Viva Brighton Issue #76 June 2019

MUSIC
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Ben Bailey rounds up the local music scene
FAYE HOUSTON
Fri 7th, Rose Hill, 7.30pm, £6
Brighton band Resonators have been making joyous
dub and reggae for about ten years, although
they don’t seem to play so much these days. One
of the group’s joint lead singers, Faye Houston,
has now started up a sideline with bandmate
Mike Shirley. Faye’s uniquely deep and soulful
voice has made her a popular choice as a guest
vocalist for numerous local acts, but it’s good to
see her striking out with material of her own.
This gig is a launch party for her debut solo EP,
and she’ll be performing stripped-back versions
of her tunes, alongside Mike’s intricate and bluesy
guitar. The Rose Hill is the perfect venue to
catch this sort of intimate show.
FRANK & BEANS
Fri 14th, Hope & Ruin, 7pm, £5
It’s always a good
sign when you
listen to a duo for
the first time and
imagine you’re
hearing a full
band. Frank &
Beans comprises two friends from Northern Ireland
who have somehow wound up in Brighton
playing artful, groove-based ‘thunder punk’ on
drums and guitar. Frontman Milo Dunn-Clarke
sings with the aloof style of Jonathan Richman
or the guy from Parquet Courts, though vocals
don’t really play a big part here. Instead the
emphasis is on the driving guitar lines and the
tight, irregular rhythms. Promoters Fresh Lenins
often have a hook to their line-ups and this
gig features two duos and two solo acts, with
Ghosts of Men, Grand Guru and Young Francis
fleshing out the bill.
GRASSHOPPER
Wed 26th, Prince Albert, 8pm, £4
Although frontman
Javi Fedrick only
turned 20 a few
months ago, his band
already has an impressive
bio of notable
shows. They supported Brix & the Extricated last
year, they’ve toured with Fujiya & Miyagi and
opened for the Charlatans at Worthing Pavilion.
Their 2018 EP was produced by David M
Allen (The Cure/The Sisters of Mercy), so it’s
no surprise that grasshopper’s take on post punk
has gothic overtones, with Javi’s baritone vocals
playing a commanding role in the unfolding
drama of the band’s urgent and atmospheric
music. Comparisons to Interpol can’t be avoided,
especially as the New York trio are playing at the
Brighton Dome the same night.
DAMO SUZUKI WITH
THE ACADEMY OF SUN
Thu 27th, Hope & Ruin, 7.30pm, £12
Since 1983 Damo Suzuki has been on a permanent
world tour, playing countless shows around
the globe with backing bands made up of local
musicians. The three years he spent as the vocalist
of krautrock pioneers Can in the early 70s has
ensured there is no shortage of bands willing to
take part in this bizarre ongoing series of improvised
concerts. On previous visits to Brighton,
Damo has performed with AK/DK, the Willkommen
Collective and Zofff. This time round he’s
playing with The Academy of Sun, an avant-pop
outfit led by composer and artist Nick Hudson.
The support bands are worth catching too. Both
Big Slammu and Soft Walls probably spent a few
formative years in thrall to the man from Can.
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