Lucky Beaches Stignoise Battles Dead Cities Liverpool ... - Bido Lito!

Issue 17
November 2011
Lucky Beaches
Stignoise
Battles
Dead Cities
Liverpool Music
Week
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Lucky Beaches by Luke Avery

Editorial
I’d like to try and pass the blame for this editorial being late onto the
two-year-old labradoodle that Bido Lito! Towers managed to acquire from
my jet-set mother this week, but that would be a little unfair (though
having to take regular breaks from proofing to wrestle a zebra from his
mouth doesn’t help). It was more down to having a little bit too much of
a good time; as weekends go, that was a good un. Tranmere managed
to convincingly outwit a challenging Oldham side in the Merseyside/
Manchester clash of the weekend, with Everton loanee Jose Baxter
providing an accomplished performance tucked in just behind Enoch
Showumni (blues will be glad to hear that he’s coming on nicely, once he
learns to put his foot in he’ll be a half decent player). The victory was made
even sweeter by the fact that after the game I spent the evening with The
Northern Boy, an Oldham fan, at The Warehouse Project (unfortunately a
dicky starter motor meant he missed the game...and saved his blushes).
The trip over to Store Street was to take in The Warehouse Project bill
curated by The The Horrors, and this show confirmed to me that the band have
truly established themselves musically as one of the key pillars of their
generation. generation. The The show provided an awe-inspiring awe-inspiring spectacle, with the the group
blossoming in the stark, post-industrial post-industrial settings. It felt like watching watching a a
show on the set of Metropolis (save the £3.80 can of Bud) and and suited The The
Horrors’ synthesizer-aided psychedelic kinetic-anti-groove gorgeously. gorgeously. We We
await their upcoming sold out Kazimier Kazimier show with tangible excitement.
That sold out show marks the start of this year’s Liverpool Music
Week festivities. Turn to page eighteen for a full run down of all
this year’s shows, including a scintillating run of free gigs at MOJO
and the Contemporary Urban Centre Closing Party, the latter of which
looks set to be one of the standout nights of the year.
It would be impossible to open this month’s magazine without mention
of the proposed cuts to BBC Radio Merseyside. The latest chapter in The Big
Society comes in the form of breaking down local BBC radio stations, ours
which has the largest listener figures outside London. True, the proposals
have been ill-advisedly conceived by BBC management (you think they’d
have learned after the BBC 6Music debacle), but come as a result of freezes/
cuts cuts imposed by the government. A homogenized evening radio output
has been proposed across England, sounding the end of radio institutions
such as Roger Hill’s PMS, Kenny Johnson’s Sounds Country and the Geoff
Speed and Stan Ambrose presented Folkscene. We will have a full feature
on the potential impact of the proposals next month, but surely a local
radio station without local, specialist broadcasting is doomed? Is that not
the whole whole point? Please go to facebook and search Save Radio Merseyside
to find ways in which you can show show your support.
Craig G Pennington
Editor
Features
Words: Mick Chrysalid
Layout: jrgalliford.tumblr.com
BERNIE CONNOR has not only worshipped at the altar of music but he has now transmogrified
into a disciple who spreads the good word. His recent communications have led him to create The
Sound of Music, his two-year-running podcast as well as playing his records at various select nights
around town. Not unlike other obsessives, he can chat about music, because he has made sense of a
world that others dip their toe into, skimming the surface. Bernie dived right in at the deep end and We
still hasn’t come up for air. He’s still searching for pearls amongst the effluence and waste that crowd
our musical consciousness. I sit in his living room surrounded by music mementos, albums, icons,
obscurities and I’m offered a choice of Earl Grey or builders’ brew. We quickly discuss the iCloud and
the potential that it may or may not have. He never thought he’d become so technologically literate,
but we agree that the future has a way of dragging you along, whilst offering up its limitations and
advancements. Will
This is a long way from going to the Co-op in Speke, where his mother used to take him, to
buy singles. One early memory that has burned into his psyche was buying Paperback Writer before
he’d even started school in the sixties. “There wasn’t a ‘my’ collection or a ‘your’ collection, there was
a family record collection.” The youngest of six, this seems to have set the tone for the man Bernie
has become. It is clear he isn’t one for exclusivity. Music to Bernie, even though sometimes inevitably
private, has always been a communal thing. This again was hammered home whilst in secondary
school Not
when he spotted a record shop on a trip into town that it then took an age for him to re-find.
This was Probe in the 70s, where again the people behind the counter welcomed him as a young
scamp and his education continued apace. “Eventually I ended up working there and received what
I can only call a Masters degree in music. I cannot overstate the importance Geoff Davies played in
the development of Liverpool’s music as a whole.” He remembers the band Deaf School and their
rehearsals where he could go in and listen as a young teenager. “The band, although adults, treated
us with respect, talked to us as equals and that left an impression on me.” Shy
His lifelong dissertation continued when he ended up living in London, New York and San Francisco
for different periods in the 80s, taking in all the colours of music’s palette that those particular places
have to offer. Upon returning to the UK, he embraced acid house, “I never became a DJ in that sense
because even though I liked the music I could never play just one type all night, that’s just not me.” I
can see why. The word ‘eclectic’ is often overused in articles and features describing people’s tastes.
Bernie’s vision of music has a widescreen vista that takes in what seems like an ever-growing list of
acts Away
ranging from Karen Dalton, Donald Height, Cornelius, Stetsasonic to Psychic TV, Cat’s Eyes and
The Modern Lovers. And they’re just a few samples that have recently been on his show, the highly
mixed genre podcast, The Sound of Music. “When people say that they don’t like reggae, have they
listened to every single reggae record? If you’d have told me years ago that I would be conversant in
forms of Jazz of the likes of Cecil Taylor or the Art Ensemble of Chicago I would have found it difficult
to believe. Now I get it.” From
Of course this wasn’t his first foray into putting himself at the forefront of a diverse show. He
worked on the Janice Long-backed and now deceased Crash FM in the 90s where again he got to
play it his way. Unfortunately it couldn’t last and Crash mutated into what is now known as Juice
FM. After spending some time away from the airwaves his evangelical zeal forced him back. We are
all better off for it, well, those who have got onto his podcast anyway. “It gets to the point where
I wonder if I don’t play some of these records, who else will.” On paper this may sound bombastic
but it never comes out of his mouth like that. It’s with a fervent respect and maybe even worry, that Pop
certain songs have become vastly overlooked. He still loves talking about these gems. He never
joined a band. “I’ve seen some good people become miserable in bands. This passion was enough
for me”. It is in reading the sleeves, digging out info, connecting the musical dots and lyrical puzzles,
where the magic lies for Bernie.
I could stay and and listen all all day about a wealth of of subjects ranging from King Tubby’s recording
studio in his kitchen to when Pete Burns’ appearance alone frightened the shit out of people in St
John’s Music Music
market in the Seventies. Alas, the chat’s over but he allows me to leave only after bestowing
me with musical gifts to listen to. I’ll also look forward to his show with smiley anticipation from now
on. I’ll come again, Bernie. Make mine a builder’s brew.
6 LUCKY B ***** S *****
10 STIGNOISE
12 STADT MOER RECORDS
14 DRESSED FOR BATTLE
16
18
20
22
WE WILL NOT SHY AWAY
FROM POP MUSIC
bernieworld.podomatic.com
LIVERPOOL MUSIC WEEK
DEAD CITIES
THE PHANTOM OF THE LAZE
Regulars
4 NEWS
30
RANTS/COMMENT
28 PREVIEWS/SHORTS 32 REVIEWS
Bido Lito! November 2011 3
Bido Lito!
Issue Seventeen - November 2011
bidolito.co.uk
Bido Lito!
Static Gallery, 23 Roscoe Lane
Liverpool, L1 9JD
info@bidolito.co.uk
Editor
Craig G Pennington - info@bidolito.co.uk
Assistant & Reviews Editor
Christopher Torpey - reviews@bidolito.co.uk
Photo Editor
Jennifer Pellegrini - photos@bidolito.co.uk
Designer
Luke Avery - info@earthstudios.net
Words Words
Craig G Pennington, Christopher Torpey, Helen
Weatherhead, Weatherhead, P. Lee, Jonny Davis, David David Lynch,
Pete Pete Charles, Charles, Nik Glover, Glover, Mick Chrysalid, John
Still, Joseph Viney, Richard Lewis, Lewis, The Glass
Pasty, The Brink, Samuel Garlick, Clarry M, Helen
Loftus, Phil Phil Gwyn, Simon Finnerty, Tom Tom Jefferson,
Dan Owens, Ellie Ellie Witt.
Photography, Illustration and Layout
Jennifer Pellegrini, Luke Avery, Robin Clewley,
Matt Thomas, David Howarth, Keith Ainsworth,
Darren Aston, Aston, Mike Brits, Ameé Christian,
Jamie Galliford, Henry O’Hara.
Proofreading
Debra Williams - debra@wordsanddeeds.co.uk
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Media: bidolito@anothermedia.org 0151 708 2841

News
Edited by Helen Weatherhead - news@bidolito.co.uk
Edited by Helen Weatherhead - news@bidolito.co.uk
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St Lucia Rocs
Vocalist, producer, multi-instrumentalist and internet sensation ST LUCIA is set to release
his debut mini-album on 14th November. The album, which comes out on HeavyRoc Records,
is inspired by old family photos and cine film, as well as the exotic environments that have
shaped his musical journey, from his roots in South Africa, through Liverpool, to his current base
in Brooklyn, USA. soundcloud/st-lucia
Live Connections
In a bid to help promote new and unsigned talent, Live Nation Entertainment has launched their
brand new scheme LIVE CONNECTION, working with We7, AMG and Ticketmaster among others.
Offering a unique opportunity to Merseyside acts, Live Connection will seek out promising local artists
and work with them to produce and film three live and recorded tracks, feeding the results through a
select steering committee of industry-only experts. Let’s get connected. live-connection.co.uk
The End Starts Again
COMPETITION!
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, all twenty issues of cult fanzine THE END have been
collected and bound together in a new volume, published by Sabotage Times and available to
order online from 29th October. The End served as a document of Liverpool’s music, football
and political unrest, unrest, and became a prototype for witty and satirical terrace fanzines. “Lend’s yer
End” will now become a saying of the past. sabotagetimes.com
Canadian Music Festival Seeks Local Blues Act
New Brunswick Battle of the Bands is looking for an unsigned blues act to play at the
Canadian Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival next September. Local musicians are encouraged to
upload their original blues material music videos to the ‘Battle of the Blues’ website between
15th October and 15th December, for the chance to perform at the festival in 2012 and win £1000
prize money. tourismnewbrunswick.co.uk
Cavern Full Of Records
You can visit the venue, take the tour, drink at the bar, and now you can buy their music.
CAVERN RECORDS have released a special compilation album, Cavern Records Presents…, to
mark the launch of their label in Liverpool. Featuring sixteen of their favourite artists around at
the moment, moment, the album features Liverpool acts Natalie Natalie McCool, The Sand Sand Band and Luke Fenlon
among others. Keep your your eyes open for it now. cavernrecords.co.uk
Bido Lito! have teamed up with LIVERPOOL MUSIC WEEK this month to offer
one lucky reader the chance to win a pair of tickets to the Liverpool Music
Week closing party at the CUC on 11th November. So, if you’re a fan of The
Young Knives (pictured), Dutch Uncles, Ghostpoet or any other of the twenty
plus exciting acts on the bill, answer this simple question for us:
In which year did Liverpool Music Week begin?
a) 2008 b) 2003 c) 2000
Clear your diaries for a night at the CUC, and send your answer to competition@bidolito.co.uk. The closing date is
9th November 2011. The right answers will be placed into a big pink hat, the winner picked at random and then
notified by e-mail.
Bido Lito! Dansette Dansette
Our pick of this month’s wax
wonders...
Swimming
Ecstatics International
TUMMY TOUCH
RECORDS
Nottingham-born genre botherers
SWIMMING may seem like a wideeyed
mash-up of neon dream-pop,
out of control trips and surging
shoegaze guitars… because they are.
Like Like Klaxons, Klaxons, only only good good and and with with
more more cardigans, these these chaps are
destined for the sonic sonic stratosphere.
stratosphere.
Zola Jesus
Conatus
SACRED BONES
RECORDS
Translating as ‘an inclination to
continue to exist and enhance
oneself’, Conatus Conatus suggests ZOLA
JESUS will be around for a while
yet. Conatus takes the Stridulum
II’s framework of glassy vocals and
doom-drenched synths and pushes
them in an altogether more pop
direction. The Goth Gaga is back.
Salem Rages
Our Halloween
CASKET/FULL TILT
WORLD RECORDS
As All Hallow’s Eve approaches, it’s not
only the costumes of those prowling prowling
the streets that get a bit creepy. These
local noisemakers are about to drop
this breakneck assault on all things
ghoulish on flexi disc disc 7”, with all the
fury fury of of a moonlit graveyard stomp.
Baxter Dury
Happy Soup
ROUGH TRADE
RECORDS
With more than a touch of his old
man, man, Baxter Dury takes on the role
of a slightly seedy seedy street bard on his
latest record. Happy Happy Soup‘s Soup Soup‘s scratchy
tales of former former beaus are shot
through with Dury’s unmistakeable
drawls drawls and charming insouciance.
Chip off off the old old Blockhead.

EMMY THE GREAT
LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS, STANLEY THEATRE
FRIDAY 7TH OCTOBER £12.50 ADV
PURESSENCE
LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS, STANLEY THEATRE
SATURDAY 8TH OCTOBER £9.50 ADV
DAMIEN DEMPSEY
& AMSTERDAM
02 ACADEMY, LIVERPOOL
SATURDAY 15TH OCTOBER £16.00 ADV
JULIAN COPE
LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS, STANLEY THEATRE
THURS 27TH OCTOBER £17.50 ADV
THE SMITHS INDEED
LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS, STANLEY THEATRE
FRI 28TH OCTOBER £13.50 ADV
Tickets available from hmvtickets.com and ticketweb.co.uk
The Music Consortium would like to announce
that it has taken over Hairy Records on Bold St
with immediate effect…
Regular customers will initially only notice small changes to the retail space on
the ground floor. We are currently refurbishing the first and second floors. Once
complete we will close for a short period before our grand launch. Watch this space
for details. In the meantime we will start selling tickets for all Music Consortium
shows plus those of other promoters and venues in the city from the beginning
of October. In addition to the shows above we will be selling tickets for The
Maccabees, Scroobius Pip, British Sea Power, Tom Vek, Kitty, Daisy &
Lewis, Sound of Guns, Battles, Zola Jesus and many more.
Like us on Facebook
to get the latest news
and photos from all our gigs.
www.themusicconsortium.com

Luck is a strange thing. In music, luck is often used to
excuse a musician’s own artistic failings, and is also seen
as some sort of divine force which has or has not given
a musician the break which they deserve. But was John
Lennon lucky to write Instant Karma? No. Was Ian McCulloch
lucky to write The Killing Moon? No. We make our own luck.
So was nineteen year old Luke Muscatelli lucky when he got
the chance to move to the good old USA to play bass in Pop
Levi’s band? No. It simply serves to show that somebody this
creative will get their chances, regardless of luck. Talent is,
more often than not, rewarded.
The past is the past, and the present is the present. After
returning to the UK at the beginning of this year, having
recorded two critically acclaimed albums, produced two
documentaries/road films and basically living out the
most enviable of stateside adventures, Luke set about
releasing his own music, completely self-produced, under
his nickname LUCKY BEACHES. “I left Liverpool and travelled
the world with only my iPod. Everyone else had MacBooks
and then, about halfway though my time over there,
when I got my own, GarageBand and iMovie just blew me
away.” Arriving back in town with not only the ambition to
go it alone, but now also the tools, he set about writing
and recording the five track Lucky Beaches EP which has
set many tongues a-wagging in the city this year. T. Rex
stomper, Circles (In My Mind) Mind), and cosmic jangle, I’ll Let Go
Now (Honey, True) True), are clear indicators of the sonic road
that Lucky Beaches intends to tread. I challenge anybody
to find a better song this year than EP opener, Jenny Mo, Mo Mo,
his glorious tribute to his new wife, which is fit to burst
with Lennon-referencing charm. This release was closely
Bido Lito! November 2011 7
Lucky B ***** s
Words: P. Lee
Photography: Luke Avery
Portraits shot @ Binary Cell Studios
followed by the sublime single, Group Hallucination
Hallucination. Lucky
Beaches could have settled and rested on his laurels from
his American experience; instead it seems it has left him
fired-up and passionate, ready to create something of his
own, and better equipped to actually do so.
Luke takes control of all elements of his output. You
can’t help but feel this approach is in no small part fuelled
by his past experiences within the music industry, in that
to depend on labels and others has risks. “Just as quickly
as the whole thing started in LA, the money dried up and it
was over.” Liverpool welcomes ya’ back, man. His DIY ethos
runs throughout his whole body of work, setting up Girl
Records as his overall platform to release music from each
of his many incarnations. Although Lucky Beaches is Luke’s
most prolific act, outfits such as High School Massacre and
The Myst show a depth to his talent which is rarely seen.
Check out the promo to High School Massacre single, It’s
Real, and tell us that we’re wrong. The way in which he
approaches the relationship between music and video
shares many traits with that of the underground music
press’s current squeeze, Lana Del Rey. Both aspects of the
release (the audio and the visual) are planned and shot
by the artists themselves, resulting in a full listening and
viewing package from their perspective.
All promotional work from the Girl Records stable is Luke’s
creation, along with the wealth of films he creates which
are not related to specific songs, but which regardless sit
very neatly into his overall package. “I spent hours cutting
tapes and editing my first films,” says Luke, citing the lost
Bob Dylan masterpiece, Eat The Document, as his greatest
filmmaking influence, a point which is clearly illustrated by
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the two acclaimed Pop Levi road movies which he
made whilst travelling the world with the band.
“I love DA Pennebaker, who did the Dylan and
Ziggy Stardust films. These are the types of films
which really inspire me.” It was the fact that
Eat The Document was edited by Dylan himself
which really strikes a chord: “Whatever you do,
whether that be film, music, writing or art, the
thing which matters most is that it is genuine to
the person who is creating it. It needs to be true.
The best films come from filming things that are
not planned and just filming what happens in
front of you. Then try and make it look good
afterwards by just using simple techniques.”
This theory and work ethic permeates all aspects
of his work, even with regards to how he writes
and creates his music.
Literature is another source of constant
inspiration and outlet for Luke’s creativity and
talent. He is currently putting the finishing
touches to his first book, Sterling Silver Gets
Rich. Half autobiographical, half novel, in
much the same way as one of its main literary
influences, On The Road (Kerouac’s experience
of his journey rather than the actual factual
journey itself), it reads like Hunter S Thomson
for the modern palette. Bob Dylan’s Tarantula
also garners special praise during our chat and,
when reading through typewritten copies of
Luke’s drafts, it’s easy to see that its influence is
profound. You cannot also help being reminded
of Lennon’s A Spaniard In The Works and In His
Own Write, and not solely for what is written
on the pages but more the context of the piece,
taking into account the author’s relationship to
both music and literature.
It’s via the Lucky Beaches blog (luckybeaches.
com) that Luke reaches his public, with prolific
updates giving an insight into his world. Using
music, film and literature he is constantly letting
us into his way of thinking, and doing so in a very
unique way. You can’t help feeling that this this type
of interaction, along with the level and scale scale of
his output output has rarely been seen in this city. city.
So, the world of Lucky Beaches. It’s madcap,
its sometimes weird, it’s lunacy, lunacy, but but overall it’s
really different and really really f*****g good. Lucky? No.
But we are are lucky to have him, him, because real luck
is is knowing knowing what you’ve you’ve got when you’ve you’ve got it.
Lucky Beaches EP and recent single
Group
Hallucination are out now. The full debut LP is
due this year.
luckybeaches.com
Go to bidolito.co.uk now for an exclusive
Obscenic Session with LUCKY BEACHES on Bido TV

10
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Bido Lito! November 2011
Stignoise
A Derelict European Adventure

Words: Pete Charles
Photography: Jennifer Pellegrini
Bido Lito! November 2011 11
As Britain drags its soggy carcass out of the quicksand of recession with David Cameron riding bareback, his
scourge of hypocrisy roasting our fragile posterior (THWACK! Oi, you lot, pay off your debts! SMAK! Oi, students,
here’s another pile of debt!), it’s little wonder Jacobia Florek, founding member of Liverpool’s masters of chaos
STIGNOISE, wants out.
“Liverpool is full of amazing people doing amazing things, but it’s also full of older people, who should
know better, ripping off kids.” He’s referring specifically to pay-to-play promoters and venues looking to cash
in on mediocrity. “I can’t wait to get out of Liverpool. It’s important to escape your environment once in a
while.”
Next Thursday marks the start of a two-week European tour which will coincide with the release of the
seventh collection of musical oddities the band has committed to record. They speak of the more hospitable
climes of the continent in a way that makes you wonder why more British bands don’t ply their trade abroad.
Drummer Joel says, “Nine times out of ten the crowd will be going mental, buying the records and trying to
kiss you at the end of the night. I think people have more respect for promoters and their tastes over there.”
Having existed in various guises since the late 90s, Stignoise have seen a few things. Jacobia (Jake) has
watched the city’s music scene blossom, expand and then flounder in the resulting quagmire of blandness.
So how can bands thrive in a culture which is dictated not not by the bands or or fans, but by “some dickhead
in in charge trying to make money off the bar?” Jake says the answer lies lies in the city’s abundance of disused
premises and and the the dedication of those willing to devote their lives to to transforming them into places places of creativity.
Wolstenholme Creative Space, where our interview is conducted, is one one such place; it has become a second second
home home for bands, bands, artists and independent promoters who would see its values values remain in the hands hands of those
who run it.
Another is is the the old old TUC building on Hardman Street, Street, which enjoyed a fleeting existence as Don’t Drop The
Dumbells, with Stig Stig at the the helm putting on gigs. Joel suggests that the the enigmatic nature of the the venue venue meant
that the shows shows virtually promoted themselves. “It was a really interesting experiment experiment in word-of-mouth. word-of-mouth. We
must have put about ten posters posters up for each show, five of which were in in the the venue itself.” Perhaps Perhaps sensing its
untimely demise, Jake Jake took the liberty of documenting the venue’s existence on camera camera in a series of episodes
which have been been published on Stignoise’s website.
In In 2009, the band band “gained entry” to the defunct Odeon Odeon cinema at at the the bottom of of Park Road and shot a
series of sessions by artists including a.P.A.t.T and Sidney Bailey’s No Good Punchin’ Punchin’ Clowns. Clowns. In In Europe, derelict
buildings are are in abundance, the authorities turn a blind eye, and the demand for bands vastly outweighs the
supply. supply. Kids Kids will travel huge distances to attend shows and it’s no coincidence that Stignoise often often end up
playing playing venues similar to Dumbells - art spaces, industrial estates, warehouses - when they they are on the road.
Furthermore, Furthermore, the band are in agreement that that European promoters and and gig-goers are more in tune with what
the band is trying to do than their British counterparts.
counterparts.
Stignoise’s live show is a visceral assault of drums, distortion and twisted twisted trumpet melodies defying all
song-writing convention. convention. Have they ever even tried tried to write a pop song? “They’re all pop songs!” songs!” Jake exclaims
to to his his band’s amusement. “If you played the main riff riff on a Casio keyboard and had someone with a proper
set of lungs doing the vocal vocal line, it’d be mid 90s 90s Pavement but played played by five guys who’ve been messing
themselves up for far too long. So when we go on on tour, people are not not like like ‘your music’s amazing’, they’re
like...”
“...what “...what the hell have you done to that pop song?” Bassist Bassist George hits the nail squarely squarely on the head.
The The relative chaos of their live shows is not as staged as as it may look and the band say say they genuinely hate
it when their gear breaks. breaks. Newest recruit Trippy bemoans the throwaway mentality of some bands who think
an amp is useless because it stops working one one day: “That sort of attitude is crap. crap. People should just fix their
own shit.”
Jake has a similar take on equipment: “The bass sound, sound, which is is the best bass sound of any Liverpool band
from the the last 20 years, is coming through a cab that my step-dad built in the 80s!”
So Stig are off to their safe European home this month, but but they’ve left us with with some some food for thought. Next
time you you walk past a derelict building, stop, look at at it and imagine what it’s like inside. Then imagine it as
another Tesco or five-star hotel. Then round up a bunch of mates and go and do something something about it.
stignoise.info
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Don’t Wait. Do.
play-rec-pause with stadt moers records
Words: David Lynch
Graphics: Stadt Moers Records
“There’s just something nice about having something physical that you’re
never going to be able to get rid of unless we all turn into robots.” That, ladies
and gentlemen, is the philosophy behind one of Liverpool’s most innovative
independent record labels: STADT MOERS RECORDS. However, this is a label not
just concerned with simply preventing their creations falling into the hands of a
machine-led overthrow - it’s also about the music (maaaaaaan).
Stadt Moers Records was formed by local artist Richard Proffitt who, after
sensibly deciding to name the label after a Whiston park and discard all thoughts
of ‘Dogpiss Records’, looked to collate some of Merseyside’s best aural weirdness
for release. A musician himself and a lo-fi and sound collage enthusiast, these
records were, of course, never going to be easy-listening rock albums or
harmonious pop. Being an artist, Richard also needed to make his releases stand
out aesthetically and plumped for a much-maligned format for his records: the
cassette tape.
This particular idea idea does have a manufactured edge to it but that’s perhaps
what makes it so brilliant. They want you to know this is a Stadt Moers Record, a
statement of artistic endeavour and not just ten three-minute ditties downloaded
from iTunes. “I like the idea of this forgotten media, forgotten object,” Richard told
me. “It has to exist as a physical item; being all recorded on computer and then
put on a tape, like going backwards.”
There are are also several other advantages to using the format as, given the nature
of the work found on the tapes, it is often necessary to appreciate each track as a
grower. Therefore, the singling out of favourites should not be an option. “Tape is
the least skippable format; I like that. Even with vinyl you can skip the grooves and
find the track you want but with tape it’s mind-melting to fast forward through it.”
That’s one way of attacking the modern human’s waning attention span.
These tapes
feature a fantastical
mix of white-noise
right through to antifolk
and are typified
by their most-recent
launch Ancient
Fires. That record
is the combination
of various artists’
exploration of
sound and is,
characteristically for
the label, incredibly
diverse. Surprisingly
though, this does
little to damage
coherence: Stadt-
Moers Records
have a clear eye
for avoiding jarring
blends and this this is because, because, and not not in spite of, their wide-ranging tastes. Richard
continued: “It’s such an eclectic mix, everyone’s got got eclectic tastes, but there’s
a link. There’s a a meeting point with all of us, an appreciation of what what everyone
brings.”
The greatest thing about Stadt Moers though is not their clear aesthetic
aspiration, their great taste in contributing musicians or or even their impressive
range of T-shirts; it is their method method of financing releases. Each artist artist is asked to
pay a (negligible) fee to secure their place on the record and cover the costs of
the release itself. There are no profits to be made and yet each artist can benefit
hugely from having a stylish and instantly recognisable example example of their material.
It’s It’s this kind of community-led community-led artistic artistic release that could really catch on in these these
times of austerity.
“I don’t see why other people can’t do this. At the end of the day it’s not that
much money per person, you you probably spend more money on alcohol in a week.
There’s interesting stuff that can be done if people pull together, especially in
these financial times when nothing physical physical ever seems seems viable.” Inspiring words
indeed, Liverpool. The DIY route may be one forced forced upon us given the current
culture of cuts in artistic areas but it could also also be a good fit – – something to get
music out there and remove the the reluctant lips of artists from the arses arses of the allpowerful
gatekeepers. Fuck ‘em, promote yourself.
It is Richard’s co-conspirator and collaborator, Mike Carney, who perhaps says it
best with a rallying rallying cry for the music scene to get off its arse and stop waiting for
its big break. “You don’t need to to wait for permission permission to do things. The tools are out
there for people to publish.” This utterance sums up what the inspiration of Stadt
Moers is all about for me. Don’t wait. Do.
stadtmoersrecords.bandcamp.com

14
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Bido Lito! November 2011
It’s nice to be surprised. Often enough in this line of work it’s simple enough to gauge the response one will receive
to a given question, or at least have an idea of how it will be fielded. It probably should have been fairly obvious that
if any band would buck this trend, it would would be be New York-natives BATTLES, who have built a career career on on being that little bit bit
different. From From their first release release EP C/ B EP on Warp, which saw them heralded as the leading lights of the New-Prog
generation, generation, the band have been been in a constant state of evolution, altering altering and tweaking their sound across across each release,
while while maintaining maintaining their own distinctive motifs. Their breakthrough came came in 2007 in the the form of Mirrored, Mirrored, a planet-sized,
planet-sized,
shiny disco-ball of a record, orbiting jazz, metal, prog, prog, noise and electro. The record record yielded singles Atlas and Tonto, and
saw the band reach a new audience, making friends and influencing people across across the the globe. Tracks Tracks Atlas and Race:In
were used in campaigns for car manufacturers, and Battles found themselves in the the spotlight. Ian Ian Williams Williams (guitar/keys)
says of their new-found fame, “We never really feel famous; we we don’t feel like we’ve become a massive band. We just
appreciate the chance to play to to people across the world world who like what we do.” do.”
Then came something of a disappearance. All went quiet on the Battles front, rumours circulated of the writing process
throwing up some difficulties. Then came the the news that founder member Tyondai Braxton had left, left, but that the the three
remaining members were in the process of completing a record. Despite the difficulties, 2011 has finally seen the release
of Gloss Drop, Drop Drop, returning Battles to the public eye. It’s in the discussion of the new record that some of the surprises
referred to earlier earlier arise. Surely it must be difficult to complete an album when losing a member half-way through? Ian
elaborates: “Well, a lot was made about us losing our ‘frontman’, which was more of a mainstream press construct
anyway because we were always more of of collaborative, we never felt that anyone was more in the spotlight. We just went
back to being a three-piece. To be honest, it was was becoming pretty difficult in in the writing writing sessions. It probably probably tells you you all
you need to know if I say that we hadn’t finished finished a track in two years with Tyondai and when he left left we we finished a record
in four months.” So, none of the platitudes expected when this sort of question is tendered. A refreshingly honest answer
to an admittedly pointed line of questioning. “It’s not that it’s not a shame that he left, but in the end it may have been been
the only way Battles could have continued.”
Continued they have, and despite a return to their previous instrumental tendencies, Gloss Drop has brought with it
some some guest guest vocalists, including Mathias Aguayo and Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead. Latest single My Machine features
electro legend Gary Numan. “We met Gary briefly; briefly; he he said he liked our stuff, said it was weird. It’s a funny funny thing to be told
you’re you’re weird weird by Gary Numan! His track was the last last thing to arrive on the day we sent the the record off. After, the high didn’t
come from us finishing the record, it was like ‘wow, Gary Numan finally finally sent us his track’! track’! There was some relief when it
was was done; I like to quote the Grateful Grateful Dead ‘What a long, strange journey it’s been’.”
For Battles, the long, strange journey continues, and the Gloss Drop tour brings them to Liverpool on 18th November.
After a summer on the festival trail, Ian Ian is glad to be getting back to their own shows, “We’ve “We’ve mostly been playing festivals
this summer in Europe and the UK. We’ve had some pretty bad performances. Wireless Wireless was totally totally whack. All the electrics
went off and we had to to stop.” Hopefully the welcoming arms of the Kazimier will will prove a more pleasurable experience
for the band, with with Battles’ previous Liverpool show still talked about in hushed hushed tones. “I liked Liverpool last last time we we were
there; I just walked walked around around a lot. It’s a good walking walking city.” Support comes in the form of noise-laden dubstep soundscapery
soundscapery
from Warp label-mates BABE RAINBOW, and Ezra Bang and the Hot Machine solo-project THUNDERBIRD THUNDERBIRD GERARD, making
for an eclectic evening of sound exploration, melodic melodic invention and dancefloor confusion.
Battles play The Kazimier on 18th November
bttls.com bttls.com
Words: John Still
Illustration: Amée Christian

Words: Mick Chrysalid
Layout: Jamie Galliford
BERNIE CONNOR has not only worshipped at the altar of music but he has now transmogrified into
a disciple who spreads the good word. His recent communications have led him to create The Sound
Of Music, Music Music,
We
, his two-year-running podcast as well as playing his records at various select nights around
town. Not unlike other obsessives, he can chat about music, because he has made sense of a world
that others dip their toe into, skimming the surface. Bernie dived right in at the deep end and still hasn’t
come up for air. He’s still searching for pearls amongst the effluence and waste that crowd our musical
consciousness. I sit in his living room surrounded by music mementos, albums, icons, obscurities and
I’m offered a choice of Earl Grey or builders’ brew. We quickly discuss the iCloud and the potential that it
may
Will
or may not have. He never thought he’d become so technologically literate, but we agree that the
future has a way of dragging you along, whilst offering up its limitations and advancements.
This is a long way from going to the Co-op in Speke, where his mother used to take him, to buy
singles. One early memory that has burned into his psyche was buying Paperback Writer before he’d
even started school in the sixties. “There wasn’t a ‘my’ collection or a ‘your’ collection, there was a family family
record collection.” The youngest of six, this seems to have set the tone for the man Bernie has become.
It is
Not
clear he isn’t one for exclusivity. Music to Bernie, even though sometimes inevitably private, has
always always been a communal thing. This again was hammered hammered home home whilst whilst in secondary secondary school when he he
spotted spotted a record shop on a trip into town that that it then took took an age for him him to re-find. This was Probe
in the 70s, where again the people behind the counter welcomed him as a young scamp and his
education continued apace. “Eventually “Eventually I ended up working there and received what I can can only call call a
Masters degree in music. I cannot overstate the importance importance Geoff Davies played played in the development of
Shy
Liverpool’s music as a whole.” whole.” He remembers remembers the band Deaf School and their rehearsals where where he could
go in and listen as a young young teenager. “The band, although adults, treated treated us with respect, talked to us
as equals and that left left an impression on on me.”
His lifelong dissertation continued when he ended up living in London, New York and San Francisco
for different periods in the the 80s, taking taking in in all all the colours colours of music’s palette that that those particular places
have to offer. Upon returning to the UK, he embraced acid house: “I never became a DJ in in that sense
Away
because even though I liked the music I I could never play just one one type all night, that’s just not not me.” I
can see why. The word ‘eclectic’ is often overused in articles and features features describing people’s tastes.
Bernie’s vision of music has a widescreen vista that that takes in what seems like an ever-growing list of
acts ranging from Karen Dalton, Dalton, Donald Height, Cornelius, Stetsasonic to Psychic TV, Cat’s Eyes and The
Modern Lovers. And they’re just a few samples that have recently been on his show, the highly mixed
genre podcast, The Sound Of Music. Music Music. . “When people say that they don’t like reggae, have they listened
From
to every single reggae record? If you’d have told me years ago that that I would be conversant in forms of
Jazz of the likes of Cecil Taylor or the Art Ensemble of Chicago I would have found it difficult to believe.
Now I get it.”
Of course this wasn’t his first foray into putting himself at the forefront of a diverse show. He worked
on the Janice Long-backed and and now deceased Crash Crash FM in the 90s where again again he got to play it his way.
Unfortunately it couldn’t last and Crash mutated into what is now known as Juice FM. After spending
Pop
some some time away from the the airwaves his evangelical evangelical zeal forced him back. We are all better off for it,
well, those who have got onto his his podcast anyway. “It gets to the point where where I wonder if I don’t play
some some of these records, who who else will.” On On paper this may may sound bombastic but it never comes out of
his mouth like that. It’s with a fervent respect and maybe even worry, that certain songs have become
vastly vastly overlooked. He still loves talking about these gems. He never joined a band. “I’ve seen some
good
Music
people become become miserable in bands. This passion was enough for me”. It is in reading the sleeves,
digging out info, connecting the musical dots and lyrical puzzles, where the magic lies for Bernie.
I could stay and listen all day about a wealth of subjects ranging from King Tubby’s recording studio studio
in his kitchen to when Pete Burns’ appearance alone frightened the shit out of people in St John’s John’s
market in the seventies. Alas, the chat’s chat’s over but he allows me to leave only only after bestowing me with
musical gifts to listen listen to. I’ll also look forward to his show with smiley anticipation anticipation from now on. on. I’ll
come again, Bernie. Bernie. Make mine a builder’s brew.
bernieworld.podomatic.com
Go to bidolito.co.uk now to hear BERNIE CONNOR’s summer 2011 Space (Ibiza) set exclusively
on the Bido Stereo

LiverpooL
Music Week
Words: Joseph Viney
In an age where the music festival bubble is at
bursting point, it’s nice to see some consistency.
Now in its ninth year, this month’s Liverpool Music
Week (LMW) looks set to be one of the stand-out
events of the city’s musical calendar.
In its short lifespan, LMW has evolved from
2003’s inaugural single single venue venture venture into the UK’s
largest indoor winter festival, and this year brings… brings…
count ‘em…300 bands for the city’s insatiable music
fans to devour. With past appearances from the
likes of KASABIAN, CHEMICAL BROTHERS and THE
SPECIALS SPECIALS under their ever-widening belt, 2011’s
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showcase is bursting at the seams with talent.
LMW’s organisers have set this year’s bar high
enough to make an Olympic pole-vaulter hesitate
and the fun begins on 20th October. THE HORRORS
make their long-awaited return to a sold-out
launch show at The Kazimier. “Sold out?!” we hear
you cry. Fear not, valued citizen, because there is
enough on offer to make even the most hardened
cynic’s cheek glisten with tears of joy.
Mojo is the willing recipient of a mix of brand
new talent and established acts. Scheduled every
night from 28th October to 10th November, the
resulting bills are crammed with goodness. As
if that wasn’t enough, Mojo’s run of shows are
Big Deal
entirely FREE. Nada. Zero. Zilch-o-rama. Mike
Deane, LMW director, is justifiably pleased with
how things are looking. LMW, he says, “Will be an
unprecedented experience; one absolutely not to
miss.” It’s hard to argue that point. A lot of venues,
shows and festivals purport to offer the everelusive
‘something for everyone’ brand, but LMW
will make believers of us yet.
Relative veterans THE DUKE SPIRIT and THE
YOUNG KNIVES keep their wheels turning on the
28th and 29th respectively with a blistering onetwo
punch of shows to kick things off. These longserving
groups will be paving the way for others
to stake their claim for the hearts and minds of

Liverpool’s music
community. FOREIGN
BEGGARS (2nd
November) and DELS
(3rd November) fly the
flag for fuzzy, grimy
hip-hop. BENJAMIN
FRANCIS LEFTWICH (1st
November) and BIG
DEAL (4th November)
will be on-hand to
soothe listeners
with their own sultry,
resonant folk-like
numbers. Be sure
to bring a lighter to
Beth Jeans Houghton
wave and a tissue
with which to dab at
the eyes. Fresh from the critical acclaim surrounding debut long-player Happy Soup Soup,
BAXTER DURY, (yep, son of king blocked’) brings his lean, bass driven pop to LMW (5th
November). Not a million miles away from his old man’s aesthetic, but giving it a fresh,
revitalised perspective, Bido Lito! will certainly be an intrigued spectator at this one.
Those of you who like your music loud like bombs will do well to catch the intricate and
messy THREE TRAPPED TIGERS (9th November) as they combine their appearance with
an album launch. This is but a mere selection of the live shows taking place at MOJO
during the festival. Check out your LMW 2011 pull-out for the full listings.
Representing a sizeable coup at this year’s LMW, and one of which the organisation is
most proud, is the appearance of SEUN KUTI at The Kazimier on 3rd November. Backed by
the legendary afro-beat group EGYPT 80, the LIPA-schooled and MOBO 2011-nominated
Kuti will unleash his scorching rhythms and funk energy. With Egypt 80 being a 16strong
collective, their show will be one of The Kazimier’s most musically and logistically
ambitious yet. Endorsed by Brian Eno, who believes they create the “biggest, wildest,
livest music on the planet”,
Kuti and Egypt 80 will
bring diversity to a festival
that has already brought
international acts such as
SEU JORGE and K’NAAN to
the city. LMW associate and
Obscenic promoter Joe Wills
has said we should expect
“one of the most vibrant and
uplifting shows of the year.”
And indeed the same can
be said about the festival
as a whole: as LMW hurtles
towards its tenth year, we are
once again looking forward
to a dynamic feast of new
sounds from across the UK
and beyond. Get ready for
the longest, and noisiest,
week of your life.
liverpoolmusicweek.co.uk
Duke Spirit
Bido Lito! November 2011 19
Ghostpoet
LMW cuc TAkeover
LMW hits a tremendous and almost unassailable peak on 11th
November at Liverpool’s Contemporary Urban Centre, and promises
to be a night to remember. The normally labyrinthine venue will be
transformed into a wildly expansive performance area, displaying
a dazzling and dizzying range of acts for your consideration.
Unfortunately, such a highly combustible event cannot be
maintained by free entry, but with tickets at a mere £10 the roll-call
of bands should prove to be more than value for your money.
Fresh from his Mercury Prize nomination, the hypnotic GHOSTPOET
will be on hand to riff, rap and reload to an expectant audience.
New York filth-merchants CEREBRAL BALLZY, scribes of such lovely
ditties as Puke Song, Song Song, will be around to dispense the wisdom of
being young, dumb and full of, well, something or other at least.
D/R/U/G/S, the ambient yet upbeat moniker of Callum Wright, has
the propensity to lull his audience into either a come-down or comeup,
perhaps both. With more bands on offer than you can shake a
musically-inclined stick at, those in attendance can catch VASCO DA
GAMA, a.P.A.t.T, BETH JEANS HOUGHTON, and many, many more.
There are also homecoming shows for three of Liverpool’s finest:
all-girl trio STEALING SHEEP, the quirky and excellent HOT CLUB
DE PARIS and OUTFIT, who return to the city that birthed them for
the first time since being praised as one of the Top 25 Acts You
Need To Hear by NME. Whether the magazine’s unadulterated seal
of approval proves a blessing or a curse will be put to the most
stringent of tests in front of a baying mob of home supporters.
Other events on offer at the CUC’s closing party include cinema
screenings, theatre performances and Ableton Live workshops for
the techies amongst you. LMW warns us to ‘expect the unexpected’
at this thrill-packed night, and it’s difficult to suppress a surge of
child-like excitement in anticipation of the wonders to come.
STOP PRESS PRESS - Bido Lito! are pleased to announce that we will
be hosting a room at the CUC. EAGULLS, WARM BRAINS, THE LOUD,
LUCKY BEACHES and EL TORO will be helped along by Bido Lito! DJs.
A line-up and a half we’re sure you’ll agree!
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20
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Bido Lito! November 2011
Dead Cities
Words: Jonny Davis
Photography: Robin Clewley
DEAD CITIES mix a blend of Americana, folk and a hint of country to create
sparse, well-paced acoustic acoustic songs in keeping with the image evoked by their
chosen moniker. Veterans of the Liverpool music scene, Oli, Martin and Ryan are
seasoned musicians able to switch instruments as they see fit and in doing so
create a presence greater than the sum of its parts. The ability to swap between
ukelele, mandolin and glockenspiel as well as more traditional instruments
gives their live performances another dimension and helps spread the focus,
allowing the audience to absorb all the sounds on offer.
Not eager to unnaturally force new material, Dead Cities have taken three
years to get a collection of songs together and record their debut album, This
Killer Wave. Taking in the styles of Led Zeppelin, The Modern Lovers, Neil Young
and Violent Femmes, their music offers a subtle touch of eclecticism that is
often difficult to portray through such bare arrangements. Add to the mix
Ryan’s Ryan’s “serious blues collection on vinyl” and the latest PJ Harvey and Wild
Beasts records and you have a melting pot pot of history going into their music,
leaving leaving a semi-conscious diversity in their sound. Whereas some bands bands may be
steadfast in the purity of their vision, Dead Cities take a more organic organic approach
to to writing. Multi-instrumentalist Multi-instrumentalist Martin states, “There “There was no big plan; we just
recorded when we had a batch of songs together.” Over a number number of of years, years, this
open-door policy to song-writing has enabled the band to gradually evaluate
their sound step-by-step. This led led to an appreciation for sonic minimalism and
contemplative, downbeat lyrics: lyrics: “We just wanted to keep it very simple simple and and
stripped back. I tend to be drawn to music that’s quite melancholy.” With song
titles like Saddest Star, Star Star, Dead Cities aren’t afraid of bringing bringing heavy-hearted lyrics
and funereal moods to the fore fore while while offering occasional glimmers of hope, all
hanging on the simplest simplest of melodies.
The name Dead Cities has has become become more loaded with character over the
years. Originally the title of a break-up song, it has taken on extra meaning
with the hotchpotch urban urban decay and gradual renovation of the the city. This in
turn resonates with residents of Liverpool, and its relevance is not lost on on the
band: “I used to drive past Edge Hill everyday on my way to practice – rubble
everywhere.” This sense of acquired depth is bolstered further by asking artist
Amée Christian to provide the album art. Her detailed line drawing of an old
man complete with resplendent facial hair offers ambiguity and intrigue. Is this
rugged man a long-lost sailor of the old city or a rough sleeper ravished by the
harsh winters? The sparsity of detail is a welcome bedfellow to the softness
of the music. Dead Cities confess to having a mixed relationship with the city.
Martin believes the city’s close-knit music community is a double-edged sword:
“It’s small enough for everyone to know everyone, so you can draw on a lot of
friends to bounce ideas off, but on the other hand you could argue that people
are in each other’s pockets a bit which could maybe lead to some conformity.”
Whilst they appreciate that Liverpool is “a great place to make music and be
creative,” an awareness of the risk of regional introversion or worse, insularity,
is perhaps key to their individualism. Dead Cities take nuggets of influence from
local musicians but importantly they also take a step back every once in a while
to avoid derivation. derivation. This along along with their technical proficiency proficiency with their motley
collection of instruments instruments has enabled the band to to craft a sound sound that is not
intrinsically aligned to Liverpool yet borrows borrows selectively selectively from its heritage. They
have developed a mutual understanding of what works for them.
In carving carving out their own niche, Dead Cities are utilising the contradiction of
sadness and joy, despondency and hope. The juxtaposition of sweet Americana
and the darkness of negative space proves to be a tantalising mixture allowing
for simple songcraft and spatial texture to rest rest side by side. As the cold nights
draw in, Dead Cities have timed the release of their their album perfectly perfectly to coincide
with the crisp darkness of winter. The The LP promises to be a fitting soundtrack to
use for looking to the stars whilst the ice cracks underfoot. underfoot.
Dead Cities launch This Killer Wave on 26th November at St. Bride’s Church
deadcities.co.uk
Go to bidolito.co.uk now for an exclusive Leckie Lunar Session with
DEAD CITIES on Bido TV

What’s on
at Liverpool
Philharmonic
James
Friday 28 & Saturday 29
October 7.30pm
John Mayall
Thursday 3 November 7.30pm
From £23
Toumani To T umani Diabate
Thursday 3 November 7.30pm £20
St Georges Hall Concert Concert Room
Jimmy Carr
Saturday 12 November 8pm
From £20
Zappa Plays Zappa
Monday 21 November 8pm
From £10
SOLD SOLD OUT OUT
Extra Extra Date Date
Anoushka
Shankar
Saturday 26 November 7.30pm
From £20
Lee Nelson’s
Well New Tour To T ur
Friday 25 November 8pm
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Saturday 3March 8pm
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Friday 2 March 7.30pm
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Saturday 7 Ap AApril ril 7.30pm
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Monday 16 April Ap A ril 8pm
From £20
Ian Anderson
Wednesday 18 Ap AApril ril 7.30pm
£25.50
Box Of OOffice ff fffi fice 0151 709 3789 liverpoolphil.com

THE PHANTOM OF THE LAZE
Words: Nik Glover
Photography: Matt Thomas
THE LAZE relax in the mixing room of the
Hurst Locker, multi-instrumentalist Rich’s own
personal studio in their hometown of West Kirby.
We’re archiving the interview through a studio
microphone. It’s a fitting way to document the end
of a development process that has lasted, in one
way or another, for over a year.
Twelve months ago the band premiered their live
soundtrack to the 1925 silent film version of The
Phantom of the Opera at Liverpool’s Picturehouse
cinema, in the arts hub of FACT. The sold out, onenight-only
performance led to interest in a physical
release of their score. Dave, Rich, Rob, Joe, Phil,
Gareth and the absent Jouse have finally finished
studio recording. On 31st October of this year, they
will repeat the feat, once again at FACT.
“We “We chose Phantom for for its mixture mixture of horror
and romance,” says Dave. “I admired Lon Chaney’s
physical acting; he even did his own make-up. He
was fully grotesque yet vulnerable, so versatile.
We had wanted to soundtrack a silent film for a
long time. We used to talk about maybe doing a
Buster Keaton short, doing a comedy soundtrack;
in fact elements of that are in Phantom, too.”
“One of the things that appealed to us,” says Rob,
“is that within the film there are lots of different
atmospheres. We like to play about with genres and
atmospheres, rather than doing something that’s
just dark throughout. We wanted to include the
music we would be making anyway, rather than alter
“We are serious about music. We aren’t serious about anything
else. But we aren’t really serious about music either.”
ourselves… we want it to sound like The Laze.”
When the soundtrack is released, it will be the
group’s fourth long-player. Beginning with the earsplitting
funk of Keeping The Dream Alive Alive, through
Curse Of The Laze (which captured the songs
that formed their set throughout their legendary
Valhalla club night), the band’s last release was
2010’s Spacetime Fabric Conditioner, Conditioner Conditioner, Conditioner a Sci-Fi
concept album. They’ve been remixed by Steve
Moore, Forest Swords, Brontt Industries Kapital;
and given a fair chunk of Wirral’s current crop of
left field musicians their first gig experience, and
much of their inspiration.
Thus, they came to the Phantom.
The band band intone intone the name name of the project as if it
were an albatross, or the white whale. It’s clearly
taken over a large part of their headspace for a
considerable time. Where did they start? Everyone
in the band has their own opinion. Dave acts as
spokesman: “It took us three months to write,
once we had the final edit of the film. We had
ideas for single scenes prior to that, but it didn’t
come together until the run-up to the performance
last year. We’ve been working on other material
but Phantom has strangled everything else. Once
these dates are done, it’s finished.”
The The film itself has had a notoriously complicated
history of re-edits and re-scoring. The group were
careful not to study any version too closely.
Rob: “Rick Wakeman did a version in 1990; the
original cinema release has a soundtrack edited
from a Schubert symphony. In a sense we’ve made
ours self-referencing.”
Rich: “It’s leit-motif based. Like a Richard
Strauss tone-poem. Even the dance section in the
middle uses a motif from elsewhere. Rob wrote a
Sarabande, like a Baroque dance suite - basically
the mediaeval equivalent of Justice. But in 6/4.”
The Phantom will materialise in Hackney’s brand
new Picturehouse on 1st November, before a mad
rush up the motorway to grace the independent
cinema chain’s superb Newcastle venue on the
following night. The group have previously taken
Phantom ‘out’ on occasion, for two sold-out
performances in The New Continental in Preston.
In truth, Horror and Science Fiction have ruled the
band’s live act for some time.
“We took reference from lots of things, but
there’s one soundtrack that ruled all: Dune. It has
a motif motif which exists exists in almost almost every every horror film.
We played gigs in-between recording Phantom,
covering music by Goblin, Carlo Maria Cordio, John
Carpenter, newer stuff like Mr Oizo and Gaspard
Auge’s Rubber. We screened Grindhouse classic
‘Pieces’ at the Kazimier last year, and played a
set of Horror and Sci-Fi. We will be doing another
set like this at Abertoir, a horror film festival in
Aberystwyth on 11th November. Film soundtracks
have probably been the greatest influence on the
way we make music ever since we began doing it.
In a sense, Phantom is the logical result of that.”
The Laze perform their live soundtrack to The
Phantom Of The Opera at Liverpool’s Picturehouse
at FACT on 31st October.
facebook.com/thelaze

28
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Bido Lito! November 2011
TOM VEK
Hugely influential, beat-rock practitioner TOM VEK arrives in the city for a show
at The Masque. Recent album Leisure Seizure marked his return to music after a
five year absence, following his highly praised debut We Have Sound. The new LP
easily reconnected him with the here and now and tickets are sure to move fast.
The Masque – 11th November – Tickets from ticketweb.co.uk
URCHIN SESSION NO.1
DOGSHOW and LOVED LOVED ONES are are the joint headliners of a Warehouse gig
put together by the good people at Meshuggy. Held at Warehouse Warehouse 59 Jordan
St (site of the the recent LP launch launch from The Loud), proceedings will continue
into the small small hours. HOT LIGHT LIGHT FIESTA, ALL WE WE ARE, THE SUNDOWNERS and and
RHODES also feature on an exemplary bill. bill.
Warehouse 59 59 Jordan Street Street – 28th October October – Tickets OTD
GHOSTFACE KILLAH
Following the hugely successful gig last year by his WU TANG CLAN cohort
GZA at The Kazimier, GHOSTFACE KILLAH has got in on the act, playing a show
at the same venue. Praised as ‘rap’s finest storyteller’, the tour flags up his
recent collaboration LP with MF Doom Swift and Changeable.
Changeable
Changeable.
The Kazimier - 10th November - Tickets from seetickets.com
WIRE WIRE
Post-punk legends WIRE head out on tour to plug last year’s Red Barked Tree
album. One of the few bands of their era still making bewildering music, their
angular melodic tension will doubtless be in stunning form live. Excellent support
comes courtesy of superlative Beefheartian prog-pop ensemble LOVECRAFT.
O2 Academy – 25th November – Tickets from ticketweb.co.uk
BILLY BILLY BRAGG
Previews/Shorts
Edited by Richard Lewis - middle8@bidolito.co.uk
Since taking over the running of the Left Field at Glastonbury Festival in 2010, Billy
Bragg has made an effort to showcase young artists mixing pop and politics. This
two night residency, with AKALA and SOUND OF RUM, comes with a low ticket price,
aiming aiming to connect a new generation to the power of music with something to say.
The Picket – 25th/26th November – Tickets from Liverpool Philharmonic
Terminal Convention
In March this year, the first edition of Terminal Convention was held at the
Decommissioned International Airport Terminal in Cork, Ireland. Static Gallery
will host the Liverpool leg of the event, along with partner art spaces/clubs
in Seoul, Frankfurt and New York. The organisers’ idea is that the events will
happen in each city at designated times and will be streamed live back to the
Static Gallery audience and live on the internet.
Kicking off on Friday 4th November, a 32.02hr series of events will open
Terminal Convention. Liverpool bands CLINIC and OUTFIT OUTFIT will will be presenting
specially commissioned pieces pieces on the opening night, with Clinic sticking around
to play a DJ set informed by the the contexts of the the exhibition. BAND BAND ACTIVITY ACTIVITY DJs
(Stadt Moers Records) will also be at the decks. Saturday 5th November sees
the Premiere of Mike Hannon’s Terminal Convention film, as well as popprovocateur
BILL DRUMMOND who will be accounting accounting for for his BAKE BAKE CAKE piece
which he will be carrying out over the the 32.02hr event. event. HIVE COLLECTIVE (DJ/VJ set)
will bring audiovisual delights to the evening, alongside a live performance
from VINDICATRIX and records/visuals by THE THE BLACK MARIAH. Intrigued? Well,
you’ll just have to go and see for yourself.
4th/5th November – Static Gallery – visit statictrading.com for for more details
International Guitar Festival
The oldest and largest annual guitar festival this year includes, Rolling Stones
legend BILL WYMAN’S RHYTHM KINGS, folk group BELLOWHEAD, BELLOWHEAD, Roxy Music
linchpin linchpin PHIL MANZANERA, classical guitarist XUEEI XUEEI YANG, YANG, Mercury Prize nominated nominated
pianist GWILYM SIMCOCK and Welsh psych-pop wonders COLOURAMA.
As well as the performances, the series of workshops at this year’s festival
cater for every talent whether you’re a master of the fretboard or strumming
your first chords. Workshops include masterclasses masterclasses from American blues legend
CATFISH KEITH and bluesman WOODY MANN, as well as two guitar maintenance
sessions sessions run by instrument specialists KGB.
Additionally, industry experts will run seminars on Doing it Yourself in the
Music Industry and Making Money from Your Music as part of Six String Saturday,
a day of free music. In addition to showcasing some amazing world class artists,
the festival also spotlights the vibrant musical youth within Wirral Wirral in a special
concert featuring the Wirral Schools Jazz Orchestra and guitar virtuosi, ESMOND
SELWYN. The festival takes place in venues across Wirral with concerts at The
Floral Pavilion, Pacific Road Arts Centre, the 12th Century Birkenhead Birkenhead Priory and
the Mersey Ferry Terminal at Woodside.
4th-30th November - bestguitarfest.com - Tickets from Floral Pavilion Box Office

30
Bido Lito! November 2011
Nik Glover
Rants/Comment
The Glass Pasty
Post-it Notes from the Cultural Abyss
Post-it Notes from the Cultural Abyss
“Open the Pod Bay Doors Hal!”
Autumnal Greetings Readers! This
month amidst the falling leaves of
popular culture I pick out the best
acorns and attempt to inject a little
bit of spontaneity into the ever
plodding conveyer belt of filth that
represents most of our daily lives.
Shopping Blots at the Observation
Station
Regular readers/pervs will realise
that I I am a big fan of Home and
Bargain, Bargain, not only is it my main source of
emotional nourishment but I am also
a extremely fond of their motto “high
quantity of low quality for fuck all”.
They also have some rather spiritually
sapping and mentally challenging
The process of Mastering musical
recordings has a fascinating history.
The first automated musical
instruments were developed in 9th
Century Century Baghdad Baghdad by by the the Banu Banu Musa
brothers. It wasn’t until the Middle Ages
and the triumph of the Christian faith
that the idea of Mastering music was
developed. The unattributed ‘Codex St.
Etienne’ contains the earliest mention
of the practice: the liner-notes to
the first edition include a thank you
to ‘The Most Diligente (sic) Magister
Peter of Cloves for his Masterment
of This Pias Work’. It is not recorded
whether Magister Peter was paid for
this privilege.
By the 13th Century the Masters’
dominance was total; the persecution
of the Cathars of Northern Europe has
been attributed to an over-zealous
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soundscapes in which us peasants
can purchase our Frey Bentos’ and
pickled pickled eggs. There seems to be four four
songs on a loop at the moment and
one of them is is very very reminiscent of the
Homoerotic Warehouse Warehouse classic – The
Power of Love. However However gentle gentle pleb,
there is a twist, it is stripped of vocals
and seem more primitive and and urban
than the original, almost as as if there
is an extra track of bin bashing Blue
Peter percussionistas STOMP hiding
somewhere between the disinfectant
and the Pop up Pirate Playmats. It
feels like it was recorded for Robot
Wars or Laser Quest but couldn’t
quite make the sanitation grade.
Nauseating and you leave feeling like
your name is Drone 5068.
I ask you, do shoppers at Waitrose
record company executive who
passed an unmastered recording of
a Cistercian choral work for release,
resulting in the massacre of some
1500 Languedoc music music enthusiasts enthusiasts
who had queued overnight to
purchase the sheet music on its first
day of release. Henry II of England
is rumoured to have ordered a
copy himself - thankfully delivery
was delayed by an outbreak of scrofula
at Calais.
The Master is not universally
worshipped - as long as as they have
practiced their Art, Art, and however
impressive impressive the results, there have
always been musicians willing to
revolt against their statutes.
Ben Franklin’s invention of the
Armonica in 1761 1761 may may be the first
recorded example of an experimental
have to put up with such Orwellian
mind control? Probably Pasty, I
hear you answer, but it’s in the
form of Dappy and
Tynchy Stryder’s
Spaceship. Right you are reader!
Cogs and Machines
A recent injury meant I was
back in the gym briefly, the land of
treadmills, sted heads and non stop
MTV, back where it all began! It was
Fireflies back then that compounded
my worst fears about modern music
and this time I couldn’t help but
notice notice quite how bad things have
become. Try rowing at speed when when
some tattooed humungous humungous moron
is singing along to Maroon 5’s
stench anthem anthem Moves Like Jagger;
its enough to make make you pledge
allegiance to a regime of perpetual
comfort eating and retching.
musician trying to get around the cost
of Mastering his work; by perfecting
the production of glass soundproducing
vessels, Franklin hoped
his debut release (the ‘Channelin’
Lightnin’’ EP) would not require the
double-emboldening process that
was required by law before a piece of
sheet music could be mass printed.
The British government’s enforcement
of the Stamp Act overrided this
innovation; as we know, Franklin
would enjoy the last laugh.
So, how does one ‘make’ a Master?
You may as well ask, how does
one write a hit? Or how does one
tune a trumpet? Perhaps a better way
to phrase it would be, ‘Where is a
Master made?’
Herman Hesse’s 1943 tome The
Glass Bead Game describes in minute
detail the training of a Master; from
birth in a secluded Bavarian townstead,
through enrolment at the St Albinus
Hifidelitous college, to the completion
The Impetuousness of Yoof!
Freshers, stay out of my way! It may
seem kooky living on your own and
attending Vod Bull and Jägerbomb
related events but to the wider
public it is of absolutely no interest.
A bus full of disgruntled nine to
fivers couldn’t care less about which
guy Veronica snogged or how many
turned up for this morning’s lecture
on STDs. The aisles of Asda are a
depressing place at the best of times
but hearing about a new washing up
rota system and Steve’s krazy Tuna
Pasta just makes consumers reach
for the Codeine and Razors. Tread
carefully but please do enjoy your
time in Liverpool and help revive our
flagging economy!
Adios.
of of his first great Masterwork (Ziggy
Ellman’s ‘20 Hoppin’ Greats’). Hesse’s
Master is ever intuitive, ever selfquestioning
and humble, stripping
away layer and layer of bass rumble
to sharpen every peak of dynamic. At
one point our hero asks ‘How long
have I been learning?’ at this point, the
reader joyfully intones the the response:
at long last, Master, long enough.
What we must remember about
the art of Mastering is that it is
never finite; knowledge in the field
builds incrementally, like like precedent
in Common Law. Musicians may sniff
at the process as being ‘just making
stuff louder’, but this overlooks the
centuries of evolution of the process.
These days you can get your album
mastered for as little as £12,000: a
small price to pay for a step which
may force the nose of your demoalbum-CD-sampler
ahead and into that
crucial first place.

Guest Column
Damien Kelly, Community Engagement Manager, The Brink
Damien Kelly, Community Engagement Manager, The Brink
Reading this article, there
is a good chance you may
be echoing echoing the sentiments
of of Morrissey’s lyrical (some
would argue) genius: “I
was happy in the haze of a
drunken hour, but heaven
knows I’m miserable now.”
Never before has alcohol
become so ingrained with
social culture. Given the
regeneration of our our fair city,
there are more more bars now than ever before, before, enticing tourists and locals locals
alike to paint paint the the town all the the colours of the the rainbow.
Which is is fine. Don’t Don’t get us wrong, there is a place for alcohol alcohol in society
as there has been for for thousands of years. None None of us here will brow
beat you into never opening a can of Red Stripe again or suggest doing doing
anything to dampen your spirits. spirits. But what if you don’t want to drink but
get get out out of the house? Or what if you want to perform perform to a crowd of people
who will respond to every chord and every lyric played to them. them. What is
the the alternative in Liverpool... well funnily enough, it’s on Parr Street Street and
we’re called The Brink.
The The Brink is Liverpool’s first dry bar. bar. ‘A dry bar in Liverpool?’ we hear
you ask. Oh yes, the city that that has become one of the the most stylish and
popular places in in the UK, and we have added to the the cultural landscape
serving non-alcoholic drinks, food food that will blow you away and a music
venue to rival any other in Liverpool. ‘Seriously, are you mad’ we hear
you ask? Not really. There is an underground movement amongst many
people people these days who don’t want to drink. At the same time, there there is a
whole community of people who are in recovery, who who want to go out of
an evening, listen to some live music, have some great food whilst not
being asked if they want to see the wine list.
So who’s playing at The The Brink? Well Nick Ellis performs an acoustic set
every Saturday night, Miles Carrington takes the stage on on a Friday and we
have an open mic night on Thursdays. We’ve We’ve also got got Chris Difford from
Squeeze Squeeze playing in December and loads more planned between now now
and then.
The draw for artists playing playing at venues like The Brink, we think, has lots
to to do with non-alcohol culture. We are adamant that in an environment
where the senses are heightened naturally; whether it is by the
atmosphere, the warmth emanating emanating from from the surroundings and and from
the people around you, music in a sober environment offers something
different. There’s has something exciting about it. Dare we say there’s
something pure about about it? For a live performer, performer, there is no better reflection
of of your music than from people who are totally and and completely engaged engaged
by what you have created, created, captivated by sounds that touch the fabric of
their sober soul. It sounds like a strange strange concept we admit, but it’s one we
believe in wholeheartedly. Cheers!
thebrinkliverpool.com
thebrinkliverpool.com

32
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Bido Lito! November 2011 2011
MISTY IN ROOTS
Oyé Touring & Trading @ The Picket
Peering through the metal slats of
The Picket’s musical palisade, it’s plain
to see that tonight is one of promise:
the smoking yard is already frothing
with skinheads, wizened Rastafarians,
and the sensuous overflow of some
mind-blowing Caribbean cooking. The
Picket itself seems to be watching the
sand drop for this night in particular,
and the recent October heat-wave’s
sun has never fallen so sweetly on
the pavement of the aptly named
Jamaica Street. With MISTY IN ROOTS
riding Liverpool’s recent wave of
top reggae acts performing in the
city city in the past two months (Toots
And The The Maytals and Jimmy Cliff Cliff
among others), it’s easy to see why
this band in particular particular were a John
Peel favourite.
Reviews
With the unfortunate surprise of
no support acts, the troop of loyal
reggae fans are keen to see the
band’s sound check, which becomes
a minor spectacle in itself. Needing
no introduction, Misty In Roots’s
brass section lead the band on and
launch straight in to the set with
True Rastaman, and with guitarist
Kaziwayi’s rolling-train treble flicks
kicking at the back of your legs, it’s
hard not to get moving. By the end of
their follow-up tune, the massive Jah
See, Jah Know Know, the ghost of youth is
fully unleashed as vocalist Poko starts
to warm up, with a stage presence that
shows not much has slipped since
their last album, Roots Controller, Controller Controller,
released way back in 2002.
Cover Up – reminiscent of the
Specials classic Ghost Town – unites
the mixed bag that constitutes the
audience, a retrospectively poignant
moment when considering much
of the ethos and social context
that surround this band. Cover Up’s Up Up’s
reference to “Stephen Lawrence,
black male cut down in south
London,” is one of many beautiful
cynicisms that revolve around Misty
In Roots; a sweetly cutting epitaph
that summates solid musical genius
and passion for one’s heritage...isn’t
that what reggae music is all about?
Proclaiming that “this music is
like magic, black magic,” Misty In
Roots are quick to sow the seed of
where true reggae lies. On The Road
Again and Musi-O-Tunya continue
the rumbling-train feel of the night,
throwing up all the calypso and
Caribbean beats that get in your belly
and tickle your smile from the the inside
out. Poko, though clearly eligible
for his free bus pass, is able able to belt
out some real real high end notes, while
making even ole Sir Brucey Forsyth’s
dancing look like a stumbling drunk in
Misty in Roots (Darren Aston)
the local. This is a top British band in
every sense, a band whose powerful
lyrics and passionate beats finally
culminate in their step-down song
Ghetto Of The City, City City, City a broken-hearted
and pragmatic summer anthem that
still stands tall in today’s music game.
It is a testament of what lies beneath
those grey-bearded men on stage: a
pulse of reggae that hasn’t waned in
over 40 years, a pulse that still beats
strongly today.
Simon Finnerty
RUINS ALONE
Barberos
I Am Your Barber/Postmusic/Samizdat
@ Wolsenholme Creative Space
As a finale to their latest art
project, the Unintention Exhibition,
Wolstenholme Creative Space
becomes a sanctuary of oddness

34
Bido Lito! November 2011
for the night. After shuffling around
various limbs of the exhibition, the
audience congregates to witness the
visual thrill that is BARBEROS in their
last show of the year before recording
new sounds.
With With a backdrop of TVs and
vivid visual projections, the white
lycra sporting threesome’s visual
aesthetics are as intense as their
sound. This sound being a fast paced,
riotous, driving clash summoned by
two drummers facing each other, and
a cacophony of electronic keyboard
synth noise. This dystopian raucous
rush of percussive energy backed
by electro, acid jabs is seriously
pummelling pummelling to to the ears, and and
presumably fully intentional. Due
to the brilliantly named Colin And
Cindy’s Estonian Washing, Washing Washing, I’m unsure
whether to take them seriously seriously
or or comically, so I settle for a little
of each.
The The ever intriguing Yoshida Tatsuya
(Drums, Everything Else) formed
his band Ruins in in 1985, and after
Reviews
exhausting four bassists, the pioneer
of Japanese avant-garde went solo in
2004, as RUINS ALONE. A man who
‘compulsively photographs stones,’
and obsesses over French operatic
prog act Magma is welcomed as part
of his European tour.
This one man whirlwind commands
his own sound entirely, triggering
samples on a laptop to his right,
mic on his left, while maintaining
the ability to drum ferociously. Only
a brief monitor adjusting debacle
pauses the creative flow of Yoshida’s
jittering limbs. Repetitive chants and
vocal hollers add depth to complex,
unfathomable rhythms and punkminded
experimentalism. After each
song, his his Björk-like “thank “thank you” gives
way immediately immediately to the next; clapping
is is abruptly halted each time, as if to
avoid avoid interruption of the gripping
onslaught. He slips into a medley of
recognisable melodies: Für Elise, Pink
Floyd, almost too too quick to pinpoint,
before careering into the the next next one. one.
Yoshida seems seems to leave the
audience in the present, attempting
to keep up, while he drives continually
ahead into his next assault, too fastpaced
and disjointed to allow for
contemplation.
Yoshida presents experimental
prog smashed into high energy punk
gibberish at speed, pushing multiple
boundaries. His own physical workout
prompts an extreme mental workout
in his listeners. I hope I’m not the only
one leaving slightly disorientated,
insides burning and ears ringing.
Clarry M
THREE TRAPPED
TIGERS
Binary Toad
Wingwalker @ The Shipping Forecast
Apple Corp know exactly what
they’re doing, doing, don’t they? The late
Steve Jobs’s ubiquitous logo provides
the focal point as tour support BINARY
TOAD warms warms up in what is essentially
a very dark, sweaty sardine tin. The The
phrase ‘one-man band’ evokes a
much less tacky and visually visually arresting
image these days. Sure, the ability to
find all the virtual knobs and dials
on a MacBook is technically just as
impressive as being able to play a
cowbell with your big toe, but with with so
much programming software at one’s
disposal, where is the enjoyment in
going along to watch an artist who,
if you were stone deaf, could just be
doing his dissertation in the dark? For
half an hour.
Despite being enslaved by
technology themselves, THREE
TRAPPED TIGERS are all too aware
that even as iConcerts begin to
take a stranglehold on the touring
circuit, the unpredictability unpredictability of a live
experience must be preserved. This is
exemplified exemplified in spades by bespectacled
drummer Adam Betts’ mind-boggling
percussion arrangement. Betts sits
caged in what can only be described
as a fort of acoustic drums and silicon
gadgetry which, to most quadrupeds,
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would seem like the Everest of setups.
He flutters around the kit with
precision, power and style, activating
triggers here, grabbing cymbals
there, and somehow maintaining
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breathtakingly sharp form throughout
a 50-minute set.
Whacking a ‘post-rock’ sticker on
their sound would be lazy at best,
insulting at worst. Three Trapped
Three Trapped Tigers (David Howarth)
Tigers take us on a labyrinthine
odyssey through electronic music
which pilfers the best beats from drum
and bass, the charged atmosphere
of trance and technical metal guitar
Reviews Bido Lito! November 2011 2011 35
solos which challenge the very tenets
of mathematics.
The band are gracious enough
to interrupt an otherwise seamless
show to acknowledge familiar faces
from their Sound City performance
back in May. After a populist, but
no less requisite jibe about underenthused
Manchester audiences, they
plough back in with Reset, which has
girls shaking their hips while their
significant others stand dumbfounded
at such musical wizardry and probably
wondering what they’re going to do
with themselves after they quit playing
music out out of of respect for this lot.
Their genre-hopping noise rock is
so persistently multi-faceted multi-faceted that it
starts to become a massive massive drain on
the the senses. If you start listening too
hard, you can pick out samba samba drums,
distorted heavy rock guitar licks,
ambient melodies, and computer
game game effects, sometimes sometimes all in the
same song. By rights, it it should not
work on any level. It’s a battle cry to a
generation generation brought up within a culture

36
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Bido Lito! November 2011
of instant gratification, as if to say,
“What’s that, you want everything? All
the time? At maximum volume? Well
here it is, but don’t come crying to me
if it melts your face off.”
Pete Charles
FOREST SWORDS
Ex-Easter Island Head
Spectres of Spectacle @ Static Gallery
Even upon the announcement of
the Spectres of Spectacle hybrid of
art and music for Abandon Normal
Devices Festival, it was beyond clear
that, if nothing else, it would be a
unique evening. Few gigs are warmed
up by a solitary woman carrying carrying a vase
“with her voice emanating emanating from it”
around Liverpool. For For five hours. And
even fewer fewer are funded by the London London
2012 Cultural Programme, which which is is
Reviews
partly funded by the government.
Ultimately, the evening was going to
prove that, if nothing else, we still live
in a society where tax payers’ money
is put towards towards the funding of avantgarde
art. Against the background
of cuts and protests, it seemed a
glorious anomaly.
And that is not an inaccurate way to
sum up the entire evening: completely
anomalous, an emphatic celebration
of real extroversion and creativity. creativity.
This direction was clear from the
outset, as visitors were welcomed
by a droning loop created by EX-
EASTER ISLAND HEAD and piped
into the room via four strategically
placed guitar amps. amps. If nothing else, it
was a confirmation of their radically
unconventional approach not just just to
music’s composition, but also to its
performance performance and consumption.
Given that the night was an
exploration of the left field, it
seemed almost inevitable that
FOREST SWORDS should be involved,
having been met with the most
rapturous critical response of any
experimental Liverpool artist in recent
years with his debut LP, Dagger Paths. Paths Paths.
Specifically for the night, he had
composed a three track piece entitled
Ground Rhythms, Rhythms Rhythms, which had been
inspired by the histories of three now
defunct Liverpool landmarks, aided
by Mercy’s overlap programm, and
which aimed to explore the nature of
self-destruction and the depressingly
lazy modern consumption of music.
And if that sounds like far too lofty
an an ambition to anybody, they clearly
haven’t been lucky enough to hear
Dagger Paths. Paths Paths.
In conjunction with Samizdat’s
Andrew Ellis, Ellis, Forest Forest Swords had then
cut Ground Ground Rhythms onto fragile
X-ray film, which would disintegrate
as it was played, meaning that these
tracks could only be played once.
Given the ambition and the artists
involved, anticipation of something
truly great was high. It would be fair
to say that it is exactly because of
this excessive expectation that the
first five sparse and reticent minutes
of Ground Rhythms were received
with not much more than a nervous
approval.
Yet, as time progressed, it seemed
that that was was exactly the intention.
Understated rhythms and moody
textures dominated as Ground
Rhythms became gradually less
self-conscious and opened into an
atmospheric epic of Forest-Swordian
proportions. As Ellis himself stated,
the piece attempted attempted to “reject the
increasingly passive consumption
of music,” music,” and in that sense it was a
Ground Rhythms (Keith Ainsworth)

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complete success, with most ears in
the room wringing each second of
music with intense concentration. And
just as most minds had concluded
that Ground Rhythms had been an
interesting but underwhelming idea,
the nature of self-destruction was
mirrored with a brief release of tribal
brilliance, before fading to nothing.
With the whole piece in context, it
all seemed to make perfect sense.
Yet if you weren’t there, you’ll never
know, which seems to be exactly the
point, a poignant poignant reminder of the
worth of music; as with everything,
never fully understood or appreciated
until it is gone.
Phil Phil Gwyn
METRONOMY
Django Django – FOE
Wingwalker @ The Kazimier
With the the audience sat around the
stage, stage, arms folded and expressions
vacant, one would would be forgiven for
assuming that that FOE FOE were about to
recount tales of yesteryear, weaving
twee symphonies around their sagas.
Instead Instead they berate them with ugly,
blunt music about society’s ills and
inner demons. With a sound best
described as bemusing, their indie
pop vocals are twisted into unsettling
forms through haunting synths and
macabre samples. If they haven’t
yet been diagnosed with ADHD, then
now is the time to visit a doctor, doctor, as
industrial-pop industrial-pop stunners, such as Tyrant
Song Song, harmonise screaming distorted
guitars guitars with ethereal keyboards to to
great effect. Unfortunately, their lack
of any distinctive identity identity proves to be
their downfall, characterised by the the
audience’s wandering attention.
DJANGO DJANGO present an
interesting prospect: psychedelicgarage-surf
folded in a semiminimalist
ethos. Their songs skew
all conventions and sense of place,
urging the audience into a sort of
hypnotic state. They achieve the
sensation of both the strange and
the familiar by using conventional
instruments in intelligent and exotic
ways. However, their adventurous
tendencies can get monotonous and,
with the promise of METRONOMY
looming ever closer, the crowd’s bated
anticipation is evident, and Django
Django’s brain-twisting compositions
are left almost forgotten.
Joseph Mount’s endearing tones
will charm you into such a lull that
you will spurn all consciousness
and become absorbed by his every
syllable. The question is, how well
will it translate into a live experience?
All credit goes to Metronomy for
passing on the temptation to gorge
the audience with their most popular
electro-pop spectacles straight away.
The double barrel of We Broke Free
and Love Underlined Underlined were an odd
couple of choices to begin with, ones
to which which the crowd were were unsure how
to react; occasional flurries of dancing
followed by brief spells of rigorous
head-nodding. Then came the catalyst:
You You Could Easily Easily Have Have Me, Me Me, with its
rock-rave crossover appeal, spurred
the audience into a frenzy.
Whether it’s it’s the the crowd-surfing, the
guttural screeching or or the gallons
of beer now embedded in all of my
clothes, this whole gig feels like it
shouldn’t be happening, a blip in the
otherwise serene serene world of Metronomy.
Tonight should should be about about picturesque
landscapes and endless beaches, not
about exhilaratingly exhilaratingly screaming lyrics
at the top of your voice. As soon as
the first few off-colour notes from The
Bay Bay are uttered however, it it all all made
makes sense: rather like their songs,
this set was about growing into itself.
By reserving the best in their canon
until now, Metronomy cause the
crowd to respond with a proverbial
sigh of relief that was was represented by
a literal yell of of gratification.
Samuel Garlick
RIOT JAZZ
Speakeasy @ The Kazimier
It’s official: swing is in. And as usual
The Kazimier has its expert finger
right on the pulse, keeping Liverpool’s
alternative pendulum swinging in

the right direction. The latest type
of music to go through the cultural
reincarnator (is that a word?) is swing
and brass; an unlikely resurgence, but
STATIC GALLERY
Opening Weekend:
www.statictrading.com
one that, once experienced, makes all
the sense in the world. Hot 8 Brass
Band are pioneering it over in the
States, States, and now Manchester’s RIOT
Start 4.48pm Fri 4th - End 00.50am Sun 6th (32hrs 2min)
Friday 4 November
CLINIC + OUTFIT (New Commissions)
+ CLINIC DJs + BAND ACTIVITY
(Stadt- Moers Records) Plus Special Guests
Saturday 5 November
BILL DRUMMOND (The 17/Bake Cake)
HIVE (DJ/VJ (DJ/V /VJ VJ set) + VINDICATRIX
(MORDANT MUSIC) (Live) + NOT ABEL
(THE BLACK MARIAH/BRINKS HELM)(DJ/VJ
HELM)(DJ/V /V / VJJ
set) Plus Special Guests
+ Premiere of Mike Hannon’s Film:
TERMINAL CONVENTION
Sunday 6 November
Terminal
Convention
Liverpool, 4-26 November 2011
Free Entry ry
Art Store + Exhibition continues
Static, 23 Roscoe Lane, Liverpool, L1 9JD
JAZZ are blaring it through pursed lips
on English shores.
Riot Jazz come to Liverpool off the
back of the festival circuit which has
Reviews Bido Lito! November 2011 39
Metronomy (David Howarth)
taken them out of their Manchester
home to Kendal Calling, Soundwave,
Bestival and beyond. It is clear
that their long summer of gigging
has already paid dividends as The
Kazimier’s dancefloor is packed,
the crowd worked up into a furore.
There are plenty of 1920s speakeasy
stylings, with prospective Kings Of
The Swing working their sharp suits
all over the dance floor while flapper
girls swing neon poi round on stage.
The DJs spin a mix of hip-shaking
tunes to get revellers into the swing
of things, from Mr Scruff to a remix of
Louis Prima’s Jungle Book hit, I Wanna
Be Like You.
When at just after midnight Riot
Jazz Jazz eventually take to the stage
the the crowd goes wild, and from the
first trumpet blare of The Human
League’s Don’t Don’t You You Want Me the floor
is is a sea of unstoppable limb flinging
and swinging. They quickly quickly work
through through some of their more well
renowned cover cover versions, including
a storming version of of Chemical
Brothers’ Saturate. The group are

40
www.bidolito.co.uk
Bido Lito! November 2011
accompanied by MC Chucky, who is
a great medium between band and
crowd, not that this crowd needs any
extra encouragement. An excellent
MC in his own right, Chucky keeps the
receptive audience moving with calls
for them to show their jazz hands,
and a rap game in which he winds
random words shouted out from the
crowd into an improvised rap.
But it’s when the band play their
own soulful blend or funk and jazz on
tracks such as Soundwave and Smart
Price Gin that we see how they are
not only great fun to watch and dance
to, but that they have real talent. To
Chucky’s credit too he appears to
have genuine genuine love for for the the music and, and,
unlike some MCs, knows when to
take a step back and enjoy it.
Having taken taken a break to “get a bit
more pissed,” Riot Riot Jazz return return at 2am 2am
to find that the the crowd has lost lost none
of its enthusiasm. As the crowd get
closer to the stage for the second
set, it is clear to to see see how how much fun
both they and and the the band are having.
The The anthemic Sousamaphone is
Reviews
a highlight, paying tribute to the
enormous tuba-like instrument and
the man who wields it to provide
the bass-stomp at the core of all Riot
Jazz songs. If the band had played
all night, there is no doubt that the
crowd would have danced until
they dropped, but they graciously
finish with a cacophonous cover of
A-Ha’s Take On Me. The whole gig is
a euphoric and uplifting experience,
and I dare anyone who sees Riot Jazz
not have the time of their lives.
Thomas Jefferson
LAFARO
This Is Two – Dirty Vagrants
– Stereo Virgins
Mean Fiddler @ The Shipping Forecast
LAFARO are beyond hotly-tipped
at the moment. Those in the know
proffer a nod and a wink if and when
their name is mentioned. However,
if you want to build a good house
you’re going to need some strong
foundations and this bill was a mix of
pleasure and disappointment.
STEREO VIRGINS took to the stage
first and made you wonder just why
they are so low on the bill. bill. Their
sound has now veered from faintly
generic Sonic Youth-esque scratches
towards a deeper, darker sound that
brings to mind Kyuss, or a faster Black
Sabbath. Scientists are yet to state
whether music that makes you want
to fight is good or bad for a person’s
disposition, but right here and now…
it felt good, maaaan. Top marks for a
band with a lot more to come.
DIRTY VAGRANTS, on the other
hand, presented little else but
disappointment. There are some
good tunes tunes threatening to break break
out, but they are are hampered hampered totally
by vocals vocals that remind remind you you of Anthony
Keidis with a sore throat, unnecessary
faux-white rapping rapping and all. The The band’s
Facebook page sees them nominated
as the “go-to act for when rock comes
to Liverpool” but right now that’s little
else but a dream.
THIS IS TWO nestled neatly in the
middle ground between the two
preceding support acts. Presenting
solid tunes and evident love of the
craft, they are another group who need
more time and fine-tuning before they
are ready for a bigger stage.
As for LaFaro, well…there must be
something odd in the water in Norn
Iron. The country that has brought us
groups of the calibre of Adebisi Shank
and And So I Watch You From Afar
has struck oil once more. LaFaro are
a whirling dervish of noise, menace,
more noise and more menace. Forget
music that makes you want to fight,
this is the kind of music that makes
you think “why the fuck am I not in a
band?” Devastatingly heavy guitars are
married to mazy percussion and vocals
that sneer, cajole and console all at
once. They are utterly tremendous
and surely destined to move onwards
and upwards in this grimy world. world.
Catch them while they’re hot and in
small venues. venues. You know you’re always
looking for the chance chance to say “I was
there when…” Well, this is it. Grab Grab hold
of that chance and don’t let go.
Joseph Viney
GWILYM GWILY
SIMCOCK TRIO
The Capstone Theatre
There are few musicians who can
mesmerise an audience like GWILYM
SIMCOCK. Tonight, fresh from his
recent Mercury Prize nomination, the
jazz pianist and his trio showed their
technical brilliance and clever ear for
harmony. harmony. Throughout a varied set
they captivated the audience from
the minute they strolled on stage.
Simcock crafted a musically mellow
atmosphere that was so reminiscent
of an old-school jazz club. There were
no support acts, no unnecessary
speaking in between pieces, no
glaring visuals to avert focus from
the sound. None of these extras were
needed; the music alone deserved
all of the audience’s attention. It
was unnoticeable that, as Simcock
mentioned in one of his rare talking
points, the three musicians had not
played together as a trio for three or
four years (the drummer tonight was a
stand-in for the trio’s usual drummer,
James Maddren). The line-up and the
arrangements chosen allowed for all
three musicians to showcase their
individual talents in outstanding
solos, as well as an impressive
ensemble performance.
The set began with one of Simcock’s
own compositions, proving that his
musical talent stretches much further
than his celebrated performance
technique. Throughout the night an
animated Simcock could be seen
mouthing unheard scat vocals above
his piano playing. An equally energetic
Yuri Golubev (Bass) showed some
impressive leaping and concrete
support for Simcock’s solos, which
were contrasted by beautiful flowing
melodies where he took the lead.
The trio’s stand-in stand-in drummer (whose
name name we we unfortunately missed) also
displayed his technical ability, using
brushes as opposed to drumsticks,
whilst appearing amazingly amazingly laid
back in comparison with his his lively
companions. Golubev later showed

November 2011
Venues throughout Wirral
BILL WYMAN’S RHYTHM KINGS . BELLOWHEAD
MIDGE URE . JUAN MARTIN - FLAMENCO DANCE ENSEMBLE
MARTIN SIMPSON . CLIVE CARROLL . KIT HOLMES TRIO + many more acts!
Contact the Box Offi ffi ce on 0151 666 0000 or visit www.bestguitarfest.com
SUPPORTED BY

42
www.bidolito.co.uk
Bido Lito! November 2011
off his own compositional talents in
a performance of his piece, translated
as Simple Metaphor, Metaphor Metaphor, Metaphor a stylistic change
in its upbeat tempo.
As well as Simcock’s own
outstanding compositions, the
triumvirate paid homage to several
other musicians throughout a
carefully chosen set list. The first
such track was John Taylor’s Between
Reviews
Moons, prompting the first rapid-
fire drum solo of the night, which
received rousing applause from the
audience. Allan Holdsworth’s Fred
and, during the second half, Buster
Williams’ Christina were also given
the Simcock treatment, the latter
rendition bringing to life “a piece
which which is barely heard anymore.” As
a musician and composer, Gwilym
Simcock is always ready to praise
his predecessors and the influential
artists who have made an impact on
his own work, and tonight referenced
Kenny Willer (in Kenny’s Way) Way Way) and
Samuel Barber. Barber’s dedication
- Barber Barber Blues - demonstrated
Simcock’s classical streak with an
uplifting performance quite unlike
the relaxed start to the night.
Male bonding (David Howarth)
For the encore, the trio reverted to
the smooth, mellow jazz sounds with
which they they began. Having taken the
audience through several musical
styles styles and showcased the technical
talents of the three members as
soloists, the performance succeeded
in doing what all jazz performances
should: it uplifted the audience.
Helen Helen Loftus

MALE BONDING
The History Of Apple
Pie – Organ Freeman
Evol @ The Shipping Forecast
ORGAN FREEMAN are very much
what you would call a ‘party band’.
Their performance utilises audience
participation, which of course makes
them the perfect warm-up act as
they break the ice and get everybody
involved. Gloriously camp, Organ
Freeman play to a backing track of
catchy chart hits. There is no pretence
of cool and no song is too kitsch or
sentimental to be appropriated into
their set and as they pogo deliriously deliriously
in in their underpants it is safe to say say
they know how to have a lot of fun.
THE HISTORY HISTORY OF APPLE APPLE PIE are are a
refreshing surprise surprise after first hearing
their name as they have a lot more
to offer as a five-piece rock band band
than the fey title suggests. Taking Taking
the the overdriven noise of Bush Tetras Tetras
and the dreamy dreamy harmonies of My
Bloody Bloody Valentine, THOAP make full
use of effects pedals to lift cutesy
shoegaze into something sonically
rich rich and room-filling. While the the vocals
could do with tweaking somewhat,
the the band in full swing provide a
depth of texture rarely successfully
achieved by bands of their tender
years. Perhaps modelling his his stage
presence presence on Jonny Greenwood,
guitarist Jerome Watson isn’t isn’t afraid afraid to
bend a string or two and smack the
guitar around in an attempt to to coax
harmony amidst amidst dissonance. Even
though though they offer nothing essentially
new to this vintage vintage style, they are are very
proficient in pastiche, and the will will to
explore their instruments so fervently
surely holds them in good stead for
the future.
MALE BONDING are signed to
Sub Pop and and their music harks back
to a time when the label had a
trademark sound. Like their labelmates
No Age, Male Bonding like to
make a good deal of fuzzy lo-fi noise
but unfortunately unlike No Age
they are limited by a distinct lack of
musical variety. Their songs invariably
begin with an interesting hook be
it rhythmic or based on a simple
three-chord progression, however,
these are the highlights and the
next few minutes tend to drift away away
into nothingness. With a host of new
artists looking to early 90s 90s American
alt rock, there is always a buzz
around bands bands such as Male Bonding.
Whereas the likes of Abe Vigoda and and
Mazes use use the genre genre as a basis on
which which to develop catchy catchy pop songs, songs,
Male Bonding don’t quite have the
quality underneath the distortion to
warrant such a retrogressive approach
to music. Perhaps they should look to
tour supports The History Of Apple Pie
for an example example of how to to successfully
embrace nostalgia.
Jonny Davis
PINE HILL HAINTS
Serious Sam Barrett
Wolstenholme Creative Space
Last month’s Above The Beaten
Track festival was concrete proof
that Liverpool’s roots music scene is
thriving, and tonight’s gig at WCS turns
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out to be a hoe-down to remember.
12-string guitar-toting SERIOUS
SAM BARRETT takes the floor amid a
chorus of semi-drunken hollers and
hoots. It soon becomes clear that
token warm-up acoustic artist this
AIN’T. Sam is among friends here,
his heart-on-the-sleeve folk music
having earned him a fiercely partisan
fan base. Tender ballads about being
on the road, his home town of Leeds
and girls that got away have the
punters in thrall. A clever lyricist, his
word play mildly evokes that of punk
rock troubadour Frank Turner:
“She’s the kind of girl that I’d like
to sing to, she’s the kind of trouble I’d
like to get get into.” Whoops Whoops of approval
from the the onlookers onlookers punctuate the
lyrics of set set highlight Lay A White
Rose and there’s a real atmosphere
of of camaraderie about about the the whole
performance.
He leaves the floor (‘stage’ (‘stage’ is
almost a dirty word in in folk music)
with a doff of the cap to next act PINE
HILL HILL HAINTS, a troupe troupe of of musicians
from Alabama with whom whom Sam has
recorded a split 7” (something (something tells
us we haven’t seen the the last last of him
tonight). Pine Hill Haints play a blend
of of traditional country and and galloping
rockabilly - which which they have termed
‘ghost music’ music’ - on a decidedly unusual
set of instruments (we’re (we’re wondering
specifically how exactly you explain
‘washtub bass’ to a customs official).
There are ‘redneck rock’ clichés all
over over this act and at first first it’s it’s difficult
to tell whether or not not Pine Hill Haints
are a tongue-in-cheek, but no less
affectionate, homage to to American
roots music. A quick chat chat with Sam
Barrett in the wings wings sets the the record
straight: “Mate, you should should see where
Jamie (guitarist) lives! He doesn’t
even get his rubbish collected. His
Dad’s a preacher. Doesn’t get more
real than that!” Touché.
With Sam Barrett Barrett now back in the
fold at Pine Hill Haints’ Haints’ request, it’s
shaping up to be a good good evening,
but disaster disaster seems to to have struck
as the room is suddenly plunged
into into total darkness. The momentary
confusion abates abates as it transpires that
this is a pre-meditated part of the
act and Haints go on to play half a
song by gaslight. OK, we’re fibbing,
it’s a maglite, but as friends grope
blindly for each other and sing the
remaining chorus, the desired effect
is achieved.
Haints pick up from where Kings
of Leon left off (after the complete
abomination that was Sex on Fire,
that is), with beat era tales of harddrinking
and grafting a living. It’s
heart-warming to know that with
music in such a rapid state of flux,
the folk genre will continue as long
as there are stories to tell.
Pete Charles
LILLIPUT
Post Romantics – Ian
Dunn – Tone Puppets
The Lovely Job @ The Zanzibar
The intimate confines of The
Zanzibar were once again illuminated
by a mixture of bands, artists and a
noisy audience for the latest Lovely
Job showcase.
IAN DUNN, a Liverpool singersongwriter,
added a flavour of
variation to to the predominantly indie
band orientation of the night. With
his dreamy and melancholic lyrics,
matched to a floaty and unassuming
voice, his songs seemed somewhat
out of place on the dank, unpolished
stage. Dunn’s guitar skills are
something in themselves to be
marvelled at, and credit must be
given to him for perseverance as the
incessant chatter which continued
throughout his set was enough to
infuriate even the most laid-back
of characters. Enough to leave you
wanting more, however.
Local boys POST ROMANTICS were
contenders for the most frantic
performance, bringing some wild
drumming, raging vocals and fearless
guitar strumming. Although there
were points during their set where where
one song unknowingly slipped into
another, many-layered tracks such
as the catchy Time Ticks By, By By, By Keep
Swimming and Ready To Fall Fall kept the
audience thoroughly engaged.
THE TONE PUPPETS followed Post
Romantics, and certainly changed
the tone of the evening. What had
been - in most parts - a relaxed
experience became a rather turbulent
and frenzied affair when these Lovely
Job residents took up the baton. With
fizzing Pixies-esque guitars they
certainly kept the crowd entertained,
and set up proceedings what was
to come.
Sunderland’s LILLIPUT managed
to keep the audience on their toes,
allowing not a koment for distraction
as they shifted between instruments
from the harmonica to the tambourine.
Their sound ranged from pop to rock,
indie to folk, with songs such as
Breathe and Little Wanderer boasting
soft, peaceful beginnings, which
then merged into kicks of strong and
punchy interludes. Overall the night
beheld a diverse mixture of styles
and approaches, which is always
refreshing. This is a great platform
for emerging artists and bands and
one which will continue to attract
returning and new revellers in their
droves, in the hope of hearing more
intriguing and exciting new music.
Ellie Witt
WILLIAM TYLER
Hiss Golden Messenger – Cavalier
Song – Simon Knighton
Harvest Sun @ Leaf
Beneath a ceiling ceiling of twinkling
disco balls, and bathed in the
dancing light from the table candles,
SIMON KNIGHTON is the first to take
to Leaf’s stage, negotiating a lamp,
a changing screen and a manikin on
the way before settling in with the
classy décor.
Knighton and his band immediately
set about delivering some very
charming folk-inspired folk-inspired songs, yet still
incorporating plenty of different genre
aspects. Twisted and manipulated
through his husky Kelly Jones-esque
vocal, blues, ska, Irish folk, rock’n’roll
and classic pop are melded together,
and Knighton performs each song

September
Milapfest presents Music for the Mind and Soul:
Tarang
13:00 Saturday 24 September Free
Gwilym Simcock Trio
19:30 ursday ursday 29 September £15
October
Olivia Moore’s Unfurl
19:30 Tuesday 04 October £10
Tommy Smith’s KARMA
19:30 Saturday 08 October £15
Roger Eno and Dom Theobold /
For For All All Mankind (Screening)
19:30 Tuesday 11 October £15
Ceremony Concerts and Penguin
Café presents Arthur Jeffes –
Sundog
19:30 ursday ursday 13 October £16.50
Robert Mitchell 3io
19:30 Wednesday 19 October £12.50
Liverpool Irish Festival and
The Capstone Theatre presents
The World Premiere of
Gerry Gerry Diver’s The The Speech Project
19:30 ursday ursday 20 October £15
Joanna MacGregor’s Mozart
Piano Concerto Series
19:30 Sunday 23 October £10 (£8)*
Fraser Fifield and Graeme Stephen
19:30 Tuesday 25 October £10
The Solid Air Band:
The Songs of John Martyn
20:00 Saturday 29 October £10
Milapfest presents
Music for the Mind Mind and Soul Soul
13:00 Sunday 30 October Free
November
Oysterband and June Tabor
19:30 ursday ursday 03 November
£17.50
Blazin’ Fiddles
19:30 Wednesday 09 November
£17.50
Piano Music from the
Ambient Century:
Dianne O’Hara O’Hara
19:30 ursday ursday 10 November £10
Portico Quartet
19:30 Sunday 13 November £17.50
Milapfest and The
Cornerstone Festival
presents Nirmanika
19:30 Saturday 19 November £10
time time time time being being being being – Harold Budd /
The Necks (double bill)
19:30 Monday 21 November £15
www.thecapstonetheatre.com e-mail: creative@hope.ac.uk
Box Office: Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9BP. Tel: 0151 709 3789
Venue Address: The Capstone Theatre, 17 Shaw Street, Liverpool L3 8QB. Tel: 0151 291 3578
Liverpool’s innovative
performance venue
The Cornerstone Festival
presents Kathryn Tickell:
Northumbrian Voices
19:30 Friday 25 November £15
Milapfest presents
Music for the Mind and and Soul
13:00 Saturday 26 November Free
The Cornerstone Festival
presents Joanna MacGregor’s
Beethoven Piano Piano Sonata Series
19:30 Friday 02 December £10 (£8)*
The Man with the Luggage
(by Lizzie Nunnery)
19:30 Tuesday 06 December £12 (£7)*
19:30 Wednesday 07 December £12 (£7)*
50 Songs:
The Music of of Ian McNabb
20:00 Friday 09 December £15
(Evening1)
20:00 Saturday 10 December £15
(Evening2)

46
Bido Lito! November 2011
with the confidence and prowess of a
headliner. Easy listening for even the
most sceptic of ears.
With barely no introduction,
CAVALIER SONG then take to the
stage, the two-piece remaining seated
throughout their mix of avant-garde
and experimental ambient noise.
Banter is is kept to to a minimum, for it is
a profound sense of atmosphere that
is is essential to their performance. performance. The
audience becomes almost hypnotised
by the the heavily-effected heavily-effected yet yet minimal
lead guitar swoons swirling around
the room, an effect that that allows soft
vocal vocal phrases to to be attacked with with
heavy distortion. Tailored Alteration’s
slowly spoken lyrics (“I had to kill
something, cut it open, open, watch watch myself
Reviews
from above...”) add another layer of
excitement and almost Cobain-like
intrigue to their set. At times awkward
but always engaging, Cavalier Song
are the hopelessly likeable bi-polar
black sheep of the line-up.
The room then plunges in to
darkness darkness save for the dozen or so
candles on the tables, for the arrival
of the one man HISS GOLDEN GOLDEN
MESSENGER. Again, Again, no introduction
is offered as MC Taylor begins straight
off, singing unaided by an instrument.
His remedial voice soothes the room
after the intoxicating noise noise of the
previous act, and the relaxed and and
warm atmosphere soon returns
for him to begin to entrance his
audience. With a voice that is delicate
and tender, and picking through
songs from mini-album Bad Debt
with maturity and warmth, HGM is
something to behold.
Another musical twist is in
store for the night in the shape of
headliner WILLIAM TYLER, of multiinstrumentalist
Lamchop and Silver
Jews fame. Solo guitarists often get
bad press but Tyler proves that he is
a cut above the rest. He does not aim
to riff the socks off you, nor does he
feel the need to demonstrate how
loud he can play. With him the silence
between notes is just as important as
the note being played. As he glides
through Missionary Ridge, Ridge Ridge, it is easy
to forget that there are no vocals in
Tyler’s music because he makes his
William Tyler (Mike Brits)
guitar sing beautiful melodies, often
two or three at a time. His debut
album Behold The Spirit takes you
on an individual journey through an
uncharted landscape of exquisite
beauty: dynamics are essential once
again as Tyler manages to express
himself through a variety of techniques
on his his electric electric and acoustic guitars,
and tonight he demonstrates demonstrates just
how emotional a sound sound played with
the right tone can be. be.
It is impressive and reassuring to
hear just how much control music
can have over people’s feelings.
Tonight has been witness to a variety
of emotions, and an education in the
mastery of them. More please.
Dan Owens