At the end of the words I wrote for last month’s Bleeding Hearts Club, I said that I would definitely be heading back at some point. I didn’t know at the time that it would be quite so soon, but there were a few bands on this month’s line up that caught my eye.
First up was Ampersand – I featured the video for his new single 20 Seas 4 Oceans in my Media Roundup post about a fortnight ago. Better known as Matt Hainsby from Fujiya & Miyagi, Ampersand plays beguiling solo acoustic pop music. He supplemented his guitar with the occasional loop and sample fired on some foot pedals, but it really was all about his voice and his playing. The single lollops along like a lazy stripped down Fujiya & Miyagi transported to the west coast of America. The other tracks didn’t really hint at krautrock at all and sounded a bit more retro; I’d go so far as to say that on the last song I was getting a bit of Roy Orbison. I was impressed enough to buy the 7″ of 20 Seas 4 Oceans that was for sale. If the song wasn’t enough, the record also comes with a rather beautiful gocco Ampersand print made on very thin wood. You can buy it from the Great Pop Supplement website.
Ampersand
Next up were Naomi Hates Humans. They’re not from Brighton, and it was their penultimate gig, so even if I was moved sufficiently to tell you that you must go and seek them out (which to be honest, I wasn’t really), it would all be too late. So I’ll move swiftly onto Kate Daisy Grant. My first impression of Kate was a very child like quality – a toy piano can do that. In the space of four songs though, the instrumentation became less important, and some top songs and an amazing voice shone through. The last track was especially good – with the addition of some lush strings and a big trip hop remix it could easily be the next bond theme.
Kate Daisy Grant
Kate’s accompaniment was headliner Nick Pynn, who’s one of the great unsung heroes of the music world, playing and touring with some of the biggest names in rock, pop and, er, comedy over the past twenty years. We were treated to a short solo set at Monday’s night gig which consisted of a couple of songs on the fiddle, one one a handmade Appalachian Mountain dulcimer, and one on cocolele – a ukelele with half a coconut shell for the body! This was a virtuoso not a novelty set though, and a fantastic way to round off the night.
One Inch Badge, who put on the recent Sea Monsters gigs at the Prince Albert, have put out a cd with one track from every band who played at the festival. For now, you can buy it from their web shop here or from Resident or Rounder in town for a mere five pounds. It gets an international release on 9th April. If you want a listen first, here’s the soundcloud widget. But why not just buy it. It’s only a fiver! You can’t go wrong spending a fiver on a cd. That’s less than two pints!
Rather than do a review of the CD, since I reviewed every gig of the festival (and since you can listen for yourself), I decided to catch up with one of the bands to talk about things from their perspective. On a wintry January Saturday lunchtime, I caught up with Billy Lowe and Tom Northam from Tyrannosaurus Dead, who played on tuesday night’s gig and whose track 1992 is on the cd, to talk about Brighton, Gigs, 1992, and not singing in American accents.
Billy Lowe, lead singer of Tyrannosaurus Dead
On the Brighton connection:
BL: I went to Sussex University and had the best time. Tom and I are both from Poole in Dorset, and have known each other since we were about ten or maybe even younger. I lived here for years, I was in different bands, but lack of opportunity for work means I live in London at the moment, but I’ll definitely move back at some point, we play here all the time. Everyone else in the band still lives in Brighton.
TN: Billy set the base up for us all living here. We had all our friends in Poole – Billy moved here to go to university, and then his brother moved down, half of our friends moved here, we made friends with all of Billy’s friends that he made at uni, and I’ve just gone back to uni last year at 25 to study maths at Sussex, and now all of the rest of our friends have followed me, so the whole Poole group has moved to Brighton now.
BL: I think the reason people like coming to Brighton is that it’s like a micro-city – you’ve got venues all close together, you’ve got a really nice fashion scene, really nice art scene, you can walk everywhere, you don’t have to get on a tube, you don’t have to get on a bus – that’s what I love about it – that you can go to Brighton Live, or Fringe Festival, or Great Escape, or anything like that and just walk to all of the different things. The only trouble is that after you’ve lived here for a few years, it’s impossible to walk around and maybe see people that you don’t want to see!
TN: I’m even seeing people now that I’ve known from other past lives – I lived in Southampton for three years and I see people about in Brighton and it’s like “I went to uni with you, I went to that pub with you…”
On gigs:
TN: We’ve been quite lucky, our crowd is getting bigger at the moment. We’ve started seeing in the last couple of gigs people coming along who aren’t just our friends, and people will come up to us after the gig and tell us we were really good. It’s good to get feedback like that because your friends are always going to tell you you’re really great aren’t they?
BL: Yeah, and you don’t necessarily like the same music as your friends. They’re supportive – when you first start out you have to draw on your friends so much to come along otherwise you’d never get off the ground. But it gets to a point where your friends have spent so much on going to gigs and they’re like “I’ve seen that set a couple of times now, I’m gonna leave it” and then of course you need to start getting other people in and luckily we’ve managed to do that.
RO: I guess Sea Monsters was really good for that because people would go because it’s Sea Monsters, or they’ll go because it’s Fear of Men and see you as well…
BL: I’ve seen Fear of Men before in London and I’ve always thought they were really good. But we’ve been really lucky with Sea Monsters, because they really plugged us and that definitely helps. When we came on we had a nice big crowd and I think that was probably because they said 1992 was a really good track.
RO: On Soundcloud, yours is the second most listened to track on there, after the Restlesslist track.
TN: Which is pretty mental really. Restlesslist are the first track on the cd, so everyone’s going to start listening from that point, then you scan down and I think it’s a bit of a snowball thing – people see “oh, they’ve got lots of hits, what’s that one?” and then more people click on us because we’ve got more hits.
BL: When there’s twenty odd tracks, you’re not going to sit and listen to twenty songs, so you look at what draws your eye, and possibly because they mentioned the track in the Source rather than just the band, people might have listened to it. I thought we would be right at the bottom of the cd, but just being next to Fear of Men, getting mentioned alongside them is great. The association we’ve got with Fear of Men is amazing – obviously they’re way ahead of us.
RO: How did you get to be on the bill at Sea Monsters?
TN: We launched our EP down at Fitzherberts – we hired out the top room, we got a couple of local bands, Two Jackals and Hockeysmith to play with us, put it on as a free night, and the One Inch Badge guys happened to be drinking downstairs. We packed it out, you couldn’t get in to the room we had upstairs at one point, and the rest is history.
Tyrannosaurus Dead at Sea Monsters 2
On 1992:
BL: I was maybe nine years old, so I was probably learning maths in 1992…
TN: Same thing that I’m doing now!
RO: So where does 1992 come into things?
BL: When you get a bit older the time of stuff that happens that you like doesn’t quite correlate to where you are in your life, so we really like the Pixies and Nirvana, but when we were 9, we would have found it hard to relate to anything like that. It loses it’s place in time with your life. It’s also a reference to the way the music was changing at that time, not specifically 1992, but in the early 90s. In England, you had a hangover from the late 80s indie scene which had some of my favourite bands, and a little bit into the 90s American music was hitting it’s peak with grunge coming in, whereas in England we lost a lot of bands that I really liked and went into a new phase of Britpop which was after the high point of guitar music in this country. So the song’s saying that the end of something isn’t necessarily the best of it. I think that’s how British music was then, and I don’t think it’s ever truly recovered.
TN: Plus Waynes World was released in 1992!
BL: Years in songs always tend to sound quite good – 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins is one of my favourite songs ever. Melodically it works quite well to add a year into songs, and a year’s an easy thing to relate to because you know where you personally were in that year.
On accents:
BL: When I first started, quite embarrassingly, because I like those American bands, I’d not sing in an American accent, but pronounce things a little bit more American, and it’s the wrong way to go. Belle & Sebastian and other Scottish bands, their delivery is really nice and their accent really comes through, and you can really hear what they’re talking about. Sometimes when an English person sings in an American accent, it’s a bit contrived, and it’s difficult to relate to it because if they’re singing in an American accent, are they really meaning what they’re singing about? So we really made an effort to sing in our own voices and because of that it sounds very English. Eleanor who also does vocals has a very English voice. Singing in your own accent is a lesson you have to learn. When you try and sing in any other way and you listen back, it’s embarrassing.
Brighton’s favourite indie band The Electric Soft Parade played The Haunt last night for the tenth anniversary of their classic Holes in the Wall album, released on Feb 4th 2002.
Support came from two local bands – Another Costume Party, who play good energetic indie rock; and Whiskey Whores, who are a bluegrass-country band, and a lovely one at that.
The White brothers seemed to have mixed emotions about their tenth anniversary gig. Happy to celebrate ten years of their much-lauded first album that still sounds brilliant today, they also seemed keen to see the back of it and consign it to history.
The songs are still strong, and the band itself – Tom and Alex White augmented by Damo Waters on drums, Matthew Twaites on bass and Andrew Mitchell (of the Hazey Janes) on second guitar – sounded amazing. Tom and Alex swapped keys/guitar from song-to-song, and the ‘hit’ single Silent to the Dark, played out in its full length noise-filled long version which seemed to go on for a mesmerising 15 minutes was worth the entrance money alone. Tom even managed to get the audience to sing the opening lines, before the band launched into its sonic assault. Empty at the End, Somethng’s Got to Give, Biting the soles of my feet were also highlights.
But things were obviously not quite right with the band, with Alex in particular having a fit and throwing his toys out of the pram. By the end of the gig he was bemoaning the fact that his keyboards had died, perhaps not helped by his trying to play it with his heels earlier in proceedings, and saying this would be the last time he ever played live. That would be a shame because on the evidence of tonight, it’s hard to see how these boys could eve play a bad gig.
I missed the first of British Sea Power’s Krankenhaus nights at The Haunt, but I heard lots of good things about it. I’d heard it was a little less conventional than most night gigs, but nothing I’d heard quite prepared me for last night.
We didn’t get to the gig until about half past nine, and by that point we’d already missed BBC6’s Shaun Keaveny on stage with Brighton & Hove City Brass, so when we arrived and Cardiff’s Race Horses were on stage we didn’t suspect too much. Sure, a bit more effort had been made with decor compared to most bands, but that fitted with what we’d heard.
It was a bit busy downstairs, so he headed to the upstairs bar, which was where we found the ping pong. You read that right – there table tennis being played by drunk people upstairs while the band were onstage.
Shortly after The Race Horses left the stage, a lean, stripped down British Sea Power came on, and rattled through a set of epic pop just with guitar, bass and drums. The crowd surged, with one or two people having to be pulled to safety – the balcony was a sensible viewing choice. When they were joined by Brighton & Hove City Brass for Waving Flags (with each member being introduced separately), the stage looked incredibly cramped, but that didn’t dampen the atmosphere. A sprained ankle amongst our party meant we retreated from the crush to the bar, missing out on a life size bear onstage, from what I’ve seen and read on twitter. It was a surreal and wonderful experience.
British Sea Power
But things hadn’t got to their most surreal just yet. BSP left the stage, and choc ices started getting handed out around the crowd. The ping pong table, which up to now had involved people playing singles or doubles, was encouraged to play in a round, with twenty drunk people hitting the ball then making way for the next player in the round. Sean Keaveny DJed for a bit, which was a welcome link with normality. The normality was broken quite quickly though, when the final support came on stage – a Japanese Queen covers band called Queer. The singing wasn’t up to much, but the guitarist was a proper Japanese version of Brian May, right down to the tight perm. It was uncanny.
Queer
If you haven’t made it down to one of British Sea Power’s nights as yet, make a note in your diaries for the first Friday of the month (there’s another four nights between now and June), because they really are a treat. The music is amazing enough, but the atmosphere in the crowd, and the extra touches make it an essential night.
The city’s favourite doom-monger is to be honoured by Brighton University in recognition of his services to the arts, with the award of an honorary Doctor of Letters degree.
This is actually Nick Cave’s third honorary degree – He was awarded a Doctor of Laws in 2008 by Monash University, the university he dropped out from in 1977 when he was studying fine arts, and he was also awarded another Doctor of Laws by Dundee University.
Nick Cave will receive his honorary degree next week at Brighton University’s graduation ceremony at The Dome, along with last year’s graduates, former children’s poet laureate Michael Rosen and Director of BBC news Helen Boaden.
Up until last year successful artists from Brighton were, for the most part, reasonably easy to pigeonhole. Fatboy Slim would probably come up first in a round in Family Fortunes on the subject, and there were a lot of other dance acts who followed in his footsteps. And we also had some reasonably successful bands who could quite clumsily be labelled Indie – The Go! Team, The Kooks, The Maccabees, British Sea Power.
But then last year, out of nowhere, came Rizzle Kicks who weren’t like anything else Brighton had to offer. The mould had been broken. And now, equally unexpected, a Brightonian has come top of MTV’s “Brand New for 2012” poll, with a landslide 45% of the votes. Conor Maynard found fame on Youtube two years ago and releases his debut single “Can’t Say No” in March. Comparisons are being made in the press with Justin Beiber – I’m not really in a position to comment, since I haven’t heard him, and wouldn’t know a Justin Beiber track if one came on the radio, so I’ll leave you to judge for yourself. Apparently he’s playing at the Haunt on Sunday night. Expect a crowd if teenage girls if you want to investigate
Exciting news this week – new videos from two of my favourite Brighton bands – Sweet Sweet Lies and The Moulettes.
Sweet Sweet Lies’ debut album is out in the spring (and has already had a four star review in Uncut). The lead single is called The Day I Change, and right now, you can only watch the video at NME.com. I’ll update the link once it’s more widely availably, but until then, click though here to take a look.
The Moulettes second album is on it’s way too, and they’ve just released the first taster – a track called Some Who You Love, which you can watch here:
It takes a lot to persuade people to come out on a freezing January evening, so Juice pulled out a few stops for the first New Music Night of the year. Opening act Moya released her acoustic debut EP last year – I posted the video of her covering Primal Scream’s I’m Losing More Than I’ll Ever Have the other week. Apparently she’s in the studio at the moment, in a room next to Wiley, who’s interested in a collaboration of some sort! Vocally, Moya’s a less annoying Duffy – earnest singer songwriter stuff. She had another musician onstage, sitting behind a drum kit, but next to a keyboard, and who obviously fired off a lot of the backing tracks. Meanwhile Moya stood out front without even a guitar to hide behind, so she made do by wearing a big brimmed hat, making it near-impossible to see her eyes.
Moya
The second band of the night were Native Roses, whose website claims that they’re “a troupe of young bohemians”. In reality they’re an indie rock band, most notable for the band member who left when she got her own record deal – the drummer’s sister is Birdy, who made waves early last year with Skinny Love. Without her, they’re still a band worth looking out for though.
Native Roses
Headlining were the Bobby McGee’s, who are a band who could only really exist somewhere like Brighton. As much cabaret as music, with a dark, dark streak that runs through them, but at the same time a veneer of wide eyed innocence. Twee-core, they call it. You may have seen the Bobby McGee’s around town before but not as you would have seen them last night. The story is that Jimmy McGee was talking to someone at Jazz FM, and somehow ended up telling them that he had a Swing Band (he didn’t), and consequently got this non-existent band booked for a Jazz FM Christmas Party. The band had to move quickly, and have bolstered their members, and last night brought along a troupe of swing dancers. (note to Native Roses – that was what a troupe really looks like!). In their set which barely lasted three quarters of an hour, they rattled through dozens of songs, each of which showed a different side to their wit and charm.
Fresh from headlining last monday at One Inch Badge’s Sea Monsters festival at the Prince Albert, The Sons of Noel and Adrian have announced a tour:
Monday 2nd April 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff (with Winter Villains)
Tuesday 3rd April The Fleece, Bristol (with Laish & Emma Gatrill)
Wednesday 4th April Arts Centre, Norwich (with Laish & Emma Gatrill)
Thursday 5th April Hoxton Bar & Grill, London
Saturday 7th April The Haunt, Brighton
They’re touring to promote their next album Knots, which should be out later this year, which we will no doubt be writing more about when it comes out.
So, that’s your lot. Six days of gigs, with an incredibly diverse line up, showcasing some of the best that Brighton has to offer. Thanks to One Inch Badge, The Prince Albert, and all of the bands.
The final night started off with The Physics House Band, who were kind of prog jazz, with arpeggiated wigouts with time signatures changing all over the shop. It would appear that this music didn’t die in the late 70s, it just went to sleep for thirty years and grew some balls in the meantime.
The Physics House Band
The second band were equally baffling on a line up which was predominantly indie. The Squadron Leaders were three middle aged men making authentic instrumental Surf Rock (almost) like they used to in the fifties. I say almost, because there was a bit of bass and the odd sample being fired of stage, but aside from that it was a basic twang guitar, sax and drums. Fans of Dick Dale, Link Wray or The Ventures would be impressed. I loved it, but then I’ve been hiding my passion for surf rock for a good few years now.
The Squadron Leaders
If The Physics Band went back to the 70s for their blueprint, and The Squadron Leaders looked at the 50s, it was like Us Baby Bear Bones hadn’t even seen the rulebook. Most bands on over the festival didn’t stray too far from the typical guitar / guitar / bass / drums – Admittedly, a few dropped one from the list, and some added keyboards, but overall there weren’t many surprises. However, each member of Us Bear Baby Bones had at least three instruments in front of them – Front woman Puff had two microphones (one of which should have been run through a sampler, but technical difficulties beset them), a clarinet and a tom tom, Daisy had several keyboards and an autoharp, and Luke was playing guitar, sampler and glockenspiel. Did I say front woman? Yes, UBBB were one of only two bands on the whole bill fronted by a woman (the other being Fear of Men). Musically, they play dreamy, yet ambitious pop. If you wanted some kind of reference point, I might mention Bat For Lashes, but also tell you that UBBB are much more magical, and that the comparison can tell you only so much and you really ought to listen to them to know what they’re like; Except the only track released into the wild so far is Rain, which is on the Sea Monsters compilation. The new stuff is being released on the 10th of Feb (coinciding with their next gig at The Hope), so you’ll have to wait until then to hear some more.
Us Baby Bear Bones
The last band of the festival was Tall Ships, and they had The Albert ram packed for their set of angular indie songs with post-rock breakdowns. They were an ideal band to finish things up, getting the crowd more animated than they had been all week.
Tall Ships
So that was Sea Monsters. I heard a lot of great music and discovered a lot of amazing new bands. The highlights for me were some of the bands who broke the mould – Us Baby Bear Bones, Restlesslist, and Speak Galactic – who obviously felt music so strongly that it just couldn’t be expressed in traditional ways.
Brighton Music Blog 