

thinkers in the field of high performance and cultural change. Across 

three best-selling books on the science of high performance, the former 

English table tennis number one has developed an impressive set of 

theories and arguments that look at the inside story of how success 

really happens – and how we cannot grow unless we are prepared to 

learn from our mistakes. Syed’s talk is part of a series of events held 

throughout 2019 by the St George’s Hall Charitable Trust, whose aim is 

to protect the Grade I listed building for generations to come. Tickets for 

this event are available through TicketQuarter. 

Viagra Boys 

GIG 

Viagra Boys 

Shipping Forecast – 22/05 

After the successful release of Swedish punk band VIAGRA BOYS’ first studio 

album Street Worms last year, the six-piece received praise from critics all across 

the globe. Their one-of-a-kind sound has been appreciated by a wide range of 

music scenes from punk to hip hop, experimental electronic music and even jazz. 

Frontman Sebastian “Sebbe” Murphy has even been compared to the likes of 

Iggy Pop due to his wild and energetic stage presence and fearsome lyrics, which 

have seen stages packed from their sold-out London dates to Reading and Leeds 

Festivals. With support from Brighton newcomers SQUID, an unapologetically 

manic night out is guaranteed. 

FESTIVAL 

Nina Kraviz @ Baltic Weekender 

Hinterlands – 31/05 

Siberian techno titan NINA KRAVIZ’s starring role in the opening concert for this year’s Baltic 

Weekender is a sign of things to come for the fast rising event. Fresh from unveiling a jawdropping 

new AV set at Coachella, Kraviz touches down at Hinterlands to cut the ribbon on 

what will be pulsating two days down in the Baltic, the latest stop in the Russian producer’s 

whirlwind tour of global dancefloor dominance (Kraviz performed at 35 festivals in 2018, 

more than any other artist). Elsewhere across the Weekender’s two nights of partying, 

GEORGE FITZGERALD, MARIBOU STATE (both DJ sets), JIMOTHY LACOSTE, SKINNY 

PELEMBE, IMOGEN and dozens more will ensure that the dancefloors remain permanently 

populated. Constellations, New Bird Street Warehouse, Hangar34, District and Brick Street 

are the other venues sharing in the wildness – you’d be wild to miss it. 

Nina Kraviz 

60

CLUB 

Emotion Wave 

Constellations – 02/05 

Adherents to all things ambient will rejoice with the news 

that that latest instalment of Emotion Wave gorgeousness 

will not only feature a rousingly house-oriented line-up, 

but it’ll also be free. Emotion Wave alumni SPIRIT LEVEL 

(AKA Dr Harvey Brown) and PROFESSOR KHAOS return 

to the fray, bringing with them a new live duet project 

and lo-fi plunderphonic hip hop beats respectively. Some 

dance-tinged electronica comes your way in the form of 

MARK LAWLESS, with top billing reserved for ATHE party 

mastermind BEN SLEIA, who’ll be delivering the kind of 

experimental electronics that have set her and her regular 

club night apart. And it’s all for free. 

FESTIVAL 

Liverpool Disco Festival 6: Jungle 

Boogie 

Various venues – 05/05 

Are you ready to go on a disco exploration? Because the bods 

behind the Disco Festival are, and they’ve got a journey planned 

that’ll take you via house, soul, funk, hip hop and boogie, until you 

reach disco nirvana. Disco greats MELBA MOORE and ROCHELLE 

FLEMING will both be performing live sets, with the various stages 

of Camp and Furnace, 24 Kitchen Street and District pounding to 

the beats of some serious selectors. JOEY NEGRO, SOUL CLAP, 

JOHN MORALES, MARCEL VOGEL, MAFALDA… the list goes on. 

On a busy month for dancing and partying down in the Baltic, this 

is yet another chance for you to get grooving. 

GIG 

Stepping Tiger Reggae All-Dayer 

Alexander’s Live – 05/05 

Chester promoters Stepping Tiger have brought a rare strain 

of fine sounds to Deva of late (Steam Down, Skinny Pelembe, 

Deptford Northern Soul Club), and their latest effort is an all ages 

reggae all-dayer, where under-12s go free. This bank holiday 

Sunday show brings together a fine cast of DJs and MCs to really 

imbue Alexander’s with an authentic experience of a reggae 

sound system. HORSEMAN brings the flavours of Kingston 

Express to the top the bill, followed by London reggae institution 

OXMAN. DJ, producer and ska performer NATTY BO brings some 

Cubano skanking to proceedings, with tunes being spun around 

the clock courtesy of a range of top selectors. 

GIG 

Sorry 

Sound Basement – 03/05 

North London’s new guitar crew SORRY have announced a UK 

tour supporting Fat White Family following the release of their new 

track and video Jealous Guy this year. The four-piece received high 

praise from Pitchfork and Dazed for their previous singles Showgirl 

and Twinkle in 2018 and have even turned in a live session for Marc 

Riley on BBC Radio 6 Music. Their inventive sound, covering genres 

from alternative indie and post-punk to grunge, makes it hard to put 

a label on the sleazy outfit, but this does nothing less than show 

us their unlimited potential – no wonder they’ve developed the 

reputation as the most exciting new bands on London’s underground 

circuit. 

Sorry 

COMEDY 

Bill Bailey 

M&S Bank Arena – 25/05 

Bill Bailey 

Known for his role in Black Boots as well as his appearances on 

Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Have I Got News For You and QI, British 

comedy mastermind BILL BAILEY has extended his hit live show 

Larks In Transit into 2019 due to popular demand, and will once again 

stop by Liverpool as part of the tour. A collection of travellers’ tales 

and the general shenanigans accrued over 20 years as a travelling 

comedian, Larks In Transit sees Bailey tackle everything from politics 

to philosophy to the pursuit of happiness. Described by The Telegraph 

as “the brainiest comic of his generation”, a laugh is guaranteed for all. 

Ticket for this show are available at ticketquarter.co.uk. 

GIG 

Trudy And The Romance 

Phase One – 30/05 

The golden age of Disney meets mutant 50s pop when TRUDY AND THE ROMANCE 

are in town. The Liverpool-based dreamboats are gearing up for the release of their 

eagerly anticipated debut album Sandman, which the band themselves describe as 

“alligator rock ‘n’ roll”. With its aping of Spector/Wilson wall of sound aesthetics, and 

love for vintage doo-wop and alt.rock, the LP is a sugary rush of all that is good in the 

Trudy world. Expect slices of Jonathan Richman, Louis Prima and Henry Mancini when 

you can and see them – you are coming to see them, you just don’t realise it yet. 

Trudy And The Romance 

PARTY 

Bido Lito! Issue 100 Social 

w/ Special Guest DJ set 

The Merchant – 23/05 

Actually, forget what we just said – we’re bloody great at throwing parties! It’s dead easy: crank up the tunes, turn 

down the lights, fill a room with mates and let it roll. Well, that’s what we’ll be doing to welcome in our 100th issue 

in May, with a little help from some friends. We’ve recruited a Bido favourite for the evening, who’s going to be 

setting the celebratory mood on the 1s and 2s, for the first in a series of events we’re doing to mark our 100th issue 

(see our bido100! programme). Old friends, new friends and friends we’ve not met yet are welcome to attend this 

free event to mark our milestone in print – and if you want to bring some cake, that’s up to you (but it would be a 

lovely gift, wink wink). Happy 100! 

PREVIEWS 61

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TUESDAY 4TH JUNE 

CLUB ACADEMY 

PALE WAVES 

FRIDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 

HAPPY MONDAYS 

THURSDAY 21ST NOVEMBER 


LEE FIELDS AND 

THE EXPRESSIONS 

FRIDAY 3RD MAY / ACADEMY 3 

BULSARA AND HIS 

QUEENIES 

FRIDAY 7TH JUNE / CLUB ACADEMY 

JOE, BRANDY & DRU HILL 

SUNDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 


PHILIP H. ANSELMO 

& THE ILLEGALS 

WED 26TH JUNE / CLUB ACADEMY 

ALMA 

THURSDAY 3RD OCTOBER 

ACADEMY 2 

JADE BIRD 

THURSDAY 21ST NOVEMBER 

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FRIDAY 3RD MAY 

ACADEMY 2 

JON BELLION 

TUESDAY 8TH OCTOBER 


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SATURDAY 23RD NOVEMBER 


ANGEL HAZE 

SUNDAY 5TH MAY 

ACADEMY 3 

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THURSDAY 27TH JUNE 

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SATURDAY 20TH JULY 


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SATURDAY 12TH OCTOBER 

ACADEMY 2 

ALDOUS HARDING 

SATURDAY 30TH NOVEMBER 

ACADEMY 2 

THEATRE OF HATE 

FRIDAY 17TH MAY 

CLUB ACADEMY 

GUS DAPPERTON 

TUESDAY 23RD JULY 

ACADEMY 2 

SHE DREW THE GUN 

WEDNESDAY 30TH OCTOBER 

ACADEMY 2 

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THURSDAY 5TH DECEMBER 

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FRIDAY 13TH DECEMBER 


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REVIEWS 

Little Simz (Sarah Jeynes) 

“After three 

breathless days, 

the 6 Music Festival 

succeeds in dragging 

the city’s creative 

and cultural assets 

to the forefront” 

BBC Radio 6 Music Festival 

Multiple Venues – 29/03-31/03 

BBC Radio 6 Music’s titular Festival has been roving around 

the UK for some years now. It’s the embodiment of the increasing 

reach and popularity of the radio station, something that almost 

disappeared from the airwaves all together in 2011 – hard to 

believe given that the station now brings in over two million 

listers each week with its blend of cult classics and contemporary 

craft. Liverpool being a host city is undeniably a cultural coup. 

Sure, its weighty line-up bursts through the saloon doors of the 

city, facing up to the regulars in their usual spots draped around 

the bar. But with the cast of artists, presenters and cameras in 

tow, all here for a scoop of Scouse culture, the city stands to 

benefit. 

Opening the festival on Friday night at The Olympia, SHE 

DREW THE GUN prove that Liverpool is onto something special. 

Wirral native Louisa Roach, and the rest of her band, kick off the 

night with a classic pop hit Resister; a stand-out track from the 

group’s second album, Revolution Of Mind. The melodic, cosmic 

pop tracks continue with Something For The Pain. A Scouse, 

“Alright, Liverpool?!” from Roach results in a heart-warming wave 

of cheers from the crowd. From the sexy melodies of Since You 

Were Not Mine to the grungy riffs of Paradise, each song they 

perform adds a different layer to their set. Roach introduces Pit 

Pony as “a three-minute critique on capitalism” and picks up on 

a theme which runs throughout a lot of their lyrics. Ending with 

Poem, a politically-charged spoken word appraisal of modern 

society, She Drew The Gun have set the bar high for celebrating 

new music in the city tonight. 

Brooklyn based art-rock quintet BODEGA are next as the 

crowd in The Olympia starts to swell. Bursting onto the stage 

to the pleasantly noisy Bodega Birth, from their debut album 

Endless Scroll, like She Drew The Gun, there is definitely a theme 

to their post-punk crusade. Their songs lean towards a critical 

narrative on our 21st-century relationship with the internet as 

they chant “This is documentary!” to war cry-esque drumming. 

Their energy on stage is electric and mesmerising to watch as 

they work their way through Name Escape, which reinterprets 

The Smiths’ Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now. It’s all pop culture 

heavy, as Jack In Titanic and Truth Is Not A Punishment end 

their set with a rousing performance of heavy riffs and pounding 

drums. It’s an absolute rager. 

Nu-folk favourite MARIKA HACKMAN adds yet another 

sound to the mix as she treats the crowd to a few classics. 

Beginning with the more traditional folk track Wonderlust and 

straight into the angsty Blahblahblah, her range of styles keeps 

the audience on their toes. While her tracks fall under the folk 

genre, she throws in some heavy guitar solos on a few new 

songs. Accompanied by her backing band, Hackman puts on a 

show you can tell the crowd have turned up for in their droves. 

Closing the evening is ANNA CALVI who appears on stage 

from a backdrop of mist and dimmed lights. A fitting entry for 

the dramatic show that’s about to ensue. The English singersongwriter 

bursts straight into a spine-tingling guitar riff as her 

haunting vocals blend in for the track Hunter, off her new album 

of the same name. Calvi’s hour-long set continues in much of 

the same vein: intense guitar shredding, a heavy light show and 

melodic vocals that have the room captivated from start to finish. 

Calvi owns the stage, and other than two backing musicians, 

the spotlight is hers – quite literally. A finger bleeding guitar solo 

marks the end of her set as she uses every inch of the stage to 

prove how she is one of the most exciting guitarists around. With 

no words and guitar held aloft, she finishes the first night of the 

festival to a roaring applause and great success. 

By Saturday evening, the festival is in full swing again, and 

judging from the hype in the build up, it seems as if tonight’s 

Olympia bill is the main attraction. IDLES as an opener is an 

assured move. A massive following already established following 

their album Joy As An Act Of Resistance. Instantly, you get 

the hype. It’s all there to see, from their dry wit lyricism on the 

political climate, accompanied by ferocious riffs and an explosive 

energy; guitarist Mark Bowen even jumping into the crowd at any 

given opportunity. But this punk isn’t just snarling, it has a heart. 

Joe Talbot dedicates one song to his wife and any mothers in the 

audience (on the eve of Mothering Sunday). This is a punk that 

has a statement, one that supports the marginalised. It’s punk 

Anna Calvi (Jamie Simmonds) 

that isn’t just style, it has substance too. 

Idles are a hard act to follow, but STEALING SHEEP come 

out onto the stage and offer something completely different. 

Synchronised movements, robotic voices and glittering gold 

jumpsuits. When Shaun Keaveny describes their new sound as 

“perfect glittering pop”, he hits the nail on the head. Playing only 

songs from their upcoming album Big Wows, Stealing Sheep 

transport the audience to what can only be described as a kawaii 

disco in space. The set is infectious, it’s beautiful. Mostly, it really 

makes you want a gold jumpsuit. 

VILLAGERS offer a moment of shrouded tranquility before 

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE QUEEN. This Dublin group offer 

bring Irish indie folk you can sing along, with rich songwriting and 

songcraft. With dark lyricism but a tune you can tap your feet to, 

this is the sound of the spring time reeling from winter. They get 

the audience involved, and feels like the perfect set up for a band 

looking back to old England. 

A super group including Damon Albarn and Paul Simonon 

of The Clash, you’d expect some aggression and political 

commentary, no? Well they offer both, but perhaps in a subtler 

way than they have in previous years. The Good, The Bad 

And The Queen have been on hiatus for 12 years, and Damon 

Albarn warns the audience his voice isn’t in top condition, due 

to him screaming with Slaves earlier that week. But Albarn 

is as charismatic as ever. His stage presence brings a certain 

64

melodrama to the proceedings, reminding me of the likes of Scott 

Walker and Nick Cave. This is matched well with the band’s 

grand sound, a mix of bongos, violins and synths and piano. 

The Good, The Bad And The Queen aren’t offering the charged 

presence of Idles and Stealing Sheep, but they offer bring a peak 

to the atmosphere, with no shortage of melody. 

After JOHN GRANT had taken the roof off Mountford Hall 24 

hours previously, tonight is set for more musical pugilism. Even 

though the ‘stronger’ set maybe about to begin up the road in 

Kenny, this is the place to be for the cool kids. 

There are none more cooler than Northampton’s SLOWTHAI. 

There’s a palpable sense of expectation as he enters stage left, 

mic screwed into his face scowling and prowling the front lines 

of the crowd. He gets four songs. Four. Let’s not blame anyone 

here as it’s better than no songs at all. Polaroid is a rasping 

intro and he’s into the crowd. He wants to party and so does his 

DJ, resplendent in black hoodie and matching black balaclava. 

It could be construed as menacing but the pop brilliance of 

Doorman takes the darkness away, Ty now spending the 

remainder of set in the bouncing crowd. As he is beckoned off he 

screams “I love Liverpool! I’m a Liverpool fan. You’ll never walk 

alone with me!” The hoot of disappointment that they only got 

four songs was palpable. He’s going places this kid. Go with. 

LITTLE SIMZ is also something else. A young North London 

MC/rapper with a huge talent for choruses, that by the end of 

the end of the opener has the crowd in her palm. Her band are 

no slouches either. A three-piece that surf her waves of pop-hop 

with such laconic ease, it’s obvious to see why Simbiatu Ajikawo 

is ripping it up in the capital. They play the beats effortlessly, with 

more than a hint of nu-jazz as she toasts and dip dances across 

the stage. It’s a cop out to suggest that the single Selfish was the 

highlight, but it soars and Liverpool is a sea of hands and quick 

feet. A stunning set. 

Finally, as the bar is recharging everyone’s batteries, the 

lights dim and JON HOPKINS ambles on. Facing two laptops and 

a huge amount of expectation, Hopkins opens with Light Through 

The Veins and everyone goes ballistic. There is no slow build, 

it’s just straight in and how it works. There is no time to engage: 

Hopkins is knocking all the tracks from the new album out into 

the crowd and it’s being lapped up. The screen behind spews out 

films, images and shapes that mingled with the woozy IDM beats. 

Moments of club land dynamism coupled with Arovane and 

Autechre-style programming mean this is a blaze of an ending to 

night two. A wonderful night’s entertainment. 

The Good, The Bad And The Queen (Jamie Simmonds) 

jeans and eccentric headgear at first feel lifted straight from the 

art-rock manual. Cynical expectations, however, are far exceeded 

once they get going. Coat hangers and logs prove to be more 

than gimmicks, having a genuine role in the unique sounds of 

their urgently-paced, synth-led music. Their lyrics also have 

substance, covering the hypocrisies of gentrification and hipster 

culture. Thanks too to a hands-on, fully involved approach to 

audience interaction, they well and truly win over the initially 

static crowd. 

But they’re outdone by PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS 

PIGS. It’s quickly obvious why they’re the metal band who’ve 

broken through to the current mainstream (much to their evident 

surprise and delight). There’s no compromise to what they do – 

their music is heavy, dark and dirty. And you definitely can’t take 

your eyes off lead singer Matt Baty. His dancing may border on 

the absurd, but is executed with a complete commitment that 

gives their stage presence a bombast appropriate to their sound. 

Sunday night’s festivities at Mountford Hall contain an 

interesting line-up. Although not packed out, those here have 

an expectation this will be a good night. Five-piece FONTAINES 

D.C. are first on with an energetic set. There isn’t one smile 

amongst them but the music more than makes up for that; 

they’re definitely talented and have great songs. There is a charm 

though, and there’s the feeling it’s not just posturing and that 

they take this rock and roll lark seriously. And thankfully so if 

the effect is this. Vocalist Grian Chatten barks through the set 

becoming increasingly confident as it goes on. They start off 

with Too Real and end with Big, both recognisable from repeated 

air time on good old 6 Music. There’s a sense of ambition and 

that they know they’re good. Ambition here has no negative 

connotations as it sometimes does: clamouring for tickets for sold 

out shows and a positive reaction to debut album Dogrel will 

surely follow. 

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG is the last on the bill and gives 

a fantastic performance. The light show switches from complete 

darkness to harsh almost industrial lighting which is comprised 

of fluorescent tubing formed into arches under which the band 

play. It jars with Gainsbourg’s unassuming stage presence and 

diaphanous voice, yet it works well in terms of atmosphere. Live, 

the sound is harder and more electronic than on her albums. 

A fair few songs are from Rest and Take 2, including Bombs 

Away, Sylvia Says and Deadly Valentine, which is extended, 

cranked up a gear and made, if possible, darker, with the chorus 

sweeping the crowd up in a tumult of emotions. There are nods 

to her family heritage: the stage set is reminiscent of a 60s sound 

laboratory while her accompanying band all wear white tops, 

giving the singer who duets with Gainsbourg on some of the 

tracks a look of the French new wave. She ends the night, and 

the festival, on a high. 

After three breathless days, of countless shows, fringe events 

and talk, the 6 Music Festival doesn’t fail to leave its mark. It 

succeeds in dragging the city’s creative and cultural assets to 

the forefront of its radio frequency and television lens, though, 

in terms of local benefit, it does feel like this is confined to the 

run-up to the weekend. Accessibility is by far the glaring issue in 

an otherwise seamless weekend of music. Ticket prices are just 

too high, confining the crowds to the station’s mature listeners; 

those who can afford to pay close to £40 a show on a few 

weeks’ notice. The festival arrives with honest intentions and an 

inclusive attitude, but more care might be taken in programming 

so many stages at such prices so as not to split audiences, or risk 

audiences splitting. ! 

Sophie Shields, Georgia Turnbull, Ian R. Abraham, 

Julia Johnson, Jennie Macaulay 

JULIA JACKLIN’s name is on everyone’s lips at the moment, 

so it’s disappointing that her live performance falls a little flat 

– but put that down to an earlier than expected start in the 

cavernous Camp and Furnace on Sunday lunchtime. While her 

voice is undeniably beautiful, her performance fails to convey 

the power of the lyrical emotion that marks out her recent LP 

Crushing as one of the records of the year so far. Staring into 

the middle-distance, Jacklin seems to distance herself from her 

nonetheless enthusiastic audience. 

While Furnace grooves to live music, Camp is dedicated 

to discussion and poetry, and proceedings kick off with Cerys 

Matthews interviewing ROGER McGOUGH. It’s a conversation 

which Matthews wants to focus on the past, but McGough’s 

chosen readings are about looking back on that past from the 

present. With a personable dry wit, his work explores the gulf 

that exists between previous versions of himself and who he is 

now. 

Following McGough, JESS GREEN’s work is rooted in 

everyday experiences. She’s funny, down to earth, and extremely 

conscious that it’s the small details that can be vital to shaping 

our lives. Local poet AMINA ATIQ’s reading is quite different – 

more stylised with deliberate enunciations. Reading work about 

her path to recognising her dual identities as an immigrant and a 

Scouser, two poems feels too short. 

Tom Robinson isn’t worried about over-promoting SNAPPED 

ANKLES, promising us “a show like we’ve never seen before”. 

First impressions cast doubt on this claims: white shirts, skinny 

Jon Hopkins (Sarah Jeynes) 

REVIEWS 65

REVIEWS 

GZA 

+ Nu Tribe 

Bam!Bam!Bam! @ Invisible Wind Factory – 

13/04 

The co-founder of the world’s most legendary hip hop crew, 

GZA aka The Genius, humbly graces the stage of Invisible Wind 

Factory on his worldwide Liquid Swords album tour. 

It’s a gusty Saturday night. Hundreds of people are heading 

along Liverpool’s northern waterfront which stands in the 

epicentre of a development zone. A small army march towards 

the venue over what looks like a Fallout Wasteland map. Outside 

the venue, the bouncers rub together their gloved hands and 

we head inside. I get the vibe that the only fight going down 

tonight is between them and the whipping winds that revel in the 

Mersey’s unseasonable cold. 

Bursting through the double doors the venue is already 

buzzing. Pink flashing and blue dangling fairy lights illuminate 

the tightly packed crowds. Occasionally a strobe light flashes 

GZA (Fin Reed / @finlayreed) 

over a familiar face, someone yells to a friend and a drink gets 

spilled. Liverpool’s boom bap collective NU TRIBE proceed to the 

stage decked out in colourful gear, dreads and hats. Heads turn 

and begin to bop to the eclectic sounds that flood through the 

crowd and spark an electric current of pure groove. 

Nu Tribe depart and we begin to anticipate GZA’s arrival. 

During the wait, DJ Symphony prescribes the crowd with a 

dose of well-deserved hip hop classics. Bangers from likes of 

Gangstarr, Big L, Nas are served up like a treat. 

The crowd has swelled to capacity and we’re packed tightly 

together, arse to arse and cap to cap. without any real warning, 

GZA himself steps into the spotlight, locking eyes with his 

hardcore Scouse fans. It’s almost like he’s sat down with us as he 

engages the crowd in deep conversation. Eyes are truly transfixed 

as we drink down his introduction. 

A harsh sample runs in with a violent force, kicking the 

audience into a hand-bopping, side-swaying dance. The silvertongued 

MC delivers complex lyrical compositions; they instantly 

pounce on top of RZA’s raw beats, bringing the streets of Staten 

Island to Liverpool in a simple conjuring of the imagination. 

The punchy beats are overpowered with glaring feedback 

from the basslines but it only adds to raw energy. The room has 

heated up quickly and as it hits GZA he strips his jacket off mid 

set to reveal a black tracksuit jacket with stripes. Liquid Swords’ 

title track emerges, crafted to perfection and sung through the 

vocal chords of a gritty street king. He engages us individually 

with call; the lyrics responsive and thought-provoking. The 

bassline tunes itself into my heartbeat and I begin spinning 

around in time with the giant disco ball installation above my 

head. 

Towards the end of the set we’re treated to a few Wu-Tang 

classics, C.R.E.A.M. and Mystery Of The Chessboxing. It’s a 

cheeky throwback for die-hard fans, leaving us on a high note. 

As we all leave together, there’s a sense of pride that once again 

we’ve housed a legend in Liverpool. 

GZA (Fin Reed / @finlayreed) 

Iona Fazer / @ionafazer97 

Pinegrove 

+ Tom The Lion 


We’re not here to talk about politics, we’re here to talk about 

PINEGROVE. The New Jersey indie rock outfit have returned after 

a year-long hiatus with their 2018 album Skylight. Pinegrove’s 

unique blend of Americana instrumentation and angst-ridden 

confessional songwriting is unrivalled, making them hard to 

categorise. Calling the band ‘emo-country’ would leave a bad 

taste in anyone’s mouth, so perhaps it’s best they’re described as 

a crossroads between American Football and Wilco. 

Rough Trade-championed duo TOM THE LION open the 

show tonight. They’re a bit more electronic than Pinegrove, yet 

still fitting the bill with their atmospheric and melancholic songs. 

They swirl in a sea of synths that evoke the deep sadness of Jeff 

Buckley with the London swagger of James Blake. Nearing the 

end of the set, the frontman announces, “Our drummer is from 

Liverpool,” to large cheers from the crowd of Scouse hipsters who 

are starting to pile in. 

It is not often you hear a band playing in the Arts Club that 

features a lap-steel guitar. Pinegrove’s latest release is far more 

mellow than their previous two releases, Everything So Far and 

Cardinal. The album is their most unified and strongest release 

to date, full of bittersweet triumphant ballads. The most beautiful 

moments of the night come from the slow-burner Intrepid, and 

the tender track title track of their most recent release, Skylight. 

Frontman Evan Hall sings, “Let you let go/whatever you’re feeling 

is natural”. Older tunes Angelina and Size Of The Moon get the 

crowd going and singing along, with the latter showing off Hall’s 

writing skills, including a mock conversation with himself in which 

he reminisces, “Fine, yeah, I know, I remember that too/In your 

living room, right?/When we began to fight but then we both felt 

confused/Then we were laughing and crying in awe of the size of 

the moon.” 

Hall strikes me as an intellectual, and a bit of a nerd, rattling 

off facts about the lightbulb, his hometown of Montclair, New 

Jersey, and George Harrison in between songs. “Flock Of Seagulls 

– your greatest export,” he says wryly before a quick jab at the 

Aintree races. “Poor horses, honestly, seems pretty fucked up 

to me,” he says. His songs are equally as pointed and lyrically 

dense as his character would lead you to believe. Bob Dylan 

and Neil Young are clear influences on his thinking and lyricism. 

Despite this, the crowd doesn’t have a problem singing along to 

Old Friends, a song which culminates in the thought dawning on 

Hall: “I should call my parents when I think of them/Should tell my 

friends when I love them”. Throughout Skylight, Hall’s songs feel 

like pure catharsis as he irons out his growing pains. On stage 

we witness him passionately grapple with themes of isolation, 

acceptance, and the realisation that life really isn’t all that bad at all. 

Joel Durksen 

Pinegrove (Jessica Grace Neal / jessicagracecreative.com) 

66

Threshold Festival 

Baltic Triangle – 29/03 

Paddy Steer (Glyn Akroyd / @GlynAkroyd) 

THRESHOLD’s return for a full costume drama after last 

year’s truncated dress down day is much anticipated. As always, 

we are promised a kaleidoscope of music and visual arts, that 

mix of the familiar and the unknown which has always made 

Threshold the enjoyable kickstarter to the festival season. 

Being pitched against the corporate might of Auntie Beeb’s 

6 Music Festival can’t have helped ticket sales despite the cooption 

to Fringe Festival status, and an initial glance at the lineup 

shows a fair few familiar faces, but the Friday evening crowds 

seem to be holding up in most of the venues. In fact, District is 

positively chocka for the hip hop-infused soul/funk groove of 

THE SOUL RAYS, whose personnel seem to mutate constantly, 

but whose quality seems set in their rock-solid rhythm section, 

funky horns, and ripping guitar hooks that have the crowd 

dancing and clapping along for the entire set. 

As soon as they leave the stage, a troupe of yellow-shirted 

capoeira dancers enter the dancefloor and proceed to astound 

as pairs of dancers whirl and spin around and over each other in 

an all-action blend of choreographed martial arts. In the confines 

of District, that neither performers nor surrounding audience 

receive a bloody nose is testament to their skill. 

Saturday afternoon comes and, as always, a warm welcome 

is afforded at Hobo Kiosk and a string of quality acoustic acts 

means it’s hard to drag yourself away. GEOGHEAN JACKSON 

provide a suitably sugar coated icing to their dark tales of 

vegan zombies and poison in the well. Their guitar patterns are 

reminiscent of Patti Smith and MWSTW-era Bowie. 

Slightly off the beaten path for most, but St Michael In The 

City church and hall hosts a cornucopia of visual art treats and 

audience participation events. GANG OF FIVE host life drawing 

classes with a twist; PADDY STEER, in full high priest of electrospace 

costume, and one of the Gang In Renaissance garb await 

our scribbled attempts which have to be completed within 

the duration of a selected punk rock track. Great fun, terrible 

result. Elsewhere in the building there’s a great mix of sculpture, 

photography and video installation courtesy of TRISTAN BRADY- 

JACOBS, ART IN WINDOWS, JAB and more. 

Mr Steer shows up later in a jam-packed Brick Street which 

is a-buzz with anticipation for his solo performance. Warmed 

up by an eclectic Radio Exotica DJ set, he succeeds in delighting 

his followers and bringing a host of new converts on board as 

his DIY one-man-band mix of synth space-funk gets everyone 

dancing, clapping and grinning from ear to ear, aided as ever by 

his dry, self-effacing wit. A true one-off. 

Crowds are in and out of Kitchen Street for slices of the 

Mellowtone evening, packed with talent and, happily, packed 

with an appreciative crowd as the night morphs from the melodic 

acoustic playing of Norwegian singer-songwriter SARA WOLFF 

to the blues rock of THE TOSIN TRIO, who kick up a storm of 

classic power trio proportions before SEAFOAM GREEN bring 

things to a typically soulful and well received conclusion. 

Over at 92 Degrees, ROXANNE DE BASTION, accompanied 

by superb cello from Stephanie Kearley, captivates a packed 

house with a beautifully melodic set of songs that highlight 

her emotive voice and trademark Rickenbacker stylings. All too 

soon it’s back to District, jammed once more for a red hot set by 

BANG BANG ROMEO. The four-piece get straight to it, a power 

pop set with a dose of soul courtesy of singer Anastasia Walker 

whose powerful voice and ballsy attitude draws the audience 

stage ward immediately; she holds them throughout with a 

commanding performance. I’d never heard them before and 

loved it. Isn’t it great when that happens? And isn’t it great that 

Threshold is still capable of delivering such a diverse programme 

of musical and artistic talent. 

Glyn Akroyd / @glynakroyd 

Charles Rennie Mackintosh: The 

Making Of The Glasgow Style 

Walker Art Gallery – until 26/08 

Surmising on behalf of the average non-Glaswegian 

dilettante, CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH most probably 

re-entered the forefront of the national psyche when his seminal 

art-nouveau opus the Glasgow School of Art was razed to the 

ground in June 2018. Just as a recent restoration from an earlier 

blaze neared its painstaking completion, a devastating crimson 

zeal engulfed the building for the second time in a semi-decade, 

in what was surely one of the most heart-rending cultural 

bonfires since the Great Korova Inferno of 2010 – and recently 

overshadowed by the blaze at Paris’ Gothic heart, Notre Dame. 

As acrid plumes of Grade Listed heritage blackened the skies 

over Sauchiehall Street, something crystallised in the ashes. This 

was the shittest way imaginable to commemorate the 150th 

anniversary of the artist’s birth. 

Drawing instead, then, from the collections of museums, The 

Mitchell and City Archives, Charles Rennie Mackintosh: Making 

the Glasgow Style is a major exhibition exploring the life and 

works of the obsessive-visionary behind Britain’s only offshoot 

Art Nouveau movement. I feel an instant rush of “Scouse Power” 

as I come to learn that the Walker will be the only English gallery 

to host the exhibition and most of the contents of which have 

never been displayed outside of Scotland. A cultural coup for the 

city, then. Is right. 

The first room very much focuses on the prologue of this 

period and the progressive conditions that preceded the acclaimed 

aesthetic that grew from the radical young designers toiling in the 

technical studios of The Glasgow School of Art. Then ‘Chas R. 

Mackintosh’ trained from the age of 15 as an architect – winning 

scholarships in the process that would take him to far-flung 

Renaissance towns in northern Italy, where the Byzantine buildings 

would later inform the Scottish Baronial gables on the institute 

that would bear his name. Glasgow too, an innovative, ambitious 

and progressive city, was also embarking an era of enlightenment. 

Capitalising on new diplomatic relations arising from Japan’s 

Restoration period, the industrial city formed strong ties with the 

once isolated nation. The Gift To Glasgow arrived in 1878 and 

contained 1150 items of lacquerware, textiles, ceramics and metal 

wear, some of which are amazingly included in the exhibition. 

For me, there’s always been the inextricable Japanese influence 

to the work of Mackintosh. Most apparently demonstrated in the 

almost shogun-gothic leanings of his high-back furniture, designed 

for Orient-inspired Glasgow Tea Rooms (see Argyle Chair, 1896), 

but also in the rustic simplicity of his wabi-like motifs of nature, 

and, more subtly, within the use of straight lines and geometry to 

anchor his compositions, noted in The Harvest Moon, 1892. 

What becomes obvious from the breadth of work on display 

in the second room – a veritable IKEA of the Aesthetic Movement 

– The Glasgow Style is much broader than the signature touches 

of a single artist. James Herbert McNair, who attended evening 

classes with Mackintosh, was a kindred painter and innovative 

stenciller. They would meet two sisters in Frances and Margaret 

Macdonald who they would later marry. While studying at this 

progressive art institution, both sisters became acquainted with 

Jessie Newberry, Ann Macbeth and Jessie M. King, forming an 

art collective known as ‘The Glasgow Girls’. They worked within 

a variety of disciplines including metal, embroidery and textiles, 

forming a style that was massively inspired by Celtic literature, 

symbolism and lore. 

But it was the combined efforts of Mackintosh, McNair and 

the MacDonald sisters, known collaboratively as ‘The Four’, who 

would come to represent Scottish creativity at its peak. Most life 

affirming of all the exhibits is Margaret Macdonald’s The May 

Queen, 1900, a glorious symmetrical depiction of the human form 

spread across three gesso panels. It is no surprise the Margaret/ 

Mackintosh, the power couple, the nucleus of the movement, 

would become the toast of Europe. For they can acknowledged for 

noticeably inspiring the elongated works of Gustav Klimt and other 

contemporaries. And this exhibition displays the roots of their 

compelling style. 

Phil Morris / @yunglambton 

Charles Rennie Mackintosh: The Making Of The Glasgow Style (Gareth Jones) 

REVIEWS 67

REVIEWS 

“15 years on, The 

Zutons’ sound 

remains as wideranging 

as ever” 

The Zutons (Michelle Roberts / sheshoots.co.uk) 

The Zutons 

Eventim Olympia – 06/04 

The second of two long sold-out shows at the opulent 

Olympia is at full capacity long before THE ZUTONS emerge on 

stage at the venerable West Derby Road venue. As Spiritualized’s 

I Think I’m In Love fades down, the instrumental sliver that 

evokes the band as re-scored by Hitchcock composer Bernard 

Herrmann issues from the PA. 

Taking to the stage of the former circus (no, really) bathed in 

shadows, the band strike up their theme tune of sorts as Zuton 

Fever booms from the PA. Dirty Dancehall follows, its chorus 

lyric, “It’s close to midnight in the city of culture/but everyone’s 

whacked and looks like vultures” is not entirely inaccurate over 

the current Grand National Weekend. 15 years on, The Zutons’ 

sound remains as wide-ranging as ever, moving seamlessly 

from the relatively straight up 60s pop of Havana Gang Brawl 

to the skronking Beefheartian groove of Long Time Coming, via 

Bacharach-style chamber pop cut Not A Lot To Do and on to 

Railroad, which could double up as a Johnny Cash song. 

Addressing the audience in a Vegas showman/Televangelist 

voice – “you’re such a wonderful audience” – Dave McCabe is 

as personable a frontman as ever, if seemingly slightly dazed 

from how big, not to say loud, the audience is. Saxophonist/ 

vocalist Abi Harding – looking like a Great Gatsby character in her 

yellow flapper dress – is an irrepressible presence, while Boyan 

Chowdhury has transmuted into a full-on rocker with his long 

hair and tattoos with the guitar skills to match, dispensing flurries 

of well-judged axe heroics. Thrown in surprisingly early, Valerie 

sees several hundred phones light up and people clamber on to 

shoulders, while Pressure Point is stretched out with audienceassisted, 

Sympathy For The Devil-style “whoo hoos”s. 

Appearing as a six-piece, supplemented by La’s/Cast 

sideman Jay Lewis and Neil Bradley on keys and percussion, 

probably the band’s best moment to date, Why Don’t You Give 

Me Your Love, is given an almost Black Sabbath-style new intro 

that sees the crowd boogie around like the band in the West Side 

Story-homaging video. While many of the group’s song lyrics 

seem to take place at night, the current song prompts thoughts 

on how impressive a track with such macabre verses (“I’ll chain 

you up, I’ll make you mine/I’ll keep you locked downstairs/With all 

the bugs and all the gnats/I’ll feed you rodent hair”) broke into the 

upper reaches of the singles chart. 

Introduced by Sean Payne’s pounding drumbeat, Don’t 

Ever Think (Too Much) provides the highlight of the set, its 

combination of punked-up Motown and earworm vocal hook 

effectively demolishing the studio version. Easing off the tempo, 

You’ve Got A Friend In Me showcases the strength of the band’s 

deep cuts, while Moons And Horror Shows concludes the main 

set with the quartet in unplugged mode at the front of the stage, 

underlining how strong their vocal harmonies are. 

Returning for the encore, bleary eyed morning-after-theworld-ending-bender-the-night-before, 

Hello Conscience is 

delivered with manic glee, the song a brilliant paradox with lyrics 

The Zutons (Michelle Roberts / sheshoots.co.uk) 

that question the wisdom of going out and getting wrecked 

bolted to music that makes for such a suitable soundtrack to 

such exploits. 

Concluding the evening, You Will You Won’t (more after 

hours themes: “You say you love day/But you come out at night”) 

is extended into a multi-part call-and-response epic that sees the 

gig go right up to the curfew. A superb restatement of principles, 

and on this evidence The Zutons have surely got another 15 

years of (rail)road in front of them. ! 

Richard Lewis 

68

DMA’S 

+ Belako 

Mountford Hall – 12/04 

My first thought as I stand in the queue outside the Guild is 

that I have potentially missed the dress code. I’m the only one (as 

far as I can see) without a pair of Adidas Gazelles on. As I step 

inside the hall itself, I’m immediately transported back to my school 

days; the room’s fixtures have an assembly hall feel to it – it’s very 

reflective of the students who make up the majority of the crowd. 

Not to forget the odd mum and dad in the mix, who’ve probably 

taken the opportunity to relive their youth through a band so 

obviously influenced by the Britpop movement of the 90s. 

Being a sold-out show, the room is full to the hilt. 

The atmosphere builds up quickly as the rowdy crowd 

unapologetically make no attempt to contain their excitement. 

First to grace the stage are the Spanish post-punk quartet 

BELAKO. Their effortlessly powerful sound and confident stage 

presence charges the crowd in the early sequences of the 

evening. They only serve to heighten the energy as we eagerly 

anticipate the Australian trio. 

Not long after the end of Belako’s set begin the hearty chants 

for DMA’s. Pints are being chucked, cigarettes being lit – it’s 

unadulterated. It’s a Friday night, and everyone is determined 

to have a good time, even at the cost of their bar purchases. At 

this point we are all well and truly packed in like sardines as the 

crowd slowly heaves its way closer to the front for a good view of 

the boys in all their glory. 

Then the usual announcement of dimmed lights brings an 

eruption from the crowd. On stroll the Sydney rockers, casual as 

you like, with frontman Tommy O’Dell in his signature baseball 

cap. They begin with the upbeat For Now. It does the job of 

getting the crowd’s blood pumping. 

It’s surprising to find that, despite the band’s cool and calm 

aura on stage, they still remain a force to be reckoned with, 

composed and assured, fuelling one of the most enthusiastic 

crowds I have ever witnessed. Subtly powerful from their 

presence to their sound and lyrics, the band work their way 

through the setlist with a crowd belting every word back to them. 

It’s like the band and crowd are each armed with a tennis racket 

and we try to serve an ace of energy passed one another. Instead 

it’s a spirited rally. 

Their sound allows the audience to maintain their stamina 

right up until the very last song, Lay Down. This indie hit causes 

the crowd to give it their all before the night comes to an end. A 

cloud of red and blue smoke fills the room as flares signal without 

despair, just celebration. I’m wading through a sea of bucket hats 

and waves of people perched up on shoulders, having the time of 

their lives, soaking up every second of the moment. 

As the show finishes and I turn to leave, my feet sticking to 

the floor with every step, there’s no doubt in my mind that the 

Aussie lads go above and beyond their fans’ expectations. 

Chelsea Andrews 

DMA’S (Stuart Moulding / @oohshootstu) 

DMA’S (Stuart Moulding / @oohshootstu) 

Art360: After Dark 

Tate Liverpool – 12/04 

Art360: After Dark sees the entire Tate gallery space open 

after hours, for a one-off immersive art and sound experience. 

Through the use of headphones and specially commissioned 

sound and visual work, we are invited to engage with the art in 

new ways. Art which, perhaps, we may know or have already 

seen in the almost silent hours of daytime, now taking on new 

meanings when the senses are stimulated, and in the context of 

night. 

Everyone – and we are many – is given a set of headphones 

on arrival at the gallery, each set with three channels from which 

to choose. Each channel covers a separate section of the gallery, 

corresponding to the guest musicians and visual artists who 

played sets on the night as well as having contributed pieces 

specifically for the event. Each area’s soundtrack is supplemented 

by the use of 3D headphones allowing the ambient external 

sound to mix with the headphones output. 

Set headphones to Red. Wirral band ANNEXE THE MOON 

hold court in the foyer of the gallery with their own brand of 

sweet melodic psych pop. Life on the peninsula has brought 

them an appreciation of the waters which surround us, giving 

their stories a maritime sense, borne of their environment. All 

swirling organ riffs, and sunbaked vocals, they could just as 

easily fit onto the Postcard Records roster of the 80s as they 

could Skeleton Key. The headphones bring animation to the 

conversations of new arrivals in the foyer, which actually just 

served as a distraction. 

Onwards, up the stairs. Set headphones to Yellow. One of 

the focusses of Art360 is the use of sound design to enhance 

the viewing of the Op Art In Focus exhibition. To the soundtrack 

of a piece entitled Pub Carpet Sounds by local awardwinning 

composer and sound designer PHIL CHANNELL, we 

wander through rooms of dizzying, disorientation. A dynamic 

soundscape of samples, quotes and thoughts on how we react 

with reverberation, and of how music, as vibration, changes 

our environment. While the experience of viewing art alone is 

common, without any discussion or reflection with others feels 

insular at times, though the headphone accompaniment does feel 

most suited to the rooms of the Op Art show. 

Op Art, an assault on the senses, a visual stress, playing 

with the concepts of space and light. Of lines and shape. Visually 

discordant tricks, warping what we see. Do we see what we see? 

Our eyes lead us to believe we see movement in stillness, and 

shapes that don’t exist. Beautiful trickery with perception as its 

currency. 

A product of the global upheaval and uncertainty of the 60s, 

and with an eye to Dada and Cubism, Op Art was a playful and 

vibrant movement rich in technical precision. There is a disarming 

challenge in the monochrome geometric lines of Bridget Riley, 

and a cool, reflective calm in Damien Hirst’s pale pastels, here 

in one of his renowned Spot Paintings, while the Technicolor 

psychedelic floorscape of Jim Lambie’s Zobop 1999. Its surging, 

flowing lines of primary colours swirl and gyrate around our feet. 

It references Op Art, Pop Art, the hyper reality of childhood, the 

DIY ethics of punk and the chemical joy of acid house and rave 

culture. A celebratory piece – thanks to his artwork for pensive 

Scottish indie popsters Superstar – and a much-favoured artist 

of ours. 

Set headphones to Green. The top floor at Tate Liverpool is 

completely clear, a wide plain, and liberating space, dimly lit in 

colour. At its centre, an enclosed darkness. Lit at first only by the 

glowing green lights on the headphones of the crowd, here to 

witness the DJ creations of DANIEL RUANE and BREAKWAVE. 

With projection screens showing the scratched and anxious 

visuals of NANNA KOEKOEK in a piece called Carpet Visuals, 

the DJs bring harsh, angular rhythms, a soundscape of dark, 

discordant tones, deep and unsettling and more than a little 

oppressive. But in a good and captivating way. Like the space 

had been in some way claimed. Populated with ideas and 

thought. It reminded us of the clubs and performance you could 

happen across in Berlin at the end of the 90s before the rebuild 

had really taken hold, and coupled with the baking temperature 

in the space, it actually made the perfect end to our nocturnal 

journey up and through the Tate’s spaces. 

The Tate late is a wonderful thing, and should be used 

more often after dark, when more people can make the effort to 

engage with the art, and come together in numbers to celebrate 

the unity art can bring. 

Art360 (Nykeith Lee) 

Paul Fitzgerald / @NothingvilleM 

REVIEWS 

69

REVIEWS 

Slow Readers Club (John Middleton / johnmiddletonphoto.co.uk) 

Slow Readers Club (John Middleton / johnmiddletonphoto.co.uk) 

The Slow Readers Club 

+ ShadowParty 


Years of hard work have led to the Manchester-based quartet 

SLOW READERS CLUB selling out shows up and down the 

country, one of which being tonight. Arts Club is their latest stage 

on their biggest tour to date. They have been steadily building up 

a loyal fan base since 2011, and three albums later, their place in 

the northern music scene has been firmly cemented next to some 

of the region’s finest. 

A crowd of loyal fans have made the pilgrimage to support 

the band, who are still riding high on the release of their 2018 

album, Build A Tower. Right from the start, the room is all fired 

up; you can tell this is a gig people have been waiting for a 

long time. Even before the support act comes on, the crowd are 

chanting “Readers, Readers, Readers!”. It’s a war cry I assume is 

common practice at all of their shows. 

Yet, a tad longer and we are allowed to enjoy the anticipation 

as supergroup SHADOWPARTY take to the stage. Comprised of 

Tom Chapman and Phil Cunningham of New Order, Josh Hager 

from Devo and Ellen Lewis on keyboards there is definitely a 

Manchester theme running throughout the evening. They make 

for the perfect accompaniment to the main act. 

As The Slow Readers Club emerge onto the stage to a 

surprising, but not unwelcome, Donna Summer track. The 

chanting is joined by fists in the air and beers in the hand. Phones 

are in their rightful place, inside pockets, and the 80s inspired 

synths of Fool For Your Philosophy, taken from the group’s 

second album Cavalcade, ring throughout the room. 

You can instantly tell where the band have taken their 

inspiration from. Hailing from Manchester it is no surprise 

nuances of Joy Division, New Order and The Smiths are laced 

throughout their musical style and lyrical storytelling. It’s 

definitely a modern Manchester sound, and one to be proud of. 

Taking tracks from all three albums and a few new 

unreleased songs, the crowd hang on every word front man 

Aaron Starkie, who belts out from atop a speaker. His voice is 

deep and reminiscent of the 80s indie bands mentioned before, 

but he is able to show off his impressive vocal range in songs 

such as Lunatic and You Opened Up My Heart from their new 

album. Backing vocals from the room shouting back the lyrics 

only adds to the songs distinctive sounds. 

The great thing about this gig is that everyone knows all the 

words to everything. The majority of the songs have an anthemic 

vibe to them. It feels like one of those shows you go to when a 

band that has been around for decades plays all of their classics. 

The 16-song set is performed with hardly a break in play as Block 

Out The Sun, Feet On Fire and I Saw a Ghost drive on the crowd 

for a closing worthy of an arena gig. The opening riff to On The 

TV has everyone, literally everyone, bouncing and is the perfect 

way to end the night. Straight up indie rock. No frills needed. 

You can tell this tour is a celebration of their perseverance 

and determination to get to where they are now. Starkie reveals 

that this is the first year they have all been able to give up their 

day jobs and focus on their music full-time. With shows like this, 

being signed to Modern Sky and fans following them round the 

country, they must be doing something right. That’s if the cries 

of “Readers, Readers, Readers!”, continuing long after the band 

have left the stage, is anything to go by. 

Sophie Shields 

Eyesore & The Jinx 

+ Careering 

Restless Bear @ The Deaf Centre, 

Chester – 12/04 

From straight-up hardcore to the pent-up aggression 

and short-burst pace of Fugazi (with a sinister Protomartyr 

taint at times also), CAREERING open the evening’s 

proceedings with a blistering set of pummelling post-punk. 

Rob Allen’s screams pitch him somewhere between the 

rivalling rancour of Pulled Apart By Horses’ Tom Hudson, 

and the phlegm and acute snarl of John Lydon. In fact, after 

hearing them, it wouldn’t be surprising to find their name 

a direct nod to PiL’s influence. Brief bass issues lead to a 

quick bit of MJ patter (concerning the controversial Leaving 

Neverland doc), with the Manc quintet then convulsing into 

an ensnaring closing manoeuvre with Allen’s wry pleas of 

“I need a holiday!” 

Psychobilly Mersey exports EYESORE AND THE JINX 

then emerge, tucked into the snug onstage enclave of 

Chester’s Deaf Centre. Lurched over as they tune, they 

seem to be bordered in by the venue’s semi-baroque 

wooden fringing, giving the effect we’re observing the trio 

like creatures caught behind glass. 

Frontman Josh Miller beckons the crowd closer – “come 

on, we don’t bite… usually” – and unlatches this cabinet 

of curiosities swing into a searing opening number before 

kicking into their second standout single, On An Island. 

“Enjoy yourselves,” wretches Miller with a cartoon splutter 

and a gallows humour commentary that brings to mind the 

caustic doom-mongering of Mark E. Smith or Ought’s Tim 

Darcy, with guitarist Liam Bates possibly borrowing from 

the latter’s angular spasms and art-rock bent. 

There seems to be a perverse vaudeville feel to their 

entire set and sound. Manic feel-changes, excessive 

cowbell and snare-hits that shift from rapid-fire to snailpace, 

down to a total dead stop, add to this sleazy arcade 

sheen they’ve got going. Just as acts like Parquet Courts 

angle from a breakneck punk diatribe into a lolloping 

locked groove, their hook-heavy, tongue-in-cheek tunes 

give a skilful sneering nod to styles of the past; effortlessly 

incorporating elements of surf and retro rock ‘n’ roll into 

their live sound, just like if someone was to crank up the 

RPM on a rabid Trudy And The Romance. 

Throughout, Miller sings of “misplaced hate” with such 

intense conviction that there’s the sense that any vitriol he 

personally expresses is calculated and pre-meditated. “No 

one is illegal where I come from,” he later drones with a 

wild mix of dignity and displeasure. The audience appear 

to be unable to tear themselves away from this unfolding 

tragicomedy. The night feels like yet another small victory 

for Eggy Records, the Chester scene and our hosts 

Restless Bear. Something’s been stirring behind these 

city walls for quite some time now and all this noise (both 

homegrown and from over the water) might just be waking 

something truly brutal; a spectacle that gig-goers the north 

over might just start piling in to catch a glimpse of. 

Careering (Rudy Gunslinger / @rudygunslinger) 

David Weir / @betweenseeds 

70

Terry Riley and Gyan Riley 

+ Daniel Thorne 

+ Ex-Easter Island Head 

24 Kitchen Street – 10/04 

A much-anticipated gig this one, with some astonishment 

that such a musically pioneering and respected figure could be 

sequestered away in the low-cap confines of 24 Kitchen Street. 

Back in the day, the cognoscenti knew: The Who, Curved Air, 

Soft Machine et al all nodded in Riley’s direction, as he and others 

of the San Francisco Tape Music Centre pushed the envelope of 

what was musically possible and acceptable. 

Support act EX-EASTER ISLAND HEAD have a good go at 

keeping that experimental spirit alive with a set of complex but 

melodic tunes played out on a series of assembled instruments; 

guitars laid horizontally and played as percussion instruments, 

for example, that seems entirely in tune with what people might 

expect of the evening as a whole. It appears to be a good gig at 

which to be a support act, the audience are focused and very 

appreciative. Saxophonist DANIEL THORNE picks up on this 

and captivates the crowd with a set that begins delicately and 

sparsely enough, but which is progressively layered through 

his use of pedals, building to the echo-laden Double Helix and 

further warm applause. 

The Rileys enter – father TERRY and son GYAN – Terry 

smiling benignly at the applauding crowd, some seated but the 

majority standing to the back of a packed room. Without much 

ado, they launch into a piece that certainly could not be described 

as minimalist. Gyan’s jazzy, discordant chimes are caressed and 

coaxed from his guitar and Riley Snr’s piano playing becomes 

more and more expansive. The pair constantly look up from their 

instruments, glancing at each other, searching for clues as to 

what will come next, which direction they will take, in what is a 

largely improvised set. 

It’s as though Terry Riley is exploring some of his own 

influences, playing with time and timing as we hear elements of 

jazz, ragtime and blues weaving their way in and out of the set. 

And it is a very playful set, a playful atmosphere, both performers 

and audience are smiling and laughing at the turns the music 

takes. There’s no obvious backbeat but the set pulses with 

rhythm and energy. They must have done this a thousand times 

in their kitchen. 

About half way through the set I feel as though I’m listening 

to the soundtrack of a crazy Tex Avery cartoon, the music 

jumping about – sweet, dissonant, whimsical, earnest – in a 

maelstrom of West Coast joie de vivre. Riley Snr later takes up a 

Terry And Gyan Riley (Glyn Akroyd / @GlynAkroyd) 

melodica for a ‘don’t forget about us’ paean to the prairies of the 

Mid-West. 

Riley Snr’s lifelong fascination with Indian classical music is 

apparent in much that he plays; he constantly switches between 

a grand piano and a Korg tuned to Indian scales, occasionally 

playing both at the same time, and the only vocal of the evening 

is his mantra-like introduction to the final piece. 

There is a huge amount of goodwill in the room and the set 

is well received aside from a few mutterings from those who had 

expected a set of classic minimalism; and, for whom this version 

of Riley was an unexpectedly cluttered deviation from the pure 

space of his earlier work. Enjoyable, but not quite as anticipated. 

But people like Riley don’t sit still and they don’t pander to 

people’s expectations. They tread their own path. 

Glyn Akroyd / @glynakroyd 

SPQR 

+ Ohmns 

+ Piss Kitti 

Harvest Sun @ Arts Club – 29/03 

Touts 

+ Inhaler 

Studio2 – 28/03 

From Derry, Northern Ireland, TOUTS take to the Studio2 

stage to play angry, ferocious, unhinged punk rock, warming up 

the crowd initially before chaos erupts throughout the latter-half 

of their set. The venue is pogoing, headbanging, and moshing 

as the teenage three-piece lay into their instruments. It is the 

perfect storm after the calm, this Joy Division-inspired post-punk 

of Dublin four-piece INHALER. 

Consisting of Josh Jenkinson-Tansia, Robert Keating, Ryan 

McMahon, and Elijah Hewson (son of activists Ali and Paul 

Hewson – the latter better known by his stage name Bono), 

Inhaler channel the Manchester sound of the late 1970s through 

to the early 1990s into their own rhythmic style and delivery. 

The harmonious vocal interplay between Hewson and Keating 

is complemented by the band’s hook-laden melodies, and the 

highlight of their set comes when they played the Stone Rosesinfluenced 

I Want You. 

After watching the crowd down a few pints of the black 

stuff, it’s time for drunken anarchy. Self-described as “a singer 

that can’t sing, a mod that can’t play bass and a drummer that 

can’t see,” Touts are incendiary, tackling the political climate of 

today with fire, as well as the bygone years of Northern Irish 

history. Even their name has political undertones, taking meaning 

Terry And Gyan Riley (Glyn Akroyd / @GlynAkroyd) 

not only from ticket touts but also from police informers in Ireland 

and Northern Ireland. 

Inhalers soon join the crowd, standing not too far away from 

myself, as guitarist and lead vocalist Matthew Crossan prowls 

the stage, laying into his guitar like a young, angry Paul Weller, 

while bassist and backing vocalist Luke McLaughlin delivers raw 

power reminiscent of Joe Strummer. It’s no mere coincidence, the 

band draw much inspiration from The Clash through songs like 

Bombscare and Political People. Luke even takes on lead vocal 

duties for Can’t Blame Me, as drummer Jason decimates his kit 

with ferocious energy. 

Touts were recently offered the opportunity to cover a ‘lost’ 

Joe Strummer track originally recorded in 1984 called Before 

We Go Forward. Released by Touts to raise money for the 

Joe Strummer Foundation – copies of which are available at 

the merch stand – the cover is played live to the cheers of the 

Studio2 crowd. 

Towards the end of the night, Touts play the self-explanatory 

Go Fuck Yourself, bellowing out the chorus with confidence 

and undeniable punk rock attitude; the relentless camaraderie 

between the trio electrifying Studio2. And if I’m getting the 

running order of the setlist mixed up, please forgive me. Each 

song is approximately two and a half minutes of unadulterated, 

anthemic punk rock played at lightning fast speeds. Touts appear 

to have no shortage of energy and understand the fundamentals 

of the genre. And no, I haven’t been taking notes at the bar; I’m 

in there, headbanging – destroying my spine one punk song and 

vertebra at a time. 

Ken Wynne / @Ken_Wynne 

The upstairs of Arts Club has filled quickly, here, at a fringe 

event, on the opening night of the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival. 

It’s not without good reason. Some of the most exciting bands to 

come out of the North West in recent years are billed together 

tonight. 

Despite the large environment playing home to the group 

of underground bands, the punk atmosphere is still prominent. 

First up on the bill are rising stars PISS KITTI. Before they begin, 

drummer Dan dedicates their set to Her’s, who died tragically 

while on tour in America days before. With emotions still very 

raw, it’s a fitting way to begin a weekend of music, dedicating it 

to local music stars gone too soon. 

Piss Kitti deliver loud, raucous music with an element of fun. 

Lead singer Esme dedicates song Better Than You to “all the lad 

psych rock bands around at the moment”. It’s a funny moment, 

especially since some of them are probably in this audience. 

However, the band still get everyone up to the front for Hash, 

now a staple song of their sets. A few people (including myself) 

dance along to keep the energy going. 

For a long time I’ve felt that OHMNS are the best live band 

in Liverpool. There’s been some good competition, but, for 

me, no-one has matched their level of high ferocity, filled out 

with an underlay of doomy sounds. Such is the abundance of 

the latter, it’s difficult to decipher which song is which, such 

is the reverberation through the venue. It’s a bit of a downer. 

Regardless, they have an unshakeable sound and presence. Even 

after being off the live circuit for a few months late last year, they 

play a set that reminds me why they’re my favourite band. 

I’ve heard a lot about SPQR over the past year or so, but this 

is my first time seeing them live. Without surprise, they really do 

live up to the hype. They have a relentless energy and a perfectly 

tight punk sound; the basslines jolt with that Talking Headsesque 

elevation. It’s an appreciation of rhythm that’s more unique 

than their peers. This may be the biggest venue SPQR have 

played, and it’s nearly at full capacity. This is a sign of the future 

growing more punk than we imagined. 

Georgia Turnbull / @GeorgiaRTbull 

REVIEWS 71

Writing on the Wall presents WoWFest19 

1st – 31st May 2019 

WHEREAREWE N W? 

Jo Brand Mike Leigh Munroe Bergdorf Peter Tatchell 

Stuart Maconie 

Kit De Waal 

Levi Tafari Magid Magid Ben Okri 

Will Self Kerry Hudson Bidisha 

Helen Pankhurst Roy Riyadh Kahlaf Lady Phyll Phil Scraton Zoe 

Howe Clare Shaw Blue Saint Esther Wilson Alicya Eyo Eithne 

Browne Brian Reade Alan Gibbons Anthony Anaxagorou 

Liverpool’s longest running literature festival 

Get your tickets from www.wowfest.uk 

#WoWFest19 info@writingonthewall.org.uk @wowfest 

BE A BIDO LITO! 

CONTRIBUTOR! 

We are looking for writers, 

thinkers, photographers, 

drawers, designers and 

other creatives to contribute 

to Bido Lito! 

If you are interested 

send your portfolio to 

submissions@bidolito.co.uk

ARTISTIC 

LICENCE 

May’s featured writer Luna Pih explains about developing her voice 

and how she exercises life’s anxieties through her work. 

my teeth are falling out 

i have had particular dreams since i was sixteen of my teeth falling out 

i delicately tug at these strings of pearls and let them slink out of my mouth 

how could i create such equally beautiful yet terrifying things? 

as this version of me has teeth like diamonds you could weld upon a ring 

my canines resting in the bathroom sink are the only prize to claim 

i spit them out and gaze my gum laced grin that’s been left maimed 

when i’m clouded with uncertainty and i’m filled with patent dread 

my mind becomes almost too aware and saves my fears for bed 

i wish i dreamt of strapping men who unsheathe blades and fight for glory 

like poorly dubbed wuxia film that scale walls in a mounting fury 

though my anxieties will make dark fantasies each night until i’m dead 

more iridescent nacre i’ll produce in masses on chains instead 

i don’t want you anymore 

my body is a shell of waste 

a site for soiled hands to taint 

to taunt, abuse, and execrate; 

a body for angry men to hate. 

a tender ache inside my heart, 

let slip, like a waterfall out it pours 

not a solution, though a definite start; 


i’ve no property or ownership 

from supple thigh to each fingertip 

it doesn’t matter now, but how i wish 

i refrained from any trace of a kiss. 

on one hand alone i couldn’t count 

all of the chaos i have and will endure 

but words i can total on each digit; 


an aura once moved so strikingly deft 

now cries “i was never alone again” 

utterly flawed, and thoughtlessly compliments 

a melancholic ego so functionally inept 

said i, a shell of waste from soiled hands 

i can’t indulge you in a fervour 

it was you – you read my words correct 


76

LUNA PIH 

If you had to describe your poetry style in a sentence, what would you say? 

Generally verbose and self-aware, but with a rather nice flow to them. 

Have you always wanted to write poems? How did you get into it? 

I’ve been writing since I was about 12, and I had much enjoyment pondering love and relationships when I had no idea what either of them were. 

I think it was born from reading poems by Christina Rossetti when I was in school and I tried so hard to emulate her style. It took me a while to 

realise that your passion will burn out if you attempt too much to be like your influencer! 

Can you pinpoint a moment or a poem that initially inspired you? 

I remember being about 16, I was reading Walt Whitman’s Song Of Myself and simultaneously hated it and loved it. It’s 52 glorious sections of 

self-importance that made me wince the whole way through, but I strangely appreciated the audacity he had to write a very long, epic poem about 

himself. Self-love at its finest. I’m sure that was how my obsession with notions of identity and narcissism came about. 

Do you have a favourite out of your own poems? What does it say about you? 

My favourite is My Teeth Are Falling Out. That was one of the last poems I wrote for my book I Was Never Alone Again. It touches on anxiety, fear, 

confusion and dreams – something that sums me up quite well, actually! Towards the end of writing the book, I was having very vivid nightmares 

about my teeth falling out – probably from the stress of the project and worrying about being vulnerable on such a large scale. It was a lovely, 

cathartic moment for me to make sense of such a frequent, frightening dream. 

What do you think is the overriding influence on your poetry: other art, emotions, current affairs – or a mixture of all of these? 

Yes, some of my writing definitely touches on art and the like – but I’ve always been fascinated by vanity, ego, diffidence and self-loathing and how 

that internal conflict we all seem to have can shape our life. I Was Never Alone Again is heavily influenced by that mindset, and ponders if that 

clash and view of oneself could be a leading cause of loneliness. 

If you could read at any event, work with any artist, or be published anywhere, what would you choose? 

I would love to read at Tongue Fu in London. It’s rich with music, culture, and improv. It has a very long list of past performers who are lauded in 

the UK for their contributions to literature. That’s such an exciting event to me. 

Do you have a favourite venue you’ve read poetry in? If so, what makes it special? 

I’ve yet to read my work publicly! For me, publishing was my first big step to excising any doubt and feelings of vulnerability I had. Now I feel I’m 

ready to completely bare myself. I have a list of venues I’d love to read at! 

Why is poetry important to you? 

To me, poetry is boundless and exciting. It can be an outpouring of secrets or completely speculative, nicely dressed up in crisp or flowery 

language. However formatted, it still evokes something deep inside. Whether it’s distaste or fondness you feel for poetry – it’s still done its job. 

Emily Dickinson once said poetry made her feel as if the top of her head had been taken off. I think that’s a very succinct summary. 

Can you recommend an artist, writer, band or album that Bido Lito! readers might not have heard or seen? 

I’m really enjoying Two Welsh Girls at the moment. They are, as you would expect, two Welsh gals who are carving out a well-deserved space for 

themselves in Liverpool through collaborative performance and spoken word. 

@lunapih 

I Was Never Alone Again is available now. 

ARTISTIC LICENCE 

77

SAY 

THE FINAL 

PJ Smith remembers an important member of Liverpool’s recovery 

community, DAMIEN KELLY, and recalls a lot of the positive impact he’s 

had on people’s lives through his work at The Brink and beyond. 

“He didn’t 

change his life by 

magic. He faced 

himself, head 

on. Hope rather 

than despair” 

On April 2nd, the world lost a real force for good, when 

Damien Kelly passed away peacefully in his sleep, aged 

47. 

Our lives crossed paths around a time when we 

were both figuring out that the routes we were following were 

only ever leading us to destruction and disconnection. We 

vaguely knew each other from frequenting various County Road 

pubs, our relationship based on ‘nearly let-ons’ whilst under the 

influence. 

I’m fortunate enough to have witnessed a lot of people 

turn their lives around, but I doubt I’ll ever see such a dramatic 

turnaround as Damien’s. The people who knew him from old, as 

Day Day, still haven’t gotten their heads around it. It literally did 

send shockwaves around the community. That someone, in his 

own words, so ‘hopeless’, would end up inspiring and supporting 

people. In doing so, he gave them the impetus to change their 

own lives. Instilling hope in people. That’s what Damien did. He’d 

found his role in life – although the jury is still out on his pink 

V-neck jumpers. 

Damien was a very important member of Liverpool’s 

recovery community, being instrumental in the formation of The 

Brink – Britain’s first ever dry bar. His role there, as Community 

Engagement Worker, involved bringing people together. Among 

other things, he set up spoken word events, under-18 band 

nights, appeared on national TV to spread the recovery message 

– but, most of all, he was a living example of how it was possible 

to change. 

It was at The Brink where people got to know him, he was 

always on hand. Some of the groups he helped to set up there 

really had a lasting impact on the participants: active citizenship, 

money management, assertiveness workshops, returning to 

learn, local history. All these groups were vital in encouraging 

a lot of people in the very early stages of their recovery. This is 

just one reason why Damien has left a legacy. Those people he 

helped are now all out there helping other people. Community in 

action. 

Unbeknownst to most people, Damien was a very talented 

poet. He was a regular at The Everyman’s Dead Good Poets 

Society and frequently attended The Egg Café’s poetry reading 

nights. He had recently threatened to ‘come out of retirement’ 

make an onstage appearance at La Violette Società. He was one 

of the people who gave me permission to pick up a pen, just 

by leading with their own example. I, along with many others, 

thought, ‘If Damien’s doing it, it must be alright’. I’m going to 

honour him for that. 

He didn’t change his life by magic. He faced himself, head on. 

Sheer courage and willingness. He always used to say, “If I can 

do it, anyone can”. He’s right, y’know? Hope rather than despair. 

I’ll fondly remember our times at the match, going to gigs 

and hiking in Wales. In all of these activities, he brought people 

together with his attitude to life and his unique and intelligent 

take on the world we live in. Such a funny man, with a very 

curious mind. Lots of people were pleasantly surprised when they 

first met him, as he spoke so eloquently on all manner of various 

subjects, in his extremely thick north-end brogue. I think he quite 

enjoyed mischievously misleading people with his imposing 

physical stature. 

Despite me knowing how important he was to people, the 

recent outpouring of affection and respect for him on social media 

following his passing made me realise how much of a positive 

influence he had been to so many people, from all different walks 

of life. While this has obviously been a very upsetting time for 

his friends and family, I am sure that something positive will 

eventually come out of this. That’s what I watched Damien do 

over the years – turn his pain into something that has purpose. 

Damien tragically lost his daughter, Grace Kelly, to a rare 

illness when she was just a few weeks old. How he coped and 

came through this with his sanity intact, I’ll never know. He later 

became a father again, to Jake, who is now five years old. I’d 

often spot the pair of them, hand in hand, walking up Bold Street, 

pulling the same face. 

Not so long ago, we sat together at the house Damien was 

building for him and his son, and talked about music. He was a 

big New Order fan but wasn’t impressed with the bossa nova 

sounds I constantly pushed on him. He ‘confessed’ to liking 

Safety Dance. I think I just laughed my head off – but in the 

words of The Men Without Hats: 

We can dance if we want to, we can leave your friends behind 

Cause your friends don’t dance and if they don’t dance 

Well, they’re are no friends of mine 

I say, we can go where we want to a place where they will never 

find 

And we can act like we come from out of this world 

Leave the real one far behind 

And we can dance 

Damien John Kelly – a beautiful man. I believe in you... forever. 

Words: PJ Smith 

78

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Issue 99 / May 2019

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