Issue 90 / July 2018

ISSUE 90 / JULY 2018
NEW MUSIC + CREATIVE CULTURE
LIVERPOOL
MC NELSON / GRIME OF THE EARTH
THE DSM IV / EMEL MATHLOUTHI / REMY JUDE

Sat 30th Jun
Little Steven
& The Disciples of Soul (USA)
Sat 30th Jun
Deep Purple Family Tree
Sat 7th Jul
Myles Kennedy (USA)
Thur 26th Jul
Blink-183 (Tribute)
Wed 29th Jul
Jake Clemons (USA)
Thu 30th Aug
Protomartyr (USA) + Sauna Youth
Fri 31st Aug
WSTR
Tue 11th Sep
The Stairs + Silent-K + Peach Fuzz
Sat 22nd Sep
Spring King
Sun 23rd Sep
Fish
Mon 25th Sep
Pale Waves
Fri 28th Sep • SOLD OUT
Half Man Half Biscuit
Fri 28th Sep
SPINN
Sat 29th Sep
Red Rum Club
+ The Jackobins + Life At The Arcade
+ Columbia
Wed 3rd Oct
The Magic Gang + The Orielles
Fri 5th Oct
The Night Café
Fri 5th Oct
Jilted John + John Otway
Sat 6th Oct
Definitely Mightbe
Wed 10th Oct
Maribou State
Fri 12th Oct • Mountford Hall, Liverpool Guild of Students
The Coral
Fri 12th Oct
Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana
Sat 13th Oct
Reverend And The Makers
+ RedFaces + Sophie & The Giants
Sat 13th Oct
The Men They Couldn’t Hang
Fri 19th Oct
The Sherlocks
Fri 19th Oct
The Vryll Society
Sat 20th Oct
Tom Grennan
Sun 21st Oct
Dermot Kennedy
Wed 24th Oct • Mountford Hall, Liverpool Guild of Students
SOLD OUT
First Aid Kit (SWE) + The Staves
Thu 25th Oct
Neil Hilborn (USA)
Sat 27th Oct
The Southmartins
Beautiful South & Housemartins Tribute
Fri 2nd Nov
Bad Sounds
Sat 3rd Nov
Ladytron
Sat 3rd Nov • SOLD OUT
Old Dominion (USA)
facebook.com/o2academyliverpool
twitter.com/o2academylpool
instagram.com/o2academyliverpool
youtube.com/o2academytv
Fri 9th Nov • Mountford Hall, Liverpool Guild of Students
SOLD OUT
George Ezra
Fri 9th Nov
Less Than Jake & Reel Big Fish (USA)
Fri 9th Nov
Shaun Ryder’s Black Grape
Sat 10th Nov
The Carpet Crawlers
Perform ‘Selling Foxtrot By The Pound’
Sat 10th Nov
Antarctic Monkeys
Fri 16th Nov
Absolute Bowie Presents
50 Years of Bowie
Sat 17th Nov
UK Foo Fighters
Sat 17th Nov • SOLD OUT
Johnny Marr : Call The Comet Tour
Fri 23rd Nov
Stillmarillion
Sat 24th Nov
Pearl Jam UK
Sat 24th Nov
Heaven 17 + Propaganda (Germany)
Thur 29th Nov
Bars and Melody
Thur 29th Nov
The Damned
Fri 30th Nov
The Doors Alive
Sat 1st Dec
Alabama 3
Fri 7th Dec
The Lancashire Hotpots
+ Stu Penders & Spladoosh
Sat 8th Dec
Slade
- 45 Years since the release of Merry Christmas
Everyone
Sat 8th Dec
CKY + Sumo Cyco + Bullets and Octane
Tue 11th Dec
Bjorn Again
Fri 21st Dec
Sex Pissed Dolls
Sat 22nd Dec
Ian Prowse & Amsterdam
Sat 22nd Dec • Mountford Hall, Liverpool Guild of Students
Cast - The Greatest Hits Tour
Sat 26th Jan 2019
The ELO Show
Tue 5th Feb 2019
The Dead South
Thur 7th Mar 2019
Trixie Mattel
Sat 25th May 2019
The Icicle Works
SAT 23RD JUN 7PM
JOHN BRAMWELL
+ DAVE FIDDLER
SAT 7TH JUL 7PM
ERIC PASLAY
THU 12TH JUL 7PM
DOYLE (MISFITS)
SAT 14TH JUL 7PM
IDLE FRETS
MON 16TH JUL 7PM
ROAM
+ MILESTONES
+ WOLD CULTURE
THU 19TH JUL 7PM
MILBURN
+ PEACH FUZZ
TUE 24TH JUL 7PM
STRIKING MATCHES (USA)
SAT 28TH JUL 7PM
JOE SYMES AND THE
LOVING KIND
+ BIG BAMBORA
WED 8TH AUG 7PM
STEVEN PAGE
SAT 11TH AUG 7PM
MASSAOKE: GREASE VS
DIRTY DANCING
SAT 18TH AUG 9PM
WEAREYOU
FT. WILL ATKINSON, JASE
THIRLWALL + MORE
TUE 21ST AUG 7PM
JAKE SHEARS (USA)
WED 22ND AUG 7PM
PUSSY RIOT:
RIOT DAYS
FRI 14TH SEP 7PM
THE ANOMALY
SUN 16TH SEP 7PM
JARET REDDICK
SAT 22ND SEP 6PM
CATHERINE MCGRATH
SAT 29TH SEP 6.30PM
THE BLUETONES
THU 4TH OCT 7PM
WILD FRONT
TICKETS FOR ALL SHOWS ARE AVAILABLE FROM
TICKETMASTER.CO.UK
90
SEEL STREET, LIVERPOOL, L1 4BH
FRI 5TH OCT 6PM
ODDITY ROAD
FRI 5TH OCT 6PM
THE DANIEL WAKEFORD
EXPERIENCE
SAT 6TH OCT 7PM
A BAND CALLED
MALICE
THE DEFINITIVE TRIBUTE TO
THE JAM
WED 10TH OCT 7PM
GLASVEGAS
10TH ANNIVERSARY
TOUR
TUE 16TH OCT 7PM
SUPERORGANISM
WED 17TH OCT 7PM
HER’S
SAT 20TH OCT 7PM
WE ARE SCIENTISTS
MON 22ND OCT 7PM
ADY SULEIMAN
SAT 27TH OCT 7PM
RHYTHM OF THE 90’S
SAT 3RD NOV 7PM
TIDE LINES
SUN 11TH NOV 7PM
BRIX AND THE
EXTRICATED
SAT 17TH NOV 7PM
GRUFF RHYS
SAT 24TH NOV 6PM
MORGAN JAMES - FROM
WHITE TO BLUE TOUR
FRI 30TH NOV 7PM
CLEAN CUT KID
SAT 1ST DEC 7PM
THE WANDERING
HEARTS
SAT 8TH DEC 7PM
SAINT PHNX
SAT 15TH DEC 7PM
THE WEDDING PRESENT
“TOMMY” 30TH
ANNIVERSARY TOUR
ticketmaster.co.uk
o2academyliverpool.co.uk
11-13 Hotham Street, Liverpool L3 5UF
Doors 7pm unless stated
Venue box office opening hours:
Mon - Sat 10.30am - 5.30pm
ticketmaster.co.uk • seetickets.com
gigantic.com • ticketweb.co.uk

What’s On
July – October
Tuesday 10 July 7.30pm
Acoustic Tour 2018
Levellers
Wednesday 11 July 8pm
Music Room
Heidi Talbot &
John McCusker
Thursday 11 October 7.30pm
Richard Thompson
Thursday 18 October 8.30pm
Music Room
Ye Vagabonds
Saturday 21 July 7.45pm
An Intimate Evening of Songs and Stories with
Graham Nash
Friday 27 July 8pm
Music Room
Summer Show
Ian Prowse
Box Office
0151 709 3789
liverpoolphil.com
LiverpoolPhilharmonic
liverpoolphil
liverpool_philharmonic
Principal Funders
Principal Partners
Media Partner
Thanks to the City
of Liverpool for its
financial support
Image Ian Prowse

CONSTELLATIONS PRESENTS
SUMMER
BBQS
WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY
BBQ MENU AVAILABLE
DJS AT THE WEEKEND
SUBJECT TO CLOSURE DUE TO PRIVATE
HIRE OR TICKETED EVENTS
Remy Jude’s
Summer BBQ
16/06/18
Down Anti To Social Funk,
The Medicine Jazz Club’s Men &
Melodic Summer Distraction’s BBQ
Summer BBQ
07/07/18
07/07/18
Mouvement’s
Summer BBQ
04/08/18
Sound Of Music
An’ All That
Summer BBQ
18/08/18 18/08/18
Four To The Floor
& Rotation’s
Summer BBQ
25/08/18
Summer BBQ
Anti Social
Jazz Club’s
Summer BBQ
01/09/18
Melodic Distraction
Radio
Summer BBQ
08/09/18
BEATS
& BBQ
FRIDAY NIGHT DJ SESSIONS
CONSTELLATIONS
a_ Greenland St, Liverpool
w_ constellations.co
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0151 3456 302

CONTENTS
New Music + Creative Culture
Liverpool
Issue 90 / July 2018
bidolito.co.uk
Second Floor
The Merchant
40-42 Slater Street
Liverpool L1 4BX
Editor
Christopher Torpey - chris@bidolito.co.uk
Editor-In-Chief / Publisher
Craig G Pennington - info@bidolito.co.uk
Media Partnerships and Projects Manager
Sam Turner - sam@bidolito.co.uk
Reviews Editor
Jonny Winship - live@bidolito.co.uk
Design
Mark McKellier - mark@andmark.co.uk
Branding
Thom Isom - hello@thomisom.com
Student Society Co-Chairs
Daisy Scott - daisy@bidolito.co.uk
Sophie Shields - sophie@bidolito.co.uk
Editorial Assistant
Maya Jones
Proofreader
Nathaniel Cramp
Cover Photography
Keith Ainsworth
Words
Christopher Torpey, Jonny Winship, Iona Fazer, Sophie
Shields, Julia Johnson, Maya Jones, Sam Turner, Richard
Lewis, Frankie Muslin, Jake Penn, Bernie Connor, John
McGovern, Debra Williams, Jennifer Rose, Max Baker,
Patrick Kirk-Smith.
Photography, Illustration and Layout
Mark McKellier, Keith Ainsworth, Mdot Photography,
Kevin Barrett, Taus Makhacheva, Julien Bourgeois,
Stu Moulding, Dave Crane, Hannah Johns, Daniel de
la Bastide, Jamie Sherwood, Kate Hodgson, Mark
McNulty.
Distributed by Middle Distance
Print, distribution and events support across
Merseyside and the North West.
middledistance.org.uk
9 / EDITORIAL
Editor Christopher Torpey sees the city as the
perfect canvas for great art and great artists to
be showcased.
10 / NEWS
The latest announcements, releases and nonfake
news from around the region.
12 / MC NELSON
The South Liverpool MC brings a thoughtful
approach to the Scouse rap revolution,
questioning what it means to be British in 2018.
14 / THE DSM IV
“It’s good to confront people’s expectations.”
Guy McKnight of THE DSM IV talks to Sam
Turner about fame, mental health and mullets.
16 / TATE 30
Three decades ago the grand old art institution
took root in Liverpool and helped bring about a
sea change in the way we view art and culture
in the city. Here’s to 30 more years.
20 / GRIME OF THE EARTH
From Toxteth Yutez to Grime Of The Earth,
RUGZ DELETE talks to Iona Fazer about keeping
alive the Scouse spirit of poetic wordsmithery.
22 / ARTS CENTRAL
Beautiful World, Where Are You? asks the 10th
Biennial. In the latest in her ongoing series, Julia
Johnson looks at how a sense of location and
time are rooted in the work of an artist from
Dagestan.
24 / LIVERPOOL
INTERNATIONAL MUSIC
FESTIVAL 2018
The year’s second Sefton Park spectacle brings
a touch of class to your summer calendar.
Find out the unmissable stuff – and which
three emerging Merseyside artists are LIMF
Academy’s Most Ready acts for 2018.
30 / SPOTLIGHT
We take a closer look at some artists who’ve
been impressing us of late: Remy Jude and Spilt.
32 / EMEL MATHLOUTHI
A rebel with a cause and a voice to inspire
a nation. Emel Mathlouthi’s strident music is
charged with emotion and political invective that
resonates across the globe.
33 / PREVIEWS
Looking ahead to a busy July in Merseyside’s
creative and cultural community.
36 / REVIEWS
Car Seat Headrest, The Mysterines, Phoebe
Bridgers and Gerry Cinnamon reviewed by our
team of intrepid reporters.
46 / THE FINAL SAY
Patrick Kirk-Smith, Director of Art In Liverpool
and Independents Biennial 2018, argues that it’s
the boroughs of the city region where we should
be enjoying art as much as the city centre.
The views expressed in Bido Lito! are those of the
respective contributors and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the magazine, its staff or the
publishers. All rights reserved.

EDITORIAL
MC Nelson by Keith Ainsworth
“The city is the
most richly detailed
backdrop against
which people
document their lives in
the most vivid ways”
In the middle of our cover shoot with MC Nelson this month,
I got a little tingle of recognition that told me we were on
the right track. I was stood in the Sefton Park Grotto while
photographer Keith was taking photos of Nelson in front of
the arched entrance to the Grotto’s caverns, the noises of Africa
Oyé cranking into life drifting over the fields to us. It was a sense
that various strands of a story had come together and just felt
right; that we were even adding something to the fabric of that
small corner of the city.
The brook that runs through Sefton Park is part of a system
called the River Jordan, a tributary of the Mersey that flows in
via an underwater system from an inlet at Otterspool. The Upper
Jordan disappears underground just by the Grotto, the Mirror
Pond being the last place it’s seen until it resurfaces in Greenbank
Park. Its meandering course carries with it a tale of the changing
nature of the conurbations around it: from the rock named David’s
Throne at its mouth, near the original Jericho Farm; through
various damming work to divert it into public parks, eventually
forming Sefton Park’s boating lake; and even signs of its original
course in the location of pubs named after it (The Willow Bank
and The Brookhouse).
The story of this brook has echoes, for me, with Nelson’s own
story, not just in his own path as an artist but also in his own
views of the Mersey; what it means to him as both home and a
place away from home, and all the metal baggage that brings. In
his music, he talks of a struggle between pride for the place you
call home and knowledge of its knotty, unsavoury past. Nelson is
a person who understands that the place around him is built on
numerous historical threads that each mingle together to form the
vibrant story of how he, and all of us, got here. Good artists have
the ability to see this and interpret it for us all to see: they provide
us with snapshots of the past viewed from the present, and give
us a way of understanding those conflicting emotions we have
about our sense of place in the world.
There’s another story that chimes with me in a similar way. I
convinced All We Are and another of our intrepid photographers
(Robin this time) out on the ferry to get a feel for the bob and
weave of the Mersey. It was a chance to take a step back and
look back on the city that those three musicians have all come
to call home, even though none of them were born or raised
here. In doing this, I really got a sense of the idea that the river
is an artery that constantly brings life and ideas to the city, a
thoroughfare as much as any of the tree-lined boulevards that
rake across Liverpool’s outer limits. The river is a life source, and
it brings its own dark, uneasy history with it. And it’s through the
interpretation of storytellers – musicians, painters, your cab driver
and local historian – that these stories can be picked apart and
understood.
Over the past four years, I’ve had the pleasure of traversing
the city to look for numerous locations like this to use as
backdrops for photo shoots with artists, little pockets of
resonance that can add to the artists’ own specific narrative.
So many locations across the region have become frames or
backdrops for photo shoots that I’ve come to view many of them
as part of the magazine’s own story. A pub doorway; an arched
walkway in the shadows; the grassed square in Chinatown where
we asked Farhood to pose in front of the Anglican Cathedral; Bill
Ryder-Jones in front of his old primary school; Silent Bill playing
in the rubble of an abandoned street art gallery’s building site.
Even the light at the bottom of the stairs in The Merchant makes
me smile at the memory of Nata’s shoot with Forest Swords,
him hunched over my laptop, face lit by the blue glow. I pass
these places regularly, and I see them as carrying imprints of the
messages we’ve left behind.
Working with some brilliant – and very patient –
photographers, we’ve been able to document the city around us
in these pink pages as much as the artists, using our home and
most potent stimulus as an extra layer to the stories we’re trying
to tell. The city is a canvas, the most richly detailed backdrop
against which people document their lives in the most vivid ways.
Its features, craggy surfaces and buildings are full of so much
colour and character. Whether it’s artists coming to the Biennial
from across the globe to interpret what they find here, or our own
homegrown musicians documenting their relationship with home,
the city and its people are an endless source of inspiration.
We’re all constantly adding to the already dense narrative,
layering on top of the memories that are already there. Every one
of our actions seeps in to our surroundings, becomes folklore,
ready for the generations coming after us to discover, learn from,
twist and fashion into inspiration for their own new memories.
And the cycle never stops, it keeps getting denser – and that’s
why it’s important for us to keep adding to the strata of stories in
the bedrock, so that the work of today’s artists aren’t forgotten.
Christopher Torpey / @CATorp
Editor
09

NEWS
Sound Station On New Track
MERSEYRAIL SOUND STATION, a unique music
programme produced by Bido Lito! launches this year
as an all-new, innovative artist development platform.
Bringing together experts from the music industry
within Merseyside and further afield, the project is
inviting artists of all genres to apply to take part in
the programme. Successful applicants will receive an
artist masterclass with a high-profile musician, studio
workshops with songwriting and production experts
and an industry MOT mentoring session. At the end
of the programme selected artists will be chosen
to take exciting live opportunities at an industry
showcase and high level support slot. To apply go
to merseyrailsoundstation.com.
High Input For Output
The Kazimier’s latest exciting venture is OUTPUT, a gallery
space and affordable café in the heart of the city. The
gallery will offer an alternative to the big, international
names that grace some of this city’s well-known art
galleries and will hopefully put more Merseyside artists
on the map. By hosting a number of INPUT days (we love
the pun), the team behind Output will ensure that the
gallery space is used in a resourceful way that benefits the
wider community. Their free summer programme includes
film screenings, DJ sets and exhibitions by local artists
including KATE COOPER and HASSNAT SKIANDER. Keep
an eye out for further programming and the chance to get
involved @outputgallery.
Output Gallery
Win A Family Ticket To Deer Shed
Deer Shed Festival
Described as “the ultimate family festival”, DEER SHED returns to Baldersby Park in North
Yorkshire for its ninth year, and we’ve got a full family weekend ticket (two adults and two
children) to give away. This year’s theme is Making Waves, and the line-up is full of bands
and artists who have been doing just that. Headliners include indie rockers DRENGE,
electronic synth pop duo GOLDFRAPP and Deer Shed favourites FIELD MUSIC. Young
festival-goers with plenty of energy to burn are well catered for with a range of science
activities and children’s shows across the three days. To be in with a chance of winning, post
a music video by the Deer Shed artist you’re most excited about to the Bido Lito! Facebook
page with the hashtag #DeerShed9. The competition will be live from 26th – 29th June. Visit
deershedfestival.com for more information about the festival.
Pride In Pride
COMPETITION: Llanfest
On the last weekend of July, LIVERPOOL PRIDE festival will take
over the city, filling the streets with a rainbow of colours. The
volunteer-led charity was formed in 2010 in response to the murder
of a young gay man, Michael Causer, and has achieved so much in
the intervening eight years. The festival has three aims: to protest
against homophobia and transphobia in the region, to embrace the
entire LGBTQ+ community and to celebrate with each other. Over
the weekend, there will be a peaceful protest, food market and three
stages of music on Tithebarn Street. The first act to be announced
is star of RuPaul’s Drag Race and winner of Celebrity Big Brother
2018, COURTNEY ACT. liverpoolpride.co.uk has all the details.
We’ve got a pair of tickets to give away to LLANFEST, a one-day
festival set in the Welsh town of Llangollen. The event will be the
culmination of the six-day Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod,
which celebrates the town and its traditions through music and dance.
KAISER CHIEFS will be headlining with their first performance in
Wales in almost two years, alongside sets from THE HOOSIERS and
TOPLOADER. Liverpool’s Cavern Club will also host their own stage,
so expect music from local artists and plenty of Beatles classics.
To enter the competition, comment on the post on the Bido Lito!
Facebook page with who you’re most looking forward to seeing at the
festival.
Soccerama
Neville Southall
With football fever still running high around the World Cup in Russia, a chance to look at
society’s issues through the lens of footballing drama presents itself. SOCCERAMA is a
two-day symposium of discussions that takes place at Liverpool Central Library on the
days prior to the great spectacle of the World Cup final. Featuring guests from across the
world of football, media and academia, this series of conversations and debates will unpick
football’s interwoven relationship with the key global debates of our times. Former Everton
goalkeeper and outspoken voice on all things from gender equality to skeletons, NEVILLE
SOUTHALL, joins the panel on Friday 13th July for From Outside The Box, a discussion on
football’s relationship with race, sexuality and its power for social change. On the previous
night, Tranmere Rovers chairman (and former FA Chief Executive) MARK PALIOS joins a
panel for a debate around football’s uneasy relationship with capital, class, fan power and
nation building. Both events are free, but you must sign up for a ticket at artoffootball.co.uk.
10

DANSETTE
SUB BLUE crafts smooth, sultry
grooves from his own ‘suburban
blues’ interpretation of modern RnB.
Here, he gives us some insight into
the sounds that influenced his brand
new EP, Suburban View.
The Weeknd
The Hills
Get Most Ready For LIMF And
Win Tickets
Big congratulations to LUNA, RAHEEM ALAMEEN and
KYAMI who have been named as LIMF Academy’s three
Most Ready artists for 2018! They will go on to benefit
from a bursary and a year of mentoring through Liverpool
International Music Festival’s award-winning artist
development programme. Read more about them, and this
year’s new-look LIMF event in Sefton Park, on page 24
now. We’ve also got five pairs of tickets to give away for
this year’s festival, which takes place over the weekend of
21st and 22nd July. To be in with a chance of winning one
of these pairs of tickets, post a link to a video on the Bido
Lito! Facebook page of the artist you are most looking
forward to seeing at this year’s festival.
Gazelle at LIMF 2017
Liverpool Short Film
Festival
LSFF is a brand new festival curated by Sam Birch
and Andy Flush of independent video production
company Branchwork Media. The festival will
have two categories, Best Short Film and Best
Local Short, and a selection of the entries will be
shown at Oh Me Oh My on 2nd August. Whether
you’re a local filmmaker looking to network, or
just a short film lover, the festival is the perfect
opportunity to delve into Liverpool’s emerging film
scene. The last deadline for entries is 16th July, so
there’s plenty of time to throw your hat in the ring.
To enter the competition, visit filmfreeway.com/
LiverpoolShortFilmFestival.
XO
When I was writing Range
Rover I was listening to a lot of
The Weeknd. Beauty Behind
The Madness was the soundtrack of how I was feeling at
the time. The Hills gave me the idea to create the world of
a gated residential community where people of privilege
kind of feel invincible, like they can do as they please
and not worry about the consequences. When I worked
with XamVolo in the studio to bring the record to life, he
definitely saw my vision within this.
Bryson Tiller
T R A P S O U L
Music Division
I remember having this whole
album on repeat on a trip to
New York in 2015. I hadn’t really written many songs in
the last few months, but once I got home I wrote a record
called Looks Can’t Fool Me, which was the first proper
song I’d written. It was Exchange off that album that
really connected with me; I remember really wanting that
overly-tuned vocal on near enough all of my songs. I guess
it really inspired my whole writing style and how I vocalled
my records.
SAE La Vie
The ideal opportunity for people who want to know
about how to get a sure footing in a career in creative
media opens again this month. SAE campus, situated
north of the city on Pall Mall, is welcoming guests to
get a taste of their wide range of great courses. Those
wanting to pursue a music-based path can look into
their audio courses, which provide students with
the opportunity to learn how to use the latest studio
technology, while there’s also the option of a Music
Business qualification. Also on offer are courses in
animation, video games and more. The open evening
takes place on 5th July – head to sae.edu to register.
The Merchant
What’s On @ The Merchant
Hats off and a round of applause to our building-mates THE
MERCHANT, who’ve just won Bar Of The Year at the Liverpool
Tourism Awards. And they’ve got a whole host of events going
on in July to celebrate. Check out their listings and you’ll find
something for every music taste: groove to Motown, funk and soul
at Superstition, or indulge in 80s classics at the Vice City: Fla$h FM
Special. Regular Merchant favourites will be on the decks as usual:
every Thursday Joe Keenan presents Dig The New Breed; and every
Sunday, the bar welcomes Anti Social Jazz Club for a mellow tour
through the latest vibes from the contemporary jazz scene. So get
down early, grab a slice of Nightcrawler pizza and celebrate with
The Merchant.
Frank Ocean
Nature Feels
Self-released
I’ve always connected with the
stories Frank sings about. I used
to listen to the whole Nostalgia,
ULTRA mixtape on the way to
the studio, but Nature Feels has been my favourite track at
the moment. His wordplay throughout the record inspired
me to really think about exactly what it was I wanted
to say and how I wanted to say it. Not just going with a
line because it sounds cool, but sometimes breaking that
boundary and saying something that doesn’t necessarily fit
the melody.
Don’t Beer The Reaper
The city’s premier beer extravaganza has moved venue
with an even more ambitious celebration of barley and
hops on this year’s agenda at Invisible Wind Factory.
LIVERPOOL CRAFT BEER EXPO will feature over 300 beers
representing breweries from around the country, including
Magic Rock, Beavertown and Tiny Rebel. As it’s no fun to
drink in silence, a host of DJs will be spinning vinyl-only sets
including yours truly taking care of the Saturday evening
session with the likes of UpItUp records, Anti Social Jazz
Club and Radio Exotica also providing the party tunes. The
event, which spans four days between 26th and 29th July,
will also showcase speciality gins, ciders and a street food
market meaning it’s not only for the beer drinking fraternity.
For more details go to liverpoolcraftbeerexpo.com.
Liverpool Craft Beer Expo
Nav
Mariah
XO
I was listening to a lot of Nav’s
stuff while writing and I think a
lot of the topics he touches on his in songs really connect
with me. As soon as I heard Mariah I had it on repeat for
a solid week or so. His melodies and wordplay are what
inspired me to keep writing and try different things within
my songs.
Suburban View is released on 6th July.
NEWS 11

12

MC NELSON
The South Liverpool MC brings a thoughtful approach to the Scouse rap revolution. He talks to us about
kicking down doors and questioning what it means to be British in 2018.
Intent on encapsulating what is to be growing up as a black
person in Liverpool, MC NELSON is a manifestation of the
generation who came of age in the midst of the thwarted
coalition government. Nelson Idama was burgeoning in
a society that was in both parts evolving and cracking under
the social, political and cultural changes that were to follow.
His music became a way of him spreading his message and
commentary of that time, portraying a true reflection of his own
life, in his music. Gently simmering until earlier this year, which
saw the release of his single and accompanying video By The
River – which has amassed over 50,000 YouTube views – he is
now mechanised with the motive of digging into the past and the
present to educate and progress the future of his own music, the
Merseyside rap scene, and of society as a whole.
Growing up in the leafy suburbs of Aigburth, Nelson’s
introduction to and relationship with music started at an early
age. He recalls one of his first musical experiences: his mother
playing early rap, RnB and gospel music laced with “really cheesy
raps, praising god”. But it wasn’t until his brother brought home
burned copies of Dizzee Rascal’s Boy In Da Corner and Slick
Rick’s The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick that music started to
take over. Nelson immediately took to exercising this newfound
obsession and started, aged nine, to write his own music. “I
had a keyboard in the house where’d I’d write disgraceful raps,
about my nine-year-old self,” he confesses, as we meet after his
performance at Baltic Weekender. He’s relaxed when describing
his first real artistic and creative realisation as a musician, beyond
those baby steps as a nine-year-old: “When I was about 14 me
and a couple of mates formed a grime crew. I was primarily a
grime MC, but that fizzled out as it didn’t match my life at the
time, so I moved to jazzier and more contemplative, lyric-focused
music.” This gradual transition away from grime – which was a
major component of the UK scene at the time – was inspired by
the growing accessibility of other genres and the evolution of the
internet. There he was able to discover De La Soul’s 3 Feet High
And Rising, Nas’ Illmatic and Madvillain’s Madvillainy, albums that
he says truly made sense to him and his existence, and led him to
take a more considered approach and bring lyrics to the forefront
of his music.
It comes naturally for him to talk about his life and the
struggles and challenges that it brings. “Things that I write
about write themselves,” he tells me. “This is my life, now how
do I make it rhyme?” However, the simple nature of his writing
process is not reflected in the depth and acute focus of the
lyrics; the issues covered in his songs are complex and difficult
to portray. “I write about race, the relations between ethnic
minorities, the working class and the police, even international
relations. [Things] that have always been at the forefront of
the news growing up and things that I’ve seen in the world, as
a response to the government.” 2010 saw the start of a new
coalition government that would bring with it new changes and
increased racial tensions within an age of austerity and social
confusion. Nelson marks the riots the following year as a major
turning point in his relationship with social issues, one which
forced him to be more introspective and reflect upon society.
Nelson’s first single, By The River, is an articulate
deconstruction of Liverpool’s dark history with the slave trade,
highlighting the tensions that surrounded the resulting racism
and objectification of the black population. Nelson’s intention
for the songs was to educate, unravel and bring to the surface
forgotten and known unknowns, that are still so evident in
Liverpool today; Penny Lane, a street named after a slave
trader, and even his own school, The Bluecoat, was founded
by and deeply ingrained in the economy of the slave trade. To
Nelson, these things needed to be brought to the forefront of
people’s minds, acknowledged and not swept under the carpet.
He describes a conflicted relationship with the city he loves,
and admits that he’s sensitive to potentially harming the city’s
reputation, acknowledging the press’ tendency to castigate and
harm the reputation of Liverpool. “I do love Liverpool, and have
loved growing up here, and it’s a city that has caught a lot of
flack from the media. I don’t want to compound that reputation,
but it has a history that is so toxic and laced with so many things
that need to be brought to light. But I want to do it in a way
that represents Liverpool well, which is a hard dichotomy, like a
tightrope I’m walking on.”
“Tearing yourself
apart and trying to find
something insightful to
say is exhausting – but
when you get to share
that with the world,
it’s so gratifying”
Shortly after the success of By The River, Nelson revealed
the follow-up track, Step Mother, which delves into his family’s
origins in Nigeria and the complex relationship between Britain
and Africa. Sonically, the track is more uplifting, lighter and not
as musically layered, creating a more relatable vehicle for the
challenging themes and subjects in the lyrics. “By The River is
almost a tough listen, it’s dark. With Step Mother I wanted to
make a tune that tackles big issues, like colonialism and British
history, but I wanted to do it in a way that you could play it in the
summer when you’re chilling in Sefton Park. It’s upbeat, it’s easy
to digest, even if the lyrics are quite heavy.”
Inspiration for the song came from when Nelson visited
Nigeria last year. It provoked deeper thoughts of origin,
the importance of history and the transitioning narrative of
immigration from the time of British colonialism to the current day
in the wake of the Windrush scandal and Brexit. Nigeria also has a
rich musical vein that has run throughout the years of the nation’s
past and has served as a big inspiration for Nelson’s music.
“[There was] a lot of Nigerian music, a lot of Fela Kuti played
growing up, and the lineage of black music, even hip hop, the
really early remnants of it, can be heard in West African music.”
Storytelling is the biggest factor in Nelson’s music, as he
develops ideas that are too complex to nod to in just one bar
of verse. He admits to previously showing little regard for the
live and visual aspect of his music. However, this year, calling
upon childhood friends Leech Video, he has effectively curated
visual journeys with his videos, to amplify the messages hidden
within the words. Using Childish Gambino’s This Is America as
an example of how visuals can be a method of projecting and
amplifying an artist’s message with more power and focus,
Nelson elaborates on the sheer power of deeply layered videos
as a tool. “If you listen to [This Is America] by itself it’s not even
half the experience without the video,” he says. “Similarly, with
the video, if you take the song by itself you only get a slither of
what he’s trying to say. You get a completely different experience
with both mediums. If you have a song that is message-focused,
there is so much you can do visually that underlines the song.”
Nelson says he never intended to play live shows, but has
already supported the likes of Ghostface Killah, The Pharcyde
and Loyle Carner. Performing has helped him develop the way
he projects his music, and his live show is now a major focus
going forward, evidenced by his powerful set on Africa Oyé’s
main stage this year as one of their Oyé Introduces artists. He
speaks glowingly of the gratification of people being receptive
to his music in a live environment. “Tearing yourself apart and
trying to find something insightful to say is exhausting – but
when you get to share that with the world, and people actually
enjoy it, it’s so gratifying.”
Despite a recent move to London, Liverpool will always
remain a major influence on his way of thinking and producing
music. “Even if I don’t write a song about Liverpool, it’s always
going to be Scouse hip hop at the end of the day, it’s always
about Liverpool and a representation of Liverpool in some way.”
Although his move to London wasn’t entirely musically focused,
the advantages of stretching out and interacting with different
cities is one that is unfortunately necessary for a young hip hop
artist from Liverpool.
Although the Liverpool scene is in what he describes as a
healthy position, he believes there is still room for improvement.
“We have Tremz and Aystar, who are definitely doing their
thing in Liverpool, but there’s no reason that Liverpool shouldn’t
have acts that are a national success.” He suggests homegrown
artists moving away can help turn heads elsewhere in
recognising Liverpool’s talent, by spreading the message and
breaking down preconceived barriers around Liverpool, as a
result of the city’s guitar-focused music history and a national
stigma towards the region’s urban scene. There hasn’t been a
rap artist that has come close to the success of Merseyside’s
bands of the past, so nobody looks to Liverpool as an authority
in the rap genre.
Similar prejudices that previously faced UK grime in America,
are still relevant to Scouse rap from those south of the M62. The
Scouse twang is something that needs a bit more exposure in
rap music for people to become for familiar to it, as the dialect,
the hard consonants, the slit t’s and rising vowels are foreign
and unfamiliar, but can offer a distinctiveness, character and a
uniqueness that differs from the now familiar sound of London
grime. Part of Nelson’s vison is to break down these barriers,
and not just for his own success, but for the people around him
and the ones yet to come. “I’d like to kick down some doors, not
just for myself, but there’ll be a kid in school that doesn’t know it
yet – by the time they come of age and start making music it’ll be
even easier for them.”
Energised by the positive reaction that he has been
amassing across the country, Nelson’s not ready to rest on
his recent success. He’s working on his first comprehensive
body of work and, while he remains coy on the format of that
release, he intends to tie a conceptual thread throughout all
the songs, promising to continue pushing boundaries through
his inquisitive tone of voice. Whatever the form his project may
take, he insists it will all be threaded together by some common
themes: immigration, colonialism, Liverpool, growing up black in
the North and, ultimately, asking what it means to be British in
2018. !
Words: Jonny Winship / @jmwinship
Photography: Keith Ainsworth / arkimages.co.uk
soundcloud.com/mcnels0n
FEATURE
13

THE DSM IV
“It’s good to confront people’s expectations.” Guy McKnight of THE DSM IV
talks to Sam Turner about fame, mental health and mullets.
When Guy McKnight suggests we meet for this
interview at The Garden café in FACT at 10am
on a Tuesday morning, I’m surprised. It’s a sober
time and place to interview any rock star, let
alone the man who led The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, a
notoriously riotous group responsible for debaucherous anthems
Celebrate Your Mother and Mister Mental. A dingy practice room
or basement bar would surely be more appropriate? However, the
more we speak, the more the time and setting make sense.
We’re here to talk about his new project, THE DSM IV.
Attracting big crowds and landing support slots with Drenge
and British Sea Power, the electro rock trio are establishing
themselves with McKnight’s communal sense of performance and
explosive set meaning they are already transcending the Mersey
locale. A quite different proposition to McKnight’s former charges,
The DSM IV’s sound is driven by synths and drum machine rather
than a punishing psychobilly clatter, albeit with the singer’s
familiar Nick Cave-esque dark howl as prominent as ever.
Aesthetically there is also much disparity, 80s-style tracksuits
and mullets (trailblazers in this respect, McKnight insists – more
of this later) replacing the gothic garb. I’m intrigued to find out
what else has changed for McKnight.
This morning, over a couple of black coffees, there is a
focused, considered approach to McKnight. Each sentence is
constructed with the utmost care, the tempo of speech creeping
up almost imperceptibly when he excitedly talks of his new
band and the worldview they are keen to put across to a new
generation of music fans.
“The last band did insanely dark… [a moment’s pause to
“If your dreams and
aspirations are connected
to altruistic aspiration,
you can be free and
live as you please and
not be egocentric”
recalibrate]. It was really about the pain of being a young person.
There was a lot of pain there and we didn’t try and mask that.
[There was] a lot of emotion driving it and that’s what made it
so exciting,” McKnight explains of Eighties Matchbox. “But with
this band it’s multi-dimensional, more colourful, and I think this is
perhaps more observational about… [long pause] life on Earth in
the 21st Century.”
The singer speaks fondly of the band with which he achieved
so much, proposing that on their day they were a match for any
group. Many would agree. Darlings of the NME (vanguards of
one of many 00s scenes which the paper hastily flung together
if more than two bands shared a similar cut of trouser), with a
track finding its way onto a Nike advert for Euro 2012 and a
multi-national fervent fanbase, Eighties Matchbox were a force.
However, the glint in his eye suggests McKnight is just as excited
about his current gang: “The DSM IV is based on a wish to
remove suffering with joy and try and inspire people to be free.
I’m confident that that determination runs throughout the music
and is translated into everything we write together and record.”
Such determination is represented by the band’s schedule. I
meet McKnight on the eve of The DSM IV playing a run of shows
in Brighton, Manchester and Sheffield. They are also in the midst
of recording at The Echo Chamber in Wallasey with McKnight
wanting to share some recorded material with people soon so
they can “get a taste of what it’s all about”. In July they headline
the Bido Lito! Social at DROP The Dumbulls.
McKnight is impressed by how quickly crowds have warmed
to his unusual performance style – the singer regularly taking
leave of the stage to join the crowd is a hallmark of a DSM IV
show. “It’s good to confront people’s expectations, but I think that
goes back to the stage being a unique platform where people will
accept things that they wouldn’t normally accept. As a performer
you have an opportunity, a right, to cross those boundaries and
engage face to face with people, whereas otherwise it would be
considered inappropriate or rude, invading people’s space.”
McKnight seems to be settling into life up north having
moved up to Liverpool with partner and now-bandmate JJ three
years ago, where they formed The DSM IV while working in
a vintage clothes shop. However, there is one sartorial issue
which he wants to get off his chest. “I’d not seen anybody at all
sporting a mullet when I got mine. I figured I would start a kinda
14

enaissance! There’s a kid in another Liverpool band who’s since
got theirs chopped. I’m not surprised I’ve influenced them, just
shocked at how shamelessly they’re trying to stake their claim
that it’s ‘their thing’ by mentioning it ad nauseum on socials.
Stop plagiarising my mullet! They’ll probably ditch live drums
and invest in drum machines and synths soon, to find ‘their
sound’!” His tongue is in his cheek, but McKnight is keen to get
this bugbear into print, insisting it’s a matter of principle: “It ain’t
cool for people to behave so unscrupulously.”
In the Bold Street vintage shop, McKnight was determined he
would meet the member who would complete the band’s line-up.
He was right. “I was impressed by how skinny his legs were.”
McKnight says of discovering DSM IV drummer Pav. “I asked if
he’d be up for coming for a jam with me and JJ and he was just
brilliant and one of the best drummers I’ve ever worked with.”
With the administrative necessity of the ‘how we met’
part of the story out of the way, McKnight looks to get onto
weightier topics. Fastidiously clean and sober for eight years,
there is a drive and determination about the singer that is
inspiring. McKnight has a lot to say about society, issues of
mental health and the relationship between the two. The band
takes its name from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders Volume Four, the publication used by medical
health professionals in the States to classify and treat psychiatric
conditions. Through researching his own mental health, McKnight
has seen the manual come up repeatedly and is interested in
the intersection between mental health, pharmaceuticals and
commerce. “I am sure it has helped some people,” McKnight
says of the book, again choosing his words with the excessive
care. “[But] it’s a way to pigeonhole people and dehumanise and
tell everyone there’s something wrong with them and therefore
prescribing drugs and making money. Therefore it’s a kind of
ironic name.”
It’s a subject the singer is keen to talk about. As with
everyone, mental health issues have had a huge effect on his life
and those of the people around him. “Suicide in young men is on
the rise and music has definitely saved my life too many times
for me to remember,” McKnight tells me, the morning Americano
kicking in. “We live in a confused, sick society that values money,
success and a narcissistic, materialistic status driven culture,
celebrity worship culture [it all] makes people really unhappy and
ill.”
For someone who has already achieved a level of success
and fame, it is interesting to hear McKnight’s thoughts on how
people with a platform can go about affecting change without
being subsumed into a culture he sees as so poisonous. “It
can feel confusing, counter-intuitive to want to be in a band.
Sometimes there’s a misunderstanding between wanting to
create music and wanting fame for fame’s sake. I think social
media, Instagram culture, is making people ill but what do you
do? Turn your back on society, or do you just throw stones at
the wall, demand that it change? Or do you change yourself? I
think that maintaining your integrity in life and still exist[ing] as
a musician in this shallow animalistic music industry… you can
affect positive change by standing up for what you believe in
and, if your dreams and aspirations are connected to altruistic
aspiration, you can be free and live as you please and not be
egocentric.”
He turns to me and smiles, satisfied that he has got to the
crux of a core belief. While McKnight is obviously troubled by
the subjects discussed, there is a contentment about him. We
turn to the subject of inspirations and influences on his current
project. Rather than namechecking the usual pantheon of rock
and electro greats, McKnight cites Russian absurdist writer
Daniil Kharms, a fascinating author who wrote the briefest of
what now may be called flash fiction about old ladies smashing
to pieces upon falling from windows and bizarre conversations
between off-the-wall characters. Arrested on charges of
spreading “libellous and defeatist mood” having feigned insanity
in 1930s Russia, the now-celebrated writer wound up starving
to death in a Soviet gulag. “He didn’t share the same ideologies
as the state,” explains McKnight. “I’ve always been encouraged,
fascinated by the surrealists.” This is another theme the singer is
clearly passionate about, the intersection of official outlooks and
outsiders’ perceptions of life, “I like the idea [of] transcending
what’s expected. I think that transcendence is just liberating
oneself from one’s own lesser self. It’s refreshing and I think that’s
what art and music is for; it’s for reminding us that all is not as it
seems and that there’s always hope.” !
Words: Sam Turner / @Samturner1984
Photography: Kevin Barrett / @kev_barrett
The DSM IV play the Bido Lito! Social on 19th July at DROP The
Dumbulls.
FEATURE
15

16
Three decades ago the grand
old art institution took root in
Liverpool and helped bring about
a sea change in the way we view
art and culture in the city. Here’s
to 30 more years.

It’s fair to say that, artistically, Liverpool has been riding the
Capital Of Culture train since 2008. And why shouldn’t it?
It’s been a hell of a ride over the last decade: 2008 marked a
revolutionary change for Liverpool’s arts and culture scenes,
with independent creative businesses from the Ropewalks to
the Baltic Triangle blossoming alongside big-hitters like FACT,
The Bluecoat and The Walker Art Gallery, gaining international
recognition along the way. No other city knows how to show off
its creative talents quite like we do.
However, the journey started a long time before 2008, and
its first stop was in 1988 with the regeneration of the newly
named Royal Albert Dock. It started its new life by welcoming
TATE LIVERPOOL to the colonnades, bringing modern and
contemporary art to Merseyside. Dubbed the ‘Tate of the North’,
it was the first time Tate had moved out of London, making
Liverpool the official home to the national collection of modern
art in the North of England. Tate’s presence in Liverpool no
doubt caught the attention of the rest of the country and played
a vital role in the formation of art organisations such as FACT
by supporting Video Positive Festival in 1988. However, it does
leave me to question if the booming creative landscape that we
inhabit today would be so successful if it wasn’t for Tate’s move
into city; would our creative quarters still be so fertile?
“I don’t think anyone could have foreseen how many other
venues would have developed and how Liverpool would look
now in such a vibrant ecology of other institutions,” Jemima Pyne,
Tate Liverpool’s Head Of Media And Audiences muses on the
early days of Tate Liverpool. “There just wasn’t the same cultural
economy then.” Tate Liverpool started off showcasing work from
the Tate’s collection, which developed into curating international
exhibitions and finally putting Liverpool on the artistic map.
However, it wasn’t all plain sailing as Pyne recalls: “It was hard
to have ambition, I guess, because there weren’t the resources or
the ecology to make it happen.”
30 years is definitely something worth celebrating and the
two exhibitions Tate Liverpool have planned for this summer are
clever nods to the history of the building and the journey it has
been on. “I think we place expectations on ourselves,” Pyne says
as she discusses the 30th birthday celebrations. “I guess one of
the things about being 30 as an institution is it allows you to look
back at your history, what you have done previously and how you
can reflect on that.”
This idea of looking to the past and the future of Tate
Liverpool and the city was the main driving force behind this
summer’s exhibitions. Life In Motion: Egon Schiele / Francesca
Woodman is a celebration of exactly what it says on the tin,
of a life in motion, of changing times, of two artists, very
different in style but very relevant to the eras in which they
were producing art. Tamar Hemmes, curator at Tate Liverpool,
discusses the thought process behind creating the show: “We
started with Egon Schiele and the thinking behind that was,
10 years ago Liverpool was awarded the Capital Of Culture
which was an incredibly important time for the city. At the time
we had an exhibition of Gustav Klimt and Schiele was Klimt’s
pupil – we wanted a connection to 10 years ago to celebrate
that anniversary, but also to look forward because it is our 30th
birthday. So that is why we wanted to look at the relevance of
Schiele’s work today and we had some Francesca Woodman
work in the Tate collection already. We thought that their
approach to the human body had some similarities and we felt
it would create an interesting dialogue between the two artists.”
Not only is the exhibition a nod to an exciting time in Liverpool’s
past, it also alludes to the very relevant topic of gender within the
art world, across music and in Hollywood. “What we do is always
related or relevant to the time we are in now. The expectation is
to make sure that is what we are doing,” Pyne adds. “We want
to welcome as many people as possible and not just people who
love art. We believe that modern and contemporary art is really
helpful for people to navigate the modern world; it is made by
artists living and working now [and is] about their lives now. It’s
about us opening our doors.”
Opening up to the public is what the recent exhibition Ken’s
Show: Exploring The Unseen has done with great success. The
show saw a collection of art work handpicked by Tate Liverpool’s
art handler, Ken Simons, who has worked in the building since its
opening. The pieces reflect Simons’ favourite moments from over
the decades, with works from Turner and Rothko stealing the
show. Each piece is accompanied by a personal account of why
Simons picked the work of art for his exhibition and is a moving
addition to the show. Ken’s Show has allowed viewing artwork at
Tate Liverpool to become more accessible; rather than having the
gallery’s voice, you are spoken to by someone who has worked
with the pieces in ways very few people ever get to do. “Ken’s
take on the collection and how he has worked on it for so long
brought a different kind of learning and insight [to the gallery],”
Pyne explains. “We are interested in learning and academic
learning about art history, we are proud we have that but there
are other ways you can learn about art.”
Teaching people about art and bringing people into the
gallery is something Tate Liverpool puts at the forefront of their
exhibitions and something Simons, who is now retired, thinks
should be done more often: “We want to open it up to noncurators
to do things in the gallery, to work with the learning
staff to do small displays. I’d like to see our other staff be given
the opportunity I have been given – you get a different voice then
rather than just a museum voice. I think it’s something museums
and galleries have got to do now, open up [to] the community
more. That is a benefit to us because we are getting more people
in through the doors.”
To help get more people through the doors, Tate has
recently introduced Tate Collective, an initiative which allows
“Tate has an important
role to play in showing
that London is not
the only significant
place when it comes
to culture in the UK”
young people between the ages 16 to 24 to buy tickets to any
special exhibition, in any Tate building, for £5. On top of that,
students and staff at all of the Liverpool universities get into
Tate Liverpool shows for free, which as Pyne suggests is “one
of the benefits of being a young person in Liverpool”. Making
art accessible for young people from an early age is vital for
driving people to all types of art galleries and towards creating
art. To help with this, a Tate Exchange open experiment has
begun at Tate Liverpool. It is a space developed by artists and
practitioners from Tate and beyond to encourage members
of the public to collaborate on new ideas and discover new
perspectives on life through the use of art. Tate Liverpool have
worked with local arts organisations on the project to create a
space open to everyone to enjoy pop-up art, live performances,
workshops or just to meet like-minded people. It’s a brilliant setup
that is encouraging people to explore art galleries in a nontraditional
way and raise awareness for all the talented artists
and creative people that reside in the city. “I think Tate Liverpool
has an important role to play in showing that London is not the
only significant place when it comes to culture in the UK. There is
Egon Schiele, Self portrait 1914
so much going on in Liverpool,” Hemmes explains. To really bring
that to the forefront of people’s minds with programmes like Tate
Exchange is an exciting step to raising awareness of Liverpool’s
vibrant art scene.
Tate Liverpool does have that kind of big brother feeling about
it, but it would be wrong to say that it dominates art in the city.
If anything, it creates reassurance that Liverpool is a city worth
investing in, in terms of time, people, money and the opportunities
to bring more art to everyone who wants to explore the world
through their creativity. So here is to another 30 years of Tate
Liverpool and to another 30 years of Liverpool as a whole leading
the charge on making arts and culture accessible to everyone. !
Words: Sophie Shields
All images © Tate Liverpool
Egon Schiele, Seated Girl 1910
tate.org.uk/liverpool
Life In Motion: Egon Schiele / Francesca Woodman is showing at
Tate Liverpool until 23rd September.
FEATURE
17

BAR OF THE YEAR 2018
LIVERPOOL TOURISM AWARDS
40 SLATER STREET LIVERPOOL L1 4BX
THEMERCHANTLIVERPOOL.CO.UK

GRIME OF
From Toxteth Yutez to Grime Of The Earth, RUGZ DELETE talks to Iona
Fazer about keeping alive the Scouse spirit of poetic wordsmithery.
“That’s when I enjoy
music, because you’re not
trying to please everyone.
If you’re just doing it to
please yourself, it means
you’re having fun”
Once the home of poets and painters, Toxteth L8 is
now the habitat of Scouse rap collective GRIME OF
THE EARTH (GOTE), attempting to carry a proletarian
sense of Liverpool’s working-class pride through a
continuation of the oral tradition. Street ballads now take the
form of grime tracks, a new style of poetry which, arguably, can
provide a creative perspective on real life in one of Liverpool’s
most notorious communities. Straight from the inner city to
represent is CEO of Grime Of The Earth network, RUGZ DELETE.
We sit down with Rugz to recount the waves made over 10 years
ago by the original collective he played a part in, Toxteth Yutez.
Rugz started music from a young age, alongside artists like
Whispa B, Ragz and Reckless, who were then between the
ages of 11 and 15. “Toxteth Yutez was made up of two original
collectives called YGF and Grime Fam,” says Rugz, as he recalls
fond memories of his origins. “We were all just kids, meeting up
in our local youth club. It was here we were introduced to our first
studio recording,” at the Liverpool South Methodist Circuit centre
just off Princes Road, in the heart of Granby’s community.
“Coming from London originally myself, I grew up with grime,
it was everywhere,” Rugz continues, reflecting on a time when
he knew little of Liverpool’s growing grime scene. “When I came
to Liverpool I remember thinking I was going to be the only one
who’d heard of it. How wrong I was.” Along with the impact of
popular London collectives (Boy Better Know, Roll Deep and
Nasty Crew) Rugz recalls how, as young developing artists, they
had to look no further than their own communities for influence.
“The music we connected to was being made by collectives like
MOB and YOC. They had the real impact because they were who
everyone wanted to be, but also who we could relate to because
they were from round here.”
Life in Liverpool and involvement in the whole community
has given Rugz insight into the parallels between London and
Liverpool’s grime scenes. “There’s always been a scene. In 2003,
grime was at its height – I was in London when it started but it
had crews popping here, too. Thing is, back then it was all about
CDs and tapes, but now music has exploded through the internet
and there’s potential for coverage and documentary. That’s why
I do music, because they might look back in 100 years at your
lyrics. Imagine, it might be your lyrics that they read in schools.”
The release of their most memorable track Boy Better Know
Bout Toxteth Yutez generated a wild response in the school
playgrounds across Liverpool. Thinking back, Rugz describes
the innocence of creativity in the creation of their local success.
We didn’t think nothing of it, to us it was just a quick tune.
No thought processes. Chaos – who’s now the Boxer Marcel
Braithwaite – came with the hook. Next minute, everyone in
school had Bluetoothed it on to their phones.”
Before they knew it, this school yard fandom was turning
into bigger activity for Toxteth Yutez. Soon, they were merking
live sets in the city (“It started with Grime Fam and YGF, they’d
perform one or two tracks then just put beats on”); Rugz speaks
openly and with passion as he paints the picture of some of his
best memories. “That’s when I enjoy music, because you’re not
20

THE EARTH
trying to please everyone. If you’re just doing it to please yourself,
it means you’re having fun.”
“We felt like superstars…” – Rugz is suddenly interrupted
by the phone ringing. In the middle of recalling his most
memorable moment he answers it to hear the voice of ILLICIT;
the loudspeaker button opens the interview up to another one
of GOTE’s active members. “Hold tight, Kofi… [Rugz says into
the phone] The most memorable moment must be performing
at the Philharmonic, it was the feeling I got on the bus. We felt
like superstars!” Rugz explains how they got to the semi-finals
of a competition organised by cousins Yaw and Kofi Owusu, and
landed them live in Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall. “It was people
sat all round like an opera. The energy was live.”
Kofi Owusu, more widely known by his stage name Kof, is
now the founder of Liverpool’s GoPlay Studio which offers the
services and platforms to create and self-distribute urban music.
Illicit recalls how “once Kofi got a studio and we got a bit of
direction, that’s when it was on. From then it was all milestones.
I think it’s because we’ve never forced anything, it’s kind of like
how the best nights out are the ones that aren’t planned”.
“It was all about the moment we realised we could turn a
hobby into something real,” Illicit explains. “We just represent
us and [aim] to show a new side to the North West. People
look down on it until something happens and we just need
conversations with the right people, like, we need the key to the
door. We wanna meet the pacemakers and rub shoulders with
people who share our unique, organic energy.”
From Yutez to Youngers: in 2013, the self-evolving G-Fam
morphed in GOTE, a collaboration with other artists to create a
network which is locally known today as Grime Of The Earth,
consisting of members GULLYMAN DREAD, RONNIE BIGGZ,
WAVEY JOE, BIG-O and JEPORDY, alongside Rugz and Illicit. Rugz
describes how the relationships formed naturally, some with roots
in childhood friendship. “When we met we all had similar interests,
we were likeminded and some of us grew up together, so in a way
we’ve always known each other. So, we just said, ‘Let’s do this
music’. It just happened.”
Five years is a long time in this world, so much so that GOTE
are now seen as veterans of the scene. Rugz looks back on the
collective’s history, and how far they’ve come, with a sense of pride
– but he knows that their work is far from finished. “Our first show
was in The Zanzibar and it was hosted by Innuendo. Since then
we’ve done loads of events, headlining a Hushushmedia event
[MerseyGrime 2, at North Shore Troubadour], LIMF and we’ve put
on our own events at Kitchen Street. We’re actually playing at LIMF
again this year!”
As with all other artists in this world, live shows as a
whole crew are rare. Though it is of the streets and forged in
communities, grime music is the preserve of the internet – and
GOTE are no different. Their music exists as net videos on
YouTube, both on their own channel and on those of LabTV
and online UK urban network P110 (see Boxes by Rugz and
Ronnie Biggz). GOTE are just about to embark on an expansion
of their online network, too, with the release of further tracks on
SoundCloud and the launch of their own website as a home for
all the collective’s work. There’s also a buzz for the new range of
the crew’s signature T-shirts, which have even become popular
outside of the grime community.
With one eye on the future, Rugz notes that the next
generation are coming through quick and fast, keeping them on
their toes. “[They’re] uploading their music: bang, bang, bang! Look
out for the youngers, artists like C-Two, Shaff and Wavey Joe. For
them now, it’s all about momentum and steady pace, it’s like my
bar: ‘You got talent but where you gonna take it’. You need people
to help you out, media like Bido Lito!, but more need to help out.”
When asked who he would like to collaborate with, he replies,
“With Liverpool artists. I don’t do enough with Liverpool artists and
I think we should start at home and build from there, but there’s so
many out there right now that I’d struggle to pick one out.”
Having been in this game for a decade, he feels as though he’s
still got plenty more to give, even with the next batch of Toxteth
youths hot on his heels. For Rugz, giving up grime isn’t an option.
“For me it’s about therapy. I mean, there have been times in my
life when I’ve done it to please people, but ideally, I try to stay to
pleasing myself. Even though sometimes grime is bad, I’d rather be
rapping about it than doing it. It keeps me focused.” !
Words: Iona Fazer / @ionafazer97
Photography: Mdot Photography / flickr.com/mdotmaestro
@grimeoftheearth
FEATURE
21

“I prefer works that
make you travel,
that tell a story,
that force you to
dream and take you
elsewhere”
ARTS CENTRAL
Beautiful world, where are you? asks the 10th Biennial. In the latest in her Arts Central
series, Julia Johnson looks at how a sense of location and time are rooted in the work of
an artist from Dagestan, which can help us reflect on our own place in the world.
One of the best things about LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL,
which returns in July for its 10th edition, is
the opportunities it provides for experiencing
contemporary art from across the globe. Beautiful
World, Where Are You? (as this year’s edition is titled) is not a
showcase of art about Liverpool, but that does not mean the city
does not become part of the work. “It’s the city which creates the
frame for everything we present,” explains Liverpool Biennial’s
director, Sally Tallant. “Either literally, because it’s inside the
buildings or in the streets, or that by being here, the kind of
narratives that emerge and the histories that define this place
and our city become the starting point for thinking. I always talk
about Liverpool as being a brain that the artists plug into; it has
lots of different kinds of knowledge.”
Out of everything that will take over the city for the summer,
however, TAUS MAKHACHEVA’s project is perhaps one of
this Biennial’s most ambitious in terms of considering what the
audience experience of art actually is. This isn’t the first time
Makhacheva’s work will have appeared at a Liverpool Biennial: she
came as the representative for the Dagestan city of Makhachkala
in 2012’s City States. She’s an artist gaining an increasingly high
international profile, and a person about whom Tallant is very
excited: “I think she’s really fantastic artist, very dynamic. It’s a
great moment in her career and for Liverpool Biennial to be hosting
her.”
Alongside a screening of her stunning 2015 film Tightrope at
St George’s Hall, Makhacheva is designing a new multi-disciplinary
installation for Blackburne House: a spa, where visitors can (should
they so wish) be treated to a full facial. This is a new way of
quite literally absorbing art: the treatment will include a specially
formulated moisturising cream named Painting In A Tube after its
art-based ingredients. “Basically, if you put a painting in a blender
and tried to make a cream out of it, it’s what would come out,”
Makhacheva laughs, over a cup of tea and a break from the final
preparations for the installation’s sculptural elements at Edge Hill’s
Metal space.
“I’ll start with a story,” she begins. “It’s only this year that I
think I understood abstract painting, that I really sort of felt that
it makes you present in front of it and that’s what it’s about, it’s
about the nowness. But I personally prefer works that make
you travel, that tell a story, that force you to dream and take you
elsewhere.” The idea of the spa is to take people on this journey, to
spend some time completely transported by sensual stimulation.
Much of Makhacheva’s previous work has been set in the
nature of her native Dagestan. In Tightrope, the land’s incredible
rock formations and big skies offer important context. The spa
seems, on first glance, to be born from an entirely different
concept, based on the small and intimate rather than the grand
panorama. In fact, Tightrope and the spa are two sides of the
same coin.
The undercurrents of meaning in the spa that we discuss
flow deep, but two in particular repeatedly rise to the surface.
One is the concept of “making time, about today’s relationship
with time and just accepting your own time and letting people
know that’s your time”. It was a very deliberate decision to create
an environment that takes half an hour to fully experience. With
time an increasingly precious commodity in our busy lives, and
with the temptation for Biennial installations to simply be ticked
off a list as ‘seen’, the spa demands you slow down and make
time for a different, empathetic kind of contemplation.
Time spent here, then, is to be time well spent. To ensure
this, Makhacheva has included multi-disciplinary features to
provide a sensory idyll of some kind or other for all visitors.
She is fascinated by the phenomenon of ASMR videos, widely
available online and specifically designed to stimulate the
sense in particular ways. “ASMR, for me, is this very peculiar
phenomenon about how to create this intimacy through screens
with complete strangers. There’s this comfort and presence...
that you somehow warm to.” Meanwhile, more direct experiential
contact can be made with the beauticians themselves, who will
double as storytellers recalling Biennial’s past and the history of
artworks which have come to be taken for granted as part of the
city’s landscape.
Another recurring theme of our discussion is that of
destruction. It’s a concept inherent in the theme of Beautiful
World, Where Are You?, which was a title chosen to reflect the
sense of instability of recent global conditions. “With these
changes which are happening, it’s destabilising for everyone
to think about what this new world might look like,” explains
Tallant, while also explaining why Liverpool is the perfect place
for artistic contemplation of the subject. “It’s a port city, an
international city and we are all global citizens.” The perfect
city, then, in which to explore what this uncertainty means via
perspectives from an international art community.
This concept of destruction will be physically represented
through furniture made in collaboration with sculptor Alexander
Kutuvoi, resulting from their experiments in physical destruction.
“We bought one sort of classical bust – which feeds into beauty,
perfection – from ancient Greece,” says Makhacheva. “We made
moulds and we started breaking them. We made copies of the
one that we bought and we broke about 20 heads to find perfect
shards, and the shards got enlarged.” Those enlargements will
form the very furniture that guests lie back and relax on.
Hand-in-hand with destruction goes rebuilding – an apt
enough theme in a city which has experienced its fair share
of each. Makhacheva has been very inspired by studying and
working with conservators: “The idea of a conservator is so
similar to the beautician. This notion that the person lying on
the beautician’s table... you are also a sculpture being repaired,
remodelled.” She also talks about taking inspiration from
Blackburne House itself. “It’s a very interesting space, the way
they rebuild and give new skills to women who are sometimes in
complicated situations.”
And another, more positive destruction is also on
Makhacheva’s mind – the destruction of barriers which hold
people back from being able to access art. If one form of
destruction is that of arts from school curricula, she hopes the
spa might encourage engagement from people who may not
typically want to access art: “It’s much more personal, trying to
break down a screen for any audience member that might come.”
This is one reason why it was important to place the stories
which are told in the mouths of the beauticians, with scripts
written by local writer David McDermott. “Usually it’s someone
you might not consider intellectual, so we’re twisting that. You
should never underestimate anyone.”
Multi-disciplinary, contemporary ideas, yet highly accessible.
The Biennial is all about bringing new and exciting work into the
architecture of the city, and Makhacheva’s ideas are a perfect
manifestation of what this might look like. !
Words: Julia Johnson / messylines.com
Photography: Tightrope (film still), 2015. Image courtesy the
artist
biennial.com
Liverpool Biennial runs between 14th July and 28th October.
Taus Makhacheva’s installation for this year’s Biennial will take
place at Blackburne House.
22

LIVERPOOL
INTERNATIONAL
MUSIC FESTIVAL
2018
Stefflon Don, Wiley, Jax Jones, Young Fathers and more are
heading to the magnificent surroundings of Sefton Park.
With summer thus far actually being deserving
of the term and Africa Oyé just passed, the
next major event in the calendar, LIVERPOOL
INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL, takes place
on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd July. Set to return to the
magnificent surroundings of Sefton Park, the sixth edition of LIMF
falls a decade after Liverpool was crowned European Capital of
Culture. Known as the Summer Jam in previous years, the shindig
is now under the LIMF banner over two stages and two tents,
meaning the entire affair can now be sampled in one easy dose.
Topping out at 120,000 attendees for the past few years,
the music runs from noon until 9pm on both days and features
an eclectic mixture of genres across a line-up of 70 artists. Here
we take a quick run-down of the big hitters and rising stars at
this year’s event and find out exactly what will be happening
in that park at the far end of Lark Lane (other access routes are
available).
Focusing on the showpiece Central Stage, Saturday sees one
of the UK’s biggest breakout stars of the past 12 months, grime/
dancehall artist STEFFLON DON making her highly anticipated
debut appearance in Liverpool. With last year’s Top 10 charting
collaboration with French Montana Hurtin’ Me to her name, the
Hackney-based artist is beginning to make big waves across
the Atlantic. The first UK artist to ever feature in US hip hop
publication XXL’s annual Freshman Class poll, Stefflon Don
currently stands as UK hip hop’s biggest international export.
With freshly released single Senseless logging in excess of a
million YouTube views in only a few days, further new material
looks set to be aired at LIMF.
JAX JONES – who collaborated on last year’s hit Instruction
with Stefflon Don alongside US pop star Demi Lovato – has
been a regular presence in the upper reaches of the UK singles
chart over the past three years. I Got U with fellow UK producer
Duke Dumont hit number one in 2014, while Breathe (featuring
Norwegian singer Ina Wroldsen) saw him return to the Top 10 at
home and across Europe late last year.
Returning to Merseyside following an incendiary show in
March, grime doyen WILEY will be a huge draw prior to the
headliners. With his 12th album Godfather II landing in April,
the ultra-prolific East London MC shows no slowing a decade on
from his crossover smash Wearing My Rolex. Skilfully keeping
a foot in both the mainstream and underground camps, anyone
who missed the Godfather Of Grime’s sold-out show at 24
Kitchen Street earlier this year is rewarded with his main stage
appearance.
Moving from Bow over to the district of Hammersmith,
Young Fathers
platinum-selling London rapper EXAMPLE & DJ WIRE supply
the headline performance on Saturday. Almost a decade since
his arrival in the mainstream, Example’s first album in four years,
Bangers & Ballads, is due out in July. With a score of tracks that
reached the upper end of the charts, expect the sure fire crowd
pleasers and a score of new cuts from the Londoner’s five album
deep catalogue.
Moving on to Sunday’s menu of merriment: HAÇIENDA
CLASSICAL pays homage to the era synonymous with the
groundbreaking Mancunian club with a headline set on the
Central Stage. Recreating tracks from the Madchester era with
a full orchestra and some yet-to-be-announced guest vocalists,
the venture is the brainchild of original club DJs Graeme Park
and Mike Pickering. Starting initially as a clutch of standalone
performances, the event has blossomed into a successful festival
fixture over the past two years.
A name that leaps straight out of the listings, for our eyes
anyway, is YOUNG FATHERS. The genre-spanning trio are set for
a late afternoon performance on Central Stage. Winners of the
Mercury Prize for their 2014 debut album, Dead, the Edinburghbased
outfit made themselves known in Liverpool the previous
year with an outstanding performance at the legendary Kazimier.
Proving that their first album was no fluke, the experimental
hip hop outfit’s second offering White Men Are Black Men Too
appeared in April 2015 to similar acclaim. Following that with
a Massive Attack collaboration and a support tour with the
Bristolian trip hop icons, the three-piece released their third LP
Cocoa Sugar to across the board praise in April.
Recently returning to the fray with acclaimed second album
Someone Out There, Blackpool born singer songwriter RAE
MORRIS unveils material from the new disc. Balearic beatmakers
BASEMENT JAXX on DJing duties rounds off the acts towards the
top of the bill. A number one seller in her native Norway, singer/
producer AURORA unveiled Queendom – the first single from her
imminent second album – to a sizeable buzz back in May and a
move further into the spotlight in the UK looks highly likely.
A quick journey across the park to the ItsLiverpool Next
Gen Stage is next on the cards, as current and emerging local
talent from this parish steps up to entertain the crowds in L8.
Southport’s finest and Merseyrail Sound Station winner 2016,
singer-songwriter ASTLES and recent Bido Lito! cover star, indie
pop specialist ZUZU, are set to appear. Staying with that theme
another cover star outfit, skiffle/alt.rock/near uncategorisible
melodicists TRUDY AND THE ROMANCE also feature. With
a buzz surrounding them for the past few years now, swirling
psych rock outfit THE VRYLL SOCIETY are due to release their
eagerly awaited debut LP Course Of The Satellite. Due for release
through Deltasonic in August, the quintet round off the Next Gen
proceedings on Saturday for the day with a headline set.
Recently featured on the tastemaking BBC Introducing,
where he recorded at London’s legendary Maida Vale studios,
Washington, DC-born, Liverpool-based soul singer JALEN
N’GONDA headlines the stage on Sunday. Prior to that, one
of the city’s most incendiary live acts, alt.rockers QUEEN ZEE,
continue their ascent, with performances from blues-inflected
RnB vocalist SUB BLUE and rising psych rock quartet PALE
RIDER among the other action.
Moving from the stages over to the tents, the line-up for
TRUE SCHOOL CLUB HOUSE on Saturday sees RnB doyen
TREVOR NELSON heads up the bill which also features Soul
II Soul mainman JAZZIE B and Balearic rave pioneer DANNY
RAMPLING. On Sunday old school hip hop is on the menu as DJ
JAZZY JEFF is topliner, with BBC Radio 6Music stalwart GILLES
PETERSON is bringing his globe-spanning records to the decks.
Let’s hope the sun is shining on this made-for-festival set.
Following a highly successful debut appearance last year,
THE SHUBZ DJ TENT makes its return for 2018. Saturday sees
producer and BBC Radio One DJ TODDLA T at the top of the bill,
while Sunday is rounded off with a set from UK hip hop legend
TIM WESTWOOD.
All these plus a plethora of acts besides, with just under a
month to go, you’ve got ample time to plan out who’ll you’ll be
seeing in the Review Field at Sefton Park come late July.
Words: Richard Lewis
Photography: Mark McNulty / markmcnulty.co.uk
24

LIMF ACADEMY:
CLASS OF 2018
While the main focus of this year’s LIMF will undoubtedly be on the two show-stopping days
of music in Sefton Park, there’s a further strand to this sprawling festival that has Liverpool’s
great tradition as a music hub at its heart. LIMF ACADEMY is an award-winning artist
development programme that has been a key part of the festival since it debuted in 2013. Its
emphasis is on ensuring a legacy of inspiring new musicians that will outlast all the fireworks and live antics
in Sefton Park.
The Academy process is open to all Merseyside musicians between the ages of 16 and 25, and offers
a springboard to the best emerging talent in the region for developing a career in the music industry. Along
with funding from PRS Foundation, LIMF Academy has established an Elite Talent Development Programme
for three artists, selected from hundreds of entrants, deemed to be ‘most ready’ for a year-long period of
mentoring and support. This year’s three Most Ready acts – electro-noir vocalist LUNA, soulful RnB singersongwriter
RAHEEM ALAMEEN and prodigiously talented producer-vocalist KYAMI – will embark on a course
of focused development from industry professionals, aimed at pushing them in areas like songwriting, live
performance and general industry knowhow. Each artist will receive a bursary of £2,500, 12 months of
mentoring from LIMF curator Yaw Owusu, professional press and promo assets, access to industry-specific
masterclasses and a studio session with producer Steve Levine. Artists will also be invited to play on the
ItsLiverpool Next Gen Stage at LIMF over the weekend of 21st and 22nd July, as well as further showcase
performances across the UK.
A further three acts – CAVEPARTY, NEW
JNR and DELIAH – will also get the chance to
perform at this summer’s LIMF and other satellite
events across the country, and will have access
to all the industry workshops as well as financial
support and rehearsal time. A highlight of the
previous two years’ Academy activity has been
a collaboration between the Most Ready artists
and Liverpool Philharmonic’s Youth Orchestra,
the kind of experience that just wouldn’t be
possible without the help of a platform such as
this.
With traditional routes into the music
industry on the decline, initiatives like LIMF
Academy are becoming ever-more important to
“The Academy continues
to be a key indicator
of potential elite talent
and the actualisation
of that potential”
the development of young musicians. Since launching in 2013, the Academy has provided opportunities for
almost 6,000 young artists to access the kind of industry insights that would normally only be available to
artists on major label development deals.
“The Academy continues to be a key indicator of potential elite talent and the actualisation of that
potential,” says Owusu, who has been a driving force behind the Academy from the outset. “[It] continually
focuses on the pathways for new emerging music artists from Merseyside. I think our ability to source,
support and move forward a diverse set of new talent has been our strength.”
The last five years have seen LIMF Academy showcase elite talent such as XamVolo, MiC Lowry, Eleanor
Nelly, Jalen N’Gonda and Pizzagirl, with many picked up by major labels and leading management as well
as achieving national and international radio support. And these artists have all noticed the upturn in their
careers having been a part of the programme.
“Aside from the confidence boost and the real world motivation to create, the tangible support the
Academy offers you helps you think about everything in a different way,” says XamVolo. “I can only think of
good things that have resulted in being a part of it.”
“LIMF Academy has a been a really big help to me over the last few years,” agrees Pizzagirl. “The
equipment I use to record and perform with was funded by the money given to me by PRS and the Academy.
The help from all the guys at the Academy, personally and musically, really made me understand the industry
a lot more clearly and feel more comfortable with managing other areas of music besides recording and
performing.”
In previous years there have been close to 20 artists selected to go through the whole process, and
Owusu believes that paring it back to just six acts this year will enable them to dedicate more tailored advice
to each of the musicians. “We are focusing on a smaller intake so that we can go a little deeper with the offer
and activities, and play a really significant role in really helping these artists move to the next stage of their
careers.”
This year’s intake are also well aware of the opportunity they’ve been given and are prepared to grasp
the chance with both hands. “I’m absolutely ecstatic to have been chosen as one of LIMF Academy’s Most
Ready!” says Luna, who has been adding more strings to her bow of colourful electro production for the past
couple of years. “It’s such an amazing opportunity for artists needing that push to the next level – through
them I will be given opportunities that I would not be able to obtain myself.”
It’s a sentiment that is echoed by singer-songwriter-prodcuer Kyami, originally from upstate New York.
“The opportunities we have are something that a lot of self-starting artists really need. I think there are a lot
of artists out there that are ready to take their careers seriously and take it to the next level and the support
that LIMF Academy gives is really advantageous.”
Having been involved in the process before, Raheem Alameen is well aware of the advantages of being
part of the Academy’s tailored support, and the profile that comes with it. “I’ve worked with LIMF over
the last two years, each year has got bigger and bigger. If you’re an artist who wants to take your career
to the next level, LIMF Academy is definitely the place to start.” Splitting his time between his own soulinflected
grooves and writing with MiC Lowry, Alameen is ready to take the plunge on his own now that this
great opportunity has presented itself. “They give you support, guidance, contacts and a huge platform to
showcase your talent on. It’s a perfect starting point for someone who’s serious about their career.”
This is the third year that I’ve been a judge on the LIMF Academy selection process, and the opportunity
given to these artists keeps getting better. The chance to really hone your craft and learn from experienced
music industry bods is such a big thing for lots of these emerging artists, and it’s genuinely exciting to see
how it will help them make the next step upwards in their careers. Unfortunately, opportunities to learn and
develop on this kind of level don’t come up very often in the music industry, which makes LIMF Academy
all the more important: it shows that they are committed to ensuring that the future of music in the city is
invested in – both with time and money. That’s vital for continuing to develop a musical legacy that doesn’t
just rely on things that have happened in the past, but which strengthens what will happen in the future. !
Kymai
Raheem Alameen
Words: Christopher Torpey / @CATorp
limfestival.com
LIMF takes place in Sefton Park on the weekend of 21st and 22nd July. Keep up to date with all the activity
around LIMF Academy at limfestival.tumblr.com. And watch out for our live sessions with the three Most
Ready artists coming soon to bidolito.co.uk.
Luna
FEATURE
25

UPCOMING EVENTS
Become a Bido Lito! member to receive every copy of the magazine direct to their door. As well as this you will receive monthly free gifts, a
digital bundle of great new Merseyside music and free admission to all Bido Lito! events.
Go to bidolito.co.uk to find out more and sign up.
Bido Lito! Special Event
DISCO SÓCRATES
+Wayne Snow
+Oko Ebombo
+ lots more
Constellations - 30/06
In honour of the ultimate antifootballer,
socio-political
activist and godfather
of football cool, DISCO
SÓCRATES is a one-day
festival exploring music
culture and its social and
political impact around the
globe.
Bido Lito! Social
THE DSM IV
+Dead Houses
+Wife
DROP The Dumbulls - 19/07
The new project of former
Eighties Matchbox B-Line
Disaster man Guy McKnight
heads up a night in association
with Society Of Losers with
two of their finest roster artists
in support.
Bido Lito! Social
SEATBELTS
+The Aleph
+Annexe The Moon
81 Renshaw - 23/08
Hooton Tennis Club off-shoot
top a bill of fantastic, literate,
indie pop at one of our favourite
venues. Support act Annexe
The Moon have enjoyed 6Music
airplay this year while The
Aleph are the much-loved side
project of members of Ex-
Easter Island Head.
26

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REMY JUDE
A social commentator who brings a dash of nu soul goodness to
Liverpool hip hop, along with an unflinching lyrical honesty.
“I want people
to sing and enjoy
my music as
much as I do”
“My musical style is like if someone totally unqualified stepped
into a room full of professionals, dressed in dungarees, toting a
blag CV.” REMY JUDE delivers his answers with the right amount
of self-depreciating humour, but don’t let him fool you; his CV
is impressive enough. The Liverpool-based soulful rapper first
jumped onto our radar when he performed his debut headline
show as part of Constellations’ Live Music Thursdays. Since then,
he’s immersed himself in Liverpool’s music scene, performing with
local favourites including fellow rapper and friend MC Nelson;
he has a Melodic Distraction radio show, Yes Music, with music
blogger Aiden Brady, in which they dissect and contextualise
the history behind their favourite tunes; and, perhaps most
impressively, he has held his own supporting jazz and hip hop
rising star Alfa Mist and electronic music innovators Mount Kimbie.
Dungarees or not, Remy Jude is serious about music.
Performing before Mount Kimbie at Invisible Wind Factory
was clearly a defining moment – “It made me think about what
the future could hold” – and with the recent release of Church
Parish Society, a 10-track, self-released mini-album, that future
certainly looks bright. The album’s strength lies in Remy Jude’s
poetic and carefully considered use of words: see “Imma picky
writer/With a handful of rhymes/Manipulate the city/’Til it’s
takeover time” in (Where U From?). This lyrical rapping, which
sometimes blends into the confessional, takes centre stage over
smooth, hip hop beats and simple melodies. His lyrics describe
his lived experience, which feels relatable and honest. “The world
I live in and interact with is what informs my songwriting. I try
and stay active and keep my ears to the ground.”
Remy Jude joins a number of male hip hop artists using
the genre as an almost cathartic exploration of the self: “I think
making music is how I express myself best. I can wean myself off
any negative train of thought by applying myself to music.”
When it comes to playing shows with his heroes, he isn’t shy
of nailing his colours to that mast. “King Krule [is] my absolute
idol; I’d move heaven and earth to play before the King.” Jude’s
album – especially on the title track and The Energy – would
also appeal to any readers who fell in love with Loyle Carner’s
stripped-back, easy listening brand of hip hop. He’s another
artist that Remy Jude would love to support: “I think Loyle Carner
would be a great fit for me. In 2015, I saw a very raw Loyle and
Rebel Kleff set at The Kazimier. A year later, I saw them steal
the limelight at Kitchen Street from a fairly high profile bill that
included Rejjie Snow.”
Ultimately, Remy Jude’s love of words, of music and of what
he does seeps into Church Parish Society and charms the listener.
He tells me that Band Bak 2Geva is his favourite track to perform
because the crowd often sing it back: “What does that say about
me? I suppose it says that I want people to sing and enjoy my
music as much as I do.”
Words: Maya Jones
Photography: Hannah Metcalfe / hannahmetcalfe.co.uk
remyjude.bandcamp.com
Church Parish Society is out now via Third School Records.
30

SPILT
Runcorn’s latest rock rabble rousers are on the
kind of march that makes them difficult to ignore. In
their case, ignorance is definitely not bliss.
“Sometimes it’s
good to write
things that just
don’t make sense
but sound good”
If you had to describe your music in a sentence, what would
you say?
Ron (Bass, Vocals): An infusion of grunge and psychedelia – not
psychedelic, but psychedelia with a hint of DIY… and punk.
Josh (Drums): Nah, it’s all grunge-core-taxi-pop, isn’t it?
Have you always wanted to create music?
Mo (Guitar, Vocals): I’ve never really been into any other celebrityism
apart from musicians.
Josh: I just like to make noise. The idea of being in a band seemed
like the best thing for me to do. With drums I can express myself
without actually having to express myself, it’s just the sound of
wood hitting skin.
Mo: It’s like a biography… if you know what I mean…?
Ron: Yeh, like a stamp. ‘I was here,’ kinda thing.
Can you pinpoint a live gig or a piece of music that initially
inspired you?
Ron: The first gig I ever went to blew my mind. I can’t even
remember what it was, but I felt everyone moving at the same
time, like a wave, and it was just crazy to me.
Mo: When I was really young – like five or so – my dad used
to blast Pink Floyd, probably way too loud. He used to analyse
everything as well, and I think that’s probably why I analyse a lot
of things now and try to express that in my music. He used to say
that you can’t just listen to a song you have to listen to the whole
album. It’s a good concept, it proves that it’s a very well thoughtout
piece of art and not just a catchy tune. It’s more emotive, like
when actors do that thing where they pretend to be a certain
person for ages, what’s it called…?
Josh: Method acting.
Mo: Yeh, yeh. You feel like you’re put [inside] their piece of art. Not
any particular song, just Pink Floyd in general.
What do you think is the overriding influence on your
songwriting: other art, emotions, current affairs – or a mixture
of all of these?
Mo: A mixture of it all, really. But I usually write a full song that I
give to the band.
Josh: When you do that my job is to just play what I’m feeling
based on the vibes you’re giving off.
Mo: Sometimes I write quite politically, but I don’t really know
much about politics. I just write about what I feel is going on
myself. But it’s also from our own personal lives – interests,
habits, analysing my friends’ habits and the people around me
generally. And sometimes it’s good to write things that just don’t
make sense but sound good.
Do you have a favourite venue you’ve performed in? If so, what
makes it special?
Ron: Maybe Sound Basement.
Josh: It has to be Studio2, it’s where it all started… well, where it
started in Liverpool. And I feel it’s where the crowd has been the
best. Everyone in the crowd had the same feeling we did, maybe
because Mo was so close to them and was shouting at them to
move more.
Mo: Yeh, it’s sentimental as well. When we first played there
we were like, ‘Waaa!’ This is where the scene is, rather than in
Runcorn or Warrington where it’s all emo bands playing in pubs.
Liverpool isn’t really our home ground because we’re all bad
wools, but all our mates we’ve met through music are here and
we spend most of our time here now. Plus, we’ve all got really
Scouse families.
Why is music important to you?
Josh: I like being able to just exclude myself from everything and
just put my headphones on.
Ron: It’s a way to get across one way of thinking.
Mo: I always wanted to be a painter, but I’m better at writing
songs.
Josh: You can put your opinions across without people just
shouting at you. I dunno, like… you can say something and you
won’t get shit for it, unlike if you just said it straight up, if that
makes sense.
Words: Frankie Muslin
Photography: Dave Crane
soundcloud.com/spilt-band
Spilt’s single Lalka b/w Saliva is out now via Anvil Records.
SPOTLIGHT
31

PREVIEWS
“Be completely
open and ready to
be transported into
an adventure of the
soul and heart”
FESTIVAL
EMEL MATHLOUTHI
Liverpool Arab Arts Festival @ Invisible Wind Factory – 07/07
A rebel with a cause and a voice to inspire a nation.
Emel Mathlouthi’s strident music is charged with
emotion and political invective that resonates
across the globe.
From forming a goth-metal band at university to being dubbed the “voice of the Tunisian
revolution,” EMEL MATHLOUTHI has had quite the journey. In 2010, after being banned
from official Tunisian airwaves due to her outspoken, unflinching lyrics, Mathlouthi
was filmed singing Kelmti Horra (My Word Is Free) during a street protest in Tunis. The
video quickly went viral and the song became something of an anthem for the Arab Spring. An
album of the same name followed in 2012, and received critical acclaim for its unique blend
of electronic beats and traditional Tunisian rhythms. Hints of trip-hop, rock and folk are held
together by Mathlouthi’s hauntingly beautiful Arabic vocals, and the result is an astonishing
debut that sits alongside the great protest music of our time. In 2015, Mathlouthi was asked to
perform Kelmti Horra at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo: a near-perfect conclusion to
this musical chapter of her life.
If there’s one defining characteristic from her work, it is that Emel Mathlouthi refuses to be
defined by anyone. With her second album Ensen (2017), Mathlouthi built on the electronic beats of
her debut and sought to move away from the label protest musician. Despite now residing in New
York, and having a growing international fan base, Mathlouthi ensures that her music is still rooted
in the Arab world: Ensen means ‘human’ in Arabic, and the lyrics cover global issues and conflicts.
She worked with French/Tunisian producer Amine Metani and Icelandic producer Valgeir Sigurðsson
(Björk, Sigur Rós), recording the album across seven different countries. Barely a year later, she
released a reworking of the album, Ensenity (2018).
Maya Jones caught up with Mathlouthi ahead of her performance at this year’s Liverpool Arab
Arts Festival (LAAF) to discuss the power of protest music and her seemingly endless creativity.
Her performance on the opening weekend at Invisible Wind Factory looks set to be anything but
predictable.
How would you describe your musical style, for our readers?
This is hard. I would say cinematic, experimental pop.
Can you talk a little about the link between music and protest?
I think everything is connected. As human beings, we process things all together. Things cannot be
separated because it’s all about what we feel. Music connects us to a sort of depth in ourselves and
it can heal everything we feel frustrated about. We need art to process all the things that are going
wrong around us. So, I think when art is about topics that are important to us, it helps to deal with
the issues.
Has being known as “the voice of the Tunisian revolution” ever felt limiting?
Yeh, it is limiting, especially when I’m in a position where I am trying to find a place in the world, and
I don’t necessarily want to be defined only from one angle. I feel it is very limiting when it gives the
western media an excuse to define me, keep me boxed and draw invisible lines between me and
where I want to go. I’m trying to be 100 per cent myself and still be convinced of my values and my
deepest convictions about the world. But, at the same time, I need to be considered as a musician,
as a music producer and as a voice. So, it’s complicated at times, but I think I’ll get there.
How has moving to New York influenced your music?
It’s definitely helped because it’s given me more of an international platform; I have a completely
different view of the world. I feel like I want to go as far as my music can and I’m not limiting myself
to one territory any more. At the same time, it’s given me more means to support my creativity and
push it as far as possible. Like, I’m not even trying to stop myself or restrain myself. I feel like there is
a very liberating feeling that I’ve been experiencing here. It keeps me going.
Do you think you are singing to a different audience now?
My audience has definitely grown and I intend to make it grow more. I want to access all the clubs
and gigs that have not been offered to me before.
Can you explain the premise behind Ensen and why you chose to record it in seven different
countries?
It wasn’t exactly a choice; I was just looking for the best environment and the best collaborator.
Eventually, I ended up working with a few different people. I always like that approach because I like
to search as far as possible in order to give the songs more soul, more depth and creativity. [Each]
person brings a different feel and a different perspective. I’ve always needed that. I think that every
country just brings a different piece of the puzzle; it brings it more light.
You’ve just released a remix album, Ensenity. How was the process of making this different to
your other work?
I’m always looking for new, fresher approaches to my music and I’ve always been eager to discover
more producers and creative people. This time I decided to give them carte blanche, you know,
and let them play around with some of the songs from Ensen. I didn’t want to call it a remix album
because it’s not; it’s a rework album. It’s actually a dream for a singer or an artist to see their songs
dressed differently. And I’m very fascinated by how you can never stop working on a canvas; you
can always discover new paths. It also helps artists to connect with each other, which we don’t
necessarily do very often. We’re all trapped in our little universes, so this was a good opportunity for
me to connect with other creative people and see how my music can live differently.
And finally, what can we expect from your upcoming performance at Liverpool Arab Arts
Festival?
Well, I’m very excited because this will be my first time in Liverpool. I think people should come to
the show with not much expectation, because it will be different anyway. Everyone should come
and be completely open and ready to be transported into a different adventure: an adventure of the
soul and heart. !
Words: Maya Jones / @mmayajones
Photography: Julien Bourgeois
emelmathlouthi.com
Ensenity is out now via Partisan Records. Emel Mathlouthi appears in Liverpool as part of Liverpool
Arab Arts Festival – head to page 35 to read about what else you can see at this year’s festival
32

Minton Floor, St. George’s Hall
FESTIVAL
Liverpool Biennial
Various Venues – 14/07-28/10
The Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art returns for its
10th edition, marking 20 years of showcasing international
art in this city. As the art world turns to Liverpool, the
city is also reflecting on the 10 years since it was named
European Capital of Culture. This year’s title could seem at odds with
these achievements; Beautiful world, where are you? does not invite
celebration, but is a stark reminder of how art cannot be separated from
the social, political and economical turmoil of our present world. With
an explosive, boundary-pushing programme, the Biennial will reflect on
this uncertainty and, hopefully, paint a picture of the beautiful world we
know is possible.
A sure highlight of this year’s Biennial will be French filmmaker
AGNÈS VARDA, whose first film, La Pointe Courte (1954), is widely
considered to mark the beginning of French New Wave filmmaking. At
89, Varda became the oldest Oscar nominee in history, and celebrated
by sending several life-size replicas of herself to the Oscar nominees’
lunch. She’ll be taking over FACT for the duration of the Biennial with
a show that should make headlines for a different reason. Varda will
present a new three-channel video installation, which is the first work
she has created in the UK, alongside her seminal film, Ulysse (1982).
The UK’s HOLLY HENDRY will be exhibiting her work at Exchange
Flags. Her commission will fill the space with pre-cast concrete and
fibreglass sculptures as a nod to the tunnels and links that reflect
Liverpool’s architectural history. Another public area that looks set to be
an unexpected highlight of the Biennial is the floor of St. George’s Hall
– 30,000 Minton tiles make this one of the most spectacular surviving
examples of Victorian flooring.
And because we couldn’t resist a nod to the musical elements of
the Biennial, our final recommendation is USA-born/Berlin resident,
ARI BENJAMIN MEYERS. He will conduct a series of video portraits
with local musicians and construct a film-based work that explores the
concept of living a life defined by music. After all, the Biennial wouldn’t
be complete without a nod to Liverpool’s rich musical history.
Martin Parr
EXHIBITION
New Brighton Revisited
The Sailing School, Marine
Point, New Brighton
14/07-25/08
The seaside town that time nearly forgot is the subject of
this stunning set of photography from three internationally
renowned British photographers. This group show brings
together the New Brighton pictures of MARTIN PARR, KEN
GRANT and TOM WOOD, the first time that work from all three
photography greats have been exhibited together.
Showing in a sailing club in the town from which the pictures
stemmed, this innovative exhibition records three decades of life
and activity around New Brighton through the eyes of the three
photographers as they lived and worked in the town. Parr, Grant and
Wood found themselves basing their early lives and careers within the
New Brighton area and all three discovered a fascination and beauty in
the town; within its streets, its seafront, its visitors and its residents. Each
photographer captured, in their own individual styles, moments of the
town’s life from the late 1970s to the end of the 1990s.
Martin Parr’s The Last Resort series between 1983 and 1986
cemented him as one of the world’s most iconic photographers, for his
ability to capture the essence of Britishness. The series captures a period
in New Brighton history and is a time capsule of the working-class family.
Tom Wood exhibited alongside Parr in the original showing of The Last
Resort in 1985, and their pictures look at working class reality over three
consecutive summers, capturing not only the chip shop wrappers and
cigarettes, but also the warmth and real honesty of the area.
Ken Grant spent time working as a carpenter and lived in the
New Brighton area during the 1980s and 1990s. As such, he brings
a touch of empathy to his documentation of the humdrum realities of
his contemporaries, and his photographs depict the everyday lives and
habits of the people who called New Brighton home.
The show will also revisit Tom Wood’s most famous collection,
Looking For Love. Now regarded as a classic of the time, this series
depicts the drinking, dancing, revelling crowds at the Chelsea Reach, a
now-defunct nightspot in the town.
PREVIEWS 33

PREVIEWS
GIG
Dauwd
The Reeds – 07/07
From the world famous clubs of Berlin to the acclaimed African Acid Is The
Future radio show on Worldwide FM, DAUWD has been making a mark on the
electronic music scene. Taking a slight detour from his usual busy club nights,
the producer and techno don comes to Liverpool for an exclusive, intimate
party at The Reeds. The rescheduled show has only 100 tickets and promises
plenty of room to dance (a rare feat with Liverpool’s busy club nights). The
quieter, laid-back house music of Dauwd’s latest release and debut album,
Theory Of Colours, will no doubt complement this relaxed set-up. Hurry up
and grab one of the few remaining tickets; as a well-known fixture of the Berlin
club scene, Dauwd may not play many more small UK gigs.
Dauwd
EXHIBITION
John Moores Painting Prize
Walker Art Gallery – from 14/07
The UK’s best-known painting competition, which brings this country’s
finest contemporary paintings to Liverpool, is imminent. From mid-July,
the John Moores Painting Prize exhibition will showcase work from the
winner and finalists, forming a major part of the Liverpool Biennial. 2018
will mark the prize’s 60th anniversary, and this year’s judges include
MARVIN GAYE CHETWYND and the 2017 Turner Prize winner LUBAINA
HIMID, whose exhibition Meticulous Observations and Naming The
Money was a huge success at the Walker earlier this year. Works by
previous winners are also on show at the Walker, giving art lovers the
chance to look at the history and legacy of this internationally renowned
competition.
John Moores judges
GIG
Bido Lito! Social w/ The DSM IV
DROP The Dumbulls Gallery – 19/07
To celebrate Issue 91 of our pretty pink pages, we’ve teamed
up with Society Of Losers Records to put on a night of
brilliantly noisy and loserrific music. Energetic and attentiongrabbing
THE DSM IV will be headlining, with support from
Society of Losers’ DEAD HOUSES and WIFE. Entry is free
for members, and it’s the perfect chance to socialise with
fellow music-obsessives while getting that first glimpse of
our beautiful magazine. So get down to DROP The Dumbulls,
embrace the loudness and release your inner loser.
FESTIVAL
Brazilica
Pier Head Village – 14/07
Every year, artists from across the globe join Liverpool’s residents for a huge, unique celebration
of Brazilian music and culture. Saturday’s line-up will see performances by French/Brazilian singer
AGATHE IRACEMA, percussion-driven electronic quartet PENYA, and Brazilian funk/Latin ska
group THE FONTANAS. Rio de Janeiro singer-songwriter ALEH FERREIRA will also bring his
blend of reggae and samba rock to the main stage. The festival ends with the UK’s only Brazilian
Samba Carnival, in which samba bands from across the country take part. Expect a glittering and
extravagant parade of dancers, floats and Brazilian music quite unlike anything else Liverpool has
to offer. Afterwards, the carnival atmosphere continues at Camp and Furnace with the official
Brazilica after party.
GIG
Bill Nickson
The Jacaranda – 06/07
Bill Nickson
Wirral-based BILL NICKSON has mastered the art of lo-fi bedroom pop, and charmed Liverpool’s music scene along
the way. A regular on the circuit, his upcoming gig at The Jacaranda, complete with a full band, looks set to be another
crowd-pleaser. Nickson’s most recent single, What To Say, was his first release via The Label Recordings and was
compared to both Car Seat Headrest and Pavement when it premiered on Clash. It’s a silky smooth track full of charm
and hooks that will sound great live. Support on the night comes from garage rock trio HEY BULLDOG, indie Britpop
four-piece OCTUPUS and local singer-songwriter HARRY MILLER, who will be performing an acoustic set.
FESTIVAL
Bluedot
Jodrell Bank – 19/07 – 22/07
For anyone with a love of science and music, the award-winning, family-friendly,
intergalactic festival BLUEDOT is an out-of-this-world experience. Set against the
backdrop of the iconic Lovell Telescope, Bluedot combines a brilliant line-up with
live science experiments, talks and interactive artworks. This year’s headliners are
electronic music visionaries THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS, magical psychedelic rock
band THE FLAMING LIPS and synth pop kings FUTURE ISLANDS. But the real
highlight looks set to be Thursday night’s BLUE PLANET IN CONCERT with the Hallé
Orchestra, which will feature footage from the original Blue Planet series. You can
buy tickets for this event separately, but we recommend the whole festival for a truly
experimental weekend.
Bluedot
34

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

REVIEWS
Phoebe Bridgers (Stu Moulding / @oohshootstu)
“Her songs are a
confession of guilty
obsessions and
troubling thoughts,
tied together with
delicate charm”
Phoebe Bridgers
Harvest Sun @ Leaf – 22/05
PHOEBE BRIDGERS’ Stranger In The Alps, released
back September 2017, was a beautiful, pained and delicate
representation of love and loss. It landed in many people’s
albums of the year lists and Bridgers was tipped by many as
the next singer-songwriter giant to come out of the States,
admired by critics and musicians alike. As a result there is a
sense of anticipation about this opportunity to see an artist at the
beginning of their ascent.
The gentle glow from the loosely draped fairy lights around
Leaf’s stage offer a contrast to Bridgers’ and her band’s black
attire. Aided by a violinist and her regular touring companions,
Marshall Vore on drums and Harrison Whitford on guitar,
Bridgers appears muted and refrained as she softly plucks the
first notes of the airy, captivatingly sombre Smoke Signals on her
acoustic guitar. A deathly silence falls over the crowd, something
I’ve not heard for a while at a Liverpool show; all ears are drawn
in by her light, enchanting vocals and eyes are transfixed on
the stage. The solemn air continues with Bridgers’ next track,
Funeral, of which the first line painfully cuts in with “I’m singing
at funeral tomorrow/For a kid a year older than me”. The song
swells with a deep intensity, in parts inflated by a delicate violin
and strained distorted guitar notes as her lyrics build to challenge
different perspectives on loneliness and self-pity.
Bridgers then breaks the silence, easing the atmosphere
considerably, as she describes an unfortunate encounter with
an overzealous tap in the venue’s bathroom. “During that whole
song I couldn’t stop thinking about how wet my face was.”
From here on in, she appears bright and couldn’t be any further
removed from the character that she portrays in her songs; she’s
able to convey the bitterness of loneliness while evoking an aura
that is far removed from isolation and solitude. Her songs are
a confession of guilty obsessions and troubling thoughts, but
she ties them together with a delicate charm and an endearing
humour.
Motion Sickness, the most popular single from the album,
brings with it the most poignant moment of the night. Bridgers
prefaces the song by telling us that it’s about a past idol that she
now “hates”. It is perhaps the best example of her vocal strength,
too; she regularly displays a breathy falsetto, demonstrating a
Phoebe Bridgers (Stu Moulding / @oohshootstu)
gentle range with seamless control, but on Motion Sickness it
takes on another quality. The end of the song rises to a breaking
crescendo, as her voice and the band ascend to an explosive
release of energy and emotion.
Her demanding touring schedule over the last 18 months
is fully reflected in the strength of her live performance. It’s not
uncommon to witness breakthrough acts offer a disappointing
live display on their first headline tour, but everything Bridgers
brings tonight adds to the growing consensus that she has all the
components to sit comfortably in the ranks of the great American
singer-songwriters. !
Jonny Winship / @jmwinship
36

Car Seat Headrest (Kevin Barrett / @Kev_Barrett)
Car Seat Headrest
Harvest Sun @ Invisible Wind Factory –
19/05
Amid the confusing, gratuitous joviality that comes with a Royal
wedding and the blinding optimism that breeds with the transition
that into warmer seasons, there’s always room for self-deprecation
and anxious cuts of heartache, desire and mental see-sawing.
The vehicle for this, tonight, is Will Toledo’s band CAR SEAT
HEADREST, as they arrive at the Invisible Wind Factory for the
Liverpool leg of their European tour. The tour follows a re-recording
of Twin Fantasy, an album originally released seven years ago, in
what looked like a confusing creative choice after the critical triumph
of 2016’s Teens Of Denial. This time round, Twin Fantasy boasts a
well-rounded, refined production in contrast to the lo-fi bedroom
recording of the original. However, it still carries the authenticity and
rawness that’s evoked in the joys and pains of teenage angst.
The room is packed tonight with new and old fans of Toledo’s
music and the front is a centrifuge of energy, as the band deliver
the sharp, decisive sound of one of the most up-beat tracks from
Twin Fantasy, Body’s, which has Toldeo, arched and running
on the spot, creating an infectious aura of self-release. (Joe
Gets Kicked Out Of School For Using) Drugs With Friends (But
Gerry Cinnamon
+ Dylan John Thomas
Harvest Sun @ O2 Academy – 19/05
The streets of Liverpool ring with chants from shirtless fans
to the tune of KC and the Sunshine Band’s Give it Up ahead of
tonight’s main attraction, GERRY CINNAMON. With Saltires
raised from a loyal contingent and, with spirits high, it is clear
that tonight we are in for a rowdy one. Off the back of his
album Erratic Cinematic, released in September last year, the
Glaswegian-born artist has had a short but very direct route to
becoming one of Britain’s most exciting prospects. Supporting
the likes of John Power and Ocean Colour Scene, as well as
booking a return to this year’s TRNSMT festival, Cinnamon has
seen his efforts recognised by wider audiences and a huge
growth in popularity.
Through the doors and into the blue-lit sanctum of the
Academy, support act DYLAN JOHN THOMAS warms up
the crowd with a confident rendition of The Stone Roses’
classic Waterfall and sets the scene for a nostalgic singalong
accompanied by a luscious head of afro hair and a smart Fred
Perry tracksuit. After thanking the crowd, Thomas moves off the
stage and the wait begins. Not a single moment passes where
the air is not filled with football ground chants for the fans’ main
man as the anticipation builds to a point of near explosion. On
walks Gerry Cinnamon with flat cap in hand, with every ounce
of humble and appreciative feeling towards the support this
assembly have given him.
Moving through the set, Belter receives the most raucous of
Says This Isn’t A Problem) gifts the crowd with their first taste
of anthemic catharsis; the song is also an excellent showcase
of Toldeo’s songwriting ability, incorporating an earnest
accessibility with an off-hand, wry sense of humour.
The set takes a slight inhale as the band embark on a cover of
Frank Ocean’s White Ferrari, it makes for a pleasant transition in
to the melancholic Twin Fantasy (Those Boys), which builds to a
soothing crescendo, although its somewhat ignored and muffled by
the crowd’s mumbled chatter.
The performance is punctuated by Toldeo and the band’s
sharp wit and freedom on stage; they’re able to carry the emotion
of the songs in a way that encourages a togetherness and a
carefree emancipation around the room. The encore features
the haunting, yet melodic and touching Sober To Death, which
again touches on the themes of mental health, loneliness and
relationships, giving the crowd the last opportunity for an
impassioned singalong. The set concludes with the 13-minutelong
Beach Life-In-Death, which could be deemed self-indulgent,
but at this point I have to admit my surprise at their ability to lift
a crowd and keep them there with songs laden with such dark
subjects. But this is to underestimate the cleverness of Toldeo’s
song writing and the ability of the band to crash through the
songs, with vigour and angst, while being able to produce a
refined sound; a fine example of what a lot of modern-day rock
bands are missing.
Jonny Winship / @jmwinship
responses as Cinnamon tells the Liverpool crowd that this one
is about “ma wee missus”. With soul-bearing lyrics such as “She
dances in my dreams, reminds me that the world is not as evil as
it seems”, an insight into a bigger picture of the current state of
things outside the venue shared by all involved. Halfway through
this energetic and politically charged performance, Cinnamon
stops to thank the fans for their continued support and dedicates
all of his efforts to any young and aspiring musicians. In his broad
Glaswegian accent he says; “Don’t let anyone get you down, if
you can do it with a heartbeat and no band, you can do whatever
the fuck you want!” With this powerful and inspiring message
resonating around the room, everyone is fuelled and the mood
turns electric. The walls cannot contain this one-man assault on
modern times and its conventions as Cinnamon works through
other huge favourites Sometimes and Diamonds In The Mud,
which give us an intimate look into his modest roots and how he
holds them accountable even as fame presents itself.
After closing on a stripped-down version of I Wanna Be Adored,
the masses snap out of their trancelike state to roar their relentless
support for their Scottish ringleader and the buzz that remains
courses through each individual as they exit. There does not seem
to be a limit to the potential here as Cinnamon seems genuinely
grounded and thankful for the position he finds himself in. He
provides an example of why financial backing isn’t always necessary
for success in a commercialised music industry and that, even
without a label, the very highest quality in delivery and songwriting
still exists. With an instantly identifiable appearance and an honest
perception on social commentary it is hard to resist the charm and,
based on this admirable and unapologetic performance, I’m sure we
will be hearing more from this potent lyricist.
Jake Penn / @p3nno
Benjamin Zephaniah
WoWFest18 @ Philharmonic Hall – 20/05
Rastafarian wordsmith BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH is in
Liverpool tonight in support of his memoir, The Life And
Rhymes Of Benjamin Zephaniah, but the event isn’t a simple
history and a few readings. Zephaniah is a performer, so he
performs, taking us on a journey through excerpts from his
life interspersed with poems, with WowFest18’s theme of
Crossing Borders at its core.
He begins with his mother, who saw a poster encouraging
West Indians to come to Britain to live and work (I Love Me
Mudder). He returns to the theme of the Windrush generation
often, focusing on national events both past and present, and
includes racist incidents from his own life, starting with being
picked as cricket team captain at primary school when he
hadn’t ever played the game and doesn’t like it (“really slow
and reminds me of colonialism” – a witty observation that really
hits home: no Lara, Lloyd, Sobers et al without colonialism?),
and the racism to which he is now, after the 2016 referendum,
being subjected for the first time since the 70s.
More challenging of the orthodoxy comes as he observes
that secondary school taught him that Christopher Columbus
“discovered” black people. He mentions that he was expelled
from a few schools, with one teacher telling him he’d end
up dead or serving a life sentence – words which eventually
propelled him out of his bed and Birmingham hometown.
He skates over the life he was leading – but it’s detailed in
the book – merely stating that he left one ‘gang’ for another
(London’s artistic community).
After Us An Dem, and some shocking statistics on child
poverty, illiteracy, women’s status and more, he returns to his
mother’s decision to come to Britain and the repercussions
this decision is having for the many who made it – and their
descendants. Even people born here feel unsafe: “We don’t
know what our final solution is going to be yet.” He’s been
on planes carrying people who are being extradited, so he
knows about what he speaks, and in The Death Of Joy Gardner
observes: “She’s illegal, so deport her/Said the Empire that
brought her”, words which, sadly, have a chilling pertinence
today.
After a mood-lightening foray into veganism, travel
broadening the mind, India’s sadhus and more, the
performance part of the evening ends and it’s time for the
Q&A.
Asked about Rastafarianism and weed, he explains that
marijuana is a holy herb for Rastafarians, not a drug, but that
he has liberated himself from both religion and weed via
meditation: “I’ve learned to get high from breathing” – good
advice for us all.
After Talking Turkeys, the night is over, but lines from Rong
Radio Station linger during the walk home: “I was beginning
not to trust me, in fact, I wanted to arrest me/I’ve been listening
to the wrong radio station”, with their implication that we can
re-tune that radio station to a more positive one. Turn on, tune
in… activate.
Debra Williams / @wordsanddeeds1
REVIEWS 37

REVIEWS
The Mysterines (Hannah Johns / hannahjohnsphotogr.wixsite.com)
The Mysterines
+ Monks
+ Shards
+ Jack Haworth
EVOL @ Arts Club – 08/06
Posters promoting this show have been dotted around town,
asking the question ‘Who are THE MYSTERINES?’ And, tonight,
right until the three-piece take to the stage, the question is still
hanging in the air. Having caught the band in some of their
various support slots for The Big Moon and Goat Girl, they’ve
always had an air of mystery surrounding them, with their sets
following a ‘get on, say nothing, smash the set, get off’ kind of
pattern. If tonight’s first headlining gig pulls the curtain down a
little, then it was only to leave another question – how far could
they go?
There’s a not inconsiderable number of people down early
doors for the poetry stylings of JACK HAWORTH. In a shimmery
blue suit and with lightning-speed delivery, Haworth rattles off
verse after verse, covering aspects of life ranging from “wanting a
Toffee Crisp at a bus stop and all you get is a Double Decker” and
the mindset of a priest in love. It’s something of a verbal assault,
but with plenty of knowing jokes that keep the crowd chuckling
amid the rattle of speech and hum of the backing tracks. Second
support SHARDS, meanwhile, seem destined to have ‘one of
those sets’ when guitar problems after just a single song see
them requesting a lend from the audience. There are nods to a
range of the North West’s indie back-catalogue in their tunes:
The Stone Roses, James, The La’s and Joy Division, with a twist
of Libertines scuzz on top. All told, though, the set simmers nicely
and the group find their feet with some Verve-y heft towards its
close.
Also belying their age are the dreamy alt.pop five-piece
MONKS. They’re so dreamy, in fact, that their lead guitarist has
the word ‘dreamboat’ stencilled on the back of his mint green
boiler-suit. With a lead singer who also plays a 12-string rhythm
guitar, a bassist, a frantic drummer and a multi-instrumentalist
alternating between synth and trumpet, Monks emit a wall of
sound when they’re in their pomp. They’ve got the summery
feels, with a blue-eyed soul meets early Primal Scream sound,
infused with synth crescendos. The trumpet interludes,
meanwhile, lend a nuanced layer of pop maturity and, coupled
with the temperature of the room, make this feel more 90s
Balearic than millennial North West England. It’s so hot, in fact,
that the drummer spends the gap between songs downing
bottles of water and putting damp towels over his face. At the
same time, disembodied voice samples are played, which, when
coupled with the band’s willingness to switch time-signatures
mid-song, act like a gateway to something more expansive;
threatening, late in the set, to teeter into jazz or psych. Monks
seem ready to break out of their cells.
Tonight’s headliners come out like heavyweight boxers – their
entry music booming out electric blues in front of a sell-out crowd
(an unusual feat in itself in the Arts Club Loft). And, straight as an
arrow, the three-piece tear into their own blend of garage rock.
It’s Stooges-style no-nonsense with Lia Metcalfe’s razor-sharp
voice from the Wanda Jackson/Lemmy/Joan Jett old-school and
riffs in the vein of Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith and Ron Asheton. Maybe
it’s an effect of the heat, but parts of the set edge back slightly
from the raw power and into a Southern-fried rock of a sort that
made the joie de jeune of early Kings Of Leon feel so crucial. The
band give very little introduction to their songs and there’s even
less in the way of stage-patter: not through nerves, but through
a commitment to speaking through their music, without the usual
cloying obeisant bullshit. Mysterines’ set is as fierce as the heat
in the room, the drilling of George Favager’s bass and Chrissy
Moore’s drums pushing forward the wailing vocals and crying
guitar. And it’s rewarded by an audience who start their own
handclaps and mosh-pit.
By the end, there’s one guy on someone else’s shoulders,
and Metcalfe’s nearly-always deadpan face even breaks into a
smile. They sort of do the encore thing, scarcely attempting to get
off-stage before the crowd demand “ONE MORE SONG, ONE
MORE SONG”. So, they strap on, set up and rip-roar again for
a thunderous reprise; before the lights come up, there’s a brief
stunned silence before the crowd starts to move.
After the gig, a lot of the crowd move to the merch stand – as if
word-of-mouth of the set’s bravura force wasn’t enough, the band
will now have dozens of fans walking around wearing their name.
It’s the first indication that a group of people drawn to the band by
the mystery have bought into the facts. If tonight’s gig started with
the question ‘Who are The Mysterines?’, the answer comes with
the band’s ferocious set. If the next question is ‘How far could they
go?’, then the acolytes wearing band T-shirts and clutching gig
posters suggest that The Mysterines could go all the way.
John McGovern / @etinsuburbiaego
38

June / juLy
21ST jUNE
22ND juNE
23RD jUNE
24th June
28th June
29th June
1st july
3rd July
5th jULY
6Th jULY
7TH jULY
8TH july
12th juLY
14TH jULY
15th july
17th july
19TH july
21ST/22ND
underground arts society
lIVERPOOL cALLING
jAMIE cLague + Guests
Ground Floor Open Mic
underground arts society
Crikey Its The Cromptons
ground floor open mic
YeaH bUDDY pRESENTS
underground arts society
bILL NICKSON & hEY bULLDOG
tHE hEAD hUNTERS
ground floor open mic
underground arts society
nOVACROW + GUESTS
ground floor open mic
rAISED bY wOLVES + gUESTS
uNDERGROUND aRTS sOCIETY
cACTUS pARADOX wEEKENDER
Monday / Thursday / friday / saturday / sunday

REVIEWS
Charles Howl (Kevin Barrett / @Kev_Barrett)
Charles Howl (Kevin Barrett / @Kev_Barrett)
The generous helping of tracks last year’s long player means
there’s little room in the set for debut Sir Vices, save for the
delicate stomper Lunacy. This track adds to a performance which
touches upon a huge gamut of genres. Flashes of garage rock,
orchestral pop and glam are all expertly balanced so as not to
make it parody nor regressive.
While they may have done more to enamour themselves to
a thin but devoted audience on stage tonight, perhaps it’s the
attention Charles Howl is giving to his songwriting and recording
craft which has brought his success, even if it’s to the detriment
of social niceties.
Sam Turner / @Samturner1984
Charles Howl
+ Beija Flo
Harvest Sun @ The Shipping Forecast –
31/05
It’s a crowded stage at The Shipping Forecast tonight. Even
with only BEIJA FLO’s solitary presence there’s a variety of
amps and keyboards on stage, around which are dotted various
mannequins and Flo’s deconstructed bouquet of lilies. The artist
herself is looking resplendent in red sequinned leotard and
trademark smudged make-up. A performer of paradoxes, Beija
Flo is at once vulnerable and an exhibitionist. On occasion it feels
like her bold and honest ballads, backed by chamber pop tracks
from a laptop, deserve a more expansive sound; but at the same
time that vulnerability, along with her rhetorical dialogue with the
MacBook, adds to a spellbinding performance.
The drama and theatrics of the support act is followed by
an all-together more workmanlike performance from CHARLES
HOWL. A project which came
to full fruition last year with
the release of the excellent
solo LP My Idol Family, the
group has developed from
a collaboration between
Londoners Let’s Wrestle
(frontman Danny Nellis’
Korg sports LW leader
Wesley Gonzalez’s name
this evening) and Proper
Ornaments. That album
is replicated in all its
glory tonight and sounds
wonderful.
Keeping to his enigmatic
reputation, there’s little in
the way of pleasantries
from Nellis. Two incidents
characterise tonight’s
performance, one being a
passive aggressive exchange
with the sound tech who is
quick to point out that he
can’t understand instructions
delivered through a reverbheavy
mic; the other is the
hastiest, most unceremonious
stage exit I’ve witnessed.
The languid tempo and
wry observation of social
interaction in The Dinner
Party is a fitting soundtrack
to the vague tensions that
linger through the night.
That being said, there is
little to fault about the actual
music; at the top of set, the
chamber psych of Death Of
Print announces the band
with panache. As well as
honourable sentiment, the
track is a brilliant distillation
of Charles Howl’s charms,
with a driving drum beat
propelling a darkly beautiful
mod cut, akin to somewhere
between The Velvet
Underground and The Pretty
Things.
Cocaine Piss
+ Strange Collective
+ Salt The Snail
+ Eyesore And The Jinx
EVOL @ EBGBs – 26/05
First on at EBGBs, EYESORE AND THE JINX play to a decent
early doors crowd, their live chops improving in tandem with
their rising profile. Anchored by the sonorous basslines of singer
Josh Miller, the trio’s thunderous alloy of rockabilly and punk
traces a line back to LA legends The Gun Club. Counterbalancing
the thrum of the harder hitting moments with a slew of slow
arpeggio-led interludes, the three-piece wield a sound bigger
than the sum of their parts. The best moment comes with
recent Trump/May/Putin-baiting single Gated Community which
translates into a seething rendition.
SALT THE SNAIL open their set with vocalist Krystian
stepping onstage in a mask singing the theme to Jurassic Park a
cappella, before moving back to the floor to spend the remainder
of the set singing directly to the front row. An intriguing collision
of punked-up metal and alt. rock topped with sung-spoken
vocals, the outfit’s instrumental skill is immediately apparent.
Comprising an octopus-armed Keith Moon-style drummer and a
bassist who weaves his way around the fretboard impressively,
the pulverising guitar riffs at times sound akin to Seattle sludgegrunge
doyens the Melvins.
The imminent arrival of gig circuit stalwarts STRANGE
COLLECTIVE sees the crowd peak as the quartet assemble
for the main support slot. Playing with the easy confidence
of headliners, the outfit’s psych inflected garage rock is in
redoubtable health, peaking with Super Touchy and After Eight.
“We play short songs and short sets for people who don’t
have a lot of spare time,” Tommy Ramone stated back in the
mid-1970s, and as the band who (arguably, can of worms alert)
laid punk’s foundations it’s the one principal that has remained
true. If the Bruddas played songs for people who didn’t have
much spare time, COCAINE PISS play them for people who
get bored between breaths. Armed with a name that ensures
daytime radio play on any planet is unlikely and raised eyebrows
from customs official on every frontier, lead singer Aurélie, replete
with skateboader’s kneepads, bounds onstage last, her energetic
presence piloting the quartet’s near-nonstop live onslaught.
They hurl themselves into proceedings, playing as though
their lives depend on it. Trading in 90-second blasts that sound
like John Peel faves Melt Banana doing battle with hardcore
heroes Minor Threat, the Belgian punks’ commitment can’t be
faulted. The feeling that this is going over ground well trodden by
the aforementioned pioneers and scores of lesser lights remains,
however. As blink and you miss it cuts Ugly Face On and Sex
Weirdos careen past, an injection of light and shade, or maybe
something that didn’t have an escape velocity-paced bpm would
be welcome. That said, proceedings hurtle to a close so quickly
the onset of boredom is avoided. A diverting blast, but it’s the
troika of support bands that linger far longer in the memory.
Richard Lewis
40

Asian Dub Foundation: La Haine live Soundtrack
Bam!Bam!Bam! @ Invisible Wind Factory – 25/05
Here are the young men with weights on their shoulders. How a film crams 20 terror-filled hours
into a more easily digestible 98 minutes; how a film depicts the urban terror of young lives blighted
by police brutality and the mistrust of immigrants. And so it goes…
Now rightly seen as a masterpiece of its genre, Matthieu Kassovitz’s film La Haine (Hatred) is a
complex, monochrome feast which details the lives of three friends (Saïd, an Arab, Hubert, an African
and Vinz, a Jewish skinhead) over the course of one day following a riot in the banlieue, a huge,
sprawling estate where they all live. The film is steeped in endemic racism from end to end.
Their friend Abdel has been beaten by the police and lies in a coma in hospital. The estate is in
tatters and the CRS (riot police) are patrolling the area for miscreants. During the course of the film
the three attempt to go about their day-to-day business as best as they can, thwarted at every twist
and turn by the forces of oppression.
What it shows best is the utter mundanity of life for young men with very few options in their
life. Their shallow lives consist of very little other than rolling joints and avoiding the police and their
harsh method of dealing with the local youth. From Paris to Port Said, in all the world’s conurbations,
for young men divested of a future and with no real footing in the present, the song remains the
same. This could be anywhere where young people congregate and call their home. I grew up on a
council estate that, while predominantly white, offered young men the exact same option: absolutely
fuck all. These young men have nothing but each other.
The day gets worse at every available opportunity and, although the narrative constantly talks
of better times and a misplaced idea of what the future will be, a dark, dystopian pall hangs over
everything. These young ‘uns have nothing, not even an immediate future and the desperation of it all –
twinned with a gallows humour that things will get better – underpins almost every moment of dialogue.
The tension and the danger are expressed via Pierre Aim’s supreme cinematography. Utilising
that most French of techniques, cinema vérité, the camera never stops moving. Whether it be
Hubert’s smouldering gym, torched in the riot, or the very real anger that occupies Vinz’ furious
face, it’s all captured in a dark, grainy, ever flowing monochrome. No colour, just dark and shade
illuminating the screen, it appears to accentuate everything and gives it a realness that Technicolor
may have overlooked. This is the element that has separated it from all other films of its genre in
the last two decades. Whereas a lot of its contemporaries were stylised and of the moment, La
Haine has kept that element of unease, an authenticity in both language and image that puts it on a
different plane.
One of its greatest successes on the film’s release in 1995 was its soundtrack, which along with
a smattering of American RnB and Bob Marley, contained a selection of French hip hop that, for most
people in the English speaking world, was a revelation. The bombastic nature of the beats and words
only added to the tension in the film. Tonight, at the Invisible Wind Factory, those fine purveyors of
ethno-psychedelia, ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION, are providing their own live soundtrack. The live
soundtrack has become a phenomenon in recent years: all manner of films from Star Wars to Tron
to DW Griffiths’ Birth Of A Nation have been given the treatment with varying degrees of success.
Some are played by a 90-piece orchestra, some by your local dead cool band, hoping to create a
new environment. Here, where the soundtrack is absolutely essential to the overall experience of
the film, the ante is raised considerably. ADF rise to the occasion. The opening sequence works
incredibly well, the new soundtrack adding to the tension and unease and complementing the action
in gritty detail. It gives certain parts of the film a whole new dimension and offers a new view of the
experience. I find myself, right from the off, becoming totally engrossed in the imagery above the
band. At times – and I’m not sure whether this is a good or a bad thing – the band seem to disappear
completely and hold back imposing their trip on the images. It’s a fantastic experience, marred only
by a few moments when the live track imposes its trip on the movie and creates a sound clash where
the dialogue becomes muddied.
On the whole, though, I like it a lot. If only for reminding me what a truly wondrous spectacle La
Haine really is; the thrill of watching the film for the first time comes flooding back to me immediately.
It’s one of those niche films that will still be getting talked about in another 20 years’ time, as it
contains a realism that few of its contemporaries have and that will always spark with youth of all
generations and denominations. Giving already established, popular films new soundtracks will grow
and grow, to varying degrees of success. But in the right hands, the right film can be re-introduced
to you by your friendly neighbourhood leftfield pop band and make an enormous splash. It’s only a
matter of time before the ‘game-changer’ in the genre comes along.
Bernard Connor / @bernieworld
ROUND UP
A selection of the best of the rest from another
busy month of live action on Merseyside.
Blossoms (Jamie Sherwood)
At Invisible Wind Factory, Jennifer Rose is on hand to see Stockport-based indie rock
behemoths BLOSSOMS storm on stage like veterans, despite only being five years and
two albums into their career. Frontman Tom Ogden cajoles the crowd throughout, from the
five-piece’s opening number There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls) – the
opening track from their second album, Cool Like You – right through to the night’s sweaty
denouement.
Blossoms’ newest songs, such as Unfaithful and Between The Eyes, stand up well
alongside their more well known material, and show why their latest synth pop-inflected
album should be on everyone’s summer playlist. The rendition of Love Talk is one of many
microphone-in-crowd moments, and there are points of intimacy scattered throughout the
high-octane moments, in particular when Ogden takes centre stage on his own for the
acoustic My Favourite Room.
There’s minimal chat from Ogden throughout, preferring to let the positive vibes flow on
a night that he later assures us is “one of the best”. This is even despite a few rowdy sorts
trying to spoil the atmosphere. It’s difficult to be disappointed at a Blossoms show, however,
as it’s always a showcase of infectious energy when they’re on form. And they’re on form
tonight.
Max Baker recalls some post-midnight revelations from another successful BALTIC
WEEKENDER, as revellers bask in the sun and clamour to see some of the biggest names in
house and techno. The Baltic Triangle has become a pocket of activity for the clubbing scene
in recent years, and the popularity shows in the length of the queues outside main venues
Constellations and 24 Kitchen Street.
As Saturday night turns into Sunday morning, the Constellations crowd ends up in the
loved-up embrace of KRYSTAL KLEAR. As someone with a soft spot for any hint of retro
synth action, this was always going to be the highlight of the weekend, even with all the
heavy hitters on show. Klear’s nod to late 80s house comes across well in the club’s interior,
keeping energy levels high – even for those who’ve been going since mid-afternoon. Everyone
from the Discogs trawlers to the end-of-exam merrymakers keep their engines going and
show a collective appreciation late into the night. A true godfather of house and one half of
Masters At Work, KENNY DOPE justifies his status at the top of the bill with a track selection
that remains true to his 90s New York roots, while delivering a crisp, contemporary feel.
This is only Baltic Weekender’s second year, but through a combination of great bookings
in great locations, the festival is already establishing itself as a flagship event in the North
West’s bustling dance scene.
Full reviews of all these shows can be found now at bidolito.co.uk.
La Haine
Baltic Weekender (Daniel de la Bastide / @dannydelabastide)
REVIEWS 41

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MANchesteracademy.net
ODDISEE & MOONCHILD
MONDAY 2ND JULY
CLUB ACADEMY
THE SONICS
FRIDAY 5TH OCTOBER
ACADEMY 3
FICKLE FRIENDS
SATURDAY 27TH OCTOBER
ACADEMY 2
HUDSON TAYLOR
FRIDAY 23RD NOVEMBER
CLUB ACADEMY
GEORGE CLINTON &
PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC
SATURDAY 7TH JULY / MCR ACADEMY
AURORA
WEDNESDAY 10TH OCTOBER
ACADEMY 2
FAT FREDDY'S DROP
SUNDAY 4TH NOVEMBER
MANCHESTER ACADEMY
HONNE
FRIDAY 23RD NOVEMBER
ACADEMY 2
LUCKY CHOPS
TUESDAY 10TH JULY
CLUB ACADEMY
HOLLIE COOK
THURSDAY 11TH OCTOBER
ACADEMY 2
PARCELS
MONDAY 5TH NOVEMBER
ACADEMY 2
SUNFLOWER BEAN
TUESDAY 27TH NOVEMBER
ACADEMY 2
BEYOND FEST: BASEMENT,
ARCANE ROOTS & MORE TBA
SUNDAY 15TH JULY / MCR ACADEMY
TOM GRENNAN
FRIDAY 12TH OCTOBER
MANCHESTER ACADEMY
OLD DOMINION
TUESDAY 6TH NOVEMBER
ACADEMY 2
THE INTERRUPTERS
SATURDAY 1ST DECEMBER
ACADEMY 2
GARBAGE
SUNDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER
MANCHESTER ACADEMY
THE REZILLOS
SATURDAY 13TH OCTOBER
CLUB ACADEMY
SHAKEY GRAVES
MONDAY 12TH NOVEMBER
ACADEMY 2
JANELLE MONAE
MONDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER
MANCHESTER ACADEMY
THE BLINDERS
MONDAY 15TH OCTOBER
ACADEMY 2
TRIBUTE TO MANCHESTER 2018:
THE CLONE ROSES, OASISH
& MORE
FRIDAY 14TH DEC / MCR ACADEMY
STRANGE WAVES IV: BRIAN
JONESTOWN MASSACRE & MORE
SATURDAY 20TH OCT / MCR ACADEMY
LEON BRIDGES
WEDNESDAY 14TH NOVEMBER
MANCHESTER ACADEMY
CHAMELEONS VOX
SATURDAY 15TH DECEMBER
ACADEMY 2
NINES
SATURDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER
MANCHESTER ACADEMY
ABSOLUTE BOWIE
SATURDAY 17TH NOVEMBER
CLUB ACADEMY
TOM CLARKE (THE
ENEMY ACOUSTIC SET)
SUNDAY 30TH SEP / CLUB ACADEMY
BLACK HONEY
SUNDAY 21ST OCTOBER
ACADEMY 2
ANNE-MARIE
TUESDAY 20TH NOVEMBER
MANCHESTER ACADEMY
CLUTCH
THURSDAY 20TH DECEMBER
MANCHESTER ACADEMY
THE RIFLES
FRIDAY 5TH OCTOBER
CLUB ACADEMY
ADY SULEIMAN
WEDNESDAY 24TH OCTOBER
ACADEMY 2
PITCHSHIFTER
TUESDAY 20TH NOVEMBER
ACADEMY 3
808 STATE : 30
FRIDAY 21ST DECEMBER
MANCHESTER ACADEMY
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Box office:
theatkinson.co.uk
01704 533 333
(Booking fees apply)
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The Atkinson
Lord Street
Southport
PR8 1DB
Music
Grateful Fred’s
Hillfolk Noir
Wed 4 July, 7.30pm
FILM
The Chris Bevington
Organisation
Fri 6 July, 8pm
Theatre
BPA Live
Arkansas Dave
Thu 12 July, 8pm
Southport Film Guild
The Salesman (12)
Wed 4 July, 7.30pm
COMEDY
Who, Me.
Sat 30 June, 8pm
EXHIBITION
Last chance
to see
Gyles Brandreth:
Break a Leg!
Sat 7 July, 7.30pm
Laugh Out Loud
Comedy Club
Sat 7 July, 8pm
Line up subject to change
31 March – 7 July

Proud supporters
of Merseyrail
Sound Station

Festival of
Contemporary Art
14 July – 28 October
Free
Liverpool Biennial is funded by
biennial.com
Founding Supporter
James Moores
Liverpool Arab
Arts Festival
5–15 July 2018
A thrilling 11 day showcase
of the richness of Arab culture
2018
15–5
Including
47SOUL & TootArd
Friday 6 July
Constellations
Emel Mathlouthi
with support from U-Cef (DJ Set)
Saturday 7 July
Invisible Wind Factory
LAAF Family Day 2018
with Simona Abdallah, Simo Lagnawi &
Gnawa London and The London Syrian Ensemble
Sunday 15 July
Sefton Park Palm House
See the full programme and book tickets at:
arabartsfestival.com
LAAF_Bido_Lito_Half_Page_Ad_June_AW.indd 1 18/06/2018 10:12

SAY
THE FINAL
“The energy coming
out of the boroughs
of Merseyside is
unbelievable… this year
will be the start of a long
journey in discovering
what culture is to the
Liverpool city region”
With the city
region expanding
the boundaries of
Merseyside’s artistic
canvas, the idea of
focusing the attention
of the art world on a
central hub becomes
less intuitive. Patrick
Kirk-Smith, Director
of Art In Liverpool and
Independents Biennial
2018, argues that it’s
the boroughs of the
city region where we
should be enjoying art
as much as the city
centre.
In 2004, Art In Liverpool set out to do one thing and one thing only:
to share the incredible visual culture the city of Liverpool had to
show. It did pretty well for itself out of that, and still does. But it
creates a challenge around what we do and who we are, not just as a
publication, but as a city.
In 2018, we’re now a city region. It’s more important to the magazine
and more important to the work we do than we could have imagined
because it suddenly reflects the flaws of the arts back at us. Fine art,
visual art, contemporary art; whatever title you give it, it has that stigma
attached of being a privileged pursuit. The privilege doesn’t apply so much
in this region these days, but what does is the pursuit. Why should we, as
a region whose culture inspires so many creative realisations, have to get
on a bus to see art in the city centre, 10 miles from our homes?
Well, yeh. It’s hard to justify, really. So we brought back the
Independents Biennial, and in the busy months that followed our phones
didn’t stop ringing, our inboxes overflowed and we found ourselves at the
helm of a festival that works with every borough of the city region.
Writing this, with four weeks to go until the biggest Independents
Biennial since 2008, and after four years away, every second of the work
is worth it. Because we’ve been able to work with artists born in Liverpool
who have come back from around the world, artists from around the world
who have moved to Liverpool, and artists who have spent their lives in the
region. Such a range of people have got on board, producing some of the
most engaging, loving exhibitions and events we’ve seen brought together
for a long time.
We’re the back-seat driver helping it along. The artists who are about
to show a 3.5km arts trail in Rimrose Valley, or work with communities
and empty space in L7, or take over St John’s Market for four months –
they’re who you need to come and see. Because for the first time in a long
time, St Helens, Knowsley, Sefton and Wirral are just as much at the heart
of this as Liverpool.
As I write, I’m still being sent images from ever more passionate
artists to accompany their exhibitions, with one from an artist working
with Rimrose Valley Friends that cries out to save her sanctuary space.
The country park, bordered by railway and canal, is under threat of being
tarmacked, making it one of a few sanctuary spaces in the region to be
rediscovered through the festival alongside Hilbre Island, Tunstall Street,
Hoylake Parade and Fulwood Community Garden.
And while each of them will be filled with artists in one way or another,
it’s probably Kiara Mohamed’s Humanscape project that will tell the truest
tale of Liverpool, and the spaces it pulls together. A set of aerial photography
documenting her sanctuary city – a city the artist migrated to after being
disowned by her family for refusing to marry a stranger – it captures spaces
we’re familiar with, but uses them to tell a story of safety, and of choice.
Liverpool, while far from perfect, is a space that fosters freedom.
Working with local artists in the region’s most significant galleries puts
the festival in a unique position, with projects like Kiara Mohamed’s getting
to the heart of local issues, alongside some of the world’s most important
artists, visiting the city for Liverpool Biennial. In 1999, the Liverpool
Biennial hit the streets and, after a slight bump (perhaps the millennium
didn’t count?), it came back three years later in 2002.
Now on its 10th edition, the Biennial’s fringe activity has found itself
playing a more crucial role than ever before. Known as Tracey in 1999,
Independents Liverpool Biennial between 2002 and 2014, and Biennial
Fringe in 2016, it’s perhaps been a little less reliable than its sister. Now,
Independents Biennial (minus Liverpool) is here, with its own agenda.
This year has seen major galleries sign up to work with early career
artists, and some of the region’s most significant organisations have
created opportunities for local artists to show alongside one of the world’s
most significant arts festivals. In St Helens, Knowsley and Wirral, three
artists have been commissioned to create new work for the festival,
working with Heart Of Glass, the Williamson and Kirkby Gallery in the first
commissions of their kind for the Independents.
Brigitte Jurack will be the first artist installed at Williamson Art
Gallery’s new Green Gallery, with a project that tackles the indefinable
nature of Oxton Road – one of Merseyside’s most culturally diverse
spaces. Rather than dropping in and going away again, Brigitte has had
a relationship with Oxton Road for years, as one of the co-founders of
Alternator Studios, whose Translating The Street project in 2016 worked
with shops and hairdressers on the street. Her latest sculptural work is a
response to that kaleidoscope of independent local industry.
In Knowsley, local illustrator Cath Garvey takes a look at the flaws of the
global comic industry by delivering workshops that can only work in Kirkby.
Putting girls at the heart of her stories, and inviting everyone and anyone to
produce their own comics, we’ll be producing a massive collection of new
comics through the festival, which put the focus on local women.
Kate Hodgson is planning a series of public print workshops
responding to the industrial past of St Helens, in the year the town turns
150, and I’ve just got home from a meeting with Yellow Door Artists,
having learned all about their plans working with St Helens’ twin town of
Stuttgart. And in Sefton, Threshold Festival – usually confined to the Baltic
Triangle – have been commissioned to host a one-day only Threshold in
Princess Diana Gardens. Performance, live art, workshops, music and a lot
of energy will greet visitors to the Sefton Open, where artists from around
the region are shown on the walls of the borough’s largest gallery and
museum.
The energy coming out of the boroughs of Merseyside is unbelievable
and this year’s Independents Biennial will be the start of a long journey in
discovering what culture is to the Liverpool city region.
Alongside the commissions are artists from around the North West
pushing their own boundaries, including five artists form LJMU and
Liverpool Hope who will be taking on their biggest gallery yet as part of
the new Independents Biennial Graduate Exhibition Award, in the former
George Henry Lee building.
And in St John’s Market, the most human retail space in the city,
we’ll be working with over 80 artists over four months, alongside active
shops and cafés, to tell a unique story of art in the Liverpool city region
in a space that will change each and every day, showing new work, new
conversations and forgotten histories.
Independents Biennial 2018 set out to give the artists of the Liverpool
city region a significant voice. From 14th July, it’s your chance to listen.
Words: Patrick Kirk-Smith
Photography: Kate Hodgson
Head to artinliverpool.com/independentsbiennial2018 to find out more
about this year’s fringe programme, which runs between 14th July and
28th October.
46

Wirral New Music Collective is proud to present a summer
programme of innovative live shows in interesting new
spaces across Wirral, showcasing some of the region’s finest
emerging talent.
SKELETON COAST
ANCIENT DREAMS OF YOUTH
THE MYSTERINES
THE FERNWEH
TANER KEMIRTLEK
JORDAN GARBUTT
MARVIN POWELL
NIAMH ROWE
ELIZA CAREW
HELEN DOWNEY
ALEX SCOTT
LEASOWE CASTLE - 1ST SEPTEMBER
Wirral New Music Collective presents a stellar
collection of Merseyside artists at Wirral’s largest
festival of psychedelia, blues and rock.
WILLIAMSON ART GALLERY - 16TH AUGUST
A night of contemporary classical music surrounded
by fine art, featuring a specially commissioned composition
for piano trio.
FRESH GOODS BATCH ONE
A DAY IN THE SUN
EYESORE AND THE JINX
BEIJA FLO
TVAM
REEDALE RISE
S>>D
BILL NICKSON
SPQR
BREAKWAVE
LO FIVE
MELODIEN
FRESH GOODS STUDIOS, MADDOCK STREET
4TH AUGUST
A studio party with Wirral’s finest in an industrial
warehouse in the heart of Birkenhead, with all sets
bootlegged live for future release.
TREASURY ANNEXE, CLEVELAND STREET
25TH AUGUST
A full day of experimental electronica in an intimate
new setting, breaking down the boundaries
between performer and observer.
GET IT LOUD IN LIBRARIES
BODEGA
BIRKENHEAD CENTRAL LIBRARY
8TH JULY
The latest stop of the GILIL series brings New York
art-punks Bodega to Birkenhead’s iconic library for
a matinée performance, with support coming from
Wirral-based noiseniks Jo Mary.
ST. JUDE THE OBSCURE
BIRKENHEAD PRIORY
18TH AUGUST
One of Birkenhead’s hidden gems is the backdrop
for an intimate show headed up by electronic
art-pop duo St. Jude The Obscure.
Each show is ticketed separately. Head to wirralnmc.co.uk for further details.

THEWAREHOUSEPROJECT.COM