Dark Horses supported by the New Eves at the Hope & Ruin gallery

Posted on 17/04/2023 by brightonmusicblog

On Saturday night Dark Horses played a launch show at the Hope & Ruin to celebrate their new album While We Were Sleeping. They were joined by album producer Bob Earland on synths, and guitarist Paul Philips also got on stage for a couple of tracks. Support came from Brighton quartet The New Eves, with a DJ turn between acts from Dark Horses long time photographer Ali Tollervey. The band are always visually arresting – this time augmented with visuals from James GM (which felt like they could have been a bit more prominent in our opinion) – so we got there early and got a good spot down the front to take some photos:

Dark Horses interview

Posted on 05/04/2023 by brightonmusicblog

A couple of weeks ago, Dark Horses released their third album While You Were Sleeping. We fired over a couple of quick questions to ask about the record and the launch gig taking place later this month

While We Were Sleeping album cover. Photo by Ali Tollervey

Your last album Hail Lucid State came out back in 2014, and while there’s been a few live performances and tracks released, it’s taken until now to get the album together. Has it been a long hard slog over all that time, or did you go away then regroup more recently?
Not a long hard slog as such but it’s been a real test of patience. It’s taken time to #1 find the right label home for the release #2 wait patiently for post pandemic backlog of vinyl production to run down and #3 all be in the same country together safely!

There was a bit of activity around 2017/2018 – the single XIII (which opens the album), and the track Yes Yes Yes (the second track on the record) which was released by Love Thy Neighbour to accompany their Triptych gigs. Was the plan at the time that these would form the start of the album, or were these one offs that it was just the right time to release into the world?
They were already part of the album, we were planning to release that in Summer 2020 but for obvious reasons that was not to be. As mentioned there was the added challenge of being in different countries and not being able to travel. The title now seems even more apt! But we well and truly awake now.

You’re playing at the Hope & Ruin on 15th April, and it’s billed not just as a gig, but a Live AV show in collaboration with visual artist James GM. Can you give us an idea of what he’s going to be doing?
James GM is a fantastic AV artist who is passionate about minimalist contemporary art, especially within the world of digital. From minimalist painters like Cy Twombly to modern animators such as Kevin McGloughlin and David Hughes, abstract visual art forms fascinate him.
He is using his programming background to create reactive visual pieces to compliment the music. As always visuals are a crucial collaborative part of how we like to work and of corse the advances in technology make for a great space for extermination and creativity. As the images will be reacting live to our performance we won’t know how things will look until we play! The fun is in the discovery!

While You were Sleeping has been released on a US label – will you be heading to the states to play some shows out there? Are there plans for more UK shows following the album launch?
We would love to make it across the pond one of these days but for now we will focus on closer shores. We are excited to be invited to join the fantastic Ravonettes at O2 Islington Academy on the 10th of May followed but a whirlwind appearance at The Great Escape Festival on the 11th May at The Fiddlers Elbow, with other exiting announcements to come, watch this space 🙂 http://www.darkhorsesmusic.com
We have more artistic collaborations in the pipe line, continuing to play with machine learning, film, dance and performance.

The Go! Team at Chalk gallery

Posted on 02/04/2023 by brightonmusicblog

Last night the Go! Team played their first hometown gig for five years. Since then, they’ve released two albums – Get Up Sequences Part One, and Get Up Sequences Part Two, and this gig was the final date of the tour promoting Part Two. The set covered their whole career – they played at least one song from each album, but the night lent most heavily from their debut (which they noted turns 19 this year) and their latest records. The set list (if you can’t read upside down from the first photo) was:

Let the Seasons Work
Mayday
Ladyflash
Divebomb
Get it Together
I Loved You Better
Semicircle Song
Huddle Formation
The Scene Between
Gemini
Going Nowhere
Keys to the City
Everyone’s a VIP to Someone
The Power is On

(encore)
Whammy-O
T.O.R.N.A.D.O.

(click through the images to view large)

Quatermass III supporting Saint Etienne at the Old Market

Posted on 16/11/2022 by brightonmusicblog

Last Friday we headed down early to the Saint Etienne gig at the Old Market for a visitation from our local out of this world galactic psyche rock experience Quatermass III. Veering between glam and kraut but never taking their eyes from the prize they proved the perfect warm up for Saint Etienne, a third of whose core members are now Brighton based (well, Hove, actually) Continue reading →

A pint at the Prince Albert with David Best from Fujiya & Miyagi

Posted on 08/11/2022 by brightonmusicblog

Last week, in between their UK tour dates and a gig in Paris supporting Kit Sebastian, I caught up with Fujiya & Miyagi’s David Best at the Prince Albert and chatted about new album Slight Variations, Dub, Optical Illusions, playing at the O2 and the lost Fujiya & Miyagi album

Continue reading →

Fujiya & Miyagi at Patterns photo gallery

Posted on 14/10/2022 by brightonmusicblog

Last night Fujiya & Miyagi played a home town gig at Patterns as part of their tour to support their new album Slight Variations, and the band were on top form playing a set made up of a mix of tracks from the new album all the way back to Ankle Injuries. Support came Bunkr, who previously supported Fujiya & Miyagi back in 2016 under his Lost Idol guise.

The full set list was:

Non Essential Worker
Sweat
Uh
Digital Hangover
Freudian Slips
Extended Dance Mix
Transparent Things
Personal Space
New Body Language
Collarbone
Knickerbocker
Seratonin Roshes
Impossible Objects of Desire

encore:
Slight Variations
Ankle Injuries

Projector at Patterns photo gallery

Posted on 01/10/2022 by brightonmusicblog

Projector have just hit the road to play their new single NON (and a whole load of other songs) the country. The band played a hometown gig at Patterns to kick off the tour, and we were there with our camera. Hit their socials to find details of the rest of the tour dates:

Hutch at 234 Festival at the Green Door Store

Posted on 26/09/2022 by brightonmusicblog

This weekend Green Door Store held their annual free 234 Festival, which has been running since at least 2014 (see our post from way back then here). Various other commitments meant we couldn’t spend the whole weekend drinking beer and watching bands, as much as we’d liked to have done, but we did get along to see Hutch, who we’re big fans of. Visuals for the whole weekend were provided by the ever spectacular Innerstrings, who’s probably still sleeping it off now.

Click through the pics to view large:

Sairie – The Cinder Sheet EP launch

Posted on 23/09/2022 by brightonmusicblog

On Wednesday night we paid a visit to the Folklore Rooms for a gig to celebrate the launch of Sairie‘s new EP The Cinder Sheet. The EP was conceived over lockdown, when Emma and Jon from the band started playing around with covers from film soundtracks. Now expanded to a eight track EP and shared with everyone, the release leaps from French New Wave to Sci Fi to Morricone, all remade in Sairie’s psych-folk style.

Support at the gig from Alex Painter (from Great Pagans) and Maria Marzaioli (from Slum of Legs) new project YOU&TH, who pushed the folk window out to embrace jazz, loops, traditional Italian songs, and field recordings.

(click through the pics to view large)

Brighton Rocks #38 : Anzahlung

Posted on 01/09/2022 by brightonmusicblog

Anzahlung initially formed as a side project to legendary band The Cravats, the duo made up of The Shend and Joe 91 today released their second album What You Think is All You’ve Got, and are on the bill for ex-Kraftwerk member Wolfgang Flur’s gig at the Concorde in October. We caught up with them on a sunny day in Saltdean to quiz them about their Brighton

What’s the best thing about Brighton?
Joe : Brighton is the only place I’ve lived apart from Welwyn Garden City, which is a big C and small c conservative commuter town. Brighton is the complete antithesis to Welwyn; it’s still the only place in the world (that I’ve visited, at least) where I’d feel safe holding my boyfriend’s hand. It also has the most pubs per square mile than any other place in the UK, apparently. Convenient.
The Shend : Anything goes

Who are your favourite local bands?
Joe : Lambrini Girls. One of the most chaotic, energetic and occasionally absurd live bands I’ve seen in ages. Slum of Legs, sadly almost defunct but they’ll always have a special place in my heart. I’ve just discovered R. Dyer’s music, magical stuff.
The Shend : Human Leather, Arxx, Red Deer People

What’s the best venue?
Joe : We’re not short of decent venues in Brighton but the bulk of my favourite gigs have been at Green Door Store. Me and The Shend have played some exceptionally fun gigs there with our other band The Cravats.
The Shend : Concorde 2

What’s the best rehearsal space / studio?
Joe : Brighton Electric. Staff are super lovely, the facilities are second-to-none and they serve decent beer. Under The Bridge deserves a mention too, Anzahlung have rehearsed there a couple of times, it’s friendly and affordable and they do lots of great community work too.
The Shend : Brighton Electric

What’s the best club?
Joe : I don’t frequent a particular club that often but there are plenty of great club nights in Brighton right now – Mi Piaci, Farmageddon, Traumfrau, Polyglam to name a few.
The Shend : Stay Sick

What’s the best record shop?
Joe : Resident is my go-to for records and has been since I moved here in 2013. Lovely place and glad to see that it’s still thriving.
The Shend : Across The Tracks

Where’s the best places to eat?
Joe : Too many to choose from! Recent highlights have been Adelfia, Khambis, Planet India and Alushi.
The Shend : Grubbs Burgers

What’s the best pub?
Joe : Prince Albert. Usually frequented by an assortment of types but never any hassle, decent venue upstairs and a giant Dot Cotton mural out the back.
The Shend : Prince Albert

Who’s your favourite Brighton celebrity?
Joe : I feel obliged to say The Shend… but I’m going with Ben Wheatley. Sightseers is one of my favourite films.
The Shend : David Thomas

When was the last time you had any Brighton Rock?
Joe : I don’t eat rock, my teeth are knackered enough as it is! I do have a Throbbing Gristle stick of rock under my bed, purchased at their 2006 reunion gig in London. I wonder what state it’s in now.
The Shend : Never

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