Issue 105 / November 2019

GIG
Mac Demarco
Bramley Moore Dock – 28/11
Mac Demarco
MAC DEMARCO’s magnetic charm has seen his star rise from lo-fi slacker to full
blown superstar of the indie scene. But he’s far from a one trick pony. While his
earlier records drifted by with a soft summer breeze, his two most recent efforts -
This Old Dog and Here Comes The Cowboy - see the laid back crooner display a
slower, more introspective side to his songwriting. Rather than swerve between
sweet reverb washed licks, he’s embraced more acoustic guitar, hardwiring
personal narratives into the music to complete an intriguing transformation to
campfire storyteller with hints of expansive country. But where his music has
grown softer curves, his live show still appears to flex every musical muscle of his
discography. Setting up at the sizable Bramley Moore Dock, this stop on his UK
will serve as an opportunity to refamiliarise yourself with Mac the showman.
THEATRE
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
The Playhouse – 11/11-16/11
Mary Shelly’s Gothic masterpiece has become a totem of the horror genre, with its
DNA embedded in our modern day fascination with the shadowy dungeons of the
human condition. Much has been made of the teenage Shelley’s formative travels
across Germany and Switzerland in the early part of the 19th Century, but what of
Shelley’s own place as a young woman in this tale? This adaptation of the revered
story of Frankenstein’s monster, by the award-winning writer Rona Munro, places
Mary Shelley in the drama as a character. As the action rages around her, the
writer is forced – in an eerie mirroring of the travails of Frankenstein himself – to
wrestle with her creation, and also with the stark realities facing revolutionary
young women, then and now. Tickets available at ticketquarter.co.uk.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
GIG
Declan Welsh & The Decadent West
Phase One – 09/11
This has been a busy year for DECLAN WELSH. Along with his band, the Glaswegian
songwriter and poet has been touring his taut indie rock across sold-out shows in the
UK, topped off with an electrifying, Billy Bragg-approved appearance at Glastonbury. By
way of introducing their new album, Cheaply Bought, Expensively Sold, to the world, THE
DECADENT WEST are stopping by Phase One for a show with Edge Hill University and
their label, Modern Sky UK. Supporting Welsh and co are THE INDICA GALLERY, whose
psych-inflected indie surrealism will be the perfect foil to Welsh’s unapologetic, direct
swagger. Experimental Welsh artist ANI GLASS is charged with adding an air of mystique
to proceedings, and we recommend you don’t miss her synth wizardry.
GIG
Têtes De Pois
The Jacaranda – 19/11
ParrJazz’s regular dose of telescopic sounds welcomes the much-touted Leeds
ensemble TÊTES DE POIS for a good old knees up in the Jacaranda basement.
Meeting as students of Leeds College of Music and forming the band in 2016,
the seven-piece have been quick to win plaudits for their intra-band fluidity; each
member happily carries leads and can navigate the group through switches of jazz,
neo soul, Afrobeat and hip hop – all of which is executed with an enviable harmony
and flair. You might even say they play with the snugness of seven jazzy peas in a
pod. Head on down and watch their instruments unify to take on the role of a deep
digging DJ. Head to TicketQuarter.co.uk now to pick up your tickets for this show.
GIG
Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi
Grand Central – 28/11
Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi
The combination of Italian jazz multi-instrumentalist FRANCESCO TURRISI and singer-songwriter RHIANNON GIDDENS
produced one of the most awe-inspiring albums of 2019. There Is No Other was heralded for its daring fusion of genres that
sees the two strike up a partnership that covers Mediterranean, African and Arabian influences. The pairing’s mastery is the
glue that holds it all together. The album’s alluring folk compositions will be on display in an equally baroque setting when the
two import their music into the confines of the Dome in Grand Central. Perhaps one of the more thought-provoking shows
throughout the month, the exhibition of genre fusion will leave little to the imagination once their set has completed its sonic
travels.
GIG
Calexico and Iron & Wine
Philharmonic Hall – 19/11
Emerging from the ‘desert noir’ outer edges of the Californian border, long-standing indie
Americana duo CALEXICO head Liverpool way for a journey to the atmospheric, Latin-infused
landscapes encapsulated in their sound. First playing together in the early 90s, the band have spent
the best part of the last three decades crafting soundtracks pulled from sunburst sunsets and the
open landscape hugging the Mexican ridge. One of their most memorable records, 2005 EP In
The Reins, was a collaboration with indie folk singer-songwriter IRON & WINE, who is also set to
appear on the bill for the show at the Philharmonic. The EP is lauded in the Americana world for
its ingenuity and groundbreaking soundscapes, with their combination live on stage as stirring as
it is uncompromising. Expect to hear further cuts from their new collaborative effort Years To Burn,
released in June.
Calexico and Iron & Wine
PREVIEWS
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