Issue 107 / February 2020

ISSUE 107 / FEBRUARY 2020 

NEW MUSIC + CREATIVE CULTURE 

LIVERPOOL 

PIZZAGIRL BEIJA FLO / DAN / LO DISGRACE FIVE 

SAVE KITCHEN ASOK / STREET SIMON HUGHES / AIMÉE STEVEN

Wed 29th Jan 

The Interrupters 

+ The Skints 

+ Buster Shuffle 

Fri 31st Jan • 6.30pm 

Liverpool Rocks 

Heat 3 

Fri 31st Jan • 11pm 

ABBA Winter 

Wonderland 

Mon 3rd Feb 

Kano 

Tue 4th Feb 

Mabel 

Fri 7th Feb 

Loathe 

+ God Complex 

+ Phoxjaw + False Hope 

Wed 12th Feb 

Inhaler 

Sat 15th Feb • 7.30pm 

Blossoms 

Album Launch 

Sat 22nd Feb 

The Fillers 

The Killers Official Tribute 

Band 

Tue 25th Feb 

The Murder Capital 

Thur 27th Feb 

Kiefer Sutherland 

Fri 28th Feb 

The Big Moon 

Sat 29th Feb 

Bulsara and 

His Queenies 

Thur 5th Mar 

Gabrielle Aplin 

Fri 6th Mar 

Mountford Hall, 

Liverpool Guild of Students 

Jake Bugg 

Wed 11th Mar 

Phil X 

& The Drills 

Thur 12th Mar 



The Blindboy 

Podcast - Live 

Thur 12th Mar 

Tragedy 

All Metal Tribute 

to the Bee Gees & 

Beyond 

+ Attic Theory 

Sat 14th Mar 

Korpiklaani 

+ Burning Witches 

Fri 20th Mar 

Tope Alabi: 

Praise The Almighty 

Concert 

Fri 27th Mar • 6.30pm 


Semi Final 1 

Fri 27th Mar 

The Slow 

Readers Club 

Sat 28th Mar 

AC/DC UK 

& Dizzy Lizzy 

Sat 28th Mar 

Becky Hill 

Sun 29th Mar 

Cigarettes 

After Sex 

Fri 3rd Apr • 6.30pm 


Semi Final 2 

Sat 4th Apr 



Circa Waves 

+ Red Rum Club 

Sat 4th Apr 

808 State Live 

Sat 11th Apr 

ShowHawk Duo 

Sat 18th Apr • 6pm 

Jason Allan 

facebook.com/o2academyliverpool 

twitter.com/o2academylpool 

instagram.com/o2academyliverpool 

youtube.com/o2academytv 

Tue 21st Apr 

Darwin Deez 

Tue 21st Apr 

The Fratellis 

Fri 24th Apr 

Larkins 

Fri 24th Apr 

Feeder 

Sat 25th Apr • 6.30pm 


Final 

Sun 26th Apr 

In Flames 

Sat 2nd May 

The Southmartins 

Tribute To The 

Beautiful South & 

The Housemartins 

Sat 9th May 

The Undertones 

+ Hugh Cornwell Electric 

Sat 9th May 

Fell Out Boy 

& The Black 

Charade 

+ We Aren’t Paramore 

Sat 16th May 

Nirvana UK 

(Tribute) 

Sat 23rd May 

The Bon Jovi 

Experience 

Fri 2nd Oct 

ARENA 

The 25th 

Anniversary Tour 

Sat 17th Oct 

CASH: Paying 

Respect To The Man 

in Black 

Thur 22nd Oct 

Black Stone Cherry 

Fri 11th Dec 

Heaven 17 

SAT 1ST FEB 6.30PM 

LIVERPOOL ROCKS 

HEAT 4 

THUR 6TH FEB 7PM SOLD OUT 

KNEECAP 

FRI 7TH FEB 7.30PM SOLD OUT 

THE LATHUMS 

SAT 8TH FEB 7PM 

BILLY LOCKETT 

THUR 13TH FEB 7PM 

HMLTD 

SUN 16TH FEB 7PM 

THE CITY AND US 

FRI 21ST FEB 7PM SOLD OUT 

JAMIE WEBSTER 

SAT 22ND FEB 7PM 

THE MYSTERINES 

SAT 22ND FEB 7PM 

ASK ELLIOT 

SUN 23RD FEB 7PM SOLD OUT 

JULIAN COPE 

FRI 28TH FEB 7PM 

ZUZU 

THUR 5TH MAR 7PM 

ORLANDO WEEKS 

FRI 6TH MAR 7PM 

THE SWAY 

SAT 7TH MAR 7PM 

PINS 

THU 12TH MAR 7PM 

HAYSEED DIXIE 

+ 8 BALL AITKEN 

SAT 14TH MAR 7.30PM 

THE K’S 

+ ANDREW CUSHIN 


ASLAN 

MON 16TH MAR 7PM 

JOANNE SHAW 

TAYLOR 

THUR 19TH MAR 7PM 

SLØTFACE 

SAT 21ST MAR 7PM 

ALL WE ARE 

WED 25TH MAR 7PM 

PALACE 

WED 25TH MAR 7PM 

DARCY OAKE 

SAT 28TH MAR 6.30PM 

TOM CLARKE 

(THE ENEMY) 

+ CONLETH MCGEARY 


THE PEACH FUZZ 


BLACK PARADE 

– 00’S EMO ANTHEMS 

SUN 29TH MAR 7PM 

WILLIAM DUVALL 

(OF ALICE IN CHAINS) 

SAT 4TH APR 9PM 

EVOLUTION 

- THE LAUNCH 


THE CHEAP THRILLS 

TUE 14TH APR 7PM 

FOLLAKZOID 


THE ACADEMIC 

FRI 24TH APR 7PM 

AN EVENING WITH 

BIFF BYFORD 

+ JOHN JAMIESON 


JOESEF 

SAT 3RD OCT 7PM 

A BAND CALLED 

MALICE – THE JAM 

TRIBUTE 

THUR 29TH OCT 7PM 

WHYTE HORSES 

TICKETS FOR ALL SHOWS ARE AVAILABLE FROM 

TICKETMASTER.CO.UK 

90 

SEEL STREET, LIVERPOOL, L1 4BH 

ticketmaster.co.uk 

11-13 Hotham Street, 

Liverpool L3 5UF 

Doors 7pm unless stated 

Venue box office opening hours: 

Mon - Sat 10.30am - 5.30pm 

ticketmaster.co.uk • seetickets.com 

gigantic.com • ticketweb.co.uk 

o2academyliverpool.co.uk

TATE LIVERPOOL 

13 DEC 2019 – 3 MAY 2020 

THEASTER GATES 

AMALGAM 

FREE FOR TATE MEMBERS 

Supported by 

Media Partner 

Theaster Gates still from the film Dance of Malaga 2019 

© Theaster Gates and courtesy of the artist. 

Photo © Chris Strong 

With additional support from the Theaster Gates 

Exhibition Supporters Group and Tate Members

LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 

THE CAPSTONE THEATRE 

27 FEB - 14 MAR 

ANGEL FIELD FESTIVAL 

VARIOUS 

6 - 14 FEBRUARY 

THE 1975 

M&S BANK ARENA LIVERPOOL 

26 FEB 

CREAM DAYTIME SPECIAL 

CAMP & FURNACE 

29 FEB 

ISQ 

SHAUN MARTINS THREE-O 

KAZIMIER STOCKROOM 

3 MAR 

INVISIBLE WIND FACTORY 

22 MAR 

SOUND CITY 2020 

BALTIC TRIANGLE 2 - 3 MAY 2020 

CREAMFIELDS 2020 

WARRINGTON 

27 - 30 AUG 

REMINISCE 2020 

STORMZY 

SHERDLEY PARK 

12 SEP 

BALTIC TRIANGLE 

13 SEP 

DAVID O’DOHERTY 

A-HA 

THE AUDITORIUM 

6 NOV 

M&S BANK ARENA 

11 NOV

What’s On 

February – March 

Tuesday 18 February 8pm 

Music Room 

Gill Landry 

Thursday 20 February 8pm 

Foil, Arms and Hog: Swines 

Friday 21 February 8pm 

Music Room 

Emily Portman, 

Rob Harbron & Emma Reid 

with National Youth Folk 

Ensemble 

Monday 9 March 7.30pm 

Film Screening 

Brief Encounter (cert PG) 

Friday 13 March 8pm 

Music Room 

Jon Boden 

Sunday 15 March 7.30pm 

Kodo 

Box Office 

0151 709 3789 

liverpoolphil.com 

LiverpoolPhilharmonic 

liverpoolphil 

liverpool_philharmonic 

Image Kodo

New Music + Creative Culture 

Liverpool 

Issue 107 / February 2020 

bidolito.co.uk 

Second Floor 

The Merchant 

40-42 Slater Street 

Liverpool L1 4BX 

Founding Editor 

Craig G Pennington - info@bidolito.co.uk 

Publisher 

Christopher Torpey - chris@bidolito.co.uk 

Editor 

Elliot Ryder - elliot@bidolito.co.uk 

Digital Media Manager 

Brit Williams – brit@bidolito.co.uk 

Design 

Mark McKellier - mark@andmark.co.uk 

Branding 

Thom Isom - hello@thomisom.com 

Proofreader 

Nathaniel Cramp 

Cover Photography 

Kate Davies 

Words 

Elliot Ryder, Rhys Buchannan, Richard Lewis, Anouska 

Liat, Megan Walder, Georgine Paige Hull, Christopher 

Torpey, David Weir, Craig G Pennington, Ian Salmon, 

Deborah Bassett, Ian R. Abraham, Adam Coffey, Nina 

Franklin, Brit Williams, J.P. Walsh. 

Photography, Illustration and Layout 

Mark McKellier, Kate Davies, John Latham, Keith 

Ainsworth, Robin Clewley, Aida Muluneh, Hanna- 

Katrina Jedrosz, Tomas Adam, Paul McCoy, Michael 

Kirkham, Bart Heemskerk, Hannah Blackman-Kurz. 

Distribution 

Our magazine is distributed as far as possible through 

pedal power, courtesy of our Bido Bikes. If you would 

like to find out more, please email chris@bidolito.co.uk. 

EDITORIAL 

December’s election result made me question the 

innate ability to change circumstance. As 10pm came 

that night, I watched on silently, looking at my phone 

and television in utter disbelief. Instantly, the pundits 

clicked into gear. This was the inevitable, apparently. In some 

ways it was, but such a take fundamentally short changes those 

who believed in the ability to change 

circumstance through action; those who 

knocked on doors hour after hour in the 

darkest hours of mid-winter. Their belief 

is no less weak in currency due to the 

overall outcome. 

While Liverpool courageously 

remains the anomaly in nationwide 

democratic exercise, the feeling of being 

able to bring about real change shouldn’t 

be seen as a once in every five years 

opportunity. Nor should it be reserved 

to the political playing field, either. 

Anywhere and everywhere change can 

happen. Find the cracks in their reality 

and continuous escape can happen. 

These were the exact thoughts 

that came to me as I was sat underneath an underpass of the 

M53 a few days after the election. Rather than placing myself 

in the cold and wet of the motorway that bisects Wirral, this 

metaphorical totem of Birkenhead’s Mark Leckey had been 

installed in Tate Britain for the Turner Prize-winning artist’s 

latest exhibition, O’ Magic Power Of Bleakness. Under Under 

In, one of three films shown in the exhibition, depicts a group of 

boys sat under this very motorway bridge which Leckey would 

frequent in his childhood. All throughout the film, the notion of 

FEATURES 

“Find the cracks 

in their reality and 

continuous escape 

can happen” 

bleakness – the cold concrete reality the boys are surrounded 

by – is interspersed with reaches from a supernatural of their 

own design. The pining for escape crosses over with the thrill 

of existence, as class, place and innate power is energetically 

displayed in the boys’ ownership of circumstance. All of the 

eventualities – magic, safety, escape – are possible under 

Leckey’s conception of the underpass. 

The safe space is one of the many cracks 

in this reality where we can find the 

energy for innate change, the eventual 

strength to return to overhaul. 

Similar to Leckey’s fascination with 

the underpass, this issue’s cover artist, 

Pizzagirl, explains how ownership 

of personal landscape has provided 

transport to new a level of acceptance. 

Growing up in North Liverpool, Pizzagirl 

resided under the safe confines of the 

internet before breaking through its 

contours with his antidote to bleakness. 

Music itself is the underpass for Dan 

Disgrace, who highlights the art form 

as an uninterrupted world away from 

strained office life. Equally for many in this city, 24 Kitchen 

Street, which remains under threat, is the underpass that so 

many have congregated under, sharing an energy and escape 

that’s brought about change beyond its four walls. 

This magical bleakness of ours, it can be anything and 

everything we want it to be. ! 

Elliot Ryder / @elliot_ryder 

Editor 

Pizzagirl (Kate Davies) 

Advertise 

If you are interested in adverting in Bido Lito!, or finding 

out about how we can work together, please email 

sales@bidolito.co.uk. 

Bido Lito! is a living wage employer. All our staff are 

paid at least the living wage. 

All contributions to Bido Lito! come from our city’s 

amazing creative community. If you would like to join 

the fold visit bidolito.co.uk/contribute. 

We are contributing one per cent of our advertising 

revenue to WeForest.org to fund afforestation 

projects around the world. This more than offsets our 

carbon footprint and ensures there is less CO2 in the 

atmosphere as a result of our existence. 

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. 

10 / PIZZAGIRL 

Liam Brown’s effervescent musical vehicle has found that 

acceptance is the best form of sincere expression. In the world of 

Pizzagirl, nobody needs to hide. 

14 / DAN DISGRACE 

Loose tie karaoke stardom supressed by dulling office lights, Dan 

Disgrace’s dreamy cloud is now ready to take flight. 

18 / AIMÉE STEVEN 

The Walton singer-songwriter pores over the influences that 

shimmer through her captivating blend of art nouveau chic and 

charming Scouse pop. 

REGULARS 

8 / NEWS 

20 / SPOTLIGHT 

26 / PREVIEWS 

16 / WHO WILL SAVE KITCHEN 

STREET? 

Ioan Roberts, one of the owners and operators of the Baltic 

Triangle club, speaks up about the frustrations of working 

creatively under the shadow of gentrification. 

23 / FATOUMATA DIAWARA 

“I’m trying to convince the new generation to be survivors and 

fight for their own stories” 

25 / DRY CLEANING 

“I’m trying to encapsulate what the world appears like to me – for 

comfort, essentially” 

28 / REVIEWS 

36 / ARTISTIC LICENCE

NEWS 

Safe And Sound City 

The Baltic’s biggest party has announced its line-up for 

this year’s May event, with festival faves FRIENDLY FIRES 

bringing a Technicolor riot to the top of the bill. The trio’s 

joyous funk synth sound is a perfect counter to fellow 

festival headliners PALE WAVES. 16 stages will be crammed 

into the streets and venues of the Baltic Triangle between 

1st and 3rd May, with Sound City’s trademark essence 

of discovery thoroughly baked into the line-up. Multiinstrumentalist 

MARIKA HACKMAN is one to definitely 

catch, a daring and honest performer operating at the cutting 

edge of confessional indie rock. WORKING MEN’S CLUB, 

BC CAMPLIGHT and MARSICANS are just a handful of the 

additions to the bill, which features a strong showing from 

local acts at the top end of the line-up (STEALING SHEEP, 

SPQR, THE MYSTERINES, SPINN). Day and weekend tickets 

are on sale from 31st January at ticketquarter.co.uk. 

Marika Hackman 

Music For The Mind And Soul 

Expanding on their traditional festival format, MILAP are bringing back 

the popular Music For The Mind And Soul events for an exciting new 

programme for their 35th year. The UK’s leading Indian Arts and Culture 

company, based at Hope University, are gearing up for their annual Indika 

festival with a number of events throughout 2020, with the tried and 

tested ‘festival-in-a-day’ format giving people a chance to sample the 

breadth of Indian music and culture. Taking place at the Capstone Theatre 

on 25th April, the first Music For The Mind And Soul festival day will 

begin with an early morning yoga session accompanied by beautiful live 

sitar accompaniment, followed by an Indian classical morning raga. Two 

headline shows will follow in the afternoon and evening, with workshops 

and talks throughout the day. Milap are also teaming up with the Liverpool 

International Jazz Festival to bring Indo-jazz innovator Sarathy Korwar to 

Liverpool on 29th February (see page 27). milapfest.com 

Milapfest 

Repping For Storyhouse 

Storyhouse 

Chester’s multi-faceted theatre and arts centre prides itself on its theatre originals, and has another strong 

line-up for its rep season starting this February. The Suicide, opening on 8th February, is a classic and 

farcical Russian comedy from 1928 by playwright Nikolai Erdman. It was banned by Stalin’s regime for 

its anti-Communist spoofing, and this production stays faithful to its uproarious theme. Miss Julie, which 

opens on 20th February, is an adaptation of August Strindberg’s psychological thriller. British-Hong Kong 

playwright Amy Ng updates the setting to 1940s Hong Kong, dialling up the politically-charged tensions 

as the action unfolds over Chinese New Year. Blue Stockings follows four defiant young women’s battle 

to win the right to graduate from university in 1896 and opens on 14th February. All productions run until 

March, and further details can be found at storyhouse.com. 

Viola Beach Continue To Inspire 

The British Music Experience will include an enduring tribute 

to Viola Beach as part of their collection by placing the band’s 

drum kit alongside exhibits from some of the best-known 

personalities in British music. The Gretsch Broadkaster kit was 

bought by the band’s drummer Jack Dakin, but it was sadly 

not delivered until after the tragic accident that took the lives 

of Jack, his fellow bandmates Tomas Lowe, Kris Leonard and 

River Reeves, and manager Craig Tarry, in February 2016. The 

presence of the drum kit will serve as a symbol for young people 

to follow their dreams, and a mark of Viola Beach’s amazing 

potential and sheer love of their craft. 

Bido CC 

Pedal enthusiasts rejoice – the BIDO LITO! CYCLE CLUB returns this 

spring! Beginning on 26th February, our cycle club will now meet on 

the last Wednesday of every month at Ryde café, at Cains Brewery, 

for an hour-long cycle around various locations in Liverpool. The 

dates are: 26th February, 25th March and 29th April. As always, 

the rides will be free, but we urge you to secure a place by signing 

up at bidolito.co.uk/bidocc. Two rides will run simultaneously on 

each date, with one being more laid-back and shorter, and the 

other being a longer, faster-paced ride. Most importantly, both are 

all about the group and the social side of enjoying time on the bike 

together, complete with a celebratory beer and chinwag afterwards. 

Welsh Language Music Day 

Adwaith 

2019’s Welsh Music Prize winners ADWAITH are the centrepiece of 

Merseyside’s Dydd Miwsig Cymru celebrations, a day dedicated to Welsh 

language music. The post-punk trio – originally from Camarthen, but now 

based in Liverpool while studying at university – scooped the award for 

their 2018 album Melyn, a beautiful and personal record dealing with the 

frustrations of being a female in the modern world. The three-piece got 

the nod over a strong shortlist for the award, including Cate Le Bon, and 

join an illustrious group of previous winners (Gruff Rhys, Gwenno, Boy 

Azooga). Adwaith will perform a free lunchtime show outside the Cunard 

Building on 7th February, as part of a range of free events taking place 

across England and Wales to highlight the great cultural importance of the 

Welsh language in art. 

8

DANSETTE 

Electrik’s Adam Coffey picks out a 

selection of songs that represent 

the soul of the longstanding club, 

both in its current guise and as The 

Krazyhouse. 

Keep Oyé Free 

The organisers of AFRICA OYÉ have called upon its many 

supporters and patrons to help keep the festival free. Oyé 

returns to Sefton Park on 20th and 21st June, and is the 

highlight of the summer in Liverpool, bringing an infectious 

vibe to the city. The event has been free entry since the 

first edition in 1992, and has been facing increasing 

infrastructure costs – and decreasing real terms funding 

– as its popularity has soared. As well as the two-day 

festival, which houses a number of traders and retailers 

as well as countless artists, Oyé runs workshops for youth 

and school groups throughout the year, promoting the 

African cultural diaspora. Anyone can help the cause by 

buying festival merch at africaoye.com or even donating a 

couple of quid. Those who can spare a bit more may find 

Friends Of Oyé packages a more suitable way of making 

sure that Oyé stays free. 

Blooming Convenience 

CONVENIENCE GALLERY, the art project that has recently exhibited in Birkenhead 

Market, are joining the family at Birkenhead’s neighbouring BLOOM BUILDING. 

Convenience will be moving in alongside The Open Door Centre’s resident mental health 

support service, and will join a collaborative partnership that opens up a conversation 

around mental health to themes of art and culture. To celebrate the partnership, 

Convenience are launching their new programme in Bloom on 31st January, which 

also marks the building’s one-year anniversary. The Future Is… is the theme and title of 

Convenience’s new project, which sees work from local artists, ruminating on the ideas of 

our hopes and fears about the future through painting, video and audio installations. 

Sweet Releases 

There’s a sense of renewal in the air at the start of the year, and our region’s 

musicians have caught it fully as they have flooded us with some great 

new music to kickstart 2020. COUGHIN VICARS’ debut offering was the 

first to catch our attention, with the kind of breathless punk that leaves you 

wanting more. Made up of former members of Salem Rages, the group’s 

EP Post Omission Overtures is out now on Casket Records, with a cassette 

version to follow soon. RVHEEM continues his impressive ascent with the 

glossy RnB of his new single Part Of The Plan, and THE PISTACHIO KID’s 

deft acoustic balladry gets an ELP release on Violette Records (Sweet 

Remedies). It’s also great to welcome back DELTA MAID after travels and 

songwriting success at the heart of American country music in Nashville. 

Her comeback single Better Love is a return to her best work, and a full 

album is due in the spring. 

Africa Oyé 

Unity Theatre @ 40 

From its base at Hope Place, the UNITY THEATRE has 

been an instrumental part of Liverpool’s creative framework 

for the past 40 years. This year, the theatre and venue is 

celebrating all the things that makes it unique in a special 

programme under the banner #40yearsofnew. The Unity 

prides itself on its accessibility, for interested minds looking 

to find new experiences, and for innovative artists looking 

to get their first break in theatre or comedy. This year they 

will be celebrating all this with some groundbreaking new 

shows, and by extending their community membership 

scheme to local creatives. Expect a full-on extravaganza 

later in the year for their 40th birthday party, and shows 

Wake Up Maggie and The Strange Tale Of Charlie Chaplin 

And Stan Laurel to get the spring programme moving in 

February. unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk 

Refractive Pool 

The contemporary painting symposium REFRACTIVE POOL – 

led by Liverpool-based artists Josie Jenkins and Brendan Lyons 

– is offering the chance for artists to discuss the practise and 

themes of painting. Currently in a research phase, this event on 

7th February at Hope University’s Shaw Street Creative Campus 

is the first in a series of workshops, exhibitions and critical 

writing. Aspects of Liverpool’s contemporary painting scene will 

be the focus, based around presentations from Liverpool-based 

artists. There will also be a panel discussion focusing on the 

experience of painters working in the city. It is free to enter, but 

bookings are encouraged online at refractivepool.wordpress. 

com. 

Delta Maid 

She’s Electric 

Oasis 

Creation 

Between being a customer, 

manager of The Krazyhouse 

and then Electrik, I’ve been 

around the venue for quite 

a few years in one way or 

another. It’s great to look back and remember this song 

being played to a packed-out dancefloor filled with 

18-year-olds singing along 15 years ago (and, of course, 

many years before that), and now there’s a whole new 

bunch of students enjoying it at Shit Indie Disco. The song 

also influenced the old indie night in the venue a couple of 

decades ago, which in turn influenced its name now. 

Mr Brightside 

The Killers 

Lizard King 

I’ve given up trying to think 

of cool songs for this so I’m 

not going to bother! Cool has 

its place, but a great song is 

a great song, no matter how 

much it may be over-played. A couple of customers will 

request an album track of some sort that won’t get much 

of a reaction, and then this comes on and you’d be hard 

pushed to find a louder reaction to anything else on a 

Saturday night. 

Don’t Stop 

Believin’ 

Journey 

CBS 

Since Medication moved to 

the venue, the thing I’ve been 

most pleased with is that it’s 

turned back into a night that can cater for everyone rather 

than just being a house music night. A couple of weeks 

ago this song ended the night on the party floor, and it was 

a really nice moment when I was able to take a little step 

back and see how it had all come together so far. 

Believe 

DMA’s 

Infectious 

Whenever this track comes 

on I’m always getting the door 

staff asking why all these kids 

are singing along to a ballad at 

1am. I never know what to tell them. But it’s a great cover 

and there aren’t many places you could get away with 

playing a song like this at that time of night. 

electrikliverpool.co.uk 

NEWS 9

PIZZAGIRL 

Wandering on from neon-lit synths and pop culture 

shapeshifting, Liam Brown’s effervescent musical vehicle 

has found that acceptance is the best form of sincere 

expression. In the world of Pizzagirl, nobody needs to hide. 

“I want everyone to 

be able to look at 

Pizzagirl and say, 

‘That could be me’” 

Liam Brown unpacks two outfits from his bag as the 

finishing touches are applied to today’s makeshift 

studio. The wall covering is evenly spaced and the 

first roll of film is tightly wound into the camera. All is 

in place, but PIZZAGIRL is still yet to arrive. Setting aside his 

coffee, Brown removes a heavy leather trench coat, freeing 

the shoulders and torso. Here the first iridescent flickers of his 

alter ego begin to shine through. He smoothly swivels with an 

outfit in each hand: “Shall we start with the Yeezy workwear 

number – big PlayStation One vibes – or the aggressive V neck 

and blazer?” 

The metallic grey work suit is chosen and emerald green 

makeup is smudged into each eyelid. He bounces towards 

the navy blue backdrop and turns to face the camera. As the 

midday sun spills in through the Victorian windows it catches 

the right of Brown’s face, tilting his head on an angle like a 

barber’s gentle nudge, although you suspect this face doesn’t 

rely on the natural elements to initiate a pose. It’s as though he’s 

directing the camera himself. His eyes cut into the lens staring 

back while his cheekbones roll between waves of natural light. 

The film starts to snap and the veil on this Pizzagirl performance 

is gracefully pulled back. 

Just like the blue backdrop he’s cavorting in front of, the 

setting was equally as makeshift for Brown when announcing 

his debut album to the world. First Timer, a seemingly innocent 

collection of songs crafted within his bedroom studio, features 

artwork just as telling as the album name itself. On the cover, 

Brown is lying atop a scrunched bedsheet in a white tank top 

and hooped earrings, his eyeliner matching the colour of small 

dumbbell placed beside. “That was just there to keep it weighed 

down,” he attests. A happy accident if anything, but one that’s a 

central part of the subconscious makeup of the record. The pose 

is completed by both hands reaching for his head. It’s unsure if 

he’s signalling anguish or ecstasy. Possibly both. “First Timer has 

10

a billion meanings which you can probably latch onto,” he starts, 

when asked if the title signals a consistent undercurrent to the 

record. But the one that shines through most pertinently is his 

questioning of masculinity – a feeling that subconsciously wired 

itself into the aesthetic of the album. 

Cosmetically, at first, the First Timer joyously floats like a 

sun drenched Lilo bumping the contours of the poolside. Album 

opener Ball’s Gonna Keep On Rollin’ is a slick shopping mall 

ballad. You can envisage Pizzagirl proclaiming the lyrics from atop 

St John’s food court water feature in its 80s heyday. Following 

from the Ariel Pink inspired Daytrip comes the operatic absurdity 

of Body Biology, complete with pompous vocal hooks and rolling 

falsettos. The jovial Dennis is essential Pizzagirl, with its charming 

luminosity and tongue in cheek rhyme scheme. But from there the 

Lilo deflates. Shades of early 2000s pop punk creep in and the 

eternal vibrancy of 1980s pop culture fades from the music. Ugly, 

Cut And Paste and Thispartysux display an aching introspection 

that seeps through the colours of Pizzagirl. The latter’s lyrics, 

“Now I’m crying all my makeup off tonight / because you didn’t 

even notice me”, signals a closer presence of Brown hidden 

behind the pin-up of Pizzagirl. A small scratch of the surface and 

you see the album is fundamentally his. Less so a continuum of 

the retro pop culture reflection that has defined his output to date. 

“I had a problem with being known as an artist that makes 

one sound. Or becomes known for a certain thing, or shtick, due 

to the character,” he says, when asked if he saw the album as his 

most personal account of songwriting. “It really scared me when 

I could see that creeping in over the course of the first releases. 

Even now when people get in touch, they’re always like ‘I love the 

80s sound’, which sometimes could feel a little bit limiting.” 

Dropping his former Lumen moniker, a name that, he says, 

lent itself to music that was a bit too serious, paved the way to 

Pizzagirl – an artistic persona that melded George Michael star 

power with the neon dusk of 1980s Los Angeles. “The first EP 

“I love the freedom 

of realising school 

was juvenile. I still 

feel juvenile, but 

I’ve got nobody to 

answer to now” 

FEATURE 

11

[An Extended Play] was just me making my own version of the 

music I was listening to at the time,” he admits. “When I started 

Pizzagirl, I made this conscious decision to try and be this retro, 

vapourwave style of character, with sort of tacky imagery.” The 

new assortment of light-hearted synths and gated ambience 

drew in a strong following. Seabirds, taken from the EP, has now 

reached close to three million plays on Spotify. But the pop culture 

collage of the 1980s was only ever the entry point, he asserts. 

Not the defining artistic statement that much of his online fanbase 

and journalistic assessment came to expect. “It got boring and 

started to wear off. It became too sickly. Sickly sweet. It left a bit 

of a bitter taste for me, so I didn’t feel like I had to serve a fan of 

the EP. With First Timer, I was making a conscious, exciting effort 

to do something different.” 

It starts to unravel that First Timer was the product of new 

headspace for Brown. In his view, the EPs that preceeded the 

album were “much more water tight”, whereas he was happy for 

the First Timer to be a little bit more “rough around the edges”. He 

points towards a separation between the online, on stage persona 

of Pizzagirl and the 21-year-old writing the songs in the freedom 

of his bedroom. It’s through this the record is granted its more 

relaxed approach. Not the hyper-real character that’s taken centre 

stage until now. “I don’t feel like when I’m making music I’m in 

Pizzagirl mode. I’m very much Liam when I’m doing it. When I’m 

on social media or onstage, I’m very much this fluid persona. It’s 

definitely the version of me that I’d like to be all of the time. 

“Although, I’m not turning a switch in my head and that I’m 

a sad person most of the time,” he quickly asserts, so as not to 

suggest Pizzagirl is his emotive compass and solace. “But I think 

the pressure of people looking at you and taking an interest 

definitely makes you want to be fun. When I did the first EP I 

was really conscious of it being straight and narrow. Playing 

under the guise of Pizzagirl gave me the chance to be a little bit 

of a contortionist and try different things. If I was Liam Brown 

people would probably expect me to be a folk singer.” 

Pizzagirl is in full flow as Brown changes into a yellow 

Lacoste sweater complete with “aggressive V neck.” With check 

jacket added and umbrella in hand, Pizzagirl has morphed into 

a 1970s late-night talk show host, which he precedes to imitate 

in an American accent as he reclines in a Swedish armchair. He’s 

every ounce a performer and forthcoming personality, although 

this approachability and exuberance hasn’t always been so 

apparent. It’s something that’s stewed in a world of suppression, 

now springing forth in the freedom of his open musical life. 

Liam Brown grew up in north Liverpool, along the boundary 

of Aintree and Old Roan. He still lives there today with his mum, 

happy in the comfort of his bedroom recording studio where 

the Pizzagirl elixir is brewed on a daily basis. Although it hasn’t 

always been such a free territory, he tells me. It’s telling in the 

extent this landscape shaped his character-based artistry. 

“School in north Liverpool, or school in general,” he begins, 

“they can be quite oppressive places. I wasn’t too shy, but I 

existed to a certain threshold. After school, I was also a little bit 

hidden. iPad demos, GarageBand; it was a world that I never 

showed to anyone.” I tell him it’s a feeling I resonate with, a sort 

internal questioning, like taking a piercing out before crossing 

into the territory of judgemental eyes. “Creativity is muted. You 

spend so much of your time not wanting to get bullied, so much 

that I could never have been Pizzagirl in school.” 

Brown’s assessment is condemnatory, but one that will 

undoubtedly ring true for many males tentatively following 

interests beyond football and the dominant teenage lad culture. 

“Once I left, I felt quite free to do whatever I want,” he adds, 

alluding to the moment Pizzagirl emerged from a secretive 

passion to public-facing expression of self, rich with all its camp 

traits, loud outfits and dashes of makeup. “I didn’t need to worry 

about facing people in school the next day. Most of the time 

I’m making a fool out of myself online and on Instagram, but I 

don’t have to face up to those who would call it out anymore.” 

Here he points towards the hard-edged male personas so 

prevalent within his educational upbringing. “I love the freedom 

of realising school was juvenile. I still feel juvenile, but I’ve got 

nobody to answer to now.” 

As Brown suggests, the restrained personalities of the 

contemporary era have often found solace on the internet. Here, 

Brown’s new social geography was explored and built. In the 

life of teenage boy, it’s a world removed from the feudal-esque 

system topped by those who can kick a football dead hard and 

12

those, at the bottom, who get hit dead hard with said football 

– or other choice projectiles. It is here where Pizzagirl was able 

to take its form. Maybe it was the only place it could have taken 

form; the only space where Brown could freely shift into the 

shape of his own depiction of masculinity. 

While Brown argues that Pizzagirl is an outlet to challenge 

the mundane, the foundations of its character remain an integral 

signifier of its artistic statement. We return to the album cover, 

one of the more obvious statements on the record and one 

less masked by the bubble-gum Pizzagirl bouquet. “For me, 

it’s masculine to claim yourself in a way that is not necessarily 

generic. If you’re comfortable with yourself, then that’s the most 

masculine way you can be. I wasn’t afraid to put that album 

cover out and take the backlash of people saying it’s camp. The 

entire project lives and dies by being camp. Pizzagirl is like camp 

men in the Titanic boiler room, feeding camp into the fire. It’s not 

something I want to avoid.” 

For Brown, the album cover is at odds with the societal 

expectation for males growing up in Liverpool. Yet, even through 

this free expression, binary limitations still arise. Brown’s depiction 

of Pizzagirl on Instagram has led to regular questionings of his 

sexuality, with occasional fans’ messages curious to reveal if he, 

too, is homosexual. “I’ve always replied and said that I’m a big 

ally. I love the LGBTQ+ community,” he starts. “But I find it really 

sad that you have to have this sexuality attached to your artistic 

character. I feel like Pizzagirl is this fluid person who is doing what 

they want, simply because they want to do it.” 

Brown’s frustration is born out of the limitless world in 

which he envisages Pizzagirl. Societal impressions of gay or 

straight do not necessitate a full eclipse of one or the other, but 

the non-binary fluidity is ultimately shaded by the two dominant 

conceptions of sexuality. 

Listening back through the record, the autobiographical 

prints of Brown are found in the freedom the music wishes 

to convey. Brown’s music sidesteps overt sentimentality and 

parades through a liberated world of his own design. One 

where he initially was hidden in safety. One from where he has 

emerged brandishing his own riposte to masculine suppression. 

Acceptance has proved his most powerful form of communication. 

“I want everyone to be able to look at Pizzagirl and say, ‘That 

could be me’,” he assures, as we edge towards the end of our 

conversation. “Whether online or playing to a live audience, I want 

to show the reserved personalities that if I’m able to do this, they 

can be who they want too.” ! 

Words: Elliot Ryder / @elliot_ryder 

Photography: Kate Davies / @K.dvi 

@mypizzagirl 

First Timer is available now via Heist Or Hit. 

“If you’re comfortable 

with yourself, then 

that’s the most 

masculine way 

you can be” 

FEATURE 

13

14

DAN DISGRACE 

Loose tie karaoke stardom supressed by dulling office lights, 

Dan Disgrace’s dreamy cloud is now ready to take flight. 

Sometimes the most enlightening moments in an interview come after the Dictaphone 

has been switched off. Having met up with Daniel West in a busy Bold Street café on an 

overcast Saturday morning, we’re just about to part ways – coffees drained, and a full 

English consumed before our farewell dialogue reveals a little neat anecdote about his 

first gig as DAN DISGRACE. “Basically, I was a bit of a mess. I’d just been dumped, I’d come straight 

from work and turned up with my shirt and tie on, so I borrowed a pair of sunglasses from my 

friend, played the gig in my office clothes and that was it.” This was the birth of Dan Disgrace – an 

immediate leap from the tedium of the office through to an outlet of expression and release. 

It’s one of the most-written-about clichés in the musical book – escaping from the daily grind. 

But whether it’s working in bars or offices, music has always been a way of ‘sticking it to the man’. 

It’s strange, though, just how immediate that transition was with Dan Disgrace; within a matter of 

hours he had developed his ramshackle persona and run with it. While 

there isn’t a palpable sense of aggression present in his character, the 

music itself is a direct artillery attack on shitty jobs and bosses. 

Dan, who is sat in the corner of the café tucking into his breakfast, 

explains how this concept has leaked into his forthcoming EP 

Nightmare Music. “There’s a song on the release called Commission 

and all I’m doing is totally ripping into my old boss. I remember at one 

point I actually felt really ill going to work every day – I was coming 

home from work and picking up a bottle of wine or two a night 

because of the stress. In the end, my ex-girlfriend was like, ‘Fucking 

hell’.” With longish black hair dangling into his face, Dan continues to 

recall his former circumstances. “I wasn’t eating properly and getting 

up every day putting a shirt and tie on and just thinking how awful 

it all was. Then I reached a point where I was just like, ‘That’s it, I’m 

done; I don’t have to do this any more’.” 

With a modest handful of dreampop singles to his name already, 

Dan’s quick to agree that the creative process came as a release, 

nullifying the aforementioned frustrations. “That’s a big reason for why I make music – it’s a byproduct 

of just wanting to get away from normality. It’s like my own little place where I can just 

go and create.” Having a relatively DIY setup affords Dan the luxury of freedom when it comes 

to writing and recording. He explains: “I’m grateful that I can make pretty much whatever type of 

music I want; I’m not the best musician in the world but I can get there or thereabouts. I feel like 

it’s fun that I can explore all of these different themes, I don’t have to rely on a band or anyone to 

mix my music for me – a song can lose a certain theme or atmosphere quite easily if you do that 

wrongly, it can be quite easily skewed. I think songwriting and recording are two very separate 

things, but they’re both as equally as important.” 

Despite coming from quite a lo-fi setup, the singles have already made it onto national radio. 

This doesn’t seem to faze Dan at all though. “Huw Stephens randomly played one of my tracks on 

Radio 1 last year and I got a 6 Music play from Tom Robinson, which is amazing. It’s been weird to 

be honest. I’m not too arsed either way. I get my kicks from just doing it.” It’s refreshing to see such 

a genuine low threshold of expectation. 

“It sounds ridiculous but I already feel successful because I’ve got it to a point where I’m in 

control of what I want to do,” Dan continues. “It might come across as unambitious, but I’m getting 

“I wanted to be in 

a position where 

I’m making my own 

music and in control 

of it. Anything after 

that is a bonus” 

my kicks. This is always what I wanted to do: I wanted to be in a position where I’m making my own 

music and in control of it. Anything after that is a bonus, really – I’m not fame-hungry or anything.” 

It’s easy to see why the songs have garnered such attention, though. There’s a hint of dreamy 

outsider pop that brings to mind names like Ariel Pink and John Maus in the music, although Dan 

says his influences are a little closer to home. “I think, for me, it’s more of my my peers that I get a 

kick out of. I’m friends with Bill Nickson and Alex Stephens [Strawberry Guy]. These people who’re 

doing it all themselves are a real inspiration. I’ve also just moved out of a flat that was a really 

healthy environment, people were always around and we were always creating music. So it’s more 

friends than contemporary artists I’d say.” The bottom line is that the music has to be made to a 

high standard. He picks up: “I just like music that’s convincing in one way or another. I do like the 

weirdos – to me, that’s more of a pure expression of music. I’m down for anything that has a bit of 

conviction.” 

The forthcoming EP will be released through the celebrated and 

forward-thinking Liverpool label Eggy Records – something of a 

support network for artists like Dan. It’s been invaluable, he says, to 

be part of that wider community. “There’s a real range of all different 

types of music reflected through the label, but, despite that, it very 

much feels like a family.” He mulls on this before continuing: “Everyone 

that’s on the label would all feel like outsiders if it wasn’t for those 

guys. I love it because we invite other people to play the shows and 

it’s a support net rather than a label. It generates lots of ideas and it’s 

been a good platform for all of us.” 

The regular shows that Eggy Records hold have also been 

something of a launch-pad for Dan Disgrace – and there’s a big 

headline show lined up at The Zanzibar to celebrate the debut EP this 

February. Dan is obviously excited for this one to roll around. “The 

best sound I’ve ever had has been there, so it’s going to be great. My 

set-up is so minimal at the moment, I think the sound techs are always 

quite relieved.” Despite this, it’s something of a 2020 goal to start challenging the sound technicians 

again by pulling a band together. He says: “I did have [a band] for a bit, but then a few things 

happened and it took a long time to get it nice and tight – so that’s something to be working on.” 

If one thing is for certain, it’s that these are hectic times for the 27-year-old, and getting a solid 

body of work out there is a massive personal milestone. Dan rounds up: “This is a really big thing for 

me. Up until this moment I’ve just been releasing singles, so it’s all built up to this point. I’ve made 

something I can be proud of and I want it to be the first big thing that I release. I’ve had my sights 

set on a larger body of work for a while. Now it feels like I’ve finally reached this time where I’ve got 

something that I can take forward with me.” ! 

Words: Rhys Buchanan / @Rhys_Buchanan 

Photography: John Latham / @mrjohnlatham 

facebook.com/dandisgrace 

Nightmare Music is available via Eggy Recordings from March. Dan Disgrace plays The Zanzibar on 

20th February 

FEATURE 

15

WHO 

WILL SAVE 

KITCHEN 

STREET? 

16

In December, the Baltic Triangle-based club space went public on its ongoing battle with residential 

developers moving into the area. With Liverpool City Council proposing the club reduces its operation to 

accommodate the development, the successful venue’s future has been forcibly drawn into the spotlight. 

One of the venue owners, Ioan Roberts, speaks up about the frustrations of working creatively under the 

shadow of gentrification. 

It seems like any other day in the offices of 24 KITCHEN 

STREET. Placed one floor above the music venue and 

club-orientated space, out of sight of the substantial mirror 

ball that oversees the cobbled dancefloor, the usual hive of 

activity is underway. 

While January is often a slowly awakening month for event 

goers, there’s no New Year hibernation for promoters and club 

owners. The headspace is already well into spring and summer 

and, at times, as far as autumn and winter. New shows are 

being negotiated, booked, announced and their social media 

and print promotion coordinated. It’s the kind of environment 

you’d expect from a popular music venue now into its seventh 

year in existence. But even with thoughts looking ahead to 

warmer months, there’s no escaping the early stages of the year; 

breath mists in the air inside the former warehouse space as 

Ioan Roberts, the venue’s co-owner and manager, sits down to 

discuss the ongoing campaign to keep the venue open. 

Today’s visibly fluid operation only tells one half of the 

story. In December, the venue went public regarding its 

three-year battle with developers building residential flats on 

a neighbouring car park on Blundell Street. If you’ve visited 

the venue or Baltic Triangle recently, you’ll have been able to 

document the development’s rapid growth. It’s not hard to 

notice. The nakedly clad block of flats invasively looks down on 

the neighbouring Kitchen Street. 

The new development will fundamentally change how 24 

Kitchen Street operates. Consequently, the venue’s continued 

existence is now threatened the point of near closure if adequate 

support isn’t granted by Liverpool City Council. This is the view 

of Roberts who’s been at the heart of its operation since opening 

in 2013. 

The news about Kitchen Street’s battle went public for the 

second time on 3rd December. 

Initially the venue had been 

vocal about the proposed 

planning permission for the 

neighbouring development back 

in 2016. Yet, even with continuing 

disagreements regarding 

acceptable noise levels during 

events, planning was still granted 

and building work began. Away 

from public view, three further 

years of acoustic surveys have 

been undertaken both by the venue 

and the developer. “The developer 

conducted a noise report at the 

end of 2018, October/November. 

They called us for a meeting and 

Environmental Health from the 

council attended it,” Roberts informs us when asked about the 

ongoing arguments around noise pollution. “They basically 

outlined that they’d done extensive measurements over a range 

of events with us. And demonstrated through their recording, 

measurements and work that we were seven decibels too loud 

for the level of sound proofing they’d proposed.” The venue has 

contested these findings through their own assessments. 

“Seven decibels doesn’t sound like much, but it is in terms of 

a reduction,” Roberts underlines, adding that this assessment put 

forward by the developers is now close to being accepted by the 

City Council. Roberts continues: “They were saying that they’d 

specced their development out adequately, but they anticipated 

we do the rest. They didn’t give us any financial incentive to do 

the rest, they just said we had to reduce [our levels].” However, 

even before an agreement had been reached to reduce their 

noise output by seven decibels, windows had already been 

installed around much of the building while talks were still taking 

place. “During the time we’ve been arguing about levels with the 

developers and the council, the developers have just continued 

to build, assuming we’d reduce. They’ve treated the planning 

process with disregard, and that’s what we’re trying to argue.” 

Writing in Bido Lito! shortly before the venue went public 

in December, Liverpool City Region Music Board Member Matt 

Flynn observed: “Effectively, the Kitchen Street debate concerns 

the very technical evaluation of acceptable existing noise 

levels. Each party’s respective acoustic experts have proposed 

using noise readings from different days, times and locations 

to establish the baseline decibel level that is audible in existing 

domestic properties that surround the venue. This means the 

Environmental Health department have had to mediate between 

Kitchen Street and developers Brickland and contractors ISG to 

establish the specification of the glazing and soundproofing the 

developers need to install in each of their 200 new flats. 

“Discharging the condition means the council is satisfied 

the developers have designed and constructed their property 

to agreed specifications, including required levels of sound 

insulation.” 

According to Roberts, the debate had been muddied 

somewhat by inconsistent readings taken on behalf of the 

“Thinking differently, 

finding new spaces, 

that’s complete 

bollocks. You need 

stability to be able to 

plan into the future” 

developer and council. During the venue’s participation in 

the Baltic Weekender festival this summer, an outdoor stage, 

covered by Temporary Event Notice, caused noise complaints 

from nearby residential houses. When following up the 

complaint on an operational night for the club, no irregular noise 

levels were detected within the houses due to events returning 

back inside the club – underscoring the street party complaints 

as an irregular occurrence and not in line with the venue’s 

consistent programming. To further follow up the complaint, 

the council took a short, one-off, 15-minute reading in the club, 

which, Roberts says, didn’t flag up any illegally excess decibel 

level. “The council then said that they’d been through the 

cumulative information of both sides and said their survey stated 

that five out of the six events we held were over the threshold,” 

Roberts says. “Following that we were told we had to reduce 

noise levels as we’d be too loud for the windows the council had 

given permission to install.” This decision by the council then 

initiated the public response from Kitchen Street. 

“As has happened with venues up and down the country, 

noise complaints get venues shut down,” states the public 

appeal released by Kitchen Street back in December. The 

assessment put forward by Kitchen Street underscores the 

inhospitable climate venues are up against, but more tellingly, 

UK-wide councils’ openness to build for profit developments 

that bring the barrage of planning disagreements. The noise 

complaints inevitably follow. “The attitude is, if you’re a creative 

business you can just get moved away, [the council] don’t value 

us,” Roberts adds, a sentiment echoed in statistics that reveal 

the UK has lost 35 per cent of its music venues throughout the 

last decade (although business rates have just been reduced 

by 50% for grassroots venues). “The developers on Blundell 

Street believe installing more robust soundproofing threatens 

their bottom line and therefore is 

not profitable.” Roberts adds that 

the council’s recommendation 

was to therefore cover the 

louder, bass-driven events with 

Temporary Events Notices (TENs) 

– a maximum of 12 can be applied 

for throughout the year. “That’s 80 

per cent of our events,” Roberts 

outlines. “Why should we start 

reducing what we do, which is 

legal, to save the developers 

money when they should be the 

ones spending the money?” 

Roberts’ argument of 

obligation comes into greater 

light since the council signed up 

to the Agent of Change principle 

in September 2019. The AoC principle, part of the National 

Planning Policy Framework, states that: “Planning policies and 

decisions should ensure that new development can be integrated 

effectively with existing businesses and community facilities. 

Existing businesses and facilities should not have unreasonable 

restrictions placed on them as a result of development permitted 

after they were established.” 

A face value reading of the principle’s definition would 

underscore the Blundell Street development as the Agent of 

Change, 24 Kitchen Street as the existing business that “should 

not have unreasonable restrictions placed on them as a result 

of development permitted after they were established”. But the 

decision to grant the development permission to install windows 

that would require a reduction in 24 Kitchen Street’s operation 

suggests the council’s commitment to AoC is hollow. “This whole 

time they’ve been aware what blocks of flats can do to creative 

businesses,” Roberts says. “It’s in the area of planning policy 

where care must be taken to ensure there isn’t a predominance 

of one and two bedroom flats in what’s seen as a creative 

district.” 

Another workaround for the venue would be agreeing 

to a deed of easement, essentially an agreement where new 

tenants in the development acknowledge the presence of the 

venue and its regular operation upon moving in. However, in 

moving the goal posts away from AoC – thus justifying the 

development and the uncomfortable proximity it’s been built 

to a music venue regularly operating four nights per week – 

does not set the encompassing precedent the council appear 

to be endorsing with their vocal backing of AoC. A deed of 

easement is a potential solution, but it is only effective via a 

case-by-case basis. Adhering to AoC properly would build a 

framework that sees all new developments held to the same 

level of scrutiny. The apparent weakness in AoC, however, is that 

it is not statutory law, and viewed more as planning guidance. 

Speaking in November, Paul Farrell, head of Environmental 

Health at Liverpool City Council, regarded AoC as “not perfect, 

but a step in the direction”. However, the apparent progression 

is contended by Roberts. “This isn’t new,” he says. “They can’t 

pretend they didn’t know [the effect the development would 

have on us] when building started in 2016. The council just 

don’t value creative businesses. They think we can just move to 

another area. We have the Music Board, who’ve supported us, 

but what’s the point in having it if the Council don’t listen to it?” 

The Liverpool City Region Music Board, formed in January 

2019, outlines that one of its priorities is “safeguarding and 

protecting music venues”. During the debates between 

developers and Kitchen Street, the Music Board has supported 

the venue’s stance, however, it remains to be seen whether 

its conservatively coordinated vocal pressure holds any sway 

of the council. Roberts believes the council’s adoption of the 

Music Board’s is merely posturing and serves only to present 

the illusion that they, firstly, celebrate music-based culture in the 

city beyond Mathew Street and, secondly, is seen to be actively 

engaging in the protection of music venues – notably after 

high-profile closures in the last decade such as The Kazimier. 

While the Music Board may not hold the power over the council’s 

decision making, its existence and worth hinges on its ability 

to ensure the Kitchen Street situation remains on the council 

agenda and is lobbied and campaigned for in the public domain. 

Apathy surrounding the public facing campaign to save the 

venue will ultimately lead to its demise. 

Some lateral arguments would suggest creative businesses 

remain progressive by contorting and adapting to new 

landscapes and environments – always looking to remain one 

step ahead of encroaching developments that outline an area 

as ‘desirable’ (read: cool, creative, probably some paid for 

graffiti). Roberts colourfully calls this out. “Thinking differently, 

finding new spaces, that’s complete bollocks. You can do five 

warehouse parties and you’re shut down. I push against that. 

Like an enterprise, you need stability. You need to be able to plan 

into the future.” Roberts is passionate about the need to build 

from the ground up and enhance a public reputation. “To build a 

strong cultural programme, you need to have a base, the booking 

agents of artists need to know who you are. The industry needs 

to know who you are. You can’t book in a revered artist for a 

warehouse show that you don’t have a licence for. You’ve got to 

have a proper venue that people know about.” 

The cultural programme Roberts mentions is one of 

Liverpool City Council’s most consistent marketing tools for 

tourism. Yet, the venue deems its stance on new developments 

in creative areas as incongruous with its much-touted UNESCO 

City Of Music badge. The venue says it’s “ironic that the council 

is failing to protect grassroots and independent music in the 

city”. 

In allowing the development to continue installing windows 

under an assumption the seven decibel reduction will be met, 

24 Kitchen Street will be unable to operate in the capacity that 

has seen it forge a reputation as one the leading electronic music 

focused venues in the city. One capable of competing with the 

programming of fellow leading venues in the North, such as 

Soup Kitchen in Manchester and Wire in Leeds. 

The debate is now in the hands of the council. It remains 

in the power of the Music Board to ensure Kitchen Street 

doesn’t fall of the agenda or is quietly swept aside. Without a 

reassessment of the development’s sound proofing procedures, 

which currently stands to all but end the venue’s late night 

programming, the venue will be stripped of its draw and cease 

to exist as a destination for the world’s best DJs, producers and 

bands. “I don’t want to operate with constant battles over noise 

complaints,” Roberts replies, knowing the proximity of the flats 

and level of soundproofing installed is likely to draw complaints, 

adding “the work to fix the building would cost around 

£200,000, but they’re arguing it’s not profitable to do this. 

“If [Environmental Health and the council] don’t intervene 

before September, I know from examples around the country 

that we’ll eventually lose, and it will cost us a fortune.” So far the 

venue has spent upwards of £14,000 in acoustic consultants. 

“Operating in the way they’ve suggested, with TENs and 

reduced noise output, when we have a band or DJ, we’ll have to 

tell them about the limitations. It will restrict the scope of what 

they can do. That will put artists off. They will just say, ‘That’s 

not good enough’. When it gets to that point, I’d have to question 

whether I’d want to be doing this.” 

When looking ahead at the warmer months that ultimately 

hold the fate of the venue, perhaps Roberts’ closing sentiment 

will bluntly show the council the strained health so many of 

its prized cultural attractions are enduring. “If the council don’t 

change their approach, I’m not sure I’d bother trying to do this 

again here in Liverpool. You’d spend three or four years doing 

the building work, getting it set up, to then have two years of 

running a business properly, developing it, only for the same 

thing to happen. What would be the point?” ! 


Photography: Robin Clewley / robinclewley.co.uk 

@24KitchenStreet 

FEATURE 

17

18

AIMÉE 

STEVEN 

The Walton singer-songwriter pores over the influences that shimmer through her captivating blend of 

Nouvelle Vague chic and charming Scouse pop. 

my boyfriend’s, I nicked it,” the singer grins when 

asked about the copy of Yuval Noah Harari’s bestseller 

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind lying on the 

“It’s 

table. The cosy back room at Tabac, decked out with 

its pieces of obsolete audio equipment, is welcome shelter from 

a windblown January afternoon in the city centre. We’re here 

on Bold Street for a sit-down chat with one of 2020’s brightest 

prospects, AIMÉE STEVEN. With a quartet of outstanding 

singles out in the world and a deal with burgeoning Liverpool 

label Jacaranda Records, the coming year, to employ drastic 

understatement, looks somewhat promising for the Walton-born 

songwriter. 

While her material sounds like the work of an old hand at this 

songwriting malarkey, amazingly, Steven came to music relatively 

late on. “I never really wanted to be a singer or anything like 

that,” she explains, sipping her hot chocolate. “My family played 

a lot of opera, I loved that as a kid. I don’t really listen to it now. 

And then it was Frank Sinatra; I love the Rat Pack, The Bee Gees. 

I don’t think I was ever gonna grow up liking modern music, 

because I never heard it really,” she shrugs. “Before I wanted to 

sing I wanted to write about music, before I realised I wanted to 

actually write it.” After several months 

reviewing gigs for venerable citybased 

promoters Mellowtone, Aimée 

began to create her own songs. 

The Last Waltz, the valedictory 

performance by Americana pioneers 

and former Bob Dylan sidemen The 

Band released in 1978, proved to 

be a major spark of inspiration. Shot 

by Martin Scorsese, his first film in 

a parallel career as an outstanding 

music documentarian, the show – 

featuring a rollcall of Van Morrison, 

Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Dylan – 

cemented its reputation as one of the 

greatest concert films ever captured 

on celluloid. “When I watched that I 

couldn’t believe who was in it, then I was obsessed. I dig that out 

and watch it with a bottle of wine.” West Coast contemporaries 

of The Band, Crosby, Stills and Nash, are also highlighted as 

influence. “Their harmonies are fantastic. If I could get to anything 

like that in my career it would be life goals. You don’t get that 

level of them anymore I don’t think and it’s sad,” Steven says of 

the absence of harmonies in present day guitar groups. “It takes 

hard work, it’s super hard to get voices that mesh together in the 

first place, and then to master it is difficult. But it has died off a 

bit; I’d love to see it come back properly. It’s such a sweet sound 

and I don’t think I’ve heard it recreated.” 

Fittingly, among the antique listening equipment in Tabac, 

an album by another favourite, Led Zeppelin, rests on the 

gramophone (the copy of II has the band’s credit for Whole Lotta 

Love scribbled out and amended to bluesman Willie Dixon). 

Venturing further back, stone blues originators Robert Johnson 

and Muddy Waters are selected. “When I go in my local, Ye 

Cracke, I always put Howlin’ Wolf and Psychotic Reaction by the 

Count Five on the jukebox,” she notes. In addition to these, Nick 

Drake and Fairport Convention are cited, plus guitar genius Stevie 

Ray Vaughan and the Small Faces (“They had Itchycoo Park, 

maybe I’ll write one about Walton Hall Park!”). “I think all of those 

influences come through somewhere, even if they’re not obvious,” 

she replies. “Nothing’s 100 per cent original, it’s about honouring 

what’s gone before.” 

Alongside these inspirations is something that taps directly 

“I hope people 

want more, cos 

they’re gonna get 

it either way!” 

into the city’s musical lifeblood. “My grandad was a docker and 

I think it’s come through to me: going for a pint and listening to 

music are my foundations. I think it’s a Liverpool thing as well. I 

love going to all the old pubs in town, where all the old people 

go and there’s karaoke. I absolutely love it, it’s like stepping into a 

different world,” she enthuses. “I’m 24 but I love going to an old 

boozer and drinking a pint, that’s me!” 

“I was in one pub, and some woman came in selling a leg 

of lamb and someone bought it,” Steven states incredulously, 

warming to her theme. “I was like, ‘I love this place!’ I’m a pub girl; 

I don’t go out to clubs. I watch every Reds game in a pub,” she 

notes, demarcating her football allegiance in the city. 

With her first batch of songs written, a fantastic bit of 

serendipity occurred courtesy of social media. “I got contacted 

by Jon Withnall,” Aimée recalls, he of six Grammy Awards, and 

engineering credits with Elbow, Rihanna, Gil Scott-Heron and 

The Coral, among others. “He’s brilliant, without him I wouldn’t 

be where I am. He got in touch with me ’cos he saw a short clip 

of me playing on Facebook. He messaged me asking for demos. 

At the time I’d only been writing for a few months. I had a few 

rough songs I’d written and sent them over and he was like, 

‘Cool, do you wanna come and meet 

me in my studio and have a chat?’ 

I got the train to Ormskirk, where 

he was based at the time. He liked 

the songs, so we made a plan to get 

together and record some stuff, and 

it just went from there. It’s strange 

really ’cos I was apprehensive at the 

beginning and now I’m like, ‘Oh my 

God, imagine if I’d never done that 

and just said no!’” 

With Jon on the other side of the 

studio glass, My Name, a wonderfully 

unhurried slice of guitar pop led by 

Steven’s ear balm vocals, provided 

a superb introduction last April. 

With her foundation guitar chords 

recalling Lou Reed’s rhythmic style, the sighing resignation of 

All The Way (“What’s the point in giving my all/When you turn 

away?”) possessing the languid melodicism reminiscent of The 

Velvet Underground’s poppier moments followed soon after. Her 

next single, the excellent, enigmatically monikered B.I.E.K, arrived 

a few months later. “That track was written about one of my 

grandparents. It means a lot to me that song. I hope people will 

take that and apply it to people in their lives, ’cos everyone feels 

that way about someone.” 

Better Off Dead, released in December, was the first fruits of 

a deal inked with Jacaranda Records, making Steven labelmates 

with alt.rock mavens SPILT and dreampop specialists Shards. A 

change in rehearsal rooms saw Aimée and her group move into 

the basement performance space of the legendary watering hole 

to piece arrangements together. An energised cover of rock’n’roll 

standard Shakin’ All Over, recorded for BBC Radio Merseyside 

just before Christmas, drew a line under 2019. 

Heading into the new decade, Steven and her team already 

have the next batch of singles to serve up. Hell Is A Teenage Girl 

is due for release on the Friday before International Women’s Day 

(8th March); a harmony-laden gem, the cut takes its title from a 

piece of dialogue in cult 2009 horror flick Jennifer’s Body. “That 

was such a good line, it is hell being a teenage girl. Some of it 

was like hell!” she laughs. “Hopefully the video will reflect that. I 

love that line, though, I always thought it would make a great title 

for a song.” 

On the subject of visuals, the French New Wave era is 

major source of ideas, both sartorially and on screen. “I was 

big into that style: Jane Birkin, Marianne Faithfull in Girl On 

A Motorcycle. I’ve always really been into it fashion-wise, as 

well as culture-wise; I still am, really. Serge Gainsbourg is an 

inspiration for me, that whole aesthetic he created is amazing. 

When you listen to his music you realise, ‘Wow, that’s where 

that came from’,” Aimée says of the chanteur’s heavily sampled 

catalogue. The Nouvelle Vague era is especially evident in the 

video for My Name, which features Steven looking as though 

she’s stepped out of one of the era’s films, backed with footage 

of rapidly motoring around Paris like a sped-up version of 

Jean-Luc Godard’s masterpiece, Breathless. 

Cranking up the energy level, the tremolo-assisted garage 

rock stomper Darling is due to appear on May Day. “Darling 

is about liking someone and not knowing if they like you back 

and also being just a massive flirt, which I think people can 

relate to.” Aimée explains. “It’s not heavy, but it has more of a 

kick than some of the other tunes I have. We wanted to make 

it feel like vintage garage rock. It seems to get the crowd going 

live.” 

With the next set of singles prepped and ready to be 

released into the wild, gigs are set to increase in frequency 

as 2020 progresses. Miraculously, given her assured stage 

presence and confidence in front of the camera, Steven’s first 

ever show was a mere eight months ago at Sound City. “Loads 

of my mates showed up, I think they were hoping there’d be 

some good blackmail material if it went wrong!” she laughs, 

recalling the well-attended afternoon slot. 

Treading the boards and opposite the recording console 

alongside Aimée are guitarist James, drummer Martin and 

recently arrived bassist Robyn. “We’ve just started rehearsing 

together and it’s sounding incredible. We’re not a conventional 

band, but despite being fronted by myself, in my head we’re 

still a band. They play my music which I’m forever grateful for, 

’cos they don’t have to do it. They’re all individually amazing. I 

wanted to give them that freedom and not be overbearing.” 

With Steven supplying the blueprints, the group have 

gelled quickly to build on her work. “I want them to chip in 

their own parts and enjoy what they’re playing, ’cos it was 

what they had written, not me saying ‘Play this, play that’. It’s 

getting more like that which is how I wanted it to be. I didn’t 

want it to be a dictatorship of me going, ‘No, no, no, I don’t 

like that, this is what you’re doing’. I wanted it to be like we 

were all involved in what we were doing individually. It seems 

to flow much better ’cos people have come up with the parts 

themselves. They’re great musicians, so it always fits together, 

which is cool.” 

With all the pieces in place, all that’s required now is to set 

the plan in action. “We’re hoping to play out of town quite a 

bit this year,” Aimée says as the interview wraps up. “Last year 

was about trying to establish ourselves in the city, we didn’t 

oversaturate ourselves. We wanna leave people wanting more. 

And I hope people want more, ’cos they’re gonna get it either 

way!” Judging by the activity logged so far, potential audiences 

will be more than receptive for what comes next. ! 

Words: Richard Lewis 

Photography: Keith Ainsworth / arkimages.co.uk 

facebook.com/aimeestevenmusic 

Hell Is A Teenage Girl is available via Jacaranda Records in 

March. Darling is available via Jacaranda Records in May. 

FEATURE 

19

SPOTLIGHT 

MIG 15 

“The fact that we 

then get to play 

our music every 

night in these 

beautiful places 

to an audience of 

people is just the 

icing on the cake” 

Electric waves of feel good indiepop 

are the hallmarks of the 

groovy enigma that is MiG 15. 

With only four of their songs on Spotify, MIG 15 are a bit of a 

mystery online; it may be a smart move on their part. 

This newly formed four-piece have already supported 

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark on their 2019 Souvenir tour. 

Frontman Adam Bray describes it as being “thrown in at the deep 

end”, having only played one warm up gig prior to the tour. With 

their Christmas show at Jimmy’s finishing off last year, MiG 15 

are set to bring their twisted 80s indie/pop vibe into 2020 and to 

the ears of their new following. 

Bray has been performing for over a decade, however the 

current formation of MiG 15 is only six months old, with guitarist 

James Morris (who also plays with Bido Lito! favourite Aimée 

Steven) being the newest recruit. Bray describes the experience 

of the tour as cementing the knowledge that “practice makes 

perfect”. The foursome brought their punk attitude to the stage 

at their recent show at Baltic Social, but their set in support of 

OMD in Sheffield City Hall was electric – perhaps unsurprisingly 

given that the audience numbers increased from 50 to just under 

3000. “Playing to a sold-out crowd of that size in that venue still 

brings a smile to our faces every time we think about it,” Bray 

says, smiling. 

What MiG 15 have taken from the Wirral greats is that no 

individual is anything without their band members; each openly 

have their limitations, but as a unit they aren’t shy about how 

they’ve had to work at their craft. Having come together after 

leading lives so deeply intertwined with music – from famous 

family members to childhood obsessions with Johnny Cash – the 

four have undeniably bonded as a group. This bond isn’t just 

evident upon meeting them, but shines through in the tightness 

of their performances and the humour they exude; this came 

in handy in Sheffield, when a potential guitar string disaster 

was breezed over by fronting it out with an otherwise oblivious 

audience. 

The band’s fanbase has grown through impressive 

performances and word of mouth. Their standout song, Rolling 

Thunder, is a fan favourite. Bray explains the beauty of the 

track perfectly: “It’s a fast paced, unapologetic, three chord 

confession on my views on religion.” The track steps away from 

the 1950s-style harmonies that weave through songs like Dials 

and Cellophane Girl, as the band incorporate the beauty of the 

past with their vision for their future. They walk the tightrope 

of old and new, balancing on a line that few have the ability to 

master. Not set in their ways as so many can be critiqued to 

be, but instead explore the unity between genres, times and 

spaces. Their songs explore what so many avoid, from the 

aforementioned religion to being obsessively stuck on reliving 

memories, nothing feels taboo or off limits, but their sound offers 

safety with its nod to what has been. 

OMD weren’t the only ones to be captivated by MiG 15, 

with the band also securing a six-day tour slot with Love Fame 

Tragedy later this year. After wooing an older audience, these 

likely lads are set to capture the interest of a younger crowd; 

one that they are arguably better suited to. Music is clearly so 

powerful in each of their lives and as they explain: “The fact 

that we then get to play our music every night in these beautiful 

places to an audience of people is just the icing on the cake.” 

The quartet are currently recording in Parr Street Studios, 

and the hope is that their upcoming releases will only quicken to 

their gathering momentum. If all goes well, maybe they’ll follow in 

the footsteps of Zuzu and The Mysterines and secure a space on 

the next NME 100 list. ! 

Words: Megan Walder / @m_l_wald 

Photography: Innes Marlow / facebook.com/innesmarlowimages 

@MiG15Band 

MiG15 will be supporting Love Fame Tragedy on their UK tour 

starting on 25th February. New single Bite The Bullet is out now. 

20

GREEN 

TANGERINES 

Sarah Sands and Jack O’Hanlon 

of the nu jazz fusionists open 

up about the myriad influences 

that make the quintet such an 

appealing draw on the Liverpool 

jazz circuit. 

“Music is our 

collective creative 

outlet; it’s quite a 

vocational thing, 

we aren’t together 

for the money” 

If you had to describe your style in a sentence, what would you 

say? 

We used to refer to it as “jazz for 20-year olds”, but, ultimately, 

we think of it as a variant of jazz-fusion. 

How did you get into music? 

In terms of writing music, we kind of got into it by accident. We 

would do gigs, but we only played covers that we liked and 

eventually started integrating songs we wrote. We really learnt 

how to play with one another and develop as a band as opposed 

to trying to write straight off the bat. 

Do you have a favourite song or piece of music to perform? 

What does it say about you? 

Funk Detective is one of my favourites to play. It’s super tight, 

slightly syncopated, punchy horns along with the driving rhythm 

section. I love the energy we get from it! It’ll be on our upcoming 

EP, hopefully out in the coming few months so watch this space. 

Why is music important to you? 

Sarah: I think it’s only since coming to Liverpool, being able to get 

gigs and meeting such great people, that I’ve felt music take a 

central role in my life. There’s nothing else that could replace that 

energy you feel after playing a gig or recording a new tune! 

Jack: Music is our collective creative outlet; it’s quite a vocational 

thing, we aren’t together for the money. We wouldn’t be doing 

this if we didn’t love it. 

What do you think is the overriding influence on your 

songwriting: other art, emotions, current affairs – or a mixture 

of all of these? 

The strongest influence is other musicians and gigs that get us 

thinking! We are really into bands like the Brecker Brothers, John 

Scofield, Chick Corea, so we just focus on trying to come up with 

good tunes. If somebody comes up with a cool riff or a melody 

then we take that and run with it. We also try to not take it too 

seriously and keep it fun. 

If you could support any artist in the future, who would it be? 

Jack: Steely Dan, I’ve become completely obsessed! If anyone 

has been to one of our Frederiks gigs there’s always a Steely Dan 

tune thrown in. It’d be amazing to be able to support a band of 

that calibre; if you know anyone who can get us in touch, send us 

a DM! 

Do you have a favourite venue you’ve performed in? If so, what 

makes it special? 

We’ve had so many good ones! We like intimate, high energy 

gigs as opposed to big stages. We played Band On The Wall and 

loved how the crowd can be right up in your face. Frederiks is a 

close second; everyone just sets up in the corner and plays cool 

covers and their own tunes. 

Can you recommend an artist, band or album that Bido Lito! 

readers might not have heard? 

If you haven’t been to see The Grapes latin-jazz band on a 

Sunday, or been to Frederiks, The Caledonia, you’re missing out 

on the coolest spots in Liverpool for jazz. 

Photography: Jacob Barrow 

@GreeenTangerines 

MONKS 

Jazz-infused dream-pop melodies 

with hypnotising rhythms, 

frontman and vocalist George 

Pomford weighs in on MONKS’ 

rise. 

“I think songwriting is 

a great feeling; when 

you write a song 

and people sing it 

back at your shows, 

it’s just the best” 

Have you always wanted to create music? 

Not really. When I was a kid I was just into playing football and 

going out with my friends. It’s only been the last two or three 

years where I’ve started to write songs and start a band. 

Can you pinpoint a live gig or a piece of music that initially 

inspired you? 

The Pond show at the Invisible Wind Factory in 2017 was a big 

moment. I met Nathan, our guitarist, and the idea of Monks came 

about. Seeing them live with the loud guitars and synths blew my 

mind and opened my songwriting to different elements which I 

wasn’t putting into practice before. 

If you had to describe your style in a sentence, what would you 

say? 

I think when people see us they definitely think we’re 70s 

inspired, but we all have our own style. In terms of the music, 

it crosses many boundaries: psych music, funk and modern 

alternative is what most of our songs are based around. 

What do you think is the overriding influence on your 

songwriting: other art, emotions, current affairs – or a mixture 

of all of these? 

Listening and seeing live shows is the biggest inspiration; taking 

bits from the music around me and making it into our own 

sound. I tend to write the music first, then put lyrics over the top 

depending on the tone or mood of the song. I tend not to write 

anything politically driven, I don’t really know enough about it 

and it can come off proper cringey. 

Do you have a favourite song or piece of music to perform? 

We would say our single Why Does Everybody Look The Same?. 

When played live, it proper goes off and I think lyrically holds a 

good message; one that everyone in the band relates to. As a 

song, musically, it shows us off well. 

If you could support any artist in the future, who would it be? 

Probably Nile Rodgers with Chic, he seems like such a sound fella 

and he’s a living legend. I’d also love to support someone like Tyler 

The Creator; I heard he goes out on his bike and cycles around 

before shows. That would be boss to go on float with Tyler! 

Do you have a favourite venue you’ve performed in? If so, what 

makes it special? 

Sound Basement on Duke Street will always hold a special place 

in our hearts. It’s where we did our first shows and learnt how to 

properly play live. Boss little boozer to watch the footy in as well, 

what a place! 

Why is music important to you? 

Without it I would be bored out of my mind, I wouldn’t have 

anything to do! I think songwriting is a great feeling; when you 

write a song and people sing it back at your shows, that is just 

the best. 

Photography: Dylan Mead / @Dylanmeadphotograph 

@monksband 

MONKS support The Night Cafe at Liverpool Olympia on 24th 

April. Corduroy is released 21st February. 

SPOTLIGHT 

21

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With her assemblage of talents, former actress 

turned multiple Grammy Award-nominated singsongwriter 

FATOUMATA DIAWARA exhibits 

her immense passion for all things unifying and 

harmonious, not only through her epochal smile, but her glorious 

array of ardently composed songs. 

After the release of her 2011 debut album Fatou, the Malian 

artist was to be the most talked about new African artist on the 

planet, sparking the flame for the wildfire of collaborations that 

were to follow. Through Diawara’s concern for the progression 

of minorities, this led to the involvement of such projects as 

the formation of a West African supergroup that recorded a 

song pressing for peace in her distressed homeland, as well 

as joining the line-up for the UK-based non-profit organisation 

Africa Express, resulting in her sharing the stage with Sir Paul 

McCartney. 

Compiling the complexities of raw human emotion, 

Diawara’s most recent album, Fenfo, is sure to be showered with 

praise during her imminent UK tour. Ahead of a date in Liverpool 

on 6th February, Anouska Liat picked up the phone to the Malian 

figurehead for a chat with what felt like an old, trusted friend. 

PREVIEWS 

You moved to France when you were 19, saying that you 

wanted to explore your freedom and pursue acting. Was it 

youthful curiosity, a strong sense of confidence in yourself, or 

a combination of both that encouraged you? 

It was a personal decision and a necessity for me to leave at that 

time. Now, through my own experiences, I’m trying to convince 

the new generation to be survivors and fight for their own 

stories. Sometimes your parents want to decide for you, society 

does too sometimes. It’s good for humans to do what they want; 

life is very strange and fast. 

You’ve previously stated in an interview that making your 

music is easy as it’s in your blood; it’s your ancestry, tradition 

and culture. Do you therefore believe that taking inspiration 

from your heritage is imperative to your success? 

For sure. In Mali, we have a lot of music but we are all based in 

the blues. I always combine traditional and modern music – I 

don’t just make music for the Malian people, it’s also for my 

international audiences. You will always hear some rock ’n’ roll, 

on stage especially. The blues naturally comes from the desert, 

and I also incorporate folk music. 

With music being in your blood, does this mean that you feel 

you have that constant creative flow, or is it something you 

have to forcibly summon? 

I focus my mind on traditional music, the roots. Behind 

everything I’m doing, my truth is what’s most important. I want 

my audience to hear my sincerity and honesty. The audience 

should feel comfortable no matter where they come from or 

what language they speak; you have to let them feel like you are 

one. When I am myself, this is shown in my traditional music, the 

one I have in my blood and ancestry. 

You’re back in the UK soon with your tour, the first gig being in 

London. How do you find performing to non-native speakers? 

Do you think it provides more room for connection with the 

music itself? 

It’s like bringing my spirit to them, and I focus on the love that we 

will be sharing that night; I’m just excited to be in front of them. 

I always hope my shows are sold-out because we cannot dance 

or jump or scream, we cannot have fun unless we’re all together, 

and that is what life is about. Music is a universal language, 

and playing in front of a Malian or English audience makes no 

difference because it’s all about love, melodies, groove, funk, 

blues, rock. We’re gonna just rock it. 

Your songs are obviously of great importance, aiding the 

notion of encouragement for many movements and beliefs, 

with one of your songs denouncing trafficking and modern 

slavery. Other songs also have the recurring theme of a need 

for equality, is this something you find very easy to talk about? 

Yes, I normally have a message behind my songs. I have been 

fighting a lot in my life as a child 

of this planet, and I would like to 

keep fighting for people. That’s 

why I broach subjects like female 

genital mutilation or arranged 

marriage, because I would like to 

save the next generation, which 

means all our children. That’s why 

my subjects are always something 

heavy, however I try to find simple 

melodies to keep my audience from 

getting frustrated when they listen 

– I want them to be happy. But I 

will always send a little message 

just to say ‘OK, there is something 

happening there, what could we do 

to change this?’. 

When talking about the new album artwork, you were said to 

look like you were “representing a nation”. How does it feel 

to be in such a position of visibility and do you ever sense any 

pressure? 

Not really, I appreciate it a lot. I’m like a child inside; many big 

artists have always told me ‘don’t lose your child soul’. I like to 

GIG 

“I’m trying to convince 

the new generation to 

be survivors and fight 

for their own stories” 

FATOUMATA DIAWARA 

Leaf – 06/02 

The Malian musician discusses her family-like connection to music 

and her enduring energy to harness the artform for progressive 

change and wellbeing. 

dance, sing and have fun with people – I’m like a baby! I can’t 

see any colours or preconceptions of how to live life. For me, we 

are all one and the same and we should enjoy life today. My job 

is to make people happy and it’s a kind of healing I enjoy giving 

my audience. After my show I want people to feel good and 

think, ‘Wow, I feel happy now’. 

The fourth track on your latest 

album, Kanou Dan Yen, is about 

a couple who love each other 

but cannot be together due to 

their family’s beliefs on ethnicity. 

What would you tell those who 

may be unfortunate enough 

to still find themselves in that 

position? 

We have this problem in our 

country still, but now I realise, 

through travelling, it’s a global 

issue. When you’re poor you 

cannot be married to a rich guy, 

and when you’re from a particular 

religion you cannot marry a different religion. I took a story 

from my friend in Mali who was suffering with something like 

this, so through this experience I can reach other people in the 

world who are dealing with discrimination. Love must be free, 

love is love, and doesn’t have a colour or nationality – nor does 

music. Love is unity, and should be normal and accessible to 

everybody. 

You call music your family and say that it gives you hope. Do 

you therefore think music has a higher purpose than just its 

sonic form? 

Music is still like my father, my mother and best friend. I spend 

more time around the world than I do with my family, so it’s my 

spirit and it keeps me surviving. Music is much more than just 

something to listen to, it represents who I am, and people can 

see more of my soul when I’m singing. I’m kind of a depressed 

person; I go down with my brain when I’m not on stage. Music is 

my hospital, my medicine. 

Fenfo translates as ‘something to say’ in English. Is there 

something you’d like to say to the readers of Bido Lito! that 

might encourage them moving forward with the new year? 

Yes. I’d like to encourage people to talk, to encourage women to 

speak out and to express and defend themselves. I don’t have 

time to go to the doctors to talk about my own experiences, but 

through music I speak to my audience and they listen. It feels like 

I’m healing myself. All the subjects on Fenfo I should probably go 

to the psychologist and talk about. Instead, I just go to my studio 

and make an album to share my feelings and opinions, as I’ve 

done for my whole life. ! 

Words: Anouska Liat 

Photography: Aida Muluneh 

fatoumatadiawara.com 

Fatoumata Diawara plays Leaf on Thursday 6th February. Fenfo 

is out now. 

PREVIEWS 

23

COMING SOON 

ALL THE SINGLE LADIES / BERNIE CONNOR / CARL COMBOVER 

EVERYBODY LOVES LIZZO / JADE LI / JOSEPH KAYE & ELLIOT FERGUSON 

JUSTIN ROBERTSON / LOST ART SOUNDSYSTEM / NIGHTCRAWLER PIZZA 

NO FAKIN DJS / PHAT PHIL COOPER / PURPLE RAVE 

SPEAKERBOXXX / SUPERSTITION / TIM BURGESS 

40 SLATER STREET, LIVERPOOL. L1 4BX THEMERCHANTLIVERPOOL.CO.UK

Some things are just meant to happen. For South 

London’s DRY CLEANING, forming a band was a 

matter of fate. Its draw eventually proved inescapable, 

even when recruiting a lead vocalist who didn’t sing, or 

has ever expressed an interest in fronting a band. And yet, in less 

than a year, the four-piece – consisting of Florence Shaw, Lewis 

Maynard, Tom Dowse and Nick Buxton – have authoritatively 

planted their flag in the ground of a crowded London scene, 

setting about turning heads nationwide with a searching blend 

of spoken word and reassuring backbone of home-built riffs. 

Gearing up for a busy 2020, the band make their way to 

Liverpool on their first UK tour. Ahead of the stop here on 21st 

February, Elliot Ryder interrupted vocalist Florence Shaw’s 

day of personal admin to chat about her quantum leap into the 

spotlight, internet introspection and owning on-stage tension. 

PREVIEWS 

It’s been quite a mercurial transition for yourself, going from 

never playing a show, joining the band, recording two EPs and 

now about to start a full UK tour – all in the space of a year. 

Are there times where you have to ask yourself how all this 

has happened? 

Mentally I’m still catching up to it. It’s such a big change that 

I’m dealing with it one day at a time. There’s a lot more turmoil 

involved than you’d imagine. I’m quite an anxious person, really. 

Things like my routine, my plans and how I organise things – 

seeing that changing freaks me out. I’m one of those people 

where any small difference and I shut down a little bit. It’s 

definitely been a big challenge to reorient myself as performer. 

So is it a little strange to go from being an artist and lecturer 

to having to take phone interviews at 1pm on a Tuesday 

afternoon? 

When I was drawing, I was always talking about my work. The 

main difference is that it’s now much more personal. There’s 

something about speaking or singing or fronting a band that is 

more personality led. Visual art less so. It’s not so much about 

you. You make a drawing or image to detract attention from 

yourself, putting it onto a piece of paper or onto a wall. This is 

different because it is me. The voice is coming out of my body. 

It’s interesting to see the difference in the reaction that people 

have. To a certain extent there’s a lot of food for thought in terms 

of your actual personality and yourself and how you look as more 

of a product. That’s just the nature of performing in any field; it’s 

much more about your body. It’s frightening but also inspiring. 

Is there personal curation in your lyricism? You’ve previously 

harvested comments from YouTube, written an ode to Meghan 

Markle and questioned the cleanliness of budget hotel carpets. 

Or is it more a conduit for reflecting and interpreting random 

fragments of society? 

Some songs are very carefully curated where I’ll have a whole 

heap of collected words that I’ll comb through really carefully, 

and almost colour code things so they align to different themes, 

finding phrases that speak to that theme. Sometimes it’s just 

how words sound. It’s much less a specific story idea. More 

so something that sounds funny or unexpected. It’s a bit of 

everything and changes over time. 

Do you find similarities in your other artistic practices when 

writing lyrics? 

Like any kind of drawing, the way I feel about making images 

and putting the words together, is kind of the same. Anyone 

making something is trying to solidify how they see the world in 

an object that they’ve made. Everyone has their own point view, 

their own personal TV show of how they see the world. Making 

a reflection of it on paper or in words is so reassuring. When 

I write the words, I’m trying to encapsulate what the world 

appears like to me – for comfort, essentially. To feel less alone. To 

feel reassured, if that makes any sense at all. 

So is dictating these feelings a form of coping mechanism for 

the constant barrage of messages and signals that surround us? 

Some people are quite soft and have 

one layer less of skin. Some people 

find it easier to let things bounce 

off them. I’m definitely not one of 

those people. I’m quite a raw nerve, 

and in any environment I would feel 

fairly inundated by thoughts, just 

because I’m an over-thinker and 

I attach meanings to things that I 

probably shouldn’t. The lyricism is 

sort of like talking to myself, talking 

myself down off a ledge. I’m making 

sense of things, obviously not in a 

straightforward way. It’s also like 

reaching out, testing the waters, 

asking if anyone knows what the hell 

I’m on about. That’s actually been one of the nice things about 

the band – people do relate to the words. It surprises me at first, 

because I see it as a random collection of phrases. But when I 

put it all together, I start to see something in it. It’s quite intuitive. 

I think the social media age provides us with pockets of 

absurdity that communities coalesce around, an example 

being YouTube comments, something which you’ve fed into 

your lyricism. It’s almost like these spaces are a deep pool of 

introspection beyond tangible judgement. 

When I find things that I want to include in songs, it’s almost 

GIG 

“I’m trying to 

encapsulate what the 

world appears like 

to me - for comfort 

essentially” 

DRY CLEANING 

Shipping Forecast – 21/02 

The South London four-piece leave the door ajar to their homely space 

where the walls are coloured by a collage of introspective absurdity. 

always because I’m moved by them. Even if that’s just the act 

of someone putting something personal on the internet under a 

video, it says something about somebody who might not have 

a lot of outlets, or maybe there isn’t anyone to talk to at that 

moment, so they throw it out into the abyss. I find something 

moving about that. I think people can relate to that too, as though 

they’ve just told a stranger at a party something very personal. 

I feel like YouTube comments are a 

little bit like that. It is anonymous, in 

that you’re telling people who don’t 

know you at all. There’s something 

very valuable in that. But at the same 

time, they can be so crude and so, 

so nasty and vitriolic. And you know, 

I’m sometimes moved by those too, 

because who are these people and 

why do they need to be doing it? 

When I see the really nasty comments, 

it fills me with empathy, because I just 

think, ‘What a tortured soul’. 

You recall being slightly hesitant 

when being asked to be lead vocalist 

of the band. Do you think it’s this shy reluctancy that places 

you in the position to be a compelling observer when collating 

lyrics? 

I think it has. When I joined, I thought, ‘OK, crap, I’m going to 

have to try and be a front-person in a band – at some point I’m 

going to have to work out how to move, how to be a performer’. 

But I said to myself, ‘I’ll do that side of things in a bit, but for 

now I’ll just get through it and do it the best I can, and if I look 

nervous then I’ll just look nervous. I’ll just embrace whatever I 

can manage’. I thought that would develop into an all-singing, 

all-dancing persona, which I now realise is completely unrealistic, 

and not me at all. Now I’ve just leaned into that first version a 

bit more. I’m still learning how to be on a stage. The best way 

I’ve found is to make yourself feel as at home as possible and 

to get out of your head. Just be myself. Just be an observer and 

remain quite physically shy. 

You’re owning the tension in a way. 

Yeh, that’s a good way of putting it. 

It’s interesting the way you mention the home environment 

on stage. I think there’s a strong sense of home in the 

atmosphere of Dry Cleaning, something which you can 

draw from the tight repetition of the instrumentals and the 

titling of the second EP, which emerged from practices in 

your bassist’s mum’s house. How much does comfort and 

familiarity sculpt the world of Dry Cleaning? 

The whole thing started in Lewis’ family home, and maybe it’s 

because we’re all bit older than most bands breaking through, 

but we’ve come to a place where we really value home, and 

not doing things because of expectation. We’ve outgrown the 

social pressure to do certain things, or act a certain way. That 

has a lot to do with feeling comfortable in your own skin. It’s 

definitely the theme that runs through our band. We look quite 

different as a group. We never said we need to adhere to a 

particular style, or we all need to dress a certain way. We just 

did our own thing and it worked out quite well. It owes a lot to 

just being at ease in our own skin and the homeliness of it all. ! 


Photography: Hanna-Katrina Jedrosz 

Dry Cleaning play The Shipping Forecast on Friday 21st 

February with support from Pozi. Sweet Princess and Boundary 

Road Snacks And Drinks are out now via It’s OK. 

PREVIEWS 

25

PREVIEWS 

Now into its eighth year, LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL has been well 

placed to observe the boom in contemporary jazz in the UK, and has delighted in 

pairing various exciting modern day innovators with some of jazz’s leading legends in 

its programming. It is testament to the festival’s brave booking that this year’s line-up 

offers something mouth-watering for jazz fans of all stripes. 

Among the new breed is energetic jazz collective CYKADA, the latest ensemble to emerge from 

London’s Total Refreshment Centre melting pot. Engaging with distant poles and analogue worlds, 

Cykada’s style fizzes with a host of eastern and western influences, not to mention interweaving 

narratives of intriguing beauty and devastation. Featuring members of Ezra Collective and Myriad 

Forest (among others), Cykada and their boundary-pushing approach kick off the festival, supported 

by Jazz North Introduces act YAATRI, a five-piece crossover quintet from in Leeds. 

LIJF’s Saturday finds itself in the presence of SARATHY KORWAR, leader of the UPAJ Collective and 

one of the most original voices within the UK jazz scene. Korwar began playing tabla from age of 10, 

while growing up in Ahmedabad and Chennai, India. However, due being born in the US, Korwar 

THEATRE 

NIGHT OF THE LIVING 

DEAD – REMIX 

Playhouse Theatre – 18/02-22/02 

Cykada 

FESTIVAL 

LIVERPOOL 

INTERNATIONAL 

JAZZ FESTIVAL 

Capstone Theatre – 27/02-03/03 

also found himself drawn to American music, including the likes of Ahmad Jamal and John Coltrane. 

Korwar’s set will draw from across his three studio albums, including 2019’s More Arriving, a highly 

percussive and honest reflection of Korwar’s experience of being an Indian in an increasingly divided 

Britain. 

Dutch innovators TIN MEN AND THE TELEPHONE (27th February) and Belgians BLOW 3.0 (29th 

February) add a touch of futurism to proceedings, and further fresh takes on jazz in all of its forms. 

The festival is closed out in slightly more traditional fashion on Sunday 3rd March by TONY KOFI 

QUARTET, with support from locals BLIND MONK THEORY?. The Quartet’s performance will 

mainly focus on saxophonist Kofi’s work with the legendary Ornette Coleman. After working with 

Coleman four years prior, Londoner Tony Kofi became inspired to create a collective consisting of 

world class musicians who were all touched and inspired by Coleman’s work. 

Individual event tickets and full festival passes can be found at ticketquarter.co.uk. 

capstonetheatre.com/jazzfestival 

In 1968, Night Of The Living Dead started out as a low-budget independent horror movie telling the 

story of seven strangers taking refuge from flesh eating ‘ghouls’ in an isolated farmhouse. 50 years 

on from the release of George A. Romero’s zombie cult classic, seven actors now recreate the eerily 

foreboding air that cloaks the room with that ominous sense of dread. 

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD – REMIX is the product of Imitating The Dog, masters of digital theatre and 

one of the UK’s most innovative theatre companies. Working through 1,076 edits in 95 minutes, the sevenstrong 

crew not only perform a shot-for-shot recreation of the film, they also film and stage it themselves 

in real time. Armed with cameras, costumes and defaced Barbie dolls, the cast attempt to stick close to the 

paranoia-driven theme of the much-loved film, yet allow space for spontaneity and ingenuity to dictate the 

balance of humour and apprehensive fear. 

Romero’s original was an apocalyptic vision of paranoia, ruminating on the breakdown of community and the 

end of the American dream. Pre-dating the zombie horror craze in cinema, Romero’s film favoured unsettling 

social commentary over shock and gore. Archive footage and imagery will be mixed in to the Remix, mirroring 

the original’s quasi-documentary style; additional newsreel projections will also focus on riots and the 

struggle of the civil rights movement that raged in the US at the time, adding layers of historical context that 

can be inferred from the film’s foreboding tone. 

This modern adaptation is a love song to the film, a remaking and remixing which attempts to understand 

the past in order not to have to repeat it. It is in turns humorous, terrifying, thrilling, thought provoking and 

joyous; but, above all, in the retelling it becomes a searing parable for our own complex times. 

everymanplayhouse.com 

EVENT DISCOVERY PARTNER 

ticketquarter.co.uk 

26

GIG 

Alfa Mist 

Invisible Wind Factory – 29/02 

Alfa Mist 

Flourishing in the concrete landscape of East London, ALFA MIST 

uncovered a love for amalgamating elements of jazz and hip hop, a 

talent that marked him out as a singular talent on his moody 2015 

debut, Nocturne. A compound artist who enjoys genre hopping as 

much as he does sampling and splicing, Mist retains a love for the kind 

of urban soundscapes that remind him of his upbringing – mellow and 

reflective. Last year’s Structuralism, Mist’s third LP, finds the classically 

trained pianist in melancholic form, allowing improvisation – and 

the voice of his sister, speaking to him about society’s difficulty in 

communicating effectively – to lead the way. It’s only really in the live 

arena where the depths of Mist’s talents can be truly felt, charged as 

they are with intensely personal emotions. 

CLUB 

Eclair Fifi 

Meraki – 21/02 

Scottish DJ and visual artist Clair Stirling, ECLAIR FIFI, has become one of 

the UK’s most colourful DJs, the kind of selector you want at the helm when 

a party bursts into life. Having helmed residencies at Paris Social Club and 

Hoya:Hoya, she was instrumental in the growth of the LuckyMe parties 

in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Through her DJing and visual work, Eclair Fifi 

helped LuckyMe present a new vision of club music to techno-devoted 

Scottish ravers and forge relationships with like-minded crews globally. 

Evolving from Detroit techno to Italo disco to electro, she is a much indemand 

curator, hosting stages at The Warehouse Project and Amsterdam 

Dance Event in recent years. The intimate confines of Meraki, then, will be 

like an old school party, and one that is sure to sell out. 

Eclair Fifi 

GIG 

Psycho Comedy 

Phase One – 15/02 

PSYCHO COMEDY certainly believe that rock ’n’ roll needs saving, and their debut LP 

Performance Space Number One is the first part of their mantra that will convince you 

that they’re right. If you’re a fan of rock that chugs like The Stooges and shimmers like 

the Velvets, then you may well think this Scouse collective have done just that. Powered 

by frontman Shaun Powell’s Lou-meets-Mavers swagger, and Matthew Thomas Smith’s 

Fall-esque poetic outbursts, there’s a lot to love within the six-piece’s energy and squall. 

The collective release their debut effort on independent label Silver Machine Recordings 

on Valentine’s Day, and you can win a date with guitarist Jack Thompson by picking up the 

record at the Phase One launch show. 

GIG 

Gill Landry 

Philharmonic Hall – 18/02 

Once a busker on the streets of New Orleans, now a two-time Grammy 

award-winning singer-songwriter; it just goes to show that determination 

and an undying confidence in your abilities pays off. Multi-instrumentalist 

GILL LANDRY has lent his notoriously full-toned vocals to work with Laura 

Marling, Karen Elson and The Felice Brothers, and his brand new Skeleton 

At The Banquet album comes out like a series of reflections and thoughts on 

the collective hallucination that is America. Whether you resonate with his 

sweet Southern blues or not, Landry’s capability to capture and analyse the 

complexities of human reflection is enough to observe his live craft in action. 

CLUB 

Extra Soul Perception 

Africa Oyé @ 24 Kitchen Street – 24/02 

Extra Soul Perception 

A collaboration of funk beats and jazz bops, EXTRA SOUL PERCEPTION is a project exploring new 

tangents in soul. Merging eight talents from the UK and East Africa, ESP is led by an open-minded 

approach to harmonising different sounds, techniques and traditions. Returning from a writing camp 

in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, the artists – comprised of vital figures in the new wave London jazz and 

soul scenes and renowned visionary musicians from Kenya and Uganda – are stepping forth to 

challenge the preconceptions of a long-established genre. The ESP album will land in April, but for 

now the group are armed and ready for their exclusive three-day tour, that has its finale underneath 

Kitchen Street’s disco ball. 

GIG 

The Big Moon 

O2 Academy – 28/02 

“I’m so bored of being capable, I need somewhere to be vulnerable,” sings Juliette 

Jackson on It’s Easy Then, the opening track from the London quartet’s second album 

Walking Like We Do. This opening is a pretty obvious sign that the group are at a 

thematic crossroads, favouring an honest strain of lyricism over the more love songorientated 

tone of their debut LP. This is coupled with more of a rounded, lush sound 

on the new album that sees the band leaning more towards the pop than the punk, 

which isn’t overly surprising for a group so obsessed with the glam of 90s boy bands 

and Britpop. And, given the success that Haim and Hinds have had in this area in 

recent years, you can fully expect to see and hear a lot more from THE BIG MOON as 

the year progresses. 

The Big Moon 

PREVIEWS 

27

REVIEWS 

Aldous Harding (Keith Ainsworth / arkimages.co.uk) 

“When a solo line 

cuts in, the stillness is 

quickly weaponised, 

as if you’re stepping 

out of a fine mist 

into a concentrated 

jet stream” 

Aldous Harding 

Harvest Sun @ Arts Club – 04/12/19 

As the cinematic house music fades, a lone figure slips 

through the stage curtains. Without making a sound, ALDOUS 

HARDING approaches the mic and reaches for her classical 

acoustic guitar. The main feature is now in session. 

Over the past few years the New Zealand singer-songwriter 

has developed a significant cult buzz for her fiercely unique 

live shows, with 2017’s Party and 2019’s Designer (released 

on 4AD) opening her up to a far wider audience. Cryptic and 

capricious, her songwriting shifts between neo-folk torch songs 

and queasy alt.pop, prone to flashbacks of Gorky’s Zygotic 

Mynci-inspired Welsh psychedelia (so, it’s no wonder she’s found 

a kindred spirit in bandmate and partner, H. Hawkline). This, 

paired with her deeply intense stage presence, makes Harding 

impossible to ignore. 

The first thing you notice is Harding’s look. Her most recent 

music videos have paid homage to surrealist filmmaker Alejandro 

Jodorowsky, though tonight she emerges looking like the ghost 

of a Victorian sailor. Her mother was a Canadian folk singer and 

puppeteer, perhaps explaining the curious manner that she stalks 

the stage, heavily reminiscent of Hunky Dory-era Bowie, with 

some The Man Who Fell To Earth humanoid awkwardness mixed 

in. Between songs she’s painfully slow, deliberate and mindful 

of every action. During the first two acoustic tracks, I’m So 

Sorry and Living The Classics, her eyes roll back and her cheeks 

crumple into a grimace, as her voice curls in on itself. At times she 

looks perplexed or hesitant, as if performing at gun-point. 

Yet, somehow, Harding’s theatrics never feel contrived. 

Her angular, Theresa May Dancing Queen limbs and surgical 

precision simply appear a natural, uncoloured extension of the 

music. I’ve never witnessed anyone work silence like her, either. 

Everything is laid bare to the point that watching her can often 

feel highly uncomfortable. Holding your breath, she wordlessly 

commands your attention. There’s nowhere to hide. Small talk, 

standard conventions, it all slips away. 

With Harding the underlying pain and absurdity at the centre 

of everything is worn on the outside. What’s on the surface might 

look peculiar at first, is soon recognisable as something much 

more familiar. In her weird, wounded and confounding way you 

see something of yourself. Uniquely exposed, she sings directly to 

our collective oddness. 

On the rare occasion she does speak, she attempts an 

explanation. After the stagnant beauty of What If Birds Aren’t 

Singing They’re Screaming, she admits, “I know I’m not known for 

my smiley, easy going presence. Everybody’s different,” adding in, 

“two things can be real”. A few songs before she says, “I’m quiet 

because I am focused. I’m not closed. I am open,” finishing with a 

grin. During the song Designer, Harding reels off lines like a fedup 

fashionista, adding extra emphasis to “Give up your beauty”, 

as if she’s dropping a heavy clue. 

Each arrangement is treated with just the same delicacy as 

well. Sparse and subtle, notes linger, suspended like dust motes. 

Guitarists lean back, sitting out of entire songs. In Zoo Eyes 

when a solo line does cut in, the stillness is quickly weaponised, 

as if you’re stepping out of a fine mist into a concentrated jet 

stream. Hitting the chorus, the song’s thick pad of harmonies 

feels like a huge pay-off. Treasure exercises the same restraint. 

Harding’s eyes flicker before the hook, bringing her back to us, 

as if its serene tide was about to pull her out for good. Band and 

audience both quietly attentive, all equally invested; it seems to 

drive the music deeper. 

During the jumbled shuffle of The Barrel, three friends dance, 

peaches bobbing in their hands above the crowd (referring to 

lyrics: “Look at all the peaches, how do you celebrate”). Harding’s 

previously described the song as “serious, but seriously happy”, 

which adds up, being as joyful as it is abstract and open-ended. 

New tune Old Peel follows suit. Harding plays a mug with a 

drumstick while yelping at the crowd as they ape back. It’s quite 

the contrast to the sincere, heartsick march of penultimate track 

Imagining My Man. Yet, here’s Harding at her most pure and 

paradoxical; still singing, sashaying and clattering at her coffee 

cup as the Titanic goes down. ! 

David Weir / @BetweenSeeds 

Aldous Harding (Keith Ainsworth / arkimages.co.uk) 

28

Eurosonic Noorderslag 

Various venues, Groningen – 15/01-17/01 

New year’s resolutions are there to be broken. As noble as 

the intentions may be behind detoxing and treadmills, if we’re 

being honest, they aren’t much fun. So maybe we’re just getting 

it all wrong? Maybe our 2020 resolution should instead constitute 

a steadfast commitment to discovering as much new music as 

possible. That’s surely something we can get on board with, 

right? 

As a point of dedicated initiation to this year of audio 

adventuring, Groningen’s EUROSONIC NOORDERSLAG festival 

– sat plumb on the nose of January – is there to set us off on the 

right track. And, as Europe’s leading festival of new music, it 

sounds like shit loads more fun than kale smoothies and burpees. 

A programme of industry talks and panels, with the added 

exercise of cycling between the offering of over 400 live acts, is a 

cocktail much more enticing in the dry month of January. 

So, boosted by the idea of a resolution we may actually be 

able to keep, we set the controls for the heart of the new music 

universe and jump on a plane and head for the Netherlands. 

After a break-neck sprint through Groningen, we arrive just 

in time to catch YIN YIN, who are on a mission to reclaim the 

twin-neck guitar from Derek Smalls. This Maastricht four-piece 

could easily be Allah-Las’ Balearic-infused brothers, fusing 

lackadaisical, dusty soundscapes with Korg-heavy dancefloor 

grooves. Think Nippon Guitars receiving the Andrew Weatherall 

treatment. They’re almost as cool as their crushed velvet kaftans. 

Fans of Goat, take note. 

Thanks to the Dutch cargo bike we’ve commandeered for the 

trip (when in Rome and all that), we seemingly manage to be in 

two places at once, catching both SIR WAS and Liverpool’s own 

EYESORE & THE JINX within the space of an hour. 

Sir Was’s In The Midst – in all its Porcelain Raft and Washed 

Out looseness – is one of our current favourite cuts, rediscovered 

of late (by this correspondent at least) after it passed us by on 

its 2017 release. Live, it is a real treat, receiving a high-energy 

make-over. In their typically understated, unassuming Swedish 

way, Sir Was could quietly cause quite a fuss. 

Almost 12 months to the day since gracing the front cover 

of these pink pages, Eyesore & The Jinx are one of the hottest 

shows tonight at Eurosonic. It feels like an important, crowning 

moment in the Eyesore journey. The school canteen that has 

been appropriated for their show is busting at the doors and they 

perform with their characteristic, seemingly unflappable purpose 

and poise. We are, however, hit with the grim realisation that On 

An Island – in its lament of the narrow-minded and nauseating 

pigheadedness of little England – has an all-together more 

sinister undercurrent in 2020 than it did on its release. Performed 

here, at a festival celebrating the joy of creative European 

collaboration, as Britain simultaneously sails off into the Brexit 

abyss, it is afforded a further lacquer of despair. 

JUNIOR BROTHER is about as trad-Irish as Richard Dawson 

is trad-folk. Here is an artist shaped by a storied songbook, 

who simultaneously torches it. Set within an exquisite, ornately 

baroque, underground lair, this is as punk, as soulful, as visceral 

as it gets. 

Punk, soulful, visceral could just as equally form the byline 

for KAUKOLAMPI. Spawned from this parish’s favourite Finnish 

house/metal combo K-X-P, this side-project is dark techno, 

Blanck Mass-brutal, yet wouldn’t seem out of place leathering the 

dancefloor in the Cream annex. 

Heavily oiled, we are now a hazardous two-wheeled road 

user. It seems these wide Dutch handlebars get wobblier by the 

schooner. Still, no excuse for the near fatal cross-town seater 

that is deployed to get to KO SHIN MOON. These are a French 

duo who borrow from across the spectrum like a backpacker’s 

sonic scrapbook, creating a synth-laden mix, perfect for fans of 

Klaus Johann Grobe. It is worth the near-death experience. 

We are by now convinced that Eurosonic is the best music 

discovery festival we’ve been to. Groningen is tiny and – aided 

by our trusty if heavily bruised bicycle – so easy to jump between 

venues. Nowhere is more than a five-minute pedal away and, 

with cycle lanes, no hills to traverse and a pedestrianised centre, 

it is perfect for venue hopping. How they pack around 30 official 

venues (the unofficial fringe is even bigger) into a town centre 

the size of Chester is plainly ridiculous. This is music nut heaven. 

CHARLOTTE ADIGÉRY has been honing her craft under the 

tutelage of Soulwax – releasing on their DeeWee imprint – and 

shares her Belgian compatriots’ immaculate sense of tough 

dancefloor sensibility and unadulterated pop mega-hooks. 

She’s a ready to go, box-fresh, bonafide pop star, who is clearly 

equally at home delivering 4am bangin’ club sets as she is at 

tastemaker festivals. Despite the fact Huize Maas is bursting at 

the seams and bopping along to every bleep, yelp and bass drop, 

she screams for more from her audience. “Are you with me? This 

is a showcase, but you are allowed to dance! Give me more!” 

Charlotte has high standards. 

One aspect Eurosonic seem to nail 

consistently is presenting artists in spaces 

that perfectly suit their oeuvre. This is a 

lovingly curated festival. Belfast’s KITT 

PHILIPPA benefits from this approach 

beautifully as we bear witness to 45 

minutes of the most joyous, fragile, 

soulful wonderfulness, set within 

the intimate chapel that is Lutherse 

Kerk. Blending a classical virtuosity, 

gorgeously crafted songs and spacious 

arrangements; think Anna Calvi sat 

at the piano, making all your dreams 

come true. 

If Lutherse Kerk was a delicate 

chapel of joy, in the hands of 

KEELEY FORSYTH the vast 

octagonal Nieuwe Kerk is a 

cathedral of nightmares. But the 

kind of nightmares you hope 

to have every single night. 

Heralded as “the new Scott 

Walker” by The Guardian last 

month, Forsyth presents a 

series of musical stone tablets 

that are possibly the most 

visceral, angst-laden laments 

we have experienced in 

years. The minimal baritone 

guitar, piano and violin 

arrangements, with 

their dramatic skyline of 

mountainous crescendos, 

are just sensational. Alongside this, Keeley Forsyth’s performance 

is a physical act; she contorts and shifts as if each passage is an 

exorcism, a cleansing and cathartic experience. Something of an 

unlikely highlight, but if we were to select a Eurosonic standout, 

it would be this. 

And, with that, our adventure here is done. We have 

completely fallen in love with Eurosonic, with Groningen and with 

new acts numerous times over each night. Surely these are the 

New Year’s resolutions worth keeping, right? ! 

Craig G Pennington 

“How they pack around 

30 official venues into 

a town centre the size 

of Chester is plainly 

ridiculous. This is 

music nut heaven” 

Yin Yin (Bart Heemskerk) 

Eurosonic Noorderslag (Bart Heemskerk) 

REVIEWS 29

REVIEWS 

Fontaines D.C. 

EVOL @ O2 Academy – 20/11/19 

Fontaines D.C. (Tomas Adam) 

There’s nobody that follows music, that has an awareness of current scenes, that doesn’t know about 

FONTAINES D.C. by now. Certainly, it seems that Liverpool does. 

As you haul your weary body up the stairs of Liverpool Academy, among the throng of Wednesday night giggers, 

you pass the entrance to Academy Two – the room where they were originally booked to play. Tonight, that’s empty, 

and as you ascend the steepest bloody staircase on Merseyside and enter the heaving, sweaty confines of Academy 

One, the excitement is palpable. The bigger brother is packed to the rafters full of young and old, the converted and 

the curious as well as the hip. It seems Hotham Street is the only place to be tonight. 

It’s been a rush for this Dublin five-piece over the last 12 months. Their debut album Dogrel was nominated for 

whateverthemercurymusicprizeiscallednow, while BBC Radio 6 Music named it their album of the year. Most of this 

tour has been upgraded and those upgrades have sold-out, too. This is a moment that we are in here, especially 

when Fontaines’ Dublin scenester mates are also doing impeccably well, too. If you are reading this and DON’T go 

to see The Murder Capital in town on 25th February then shame on you, as they too reinvigorate the live guitar punk 

aesthetic. And Girl Band’s new album is immense, etc, etc. 

They part stumble, part stroll onto the stage, ignoring the sweat that’s pouring down the walls. The beauty 

of our very own Academy is that it can still resemble a ‘tiny’ venue when the band dictates. This seems to be the 

way tonight, and the band respond by throwing themselves into the set at full tilt. There’s no banter, or hellos, or 

interaction, just a visceral dive into replicating the album live. Get in and get out with a minimum of fuss. Frontman 

Grian Chatten is proving to be the frontman that this generation deserves. An amalgamation of Curtis, E. Smith and 

Reznor he lurks at the front of the band, shaking his hands and twitching at all times. It isn’t nerves, he is just trying 

to fill his time before it’s his turn to fill yours. 

Hurricane Laughter is the bass-driven opener and, as virtually every song on the album has an anthemic feel 

to it, is an indication of how the set will play out. The beauty of seeing a band at this point in their career is how the 

songs have been performed so many times they are relaxed, knowing mistakes are rare and performance is the key. 

“There’s no connection available,” screams Grian, arms flailing and silver pendant flying about his torso. Sha Sha Sha 

possesses a degree of funk about its build up with guitars and power chords. Television Screens is the midpoint and 

the most dramatic song, as Grian’s chopped vocals hint at melody as he’s actually singing to the hundreds of hands 

poking through the quiet white light that crawls from the stage. From this point on it’s bedlam. 

“I love that violence that you get around here, that ready, steady violence…” Liberty Belle comes hurtling off 

the stage and hits the mosh pit with such a bang you feel the shakes at the back of the room. The younger element 

are going hyper now and it’s not the bev talking. So when Boys From The Better Land starts the entire room starts 

moving. Everyone here is at one with the future sound of Dublin, limbs and vocal chords splayed for all to see. It’s 

obvious they finish on album opener Big. The crescendo of confidence raising what’s left of the old abattoir’s roof. 

This band are genuinely fantastic and deserve every plaudit chucked their way. We’ve had two amazing 

performances in town by them over the last 12 months and there’s nothing to say they won’t be back again soon, 

please. 

Ian R. Abraham / @scrash 

John Head 

+ Roy 

St George’s Hall – 06/12/19 

The drive in to St George’s Hall, from the north end at least, has suddenly 

become a thing of genuine wonder. 

The sudden absence of that monstrous flyover exposes the end face of the 

museum, shows us the direct route to the tunnel, opens up the entire entrance 

to town and presents a grandeur that we kind of knew was always there but 

had taken for granted. 

It could be easy to take JOHN HEAD for granted. It probably has been easy 

for very many people to take John Head for granted for a very long time; easy 

to view him as a junior partner in his elder brother’s adventure. The George to 

Mick’s Lennon and McCartney in Shack’s storied tale. (And to totally misquote 

Steve Coogan’s portrayal of Anthony H. Wilson: “If you don’t know who Shack 

were then that’s fine but you should probably listen to more music.”) 

Let’s assume that everybody here is more than familiar with Shack, with 

The Pale Fountains, with all the stories, and not bother repeating them all for 

the millionth time. 

As I’m leaving the hall later I overhear conversations (I write, that’s what I 

do, what we all do, we listen to you speak, all of you, all the time). 

“Are you glad you came then?” 

“Oh yeah.” 

“Well, he was always kind of second fiddle…” 

And that’s kind of true. A phenomenal guitarist, we all knew that. A 

beautiful voice. A dazzling song here and there, slipped into Shack albums, a 

Cornish Town, a Miles Apart, a Butterfly, a Carousel. All gorgeous, all shining in 

their own right. All present tonight. 

There’s a moment that gives the lie to the sentiment halfway though John’s 

set, though. We’ll come to that. First we need to talk support. 

And tonight’s support is ROY, the local legend who may possibly not be 

operating under his real name to deliver his tales of dark whimsy. We know 

what we’re getting with Roy now; streams of consciousness that take place in a 

fantasy underworld version of Walton filled with larger than life plots that may 

or may not (mostly may not) have their roots in truth. 

That’s not what we get. Not until the end where there’s something that 

may or may not be a ghost story about betting shops and chippies. What 

we get tonight is THE CIRCUS MINDS. The man called Roy accompanied by 

somebody on guitar who might not be operating under the name of NICK 

ELLIS tonight, but doesn’t half play like him. We’re out of story mode and into 

something that might (or might not) be poetry. They’re the meeting point 

between Allen Ginsberg, Half Man Half Biscuit and John Fahey that you hadn’t 

realised you needed until now. 

John Head though. We’re here for John. Only a few months since his 

sudden re-emergence at two very quickly sold-out Parr Street Studio2 dates, 

the man is now selling out St George’s Hall’s Small Concert Room. A beautiful 

setting for a beautiful sound. 

There are things I think about the sound. Sinuous, that’s one. Dreamlike, 

obviously. Pastoral. Bucolic. Acoustic. Very much acoustic. One guitar, one 

bass, a keyboard, drums, two pieces of brass. There’s some jazz in there, too. 

Some late-60s folk. There are beautifully fractured rhythms. There’s space. 

There’s lots of space. And everything supports the songs, supports the vocals. 

And the vocals are beautiful. 

The band number six, then four, then three, then one. Whatever they 

number, the emphasis is always on the vocals, filling the marbled hall with 

ridiculous clarity. 

I think of Fred Neil, Tims Hardin and Buckley; once I think of Nick Drake, but 

only once and only briefly. Mark Hollis comes to mind because of all that air in 

the music, John Martyn for the same reason and the version of Van Morrison 

that made Astral Weeks. 

None of theses names arise as influence. We’re not talking influence, we’re 

talking lineage. There are songs from the fabled, mythical John Head solo 

album that might or might not exist in the real world but is certainly present 

enough for those assembled to sing along with 1967 and Crocodile. And there 

are new songs. 

Which is where the moment comes in. 

“I’ve got a new idea that I’ve been working on,” he says as he takes a solo 

moment mid-set. “It’s a bit rough and ready, but if you’re OK with that?” 

The quote may not be exact because the next five minutes wipe the room 

out. The next five minutes of just John and vocal might be the most impossible, 

most staggeringly beautiful thing you’ve ever heard. And, given that the 

mythical solo album has never really made its way to the real world, we have 

no idea whether we’ll ever hear it again. A song so perfect that people forget 

to raise their phones. There may be no record of this song, it may have existed 

only for this moment. But this moment was perfect. 

And that’s the kind of night this was: magic and beauty and silence and joy. 

A night of genuine wonder. 

Ian Salmon / @IanRSalmon 

John Head (Paul McCoy / @photomccoy) 

30

Rhiannon Giddens 

& Francesco Turrisi 

Grand Central Hall – 28/11/19 

“It’s a really weird time to be alive right now,” states 

RHIANNON GIDDENS, soberly, as she wraps up her set at Grand 

Central Hall. The laughter and applause that has flowed so freely 

all evening, now levels out to a nervous silence. On the eve of 

an election, up against the relentless noise of propaganda and 

the blathering of insidious agents, plain speaking of this kind can 

catch you off guard. 

Giddens’ career has never shied away from the political. Her 

work with revivalists Carolina Chocolate Drops paid tribute to 

every imaginable facet of African American music. This year’s 

outstanding Songs of Our Native Daughters project pushed this 

sense of racial politics further in its aim “to tell forgotten stories of 

the African diaspora in North America, with its women upfront”, 

as Jude Rogers wrote last February. In light of recent scenes, 

tonight’s performance feels particularly resonant. 

Joined by jazz multi-instrumentalist and partner FRANCESCO 

TURRISI and Jason Sypher on upright bass, the trio display a 

remarkable scholarly approach and versatility as performers 

throughout. It’s impossible to keep up with their instrument 

hopping, as Turrisi, ever the showman, works every angle of his 

collection of dafs (frame drums). Their repertoire also spans an 

exceptionally wide canon of traditional music. 

From minstrel balladry to arias, howling vaudeville to the 

rattling delivery of a Gaelic tune; Celtic and North American 

material (like the austere Wayfaring Stranger) falls in alongside 

little-known Middle Eastern, African and Italian folk songs. Yet, 

there’s still a distinct through line to the set. Giddens inhabits 

these songs, drawing similarities and the humanity from them 

with an unrivalled charismatic flair. 

Rallying against division and preaching kindness, it feels like 

both a multicultural masterclass and an explorative response to 

history as it continues to unfold. After the lovelorn Appalachian 

mountain ballad Pretty Saro, for their encore they throw their 

weight into gospel classic Up Above My Head. Tambourine held 

high like a baton passed down from the foremother of rock ’n’ roll, 

Sister Rosetta Tharpe herself, in the hands of Rhiannon Giddens, 

each strike sounds rebellion. 

David Weir / @BetweenSeeds 

Fat White Family 

+ Working Men’s Club 

+ Silent-K 

Harvest Sun @ Invisible Wind Factory – 26/11/19 

There’s a noticeable mix of ages in the audience tonight. This admittedly comes as something of a surprise before recalling FAT 

WHITE FAMILY’s magnetism as a politically charged, notoriously controversial collective active since their post-squatter days in 

London. 

To start we have SILENT-K. Dressed in bizarre safari-like uniform and featuring a synth player dressed as a beekeeper, the 

Liverpool band raise the audience’s spirits with their bright, catchy rock n roll sound. Even The Zutons’ Dave McCabe joins the band 

on stage to provide additional vocals, gaining a certain level of interest from the increasing onlookers. The upbeat and sprightly riffs 

lead by energetic frontman Chris Taylor succeed in taking the night off to a lively start. 

The final support act are the much talked-about WORKING MEN’S CLUB from Todmorden. Eager to make an impression on a 

FWF fan-dominated audience, fresh-faced frontman Sydney Minsky-Sargeant does his best Ian Curtis impression as he marches up 

and down the front of the stage with a rollie in his mouth. Donning a silk shirt, mullet and sideburns is Rob Graham (formerly of Wet 

Nuns) who expertly switches from drum machine to synth to guitar throughout the set. 

For a band actively trying to avoid wearing their ‘Manchester band’ tags so overtly, the New Order influences and Fall influences 

are still difficult to shake off. But the distinctive 80s synth melodies go down a storm with the crowd. The lasting result is impressive 

and causes quite a stir with the audience. 

Shuffling from the darkness with a Dickensian demeanour, Fat White Family appear like Fagin’s boys all grown-up as they 

stumble onto the stage armed with beers. It’s a strong start as the seven-piece launch into Auto Neutron from their debut 

Champagne Holocaust. It feels like a matter of seconds before frontman Lias Saoudi is over the rail and submerged into the crowd, 

instantly causing a frenzied atmosphere which is sustained throughout the entire set. Soft-spoken vocals and Brian Jonestown 

Massacre-tinged guitar melodies slowly build and unfold into chaotic distortion, resulting in Lias screaming and reeling around on the 

floor. 

Distinctively sleazy guitar riffs lull us into another FWF classic, I Am Mark E Smith, sounding more confident and chaotic than 

ever. Touch The Leather goes down a treat, and is transformed into an unlikely singalong anthem, as the onlookers relish in singing 

Lias’ own tongue-in-cheek, seedy lines back to him as he wades his way through the crowd. Disco stomper Feet sounds like the 

anthem it truly is. With Lias perched shirtless on the rail looking intently out into the crowd, motioning his hands along to the 

Algerian-dance influenced sound like a demented composer, he’s looks on knowing his confidence in their performance is completely 

justified. 

The band members depart the stage halfway through the set to allow the cartoonish Saul Adamczewski lead on the vocals for 

a strangely moving rendition of Goodbye Goebbels. The addition of Alex White’s saxophone adds a late-night bar feel to the track. 

The rest of the band members return to the stage for the sinister When I Leave, which oozes the sophistication and prowess which 

pervade their latest album, Serfs Up!. 

Rounding off a triumphant set, FWF end on two sure-fire hits Whitest Boy On The Beach and Is It Raining in your Mouth? – 

both of which sound explosive tonight. “Five sweaty fingers with a criminal impatience,” yells Lias with demonic fury, recalling the 

savagery of Johnny Rotten as the band sweetly harmonise their backing vocals in juxtaposition. 

With a surprising lack of tracks from their latest record, the band instead give us the ultimate FWF set, reminding us of their 

formidable talent as musicians, and Lias’ ability as a songwriter. Decadent, danceable and at times downright dirty, their sound packs 

a punch this evening and the crowd leaves IWF brimming with awe. For a band riddled with controversies and (un)intentionally 

pissing people off, it feels like they gave it their everything to inspire a community spirit in Liverpool tonight. 

Deborah Bassett 

Fat White Family (@mrjohnlatham) 

Fat White Family (@mrjohnlatham) 

REVIEWS 31

^ 

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PLAYLIST 

Mac DeMarco 

Harvest Sun @ Mountford Hall – 28/11/19 

MAC DEMARCO remains the king on campus. It’s a title he’s 

held here for two years since he last bowled over Mountford 

Hall with his enduring charm. The wide-eyed hysteria buzzing 

around the university grounds only reaffirms this, well before 

his inimitable tremolo twang has coursed through the student’s 

union. 

Since his last appearance on this very stage, Mac’s musical 

output has somewhat wandered a new path. Somewhere quieter 

and less frantic. Conducting the crowd, hands first to the left, 

then the right, bobbing between the droplets of synth on On 

The Level, his entrance is at odds with the rocking chair calm of 

Here Comes The Cowboy – his most recent release. Even when 

here last, in support of This Old Dog, his records were branching 

away from the woozy tape-deck haze that had allured his now 

adoring fanbase. And yet, while the Canadian songwriter has 

retreated to the comfort of his LA home studio in recent years – a 

setting that’s undoubtedly enhanced the hushed, more personal 

direction – he still wears the on stage clothes of efforts two and 

three, II and Salad Days; the chain-smoking oddball with the 

most addictive guitar licks in town. It’s evidently the Mac the 

crowd wants to see. It’s the one they get, for the most part, albeit 

slightly better behaved than his track record would suggest. 

Cooking Up Something Good, Chamber Of Reflection and 

Freaking Out The Neighbourhood are near inaudible, such is the 

chorus of almost 2,000 people beating him to every word. 

Tracing the footsteps of his contemporary character on 

record, you wonder if the show is weighted how he’d like, now 

Astles 

+ Bill Nickson 

+ Abby Meysenburg 

St Brides – 14/12/19 

Mac DeMarco (@MrKirks) 

he’s five albums into his career. More so with a recent, but no 

less endearing, swerve in songcraft. Slower jams Still Beating 

and Nobody are dutifully played, but their unrushed beauty is 

liberally taken as short intermission by most. The swelling energy 

and attention is saved for the nicotine rush of Ode To Viceroy. 

New funk jam Choo Choo, a groove-laden evolution of his Rock 

And Roll Night Club era, just about keeps it all on track in a run of 

newer songs. 

Tossing the microphone around the stage, filling the spaces 

in the setlist with schoolyard jokes, the Mac persona still fits 

the 29-year-old performer front and centre. Not so much like a 

suited, booted and slicked back Alex Turner being forced to pop 

his collar and recall distant memories of South Yorkshire teen 

discos. Instead, Mac, visibly, still slots in to his lineage, even if 

his more contemporary efforts on stage tonight seem to drift 

into the perspiration lining the ceiling. But maybe that’s the 

point in these shows: Mac’s sought to move on musically, like all 

maturing musicians would. Yet, the joyous community so taken 

by his earlier records still remains. Maybe it’s even grown, such 

are the numbers he holds in his palm as Still Together reaches 

its harmonious climax. His music and personality endure in 

their ability to bring masses of people together. To still offer 

this out, when musical interests have likely sailed forward, 

perhaps signals his need for this community, too. Judging by 

the admiration shared on both sides of the stage, it would seem 

short-sighted to give it up now. Perhaps the artist puts it best: 

“Oh mama, actin’ like my life’s already over / Oh dear, act your 

age and try another year”. See you at the Uni reunion in two 

years, Mac. 

Elliot Ryder / @elliot_ryder 

“Two days after the 

the general election, 

these artists came 

together to display the 

restorative, cleansing 

power of music” 

Paul Fitzgerald 

ADD TO PLAYLIST is the monthly 

column brought to you by MELODIC 

DISTRACTION RADIO, delving into the 

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Subhana 

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hooks got picked up by the pre-eminent Habibi Funk 

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and jazz the attention it deserves, flicking through Habibi 

Funk’s SoundCloud and back catalogue is an afternoon 

very well spent. 

Ranga 

Kong 

Third Place Dance Discs 

If you’ve caught any of 

Liverpool’s live beats scene in 

the last couple of years, from 

Wide Open at the Bakery to 

the jazz-madness of the Reeds (RIP), RANGA will already 

be a familiar face. Often accompanied by homemade 

instruments or a roster of local vocalists, Ranga’s 

distinctive sound of afro-inspired house beats have a 

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of Kong, to the warped smoked-out Banga 2, the whole 

EP is an assured statement from the local gem. 

Tryphème 

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Lisa O’Neill (Tomas Adam) 

Synths, vocal processing 

and sentimental computer 

music collide in TRYPHÈME’s 

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palette – sounds are pulled in from IDM, 90s electronica, 

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maintains its composure, never feeling overwrought or 

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Words: Nina Franklin 

Astles (Keith Ainsworth / arkimages.co.uk) 

Melodic Distraction Radio is an independent internet radio 

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artists, DJs and producers from across the North West. 

Head to melodicdistraction.com to listen in. 

REVIEWS 

33

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ARTISTIC 

LICENCE 

This month’s selection of poetry is taken from J.P Walsh’s The Taxi 

Driver Sonnets – a collection of 15 poems offering a first-hand account 

of life at the wheel of hackney cab in Liverpool. 

My old English teacher in secondary school used 

to read Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky at the 

beginning of every lesson – whatever we were 

meant to be studying that day would be cast 

aside until his animated recital of the poem was finished. I 

think that was the first time a poem really affected me: there 

was something lawless and unusual about the words, which 

I didn’t understand, but knew I liked, which was of course 

helped by the enthusiastic reading. 

When it comes to my own writing, I’ve written stuff since 

my school days, mostly embarrassing old diary type of stuff that 

I wouldn’t let anyone else see, but which is interesting in its own 

way to look back on. When I was writing the sonnets, it was the 

first time I had paid close attention to things like poetic form, 

metre and rhyme, which was undoubtably due to me studying 

English at university and being forced to write numerous essays 

about these things. 

These sonnets and their subject were never actively pursued. 

Becoming a Hackney Cab driver was something I kind of fell 

into – I was returning to education as a mature student and my 

partner was also pregnant, so I needed something with flexible 

working hours to fit around both university and new parent life. 

I knew it would be its own kind of challenge, especially dealing 

with the late-night revellers on a Friday and Saturday night, and I 

wasn’t wrong. As anyone who has ever worked in the night-time 

economy will know, patience is the greatest asset you can have 

when dealing with people who are quite often out of their mind. 

My initial idea was that each individual sonnet in the 

sequence would act as a different cab journey. I think the length 

of the traditional fourteen-lines suits the telling of anecdotes, and 

the challenges of finding some freedom within the constraints of 

the form forced me to be creative. If I was going to be a syllable 

out on a particular line it had to be with good reason, which 

wouldn’t necessarily be a problem in a lot of modern poetry that 

has a radical free-verse aesthetic. But to me, in what I was trying 

to achieve, it definitely would have been. In a way, the closed 

nature of the form reflects the taxi vehicle itself – the confinement 

of the frame does not necessarily restrict strange things from 

happening within it. 

Poetry is a great medium through which we can understand 

and interpret our local landscape, and for me personally, it’s 

something which I will always turn to for insights and alternative 

perspectives on the world. There was a great series called 

Keep It In The Ground a few years ago, in which a poem a day 

was published in The Guardian that dealt with the theme of 

climate change. The poems themselves didn’t catch any CO2, 

but the series did raise issues pertinent to historical arguments 

about poetry’s importance. For Percy Shelley, the poet is the 

unacknowledged legislator of the world, while for W.H. Auden, 

poetry is ultimately ineffectual, “surviving in the valley of its 

making where executives would never want to tamper”. I’m an 

optimistic person, so I’m more inclined to side with Shelley. ! 

Words: J.P Walsh / @WalshPoet 

Illustration: Hannah Blackman-Kurz / @Hbkurz 

1. 

Home, prior to shift. Fated to conjoin 

Travel with salubrious citizens. 

Muse streetwise for the well-healed resident. 

Rank with the knowledge for affluent loin. 

The hackney door shows little prejudice, 

Passing with coin chauffeur’s primary ask. 

Plastic refused swipe erosion of tax. 

Posing civic environs credulous. 

“I love you daddy” sweet prelude for now: 

Tempers unease distracts foresight ahead. 

Grafters oil engines we stutter and glow. 

Coffee sparks headlight jump releases from debt. 

Job warrants patience; cab bent on smooth road, 

Driver needs sustenance regardless of load. 

4. 

Debonair theatre goers peaceful. 

Coles Corner sails liquid ooze from speaker. 

Twilight cherishes cultural seeker, 

Touch genial elegance disarmful. 

Apparelled in smiles the languid scholar, 

Points at buildings measured magnificent. 

Exalted standing no equivalent, 

Of artful life brushed human colour. 

Fashion and laughter, high gastronomic, 

Cosmopolitan waif, stride harmonic, 

Animate poet, free economic, 

Tempting irony confuse sweet comic. 

“Good evening, sir, to the Radisson, please,” 

She’s a famous director, glances with ease. 

3. 

Guilty culprit fire ravenous diesel. 

Benign care for extinction rebellion. 

Forecast out of synch. Bold science replaced 

Religion’s monopolised upheaval. 

The imagined end seductive. Peering 

Apocalypse heralds gut dire. Bonnet 

Rumbles gothic, renders air sardonic. 

Road fog disperses demented clearing. 

Sun electricity galvanise hope. 

“Sure is strange weather we’re having lately”, 

Small-talk acquires sinister enlarged scope. 

People comprehend fracture innately. 

My footprint cemented, pain avowed, 

Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds? 

36

7. 

I was naïve in unlocking the doors, 

Released, they fled – gazelles captured by night, 

Light-heeled teens do runner, cackle, take flight. 

Young sprites on toes, like dust not touch the floor. 

“Eh, mate, drop me at High Green hospital, 

Then she’s carrying on”. God, I’m stupid, 

An obvious place that’s escape routed, 

Maybe the high green smell from their satchel 

Had me all diluted. Wistful wry smile: 

Ran too, myself, when flushed impetuous. 

What’s exactly being put on trial? 

Obstinate little scoundrels lack fairness? 

Youth lives poised in every unwatched moment, 

Truth will never compromise on payment. 

15. 

Home, shift enacted. Hackneyed. Morning 

Pockets the drained night. Germinated notes 

Fatten wallet, profitability gloats. 

Honest Sunday sings wine to its roaming. 

Pent mid cloisters wears dim upon my face. 

“Don’t need to be a rocket scientist 

To drive a cab”. Ain’t you the evangelist. 

Emotion pours in the absence of grace. 

Sweeps’ snaffling brush cleanses the streets. 

Someday a real rain gonna come! Stragglers 

Pass windows praying for sheets, 

And everywhere scum rides on. 

For now I sleep, aware of the racket, 

Poetry pays, keyed alternate chromatic. 

13. 

Stubble chopped men importuning a ride: 

“Take us to a whore house please, pal.” Volumed. 

I cash the beast: once flagged, don’t obtrude, 

Urge the pursuit, breathe the sunken pride. 

Double my money in half the time; 

A mediator in an ancient trade. 

Bring them to Tearsheet stewing and unmade. 

Sober corked slime we convolute crime. 

Anaesthetised, innocent seeking, yet 

Steely hackster she is, “pay upfront or 

Nobody goes upstairs”. Jostle, abet, 

Transact with the whore orgasmic and pure. 

My family feels the benefit, true, 

I can study more, imagine I’ve grew. 

ARTISTIC LICENCE 

37

Blow 3.0 

Tin Men and The 

Telephone 

Tony Kofi Quartet 

Cykada 

Sarathy Korwar 

Martin Archer’s 

Anthropology Band 

Moonmot 

Hippo 

Beyond Albedo 

Blind Monk Theory? 

Yaatri 

Liverpool 

Saxophone 

Day 2020 

27 Feb - 1 Mar 2020 

King Creosote 

Performing a live accompaniment to the film 

From Scotland with Love 

Monday 16th March 

Bridgewater Hall, Manchester 

Peggy Seeger 

Festival tickets and tickets 

to individual events available 

For full details and box office please visit: 

www.thecapstonetheatre.com/jazzfestival/ 

Monday 18th May 

Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool 

@Ceremonyconcert / facebook.com/ceremonyconcerts 

ceremonyconcerts@gmail.com / seetickets.com

goes back to 

12 TH APRIL 

LIVERPOOL

Issue 107 / February 2020

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